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A number of diverse arguments have been proposed by researchers of science education regarding the reason science should be taught in schools. These arguments inevitably play a crucial role in the curriculum designed by policymakers. The present study turns its attention to the democratic argument. It explores its validity through a special socio-scientific issue that citizens are likely to encounter in their everyday life, that of radiation emitted from cell phones. In particular, it tries to study the required knowledge of physics that will enable individuals to effectively deal with the emission of radiation from cell phones. Moreover, drawing from sharp conflicts that have arisen during the last years around the world between citizens and cell phone companies regarding the installation of cell towers within residential areas, it tries to record information about different places in the world where the cell phone controversy has made headline news.

Although researchers have extensively studied student conceptions of radioactivity, the conceptions held by preservice teachers on this subject are largely absent from the literature. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of problem-centered interviews with preservice teachers (N=13) to establish which conceptions are held by preservice teachers and to examine these conceptions' structure in coordination classes. As has already been observed in students, some preservice teachers inadequately differentiate between radioactive matter and ionizing radiation and between fission and decay. We also observed that preservice teachers tend to describe the activation of materials due to ionizing radiation despite having previously denied an activation, thus showing that the conception of activation of materials can reemerge in particular framings. Within the interviews conducted, the concept of energy emerged as a central coordination class regarding radioactivity. This coordination class appeared across contexts and proved fruitful in explaining preservice teachers' conceptions about radioactivity. We will use the results from this study to develop a teaching-learning laboratory for preservice teachers in which they can actively study high school students' conceptions while reflecting on their own. In this way, these findings will contribute to improving the structure of nuclear physics courses at the university.

This paper presents a perspective of how the radiation and radioactivity themes have been discussed at the high school level in several locations around the world. In this context, scientific journals, academic journals, theses, dissertations, and media materials were analyzed. Recent research has shown that the concern with the discussion about radiation and radioactivity in basic education is a current and global issue. The discussion on the radiation and radioactivity themes in different contexts in this paper was presented in four parts: (i) The representations used to deal with the themes; (ii) how the high school curriculum deals with the topic; (iii) the common alternative conceptions; and (iv) intervention proposals to address the issues. Based on a literature review, to collaborate in the teaching of radiation and radioactivity topics, the main objective of this work is to understand the current scenario on these topics, identify some challenges to understand them, and present possible interventions to overcome them.

Teachers are responsible for children at school during peak ultraviolet (UV) times of the day. It is paramount that teachers have knowledge and understanding of UV to effectively protect themselves and their students. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the effect of a short intervention on preservice teachers' sun protective behaviours, knowledge and perceived skill to teach sun safety. Participants (n =161; median age=20 years) attended a 45-minute preservice teacher sun safety intervention and completed pre- and post-test surveys. Post-intervention, most participants indicated they felt: (1) more informed about the dangers of UV and risks of developing skin cancer (93.3%); (2) more knowledgeable about the importance of sun protection (92%); and (3) more skilled to teach sun safety (87.4%). Our findings indicate that the targeted preservice teacher sun safety education intervention improved understandings of UV, effective sun-protective practices, and their perceived skills to teach sun safety.

Practical work as observation and experimentation are vital parts of science education. One way to accomplish this is by applying inquiry-based learning in laboratory activities. Inquiry enhances the development of scientific skills as well as the learning of the scientific concepts. In the present article, a laboratory activity was developed to evaluate the effect of ionizing waves emitted by different mobile phone types on viability of yeast cells. We got yeast cells as a cellular model, since yeast is a eukaryotic cell, as humans are, and many investigations are based on them. The procedure is simple and adaptable to school centers with low resources, using low-cost laboratory material. In the experimental part, we found a decrease in yeast cells' viability exposed to radiations compared to control cells. Also, different viabilities were found depending on the phone trademark used. Further studies should be done in this line.

Every substance is associated to emission of electromagnetic radiation whose peaks are essentially influenced by temperature. Hot bodies (i.e., at T >700 °C) emit electromagnetic radiation in the field of visible light (incandescent light). The radiation emitted by cold bodies (i.e., at normal ambient conditions) in the visible light range is defined as luminescence. Luminescent light is emitted by exciting substances by means of electron fluxes (e.g., those generated in a cathode ray tube), using photon fluxes associated to electromagnetic radiations with wavelengths lower than ~390 nm (fluorescence), by mechanical stress (triboluminescence), by small temperature increase (thermoluminescence) or by biological processes (bioluminescence). The value of luminescence demonstrations in teaching is unique. Indeed, by illuminating specific minerals and other substances (such as chicken eggs, seashells, fossils, wood, scorpions, soda drinks) with non expensive ultraviolet (UV) lights, it is possible to introduce the audience to several scientific arguments. Among these, the most important are: a) the concept of radiation and electromagnetic spectrum, including the ?- and x-ray as well as the radio wave extremes; b) the discovery and the essence of natural radioactivity; c) the concept itself of visible light and the nature of the colours; d) the adaptability of the human eyes to the environment; e) the principles of the atomic structure as well as the basic concepts of energy quantization, including the photoelectric effect; f) the basic aspects of black-body radiation.

