ISEC 2024 SINGAPORE: INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION CONFERENCE 2024 SINGAPORE
PROGRAM FOR TUESDAY, JUNE 25TH
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08:30-09:00Tea Reception (Outside LT1)
09:00-10:00 Keynote 3: Noah Weeth Feinstein

Science education and the richness of human social life

Many of the most common responses to misinformation and the post-truth era are built on misunderstandings about the social and institutional nature of scientific work and the social conditions under which non-scientists make sense of science. This presentation explores how understanding the richly social nature of scientific work – and human life more generally – might help us develop science education strategies that support the fruitful integration of science into complex and plural societies. The core of the talk focuses on three ideas: competent outsiders, epistemic networks, and appropriate respect. Each idea responds to broad assumptions in science education: the assumption that “thinking like scientists” is useful outside of scientific practice, the assumption that people do (or should) try to make sense of science on their own, and the assumption that “trust in science” is a simple and unambiguous good. Drawing on theories and findings from sociology and the interdisciplinary field of Science and Technology Studies, I argue that public engagement with science plays out in a social world that is full of alliances, commitments, and connections, populated by organizations and institutions as well as people and ideas. Although it seems improvised in the moment, public engagement with science is informed by histories and experiences that we cannot (and should not) ignore.

Location: LT1
10:00-11:30 Session 3A

Assessment and Evaluation

Location: TR701
10:00
Climate Change Awareness Levels and Factors Affecting the Awareness of Upper Secondary School Students in Central Region, Thailand
PRESENTER: Piyatida Supa

ABSTRACT. Climate change is a major threat to the future of today’s youth. Education is one of the factors that prepares individuals and communities in climate change mitigation and adaptation processes. However, in order to help people to comprehend the various messages around climate change, it is important to understand the level of climate change awareness of our students and factors affecting climate change awareness. This study, therefore, examine upper secondary school students’ awareness of climate change, and factors affecting the awareness. The sample group of this research was 250 students from the school in central Thailand. The climate change awareness assessment consists of two parts, 1) general information of each students including sex, education level, GPA, and academic program and 2) students’ climate change awareness which including two session, which are true-false items about an understanding of climate change, with the index of Item objective congruence ranged between 0.67-1.00, and the reliability was .70; and five rating scales items about an attitude and action of climate change with the item objective congruence ranged between 0.67 - 1.00, and the reliability was .97. The levels of climate change awareness were classified into 4 levels (very high, high, medium, and low). The number of students in each level were analyzed using descriptive statistics. For the affecting factors, the data was analyzed using Chi-Square test. The findings revealed that most of the students were at moderate level of climate change awareness (n=151, 60.4%), and follow by high level (n=92, 36.8%). Only few students were at very high (n=3, 1.2%) and low level (n=4, 1.6%). The result also showed that female students aware of climate change more than male. In addition, students’ awareness of climate change is affected by their academic program and level of achievement at a significant level of .05.

10:30
Development of a Scientific Practices Survey Instrument for Middle School Students

ABSTRACT. Scientific practices or the Practices of Science have been making their way into science education standards in various education systems. They first appeared as the Scientific and Engineering Practices (SEP) in the US Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) a decade ago and recently as the Ways of Thinking and Doing in Science (WOTD) aspect of the Practices of Science in the Singapore science curriculum framework. These practices can be categorized into three spheres of scientific activities: investigating, explaining, and evaluating sphere (Osborne, 2014). The introduction of scientific practices in science classrooms therefore warrants the need to assess students’ performances in these practices so that teachers may gather evidence to provide relevant feedback and refine instruction. While several survey instruments of scientific practices currently exist, they mainly assess one specific practice e.g., modelling (Minshew et al., 2022), focus on a subset of the practices (Vorholzer et al., 2020), or tie to a specific science subject e.g., for general chemistry laboratory (Stephenson et al., 2020). Hence, there is a need for a more comprehensive survey of scientific practices for K-12 students that spread across the three spheres of scientific activities. Our research contributes to bridging this gap by developing a 12-item written survey instrument (including rubrics for individual items) to evaluate middle-school students’ grasp of scientific practices. We focused on practices that appeared in both the WOTD and SEP to ensure local and global relevancy. These include asking questions, planning investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, developing and using models, constructing explanations, and engaging in argument from evidence. In our presentation, we discuss how these items were constructed with consideration for validity and reliability issues and highlight the modifications made to some items. Such decisions were derived from Rasch analysis using data from a pilot study with high-ability lower secondary students (n=82) from Singapore. In summary, we describe the various modifications that were made to items to increase the clarity of required performance in respective items. Similarly, adjustments were made to the rubrics to better align with the expected progression of performance on a practice for the targeted survey participants.

11:00
Examining Students' Understanding of 'Chemistry of Life' Using a Multidimensional Framework for Conceptual Change

ABSTRACT. This study used a survey method to understand how well 10th-grade students in Thailand grasped the topic of 'Chemistry of Life' from their national curriculum. The aim was to see how their understanding changed before and after studying this part of the curriculum. The researchers looked at the students' answers from a special questionnaire and interviews. The main findings showed that the students had quite a few misconception about basic chemistry. For examples, many thought that hydrogen gas (H2) is a compound, or that an electron in an atom has no mass but carries a negative charge. They also had trouble understanding the structure of different substances, which made it hard for them to explain how biomolecules like carbohydrates and proteins work. For example, they knew water is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, but couldn't explain why water is good at dissolving things. They also made some basic mistakes about proteins and carbohydrates and confused things like brown sugar and glucose. The study also found that how students think and feel plays a big role in how they move from incorrect to correct scientific ideas. There are several things that make it hard for students to change their understanding of science. The results will help in making a new tool to check how well students understand basic chemistry, especially how it relates to living things. This tool will help teachers make better lessons and help students learn more effectively in the 'Chemical Basis of Life' topic.

10:00-11:30 Session 3B

Science in Informal Settings

Location: TR702
10:00
Implementing Design-Based Learning in the Integration of Informal Science and Local Wisdom to Enhance Science Teaching Competency

ABSTRACT. Informal science learning environments play a crucial role in setting the tone and inspiring students, fostering a positive learning towards science. This action research aimed to cultivate science teaching competency by integrating resources and activities based-on local wisdom. The study targeted senior 13 science student teachers pursuing a bachelor's degree, enrolled in the "Science Learning from Learning Resources and Local Wisdom" course. The course employed design-based learning and practical field experience over a 15-week duration. Learning topics and activities were included the connection between local wisdom and science concepts, activity design, informal science settings, and the assessment of science learning in practice. The instrument used for data collection included a rubric score assessing science teaching competency. The outcome of the science teaching competency initiative demonstrated that student teachers created the science activities such as 1) Water and soil treatment, 2) Homemade aroma and color, and 3) Natural fertilizer. These activities were implemented with primary school students, showcasing the science student teachers' understanding of science concepts intertwined with local wisdom. Furthermore, they demonstrated the ability to design activities that effectively probe students' comprehension using appropriate materials, facilitated through learning management and assessment strategies.

10:30
Science Museum-School Collaboration: a case study of coastal line field trip

ABSTRACT. Field trips can enhance student’s life experience and motivate them to learn. Not all schools have access to a qualified heritage guide agency that can arrange educational field trips. This study explored how the National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS) in Taichung, Taiwan, acts as field trip collaborator to devise field trip plans with schools and domestic community organizations to promote elementary school students’ awareness of the relationships between humans, nature, and conservation efforts while experiencing natural heritage. The NMNS sporadically holds fossil camps for students at a harbor-side outcrop fossil layer in Miaoli, Taiwan.The schools expect that the NMNS can organize a field trip plan incorporating reflective thinking about humans and nature rather than offering a simple guided tour of the fossil layer. The present study applied the sociocultural approach to illustration the field trip plan and determine how the museum collaborates with domestic community organizations to encourage the interpretation of local culture and natural heritage and how the museum cooperates with partner schools to refine the teaching plan of a field trip. There were 618 students participated the field trip between February 10 to October 26, 2021. The students’ post-trip group interviews and journals revealed that the students noticed the changes to the landscape made by past and contemporary people. On the basis of this case study, postpractice reflections were discussed, and models relating to regional resources, science museums, and schools establishing sociocultural contexts and cross-disciplinary linkages in outdoor science education were proposed.

11:00
Immersing students in nature: does informal learning experiences in the natural environment support interest and knowledge development?

ABSTRACT. Knowledge and interest in and for the environment is key to the sustainable development of future cities, especially in the current landscape of climate change. As an island city-state, this sensitivity is of paramount importance to Singapore due to limited resources like land scarcity and climate challenges like rising sea levels. Familiarity with environmental concepts may translate to improved sustainability attitudes while an intrinsic interest in the environment may motivate a stewardship towards the environment. Using a quasi-experiment, this study investigated the effect of immersive informal learning experiences on students’ environmental knowledge and interest. A three-day non-residential camp programme was developed, featuring key environmental concepts from the Secondary Biology and Geography syllabuses. The camp was held on the St John’s Island Complex, in collaboration with the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, with thematic emphases on tropical coastal ecosystems and ecological conservation. The research questions were (1) how do students’ attitudes toward the environment change after the camp, and (2) what are the factors affecting students’ motivation for environmental conservation? Students’ response to pre- and post-questionnaires showed a significant change in their Connection to Nature Index (CNI; Mpre = 4.00, Mpost = 4.17, p < 0.05). Through the one-to-one interviews, this increase in CNI could be attributed to students’ experience of the structured learning activities that were conducted during the camp. The camp also exposed students to current ecosystem restoration efforts, which promoted a sense of agency among students. The findings provide insights into how immersive informal learning in the natural environment could be designed to be integrated seamlessly with the formal school curriculum.

10:00-11:30 Session 3C

Science Teacher Professional Development and Teacher Education

Location: TR703
10:00
Re-examining the role of language in Chemistry in the senior secondary curriculum of Hong Kong with Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) Approach

ABSTRACT. Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education examinations (HKEAA), for recognizing students’ abilities for their future pathways. When teachers want to review the teaching effectiveness of their curriculum design, candidates’ performance reports in public exams are essential tools for educators to reflect on their teaching effectiveness. According to the candidates’ performance reports of chemistry (HKEAA, 2012 – 2022), students have been working hard on tackling subject misconceptions. However, students are still weak in communicating subject matters through English in word, sentence and text level. Consequently, teachers should implement a more comprehensive teaching programme to tackle the linguistic challenges of students. Content and language integrated learning should be a way to help.

This action research includes a 2-year longitudinal study of how content and language integrated learning (CLIL) approaches such as literate talk (Luk and Lin, 2015) with multimodalities and entextualisation cycle (MEC) (Lin, 2016) was employed in a Hong Kong Chemistry classroom from Grade 10 to Grade 11 to facilitate meaning-making processes between the teacher-researcher and students. Results show that students kept their academic standards even when chemistry content knowledge became increasingly difficult. Implications will be shed in this study.

Reference Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) (2012-2022). HKDSE Chemistry: Examination Report and Question Paper. Hong Kong: Lin, A. M. Y. (2016). Language Across the Curriculum & CLIL in English as an Additional Language (EAL) Contexts Singapore: Springer. Luk, J., & Lin, A.M.Y. (2015). Voices without words: Doing critical literate talk in English as a second language. Tesol Quarterly, 49(1), 67-91.

