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The aim of this study is to examine the opinions of prospective teachers about biology and nature-related activities for mentally disabled students. The survey method was used in this quantitative study. Attitude scale towards biology and nature-related activities for mentally disabled students was used as a data collection tool. The scale was applied to a total of 258 (183 females, 75 males) prospective teachers studying at the education faculty of a state university and taking special education courses. According to the findings, prospective teachers expressed their positive opinions about all the activities specified in the scale. However, a few prospective teachers stated that some of the activities, especially interaction with animals, were not applicable for their mentally disabled students. However, when the findings are evaluated in general, it is concluded that biology and nature-related activities are very valuable for mentally disabled students.

Higher education students need help and support to enable them to cope with the challenges of their studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the perspectives of first-year undergraduate students on predictors of psychosocial support in challenging situations. A creative art-based descriptive research design was employed utilising an individual One-Page Profile form to gather data from 240 first-year students from two different universities in Slovakia. Data was collected and analysed using a content-thematic and visual approach. Four significant individual predictors of psychosocial support were identified: emotional, instrumental, informational and appraisal. Emotional support consists of desirable mental health, defined by the students as experiencing happiness, self-satisfaction, self-development, relationships which are satisfying, loving and safe, trust, empathic acceptance, and care from others. Instrumental support varies from personnel up to material resources e.g., people, animals, and assistance such as financial services. The preferred informational support is peer-to-peer counselling, followed by professional counselling. When students describe appraisal support their needs are primarily in the areas of well-being and self-efficacy. The study makes various suggestions on how University staff can provide first-year students with support and counselling in their everyday challenges.

This study approaches the issue of autism in a case study. Specifically, it investigates how three key points in the daily life of a child on the autism spectrum change in the presence of a pet: social behavior, empathy and irritability. The aim is to study how the pet affects the child's daily life in the above points. The questions that are asked concern the close environment of the child, in order to be able to compare the situation before and after the presence of the pet. Teachers from the child's school and family environment participate in the survey. Questionnaires and personal interviews are used to collect information. The interviews are based on Goodman's S.D.Q (2005). The bibliography will refer to the method of Animal Assisted therapy- pet therapy, which concerns the treatment of syndromes, diseases, anxiety, disorders, through animals. The research questions that arise refer to improving the socialization of people with autism, increasing their social interaction and creating relationships and expressing their emotions. Then the data collected is analyzed and the conclusions of the research are drawn.

This comparative study looks into the image of the wolf in Genghis Aitmatov's "Plakha" and Jack London's "White Fang." For this purpose, first, the concept of the wolf in fiction is discussed, and the representation of wolves in these two texts is analyzed. This study explores the relationship between wolves and human beings as expressed in the texts in a way that helps understand the image of the wolf with specific cultural beliefs and practices that find aspirations in the text mentioned. The study concludes that Aitmatov associates Kazakh people with the wolf, unlike London's wolf, whose existence does not center around issues of freedom and independence.

Regular physical activity and balanced nutrition are important in maintaining a healthy weight. Nonetheless, minority populations, like Hispanics, face challenges (e.g., language barriers and transportation unavailability) that limit their participation in intervention programs to receive benefits. Furthermore, dog companionship has been shown to relate to adolescents' behavioral and socio-emotional development positively, and it has been shown to have the potential to increase physical activity in adolescence. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the feasibility, i.e., program adaptation, limited efficacy, and acceptability, of the two exercise and nutrition education interventions to improve body composition, motivation, and well-being in overweight and obese Hispanic adolescents. This pilot study was a quasi-experimental trial with eight pediatrician-referred participants (M[subscript age] =11.75±1.48) assigned to two parallel arms: (1) BRAVO! and (2) BRAVO!+. Both share identical exercise (24 hours) and nutrition (12 hours) programs centered on the self-determination theory for 12 weeks. The results suggested, first, acceptable attendance (BRAVO! = 56.25%; BRAVO!+ = 64.58%) but poor retention (BRAVO! = 33.33%; BRAVO!+ = 63.63%). Second, the findings suggested promising limited efficacy in BRAVO!+ group, with small but statistically non-significant reductions in participants' BMI (M[subscript baseline] = 33.08±6.13; M[subscript post] = 32.23±6.88; t[3] = 1.633, p = 0.201) and weight (M[subscript baseline] = 78.13±16.22; M[subscript post] = 77.62±17.64; t[3] = 0.485, p = 0.661). In addition, the results suggested high satisfaction and acceptable suitability for both programs and providing important suggestions for the future. In conclusion, our pilot study findings only partially supported the feasibility of the pet-dog-enhanced lifestyle intervention. Although this study found evidence that pet-dog companionship can improve program satisfaction and acceptability of pediatric lifestyle interventions, including a pet-dog in the intervention may contribute to high dropout evidenced in this study.

