Mathematics is the language of science and the foundation of STEM education. The interdisciplinary link between science and mathematics develops problem-solving, computational thinking, and strategic analysis skills. Activities like path and matchstick puzzles support these skills, while different physics principles and mathematical relationships help appreciate the important roles scientific concepts play in understanding phenomena in nature and technology. This integration, enriched by artificial intelligence today, prepares students for the future as well-equipped individuals who can produce scientific solutions to real-world problems.
Science identity, comprising core components such as Science Capital, Epistemic Beliefs, and Environmental Agency, has been identified by PISA 2025 as a key indicator of 21st-century citizen competency. However, contemporary STEM education often lacks effective pedagogical strategies to foster these multifaceted dimensions of science identity in authentic contexts. This study evaluated the impact of an experiential STEM model integrated with Internet of Things (IoT) technology on the development of science identity among secondary school students in Vietnam. Using an explanatorysequential mixed-methods design, a quasi-experiment was conducted with 102 eleventh-grade students. The experimental group participated in a 10-week IoT-based agricultural project, while the control group received conventional instruction. Quantitative data were collected using a validated science identity scale and analysed via ANCOVA, supplemented by qualitative insights from student learning journals and interviews. Findings demonstrated that the STEM-IoTmodel significantly enhanced overall science identity with a large effect size (Cohens'd = 0.82), with environmental agency showing the strongest gains (d = 0.57). Qualitative analysis revealed that engagement with complex, real-world IoT data generated "epistemic friction," prompting a shift from simplistic views of scientific knowledge as absolute towards critical inquiry and bolstering students' perceived agency. This study provides a validated measurement instrument and evidence that technology-integrated, contextually grounded STEM pedagogy can effectively advance the competencies emphasized in the PISA 2025 framework.
Environmental literacy is a multidimensional learning process that includes environmental knowledge, attitudes, values, awareness, responsibility, and intentions to take environmental action. However, primary environmental education often remains limited to cognitive outcomes and may not sufficiently foster affective engagement or ecological responsibility. This study examined the potential of creative drama as a transformative pedagogy for enhancing third-grade students' environmental literacy in primary science education. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. The quantitative phase used a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test control group design (n = 60; experimental = 30, control = 30), followed by a qualitative case study with 12 students from the experimental group. Quantitative data were collected using the Environmental Literacy Scale for Children and analyzed using ANCOVA (controlling for pre-test scores) and paired-samples t tests. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results indicated significant improvements in environmental literacy, particularly in environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Students also reported increased empathy, collaboration, imaginative engagement with environmental problems, and critical reflection on ecological responsibility. Overall, creative drama appears to be a promising transformative approach for environmental literacy in primary science education.
Social media are central areas for adolescents' engagement with science but also environments for misinformation. This challenges adolescents' ability to assess the credibility of scientific content. So far, little is known about how adolescents assess credibility on social media. Building on empirical studies and frameworks of credibility and combining self-reports, performance data, and written justifications, this study examined how Austrian uppersecondary school students (N = 1,055) use social media and how they assess the credibility of scientific Instagram posts. Self-report data were analysed descriptively and via exploratory factor analysis. Written justifications were examined using qualitative content analysis. The students reported limited use of social media for scientific information. 19 self-report items concerning the procedure for assessing credibility clustered into four factors aligned with theoretically grounded credibility perspectives: design, trustworthiness, social validation, and content. When assessing Instagram posts, students often applied one credibility perspective at a time and changed credibility perspectives across posts. The weak alignment between self-reported and actual credibility assessment suggests a reliance on heuristics over systematic reasoning, reducing assessment reliability. These findings highlight challenges for science education, strengthening adolescents'science media literacy and metacognitive awareness, and for science communication, making credibility cues explicitly visible and interpretable in fast-paced, visually driven environments.
