Augmented reality (AR) has the capacity to afford a virtual experience that obviates the reliance on using two-dimensional representations of 3D molecules for teaching stereochemistry to undergraduate students. Using a combination of quantitative instruments and qualitative surveys/interviews, this study explored the relationships between…

This study compared the effectiveness of online skeuomorphic physics inquiry-based learning with and without simulation on 8th-grade students' performance of scientific inquiry involving the spring unit. Two classes (58 students) were assigned to the online skeuomorphic physics inquiry-based learning with simulation, and two classes (59 students)…

Amid the maker movement, educators are proposing various making activities with programmable artifacts to prepare students for coping with the challenges in the twenty-first century. Today, the "4C" skills--critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration--are regarded as significant learning outcomes in Science,…

Within this article, the researchers present the design, implementation, and evaluation of a pilot of a virtual peer mentoring training program for racial and ethnic minority women peer mentors within STEM programs at two historically black institutions. The design, usefulness, and usability of the training program are explored, and the influence…

This study explored teachers' conceptualizations of integrated computational modeling in secondary physics by exposing twelve experienced physics teachers to programming and then analyzing interview responses. Responses revealed that teachers fell along a spectrum of disciplinary boundary-stretching mentalities. This paper presents a preliminary…

Giving feedback to peers can be a valuable learning experience for a feedback provider. However, different types of products require different types of feedback, which, in turn, may lead to different learning outcomes. The current study investigates the effect on the learning of feedback providers of reviewing different types of products.…

Given that many models of design-based learning in science education are grounded in forward engineering, in which students are challenged to use the engineering design process to achieve unknown solutions to engineering problems, this study aims to examine the potential of using reverse engineering, as an alternative approach to design-based…

In this study, we compared students' learning from two conditions in a unit on inclined planes: Virtual-then-Physical (V-t-P) (n = 50), where students conducted a virtual lab followed by a physical lab, or vice versa in the Physical-then-Virtual condition (P-t-V) (n = 60). We analyzed students' written explanations after each lab focusing on…

The speed of development of biotechnology within agriculture, industry, and medicine has changed our lives, and we need a biotechnological literacy to understand it. This implies that teachers in primary schools need to be biotechnologically literate in order to educate future generations. The aim of this study was to investigate Swedish…

Developing and using models to make sense of phenomena or to design solutions to problems is a key science and engineering practice. Classroom use of technology-based tools can promote the development of students' modelling practice, systems thinking, and causal reasoning by providing opportunities to develop and use models to explore phenomena.…

Prompted by the sudden shift to remote instruction in March 2020 brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers explored online resources to support their students learning from home. We report on how twelve teachers identified and creatively leveraged open educational resources (OERs) and practices to facilitate self-directed science learning.…

An increasing number of researchers and educators adopt embodied cognitive frameworks in innovative science learning environments. The embodied cognitive paradigm signals a shift from traditional cognitive accounts of how learning occurs. The purpose of this review was to explore whether the shift to embodied cognition design principles is…

Research shows that interdisciplinary learning approaches increase student knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. However, there is little empirical evidence about teacher enactment of interdisciplinary curricula, especially at the middle school level. In the Designing Biomimetic Robots (BioRobots) project,…

Information and communication technology (ICT) is key to educational development. This study explores the mechanism influencing the use of ICT on students' science literacy. We utilized two-level hierarchical linear models and structural equation models to analyze data collected from the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in…

In an effort to investigate the factors that lead to success in general chemistry, the Math-Up Skills Test (MUST) and common questions were used along with a student characteristic questionnaire. The MUST is a 20-item instrument to measure mathematics fluency, which is done without a calculator with a 15-min time limit. It has been shown as a…