In physics education, a number of studies have developed assessments of teachers' knowledge of student understanding (KSU) of specific physics concepts with modified versions of existing concept inventories, in which teachers were asked to predict the popular incorrect answers from students. The results provide useful but indirect information to…

In this paper, we describe student understanding of the "force concept" (basic concepts of Newtonian mechanics) by representing it as a vector-valued quantity, which we refer to as the "score-state vector," in a (30-dimensional) Force Concept Inventory (FCI) score space. We use a large ensemble of FCI results collected…

Trigonometric derivatives are fundamental in both mathematics and physics, yet their correct application, particularly the distinction between radians and degrees, remains a significant challenge for college students worldwide. This study identifies a widespread "blind spot" in understanding trigonometric derivatives and their…

The study complements previous research on a case study of chemistry lesson plans design and teaching. It has been found that chemistry education in the Gambia has been challenged by ineffective lesson plans design and teaching, and laboratory resources. The consequences have been unsatisfactory learning outcomes. However, what could lead to…

This study explored how a professional development experience changed preschool teachers' perceptions of integrated STEM education. In addition, the research examined what teachers learned about STEM education with this experience. The study employed a qualitative research design, precisely a case study approach. Thirty preschool teachers…

Considering both the ecological niches of fungi and the different benefits they provide to humans, it is expected that students have a high level of scientific knowledge about living things in this kingdom. In the study, it was aimed to examine the learning of secondary school students about living things in the fungi kingdom. The research, which…

The diversity of scientific methods has received increasing attention in the field of science education. This paper aimed to investigate how preservice chemistry teachers perceive scientific methods and their diversity. Based on the theoretical framework of Brandon's Matrix and previous research, two tasks (i.e., Task 1 "understanding of the…

Refutation texts are designed to facilitate the revision of inaccurate knowledge; however, studies have documented backfire effects wherein respondents become less accurate when exposed to a factual correction compared to another. Here, we explored whether epistemic emotions mediated knowledge revision or backfire processes when reading…

This study investigated the stability and persistence of prospective elementary teachers' conceptual understanding of average speed. A questionnaire containing two questions about average speed was administered to the prospective teachers prior to their admission to an elementary science methods course (pretest) and at the end of the course…

This article describes a study of 149 preservice chemistry teachers' misconceptions of concepts related to a reduction-oxidation reaction. A mixed-method approach was used to obtain data through the ROXCI (Redox Concept Inventory) instrument and interviews. Result indicated that the highest misconceptions were for item number 10 (4.03% or only 6…

This study documents the development of an assessment (a multiple-choice test with free text rationale) built into an academic skills module over a 2 year period. Initially introduced as a credit bearing assessment to promote student engagement, disappointing results in the first year prompted a further intervention in year 2 with an additional…

Background: Understanding students' naive conceptions about the norms that guide scientific best practice is important so that teachers can adapt to students' existing understandings. Objective: We examined what incoming undergraduate students of psychology believe about reproducibility and open science practices. Method: We conducted an online…

The aim of this study is to reveal the cognitive structures of social studies students through word association test and to determine their knowledge and misconceptions about the concepts of law, justice, right and equality. In the research, which was designed in the survey model, a word association test was used to determine the cognitive…

Objective: To explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 in university affiliates to inform future COVID-19 policies and practices. Participants: Undergraduate students, graduate students and university employees at a large public university. Methods: Semi-structured focus groups and interviews were conducted between…

When students learn, they activate, use, revise, and acquire knowledge. As such, knowledge is a fundamental asset. We advocate for an asset-based approach which capitalizes on students' knowledge through prompts and activities that invite learners to leverage what they already know. Considering knowledge as an asset means that educators must…