Journal of Baltic Science Education

863

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, Vol. 20, No. 6, 2021, JBSE

868-880

Authors: Cenk Akay, Sedat Kanadli

There is a contradiction in the literature about the effect of REACT strategy on science achievement. This study aims to resolve this contradiction by determining the effect of REACT strategy on student science achievement and the factors affecting this strategy by integrating findings obtained from both qualitative and quantitative studies. The study was conducted using a mixed-research synthesis by including 19 quantitative and 10 qualitative studies. Data obtained from quantitative findings were combined using a meta-analysis method, and data from qualitative findings were combined using a thematic synthesis method. It was attempted to explain the variance between studies included in the meta-analysis by using analytic themes derived from the thematic synthesis. As a result of the meta-analysis, teaching based on the REACT strategy was found to have a strong effect on science achievement (ES = 1.041, 95% CI: 0.7876 to 1.2948). The thematic synthesis yielded four descriptive themes, “teaching-learning process in the REACT strategy”, “learning outcomes in the REACT strategy”, “limitations of the REACT strategy”, and “recommendations for practice”. Teaching based on the REACT strategy was found to contribute largely to the learning process and learning outcomes. Some limitations were found in practice, and recommendations were determined to address these limitations.

894-905

Authors: Tamirirofa Chirikure

Practical work is ubiquitous in science education, but its enactment is challenging in remote teaching contexts. The situation was exacerbated due to a moratorium on contact classes induced by the COVID-19 pandemic that necessitated strict health protocols. Home-based practical work (HBPW) became a significant option as academic institutions shifted to emergency remote teaching. The question is whether HBPW provides equivalent learning experiences in comparison to laboratory-based practical work (LBPW). This research therefore explored pre-service science teachers’ experiences of HBPW implemented at a particular South African university. Eighty-four preservice science teachers, who engaged in HBPW in a chemistry module, were purposively selected as the participants. The data were generated through individual reflections at the end of the semester. An adaption of the equivalence theory was ideal in analysing and interpreting the results. Results show that HBPW was flexible, empowering, contextualised, and enhanced active learning. New forms of interaction emerged in the absence of physical student-teacher and student-student interactions. Concerns over its ability to develop practical skills are expressed. Recommendations are made with a view to optimising HBPW.

927-941

Authors: Najah Hazirah Mohd Dzin, Yoon Fah Lay

Multiple choice tests are widely applied to assess students’ knowledge in science education. This study aimed at assessing the validity and reliability of Science Multiple-choice Test in Malaysia. The items for this test were formulated by the researcher together with a panel of science teachers and the head of the science department with close reference to Secondary School Standard Curriculum (KSSM) syllabus. The test consists of 50 multiple-choice items with four options. Rasch measurement model was adopted to evaluate the quality of the Science Multiple-choice Test in terms of reliability analysis, item polarity analysis (PTMEA-CORR), item fit analysis and Principal Component Analysis of Residuals (PCAR). The reliability analysis was performed using Cronbach’s Alpha, and the results of reliability and separation index respectively indicated good reliability level of the test items. In order to improve the validity of the test, two negatively worded items (Q39 and Q40) were removed. Lastly, the PCAR analysis showed the unexplained variance in the 1st contrast (5.4%) was found to be well controlled and was below the ceiling value of one-third of the variance explained by the item (18.7%). However, the positive value of the disattenuated correlations indicate no evidence of the presence of secondary dimension.

956-968

Authors: Feyzi Osman Pekel

Although "Reproduction, Growth, and Development in Living Things" (RGDLT) is a core topic in the Turkish science curriculum, it is known that students have difficulties in understanding. Integrating concept cartoons and argumentation into the teaching of this unit has the potential to promote students' interest and understanding. This research is the first to compare the effects of concept cartoons and argumentation-based concept cartoons on students' academic achievement in teaching sixth grade RGDLT subjects. The research was performed with two experimental groups and one control group in a secondary school in Turkey. A quasi-experimental research design was used in the research. Analysis of the post-test results revealed that the success of the group using concept cartoons was higher than the control group, but more importantly, the success of the group using argumentation-based concept cartoons was higher than the group using concept cartoons. The results of this research indicate that the academic achievement of students can be increased significantly when concept cartoons and argumentation-based concept cartoon activities are used in addition to the constructivist methods in teaching these subjects. The results of the research serve as a guide for teachers and researchers interested in teaching science and biology subjects.

