Load reduction instruction (LRI) is an instructional approach designed to manage the cognitive load on students as they learn complex learning materials. According to Cognitive Load Theory, complex learning is associated with high cognitive load and when not effectively managed, could impede learning. Inquiry-based learning with hands-on…

Based on recent education reform guidelines to prepare professionals who are able to handle new technological, economic, social, and environmental challenges, pedagogical modifications are deemed necessary by the educators. Specifically, in biology, the rapid changes in the content and biological products demand changes in the curriculum. We aim…

Although existing literature suggests that teachers perceive, mobilize, and leverage resources to support ambitious instruction, less is known about how teachers and students jointly take up resources for co-constructing scientific knowledge. This study examines how teachers and students utilize aspects of practice-oriented curriculum materials…

Digestion is a fundamentally important process for an individual's life. However, the physical process of digestion is hidden inside the body, making it challenging to understand and a particularly difficult topic for students to learn in the classroom. Traditional approaches to teaching body processes include a mixture of textbook teaching and…

A differentiated science activity was created for gifted students. The focus is on Sustainable Development Goal 15 (SDG-15) for life on land, enhancing engagement, self-regulated learning skills, and scientific creativity in gifted students. The activity spanned eight lesson hours, with tasks encouraging observation, inquiry, and creative…

Title I middle schools face challenges delivering effective inquiry-based science instruction within the framework of Title I requirements. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore Title I middle school teacher and principal perspectives on and experiences with the challenges of delivering inquiry-based science instruction within…

Scientific inquiry ability is closely related to the process of hands-on inquiry practice. However, its assessment is often separated from this practice due to the limitation of technical basis and labor cost. The development of multimodal data analysis provides a new opportunity to realize automated assessment based on hands-on practice.…

Mechanobiology is an interdisciplinary field that aims to understand how physical forces impact biological systems. Enhancing our knowledge of mechanobiology has become increasingly important for understanding human disease and developing novel therapeutics. There is a societal need to teach diverse students principles of mechanobiology so that we…

The need for shifting the expository laboratory instruction style to inquiry-based approaches is widely acknowledged. Problem-based learning (PBL), one of the inquiry-based approaches, advocates students' self-directed learning. The literature indicates that scaffolding students' independent learning is necessary for a PBL environment. In our…

The increasing industrial and biomedical applications of nanomaterials have enhanced the need to educate a well-trained nanotechnology workforce. This need has led to efforts to introduce hands-on, nanotechnology-based, experimental modules into high school and college level courses in science and engineering. However, the majority of such efforts…

The Reggio-inspired approach often leads a teacher down unexpected paths, as many class explorations originate from students' observations of problems or phenomena. Students then work collaboratively with the teacher; the teacher consistently observes and questions the students to discover what the students are thinking and why. The teacher…

This column presents ideas and techniques to enhance your science teaching. This month's issue shares information about trying (again) to engineer an egg package. Engineering is an essential part of science education, as emphasized in the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013). Engineering practices and performance…

In Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, subject teachers of English medium in government schools are recruited from overseas and have a wide range of years of teaching experience. Research is divided into whether or not years of experience necessarily translates into a positive correlation with student-centred classroom practice…

An integrated and inquiry-based experiment on solid state chemistry is applied to an inorganic chemistry lab course to provide insight into the characteristics of the solid phase reaction. In this experiment, students have the opportunity to synthesize long-lasting phosphors with formula xSrO·yAl[subscript 2]O[subscript 3]:Eu[superscript 2+],…

Often unheard of unless you are of a certain age and remember audio and video cassettes, BASF are a multinational business with a large chemical site in Bradford, West Yorkshire. On the BASF site is a 'Kids' Lab' that forms part of BASF's educational outreach work. In this article, Leigh Hoath and five teachers from Bradford schools outline a…