In this industrial revolution era, university-level education emphasises higher-order thinking skills. This research aims to analyse the effect of implementing the PjB-HOTS learning model on cognitive learning, creative thinking skills, analytical thinking skills, and metacognitive skills of the students studying osmoregulation concepts in Animal Physiology courses. The sample consisted of 61 fifth-semester students divided into two classes. An open-ended test was used to measure students' cognitive learning levels, creative thinking skills, analytical thinking skills, creative thinking skills, and metacognitive skills. The research data were analysed using the Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results of this research show that the learning model had a significant effect on the cognitive learning gains (0.000< [alpha]= 0.05), creative thinking skill (0.001< [alpha]= 0.05), analytical thinking skill (0.000< [alpha]= 0.05), and metacognitive skill (0.000< [alpha]= 0.05). These results indicate that the combined syntax of PjBL and HOTS can foster students' higher-order thinking skills and improve their cognitive learning gains. We recommend the PjB-HOTS learning model be used for other biological concepts at the university-level.

Background: Although the reading of science texts has been reported for high school learners, there is not much research on how younger learners engage with expository texts and how they develop academic language skills. In the instance of this study, the topic came from the curriculum content about animal reproduction. Aim: The study from which this article emanated aimed to explore how a sample of learners engaged with a short text, which required cohesive reading and some background knowledge and vocabulary. Setting: This study was conducted in a suburban school where the learners use English as a second language. Methods: A sample (n = 25) was randomly selected from five Grade 4 classes. Their reading comprehension of a custom-designed test was assessed, along with their writing competence in their responses to content questions as well as their drawings. The data were analysed in a typical content analysis modality. Results: This study showed that the learners do not apply inferencing skills and do not read cohesively across sentences and paragraphs and that their vocabulary and prior knowledge of animal reproduction is limited. Conclusion: The urgent need for the development of academic language skills in the early grades is foregrounded in this article, arguing that it can be infused in subjects across the curriculum of the early grades. Contribution: The task can be used by teachers and by researchers who may wish to replicate the study.

Animal behaviour and welfare research are part of a wider endeavour to optimize the health and wellbeing of humans, animals and ecosystems. As such, it is part of the One Health research agenda. This article applies ethical principles described by the One Health High Level Expert Panel to animal behaviour and welfare research. These principles entail that animal behaviour and welfare research should be valued equitably alongside other research in transdisciplinary and multisectoral collaboration. It should include and promote a multiplicity of marginalized voices, including those of animals, and it should apply and describe a harmonious balance between human--animal-environment interactions. Lastly, it should describe how humans need to change behaviour, adopt sustainable solutions and recognize the importance of animal welfare and the integrity of the whole ecosystem.

The sounds of birds form the outdoor playlist of our lives. Birds appeal to the public, in part because of the wide variety of interesting sounds they make. This popularity has led to a long history of amateur participation in ornithology, which has recently produced rapid increases in freely available online databases with hundreds of thousands of bird sounds recorded by birdwatchers. These databases provide unique opportunities for teachers to guide students through processes to learn to identify bird species by their sounds. The techniques we summarize here include combining the auditory components of recognizing different types of sounds birds make with visual components of reading sonograms, widely available visual representations of sounds.

Hands-on dissections of animals are traditionally regarded as an essential part of biology education. Nowadays, regardless of the reported educational benefits, there is a gradual change in the concept and acceptance of hands-on dissection, leading in many cases to its abandonment in schools and its replacement with alternatives such as 3D models, figurines, plastination and computer-based alternatives. However, the position of hands-on dissection has recently been challenged, mostly by computer-supported alternatives. The aim of the study was to explore whether teacher self-efficacy can be recognized as a predictor of the application of the different kinds of animals in hands-on and virtual dissections in Biology lessons. Based on responses from 405 Czech Biology teachers there are differences in the acceptability and implementation of organisms for hands-on and virtual dissection. It was established, that self-efficacy is not a predictor of either the acceptability of organisms or actual behaviour in both variants of dissection.

Plant awareness disparity (PAD), formerly known as plant blindness, refers to the fact of overlooking or failing to perceive plants, perhaps due to poor 'species literacy'. Despite numerous efforts made by scientists and educators over the years, PAD is still present in students at all educational levels. An assessment was carried out on 259 students from primary school to university in the Spanish education system to evaluate their species literacy, especially regarding local flora and fauna, its possible improvement across educational levels, and to assess whether PAD was a reality among students. A biased perception towards animals was confirmed with strong statistical support. Animals were recognized and identified more than plants at all educational levels. Even if a positive correlation for animal-plant literacy was found, the values were weak. Although the curricula set out content and learning outcomes related to local environment and flora, their teaching has been proven to be unsatisfactory. The recently implemented curricula have the mission to reverse this trend, which can be done by improving students' interest in plants through specific educational programs and activities, as well as comprehensive training in the field of botany and the effective implementation of activities for current and future educators.

This article poses the question 'How do we look at animals?', suggesting a link to inherent problems of documentary film-making. However, the question further suggests that there may be ways of relating to animals other than 'looking at'; other than 'observing'. Drawing from the research project De-Doc-Donkeywork: Decolonising Documentary Art Practices and the Global Crisis for Donkeys, the article offers a reflection upon how specific art-practice-led research is brought into education. The interrelatedness of art practice, research, theory and pedagogy allows for connections to be identified between the decaying borders of disciplines, documental knowledges, and possibilities of decolonising our relation to animals. At the core is a problem of 'coloniality' related to film education: the domination of documentary concerns and valances through film discourse. The "documental" is identified as an epistemic practice that can reorganise extra-disciplinary resources into collaborating collectives in research and education, allowing for new ways of knowing 'donkey'.

