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Homework gives students an opportunity to practice important college-level physics skills. A switch to Web-based homework alters the nature of feedback received, potentially changing the pedagogical benefit. Calculus- and algebra-based introductory physics students enrolled in large paired lecture sections at a public university completed homework of standard end-of-the-chapter exercises using either the Web or paper. Comparison of their performances on regular exams, conceptual exams, quizzes, laboratory, and homework showed no significant differences between groups; other measures were found to be strong predictors of performance. This indicates that the change in medium itself has limited effect on student learning. Ways in which Web-based homework could enable exercises with greater pedagogical value are discussed. (Contains 2 notes, 7 tables, and 4 figures.)

The article presents a study that compares student performance using web and paper-based homework in college-level physics. Homework is an important component of introductory physics instruction at the college level. Introductory algebra- and calculus-based physics courses at the college level put a great emphasis on the ability to solve problems. Specifically, these are word problems requiring students to find a numerical quantity using given information and applying one or more physics formulas. A switch to Web-based homework alters the nature of feedback received, potentially changing the pedagogical benefit. Calculus- and algebra-based introductory physics students enrolled in large paired lecture sections at a public university completed homework of standard end-of-the-chapter exercises using either the Web or paper. Comparison of their performances on regular exams, conceptual exams, quizzes, laboratory, and homework showed no significant differences between groups; other measures were found to be strong predictors of performance. This indicates that the change in medium itself has limited effect on student learning. Ways in which Web-based homework could enable exercises with greater pedagogical value are discussed.

The ability to design and interpret controlled experiments is an important scientific process skill and a common objective of science standards. Numerous intervention studies have investigated how the control-of-variables-strategy (CVS) can be introduced to students. However, a meta-analysis of 72 intervention studies found that the opportunity to train CVS skills with hands-on tasks (g = 0.59) did not lead to better acquisition of CVS relative to interventions without a hands-on component (g = 0.74). We conducted an intervention study in which we investigated the differential effects of hands-on and paper-and-pencil training tasks on 161 eighth-grade students' achievement. CVS was demonstrated to all students before they were grouped into a hands-on or a paper-and-pencil training condition. In both training conditions, students designed and interpreted experiments about which variables influence the force of electromagnets. Students in the hands-on group interacted with physical equipment while students in the paper-and-pencil group planned experiments using sketches and interpreted the outcome of experiments presented in photographs. We found no general advantage or disadvantage of hands-on tasks, as both groups did equally well on CVS and content knowledge tests. However, hands-on students outperformed paper-and-pencil students on a hands-on test identical to the training tasks, whereas the paper-and-pencil students outperformed hands-on students on a science fair poster evaluation task similar to the paper-and-pencil training. In summary, students learned task-specific procedural knowledge, but they did not acquire a deeper conceptual understanding of CVS or the content domain as a function of type of training. Implications for instruction and assessment are discussed.

This paper examines students' achievement and interest and the extent to which they are predicted by teacher knowledge and motivation. Student achievement and interest are both considered desirable outcomes of school instruction. Teacher pedagogical content knowledge has been identified a major predictor of student achievement in previous research, whereas teacher motivation is considered a decisive factor influencing students' interest. So far, however, most research either focused on knowledge "or" motivation (both on the students' as well as the teachers' side), rarely investigating them together or examining the instructional mechanisms through which the supposed effects of teacher knowledge and motivation are facilitated. In the present study, N = 77 physics teachers and their classes in Germany and Switzerland are investigated utilizing a multi-method approach in combining data obtained from test-instruments (teacher pedagogical content knowledge, student achievement) and questionnaires (teacher motivation, student interest, student perceived enthusiastic teaching) as well as videotaped instruction (cognitive activation rated by observers). Multi-level structural equation modeling was used to support the assumptions that teacher pedagogical content knowledge positively predicted students' achievement; the effect was mediated by cognitive activation. Teachers' motivation predicted students' interest which was mediated by enthusiastic teaching as perceived by students. Neither did teacher pedagogical content knowledge predict students' interest, nor teacher motivation students' achievement. This implies that in order to improve students' cognitive as well as affective outcomes, both teachers' knowledge but also their motivation need to be considered.

