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The term 'boundary-work' is used to refer to the constant effort to draw and re-draw the boundary of science; it has long been portrayed as constructed by the stakeholders of science to demarcate science from non-science to establish the authority of science. Twenty-nine semi-structured interviews were carried out with students from one university in England, originally to explore their views about genetically modified ( GM) food. However, the distinctive repertoires adopted by students of natural science as opposed to humanities and social sciences were striking. As a result, the focus of this study shifted to examine the discourse students adopted to talk about a controversial scientific topic, using GM food as a case study. This paper shows that the boundary between scientific and non-scientific academic disciplines is heavily ingrained in university students' discourse and it is collectively constructed by both actors that are included in, and excluded from, the institution of science. The innate authority assigned to the institution of science is found to have deepened the gap between scientific and non-scientific disciplines. In this study, science disciplines were portrayed as coherent and consistent, following similar scientific methods and philosophy whereas humanities and social sciences disciplines were merely considered as 'non-science' disciplines. Hence, this paper suggests the wide scope of science should be better recognised and acknowledged in the education system. Finally, this paper demonstrates that people's role in relation to the institution of science has an impact on their discourse about and, perhaps subsequently, their views towards, science and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the accounts of science teachers working within the UK's only 'museum school' and what they perceive as the benefits and shortcomings of 'museum pedagogy' as a process of object-based teaching (and learning). Museum pedagogy is in this context considered for its potential in harmonising informal and formal approaches to science education. Discussion focuses on teachers' use of cultural artefacts as a pedagogical strategy intended both to ignite the imagination and enthusiasm of learners in science and harmonise their social and scientific worlds. Museum pedagogy is concurrently considered for the extent to which it ameliorates teachers' relational proximity and instructional fluency with their students and enhances their performance as role models and stewards in science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Increasing evidence suggests that individuals develop their understanding of science concepts in and out of school, using varied community resources and networks. Thus in contrast to historic research approaches that focus exclusively on single organizations and/or educational events, the current paper presents exploratory research in which we utilized specific community ecology analytical tools and approaches to describe and analyze the U.K. science education community as a whole. Data suggest that overall the U.K. science education community is highly interconnected, and collaborative within individual sectors and moderately interconnected and collaborative between sectors; schools and to a lesser degree universities were outliers to this pattern. An important conclusion was that management to maximize the effectiveness of science education the U.K. science education community would involve support for continued diversification of the number of science education entities in the system and encouragement of reciprocally collaborative, synergistic relationships. We posit that systemic research enables a broader, more comprehensive view of a system's strengths and weaknesses, offering useful insights into the structure and functioning of science education activities; insights that could help researchers, practitioners, and policy makers improve the overall quality of science education delivery for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching laboratory practical sessions are major components of undergraduate bioscience curricula, but research into staff perceptions and intentions across institutions in this context is lacking. This study describes a mixed‐methods study using questionnaires and follow‐up interviews to explore staff perceptions of their goals for UK bioscience teaching labs, the extent to which they incorporate student inquiry and challenges encountered with these sessions. The findings show that staff aim for strong lecture connections, applying taught theory to actively develop students' technical and data handling skills. They value teaching labs as opportunities for authentic contact through hands‐on learning with scientific equipment and human connection with staff and other students. Student inquiry (e.g. experimental design decisions) was present in individual elements of teaching labs but not deeply embedded. Staff participants saw teaching labs as first steps to scientific inquiry, often intending to adopt more inquiry activities, but were concerned about time investment and student readiness, especially for early‐year students. Staff who used more inquiry showed stronger goal focus on scientific reasoning, research experience and collaboration. Staff enjoy teaching labs and consider them meaningful learning experiences. Time and budget limitations were more constraining than sense of agency, but overriding challenges were student lab anxieties, and finding ways to increase their confidence and preparation for these sessions. These findings collate staff perceptions of teaching labs across UK institutions and could facilitate reflection, discussion and further research on the goals and impact of these prevalent but resource‐intensive sessions on training the next generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to increasing demands in the amount of content to be learned within a medical and health sciences curriculum, there are benefits towards exploring options for new and effective delivery modes. Augmented reality technology has the potential to enhance learning in physiology and anatomy, where students require a three‐dimensional knowledge of human organ systems and structures. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of learning when an identical lesson was delivered through augmented reality using either the Microsoft HoloLens or a mobile handheld tablet device. Thirty‐eight pre‐clinical undergraduate participants completed a lesson detailing the physiology and anatomy of the brain. Pre‐ and post‐intervention tests were provided to evaluate acquired knowledge. After the activity, participants also completed a Likert‐style questionnaire to evaluate adverse health effects experienced and assess their perceptions of the module. There were no significant differences between test scores from lesson delivery in either the HoloLens or mobile‐based augmented reality. However, a significant increase was reported in dizziness when using the HoloLens (25% higher, n = 19, p =.04). No other adverse health effects, such as nausea, disorientation or fatigue were observed. Both modes were effective for learning, providing evidence to support educators and developers wishing to adopt an augmented reality method of delivery in health sciences and medicine. