@article {1310, title = {BLENDED LEARNING ON WECHAT PLATFORM-BASED SPOC IN LOWER-SECONDARY SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHING }, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {22}, year = {2023}, month = {August/2023}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {701-718}, abstract = {This paper proposes a blended teaching design model on WeChat Platform-based SPOC and carries out an empirical study of its applicability and effectiveness in lower-secondary school science teaching. Participants were from two eighth grade classes with different academic performance, and after conducting the same blended teaching, it was found that pre-class knowledge transmission on the WeChat platform considerably enhanced students{\textquoteright} classroom participation, which was also highly related to their improved post-class test scores. The improvement in the performance of the weak groups is more obvious. In addition, backend data from the WeChat platform revealed that the number of resource clicks was significantly higher than the total number of students, indicating that the sharing function of the WeChat platform facilitated the sharing of educational resources. Seven in-service science teachers were also interviewed to qualitatively evaluate and analyze the teaching model from the perspective of in-service teachers. The comprehensive results indicate that the teaching model constructed in this study achieves good results, facilitates the development of students{\textquoteright} independent learning ability, and allows for the integration of this blended teaching model into lower-secondary curriculum.}, keywords = {Blended teaching; Science education; SPOC; Teaching design model; WeChat platform-assisted teaching}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/23.22.701}, url = {https://oaji.net/articles/2023/987-1693508213.pdf}, author = {Tugen Xu and Jiaying Xu and Xiaoqing Xu and Jijian Lu} } @article {1272, title = {THE CHAIN MEDIATING ROLE OF PERCEIVED FAMILY SUPPORT FOR FORMAL AND INFORMAL SCIENCE LEARNING IN THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FAMILY SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND INFORMAL SCIENCE LEARNING EXPERIENCES}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {22}, year = {2023}, month = {April/2023}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {232-253}, abstract = {Students{\textquoteright} informal science learning experiences are believed to strongly influence their attitudes toward science and their abilities in the subject. Factors associated with students{\textquoteright} informal science learning experiences include family socioeconomic status and perceived family support. However, little is known about whether perceived family support for children{\textquoteright}s formal and informal science learning differs significantly. The present study filled this gap by exploring how students{\textquoteright} perceived family support for formal/informal science learning affected the link between their socioeconomic status and their experiences of informal science learning. Survey data were collected from 486 Chinese grade 4-6 primary school students. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that the students{\textquoteright} socioeconomic status and their informal science learning experiences were significantly and positively correlated. This association was chain-mediated through two categories of perceived family support. Specifically, students{\textquoteright} socioeconomic status affected their informal science learning experiences through the separate mediating role of family support for formal science learning and the sequential mediation of perceived family support for formal and informal science learning. These results uncover the role that family support plays in students{\textquoteright} science education; accordingly, parents are encouraged to help their children learn science both formally and informally.}, keywords = {family support, informal science learning experiences, mainland China, primary school students, socioeconomic status}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/23.22.232}, url = {https://oaji.net/articles/2023/987-1681286585.pdf}, author = {Xiang-xiang He and Yi-ping Deng and Jian-hua Liu and Guang-yu Sun and Jian-wen Xiong and Yang Xiao} } @article {1343, title = {IMPROVING LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS{\textquoteright} KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION OF BUOYANCY THROUGH ENHANCING THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURE OF BUOYANCY}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {22}, year = {2023}, month = {December/2023}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {1120-1136}, abstract = {In recent years, developing students{\textquoteright} knowledge integration of specific topics through effective teaching methods has been a concern in science education. This study explored an alternative teaching method, which aims to help lower secondary school students develop their knowledge structure about buoyancy towards a logically integrated conceptual framework through enhancing their understanding of the nature of buoyancy. Specifically, this study constructed a conceptual framework on buoyancy and a set of matching test questions to map out the three levels of knowledge integration of students, and designed and implemented a teaching experiment of promoting students{\textquoteright} understanding of the nature of buoyancy. Through quantitative and qualitative analysis, it was found that the knowledge integration development of the treatment group was significantly better than that of the control group. The results indicated that enhancing students{\textquoteright} understanding of the nature of buoyancy can effectively improve their knowledge integration of buoyancy. Accordingly, improving knowledge integration through enhancing students{\textquoteright} understanding of the nature of the specific scientific concept may be a new direction for future research.