This study aimed to investigate Turkish pre-service teachers' awareness about electromagnetic radiation risks, which stem from diagnostic imaging at the hospitals and cell phone use in daily life. The study was based on survey research. A total of 138 education faculty students from the fields of Science Teaching [ST], Classroom Teaching [CT], and English Language Teaching [ELT] participated in the study. Data were collected with the help of a questionnaire involving five cases. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were utilized in data analysis. The results showed that most of the participants agreed on the hazardousness of the cases. However, their risk awareness varied from case to case. Most ST and CT students were determined to possess acceptable responses in addition to partially acceptable responses. On the other hand, ELT students were determined to favor unacceptable responses. Besides, the participants held several misconceptions. To conclude, the participants' awareness levels were found to be significantly related to their educational field for all cases except the first case. Addressing such popular subjects in the elective courses for all undergraduate students during university education is expected to provide beneficial results.

Radiation is ever-present around us, yet there is still a lack of knowledge about radiation among the general population, especially when it comes to students. For this study, we measured the effectiveness of a lesson plan on radiation concepts that focused on ionising radiation and was supported by references and examples from the superhero genre. The lesson was delivered to student groups in Vienna-based high schools in Austria where all students (n=141) were in Grade 9 to 11. Prior to the lesson, students completed a pre-test to collect data on their knowledge base in relation to radiation and superheroes. During the lesson students were required to complete ID cards on both the electromagnetic spectrum and superhero characters. They were also invited to create and draw their own radiation-based superhero. After the lesson, students completed a post-test. We note that student knowledge on radiation concepts improved after the lesson. For example, students more accurately ordered radiation types according to energy and provided more correct answers to open-ended questions with correct explanation on the interaction of radiation with different medium. Most students welcomed the inclusion of superheroes in the classroom and were not distracted by their use in the classroom.

This study aims to determine pre-service teachers' conceptual understanding of black-body radiation. Designed as a qualitative study, it employed a case study design, which is one of the descriptive research methods. The study group consists of 18 pre-service physics teachers enrolled as seniors. An opinion form and a concept map were used as data collection tools. In other words, results were intended to be comparatively examined by using two different qualitative data collection methods. Pre-service teachers' answers were analysed with the help of answer sculptures. At the end of the study, it was determined that while pre-service teachers generally have the correct conceptual structure, they still have some specific gaps in knowledge. It was seen that pre-service teachers have problems with understanding, especially the Wien law and electromagnetic radiation taking place in black-body radiation.

The excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation, natural or artificial, is a public health concern. For this reason, it is important that, from an early age, children and teenagers gain awareness of this problem. By not being visible to the human eye, ultraviolet radiation is an abstract concept and difficult to understand, although its short-term effects may be visible. In this project, we proposed the use of the Arduino platform to measure and verify the effect of various sunblocks, making it possible to materialize the concept of UV radiation. Thus, it was the aim of this project to study the influence of the Arduino platform use, associated with an ultraviolet radiation sensor, in the understanding of this type of radiation and in the awareness to the artificial sources of UV radiation used in the daily life of many people. This project was carried out with a group of students from the ninth grade, from a school in Porto, Portugal. The methodology used allowed the students to develop interdisciplinary skills, namely in the areas of natural sciences, programming, and mathematics, providing them with useful lifelong tools.

The approaches of "problem-based learning" and "writing to learn" are known for facilitating the apprehension of concepts and better retaining of knowledge. In educational research, concept maps are sometimes used to assess the learners' level of knowledge. In this paper, the main aim is to investigate the validity of concept maps as an instrument for the assessment of learning. Therefore, six students were observed for more than a year and their learning process was documented in various ways. The concept maps were used in the form of a pre-post-test, and the different students' results were compared in a cross-case analysis using a master concept map. The results presented in this study indicate that the validity of concept maps compared to interviews and reports are questionable. It is possible to measure some parts of the learning process with concept maps, but conceptual learning seems to be hidden from the instrument. Therefore, concept maps might not be the most useful tool to measure conceptual change.

The aim of this study is to develop a scale that will determine whether there is a significant difference in the cognitive, affective and behavioral attitudes of healthcare staff towards radiation and its effects on the variables of the profession, gender, service year, institution and department they work. Using the radiation-emitting devices consciously by healthcare staff will fairly reduce unnecessary radiation for patients. In this context, creating a positive attitude among the healthcare staff about radiation will positively affect public health. In this study, a Likert-type scale consisting of 18 items was developed to measure the attitude of healthcare staff towards radiation. The scale prepared in line with the purpose of the study was shared on-line on the web page of the All Radiology Technicians and Technicians Association and scale data were collected from 115 volunteer participants working as healthcare staff. The validity, reliability, and factor analyses of the scale of the collected data were analyzed with the statistical program. The developed scale had four factors and the 1st factor was determined as "The Radiation Knowledge of the Practitioner"; the 2nd factor as "Radiation Sensitivity of the Practitioner"; the 3rd as "Practitioner's Sensitivity to the Patient" and the 4th as "Practitioner's Informing the Patient". It is observed that the four-factored structure of the scale explained 64.5% of the total variance and the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient applied for the reliability of the whole scale was found as 0.914.