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/GSayCmopGZg Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic Modern technology continues to disrupt the way we teach in higher education.Teaching through virtual and augmented reality has shown great benefit in enhancing learning and the student experience in health sciences and medicine.There is the potential for new and upcoming delivery modes to continue this trend, including the introduction of both mobile and head‐mounted display based augmented reality.What this study contributes Investigates the potential for augmented reality to be used as a teaching tool, and supports its implementation in tertiary education.Identifies that although slight dizziness was reported in some participants from using the HoloLens, this does not appear to impact learning or student perceptions of the technology.Presents the HoloLens and mobile‐based augmented reality as novel and evidence‐based methods of instruction in health sciences and medicine.Implications for practice and/or policy Augmented reality is an effective delivery mode which can enhance learning.Students consider augmented reality through both the HoloLens and mobile‐based devices to be enjoyable and engaging.This novel method of instruction is useful to supplement learning in a tertiary education programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased availability and development of immersive technologies have given students growing opportunities to engage in different educational subjects. However, there is a lack of empirical research exploring the educational influence of using Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) in science classrooms. To address this gap, this study developed a series of IVR‐based science lessons for middle‐school students and further examined these lessons' effects on learning performance. Our quasi‐experimental approach employed a pretest and posttest to measure academic achievement and questionnaires to measure engagement and technology acceptance. A total of 90 sixth‐grade students from two classes were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group engaged with the science lessons using Head‐Mounted Displays, whereas the control group learned the same material through traditional teaching methods. The results revealed that the experimental group obtained significantly higher academic achievement and engagement scores (cognitive, behavioral, emotional and social) than the control group. Moreover, the experimental group had a high level of technology acceptance for IVR usage in classrooms. Our study provides empirical evidence for IVR's use in science education. Furthermore, it also sheds light on how to develop and implement an IVR‐based classroom for formal educational purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Game‐based learning environments typically elicit a variety of emotions; however, the influence of emotions on game‐based learning is basically underemphasized. This study sought to investigate how emotions are related to science learning in a gaming context. Humunology, an educational game for learning about the human immune system, was used, and 112 seventh graders aged 12–13 years old took part. The results indicated that learning through playing Humunology was effective and that the long‐term effect of this approach on learning retention was promising in comparison to traditional web‐based instruction. A cluster analysis by the K‐means algorithm categorized the students who learned through playing Humunology into two core groups. Students in cluster 1 experienced substantial levels of both positive and negative emotions while learning through playing Humunology, whereas the students in cluster 2 experienced primarily positive emotions. Although students who experienced primarily positive emotions had better learning outcomes right after playing Humunology, the learning effect declined as time passed, to the extent that they performed the same as those who experienced both positive and negative emotions in terms of long‐term learning retention. The significant findings of the study and their interpretations are discussed, and limitations and suggestions for future work are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article responds to two key concerns in science education: firstly, that policies designed to assess practical work have distorted its use as an effective pedagogical tool. Secondly, it addresses concerns about the lack of research on the assessment of practical work. The article analyses the policy trajectory for the assessment of science practical work, through the GCSE, in the English National Curriculum from 1988 to the present day. Drawing on published research and policy documents, using Bowe, Ball and Gould's policy cycle approach to policy analysis, we first identify three distinct eras which represent different ways of assessing practical work from 1988 to the present day. Second, we demonstrate that the interaction between high‐stakes assessment narrows the ways practical work is conducted in schools. The interaction between curriculum policy and assessment policy and its influences on pedagogy for practical work has been influenced by the high‐stakes nature of the tests. This is not a unique case to England nor to science education. Finally, we question whether we can design assessments, 'tests worth teaching to', that can withstand the implications of high‐stakes testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schools have a particular responsibility to introduce young people to the range of possible options for them after they leave education as few families can provide this. However, in the United Kingdom, careers education is currently not strong in most schools for a number of reasons but principally due to its low status and shifts in government policy and funding. As a result, too many young people make subject choices for post-16 study that they subsequently regret. In particular, fewer young people in the United Kingdom choose post-16 STEM subjects than might do. Yet, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) graduates are especially valued by employers. We draw on the findings of two research projects, ASPIRES and UPMAP, and argue that one way forward may be to embed careers education in STEM lessons. This can be done in ways that are respectful of and helpful to students. We recommend that an England- or UK-based project to investigate the consequences of embedding careers education in STEM lessons be undertaken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we have considered the role of the chair in leading the learning necessary for a department to become effective in the teaching and learning of science from a reformed perspective. We conceptualize the phrase 'leading learning' to mean the chair's constitution of influence, power, and authority to intentionally impact the conceptual, pedagogical, cultural, and political aspects of teachers' work. The data for this article are based on our ongoing work with one science department, over the past nine years, and have been woven into a longitudinal narrative study of a chair who has led the learning of an effective department since 2000. In considering the data, we can reach two major conclusions. First, for a chair to lead learning is to build a professional commitment to a vision of science education, not a particular program. Second, in leading learning, chairs afford opportunities for teacher empowerment. This affordance, however, is only half the issue. It is commitment to a vision that drives a desire to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. In leading learning that reflects changes in the broader science education community, learning opportunities are opened beyond the department. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]