The integration of computational modelling in science classrooms provides a unique opportunity to promote key 21st century skills including computational thinking (CT) and collaboration. The open-ended, problem-solving nature of the task requires groups to grapple with the combination of two domains (science and computing) as they collaboratively…

Problem solving is a highly valued skill in chemistry. Courses within this discipline place a substantial emphasis on problem-solving performance and tend to weigh such performance heavily in assessments of learning. Researchers have dedicated considerable effort investigating individual factors that influence problem-solving performance. The…

Examines the effect of three different modes of task orientation on observational attainment in practical chemistry. Results include the overall performance on the chemistry observation test and an analysis of the influence of the complexity of observational tasks on observational attainment. (Author/GS)

Problems concerning conceptual change from existing knowledge (accumulated from everyday experiences or earlier teaching) to new scientific knowledge concerning natural phenomena are fundamentally the same for Western and non-Western students. However, difficulties experienced by non-Western students are magnified by factors such as their cultural…

Investigated whether dropouts and other students having difficulty with physics could be identified by including mathematics reasoning items along with mathematics skill items on a 13-item mathematics pretest and by using records of past performance in conjunction with the pretest. Sample included 483 students in an introductory, noncalculus,…

Factors that may affect success in high school or introductory college physics typically include cognitive structure such as formation of problem-solving schemata, visual-spatial abilities, induced cognitive structures of sex roles, and such external factors as teaching style and curriculum. All are important in passing a physics course as…