ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Formative Assessment as a Tool to Enhance the Development of Inquiry Skills in Science Education
Author: Ganajová, Mária
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Student Evaluation,Formative Evaluation,Science Process Skills,Science Tests,Intervention,Biology,Chemistry,Physics,Mathematics,Information Science,Science Instruction,Teaching Methods,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Instructional Effectiveness

Formative assessment (FA) is considered a powerful tool to enhance learning. However, there have been few studies addressing how the implementation of FA influences the development of inquiry skills so far. This research intends to determine the efficacy of teaching using FA in the development of students' inquiry skills. A test of inquiry skills was used as the main research instrument to identify the level of the selected inquiry skills before and after a period of teaching with or without FA in the experimental and control group respectively. In the experimental group (n=73), FA was implemented across five subjects: biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and informatics, while the control group (n=48) was taught without any external intervention. In both groups, mostly teacher-centred methods of teaching were applied. The research findings confirmed a low initial level of inquiry skills. Teaching using FA showed higher efficacy than teaching without FA, even without a special focus on the inquiry methods. The experimental group achieved significantly better results compared to the control group. In addition, the results confirmed higher efficacy of FA in lower performing students. Gender did not prove as a determining factor in the effective implementation of FA.
On Wolves and Bees: Factors Influencing the Nature Relatedness of the Pre-Service Teachers
Author: Kubiatko, Milan
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Individual Characteristics,Gender Differences,Age Differences,Animals,Ownership,Gardening,Entomology,Social Attitudes,Risk,Fear,Natural Resources,Wildlife,Preservice Teachers,Foreign Countries,Attitudes,Correlation,Knowledge Level,Conservation (Environment)

Biodiversity is the result of long-term evolution. It is one of the fundamental global problems of today as it is declining in space and time. The aim of this research was to determine the relationship of man and nature and to analyze the influence of variables such as gender, age, pet ownership, cultivation of plants, and perception of popular and unpopular animals. A total of 549 respondents took part in the research survey. In addition to the above-mentioned demographic variables, the research also contained 5 items related to the perceived vulnerability of respondents and 37 items focused on the perception of wolves and bees as example of unpopular or popular animals. All variables except gender had a significant influence on man's relationship to nature. Students who perceived their own vulnerability to a greater extent had a more negative attitude towards nature. Fear of both groups of observed animals had a negative influence on the relationship to nature. Other dimensions correlated positively, age as well as plant growing and pet breeding. In the end, the possibilities of improving the relationship to nature are suggested.
Preferred Chemistry Curriculum Perspective: Teachers&apos; Perception of Lower-Secondary School Textbooks
Author: Vojír, Karel
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Science Curriculum,Chemistry,Science Instruction,Textbooks,Secondary School Science,Teacher Attitudes,Secondary School Teachers,Textbook Content,Textbook Selection,Planning,Lesson Plans

The (written) state curriculum is one of the cornerstones influencing education. Its specifically mediated by textbooks. In an open textbook market, the influence of the state curriculum is limited, and the main responsibility passes to individual schools or teachers. In order to understand education from the potential attainment of curriculum goals' point of view, it is necessary to pay attention to the teachers' textbook preferences. This research was focused on the field of lower-secondary chemistry education in Czechia, with special attention paid to the textbooks in use, their choice, and teachers' perception of them. The data were gathered using a questionnaire distributed to a representative sample of 387 lower-secondary school chemistry teachers. The results showed that teachers favor traditional chemistry teaching conceptions. Most teachers stated that textbooks play a vital role for them when preparing lessons and new textbooks are mostly chosen by the most experienced teachers. Most teachers also expressed their preference for textbooks which contain subject-matter ordered according to the structure of chemistry, i.e. not adjusted for learners, as well as textbooks dominantly orientated towards the transmissive approach to education. Regarding the teachers' perception of textbooks, potential limits were identified in implementing innovations in (chemical) education.
Assessing Pre-Service Teachers&apos; Reception and Attitudes towards Virtual Laboratory Experiments in Life Sciences
Author: Penn, Mafor
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Instruction,Student Attitudes,Preservice Teachers,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Science Laboratories,Laboratory Experiments,Science Experiments,Computer Simulation,Science Process Skills,Hands on Science,Biology,Foreign Countries,Instructional Effectiveness