This study examined how a VR360learning system integrating Tao Indigenous culture and the ecological environment of Orchid Island, Taiwan, influences students' learning achievement, learning motivation, cognitive load, and technology acceptance. The study aimed to determine whether such culturally grounded VR learning experiences can support educational equity and foster deeper cultural understanding. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was employed to compare Indigenous and non-Indigenous elementary students who both received the VR intervention. Data were collected using validated instruments, including a learning achievement test, a motivation scale, a cognitive load scale, and a technology acceptance questionnaire. The participants comprised 64 students from grades three to six in northern Taiwan (33 Indigenous and 31 non-Indigenous). Both groups demonstrated significant gains in learning achievement following the intervention, with the non-Indigenous group achieving higher scores. Indigenous students reported higher, though not statistically significant, motivation to learn about the Tao cultural heritage and experienced slightly higher cognitive load during the learning process. Both groups expressed high acceptance of the VR360 system. These findings highlight the potential of VR as an effective and culturally responsive educational tool that supports immersive learning and promotes educational equity, offering valuable insights for the design of localized and multicultural learning experiences.
Students comprehend most science concepts through in-class learning. Therefore, how teachers present concepts can decisively influence students' understanding of scientific concepts. Accordingly, this study aimed to identify implications for concept teaching and learning by comparing the conceptual structure of photosynthesis reflected in the teaching concept networks used by teachers with the learning concept networks constructed by students. In this process, the construct of the concept network taught by the teacher and the concepts learned by students at each achievement level were compared and analysed using semantic network analysis. The concepts taught by the teacher and those learned by the students were largely similar, but the strength and complexity of the connections between concepts differed. Moreover, the teacher did not clearly distinguish between subtopics while teaching. As a result, the students recognised the concepts but often failed to distinguish between subtopics. High-achievers learned more concepts and showed a more complex connection between concepts than low-achievers. The findings suggest that teachers should explain scientific concepts by breaking them down into subtopics and presenting them in smaller, interconnected chunks to help students relate new knowledge to existing knowledge.
Scientific decision-making among science upper-secondary school students may be shaped by their engagement in scientific inquiry and the strategies they use to learn science; however, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. This study investigates how science self-efficacy functions as a moderator and mediator in the link between scientific inquiry and scientific decision making, with science learning strategies serving as the intermediary, among upper-secondary school science students. A mixed-methods exploratory sequential design, including a scale development sub-design, was employed. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven students placed in science upper-secondary schools by scoring in the top 1% on the entrance exam, using criterion sampling. Based on these findings, a scale was developed and piloted with 675 students, demonstrating satisfactory validity and reliability. The finalized scale was then administered to 430 students enrolled in science upper-secondary schools across T & uuml;rkiye during the 2025-2026 academic year. Results revealed positive and significant associations among the variables. Science learning strategies demonstrated a central mediating role, and these associations were stronger at higher levels of science self-efficacy.
Sustainable campus development has become a critical issue for higher education institutions worldwide. Motivating students to develop energy-saving behaviors is considered one of the most effective courses of action, as it ultimately leads to a sustainable campus and lower energy use. Thus, the current study developed a framework based on the Theory of planned behavior (TPB) and Value-belief norm (VBN) to examine the biospheric, altruistic, and egoistic values that encourage students to participate in energy-saving activities, contributing to the development of a sustainable campus. Structural equation modeling was utilized to evaluate the proposed framework using 411 valid responses. The results demonstrated that the proposed framework (R2 = .681) outperformed both VBN (R2 = .449) and TPB (R2 = .498) in predicting students' intentions to engage in energy-saving behavior. Energy-saving communication was also found to be a critical moderator between the students' intention and their predictors. The results indicate that university administrations should develop a more effective approach to communicate the social and personal benefits of energy-saving behavior, thereby optimizing its advantages. The study findings contribute to the critically important and continuously expanding literature on developing sustainable campuses through pro-environmental behaviors.
