Interdisciplinary competence is crucial for understanding and addressing real-world scientific challenges. This study seeks to assess students’ interdisciplinary competence in the context of chemistry and biology. To this end, this research constructed a framework to describe students’ interdisciplinary competence, which contained four components, each with three performance levels. Guided by this framework, an instrument comprising 17 constructed-response items centered on three scientific tasks was developed. A total of 293 high school students took part in the test in Shanghai, China. Results of partial credit Rasch analysis supported the instrument’s satisfactory reliability and validity. The majority of students achieved the advanced level of interdisciplinary identification, while nearly half of the students only attained the basic level of critical evaluation, knowledge integration, and interdisciplinary production. As the complexity of competence components increased, the percentages of students achieving advanced levels demonstrated a progressive decline. Furthermore, most of the students performed unbalanced across the four components. Implications for interdisciplinary science education and the possible applications of the new instrument were also discussed.

Interdisciplinary thinking is critical for equipping students to apply scientific knowledge and tackle societal challenges across various disciplines, which has been recognized as a key objective of twenty-first century science education. However, research on effective interdisciplinary assessment in secondary school science education is still limited. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an instrument for evaluating seventh graders’ interdisciplinary thinking within lower-secondary science contexts. A four-dimensional framework for evaluating interdisciplinary thinking was proposed, leading to the development of an assessment instrument. Participants were 316 seventh–grade students randomly selected from a lower-secondary school in Jiangsu, China. The multidimensional random coefficients multinomial logit (MRCML) model was employed to examine the reliability and validity of the instrument. The results indicated that the four–dimensional conceptual framework of interdisciplinary thinking was appropriate, and the multidimensional partial credit model (PCM) fitted the data reasonably well. The differential item functioning (DIF) analysis also revealed the absence of gender bias, confirming the measurement invariance statistics reached. In addition, disparities in student performance across the four dimensions were identified, highlighting the need for tailored instructional practices to foster their ability in lower-secondary school science education. Keywords: educational assessment, interdisciplinary thinking, multidimensional item response model, Rasch measurement, science education

Assessing scientific inquiry competence (SIC) is essential for fostering students' inquiry skills, and the effectiveness of such assessments largely depends on teachers' assessment knowledge. Grounded in a four-dimensional framework of science teacher assessment knowledge, this study developed and validated a scenario-based diagnostic instrument incorporating authentic video clips of inquiry-focused teaching situations. The instrument was administered to 146 novice chemistry teachers in China to examine their knowledge of assessing SIC. Results showed that teachers demonstrated relatively strong knowledge of assessment content but had only moderate awareness of assessment purposes and limited knowledge to apply appropriate assessment strategies and interpret evidence. These findings highlight significant gaps in teachers' assessment knowledge of SIC, especially in integrating multiple dimensions of assessment in practice. The study underscores the need for targeted professional development to enhance teachers' assessment literacy and support effective inquiry-based science teaching, particularly in discipline-specific contexts such as chemistry.

Current science standards emphasize the ability to use simulations to solve problems, but many students struggle to handle scientific tasks in simulation contexts, and little is known about the cognitive mechanism underlying this ability, which makes it difficult to teach. Therefore, the aim of this study was to generate a cognitive model of scientific problem-solving while using simulations. For this purpose, the think-aloud method and screen capture recordings were used to gather information from 27 middle school students as they tackled seven simulation-based scientific tasks. An inductive-deductive approach to analysis led to a coding scheme and a model revealing that the cognitive process comprised 20 components and five stages—identifying and extracting, designing and investigating, analyzing and arguing, monitoring and evaluating, and summarizing and clarifying—demonstrating a non-linear iterative cyclic process. Limitations and implications for future research and practices are discussed.

In science education, scientific inquiry is crucial for developing inquiry skills and constructing scientific knowledge. However, the impact of scientific inquiry activities on student achievement continues to be debated. A number of counterintuitive findings highlight the need to explore the underlying factors influencing the effectiveness of inquiry-based learning. This study employed hierarchical linear models (HLM) to investigate the role of students' perceived school teacher support in moderating the relationship between inquiry-based science activities and science achievement. The sample used in this study was drawn from Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Guangdong in mainland China (B-S-J-G-China). These four provinces participated in the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) as a collective group. The dataset comprised 9,592 students (4,543 females and 5,049 males) from 261 schools. Results revealed a negative correlation between inquiry-based activities and science achievement, indicating that a higher frequency of inquiry-based activities was associated with lower science achievement. However, this association was positively and significantly moderated by the extent of school teacher support. These findings highlight the pivotal role of students' perceived school teacher support in enhancing the effectiveness of inquiry-based practices and shed light on optimising inquiry-based educational strategies. This suggests that the effective implementation of inquiry-based activities requires the backing of supportive teachers, with broader implications for curriculum design and teacher development in science education.