The cosine theorem is used in solving triangulation problems and in physics when solving problems of addition of unidirectional oscillations. However, this theorem is used only for the analytical calculation of triangles or when solving problems of adding two oscillations. Here we propose a generalization of the cosine theorem for the case of calculating polygons of arbitrary shape and consider its application for calculating the results of adding an arbitrary number of unidirectional oscillations or coherent waves with an arbitrary phase distribution.

Radiation has become an important issue due to an increase in human-made radiation sources and a rapid improvement in technology. The aim of this study is to elicit the Turkish physics teachers' views of the 'radiation' subject in the current textbooks. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve teachers working in different high schools. The data were presented using tables with quotations. The findings showed that the teachers were mostly familiar with the 'radiation' subject in the textbooks. They stated that the curriculum insufficiently involved the 'radiation' subject. Further, they addressed that the textbooks minimally referred to the subject since the university entrance examination does not cover the radiation-related questions. Teachers also depicted that they had limited subject matter knowledge of radiation and found it difficult for teaching their students. Moreover, they thought that integrating more radiation subjects into the current textbooks would be beneficial for them and their students. The current study suggests that the scope of the 'radiation' subject in the textbooks should be extended. Furthermore, a new physics curriculum ought to be interactively developed by the help of the teachers.

Although environmental radioactivity is all around us, the collective public imagination often associates a negative feeling to this natural phenomenon. To increase the familiarity with this phenomenon we have designed, implemented, and tested an interdisciplinary educational activity for pre-collegiate students in which nuclear engineering and computer science are ancillary to the comprehension of basic physics concepts. Teaching and training experiences are performed by using a 4" × 4" NaI(Tl) detector for in-situ and laboratory ?-ray spectroscopy measurements. Students are asked to directly assemble the experimental setup and to manage the data-taking with a dedicated Android app, which exploits a client-server system that is based on the Bluetooth communication protocol. The acquired ?-ray spectra and the experimental results are analyzed using a multiple-platform software environment and they are finally shared on an open access Web-GIS service. These all-round activities combining theoretical background, hands-on setup operations, data analysis, and critical synthesis of the results were demonstrated to be effective in increasing students' awareness in quantitatively investigating environmental radioactivity. Supporting information to the basic physics concepts provided in this article can be found at http://www.fe.infn.it/radioactivity/educational.

The purpose of this study is to determine the metaphors that the candidate teachers develop about the nuclear power plants in a socio-scientific issues-based environmental education class and the justification of these metaphors. The study was constructed on the basis of a qualitative research model and phenomenological (phenomenology) pattern was used. The study was conducted during an academic semester in the environmental education course. The researcher presented to the classroom teacher candidates the positive and negative effects of the socio-scientific situations on environment, human development, economy, and health. It was ensured that teacher candidates were able to relate these issues to the subjects of environmental education course, assess the difficulties and discuss them with large group studies. A study for building the metaphors was conducted in the activity carried out for nuclear power plants as the last activity of the implementation process. The research was conducted with 197 classroom teacher candidates and the data were collected through a metaphor questionnaire prepared in a semi-structured form and the content analysis method was used in data analysis.

Concerns about the health effects of frequent exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted from mobile towers and handsets have been raised because of the gradual increase in usage of cell phones and frequent setting up of mobile towers. Present study is targeted to detrimental effects of EMF radiation on various biological systems mainly due to online teaching and learning process by suppressing the immune system. During COVID-19 pandemic the increased usage of internet due to online education and online office leads to more detrimental effects of EMF radiation. Further inculcation of soft computing techniques in EMF radiation has been presented. A literature review focusing on the usage of soft computing techniques in the domain of EMF radiation has been presented in the article. An online survey has been conducted targeting Indian academic stakeholders' (Specially Teachers, Students and Parents termed as population in paper) for analyzing the awareness towards the bio hazards of EMF exposure.

In this article, the authors discuss finding teaching the standard on the apparent brightness of the Sun (5-ESS1-1) to be a challenging and frustrating experience due to the abstract nature of the standard and generally low interest of their fifth-grade students. They had previously used hands-on learning activities involving flashlights to model the phenomenon, but the results were less than stellar. All of that changed when they decided to integrate math standards on graphing points in the coordinate plane (5.G.A.1 and 5.G.A.2) and added a claim, evidence, and reasoning (CER) response. The result was a lively analysis of data in a real-world context, thoughtful discussions about word choice when making observations, and engaging arguments from evidence.

