Journal of Baltic Science Education

951

Authors: Editorial Board

Journal of Baltic Science Education, Vol. 22, No. 6, 2023 ISSN 1648-3898 /Print/, ISSN 2538-7138 /Online/

956-973

Authors: Anthony Bwalya, Marcellin Rutegwa, Dorothy Tukahabwa, Thumah Mapulanga

The effective use of technology in teaching can aid in enhancing the teaching and learning of a subject matter. This study aimed to enhance the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) of five pre-service biology teachers (PSBTs) by implementing a TPACK-Instructional Design (TPACK-ID) model-based technology integration course at a Zambian public university. An explanatory case study design was used. Data sources for the study included semi-structured interviews , video lesson recordings, lesson plan reports and PSBTs’ reflection notes. Data from interviews and reflection notes were analyzed using deductive thematic analysis while a TPACK rubric was used to simultaneously analyze lesson plan reports and video lesson recordings. The findings indicated that the TPACK-ID model-based technology integration course improved PSBTs’ overall TPACK and sub-knowledge domains: pedagogical knowledge, technology knowledge, technological content knowledge, and technological pedagogical knowledge. The study recommends implementing context-based technology integration courses in teacher preparation programs to enhance pre-service teachers’ TPACK.

991-1010

Authors: Xianwei Gao, Nai Peng Tey, Siow Li Lai

Absenteeism and students' attitudes toward science have an impact on the exam results among eighth-grade students in Malaysia and Singapore. This study employed weighted least squares and quantile regression techniques on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 data to analyze the net effect of these two factors in influencing the academic performance of eighth-grade students. Given Singapore's considerable lead in TIMSS ranking over Malaysia, this research sheds light on modifiable factors that can help Malaysia enhance its national science education. Absenteeism was more pressing in Malaysia than in Singapore, but it significantly influenced exam results in both countries. However, there was no significant difference in attitudes toward science. Results from quantile regression show that these impacts were not uniform across the performance distributions. The study's results emphasize that absenteeism, home educational resources, and parental education contribute to the performance disparities between the two countries. These results underscore the importance for policymakers and educational planners in Malaysia to take proactive steps in addressing these shortcomings to improve students' exam results, to work towards narrowing the performance gap, and to enhance science education.

1025-1037

Authors: Jihoon Kang

A higher science self-concept may be required to stimulate state curiosity in incongruent situations, but there is limited research on the connection between science self-concept and state curiosity. The purpose of this study is to examine whether science self-concept moderates the process of arousing students’ state curiosity when they encounter results that violate their expectations in science learning. To achieve this aim, 410 fifth- and sixth-grade primary school students (194 female) were asked to solve science questions, and students who faced results that deviated from their expectations were classified as the violation outcome group (experimental group), while those who faced results consistent with their expectations were classified as the expected outcome group (comparison group). Then, the moderating effect of science self-concept on the relationship between science curiosity and state curiosity arousal in these two groups was verified using PROCESS macro. Results showed that science curiosity significantly predicted state curiosity in both groups. Notably, science self-concept had a significant moderating effect on the process of arousing state curiosity in the violation outcome group, where higher science self-concept led to a greater increase in state curiosity after confirming the correct answer. However, in the expected outcome group, the moderating effect of science self-concept was not significant. The implications of these findings for science education and potential directions for future research are discussed.

1050-1062

Authors: Márió Tibor Nagy, Erzsébet Korom

Nowadays, the assessment of student performance has become increasingly technology-based, a trend that can also be observed in the evaluation of scientific reasoning, with more and more of the formerly paper-based assessment tools moving into the digital space. The study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the paper-based and computer-based forms of the Science-K Inventory, which assesses children's scientific reasoning in three aspects: experimentation, data interpretation, and understanding of the nature of science. The pilot study involved 84 fourth-grade Hungarian students, with 39 students taking the paper-based test and 45 students taking the computer-based test. Rasch measurements and reliability tests have indicated that both the paper-based and computer-based test versions are equally valid for assessing the scientific reasoning skills of fourth graders. Students achieved high test scores in both mediums, and there were no significant differences between boys' and girls' scientific reasoning in either test type. The novelty of this research was that the Science-K Inventory had not yet been tested in a computer-based format. The results demonstrate that the Science-K Inventory can be effectively utilized in digital testing to provide teachers with rapid and valuable information for fostering the development of their students' scientific reasoning.

1074-1088

Authors: Cajethan U. Ugwuoke, Emmanuel A. Babajide, Lilian U. Ekenta, Godwin E. Eze, Clara U. Nwankwo, Florence O. Ifeanyieze, Christiana U. Nwachukwu, Vincent O. Odoh, Edward C. Isiwu

The performance of agricultural science students is consistently low as seen in their external examinations. This could be attributed to the poor teaching methods, materials and techniques applied in teaching the subject. This study determined the multimedia application effects on the academic achievement of Agricultural science students. It adopted a mixed-method design. All the students and teachers of Agricultural science in secondary schools in Enugu State, Nigeria formed the population but six schools with 583 students and teachers of agriculture formed the sample. Students’ Academic Achievement Test in Agricultural Science (SAATAS) and Convenience Teaching Method Questionnaire (CTMQ) were used to collect data. Mean, ANCOVA and Friedman's test were used for data analyses. Results indicated that students instructed using multimedia significantly performed higher than the students instructed using the conventional teaching method. The performance of males was not different from that of the females. The interaction between the teaching media and gender had a non-significant effect on the academic achievement of students. Moreover, teachers adopted note-taking, lecture, demonstration and project methods but did not use multimedia in teaching. Teachers of agriculture accepted that inconsistent power supply, poor network connectivity, and non-availability of computers, among others, were the problems hindering them from using multimedia in teaching.

1103-1119

Authors: Yulian Zhang, Weijun Wang, Yi Xian, Xianfeng Wang, Jiabin Huang

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.

1137-1140

Authors: Editorial Board

Journal of Baltic Science Education, Vol. 22, No. 6, 2023 ISSN 1648-3898 /Print/, ISSN 2538-7138 /Online/