Search

Microorganisms are ubiquitous in nature and are central to human, animal, environmental, and planetary health. They play a particularly important role in the food chain and the production of high-quality, safe, and health-promoting foods, especially fermented foods. This important role is not always apparent to members of the public. Here, we describe Kefir4All, a citizen science project designed to provide the general public with an opportunity to expand their awareness, knowledge, and practical skills relating to microbiology, introduced through the medium of producing fermented food, i.e., milk kefir or water kefir. During the course of Kefir4All, 123 citizen scientists, from second-level school and non-school settings, participated in a study to track changes in the microbial composition of kefirs, by performing and recording details of milk kefir or water kefir fermentations they performed in their homes or schools over the21-week project. At the start of the study, the citizen scientists were provided with milk or water kefir grains to initiate the fermentations. Both types of kefir grain are semi-solid, gelatinous-like substances, composed of exopolysaccharides and proteins, containing a symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast. The experimental component of the project was complemented by a number of education and outreach events, including career talks and a site visit to our research center (Kefir Day). At the end of the study, a report was provided to each citizen scientist, in which individualized results of their fermenting activities were detailed. A number of approaches were taken to obtain feedback and other insights from the citizen scientists. Evaluations took place before and after theKefir4All project to gauge the citizen scientist's self-reported awareness, knowledge, and interest in microbiology and fermented foods. Further insights into the level of citizen science participation were gained through assessing the number of samples returned for analysis and the level of participation of the citizen scientists throughout the project. Notably, the survey results revealed a self-reported, increased interest in, and general knowledge of, science among the Kefir4All citizen scientists after undertaking the project and a willingness to take part in further citizen science projects. Ultimately, Kefir4Allrepresents an example of the successful integration of citizen science into existing education and research systems.

The article examines the current situation of language instruction in higher educational institutions in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Higher educational institutions play a crucial role in providing professional training in the country. The official language strategy focuses on developing the Kazakh language as the language of science. The researchers performed a survey among educators and students from both national and regional universities in the country. They then analysed the findings to identify the issues within this domain. The survey included 122 participants from 16 different universities. An investigation was conducted to analyse respondents' answers using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The results of the study were used to identify the critical problems. The concerns were identified based on the viewpoints and stances of both native and foreign scientists, and implications were provided.

The purpose of this synthesis study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST) and its variations across multiple studies, aiming to understand limitations and propose modifications for future application within and beyond the science domain. Given the existence of multiple DAST versions, this study quantified the frequency of validity threats across various DAST variations. Literature review results indicated that despite its widespread use, the DAST and its variations consistently encounter challenges related to construct validity and external validity. Additionally, this synthesis identified literature limitations in testing concurrent validity, predictive validity, and inter-rater reliability when applicable.

The relevance of science education and its individual, societal, and vocational dimensions is important issues for the modern learning and teaching process in many countries. These dimensions are considered based on the data obtained from 1541 Georgian students. The study was conducted within the frames of the international ROSES project. The structure analysis of the ROSES questionnaire was conducted to define scales and individual items, which then were processed accordingly and relevant conclusions were drawn. The study findings reveal that Georgian students from basic and secondary schools demonstrate motivation and interest in learning science, participate in extracurricular activities, use social media for study aims, are concerned about environmental problems, and consider science classes interesting. However, the levels of interest, motivation, and positive attitudes are not high and the correlations between them are weak. The study shows that the vocational and societal dimensions of the relevance of science education are relatively better represented in our sample, but the individual dimension lags behind. Both structural and content findings might serve educators from similar contexts.

Scholars as exemplars and their linked eponyms play a significant role in education. Since the discovery of the periodic law in 1869, perceptions of Mendeleev and his eponyms may have shifted. With the aim of assessing the historical and current portrayal of Mendeleev and his eponyms in chemistry textbooks and on the Internet, content analysis of textbooks, including Soviet and contemporary Russian (11) and Ukrainian (16), was conducted. Additionally, an Internet search in 7 languages was conducted to assess the prevalence of Mendeleevian eponyms online. Primary Mendeleevian eponyms are predominantly utilized in the Russian segment of the Internet. While Mendeleev's portrayal held significance in mid-20th-century Soviet chemistry textbooks, his presence has dwindled in current Russian and Ukrainian textbooks. This decline is attributed to the obsolescence of associated chemical realities, the disputed priority of Mendeleev, and an ambiguous attitude towards him. The implications of this decline include loss of historical context, reduced memorization aids, impact on critical thinking, disruption of continuity, and reduced humanism in education. The research underscores the importance of a balanced and inclusive approach to science education, recognizing contributions from scientists of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and highlights the interconnected nature of science education and international relations.

Students build up their STEM career interest based on their experiences. However, it remains unclear how students reflect on their STEM experiences in light of their understanding of STEM careers. This study aimed to explore how students relate their practices in STEM project-based learning (PBL) with their perceptions of scientists' and engineers' work. A randomly selected sample of students (n =142) participating in a STEM event participated in structured interviews regarding the resemblance between their months-long STEM PBL and scientists' and engineers' work. The data were coded using content analysis mostly by adopting a bottom-up approach followed by statistical analysis. Results showed that the majority of students claimed that their group had done things like scientists, while only about half of the students acknowledged doing things like engineers. The number and aspects of the students' mentioned practices were generally limited, with engineer-like practices more divergent and reflecting their stereotype of engineers working as manual laborers. The results also suggest that students tend to neglect the minds-on but hands-off scientist- or engineer-like practices such as raising a question/problem. The findings address the research gap regarding how students reflect on their STEM PBL experiences in light of career development.