Instructional design focuses on solving problems in a multitude of contexts. As such, designers are investigators, gathering evidence to optimally design solutions to learning problems within the identified context. The challenge described in this case study was the need to create an educational activity to promote interaction and collaboration among an interdisciplinary participant group comprised of physicians, radiobiologists, and radiation physicists. Based on the premise that interdisciplinary medical research collaboration requires a shared understanding of authentic problems from multiple perspectives, this design research case documents the design and implementation of an online case study incorporating collaborative inquiry in interdisciplinary teams with the intended outcome of building or strengthening interdisciplinary communication skills. Contextual factors--including the design team and design process--influencing the design of the activity are documented. Results indicate that using an interactive online case study as the basis for collaborative inquiry in small, interdisciplinary teams followed by a summative, large group discussion resulted in (1) evidence-based treatment decisions based on the data supplied in the case study and (2) participation of all disciplines in team interactions. Outcomes also indicated the building or strengthening of interdisciplinary communication skills and the understanding of the value and contribution of all three fields to radiation oncology treatment resulted in the participation of the online case study.

The purpose of this study is to create a short comic story about historical emergence of Planck's explanation of blackbody radiation and to investigate what students learn from it and what they think about the usage of comics in modern physics course. The participants are a small group of undergraduate students studying at department of science education who attend modern physics course in sophomore year. A short comic story about blackbody radiation was created with quasi-historical approach that is defined as re-ordering and re-organizing scientific theories to make sense within historical framework. The comic story was implemented to the participants with a series of open-ended questions. Data were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Results showed that students have several preconceptions about blackbody radiation before implementation. In addition, it was observed that wrong answers of some students evidently decreased after the implementation of comic story. Moreover, students seemed to enjoy instructional comic story due to its context-based nature, entertaining atmosphere and informal language. On the other hand, students did not report any opinions about the quasi-historical content of the comic story. Therefore, it was concluded that medium characteristics of comics dominate content characteristics of it.

When the fact that information changes and increases very quickly today is taken into account, individuals' ability to adapt to this change shows parallelism with the education they will receive. This study aims to determine the effect of a planned technical trip made to the Nuclear Research Reactor located in Istanbul Technical University Energy Institute campus on science teacher candidates' attitudes and opinions. The research, quantitative data of which were collected by the "Nuclear Power Plants Attitude Scale" developed by Özdemir and Çobanoglu (2008) and qualitative data of which were collected by a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers, was designed as a mix-method research in which both methods are used together. In the study, a planned technical trip to a nuclear reactor was organized along with 17 teacher candidates studying in the 4th year (or senior year) of Science Teaching at Abant Izzet Baysal University. As a result of the research, a significant change was determined in teacher candidates' attitudes concerning nuclear power plants. In addition, 9 semi-structured interview questions were applied to the teacher candidates before and after the trip. As a result of the content analysis performed, 22 codes in total were identified under 4 theme titles, and a positive increase in terms of quality was determined in teacher candidates' opinions after the trip. Based on these findings, it can be said that candidate teachers' opinions on nuclear power plants to be established in our country changed for the establishment of nuclear power plants in our country by the effect of the technical trip made.

For now, it is unlikely to think that developed industrial economies and high living standards can be maintained without using certain radiation sources which do not exist in nature. That is why human kind has needed to produce certain radiation sources in artificial ways as a necessity of technological development. In thepresent study, the aim is to determine the knowledge levels of students about the radiation dose being exposed to during some frequently-used radiological imaging techniques. The study group consisted of 90 students studying in Medical Imaging Techniques Program (TGTP) of Karadeniz Technical University VocationalSchool of Health Science in 2015-2016 spring and fall semesters. In this descriptive and cross-sectionalstudy, data were collected from the students practising in various hospitals between October 2015 and May 2016 via surveys. At the end of the study, it was revealed that there were knowledge deficiencies about the physical, chemical and biological changes caused by ionized radiation in human organism as well as protection from radiation.

A short series of practical classroom mathematics activities employing the use of a large and publicly accessible scientific data set are presented for use by students in years 9 and 10. The activities introduce and build understanding of integral calculus and trigonometric functions through the presentation of practical problem solving that focuses on Public Health and developing a personal understanding of solar ultraviolet radiation and the UV Index. The classroom activities are presented using an approach that encourages self-discovery of mathematical concepts by application of mathematical modelling. These activities also develop critical thinking skills through application of data mining, data processing and presentation. They also emphasize the importance of drawing valid conclusions, concepts important to scientific research, statistics and epidemiology.

