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…

The present work aimed to investigate the contribution of the board game 'Synthesizing Proteins' to the understanding of protein synthesis by high school students, based on the socio-interactionist theory of Vygotsky. Fifteen students (six from a public school and nine from a private school) participated in the research, which had three stages:…

Experimentation is a complex problem-solving process. In biology lessons, experiments involve creative thinking and open discovery; however, they still require some degree of instructional guidance. The right balance between discovery learning and instructional guidance depends substantially on students' prior knowledge. Students with low prior…

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have the potential to improve undergraduate biology education by involving large numbers of students in research. CUREs can take a variety of forms with different affordances and constraints, complicating the evaluation of design features that might contribute to successful outcomes. In this…

Energy is considered both as a disciplinary core idea and as a concept cutting across science disciplines. Most previous approaches studied progressing energy understanding in specific disciplinary contexts, while disregarding the relation of understanding across them. Hence, this study provides a systematic analysis of cross-disciplinary energy…

Flipped learning (FL) has had a substantial impact on higher education worldwide, prompting active dialog among educational researchers and practitioners. It is widely accepted that the value of FL lies in enabling in-depth, learner-centered learning experiences by offloading content delivery onto pre-class online learning. The in-class component…

This study investigates students' conceptions of the carbon cycle with regard to the components they believe to be relevant to the carbon cycle, how they interrelate these components, the ways in which they trace carbon atoms, and the different levels of biological organisation they consider when doing so. A total of 142 students aged 13-16 years…

This collective case study uses a design-based research approach to investigate the role of 3D pens, an emerging technology, in fostering creativity during a lesson on biomes, genetics, and heredity with learners in six classes of 4th and 5th grade students from rural Michigan and Idaho. Data analyzed included video of the classroom lessons,…

Many students consume energy drinks without knowing or thinking about the adverse side effects. The purpose of this article is to share student procedures and results after testing the effects of a popular energy drink, Red Bull, on Dugesia Dorotocephala planarians (flatworms). Planarians are animals with neurotransmitters systems that are similar…

Statistical methods are indispensable to the practice of science. But statistical hypothesis testing can seem daunting, with P-values, null hypotheses, and the concept of statistical significance. This article explains the concepts associated with statistical hypothesis testing using the story of "the lady tasting tea," then walks the…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common neurological disorders in the world, and it is increasing in incidence and prevalence in the United States. Some 10,000 new cases of MS are diagnosed each year in the US (Kalb, 2016). Initial symptoms are most often evident during early adulthood, typically between the ages of 20 and 50 (Kalb,…

This study examined the teacher effectiveness of the selected STEM subjects' teachers of physics, chemistry, and biology at the senior secondary school level in Ijebu North local area of Ogun State, Nigeria. All the fifty teachers delivering the selected STEM subjects were observed using and adapted Teachers' Effectiveness Observation Guide…

Women remain underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines. A lot of research has examined individual-level impacts of their absence, such as women's lack of interest in STEM, their lack of sense of belonging, and low math confidence. In this dissertation, I use Acker's theory of gendered organizations as a…

With the increase in pressures related to teaching online, counselor educators are experiencing greater amounts of burnout. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative survey study was to assess for significant differences and correlations between synchronous and asynchronous communication modes on online counselor educators' job…

Objectives: To describe the implementation of a hybrid and an online active-learning-based science activity originally designed for face-to-face instruction. The goal was to verify if students used appropriate science practices while engaged in a problem solution through hybrid and fully online modalities. Epistemic practices are important markers…