Science education is fundamental to shaping how children perceive the world and cultivate their initial scientific reasoning. This study examined the impact of the "Learning Stations Strategy" on developing scientific concepts of life and the environment among young learners. Utilizing a quasi-experimental approach, the study involved 64 kindergarteners from Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, divided into experimental and control groups. After consulting with experts to define age-appropriate scientific concepts, an educational unit was crafted around the Learning Stations Strategy. These stations engaged children through hands-on tasks, experiments, observational activities, and guided reflections. To measure progress, a specialized "Scientific Concepts Test of Life and Environment" was administered before and after the intervention. The findings demonstrated statistically significant gains favoring the experimental group, highlighting the strategys' success. Specifically, children participating in the learning stations showed a deeper grasp of life concepts-such as distinguishing between living and non-living things, identifying basic survival needs, and understanding growth, biological functions, and diversity. Furthermore, there was improvement in environmental awareness, including the recognition of natural components, resource utility, ecosystems, environmental stewardship, and the basics of pollution. These findings suggest that moving away from teacher-centered teaching toward more interactive, station-based learning can enhance children's curiosity and understanding.
Science educators highlight the importance and difficulty of developing systems thinking (ST) for addressing complex health problems such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Thus, it is necessary to study which strategies can facilitate this development. This study addressed how modelling activities fostered the ST developed by pre-service teachers (PSTs) in the context of AMR. The identification of components and relationships, the proposal of actions, and taking an 'inside the system' perspective were considered as ST dimensions. The research data consisted of explanations about AMR written individually at the beginning and at the end of the sequence, as well as group activities, performed by a group of 56 PSTs. The results show that after completing the activities, most participants explained AMR including 'One Health' vision, saw themselves as victims of AMR but less as causes or agents of change, and articulated complex cause-effect relationships in their retrospective reasoning. Moreover, the performance of retrospective reasoning in intermediate activities that implied diverse representations stood out. It was concluded that using multimodal representations might be a useful strategy in science education to facilitate the development of PSTsST for understanding and acting on systems.
Inclusive science education requires teachers who value diversity and are prepared to design education that enables equitable participation in inquiry and laboratory learning. This study examined inclusion readiness among Indonesian pre-service science teachers using an Attitudes, Knowledge, and Practices (AKP)-informed framework within a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. Survey data from 376 participants across 14 universities were analysed using MANOVA and PLS-SEM. During measurement model evaluation, the attitude and practice constructs lacked discriminant validity and were therefore combined into a single construct labelled inclusive orientation, representing pre-service teachers' affective commitment and perceived readiness to implement inclusive science teaching. Structural model results indicated that conceptual knowledge of inclusive pedagogy was positively associated with inclusive orientation, while teaching experience contributed modestly to knowledge development. Qualitative findings indicated that support for inclusion was conditional on mentoring and resources, and that inclusion was often understood as physical accessibility rather than differentiated participation in science learning. The study identifies a persistent AKP gap in which inclusion readiness reflects affective commitment more strongly than developed pedagogical competence.
Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly being used in environmental education, but the empirical evidence base in this field remains fragmented. The aim of this study was to systematically map empirical research on the use of AI in environmental education between 2022 and 2025. The study employed a scoping review design based on the PRISMA-ScR protocol. A total of 419 records retrieved from the Scopus and Web of Science databases were screened, and 16studies met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted using a structured coding framework based on four research questions and synthesized through thematic analysis. The findings indicated that large language models, particularly ChatGPT, are the most frequently used AI tools. Nine studies aimed to change attitudes or behaviors. Pedagogical approaches included content creation, personalized learning, narrative-based empathy development, and gamification. Only one study did not specify a clear theoretical framework. Standardized effect sizes were reported in only four studies. The geographical distribution was concentrated in East Asia. One study included a delayed post-test, leaving the long-term sustainability of the reported effects largely uncertain. Longitudinal designs, comparative tool evaluations, and culturally embedded AI designs from underrepresented regions have been identified as priority research needs for the field's advancement.