This article covers on the matters which allow stating that people living in the areas with unfavorable ecological conditions experience long-term psycho-traumatic psychological stress caused by exaggeration of irradiation danger and its aftereffects for health. The reasons for long-term psychological stress as per the results of questionnaire and experimental research are the fact of existence of long-tern radiation risk for public health, insufficiency of finance, information factor, low level of public knowledge on radiation and related biological, medical and other effects. The analysis of the data has shown that under the influence of unfavorable ecological factors the structure of personality is changing, causing the following personal characteristics to emerge: anxiety, aggression, and rigidity, which, in turn, undermine the vital adaptation of a human's activity. The adverse factors act on people not instantaneously but within a long period. The psychological aftereffects upon testing nuclear weapons create a particular typical model of personality. In persons of a basic group, living in radioecological stress condition, psychological defense activities were broken, causing despair, depression and confusion. Also, interpersonal relations systems were broken causing the sphere of life interests to narrow down, and adaptive and accommodational abilities to decrease.

We have studied the intensity of free radical and antioxidant processes in organs (liver, spleen, thymus, lymph nodes of the small intestine, and adrenal glands) and cells (lymphocytes) in the long-term period after combined exposure to a sublethal dose of ?-radiation (6 Gy) and emotional stress. Combined exposure was followed by accumulation of LPO CD and MDA (conjugated dienes and malonic dialdehyde) products in homogenates of the studied organs. To achieve the goal set, experiments were conducted on 40 outbred white mature male rats randomized into groups. The results of the study indicate major changes in lipid peroxidation and antioxidant system under emotional and radiation stress. Ionizing radiation has a dominating role under combined emotional and radiation aftereffect. This resulted in inhibition of antioxidant protection enzymes and development of dual-oxidative stress in experimental animals. Impaired functional relationships of catalytic redox system of glutathione accompanied by inhibiting orientation of changes in activity of glutathione-dependent enzymes, and prolonged tension of the links of antioxidant system can eventually lead to a decrease in antioxidant status of the body, which indicates the need for the development of advanced methods for adaptive correction.

Conceptual Change is a widely accepted theoretical framework for science education. Setting up successful learning and teaching arrangements in this framework necessarily entails including students´ preconceptions into the construction of those arrangements. In order to provide a basis for such arrangements this study investigated and explored preconceptions about radiation in a qualitative case study with seven students (age 17-18). The use of grounded theory allowed the discovery of deep-rooted conceptions and the formulation of a theory to help learners understand the basic concepts of radiation more quickly and more reliably. The results revealed a new conception "the nature of radiation", which hampers students' understanding and interferes with their explanations of radiation. Additionally, analysis of the data revealed interesting conceptions concerning the danger of different types of radiation. These highly interesting findings about the nature of radiation will be embedded in a broader perspective and suggestions for learning and teaching about radiation will be given.

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Curriculum Development: Theory into Design.] We discuss the theoretical underpinnings that informed the considerations and decisions that shaped the design of a curriculum unit entitled "Electromagnetic radiation--principles, applications, and decisions". This unit is part (45 h) of the compulsory general science requirement for the Israeli high school matriculation curriculum in science for students who choose "not" to major in any scientific discipline. Its goal is to develop scientific literacy rather than expertise. During the problematizing phase that preceded the design we identified two challenges presented by the formal goal of the unit and its target audience: (i) how to foster meaningful engagement on the part of diverse groups of "outsiders to science" with complex scientific content such as electromagnetic radiation, (ii) how to translate scientific and engineering findings related to a complex phenomenon such as electromagnetic radiation, which emerge within a context of specialized knowledge and vocabulary, into lay language without corrupting their meaning. The first section of this article explores these questions through a theoretical discussion of (i) relevance, personal relevance, and meaningfulness; (ii) the implications of pursuing personal relevance on the meaning ascribed to scientific literacy of nonscientists, and the ways to support its development in school; and (iii) the ways in which personal relevance comes to bear on the choice of content and explanatory means. We then illustrate how these theoretical principles and insights were translated into curriculum design.

The first purpose of this study was to introduce a laboratory modelling activity focusing on teaching the concepts of radioactive elements/atoms, radioactive decay, and half-life. The second was to investigate pre-service chemistry teachers' understanding of these concepts. Fifteen pre-service chemistry teachers who had enrolled in a Physical Chemistry Laboratory course participated in the study. The participants simulated the radioactive decay process of an imaginary radioactive element called Cornium during the laboratory modelling activity. In this way, pre-service chemistry teachers were able to visualize and model what is meant by radioactive decay and half-life. Data sources included responses given to open-response conceptual questions, participants' drawings about radioactive decay and half-life, semi-structured interviews, activity worksheets, and observation notes. Qualitative analysis of data revealed that the pre-service chemistry teachers had misconceptions about the definition of radioactive elements/atoms, radioactive decay, and the half-life process before the activity. The role of the modelling activity in exposing and eliminating these misconceptions was discussed.