Several empirical studies reveal that students are poorly informed, and often hold stereotyped views of science and scientists. The present study aimed to investigate the Portuguese elementary school students' images of scientists and their work and the influence of gender and grade level on the development of these images. Two hundred and eighty-nine elementary school students enrolled in grades 1-5 in urban public schools participated in the study. Students were asked to draw a scientist and to answer questions about the drawing. The data collected were analyzed, considering three different features: stereotypical indicators, specialized research fields, and scientists' activity. Several descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed. Portuguese students tended to report the same stereotyped image of scientists described in other countries, and students' knowledge seems to be limited to a few fields of specialization and influenced by the pandemic context experienced during the DAST application. Moreover, the results showed differences according to the student's gender and grade level that may result, among other factors, from the influence of the atypical organization of the Portuguese education system in the first years of schooling.

Retractions have traditionally been reserved for correcting the scientific record and discouraging research misconduct. Nonetheless, the potential for actual societal harm resulting from accurately reported published scientific findings, so-called information hazards, has been the subject of several recent article retractions. As these instances increase, the extent of support for such decisions among the scientific community and lay public remains unclear. Undergraduates (Study 1) and federally funded researchers (Study 2) reported their support for retraction decisions described as due to misconduct, honest errors, or potential information hazards. Participants supported retraction on the former two grounds more than the latter. Despite limited support, women remained more receptive to retractions based on information hazards. Activist tendencies additionally predicted undergraduate men's receptivity. Receptivity toward retraction due to information hazards was unrelated to scientists' engagement in activism, suggesting that formal scientific training affords researchers an ability to separate personal and professional values in scientific discourse. Findings could inform the development of educational materials that may aid less experienced scientists and the lay public in understanding retraction ethics.

Primarily undergraduate institutions (PUI) often struggle to provide authentic research opportunities that culminate in peer-reviewed publications due to "recipe-driven" lab courses and the comprehensive body of work necessary for traditional scientific publication. However, the advent of short-form, single-figure "micropublications" has created novel opportunities for early-career scientists to make and publish authentic scientific contributions on a scale and in a timespan compatible with their training periods. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore the benefits accrued by eight undergraduate and master's students who participated in authentic, small-scale research projects and disseminated their work as coauthors of peer-reviewed micropublications at a PUI. In these interviews, students reported that through the process of conducting and publishing their research, they developed specific competencies: reading scientific literature, proposing experiments, and collecting/interpreting publication-worthy data. Further, they reported this process enabled them to identify as contributing members of the greater scientific community.

Objectives: Overweight and obesity among school-aged children pose a threat to both their academic performance and public health. The Healthy Primary School of the Future (HPSF) initiative was established to address this issue. Our objective was to explore the conditions that make HPSF sustainable based on the perspectives of relevant stakeholders. Design: The study utilised Group Concept Mapping, a structured methodology for conducting mixed-methods participative research, combining qualitative data collection with quantitative data analysis measures. Method: Participants included parents, teachers, school directors, politicians, labour unions, educational, nutrition and health scientists and policymakers. They were asked to respond to the prompt, 'A necessary condition to make the HPSF sustainable is . . .'. The statements generated were then assessed for their importance and feasibility. Using multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analyses, we identified the shared vision among the stakeholders. Results: A total of 106 unique statements were generated and grouped statistically into 10 clusters. The most significant clusters were identified as Financing; Accessibility for everyone; and Content/Lifestyle/School Programme. The clusters that were deemed most feasible included Content/Lifestyle/School Programme; Accessibility for everyone; and Evaluation. Conclusion: Achieving sustainability for the HPSF requires a comprehensive approach that addresses the conditions outlined in all 10 clusters. Based on the ratings of feasibility and importance, our recommendation is to prioritise implementation of Content/Lifestyle/School Programme and Accessibility for everyone. Subsequently, efforts should be directed towards realising the less feasible but crucial conditions, such as Financing and Evaluation, followed by the remaining six clusters of conditions as identified.

Background: Science history is a discipline that teaches the development of scientific thought and the discoveries of scientists. However, these topics can sometimes be abstract and difficult to understand. The use of technology can make the teaching of the history of science more effective, engaging, and accessible. By providing students with visual and interactive experiences, it allows them to better understand abstract concepts and closely follow the discoveries of scientists. In this way, history of science lessons can become more appealing and conducive to learning for students. Objectives: This research aims to design and develop a Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) environment that can be used for teaching science history. Methods: The research was conducted using a design-based research method consisting of four stages: Analysis, design, development-implementation-evaluation, and reporting. The research involved 10 science teachers and five secondary school students. Data were collected through focus group interviews, individual interviews, notes, audio recordings, and images, and then analysed using content analysis. Results and Conclusions: As a result of the research, a MAR application named TISAR-3D was developed, which allows students to interactively and visually explore scientists and enrich their learning experience. Implications: The widespread use of the TISAR-3D application in science history education is recommended, as well as the development of similar MAR applications for other topics.