}, keywords = {conceptual framework, knowledge integration of buoyancy, scientific concept understanding, the nature of buoyancy}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/23.22.1120}, url = {https://oaji.net/articles/2023/987-1702729488.pdf}, author = {Yi Zou and Xinyu Xue and Lizhen Jin and Xiao Huang and Yanbing Li} } @article {1342, title = {THE RESEARCH STATUS OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT IN SCIENCE EDUCATION}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {22}, year = {2023}, month = {December/2023}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {1103-1119}, abstract = {Although the number of publications on formative assessment in science education has long been high, there is no bibliometric analysis or scientific mapping in the literature to understand research trends in formative assessment research. This research aimed to examine the bibliometric results of articles on formative assessment in science education. Based on the criteria for inclusion and exclusion, 94 articles were selected for analysis. The results show that between 2015-2016 and 2020-2022, the number of publications on formative assessment increased substantially. Among the top ten institutions that contributed to the research are three institutions from the United States. The results also show that the United States had the most publications. Analysis of the co-citations showed that the Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Science Education, and the International Journal of Science Education were cited more than 100 times. The three most cited studies were published in Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy, and Practice. The results show that the researcher used formative assessment, students, science education, teaching, education, engineering education, curricula, STEM, and e-learning in research on formative assessment. In light of the obtained results, practical suggestions for further studies are made in the conclusion. }, keywords = {bibliometric analysis, formative assessment, science education, SCOPUS}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/23.22.1103 }, url = {https://oaji.net/articles/2023/987-1702729392.pdf}, author = {Yulian Zhang and Weijun Wang and Yi Xian and Xianfeng Wang and Jiabin Huang} } @article {1179, title = {COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF MODELLING AND ANALOGY ON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS{\textquoteright} CONTENT UNDERSTANDING AND TRANSFERABILITY: THE CASE OF ATOMIC STRUCTURE}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {21}, year = {2022}, month = {April/2022}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {325-341}, abstract = {Analogies and modelling have been developed and applied in learning and teaching science to facilitate students{\textquoteright} understanding of abstract concepts, such as atomic structure. Considering few studies focus on comparing the effects of two teaching strategies{\textemdash}analogy-based teaching (ABT) and modelling-based teaching (MBT){\textemdash}this study aims to compare the effects of ABT and MBT on high school students{\textquoteright} content understanding and transferability of atomic concepts in science. Implementing a quasi-experimental design with pre-post-delayed tests, the study compared learning outcomes achieved by the MBT group (N = 68) and the ABT group (N = 69). The results showed both MBT and ABT could improve students{\textquoteright} content understanding and promote transferability. However, the MBT group significantly outperformed the ABT group in terms of generating initial models and overall transferability. Although there was no difference in content understanding, or near or far transferability, at post-test between the two groups, the MBT group maintained more extended memory of atomic structure on the delayed post-test. Moreover, qualitative analysis of students{\textquoteright} drawings of atomic models revealed that both groups were able to develop and transfer their models, but inadequate scientific knowledge affected the quality of the transfer product. These findings have implications for designing and implementing instructional approaches that leverage analogy and modelling in the science class.}, keywords = {analogy-based teaching, atomic concepts, modelling-based teaching, science education}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/22.21.325}, url = {https://oaji.net/articles/2022/987-1652123108.pdf}, author = {Song Xue and Daner Sun and Liying Zhu and Hui-Wen Huang and Keith Topping} } @article {1239, title = {COMPONENTS OF GEOGRAPHICAL PRACTICE POWER COMPETENCY (GPPC) FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: CONCEPTUALIZATION, CONTEXTS, AND CONTENT}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {21}, year = {2022}, month = {December/2022}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {1083-1100}, abstract = {Geographical practice power is a key competency essential for students{\textquoteright} overall development. It is, therefore, important to understand its concepts, contexts, and content. Practical activities following scientific and operable principles in real geographical situations would enable students to unleash their potential across the curriculum. The primary aim of this study was to design and validate a conceptual, contextual, and content