Search Results (114)

Research in astronomy education has traditionally focused on students’ conceptual understanding through a cognitive lens, despite growing recognition that learning is multidimensional and extends beyond the acquisition or re-organisation of ideas. Game-based learning (GBL) is increasingly used to support conceptual learning in science, yet it is rarely examined through a conceptual change lens that accounts for both cognitive and affective dimensions, particularly in authentic post-primary astronomy classrooms. As such, this study compares a game-based learning (GBL) approach with a non-game, teacher-led instructional approach incorporating constructivist elements, with both conditions designed to provide comparable opportunities for multidimensional conceptual change in post-primary astronomy, focusing on cognitive and affective learning outcomes. A mixed-methods quasi-experimental design, including diagnostic knowledge tests, affective learning surveys, focus groups and classroom observations, was employed with a cohort of 474 post-primary students, divided into intervention and control groups. Findings indicate that non-digital games can support sustained multidimensional conceptual change for post-primary students. Statistically significant differences were observed between intervention and control groups across both cognitive and affective outcomes. In addition, the game-based learning (GBL) pedagogical intervention created multiple opportunities for students to review and refine their knowledge and perceptions of astronomy. Overall, the multidimensional framework of conceptual change offers a clearer account of how and why teaching astronomy with non-digital games can be effective, contributing to the advancement of both theory and practice. Full article

Recent research highlights the importance of effective teaching methodologies to enhance scientific learning from the earliest years of schooling. The present study investigates the effects of the Spaced Learning (SL) methodology in science education in Italian primary schools, with particular attention to scientific knowledge and students’ scientific reasoning skills. The study involved 401 third- and fourth-grade pupils (aged 8–11) from three primary schools in Palermo, Italy, during the 2024/2025 school year. A quasi-experimental design was adopted, with classes assigned to an experimental group that adopted SL or to a control group that followed traditional teaching. The intervention lasted seven months and was supported by continuous teacher training and collaboration with university researchers. The data were collected through a pre-test/post-test questionnaire developed and validated by experts in physics education. The tool assessed the students’ general scientific reasoning skills through multiple-choice items inserted in everyday life contexts. Descriptive statistics were calculated and between-group comparisons were made by Student’s t-test or Welch’s t-test when the assumption of homogeneity of variances was not met. The results indicate that students exposed to the SL methodology achieved higher post-test scores than those who received traditional education, suggesting a positive effect of time-distributed, movement-integrated learning on science learning outcomes. Such results support the effectiveness of SL as a promising teaching approach to promote meaningful and lasting scientific learning in primary school. Full article

Outdoor science teaching provides meaningful, hands-on learning opportunities, yet remains inconsistently practiced in schools. This quantitative study investigated how specific teacher-level predictors associate with the frequency of outdoor science teaching in regular classroom time. A structured questionnaire was developed and administered to 258 Slovenian science in-service teachers, measuring their attitudes, self-efficacy, perceived support, professional development, connection to nature, and inclusion of nature. After reducing items through exploratory factor analysis, variables were then entered into an ordinal logistic regression model of outdoor teaching frequency. Teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy emerged as the strongest predictors, while their professional development, support, connection to nature, and inclusion with nature were not significant. Supplementary correlations showed that teachers perceiving greater support or stronger connection to nature held slightly more positive attitudes. The correlation indicated a weak but positive link between accessible environments and outdoor teaching frequency. Based on these findings, we recommend actively fostering teachers’ positive attitudes and self-efficacy, as these personal factors are the primary drivers of how frequently outdoor science teaching occurs. To support the development of these personal factors, professional development programs should be systematically designed to build confidence, provide hands-on mastery experiences, and reinforce positive beliefs. Rather than being treated as predictors in their own right, these elements should be understood as structured pathways for strengthening the attitudes and self-efficacy that drive outdoor teaching practice. Full article