Although Ohm's law contains various possibilities in teaching and learning scientific inquiry, it is rare for students to experience an authentic inquiry. Thus, we designed an open-ended in-depth inquiry about Ohm's law and made students conduct it. To do this, we developed a laboratory activity for students following a standard method of Ohm's law experiment. After that, we induced them to discover the faults and difficulties in the existing inquiry method. And then, an open-ended in-depth inquiry experiment was conducted to solve the identified problems. Students considered various experimental equipment such as a Wheatstone bridge, a variable resistor, and graphite. They also developed to investigate contact resistance, device resistance, and thermal noise using creative techniques such as the 4-point probe method. We examined students' learning through the activity and their recognition of it. As a result of the open inquiry, students can make various creative efforts to obtain reliable theoretical and experimental results. They showed diverse modeling activities like scientists and thought positively about the inquiry. This study expects science learning to be transformed into "doing science" to help students foster not only a broader understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry (NOSI) but a confirmation of the nature of scientific knowledge (NOSK).

Enabling students to learn about science is essential for science education. Students are expected to not only gain scientific knowledge but also need to develop a deep understanding of science. One approach to equipping students with a sense of science is to present science as a living collective human enterprise. As essential educational resources, science textbooks are powerful supportive tools for helping students be aware of the tentative, historical, and humanistic features of science. This study aims to develop and validate a comprehensive analytical framework for examining how a science textbook enables students to understand science and scientists through scientists' portrayals. The final analytical framework comprises five themes and 13 dimensions concerning scientists and their work, including the textbook's representation method (i.e., format and role of representation), scientists' background (i.e., personal and social background), scientists' work-related features (i.e., motivation for doing research, research methods, and way of working), scientists' achievements (i.e., type, evaluation, and influence), and educational values of scientists and their work (i.e., scientific thinking, scientific attitudes, and social responsibility). The analysis results of an American high school science textbook indicate that the framework developed is feasible to cover all the desired scientist-related elements and evaluate the extent of scientists' portrayals presented in the textbooks. In addition, the results also revealed that this textbook is inadequate in providing students with a comprehensive understanding of science and scientists via its portrayals of scientists.

School psychology contributes to the science of human behavior and utilizes this science to inform an evidence-based practice. The usefulness of this science is dependent on scientists making good faith efforts to minimize bias in their research. Nonetheless, implicit biases can still influence scientists' decisions and, hence, the outcomes of their investigations. One source of such bias comes from conflicts of interest (COIs). In this article, we discuss COIs within the context of science, with a particular focus on financial COIs. In addition, we discuss how financial COIs can arise in school psychology as well as some ways the COIs may influence psychological science. We conclude by discussing how financial COIs are typically handled and some suggestions for handling them in the future.

Research on scientific careers finds a mover's advantage. International migration correlates with increased visibility and productivity. However, if scientists who move internationally, on average, enter into more prestigious employments than they came from, extant research may overestimate the direct performance gains associated with international moves. Building on insights from the sociology of science and studies of international researcher mobility, we examine how changes in employment prestige shape international movers' performance returns to mobility. We follow a cohort of 167,014 European scientists to identify individuals that move to the USA and pair these migrants to non-mobile scientists with identical home institutions, research fields, and genders, giving a final sample of 3978 researchers. Using a difference-in-differences design, we show a substantial increase in the publishing rates and scientific impact of transatlantic migrants, compared to non-mobile scientists. However, most of the movers' mobility-related boost in citation and journal impact is attributable to changes in employment prestige. In contrast, we find limited effects of employment prestige on changes in migrants' publication rates. Overall, our study suggests large variations in the outcomes of transatlantic migration and reaffirms the citation-related "visibility advantage" tied to prestigious institutional locations.

Given the disruptions COVID-19 caused to normal research processes, including international collaboration, this study sought to understand scientists' experiences collaborating internationally during the pandemic on COVID-19-related research. Specifically, it explored US scientists' tie formation and reasons for international research collaboration with Chinese scientists. The study employed a sequential exploratory mixed methods design collecting interview and survey data from US scientists who co-published articles related to COVID-19 with Chinese scientists. The findings revealed the role of network mechanisms, such as transitivity, opportunity of contact, and homophily, in promoting relationship formation and maintenance. Moreover, they showed the greater role that bonding social capital played in helping scientists access valuable knowledge, skills, and resources to enhance their research potential. Lastly, they demonstrated how particularized trust based on prior interactions and experiences encouraged relationship formation and collaboration between US and Chinese scientists. Together, these results provide new insights in informing future policies and guidelines related to supporting international collaboration and, ultimately, shared pandemic challenges.

Identity matters in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) because it can affect an individual's long-term sense of belonging, which may in turn affect their persistence in STEMM. Early K-12 science classes often teach students about the foundational discoveries of the field, which have been predominately made, or at least published, by White men. This homogeneity can leave underrepresented individuals in STEMM feeling isolated, and underrepresented K-12 students may feel as though they cannot enter STEMM fields. This study aimed to examine these feelings of inclusivity in STEMM through an interactive workshop that asked middle schoolers to identify scientists from images of individuals with various racial and gender identities. We found that a plurality of students had a positive experience discussing diversity in science and recognizing underrepresented individuals as scientists.

