The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of missing data imputation methods, namely regression imputation (RI), multiple imputation (MI) and k-nearest neighbor (kNN) on differential item functioning (DIF). In this regard, the datasets used in the research were created by deleting some of the data via the missing completely at random…

The significance of the role of students' interpretation and creation of multiple forms of representation in science learning has long been established and advocated, but there is a paucity of research into the extent to which this emphasis in science education is reflected in high stakes final year high school science examinations. This study…

The multiple-choice section of the final examination for the first-year Advanced Physics I course at the University of Newcastle, Australia between 2010 and 2018 was investigated for gender bias. A Mantel-Haenszel analysis revealed that approximately 20% of the multiple-choice questions exhibited statistically significant gender bias. A schema for…

Australia participated in the eighth cycle of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). TIMSS is an international sample study that assesses the mathematics and science achievement of Year 4 and Year 8 students every 4 years. Australia has participated in all cycles of TIMSS since it commenced in 1995 and over this 28-year…

There has been a strong narrative in Australia of falling attainment in high school science, with much of the campaign informed by results from international standardised tests such as Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which shows a year-on-year decline in scientific literacy of Australian 15-year-old students. These results…

The method for producing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) was first published in 1975. MAbs have revolutionised research, diagnosis, and disease treatment approaches. While students need a good understanding of MAb production, teaching the key steps via traditional methods can be challenging. Numerous resources exist, but these focus on hybridoma…

Science self-schemas are students' cognitive generalizations of their selves in learning science. Students who hold contrasting science self-schemas are hypothesized to learn consistently with their salient self-conception in science. A survey and an experiment provided complementary evidence supporting the self-congruent engagement hypothesis.…

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international comparative study of student achievement directed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). TIMSS was first conducted in 1995 and the 2023 assessment formed the eighth cycle, providing 28 years of trends in mathematics…

Restrictions on movement during the COVID-19 pandemic led to assessment being conducted online, which gave students opportunities to use internet search engines during examinations. We found that in some cases internet searches resulted in characteristic incorrect responses, and around one third of students entered these answers to examination…

The development and evaluation of valid assessments of scientific reasoning are an integral part of research in science education. In the present study, we used the linear logistic test model (LLTM) to analyze how item features related to text complexity and the presence of visual representations influence the overall item difficulty of an…

While completing a science test and science survey, 155 high school students wore a biometric wristband (measuring electrodermal activity; EDA) and self-reported their science self-efficacy and science anxiety. Adopting a challenge-threat appraisal perspective and latent profile analysis, we explored how students were psychologically…

Beginning in the 1960s and early seventies, classroom research contributed to understandings and insights concerning the complexities and diversities of teaching. In the late 1990s, classroom research began to also include student voices in the classroom. Socio-cultural theory turned the empirical focus toward student interaction, and…

Introductory university astronomy courses have emerged as a powerful opportunity to improve science understanding, literacy, and appreciation of the scientific method to a wide range of future citizens and voters. Students in an introductory astronomy course were instructed to record and analyze their naked-eye astronomical observations over a…

Cognitive diagnostic models can uncover students' mastery of multiple fine-grained skill attributes or problem-solving processes. A number of studies have applied cognitive diagnostic models to detect students' knowledge mastery in mathematics and language testing. However, few studies focus on cognitive diagnostic assessment in K-12 science…

Families are active agents in school systems and apply different strategies of educational advantage to help their children succeed at school. These strategies are planned and enacted by families with their children in mind, but they are always a response to the broader education system design. This article explores how through their strategies…