Background: Science anxiety constitutes a relevant emotional variable in initial teacher education, given its impact on motivation, academic identity, and future teaching self-efficacy. While several instruments have been developed to assess science anxiety, few tools have been specifically adapted to the university context of pre-service teachers. Objective: To adapt and validate the psychometric properties of the Abbreviated Science Anxiety Scale in pre-service teachers, in order to assess anxiety toward experimental sciences and derive implications for science education. Methods: A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 210 students enrolled in early childhood and primary education degrees at the University of Jaén, with a mean age of 20.85 years (SD = 2.26). Results: Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure (learning and evaluation) explaining 63.40% of the variance, with high reliability (α = 0.89; ω = 0.91). Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit for the two-factor model. Women reported significantly higher levels of anxiety than men. No significant relationship was found between anxiety and academic achievement. Cluster analysis identified two differentiated profiles associated with academic orientation (Sciences vs. Humanities) and science anxiety levels. Conclusions: The adapted scale, named the Brief Experimental Science Anxiety Scale for Pre-Service Teachers (BESAS-PST), demonstrates adequate psychometric properties and constitutes a valid and reliable instrument for assessing anxiety toward experimental sciences in initial teacher education. These findings extend previous research on domain-specific academic emotions by demonstrating that science anxiety can be reliably assessed in teacher training contexts, providing a tool for future research and evidence-based interventions aimed at strengthening scientific self-efficacy among pre-service teachers. Full article

In early childhood and early primary settings, science education is often overshadowed by other subjects such as literacy and numeracy due to the perception that learning science is less essential than acquiring skills in other core subjects. The teaching of biological science, in particular, have limited engagement and interactivity, leading to lower student interest and participation. This scoping review aims to explore the current practices and challenges in teaching biological science within early childhood and early primary settings with a special focus on multimodality to increase student engagement and interactivity via the integration of digital tools. Existing research emphasises a current gap in integrating multimodal teaching and learning approaches—ranging from manual and digital to robotic technologies—in biological science. Based on the findings, recommendations are made for the successful integration of multimodal approaches to make biological science more engaging, dynamic, and memorable for young learners. Full article

This study explored pre-service teachers’ views on the use of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) in the production of misinformation, addressing the potential challenges posed by deepfakes generated by these online resources. A quantitative approach was used; 133 pre-service teachers participated in the study, all of them were enrolled in primary education degree programmes in the Region of Murcia, Spain. The results indicated a clear awareness of the risks posed by these digital tools in the generation of deepfakes. Respondents became aware of the potential threats this may pose on the internet, which can be further exacerbated when disseminated in educational environments. Recognising the relevance of pre-service teachers’ concerns can help educators and educational administrations take steps to limit Gen AI in accordance with ethical parameters and thus reduce the spread of misinformation. In social science teaching and learning, further research is needed to equip students with the essential skills to distinguish between accurate and inaccurate information. For all these reasons, it seems essential to improve research in media literacy education for the application of identification skills used in assessment processes. These improvements can take the form of evidence-based approaches, such as AI literacy programmes or media literacy modules, to facilitate student learning and ensure better quality education. Full article

Digital serious games are increasingly recognised as valuable tools for fostering student engagement and supporting active learning processes in formal educational contexts. Within the field of heritage education, however, empirical evidence concerning teacher-created games and their pedagogical effects remains limited. This study examines the educational impact of a digital serious game designed by teachers using RPG Maker MV to support the teaching of Social Sciences and local cultural heritage. The game, Misterios de Olivenza, integrates historical, geographical, and cultural content related to the municipality of Olivenza (Extremadura, Spain) through exploratory gameplay and problem-based activities. The research involved 86 primary education students aged 10–13 and employed a validated questionnaire to analyse gameplay experience, motivation, and self-perceived learning, with attention to age and gender differences. Results indicate high levels of enjoyment, motivation, and perceived learning, with no statistically significant differences by gender and limited age-related variation. A moderate positive correlation was identified between motivation and self-perception of learning, suggesting that engagement plays a key role in students’ educational experience. The findings highlight the pedagogical potential of teacher-created serious games for heritage education, while underscoring the importance of careful curricular integration and adequate scaffolding to maximise educational effectiveness. Full article

This article presents a case study of the relationship between the scope of inquiry that classroom teachers provided to Year 4 students during inquiry-based science lessons and the learning autonomy evidenced by those students. This study investigated the practices of two primary school classroom teachers engaging in similar teaching contexts and curriculum imperatives, but each teacher provided a different scope of inquiry to students during their learning. The findings indicate a complex, non-linear relationship between the scope of inquiry provided by teachers and the student learning autonomy demonstrated. Predictably, students who experienced a narrow scope of inquiry, as provided by teachers, demonstrated a low level of learning autonomy. However, this study found that when students experienced inquiry with a broad scope provided by the teacher, they demonstrated a large range of learning autonomy, not only high levels of learning autonomy but also low levels. Moreover, when students experienced inquiry with a broad scope provided by the teacher, they manifested more diverse emotions, ranging from frustration to enjoyment, when compared with times that they experienced a narrow scope of inquiry. The findings demonstrated that students could remain on task in a broad scope of inquiry environment, but found that the minimal guidance provided was challenging. The results of the current study underscore the importance of a balance between a broader scope and a narrower scope of inquiry to optimise student learning. The non-linear relationship between the scope provided and the student level of learning autonomy experienced has ramifications for unresolved conflicts about closed vs open inquiry and for quantitative research on this complex construct. Full article