framework for geographical practice power competency (GPPC) of primary and secondary school students in China. The study used a three-step mixed-method research design with expert opinions collected through interviews and questionnaires. The dimensions of GPPC in this study included the mental processes of cognition, awareness, attitude, and behavior. A compilation of the attributes of GPPC for primary and secondary school students was proposed. There was a general consensus among the evaluators regarding the conceptual, contextual, and content framework of GPPC. When the weight values of the four dimensions and sub-dimensions of GPPC were calculated, it was found that they played different roles in the framework. Contrary to the expectation that scientific argumentation would be the most important dimension of GPPC, this study found that information acquisition was rated the most important. In each GPPC sub-dimension, consciousness received the highest weighting.}, keywords = {geographical practice power competency, primary school students, secondary school students}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/22.21.1083}, url = {https://oaji.net/articles/2022/987-1671188273.pdf}, author = {Yanhua Xu and Zile Liu and Peiying Lin} } @article {1209, title = {THE EFFECT OF STUDENTS{\textquoteright} ATTITUDE TOWARDS SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS ON 21ST CENTURY LEARNING SKILLS: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {21}, year = {2022}, month = {August/2022}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {706-719}, abstract = {It is crucial to educate students on the basis of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education to develop 21st century learning skills. However, there is little research on the contribution of the attitude towards STEM specific discipline to 21st century learning skills. This study aimed to examine the extent to which students{\textquoteright} attitude towards science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) contributes to 21st century learning skills. Data were collected from 779 students from three primary schools and two secondary schools with the S-STEM questionnaire. Quantitative data were analyzed with structural equation modelling. The results revealed that (a) students{\textquoteright} science attitude, and engineering and technology attitude had positive effects on 21st century learning skills, and (b) students{\textquoteright} science attitude and mathematics attitude positively affected 21st century learning skills indirectly through the mediating role of technology and engineering attitude, and (c) the school year partially played a moderating role. The finding highlights the importance of valuing STEM attitude across disciplines. In particular, students{\textquoteright} engineering and technology attitude is more conducive to improving students{\textquoteright} 21st century learning skills. It also suggests the need to pay attention to the changing effect of STEM attitude on 21st century learning skills driven by the school year.}, keywords = {21st century learning skills, mediating role, STEM attitude, structural equation modelling}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/22.21.706}, url = {https://oaji.net/articles/2022/987-1662187388.pdf}, author = {Shao-Rui Xu and Shao-Na Zhou} } @article {1237, title = {EXPLORING EFFECT ON PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS{\textquoteright} STEM ATTITUDE DETERMINED VIA STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {21}, year = {2022}, month = {December/2022}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {1052-1068}, abstract = {As STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education gets more and more attention from society, students{\textquoteright} attitudes towards STEM are increasingly concerned. However, there was scant research that has empirically documented the relations among STEM attitude, learning motivation and metacognition. This research used Structural Equation Modeling to examine the above relations. Data were collected from 845 primary school students from grade 4 to 6, regarding their STEM attitude, learning motivation, metacognition, and their sociodemographic characteristics (family socioeconomic status). The results showed that metacognition played a mediating role in the effect of learning motivation on STEM attitude. The family socioeconomic status played a moderating role in the effect of metacognition on STEM attitude, and students with higher family socioeconomic status had a stronger effect on STEM attitude. This research also suggested that it is worth considering the improvement of students{\textquoteright} learning motivation to facilitate STEM attitude through promoting their metacognitive skills, meanwhile balancing the gap between students under the difference of socioeconomic level in STEM education. }, keywords = {learning motivation, metacognition, STEM attitude, Structural Equation Modeling}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/22.21.1052}, url = {https://oaji.net/articles/2022/987-1671188129.pdf}, author = {Si-Jia Liu and Shao-Na Zhou and Shao-Rui Xu and Hua Xiao} } @article {1178, title = {THE MEASURING INSTRUMENT OF PRIMITIVE PHYSICS PROBLEM FOR UPPER-SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: COMPILATION AND EXPLORATION}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {21}, year = {2022}, month = {April/2022}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {305-324}, abstract = {Problem solving is considered one of the most critical competencies for life. However, many students may perform well in school yet cannot transfer the skills they learned in school to solve real-world problems, especially in science education. This study discusses the characteristics of the problem from the physics education perspective, based on Problem Representation Theory, and proposes a new type of problem: The Primitive Physics Problem. Moreover, the significance and contribution in promoting students{\textquoteright} physics problem-solving ability, both theoretical and empirical, are described. Then the study develops a set of instruments that was tested on 811 students in 12th grade from 10 upper-secondary schools in China. The results showed that the new instrument had good reliability and validity. The promising application in the instruction of the Primitive Physics Problem and in measuring upper-secondary school students{\textquoteright} problem-solving ability of the instrument is discussed.