We repeated the historical infra-red radiation experiments performed by Melloni, to investigate why, at the end of his life, he came to the conclusion that radiation from light and heat rely on the same basic principle, what has been translated as the so called unitary formalism. In doing so, we profited from a Master thesis on heat radiation and Melloni's related effort, organized by our museum. We also investigated how Melloni fits into Kuhn's structure of scientific revolutions, and concept of paradigm shift, with Melloni's experimental work in mind. We conclude that Melloni did not come to this opinion on the unitary principle of the phenomenon of light and heat on the basis of any philosophical considerations, but on facts and observations and similarities between both phenomena.

The purpose of this study is to investigate prospective physics teachers' knowledge of and attitude towards radiation and radioactivity. Participants of this study are 56 prospective physics teachers. A questionnaire related with the knowledge about radiation and radiation fear was conducted. The results of this study showed that most of the prospective physics teachers did not have enough knowledge about the ionising radiation and they lacked differentiation between contamination and irradiation. Moreover, majority of them were not aware of the degree of radiation exposure during their daily life experiences. Most of them could not give logical reasoning for their positive or negative attitudes towards radiation. In addition, it was found that the prospective physics teachers who know more about radiation and radioactivity have more positive attitude towards radiation and give more reasonable answers about it. Based on the above facts, the authors recommend that new teaching and information processes are needed to provide more beneficial learning environments about radiation and radioactivity.

In 2013, Facebook was used in learning and teaching clinical problem solving in a Pathology and a Clinical Sciences course delivered at a South Australian university. It involved first- and second-year Medical Radiation students and second-year Nursing students, Of the 152 students enrolled in the Pathology course, there were 148 students who participated in the Facebook group. Of the 148 students, 61 (41%) completed the invited post-intervention questionnaire. At the same time, all 17 nursing students enrolled in a science course at the regional campus of the same university participated in the Facebook initiative, however, only 10 (59%) completed the post-intervention questionnaire. A good practice and checklist were developed from the post-intervention evaluations, which consisted of 25 Likert- and open-type questions. Both student cohorts found the use of Facebook beneficial for them in terms of providing an innovative way of learning; fostering greater interaction amongst co-students and staff; and effectively engaging them with the content of courses. The importance of clear communication of goals and objectives to students was identified from student comments. Six good practice principles were identified relating to: goals and objectives, expectations, communication, engagement with the course content, active participation, and learning environment.

Digital learning and wireless connectivity have become so entrenched in schools that many educators now consider high-speed Internet access a requirement for effective teaching. Advocates aspire to equip every student in America with wireless access. But schools are finding that a substantial number of people have health concerns about the radio frequency (RF) signals emitted by Wi-Fi devices, even as exposure levels are far below government safety limits. Objectors have banded together to protest what they consider to be the health hazards of wireless technologies, including Wi-Fi in schools. Spurred in part by public concerns, nearly 4,000 studies on radio frequency exposure have been done in the past 50 years. This article discusses research on health effects of radio frequency exposure, and argues that anti-Wi-Fi campaigners, for their part, seem inclined to cherry-pick the literature and compile lists of studies that support their views, regardless of methodological quality. The author states that schools need to adopt appropriate policies for safe use of cell phones and the Internet by children--not because of unproven radiation hazards but to avoid the harms that these otherwise highly useful technologies can pose.

Research has highlighted difficulties experienced by students when studying quantum physics in introductory courses. In this paper, we present a teaching and learning sequence (TLS) aiming at introducing a quantum model of emission and absorption of radiation and we assess its impact on the students' learning about atomic spectra. The TLS has been designed based on the contributions from physics education research and it was implemented among high school seniors. A detailed description of the TLS is also presented accompanied by a description of how it is implemented. Based on a pre- and post-assessment questionnaire and student interviews, we conclude that students are able to successfully use the models to reason about relevant phenomena.

Huge environmental and health crises such as the use of Depleted Uranium (DU) munitions during the military activities against Iraq and the required responses are amongst the fields that Iraqi higher education institutions (HEIs) may have a crucial role. Similar international cases, such as Agent Orange (Vietnam), Three Mile Island (USA) and Chernobyl (Ukraine) were discussed, pointing out the consequences of participation/non participation of such institutions. Liberation of academic and research curriculums and programs from the strict controls of governmental authorities, and general modernization campaign for courses offered by the relevant institutions were found essential to define and meet the modern challenges and changes, via the adoption of national/international interaction and expertise exchange with similar institutes. An effective communication and information sharing system would be an important corner stone in any mutual cooperative effort; either inside HEIs community or between them and the relevant entities.

