Teaching science concepts for conceptual understanding has its challenges. Bringing about conceptual change in the science classroom can be difficult because most concepts are complicated and often counter-intuitive in the teaching and learning of science concepts. A review of the literature indicates that the conceptual change model, CCM can be an effective teaching technique in addressing misconceptions and improving conceptual understanding when it comes to science instruction. The aim of this research was to find out the effect of the conceptual change model on pre-service teachers’ conceptual understanding regarding the topic of forces and motion. Using data from tests and questionnaires, the research questions were answered by quantitatively analyzing the collected data. The analysis revealed that there is a statistically significant correlation between the conceptual change model and the conceptual understanding of the pre-service teacher participants. Overall, the results provide evidence in support of the effectiveness of the conceptual change model, CCM in addressing misconceptions and promoting conceptual understanding of forces and motion among the pre-service teacher participants that volunteered for this research. The results also indicate that the CCM is a teaching model which must be considered by science educators and teachers as they seek to address issues related to misconceptions and conceptual understanding in the teaching of science topics. Keywords: conceptual change, conceptual change model, conceptual understanding, misconceptions, pre-service teachers, science education

This paper investigated the effect of using LEGO EV3 robots to teach Newton’s second law with conceptual understanding to a group of 14 to 18-year-olds in an after-school STEM education program. 74 teenagers participated in this research study. A quantitative methods approach involving descriptive analyses, paired-sample t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA were used to answer the research questions. The results showed that the LEGO EV3 robots positively affected participants’ understanding of Newton’s second law of motion and their interest in pursuing STEM education and careers. In addition, the descriptive analyses from the pre- and post-interest questionnaire revealed that participants were more confident and willing to learn with robotic devices after the activity than before. Repeated measures ANOVA analysis indicated that scaffolded programming tasks affected participants’ computational thinking skills. Implications include the purposeful use of LEGO EV3 robotics and potentially other educationally focused programmable devices (e.g., micro:bit, Spheros, Arduinos, etc.).

This research investigated the effectiveness of the conceptual change model (CCM) in addressing pre-service elementary teachers’ misconceptions and promoting their conceptual understanding of electrostatics. The participants were 55 pre-service elementary teachers enrolled in an elementary physical science course, 44 females and 11 males. An embedded mixed-methods approach was employed to help answer the two research questions put forward in this research. The results showed that the CCM moderately correlated with participants’ conceptual understanding of electrostatics. The data from the three open-ended questions showed that the CCM positively affected participants’ conceptions of the topic of electrostatics. The results of this research contribute to the literature on the effect of the conceptual change model in building conceptual understanding and minimizing pre-service teachers’ misconceptions about electrostatics. The results also showed that the phases of the CCM did not have the same effect on participants’ conceptual understanding of electrostatics. This information brings to the fore a discussion about the optimal approach to using the conceptual change instructional model.

This study examines the relationship between eighth-grade students’ science achievement scores and their home backgrounds (educational resources and parental level of education) in three participating African countries: Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa using the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) data of 2019. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression models are used to show the effect of home educational resources and parents’ level of education on science achievement in the three African countries. Results showed that the number of books at home correlated positively and best-predicted science achievement scores. Access to technology (computer/tablet, internet, and mobile phone) showed a negative relationship with science achievement. The significance of the predictors varied between countries, emphasizing the need for context-specific research to understand how different factors influence academic achievement. Findings have practical implications for educational policymakers and practitioners, pointing out the impact parental level of education and educational resources can have on students’ science achievement.

The concept of density is difficult for students to understand because it cannot be directly observed. To gain a deeper understanding of this concept, students need to learn about density at the microscopic and macroscopic levels. Virtual Reality (VR) provides an opportunity for students to experience the phenomena at both levels. A density exploration simulation was used in a Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) to investigate the impact of the CAVE on preservice teachers' understanding of density. Three preservice teachers were interviewed before and after their CAVE experience on the concept of density. The data collected consisted of participants' recorded audio responses, written texts, and drawings made during the interviews. Thematic analysis was used to examine the raw data, and three major themes emerged regarding participants' understanding of the concept of density. The experience helped participants visualize water and oil molecules, recognize differences in molecular structures, explore the role of intermolecular forces in determining water density, and observe that air does not affect ice density at the microscopic scale. The study suggests that students can benefit from VR experiences such as those in the CAVE to explore density at macroscopic and microscopic levels.