This research reports the assessment of pre-service teachers' reception and attitudes towards virtual laboratory experiments in Life Sciences with the aim of advancing adaptability to digital learning. Using sequential mixed-methods in a quasi-experimental design, 68 pre-service teachers in the 3rd year of a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) program were surveyed before and after virtual learning interventions. This phase was followed by qualitative data gathering using focus group interviews with all participants. Findings from quantitative data analysis revealed a positive significant difference in pre-service teachers' attitudes towards virtual laboratory experiments post learning interventions. From qualitative data pre-service teachers found the progression from using only traditional to including virtual experiments was useful in enhancing their conceptual understandings of Life Sciences concepts, convenience, inquiry-based learning, self-directed and autonomous learning. However, pre-service teachers noted that using virtual laboratories did not significantly develop their science process skills and as a result could not replace the experiences in a traditional biology laboratory. The implications of these findings project virtual laboratories as a supporting tool for experimentation in Life Sciences especially within and post the COVID-19 pandemic where issues of social distancing pose a threat to collaborative and inquiry-based science learning. Recommendations from these findings are discussed herein.
Analysis of Two-Tier Question Scoring Methods: A Case Study on the Lawson&apos;s Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning
Author: Zhou, Shao-Na
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Tests,Science Process Skills,Logical Thinking,Multiple Choice Tests,Scoring,Elementary School Students,Secondary School Students,College Students,Foreign Countries,Item Response Theory,Test Items

The Lawson's Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (LCTSR) is a popular instrument that measures the development of students' scientific reasoning skills. The instrument has a two-tier question design, which has led to multiple ways of scoring and interpretation. In this research, a method of pattern analysis was proposed and applied to analyze two-tier item pairs on the subskill of Control-of-Variable (COV) of LCTSR. The data were collected from students in grade 4 through college in both the United States and China. Students' response patterns to two combined item pairs were analyzed and compared against students at different grade levels and reasoning development levels. Six performance levels were established based on students' response patterns, serving as indicators of COV reasoning development levels. With the new method, a relation was obtained between students' level of COV skills and grade level, as well as their level of overall reasoning development. It can provide useful information on the possible developmental levels of students' reasoning skills.
Developing a Self-Efficacy Scale toward Physics Subjects for Lower-Secondary School Students
Author: Fidan, Mustafa
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Test Construction,Physics,Self Efficacy,Science Instruction,Secondary School Science,Secondary School Students,Test Validity,Test Reliability,Foreign Countries,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Student Attitudes,Beliefs

Physics subjects or topics as a part of science education enable students to explore nature and natural events by using physics laws and scientific methods. In the lower-secondary school, physics is a subfield within the science curriculum developed holistically with the broad field curriculum design unlike the subject-centred curriculum in the upper-secondary education. As an important factor that directs the achievement, self-efficacy is one of the predecessors of these cognitive and affective skills. Accordingly, most of the scales which evaluate the students' cognitive or affective skills in the lower-secondary school are related to science course in a general context. This research aimed to develop a valid and reliable scale measuring the students' self-efficacy beliefs toward physics subjects for lower-secondary schools. The sample consists of 2737 students. The draft scale consisted of 52 items and was applied to 1882 students in the first stage. To construct validity of the scale, exploratory factor analysis was performed. The results showed that the scale consisted of single- factor with 28 items. To confirm its factor structure, the scale was applied to 785 students. The research findings indicate that the scale is a valid and reliable instrument to measure the self-efficacy beliefs towards physics subjects.
Effect of a STEM-Oriented Course on Students&apos; Marine Science Motivation, Interest, and Achievements
Author: Tsai, Liang-Ting
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: STEM Education,Student Interests,Foreign Countries,Teaching Methods,Student Motivation,Science Achievement,Program Effectiveness,Marine Education,Science Education,Grade 9,Secondary School Students

