The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of outdoor learning environments such as space camp on the perceptions of secondary school students about astronomy, career choices, and development of 21st century skills. Izmir space camp trip was organized in 2019. Qualitative study was conducted with secondary school 5th grade students…

This study aims to analyse the potentialities of using Personal Meaning Maps to assess school children's learning in a visit to a Planetarium. A total of 123 primary students were involved. They were asked to create a PMM, and a drawing, before and after the visit. The results suggest that the visit enhanced the degree to which students generate…

The topic of women in graduate education has been central to many calls for action in increasing diversity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The field of physics has been particularly resistant to change in the significant overrepresentation of men, while also being similar to the field of astronomy which has a…

In a recent "AstroNote," I described a simple exercise on the mass-luminosity relation for main sequence stars as an example of exposing students in a general education science course of lower mathematical level to the use of quantitative skills such as collecting and analyzing data. Here I present another attempt at a meaningful…

The present research aims to analyze the publications related to astronomy education that discusses the interface between formal education (FE) and non-FE (NFE) at scientific events and a journal in the Brazilian context. These events were the National Symposium on Astronomy Education, the National Meeting on Research in Science Education (ENPEC),…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Astronomy Education Research.] Students taking a second astronomy course for nonscientists were asked to reflect on the nature of scientific inquiry three times during the first half of the semester. First, they were assigned a short paper in which they were asked to argue for or against the thesis…

Science competencies acquired at early years are basic and influence on children's later development. Gender differences in these early science competencies may explain the often-reported gender differences in later science abilities. Research in this field was not usually focused on pre-schoolers. In this study, we focus on the interaction…

This work aims to connect the disparate elements of 'doing astronomy' involved in the production of knowledge, highlighting the advantages of an interdisciplinary approach and emphasizing the importance of each component to the overall success of the field. Broadly dividing the work into ideas, tools, and people, each area will be exemplified to…

Space science is perhaps the science topic that elicits the greatest interest in students in the United States and also worldwide. NASA has always endeavored to leverage that widespread interest to advance STEM education, not least because NASA requires a thriving STEM workforce for the future.

In this article, the authors describe their use of simultaneous observations of the 2016 transit of Mercury made from two widely separated locations on Earth to determine the distance to the Sun in a way different from that suggested in 1715 by Halley. Using an internet link, teachers and students can make a similar derivation at the 2019 transit…

Theoretical assessment of the upper limit of a star's mass is a difficult problem which lies at the frontier of astrophysical research. In this article we develop a simple and plausible argument to estimate this value. The value at which we arrive is ~228 solar masses; well within the range of predicted accepted theoretical values. Towards the end…

Kelsey Thingvold reflects on her experiences helping her students to think critically and consider their role in the world, and how those experiences served her well in her own collaboration with a global group of education leaders.

This article explores how creative visual imagination and creative thinking can help children to construct mental models of space. A mixed-method study, integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches and involving 98 five-year-old children (54 girls and 44 boys) demonstrated that creative visual imagination, rather than creative thinking, is…

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of formative assessment based learning on students' conceptual understanding levels regarding basic astronomical concepts. The study was conducted in a public primary school with 24 5th graders. The study group was applied a 3 phased teaching process based on formative assessment for the duration of…

This book presents a wide range of international perspectives that explore the different ways the diverse forms of drama supports learning in science. It illustrates how learning science by adopting and adapting theatrical techniques can offer more inclusive ways for students to relate to scientific ideas and concepts. The theatrical processes by…