10:30
OER-Enabled Professional Development of Secondary Chemistry Teachers in Bhutan

ABSTRACT. Teaching chemistry to secondary school students is critical because it lays the foundation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, fosters critical thinking, promotes understanding of everyday chemical science, and prepares students for higher education and future careers. However, chemistry is a complex and challenging subject with abstract concepts, math-intensive calculations, and laboratory work with safety concerns that challenge secondary chemistry teachers to teach it effectively. Similarly, Bhutanese students have reported facing difficulties in comprehending the subject matter and materializing its practical applications, indicating an overemphasis on memorization for passing exams. According to research, high-quality professional development (PD) programs can enhance teachers' professional competence, which can positively impact students’ learning outcomes. This study investigated the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) modules on atomic structure, organic chemistry, and chemical bonding to support the PD of Bhutanese secondary chemistry teachers. The main objective was to enhance teachers' subject matter knowledge (SMK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) in order to promote Higher Order Thinking with Inclusion and Equity (HOTIE) in their practices. OERs were hosted on Moodle (https://oer.sce.edu.bt/), and teachers (n = 19) were expected to complete each module in six weeks. The PD of teachers was also monitored through the Community of Practice (CoP) established on Telegram. The study used a mixed-methods approach to assess the impact of OERs on teachers through pre and post-test scores, lesson plans, reflections, classroom observations, and interviews. A CoP network was also examined to understand members' communication and knowledge-sharing dynamics within the community. The results indicated that OERs positively impacted the PD of secondary chemistry teachers by enhancing their knowledge across subject matter, raising their awareness of PCK, and adopting inclusive pedagogical practices. Teachers acknowledged the effectiveness of social learning within a CoP for sharing topic-specific knowledge, attitudes, and practices while also seeking solutions to professional challenges. This study recommends that educational institutions in Bhutan support the PD of in-service teachers by using OER and CoP platforms for fostering equitable and quality secondary chemistry education.

10:00-11:30 Session 3D

Science Teacher Professional Development and Teacher Education

Location: TR704
10:00
The Use of DragGame E-Learning Activities to Enhance Curricular Decision-making

ABSTRACT. This paper reports the outcomes of a project conducted in junior secondary science classrooms in Hong Kong, which used an innovative tool called DragGame (DG e-acts) to enhance teachers’ curricular decision-making. Such digital tools allowed students to construct representations of their sub-microscopic understanding of matters and processes by dragging and dropping the provided digital objects, e.g., symbols representing different types of particles or arrows indicating the directions of forces. Ten science teachers from eight local secondary schools participated in the project either as implementers or co-developers of learning activities of the junior science topics, including “condensation and evaporation”, “thermal contraction and expansion”, “photosynthesis”, “digestion”, “acids and alkalis”, and “force and motion”. Classroom observations, teacher post-implementation reflections, and student interviews were employed to collect data for analyzing the teachers’ practice of the use of the DG e-acts tools. Teacher participants were found to be more capable of identifying curriculum incoherence (e.g., the particulate view of particles introduced in Secondary 1 was not reinforced in Secondary 2) due to the co-designing and implementation processes. Moreover, teachers were found to be more capable of using students’ ideas elicited in productive classroom dialogues to make on-the-spot curricular decisions. Based on our findings, we postulate that one-on-one teacher development programs regarding the use of digital tools in classrooms could support the professional development of science teachers in curricular decision-making. However, the possible transfer of the new understanding to inform curricular decision-making in other scenarios was yet to be explored.

10:30
Secondary Science Teachers’ Understandings About Scientific Inquiry

ABSTRACT. Science education emphasize engaging students in science practices through which students can develop content, procedural, and epistemic knowledge of science. To accomplish this goal, science teachers must have a informed understanding about scientific inquiry to embed science content in authentic science practice. However,little is known regarding science teachers’current views about scientific inquiry(VASI) we conducted a qualitative and quatitative study fill this gap in the literature. Data were collected using an open-ended online survey, and responses from 372 science teachers were analyzed using the text coding and Chi square analysis. our results indicate that relatively few teachers exhibited more informed understanding about scientific inquiry that extend the rigid, linear scientific method presented in science textbooks. Teachers broadly believed that scientific inquiry must guide by question, same procedures may not get the same results , and no single set or sequence of steps followed in all sicentific inquiry. Yet, When discussing the impact of scientists and the inquiry process on the scientific inquiry results, more factors that cause differences are classified as accidental factors such as errors in experiments, ignoring the influence of methods and the research perspective and theoretical basis of scientists . Although most teachers agree that scientific inquiry begins with a problem, there is controversy over whether it originates from a scientific problem or life problem. More importantly, less than 7% of teachers have reached an informed understanding in scientific data differs from science and evidence, explanations are developed from a combination of collected data and what is already known.The chi square analysis further indicates that there is no significant difference in teachers' understanding of various aspects of VASI due to differences in teaching experience and professional titles, but only significant differences in individual aspects of VASI due to differences in degree and major. This study warns us of the urgency and necessity of helping teachers build a comprehensive understanding of scientific inquiry. Suggest adding more epistemological knowledge to teacher training programs in the future, and increasing opportunities for teachers to experience scientific inquiry firsthand.

11:00
Thailand Physics Teachers’ Perception on Sustainability and SSI-Based Teaching Practice Transformation Towards Scientifically Active Citizens

ABSTRACT. Many science educators have been increased emphasis on using SSI-based teaching that incorporates sustainability concepts. For science education to respond to both social and environmental changes by creating students to play the role of responsible citizens in creating positive changes to their lives about social issues related to science, it is called scientifically active citizens. However, studies of physics teachers' classroom teaching practices are still ambiguous. Therefore, this paper is a preliminary study of how physics teachers perceive the importance of and current practices in teaching using SSI-based teaching and sustainability. To raise awareness for change, this study uses the practice architecture lens to analyze the concerns and challenges faced by physics teachers as they transform their teaching practices for students to be scientifically active citizens. This study involved 35 physics teachers teaching at the high school level in Thailand. This study selected and completed a questionnaire comprising Likert-type and open-ended questions. Expert validation and the Cronbach Alpha test were carried out to establish the validity and reliability of the instrument. Results indicated that physics teachers perceived the importance of teaching practice in combining SSI-based teaching with sustainability; however, their own teaching practice remains at a lesser level. Most physics teachers still adhere to the teaching approach of the instrumental view. The results also indicate that most physics teachers are aware of positive changes in their teaching practices but remain concerned about the lack of instructional time and the unavailability of relevant materials and approaches. Make it happen in the classroom; perceptions of this change will be discussed. The importance of this study will be useful to those who promote the process of professional development of teachers in science education using SSI-based teaching that incorporates sustainability that can bring about change in teaching practice using an action-oriented transformative approach.

10:00-11:30 Session 3E

Science Teaching and Learning

Location: 7A-01-06
10:00
Developing Critical Thinking Using Blended Learning with Microscale Experiments for Upper Secondary Chemistry
PRESENTER: Eric Lee

ABSTRACT. This study presents an innovative approach to Science education in Upper Secondary Chemistry by integrating blended learning with microscale experiments to develop critical thinking in students. The impact of the study is that teachers have more curriculum time to deepen students’ learning and students can better focus on the key principles of the experiments during the lesson.

Our methodology involved the use of the Singapore Learning Space (SLS) platform for blended learning, followed by reinforcement of students’ learning through the use of microscale experiments. Through flipped learning, students had access to bite-sized content with instructional videos as well as assessment for learning (AfL) questions, allowing teachers to measure their level of understanding and collect evidence of learning. Next, students conducted microscale experiments in pairs as an extension of their online learning as teachers facilitate the connections between the online content and the observations from the microscale experiments to strengthen the practical-theory integration. EdTech tools on SLS were also utilised to encourage active learning, collaboration and interaction with both the teacher and their peers.

The findings demonstrated significant improvements in student engagement, depth of understanding, and quality of questions asked. Students were observed to make better observations and predictions, and they were more able to work together with confidence in setting up the experiments for investigation. Students had also given feedback that the online content and microscale experiments complement each other in their learning.

With access to SLS for the online content, students also had the flexibility to learn at their own pace and this empowered students to be more prepared for learning when conducting the microscale experiments. Students also had opportunities to develop critical thinking as they can observe the changes faster so they have sufficient time to exercise sound reasoning by looking at the evidence to draw appropriate conclusions.

In conclusion, this approach offers a practical guide for teachers to re-think about the design of the Chemistry lessons and practical tasks to strengthen the practical-theory integration. By integrating blended learning with microscale experiments, more curriculum time is available to facilitate meaningful discussions in-person to develop critical thinking in students.

10:30
Collaborative Digital Mind-Mapping Across Mechanics Topics

ABSTRACT. Students tend to compartmentalise concepts learnt from the various chapters under the Mechanics theme of the Physics syllabus. They find difficulty interconnecting ideas and concepts across chapter and this often leads to confusion and difficulties in solving real-world or context-based problems.

In this study, the team seeks to investigate the impact of a collaborative digital mind-mapping strategy on (a) deepening students' understanding of interconnected concepts across Physics topics, and (b) tapping on the affordances of technology to support collaborative practices and group learning.

The study involved a group of 40 Secondary 3 students taking the Pure Physics syllabus. An individual pre-test was administered at the end of the initial period of instruction. This allowed the team to gather early information about students' understanding of conceptual linkages between topics at that point in time. The learning data was then used to form mixed progress groups comprising 4-5 students each. Students then engaged in digital collaborative mind-mapping where they were offered the option of working with a blank canvas or using scaffolds provided by the teacher. The teaching team provided feedback on individual mind-maps and students were given the opportunity to refine their work. A post-test was then administered to surface students' learning gains, if any. A survey was also conducted to determine students' perceptions of the effectiveness of mind-mapping in supporting their learning and their confidence in employing this strategy when learning other units of the Physics syllabus.

A paired sample t-test across pre- and post-intervention assessment scores revealed a statistically significant improvement in results. Survey findings showed that a majority of the students found the strategy 'beneficial in helping them see connections across topics' (>80%) and were confident in 'tackling Physics problems involving multiple concepts from different Physics chapters' (>75%).

However, the team is treating positive results with some caution. Attribution of learning gains could be due to other factors such as more revision time and greater exposure to similar assessment items. Effectiveness may be further explored by extending this strategy to other Physics topics and themes.

11:00
Item Response Theory Analysis of a Test with Unsafe and Safe Illustrations for Minimum and Homogeneous Safety Education

ABSTRACT. Safety is a top priority in science laboratory activities, and safety education is essential for ensuring that scientific observation and experimental activities are conducted safely; however, this often depends on the experience of individual teachers. In this study, we aimed to develop a test for minimum and homogeneous safety education that does not depend on teachers' knowledge. The test consists of two types of illustrations: Unsafe illustrations depict seven unsafe behaviors or unsafe environments and are used to identify unsafe areas to measure safety awareness; while Safe illustrations depict safe behaviors and environments corresponding to the unsafe areas identified in Unsafe illustrations. The usefulness of Unsafe and Safe illustrations as teaching materials for safety education was examined by conducting a survey among university students. The quality of the test was examined using Item Response Theory (IRT), and the results showed that each of the Unsafe illustrations has different levels of difficulty, and that the test evaluated the safety awareness of a wide range of examinees. The analysis showed that the test is suitable for measuring the safety awareness of examinees with lower than average safety awareness. The average number of checked unsafety items on the Unsafe illustrations alone was 4.5, whereas in the comparison of Unsafe and Safe illustrations, the average number of checked items was 6.4. This suggests that the illustrations are useful for identifying unsafe areas. However, the results also showed that some hazardous areas are not identified by the participants even after the correct answers are revealed.

10:00-11:30 Session 3F

Science Teaching and Learning

Location: TR705
10:00
The study of satisfaction with inquiry-based learning combined with using educational board games in the science subject of eleventh-grade students in Thailand.

