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Interactive digital technologies are playing an increasingly important part in education for enhancing collaborative learning processes and improving engagement. Social annotation (SA) tools and collaborative platforms are an innovative way to involve students to give and take feedback, annotate, and brainstorm on complex topics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This article focuses on innovative practices that integrate inquiry‐based discussions using SA tools and collaborative platforms to promote undergraduate students' interest and curiosity about sciences. In this article, lectures were combined with inquiry‐based discussions using an open education SA tool and an open‐access collaborative platform to engage students in a meaningful dialog with peers on scientific topics. Students debated with peers on scientific content in an online environment. Findings show that the integration of inquiry‐based discussions using SA tools and collaborative platforms provides a practical way to effectively improve students interest in science. The information reported in this article can support STEM instructors in designing collaborative learning activities in online and hybrid settings that spark students' curiosity and inquiry attitude about natural sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This research explores the perspectives and attitudes of university students in health sciences towards aging and older adults. Given the intricate interplay of factors influencing attitudes toward aging, coupled with the demographic shift in Turkey from a youthful to an aging population, the study aims to discern how a cohort of university students perceives the aging process. Methods: Employing a mixed-methods research strategy, which enhances the depth of data interpretation, the study utilized a questionnaire for quantitative data collection. Additionally, qualitative insights were gathered through a metaphor stem-completion item appended to the questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with students. The participants were selected from the Health Sciences Faculty and School of Medicine at a Turkish university. Results: The study revealed that participating students generally hold positive attitudes and demonstrate respect towards older adults. However, they also associate old age with negative aspects such as loss of autonomy and a constant need for assistance. Furthermore, older individuals are perceived as emotionally challenging and challenging to work with, irrespective of the nature and duration of interactions during their academic programs. These findings suggest a potential pathologizing perspective towards aging adults among health science students, who are prospective health professionals. Conclusions: This paper discusses the implications of the study and offers insights for program coordinators, curriculum designers, and faculty members in health sciences. The results underscore the necessity for a heightened emphasis on gerontology-related subjects within health science curricula. This emphasis is crucial for cultivating a comprehensive understanding among students of the social, psychological, cognitive, and biological changes associated with aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social accountability aims to promote a collective ethic that upholds the fundamental values of equity, efficiency, solidarity, and social justice in healthcare and is now considered as a critical mission of academic health centers. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a pedagogical approach that uses digital technology to provide experiential international learning, specifically for increasingly diverse and multicultural healthcare work environments. The SOLID'AIRS program is an innovative French-language COIL that aims to set up international exchanges and workshops on social accountability between health sciences students. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of participation in the SOLID'AIRS program on medical and pharmacy students. Method: Five universities in four different countries were involved in SOLID'AIRS. We conducted a qualitative study by performing individual, semi-directed interviews with students who participated in the program from 2021 to 2022. A thematic analysis was conducted in five chronological phases: (1) reading, (2) descriptive coding, (3) conceptual coding, (4) identification of themes and (5) production of a coherent thematic structure. Results: After including sixteen student participants, 13 medical and 3 pharmacy students, we identified four main themes related to the impact of participation: (1) previous experiences in social accountability and international learning, (2) perception of the program, (3) perceived impacts of the program, and (4) difficulties encountered and avenues to improve the program. Overall, the program was well received by all participants who reported the advantages and limitations of the online learning format. The primary advantage of this format was its feasibility. The participants noted both professional and personal benefits of the program for their current and future practice, including greater reflexivity towards health sciences practice. Based on the challenges faced during the program, particularly in coordinating group work and communication, participants suggested increased supervision of group projects by collaborators, and organizing at least one in-person meeting for future editions. The participants reported encountering difficulties during the COIL and suggested ways of improvement. Conclusion: Participating in a COIL on social accountability appears to be an effective way to adopt a reflective approach to medical practice and should be implemented and evaluated in other educational contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown both benefits and challenges of group work and whole-class activities in educational settings. One overall finding in the existing literature is that it is challenging for teachers to facilitate whole-class conversations that realise the rich potential of student discussions and undertakings during group work. This article investigates how teachers can facilitate productive consolidating whole-class conversations building on students' group work experiences by enacting responsive teaching practices, implying foregrounding students' experiences and ideas, and pursuing the substance of the students' experiences and ideas in instructional work. Based on a sociocultural perspective, we analyse sequences of classroom interactions where students' experiences from their lifeworld are invoked in a) settings where student engage in small group activities and b) teacher facilitated whole-class conversations. The educational context is a science project about genetics involving lower secondary school students and their science teacher. Our analysis shows that in group work settings, students' everyday experiences are invoked but are seldom picked up on and pursued in group conversations as resources for engaging with science matters. In whole-class conversations facilitated by the teacher, especially in situations in which the teacher assumed a responsive teaching approach, students' everyday experiences were more often realised as resources for shared meaning making and engagement with scientific concepts and ideas. We discuss this study's implications for teachers designing productive learning activities that combine group work and whole-class activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of student metacognition has the potential to provide some of the greatest learning gains in science