It can be challenging to articulate who we are as professionals, especially early in our careers or at transition points. Yet, developing a sense of professional identity as health professions educators is important for feeling confident and knowledgeable in our roles, and for optimizing the development of students. This chapter explores the formation and evolution of professional identity among health professions educators who were formally trained as clinicians or scientists.

Scientific literature about neuromyths has proliferated in the last few years. However, there is a gap of knowledge around neuroedumyths. While neuromyths are based on hoaxes about the brain, neuroedumyths use neuroscientific concepts but state consequences for education that are false. This article presents, for the first time, research about neuroedumyths among teachers. This study has applied the innovative methodology of Public Lectures' Debates Analytics (PLDA), in its ex-post modality. This has meant the analysis, by the twelve participants interviewed in this research, of the conclusions of public lectures' debates on neuroscience and education. The results show the presence of four neuroedumyths among teachers: The brain needs to be bored to develop; Violence resides in masculine genes; Brain develops almost completely the first three years of life; and There are right-hemisphere students and left-hemisphere students. While neuromyths have been spread among teachers by trainers specialized in education but lacking scientific information about neuroscience, neuroedumyths have been spread among teachers by neuroscientists lacking scientific information on education. Differently to some previous studies which approached this problem as teachers' errors or ignorance, the results of our study show that the problem is the errors of some teachers' trainers.

Diverse backgrounds, viewpoints and experiences in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are vital for innovation and creativity in STEM; and yet, racially minoritized groups, such as African Americans and Hispanics, remain underrepresented in the STEM K-12 and career pipeline. Studies show that exposure and access to STEM experiences in the early years are especially effective for increasing interest in STEM careers and intentions to major in STEM. However, these opportunities are often unavailable and inaccessible to underrepresented racialized minority students, particularly those from majority minority schools in low income communities. We describe a model for accessible and inclusive exposure to STEM experiences, enabled by a partnership between elementary schools from low income under resourced, predominantly racialized minority K-5 schools in North St. Louis County, Missouri, and scientists at a non-profit plant science research institution, to provide STEM activities for all students over the course of a single day. The goal was to stimulate students' interest in STEM and related careers, and enrich students and teachers' STEM knowledge. Five "STEM Days" were held at four elementary schools from 2017 to 2019. Feedback from teachers and students revealed positive outcomes, including increased excitement and knowledge gains. Students showed increased STEM interest, and teachers indicated that the new approaches to classroom STEM instruction, despite the brief exposure, were beneficial. Unexpectedly, participating scientists also noted numerous benefits. We share lessons learned and suggest recommendations for practitioners in STEM.

Scientific and technological research is important to everyone because their results affect humanity worldwide. Although science and technology bring many benefits to humanity, individuals and societies can face the negative consequences of science and technology. To prevent and solve the negative consequences of research in these fields, it is important to educate scientists and engineers to have social responsibility. However, no research has addressed preservice science teachers' views of social responsibility in literature. Therefore, this study aimed to explore Chinese pre-service science teachers' views on the social responsibility of scientists and engineers. The research participants were 194 pre-service science teachers. A social responsibility instrument was administered for data collection. The results showed that participants had high mean scores in five areas of social responsibility and a good awareness of the role of scientists and engineers in addressing problems and risks related to human, environmental, and societal impacts. However, they had lower mean scores in three areas requiring action or involvement. In addition, the results did not show statistical differences by gender or grade level. In light of our findings, we conclude pedagogical and practical implications for teachers and researchers in teaching social responsibility.

This study aims to reveal whether there are any relations between secondary school students' perceptions of scientists and the images of scientists in secondary school science textbooks. The participants of the study were 140 secondary school students from a public school. The study is based on a qualitative research methodology. Qualitative research methods were used in the research. As a data collection tools, the Draw a Scientist Test (DAST) and secondary school science textbooks were used. The drawings obtained from the students and the images of scientists in the science textbooks were analyzed in the context of the determined themes. As a result of the study, it was determined that the students generally drew the scientist as male, thoughtful, wearing a lab coat and glasses, and young, with long and curly hair. It has been observed that scientists express their working environment as people who work alone in the laboratory and library environment. It also stands out that they benefit from computers and other technological apparatus like telescopes. It was determined that the students mostly included the drawings of Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, and Albert Einstein at each grade level as famous scientists. It has been determined that the drawings made by the students were influenced by the images from the textbooks.

Science literacy has many personal and societal benefits that allows for better informed decision-making. Although the importance of science literacy is recognized globally, there are many challenges associated with its promotion. Scientists are more frequently engaging with nonscientific audiences through public outreach activities and with increasing support from institutions and professional societies. This is especially true regarding microbiologists and other related professionals since the start of the global 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic heightened the need to convey novel and rapidly evolving scientific information to lay audiences. The means by which professionals engage with these audiences affect the efficacy of the relay of scientific information. One method of engagement is the "ambassador approach," which aims to establish dialogue among different groups of people and scientists. In this perspective article, we discuss this approach, highlighting activities for the promotion of science literacy organized by the American Society for Microbiology Ambassador Program and similar programs of other scientific societies. We discuss the benefits and challenges of implementing an ambassador approach, propose potential improvements that could be made to existing programs promoting science literacy, and ultimately advocate for increased implementation of science ambassador programs. [This article was written on behalf of the Young Leaders Circle of the American Society for Microbiology.]