ABSTRACT. This research aims to investigate satisfaction with inquiry-based learning combined with using educational board games in the science subject of eleventh-grade students in Thailand. The research sample consists of 38 eleventh-grade students from Yangtaladwittayakarn School, Kalasin Province, Thailand. The sample was randomly selected using cluster random sampling. The research instruments include 1) six additional biology lesson plans on ‘Plant Reproduction'; 2) six biology board games; and 3) a learning satisfaction survey.Statistical analysis of the data involves means (M.) and standard deviations (S.D.). The research findings reveal that students engaged in inquiry-based learning combined with educational board games in biology show high overall satisfaction with learning activities (M. = 4.51, S.D. = 0.68). When considering specific aspects, it was found that students' highest levels of satisfaction are in the following top three rankings: Firstly, students are highly satisfied with the instructional methods, techniques, and overall approach used by a teacher in teaching the lessons (M. = 4.71, S.D. = 0.60), which is the highest level of satisfaction. Next in line is the aesthetic appeal and captivating nature of the board games used in learning activities (M. = 4.63, S.D. = 0.67), which also ranks as highly satisfying. Lastly, the board games utilized in the activities receive the highest satisfaction levels, with clear and easily understandable instructions for gameplay (M. = 4.55, S.D. = 0.68), in respective order.

10:30
The Correlation of the Dimensions of Action Competence for Environment of High School Students

ABSTRACT. Action competence (AC) for environment is essential for preparing citizens to deal with environmental crises that have happened around the world. Citizens with AC are those who have knowledge about the effects and consequences of the solutions taken to eliminate environmental problems. They are willing to work with others in a democratic culture to enrich environmental quality. They are critical thinkers and reflective practitioners when working on the process of environmental problem solving. Previous studies indicate some AC dimensions. Nevertheless, based on our literature review, there are not any studies that confirm about the correlation among the AC dimensions. Thus, this study aims to address this issue. Our samples were 191 high school students obtained from the stratified random sampling technique. The data were collected from a questionnaire in a 3-level Likert-scale format that consisted of six AC dimensions, including knowledge for action, motive for action, vision for action, thinking skills for action, action experience, and democratic partnership. The reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.87. The students’ responses were analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficient. The results show that AC dimensions have a positive relationship at .01 level of significance. It shows that ‘thinking skills for action’ are related at a high level to ‘democratic partnership’ (r=.65) and ‘knowledge for action’ (r=.64), respectively. This research suggests that to develop AC for environment, learners should be provided with opportunities to practice critical thinking and reflective thinking when working on the environmental issue in a democratic partnership with other stakeholders.

11:00
Examining high school students’ perceptions of the human element of science

ABSTRACT. Understanding the Nature of Science (NOS) is important for enhancing students’ scientific literacy. Different NOS models include the dimension of the human element of science (HEOS), which is related to the image of scientists and scientific competence. Studies have reported that students’ understanding of HEOS varies according to their nationality and socio-cultural and ethnic group. This study examined perceptions of HEOS among 605 Japanese high school students (305 male students, 290 female students, and 10 students whose gender was not specified) from three public schools. All students had taken science classes, and 296 students were enrolled in a STEM-oriented curriculum that included advanced science and mathematics. The online questionnaire comprised four sections and 50 items, each rated on a 5-point Likert scale: 1) attitude towards science learning, 2) aptitude for different academic fields, 3) competencies a scientist needs, and 4) scientific practice in individual and social contexts. Perceptual differences among high-school students related to educational experience and gender were scrutinised using nonparametric statistics. Both male and female students in STEM-oriented courses responded to the attitude towards science learning section more positively than others. No statistically significant difference was found in perceptions of the gender-related aptitude for science and mathematics section among the four student groups that were categorised according to their courses and gender. However, the four student groups differed in their perceptions of the gender-related aptitude for engineering section. The female students in STEM-oriented courses responded to this question of engineering section negatively. For competencies a scientist needs, students in STEM-oriented courses valued cognitive competence, socio-emotional competence, and creative and imaginative competence more highly than other students. However, most students devalued cooperation and communication in science practices. In addition, students in STEM-oriented courses had more positive ideas of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) relationships than others. These results indicated that Japanese students’ understanding of HEOS varied according to courses taken and gender groups. This implied that HEOS concepts could be offered as a hidden curriculum because NOS is not explicitly included in Japan’s national science curriculum. Further qualitative research on science teachers’ and students’ perceptions of HEOS is recommended.

10:00-11:30 Session 3G

Science Teaching and Learning

Location: TR706
10:00
Using ChatGPT to Brainstorm Students' Inquiry-Based Learning

ABSTRACT. In Japan, "Basic Science and Mathematics Inquiry" and "Science and Mathematics Inquiry" classes began in 2022 to foster the proactive behaviors and creative abilities of students. This educational reform implies changes in science education. Structured Inquiry, a part of inquiry-based learning, is the standard method used in Japan to teach fundamental scientific knowledge. However, the direction of the reform requires changing the Structured Inquiry into Controlled or Guided Inquiry. Structured inquiry is a form of introductory inquiry learning. The class follows the teacher’s instructions and all students work on a single question. The teacher provides the question and the resources needed to answer it, as well as how it will be presented. Although students have little personal freedom, the inquiry process can be followed by all students. In Controlled Inquiry, students have a little more freedom. Students participate in the inquiry process within the context of the questions and resources established by the teacher. Guided Inquiry is more flexible than the two methods presented above. The teacher provides the questions, but the students decide how to answer them and select the reference materials and how to present them. Teachers find it difficult to guide and support students in the early stages of inquiry instruction, especially for establishing and developing the research themes to be addressed. In this report, we attempted to develop a teaching method that would enable students to establish inquiry themes systematically through simultaneous instruction. We tested an instructional method that combines the “Monju Card Method” and “Mandala Chart” for brainstorming and organizing the results of brainstorming in the initial stage of setting inquiry themes. The possible use of ChatGPT as a supportive tool for brainstorming during this activity was also examined. The results suggest that brainstorming using the Monju Card Method and organizing the results using a Mandala Chart is a feasible method for students. The issues extracted by ChatGPT were consistent with the participants’ interests, suggesting that they are comparable with the issues identified by brainstorming.

10:30
Enhancing Flipped Classroom Learning in Higher Education in Singapore Through the Socratic Methodology: A Synergistic Approach

ABSTRACT. Higher institutions in Singapore such as the Polytechnics are using the flipped classroom model, commonly attributed to Bergmann and Sams (2012). The underlying assumption in flipped is that the students are able to effectively self-learn through watching a series of videos. It would greatly benefit instructors if they were able to determine whether the self-learning was done well before transitioning to deeper discussions. To this end, we experimented with the integration of the Socratic Method into the flipped classroom model and evaluated the process. In addition, our study investigates the synergistic potential of combining the flipped classroom and Socratic Method to enrich student engagement. The Socratic questioning played a function in eliciting and challenging students’ pre-lesson self-learning, and in extending students’ understanding. It served to extract knowledge and information from within the students. Features of the Socratic method were categorized in accordance with Chin (2007) as pumping, reflective toss, and constructive challenge. This exploratory study was piloted in five classes (sample size = 109) over a semester. Students were briefed on the study, and both student feedback and a focus group were conducted at the end of the semester. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis were performed on the data collected. The findings strongly suggest that the use of Socratic Method helped affirm students of their self-learning, increase classroom engagement, and strengthen the student thought process. The implications of these findings include contributions to the ongoing discourse on methods to enhance the flipped classroom, offering educators a nuanced understanding of how the Socratic Method can complement and enhance the flipped classroom learning model, fostering a more inclusive and intellectually stimulating educational experience.

11:00
Development and implementation of a cognitive conflict–based learning package: effects on grade 10 students’ conceptual understanding of electromagnetism

ABSTRACT. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a researcher-developed lesson package using Cognitive Conflict-Based Learning (CCBL) Model on the Grade 10 students’ conceptual understanding of Electromagnetism. This study employs Concurrent Embedded Design. One class of Grade 10 students in a secondary public school in Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines, and a teacher-implementer participated in the implementation of this study. The students answered a pre-test, followed by the implementation of the researcher-developed lesson package in Electromagnetism using CCBL Model. Semi-structured interviews were conducted during the implementation to monitor the change of conception of students during the implementation of the lesson package. A post-test was administered to the students after the implementation phase. Qualitative Content Analysis was employed to obtain the concepts the students have before, during, and after the implementation phase. These concepts were categorized into Sound Understanding, Partial Understanding, Partial Understanding with Alternate Conceptions, Alternate Conceptions, and No Understanding. Paired-sample t-test was used to compare the scores of the students in the pre-test and post-test and Cohen’s d-test to measure the effect size. The affordances and challenges were also determined. It was found out that before the implementation phase, a lot of students don’t have prior understanding of concepts of Electromagnetism and only few students have sound understanding and partial understanding. It was also found that some students have improved their understanding, and some remained to have difficulty understanding concepts of Electromagnetism. The scores of the students in the post-test (Mean = 12.96, SD = 3.51) are significantly different to their scores in the pre-test (Mean = 9.07,rnSD = 2.31) at t(46) = 6.362, df=45, and p<0.001. This means that the performance of the students based on their scores improved after the implementation of the lesson package in Electromagnetism, with a large effect size (d=0.938). There were affordances and challenges that were encountered during the implementation phase.

10:00-11:30 Session 3H

Science Teaching and Learning

Chair:
Location: TR708
10:00
Enhancing Learning in Engineering Physics: Integrating Misconception Discussions with the 5E Instructional Model

ABSTRACT. The effective learning cycle proposed by educators J. Myron Atkin and Robert Karplus (1962) has long been a cornerstone of technical education, encompassing exploration, term introduction, and concept application. While this model has proven valuable, our study identifies a crucial omission—the discussion of misconceptions. Research indicates that misconceptions can significantly hinder new knowledge acquisition, as they are often deeply ingrained and resistant to conventional instructional correction. In response, we propose the integration of a discussion on misconceptions within the learning cycle, employing an inquiry-based approach such as the revised 5E Instruction Model (Bybee 2009). This approach actively engages students, fosters cooperative learning, and reduces reliance on rote memorization. Focusing on the subject of Engineering Physics, our study investigates whether deliberately incorporating misconceptions into instructional material, coupled with the 5E instructional model, results in improved learning outcomes. Engineering Physics students commonly bring pre-conceived notions that misalign with expected scientific conceptions. We designed misconception-related problems using concept cartoons, video or media clips, and structured questions. The study involved forty-eight students (Control Group=25; Experiment Group=23). Data collection utilized an assessment quiz with two-tier questions, a student survey, and a focus group discussion. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were employed to interpret the findings. Our results suggest that integrating a discussion on misconceptions with the 5E instructional model positively impacts learning outcomes. While most misconceptions were remediated, complete elimination proved challenging. This study provides valuable insights into enhancing the effectiveness of instructional strategies in Engineering Physics education.

10:30
Vaccination information sources and decision-making among higher-secondary students in India during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study
PRESENTER: Anupama Das

ABSTRACT. India’s comprehensive Universal Immunization Programme has largely focused on early childhood vaccinations. Studies investigating adolescents’ perceptions about vaccination and vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) are limited. This study attempts to fill this significant knowledge gap in post-COVID India. 16 students from different socio-economic strata (SES) in grades 9–12 were interviewed to ascertain their knowledge and attitudes regarding vaccinations and VPDs. We particularly focused on understanding vaccination information sources and decision-making among higher-secondary students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was carried out just after vaccinations were introduced stage-wise in India for children aged 12–18. Most students had taken the COVID-19 vaccine, however, vaccine awareness varied significantly. Though students have high trust in their science teachers, they preferred the media over school for vaccination information, since they felt school textbooks provided minimal education on vaccination. They used the criteria of “trust” and “authority” (of the information provider) to assess various media sources. Many students perceived themselves as less-informed and less capable decision-makers than their parents, and allowed parents to make decisions on their behalf. Our observations provide insights into the COVID-19 experiences and concerns of adolescent students and are timely given recent Indian government recommendations on introducing Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to teenagers. The study highlights the role of science education in connecting students with the relevant scientific background about vaccines and shaping their understanding of public health. This is especially important in the post-truth era where students are susceptible to mis/dis-information associated with vaccines.