education, even outstripping the contribution of general intelligence. While models for metacognition are in broad agreement about their nature, they vary widely in essential elements and the relationships between them, especially between metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive skills. Recent systematic literature reviews have not untangled the concept of metacognition as they are not suited to crafting a synthesised conceptualisation for a controversial topic. This article, then, presents an integrative literature review of metacognition studies that draws together metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive skills into a hierarchical framework. The framework comprises, from the foundational level, metacognitive knowledge, called self-Aware of cognition, then various metacognitive skills; self-Monitor cognition, self-Evaluate cognition, self-Regulate cognition and self-Transfer cognition (AMERT). As a preliminary test of its viability, the AMERT framework is used to analyse interview data in which there was evidence of rich metacognitive thinking by students in the fourth, research-focused, year of a science degree. Rich epitomising statements were found in interviews for each level of the AMERT hierarchy, providing tentative evidence of its viability for understanding metacognitive processes when students learn in science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critiquing arguments is important for K‐12 science students to learn but not emphasized by the predominant claim‐evidence‐reasoning (CER) argumentation model. Drawing on the work of Yu and Zenker (2020), and Dove and Nussbaum (2018), we developed a tool for supplementing CER with critical questions (CQs) from philosophy that cover most, if not all, the logical dimensions of argument critique. Six middle school science teachers designed lessons involving argumentation, including the use of CQs. We assessed the effects on student self‐efficacy for engaging in argument critique, teacher self‐efficacy for using argument pedagogy, and teachers' perceptions of the value of CQs. Qualitative data included teacher interviews, lesson transcripts, and student work samples. Quantitative data included surveys of student self‐efficacy administered at the beginning and end of the school year. There was evidence suggesting an increase over time in students' confidence for engaging in argument critique and teachers' confidence with argument pedagogy. However, only four of the six teachers were confident and skilled enough to include CQs in their lessons. Those who did use CQs tended to perceive them as providing a helpful structure for critique, prompts for deeper thinking, and a tool for fostering critical classroom norms. Discussion of CQs may have benefitted students' writing by promoting peer critique and encouragement to elaborate. Overall, CQs afford students with a framework for judging argument strength. Scientific argumentation involving CQs provides a more contemporary philosophical basis for scientific argumentation than CER or the Toulmin model as it emphasizes the critical and dialogic nature of science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we consider how to make data more meaningful to students through the choice of data and the activities we use them in drawing upon students lived experiences more in the teaching of statistics and data science courses. In translating scholarship around culturally relevant pedagogy from the fields of education and mathematics education we develop the idea of culturally relevant data. We see this development as a key ingredient to implementing culturally relevant pedagogy in teaching data-intensive courses leveraging the centrality of context through data in both statistics and data science to engage students particularly from historically marginalized groups in STEM. We provide suggestions as to ways of finding or creating culturally relevant data and using them in implementing culturally relevant pedagogy to support the learning and flourishing of students in statistics and data science courses. We also present findings from pilot work we have done in implementing these data in statistics courses. Finally, we discuss lingering questions and possible next steps for research in this area. for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Writing argumentative correspondences is an art requiring linguistic and rhetorical skills to bring forth the ultimate effect of persuading the audience. However, instruction of this critical language art has been underrepresented in Thai tertiary educational contexts. This study is based on an interventional experiment of teaching an ESP-Science course to 40 students majoring in science, with a strong emphasis on linguistic devices for academic interaction, consisting of stance and engagement marking, as elaborated in Hyland (2005a, 2005b). The interventional experiment made use of the 240 correspondences taken from the scientific journal Nature with the duration of 30 hours over a 10-week period. This study reports the findings from a comparison of the students’ writing before and after the intervention and a comparison of the students’ post-experiment writing and the experts’ writing. The analysis is based on content analysis, inter-rater assessment, and descriptive statistics, and shows that a meaningful level of progress has been obtained as a result of the intervention. The progress is evident in not only that students’ post-experiment writing exceeds in quality their pre-experiment writing, but also that students’ post-experiment writing has become similar to the expert writing to a great extent, with respect, in particular, to the strategic patterns of stance and engagement marking. The success of a relatively short intervention, i.e., 10 weeks, calls for implementation of courses using authentic correspondences in ESP-Science classes, or more broadly, in ESP courses in diverse disciplines (237/250). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study explores the comprehension challenges related to synecdoche among EFL students at the Modern College of Business and Science (MCBS). Recognizing a gap in the literature, the study aims to understand the difficulties students face when dealing with synecdochical contexts and to identify contributing factors. Two instruments were employed: a synecdoche comprehension test and a student questionnaire, completed by 96 MCBS students. Additionally, a teacher questionnaire was administered to 10 participants to gain further insights. The results reveal a wide range of understanding, with only 31 out of 69 participants passing the comprehension test, indicating a prevalent misunderstanding of synecdochical phrases. The teachers’ questionnaire highlighted important variables affecting students’ comprehension of synecdoche. The findings suggest a need for targeted teaching strategies to improve comprehension of synecdoche among EFL students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents findings from a needs analysis survey to determine the extent to which the current English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course for healthcare students meets the needs of this population. A structured questionnaire was shared with the students (N=180) from different healthcare departments to examine the preferability of different aspects. Many participants gave great value to ESP courses whose importance was mainly to learn medical or pharmaceutical terminology and communicative skills. Yet, the participants preferred the conversational content over the grammatical one. Most participants perceived the four English skills as important. The overall conclusion shows that the main objective of an ESP course is language fluency to be able to communicate and achieve any requirement in their career. Moreover, the study shows that the conventional methods of assessment are less preferred and that students prefer assessments where teamwork is involved. They also preferred to receive the learning materials via online or technological methods, and they preferred class activities and audio/video aids. Yet, a great number did not prefer using an English Language Laboratory. Finally, most of them agreed that being in a mostly English-speaking community at the university is convenient to enhance their communication skills in English. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapidly increasing demand for STEM skills, many scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technology professionals encourage students to pursue STEM careers. However, communicating science to lay audiences is challenging due to complex scientific terminology. This qualitative research aimed to demonstrate how an exemplary scientist, Dr. Reed, used storytelling to teach science in a 7-month internship for high school students. Data sources included real-time videos, field notes, and individual student interviews. Labov's model was used to analyze 75 stories. The analysis shows that Dr. Reed's stories mainly targeted eight teaching purposes. Telling such stories allowed Dr. Reed to relate scientific practices to what the students were experiencing in the science internship. Science educators can use this study's findings to build their storytelling practice with the goal of communicating science to students more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducting student conferences similar to those used by English Language Arts teachers to improve reading skills can give middle school science students a sense of belonging and ownership in science. Once a set of conference goals is determined, a teacher can develop a form to elicit responses from students that address established goals. During each conference, the teacher will take detailed notes of student responses with the intent of learning more about a student's opinions toward science, strengths and weaknesses, expert skills, and suggestions for improving the learning environment. Information from conferences can be used to strengthen student–teacher relationships, implement activities that interest students, and provide a sense of community in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Your new student roster includes refugee students. You want to communicate with them and make them feel welcome in their new science classroom; however, given their limited English and traumatic experiences that are unlike anything you have known, you are uncertain how to do so. You also understand that they are unsure of how to interact with you. Feeling a mix of confusion and uneasiness, you try to plan in a manner that meets their educational needs while still meeting those of the nonrefugee students—not an easy task. If you have ever encountered such a situation in your classroom, this article is for you. Informed by the existing research, we have consolidated the best instructional practices that could be delivered in a science classroom with refugee students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the application of visual-spatial skills in academic disciplines, vocational fields and daily life is becoming more and more prominent, it is of great theoretical and practical significance how to make use of big data and artificial intelligence technology to conduct research on the relationship between visual-spatial skills and students' grades. This paper explores and analyses from the perspective of artificial intelligence, combining students' visual-spatial skills and students' specific attribute characteristics to construct an expert system, which defines the prediction of academic performance as a classification problem corresponding to the five categories of excellent, good, moderate, passing, and weak, respectively, and based on which a deep neural network-based classification prediction model for students' performance is designed. The experimental results show that visual-spatial skills plays an important role in the professional learning of science and engineering students, while the classification model designed in this paper has high accuracy in the grade prediction process. This paper not only helps to fill the gaps in the current research field, but is also expected to provide scientific basis for educational practice and promote the development of the education field in a more intelligent and personalized direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching biology in high school is challenging, with numerous topics to cover and potential pitfalls to avoid. Traditional teaching methods, like using textbook pictures, can be ineffective, especially when teaching complex concepts like evolution, genetics, and kingdoms of classification. To address this, educators are turning to simulations to improve the teaching and learning process. Simulations have been used in various fields for decades, allowing scientists to model and communicate complex ideas effectively. Not surprisingly, science students also benefit from using simulations to enhance their understanding and knowledge integration. A study in Bangkok, Thailand, investigated the effectiveness of using simulations to teach selected topics in biology to Grade 12 students. The research compared a traditional lecture-based approach with a simulation-based method using an interactive computer simulation called PLIX. Results showed that students in the simulation-based group had significantly higher posttest scores than those in the traditional teaching group. This suggests that incorporating simulations into biology lessons can enhance students' understanding of complex scientific concepts. Educators are encouraged to integrate simulation-based teaching methods into their curricula to improve student learning and engagement in science education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual Reality (VR) has been widely adopted in educational research; however, its implementation in the classroom is still not as well known as in the research field. In other words, there is a gap between researchers and practitioners regarding the pedagogical issue. This study aimed to explore how VR could be applied in science classrooms using the 5E learning model approach, thus providing an overview of VR implementation from teachers' perspectives. The method was a qualitative study in which it was validated using methodological triangulation, including open-ended questions, video-recording observations, and field notes. The finding revealed that learning science using VR for visualizing abstract concepts was suitable to be integrated with the 5E learning model, which provided an authentic opportunity for students to become curious and engage in the inquiry process. However, teachers should guide students to avoid misconceptions during the learning process. Moreover, this finding provides practical insights where an elaboration prompt is required before using a VR headset to turn the potential of VR into actual in-depth learning. Finally, 5E learning implementation can be integrated with other learning approaches, such as situated learning and guided inquiry learning, to suit the contents and teachers' pedagogical knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary science students still struggle to master scientific concepts and apply content-based knowledge. The instructional design behind the incorporation of innovative technology and the use of game-based learning (GBL) could