983-1000

Authors: Jia-Wen Xiang, Cai-Qin Han

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' 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' 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.

695

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, Vol. 20, No. 5, 2021, JBSE

700-715

Authors: Shyang-Chyuan Fang

As the impact of climate change is increasingly intense, environmental educators of higher education would like to know the influencing factors for college students to proceed financial strategies, such as flood insurance or energy taxes, to adapt climate change; however, the sustainable environmental education provided by most colleagues still lags far behind the pace of business and government. The research is aimed at eight colleagues in Taiwan and is an undergraduate student taking courses in general environmental education. As diverse courses integrate climate change issues, distributed 1,000 questionnaires were proportionally allocated to each university according to the number of students who had taken the course; a total of 866 questionnaires were recovered. The pro-environmental behavior model be validated, and assess the correlations among risk perception, economic incentives, intrinsic motivation, sacrifice for the environment, place attachment, cheerful emotion, and social norm with partial least squares regression. For college students with high or medium knowledge on climate change, this research demonstrated that if pro-environmental behaviors bring cheerful feeling, they will induce their intrinsic motivation; meanwhile, because of environmental sacrifice and social norms, pro-environmental behaviors will trigger cheerful feeling.

729-739

Authors: Mishack T. Gumbo, Fidelis O. Nnadi, Rose C. Anamezie

There is the need to liberate the school science teaching process to suit the culturally bound day-to-day experiences of learners. The clarion call becomes expedient in the light of pedagogical failure in science education, which precipitates poor science achievement, especially in non-Western cultures. Non-Western knowledge systems, specifically African indigenous knowledge systems (AIKs), have been excluded from science teaching, which accounts for the poor achievement of learners. This research therefore measured the effect of the type of teaching materials, gender and the interaction between gender and type of teaching materials on the measurement of gravitational acceleration. The analysis of covariance (p≤ .05) was used to analyse data which were collected from 264 sampled learners. The results from the research indicated that amalgamating Western science and culturally bound AIKs teaching materials in a non-Western culture enhanced the determination of gravitational acceleration and bridged the gender divide in Physics achievement. The amalgam of Western science and non-Western culturally bound science can transform science teaching, make science more relevant to everyday experiences of learners and enhance their understanding of science and ultimately their achievement.

759-774

Authors: Tao Jiang, Ji-gen Chen, Wei Fang

Gender, learning achievements, parents’ occupational status, social-economic backgrounds, and a few traits of schools affect students’ occupational expectations. However, no research had integrated the above factors to investigate the generative mechanism of students’ occupational expectations. After combining student-level and school-level PISA 2018 datasets, two-level latent covariate modeling was used to find the generative mechanism of students’ occupational expectations in the Baltic countries. The mechanism had its primary concern to understand roles parents’ occupational status and individual science learning achievement played on students’ occupational expectations. The results indicate that the generative mechanism of students’ occupational expectations of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia are the power model, the maternal model, and the science learning achievement pattern, respectively. It suggests one parent having high occupational status is to mold children’s high-skilled occupational expectations, and it would be better the mother is the higher occupational status parent. It highlights the importance of strengthening adult education, especially that aimed at families with both parents of low occupational status. It disapproves of a mother being a full-time housewife. It may impede her children from having ambitions for high-skilled jobs.

790-810

Authors: Yoon Fah Lay, Khar Thoe Ng

Since 1995, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) implemented the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) as an international comparative study. This article aims at identifying the correlations of science classroom instructions with TIMSS science achievement of eighth graders among countries in Southeast Asia and East Asia. The freely downloadable secondary data were analyzed using a plug-in for SPSS, i.e., the International Database (IDB) Analyzer (version 4.0) of IEA using an imputation methodology involving plausible values so that student’s performance can be reported. This study found that Southeast and East Asian countries with high average science achievement adequately emphasized academic success, have teachers with job satisfactions well as facing few challenges, have students with sense of belonging to school. Based on the research findings, policy recommendations were made to the Malaysian Ministry of Education to boost Malaysian eighth graders' science performance in the forthcoming TIMSS studies.