Te Kotahitanga is an educational reform project in Aotearoa/New Zealand demonstrated to have significantly impacted the participation, achievement, and retention of indigenous Maori students in secondary schools. In this paper, I share results from a study of culturally responsible mentoring at 4 different schools participating in the Te Kotahitanga reform project. Specifically, I investigated how Te Kotahitanga facilitators (i.e., site-based mentors/instructional coaches) engage novice and experienced science teachers in reflective conversations around culturally sustaining science instruction for indigenous students. I identify four key themes from these mentoring conversations that can serve as a useful framework for culturally responsible mentoring in science.

Even though school administrators and their leadership practices are rarely explored within science education research, our recent efforts to understand organizational influences on achievement disparities induced an elevated regard for elementary school principals. In this paper, we report on policy buffering by principals at schools whose science test scores exceed statistical expectations. We approached principals to learn more about their science program and the potential leadership and organizational infrastructures that might explain their schools' exemplary performance with students from diverse backgrounds. As street-level bureaucrats, principals are expected to translate formal policy while also ensuring the school is supportive of the teachers and the students. By applying a structure/agency perspective, principals were found to engage in the cognitive professional practice of buffering in four ways: adjusting school structures to accommodate new policies; negotiating compromises with central office about policy implementation; shielding teachers from low-priority policies; and occasionally encouraging teachers to preemptively engage in district-level representation to shape policy implementation. In addition, we uncovered many instances where principals were unwilling to deflect policy and worked with teachers accordingly. We learned that buffering is a cognitive act in which principals make rationale choices about policy and in certain instances will shield their school out of compassion for the teachers and students. It is likely that principal buffering contributes to the equitability and excellence of student performance on their schools' statewide science test.

The Science Teachers Learning from Lesson Analysis (STeLLA) project is a videobased analysis-of-practice PD program aimed at improving teacher and student learning at the upper elementary level. The PD program developed and utilized two "lenses," a Science Content Storyline Lens and a Student Thinking Lens, to help teachers analyze science teaching and learning and to improve teaching practices in this year-long program. Participants included 48 teachers (n = 32 experimental, n = 16 control) and 1,490 students. The STeLLA program significantly improved teachers' science content knowledge and their ability to analyze science teaching. Notably, the STeLLA teachers further increased their classroom use of science teaching strategies associated with both lenses while their students increased their science content knowledge. Multi-level HLM analyses linked higher average gains in student learning with teachers' science content knowledge, teachers' pedagogical content knowledge about student thinking, and teaching practices aimed at improving the coherence of the science content storyline. This paper highlights the importance of the science content storyline in the STeLLA program and discusses its potential significance in science teaching and professional development more broadly. (Contains 5 figures, 3 tables and 1 note.)

Urban science education is a civil rights issue and in order to effectively address it as such we must shift from arguments for civil rights as shared physical space in schools to demands for high quality academic preparation that includes the opportunity to learn science. (Contains 39 references.) (Author/YDS)

This paper aims to identify neighborhood institutional resources (e.g., nonprofit organizations, libraries, and labor market conditions) that promote Mexican‐origin high school students' progress in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pathway into postsecondary education. A nationally representative, longitudinal sample of 1340 Mexican‐origin students from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 was used to investigate students' postsecondary education STEM outcomes. Neighborhood institutional resources, assessed during the high school years, were appended from multiple administrative data sources at the zip code level. Multilevel models utilizing the Heckman correction model, to correct for selection bias in postsecondary education pursuits, revealed that neighborhood resources during high school, specifically more minority‐ and immigrant‐serving organizations and a more STEM‐focused local labor market, support Mexican‐origin students' postsecondary STEM degree attainment, after controlling for risks and resources in the family and school contexts. We conclude by calling attention to how neighborhood institutional resources may facilitate Mexican‐origin students' STEM achievement and fulfill the labor market demands within high‐growth sectors of the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared selected teacher beliefs and verbal behaviors among secondary science and mathematics teachers. Teacher beliefs included teacher responsibility for student success and failure. Comparisons were made for these categories of teachers: (1) science/mathematics; (2) junior/senior high; (3) teachers of advanced/basic courses; and (4) male/female teachers. (JN)