be a key to increasing student acquisition of science knowledge. Using a mixed methods design, this study examined the effects of a scaffolded Game-based Learning (GBL) science unit using a virtual reality (VR) game component. The VR game focused on the scientific method, lab safety, and equipment, and purposefully embedded instructional scaffolds to support the needs of diverse learners. The quasi-experimental study (pre- and post-test design) investigated the acquisition of targeted science knowledge with student groups of differing motivation levels and under two different game modes (immersive and non-immersive). With a mixed methods embedded design, quantitative data (student pre- and post-tests) was analyzed first followed by qualitative data (classroom video observations and student focus groups). Statistical analysis revealed: (1) students demonstrate an overall improvement on the post-test of targeted science knowledge in a scaffolded GBL learning design, (2) students using the immersive VR mode showed greater improvement in targeted science knowledge than students using the non-immersive desktop game, and (3) students with low intrinsic motivation performed better in the immersive VR than the desktop version. Further examination of qualitative data uncovered the GBL curricular activities and scaffolds may have also contributed to students' science learning gains through reflection and discussion after gameplay experiences. The repeated multimodal learning opportunities and the opportunities to learn through whole-body movements were also found to be the potential reasons why the immersive VR group outperformed the non-immersive group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of motivational orientations, or various forms of motivation, on the success of foreign language (L2) learning as a measure of self-regulation for ESP (English for Specific Purposes) students. It has been postulated that the nature of motivation has a substantial impact on second language (L2) learning, as evidenced by success as a measure of self-regulated learning. This association remains consistent even when moderator variables such as gender, age at which L2 learning begins, and years of L2 learning are integrated. This empirical research covered 460 respondents, of whom 245 (53%) were male. The students attended the Faculty of Technical Sciences (FTS) at the University of Novi Sad. The Foreign Language Learning Motivation Questionnaire (LLOS-IEA) was used as an instrument. Scale reliabilities were measured using Cronbach's alpha indicating satisfactory reliability. An achievement test with 50 tasks and a general data questionnaire were applied. PROCESS macro for SPSS was used for statistical analyses. The initial results indicate that students are highly motivated, with Intrinsic regulation (Knowledge, Achievement, and Stimulation) and Identified regulation achieving the highest scores with good motivational orientation that are significant predictors of self-regulation, which was also seen as an indicator on the L2 achievement test. Additionally, their levels of amotivation are low, while their levels of various categories of motivation are moderate. A notable positive predictor is identified regulation, suggesting that motivation facilitated by identified regulation is linked to an improved grade in L2 and overall achievement. Furthermore, it was determined that ESP students exhibit distinct types of motivation compared to other students, which serves as an indicator of self-regulation in ESP learning. It was established that ESP accomplishments are determined by the types of motivation present in L2 learning. The age of starting L2 learning, years of L2 learning, and gender are insignificant factors in the relationship between the observed variables. Also, it is recommended that future studies should be based on a larger corpus and include not only students of the technical sciences but also students of the social sciences in order to overcome its limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study tested the psychometric properties of the Chinese Revised Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI-R). In Study 1, 800 non-sport and 357 sports science students completed the Chinese EAI-R, the Exercise Dependence Scale (EDS), the Compulsive Exercise Test (CET), and the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI). They also reported their weekly exercise frequencies and exercise length per workout. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted. Three weeks later, 94 students were re-administered the Chinese EAI-R to determine its test–retest reliability. In Study 2, 398 college students completed the Chinese EAI-R. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted and measurement invariance across gender was evaluated. In Study 1, the EFA yielded a one-factor structure after excluding one item (interpersonal conflict) from the Chinese EAI-R. The correlation between the Chinese EAI-R and EDS (r = 0.60) reflected concurrent validity. The risk of exercise addiction was higher among males than females in both samples and among sports science students compared to non-sports science students. The Chinese EAI-R also correlated with the CET score (r =0.26) but not the EDI score (r = 0.01). Therefore, the convergent and divergent validity of the Chinese EAI-R was supported. McDonald's omega was 0.79 for the Chinese EAI-R items among non-sports science students and 0.84 among sports science students. The scale's test–retest reliability was 0.75 over 3 weeks. Finally, Study 2 confirmed the unidimensional structure of the scale while also supporting its measurement invariance between males and females. The Chinese EAI-R appears to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing the risk of exercise addiction among Chinese college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to elucidate the effects of real-time versus slow-motion videos, as a function of time of day, on the acquisition of basketball plays. Fifty first-year sports science students (Mage = 18.82 y, SD = 0.49) were quasi-randomly allocated to either into 0.5 or 1.0 times normal video speed, attending morning (08:00–09:00 h) and late-afternoon (16:00–17:00 h) sessions. After measuring oral temperature (OT) and mood states (MS), participants observed a basketball system's evolution twice and completed two recall tests [game comprehension (GC) and game performance (GP) tests]. Afternoon sessions exacerbated higher OT, higher negative MS (e.g. anxiety and fatigue), and lower positive MS (i.e. vigor) compared to mornings (regardless of video speed). GC and GP were higher in the morning than in the afternoon, with real-time (p < 0.001, both) and slow-motion videos (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). GC and GP were higher with slow-motion videos compared to real-time videos in morning and afternoon sessions (p < 0.01, both). The findings highlight the morning's superiority in the acquisition of motor knowledge from videos, due to mood disturbances and lower arousal levels. Additionally, the findings encourage teachers/coaches to communicate basketball plays through slow-motion videos, particularly in the morning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past studies indicate that feeling related to specific social agents such as parents, teachers, and peers can facilitate domain‐general academic engagement. However, there is scarce research on how relatedness may be associated with engagement in specific academic subjects. This cross‐sectional study explores the associations of sense of relatedness to mother, father, science teachers, friends, classmates, and neighbors with behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement in science. Four hundred and thirty‐eight high school students completed an online survey that included scales to assess demographic information, relatedness, and science engagement. Only relatedness to science teacher positively predicted behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement in science when controlling for other relatedness dimensions, age, gender, year in school, parental educational attainment, and daily allowance. Although further research that can uncover causal conclusions is needed, these findings suggest the importance of science teacher relatedness for students' science engagement. Practitioner Points: Relatedness to science teacher was linked to greater perceived behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement in science.Students from high year levels are less likely to demonstrate science engagement.Forging stronger connections between science teachers and students can facilitate science engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have posited that K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education should go beyond traditional subject silos and take an interdisciplinary approach that integrates these core subjects into a cohesive curriculum to foster authentic problem-solving skills. The purpose of this study was to field test one of five proposed packages of interdisciplinary STEM lessons to examine its feasibility for further revisions of lesson development. The study employed a piecewise linear growth model to examine growth patterns of students' science vocabulary acquisition and contextualized problem-solving skills during a 40-week observation period. Results showed that all students with learning disabilities (N = 9) made significant knowledge gains in these two areas and maintained them for a long term—two and four weeks post intervention. Our findings are encouraging and provide initial evidence for effective lesson design to support STEM education for students with learning disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research focuses on the role that allies can play in improving the experiences of Black and Latinx students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) contexts. Using an experience sampling design, study 1 shows that such students report negative experiences in STEM learning contexts and that bystanders rarely engage in allyship. Study 2 suggests that participants perceive the experiences described by Black and Latinx students in study 1 as negative and somewhat urgent, but do not feel personal responsibility to act. Studies 3 and 4 assess the effectiveness of interventions aimed at enhancing personal responsibility for confronting prejudice and engaging in allyship. Study 3 reveals that enhancing a bystander's sense of psychological standing can increase prejudice confrontation, and study 4 extends this phenomenon by showing that fellow bystanders' (not just targets') appeals to other bystanders' psychological standing also evoke action. Overall, this work advances research on allyship in STEM contexts by integrating the Confronting Prejudiced Responses (CPR) model with theories of subtle discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Instructors from K–16 incorporate current events and contemporary media in their courses in a variety of ways and with different educational objectives. Here, I present strategies for selecting and framing current events in high school and undergraduate biology courses and an example assignment, all explicitly tied to science practice skills and utilizing coursework to advance students' science literacy and participation in the discourse. In this way, current events activities become a core part of the course experience, rather than an "extra" investment of planning and course time requiring trade-offs of instructional time devoted to other topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the rigorous efforts made to promote the use of English as a medium of instruction (EMI), EMI teachers still face linguistic and pedagogical challenges in effectively delivering subject content in English. Previous research has revealed that, faced with such challenges, teachers employ various strategies to make subject knowledge accessible to students, including pedagogical translanguaging. However, there is little empirical evidence of how EMI teachers deploy pedagogical translanguaging to facilitate content learning in secondary science classrooms, particularly in countries or regions where English is not widely used outside schools. Against this backdrop, the current study adopts a qualitative approach to examine the pedagogical translanguaging practices of two EMI science teachers, as well as the factors contributing to their practices at an international secondary school in Shanghai, China. The methods used were video‐assisted classroom observation and semi‐structured interviews. These were subjected to multimodal conversation analysis and thematic analysis, respectively. The findings reveal that teachers' pedagogical translanguaging practices involve strategically incorporating and orchestrating all multilingual, multimodal, and multisemiotic resources available to facilitate meaning‐making and enhance students' comprehension of subject knowledge. Meanwhile, personal, social, and contextual factors play an important role in shaping teachers' pedagogical translanguaging practices. This study showcases pedagogical translanguaging as a strategic means to create space for teaching and learning in EMI contexts, and provides useful insights into potential improvements to EMI pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Precipitating Change Project was a 5-year development, implementation, and research study of an innovative 4-week middle school curricular unit in computational weather forecasting that integrates students' learning and use of meteorology and computational thinking (CT) concepts and practices. The project produced a list of CT skills and definitions that students use to predict the weather, CT assessment instruments, and a CT classroom observation protocol. Data was collected from 306 eighth grade (ages 13–14) students in rural indigenous communities in the Artic and urban and suburban Northeast communities in the USA. The project met its goal of producing an intentional instructional sequence that integrates disciplinary science and CT practices to increase students' science knowledge and their ability to use CT skills and processes. The results indicate that teachers were able to use the curriculum to embed CT practices into the classroom. Students, in turn, had the opportunity to practice using these skills in class discussion as evidenced by the classroom observation data, and students' science knowledge of CT content and practices significantly increased as evidenced by their performance on the weather content and CT skills pre- and post-assessments. While statistically significant gains in science knowledge and CT skills and practices were evident in all settings (urban, suburban, and rural indigenous communities), there were noticeable differences in gains in students' CT skills and practices between the three settings and additional research is needed in a diversity of settings to understand this difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigates how the practice of dividing students and coursework into leveled categories persists in science education despite decades of efforts aimed at reducing inequities. This study makes underlying logics visible through an empirical analysis of how science educators attempt to reconcile an egalitarian vision of science for all students with