827-839

Authors: Matěj Novák, Jan Petr, Tomáš Ditrich

For the possibility of using competitive tasks from the Biology Olympiad (BiO), either directly or after certain adaptations for everyday teaching tasks in the teaching process, it was aimed to determine if students could work meaningfully with them. The success of 2nd-year secondary school students (n = 113) in solutions of tasks (n = 5) designated for BiO was compared with the solutions by the regional round BiO´s participants. One-way analysis of variance and Tukey´s multiple comparison test were used for the statistical evaluation of the data. The research shows that secondary school students achieved an average success rate of 47.58 ± 12.51 % and BiO participants 62.69 ± 9.86 %. Within the results of all selected tasks, at least someone of the class of the secondary students achieved similar results in each of the tasks as BiO participants. That indicates that secondary school students were able to work meaningfully with BiO tasks which confirmed students' eligibility for work with these tasks.

857-860

Authors: Editorial Board

End page, Vol. 20, No. 5, 2021, JBSE

523

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, Vol. 20, No. 4, 2021, JBSE

528-545

Authors: Jamilah Ahmad, Nyet Moi Siew

There are limited research studies about the development of test instrument to assess the level of entrepreneurial thinking among children in STEM education. The purpose of this research was to develop an Entrepreneurial Science Thinking Test (ESTT) for primary school children in STEM Education and evaluate its validity and reliability. The ESTT was developed using experiential learning theory which comprised of five constructs, namely Observation, New Ideas, Innovation, Creativity, and Value. The ESTT consisted of ten open-ended question items that require children to answer questions in statements and draw sketches of ideas. The evaluation was conducted to determine the reliability and validity of ESTT which involved five subject matter experts and 166 11-year-old fifth graders from five urban schools in Sabah, Malaysia. The data obtained from fifth graders were computed using WINSTEPS software version 3.73 and analysed using the Rasch measurement model. The results indicated a high acceptable content validity and construct validity, high internal consistency, and excellent item reliability and item separation. Through item fit analysis, all items were retained. The finding established the reliability and validity of the ESTT and would therefore represent a valid and highly reliable instrument for measuring entrepreneurial science thinking among fifth graders in STEM Education.

558-572

Authors: Turki Alqarni

This study examined the impact of the Augmented reality (AR) use on Jordanian 6th grade students' attitudes towards science and their learning outcomes. A quantitative quasi-experimental study is preceded with the Pre-test and Post-test control group design model, where 24 students who identified to have special needs participated in this study and were randomly divided into two groups. Two groups, control group 12 students were taught conventionally, and 12 students were designated as the experimental group, they used the AR technology for four weeks. The two scales used in this research were reliable and validated. The results show significant results for the AR technology in enhancing student learning outcomes. Additionally, results supported that AR technology has the potential to enhance students with learning disabilities positive attitudes. The result shows that AR technology helped students in promoting positive attitudes towards students and enhance students learning outcomes.

590-611

Authors: Nilgün Bakkaloğlu, Pınar Özdemir Şimşek

This study deals with the effects of applying drama method in the teaching of environmental issues in science courses on the achievement, retention of learning, student interest and attitudes of primary school students and also whether these effects are dependent on teachers. The study was designed on the basis of the Solomon Four-Group Design. The study is a two group pre- and post-test experiment in two parts, each part having an experimental and control group. The courses were delivered to both groups by the researcher in the first part and drama teacher in the second. The experimental groups received 144 hours of teaching for six weeks, during which a drama course outline was employed, while in the control groups the courses followed the course outlines covered in the curricula. The data were collected using the Environmental Achievement Test, Interest Scale towards the Environment and Attitude Scale towards Science. The findings suggest that the teachers had some effects on the methods, but the significant differences in scores were due to the drama method, which was found to improve the achievement of the third-grade students and the interest towards environment and attitudes towards science of both third- and fourth-grade students.

622-638

Authors: Leonard Molefe, Jean-Baptiste Aubin

Today science teachers are expected to understand the nature of environmental education, and be competent in skills, methods, and procedures relevant to a science discipline. The purpose of this research was to explore pre-service science teachers’ views with regard to environmental education, investigation conducted during a freshwater ecosystem studied, skills developed and the associated stepwise scientific process. Data were collected through a five-item questionnaire that included the characteristics of environmental education, types of scientific investigations, science process skills and the scientific process. 94 students that registered for a Bachelor of Education degree participated in this research. The results from statistical analysis of the teachers’ responses showed the importance of lifelong learning, involvement of community in environmental education and development of critical and problem-solving skills. However, most teachers could not provide correct scientific investigation they conducted during the freshwater study. Although there were no correlations between the investigation, science process skills and the associated scientific process, influence of the stepwise scientific process recommended in the science curriculum was evident in the teachers’ linking of form a hypothesis to observation. The findings imply that teachers face potential challenges in understanding of scientific investigations and the scientific process.

