In the April 2018 issue of "TPT," Joseph Amato presented an analysis of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) trajectories as applied to recent test launches from North Korea. Using properties of their elliptical paths, he derived relationships between launch velocity, elevation angle, and maximum range. However, this approach cannot…

The majority (67%) of degree-granting physics departments in the United States grant a bachelor's degree as their highest degree. There are 84 departments that grant astronomy bachelor's degrees. Of these departments, 39 are separate, stand-alone astronomy departments, and 45 are in departments that award both astronomy and physics degrees. The…

To support the development of more robust conceptual knowledge, it is crucial to understand the alternative conceptions that students bring to the classroom, and how these can be considered and dealt with through instruction. In this study, we report the alternative conceptions of 498 students enrolled in secondary education in Ireland. A…

Our aesthetic response to the Universe, and the complexity of concepts through which we understand it, are inherently bound together in how we meaningfully interpret its nature. Over millennia the abstracted and intangible concepts of science have been developed and communicated through a rich array of representations across a variety of modes.…

In this paper, we present a physical modeling activity whose objective is to allow students to determine the differences between a disk and a sphere using pure scientific criteria. Thereunto, we reproduce the Sun-Earth-Moon system with low-cost materials and compare the illumination effects on the Moon considering two possible shapes for it (a…

The study aims to reveal students' mental models and perceptions regarding the concept of the celestial bodies, for instance, earth, sun, and moon. This research study was conducted as a case study focusing on qualitative data. This study also has used a sample formed of 5th-grade students, in the 2018-2019 academic year; the target sample is…

The ground-breaking image of a black hole's event horizon, which captured the public's attention and imagination in April 2019, was captured using the power of interferometry: many separate telescopes working together to observe the cosmos in incredible detail. Many recent astrophysical discoveries that have revolutionized the scientific…

Equally as important as growing the body of human knowledge through scientific discoveries and analysis is relaying this information to the general public in a digestible manner to establish a scientifically literate society. This dissertation approaches the multifaceted issue by combining an in-depth study of brown dwarf binary atmospheres with…

The aim of this study was to examine which topic- and learning-related knowledge and motivational beliefs predict the use of specific deep-level learning strategies during an independent learning task. Participants included 335 Estonian fourth- and sixth-grade students who were asked to read about light processes and seasonal changes. The study…

Improving scientific literacy is crucial for early childhood development, yet limited studies necessitate a thorough analysis to identify effective solutions. This study aims to analyze the implementation of project-based learning in early childhood education to improve scientific literacy. The study followed the identification, screening,…

A video of darkening scenery during the 15 min prior to totality of the 21 August 2017 total solar eclipse is presented and discussed. The luminances of the scenes at 1 min intervals are obtained by averaging pixel data of stills from the video. The experimental results are compared to the theoretical model of uniform radiance from the exposed…

The present study focuses on the assessment of summer robotics camp designed for 7th grade students who were supposed to work on a STEM-related problem through modeling and design activities. It was exclusively investigated the effects of these activities on the STEM-related career interests and knowledge structures of students. The students were…

The purpose of this study was to provide an online astronomy activity using the Stellarium program as a virtual planetarium. The implementation was conducted with 30 preservice primary school teachers (PPTs) who participated in a non-formal workshop that included interactive, technology-based astronomy practices embedded with the…

It is a fact that personal features and qualities play a crucial role in determining learners' success or failure in their attempt to learn foreign languages. It was these factors that lit a bulb in the mind and opened a path to set off to find out how these features affected the learners' communication eagerness in L2. The main aim of the current…

Strong spatial skills are foundational in predicting students' performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. Decades of research have considered the relationship between thinking spatially and how scientists reason and solve problems. However, few studies have examined the factors that influence improvement in…