The purpose of the study was to determine the perceptions, knowledge levels, and mental models of gifted 2nd and 3rd-grade elementary students regarding the shape of the Earth and gravity concepts. The data for the study, which was qualitative research, was collected through interviews with the students. The study participants were 80 students…

The science curriculum aims to provide students with the identity of a researcher, thinking skills, and scientific process skills. Critical thinking skill emerges as one of the skills that should be emphasized in the teaching process in terms of its structural features and the qualities aimed to be given to individuals. For individuals to gain…

This article describes how kindergarten scientists at Caldwell Heights Elementary School in Round Rock, Texas created what they named a "Light Circle" using their classroom's south-facing window, its windowsill, and a small round mirror. The tilt of the Earth and the latitude of one's location combine to determine if the Sun ever shines…

The aim of this research is to examine the effects of web 2.0 tools used in online astronomy education on the conceptual achievement of 5th grade secondary school students. For this purpose, the Sun, Earth and Moon unit was processed online using web 2.0 tools. The study was implemented in a public secondary school over a period of 6 weeks. Mixed…

Course revision is often challenging, and instructional partnerships between Learning Assistants (LAs; peer mentors) and course instructors can be leveraged to create novel learning spaces, through an ongoing, iterative revision process coupled with an open sharing of ideas between the LA and instructor. We describe the specifics of an…

Background/purpose: This study aims to evaluate the effect of the application of the PjBL learning model assisted by AR on students' critical thinking skills. The focus of this study is on sixth-grade students with solar system material, designed to explore how the integration of AR technology in PjBL can improve student engagement, conceptual…

In 2003, Bailey and Slater [A review of astronomy education research, Astron. Educ. Rev. 2, 20 (2003)] published a review of astronomy education research (AER) to survey the field, identify areas of robust coverage, and uncover gaps in the research to help guide future researchers. While our review is not intended as a direct comparison to their…

This paper introduces a process of reading, reflection, and discussion used by two white faculty teaching at predominately white institutions to address challenges to equity in their introductory astronomy courses. The conversations focused on the context of large introductory courses, where individual instructors may lack resources and agency to…

Astronomy education is essential for STEM education in primary schools, and integrating engineering design-based science education enhances student engagement and achievement in the field of space science. Integrating engineering design into science education is essential for students to excel in astronomy and to meet the requirements of…

Over the years, there have been various calls to increase and better represent astronomy in curricula. This is motivated by views within the astronomy and astronomy education communities that the awe, wonder, and interdisciplinary nature of astronomy has the potential to engage students in STEM across disciplines. Reviews of curricula have shown…

Trillion Theory (TT), a new theory, estimates the cosmic origin at one trillion years. This calculation of thousands of eons is based upon a growth factor where solar systems age-out at a max of 15 billion years, only to recycle into even larger solar systems, inside of ancient galaxies that are as old as 200 billion to 900 billion years. TT is a…

Astrophotography has been responsible for the discovery of planets, solar systems, stars, and several other celestial objects, which directly helps with expanding our knowledge about the universe and creating scientific models for nature. Practical techniques have been extensively described, including Covington, who has published an extensive…

Many elementary school students find astronomical knowledge difficult to attain. Students cannot observe planetary motion in the universe, which makes the construction of astronomical knowledge abstract and incomprehensible for many students. To cope with this dilemma, this study proposed creative situated learning via augmented reality (AR) and…

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a pervasive impact on the work life and personal lives of employees across the US. During the spring semester of 2021, we surveyed a sample of physics and astronomy faculty members to learn more about their experiences during the pandemic. To understand faculty members' well-being, we asked respondents to gauge their…

The potential of using virtual reality in the school context is assessed heterogeneously from a scientific point of view. Especially the embedding in existing didactic approaches, the concrete design of the support system as well as the competence of the teachers are relevant. But it is undisputed that virtual reality opens up new possibilities to…