The mental models students have after engaging in an activity designed to teach infrared (IR) spectroscopy without reliance on IR absorption tables, were characterized. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews, through open coding, allowed the classification of the mental models as Molecules as Dynamic (MAD), Bonds as Dynamic (BAD),…

The Next Generation Science Standards list scientific argumentation as one of the essential skills for students in K-12 education. Unfortunately, many teachers enter the classrooms without sufficient experiences with or knowledge of, this skill. A discourse analysis of twenty-one preservice teachers was conducted to study how preservice teachers…

For years, inquiry-based learning has been conceived of and promoted as one of the best approaches to learning science. However, there is currently a movement within the science education community that suggests promoting science learning based on scientific practices, instead of inquiry, because in this way, science learning would be more…

Knowledge construction is an essential scientific practice, and undergraduate research experiences (UREs) provide opportunities for students to engage with this scientific practice in an authentic context. While participating in UREs, students develop conceptualizations about how science gathers, evaluates, and constructs knowledge (science…

Ecosystems, interacting systems of biotic and abiotic factors, are a fascinating topic in life science. The "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013) recognize "Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics" (HS-LS2) as one of four overarching ideas in life science that students should understand. Student…

A large number of articles in the field of science education reflect on scientific literacy as the main goal of science education (SE), although often with varying viewpoints. Nevertheless, researchers have begun to highlight subject-specific teaching practices that are expected to specifically enhance science subject teaching, including biology.…

Enzymes are widely applied in different industries, like pharmaceutical, food, biofuel, and waste valorization. However, the enzyme operating conditions are very limited. So, in most industrial processes, enzymes are not efficient, due to the use of harsh conditions, like organic solvents, extreme pH, and temperature. Immobilization arises as a…

This study is the result of a quantitative analysis of the previous paper reporting on four cases in which an LED is turned on by charge transfer occurring during the electrostatic induction process in a conductor connected to the LED. We were able to measure the charge transfer by using charge sensors and analyze experimental results by applying…

Science process skills play an essential role in science education. The research assessing these skills in school science textbooks is limited. The aim of the current study was to examine the involvement of science process skills in the content of science school textbooks of the last two primary school grades in Greece. A specific analysis…

In this study, an innovative scientific modeling course on concentration cells is designed: First, the demonstrations revealed examples of three different concentration cells. Then, scientific models visualizing the process and principle of cell reactions at the level of microparticulates were introduced to students. Finally, three new…

Understanding ongoing chemical processes in the laboratory requires constant shifting between different representational levels--the macroscopic, submicroscopic, and symbolic levels--and analysis of the various mechanistic features of each of these levels. Thus, the ability to explain observations of chemical phenomena with regard to their…

Rarely are scientific phenomena isolated to a single discipline such as biology, chemistry, physics, Earth science, or others. Rather, these phenomena span multiple disciplines and often require bringing together content and understandings from multiple disciplines to engage with or explain the target phenomena. This study uses a model-based…

This study examined middle school students' scientific reasoning ability in relation to gender and learning environment perceptions. The data were obtained from 269 (148 girls and 121 boys) students. A two-tier multiple-choice test was used to assess students' scientific reasoning ability, while a Likert scale-type self-report questionnaire was…

The presented research focuses on verifying the confluent application of concept mapping (CM) and socio-scientific issues (SSI) according to the value-laden and moral dilemma orientation to construct problem-solving performance. This research sets up some perspectives for all 146 participants, including 139 students and 7 experts. All findings…

In March of 2020, the world of education was upended. Teachers and students across the globe abruptly left their classrooms. Once taught in abstraction, science concepts became national headlines, no longer relegated to textbooks. Misinformation began spreading faster than any virus, and for many science teachers, addressing scientific untruths…