Persistent concerns exist regarding the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and science achievement, prompting ongoing research into the factors enabling some low-SES students to excel in science despite the odds. This study seeks to identify multiple combinations of individual, family, and school conditions that contribute to successful outcomes within this demographic. Utilising a sample of 1,460 low-SES Chinese students, aged 15, from the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), this study employs fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) as its methodological approach. The results reveal seven viable pathways that can equally enable low-SES students to achieve academic success in science. These pathways involve a combination of multiple factors, such as parental emotional support, school science instruction practices, and science-related attitudes and beliefs. The analysis also indicates that certain causal factors (i.e. parental emotional support, extrinsic motivation, enquiry-based science instruction practices, or teacher adaptation of science instruction), can be absent in the configurations, but can still contribute to academic resilience when complemented by other conditions (e.g. elevated levels of intrinsic motivation, epistemological beliefs about science, teacher-directed science instruction, or teacher support in science classes).

Enabling students to learn about science is essential for science education. Students are expected to not only gain scientific knowledge but also need to develop a deep understanding of science. One approach to equipping students with a sense of science is to present science as a living collective human enterprise. As essential educational resources, science textbooks are powerful supportive tools for helping students be aware of the tentative, historical, and humanistic features of science. This study aims to develop and validate a comprehensive analytical framework for examining how a science textbook enables students to understand science and scientists through scientists’ portrayals. The final analytical framework comprises five themes and 13 dimensions concerning scientists and their work, including the textbook’s representation method (i.e., format and role of representation), scientists’ background (i.e., personal and social background), scientists’ work-related features (i.e., motivation for doing research, research methods, and way of working), scientists’ achievements (i.e., type, evaluation, and influence), and educational values of scientists and their work (i.e., scientific thinking, scientific attitudes, and social responsibility). The analysis results of an American high school science textbook indicate that the framework developed is feasible to cover all the desired scientist-related elements and evaluate the extent of scientists’ portrayals presented in the textbooks. In addition, the results also revealed that this textbook is inadequate in providing students with a comprehensive understanding of science and scientists via its portrayals of scientists.

In response to growing concerns about adolescents' low expectations for science-related careers, this study explores the mechanisms of the ternary associations among science learning experiences, science-related attitudes and beliefs, and science-related career expectations, involving a sample of 9841 15-year-old students from four Chinese provinces (Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Guangdong) who took part in the sixth cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The results of the path analysis reveal that (i) both formal and informal learning experiences had positive relationships with science-related attitudes and beliefs; (ii) enjoyment of science, science self-efficacy, science outcome expectations, and epistemological beliefs about science had positive effects on career expectations; (iii) inquiry-based learning experiences were negatively associated with career expectations, although the direct association was suppressed by enjoyment of science, science self-efficacy, and science outcome expectations; (iv) teacher-directed science learning experiences had a positive impact on career expectations, fully mediated by enjoyment of science, epistemological beliefs about science, and science outcome expectations; and (v) all four science-related attitudes and beliefs played full mediating roles in the relationship between informal science learning experiences and career expectations.

This study explored how peer feedback after hands-on scientific inquiry (SI) activities affected students’ SI competence over time (6 weeks) by implementing an after-school intervention program in which 188 Chinese ninth-grade students (14–16 years old) participated during their first semester. A between-subject experimental design was used for data collection, with participants randomly assigned to one treatment group ( N = 120) placed in pairs or one comparison group ( N = 68). Held once a week, both groups of students participated in a 40-min hands-on performance assessment developed and validated to measure SI competence. Immediately after the assessment, the treatment group undertook a 20-min paired-peer feedback session, while the comparison group received 20 min of traditional whole-class teacher feedback. The results showed that (i) hands-on SI activities accompanied by either PF or traditional collective TF improve student SI competence significantly, (ii) the effect of hands-on inquiry activities accompanied by collective TF is delayed compared to PF, and (iii) the development of inquiry abilities through the hands-on activities varied within or between the two groups. The results also showed that the development of SI abilities varied through the hands-on SI activities within or between the two groups. This study sheds light on the optimal implementation of inquiry practices, especially for cultivating student SI competence.

计算机交互技术的发展为科学问题解决能力打开了动态化、过程化、综合化和智能化测评的新局面.研究采用内容分析法,从测评目的、能力模型、任务形式、交互设计、评价方法与评分方式六个方面对国际文献进行梳理.文献研究发现,为了解科学问题解决的能力特征与认知过程,促进教学质量提升,不少学者在计算机交互环境下做了大量的测评研究,成果丰厚:测评模型包含要素模型、过程模型和水平模型三类,任务形式包括图示绘制、试题作答、报告撰写、表现性任务四种,交互方式涉及信息检索、变量控制、装置搭建、角色扮演、作答反馈五类,评价方法以混合评价法为主,评分方式多采用手动评分.本文最后结合我国实际,提出了若干建议.