Determined the effects of reasoning, use of models during testing, and sex type on posttest achievement in chemical bonding under controlled instruction. Indicates that chemistry students' (N=84) reasoning capabilities influenced performance; other variables were not significant. Other conclusions are noted and discussed. (DH)

Describes changes and effects of the Israeli paper-and-pencil matriculation examination in biology since first analysis in 1972. The examination has been significant for implementing an inquiry-oriented high school biology program based on the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study. Implications for upgrading science education are discussed. (Author/DH)

Examines research in developmental psychology and science education that has attempted to assess the validity of Piaget's theory of formal thought and its relation to educational practice. Position papers (with little or no empirical support) are not included. (Author/JN)

Reports results of the meta-analysis of 130 research studies on effects of instructional systems used in science teaching. Studies coded gave rise to 341 effect sizes. Systems examined included audio-tutorial, computer-linked, individualized, and media-based instructional systems, personalized system of instruction, mastery learning, self-directed study, programed learning, source papers, and team teaching. (JN)

The article presents a study that determines the effects of various methods and formats on the students' responses to a Piagetian reasoning problem. The Mealworm problem, the task chosen for the examination, was presented by three methods: individual clinical interview; group presentation of task followed by paper-and-pencil problem; and administration of paper-and-pencil in a group. Two hundred and fifty-three students participated in the study. Findings showed that the format of task administration influenced the performance of subjects on the Mealworm problems. Also, the study revealed that individual performance differed from the performance of the classes in which they were enrolled.

Abstract: Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities (SCD) are the 1% of the total student population who have a disability or multiple disabilities that significantly impact intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviors and who require individualized instruction and substantial supports. Historically, these students have received little instruction in science and the science assessments they have participated in have not included age‐appropriate science content. Guided by a theory of action for a new assessment system, an eight‐state consortium developed multidimensional alternate content standards and alternate assessments in science for students in three grade bands (3–5, 6–8, 9–12) that are linked to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, ) and A Framework for K‐12 Science Education (Framework; National Research Council, ). The great variability within the population of students with SCD necessitates variability in the assessment content, which creates inherent challenges in establishing technical quality. To address this issue, a primary feature of this assessment system is the use of hypothetical cognitive models to provide a structure for variability in assessed content. System features and subsequent validity studies were guided by a theory of action that explains how the proposed claims about score interpretation and use depend on specific assumptions about the assessment, as well as precursors to the assessment. This paper describes evidence for the main claim that test scores represent what students know and can do. We present validity evidence for the assumptions about the assessment and its precursors, related to this main claim. The assessment was administered to over 21,000 students in eight states in 2015–2016. We present selected evidence from system components, procedural evidence, and validity studies. We evaluate the validity argument and demonstrate how it supports the claim about score interpretation and use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines students' achievement and interest and the extent to which they are predicted by teacher knowledge and motivation. Student achievement and interest are both considered desirable outcomes of school instruction. Teacher pedagogical content knowledge has been identified a major predictor of student achievement in previous research, whereas teacher motivation is considered a decisive factor influencing students' interest. So far, however, most research either focused on knowledge or motivation (both on the students' as well as the teachers' side), rarely investigating them together or examining the instructional mechanisms through which the supposed effects of teacher knowledge and motivation are facilitated. In the present study, N = 77 physics teachers and their classes in Germany and Switzerland are investigated utilizing a multi-method approach in combining data obtained from test-instruments (teacher pedagogical content knowledge, student achievement) and questionnaires (teacher motivation, student interest, student perceived enthusiastic teaching) as well as videotaped instruction (cognitive activation rated by observers). Multi-level structural equation modeling was used to support the assumptions that teacher pedagogical content knowledge positively predicted students' achievement; the effect was mediated by cognitive activation. Teachers' motivation predicted students' interest which was mediated by enthusiastic teaching as perceived by students. Neither did teacher pedagogical content knowledge predict students' interest, nor teacher motivation students' achievement. This implies that in order to improve students' cognitive as well as affective outcomes, both teachers' knowledge but also their motivation need to be considered. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Research in Science Teaching Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 54:586-614, 2017 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the academic self-concepts, attributions and achievements of Asian American and Caucasian male and female students who have been awarded the Westinghouse Awards in 1984 and 1985 in the U.S. Results reveal that fewer Caucasian female respondents prefer college majors in the technical area and score lower in Science Achievement Test, self-concepts scales, and in all attribution scales. It is also noted that Asian females anticipate courses that are for the gifted and have specialized in research courses. Such academic self-concepts and attribution differences are attributed to ethnic and gender differences and to psychological and sociological forces.