11:00
Establishing a Rightful Presence for LGBTQIA+ Individuals in Biology Teaching and Learning

ABSTRACT. For decades, education scholars have articulated how engaging in scientific inquiry is a cultural endeavor that accentuates Eurocentric beliefs and practices (e.g., Aikenhead, 1996; Harding,1992). Similarly, a few feminist scholars have noted that science is also a gendered experience, emphasizing the number of men in science and how they influence science culture (e.g., Kelly, 1985; Milam & Nye, 2015; Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005). In school science, these perceived beliefs could lead to science teachers framing science teaching and learning through a Eurocentric and heteronormative lens, cultivating a culture that may exclude lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and asexual (LGBTIA+) students. In this narrative inquiry case study, we collaborated with Teacher Bautista (he/they), a trans-identified, non-binary high school biology teacher in the western United States, to understand how their teaching established a rightful presence for these students. We draw on rightful presence in STEM (Calabrese Barton & Tan, 2019) and teachers' funds of identities (Charteris, Thomas, & Masters, 2019) as frameworks to make meaning of Teacher Bautista's multiple identities and lived experiences. In particular, we focused on understanding how Teacher Bautista mobilized their identities in ways that informed their pedagogical beliefs to make their biology classrooms more justice-oriented. We collected narrative interviews and their genetic curriculum unit as data sources for this study. Through thematic narrative analysis, we identified three narrative threads that illustrated how Teacher Bautista narrated and embodied their indigenous, queer, and disruptive educator identities as part of making a rightful presence for LGBTQIA+ individuals in biology. The findings also elucidate specific teaching strategies that reject oppressive and anti-LGBQTIA+ rhetoric when teaching molecular and evolutionary biology. Implications from this study suggest that science teachers must learn to unravel layers of settled expectations in science teaching by situating the nature of science as a practice of resistance. As such, this study further illustrates practices that develop science teachers' critical consciousness as part of making science teaching more justice-oriented.

10:00-11:30 Session 3I: Symposium

Symposium

Location: 7A-01-07
10:00
Exploring Metalanguage and Metacognitive Strategies for Developing Disciplinary Literacy in Biology

ABSTRACT. Disciplinary literacy is an important aspect of Science learning as it enables a learner to engage in disciplinary discourse proficiently. This is evident in the revised Science Curriculum Framework, which characterises the discipline of Science as a way of thinking and doing, beyond the mere acquisition of knowledge. More generally, disciplinary literacy can also support effective communication, an Emerging 21st Century Competency (21CC) prioritised in MOE’s enhanced 21CC Framework. However, even though learning the scientific language is a critical part of learning disciplinary literacy, teachers encounter difficulties with integrating language and content learning. To raise teacher language awareness (TLA) in Science, a group of Biology teachers and teacher leaders formed a Networked Learning Community (NLC) to use their knowledge of and about scientific language to enhance their instruction of disciplinary literacy.

Drawing from the NLC’s collective TLA, an aspect of teacher knowledge whose declarative and procedural dimensions are detailed by Seah, et al. (2022), this symposium brings together three studies by members of the group. The first study introduces a thinking routine to support student thinking and writing, and demonstrates its application in constructing comparative texts. Adopting the same routine, the second study focuses on the reading and writing of sequential explanations. Practical work is the focus of the third study, which uses a similar approach to unpack procedural texts. Despite emphasising different text types, the studies are informed by declarative knowledge about language (KAL), such as the disciplinary-specific norms and conventions of language use, and knowledge of students (KS), such as the difficulties they face with scientific language. They also cut across the system, text and lexocigrammatical-sentence levels of language for the various KAL and KS components. The presenters’ declarative knowledge is in turn used to develop a suite of tools and strategies relevant to the Teaching Processes of the Singapore Teaching Practice. In particular, such procedural knowledge is manifested in the use of metalanguage, activity design, task scaffolds, visual aids and specific feedback. As a collective, the three studies exemplify how declarative TLA is applied as procedural TLA to support the development of disciplinary literacy in students.

10:00-11:30 Session 3J: Workshop by ITS Science & Medical Pte Ltd

Workshop: Zeiss Microscopy Digital Classroom

Presenter: Fhu Chee Kong

Synopsis: Whenever you are considering to buy new school equipment, count on a digital classroom. An interactive digital classroom helps to produce the engaging atmosphere that motivates students to discover their field of study and to reach their learning goals.

With ZEISS microscopes and the imaging app Labscope, it is easy to create a digital classroom with a network of connected school microscopes. You can now monitor all student microscopes from your iPad or iPhone. Get students’ awareness by interactively involving them in your teaching. Students gain by learning success in a playful way and have fun in your training session by sharing their microscope images in their networks.

Location: TR710
11:30-12:30Lunch (Outside LT1)
12:30-13:30 Session 4A

Science in Informal Settings & Science Teaching and Learning

Location: 7A-01-07
12:30
What makes Scientific Participation and Action so special for students and parents?
PRESENTER: Eiseul Kim

ABSTRACT. Today, social or political participation and action is no longer outside of science education. In particular, ‘Scientific Participation and Action (SPA)’ has received significant attention as one dimension of scientific literacy proposed by the Korean Science Education Standards for the Next Generation (KSES). It has also been emphasized in the new Korean national curriculum. It refers to the ability and attitude to participate and act as a citizen in solving individual and social science-related problems, which is quite different from the traditional perspective that focuses on scientific knowledge and processes. However, there is still a lack of classroom practices and research on it. New keywords, SPA should not remain mere rhetoric in science education. The aim of this study is to increase the awareness and implementation of SPA in science education. This study investigated how students perceive their experiences with the science education program for SPA. The interview was conducted with eight middle school students who completed a 14-week informal science education program in Gangnam, South Korea, in 2023. Five of their parents were also interviewed to diversify the data. The findings of the thematic analysis are as follows. Firstly, students indicated a greater interest in socio-scientific context than scientific knowledges in SPA programs; however, they did not perceive the contexts as very close to themselves but as more familiar to adults. Secondly, both students and parents highly valued hands-on experience with scientific inquiry and were satisfied with SPA programs that gave them to special experience from structured experiments to open inquiry. Thirdly, students developed a positive perception of scientific community activities. They expressed enjoyment and demonstrated a desire to continue similar participation with their peers after the SPA program. Nevertheless, some students showed hesitation to participate passionately in related civil and social activities. From the results, this study confirmed that SPA should begin with understanding the socio-scientific issues within the student context and should emphasize action as a member of the scientific inquiry community rather than as a citizen of society. This study provides implications for goals and methods of SPA education to be embedded into real classrooms.

13:00
When Do Scientific Uncertainties Induces Productive Struggle? Examining the Relationships Between Scientific Uncertainty Management, Epistemic Curiosity, and Learning Achievements

ABSTRACT. In science learning, students encounter scientific uncertainties that pose challenges for them. Despite the growing interest in researching scientific uncertainties and student struggles, it remains an open question when student struggles can become productive and what factors influence their productivity. This study is motivated by the assumption that students' management of scientific uncertainties contributes to making their struggles productive. Additionally, it anticipates that epistemic curiosity will mediate the relationship between scientific uncertainty management and productive struggle, leading to higher learning achievement. To investigate these relationships, the study explores related literature on each construct, collects survey data from 520 middle school students, and analyzes the data using structural equation modeling. The study employs a newly developed measure for scientific uncertainty management, encompassing constructs such as epistemic orientation toward uncertainty in knowledge development, positive and negative affect to uncertainty, and self-efficacy in and strategies for managing uncertainties. Epistemic curiosity is measured using a previously validated scale consisting of joyful exploration and deprivation sensitivity. The results support the mediation effects of epistemic curiosity on the relationship between epistemic orientation toward uncertainty, positive and negative affect to uncertainty, and learning achievement. Interestingly, positive affect to uncertainty has no effect on learning achievement whereas negative affect to uncertainty has a detrimental effect on learning achievement without controlling for epistemic curiosities. Different mediational paths—through joyful exploration for the former and deprivation sensitivity for the latter—are suggested to yield positive indirect effects. The findings underscore the importance of engaging in epistemic curiosity for productive struggle in response to students' positions regarding scientific uncertainty. In essence, scientific uncertainty may lead to productive struggles when students manage such uncertainties by pursuing their epistemic curiosity.

12:30-13:30 Session 4B

Curriculum and Policy

Location: TR701
12:30
Science Education and Economic Growth from the late 1940s to the early 1970s: A Case Study of Japan

ABSTRACT. Between the late 1950s and the early 1970s, Japan went from a devastating defeat in World War II to achieving rapid economic growth; this is known as the “Japanese miracle.” This study investigates the relationship between science education and economic growth in Japan by exploring the following research questions: (1) how is science education connected to economic growth and (2) who took the initiative to develop the country’s science education framework? Japanese students have achieved high scores in international comparisons since the 1960s. Although the recommendations of the United States Education Mission to Japan held a major influence, domestic factors also played a role. Japan’s government regarded education, especially science and technology education, as a vehicle for promoting industry and building a cultured nation. Based on demands from the business community and a recommendation by the Central Council for Education, the Ministry of Education published a white paper on Japan’s growth and education, which stated that education had contributed to achieving the modernization and economic growth in Japan that began in the mid-19th century, emphasizing the importance of investing in education to address social needs. Starting in the 1950s, the business community also issued several policy statements on education. During this decade and the first half of the 1960s, a focus on human resource development in the fields of science and technology appeared, represented by the expansion of vocational secondary schools and higher institutes. Although Japan’s government organized the Liberal and Democratic Party to take the obvious initiative to develop education, there were also strong demands from the business community. The ideas of the government and the business community were based on the theory of human capital, viewing education as something that benefited the nation, rather than the individual well-being. Understanding the history of science education can provide insight into the post-truth era. Consequently, we can conclude that, if we aim to improve scientific literacy for all Japanese, there is a need to emphasize the benefits of science education on individual well-being.

13:00
Life Science curriculum embedded with active learning activities offers opportunities for developing higher-order-thinking skills and soft skills in post-truth and automation era.

ABSTRACT. In this post-truth world and automation era where artificial intelligence and technology shape the way we think, live, and work, the need to equip our graduates with higher-order-thinking skills (HOTS) and soft skills becomes essential. HOTS are needed to sift through the information deluge for verification, application, synthesis, and/or decision making, while soft skills are necessary to maintain the invaluable ‘human touch’ in the expanse of automation. Higher education policies and curricula are evolving rapidly to better equip graduates for such a world. Active learning strategies known to promote learning of HOTS and soft skills are encouraged to be incorporated in our curriculum. To determine if our Life Science (LS) curriculum has opportunities to develop HOTS and soft skills via active learning activities, we conducted an online survey on 90 LS courses as part of our exercise to update the information of our LS undergraduate curriculum. In addition to specific course information (e.g. syllabus, assessment mode, intended learning outcomes, etc.), we enquired the course coordinators about the type of learning activities and the perceived opportunities for learning HOTS and soft skills embedded in their courses. Among the 20 learning activities, ‘Report/Essay Writing’ (62%), ‘Project Work’ (58%), ‘Critical Reading & Critique’ (58%), and ‘Case Studies’ (56%) are the most embedded across the 90 LS courses. As for the four HOT skills based on Bloom’s cognitive domains i.e. ‘Apply’, ‘Analyse’, ‘Evaluate’, and ‘Create’, there are respectively 91%, 90%, 87%, and 72%, of the LS courses perceived by the course coordinators to have ‘Good’ to ‘Very Good’ opportunities for developing them. Among the 14 soft skills/attributes, 54% to 99% of the LS courses are perceived to have ‘Good’ to ‘Very Good’ opportunities for developing them; ‘Analytical & Critical Thinking’ and ‘Problem-solving’ skills are among the highest. An indirect comparison with another independent survey on our graduates’ perception of how our education has prepared/equipped them with soft skills suggests comparable findings although there are rooms for improvement. Overall, the findings suggest that our LS curriculum, embedded with active learning activities, offers good to very good opportunities for developing HOTS and soft skills.