Science outreach programs that enable real-time interactions between scientists and school-aged children are known to positively impact learning gains and students' perceptions of scientists. To expand K-12 outreach by scientists, it is important to build structured outreach programs which offer scientists well-defined opportunities, while providing school students regular and diverse interactions. We describe Talk To A Scientist, a science outreach platform in India, where scientists use a webinar-based approach to share their research with K-12 students (6 to 16 years). Running weekly for nearly 3 years, Talk To A Scientist has hosted over 100 live interactions, with a wide reach to participants across the country. Here, we outline the framework used to build Talk To A Scientist and discuss key gains, considerations, and challenges in the development of the program. We also suggest potential adaptations with which this framework can serve as a guideline for the implementation of similar K-12 outreach programs across diverse country- and context-specific settings.

The impacts of science are felt across all socio-ecological levels, ranging from the individual to societal. In order to adapt or respond to scientific discoveries, novel technologies, or biomedical or environmental challenges, a fundamental understanding of science is necessary. However, antiscientific rhetoric, mistrust in science, and the dissemination of misinformation hinder the promotion of science as a necessary and beneficial component of our world. Scientists can promote scientific literacy by establishing dialogues with nonexperts, but they may find a lack of formal training as a barrier to public engagement. To address this, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) launched the Art of Science Communication course in 2015 in order to provide scientists at all career stages with introductory science communication training. In 2020, we conducted a retrospective survey of former participants to evaluate how the course had impacted participants' science communication behaviors and their confidence engaging with nonexperts, as well as other benefits to their professional development. We found that scientists were significantly more likely to communicate with nonexpert audiences following the course compared to before (77% versus 51%; P < 0.0001). In addition, quantitative and qualitative data suggested that scientists were more confident in their ability to communicate science after completing the course (median of 8, standard deviation [SD] of 0.98 versus median of 5, SD of 1.57; P < 0.0001). Qualitative responses from participants supported quantitative findings. This suggested that the Art of Science Communication course is highly effective at improving the confidence of scientists to engage with the public and other nonexpert audiences regardless of career status. These data-driven perspectives provide a rationale for the implementation of broadly accessible science communication training programs that promote public engagement with science.

The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of scenario-based learning on eighth-grade students' perceptions of scientists. We used a semiexperimental design to conduct our research with 36 students from the eighth grade, who were divided into experimental and control groups. We collected the data through a "Draw-a-Scientist Test," an opinion form, and semistructured interviews. According to the findings we obtained from the drawing test, students have stereotypical perceptions of the scientists' working environment (indoor/laboratory). But the results showed that scenario-based teaching affects eighth-grade students' perceptions of scientists and moves them forward on two points: (1) the physical appearance of the scientist (drawing characteristics in the head area, accessories, clothing features, etc.) and (2) symbols of knowledge (encyclopedia/books/notebook, writing board) and research (test tube, magnifying glass, experiment glasses, etc.). In the light of these findings, we propose some suggestions regarding the use of scenarios in education to affect students' perceptions of scientists.

Current U.S. science education reform efforts call for engineering to be included as part of science instruction at all grade levels. As students experience engineering instruction alongside science, an important question is how students conceptualize the nature of those two fields, and especially the extent to which they differentiate science and engineering. In this study, grades 3-5 students in thirteen classrooms participated in engineering activities as part of their science instruction for a 16- week semester. During that semester, students also interacted with an engineering graduate student who regularly visited the classroom to plan and implement science and engineering activities. Before and after that semester, we analyzed students' responses on the Draw-A-Scientist Test and the Draw-An-Engineer Test. Unlike prior analyses of those instruments, our approach focused on the alignment of students' drawings with the activities and processes of professionals in those two fields. At the time of the pretest, students' representations of scientists and engineers were often misaligned with the targeted fields, and overall alignment improved modestly from pretest to posttest. An important question was whether students would conflate the fields of science and engineering, especially after experiencing engineering as part of their science instruction. Although some evidence of conflation exists, we did not find an increased prevalence of conflated drawings from pretest to posttest. The results indicate that the inclusion of engineering activities in the science classroom does not necessarily lead students to confuse science with engineering, but also that significant work needs to be done to help students accurately conceptualize the nature of work in those fields.

Understanding nature of science (NOS) is a fundamental goal in science education standards. Due to the role of specialised and educational teachers' preparation programmes in developing their NOS concepts, this study aims to identify views on NOS and attitudes toward teaching NOS among Saudi undergraduate chemistry students and the differences between them according to their academic level and university affiliation. Views on science and education questionnaire were distributed among chemistry students in eight universities. Results found inaccurate views regarding the differences between theories and laws, and that pertaining to well-trained scientists as being detached from personal, social, and cultural values. Half of the sample disagreed on inventing theories and laws and the diversity of Scientists' methods and also rejected teaching a variety of methods and the influence of personal beliefs on Scientists' observations. No significant differences among students' views by academic level or universities were found, except that second-level students have more informed views than fifth-level students, and the UHB and JU students' views were more informed than IMSIU students. The authors recommend developing those NOS concepts which students had shortcomings in the sequential teachers' preparation programmes and suggest recognising chemistry department faculty members' attitudes to developing students' NOS concepts.