Animal companionship has been found to have a positive influence on human well-being, and the presence of pets can have a subtle yet significant impact on the healthy development of students. Pet companionship takes various forms across different fields in China and other regions worldwide, and the impact of such companionship remains uncertain. Hence, it is imperative to investigate the impact of diverse forms of companionship and animals on multiple facets of student growth and development. This study employed meta-analysis methodologies to examine 47 effect sizes derived from 12 domestic and international studies on pet companionship. The aim was to investigate the overall trends of the influence of pet companionship on student development as well as the effects of diverse types of companionship and pets on different aspects of student development, including physical and mental health, social-emotional abilities, and academic performance. The objective was to enhance the exploration of approaches for maximizing the utilization of various forms of pet companionship. Furthermore, this research suggests a systematic and incremental approach to enhancing the function of pets within households, educational institutions, and medical facilities. Adequate content and organization are essential for scientific advancement and the development of students. In this particular context, it is possible to optimize the impact of pet companionship on the development of students.

One of the learning outcomes of learning Animal Embryology and Reproduction is that students can explain concepts about reproduction or embryology theory. Since concept map-based learning can improve students' critical thinking skills and analysis, and support their interest in learning, this study analysed the ability of students enrolled in the 2019/2020 Animal Embryology and Reproduction course to construct concept maps and students' cognitive learning outcomes through assignments and tests. This descriptive study involved 127 students in semester VI enrolled in the Embryology and Animal Reproduction programme at the Department of Biology Education, FTTE at the Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang. The sampling technique was saturated sampling and the data were collected through the task of compiling concept maps and learning outcomes with tests. The drafting of concept maps was assessed by the concepts and ideas, relationships between concepts, hierarchies, propositions, and spelling, with cognitive learning assessed by tests. The results showed that most students had sufficient ability to compose a concept map and very good learning outcomes, indicating that concept maps can be used to learn biology in Animal Embryology and Reproduction courses.

The goal of the research was to find out the effect of using living animal in teaching on remembering and understanding acquired knowledge in students with special educational needs (SEN). In our experiment, students with SEN (n=24) were compared with students without SEN (n=56). The design of the research was experimental. The research tool consisted of a test which was made by the authors, and which served both as a pre- and a post-test. For the assessment, the methods of descriptive statistics (the average) and inductive statistics (t-test for dependent and independent samples) were used. Students in experimental groups which encountered living animals in teaching, acquired more information about animals, which were used during teaching process and because of that, their results were better than the results of students in control groups.

The Fly-CURE is a genetics-focused multi-institutional Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) that provides undergraduate students with hands-on research experiences within a course. Through the Fly-CURE, undergraduate students at diverse types of higher education institutions across the United States map and characterize novel mutants isolated from a genetic screen in "Drosophila melanogaster." To date, more than 20 mutants have been studied across 20 institutions, and our scientific data have led to eleven publications with more than 500 students as authors. To evaluate the impact of the Fly-CURE experience on students, we developed and validated assessment tools to identify students' perceived research self-efficacy, sense of belonging in science, and intent to pursue additional research opportunities. Our data, collected over three academic years and involving 14 institutions and 480 students, show gains in these metrics after completion of the Fly-CURE across all student subgroups analyzed, including comparisons of gender, academic status, racial and ethnic groups, and parents' educational background. Importantly, our data also show differential gains in the areas of self-efficacy and interest in seeking additional research opportunities between Fly-CURE students with and without prior research experience, illustrating the positive impact of research exposure (dosage) on student outcomes. Altogether, our data indicate that the Fly-CURE experience has a significant impact on students' efficacy with research methods, sense of belonging to the scientific research community, and interest in pursuing additional research experiences.

This study aimed to determine the utilization of research results of the selection of marine fungi for milkfish ("Chanos chanos") feed. The study was conducted in stages, starting with identifying the issues in the learning activities of biotechnology concepts, followed by experiments to identify research methods and products, selecting an adaptation of research findings as the learning source content, and application and development of research findings as learning. The data and information were gathered through an interview grid and a questionnaire, and the findings of the surveys were then analyzed qualitatively. The results of a selection study of marine fungi from Dua Island, Banten, Indonesia as feed for milkfish related to basic competency (KD) 3.10 and 4.10 can be used as learning resources as digital magazines for class XII high school students. Thus, media can help student in learning process.

Therapy dogs positively impact students mental and emotional well-being, which can improve the student's academic performance. Therapy dogs can reduce stress and anxiety levels, which leads to better concentration and improved learning outcomes. Canines can also help improve social skills and behavior, which fosters a more productive classroom environment. School accountability becomes more critical each year. Student performance on state assessments determines accountability ratings. This study investigated therapy dogs' impact on academic achievement in a rural middle school math classroom. By addressing this issue through learning motivational theory, the quantitative research sheds light on how incorporating canine animal-assisted interventions into the daily classroom routine can increase student achievement.

