Pre-service science teachers develop their teaching practices within and across the university and school contexts of their teacher education programs. The practices and visions of teaching and learning emphasized in each context are often disjointed, a problem referred to as the "two-worlds pitfall." Responding to the call for teacher…

Four General Chemistry instructors investigated the use of ChatGPT-4 to improve their lessons plans for the historical experiments of Thomson, Millikan, and Rutherford. The instructors varied in their prior knowledge for these experiments and their initial lessons addressed somewhat different learning objectives. This led to different…

In recent years, studies by education researchers indicate that, despite various instructional methods to enhance the conceptual understanding of seasons, the reasons for the formation of seasons and the processes involved are still not fully grasped. This research aims to investigate the fundamental reasons for the difficulties in comprehending…

Developing a deeper understanding of scientific concepts is one of the primary goals of science education. To improve students' conceptual understanding, it is necessary to explore the major characteristics of their learning process. Informed by previous work on conceptual understanding, this study focuses on the concept of evaporation, exploring…

This mixed methods study explored how elementary teachers reported using a commercially published instructional unit to plan and deliver science instruction in their elementary classrooms. Of particular focus is what elements of the program teachers eliminated during planning and instruction, what outside materials teachers added to instruction,…

This study investigates if a force-based teaching approach, based on quantum mechanical principles and developed in a lesson study, would enhance the understanding of chemical bonding among upper secondary school students. The teaching approach was based on research on the teaching and learning of chemical bonding. The study included first-year…

Biochemistry is believed to be a difficult subject to understand for most life science and medical students. This article explains an experience with a flowchart-based teaching approach that is applicable to different kinds of biochemistry courses (basic, medical, and clinical) for undergraduate and postgraduate students. After preparing the…

The purpose of this study is to investigate primary school teachers' perceptions regarding the frequency of using educational platforms, digital applications, and videos for teaching science and geography. Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire survey in which 107 primary school teachers voluntarily participated. The analysis…

Developing 21st-century skills among students is crucial for their success in college, future careers, and civic engagement. These skills, commonly referred to as the 4Cs (creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving, communication, and collaboration), require teachers to provide tailored learning experiences. This study investigates the…

A main goal of academic courses is to help students acquire knowledge and skills that they can transfer to multiple contexts. In this article, we (i) examine students' responses to test question templates (TQTs), a framework intended to facilitate transfer, and (ii) determine whether similar transfer-promoting strategies are commonly embedded in…

In this paper, we discuss what creativity may look like in the science classroom and what we learnt from teaching with student-generated diagrams to promote creativity in Year 7 Science lessons. As a result of this study, most students were able to communicate a deeper understanding of complex phenomena and were able to apply this knowledge both…

This study examined the impact of a practice-based approach to in-service science teacher education, using small-group discussions about photovoltaic (PV) science to support teachers' instruction on sustainable energy transitions in response to climate change risks. Ultimately, we aimed to promote teachers' PV science comprehension as well as…

Research calls for teachers to integrate students' funds of knowledge to bridge the gap between students' lived experiences with that of learning science -- that is, to make science relevant for students. Based on this critical practice, this exploratory study focuses on how pre-service science teachers integrate relevance, specifically students'…

Internationally, second level curriculum policy for STEM education is concentrating its efforts on promoting curriculum-making pedagogies, with enquiry-based teaching and learning at the forefront of this change. Policy aspirations have not translated well into practice, evidenced by science practical lessons consistently being delivered as…

Regardless of students' differences, they should have opportunities to learn in a classroom environment that adequately promotes their interests and scaffolds their progress. Often, research highlights the struggles teachers face in accommodating learners' needs while ensuring effective lesson delivery at various educational levels. Although there…