Understanding the nature of scientific inquiry is considered a critical component of scientific literacy [Michaels, S., Shouse, A. W., & Schweingruber, H. A. (2008). "Ready, set, science!: Putting research to work in K-8 classrooms." National Academies Press]. What do elementary students already know about scientific inquiry? Using…

We examined the structure of domain-specific academic science vocabulary, general academic vocabulary, and conceptual science knowledge and their impact on each other across two measurement points in a sample of 388 German third graders. Results show that the three constructs can be empirically differentiated. The high latent correlation between…

The aim of this research is to take a fresh look at the physical science concepts that Year 3 students struggle with. In this work, the responses of over 8,000 middle-primary-aged students to a range of physics, space science and chemistry questions were evaluated. The questions covered a number of topics ranging from selecting and using simple…

We investigated the effectiveness of a sustained and spiraled content literacy intervention that emphasizes building domain and topic knowledge schemas and vocabulary for elementary-grade students. The model of reading engagement intervention underscores thematic lessons that provide an intellectual structure for helping students connect new…

The aim of this longitudinal research is to examine the development process of scientific and consistent knowledge structures of first, second, and third-grade students in middle school within the concepts of melting and dissolution according to conceptual change theories at the end of the education and training processes carried out in…

Engineering design is being increasingly included in elementary education, typically to provide students with opportunities to apply science and mathematics concepts while developing their engineering practices. An important question is how to prepare teachers who can help students develop more informed engineering practices during classroom…

Background: The affordances of technology, such as e-books, offer the opportunity to increase engagement and provide personalised feedback to promote students' learning outcomes. E-books that encourage the use of comprehension monitoring strategies in real time may support stronger outcomes. Objectives: The purpose of this feasibility study was to…

The purpose of the study was to determine the perceptions, knowledge levels, and mental models of gifted 2nd and 3rd-grade elementary students regarding the shape of the Earth and gravity concepts. The data for the study, which was qualitative research, was collected through interviews with the students. The study participants were 80 students…

Several researchers and scientific institutions argue that evolution should be explored from the first school years. However, few studies have analysed primary school students' understanding of evolutionary processes or evaluated the impact of educational activities on such knowledge. The available data: (1) suggest that primary school students…

There is a significant amount of research literature on the importance of identifying and building on students' experiences and ideas for making sense of the natural world, especially when engaging in science practices. Simultaneously, approaches to creating justice-oriented science education promote the need to focus on the diverse sense-making…

Background: The coherence of learners' pre-instruction conceptions has been debated for some time. Studies on conceptions of force, specifically, have produced very different results in different contexts around the world. In this study, an integrative theoretical framework linking semantic differences across languages to concept learning in…

To foster students' meaningful learning of science, we designed and implemented a unit for five third-grade students that allowed them to understand Carbon Footprint (CF) in a public school in North Texas. The unit lasted seven weeks, where students identified the effects of distance traveled and packaging on the CF of certain consumable products.…

This study explored Grade 3 teachers' use of an inquiry-based approach to mediate the development of basic science concepts among learners within the socio-cultural theory. This study adopted interpretive case study research of the qualitative type, using a sample of four (4) female teachers who use the home language of learners as the language of…

The purpose of this feasibility study was to examine the potential impact of reading digital interactive e-books, Word Knowledge e-books (WKe-Books), on essential skills that support reading comprehension with third-fifth grade students. Students (N= 425) read two WKe-Books, that taught word learning and comprehension monitoring strategies in the…

The article presents our Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) activities in the project-based Science education of third graders (8--9-year-old pupils) in the Slovak Republic. Individual tasks of project assignment titled "Temperature Measurement" were conceived for "guided inquiry". We also supported the IBL of pupils by interactive…