Although interest development is often conceptualized as a process that occurs within an individual, interest can be developed through various social mechanisms. Messages that suggest that one is or is not welcome within a context may serve to bolster or attenuate interest in those contexts. In a sample of first semester freshmen undergraduate…

Working with scientists has been suggested as an effective way for high school students to learn science more authentically. However, several challenges hinder partnerships between students and scientists, such as intimidation issues, the complexity of scientific language, and communication barriers. The purpose of this phenomenographic study was…

Climate is a topic of great concern to students, but it remains difficult to discuss scientifically. We are bombarded daily by emotional messaging for and against the proposition that human activities are altering the climate in ways that may have catastrophic effects. But it often seems that those predictions rest entirely on massive computer…

Students with visual impairments face tremendous challenges in daily life while learning life skills as they do not have the benefit of visual cues. The skills that visually impaired students are expected to learn include not only everyday life skills, but also scientific process skills too. In this study, case study was used to develop an…

Embodied interaction with tangible interactive objects can be beneficial for introducing abstract scientific concepts, especially for young learners. Nevertheless, there is limited comparative evaluation of alternative interaction modalities with contemporary educational technology, such as tablets and robots. In this study, we explore the effects…

The present study provides an illustration of how m-learning may be applied in school science contexts while simultaneously evaluating the accuracy and reliability of mobile phone functionality relating to the measurement of sound. The aim of this study is to report on the use of mobile phones as data collection tools in the context of a science…

We have developed a laboratory project in which students prepare liposomes, expose them to hyperosmotic and hypoosmotic solutions, and follow the resulting shrinking and swelling (respectively) with laser light scattering. Each light intensity transient can be fit to an exponential decline or rise, with the decay constant (k) and the amplitude…

A classroom culture that features clear procedures will produce a safe learning environment for students. By establishing a class with clear procedures and effectively managing the learning environment, an educator can reduce discipline issues (Erdogan, Kursun, Tan Sisman, et al., 2010). A well-managed class will allow maximum instruction to take…

This work describes a semester-long learning module designed to equip students with the analytical and practical skills necessary to be successful in an interdisciplinary polymer research environment. This learning module combines laboratory experiments involving both synthesis and materials characterization with lectures in polymer theory, and…

This quantitative study examines the impact of a three-week online organic preparatory course for chemistry undergraduates that is designed to improve student performance in the subsequent organic chemistry course series (N = 1,289). Organic chemistry often serves as a gatekeeper for students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering,…

As undergraduate institutions rely more heavily on teaching assistants (TAs) they are simultaneously encouraging implementation of course-based research experiences (CBREs). Due to the dynamic nature of CBREs, it is challenging to assign novice TAs to instruct these types of classes. A 10-week CBRE was designed to guide both TAs and their students…

The abundance of chemical concepts and general chemistry lessons that tend to be monotonous and have not yet considered the ability of mathematical thinking to cause problems in learning that resulted in low student learning outcomes. The purpose of this research is to know the influence of learning model and mathematical thinking ability toward…

Geoscientists use spatial thinking skills in many common tasks, such as adding a third dimension to two-dimensional maps by drawing cross-sections or envisioning rock fabrics from a single hand sample or exposure. Field courses allow students to practice and develop those skills in authentic settings. This study examines the development of spatial…

This paper discusses findings from a small-scale empirical exploration of how professional development (PD) programme session strategies influence secondary science teachers' practice. It draws on a series of session questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and lesson observations from six secondary science teachers participating in a 2-year…

High-impact practices, and other pedagogical advancements, have been successfully used to deepen student engagement with courses over a wide variety of disciplines. Here, we describe the design, implementation, and assessment of a cross-disciplinary, inquiry-based lab course built on the proven success of these deeply engaging principles. This new…