Scholars report that the students' interest in STEM declines and suggest to approach them earlier. This case study with the convenient sample of seven primary school students investigates the students' view of science and scientists and examine the following research questions in the Dutch lower secondary school context: (1) What are young students' images and perceptions of scientists and their work? (2) How do young students conceptualize science and scientist? (3) What are young students' attitudes toward science, STEM careers and science involvements? To find an answer to these questions, four different measurements were employed in the study. First, the students joined a photo-elicitation interview (PIE) exploring their values and perceptions, second, a Word Association Test (WAT) searching the cognitive structures, third, responded an attitude questionnaire and lastly, they completed the Draw-a-Scientist Test (DAST) and joined a follow-up semi structured interview individually. The analysis showed that there are stereotypical image of science and scientists among the students in this study. The environmental context and the pandemic period have influence on their perceptions. The students conceptualized science and scientists realistically and showed the higher positive attitude towards science than the STEM career and science involvement in the future. The multiple measurements provided a broader perspective on the students' view. The discussion extended to the methodological aspects and suggestions were given.

It is widely accepted that one of the most important series that sheds light on the triangle of science-technology-society is the Fringe series. This study intends to make teacher candidates analyze the Fringe in the triangle of science-technology-society and to get their views on the future technologies mentioned in the series and the dilemmas about the effects of these technologies on society. The phenomenology method, one of the qualitative research methods was used when designing the study. During the application process, the teacher candidates were shown the Fringe series and based on the science and technology applications in this series as well as the effects of these applications on society, the existing phenomena related to the subject in the context of science-technology-society were examined. Semi-structured interview questions for the Fringe developed by the researchers were used as a data collection tool. As a result of the study, it was seen that the science teacher candidates evaluated the events in the Fringe with different perspectives on the science-technology-society triangle.

Science mentoring programs are powerful opportunities for youth to develop conceptual knowledge, undertake authentic practices, and have impacts on their science-related identity work. Here, we use design-based research to understand how a university-community partnership expanded upon traditional mentoring structures to facilitate "relational equity" (DiGiacomo & Gutiérrez, 2016) through distributing expertise and building relationships between participants. We analyzed qualitative data from 2 years of the STEM OUT mentoring program to develop claims about the elements of program design that led to distributed expertise and building relationships. Key findings include the need to design structures that position all participants as having expertise, highlight relationship-building as integral for youth-scientist interactions, and facilitate equitable power dynamics. Our findings are articulated as design principles for other youth-scientist mentoring programs, with the goal of broadening participation in the sciences by redefining not only who participates, but also what counts as science.

Traditional academic communication practices tend to be jargon-heavy jargon and lack public relatability. Thus, it is paramount that scientists learn to develop effective communication skills. The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition is one avenue to refine and build science communications skills. Using one static slide as a visual supplement, competitors have three minutes to explain their research goals and relevance through easily comprehended vernacular. Using an observation protocol including three criteria: presentation framing, verbal, and non-verbal communication, we identified characteristics of prior successful 3MT presentations. We also tested the identified characteristics by observing 15 local 3MT presentations and found that all successful presentations contained similar communication patterns. For example, we found that using storytelling frames resulted in the most compelling and successful presentations. Our study offers implications on how these identified characteristics can be used to help budding scientists build critical communication skills for sharing their research with non-scientists. Scientists can apply our outcomes to build effective presentations and successfully deliver science messages helping create a more informed public.

In the present-day competitive landscape, the importance of image has increased significantly, whether it is on an individual level, within organizations, or on a larger scale. Image refers to the overall impression that a person holds in their mind regarding a concept, object, person, group, organization, institution, geographical region, or country. This mental representation is shaped by their past experiences and sensations, and it greatly influences the choices individuals make. The research aims to provide a systematic literature review on image research to promote image research. This research was carried out with a systematic review approach. The data of the research were obtained from the image articles published in the field of education in the journals scanned in Web of Science (SCIE, SSCI, AHCI). In the analysis of the data, bibliometric analysis and descriptive analysis technique, one of the content analysis techniques, were used. 48 research articles from 2002 to 2022 were critically reviewed and analyzed by applying a systematic literature review approach. The results showed that image studies were grouped under three themes: concept image, teacher image, and organizational image. The results also revealed what the inputs and outputs of corporate image were.

Various studies have reported that students have limited, stereotypical perceptions of STEM fields. However, few studies have attempted to evaluate interventions undertaken with the aim of changing female student's perceptions of STEM professions. This research aimed to examine the changes in mental images among female students as a result of interacting with STEM professionals in a STEM camp. The Draw-a-Scientist Test was revised, and female students were asked to draw and describe STEM professionals at work before and after attending STEM camp. The participating students attended workshops and career talks given by STEM professionals. The findings showed that the perceptions of the participating female students regarding gender images of STEM professionals changed. After the STEM camp, it was also observed that knowledge about STEM professionals and the content of their work had increased. The studied intervention program for female students positively contributed to changes in the students' mental images of STEM professionals. Therefore, it is recommended that female students interact with professionals working in STEM fields to change their perceptions of those fields.

