Student self-efficacy, their confidence to successfully perform a task, is positively related to course performance. Students with high self-efficacy for a task are more motivated toward that task. Yet few studies have measured students' self-efficacy and motivation levels after exams are returned in introductory biology classes or studied how…

Accuracy on assessments is commonly studied in education research but response time (RT) is relatively less investigated even though decades of research in cognitive sciences indicate that time can be an important dimension for understanding student learning. To better understand RT and the potentially important relations between accuracy and RT…

The present study ascertains the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and students' science self-efficacy using data involving 509,182 15-year-old students and 17,678 school principals in 69 countries/regions who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015. Hierarchical linear modelling results show…

Self-efficacy and achievement goals represent two extensively researched motivational factors in education and have been related to numerous academic outcomes. However, little is known about how they relate to different types of problem-solving. Furthermore, while prior work has found these motivational factors are related, less work has examined…

This paper reports a quantitative study about university students' conceptual understanding of simple DC-circuits when entering firstyear physics at a South African university. The aim was to investigate how conceptual understanding relates to the students' personal and school background. The conceptual framework was based on an existing model of…

The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes towards laboratory skills and chemistry laboratory anxieties of pre-service science teachers who were currently registered to general chemistry laboratory course and who had taken this course previously. To evaluate candidates' attitudes and anxieties in line with this purpose, they were…

Using the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) data, this paper aimed to examine if, and to what extent, demographic factors predict students' participation in science over the age of 16 (post-16). While all the students participating in this study are attending Australian schools, the comprehensiveness of these datasets, together with…

The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics of US schools associated with two measures of scientific literacy (content knowledge and "procedural and epistemic" knowledge) using the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data. Because outcomes are nested within students, and students within schools, a…

Finland offers a specific example of a country with a broad enrolment in higher education, where the educational starting age is relatively high and where studies may last considerably longer than in most other European countries. This study attempted to identify at-risk students in Finnish universities with the greatest probability of…

Non-cognitive characteristics of students in four Southeast Asian countries -- Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Viet Nam -- were reviewed based on the PISA 2009, 2012, and 2015 data. Overall, students in this region demonstrated similarities with respect to their non-cognitive dispositions such as learning habits, approaches to learning,…

This open access book brings together national experts from across the Dinaric region to rigorously review IEA's Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 grade four data to develop a multidimensional and culturally sensitive perspective on their TIMSS 2019 primary-level results. The Dinaric region, named after the Dinaric…

With an increasing number of students enrolling into Australian universities, developing an understanding of the variables underlying academic success, is growing in importance. In the present study, three first-year cohorts (2013-2015) studying towards five allied health or science degrees (n = 1,676 students) were examined to ascertain the…

There is a need for science education research that explores community college student, instructor, and course characteristics that influence student interest and motivation to study science. Increasing student enrollment and persistence in STEM is a national concern. Nearly half of all college graduates have passed through a community college at…

Teaching being a dynamic activity requires a favourable attitude and certain specific competencies from its practitioners. Teachers' proficiency depends on the attitude she possesses for the profession. The positive attitude helps teacher to develop a conductive learner friendly environment in the classroom. This also casts a fruitful effect on…

This research used multilevel modeling to investigate the perceived effect of a teacher preparation loan forgiveness program on recruiting science and mathematics majors to become teachers and teach in high-need schools. The study investigated how and which personal perceptions, characteristics, and teacher preparation program variables influenced…