There is a growing need for public understanding about groundwater resources. Knowing what groundwater and aquifers are is fundamental to understanding more complex issues such as groundwater quality and availability. However, groundwater and related concepts are among the topics that instructors most struggle to teach. Although constructivist…

The aim of this study is to offer a current snapshot of flipped classroom use in postsecondary chemistry education. Data from a national survey of chemistry faculty members in the United States formed the basis of an investigation into the instructional contexts in which flipped classroom pedagogies are employed in postsecondary chemistry…

Noncovalent interactions determine the three-dimensional structure of macromolecules and the binding interactions between molecules. Students struggle to understand noncovalent interactions and how they relate to structure-function relationships. Additionally, students' difficulties translating from two-dimensional representations to…

The first courses freshman university students typically enroll in are the introductory science and math, courses that bridge from and build upon their prior educational experiences. These introductory courses often have large enrollment lectures coupled with supplemental sessions to teach using traditional educational practices, which may operate…

In recent years, educational researchers have investigated teacher-student interactions in science classrooms, paying particular attention to interaction patterns and the purpose of such interactions. Although different patterns and purposes have been uncovered through these investigations, there is little research on how college instructors use…

Contemporary research suggests an urgent need for educators to improve the quality of STEM teaching and learning. We developed a semester-long model curriculum for STEM teaching and learning. The overarching goal of this study was to establish an authentic inquiry approach to advanced laboratory courses that is interdisciplinary, collaborative,…

Secondary and post-secondary science and engineering educators share common class arrangements with both a laboratory and lecture component, coordinating both components so they build upon each other to create meaningful learning experiences. The COVID-19 pandemic forced educators to convert lectures and exams to online delivery. Doing so came…

A concept for undergraduate mechanics courses at universities is introduced where traditional pencil-paper based exercises are partially replaced by experimental exercises, in which smartphones are used as measurement devices. A detailed guidance for practical realization and implementation of these tasks formats into the course is presented.…

Development and use of validated assessments in physics provide insight into student understanding of physics concepts and can be utilized to track student learning across time and instructional strategies. These tools can be used to gauge the efficacy of interventions designed to support students and persistence, and allow instructors to make…

Titration is a common introductory experiment performed across teaching laboratories from high school to university. Yet, its setup remains inaccessible for students with disabilities, denying them the opportunity for experiential learning. Therefore, rethinking such a setup is required to increase laboratory participation for these students. To…

Understanding reflection and refraction are an integral part of school and college learning. In nature even birds and fish (Archer fish) very skillfully use refraction to strike down prey present above or below the water surface. Fermat's principle allows one to look beyond the reasons behind the laws governing the reflection and refraction. A…

Evidence from a range of fields shows that representation-connection (RC) is the key step towards the solution of a real-world insight problem. However, no study has focused on the inter-individual variability in RC, and little is known about whether structural and resting-state functional signals can account for inter-individual differences in…

Science educators recognize the need to teach scientific ways of knowing and reasoning in addition to scientific knowledge. However, characterizing and assessing scientific ways of knowing and reasoning is challenging. Writing-to-learn offers one way of eliciting and supporting students' reasoning; further, writing serves to externalize and make…

Main reasons for student dropout from higher education may be low academic performance, poor socialization skills, low confidence levels, busy social life and financial issues. As students' dropout from higher education has been rising, there is a need to understand this problem for finding suitable solutions. Research objectives for this…

Integrating authentic research-based experiences that mimic real-world scientific practices and relevance to student personal life into a chemistry curriculum can make abstract chemical principles more palpable to students. Unfortunately, many reported research-based experiences chemistry laboratory experiments lack relevance to a student's…