In recent years, marine science education has received increasing attention around the world, but the integration of STEM education into the marine curriculum is rarely applied to lower-secondary schools. The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of a teaching module on the topic of marine science, developed using a STEM approach, on the motivation, interest, and marine science achievements. The 9th-grade students from two classes in a Taiwanese public school were recruited in this study. Students in the experimental group were taught using the STEM course. Students in the control group were taught in a traditional didactic teaching course. Pre- and post-tests were used to determine marine science achievement, interest, and learning motivation. The experimental group gained significantly superior scores in three out of four dimensions towards motivation and two out of three dimensions interest. A significant difference was found between the experimental group and the control group, with the former showing increased marine science achievement over the latter in higher-order thinking; however, no significant differences were with respect to cognition. It is concluded that involving STEM-based implementations in teaching, the subject &quot;Marine Science&quot; increases the success rate and attitude towards the subject of students.
The Role of Math and Science Exposure on the Effect of 5E Instructional Model in Physics Conceptions
Author: Bahtaji, Michael Allan A.
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Physics,Science Instruction,Models,Mathematics Instruction,Scientific Concepts,Concept Formation,Learning Experience,Undergraduate Students,Teaching Methods,Mechanics (Physics),Learning Activities,Factor Analysis,Pretests Posttests,Learning Processes,Foreign Countries

5E instructional model is commonly utilized in science teaching to promote conceptual learning. However, the benefit of 5E instructional model cannot be fully attained if the knowledge and skills essential to learning were not properly established from past. Similarly, the development of new concepts cannot be fully attained if the important processes inculcated in the 5E model were not considered in teaching. In this research, the effects of 5E model instruction and previous learning experiences on the conceptual learning of students in Newtonian mechanics were evaluated. Using 2 x 2 factorial research design, the conceptual understanding of 172 undergraduate students was evaluated before and after the experiment. These participants were distributed into four groups with different programs. The result revealed that both 5E instructional model and previous learning experiences contributed to the conceptual learning of students in mechanics. Those students who received 5E instructional model and whose exposure to science and math courses is high, gained the highest increase in the mean score after the experiment. This suggests that the effectiveness of 5E instructional model can be fully achieved if the knowledge and skills essential to learning and conceptual change were properly established from previous learning experiences and activities.
Copenhagen School and Securitization of Cyberspace in Turkey
Author: Aydindag, Didem
Date: 2021-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: National Security,Information Security,Foreign Countries,International Relations,Political Influences,Social Influences,Peace,Minority Groups,Authoritarianism,Conflict,Social Theories,Privacy,Political Attitudes,Political Power,History

With a particular rise since the turn of the millennium, cyber-security become one of the most important security sector in contemporary security politics. Despite this, the convergence of cyberspace and security has mostly been analyzed within the context of technical areas and had been neglected in the political realm and international relations academia. The article argues that in line with developments in the domestic and international arena, the AKP government shifted towards the securitization of cyberspace. Secondly the article argues that there seems to be two waves of securitization and desecuritization within the case. The first wave starts from 2006 through the end of 2017 whereby cyber securitization took place within the subunit level and very much connected to political and societal sectors. This first wave particularly heightened after the 2016 attempted coup and the eventual collapse of the peace process with the PKK. The second wave came in the 2018 onwards and instead of securitization, there is a desecuritizationn of cyber attacks took place mostly at the unit level. In both waves, the desecuritization and securitization is constructed within the national security discourse. However in the first wave, a threat to national security is constructed and hypersecuritized particularly in relation to developments at the societal level. In the second wave, the emphasis is put on the strength of national security therefore the threats and cyber-attacks at the unit level that are originated from other states is downplayed in order to construct a national pride and strength. The main goal of this article therefore is to fill the gap in the Copenhagen school related to cyber security sector. The second aim is to fill the gap specifically in Turkey's response to events in cyberspace and construction of a cybersecurity discourse and culture.
A Review of Thematic Growth of International Journal of Education and Development Using ICT
Author: Agbo, Friday Joseph
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Information Technology,Periodicals,Economic Development,Research and Development,Developing Nations,Research Reports,Educational Development,Bibliometrics,Content Analysis,Comparative Analysis,Technology Uses in Education,Electronic Learning,Teaching Methods,Open Educational Resources,Electronic Publishing,Online Courses,Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,Technology Integration,Capacity Building

The growth in education, research, and development in developing economies cannot be compared with their developed counterparts. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), which have played a key role in nations' socio-economic development, can leverage developing economies. The International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT) emerged to promote research and development using ICT in developing nations. The emergence has, over the years, churned out significant scientific publications. This review intends to commemorate the late IJEDICT founding editor and investigate the contribution of academic papers published in the journal to develop education using ICT in developing countries and the thematic growth of the publication forum. The paper presents a bibliometric content analysis of 692 studies published in IJEDICT from inception, 2005 until January 2021. Findings from this review suggest useful implications for researchers, ICT managers, institutions, policymakers, and nations.
University Students&apos; E-Resource Usage: Predictors, Problems and Practical Implications
Author: Ruzegea, Mboni
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Libraries,Educational Resources,Use Studies,Predictor Variables,Differences,Information Literacy,Student Experience,Technological Literacy,Undergraduate Students,Graduate Students