}, keywords = {primitive physics problem; problem solving; problem representation theory; assessment instrument}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/22.21.305}, url = {https://oaji.net/articles/2022/987-1652122936.pdf}, author = {Hongjun Xing and Yanfang Zhai and Sisi Han and Yuping Zhao and Wenhui Gong and Yuting Wang and Jing Han and Qiaoyi Liu} } @article {1188, title = {MULTI-INDEX AND HIERARCHICAL COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR TRAINING QUALITY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING POSTGRADUATES}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {21}, year = {2022}, month = {June/2022}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {408-427}, abstract = {It is essential to establish a multi-dimensional postgraduate quality evaluation system for student assessment and training. This study aimed to explore the construction of the multi-index and hierarchical comprehensive evaluation system for postgraduate training in science and engineering based on the Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) model using Analytic Hierarchy Process. It involved 756 postgraduates in physics and engineering who were randomly selected via the Internet. Data were collected from the questionnaire about postgraduates{\textquoteright} basic information. After collection, Factor Analysis was used to verify the rationality of the design of second-level and third-level indicators, and adjust the corresponding weights. On this basis, Cluster Analysis was used to classify the training quality of the postgraduates based on their scores on academic ability, basic quality, and social ability indicators. The results revealed that the index system includes 4 first-level indicators,12 second-level indicators and 36 third-level indicators, and different weights being assigned to the indicators according to their influence on the training quality of postgraduates in science and engineering. This study also provides some reference for the quality of science and engineering postgraduate training in Chinese universities by proposing relevant measures, which could be interesting also for international audience.}, keywords = {Analytic Hierarchy Process, CIPP model, multivariate statistical analysis, postgraduate quality training}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/22.21.408}, url = {https://oaji.net/articles/2022/987-1656921079.pdf}, author = {Peitong Duan and Huijun Niu and Jiawen Xiang and Caiqin Han} } @article {1217, title = {MULTILEVEL LATENT PROFILE ANALYSIS OF ESTONIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS{\textquoteright} CAREER EXPECTATIONS WITH SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT AND GENDER AS COVARIATES}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {21}, year = {2022}, month = {October/2022}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {788-800}, abstract = {Although much research has explored the personal, family, school, and social influences on adolescents{\textquoteright} career expectations, little is known about the types of family-related career expectations of students and career expectation contexts in school. Using PISA 2018 test data, a multi-level latent profile analysis was conducted with indicators of parents{\textquoteright} occupational status and children{\textquoteright}s career expectations. This research found that family-related career expectations of Estonian secondary school students can be divided into three types: enterprising, resilient, and disengaged. At the organizational level, contexts for career expectations in schools can be classified as enterprising, enterprising and resilient composite, and disengaged and resilient composite types. The research also found that science achievement and gender predicted latent profile memberships at the individual level. It is proposed that to value the science curriculum and its teaching is to invest in future human resources. It is suggested that families and schools should pay attention to stimulating male students{\textquoteright} career aspirations. The career expectation types of secondary school students within and between schools are of great significance to the construction of national human resources, the development of schools, and the research of families. }, keywords = {career expectation types, multilevel latent profile analysis, PISA 2018 datasets, Science Achievement, variations between schools}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/22.21.788}, url = {https://oaji.net/articles/2022/987-1667236743.pdf}, author = {Tao Jiang and Chen, J.-G. and Xu, P.-C and Zeng, P.-F.