Exams constitute the predominant form of summative assessment in undergraduate biology education, with the assumption that exam performance should reflect student conceptual understanding. Previous work highlights multiple examples in which students can answer exam problems correctly without the corresponding conceptual understanding. This…

In this study, we examined trajectories of specific domains of behavior problems (i.e., attention problems, depression/anxiety, and aggressive behavior) from age 6 to 18 in a sample of 55 children with fragile X syndrome. We also examined autism status and early parenting as predictors of subsequent behavioral trajectories. We found that attention…

Soft rot diseases cause crop losses all over the world. These losses can have large economic impacts and threaten international food security. Soft rot bacterial pathogens produce pectolytic enzymes that attack the pectin around plant cells resulting in smelly, wet, and mushy tissue maceration. Once symptoms are visible, the crop cannot be used or…

This study aimed to investigate research trends related to socio-scientific issues (SSI). The SSI articles analysed were from highest-rating five science education journals with the highest impact ratings, published between 2011 and 2022, including "Science Education" [SE], "Journal of Research in Science Teaching" [JRST],…

The ability to connect key concepts of biochemistry with clinical presentations is essential for the development of clinical reasoning skills and adaptive expertise in medical trainees. To support the integration of foundational and clinical sciences in our undergraduate health science curricula, we developed a small group active learning exercise…

Purpose: The principal aim of the research was to develop Interactive Mobile Learning Modules (IMLM) as an approach to innovative teaching practices in online distance education. Design/methodology/approach: The study employed educational action research, using a quasi-experimental design catering to ninth-grade students (N = 104) attending a…

The effective and responsible educational application of ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools constitutes an active area of exploration. This study describes and assesses the implementation of a structured, GenAI-assisted scientific essay writing assignment in nucleic acid biochemistry. Briefly, students created,…

Background: People with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (DS) are assumed to be especially vulnerable to developing mental illness such as psychosis. Aim: The study was established to contribute to knowledge about metyrosine medication in patients with 22q11.2 DS and psychosis. Methods: A case study was established including a woman with intellectual…

A growing evidence base supports early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) for young children with autism spectrum disorder. We have found only one study exploring the outcome of EIBI for children with Rett syndrome, which reported little effect. It suggested that future studies should employ more fine-grained outcome measures. We provided…

The practice of communicating research findings to participants has been identified as important in the research ethics literature, but little research has examined empirically how this occurs and what research participants' views are in this regard. We interviewed 21 adults with cystic fibrosis who had previously participated in research and 2…

Identifying contingencies between constructs in a multi-faceted learning progression (LP) is a challenging task. Often, there is not enough evidence in the literature to support connections, and once identified, they are difficult to empirically test. Here, we use causal model search to evaluate how connections between ideas in a genetics LP…

Although social communication skills are commonly delayed in children with neurogenetic syndromes (NGS), skill profiles in very young children are largely under characterized, in part due to the lack of validated assessment measures appropriate for these populations. We addressed this gap by validating and applying a popular early social…

The limited and largely international, adult-based literature links "perfectionism" with both positive (achievement, life satisfaction) and negative (mental health difficulties, suicide) outcomes, both of which have relevance for education. This review identifies the key areas of agreement and conflict in the current research base,…

Children with neurogenetic syndromes (NGS) experience comorbid challenging behaviors and psychopathology. We examined challenging behaviors in 86 toddlers and preschoolers across three NGS [Angelman syndrome (AS), Prader--Willi syndrome (PWS), and Williams syndrome (WS)] and 43 low-risk controls (LRC), using the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages…

Results from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) can be used to generate a polygenic score (PGS), an individual-level measure summarizing identified genetic influence on a trait dispersed across the genome. For complex, behavioral traits, the association between an individual's PGS and their phenotype may contain bias (from geographic,…