It has been widely demonstrated that primary school students face cognitive obstacles in scientific argumentation and often employ ineffective strategies. Scaffolding can effectively guide the scientific argumentation process, enhance its logical rigor, and facilitate students’ reflective thinking during argumentation. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of question prompts and worked examples on primary school students’ scientific argumentation skills, alongside their scientific achievement, learning motivation and cognitive load. Using a quasiexperimental design, this study involved 68 fourth-grade students and compared the effects of two types of scaffolding: question prompts and worked examples. The results show that both scaffolding strategies exerted positive effects on students’ scientific argumentation skills, scientific achievement and learning motivation. More importantly, the worked examples were significantly more effective than the question prompts in enhancing scientific argumentation skills, particularly in terms of evidence integration and logical reasoning, and they provided greater assistance to students with low levels of prior knowledge. Finally, the worked examples group exhibited significantly lower extraneous cognitive loads than the question prompts group did. This study provides empirical evidence for optimizing the scaffolding design of primary scientific argumentation teaching, confirming that worked examples offer more efficient and adaptive support for novice learners in primary schools in a short time period. From a long-term developmental perspective, it is necessary to gradually fade the support of worked examples and transition to question prompts in scientific argumentation instruction, so as to prompt students to invest more cognitive effort and foster their independent argumentation and critical thinking abilities. These findings have important implications for advancing science curriculum reform and designing targeted instructional interventions. Full article

Energy is a central yet complex scientific concept that is often taught superficially in primary education. At this school level, teaching energy-related concepts is often done through textbooks that provide only simplistic definitions and little emphasis on energy conversion, and do not necessarily support the development of an integrated understanding among students. At the same time, promoting Science Self-Efficacy (SSE) in children is crucial, as research indicates that gender differences in SSE can emerge as soon as in primary school and become more pronounced throughout schooling, with potential implications for students’ future engagement in science. This study presents the design, implementation and evaluation of a Teaching–Learning Sequence (TLS) aimed at both supporting conceptual understanding of energy and fostering SSE. The TLS was carried out with N = 75 fifth-grade students over 12 h and was based on Inquiry-Based Science Education methodology. To assess its effectiveness, two instruments were administered in pre- and post-intervention phases: a test on energy concepts and a questionnaire on SSE. The results, which will be discussed in detail, provide evidence that the TLS may enhance students’ conceptual learning and contribute to the development of SSE at the primary school level. Full article

Higher education instructors may include interdisciplinary subjects in the classroom to encourage diverse yet balanced learning. Agriculture is a challenging subject of study that includes elements of art, engineering, and science. Although it is important to know if teachers in higher education incorporate agriculture in their lectures, it is more useful to comprehend the attitudes or opinions that are expressed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether higher education instructors mention agriculture in simulated discussion prompt generation and, if so, indicate the responses of positive, negative, and neutral sentiment towards agriculture. An electronic survey asked teaching faculty from multiple land-grant institutions to respond to a randomized prompt related to their declared area of interest. Qualitative methodologies included open response coding, and reliable and validated thematic coding served as the primary analysis. The study reports that 25 of the 59 responses included comments about agriculture and 72.0% of the responses were neutral. The rest painted agriculture in positive (8.0%) or negative (20.0%) interpretations. The results of the study reveal the challenges that teachers face in making interdisciplinary leaps, including agriculture in the classroom, without risking the spread of inaccurate information. Additional research should be conducted to understand the impacts of loaded language on students’ perceptions of agriculture using the results produced by the current study. Full article