Thermal imaging was used 60+ years ago to enable the targeting of heat-seeking missiles and seeing opposing forces at night. Today thermograpy is employed for myriad uses, from turning on faucets, to tracking and attacking enemies from aerial spy drones, to identifying the scope of moisture infiltration in building envelopes. Thermography for facilities management has gone through an evolution of camera technology and procedures starting six decades ago with hand-held cameras and men walking on roofs in the dark. The new technology involves aerial data collection and patented computer analysis that identifies wet materials invisible to the naked eye. The goal in all cases is to accurately see inside roofs and walls to enable the visualization of what is invisible. Florida State University (FSU), University of Central Florida (UCF), University of Houston (UH), and universities administered by the State of Mississippi are among campuses that have secured the patented reports and proven the accuracy of the diagnostic intelligence by validating the results through coring and lab testing.

We present a MATLAB script INSOLATE.m that calculates insolation at the top of the atmosphere and the total amount of daylight during the year (and other quantities) with respect to geographic latitude and Earth's obliquity (axial tilt). The script output displays insolation values for an entire year on a three-dimensional graph. This tool facilitates classroom discussion of broadly based concept questions regarding the effect of insolation on seasonality and climate. It can be used to demonstrate insolation patterns and changes that apply to a wide range of sciences, including climatology, biology, ecology, planetary science, and green engineering. Students who used the script in class assignments in an introductory level Earth science course showed an overall 32% improvement in scores on associated test and quiz questions compared with students who did not use the script to demonstrate the effects of obliquity and latitude on insolation.

Physics is the study of matter and energy and the ways in which the two interact. Some physicists use their expertise in physics to focus on radiation. These specialists, called medical physicists and health physicists, work to help people or protect the environment. Medical physicists work with physicians, assisting patients who need imaging technology and radiation treatment in hospitals and other medical facilities. Health physicists protect people or the environment from the potential hazards of radiation in a variety of settings. The first section describes what medical physicists and health physicists do on the job. The second section provides information about employment and wages. And the third section covers skills, training, and certification. Sources for finding more information are at the end of the article.

Teaching nuclear physics in secondary schools offers us a unique possibility to increase our students' awareness of the influence that modern science and its achievements have on the everyday life of contemporary people. Students gain an opportunity to learn in what ways the outcome of laboratory research is put to use in such fields as medicine, technology, food conservation and the power industry. At the same time, it is a difficult subject to teach as the physics behind it and the mathematical apparatus required to describe it are very advanced. This part of school curriculum demands abstract thinking and frequently exceeds the students' cognitive powers. In this paper, we will present some teaching techniques which, while being suitable for teaching nuclear physics in secondary schools, stimulate the students' interests and engage them in the learning process. While considering traditional methods of teaching physics, which comprise lectures, problem-solving and experiments, as fundamental and thus not to be neglected, we proposed to improve the teaching process by using such techniques as discussions, students' projects, portfolios, didactic games and excursions. (Contains 5 figures.)

The purpose of this study is to examine students' usage styles of the Internet for seeking information and to investigate whether information obtained from the Internet is a source of misconceptions. For this reason, a two-stage study was conducted. At the first stage, a questionnaire was developed to get information about students' Internet usage styles. In the light of the questionnaire results, the first 200 websites were scanned and analysed by 3 experts to determine the probable incorrect information about "Radiation" and "Radioactivity" concepts at the second stage. It was found that a good number of websites contain incorrect and inadequate knowledge about radiation and radioactivity, which can cause various misconceptions. (Contains 4 tables.)

Background: Skin cancer, the most common cancer in the United States, accounts for over one million cases per year. Risk can be mediated by limiting UV radiation exposure, yet efforts to increase adoption of protective measures have met with limited success. Purpose: This study compares the results of surveys conducted in 1990 and 2007 assessing the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of college students regarding intentional sun exposure. Methods: The 44-item "Sun and Skin Inventory" was administered to students enrolled in personal health classes during the fall semesters in 1990 and 2007. Results: Mean knowledge scores were no different in 2007 than 1990 and knowledge scores were not related to sunbathing frequency in either survey. Risk perception was negatively related to sunbathing frequency and students reporting greater perceived risk had more positive attitudes toward protective behaviors. Overall, sunbathing behavior was unchanged over 17 years, but students did report more frequent sunscreen use in the latter survey. Discussion: Despite educational efforts regarding risks related to intentional UV exposure, high risk behavior continues among adults. Translation to Health Education Practice: Comprehensive prevention initiatives that include education as well as policy and environmental strategies integrated across state, regional and local levels need to be implemented. (Contains 5 tables.)

This paper attempts to unpack the teaching and learning experiences of academics and students when a new way of teaching radiation physics was introduced. In an attempt to articulate the University of Wollongong's commitment to the enhancement of the teaching/research nexus and to the development of learning communities, staff of the School of Physics in the Faculty of Engineering at University of Wollongong (UOW) implemented an action research project teaching scientific computing methodologies used in radiation physics to a combined laboratory class of postgraduates and undergraduates. The design of the practical laboratory classes took account of the expected heterogeneous computing skills and different knowledge of radiation physics of undergraduate and postgraduate students. Based on an earlier study, it was presumed that postgraduate students would be in a good position to support undergraduates. We illustrate how broad-based conceptions of the value of learning communities and their role in fostering the teaching/research nexus may be challenged by an internationalised student body. In this case, the previous patterns of undergraduate and postgraduate enrolments, which the pilot study had canvassed, did not hold true; almost all of the postgraduate students were international students, only recently arrived in Australia. This, along with other factors, meant that learning outcomes and students' responses to the innovation were not what were expected. We suggest a path forward, both for the specific subject in which the innovation occurred, and for other similar attempts to bring together academics, postgraduate and undergraduate students in a nascent learning community, in the light of ongoing trends towards internationalisation. (Contains 4 tables.)

