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In this position paper, we propose commognition for the study of proof teaching at university lectures through an integrative literature review. We critically examine studies that focused on proof teaching but did not use the commognitive framework. Through this examination, we gain an understanding of the pedagogical aspects of proof teaching and address gaps in the literature. After we introduce the key principles of the commognitive framework, we review a set of studies that used commognition for the investigation of lecture-type teaching in higher education. In reviewing these studies, we pay special attention to the added value of the use of commognition. We conclude by proposing an approach to the study of proof teaching by using the commognitive framework. This approach offers insights into opportunities provided by lecturers for the deritualization of proving routines.

Using multiple representations (MR) such as graphs, symbols, diagrams, and text, is central to teaching and learning in physics classrooms. While different studies have provided evidence of the positive impact of the use of MR on physics learning, a comprehensive overview of existing literature on the use of MR in physics education, especially at the undergraduate level, is missing. This manuscript addresses this gap in the literature by reporting on the outcomes of a systematic review study that aimed to provide an overview of the existing knowledge base, to identify gaps in the knowledge base, and to propose future research about the use of MR in the context of undergraduate physics education. For the purpose of this study, we reviewed 24 empirical studies published between 2002 and 2019 in scientific, peer-reviewed journals in the context of undergraduate physics education. The outcomes of this review study are discussed under these themes (a) In what ways does the use of MR in instruction support student learning? (b) What kinds of representations do students use? (c) What difficulties do students face in using MR? (d) What is the relation between students' use of MR and students' problem-solving skills? and, (e) What is the added value of technology integration in teaching with MR? We identify gaps in the existing knowledge base, and we propose future research directions in these three areas: (a) Exploring the use of MR in university physics textbooks; (b) Blending of different kinds of MR; and, (c) The use of virtual reality applications.

Identity-based research in physics education has been receiving increased attention in the past few years given the potential of identity in producing novel insights into the ways' students engage in physics. In this study, we examined the development of preservice physics teachers' physics identity through a specific instructional practice: a specially designed course incorporating the use of the multiple representations. Although specific programs and instructional practices have been found to influence the development of physics identity, there is no clear evidence about the kinds of instructional practices that might support its development. To examine the influence of multiple representations on each component of physics identity, we designed and implemented a physics course that used a multiple representation (MR)-based instructional approach with a group of 61 preservice physics teachers at a public university in Indonesia. Data were collected with a pre- and post-questionnaire on physics identity, a conceptual understanding test, and a post-test that examined differences between identity components before and after the course, conceptual understandings, as well as the participants' views about the use of the MR-based instructional approach. The findings revealed a significant improvement of two components of physics identity, namely, competence and interest, and point to the potential of MR-based instruction in physics courses.

The main focus of this paper is to put forward an argument about the value of asset-based, culturally relevant/responsive and sustaining pedagogies in science education, especially in former colonial contexts. Countering the framing hegemony of science education through a historically Euro-dominant lens, we call for a critical analysis of the state of science education in the Netherlands by exploring, specifically, the Dutch Caribbean community which includes Suriname and the former Dutch Antilles and Aruba and the need to respond with a more culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogical stance. In doing so, we provide a concrete example of a CR-SP-focused community-based STEAM program for young children and their parents in the north of the Netherlands. We hope that this paper will provide the foundation to springboard conversations among educators and researchers with an interest in designing, enacting and researching CR-SP-informed programs and curricula geared for historically marginalized families and children.

This review study synthesises 28 empirical research articles emphasising the learning of morality aspects in the context of addressing socioscientific issues (SSI) in secondary science education. The key interrelated questions we seek to address in this study are how morality is conceptualised in the science classroom in the light of emerging sustainability issues and how it can be developed. We used the Four Component Model of Morality to create a knowledge base for how morality has been conceptualised in the literature on secondary science education and how it can be developed. The findings of this review study show that not all studies have used concrete, explicit conceptualisations of morality and that the role of sense of place and the situatedness of morality have often been neglected. It also emerged that studies focusing on students' moral character and action-taking were underrepresented. We recommend that further research be carried out on the interrelationships between moral character and enacted moral reasoning. The review also reveals a gap between morality research and teaching. Based on the outcomes of this review, we propose a set of recommendations aimed at guiding and encouraging students' morality within secondary science education.