divisive practices of grouping students and coursework into levels. Research Methods/Approach: This case study uses ethnographic methods during a 2-year period where researchers were embedded alongside teachers to investigate how a high school science department recreated hidden systems of leveled science coursework within a detracked institutional context. Data analysis draws on scholarship from Science and Technology Studies as well as organizational theory to examine how leveled categories are made through instructional logics built into teachers' work practice. Findings: Findings describe how certain students and science courses are categorized as "not honors material" through recursive discourses and practices that sort, divide, delay, and ultimately deny educational opportunities. Science teachers' instructional decision making was governed by two instructional logics: a mismatch logic and a not-yet-ready logic. These logics made it possible to enact stratification practices denying education opportunities to students seen as mismatched or unready for certain science coursework even as overt tracks were eliminated. Implications: Findings raise implications for current science education reform efforts aiming for greater equity, suggesting that categorization of science courses and students is entrenched in teachers' work practice and will need direct attention to dismantle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retrieval-based learning, using tests for content review, frequently proves more effective for knowledge retention compared to alternative methods. Extensive research has explored this with older students, often in contrast to more passive techniques like rereading or note rewriting, typically focusing on vocabulary content, in non-classroom settings and assessing knowledge retention within a week. In this study we conducted a classroom experiment to compare the efficacy of retrieval-based learning to another active method of reviewing content, namely discussion, in promoting long-term knowledge retention among primary school science students. Additionally, we assessed the students' perceptions of these reviewing methods. A total of eighty-one primary school students participated in the study, which encompassed a lesson conducted at a zoo, followed by a review of the lesson content using either retrieval-based learning or discussion. Our findings indicated no impact of the method of reviewing on knowledge retention after either one week or four weeks. Nevertheless, notable effects were observed in terms of motivation, as students who employed retrieval-based learning for reviewing reported heightened levels of interest and enjoyment, along with perceiving greater benefits from the process. Additionally, boys in the discussion group reported increased curiosity, in contrast to girls who reported an inverse pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of scientific explanations is recognised by science education researchers and curriculum developers as one of the core epistemic practices in which students should acquire proficiency. However, little is known about the knowledge and skills that teachers must and do put into practice to successfully engage their students in building explanations. Therefore, an exploratory study was conducted to analyse the instructional strategies that two secondary science teachers used to promote students' participation in the elaboration of scientific explanations. To this end, a multi-method approach was used for data collection, which included observations and semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was carried out in two stages: the first stage was aimed at inductively encoding the participants' interactions and discursive actions, and the second stage was aimed at performing a cross-case examination of them through constant comparative analysis. Codes were refined and clustered into seven categories. The results show that teachers quite frequently use micro strategies to interact with and guide students in explanatory episodes, but very rarely structure them into/within a complete instructional sequence to purposely promote the formulation of scientific explanations. This suggests the need to promote an explicit and conscious science teacher training to enrich their knowledge of instructional strategies for fostering and scaffolding students' explanations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continued unfolding of major climatic shifts, questions continue to emerge about how to approach climate change in the science classroom, at least in the USA where it is often perceived as socio-politically controversial. Broadly, research in science education has shown that the learning process around climate change is highly complex and variable, and our understanding of it remains emergent. This study argues that when designing learning experiences for issues like climate change, we must consider students' prior knowledge of the social world. Using ideology as a theoretical lens, this study then examines discourse data of several classroom elicitation discussions in two sections of a 9th grade US classroom to clarify what intuitive understandings of the social world and assumptions students bring to their classroom learning about climate change. Moment-by-moment discourse analysis shows the emergence of assumptions of a sharply divided social world and the making material of an ideology that reflects these divisions. This study considers implications for such prior knowledge on scientific sensemaking and offers implications for science teaching and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores science teachers' questions encouraging students to see and speak about natural phenomena in novel ways. In particular, the teachers' challenging questions that may be instrumental in persuading students to see and talk about everyday events differently were qualitatively examined. The participants were 22 science teachers. Verbal data were analysed through classroom discourse analysis (coding and quantifying) regarding the type of challenging questions and the orientations of the challenging questions. Eight types of challenging questions occurred by different frequencies were detected: inviting students to make an emergent observation to contradict an uttered proposition, referring to everyday or routine cases to oppose a proposition, inviting students to test a proposition by referring to simple logic, playing devil's advocate role, prompting students to be internally consistent in idea sharing or challenging by monitoring, referring to alternative points of views to make inconsistencies explicit and public, confirming the impossibility of the proposed idea or requesting for clarifying the possibility of the proposed idea, putting student-led reasoning forward to contradict a proposition. The teachers displayed challenging questions to identify the differences between the students' and experts' conceptual tools and ontological commitments. The teacher questions identifying possible differences between the students' and experts' thinking and talking regarding the epistemological commitments were not frequently observed. Several recommendations were offered for teacher noticing and teacher professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Community Service & Empowerment is the property of Journal of Community Service & Empowerment and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Work placement is an important aspect of higher education studies and career preparation. Effective preparation is crucial for students to succeed in placements, yet little is known about international students' placement preparation, particularly