12:30-13:30 Session 4C

New Media and Technologies

Location: TR702
12:30
Impact of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) on students’ achievement and scientific literacy in science education: a meta-analysis

ABSTRACT. In the era of continuous advancement in modern science and technology, teaching aids like software, artificial intelligence, and mobile terminals have become essential in supporting science education. Does the implementation of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) in science education live up to the expectations in enhancing students' achievement and scientific literacy? How should science teachers apply computer-aided technology to improve teaching quality? Through a meta-analysis of 40 effect sizes extracted from 15 high-quality papers published between September 2012 and September 2022, we found that TEL in science education significantly enhanced students' achievement, scientific literacy, and psychological processes, especially in the first two areas. TEL delivered online proved superior to offline and blended approaches, with teaching strategies focused on interaction yielding better results than those based on experiential learning. However, no significant differences were observed in the impact of TEL in science education across different regions, educational levels, technologies, and whether devices are provided for students. Based on the research findings, we posit that the future of computer-aided science education lies in creating more interactive opportunities for both online and offline science classrooms, facilitating active student engagement in collaborative learning environments, fostering the building of scientific knowledge, and advancing scientific literacy. This study provides insights for educators and policymakers to develop effective science education strategies in the digital age.

13:00
Applications of Artificial Intelligence in the Analysis of Visitors' Experience at a Science Centre

ABSTRACT. Science centres are informal STEM learning contexts that afford multiple sensory experiences for their visitors. Existing research in such contexts tends to use interviews and surveys to establish an understanding of the visitors' experiences. However, these data represent proxy insights that may not comprehensively understand how visitors feel while interacting with the exhibits. This is especially so when the exhibits afford limited opportunities for physical interactions; hence, exhibitors could only infer from conventional research instruments. The prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) during the post-pandemic days has inspired the current study to harness the automated power of technologies to analyse other proxy indicators such as facial changes to infer the emotions and attention of the visitors interacting with exhibits. Such a study design is informed by the works of James Gee about "Discourse". Therefore, changes in facial expressions and eye gazes are valuable data that can be analysed to afford meaningful insights that science centre exhibitors can draw upon to inform the design and installations of future exhibits. This study reports on a pilot study that collaborates with a private company with AI solutions, to test the AI system developed and gather data on visitor's emotions and attention when interacting with certain types of science exhibits. TThis study aims to report on the research design considerations when conducting such kinds of study in a non-controlled environment where the artefacts are not static but an exhibit. A total of six research participants who were undergraduates and staff of a university participated in the study trial. The setup involved a laptop with AI software installed, a webcam, and an external video camera for other non-facial data (in case it afforded additional data for triangulation with the facial and attention data. The findings showed the capabilities of the AI software in distinguishing the different emotions. However, we also discovered limitations in the setup that must be addressed in future similar studies. The findings will be information for future research designs in authentic learning environments such as the ones embedded in informal learning contexts.

12:30-13:30 Session 4D

Science Teacher Professional Development and Teacher Education

Location: 7A-01-06
12:30
The current state of Pre-service science teachers’ supervision in the school partnership of Phetchaburi Rajabhat University.

ABSTRACT. Supervision is the one of process for enhancing pre-service science teachers’ competency, among the different supervisory methods needed in a particular context. This research aims to explore the current state of pre-service science teachers’ supervision in Phetchaburi Rajabhat University. The participants were 45 faculty supervisors who taught in teacher preparation program, and 33 cooperating teachers who work in school partnership were obtained by purposive selection. The data were gathered from questionnaire about current state and appropriate way of pre-service science teachers’ supervision. Content analysis and descriptive statistics were employed to interpret the data. The results showed that most supervisor experience were between 11-15 years. The type of supervisions were onsite, hybrid, and online respectively. The average of pre-service science teachers to supervisor ratio for all school was 3 pre-service science teachers to 1 supervisor. In addition, the top three activities that supervisors done most were a) opening channels for pre-service science teachers to contact and inquire, b) observing pre-service science teachers teaching, and c) correcting lesson plans before teaching, respectively. From this study also found that a rare activity was the opportunity for other pre-service teachers to participate in the observation, the supervisors and pre-service science teachers’ time did not match, the pre-service science teachers lacked preparing lesson plans, and the supervisors had insufficient knowledge of supervision. However, most supervisors advised thus: training with excellent role models teacher, using a lesson study model, training for cooperating teachers and faculty supervisors who do not have a degree in specific teaching, and defined specific supervision model clearly

13:00
The School Collaborative Partnerships in Developing Pre-service Science Teachers’ Teaching Competencies : The Preliminary Study

ABSTRACT. School collaborative partnerships (SCPs) play an important role in preparing well-qualified pre-service science teachers (PSTs). This descriptive qualitative study reports on the current situation of using the SCPs idea in preparing PSTs’ teaching competencies among 7 university supervisors. The data collection was drawn from semi-in-depth interviews with university supervisors or lectures about the SCPS engagement in conjunction with document analysis. Inductive analysis, in conjunction with content analysis, was used. The finding revealed that there were no direct connections with cooperating teachers and university supervisors except in school practicum and internship courses in the last year. The university supervisors shared SCPs' ideas for each course in common. All of them were asked to integrate school-based learning to enrich the PSTs’ quality of teaching. Each only used school as a place for PSTs to learn professional practicum and internships along the training program. Most university supervisors invited cooperating teachers, alumni teachers, and other university supervisors to share their ideas about teachers’ teaching and experience to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Some of them assigned PSTs to observe and interview cooperating teachers in school about teaching competencies and technique in the real classroom. Three of them were assigned PSTs to set up science camps in school under the supervision of cooperating teachers. In addition, PSTs were asked to facilitate and assist the teachers while they attended the short professional development program. None of them used cooperating teachers with full collaboration to help PSTs’ teaching competencies throughout the courses. This study has highlighted the need for significant improvements in building collaboration with each other to develop PSTs’ teaching competency in each course.

12:30-13:30 Session 4E

Science Teaching and Learning 

Location: TR703
12:30
Ideation to Implementation: A Critical Evaluation of the Development of a Maritime-Oriented Interdisciplinary Course

ABSTRACT. The adoption of interdisciplinary curricula in institutes of higher learning worldwide signals a major paradigm shift from the traditional single discipline focus to one that is interdisciplinary. This presentation critically evaluates the processes of developing and implementing HS2906 Saltwater: Society and the Sea— an interdisciplinary course bridging maritime history and marine biology at the College of Humanities and Sciences, National University of Singapore. The scope of the course lends well to interdisciplinarity; but the initial primary challenge was to seamlessly integrate two content-rich major disciplines of history and biology. The teaching team, comprising educators from faculties of Science, as well as Arts and Social Sciences, achieved the learning objectives of the course by adopting three foci themes: Expedition, Extraction, and Expression, that anchor the course yet allow flexibility for interannual variation. Field trips are compulsory class components, where the teaching team models interdisciplinary approaches through academic guided activities. Each assessment for this course is interdisciplinary, with strong emphases on problem-solving to achieve a learning experience that is immersive, and relevant.

Having completed the inaugural course this past year, the successes, and shortfalls of this interdisciplinary course are discussed based on the student feedback and critical reflections of teaching performances. Central to this discourse is the importance for collaborating educators from different disciplines to embrace uncertainties when embarking on interdisciplinary endeavors. Moving beyond traditional boundaries of respective disciplines, in this instance, in humanities and sciences, the teaching team were presented with opportunities, but also challenges. Adopting tried and tested methods, such as the Course Design Triangle framework, aided in the clear progression for the design of this course. Identifying the pedagogy underpinning such collaborations is crucial at the start but adaptability throughout the process of development and implementation are equally important. In addition to leveraging on colleagues with a broad range of subject expertise, emphasis must be made for consulting literature and adapting pedagogical frameworks for a successful move beyond a disciplinary silos and effect long-standing interdisciplinary scholarship. The contents of this presentation are of interest to colleagues planning to, or already, incorporate elements of interdisciplinarity in their teaching practices.

13:00
Development and evaluation of a lesson sequence in heat and temperature using transformative learning in a blended online setting: effects on student’s conceptual understanding.
PRESENTER: Rafael Baynosa

ABSTRACT. The research investigated the effect of a TL (Transformative Learning) lesson sequence in Heat and Temperature on BSEd Science students’ conceptual understanding of heat and temperature in a blended online learning setup, at a state university in Negros Occidental. It used a mixed embedded design of research. The instruments used were Heat and Temperature Conceptual Evaluation (HTCE), Interview questions, Journal Logs and the Lesson sequence itself. Results showed that after a two-week implementation of the lesson sequence, students did not practically pass the HTCE. However, on a positive individual observation, a significant increase on some students’ post- test score performance reflected by t(28)= 2.32, p=.04 and medium effect size (d=0.50) was found. This indicates a medium and statistically significant increase among some students’ HTCE post evaluation.These quantitative results were investigated further and were corroborated with qualitative data as reflected by selected interviews and journal logs from students who improved. Affordances and challenges were also noted in the implementation of the research. The challenges were internet connectivity, zoom platform cost, and teacher’s and students’ infamiliarity with the approach. For the affordances, data of the research show that TL promotes collaboration, interactivity and flexibility. The final findings show that TL can be integrated in science teaching in universities. To achieve conceptual development, relevant content and high appropriateness of TL themed activities should characterize a lesson plan and sequence. Also, the researcher is interested in investigating TL influenced classes for conceptual evaluation in a longer timeline rather than just two weeks, since conceptual development is a long process. The research further found out and recommends to the teachers and administrators who would like to use TL in their online courses the readiness of the students in terms of gadgets and technologies as the first consideration to support Blended Online Learning with TL.

12:30-13:30 Session 4F

Science Teaching and Learning

Location: TR704
12:30
Young Children's Models of Microscopic and Macroscopic Properties of Matter as Enacted through Their Embodied Actions

ABSTRACT. In this study, we explored kindergarteners’ enactment of the nature of matter (solids, liquids, and gases) as they engaged in a discourse-rich, modeling-based inquiry lesson on states of matter (SOM). A growing body of developmental research suggests that young children possess the cognitive skills to engage in simple forms of epistemic and scientific practices and develop beginning understandings of core physical science ideas that provide a critical foundation for future science learning (e.g., Gopnik et al., 2014; Keleman, 2019). We draw upon this developmental theory to argue for the value of introducing particle models of matter in early childhood. Based on our view of development as culturally situated learning (Rogoff, 1990), we posit that scaffolded inquiry-based instruction with simplified particle models will allow students to iteratively extend/refine models to foster explanatory coherence. Specific to this study, children engaged in investigations to explore the relationship between macroscopic and microscopic properties of SOM. One type of modeling activity was “human modeling” in which children embodied particles that make up matter and enacted specific states. We were interested in how children represent their understanding of microscopic and macroscopic properties of matter as they enact their models through embodied actions. Seventy-two kindergarteners and four teachers in a U.S. elementary school participated in the study. Data sources included video recordings and transcriptions of the human modeling activities. A coding scheme was developed using cognitive science bootstrapping techniques of iterative “bottom-up approach” analysis (Chi, 1997, Samarapungavan et al., 2017). Results showed that kindergarten learners were able to accurately enact simple particle models to demonstrate macroscopic properties (shape, positioning) and microscopic properties (arrangement and relative distance) of SOM, and microscopic movement properties (movement, speed, trajectory) of solids, but had difficulty representing the microscopic motion properties of liquid and gas phases. Our results demonstrate that scaffolded, model-based inquiry instruction can support the coherent learning of simple particle models in early elementary years. Implications include that the recommendations embodied in the current U.S. science education reform documents can be adapted productively to teach abstract science even to young children, with appropriate support for implementing model-based inquiry instruction.

