The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of traditional versus guided inquiry (with problem-solving process and cognitive function training) on high school chemistry knowledge, science process skills, scientific attitudes, and problem-solving competency. Two classes of students were recruited from three classes of Grade 11…

Basic Science and Technology is a subject that is based on the broad field curriculum which is the foundation for science education in Nigeria at the basic level of education. Pupils learning outcomes is usually limited to the assessment of their achievement in paper pencil test. Pupils' skills in carrying out scientific investigation and the…

Serious games have become increasingly available to educators. Empirical studies and meta-analyses have examined their impact on learning achievement. However, natural sciences could have a special relation to serious games by their systematic use of quantitative and predictive models that can generate microworlds and simulations. Since no known…

Studies based on response processes of individuals can provide information that supports the assessment and increases the validity of the items in the scale or tests. The purpose of this study is to present the extent to which the student response processes are effective in identifying and developing the characteristics of the items in an…

This study developed a mobile app called Ubiquitous-Physics (U-Physics), which helps students explore inclined plane phenomena in authentic contexts and consolidates their physics learning in everyday contexts. The study investigated inquiry behaviors such as interpreting graphs, applying formulas, drawing conclusions, and peer sharing, and how…

A wide range of occupations require science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills, yet almost half of students who intend to pursue a postsecondary STEM education abandon these plans before graduating from college. This attrition is especially pronounced among underrepresented groups (i.e., racial/ethnic minorities and…

In an informal survey, just 4.93% (2014) and 6% (2015) of Human Anatomy and Physiology students stated that their favorite lab activity was using a microscope. Additionally, performance on lab practical microscopy questions was low with the average percent correct between 31.85% and 41.94%. To increase student interest, engagement and performance,…

This mixed methods study focuses on the use of instructional videos in an undergraduate physics classroom. Previous research has explored the effects of videos on student performance however, limited research exists on the effects of science instructional videos with embedded quiz questions on student achievement. This study compares students'…

Israel is one of the early adopters of international large-scale assessments (ILSAs) and it has participated in all but one assessment since the mid-1990s. However, we know very little about the reception of ILSAs in the Israeli context. To address this gap, I use a sample of news stories from two daily newspapers: "Yedioth Ahronoth" and…

One of the most important objectives of teachers, parents, school administrators, and students is to improve student scores on standardized tests, such as the State of Texas Assessment for Academic Readiness (STAAR) in eighth-grade science. This quasi-experimental study examined the science achievement scores between schools that used different…

Using three-dimensional physical models elaborately in their learning, students can develop high-level understanding of models and modeling in science, thereby attaining higher achievement. However, there are in the literature few indications of how teachers should use three-dimensional physical models in instruction and whether teachers'…

Previous studies have shown that schools' socioeconomic-status (SES) composition has an impact on the academic performance of pupils. Less attention has been given to the explanation of this effect. This study examined whether the teachability culture among the school staff (teachers' collective beliefs about how teachable their pupils are)…

Two studies were conducted with distinct samples to investigate how motivational beliefs cohere and function together (i.e., motivational profiles) and predict academic adjustment. Integrating across motivational theories, participants (N[subscript Study 1] = 160 upper elementary students; N[subscript Study 2] = 325 college students) reported on…

Higher education faces the challenge of high student attrition, which is especially disconcerting if associated with low participation rates, as is the case in South Africa. Recently, the use of learning analytics has increased, enabling institutions to make data-informed decisions to improve teaching, learning, and student success. Most of the…

Introducing group work in college science classrooms can lead to noticeable gains in student achievement, reasoning ability, and motivation. To realize these gains, students must all contribute. Strategies like assigning roles, group contracts, anonymous peer evaluations, and peer ratings all encourage student participation. In a class using these…