} } @article {1164, title = {PREDICTING KEY FACTORS AFFECTING SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS{\textquoteright} COMPUTATIONAL THINKING SKILLS UNDER THE SMART CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT: EVIDENCE FROM THE SCIENCE COURSE}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {21}, year = {2022}, month = {February/2022}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {156-170}, abstract = {The main purpose of this research was to explore the key factors influencing secondary school students{\textquoteright} computational thinking skills within the smart classroom environment. Data were collected from 420 students in 4 secondary schools in B city, China. The optimal fitting results of the structural equation model showed that internet attitudes, internet self-efficacy, and internet use are the key factors directly related to students{\textquoteright} computational thinking skills. Furthermore, there are indirect effects between students{\textquoteright} attitudes towards the internet and computational thinking skills through internet self-efficacy and internet use as mediators. These internet-related characteristics were confirmed to be significantly associated and simultaneously affected their computational thinking skills. After reviewing and reflecting on the research conclusions, this study proposed several measures to improve secondary school students{\textquoteright} computational thinking skills while taking into account the complicated interplay of internet psychology and behavior characteristics. }, keywords = {computational thinking skills, Internet attitude, Internet self-efficacy, Internet use, secondary school students, smart classroom}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/22.21.156}, url = {https://oaji.net/articles/2022/987-1647118150.pdf}, author = {Danxia Xing and Chun Lu} } @article {973, title = {ANALYSIS OF TWO-TIER QUESTION SCORING METHODS: A CASE STUDY ON THE LAWSON{\textquoteright}S CLASSROOM TEST OF SCIENTIFIC REASONING}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {20}, year = {2021}, month = {February/2021}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {146-159}, abstract = {The Lawson{\textquoteright}s Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (LCTSR) is a popular instrument that measures the development of students{\textquoteright} scientific reasoning skills. The instrument has a two-tier question design, which has led to multiple ways of scoring and interpretation. In this research, a method of pattern analysis was proposed and applied to analyze two-tier item pairs on the subskill of Control-of-Variable (COV) of LCTSR. The data were collected from students in grade 4 through college in both the United States and China. Students{\textquoteright} response patterns to two combined item pairs were analyzed and compared against students at different grade levels and reasoning development levels. Six performance levels were established based on students{\textquoteright} response patterns, serving as indicators of COV reasoning development levels. With the new method, a relation was obtained between students{\textquoteright} level of COV skills and grade level, as well as their level of overall reasoning development. It can provide useful information on the possible developmental levels of students{\textquoteright} reasoning skills.}, keywords = {control-of-variable, grade level, pattern analysis, scientific reasoning}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/21.20.146}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2021/987-1611649216.pdf}, author = {Shao-Na Zhou and Qiao-Yi Liu and Kathleen Koenig and Qiu-ye Li and Yang Xiao and Lei Bao} } @article {1008, title = {CONCEPTIONS OF LEARNING SCIENCE IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MAINLAND CHINA}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {20}, year = {2021}, month = {June/2021}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {407-427}, abstract = {Previous studies on students{\textquoteright} conceptions of learning science (COLS) have focused primarily on formal environments. In these studies, students{\textquoteright} COLS were positively associated with their approaches to and outcomes for science learning. However, little research has been conducted to explore students{\textquoteright} conceptions of learning science in informal environments (COLSIE), despite its importance to students{\textquoteright} academic achievement. To fill this research gap, this study qualitatively and quantitatively explored Chinese primary school students{\textquoteright} COLSIE. First, in Study I, interview data gathered from a group of 80 students were analysed using the phenomenographic method, and ten hierarchical categories of COLSIE emerged (e.g., communicating and explaining). Based on these categories, a survey was developed and distributed to another group of 414 students in Study II. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to validate the survey, which revealed nine factors matching the ten categories except for the initial categories of applying and understanding. This study also revealed the commonalities and uniqueness of COLSIE in comparison with students{\textquoteright} COLS in formal environments. The findings suggested that informal science learning experiences may strengthen students{\textquoteright} impressions of science practices. Science educators are encouraged to provide their students with opportunities to engage with science practices in informal environments.