Background: In response to reform recommendations calling for students' engagement in scientific practices and the lack of the enactment of such practices in science classrooms, we explored the implementation of scientific practices with special emphasis on model-based inquiry in a secondary science teacher preparation program. Sample: The participants of this study were 26 preservice secondary teachers who engaged in a specially designed sequence that emphasized scientific practices. Purpose: Our aim in this study was to examine the impact of this specially-designed sequence on the participants' views about the usefulness of scientific practices as a pedagogical approach, their intentions in implementing scientific practices as future teachers, and the nature of the emotions they experienced throughout their engagement in the sequence. Design and methods: Data were collected through a questionnaire, which the participants completed following their participation in the sequence. Results: The statistical analysis of the data showed that the majority of the participants -- (a) perceived that they developed adequate understandings about scientific practices; (b) stated that they would implement scientific practices in their future teaching practices; and, (c) experienced positive emotions throughout their engagement in the sequence. Conclusion: These findings are discussed alongside implications for teacher preparation and future research in the area of scientific practices and emotions.

This study reports about biology undergraduates' writing in a course with genre-based writing instruction. The students read, analyse and synthesise research articles using the Scientific Argumentation Model (SAM), a tool to make explicit the characteristics of the research article genre. We explored to what extent 21 students make a synthesis when writing a review of two research articles and which research article's genre characteristics (rhetorical moves and qualifiers) they use. We defined a synthesis as a task in which students select, organise, and connect the articles' content. The analysis of students' reviews showed that most students made a synthesis of both articles. The articles' objective, supports and main conclusion were mostly reflected in the students' reviews. Most students did not use a qualifier in their final conclusion, and when they did use a qualifier it sometimes did not correspond to their main text, suggesting difficulties with understanding the rhetorical meaning of qualifiers. We suggest, supported by our interview and questionnaire data, that SAM could be useful for understanding, selecting, and organising research articles' content when writing a review. We conclude that the use of SAM could be a first step in synthesising research articles focused on supporting students' rhetorical consciousness.

Given reform recommendations emphasizing scientific inquiry and empirical evidence pointing to the difficulties beginning teachers face in enacting inquiry-based science, this study explores a well-started beginning elementary teacher's (Sofia) beliefs about inquiry-based science and related instructional practices. In order to explore Sofia's beliefs and instructional practices, several kinds of data were collected in a period of 9 months: a self-portrait and an accompanying narrative, a personal philosophy assignment, three interviews, three journal entries, ten lesson plans, and ten videotaped classroom observations. The analysis of these data showed that Sofia's beliefs and instructional practices were reform-minded. She articulated contemporary beliefs about scientific inquiry and how children learn science and was able to translate these beliefs into practice. Central to Sofia's beliefs about science teaching were scientific inquiry and engaging students in investigations with authentic data, with a prevalent emphasis on the role of evidence in the construction of scientific claims. These findings are important to research aiming at supporting teachers, especially beginning ones, to embrace reform recommendations.

Grounded within literature pointing to the value of narrative in communicating scientific information, the purpose of this study was to examine the use of stories as a tool for teaching about natural selection in the context of school science. The study utilizes a mixed method, case study approach which focuses on the design, implementation, and evaluation of narrative-based curriculum materials. The data consisted of questionnaires, classroom observations, and interviews with the students and teachers. The analysis of the data showed that most of the students developed adequate scientific understandings about natural selection and they perceived the narrative as easier to comprehend than the textbook. The findings speak to the need for examining ways of blending narrative effectively into science lessons.

In this review, we present an argument for the need to support young adult's civic engagement and we explore the role of online games in supporting such engagement. In doing so, in the first section of the paper, we offer a definition for civic education and citizenship alongside a discussion for the pedagogical frameworks that better support young adults' development of related skills. Following that, we synthesize existing research findings on the role of online games in supporting young adults' civic engagement. Based on the outcomes of this review, in the last section of the paper, we offer a set of game design principles alongside suggestions for pedagogical approaches and organization of learning environments that have the potential to maximize young adults' civic engagement.