Field experiments offer the opportunity for hands on experience with the scientific process. While this is true of a wide variety of activities, many have pitfalls both experimental and logistical that reduce the overall rate of success, in turn, influencing student learning outcomes. Relying on small, territorial, diurnal lizards and an array of inexpensive data loggers and lizard models provides a reliable method of testing a hypothesis in the field. This approach virtually guarantees that every student obtains a useable data set within a short period of time. Behavioral responses in lizards are dependent on becoming active only after external, sun driven, heat sources are adequate to permit daily activity on the one hand and avoiding excessive heat uptake above a critical maximum. Activity is dependent upon three primary modes of heat transfer (gain or loss): solar radiation, conductive exchange and convection, concepts that all students seem to understand. Over 11 of the past 15 years all students (more than 80) who undertook this project obtained useable data sets (data log records matched to focal observations). We relied on two different subspecies of "Holbrookia maculata." Numerous other lizards are amenable to this approach. (Contains 4 figures and 1 table.)

Although an understanding of radiometric dating is central to the preparation of every geologist, many students struggle with the concepts and mathematics of radioactive decay. Physical demonstrations and hands-on experiments can be used to good effect in addressing this teaching conundrum. Water, heat, and electrons all move or flow in response to generalized forces (gradients in pressure, temperature, and electrical potential) that may change because of the flow. Changes due to these flows are easy to monitor over time during simple experiments in the classroom. Some of these experiments can be modeled as exponential decay, analogous to the mathematics of radioactive decay, and can be used to help students visualize and understand exponential change. Other, similar experiments produce decay or change that is not exponential. By having classes, in small groups, conduct several experiments involving flows, a learning synergy can be encouraged in which the physical and mathematical similarities of flow processes are emphasized. For the best results, students should be asked to analyze the experimental data, using graphs and algebra or calculus as appropriate to the class, to determine the nature of the decay process and to make predictions, either forward or backward in time as would be done for radiometric dating. Basic quantitative skills are strengthened or developed as part of these activities. Encountering a number of important geologic processes in the same mathematical.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether increased levels of UV radiation and temperatures from global warming have a significant impact on dissolved oxygen (DO) output from the alga, "Euglena," which affects other organisms in the ecosystem. The original hypothesis stated that if temperature was increased along with exposure time to radiation, DO would decrease. The hypothesis that increased temperatures affected DO was supported. However, the minor differences due to radiation were insignificant. (Contains 1 figure.)

Understanding the relationship between energy and temperature can be challenging, but it is crucial to developing an understanding of the underlying mechanism behind climate change. In this article, the authors review the development of a unit that focuses on the relationship between energy, greenhouse gases, aerosols (a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air), and temperature through a model known as the Earth's Energy Budget, which tracks incoming and outgoing radiation, similar to a monetary budget. They implemented this unit in an Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science class, using the framing question: "Could aerosols worsen or improve what greenhouse gases are doing to our atmosphere?" By the end of the unit, the students knew why greenhouse gases and aerosols affect the climate and used this understanding to ask insightful questions that the authors hope will propel their intellectual curiosity.

This inquiry-based lesson gets students moving to simulate chemical reactions in a way that allows them to visualize, understand, and retain information about chemical reactions in the stratosphere. Students then look at scientific data and conduct research to understand trends in the data and the impact of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These activities, which align with the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013), allow students to make connections between human inventions and environmental degradation in a way that is engaging and relevant.

Art and science help students investigate light energy and practice fair testing. With the goal of finding a way to save "Beady Kid" from invisible rays, students used science practices to investigate the transfer of light energy from the Sun. During this art-integrated science lesson presented in this article, upper elementary (grades 3-5) students were artists when using UV-sensitive beads to create a Beady Kid and design its protection, and scientists when conducting a fair test investigation to identify how well their protection from UV radiation performed. To structure this lesson, the authors used the BSCE 5E Instructional Model (Bybee 2006). The project can be conducted in 45 minutes over two days. Day One can encompass Engage and Explore, with Day Two picking back up on Explore through Elaborate. Because the authors allow students to decide upon their own materials (within reason) for the fair test phase, the test occurs on Day Two to ensure time to supply materials that the students need as part of their design. Depending on school culture, teachers can allow students to bring in materials.