}, keywords = {primary school students; Mainland China; conceptions of learning science; informal environments; phenomenographic}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/21.20.407}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2021/987-1622791047.pdf}, author = {De-An Li and Qin Zhao and Xiao-Qi Yang and Wan-Mei Li and Rui Dai and Yang Xiao and Bing Yu} } @article {1048, title = {THE EFFECT OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES ON INTEREST IN STEM CAREERS: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {20}, year = {2021}, month = {August/2021}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {651-663}, abstract = {Learning experiences can affect students{\textquoteright} interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers. Applying the social cognitive career theory, this study tested and compared the effect size and effect mechanism of formal learning experiences (FLE) and informal learning experiences (ILE) on 1133 tenth-grade students{\textquoteright} interest in STEM careers (ISC) through a paper questionnaire survey. The results of structural equation model analysis showed that: 1) The total effect of ILE on students{\textquoteright} ISC is much greater than that of FLE; 2) ILE, STEM self-efficacy (SSE) and STEM careers perceptions (SCP) can directly affect students{\textquoteright} ISC; FLE and ILE can also indirectly affect students{\textquoteright} ISC through the mediating role of SSE and SCP. The analyses suggest that in order to improve students{\textquoteright} ISC, STEM education (especially informal STEM education) should be strengthened, both formal and informal education should pay attention to the cultivation of students{\textquoteright} SSE and SCP.}, keywords = {interest in STEM careers, learning experiences, Social Cognitive Career Theory, STEM careers perceptions, STEM self-efficacy, structural equation model}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/21.20.651}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2021/987-1629707739.pdf}, author = {Ning Wang and Aik-Ling Tan and Wu-Rong Xiao and Feng Zeng and Jiong Xiang and Wei Duan} } @article {1110, title = {EFFECT OF TEACHING AND LEARNING-SCRUM ON IMPROVEMENT PHYSICS ACHIEVEMENT AND TEAM COLLABORATION ABILITY OF LOWER-SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {20}, year = {2021}, month = {December/2021}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {983-1000}, abstract = {Employers believe that people with the ability to work in teams can bring success to their business. Therefore, it is very essential to start cultivating students{\textquoteright} teamwork skills in lower-secondary school to prepare students for the future. This study took "Physics in Bicycles" as an example to explore the effect of Teaching and Learning-Scrum (TL-Scrum) on students{\textquoteright} physics achievement and team collaboration ability. It was conducted at a lower-secondary school in Changsha, China. "Physical Knowledge of Bicycles" Test and "Team Collaboration Ability" Measurement were applied to the two groups prior to and following the experiment. The experimental group (N=61) participated in TL-Scrum teaching, whereas the control group (N=58) participated without TL-Scrum teaching. The results revealed a significant difference between the two groups, with the experimental group learners performing better than the control group in the academic achievement. In addition, the results showed better positive effects of TL-Scrum on experimental group learners in team collaboration ability. Results suggested that learners achieved better academic achievements and team collaboration with the approach of TL-Scrum, which pointed to certain implications for physics teaching research, as well as in education of future physics teachers.}, keywords = {lower-secondary school students, physics education, team collaboration, TL-Scrum}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/21.20.983}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2021/987-1639222485.pdf}, author = {Jia-Wen Xiang and Cai-Qin Han} } @article {1107, title = {THE EFFECTS OF AUTONOMY-SUPPORTIVE AND CONTROLLING TEACHING BEHAVIORS ON PRIMARY STUDENTS{\textquoteright} STEM LEARNING PERFORMANCE AND FLOW EXPERIENCE}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {20}, year = {2021}, month = {December/2021}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {942-955}, abstract = {Flow experience plays a major role in influencing students{\textquoteright} interest of STEM, which is the key to promote STEM talent development. Various teaching behaviors contribute differently to student learning performance and flow experience. Specifically, this research sought to concretely explore the different influences of Autonomy-supportive (AS) teaching behavior and Controlling (C) teaching behavior on students{\textquoteright} STEM learning performance and flow experience. The research conducted an experimental exploration of STEM project among primary school students in two groups with two different teaching behaviors (AS and C) respectively. T-test and ANCOVA analysis revealed that both teaching behaviors greatly contributed to improvement of students{\textquoteright} learning performance. MANCOVA analysis showed that students in Autonomy-supportive group got slightly significant higher flow experience than those in Control group. Regarding flow constructs, both groups had the similar level of engagement, but students in Autonomy-supportive group had higher enjoyment, and stronger control than those in the other group. In other words, Autonomy-supportive teaching behavior and Controlling teaching behavior both enhanced greatly students{\textquoteright} STEM learning performance. While Autonomy-supportive teaching behavior allowed students to be more enjoyable and have a higher level of control in STEM learning. }, keywords = {autonomy-supportive teaching, controlling teaching, flow experience, intrinsic motivation, learning performance, STEM project}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/21.20.942}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2021/987-1639222297.pdf}, author = {Chu-yu Ou and Shao-Rui Xu and Chu-Ting Lu and Shao-Na Zhou and Hua Xiao} } @article {1050, title = {PRIMARY STUDENTS{\textquoteright} PERFORMANCE OF STEM DOMAIN-SPECIFIC SELF-EFFICACY BELIEF AND EXPECTANCY-VALUE BELIEF}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {20}, year = {2021}, month = {August/2021}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {677-690}, abstract = {Most studies have concentrated in assessing students{\textquoteright} overall attitudes towards science, mathematics, and engineering/technology or the attitude towards individual STEM domain. The present research aims to explore primary students{\textquoteright} gender and grade differences of their STEM domain-specific attitudes including self-efficacy and expectancy-value beliefs, as well as their correlations. The results showed no detected significant effects among these different STEM domains in the overall attitudes, the overall self-efficacy beliefs, and the overall expectancy-value beliefs for primary students. The correlations between self-efficacy and expectancy-value were much stronger for the science domain and engineering/technology domain than the mathematics domain. No gender difference of the self-efficacy beliefs was detected except in the mathematics domain, and the result that lower primary students performed significantly better than upper primary students in the self-efficacy was also mainly contributed by the grade difference in the mathematics domain. Whereas no different expectancy-value beliefs existed across genders and grade levels in various STEM domains. The present results reported some unique performances by the primary school students compared to the elder group.}, keywords = {expectancy-value, gender differences, grade levels, self-efficacy, STEM attitudes}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/21.20.677}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2021/987-1629707968.pdf}, author = {Shao-Na Zhou and Lu-Chang Chen and Shao-Rui Xu and Chu-Ting Lu and Qiu-ye Li and De-An Li} } @article {860, title = {EVALUATION OF INTERACTIVE GAME-BASED LEARNING IN PHYSICS DOMAIN}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {19}, year = {2020}, month = {June/2020}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {484-498}, abstract = {In recent years, game-based learning has attracted much attention in education; however, the effectiveness of game-based learning is still not solidly confirmed. In the present research, a game-based learning in the physics domain with guides provided direct and immediate feedback. The research was conducted among three different groups: the traditional group, the educational video group, and the game-based learning group. The result showed that the game-based learning group performed the best among the three groups, followed by the educational video group, and the traditional group performed the worst. Students in the game-based learning group were enrolled into an interview to study which types of guides enhanced students{\textquoteright} game-based learning. From the interview, the prompts and the interactive characteristic of the game-based learning environment took the first two places. In addition, students benefited from the features of game-based learning including task requirements for execution, the tip prompt function, the feedback mechanism, and the story settings. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate applicable guides into the design of game-based learning according to students{\textquoteright} perspectives for providing engaging learning experience. }, keywords = {game-based learning, knowledge acquisition, learning guidelines, physics education}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/20.19.484}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2020/987-1591088071.pdf}, author = {Hui Zeng and Shao-Na Zhou and Gui-Rong Hong and Qiu-ye Li and Shao-Qiu Xu} } @article {771, title = {EXPLORING CHANGES IN PRIMARY STUDENTS{\textquoteright} ATTITUDES TOWARDS SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) ACROSS GENDERS AND GRADE LEVELS}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {18}, year = {2019}, month = {June/2019}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {466-480}, abstract = {Primary education is an essential stage and has an important impact on students{\textquoteright} learning attitudes throughout the coming school years. The research explored the attitudes towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics among students through all grade levels in primary school. The Project-based Integrated STEM Program was proposed to study the changes of primary students{\textquoteright} attitudes towards STEM. An assessment of S-STEM which consists of the STEM subscale and the 21st century skills subscale was utilized for both pre-test and post-test. The results showed that primary students exhibited little different attitudes on the S-STEM in the pre-test, regardless of gender and grade level. As evident from the comparison between the pre-test and post-test, the Project-based Integrated STEM Program had a positive effect on student attitudes towards STEM. It is encouraging if there are more STEM-related programs implemented at all educational stages covering the primary level.