13:00
Enhancing teachers’ epistemology of models and their pedagogical content knowledge for teaching modelling practices through lesson study

ABSTRACT. Modelling is one of most important practices for teaching and learning science. However, there are few studies examining how to enhance science teachers in terms of their epistemology of models. This study aimed to investigate, when engaging lesson study (LS), science teachers' epistemology of models (the existing nature of models, their purpose, and model multiplicity) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for teaching modelling practices, including knowledge of instructional strategies and knowledge of learners. Data were collected from observations, post-lesson discussions, and follow-up interviews; it was then analyzed using an inductive process, namely interpreting and identifying the shared features of concrete data and making an abstract conclusion to be synthesized as a theme. The results indicated that “self-reteaching” allows teachers to feel and realize how to develop the knowledge of models and modeling, instructional strategies, and learners. Critical reflection at post-lesson discussions also provides teachers with good teaching modeling practices based on connecting evidence from students with justification. Further, knowledgeable others in LS play a crucial role in assisting teachers in discovering effective instructional modeling through evidence-based teaching and learning. Also, master teachers with strong content knowledge are crucial individuals who drive meaningful discussions in LS forward. Contributions of the study to science teacher professional development for teaching modelling practices, particularly in how to conduct and dialogue in LS effectively, are discussed.

12:30-13:30 Session 4G

Science Teaching and Learning 

Location: TR705
12:30
How to apply digital tools in science graph teaching?: Based on the analysis of middle school science textbooks in Korea

ABSTRACT. The significance of graphs has grown even more in the big data era. Graphs, particularly those that intuitively represent data, prove useful in interpreting the relationships between variables. The emergence of digital graph tools in recent times has been overcoming the challenges of traditional tools like pencil and paper, such as scaling axes, plotting points, and drawing best fit lines. Thus, there is a further need for research on incorporating digital tools in science education, given the importance of graphing. This study aims to provide insights into how digital tools can be applied in science graph teaching. The research questions are as follows: in science graph teaching (1) How are inquiry activities currently practiced? (2) How are digital tools used? (3) What graph activities are conducted using digital graph tools? To address these questions, this research focuses on the inquiry activities in the Korean science textbooks for 7-9th grade. The analysis was conducted from three perspectives: the use of graphs, the purpose of using digital tools (e.g. measurement, graphing), and the sub-skills of graphing (e.g. construction, interpretation). The findings were as follows: (1) Despite the fact that interpreting relationships between variables is a core concept, there have been instances where graphs were not used in the activity. (2) Digital tools were predominantly used for measurement, with limited use in graphing. (3) When applying digital graph tools, there was a tendency to focus more on graph interpretation than on graph construction, neglecting the assignment of variables to axes. The implications derived from this study include: (1) Efforts are needed to incorporate graphs into activities dealing with the relationships between variables. (2) In inquiry activities, it is essential to maintain a balanced emphasis on the interpretation and construction of graphs. Specific details regarding the use of digital graph tools should be provided in textbooks.

13:00
Empowering Future Science Teachers for a Sustainable World: Enhancing Environmental Literacy through Active Learning Modules

ABSTRACT. In the 21st century, environmental literacy (EL) has become a vital aspect of global citizenship, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Among the key influencers in nurturing EL, teachers play an important role in preparing young people to become environmentally literate. For this reason, fostering EL among pre-service science teachers is the primary responsibility of teacher preparation institutions. Despite the growing importance of EL, there is a limited amount of research focused on preparing pre-service teachers for EL. In light of this, this study aims to develop the EL for pre-service science teachers by using environmental active learning modules designed to immerse learners in a multi-dimensional educational experience, encompassing physical, intellectual, emotional, and social engagement. The participants consisted of six pre-service science teachers enrolled in an environmental education course at a public university. To measure the impact of our approach, we employed the Environmental Literacy Assessment Questionnaire, comprising four parts: Part 1 - General Information, Part 2 - Environmental Attitude, Part 3 - Environmental Behavior, and Part 4 - Basic Environmental Knowledge. Findings as measured by the EL questionnaire show that all participants had a high and moderate level of EL after learning from the modules, and the mean score on the EL after experiencing the four active learning modules was higher than the mean score before the learning. The success of our environmental active learning modules can be attributed to their emphasis on hands-on activities and critical reflection. These modules foster a cooperative learning environment that empowers learners to validate their thoughts, feelings, and values. While pre-service teachers exhibit commendable progress in EL, areas such as environmental behavior and basic environmental knowledge continue to present opportunities for growth.

12:30-13:30 Session 4H

Science Teaching and Learning 

Location: TR706
12:30
Understanding and communicating scientific concepts: From reading to writing

ABSTRACT. To be competent science learners, learners must be able to read, understand, and communicate science ideas. This study examines the learning process of a group of 51 secondary four students as they learn to read scientific research articles, distil essential ideas from the articles, and subsequently re-write the ideas into a popular science paper for general reading. The students undergo a three-month science communication programme that consists of four-stage learning experiences designed using the CLEARR pedagogical framework: (1) Contextualisation - knowledge of science communication is activated and interest is built, (2) Learn & Explore - students acquire knowledge and language skills through reading and interacting with science researchers, (3) Apply & Respond - students write a of popular science article and present their ideas, (4) Reinforce - feedback on students’ work are given through interactions with researchers along with rubrics for assigned tasks. Students work in groups of three or four to read a science research article and work with the author of the articles to understand the scientific concepts presented and the motivation behind the study. These articles range from studies in the area of marine ecology, physiology of the heart, drug discovery from marine cyanobacteria, therapeutics for cancer, stress responses of plants, conservation, and nanostructure materials. Students spent six hours with the researchers to clarify the scientific ideas and concepts represented in the research articles. They also worked with the English language teachers on the genre of popular science. The students submitted a popular science article and presented their ideas at a symposium at the end of the three months. Through semi-structured interviews with students after the programme and thematization of views expressed, we uncover the significant and Eureka moments during their science communication learning journey to theorise how learners learn to understand and communicate complex scientific concepts. Insights from this study have implications for designing science communication and science research curriculum for secondary schools and inform a model in which scientists collaborate with schools to make cutting edge science ideas more accessible.

13:00
Nature's Design: How Students Can Harness Biomimicry Through Graphical Abstracts

ABSTRACT. In today's rapidly changing world, innovation has become more important than ever due to the constant advancements in technology, economy, and society. One key approach to fostering innovation is through biomimicry, which involves taking inspiration from nature to solve complex human problems. Biomimicry has been used successfully in many fields, including architecture, engineering, and medicine. To prepare students to create innovative solutions, teachers should encourage them to discover natural models and emulate them. However, this process can be challenging, as students must first understand the biological principles that enable organisms to function effectively in their environment. An important step in this process is abstraction, where students make a sketch to show their understanding of the features and mechanisms involved in a biological strategy. The purpose of this research was to study high school students' creation of a graphical abstract of the biological strategy of organisms. Evaluating 20 students’ graphical abstract groups (two people per group). The study found that while most students had interesting ideas for creating innovation based on biomimicry, they tended to focus on the shape or color of an organism rather than its anatomy or physiology. This suggests that there may be a need for more explicit instruction and guidance on how to abstract biological principles. Overall, a good graphical abstract can help teachers evaluate their students' understanding of biomimicry and contribute to the value of innovation. By teaching students to think like nature, we can inspire them to create innovative solutions that are sustainable, efficient, and effective. This can lead to a better future for all of us, where technology and nature are in harmony, working together to solve the challenges we face.

12:30-13:30 Session 4I

Science Teaching and Learning 

Location: TR708
12:30
A Systematic Literature Review of Empirical Research on Network Analysis in Physics Education

ABSTRACT. Over the past decade, network analysis has emerged as a quantitative methodology for modelling discourse or assessment in research in Physics Education. This article provides a comprehensive systematic review of the applications of network analysis in empirical studies published between 2013 and 2023, based on the Scopus database. We address the research goal for examining (1) the Physics Education research topics that apply network analysis; (2) the role of network analysis as a quantitative methodology in Physics Education research. The author follows the framework developed by Okoli for presenting a systematic literature review. Out of 259 identified documents, 83 articles were analysed as the final documents. The analysis results indicate that out of the 83 articles, 72.29% of the applications of network analysis in Physics Education research are used to investigate topics related to learning, curriculum, and social interaction. Additionally, 27.71% of network analysis applications in Physics Education research are used to investigate concepts and measurements. Thus far, the reported progress in the reviewed articles provides references for developing network analysis approaches in various contexts in the field of Physics Education, including sample size and algorithms used. This paper can serve as a reference for Physics education research or other related fields, such as Social Network Analysis (SNA), curriculum evaluation, providing guidance for teachers in developing Physics learning materials, studying the latent structure of an instrument, etc. Ultimately, network analysis is expected to contribute meaningfully to the development of future research.

13:00
High School Teachers’ Normal Practices for Teaching Environmental Education

ABSTRACT. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) assessment, the severity of global warming continues to increase every year. Thus, the SDGs of the United Nations emphasize the need to educate citizens to be environmentally literate so they can manage environmental concerns and advance global sustainability. To build curricula and equip students with action competence for environment, knowledge regarding the way in which high school teachers typically teach environmental education (EE) is essential. This study aims to investigate the pedagogical approaches used by high school teachers. Using simple sampling, we investigated 42 high school teachers from 22 secondary schools in the southern region of Thailand. Frequency and percentage were used on the data, along with a description. The results show that the majority of teachers reported that the primary objective of teaching EE was for students to use their environmental knowledge for the good of society and their own livelihoods (63.20%). A significant percentage of teachers (60.50%) stated that fostering in students a positive attitude toward the environment is another important objective of EE. Problem-based learning (60.50%), inquiry-based learning (52.60%), and lecture (42.10%) were the three primary methods of teaching EE. The majority of teachers’ EE lesson plans involve viewing video clips (63.20%), giving lectures (55.30%), and having discussions (55.30%). A small percentage of teachers (5.30%) reported employing learning activities that let students collaborate with stakeholders to tackle actual environmental problems in their local contexts. The study suggests that teaching EE should place more emphasis on action-oriented learning, capacity building, and collaborative networking to enable students to take action to enrich environmental quality and build up their action competence for the environment.

13:30-14:30Poster Session
13:30-14:30 Session P: Poster Session

ISEC Poster Session (Outside LT1)

Please ignore the specific times allocated to each poster: the duration for all is from 13:30-14:30.

Location: Outside LT1
13:30
Nurturing environmental consciousness: How has themes of biodiversity conservation and climate change in the Singapore GCSE Biology syllabus changed over time?

