Research related to the teaching and learning of the lunar phases reveals a low level of understanding of this astronomical phenomenon by most students of all educational levels. Therefore, there is a need to develop didactic materials to promote adequate comprehension of this phenomenon and which have been tried out in the classroom. Presented…

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…

In tabletop games involving dice, it is important to ensure randomness of the dice rolls and to protect other gaming elements from being scattered by rolling dice. One way of ensuring random rolls and protecting gaming elements is to drop dice into a dice-rolling tower ("dice tower"). A dice tower is usually small (20 cm by 20 cm) and…

Children in most schools, especially in Primary 7 (age 11, England Year 6), are increasingly engaging with technology and social media in a way that is completely different from 10 or even 5 years ago. More time is spent on phones and devices and, as a result of this, observations and appreciation of the wonderful natural world around them are…

This article develops an emergentist theory of children's agency. To make this claim, it first identifies the following two predicaments that scholars have faced in children's agency research: (1) social ambiguity in distinguishing children's learning from adults' guidance; and (2) causal uncertainty between children's cognitive development and…

Learning from digital media is one of the notable learning environments used outside of school. The effect of using digital technology in education is well known today, as where such tools are used appropriately in lessons, they can make an effective contribution to the teaching and learning of abstract science subjects such as astronomy. The…

Students from marginalized populations may be less likely to engage in science education and form science identities. Thus, science education should include culturally responsive pedagogy to engage students from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds and promote science identity in every student (Mhakure and Otulaja 2017). The author is a high…

Science curriculum and pedagogy offer ideal avenues for teaching young people the critical thinking skills they need to live in a post-truth world. Drawing on the theory of epistemic cognition, we present a selection of research-based pedagogies that have been shown to be effective in developing school students' understanding of knowledge and how…

Throughout its history, Pluto has held interest for many as an underdog planet--as "the little guy" fighting for recognition. After years of debate, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially revised its definition of planethood in 2006, downgrading Pluto from full planetary status to "dwarf planet" (Retrieved August…

Magnifying objects can foster wonder in young children because they can make new observations of familiar things. This activity helps children explore common substances and familiar materials using a magnifying glass. Magnification can help people observe living things more closely providing a link to the work of scientists and the magnifying…

In this paper we present a critical analysis of some of the arguments of flat Earth theory, and we also try to show that this analysis and refutation of these false claims can be a useful exercise in critical thinking that is so much needed today. This article can also make it easier for teachers who are exposed to some of the arguments of flat…

This article investigates learning and teaching in library makerspace programs. Given the recent trend for libraries and makerspaces to define themselves in terms of learning, the findings of this article are particularly relevant to current initiatives. The article first reviews pedagogical theories which are referenced in literature connected…

A novel experiment has been developed with a goal of enhancing engagement and deepening understanding of fundamental molecular biology concepts. In this laboratory activity, students investigate the composition of pet foods through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis. By conducting this experiment, students address a scientific…

This paper focuses on a series of activities for students at middle school to college level, designed to instill a sound understanding of fluids and the properties of fluids. The first activities investigate diffusion and molecular size and these are followed by tasks exploring viscosity and the factors effecting viscosity. Following this, there…

Fisheries scientists make sure that fish populations ("fisheries") are managed properly, neither over- or under-utilized, to maintain long-term economic and ecological stability. Scientists collect data and conduct surveys to determine fish populations, and then make recommendations about how many fish may be caught by commercial and…