Journal of Baltic Science Education

1-2

Authors: Editorial Board

Journal of Baltic Science Education, Vol. 22, No. 1, 2023 ISSN 1648-3898 /Print/, ISSN 2538-7138 /Online/

4-9

Authors: Paolo Bussotti

Among the mathematical methods which are taught in the last years of almost every high school, the mathematical induction deserves particular attention. It can be used both to define mathematical entities and to prove theorems. The second use is more common at high school level and is easier. Thus, I will basically focus on it, though analysing in depth two definitions by induction. The aim of this contribution is to offer the basic elements for a didact unit which could be developed in six/seven hours of lesson. In this editorial a didactic unit has been proposed. Here only the basic elements have been given. The unit might be enriched by tracing the history of the inductive principle, which is interesting and formative from an educational standpoint (see, e.g., Palladino-Bussotti 2002). From an epistemological-methodological perspective, it should be pointed out that mathematical induction is a method of proof, but not a method of discovery. It is not a heuristic procedure. The presentation of an organised set of lessons on the principle of mathematical induction is significant and appropriate in the last years of high school because: 1) it introduces the learners within a method typical of whole numbers; 2) it connects mathematical issues with logical ones; 3) it is useful in order to clarify the difference between the way of reasoning connoting mathematic and that typical of empirical sciences. Hence, it is also useful in a science education context; 4) it can be related to the history of mathematics, so as to show that mathematics is also a humanistic discipline, born from conceptual problems, and not only a technical one; 5) it has also connection with epistemological themes linked to the heuristic of mathematics.

20-36

Authors: Thumah Mapulanga, Yaw Ameyaw, Gilbert Nshogoza, Elton Sinyangwe

Since pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) influences the teaching-learning process, it has dominated research on teacher effectiveness. This case study explored teachers’ enacted topic-specific PCK (TSPCK) during the biology lesson study stages: planning, teaching, and reflecting. The enacted TSPCK in two video-recorded research lessons was analysed qualitatively. The results showed that the teacher enacted both high-order and low-order pedagogical actions in the enactment of the TSPCK on eight themes, namely: teaching strategies, classroom interactions, representations, curricular saliency, conceptual teaching strategies, students’ prior knowledge and misconceptions, and what makes teaching or learning difficult. The results also show that the teachers’ collective planned TSPCK was more developed than their personal TSPCK, indicating that participation in the lesson study improved the teachers’ TSPCK. The study is important as it shows how teachers enact their personal and collective TSPCK in respiration. It also demonstrates the potential of lesson study to improve teachers’ PCK through collaborative planning and reflection on taught lessons. The study recommends using lesson study to improve teachers’ enacted TSPCK in respiration, and biology as a whole.

57-72

Authors: Jongwon Park, Hye-Gyoung Yoon, Insun Lee

Postulating that academic papers can positively impact the actual teaching practices of science teachers, this study analysed the process of understanding and utilising academic papers by science teachers to teach scientific creativity in their schools. The 45–hour graduate course of three science teachers was explored to identify the difficulties teachers encountered in trying to understand academic papers and to discover how to solve these difficulties. Second, which aspects should be considered when developing teaching materials for scientific creativity to be used in schools were analysed. A transformation model of an academic paper was proposed to understand this process, and the results were organised accordingly. According to this model, it was emphasized to translate academic papers from a general and abstract state to a local and concrete state. Therefore, the role of science educators as knowledge translators was discussed for more practical and effective use of academic papers in school. This study is expected to contribute to research-based teaching by linking academic research with teaching practice.

83-99

Authors: Tolga Saka, Tufan Inaltekin

Exploring science teachers' classroom assessment behaviors is a way to understand the professional knowledge competencies underlying effective teaching practices. One of the most important components of in-class assessments is teacher questions. However, studies examining teacher questions that provide support to accurately determine student learning and manage the lesson effectively are quite limited. This research presents a case study of a science teacher in Turkey regarding the question types and questioning proficiency in the teaching of 5th grade "Measurement of Force and Friction" and "Matter and Change". The data have been collected through course observations. The study used an observation evaluation protocol to analyze the video recordings taken from the science teacher's lectures. The results of this study showed that about half of the questions that the science teacher has asked in his class remain at a partially appropriate and inappropriate level, and that the teacher mostly prefers questions that aim to evaluate real information and summarize what is important in his courses. These results point to the need for professional development on a teacher's questioning practices. Therefore, it can be said that those who plan professional development programs for science teachers should consider efforts to improve teacher questioning practices.

113-129

Authors: Fauziah Sulaiman, Jeffry Juan Rosales, JR., Lee Jae Kyung

Issues like why students felt far from physics and did not choose physics as their prime learning option are familiar in education. This paper aims to study the effectiveness of the STEM-Project-Based learning module in physics on students' personal interest and sense-making and effort. This research used the quasi-experimental model, employing a two-group pre-survey-post-survey design. Quantitative data were collected using the Colorado Learning Attitude about Science Survey (CLASS) instrument at two selected schools in Sabah, Malaysia, and Seoul, Korea. The sample size was 88 Form 4 students in Malaysia and 66 second-year high school students in Korea who learned classical mechanics. The students were divided into two groups, respectively, i.e., the experimental group (Malaysia=44, Korea=33) and the control group (Malaysia=44, Korea=33). Participants in the experimental group were intervened with the integrated STEM-PBL physics module, whilst participants in the control group learned physics through a conventional approach for eight weeks. Participants in both groups were then administered a pre-survey before and post-survey after the intervention. This research showed that the integrated STEM-PBL physics module significantly improved students' personal interest, and sense-making and effort after the intervention. The paper also highlighted the research's implications and suggestions.

153-166

Authors: Yi-Kuan Tseng, Fan-Sheng Lin, Wernhuar Tarng, Yu-Ling Lu, Tzu-Ling Wang

Physical and virtual labs have unique capabilities that can influence how students learn from them. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of physical and virtual manipulatives on students’ learning of heat and temperature and to examine the influence of various combinations of physical and virtual manipulatives. A total of 205 participants were divided into four groups: only physical manipulatives, only virtual manipulatives, physical-virtual manipulatives, and virtual-physical manipulatives. Students’ knowledge acquisition was tested using Pre-test–Post-test design. The results showed that physical and virtual manipulatives are as effective in facilitating students’ learning of state changes, but virtual manipulatives are more beneficial to students’ learning of thermal expansion and contraction than physical manipulatives are. Physical-virtual manipulatives are more effective than virtual-physical manipulatives or physical manipulatives alone are to promote students’ learning of heat and temperature, but this effect is similar to that of virtual manipulatives alone. The results suggest that virtual laboratories can effectively model abstract concepts. The better effect of the physical-virtual operation sequence on learning does not depend on whether the two types of experiments are combined or on the sequence of operations but on the type of experiment when its advantages actually contribute to learning.

182-184

Authors: Editorial Board

Journal of Baltic Science Education, Vol. 22, No. 1, 2023 ISSN 1648-3898 /Print/, ISSN 2538-7138 /Online/