ABSTRACT. Over the past decade, global education has increasingly emphasized sustainable development, placing greater focus on biodiversity conservation and climate change in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The repercussions of biodiversity loss and climate change pose threats to global economic and social stability, prompting the incorporation of these concepts into educational curricula worldwide. As Singapore grapples with challenges such as food insecurity and rising sea levels, the Singapore Ministry of Education has proactively aimed to enhance environmental education within the formal curriculum through the Eco Stewardship program. This program seeks to prepare Science students to address environmental challenges, including biodiversity conservation and climate change. This study aimed to examine the coverage of biodiversity conservation and climate change themes within the Singapore GCSE Biology syllabi over time and assess the extent of their integration into the Science curriculum. The analysis involved reviewing the syllabi and examinations of the Singapore GCSE Ordinary (O) Level and Advanced (A) Level Biology over the past decade. This analysis focused on qualitative and quantitative aspects, including the year, frequency, and depth of coverage of biodiversity conservation and climate change-related topics. Additionally, these findings were compared with a similar examination conducted using available information from the International Biology Olympiad, a global high school biology competition. The results of this study can not only provide insights into the preparedness of Singaporean students to address future challenges related to biodiversity conservation and climate change, but also identify potential gaps in the environmental concepts that Biology students are currently exposed to, potentially advising future curriculum reviews.

13:34
Approaches to Enhance Understanding of Fundamental Research on Chirality through Immersive Virtual Reality

ABSTRACT. Chirality is one of the fundamental characteristics in the molecular world. To develop a modern understanding about that topic it is crucial, to have an adequate spatial ability as well as teaching and learning materials which try to make research methods and contents comprehensible and to avoid misconceptions (Barke, 2006). Moreover, students commonly encounter challenges in grasping chiral concepts (Durmaz, 2018).

The lack of tangible opportunities to explore such research topics in real-life settings prompts the usage of immersive virtual reality (VR) technology as a means to gain insights into chirality research. Utilizing immersive VR offers distinct advantages, including: a) providing a three-dimensional and interactive space conducive to understanding modern aspects of chirality, b) assisting learners with spatial challenges, c) bringing contemporary research directly into the educational environment, d) motivating learners through interactive engagement (Takala, 2014), and e) offering insights into the workings of research (Nature of Science-aspects) (Allchin et al., 2014). In response to these considerations, immersive virtual learning-environments will be developed, focusing on contemporary topics such as coulomb explosion (Pitzer et al., 2017) and photoelectron circular dichroism (Kastner et al., 2019). This development will be carried out in close collaboration with physicists and chemists using a design-based research approach. For the VR-environments, a game-concept has been developed, and a script has been written so far. These were discussed with the involved researchers, and feedback was gathered. Based on this, an initial VR-prototype was developed, integrating the game-concept, and the research content will be progressively incorporated in further steps. The primary goal of these VR learning environments is to empower students at upper high schools and universities to comprehend modern content and methods related to chirality, providing them with a firsthand experience of research. The effectiveness and usability of these VR-environments will be assessed through a comprehensive questionnaire (Qin, 2021) designed to evaluate two dimensions: technical aspects and learning content. The proposed study aims to offer insights into the development of VR-environments focused on chirality, presenting findings on learning effects and showcasing prototype versions of the VR environment. Additionally the design of the evaluation will be presented as well.

13:38
Developing of System Thinking for Matthayomsuksa 5 students in Electrostatic through Model – Based Learning with Concept Mapping

ABSTRACT. The purpose of this research is developing system thinking by using model- based learning and concept mapping in Electrostatic topics that achieve at least 70% of total scores. The study is conducted to investigate 32 Matthayomsuksa 5 students at Sarakhampittayakhom School, MahaSarakham, the second semester of academic year 2023. The target group is selected through a purposive sampling method. This study used action research which is 3 cycles. The research tools include 1) 9 lesson plans containing electrostatic topics in 14 hours, 2) 3 sets of system thinking assessments which are situational subjective tests, consist of 2 situations in each, 3) the observations form. The statistics are percentage, mean values, and standard deviation (S.D.). The research finds that students after apply model- based learning and concept mapping have increasing in all aspect of system thinking including: 1) deep systemic analysis 2) associative thinking 3) feedback loop. Moreover, observation form analysis showed that students can solve the problem better and students improve their system thinking. As a result, the research of Model- Based learning and Concept Mapping can enhance students’ system thinking of the target group

13:42
Students’ and Lecturers’ Views on Green and Sustainable Chemistry in Higher Education

ABSTRACT. Sustainable development has become a broadly discussed issue (Mensah, 2019) and a central challenge for all educational sectors (UNESCO (Eds.), 2020). While science, i. a. chemistry, has great potential and big responsibility to foster a positive, global-societal progress like it is defined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (UN, 2015; MacKellar et al., 2020), there are also diverse fascinating trends within chemical research addressing problems of sustainability – so called Green and Sustainable Chemistry (GSC) (Halpaap, 2020). To learn more about the extent of implementation of GSC in higher education and about related opportunities as well as challenges, we investigated the perspective and perceptions of students and lecturers on dealing with sustainable development or issues of sustainability in chemistry courses. As a first step, typical topics of GSC in current research were identified by reviewing the literature. The second step aimed at getting an impression of the status quo, using the University of Kassel as model: Hence we conducted qualitative interviews with chemistry lecturers, asking about their understanding of sustainability in general and about their experiences with the identified GSC-topics and their embedding in courses. To complement the findings, the students’ perceptions were surveyed with a questionnaire. The lecturers’ answers revealed a wide range of views on sustainability and GSC. While the majority think it is worth working on new contents for the chemistry curriculum, their ideas of a modernized study program differ. The student survey disclosed that the concepts of sustainability (or e.g., the SDGs) and of GSC are quite unfamiliar to our students while most of them rate the relevance of related topics or issues for study programs as rather high. As a result, we designed a new seminar to address the findings and to improve our understanding through its evaluation. Detailed findings and information on the new seminar will be presented on the poster.

13:46
The Development of Problem - Solving Ability by Using Situation Based Learning with the 6 Thinking Hats Technique of Mathayomsuksa 5 Students in Chemistry

ABSTRACT. The purposes of this research were to develop mathayomsuksa 5 students' problem-solving ability in the electrochemistry to pass the criteria 70 percent by using Situation Based Learning with the 6 Thinking Hats Technique. The sample were obtained by purposive sampling of 32 Mathayomsuksa 5 students at Sarakhampittayakhom School. The instrument used in this study were 1) the situation-based learning with the 6 thinking hats technique lesson plan, in the topic of the electrochemistry with 9 plans of 14 hours of learning, 2) the problem - solving ability tests, consisting of 3 sets, each comprising 3 scenarios, 3) the behaviors observation of problem-solving ability, and the 4) student interviews. The data was analyzed by using mean, percentage, and standard deviation. This research was the type of action research which consists of 3 cycles: The first action cycle consists of topics such as redox reaction, balancing redox equation using oxidation numbers and balancing redox equation using half-reaction. The second action cycle comprises topics on Galvanic cells, cell potential, and electrochemical cells. and the third action cycle nclides topics on metal corrosion and prevention, metal plating, and electroplating. The results of the study were as follows. 1) Students who received learning activities using situation based learning with the 6 thinking hats technique demonstrate overall proficiency in problem-solving across all 4 aspects; 1) Problem Identification, 2) Problem Analysis, 3) Presentation of Problem-Solving Methods, and 4) Analysis of Results from Problem-solving through Criteria. Moreover, the data from analysis of observations and interviews, it was found that students have an increased level of proficiency in problem-solving. Thus, the learning activities using situation-based learning with the 6 thinking hats technique can enhance the problem-solving abilities of the targeted group of students.

13:50
Concept Maps - An effective tool to help chemistry teacher students to interconnect chemical topics?

ABSTRACT. Highly interconnected content knowledge is crucial for teacher professionalization. Since there are reasons to assume that there is a lack of relevant interconnections on university level, we aim to support chemistry teacher students to better interconnect chemical contents during their studies Therefore, we developed and tested an advance organizer (Ausubel, 1960) in the form of a concept map (CM) (Novak, 2008). Therefore, the design of the CM focused on the required contents for prospective high school teachers on university level. The CM was developed based on relevant chemical literature and validated by lecturers at our university. To test possible effects of the CM, we conducted a case-study in which students first worked on given CMs and then developed CMs as advance organizers themselves. For the purpose of triangulation, different data-collection-methods were used: Students were interviewed, wrote a learning-diary, performed eye-tracking while working with a CM and had to develop interconnecting tasks to see if they could adapt the idea of interconnection accordingly. The data was collected at different stages during the case-study to observe and identify developments over time. Data will be analyzed qualitatively following Patton (2014). Results so far: By analyzing the first interview together with the first learning-diary entry we are able to clearly classify if (1) the correctness of interconnections drawn by students and (2) the students’ understanding of the concept of interconnection are adequate or inadequate.

The eye-tracking results indicate a correlation between the students’ interconnection/understanding of interconnection and how they work with the CM. For example, a lack of interconnection/understanding of interconnection correlates with a superficial way of working with the CM and vice versa.

The interviews show that students think that the CMs are helpful for realizing the interconnections within chemical knowledge. This can also be seen in the learning-diary-entries.

The interviews also show that students tend to only notice the most obvious interconnections and neglect less obvious but not less important interconnections.

Once the analysis is complete, we will be able to see whether there is a shift regarding students’ assignment to the interconnection/understanding of interconnection categories caused by working with CM’s.

13:54
Effectiveness of Exploring the Nature of Light: Science Activities for Young Children
PRESENTER: Shinobu Arai

ABSTRACT. Science education for the early childhood years has the effect of increasing curiosity about natural phenomena and laying the foundations for later science learning (Spektor-Levy et al., 2013). The content covered in science activities includes observation of insects and plants (e.g., Monteira &Jiménez-Aleixandre, 2016), understanding the states of water, solid, liquid, gas (e.g., Samarapungavan et al., 2017), understanding the floating and sinking of objects (Hong, S. Y., & Diamond, K. E., 2012) and other areas have been considered and shown to be effective for young children. In this study, science activities were designed to increase understanding and curiosity with regarding the nature of light. Specifically, children aged 5-8 years were targeted to learn about 'the nature of light' through three science hands-on activities : 1) understanding that 'light' travels in a straight line using an Orion paper craft, 2) understanding that light can be bent using a Miracle Mirror (Hemispherical Convex and Concave Mirror), and finally 3) understanding that light can be divided using a diffraction grating (crafts that can see rainbows.). The children were able to learn about 'the nature of light' through these three science hands-on activities. To find out whether children enjoyed the activities and whether they were able to think in an exploratory way about their understanding of the properties of light and its applications after the activities, children were asked to complete a questionnaire and parents were asked to interview their children at home. As a result, the children seemed to increase their curiosity about light. In response to a question about "What do you want to know more about", some young girl replied: “Why does thunder make a sound?”. In response to a question about "how light might be used in the future", they expanded their ideas into expectations about future inventions, such as "In the future, people might be able to move around using light". Through this science activity, young children were able to learn about the nature of light with fun and increasing their curiosity about light.

13:58
The Development of Problem-Solving Ability in Chemistry Proposition on the Topic of Stoichiometry by Using 5E's Learning Cycle Model and FOPS Strategy for Mathayomsuksa 4 Students

ABSTRACT. The purpose of this research is to develop the ability to solve chemical problems regarding stoichiometry of Mathayom 4 students compared to the criteria of 70 percent who received the 5E's Learning Cycle Model together with the FOPS strategy. The target group for this research comprises 25 Mathayom 4students from Sarakhampittayakhom School. The selection of participants was done through purposive sampling. The research instrument included 1) lesson plan of 5E's learning cycle with FOPS strategy on stoichiometry, 9 lesson plan, 14 hours, 2) the chemistry problem-solving ability test, consisting of 3 sets, each comprising 9 questions, 3) the behavioral observation model of problem-solving ability in chemistry, and 4) the student interview. This research adopts an action research design, which includes 3 cycles. The statistics used for data analysis include percentages, mean values, and standard deviations. According to the research findings, students who received the 5E's learning cycle with the FOPS strategy demonstrated proficiency in solving chemical problems across all 4 dimensions. These dimensions include: 1) find the problem type, 2) organize the information in the problem using the diagram, 3) plan to solve the problem, and 4) solve the problem through Criteria. Further analysis of observed behaviors and interview responses from students revealed an elevated level of proficiency in solving chemical problems. Therefore, the implementation of the 5E's learning cycle with the FOPS strategy has successfully enhanced the problem-solving abilities in chemistry for the targeted group of students.