The article investigates the relationship between aptitude and academic achievement measures in the study and teaching of college chemistry by researchers from Reading, Pennsylvania. The use of "An Inventory Piaget's Developmental Tasks" (IDPT) to determine cognitive performance was effective in correlating Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT) and performance in both lecture and laboratory classes of college chemistry. IDPT is a 72-item, untimed, multiple-choice paper-and-pencil inventory. Its validity and reliability makes it a significant tool in correlating SAT and placement data.

The article focuses on a study that investigates the relationship between the field-dependence or independence (FDI) dimension as measured by the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) and subject performance on the Longeot test, a pencil and paper Piagetian test. The study has consisted 141 high school students. Using correlation and variance analysis in the study, it showed that the FDI dimension and GEFT correlate significantly on only those item on the Longeot test that require formal reasoning. The effect of open-or-closed item format is found only for formal items which is only the open format discriminates significantly between the field dependent and independent subjects performing on the type of item. Some of the implications of these results for science education are also cited.

The article offers a study on the difference of the three tests of logical thinking based on their psychometric properties. The purpose of the study is to identify the instructional strategies used by teachers and the learning development of students for their improvement. Students in the eleventh grade, whose schools located within a specific geographical area, were tested by the three logical thinking tests including the Longeot test, Lawson's test TOFR and the Tobin and Capie's test Test on Logical Thinking. Among the 908 students, 212 of them took the three types of tests while 696 of them took only two types of tests. The study found satisfaction on the reliability of the tests administered. It also suggests the need to emphasize alternative tests for different grade level.

The article examines the integrated process skill and formal thinking abilities of middle and high school students in Atlanta, Georgia. A relationship was thought to exist between integrated process skill and formal thinking abilities since both sets of skills strongly emphasize conducting fair experiments. The study shows that there is a significant correlation between achievement on the pencil and paper measures of formal operational and integrated process skill achievement and all subtests of both measures. One implication of the result is that process skill teaching might influence formal thinking ability.

The article explores the study on student achievement and attitudes towards teaching astronomy and the planetarium programs in the U.S. For over 1000 planetariums in the country, more than 95 percent are of smaller facilities and more are using a program type either "Star Show" or "Participatory Oriented Planetarium." Likewise, by using either of the two program type in a smaller education planetarium, it will help to determine the most effective method of instruction and attitude change. The students were assigned randomly to groups and tested by a paper-and-pencil contest test and a Likert-style science opinionnaire. It reveals that the Participatory Oriented Planetarium program is more effective in utilizing a small planetarium facility for teaching constellation study.