This paper explores the potential of interdisciplinary teaching that combines science and fine art to foster students’ responsible engagement with environmental and social challenges, positioned as an important contribution to sustainability. Within a participatory action research project conducted over five cycles in a Slovenian primary school, the Model of Interdisciplinary Teaching in Science and Fine Art (MITSFA) was developed. It integrates problem-based science tasks, experimental work, reflective discussions, and art assignments with a strong communicative and esthetic dimension. The paper analyses activities that encouraged scientific inquiry, critical thinking, and visual interpretation of complex phenomena, ranging from material properties to sustainable spatial planning. Empirical data include students’ artworks, interviews, written reflections, and the teacher’s research diary. Findings suggest that combining scientific exploration with visual expression deepens understanding, fosters emotional engagement, and promotes environmental and social awareness. Students showed greater sensitivity to complexity, ability to recognize layered meanings, and readiness to express their worldview through art. It can be concluded that meaningful learning emerges where scientific and artistic processes are interconnected, highlighting the teacher’s role as a creative facilitator bridging investigation and interpretation. The study demonstrates how integrating science and fine art in primary education directly supports education for sustainable development by cultivating environmental awareness and responsibility. Full article

This systematic review examines mathematics teachers’ knowledge for teaching using digital technologies (DTs), understood as the intersection of disciplinary, pedagogical, and technological domains that teachers mobilize when designing, implementing, and assessing mathematics lessons. In this study, DTs refer to the digital hardware, software, and online environments used to represent, simulate, or analyze mathematical ideas (e.g., GeoGebra, Tinkerplots, spreadsheets, CAS tools, and learning management systems). We analyzed 50 peer-reviewed journal articles published between January 2010 and April 2025, retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, and Scielo. ResearchGate was consulted only as a supplementary repository to access the full texts already identified in the indexed databases. These articles were analyzed according to predefined analytical categories, including research themes, country of origin, and the digital technologies addressed in each study, allowing for cross-comparisons across theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches. The results reveal a strong interest in this topic in countries such as Turkey, the United States, Mexico, Indonesia, and Spain, with the participation of in-service mathematics teachers at the primary, secondary, and university levels, as well as preservice teachers. The most frequently studied themes in the past five years regarding teacher knowledge include teacher education through digital technologies, the analysis of lesson planning and tasks designed by teachers using DTs, and the assessment of their knowledge through self-perception questionnaires. The review concludes that only a few of the analyzed studies qualitatively examined teacher knowledge when using digital technologies, particularly those that employed non-participant observation, audio and/or video recordings, and semi-structured interviews. Full article

Background/Objectives: Family meetings (FMs) are clinical encounters in a structured space between the patient, family members, and care teams. Healthcare professionals (HPs) often lack formal training in conducting FMs. The scoping review aims to provide an overview of the available research evidence on FMs’ education for HPs. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus. The PCC (Population-Concept-Context) framework was used to define inclusion criteria: educational intervention on FMs aimed at HPs in all settings of care and students of medicine and nursing sciences treating adult patients with oncological and non-oncological diseases. Results: The search retrieved 1017 articles, of which 26 were eligible. The training had as its primary aims the development of communication skills and curriculum development/evaluation. For the most part, palliative care physicians served as trainers, while medical students and residents represented a major part of trainees, underscoring a focus on early-career learners. FM training is mainly provided in the American countries and intensive care settings. Role-play or simulation was the most common teaching method. Pre- and post-interventional designs were the most common, with few studies incorporating longitudinal follow-up to assess skill retention. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used to evaluate interventions. Conclusions: The training topics are related to advanced communication, but there is a lack of an interprofessional perspective and long-term assessment of the skills learned. It is necessary to consider different family types as subjects of communication. Full article

This study investigated the professional attitudes of Croatian preservice primary school teachers towards science teaching and their epistemological views on science in the context of the ongoing educational reform. In a quantitative survey conducted at a Croatian university, teachers’ overall attitudes were assessed; it investigated whether participation in a science course influenced these attitudes, and the relationship between their attitudes towards teaching and their epistemological views on science was analyzed. The results showed predominantly positive but nuanced attitudes that combined both traditional and contemporary conceptions of science education. Furthermore, the results showed that participation in the science course had no significant influence on these attitudes, and that professional attitudes appeared to develop independently of epistemological views. The study emphasizes the need to effectively integrate theoretical knowledge and practical experience in teacher education. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of inquiry-based learning, reflective teaching practice, promoting gender equality, effective mentoring and maintaining professional networks. Future research should investigate specific curricular interventions aimed at improving trainee teachers’ coherence and confidence in science teaching. Full article