651-663

Authors: Ning Wang, Aik-Ling Tan, Wu-Rong Xiao, Feng Zeng, Jiong Xiang, Wei Duan

Learning experiences can affect students' 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' 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' ISC is much greater than that of FLE; 2) ILE, STEM self-efficacy (SSE) and STEM careers perceptions (SCP) can directly affect students' ISC; FLE and ILE can also indirectly affect students' ISC through the mediating role of SSE and SCP. The analyses suggest that in order to improve students' ISC, STEM education (especially informal STEM education) should be strengthened, both formal and informal education should pay attention to the cultivation of students' SSE and SCP.

677-690

Authors: Shao-Na Zhou, Lu-Chang Chen, Shao-Rui Xu, Chu-Ting Lu, Qiu-ye Li, De-An Li

Most studies have concentrated in assessing students’ overall attitudes towards science, mathematics, and engineering/technology or the attitude towards individual STEM domain. The present research aims to explore primary students’ 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.

339

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, Vol. 20, No. 3, JBSE, 2021

344-359

Authors: Ali Ihsan Benzer, Suat Ünal

This research examined articles about models and modelling in the context of science education in Turkey by using content analysis method. Two specific academic databases; one of which was Dergipark, a platform including the academic journals published in Turkey, and Scholar Google were examined in detail so that totally 71 articles on models and modelling in science education were identified. The “article analysis form” developed by the researchers considering into the relevant literature was used to examine these articles. The findings were presented in tables and charts to show the frequency and percentile values regarding the articles examined. As a result, it was found that the purpose of most of the articles is to examine the effect of model / modelling-based teaching method. Concerning the discipline related in the articles, physics was seen to be on the top of the list, more specifically astronomy subject. As another result, qualitative research method appeared to be the most commonly used research method in the articles at hand. Lastly, it was found out that the most frequently examined variable was the mental model of the participants, and the most preferred data collection instrument was conceptual understanding test.

373-388

Authors: Nataša Dolenc Orbanić, Nives Kovač

Environmental education represents an important factor in solving environmental issues and teachers have an important role in developing the environmental literacy of future generations. The aim of the present research was to assess and compare preservice preschool and primary school teachers’ environmental awareness, attitudes, and behaviour, as well as their opinions about environmental education. The research was carried out with 152 Slovenian preservice teachers of the Faculty of Education, University of Primorska. The data were collected using a questionnaire. Results showed that students have a relatively high level of environmental awareness and mostly demonstrated a positive attitude towards nature and its protection. Students highlighted the importance of environmental education in early childhood. The research showed no significant differences in the responses of students of both programmes in general, which indicates that the course contents have a less significant influence on students’ awareness, behaviour, and attitudes. According to the findings, there is a need for an improved course within the teacher training programme, especially with the implementation of more innovative teaching methods and activities to increase students’ environmental literacy.

407-427

Authors: De-An Li, Qin Zhao, Xiao-Qi Yang, Wan-Mei Li, Rui Dai, Yang Xiao, Bing Yu

Previous studies on students’ conceptions of learning science (COLS) have focused primarily on formal environments. In these studies, students’ COLS were positively associated with their approaches to and outcomes for science learning. However, little research has been conducted to explore students’ conceptions of learning science in informal environments (COLSIE), despite its importance to students’ academic achievement. To fill this research gap, this study qualitatively and quantitatively explored Chinese primary school students’ 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’ COLS in formal environments. The findings suggested that informal science learning experiences may strengthen students’ impressions of science practices. Science educators are encouraged to provide their students with opportunities to engage with science practices in informal environments.