Teachers' understanding of scientific models is essential for supporting meaningful learning of chemical reaction rates. Yet little is known about how teachers coordinate different dimensions of model understanding in this context. This study examined chemistry teachers'epistemic understanding of models related to reaction rates, focusing on model selection, prerequisite conditions, and model use. A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design was employed. Open-ended questionnaire items were administered to 52 in-service chemistry teachers, followed by interviews with 10 teachers to elaborate on quantitative trends. The results showed limited understanding across all three dimensions. Many teachers treated the collision model as a literal depiction rather than one representational choice among alternatives. Teachers frequently applied the half-life concept as a universal rule without recognizing assumptions such as constant volume. When interpreting concentration dependence, most relied on simplified textbook patterns rather than using rate laws as representational models grounded in reaction mechanisms. These findings indicate the need for teacher education that explicitly addresses model selection, underlying assumptions, and the functional use of models in reaction-rate instruction. This study contributes a three-dimensional analytical framework for examining teachers' model-based reasoning and provides a foundation for future research and professional
The growing presence ofartificial intelligence (AI) in education raises critical questions about teachers' AI literacy and ethical reflection. This study aims to examine the effects of pre-service science and mathematics teachers' AI literacy and their ethical use of information technologies on their ethical reflections on AI. The study, designed as a correlational survey, included 219 pre-service science and mathematics teachers from a university in Eastern T & uuml;rkiye. Data were collected using three instruments: the Artificial Intelligence Literacy Scale, the Information Technologies Ethical Use Scale, and the Artificial Intelligence Ethical Reflection Scale. The findings indicate that, although pre-service teachers demonstrate high levels of knowledge in the technical and critical dimensions ofAI, they remain at a moderate level in translating this knowledge into practical application and in engaging in ethical reasoning. Structural equation modelling results indicate that AI literacy significantly and directly influences ethical reflection on AI, whereas the ethical use of information technologies constitutes a weaker predictor. The mediation analysis further reveals that general ethical use of information technologies does not play a significant mediating role in the relationship between AI literacy and ethical reflection on AI.
Understanding how adolescents' connections with nature relate to their sustainable orientations is critical for designing effective environmental education programs. However, empirical evidence on this relationship remains limited in non-Western contexts such as T & uuml;rkiye. This study, therefore, aimed to examine the relationship between lower-secondary school students'environmental identities and their sustainable environmental attitudes, and to determine whether these constructs differ by gender and grade level. The sample comprised 359 students (5th-8th grades) from public schools in the Marmara Region of T & uuml;rkiye, selected through convenience sampling from three schools, ensuring a robust and valid assessment. Data were collected using the Environmental Identity Scale and the Sustainable Environmental Attitude Scale. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between environmental identity and sustainable environmental attitudes. Independent-samples t-tests showed that female students scored higher on the overall environmental identity scale, particularly in moral responsibility toward nature and seeing nature as part of the self. For sustainable environmental attitudes, females scored higher in perception, behavior, and the overall scale. One-way ANOVA analyses indicated that lower-grade students demonstrated stronger environmental identities and higher perception and behavior scores, whereas higher-grade students exhibited stronger thought scores. No significant grade-level differences were found for overall sustainable environmental attitudes.
Integrating immersive virtual reality (IVR) into chemistry education offers valuable potential to enhance student engagement through interactive visualisation. However, empirical studies regarding the effect of this new technology on students'affective factors in school chemistry, particularly in developing countries such as Indonesia, remain limited. This study aimed to explore the effect of IVR on Indonesian upper-secondary school students'interestand motivation in learning chemistry. Employing a quasi-experimental pretest and posttest non-equivalent control group design, the research involved 68 twelfth-grade students who were divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group, with the experimental group experiencing learning through an IVR app and the control group following conventional teaching methods. The instruments included an interest in chemistry scale and a chemistry motivation scale. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U tests with a .05 significance level. The results revealed that while both groups demonstrated improvement in their interest and motivation scores, students in the IVR group achieved significantly higher gains. These results highlight that IVR-supported chemistry teaching is a powerful learning tool to foster twelfth-grade students' interest and motivation, offering valuable implications for integrating immersive VR into science classrooms.