}, keywords = {gender differences, grade levels, project-based integrated STEM program, school students, STEM education}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/19.18.466}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2019/987-1559372673.pdf}, author = {Shao-Na Zhou and Hui Zeng and Shao-Rui Xu and Lu-Chang Chen and Hua Xiao} } @article {817, title = {REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL EQUITY: A SURVEY ON THE ABILITY TO DESIGN SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS OF SIXTH-GRADE STUDENTS}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {18}, year = {2019}, month = {December/2019}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {971-985}, abstract = {Due to the vast territory, there are problems of unbalanced development of education and students{\textquoteright} ability level in China. In order to explore the relation between regional education equity and the development of students{\textquoteright} scientific ability, and to better promote the development of education and students{\textquoteright} growth, it is urgent to carry out the research. In the context of regional coordinated development, stratified random sampling and cluster sampling were used to study the ability to design scientific experiments of 742 sixth-grade students in Beijing. The results showed that, first of all, the ability to design scientific experiments of 742 sixth-grade students in Beijing was low and the developmental level was not coordinated. Secondly, there was a significant correlation between gender and students{\textquoteright} ability to design scientific experiments. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between districts and the ability to guess and predict. Finally, significant positive correlations were found among the internal structures of ability to design scientific experiments. Therefore, in order to promote the coordinated development of students{\textquoteright} ability to design scientific experiments, this paper puts forward effective suggestions in four aspects: improving science teachers{\textquoteright} professionalism, offering experimental resources, updating teaching philosophy and strengthening curriculum construction.}, keywords = {experimental design, primary school students, regional educational equity, science education, scientific experiments}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/19.18.971}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2019/987-1576226522.pdf}, author = {Yang Xiantong and Zhang Mengmeng and Song Xin and Hou Lan and Wang Qiang} } @article {691, title = {PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS{\textquoteright} PREDICTIONS ON STUDENT LEARNING DIFFICULTIES IN THE DOMAIN OF MECHANICS}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {17}, year = {2018}, month = {August/2018}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {649-661}, abstract = {The ability to predict students{\textquoteright} ideas or performances is commonly recognized as an indicator to measure teachers{\textquoteright} knowledge of student learning difficulties. This research focuses on identifying pre-service science teachers{\textquoteright} knowledge of student learning difficulties on Mechanics, as well as comparing pre-service science teachers{\textquoteright} predictions to student reasoning on the causes of their learning difficulties. The populations consist of 479 pre-service science teachers and 1,020 students taking physics as a separate science course. Two versions of the questionnaires are designed, with teacher- and student- oriented questions separately. From the results, inconsistencies are observed between two groups of populations. Pre-service science teachers either over- or under-predict student learning difficulties in some special domains. The results show that the physics content knowledge factor attracts great attention from both students and pre-service science teachers as the cause of student learning difficulties. The research results are important for pre-service science teachers to realize the gap between their own perspectives and students{\textquoteright} actual learning difficulties.}, keywords = {mechanics domain, pre-service science teachers{\textquoteright} predictions, student learning difficulties, students{\textquoteleft} knowledge}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/18.17.649}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2017/987-1533709007.pdf}, author = {Shao-Na Zhou and Hua Xiao} } @article {348, title = {PUPILS{\textquoteright} EARLY EXPLORATIONS OF THERMOIMAGING TO INTERPRET HEAT AND TEMPERATURE}, journal = {Journal of Baltic Science Education}, volume = {13}, year = {2014}, month = {February/2014}, pages = {Continuous}, type = {Original article}, chapter = {118-132}, abstract = {In thermodynamics teaching, pupils have been found to confuse temperature and heat, and to conceive touch as an infallible thermometer. This study explored the potential of combining the sense of touch with infrared (IR) thermal imaging on pupils{\textquoteright} understanding of heat and temperature. Eight 7th-grade pupils (12-13 years old) worked in pairs across three laboratory exercises (real-time IR imaging, static IR images, or thermometers) to predict, observe and explain (POE) the temperatures of different objects. An anomaly between perceived {\textquoteleft}coldness{\textquoteright} and measured temperature was induced among the pupils, but they did not manage to resolve this cognitive conflict. The pupils observed the objects getting warmer and increasing in temperature, but did not explain the experiments as involving a heat flow from their bodies to the objects. Successful explanation might require a combination of thermal imaging and the explicit introduction of a simple heat-flow model.}, keywords = {multisensory experience, predict-observe-explain (POE), thermal imaging}, issn = {1648-3898}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/14.13.118}, url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2015/987-1437062546.pdf}, author = {Konrad Sch{\"o}nborn and Jesper Haglund and Charles Xie} }