It is important for students to understand force concepts because they are central to learning physics and other sciences; however, students find it difficult to understand. There are calls for teachers to tap into their professional knowledge and develop beliefs that help them assist students comprehend the topic. To meet this challenge,…

In this article, we demonstrate the use of a simple pendulum to explore the concepts of kinematics and dynamics. A simple homemade pendulum and a phone-based accelerometer are used to determine, at various points in time, the acceleration of a moving train. The dynamical and kinematics data from the homemade pendulum and the accelerator can then…

The distinction between pressure in a liquid and in a gas is often treated in a cursory way, or not treated at all, even in university level textbooks. Most texts fail to point out the relation between pressure and density in a gas as compared to pressure in a--virtually incompressible--liquid. In many instances this also results in a dismissive…

We present an example of a novel, model-based approach to instruction in which learners constructed a representation of a specific phenomenon, evaluated their representation, and then revised it, via an abstraction process, to construct a model. The example took place in high school in the context of solution chemistry. The aim of the instruction…

The study diagnosed chemistry teacher trainees' difficulties in naming and writing structures of spiro and bicyclic compounds. The case study design was conducted in a constructivist environment to enhance chemistry teacher trainees' ability to construct, represent, and interpret the structural formulae of spiro and bicyclic compounds. Purposive…

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…

According to cognitive and spiritual developmental theories, individuals construct and transcend their previous thought processes by incorporating more sophisticated ways of understanding the world as they progress through stages requiring efforts in different modes of thought. These theories focus on the importance of contextual variables in…

This study investigated the effect of applying "participant modeling" followed by a role play on grade eleven scientific students' achievement and motivation in biology. Students usually face problems in understanding difficult biology concepts like Krebs cycle which is composed of a series of biochemical reactions with many molecules…

Content and accuracy evaluation of textbooks is important as it provides quality assurance to both teachers and learners, especially in the new normal where modular instruction is used. This research aimed at evaluating the biology textbooks used by Senior High School STEM Science teachers (n=15) in content, presentation, and learning strategies.…

This paper presents a perspective of how the radiation and radioactivity themes have been discussed at the high school level in several locations around the world. In this context, scientific journals, academic journals, theses, dissertations, and media materials were analyzed. Recent research has shown that the concern with the discussion about…

Introductory courses are often designed to cover a range of topics with the intent to offer students exposure to the given discipline as preparation to further their study in the same or related disciplines. Unfortunately, students in these courses are often presented with an overwhelming amount of information that may not support their formation…

One of the central tenets of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is the presentation of concepts using multiple modalities. As new technologies develop, the variety of available representations increases as well. In this paper, we explore how 3D-printed models can provide another avenue of approach to physics concepts. Students with low vision may…

In many introductory physics classes, diffraction of light is introduced first, then more advanced diffraction topics such as x-ray diffraction, Bragg's law, and crystallography are covered. Since using x-rays raises safety concerns and atomic spacing in a crystal is not easy to change, microwaves with macroscopic crystals have been used to study…

A student experiment that uses QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) methodology for extraction and HPLC for quantitative determination of tocopherols from seeds and nuts is described here. Chromatographic separation is achieved by using a pentafluorophenyl stationary phase which gives enhanced separation of the tocopherols…

Dynamic biochemical processes are often difficult for students to grasp in the classroom using static images or models, or even through watching simulation videos. This is particularly true for protein-folding and enzyme catalysis, two key biochemistry concepts. The author has developed and tested two 3D, dynamic, and interactive classroom models,…