Spatial error in the mental maps of lower secondary school students regarding the desert biome is investigated, focusing on the accuracy of desert conceptualisation and location. The aim of the study was to assess the status quo in childrens' conceptions of deserts among lower secondary school students, while focusing on the spatial aspects of these conceptions. A total of 592 lower secondary school students took part in the study. Students were categorized using the childrens' drawings method into one of six categories according to the predominant elements contained in their drawings. In the second stage, students plotted the locations of deserts worldwide in an outline map; these maps were subsequently processed to produce aggregated mental maps. The study has shown that students have rather simplified perception of deserts as areas covered with sand with minimal rainfall and specific flora and fauna. Students tend to overestimate the area of deserts significantly; they locate most deserts in Africa and central Australia, and a relatively large proportion of students incorrectly locate deserts also in Amazonia.
Research suggests that students, especially female chemistry students, often struggle with understanding atomic orbitals and hybridisation, sometimes holding misconceptions about these concepts. To add to what is known, we examined factors associated with female chemistry students' conceptual understanding of atomic orbitals and hybridisation. We collected data from 304 female chemistry students in upper-secondary school using a methodological triangulation mixed-methods approach that included questionnaires and interviews. Of these, 50 students participated directly in interviews. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three main factors associated with their conceptual understanding. Thematic analysis and narrative approaches were used to further interpret and support the quantitative findings. Since motivational beliefs emerged as one of the key factors, it is important for governments and organisations working towards Sustainable Development Goal5 (SDG5)-gender equality-to provide targeted support for female chemistry students. Such assistance should aim to foster their interest and engagement with fundamental chemistry concepts like atomic orbitals and hybridisation.
Decisions about invasive species management often require individuals to balance ecological knowledge with ethical considerations and practical constraints, particularly in everyday and educational contexts. Grounded in frameworks of ecological literacy and socioscientific issues, this study conceptualizes invasive species management as a context-dependent decision-making process that integrates scientific knowledge, ethical reasoning, and professional judgment. Using scenario-based inquiry, 191 Korean preservice biology teachers responded to two contrasting situations involving red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans): managing an abandoned pet in a household context and addressing overpopulation within a school breeding program. Qualitative content analysis revealed notable discrepancies between preservice teachers' understanding of invasive species and ecosystem-disrupting species, as well as inconsistencies between articulated ecological concerns and recommended actions. Decision-making patterns differed markedly by context, with household scenarios shaped primarily by emotional and practical considerations, whereas institutional scenarios emphasized professional responsibility and institutional management. These findings highlight persistent gaps in preservice teachers' understanding of invasive species management and demonstrate the powerful influence of context on professional judgment. The study highlights important implications for science teacher education, particularly the need to foster integrated decision-making competencies that connect ecological understanding, ethical reasoning, and context-sensitive decision-making for managing invasive species.
Mathematics, as the language of science, enables the quantitative and structural description of physical phenomena. In physics education, mathematical representation underpins theoretical modeling and strengthens explanatory and predictive reasoning. As digital technology becomes integral to science learning, practices such as simulation, data visualization, and AI-based analysis increasingly depend on mathematical expression to construct scientific meaning. This Study analyzes how mathematical elements are differentially emphasized in Korean, U.S., and England's physics curricula and demonstrates that these differences systematically shape the forms of inquiry-based learning supported in digitally enriched educational contexts. The analysis focuses on three national curricula that explicitly connect physics and mathematics: Korea's 2022 Revised Curriculum, the United States' Next Generation Science Standards, and Englands' National Curriculum. A framework of mathematization elements was developed from prior literature and applied to achievement standards through frequency and qualitative analyses. A total of 134 mathematization elements were identified, revealing statistically significant cross-national differences. Korea places strong emphasis on mathematics as a means of perception through experimentation and data analysis, England highlights the expression of quantitative relationships, and the United States foregrounds modeling via approximation and visualization. These findings indicate that effective physics education in the digital era requires integrating established mathematization practices with data analysis, simulation, and coding-based approaches.