Although the empowerment of critical thinking (CT) has become an international concern that needs to be developed in the biology learning process for high school students, there still needs to be more relevant research literature. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of implementing reading, questioning, and answering strategies integrated with creative problem solving (RQA-CPS) with RQA, CPS, and discussion strategies. This method used the pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design for one semester using four classes. We designed that the experimental group was taught with RQA-CPS, the control-I group was taught with RQA, the control-II group was taught with CPS, and the control-III group was taught with DP. This research involved 129 high school students in four classes with the topics Plantae, Animalia, Ecology and Environmental Change. These four topics are classified as complex material that requires CT to be able to understand in depth. The results showed that high school students' CT increased in all four classes, but the RQA-CPS group experienced the most significant increase and was significantly different compared to the other three control groups. Thus, the RQA-CPS strategy should be used in learning to improve students' CT.

The world is changing: both a conventional and a vaccine passport are now needed to travel internationally. Mask mandates, and social distancing are the new norm in a rapidly changing society. These measures were put in place to control the spread of the highly infectious and often fatal COVID-19, caused by a viral agent, a microorganism, a zoonosis, and the cause of death for over 6 million people around the world. Considering this, maintaining biosecurity is important around the world to ensure public health. Biosecurity in New Zealand supposes that people including young people understand different pests and diseases that can harm public health. This qualitative study was conducted to gauge the biosecurity knowledge of 171 young people (14-15-year-olds). Young people were tested on their knowledge about biosecurity related plants, animals, and microorganisms. This paper reports specifically on the results of knowledge of microorganisms of young people. Results show that negative anthropocentric views dominate adolescents understanding of microorganisms and anthropomorphism is widely used to explain microorganism activity. An educational programme, targeted at developing a conceptual understanding about microorganisms starting at primary education may help develop a more educated global citizen, one versed in understanding the biology of microorganisms.

Governance and regulation of the use of live animals in research and teaching is examined in Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan and India. A comparison of the systems in different countries will enable the determination of best practice and fit-forpurpose regulation. The most comprehensive government regulation of animal welfare in institutions covers a broad range of animals and institutions are required to have an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, whose membership is specified in guidelines or regulations. The work of the Committees is rigorously overseen by government and facilities that use live animals are audited externally. All countries examined have legislation governing the use of live animals in research, although only Australia and Malaysia have a fully equivalent mandated oversight of teaching. Teaching that uses live animals is partly covered in the Philippines, Japan, Singapore and Thailand This paper thus aims to review the regulation of animal use in different Asian jurisdictions in order to determine best practices that are appropriate to those settings. The most comprehensive oversight is provided in Australia and Malaysia that essentially use the same regulatory framework.

This study aims to determine the learning outcomes of children in educational settings by using an AR (Augmented Reality) app for animals in classroom activities. To achieve this, the study used sequential exploratory research design, applied in both quantitative and qualitative research. The participants in the study are 2 teachers and 37 children working in the kindergarten affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in the central district of Kilis Province in the 2019-2020 academic year. The augmented reality app was used in one group (n = 18) of children, and not in the other group (n = 19). The children were given an animal recognition test prepared by the researchers before the app was used and again afterward in an attempt to discover how the AR app affected learning. The study determined that while animal recognition increased in both the AR and non-AR groups, the children in the group where the AR app was used recognized more animals than the other group. As a result of the analyses made of the animal pictures drawn by the children who used the AR app, it was understood that the children had the opportunity to discover details about the animals. Additionally, the study conducted analyses of animal pictures drawn by the children who used the AR app, revealing that the app provided children with opportunities to discover and explore intricate details about the animals.

Children's experiences of animal fears can be caused by direct conditioning, experiencing negative events, or modeling others' fears or situations. The fear of an animal that develops in a child as a result of various experiences may turn into an animal phobia over time. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of EMDR interventions for two different children with animal phobias through case studies. In the interventions conducted with the children in this study, facilitative techniques such as allowing the children to express themselves through drawings were utilized in addition to EMDR procedures. The study utilized a multiple-case study design, which is among qualitative research methods. One of the cases is a 9-year-old boy who developed a phobic condition related to dogs after being attacked by a dog and experiencing psychological distress associated with his dog phobia in daily life (such as running towards home, increased heart rate, and screaming when seeing a dog on his way home from school). The second case is a 10-year-old boy who developed a phobic condition related to insects after being stung by a bug while sleeping, experiencing fear of bugs in nature, such as during a picnic, and having difficulties sleeping alone. In this study, narrative analysis was utilized in the data analysis to describe the experiences of Client-1 and Client-2 regarding their phobic conditions and to present their narratives related to EMDR intervention in a chronological and holistic manner. According to the research findings, EMDR interventions conducted with two children (C1 and C2) who had animal phobias were found to have a positive impact on their phobic conditions. The current study revealed findings related to negative cognition as "I am afraid" and positive cognitions as "I am brave" and "I can overcome it" regarding children's phobic conditions, along with the expressions provided by the children during the interventions. In future studies, presenting the outcomes of EMDR interventions for children's phobic conditions in a qualitative design would allow for a more in-depth analysis of the prominent cognitions and expressions of the children.