The article presents a two phase study on how instruction changes student characteristics and how these changed characteristics in turn influences outcomes of further instruction. In the first phase of the study, the effect of learning experiences on the acquisition of student characteristics such as attitudes and inferences is investigated while in the second phase, these dependent variables become the independent variables, and their effects on other outcomes such as academic achievement or learning efficiency could be studied.

The article discusses certain results of a survey conducted by the 1960 Project TALENT, a national survey of high schools in the U.S., and its implications for science education in the country. The paper also examines the progress made in the areas of science education which is said to improve in high schools along with the question of whether or not the said progress has stimulated any significant improvement in student achievement in science. Results showed that school practices were highly related to the size of the school and the general socioeconomic level of the community.

Black and Brown girls are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Although studies have examined the reasons for this by exploring Black and Brown girls' experiences based on culture, gender, and race, there is a need for specifically understanding how language contributes to racialized experiences in science education. This study fills this critical gap by presenting narratives of three academically talented multilingual girls from Black and Brown communities. Utilizing semi‐structured interviews, self‐identifying questionnaires, and identity‐as‐narrative analysis, this study demonstrates how the racialized experiences of these multilingual Black and Brown girls influenced their relations to science, ideas about the attributes of a science person, and developing science identities. The findings suggest that although the girls had a strong affiliation with science and academic achievement in science, the girls' experiences were racialized through raciolinguistic ideologies and dominant cultural practices of science, which left them invisibilized and unsure about pursuing a future career in STEM. The implications of this study underline the importance of looking at the problem of underrepresentation as an issue of identification, belonging, and representation rather than an of academic skill or interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student science proficiency development demands sustainable and coherent learning environment support. Scholars argue that project‐based learning (PBL) is an efficient approach to promoting student science learning, compared to conventional instructions. Yet, few studies have delved into the learning process to explore how a coherent PBL system consisting of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional learning promotes student learning. To address the gap, this study investigated whether students' science proficiency on the three post‐unit assessments predicted their achievement on a third‐party‐designed end‐of‐year summative science test in a coherent high school chemistry PBL system aligned with the recent US science standards. The study employed a cluster randomized experimental design to test an intervention using our PBL system and only used data from the treatment group. The sample consisted of 1344 treatment students who participated in our PBL intervention and underwent the pretest and end‐of‐year summative test. Students' responses to the three post‐unit assessments were selected and rated to indicate their science proficiency. Two‐level hierarchical linear models were employed to explore the effects of students' performances of three post‐unit assessments on their end‐of‐year summative achievement, considering and controlling for student prior knowledge (i.e., pretest and prior post‐unit assessments). This study suggests two main findings. First, students' science proficiency in the three units could cumulatively and individually predict their summative science achievement. Second, students' performances on the two types of tasks (i.e., developing and using models) in the three post‐unit assessments could also be used to predict their summative science achievement. This research contributes to the field by showing that a coherent standards‐aligned PBL system can significantly and sustainably impact student science proficiency development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students' out‐of‐school science participation has been identified as a factor that supports adaptive science outcomes. Researchers have largely investigated students' out‐of‐school science participation in terms of structured science activities (e.g., attending a science camp), with far less consideration of how students' involvement in unstructured out‐of‐school science activities (e.g., using at‐home science kits) may also be associated with students' aspirations and achievement in science. Research in this area has established a conceptual framework by which activities can be categorized by the activity's level of interaction (i.e., whether receptive or active). Although this conceptual framework is useful to understand the types of unstructured activities in which students engage, this research has tended to overlook the fact that students often participate in more than one out‐of‐school unstructured activity. The present investigation addressed this dearth of research by examining the extent to which different typologies of student participation in out‐of‐school receptive and active unstructured activities existed. The study also examined if these profiles were uniquely associated with students' aspirations and achievement in science above and beyond the effects of their current level of in‐school participation. The study employed a latent class analysis of N = 996 Australian high school students (40.60% girls) from six schools serving predominately above average socioeconomic status Australian high school students. Four distinct profiles of out‐of‐school participation in unstructured activities were found: Optimal, Receptive, Active, and Minimal Out‐of‐School Participation (OSP). The Optimal OSP and Receptive OSP profiles were associated with the higher aspirations (beyond students' in‐school participation), and both were significantly higher than the Active OSP and Minimal OSP profiles. Students' in‐school participation was most strongly associated with students' achievement. These findings suggest that encouraging students' participation in unstructured activities, especially receptive unstructured activities, and their in‐school participation may be viable avenues by which to improve students' science aspirations and achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 2 million students take Advanced Placement (AP) examinations annually. However, departmental policies that allow students to replace introductory courses with AP credit greatly vary within and across universities, even across relatively similar universities. This study examines the impact of AP credit policies on second‐course success in introductory Biology, Chemistry, and Physics course sequences at six large public research universities (N = 48,230 students). Applying logistic regression analyses, we found that general performance indicators and