Unlike general approaches to learning, the Causalitic-Thinking Approach, aims to construct phenomena that have more than one possible answer. However this approach requires scaffolding strategies. This study aims to investigate the strategy of developing scaffolding in learning with the Causalitic-Thinking Approach to increase students'…

The themes discussed in this study relate to how students reason about the information encoded in rate constants, which is important for developing a deep understanding of chemical kinetics at the molecular level. This study is part of a larger project centered more generally on students' understanding and use of mathematics in chemical kinetics.…

This paper describes a high school or introductory university course in scientific programming that introduces the computer revolution into the physics curriculum at the beginning. In the first one-hour lecture, Euler's method is presented and used to compute a solution to the analytically unsolvable two-body problem. In the remainder of the…

This paper discusses the importance of one of the most crucial elements in science and technology education: the development of the individual capacity to cope with new problems. Also, discuss the importance of being aware of the existence of "formative objectives" and "tacit knowledge". In the planning of a course, taking into…

Despite a tremendous success in boosting students learn electrical analogies for science education, it remains a challenge to extend such strategy for formally constructing equations related to the Ohm's law in order to solve electrical problems based on series and parallel circuits. Unlike most traditional works of teaching technique that focus…

Solving STEM problems requires that data (numbers and units) from a word problem be substituted into a mathematical equation(s) for solution. However, solving STEM problems is an implicit process that provides little or no guidance for the problem solving process. In this study symbols linking the data to the mathematical equation(s) are used to…

In this study, the impacts of teaching modern physics topics according to textbooks that are prepared based on two different physics curricula implemented in Turkey on students' success, problem-solving skills, and attitudes were examined. The sample of the study consisted of 80 high school students studying in the 12th grade. Within the scope of…

With a growing number of global challenges related to the environment, water, public health, and energy, there is an imminent need to teach chemistry in the context of its interconnectedness with other systems. Project- and problem-based learning are student-centered learning approaches which offer educators the opportunity to engage learners in…

"Is this solution pink enough?" is a persistent question when it comes to phenolphthalein-based titration experiments, one that budding, novice scientists often ask their instructors. Lab instructors usually answer the inquiry with remarks like, "Looks like you have overshot the end point", "Perhaps you should check the…

Understanding the concepts of quantum mechanics has always been a challenge for undergraduate students. This is especially so because many of the introductory (analytically solvable) systems and problems discussed in textbooks are seemingly abstract. Using approximate experimental demonstrations of such systems and problems have been shown to be…

Strategies for teaching NMR spectral interpretation in the undergraduate organic chemistry curriculum are often faculty-centered and can lead to student reliance on rote memorization and "guess and check" methods rather than critical-thinking skills for structure determination. This article describes a student-focused methodology for the…

Recent advances in computer hardware and algorithms are spawning an explosive growth in the use of computer-based systems aimed at analyzing and ultimately correlating large amounts of experimental and synthetic data. As these machine learning tools become more widespread, it is becoming imperative that scientists and researchers become familiar…

Group discussions are often used to improve students' participation in the learning process. Unfortunately, the most frequent problem is teacher difficulty assessing the contribution of each group member. This research aimed to explore student performance in group discussion through two types of peer assessment. Data were collected through…

Students in first-year university courses often focus on mimicking application of taught procedures and fail to gain adequate conceptual understanding. One potential approach to support meaningful learning is Productive Failure (PF). In PF, the conventional instruction process is reversed so that learners attempt to solve challenging problems…

This mixed-method study introduced an adaptive scaffolding system to support middle school science problem-based learning (PBL) activities. 298 6th-graders were grouped into three conditions, which are the adaptive scaffolding group, the non-adaptive scaffolding group, and a control group that did not receive any scaffoldings. Results showed that…