Journal of Baltic Science Education

187

Authors: Editorial Board

Journal of Baltic Science Education, Vol. 22, No. 2, 2023 ISSN 1648-3898 /Print/, ISSN 2538-7138 /Online/

192-203

Authors: Ömer Acar, Zeynep Azaklı

The effect of online argumentation and reflective thinking-based science teaching on sixth-grade students’ epistemic cognition, metacognition, and logical thinking was explored in this study. The research was carried out in the 2020-2021 academic year when all teaching was online due to Covid-19. Students in the study sample were mostly from middle-class families. Students were divided into two groups for one semester; one received online argumentation and reflective thinking-based science teaching (experimental group) whereas the other received only online science teaching (control group). The exploratory factor analyses yielded two factors for epistemic cognition and metacognition questionnaires whereas the logical thinking test was found to be unidimensional. According to the results, experimental group students scored higher than control group students in post-test regulation of cognition and logical thinking. In addition, the experimental group developed knowledge of cognition, regulation of cognition, and logical thinking during the intervention. Although the experimental group scored higher than the control group on the set of post-test epistemic cognition factors, this significance did not appear amongst individual factors. As for the implications of this study, elements of distance learning that may have contributed to the development of students’ cognitive abilities were discussed.

215-231

Authors: Gamze Alp, Berna Coskun Onan

To constitute awareness of climate change, hearing the solutions of students in their words and seeing visual products by creating experiences in schools is vital. This case study was limited to sequential implementations of climate change in the natural sciences teaching process in 5th grade. After an education process on using Pixton, 12 students transformed their learning into digital comics. This research aimed to reveal the problems created by students through digital stories about climate change, solutions they suggested for climate problems, and aesthetic subtleties they applied to express themselves. Digital comics created by students, researcher notes, observations, and students’ view forms were used as data collection tools. Finally, vital solutions to problems such as global climate change, pollution, destruction of the natural environment, and extinction of living creatures were created by students during this case. Important solutions consisting of preventing global warming, making peace with nature, vital measures and efforts to protect the soil were suggested. Besides, interesting aesthetic subtleties such as storification, positioning of the characters, place preferences, expression of emotions, and time depiction were applied. Teachers can use comics to see students’ tendencies, raise awareness, encourage them, and help them develop solutions for current socio-scientific problems.

254-268

Authors: Abdou L. J. Jammeh, Claude Karegeya, Savita Ladage

The study complements previous research on a case study of chemistry lesson plans design and teaching. It has been found that chemistry education in The Gambia has been challenged by ineffective lesson plans design and teaching, and laboratory resources. The consequences have been unsatisfactory learning outcomes. However, what could lead to unsatisfactory learning outcomes in chemistry if basic stoichiometry is considered challenging? This has led the present study to develop a survey research method to assess students' misconceptions on basic stoichiometry. Through a systematic random sampling technique, 285-grade eleventh students were selected. The topics covered in the study included interpreting the pH of common substances, balancing basic stoichiometric equations, and inferences of experimental results. Students’ responses to misconception survey questions were reviewed and analysed. The results indicated that students could be taught some basic principles of stoichiometry. Students who were challenged to correct inferences from experimental results need to develop their knowledge better. Accordingly, the study concluded that chemistry education can indicate the success of introducing basic stoichiometry, including referencing to the lower grades, rather than secondary grades. Nevertheless, what this study could recommend was to examine the possible source and cause of such misconceptions concerning basic stoichiometry reactions and balancing.

282-293

Authors: Jonas Kwadzo Kotoka, Jeanne Kriek

The technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) framework was developed incorporating content, pedagogical and technological knowledge. Studies used TPACK constructs and reported on teachers’ TPACK and student learning, but none explored the correlation between teachers’ TPACK and the achievement of their learners. This research followed an exploratory correlational research design involving 1423 Grade 11 learners and their 42 Physics teachers in a South African district after electricity was taught. A self-report questionnaire may not truly measure teachers’ TPACK, therefore, learners’ perceptions of their teachers’ use of technology were explored. The correlation between the Physics teachers’ TPACK and the achievement of their learners in electricity was established. Four validated research instruments were used, namely, the Learner Electricity Achievement Test (LEAT), the Learner Confirmatory Questionnaire (LCQ), the Teachers’ Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge Questionnaire (T-TPACKQ) and the Learners’ Confirmation of the Teachers’ Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge Questionnaire (LC-T-TPACKQ). Findings indicate a statistically significant difference between teachers’ views of their TPACK and the views of their learners. The correlation between teachers’ TPACK and the achievement of their learners was not statistically significant. These results can influence the professional development of teachers in respect of the use of technology in teaching.

309-322

Authors: Karel Nepras, Tereza Strejckova, Roman Kroufek, Milan Kubiatko

Climate change is not a future problem, it is a significant variation of weather conditions becoming warmer, wetter or drier. It is the longer-term trend that differentiates climate change from natural weather variability. The aim of this research was to determine primary school students’ knowledge and attitudes related to climate change among primary school students (n = 473) in the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom and Portugal using a questionnaire survey. The dimensions of climate change knowledge, environmental attitudes and values, pro-environmental behaviour, and climate change attitudes were measured and analysed. The results showed gender differences in favour of girls in all the dimensions studied, except for climate change knowledge, where the results of boys and girls were comparable. In an international comparison, UK children scored higher on climate change knowledge and climate change attitudes dimensions. A multiple regression analysis showed the dimensions of nature preservation and appreciation of nature as the strongest positive predictors of pro-environmental behaviour and the dimensions of climate change knowledge and nature preservation as the strongest predictors of climate change belief. The results suggest the importance and implications of the wider societal debate on climate-related personal dimensions. The interconnectedness of environmental and climate-related topics at the primary school level is also evident.

337-356

Authors: Guanxue Shi, Shanshan Lu, Hualin Bi

Explaining natural phenomena by determining causal relationships is conducive to understanding scientific concepts. In science education, numerous studies examine students' causal reasoning. Given the importance of core ideas for students’ understanding of how and why a phenomenon occurs, the study focused on the relationship between students' understanding of atoms/molecules interactions and the nature of reasoning. This study drew on a framework that identifies essential components of students' reasoning, which was used to analyze the dissolution phenomenon in the example of salt in water. Students in grades 9-12 (N=147) explained the dissolution of salt. The results showed that there were five types of reasoning: simple descriptive, fuzzy causal, linear causal, interactive causal, and mechanistic. More students in higher than lower grades exhibited non-causal reasoning. Based on the students' drawings of atoms/molecules interactions, the study summarized performance in the association category. Students’ performance in drawing indicated that their understanding of particle interactions was limited. The results showed that there was a large correlation between understanding of the core ideas and reasoning types.

370-372

Authors: Editorial Board

Journal of Baltic Science Education, Vol. 22, No. 2, 2023 ISSN 1648-3898 /Print/, ISSN 2538-7138 /Online/