Einstein's two theories of relativity were introduced over 100 years ago. High school science students are seldom exposed to these revolutionary ideas as they are often perceived to be too difficult conceptually and mathematically. This paper brings together the two theories of relativity in a way that is logical and consistent and enables the…

This article is the second of a two-part series that explores science teachers' and their pupils' experiences of using different pedagogical approaches based on understandings of how brains learn. Part 1 (Torrance Jenkins, 2017) focused on the two approaches rooted in cognitive psychology: Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) and Cognitive Acceleration…

SOLO taxonomy models the levels of understanding within a topic; its hierarchal nature can support progression and challenge. Flipped learning is a strategy that uses homework to build background knowledge, thereby maximising the impact of lesson time. Both flipped learning and SOLO taxonomy can be used to support student learning, either combined…

Teaching chemical bonding using the octet rule as an explanatory principle is problematic in many ways. The aim of this case study is to understand the learning and teaching of chemical bonding using a research-informed teaching model in which chemical bonding is introduced as an electrostatic phenomenon. The study posed two main questions: (i)…

Research on Junior and Senior high school students' attitude toward SE (Science Education) courses focuses on students' attitudes, views, interests and perceptions stemming from their school experiences related to the courses. This study examines the way third-year students of the Early Childhood Education Department in Ioannina have viewed and…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate prospective biology teachers' conceptions of teaching biology and identify how these conceptions revealed their strategies for helping their future students' learning of biology. The study utilized drawings, narratives and interviews to investigate the nature of the prospective biology…

This study investigates whether adequate yearly progress (AYP) status, locale, and sector--common variables used to judge the quality of schools--accurately signal true differences in instructional practices in high school mathematics and science. Using data from the High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS), we find the school-to-school variation in…

Chemical bonding is one of the key and basic concepts in chemistry. The learning of many of the concepts taught in chemistry, in both secondary schools as well as in the colleges, is dependent upon understanding fundamental ideas related to chemical bonding. Nevertheless, the concept is perceived by teachers, as well as by learners, as difficult,…

The core idea of the PROFILES project is to support science teachers' continuous professional development. The instructional innovation of the PROFILES is the so called Three Stage Model (TSM) which aims to arouse students' intrinsic motivation, to offer a meaningful inquiry-based learning environment and to use the science learning in…

This paper is a qualitative, practice based study describing the use of the Focus-Action-Reflection (FAR) Guide (Harrison & Treagust, 2000) to address the shortcomings of a pedagogical analogical model in Year 10 Science. The aim of this paper is to present my experience of the FAR Guide in relation to an analogical model that gave rise to…

Allowing a student to "see" through touch what other students see through a microscope can be a challenging task. Therefore, author Joan Bradley created three-dimensional (3-D) models with one student's visual impairment in mind. They are meant to benefit all students and can be used to teach common high school biology topics, including the…

A hands-on instructional approach with medium-achieving 10th-grade students (N = 294) successfully demonstrated the achievement of a conceptual change. Two teaching variations were applied (I-1, I-2), both dealing with a hands-on gene technology lesson in an out-of-school laboratory. I-2 additionally confronted the participants with alternative…

Teachers know what a daunting job it can be to ensure that all students in a class learn effectively. In addition to the usual difficulties of gaining everyone's attention at once, instructors also run into the issue of preferred learning styles. In any classroom environment, the same topic is taught to multiple students, and each student may…

In order to enhance teachers' professional awareness, it is necessary to understand and value their subjective or personal knowledge and beliefs. This study investigated the change of science teachers' personal knowledge about teaching models and modeling in science within the context of educational reform in The Netherlands. The study followed…

Research in biotechnology is rapidly advancing; everyday, new and exciting discoveries are made. With this new technology there are also many safety and ethical questions, though, as well as the need for education. Alternative teaching methods may help to increase students' understanding of difficult concepts in all aspects of schooling, including…