Electronic resources play a vital role in promoting students' learning in higher education. This research investigated predicting factors for effective e-resources usage, emanating problems and practical implications. Using a survey, the study employed SPSS to analyse the resultant data. Moreover, regression analysis and One-way ANOVA determined the predicting factors and differences in e-resources usage between student categories. The findings demonstrate that undergraduates demonstrated higher usage levels of e-resources than postgraduates. The education level, Information Literacy (IL) competency, and individual experience were factors that contributed to effective e-resources utilization. Therefore, integrating IL skills into postgraduate curricula and improving IL training may bring out valuable students' competence for effective e-resource utilization.
Negotiating a New Blend in Blended Learning: Research Roots
Author: Fuller, Laura
Date: 2021-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Blended Learning,Distance Education,Technological Advancement,Educational History,Educational Trends,COVID-19,Pandemics,Higher Education,Educational Change,Computer Mediated Communication,Asynchronous Communication,Synchronous Communication,Online Courses,Videoconferencing,Web Based Instruction,Seminars,Instructional Design,Program Implementation,Definitions,Educational Benefits

Blended learning has a muddled history but is still evolving. Technological innovations and the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 led higher education to create a new blend to blended learning, one that did not follow the generally accepted and most numerous definitions or previous examples of blended learning. This new blend of blended learning lacks the physical environment and face-to-face instruction and consists of all computer-mediated instruction in the form of both asynchronous online instruction and synchronous instruction via videoconferencing and computerized webinar tools. This arrival of a new blend of blended learning requires educators to develop and implement a new instructional mode. This paper aims to assist educators with their pursuit of effective strategies for the successful design and implementation of this new blend of blended learning by providing an overview and discussion of how research on blended learning may be interpreted and applied to equip educators to be more prepared to design and to implement their own new blend of blended learning courses. The origins of distance learning, the development of blended learning, blended learning's links to technological development, the ambiguity of terminology referring to these learning forms, and the advantages and drawbacks of blended learning are presented through a review of published research.
Qualitative Analysis of Corequisite Instruction in a Quantitative Reasoning Course
Author: Beamer, Zachary
Date: 2021-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Required Courses,Developmental Studies Programs,College Mathematics,Community Colleges,Two Year College Students,College Faculty,Teaching Methods,Individualized Instruction,Direct Instruction,Data Use,College Instruction,Mathematics Instruction

In corequisite models of instruction, marginally prepared students are placed directly into college-level coursework, taught with a paired support course. Initial research suggests that such models yield significant improvements in the number of students passing credit-level mathematics when compared to previous models of prerequisite remediation. The present study employs qualitative methods to investigate methods of instruction at one community colleges to understand how instructors identify and respond to student needs. It concludes with recommendations for practice and highlights advantages of small format corequisite classes taught by the same instructor.
The Predictive Relationship between Personality, GPA, and Membership in Nontraditional Student Populations
Author: Palmisano, Andrea C.
Date: 2021-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Predictor Variables,Grade Point Average,Group Membership,Nontraditional Students,Two Year College Students,Community Colleges,Personality Measures

Community colleges are academic institutions with a large number of nontraditional students whose needs must be understood before their academic needs can be fully addressed. Previous research studies have established a positive correlation between academic performance and the personality traits of Conscientiousness and Openness to Experiences, and to a lesser extent the traits of Extraversion and Agreeableness. In contrast, a negative correlation has been demonstrated between the trait of Neuroticism and academic performance. These studies were conducted primarily in four-year institutions, making the generalization of results to community college students inappropriate. The present study explored the predictive relationship between personality traits, GPA, and membership into a traditional and nontraditional student category using a non-experimental regression research design. A stepwise forward logistic regression was conducted with data provided by 163 students attending a major community college in the Southeastern region of the United States. Results indicated the trait of Neuroticism accounts for about 10% of the variability between traditional and nontraditional students, thus serving as a predictor variable. Information regarding how faculty members and staff can utilize study findings, as well as recommendation for future studies, are included.