Abstract Presented here are lab-based activities (LBA) that incorporate students’ systems thinking (ST) skills by having students analyse pure and artificial seawater to stimulate sustainability awareness. Those skills were demonstrated by students’ scores and explanations. The design-based research (DBR) method was applied by following three principles: First was the real educational context principle, involving sixty-two (62) 16-year-old students who live around the Southern Java coast. Second, we conducted iterative investigations by designing and testing the model, including experiments, collecting cognitive scores online, and explaining system-related ocean phenomena through in-person interviews. Third, DBR was grounded in learning theory to provide measurable students’ ST skills from the laboratory. Here, inadequate explanations about seawater pH and acidity levels hinder the ability to think in systems. The results show that participants find it difficult to recognise seawater at the particle level as a system component. While participants struggle to recognise interactions between components of ocean systems, the ST purposes that emerge from their willingness to engage with ocean protection indicate high achievement. The appearance of Systems Thinking skills in the LBA is demonstrated here.
Abstract Inclusive STEM education places distinct demands on prospective chemistry teachers, owing to the discipline’s high cognitive load, the need to organize practice-oriented activities safely, and the requirement to ensure fair assessment in the context of diverse learners’ educational needs. The present study examined changes in inclusive chemistry teaching competence during a semester-long intervention grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL). A single-group pretest-posttest intervention design was implemented in the General Chemistry course (6 credits; 180 academic hours) at Zhanibekov University. The sample comprised 106 first-year university students. Over a 15-week semester, the UDL approach was embedded into the course through a sequence of design-based assignments targeting multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression. The course instructor served as the intervention implementer (teacher effect). Data collection included pre- and post-measures using self-report scales (knowledge, self-efficacy, attitudes, and intention to implement UDL), a case-based knowledge test, and the evaluation of student-generated pedagogical artifacts at two time points (T1 and T2) using a study-specific eight-criterion UDL design rubric (0–3 per criterion; total score 0–24). Data were analyzed using paired pre-post comparisons, effect size estimation, and correlational and regression analyses based on change scores. Significant pre-post improvements were observed in several competence indicators, with particularly pronounced changes in applied knowledge, self-efficacy, and pedagogical artifact quality. Because the study did not include a comparison group, these findings should be interpreted as competence development observed during participation in a UDL-integrated General Chemistry course rather than as evidence of a causal UDL effect. The results nevertheless support further controlled investigation of UDL as a discipline-specific model for inclusive chemistry teacher preparation.
Abstract The aim of this study is to examine the effect of online and face-to-face formative assessment activities on the academic achievement of primary school teaching students – based on the formative assessment framework developed by (Black P, & Wiliam D, Developing the theory of formative assessment. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability (formerly: Journal of personnel evaluation in education) 2009; 21(1), 5–31) – and to investigate the opinions of both the students and course instructor regarding these activitiesThis study, which aligns with the Quality Education goal among the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), was conducted according to action research principles, serving as a bridge between educational research and teaching practices. The data collection tools used in the study were the Periodic Table Achievement Test (PTAT), Participant Opinion Form and Researcher Notes. Prior to the implementation, most participants found the topic of the periodic table unengaging, difficult, and complex. However, participants reported that face-to-face formative assessment facilitated meaningful and long-lasting learning. They also noted that online formative assessment enabled the quick identification of learning gaps and efficient organization of information through rapid feedback. Following the activities, a significant difference (p < 0.05) with a high effect size (Cohen’s d = −2.37) was found, indicating higher scores on the final PTAT exam.
Abstract Persistent underrepresentation in STEM highlights the need for inclusive educational interventions. Evaluating outreach programmes targeting these populations requires reliable and practical instruments, particularly in time-constrained classroom settings. Here, we report the development and validation of the Single-Item Instrument for Science Career Identity (SII4SCI). SII4SCI was assessed for reliability and validity in a cohort of 407 Scottish secondary school students, showing strong correlation with established multi-item instruments, the Career Interest Questionnaire (CIQ) and the Self-Efficacy for Science (SES) scale, as well as alignment with students’ free-text responses. We then applied SII4SCI to evaluate ChemDiverse, a classroom-based outreach programme presenting diverse chemistry role models to high school students. While overall SII4SCI scores did not increase post-intervention, qualitative analysis indicated that students reflected on career pathways, reconsidered aspirations, and engaged with what being a scientist entails. These findings highlight the value of concise measures for evaluating outreach, particularly to measure the effectiveness of activities targeted towards under-represented groups, and suggest that programmes can support informed engagement with science careers decisions even without measurable increases in science career identity.