Transdisciplinary learning--where students develop and apply knowledge from multiple disciplines to solve open-ended problems--is necessary to prepare students for the most pressing real-world problems. Because transdisciplinary education often requires reimagining the content and design of undergraduate science courses, it can be a challenge for instructors to envision how such work might take place. In this article, we share an example of an undergraduate course developed at the intersection of animal sensory biology and robotics engineering. Students in the course developed knowledge from both disciplines to design a robot that could mimic the sensory behaviors of some animals to achieve a predetermined task. We share examples of students' work in the course and evidence of how students' perceptions of science and engineering changed throughout their participation in the course. Additionally, we describe how we adapted a hybrid model of collaboration that made it feasible for students to work together on an open-ended project requiring access to robotics equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. This course can serve as a model for instructors working to incorporate more interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary perspectives into existing science courses.

Pervasive avoidance is one of the central symptoms of all anxiety-related disorders. In treatment, avoidance behaviors are typically discouraged because they are assumed to maintain anxiety. Yet, it is not clear if engaging in avoidance is always detrimental. In this study, we used a platform-mediated avoidance task to investigate the influence of avoidance history on extinction learning in male rats. Our results show that having the opportunity to avoid during fear acquisition training does not significantly influence the extinction of auditory-cued fear in rats subjected to this platform-mediated avoidance procedure, which constitutes a realistic approach/avoidance conflict. This holds true irrespective of whether or not avoidance was possible during the extinction phase. This suggests that imposing a realistic cost on avoidance behavior prevents the adverse effects that avoidance has been claimed to have on extinction. However, avoidance does not appear to have clear positive effects on extinction learning nor on retention either.

Learning is a functional state of the brain that should be understood as a continuous process, rather than being restricted to the very moment of its acquisition, storage, or retrieval. The cerebellum operates by comparing predicted states with actual states, learning from errors, and updating its internal representation to minimize errors. In this regard, we studied cerebellar interpositus nucleus (IPn) functional capabilities by recording its unitary activity in behaving rabbits during an associative learning task: the classical conditioning of eyelid responses. We recorded IPn neurons in rabbits during classical eyeblink conditioning using a delay paradigm. We found that IPn neurons reduce error signals across conditioning sessions, simultaneously increasing and transmitting spikes before the onset of the unconditioned stimulus. Thus, IPn neurons generate predictions that optimize in time and shape the conditioned eyeblink response. Our results are consistent with the idea that the cerebellum works under Bayesian rules updating the weights using the previous history.

During the COVID-19 pandemic period, elementary school students experienced many learning difficulties, which resulted in decreased learning motivation. This study aimed to determine the effect of the 5e+Powtoon learning cycle learning model on learning motivation in science. This quasi-experimental research was conducted at public Elementary School (ES) Teladan Ambon, Maluku. There were two groups, one as the experimental class and another as a control class with 60 students. The research design used was a pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group. The instrument used is a learning motivation questionnaire, with a value of validity = 0.769 and reliability = 0.897. The analysis results with ANCOVA showed the value of Sig = 0.000 > alpha (0.05), so applying the 5E+Powtoon model effect students' learning motivation. Thus, the 5e+Powtoon learning cycle can be recommended to increase elementary school students learning motivation. Further research is suggested to compare student motivation in Maluku with other developed countries by using the 5E model with other online learning applications.

The prerequisite for teaching many skills and behaviors to children with intellectual disabilities is that the child has acquired the basic concepts. Teaching concepts plays a very active role in the independence of the child with intellectual disabilities and in the acquisition of higher level skills that they will learn in the future. The studies conducted in recent years show that technology-based applications are effective in teaching concepts to children with intellectual disabilities. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of a technology-enhanced concept teaching application enriched with digital animations in teaching basic concepts to children with intellectual disabilities. Two male students diagnosed with intellectual disabilities participated in the study. In determining the ethics of technology-enhanced concept teaching practice, the multiple probe between skills model, which is one of the methods of single-subject research, was used. As a result of the study, it was found that the use of technology-assisted concept teaching was effective in teaching basic concepts to children with intellectual disabilities, that the children continued the concepts learned after the end of the instruction, and that they generalized them to different situations.

The California Blackworm ("Lumbriculus variegatus") is a freshwater segmented worm species that has been used by biology instructors as a model system for inquiry-based student investigations. The blackworm dorsal blood vessel pulsation rate is easily quantified. Moreover, this species can facilitate the study of neuromuscular functioning via its photosensitive escape behavior which can be quantified as a segmental reflex rate. Both of these variables can be used to examine the physiological response of the "L. variegatus" circulatory and neuromuscular systems to environmental changes. Because knowledge about this species and its optimal environmental conditions is limited, we studied dorsal vessel pulsation and segmental reflexes of "L. variegatus" maintained at differing lighting, temperature and water cleaning frequency conditions. Our data strongly indicate that "L. variegatus" circulatory and motor functions are significantly affected by environmental conditions. We provide evidence-based recommendations for the careful control of environmental conditions that will allow instructors, students and researchers to collect robust data on "L. variegatus" and better utilize this model organism in their investigations.

Cinquain is a poetic form, or stanza, of five lines that do not rhyme, which follows some strict rules. Cinquain is also considered to be a training means, a method, a technique, an instrument used for reflection, for synthesis of all knowledge on a particular topic (a being, an object, an ensemble of objects), towards developing one's creativity. In this research, the quintets were created by 47 university students in the last phase of a learning activity structured on the evocation-realisation of meaning-reflection model. The process of preparation and creation of quintets and the quintets created have been analysed, the conclusion being that quintets are an efficient technique in highlighting representations on a specific topic.