measures of systemic inequities during high school were predictive of students earning skip‐eligible scores. Interestingly, we descriptively discovered wide variation across institutions and disciplines in the percentage of students who chose to skip when meeting their local policies. However, logistic regression analysis did not find general trends of inequalities for skipping courses for students with skip‐eligible scores. We then applied inverse‐probability weights with regression adjustment to examine the effects of course skipping. We found that students who skipped their first course with AP credit actually performed similarly well or better in subsequent courses than did students who did not skip, even in contexts where lower AP scores were accepted. Therefore, our study suggests administrators to increase coherence in AP credit policies across departments and disciplines. In particular, we encourage modifying AP credit policies and academic advising to encourage students to skip when they have eligible AP scores. Benefits may include reductions in unnecessary coursework that is burdensome for both students and universities, potentially freeing up resources to better support students who were not privileged to enroll in AP courses during their high school education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design‐based learning (DBL) offers opportunities to support students' content understanding. Previous DBL studies reported different effect sizes by using the data from one participant group. The goal of this study was to conduct a meta‐analysis that would give a comprehensive picture of how DBL is connected to student achievement in different disciplines. In addition, we explored the moderators influencing achievement in DBL for K‐12 education. After investigating content‐related gains in our meta‐analysis on 37 individual articles with 52 effect sizes, we found that DBL had a positive and large effect (g¯ = 0.602) on achievement in K‐12 education, and the effect size for science (g¯ = 0.703) was higher than mathematics (g¯ = 0.418) education. When considering the strong emphasis on science education in different DBL related frameworks and STEM (science, engineering, technology, and mathematics) education studies, this cumulative understanding could play an important role in the difference between science and mathematics. Studies that had control groups in the same school (g¯ = 0.703) had statistically significantly higher effect sizes compared to studies that included control groups from different schools (g¯ = 0.447). Studies with random assignment (g¯ = 0.258) had statistically significantly smaller effect sizes compared to studies with non‐random assignment (g¯ = 0.623). In addition, the effect of DBL on achievement showed statistically significant differences among different countries. The remaining moderators (school level, content support, measurement type, and experimental design) did not show statistically significant differences in terms of the effect of DBL on student achievement. Our review presents evidence that participating in DBL activities supports student achievement after the intervention, but how students transfer their content gains in other situations needs convincing evidence. To overcome this challenge, future studies can prioritize how to support achievement in state mandated tests to understand DBL's effect on students' content gains in different learning situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substantial gender equity gaps in postsecondary degree completion persist within many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, and these disparities have not narrowed during the 21st century. Various explanations of this phenomenon have been offered; one possibility that has received limited attention is that the sparse representation of women itself has adverse effects on the academic achievement—and ultimately the persistence and graduation—of women who take STEM courses. This study explored the relationship between two forms of gender representation (i.e., the proportion of female students within a course and the presence of a female instructor) and grades within a sample of 11,958 STEM‐interested undergraduates enrolled in 8686 different STEM courses at 20 colleges and universities. Female student representation within a course predicted greater academic achievement in STEM for all students, and these findings were generally stronger among female students than male students. Female students also consistently benefitted more than male students from having a female STEM instructor. These findings were largely similar across a range of student and course characteristics and were robust to different analytic approaches; a notable exception was that female student representation had particularly favorable outcomes for female students (relative to male students) within mathematics/statistics and computer science courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the effects of a student–teacher–scientist partnership program on high school students' science outcomes. The design was a cluster‐randomized trial with an analytic sample of 36 teachers randomly assigned to teach a photosynthesis‐ and respiration‐focused module including student‐designed investigations supported by online mentoring from scientists. Forty‐nine teachers were randomly assigned to teach photosynthesis and respiration to students as they normally would. The core finding was that implementing the module in combination with the online mentoring resulted in significant effects on student achievement (effect size = 0.284) and attitudes toward scientists (effect size = 0.280). The study sample was highly representative, demographically, to the US population of high schools. Future research should replicate the current study design, with the current and other related interventions, while examining component‐specific costs and efficacy. Related studies should also examine the relationship between the quality of scientist–student dialogue and student outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research related to achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) does not provide a clear understanding of the conditions that influence the experiences and performance of Black women. Studies make it difficult to tease out the forces shaping student aspirations and outcomes in STEM, which can lead to flawed explanations that do not take in account the influence of macro forces that can structure students' pathways to degree. This study addresses these concerns by identifying and exploring the opportunities—both past and present—that facilitate the achievement of Black women undergraduate students in STEM at 10 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article cites a case study which examines 100 high school chemistry students' idea on chemical change. The research is based on a given written document that shows three oxidation reduction reactions. Students had a complete unit on the course and were asked to explain while eleven of them underwent a more intensive interviews of achievement levels. A discussion was made on the investigation of the three different levels including chemical knowledge, conservation reasoning and explanatory ideals that unveil difficulty among students and indicates a need for solid revision in chemistry instruction.