14:02
Facilitate the family scientific concept change in natural history museum
PRESENTER: Xianqing Bao

ABSTRACT. This study is interested in how to facilitate the family science learning in museum setting. Based on the conceptual change model, this study designed Two-Tier and Four-Tier diagnostic instructments to test the parents and children misconceptions of insects. Three intervention (POE strategy, drawing strategy and analogy strategy) were designed to conduct a quasi-experimental research. The data include parent-child interaction audio and questionnaire interviews. The results showed that: (1) POE strategy, drawing strategy and analogy strategy all had positive effects on the scientific concept change of parents and children; Compared with the other two strategies, POE strategy can promote parent-child communication, generate conceptual change dialogue, and generate more correct scientific concepts. The painting strategy extends the time for parents to explore the exhibits; All three groups of strategies can improve children's learning of scientific concept knowledge, and the overall effect is: POE strategy > drawing strategy > analogy strategy only. (2) The conceptual changes of children in museums occur in the following aspects: understanding scientific concepts in the process of carefully observing exhibits; Museum scientific knowledge display board guide; The existing scientific knowledge of one parent leads the conceptual change of the other parent; Parents' questions prompt children to think and make conceptual changes. We expect this study would help parents to pay more attention to scientific concept learning in museums and provide practical reference for museum educators and other relevant researchers.

14:06
Utilizing Model-Based Learning to Foster Modeling Skills in Ninth-Grade Students: Exploring the Interaction among the Sun, Earth, and Moon Phenomena.

ABSTRACT. This action research aimed to assess the impact of model-based learning on the science achievement and modeling skills of ninth-grade students, focusing on the phenomena interaction between the sun, earth, and moon. The research involved 44 ninth-grade students from Kannasootsuksalai School in Thailand during the first academic year of 2023, selected through purposive sampling. An instructional process was organized into five distinct steps, utilizing a model as the foundational framework. In Step 1 exploring science concept: students examined pictures, responding to queries about the causation and processes of observed phenomena. Step 2 concept evaluation and review: students create mind maps, ensuring alignment with scientific principles. The teacher summarized knowledge about different phenomena, fostering a deeper understanding among students. Step 3 collect data to create a model: students researched information about the structures involved in the interaction between the sun, earth, and moon and presented their plans to the class before proceeding to create their models. In Step 4 model presentation: each student presents the model with peers provided constructive feedback for improvement. Step 5 evaluating and refining the models: students improved the models based on a suggested evaluation sheet, culminating in a final presentation to the class. The research utilized three key instruments: 1) a model-based learning lesson plan focusing on the sun, earth, and moon interaction, 2) a science achievement test, and 3) a modeling skills test. Data analysis employed a t-test for Dependent Samples, comparing pre and post-test scores. The findings indicated a statistically significant increase in both science achievement and modeling skills after the implementation of model-based learning, with significance levels of .05. These findings underscore the effectiveness of incorporating model-based learning strategies in enhancing students' scientific understanding and modeling skills.

14:10
Introductory physics education at universities in Japan and ASEAN countries using an easily created circuit at the workshop on energy transfer between transmitter and receiver circuits

ABSTRACT. Japanese-style education is attracting attention from overseas, and Japan promotes education export projects in collaboration with academia, government, and the private sector. While many of the projects there are aimed at developing current education overseas, we are designing new physics experiment education using simple experimental apparatuses to reduce regional disparities in experimental education around the world, and are creating teaching materials that allow students to consider and be convinced of the mechanism from the phenomena. This time, we developed and implemented a workshop program on "wireless power transfer" for first-year students majoring in science at an ASEAN university and first-year students in a science teacher training course at a Japanese university. The circuit for the energy transmitting side was created by the participants on breadboards. Furthermore, participants were tasked with transforming and arranging the shape, orientation, and ring size of the wires to efficiently receive energy, and to light the LEDs on the circuit by electromagnetic induction. Most participants thought that a coil was necessary to apply an electromotive force to the LEDs, but strangely enough, many students wound up with non-inductive coils. By experimenting with different coil shapes and different distances and orientations relative to the oscillating magnetic field, participants were able to gain a better understanding of how this phenomenon works. From a questionnaire taken of the participants at the end of the workshop, many responded that the level of difficulty of the work was just right, that they would like to use it frequently when they become teachers, and that they were very satisfied with their participation.

14:14
Epistemic characteristics of using primary and secondary data in science inquiry of pre-service teachers about noise issue

ABSTRACT. In the VUCA era, characterized by Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity, citizens are required to respond to everyday life risks using various types of data. In this paper, we explored and compared the epistemic characteristics and differences between different types of data used in pre-service teachers' science inquiries. Specifically, it focuses on the use of primary and secondary data in a science inquiry about noise, analyzing how these data types are utilized differently in aspects of inquiry design, data collection, and analysis. The results report that while using sensor-based primary data enables to measure and observe key phenomena directly, for secondary data, a measurement way was already determined in a public data system. These variations lead to different epistemic considerations during inquiry process. Educational implications are discussed based on these findings, particularly concerning the teaching approach for science inquiry, teacher education for inquiry-based teaching, and risk response competencies in preparation for the VUCA era. (This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF-2022S1A3A2A01088439)

14:18
Differentiated Instruction in Inquiry-based Science classrooms

ABSTRACT. This poster shares the effective integration of differentiated instruction and inquiry-based learning strategies to cultivate a rich and inclusive learning environment conducive to scientific exploration and understanding in our Science classrooms.

Acknowledging the inherent diversity among our learners, our teachers tailor instructional approaches to meet learner needs and readiness levels. Through flexible grouping, tiered assignments, and varied instructional materials, our Science teachers scaffold learning experiences to address the diverse needs of students, thereby promoting greater engagement in the learning of the subject.

Complementing differentiated instruction, inquiry-based learning empowers our students to become active participants in their learning journey by fostering curiosity, experimentation, and discovery. Rooted in the scientific method, inquiry-based learning encourages our students to pose questions, formulate hypotheses, design experiments, and analyze data, thus cultivating a deeper understanding of scientific concepts and principles. By engaging in authentic scientific investigations, our students develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and a genuine appreciation for the process of science.

This poster shares some practical strategies for implementing differentiated instruction and inquiry-based learning in the Science classroom. It shows the role of formative assessment in informing instructional decisions and scaffolding the student learning experiences. By leveraging pre-assessment data, our Science teachers identify students' prior knowledge and misconceptions, allowing for targeted differentiation and personalized support. Moreover, ongoing assessment and feedback provide opportunities for our students to reflect on their learning progress.

This poster underscores the importance of creating a supportive and collaborative learning community where the students feel empowered to take risks, ask questions, and explore their interests in Science. By fostering a culture of inquiry and experimentation, our Science teachers seek to cultivate a lifelong passion for scientific inquiry and discovery among our students, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in an ever-evolving world.

The integration of differentiated instruction and inquiry-based learning holds tremendous potential for enhancing science education and promoting equitable access for all learners. Through intentional planning, flexible instruction, and authentic learning experiences, the students are empowered to become critical thinkers, problem solvers and lifelong learners. [339 words]

14:22
S.M.A.R.T. habits in a Junior College (JC) chemistry class

ABSTRACT. Objective Develop differentiated instructions using Zimmerman’s Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) Model (2000) for students with different levels of readiness and motivation using curated tutorial videos and self-evaluation questions to scaffold their SRL and inculcate S.M.A.R.T. habits*. * ASRJC’s efforts in nurturing self-regulated learning habits (Self-motivate, Manage time, Ask Questions, Reflect, Take notes).

Methodology Our lesson is organised in three phases: forethought, performance and self-reflection.

Phase 1 (Forethought): Students use the weekly lesson plans shared with them to plan and manage their time according to their own schedule to complete the assigned learning activities.

Phase 2 (Performance): Students review content taught in the lectures before doing their tutorial questions at home. If they encounter difficulties in answering the questions, they may watch curated videos for each tutorial question that are hosted on Google Site before attending tutorial lessons.

In a typical tutorial lesson, the teacher starts the lesson by providing overview of learning objectives to be achieved in relation to the tutorial questions assigned. Then time is provided in class for students to watch the tutorial videos if they have not done so. Students may also use the time in class to ask questions one-to-one to clarify their doubts. This caters to the different readiness and motivation among students in class.

Phase 3 (Self-Reflection): Students use Learning Guide to monitor their progress in achieving the learning objectives for each topic. They may also assess their proficiency in applying the concepts learnt through elective bit-sized assessment questions given in class. These optional questions also help to engage the students who have completed their tutorial. The teacher may go through the assessment questions, if time permits, and summarise the key learning points to conclude the lesson.

Findings & Discussion A preliminary study of the lesson structure was piloted on a group of Anderson Serangoon Junior College JC1 students. The results of a students’ survey showed that there was an increased engagement in class. Students’ assessment results also showed a slight positive difference when compared to their peers of similar readiness.

14:30-15:00Tea reception (Outside LT1)
15:00-16:00 Keynote 4: Hannah Sevian

Tools for Educating in Science to Mitigate Harm in the Post-Truth Era

The burgeoning of untruth, especially in science, is directly related to our limited capacity as humans to understand, regulate, and harness the flow of data. As the availability and complexity of data expands, it becomes harder for human beings to differentiate fact from rumor, certainty from speculation, and science from science fiction. Because the major aim of science is to improve the human condition, scientists can now only mitigate the harm of untruth if we contribute to safeguarding the future of the human race and the planet. Fortunately, science education can place tools for mitigation in the control of people. The urgent problem is how to educate for this mitigation. This presentation provides a framework for science educators to do just that. Drawing upon benefits-costs-risks thinking in chemistry, as well as from theoretical perspectives on decision theory in economics, this presentation will examine empirical findings on risk perception and assessment, scientific argumentation, cost-benefit analysis, and mitigation of risk in food science and chemical toxicology. Four principles will serve as a lens: (1) We have an ethical imperative to educate; (2) We have a moral imperative to care for each other; (3) Our connected world requires globalized thinking and local action; and (4) Honoring different ways of knowing is the key to building human capacity to synthesize information. This presentation concludes by describing how we, as science educators, can use these guiding principles to provide humanity with better tools for mitigating harm to reduce risk, and why humanity needs more science education, not less, if we are to prepare for the risky uncertain future inherent in a post-truth era.

Location: LT1
16:00-17:00 Keynote 5: Yew-Jin Lee and Closing Ceremony

Does Science Education need (more) Powerful Knowledge?

This presentation examines a recent major curriculum initiative from the UK to restore the role of knowledge as an entitlement, personal fulfilment, and human right for all learners—Powerful Knowledge (PK). The latter emphasises learning of specialised concepts as well as knowledge-building from the disciplines that are typically found within school subjects, but are largely absent from everyday experiences. I share my thoughts regarding areas where science educators may find resonance with PK ideas, and where our largely divergent trajectories will also continue their separate ways.

Closing Ceremony

This keynote will be followed by a short Closing Ceremony. The ISEC 2024 Best Paper Award will be announced!  

Location: LT1