Our purpose in this paper is to review studies that explored the impact of the use of mobile games in both formal and informal learning environments. Through a review of studies on mobile learning that have been published between 2000 and 2013, we aim to identify the ways in which researchers used mobile games in a variety of learning environments, and to synthesize current literature about the impact of the use of mobile games on student achievement and attitudes towards and learning. We first provide definitions of the constructs "mobile technologies," "mobile games," and "informal learning environments." Following that, we present the outcomes of our analysis by describing the purpose, the contexts, and the findings of each of the studies we reviewed. We then offer general conclusions that came out of our analysis and we offer some recommendations for future research.

The aim of this qualitative case study was to explore the use of stories as tools for learning within formal and informal learning environments. The design was based on three areas of interest: (a) the story as a tool for learning; (b) the student as subjects engaging with the story; and (c) the context in which the story learning activity takes place. In this study, students were engaged in a themed exhibit about human and animal senses at a public science centre. A story was created to support students' engagement and interaction with the themed exhibit. The story was specially designed to provide opportunities for designing and conducting inquiry-based investigations in pre- and post-activities at school and at the science centre. Seven classes (20-25 students each) from third to sixth grade participated in the study. Four classes where fourth graders. Grades 3, 5, and 6 were each represented by one class. Data were collected through observations, teacher and student interviews, lesson plans, and assignments in a period of six months. The analysis of the data showed that three parameters influenced the use of the story: (a) the ways in which teachers used the story; (b) students' and teachers' understanding of the story-based learning activities; and (c) structural and design components of the story. These findings illustrate the value of stories, as learning tools, in science education and have implications for story-based learning designs in formal and informal learning environments.

The need to reform science teacher preparation programs has been pointed out in research (Bryan and Abell in "J Res Sci Teach" 36:121-140, 1999; Bryan and Atwater in "Sci Educ" 8(6):821-839, 2002; Harrington and Hathaway in "J Teach Educ" 46(4):275-284, 1995). Science teachers are charged with the responsibility of incorporating both cognitive and non-cognitive parameters in their everyday teaching practices. This often results in their reluctance to teach science because they often lack disciplinary and/or pedagogical expertise required to promote science learning. The purpose of this study is to propose an alternative instructional approach in which Lego vehicles were used as a tool to promote pre-service elementary teachers' development and to examine whether there are non-cognitive parameters that promote or obstruct them from using Lego Technologies as a teaching tool. The context of the study was defined by a teacher preparation program of a private university in a small Mediterranean country. A sample of 28 pre-service elementary teachers, working in five 5-6-member groups were involved in scientific inquiries, during which they had to use vehicles in order to solve scientific problems related to concepts such as gear functioning, force, and motion. The nature of their cognitive engagement in the scientific inquiry process, non-cognitive parameters contributing to their cognitive engagement, and the impact of their involvement in the process on their development were examined through qualitative analysis of pre- and post-inquiry interviews, presentations of their solutions to the scientific problems and of their personal reflective journals.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore what aspects of two first-year elementary teachers' practices were most consistent with an inquiry-based approach, what PCK served as a mechanism for facilitating these practices, and what experiences have mediated the nature and development of these teachers' PCK. For each of the participants data included audio-recorded interviews, video-recorded classroom observations, lesson plans, and samples of student work. Data analysis illustrated that both participants engaged their students in question-driven investigations, the use of observational data, making connections between evidence and claims, and communicating those claims to others. Moreover, there was clear evidence in the findings of the study that a considerable degree of coherence existed between the two participants' knowledge on one hand and their instructional practices on the other hand. The participants perceived specific learning experiences during their programs as being critical to their development. The contribution of this study lies in the fact that it provides examples of well-started beginning elementary teachers implementing inquiry-based science in 2nd and 5th grade classrooms. Implications of the study include the need for the design of university-based courses and interventions by which teacher preparation and professional development programs support teachers in developing PCK for scientific inquiry and enacting instructional practices that are congruent with reform initiatives. (Contains 4 tables.)