regarding their sensemaking. This qualitative study, guided by an integrative theoretical framework, examined international health science (HSc) undergraduate students' sensemaking behaviors as they prepare for in-person placements in a host country. Data were gathered through 36 semi-structured interviews with 12 international HSc undergraduate students (three with each student). Findings unravel complicated psychological and interpersonal processes undergone by student participants during pre-placement sensemaking. These insights can inform institutional strategies to support international students in building sensemaking capacities to effectively prepare for placements and post-study work transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological distress (PD) is considered as an indicator of students' psychological well-being status in epidemiological studies. The study objectives were to systematically review articles to estimate the pooled prevalence of PD among Health Sciences undergraduate and to assess the effect of study characteristics on the pooled PD prevalence. The protocol was developed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Different information sources included PUBMED, EMBASE, OVID, EBESCO (ERIC, CINIHAL, and PsycInfo), ISI, and Scopus were searched to identify peer-reviewed English-language studies published before September 2020 reporting different PD types including stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression among Health Sciences students. For each search term, related synonymous was used. In addition, study characteristics' variables included academic years, regions, specialties, study years, gender, and PD types were specified. Prevalence estimates were pooled using random-effect meta-analysis and for studies characteristics effects the subgroup analysis and Meta regression were used with significance threshold of P < 0.05. Literature search identified 28 high-quality-cross-sectional studies on PD with a total sample size of 11,761 Health Sciences students of both genders, from all study years, Saudi regions (except Northern), and Health Sciences colleges. Overall pooled PD prevalence was 51.0% [(CI 95% (44.0–58.0)]. Pooled prevalence estimates were significantly affected by gender and PD types (P > 0.05). This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed a high prevalence of PD among Health Sciences undergraduate students. A significant association was found among gender, and PD types with the pooled prevalence. Protocol registration King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC Registration Number: SP/493/R) and International Prospective Register of Systematic Review (PROSPERO Registration Number: CRD42020223514). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The primary purpose of the article was to examine the relationship between dark and light personality traits in university students enrolled in the Faculty of Sport Sciences. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from 518 students (208 female, 310 male) with an average age of 20.89 (±2.25). The Short Dark Triad and the Light Triad Scales were used. Harman's single-factor analysis minimized measurement error, and various statistical methods assessed the effect of gender and age on personality traits. Results: Results indicated a positive correlation among dark personality traits, while light personality traits exhibited more complex relationships. Gender and age were found to significantly influence certain personality traits. Conclusions: This study contributes to the sports literature by exploring the role of demographic variables in personality formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mentorship is essential for education and career development in health-related fields, yet Sub-Saharan African universities often lack structured programs. To address this, the MedXMentor program was established at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) to provide structured mentorship to undergraduate health sciences students in Uganda. This paper outlines insights gained from implementing the MedXMentor hybrid mentorship program. Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach, the study employed the Kirkpatrick Model of Evaluation to assess mentees' reactions, learning, behavior, and goal achievement. Data were collected via Google Form surveys, feedback forms, mentoring logs, and session attendance records. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis provided a comprehensive understanding of the program's impact. Results: The program served 80 mentees, with 48 participating in one-on-one mentorship and 32 in group sessions. It enlisted 24 mentors, mainly from the medical field. Between April and September 2022, eight online group sessions were held, with an average attendance rate of 52%. These sessions focused on project planning, grant writing, and soft skills development, resulting in improved mentee comprehension and skill acquisition. Mentees reported an enhanced understanding of project planning, grant writing, communication, leadership, and teamwork. Their experiences were categorized into four themes: Mentor Engagement, Goal-Oriented Study, Skills and Professional Development, and High-Yield Mentor–Mentee Engagements. Conclusion and recommendations: Implementing the MedXMentor program proved effective in providing crucial mentorship and equipping students with vital academic and professional skills. The program highlighted its potential to bridge the mentorship gap in low-resource settings. By empowering future healthcare professionals in Africa, MedXMentor exemplifies how mentorship initiatives can drive significant advancements in healthcare education and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online teaching accelerated during COVID-19-associated lockdowns. At that time, it was assumed that university students wanted to revert to in-person sessions at the earliest opportunity. However, when in-person sessions were re-introduced, student attendance was not as high as expected. Therefore, we examined students' preferences of learning modes. Students (n = 968) from different UK universities, degree cohorts, study levels and biological sexes were given four learning-mode options: Face-to-face sessions for lectures and tutorials (in-person), Live online sessions for lectures and tutorials (Online-synchronous), Pre-recorded lectures and live online tutorials (Online-mixed-asynchronous-synchronous), and Pre-recorded lectures and face-to-face tutorials (Blended: in-person and online-asynchronous). Students ranked these options as per their preference via an online anonymous survey. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 28. Results showed that the most frequently selected 1st and last choices were In-person and Online-synchronous modes, respectively. For the majority, above choices were the same across study levels and biological sex, but across degree cohorts, the 1st choice was either In-person or Blended. Proportion of students selecting In-person mode as their 1st choice (52.2%) was almost equal to the combined proportions of those selecting other learning modes as 1st choices (47.5%). Amongst degree cohorts, In-person mode was least preferred by Language Education students and most preferred by Bioscience and Sports & Exercise Science students. The latter cohort also preferred Online-synchronous mode more than other degree cohorts. Blended mode was preferred more by Language Education, Computer Science and Psychology students but preferred less by Sports & Exercise Science and Pharmacy students, compared to other degree cohorts. Ordinal regression revealed that Sports & Exercise Science students preferred Online-mixed-asynchronous-synchronous mode less than Language Education students. Undergraduates preferred In-person mode more and Online-mixed- asynchronous-synchronous mode less than postgraduates. Preference differences between biological sexes were insignificant. Thus, we identified students' preferences of learning modes and propose that not biological sex, but discipline and study level can predict/influence preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn this paper, we examine traditional psychosocial approaches to the study of student agency in science education, emphasizing the importance of incorporating sociocultural and critical perspectives. We present both contemporary studies of student agency in educational psychology and the work of scholars who study students’ student agency with attention to the cultural, economic, political, and historical forces shaping agentic behaviors in schools. We overview conceptualizations of and evidence for fostering agency among historically marginalized students in science across three major theoretical frames (i.e., psychosocial, sociocultural, and critical). We end by calling for the expansion of psychosocial conceptions of student agency to underscore the role of complex classroom dynamics and to account for the historical exclusion of nondominant communities in science. Specifically, four principles for broadening the scholarship of student agency toward socially just goals are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the primary objectives of science education is to cultivate students' science identity, and evidence points to the efficacy of inquiry-based learning in advancing this objective. Nevertheless, recent concerns have emerged regarding the effectiveness of information technology in supporting scientific research and its impact on students' science identity. This study explores this domain through a comparative experiment conducted with fifth-grade students at a Chinese elementary school. Utilizing the Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE) and the "Solar Oven" STEM learning unit, it scrutinizes the effects of web-based inquiry and traditional inquiry on students' science identity development. The findings indicate that web-based inquiry is equally effective as traditional inquiry in fostering students' science identity, especially in the two dimensions of "recognition" and "performance". Notably, web-based inquiry surpasses traditional inquiry by significantly improving seven out of eleven assessed indicators, while traditional inquiry improves only four indicators. This research provides valuable insights into how integrating information technology within an inquiry-based learning environment can support Chinese elementary school students in developing their science identity. These results have significant implications for science education by demonstrating that web-based inquiry is a valuable approach for fostering science identity among elementary school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research raises the case of the impact of Mobile Legends on communication science students of the class of 2017. Such games can reduce their academic productivity, leading to a reduction in time that would otherwise be spent on studies and other academic activities. Mobile Legends can also cause addiction, disrupt sleep, reduce physical activity, and trigger social isolation. This study uses a qualitative method by utilizing the theory of interpersonal relationship needs, which highlights individual relationships in achieving certain satisfaction under existing conditions. Students who experience an increase in the level of addiction to the game tend to experience disturbances in maintaining a balance between real life and virtual life. The impact includes decreased productivity in daily activities and difficulties in communicating directly with others. Based on the results of the research that has been conducted, it can be concluded that the Mobile Legends online game has a significant impact on intrapersonal communication of Communication Science students of Mulawarman University class of 2017. These impacts include increased multitasking skills, improved strategic thinking skills, and improved emotional management skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Science communication skills are increasingly emphasized as an important skill for undergraduate STEM students. In our science communication podcast project, students use the fundamentals of science communication to research a topic related to their inquiry-based lab project. Groups then create a podcast that presents the current science to a general audience. This project has been run in an integrated introductory biology and chemistry course each semester since 2018. Student course evaluations indicate that they enjoy having autonomy over the topic and style of their podcast. Students' confidence in their science communication skills increased after completion of this multiweek scaffolded project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Research on science teaching and learning supports instructional sequences that are driven by phenomena, provide student agency, and are made relevant to students. The use of locally based, phenomenon-driven instruction that creates opportunities for students to engage in coherent investigations can provide opportunities to realize a vision of science for all students. The purpose of this article is to share a local, phenomenon-based instructional sequence that supported all students in connecting to their place, drawing from their experiences, and pursuing their curiosities to make sense of an intriguing event while learning about science ideas. By using local examples, our students were able to quickly connect to the material and focus on the concepts rather than trying to make sense of the landscape. They were able to use the local phenomenon as an anchor for understanding these abstract physical science concepts in meaningful ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Framework and NGSS emphasize using lines of evidence to construct explanations and develop arguments that demonstrate understanding about scientific phenomena. For this vision to be actualized in science classrooms, students must engage in investigations where they reason about their established lines of evidence as they construct explanations of phenomena. However, there is a blurriness for many teachers around these science practices. The purpose of this article is to clarify these practices by (a) identifying characteristics of explanations and arguments, (b) delineating how to engage students in science practices that develop lines of evidence they can use to make sense of phenomena, and (c) offering guidance on how to scaffold explanations and arguments around a local phenomenon. In this article I use the example of Niagara Falls, which is a local phenomenon for my middle school science students. Contemporary standards require a shift in classroom culture, instructional practices, and students' understanding of what it means to learn science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying moths is an excellent way to include students in science practices by introducing them to a ubiquitous but under-appreciated animal group that can be found in their local places, including urban, suburban, agricultural, forested, and other habitats. In this paper, we share a simple, low-cost method that can allow individual students or groups to collect moth specimens and begin to ask and answer questions about moth diversity and abundance in their local community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]