The article examines the relationship between the tenth-year students' ability to reason about logical propositions and achievement in science in Australia. Results showed that the grades in science achieved by students correlated with their scores on the Propositional Logic Test, a test that measures a subject's ability to interpret truth-functional operators by identifying instances that are consistent or inconsistent with a state rule. This test was developed and used over a number of years by the science education faculty and students at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

The article discusses the study on the impact of the nature of the environment on students' concept attainment in science. The study used the formula: 2 (general environment) x 2 (reasoning pattern) x 2 (nature of home) x 2 (goal structure). The results indicate that students in an advanced environment has higher science attainment compared to those in the manual environment, students derived reasoning out of experiments were observed to have higher performance than those who believe on nature and faith, and students who were from rural areas were influenced with cooperative outlook.

The article presents a study on the role of cognitive factors in the achievement in chemistry. The objective of the study was to evaluate the several cognitive factors such as: formal reasoning ability, prior knowledge, field dependence or independence and memory capacity. The evaluation was done through a test based on ones stored knowledge, laboratory application and chemical calculations. High school 11th grade students were considered as the sample in the study. The study showed that prior knowledge of the subject and formal reasoning were among the cognitive factors necessary in chemistry achievement.

The article discusses the student opinion survey in chemistry (SOSC), an instrument designed to gather cross-national data in Australia. SOSC is developed as part of the evaluation program for the Inter-disciplinary Approach to Chemistry. It differs to other instruments because it could be used in other countries, allowing some direct comparisons of student attainment. In this article, a study was described wherein SOSC of slight modified version was administered to first-year high school chemistry students. The result showed that SOSC is a worthy candidate if researchers are seeking an instrument to assess student attitudes to chemistry.