Computer Science (CS) stereotypes promote the mindset that nerdy White males who have a high IQ and are technology enthusiasts are the ones to succeed in the field, leading to gender and racial disparities. This quasi-experimental study investigated if exposing teacher candidates to a stereotypical vs. counter-stereotypical CS role model affects their stereotypes and attitudes toward teaching CS. Participants exposed to a counter-stereotypical role model reported a statistically significant decrease in stereotypes about social skills, and slightly weaker stereotypes about appearance, cognitive skills, and work preferences. Participants exposed to a stereotypical role model reported no changes in stereotypes. Participants in both groups showed increasingly positive attitudes toward teaching CS. Implications for CS teacher education are discussed.

This study aimed to investigate how pre-service teachers' intentions to vaccinate against COVID-19 were related to their perceptions of the causes of COVID-19, which are conspiracy thoughts, perceptions of environmental and faith factors, trust in scientists, and risk perceptions toward COVID-19 vaccines. In this study, a cross-sectional survey research method was used and an online questionnaire was administered to 434 Turkish pre-service teachers from 19 different universities in Türkiye. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to predict pre-service teachers' vaccination intentions and two multinomial logit models were evaluated. The results indicated that most pre-service teachers had a positive intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. Pre-service teachers with lower risk perceptions about COVID-19 vaccination and scores on conspiracy thoughts, and higher scores on perceptions of environmental factors about COVID-19 vaccination were more likely to have a positive intention of getting COVID-19 vaccination. However, trust in scientists and faith did not have significant relationships with the intention of getting COVID-19 vaccination. Based on our findings we suggest paying attention to increasing environmental perceptions of pre-service teachers, decreasing their beliefs in conspiracy theories and risk perceptions, and increasing trust in scientists, which are believed to contribute to the development of teacher education programs that would more likely equip teacher candidates with features necessary for dealing with global challenges in the world.

"Cena y Ciencias" (Supper and Science), or CyC, is a STEM outreach program for kindergarten through fifth-grade youth and their families. Monthly, university scientists lead interactive experiments with assistance from university student mentors. CyC is conducted entirely in Spanish. While youth complete activities, a separate parent session is held to explain the activities. The overall program goals are to increase interest in STEM careers and encourage Spanish-speaking youth that a scientist can "look like me." We conducted a descriptive, qualitative case study assessing the program's impact on participants, parents, and mentors. Youth participants and parents reported they liked the activities from CyC. Both youth and parents believe anyone can be a scientist. However, few students identified CyC teachers as scientists without further prompting. Neither youth nor parents connected attending CyC with the youth participant's future career. Mentors developed an appreciation of their bilingual skills as a positive identity within their science profession. Mentors expressed new appreciation for science outreach and future intent to do more outreach. All mentors felt CyC was a welcoming environment. Implications for all STEM outreach targeting young audiences include revisiting the connection between fun science activities and careers, confirming participants make the desired connections.

Researchers who work on course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) and issues related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) retention have begun exploring changes in student thinking about what it means to be a scientist. To support this effort, we developed rubrics to score answers to three open-response prompts: What does it mean to think like a scientist? What does it mean to do science? and Did you do real research in your coursename labs? The rubric development process was iterative and was based on input from the literature, experienced researchers, and early-career undergraduates. A post hoc analysis showed that the rubric elements map to 27 of 31 statements in the Culture of Scientific Research (CSR) framework, suggesting that scored responses to the three prompts can assess how well students understand what being a science professional entails. Scores on responses from over 400 students who were starting an introductory biology course for majors furnish baseline data from the rubrics and suggest that (i) undergraduates at this level have, as expected, a novice-level understanding of CSR, and (ii) level of understanding in novice students does not vary as a function of demography or academic preparation. Researchers and instructors are encouraged to add CSR to their list of learning objectives for CUREs and consider assessing it using the rubrics provided here.

In this case study, two librarians reflect upon our efforts to design STEM-focused information literacy instruction for undergraduate students at an R1, land grant university. Designed around the principles of culturally relevant pedagogy, our curriculum integrates community-focused and regionally specific topics reflecting our students' lived experience, features the work of scientists from diverse backgrounds, and fosters discussions about equity in the library classroom. Our experience shows that this approach can help foster STEM identity development in students while strengthening inquiry-based learning through information research.

This longitudinal study explores persistence in research productivity at the individual level over academic lifetime: can highly productive scientists maintain relatively high levels of productivity. We examined academic careers of 2326 Polish full professors, including their lifetime biographical and publication histories. We studied their promotions and publications between promotions (79,027 articles) over a 40-year period across 14 science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) disciplines. We used prestige-normalized productivity in which more weight is given to articles in high-impact than in low-impact journals, recognizing the highly stratified nature of academic science. Our results show that half of the top productive assistant professors continued as top productive associate professors, and half of the top productive associate professors continued as top productive full professors (52.6% and 50.8%). Top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top transitions in productivity classes occurred only marginally. In logistic regression models, two powerful predictors of belonging to the top productivity class for full professors were being highly productive as assistant professors and as associate professors (increasing the odds, on average, by 179% and 361%). Neither gender nor age (biological or academic) emerged as statistically significant. Our findings have important implications for hiring policies: hiring high- and low-productivity scientists may have long-standing consequences for institutions and national science systems as academic scientists usually remain in the system for decades. The Observatory of Polish Science (100,000 scientists, 380,000 publications) and Scopus metadata on 935,167 Polish articles were used, showing the power of combining biographical registry data with structured Big Data in academic profession studies.

