The paper presents an empirical study on university students' perceptions of nature of science (NOS). NOS is framed in terms of the cognitive, epistemic, and social-institutional systems of science based on the Family Resemblance Approach (FRA) (Erduran and Dagher 2014; Irzik and Nola 2014; Irzik and Nola, SCED 20:591-607, 2011). FRA includes the…

In this explorative study, a diagnostic test on diffusion and osmosis (DTDO) was developed and used to assess pre-degree students' conceptual understanding and application of diffusion and osmosis in biology. The 25-item DTDO is a two-tier test--adapted from Odom and Barrow's (1995) Diffusion Osmosis Diagnostic Test (DODT)--developed and validated…

This study used a quasi-experimental design to examine the effects of argumentative writing on non-science majors' conceptual understanding and the growth of their writing skills over a semester. To assess gain in conceptual knowledge, tests were given before and after the course; students in the writing group gained significantly more than…

The aspiration of biology education is to give students tools to apply knowledge learned in the classroom to everyday life. Genetic modification is a real-world biological concept that relies on an in-depth understanding of the molecular behavior of DNA and proteins. This study investigated undergraduate biology students' conceptions of…

This study tests the hypothesis that undergraduates who peer teach genetics will have greater understanding of genetic and molecular biology concepts as a result of their teaching experiences. Undergraduates enrolled in a non-majors biology course participated in a service-learning program in which they led middle school (MS) or high school (HS)…

To develop a more scientifically literate society, students need to understand the nature of science, which may be affected by controversial topics such as evolution. There are conflicting views among researchers concerning the relationships between understanding evolution, acceptance of evolution, and understanding of the nature of science. Four…

Gene expression is a highly theoretical concept that requires advanced reasoning skills to comprehend. Often, students receive instruction but fail to replace prior conceptions and thus do not benefit. In order to investigate the reason for this failure, we used a directed inquiry activity that uses concrete analogies in both majors and non-majors…

Concept inventories are often used to assess current student understanding although conceptual change models are problematic. Due to controversies with conceptual change models and the realities of student assessment, it is important that concept inventories are evaluated using a variety of theoretical models to improve quality. This study used a…

It is a common complaint among teachers that students forget what they have learned soon after taking a test. The phenomenon is seen in both secondary and undergraduate chemistry courses. This study examines the length of time after a test that students in three different chemistry courses (undergraduate nursing, nonscience majors, and high school…

The GetWET Observatory was developed as part of an overall course redesign of the Introductory Geology Laboratory at Colorado State University to improve student learning of key surface and groundwater concepts for nonmajors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Consisting of six groundwater monitoring wells, the GetWET Observatory…

Science educators have the common goal of helping students develop scientific literacy, including understanding of the nature of science (NOS). University faculties are challenged with the need to develop informed NOS views in several major student subpopulations, including science majors and nonscience majors. Research into NOS views of…

This study examines how well second-year nonmajor organic chemistry students are learning to draw, interpret, and understand resonance-related structures. Students were tested seven times throughout an academic year using a set of four tasks that reflected their understanding of what these structures represent and how they relate to each other.…

What the author explores in this essay is not so much the "whether" of general science education, but the "why." What exactly constitutes good science education, and how can one recognize when students have received it? Once this question has been answered, the answer to the "what" question--the actual content of the curriculum--is relatively easy…

This study examined college students' attitudes towards science in a course designed with Science Education for New Civic Engagement and Responsibilities (SENCER) ideals. SENCER uses socially engaging issues to teach basic science to non-science majors. A combination of methods was used to measure changes in attitudes (confidence and interest) and…

Because many incoming geoscience students did not acknowledge their previous personal encounters with the earth's geological processes or products, we developed the Geological Sense of Place (GSP) template as a convenient way to assess students' earth science backgrounds through short answer, mini-essay, and induced associative responses. The GSP…