The aim of this study was to analyse the kinds and frequency of visual learning representations within 8th grade students' notebooks for science classes. As part of the research, 93 science notebooks which belonged to students from 13 secondary schools in Kars Province (the east of Turkey) were collected at the end of the academic year in 2018.…

The emergence of digital tools, including tablets with a multitude of built-in sensors, allows gathering many geological observations digitally and in a geo-referenced context. This is particularly important in the polar environments where (1) limited time is available at each outcrop due to harsh weather conditions, and (2) outcrops are rarely…

Scientific drawing and writing are critical to the development of observational and recording skills in biology. However, it is unclear how the process of drawing and writing contribute to the learning of plant taxonomy. In the present study, 41 adult botanical novices studied a suite of UK native plant species using two methods: labelled drawing…

Using multimodal conversation analysis, this article examines how students strive to resolve non-understandings through requests for clarification during teacher-fronted physics lectures taught in English in Finland. The findings provide new insights on the sequential environments in which students launch the requests (i.e. between or during…

This study is about the effect of the Our World exhibit at a science center on student visitors. It elicits students' views about the exhibits, zones, and activities, along with their level of interest and experiences. Data from students (n = 346) through a survey, field notes, observations and interviews (n = 18) were collected. The findings…

We present an analysis of students' reflective writing (diaries) of two cohorts of Grade 8 students, one undergoing inquiry and the other traditional science teaching. Students' writing included a summary of what students had learned in class on that day and their opinions and feelings about the class. The entries were analysed qualitatively and…

The notion of plant-blindness, the inability of humans to notice plants in their environment, has been much examined. Similarly, plant scientists have criticised the seemingly zoocentric focus of a biological education, which appears to neglect plants. Furthermore, there are stark contrasts between the active plant behaviours evidenced in current…

The freshman academic year is one of the most difficult years that a medical student experiences in his/her academic life at a medical school. Freshmen are frequently faced with several challenges, such as adaptation to a new academic environment and its associated different methods of teaching, learning, skills, and assessment. The aim of this…

The authors examined student and faculty opinions regarding the use of detailed learning goals in three courses. Students reported the use of learning goals to be positive, aiding them with studying, in lectures, and in determining the important material to learn. Likewise, faculty indicated that using learning goals was a positive experience,…

This paper reports on the implementation of a guided note taking strategy to promote Thai students' understanding of electromagnetism during a lecture course. The aim of the study was to enhance student learning of electromagnetism concepts. The developed guided notes contain quotations, diagrams, pictures, problems, and blank spaces to encourage…

A recent reform initiative in the Malaysian educational system has sought to develop "Smart schools", intended to better prepare students for adult life in a developing economy and to increase the flow of young people prepared for scientific and technological careers. The study reported in this paper examined lower-secondary science…

Reports a single case design study on the exam performance in science of fifth and sixth graders (n=27) using note taking combined with self-questioning. Authors found gains in science exams when notetaking/self-questioning strategies were in effect. (PR)

Most information is still conveyed to university students through lectures. This necessitates that students have sophisticated listening and note-taking skills, and poses additional difficulties for non-native students. To identify areas for improvement, science lectures in English in the Sultanate of Oman were analyzed. The relationship between…

A study at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman investigated the listening comprehension problems of students who were non-native speakers of English (NNS), in lectures by native English-speaking professors. Two professors with no previous experience in teaching non-native speakers introduced geology in 4 weeks of lectures. Instances of vocabulary…