Rural students often face challenges in receiving high-quality education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Yet without meaningful STEM educational opportunities, rural students might not develop the knowledge and skills needed to compete in a technology-driven workforce. The Learning by Making program (LbyM), an innovative…

This case study investigates, at three Swedish schools, primary school students' knowledge of the equal sign. The schools were chosen as representatives of schools whose students have different socioeconomic backgrounds. The data consist of Grade 3 and 6 students' responses to an assessment form based on Matthews et al. ("JRME,"…

It has been well-establishing in the field of educational research that traditional educational methods such as passive lectures and labs where students follow pre-designed procedures to verify information already told to them are not effective for promoting meaningful and lasting conceptual understanding. Alongside this knowledge have come a…

This research was the first research integrating decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to analysis factors, including interest in science, value in science and confidence in science, affecting female students' science achievements from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science…

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of the Mind Maps Teaching Method and the Conventional Teaching Method on tenth graders' immediate achievement and retention of electric energy concepts in Jordan. Participants (N=111 students; M=52, F=59) were randomly selected from Bani Kenanah region, north of Jordan. One group was assigned to…

Determining the number of hours and days students should spend in school per year to improve student achievement has been a central policy issue, influencing, for example, authorities' attitudes toward disciplining pupil non-attendance and fining parents for the withdrawal of students for vacations. This paper is a review of research studies on…

Midterm exams are a multi-use tool, providing evaluation of students for professors but also acting as a learning tool for students. Midterms may improve learning outcomes by contributing to the testing effect: the phenomenon in which retrieval of learned material (i.e., testing) produces improvements in long-term retention beyond those produced…

This study investigates the effect of design-based science (DBS) instruction on students' learning of electrical energy and students' metacognitive strategy use in science. Two classes of seventh-grade students participated in the study. DBS instruction was used in the treatment group, while the comparison group was taught the unit with…

The aim of the present investigation was to analyse the role of academic self-efficacy and approaches to learning in general and in Physics and Chemistry academic achievements. The sample comprised 507 secondary school students of two Spanish schools and the study was conducted in the context of a Physics and Chemistry subject. Structural equation…

Gendered patterns in mathematics and science interest emerge in early childhood, develop over time, and ultimately reflect advanced course selection in secondary education. During the crucial time adolescents become aware of their strengths and interests and specialize accordingly, they get the opportunity to participate in out-of-school learning…

In this study, a set of hybrid images was designed as a new and up-to-date unexamined type of external visual representations in the chemistry classroom. One challenging teaching theme was chosen ("Amino acids and proteins"), and the hybrid images were used among novices--primary school students. For the purpose of the study, two groups…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the case-based learning (CBL) method used in "biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)," which is a topic taught in the environmental chemistry course, at Dokuz Eylul University, on the academic achievement and opinions of students. The research had a quasi-experimental design and the…

Creating instructional activities and assessments that align with expected learning outcomes can improve student learning. Communicating learning expectations to students may lead to better student performance and an increase in student perceptions of the fairness of the assessment tools. One tool for communicating learning outcomes is the…

This study investigates the knowledge acquisition of biology and physics freshmen students with special regard to differences between high school (HS) high performing and low performing students. Our study is based on a prior knowledge model, which describes explicit knowledge as a composite of four knowledge types: knowledge of facts, knowledge…

Affect is associated with success and persistence in STEM courses and degree programs. Measurement tools that produce valid and reliable data are essential to capturing the impact of evidenced-based instructional practices and reformed curricula on learning. We report the development of the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire for use in…