Online metacognitive skills are the real-time awareness of cognition, which can effectively promote science learning and improve performance in solving scientific problems. Therefore, it is important to enhance and diagnose students’ online metacognitive skills in science education. This study aimed to evaluate ninth-grade students’ online metacognitive skills while processing chemistry problems. To achieve this goal, this study constructed a framework for guiding the development of an instrument comprising 12 two-tier items. A total of 258 ninth graders took part in the field testing in Jiangsu, China. A partial credit Rasch model analysis was employed to inform instrument development and evaluation. The results revealed that this instrument was valid and reliable for assessing students’ online metacognitive skills. Nearly 70% of the ninth-grade students in this sample were able to monitor their own thought processes or evaluate their own cognitive performance in processing chemistry problems. About one-third of the students could regulate their thought processes. However, less than 4% of the students could make attributions about their cognitive performance. Keywords: assessment instrument, problem-solving skills, Rasch measurement model, chemistry education

New round of science and technology curriculum reform in Ontario focuses on two basic characteristics: practicality and interdisciplinary learning. The curriculum emphasizes cross-curricular and integrated learning, using STEM education concept and oriented towards the engineering design process. The curriculum objectives aim to support all students in becoming learners and practitioners of science and technology in the rapidly changing world. It ensures that they have critical life and technical skills to adapt to the changing world. This article analyzed the trends and characteristics of the new Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum Standards based on curriculum objectives, fundamental concepts, curriculum context, and curriculum evaluation, in comparison to the previous version. Based on the experience of curriculum reform, the value appeal of China’s current science curriculum reform and development, this article proposes to focus on the cultivation of core competency and strengthen the design of a systematic curriculum. It proposes the development of appropriate curriculum content based on the needs of local communities. Strengthening interdisciplinary practices and implementing integrated curriculum requirements. It suggests building a multidimensional interactive curriculum evaluation system centered around promoting the development of students.

This study developed a measurement instrument to assess students’ learning progressions in the crosscutting concept of Stability and Change across middle school grades (from Grades 7 to 9). Based on existing concept development models, frameworks, and research on student learning progressions, this study’s learning progression framework comprises four primary levels (i.e., Identifying, Understanding, Analyzing, and Designing) with three sub-levels (i.e., Static, Dynamic, and Cyclic), from basic to the most sophisticated. During the field test, three versions of the test comprising a total of 24 constructed-response items were administered to 136 seventh graders, 139 eighth graders, and 67 ninth graders. A partial credit Rasch model analysis was employed to inform instrument development and evaluation. Specifically, this study used step calibrations and item measures anchoring to express student performance across three grades on the same linear scale. Results provided evidence of reliability, content validity, construct validity, and predictive validity of measures of the instrument, suggesting the measurement instrument meets the quality benchmarks. The results illustrated that higher-grade students were more proficient than lower-grade students in Identifying, Understanding, Analyzing, and Designing regarding Stability and Change. None of the seventh graders and less than 5% of eighth graders were proficient at Cyclic level in Understanding, Analyzing, and Designing, whereas between 3% and 16.4% of ninth graders were proficient at level 3 in Understanding, Analyzing, and Designing.

According to the historical and practical needs of chemistry curriculum, this paper begins by elaborating the comprehensive nurturing value of chemistry curriculum from multiple perspectives. The condensation ideas of core competencies in the Chemistry Curriculum Standard（2022 Edition） for Compulsory Education of China is analyzed. It proposes the connotation and extension of the elements of core competencies. After that, the relationship between the two core competencies systems in the junior and senior high school is sorted out. In the end, the characteristics and applications of the construction of chemistry curriculum objectives and chemistry academic quality standards system based on core competencies are discussed in this study.

This study aims to evaluate students’ ability to process the context information embedded in chemistry problems. To achieve this goal, a diagnostic measurement instrument was developed, comprising 28 short-answer items embedded in seven context-based chemistry tasks. Four hundred and ninety-three ninth-graders took part in the testing in Jiangsu, China. The partial credit Rasch model was applied to establish evidence of validity and reliability of the measurement instrument. Results showed that this instrument could produce reliable and valid measures of students’ context-based chemistry problem-solving skills. Nearly half of the ninth-grade students had a high level of context extracting skills and a moderate level of context integrating skills. However, most ninth-graders only had a low level of context reasoning or argumentation skills. In addition, most students had unbalanced skill levels, and their skill levels decreased or equaled as the complexity of skill components increased. This study provides insights into the extent of students’ skills of dealing with context information in chemistry problems by developing a reliable and valid measurement instrument. The findings of this study might inform chemistry teachers to improve their teaching practices, call attention to test developers in taking much care of designing the context, and enable further studies to relate context-based problem-solving skills to chemistry concept learning and application.

在传感器技术支持下,从创设真实化学情境、提炼核心探究问题、运用技术揭示原理、直观呈现实验结果、回归情境解决问题五个方面设计并实施技术支持下问题情境导向的探究教学模式,有利于提高教学效果,促进教学变革与创新.教师团队结合港珠澳大桥建设和防腐蚀的实际问题情境,开展"钢铁的腐蚀与防护"单元教学,引导学生探究钢铁电化学腐蚀的影响因素,提高了学生的实验设计、实践探究、观察分析、证据推理等多种能力,增强了学生运用化学知识解决实际问题的能力和用化学服务于社会发展的责任感.