There is a growing need for more effective interdisciplinary science instruction across undergraduate degree programs. In addition to supporting students' connections between disciplinary concepts, interdisciplinary learning can develop students' critical thinking skills and allow them to evaluate scientific investigations and claims between…

In the classroom, metabolism is often approached and received as a mundane exercise in memorization. Teaching metabolism also faces the challenge of negative perceptions that can impede learning. We sought to improve the learning experience in an undergraduate lecture course on microbial metabolism by implementing an illustrated story that follows…

This research reports on science pre-service teachers' (PSTs) perceptions and attitudes towards a virtual reality classroom, with the rationale being to elaborate on the pedagogical affordances of technology in the micro-teaching practices of PSTs. A purposeful sample of eighty-three preservice science teachers from a major South African…

Non-cognitive factors, such as motivation, have shown to play a significant role in adolescences science learning. However, there is little longitudinal research investigating students' intrinsic motivation in science learning over school years. Based on self-determination theory, this study examines the change in, and associations between,…

"Those who can't do, teach." This adage is common, perhaps because the general public does not fully understand what teachers do. Here, we describe our findings from a collaborative project, GIFT (Graduate Identity Formation through Teaching), in which STEM graduate students (GSs) taught science content to teacher candidates (TCs) and…

This paper presents two low-cost hands-on activities designed to enhance student understanding and address the pedagogical challenges faced by microbiology professors in teaching concepts related to cell structure and gene regulation. In the first activity, we used Shrinky Dinks and Jeopardy-style game questions to explore the differences between…

Although most students in nonmajor biology courses will not enter careers in science, they will need a working understanding of biology and how it relates to their lives to make informed decisions on important topics that will affect their lives, including food, environment, energy, and health. This research seeks to improve on nonmajors'…

Formative assessment is highly beneficial for student motivation and achievement, but in undergraduate courses, especially large introductory life sciences courses, it may be difficult for instructors to gather the evidence necessary for quality formative assessment. Undergraduate teaching and learning assistants (UTLAs) can help to implement…

This study explores the potential of QR code technology in enhancing preservice science teachers' understanding of astronomy topics and their views on the Nature of Science (NOS). Using QR codes, the study focused on teaching complex concepts like the Kuiper Belt, dwarf planets, and Pluto's reclassification, while fostering an explicit and…

Undergraduate general chemistry courses are often perceived in a negative light by students. Student attitudes towards chemistry play a significant role in their success in chemistry and retention in STEM altogether. Research has shown in K-12 classrooms that care-based instruction strategies can help to improve student attitudes towards…

Some of the online explainer videos for physics present misconceptions as scientifically correct explanations. Even so, some of these videos achieve good ratings on online platforms. A possible reason is that explainer videos with misconceptions foster an "illusion of understanding"--the mistaken belief that a topic has been understood.…

The Leadership/Teamwork Self-Efficacy Scale has been shown to be an effective tool for measuring interpersonal competence beliefs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics academic settings. However, little is known about its psychometric properties. The present research explored the measure's longitudinal factor structure in the…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the course, Scientific Inquiry, significantly increased the self-efficacy beliefs of its students. According to Bandura (1977), an increase in self-efficacy could increase the likelihood that teachers implement scientific inquiry in their classrooms. I explored self-efficacy in an effort to…

This study aims to: 1) Examine the experiences and needs essential for fostering self-directed knowledge construction among science teachers and lower secondary students; and 2) Develop a learning management process to enhance self-directed knowledge construction for lower secondary students. Targeting 35 students from a school in Kalasin province…

It is the responsibility of chemistry educators to identify and implement instructional strategies, such as introducing educational board games that can foster active and constructive learning and promote an enjoyable learning experience. This study aimed to design, develop, and evaluate a board game that has the potential to be used as a…