This study assessed the knowledge, feelings, and life experiences of students in public middle schools in the Brazilian Amazon toward aquatic mammals by applying semi-structured interviews, with a qualitative-quantitative approach. A total of 241 students, from all genders, aged between 12 and 14 years old, from four public schools of Pará State were interviewed. The data were transcribed and analyzed in an inductive way, in dialog with the literature of scientific education and ethnozoology. This methodology was developed and validated during the doctorate research of the first author of this paper. The students showed a rich knowledge, feelings, and life experiences regarding the Amazonian aquatic mammals, those related to biological, morphological, behavioral, ecological, and taxonomic aspects, as well as the threat to these species. The research reveals the need for schools of the region to develop and use didactic resources and strategies for intercultural dialogue in science classes, favoring the development of reflective attitudes in students and promoting decision-making favorable to the conservation of aquatic mammals.

This article argues that language students and teachers are changemakers and that, in keeping with progressivist philosophy and the bottom-up social paradigm, they can play a powerful role in creating a better world. As our understanding of the world continues to increase, both students and teachers can use this increased understanding to initiate changes, so that we can transition to better times. These changes include transformations of all sizes. Small transformations take place within and among individuals, while big transformations involve systems and institutions and thousands or even billions of people, as well as companies, other organizations, and countries. Many in education concentrate on small transformations, and those, no doubt, carry weight. This article encourages us in language education to include contributing to or even attempting to initiate big transformations in a number of areas. In fact, working on all sizes of transformations simultaneously may be the most effective path. Examples are given and suggestions of such varied-sized transformations by language learners and teachers are made in three areas based on a review of research on student-centered learning, collaborative learning, and diet change. This article also suggests that students and teachers as changemakers could start with taking small steps, which then provide them with both the confidence and credibility necessary to advocate for big steps and create impactful changes.

The loss of direct experiences with nature among today's children is of concern as it affects their conservation willingness (CW). While little is known about the influence of live experiences on CW, much less is known about how these events are related. This study aimed to examine the serial mediating effects of biodiversity knowledge (BK) and affective attitudes (AA) on the relationship between live experiences with species and CW. An online questionnaire was administered to 429 school children (11-12 years) in the Maldives. A two-serial mediation analysis revealed that live experiences exerted significant negative direct and positive indirect effects on CW. Thus, although a predictive sequential pathway from live experiences to BK to AA to CW was confirmed, partial mediation involving other mediators or moderators is likely. The direct effects of live experiences on BK and AA and of BK on AA suggest that experiential learning that stimulates AA is necessary to achieve overall positive impacts on CW. Therefore, educators and policymakers are critical in providing first-hand experiences to instill positive biodiversity conservation traits in children, enabling successful education for sustainable development and long-term biodiversity conservation.

The presence of a dog supports self-regulation, interpersonal skills, and readiness to learn in and out of the classroom. Somehow, dogs are able to improve student learning, sometimes through dog-student or dog-teacher interactions, and at other times by simply being present in the room. Most research has focused on the positive effects of having a dog in the classroom. It would be interesting to note what dogs do to affect students positively.

Children are constantly working to make sense of themselves, their experiences, and their worlds. One way that children tend to do this is through creating artifacts. By engaging in discussions around, and interacting with these artifacts, teachers and educators are able to gain further insight into the experiences of children. Through observing children create and participating with them in discussions about their artifacts, the educator/researcher assembled a framework for understanding children's connection to created artifacts. The potential of mapmaking and artifact-based discussion to offer insight into experience are discussed.

This article defines the term twice-exceptional as being gifted (highly able) and having challenges with learning or physical disabilities. The focus is on understanding these children, who are brilliant in one way but at the same time in some situations are at risk. The biggest challenges they face are misunderstanding and misdiagnosis. This article will assist those involved in the life and education of twice-exceptional children to help light the way towards better understanding them, focusing on their strengths and supporting them individually to change their life in an optimal direction. One million of our nation's most promising, innovative thinkers--children who learn differently, not "deficiently"--constitute a neglected national resource.

The pet care service industry is booming. The U.S. Census Bureau (2019) recorded pet service industry payroll numbers at almost $11.2 billion (excluding veterinarian services). In this teaching case, Mark, the owner of a successful dog boarding business, is looking to capitalize on that growth as he expands his customer demographic to welcome cats and rabbits, provide rehabilitative pet care, and better address the increasing needs of his longtime customers. This is a follow-up case to the "System Development and Data Modeling for Mark's Doggy Daycare and Boutique" case that focused upon developing a database for Mark's new entrepreneurial venture. The database created in the first case was not constructed for keeping track of repeated health care services administered to his clients throughout their stay nor to allow for other types of pets. In this case, Mark meets with the systems analyst consultant to discuss the requirements for upgrading his database. He describes in detail the organization's business processes, thus allowing the case to standalone without the need to reference the original case. Processes described in the case include customer management, reservations, invoicing, inventory management, and accounts receivables.