443-455

Authors: Yuhua Mai, Yangyi Qian, Haihang Lan, Linshen Li

Chemical equilibrium is so important domain knowledge in chemistry that the corresponding organisation of concepts in students has been an interesting but unsolved issue. A deeper understanding of how students organise the relevant concepts in long-term memory is beneficial to develop more targeted teaching practices. This research utilized the reaction time technique as a new approach to exploring upper-secondary school students’ organisation of concepts regarding chemical equilibrium. A category judgment task involving 247 Chinese twelfth-grade students from two upper-secondary schools was conducted. The results showed that a significant difference was between the reaction time of concept dimensions. The mean reaction time of the dimension ‘reversible reaction’ was the shortest, but the dimension ‘representation of state’ had the longest mean reaction time. Next, there was no significant difference in the organisation of concepts between students studying chemistry at different levels of academic achievement. These findings provide a new and essential picture to deeply understand the organisation of concepts regarding chemical equilibrium and help focus on the relations between some relevant concepts. This research represents that the reaction time technique can be utilized in the research on organisation of science concepts.

471-494

Authors: Banuçiçek Özdemir

This research was performed to determine the Common Metaphorical Perceptions of Prospective Teachers on DNA-Gene-Chromosome Concepts, despite classroom levels and university differences. For the baseline group studies, two State Universities, one from the east and the other from the north of Turkey, were selected to be studied in the Fall Semester of 2017-2018. They were respectively called University A” and “B”. The population sample contained a total of 326 students from 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th- classroom level of the “Science Education Department” of “Education Faculties.” The phenomenology design which is one of the qualitative research methods was applied. Answers to questions regarding “the metaphors of DNA-Gene-Chromosome concepts” and “under what theoretical categories the common features and metaphors were investigated” to be in line with the university differences. The research data were obtained by ‘metaphor identification’ for respective concepts and content examination studies in the framework of “Qualitative Analysis Methods.” Correspondingly, it has been determined that Prospective Teachers have common metaphors concerning DNA-Gene-Chromosome concepts, regardless of their class or university differences.

507-518

Authors: Lihui Sun, Liangbo Li

This study applied the Porter’s alignment model to construct a localized two-dimensional framework based on Anderson's taxonomy. The research chose the third-grade primary school science textbooks from two representative presses in China and Japan, coded the textbooks and curriculum standards, calculated the alignment level between the textbooks of the two presses and their corresponding curriculum standards, and discussed the alignment level from the topic, cognitive demand, and emphasis. The results show that the B version in Japan is significantly aligned with the Japanese curriculum standard, but the A version in China does not have significant alignment with the Chinese curriculum standard. Besides, a common problem is that the ratios of life science in sample science textbooks both exceed the requirements of the curriculum standards, and the problems of exceeding the standard in cognitive demand and not highlighting the key points also need to be concerned. This study provides ideas and references for countries with similar educational situations to study the compilation of science textbooks and fills up the deficiency of the international comparison of the alignment between primary school science textbooks and curriculum standards by using the alignment model.

167

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, JBSE, Vol. 20, No. 2, 2021

171-183

Authors: Stanislav Avsec, Vesna Ferk Savec

Science and technology (S&T) plays a central role in today’s knowledge- and technology-based society. The transfer of S&T from the education system to the economy should be promoted by teachers using innovative behaviour as an important aspect of providing high-quality education. Several studies have found that a mismatch exists between the economy and the education sector, and that this can be gradually reduced by innovation in the education system. This research aimed to examine the innovative behaviour of pre-service S&T teachers. A sample of 140 pre-service teachers from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia was selected, and a set of instruments was used to measure their innovative behaviour in classrooms during the 2019–2020 academic year. A model was created and evaluated using multiple regression analysis. The results showed that self-efficacy and attitudes towards S&T strongly predict innovative behaviour, while situational interest may vary depending on the cognitive demands of tasks. A proactive personality was found to be a key factor determining innovative behaviour, while self-efficacy has direct and indirect influences on innovative behaviour, with its indirect influence mediated by creativity and situational interest. These findings have implications for the redefinition of educational design to enhance innovation in the classroom.

204-222

Authors: Mária Ganajová, Ivana Sotáková, Stanislav Lukáč, Zuzana Ješková, Veronika Jurková, Renáta Orosová

Formative assessment (FA) is considered a powerful tool to enhance learning. However, there have been few studies addressing how the implementation of FA influences the development of inquiry skills so far. This research intends to determine the efficacy of teaching using FA in the development of students’ inquiry skills. A test of inquiry skills was used as the main research instrument to identify the level of the selected inquiry skills before and after a period of teaching with or without FA in the experimental and control group respectively. In the experimental group (n=73), FA was implemented across five subjects: biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and informatics, while the control group (n=48) was taught without any external intervention. In both groups, mostly teacher-centred methods of teaching were applied. The research findings confirmed a low initial level of inquiry skills. Teaching using FA showed higher efficacy than teaching without FA, even without a special focus on the inquiry methods. The experimental group achieved significantly better results compared to the control group. In addition, the results confirmed higher efficacy of FA in lower performing students. Gender did not prove as a determining factor in the effective implementation of FA.