The article presents two sets of theoretical and practical issues related to the high rate of women engineers. First, assessment were made on women's aptitude and changes in skills during engineering training. Second, reports were made on the relationship of academic and demographic information and cognitive skills to the degree of success in the program. Five cognitive skills tests were administered in a group with 24 baccalaureate women who were enrolled in an eleven-month engineering training course. Results of the examination were compared and contrasted with the studies conducted on male undergraduates. Implications were drawn on the ways evaluation can contribute to the understanding of the changes in skills that occurred during the training program.

The article evaluates the effects of a modified mastery learning strategy on the achievement, attitudes, and on-task behavior of high-school chemistry students in the U.S. The study shows that achievement of mastery learning students was significantly greater than that of nonmastery control students. On-task behavior of mastery learning students increased during the study. Attitudes toward science and science instruction were positive in both mastery and nonmastery conditions. Students also expressed a positive attitude toward science instruction.

The article focuses on the study regarding teacher expectation or self-fulfilling prophecy effects in mixed-ability chemistry classes in a comprehensive school in Great Britain. Analysis of examination achievements indicate that neither reputation was justified in terms of academic achievement. The findings of the study suggest that academic achievements can be hindered unknowingly by the prejudices of a teacher even in a well-structured learning condition. In addition, the study found out that negative behavior can affect the views of teachers regarding the academic ability of a class.

The article reports on the result of the study on the effects of diagnosis with teacher-or student-directed remediation on science achievement and attitudes in the U.S. Science achievement is positively influenced by diagnostic-remedial assistance is indicated by the findings of the study. Minimization of the differences in pupil achievement occurring as a result of differences in pupil ability is one of the expected effects of diagnostic-remedial assistance. There is no indication that achievement gains attributed to diagnostic-remedial assistance occur at the expense of pupil attitudes based on the study.

The article discusses a study which explores student's achievement and subject matter interaction using four models of teaching processes in science. It includes providing facts and experiences by observation, describing information, relating learning and valuing the activities. These can be applied in three types of school lessons like recitation, consolidation and developmental lesson with higher cognitive levels. The study analyzes using a variety of venture classes which a teacher could develop. It is found out that there is a significant difference among teachers behavior for student's achievement in the classroom learning.

The article presents comments on the study of several researchers regarding the achievement of science teaching using the cognitive theory of Jean Piaget. The author asked additional information for clarification and elaboration purposes. He said that, the researchers failed to discuss the significant correlations between cognitive task-score and letter grade. This would create confusion to the readers.

The article presents a research that evaluated science interest and attitudes of students subsequent to the study of chemistry at the Ordinary Level of the English General Certificate of Education. The paper also focused on the dependence of the affective behavior of students on academic achievement. The differential effects of curricular approaches including the Nuffield chemistry program and the non-Nuffield study schemes were evaluated. Attitude traits directly affected by curricular influences proved that the non-Nuffield chemistry course elicit positive science interest traits. Furthermore, the study showed that science interest and attitude profiles diverge with academic attainment. Factual information is consequently vital as it affects the morale and attitude of students.

The article presents a study on the relationship between the capability of students to visualize, in three dimensions, and their performance at higher cognitive levels in a basic freshman level college chemistry course. Specifically, it aims to answer the hypothesis that cognitive learning of concepts in college level chemistry can be moderated by training in three dimensional visualization. The study is based on the principle that learning is a function of cognitive-perceptual factors. Therefore, higher cognitive learning of chemical reactions will moderated by manipulation of concrete models which enhance three dimensional visualization.

The article describes how the variable of teacher effectiveness can be handled in an experiment on grade placement, and reports on the effects of "planned instruction" on different types of thinking processes. This has been illustrated through an investigation which utilized a set of instructions on audio tape. Via this procedure, the teachers in charge served as administrators of a common instructional device which may provide more reliable comparisons of the understandings of children after they have receive the instruction. The data obtained has indicated that the technique of instruction was effective in helping to eliminate the teacher-variable in the investigation. It has further disclosed that children of different grade-level appeared to be effective in producing variations in their ability to understand concepts basic to the given instruction.