High-impact experiences, such as service-learning opportunities or hands-on laboratories, have been shown to enhance student learning, course satisfaction, and attitudes and behaviors. Thus, it is essential to incorporate these experiences into psychology curriculums when possible. However, it is also critical to analyze the impact of these experiences. The purpose of this study was to investigate student opinions of a service-learning laboratory experience to determine how impactful it was. Twenty-three psychology master's students who completed an operant conditioning laboratory at a local animal shelter were surveyed about the experience. Although students did have recommendations for improvement, the laboratory was viewed as effective and impactful. Students highlighted many aspects of the laboratory and indicated that it was educational and enjoyable. Service-learning experiences such as these can impact student learning and personal growth while also impacting the community. Instructors should consider offering these experiences but should be aware of challenges in implementing a laboratory such as this one.

This research aimed to compare the effect of teaching science through-creative-drama activities and student-centred inquiry-based teaching on the cognitive structures of primary school pupils about the classification of living things. It was designed as an exploratory action research case study and the contribution of both interventions on the cognitive structures was explored. The study was conducted on two fifth grade classes at a public middle school in Turkey during the fall semester of the 2017 year. The experimental group was taught science through-creative-drama activities that were integrated into the unit. While in the control group, student-centred inquiry-based teaching was carried out. Data were collected by pre-post open-ended questionnaires and also word association tests for both groups. It has been revealed that teaching science through-creative-drama activities about the classification of living things topic made a significant contribution to the expansion of the schemas in the cognitive structures compared with student-centred inquiry-based teaching. However, it was difficult for the teacher researcher to control the schemas that pupils came up with, some of which promoted misconceptions.

Arguably New Zealand's best loved picturebook author/illustrator, Gavin Bishop invariably challenges populist power structures in his fiction and non-fiction. As such, his books are ideal vehicles for teaching children about such broad topics as race relations, colonisation, migration, class conflicts, gender relationships, environmental issues and spiritual beliefs. The fact that Bishop often addresses several of these simultaneously, and draws on found texts to do so, paves the way for the teacher to encourage the child to read not only the lines and images but between and beyond these in order to construct a fuller meaning. This article will discuss Bishop's (2018a) picturebook, "Cook's Cook: The Cook Who Cooked for Captain Cook," which qualifies as "faction", a genre that mixes fact and fiction, with Bishop reproducing historical events and characters whilst investing them with an imaginative dimension. Most obviously, the selected book portrays migration, including the colonisation of New Zealand and the Pacific, and its longer-term effects. Hence, it focuses on the subjugation of the indigenous people, culture, flora and fauna to those that are imported, as well as the domination of the working class by the upper class. However, Bishop is too skilful an author/artist to suggest that everything is black and white. Rather, through paralleling and fusing the aforementioned foci, and in the ways in which the print and pictures work separately, together, sometimes against each other, and in interaction with fore texts, he suggests that dichotomies are mixed. The article will examine those portrayed as minions and masters (whether human or non-human), their conflicts and conflations, and Bishop's use of verbal and visual techniques and fore texts to challenge dominant power structures. It will also argue that, while emphasising dichotomies, Bishop, the master storyteller and artist, creates structures that ensure his picturebook is balanced and whole and that, rather than treating the reader as a minion, allow him or her to become a master of meaning making.

This exploratory qualitative study shares an innovative experience with twenty-three EFL undergraduate students in the Business Administration Program at a private university in Colombia. It aimed at positioning them as problem solvers and connecting their background as sources for EFL learning. We explored how business administration students problematized their communities to propose social solutions during the pandemic. Data were collected from students' reflective journals, students' artifacts, and a survey. In groups, the students explored cultural practices for shopping, economy, and pet-related issues to propose a social entrepreneurship project. Eleven business projects emerged as a result of students' socially-oriented concerns, critical skills, and multimodal experiences.

Teachers are highly reliant on textbooks for teaching. In the Republic of Korea, science textbooks help students to understand scientific terms through inquiry activities. However, there is a lack of analysis on whether the inquiry activities suggested in these textbooks appropriately cover the terms included in the main text. Therefore, this study assesses the life science units included in widely used lower secondary school science textbooks in the Republic of Korea by analysing the connection between the terms presented in the inquiry activities and the main text using the NetMiner 4.0 programme. The results reveal that the life science units included in the lower secondary school science textbooks are well structured for learning life science terms through the inquiry activities, as the terms presented in the inquiry activities and the main text are well connected. However, the number of terms included in each unit greatly differs and needs to be supplemented with the optimization of the number of terms per unit. The results provide basic data for the future development of lower secondary school science textbooks. Future research should analyse how the terms used in inquiry activities and the main text are connected in real science classes.

