Working with approximations is a common practice in physics. This paper presents an exploratory study of student understanding of some of the elementary aspects of approximations encountered in college physics. For this purpose, a questionnaire (a set of 14 multiple-choice questions) was developed to probe how students dealt with these aspects in…

The limited availability of research instruments that reflect the vision of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) restricts the field's understanding of whether and how teachers are making instructional shifts called for by the standards. The need for such instruments is particularly urgent with teachers of multilingual learners (MLs), who…

A didactic sequence is proposed using an infrared puzzle and a didactic questionnaire for the teaching-learning of infrared spectroscopy at the upper secondary level. The didactic sequence that was designed was implemented in person in the subject of Chemistry IV at the high school level, corresponding to the sixth semester of the curriculum of…

Background: Teachers' views of nature of science (NOS) play a key-role in how they teach science and can significantly impact their students' understanding of and achievement in science. NOS has been a curriculum goal in science education for several decades. Therefore, there is a need for assessment tools that can examine views of NOS in the…

This study investigates associations between two types of control beliefs--self-efficacy for self-regulation and implicit theories of willpower--and undergraduate biology students' (N = 535) behavioral self-regulation and performance. Findings suggest that self-efficacy is the more proximally related motive for students to engage in academic…

The alternative conceptions that students hold put a brake on subsequent meaningful learning, and therefore, the identification of these wrong ideas is crucial for effective teaching and academic success. Undergraduate STEM students often perceive Chemical Thermodynamics as a difficult subject, in which entropy has been pointed out as a threshold…

Drawing, constructing, and explaining a model of a given abstract phenomenon is a challenging task. In this study, students were engaged in the "Project-Based Inquiry Science (PBIS)-Air Quality" learning unit, as part of their chemistry curriculum. The study aim is to determine how well students understand chemistry conceptually after…

A good understanding of red cell indexes can aid medical students in a considerable manner, serving as a basis to unravel both concepts in red cell physiology and abnormalities associated with the same. In this study, we tried to assess whether an interactive animation was helpful in improving student comprehension and understanding of red cell…

The present study investigated the effectiveness of the Glogster and cooperative learning as differentiation models of English as a second/foreign language (ESL/EFL) and Science projects. The study employed a mixed method study design whereby questionnaire and openended interview were incorporated to elicit the required data. Eighteen teachers…

In spite of English being regarded as the second most important language in Malaysia, it is still treated as a foreign language inevitably. The recently introduced Dual Language Progamme (henceforth DLP) which uses English as the medium of instruction in teaching Mathematics and Science is alleged to be a reflection of the less successful English…

Clear and rigorous quantum reasoning is needed to explain quantum physical phenomena. As pillars of true quantum physical explanations, we suggest specific quantum reasoning derived from quantum physical key ideas. An experiment is suggested to support such a quantum reasoning, in which a quantized radiation field interacts with an optical beam…

The teaching and learning of quantum physics has recently become a topic of increasing interest in physics education research. In particular, the study of two-state systems is gaining importance as a means of teaching quantum physics at various educational levels. Meanwhile, a number of approaches have been developed that are also suitable for…

Despite the importance of evolution to understand biology, there is significant evidence that many biology teachers have difficulties to successfully teach this topic. The purpose of this study is to describe procedures by which a paper-and-pencil instrument to assess teachers' pedagogical content knowledge for evolution (PCK[subscript evo]) was…

One of the main forms of educational process in teaching students is educational and field practice; it is a relatively independent form of training and education of students. A summer educational and field practice is complicated pedagogical system regarding the structure and functional components, which includes theoretical and practical…

The rapid development and impact of nanoscience and nanotechnology (NSNT) on economy has led policy makers and educators to focus on nanotechnology education. The two main views concerning appropriate level to teach nanoscience and nanotechnology (NSNT): The first favors teaching in higher education; the second recommends familiarizing and…