The idea of inclusive education has featured very highly in the educational priorities of many educational systems. However, the same educational systems are often criticised because of the failings of their teachers to respond to inclusive environments of learning, where all children, despite their different abilities, receive equal opportunities in teaching and learning. In one of our previous pieces of research the theme of informal learning environments arose as a factor that influenced inclusive education. Based on this finding, we go further and explore this theme in greater depth in this article. Data collected via qualitative research methods from three primary schools in Cyprus indicate that teaching in informal learning environments helps improve inclusive education. Further, it became apparent that certain factors helped in the successful teaching in informal learning environments. These factors were related to teachers' beliefs about effective teaching and the ways in which these beliefs found their way into practice.

During the past few years there have been great strides in the advancement of technology with the rise of mobile devices leading to an era characterized by the instant access to and mobility of information. Mobile technologies have more recently been used in a variety of educational settings for a variety of purposes and educational goals. Nevertheless, while the claims about the positive impact of the use of mobile technologies in different aspects of education are compelling, data on how these technologies support, for example, the understanding of complex concepts or the development of learning skills that enable students to think critically and problem-solve, are limited. This theoretical article contends that missing, remains a detailed characterization of the accounts and the processes through which mobile technologies mediate learning, and proposes that future research in science education is directed towards: (a) exemplifying the theoretical aspects and the characteristics of design frameworks associated with mobile learning; (b) characterizing rich and complex pedagogical practices that use mobile devices; and (c) sketching the details of the processes by which students come to know through engagement in activities that use mobile technologies. (Contains 1 note.)

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the nature of a first-year elementary teacher's specialized practices and knowledge for giving priority to evidence in science teaching and to explore the possible sources from which this knowledge was generated. Data included three audiotaped interviews, six videotaped classroom observations, lesson plans, and samples of students' work. The findings of this study reveal that the teacher gave priority to evidence by frequently engaging students in collecting evidence through observations and investigations, recording and representing evidence, and using that evidence to construct explanations. The findings of this study also illustrate that critical experiences during preparation to teach and specific university coursework acted as sources through which the teacher's specialized knowledge for giving priority to evidence was generated.

Grounded within current reform recommendations and built upon Giere's views (1986, 1999) on model-based science, we propose an alternative approach to science education which we refer to as the Evidence-Explanation (EE) Continuum. The approach addresses conceptual, epistemological, and social domains of knowledge, and places emphasis on the epistemological conversations about data acquisitions and transformations in the sciences. The steps of data transformation, which we refer to as data-texts, we argue, unfold the processes of using evidence during knowledge building and reveal the dynamics of scientific practices. Data-texts involve (a) obtaining observations/measurements to become data; (b) selecting and interpreting data to become evidence; (c) using evidence to ascertain patterns and develop models; and (d) utilizing the patterns and models to propose and refine explanations. Throughout the transformations of the EE continuum, there are stages of transition that foster the engagement of learners in negotiations of meaning and collective construction of knowledge. A focus on the EE continuum facilitates the emergence of further insights, both by questioning the nature of the data and its multiple possibilities for change and representations and by reflecting on the nature of the explanations. The shift of emphasis to the epistemics of science holds implications for the design of learning environments that support learners in developing contemporary understandings of the nature and processes of scientific practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of mobile learning among young learners. Specifically, we investigated whether the use of mobile devices for data collection during field trips outside the classroom could enhance fourth graders’ learning about the parts of the flower and their functions, flower pollinators and the process of pollination/fertilization, and the interrelationship between animals and plants, more than students’ use of traditional means of data collection. For this purpose, we designed a pre–post experimental design study with two conditions: one in which participants used a mobile device for data collection and another using traditional means (e.g. sketching and note-taking). The sample comprised 48 fourth graders (24 in each condition), who studied the flower, its parts, and their functions. A conceptual test was administered to assess students’ understanding before and after instruction. Moreover, the students’ science notebooks and accompanying artifacts were used as a data source for examining students’ progress during the study's intervention. The conceptual test and notebook data were analyzed statistically, whereas we used open coding for the artifacts. Findings revealed that using mobile devices for data collection enhanced students’ conceptual understanding more than using traditional means of data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]