A systematic literature review across multiple scientific disciplines was conducted to explore students' understanding of atomic structure, focusing on students' ACs. A total of 112 publications between 1972 and 2023 were selected for the study. Within the selected body of literature, 851 instances of ACs were distributed across students ranging…

Although researchers have extensively studied student conceptions of radioactivity, the conceptions held by preservice teachers on this subject are largely absent from the literature. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of problem-centered interviews with preservice teachers (N=13) to establish which conceptions are held by preservice…

In this part we introduce the Smart Dreamcatcher (SD) network, a visualization of the Microcosmos. The SD-network is a geometrical structure (3-uniform hypergraph) which allows a comprehensible explanation of quantitative characteristics of hadron particles at the level of elaboration by physics of 1970's-80's. The elementary particles correspond…

Chemistry students should learn not only the key concepts and processes of the discipline but also how they arise, are established, and develop over time. Undergraduate programs for chemistry teachers seldom include training in the history of chemistry to prepare future teachers to put concepts in a historical context. In schools, atom and atomic…

This study aims to give chemistry students a deeper understanding of electron shielding and quantum transitions by interpreting the characteristic X-ray lines. There is a popular misunderstanding among learners and even teachers in which an outer-shell electron fills a vacancy in the inner shell, releasing some of its energy as an X-ray photon.…

Neutrinos are perhaps the least understood of the known denizens of the subatomic world. They have nearly no mass, interact only via the weak nuclear force and gravity, and, perhaps most surprising, the three known species of neutrinos can transform from one variant into another. This transformation, called neutrino oscillation, has been…

This paper shares a hands-on activity that introduces Feynman diagrams and the accompanying idea of using pictorial representations to describe the behavior of subatomic particles--specifically, for electrons and photons--in place of mathematical expressions. Built collaboratively by scientists and artists, it exemplifies a triumph of lateral…

Atoms may repel or attract each other, but bound systems get virtually all of the attention in the classroom. To address the imbalance, instructors can explore the basis of repulsion in a few simple systems and highlight the important role played by the Pauli principle. A good example is the first triplet excited state of H[subscript 2] wherein…

This paper shows how the freely downloadable software package called "SMath Studio" can be used to solve the time-independent Schrödinger equation using a simple step-wise approximation. The solution is illustrated with reference to the hydrogen atom for which trial eigenvalues are supplied by the energy level formula of the Bohr atom.

The present technology report is aimed at demonstrating how the implementation of VR chemistry simulations of atomic structure enhances learning among students. MEL Chemistry VR lessons were incorporated into the classroom for 43 first-year undergraduate ITMO University students. The visualization techniques provided the learners with two…

The atom is science's biggest idea! And now it is known that even children from 4 years of age can grasp it, creating science education's biggest worldwide opportunity. Dr. Jenny Donovan and Dr. Carole Haeusler of the University of Southern Queensland conducted multiple studies to show that primary-age children, mostly aged 7-9 years in their…

The goal of this paper is to explore how game-based experiences can be leveraged through mobile technology to activate learner engagement and achieve a seamless connection between formal and informal learning. The paper presents a mobile game authoring tool that enables educators to create gamified lesson paths, drawing on the concept of atomic…

As part of their third-year general chemistry program, students at the University of the Côte d'Azur are taught the basics of radioactivity. The view that third-year university students have of the periodic Table of the Elements is often reduced because it ignores the vast majority of isotopes. As part of this program, a practicum devoted to the…

Simulation of physics phenomena is an indispensable part of experimental studies. Undergraduate and postgraduate physics students are often introduced to the simulation of various phenomena as one of the most important pedagogical tools. In this document, we demonstrate the simulations of the two-body decay of a particle and equilibrium states in…

It could be argued that the main goal of the teaching process is to create accurate projections of scientific models in the minds of individuals. In this context, it could be argued that it is important to determine the change and development of the mental models that individuals create for events/phenomena and related metaphors in this process.…