We used an online survey to document challenges experienced by aquaponic hobbyists (n = 81), producers (n = 117), and educators (n = 75). Responses were distilled into the following categories: 1) operations and management; 2) facilities, location, and system design; 3) knowledge and educational resources; 4) funding; 5) economic viability; 6) plant culture; 7) marketing and distribution; 8) fish culture; 9) human factors; 10) regulations and certifications. Training and research in these areas are needed to advance the aquaponics industry

Children worldwide are increasingly deprived of direct nature experiences (DNE). Often rooted in restrictions of urbanization and modernization, this loss may hamper biodiversity conservation through erosion of biodiversity knowledge. Yet, the extent of this phenomenon in small cities, particularly in rapidly developing islands, remains understudied. This study aimed to compare the frequencies of DNEs based on islands and evaluate the influences of different islands and frequency of direct nature experiences on biodiversity knowledge among children. The sample consisted of 429, 11- 12-year-old public-school children from seven islands. Findings of this online survey questionnaire show that the frequency of visiting nature places and contact with animals was not significantly different, but the frequency of contact with plants as well as the overall frequency of experiences was significantly different among the islands. Children have a low level of biodiversity knowledge but are better at identifying animals than plants. Biodiversity knowledge scores were not significantly different among islands. Hence, island environments have a significant effect on DNE frequency but not on biodiversity knowledge. Increased frequency of nature experiences has a significant positive effect on biodiversity knowledge. This effect is more evident when the frequency is more than once a month. The study suggests that the frequency of DNEs is more influential in determining children's biodiversity knowledge than their place of residence. Hence, meaningful nature experiences must be facilitated to promote biodiversity knowledge.

This study investigated with the help of in-depth interviews and a think-aloud-approach how 10- to12-year-old children (n = 46) in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland, get to know species, how they identify plants and animals, and for how important they consider species knowledge to be. Own observations and sensual experiences coupled with positive emotions were most prominent when children encountered plants and animals for the first time. Family members helped most in getting to know species, and were more needed in case of plants. When describing plants, children focused less on flower or flower color than on other characteristic traits. In case of animals, special attention was paid on the body, i.e., its size, form and color. Mean knowledge of animals and mean number of traits mentioned per class was positively related. Children considered species knowledge important for utilitarian reasons and because they thought it part of a general education.

Biodiversity plays a crucial role in ecosystem functioning by providing essential benefits to people and improving their well-being, i.e., regulating material and non-material services; especially in cultural and natural rich landscapes, such as those found in Latin-American countries. Nevertheless, in spite of the utmost importance of sustaining human life, biodiversity is not only declining at unprecedented rates, but also this pervasive degradation has revealed both our mutual dependence and interconnectedness, with a profound need for a societal transformative change. To help meet this challenge, the aim of this work is to synthesise pertinent and state-of-the-art knowledge on biodiversity education by utilising a holistic approach and a Latin-American point of view, which will contribute towards understanding and targeting complex socio-ecological issues. The findings have unveiled an abundant number of studies in Latin American countries that have investigated the topic of teachers' and students' knowledge and their conceptions of biodiversity from both conventional scientific knowledge and interculturality. By promoting an integrative dialogue among these categories and their subcategories, several implications arose concerning scientists engaged in public outreach, environmental and sustainable development and science education researchers, those engaged in cultural studies, formal and non-formal education, and school teachers.

The William Penn Foundation launched Philadelphia's Informal Learning Initiative (ILI) to support the development of literacy-rich programming for families with children aged 3 to 9. The initiative was designed as a network of partnerships in which a cultural organization--usually a museum--paired with one or more, community-based organizations (CBOs) to design literacy-rich informal learning experiences for caregivers and children. The initiative involved 11 cultural partners and 15 CBOs. Programs exposed three- to nine-year-old children and their families to literacy practices in the context of original artwork, live animals, science experiments, natural settings, new foods, and cultural or historical sites. Programming was delivered at no cost to families, often in community settings such as recreation centers or school auditoriums. Convenient times and locations, as well as snack or meal options, supported family participation, as did book giveaways, take-home activity packs, and special museum visits. As the evaluation team for ILI, the authors structured their work to support the development of a networked community of practice, collecting data for improvement and exploring the best ways to measure impact across projects. They used a structured observation protocol and CBO staff- and educator-conducted interviews with children and caregivers in their programs to determine ILI programming's impactfulness. The study aimed to examine how museums can connect to collective impact efforts in literacy and how informal learning programs can be reoriented to better respond to community needs. Findings from the study and recommendations for museum-CBO partnerships are discussed.

This research is conducted to identify the scientific conceptual cognition of ecosystem and the corresponding alternative conceptions by lower-secondary school students in Taiwan. Concept mapping, interviewing, and two-tier diagnostic test cannot make explicit reasoning pathways that students may use. Therefore, its purpose is to develop, validate, and utilize a three-tier multiple-choice diagnostic instrument for the ecosystem concept (TDIEC). The instrument can assist teachers in analyzing their students' reasoning. This does not only distinguish alternative conceptions from lack of knowledge but also determines the percentages of false positives and false negatives. One hundred and six students were tested with this instrument in Taiwan. The data analysis reveals common alternative conceptions shared by students, indicating that 35.59% of the samples had inaccurate conceptualizations of ecosystems. Common alternative conceptions of ecosystems include the following: (1) Only biological components constitute an ecosystem; (2) The Venus flytrap and pitcher plants are preys; (3) Competition is synonymous to predation; (4) Ecological balance refers to the sustainable circulation of energy and matter in the environment; and (5) The simpler the species, the more stable the ecosystem. It concludes with the interpretation of the results, suggestions for the application of the TDIEC, and correct alternative conceptions in Ecology classes.