237-251

Authors: Mehmet Karakus, Zara Ersozlu, Muhammet Usak, Jude Ocean

The current research aims to explore the impact of Science and Mathematics teachers’ self-efficacy on their intentions to leave through the mediating effects of their affective wellbeing (stress, burnout, and depression). Data were collected from 329 teachers of Science and Mathematics who were selected randomly with a clustered sampling method from 232 secondary schools in South and East Anatolia, Turkey. The structural equation model that yielded the best fit indicated that as teachers’ self-efficacy levels increase, their stress, burnout, depression, and intent-to-leave levels decrease. Teachers with high self-efficacy are less likely to develop intention-to-leave because of their positive affective well-being indicators. Results suggest that maths and science teachers who have optimistic beliefs in their capabilities can more easily cope with the stressors at work and have better affective well-being, and consequently, a lower level of intention-to-leave. The results provide educational leaders with insights as to how better to retain qualified Science and Mathematics teachers.

261-276

Authors: Wael Musalamani, Ruhizan Mohammad Yasin, Kamisah Osman

This study examined the effect of the SB-CPBL on Jordanian 8th-grade students’ attitude towards science. A quantitative quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group was employed in this study. 120 8th-graders, divided into two groups, were involved in this study. Two groups (60 students, 30 males, and 30 females) were designated as the experimental group; they used the SB-CPBL module for six weeks, while two groups (60 students, 30 males, and 30 females) were designated as the control group and taught conventionally. The validity and reliability of the measurements used, comprising four sub-scales with 40-items, were already robust. The statistical comparison between the groups showed a significant improvement in the SB-CPBL students’ attitudes towards learning science compared with their conventionally-taught counterparts. The findings also confirmed the insignificant effects of gender vis-à-vis attitudes towards science. The results concluded the effectiveness of SB-CPBL approach in improving students’ attitudes towards science in school settings.

289-304

Authors: Jamilah Ahmad, Nyet Moi Siew

There are limited research studies about the development of questionnaire to assess the level of primary school students’ curiosity towards STEM education. In this research, curiosity towards STEM Education Questionnaire (CQ-STEM) instrument was developed based on Berlyne’s Theory of Curiosity. CQ-STEM consisted of 10 items measuring the two constructs of curiosity towards STEM, namely exploration and acceptance. A total of 166 fifth graders aged 10 to 11 years enrolled in five urban schools in Sabah, Malaysia made up the research sample. Rasch Measurement Model was applied to determine the validity and reliability of CQ-STEM. The validity of the CQ-STEM instrument was well established among the constructs of exploration and acceptance through the person fit, item fit, item polarity, unidimensionality, and variable map. The CQ-STEM instrument was found to have a high reliability with a Cronbach’s alpha value (KR-20) of .93. CQ-STEM has an excellent item reliability and moderate high item separation value of .96 and 4.83 respectively. In conclusion, CQ-STEM has good validity and high reliability in measuring curiosity towards STEM Education among primary school students.

316-331

Authors: Karel Vojíř, Martin Rusek

The (written) state curriculum is one of the cornerstones influencing education. Its specifically mediated by textbooks. In an open textbook market, the influence of the state curriculum is limited, and the main responsibility passes to individual schools or teachers. In order to understand education from the potential attainment of curriculum goals’ point of view, it is necessary to pay attention to the teachers’ textbook preferences. This research was focused on the field of lower-secondary chemistry education in Czechia, with special attention paid to the textbooks in use, their choice, and teachers’ perception of them. The data were gathered using a questionnaire distributed to a representative sample of 387 lower-secondary school chemistry teachers. The results showed that teachers favor traditional chemistry teaching conceptions. Most teachers stated that textbooks play a vital role for them when preparing lessons and new textbooks are mostly chosen by the most experienced teachers. Most teachers also expressed their preference for textbooks which contain subject-matter ordered according to the structure of chemistry, i.e. not adjusted for learners, as well as textbooks dominantly orientated towards the transmissive approach to education. Regarding the teachers’ perception of textbooks, potential limits were identified in implementing innovations in (chemical) education.