As science educators, we have an important opportunity to influence perceptions of who does science, and we can work to empower students to make our disciplines more accessible to people of all backgrounds. This goal was explicitly built into an introductory college astronomy course through the theme of "Who Speaks for Earth?" Interventions included daily inclusive practices, features of diverse scientists, as well as a mid-semester hour-long Anti-Racist and Gender-Inclusive Training. Pre and post assessment shows positive impacts on students' interest in learning more about diversity, and racism in particular, as well as comfort in intervening in situations of discrimination. Additional qualitative artifacts provide themes of students' thinking about diversity and inclusivity in astronomy, as well as their emotional reactions to receiving a targeted training. While some students reacted negatively and criticized these interventions, the vast majority of students expressed gratitude and commitment to making science more inclusive as they move forward as Earthlings. This work can empower other science educators to engage their students in such conversations. Most importantly, it provides the tools to advance an inclusive and intersectional framework in their teaching pedagogy.

With the rapidly increasing demand for STEM skills, many scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technology professionals encourage students to pursue STEM careers. However, communicating science to lay audiences is challenging due to complex scientific terminology. This qualitative research aimed to demonstrate how an exemplary scientist, Dr. Reed, used storytelling to teach science in a 7-month internship for high school students. Data sources included real-time videos, field notes, and individual student interviews. Labov's model was used to analyze 75 stories. The analysis shows that Dr. Reed's stories mainly targeted eight teaching purposes. Telling such stories allowed Dr. Reed to relate scientific practices to what the students were experiencing in the science internship. Science educators can use this study's findings to build their storytelling practice with the goal of communicating science to students more effectively.

Learning scientists have historically been interested in understanding how learning happens and in creating innovations to facilitate learning in real-world situations. Recently, the field has recognized that advancing standalone innovations is not enough to address systemic problems in education; instead, the focus must be broadened to sustain these innovations. Drawing on an interdisciplinary body of literature on infrastructure, this paper presents a framework--the IMPROV framework--that offers theoretical, methodological, and practical tools for infrastructuring innovations in the learning sciences. Infrastructuring can be defined as the ongoing process of creating functional infrastructures for activities in a particular context. I describe six inter-connected areas of infrastructuring to highlight ways that learning designers and researchers could surface existing infrastructures, facilitate coherence-making negotiation activities, engage practitioners in collaborative design, and continuously evaluate infrastructuring activities. It is hoped that such advances will increase the relevance and sustainability of innovations in education and provide infrastructure to further improve them.

This follow-up study presents a design-based research (DBR) setting implemented over a three-year project called 'eKidZ - Teach Your Parents Well' which uses research-based learning and follows the four phases of DBR. In an iterative cycle, 20 teenagers aged 14-16 took on the role of researchers and investigated intergenerational learning and the multiplier effects of students participating in the Climate Change Education project 'k.i.d.Z.21 - Competent into the Future' on their parents, using the complete research process. Simultaneously, scientists implemented and tested the DBR setting to validate student research findings and to evaluate the quality of the educational setting. In this fully integrated DBR, using multiple methods (quantitative and qualitative), educational and scientific perspectives are brought together to evaluate students' findings and draw conclusions regarding their learning effects. These research results demonstrate that not only did students generate valid and reliable research, but - when changing perspectives - teenagers also contribute to the discussion about closing the gaps in science education and practice. By examining young people's research on Climate Change Education and recognising their contribution in scientific discourse, this paper offers a host of new insights. Highlights: Teenagers take on the role of researchers and perform reliable and valid research results on intergenerational learning and multiplier effects in Climate Change Education, by completing all phases of research-based learning. Design-based research is an effective method to combine science and education and thus delivering novel insights into science education and practice. High-quality Climate Change Education fosters constructive cooperation among all participants with inter - and intragenerational learning and multiplier effects. Constructivism, transdisciplinarity and research-based learning form the basis for effective design-based research and Climate Change Education.

This article examines the ways in which the University of Birmingham assisted refugee academics and students from Nazi Germany and other Nazi occupied countries across Europe between 1933 and 1945. It draws on the university's rich but underused archives to explore institutional policy and to assess the influence of individual staff members in driving it. As a case study it examines and evaluates the role played by a British provincial university in supporting displaced academics before the Second World War and refugee students during the war. Analysis of the primary source material reveals the importance of personal connections and the agency of individual university staff in helping refugees. This study aids our understanding of the roles played by British universities in helping displaced scholars and identifies areas for further research.

In the early 1960s, the Ford Foundation funded numerous projects in Turkey, primarily concerning science education and science policy. Related to the post-Sputnik debates on "scientific manpower needs," and modernisation theory's emphasis on "industrialising elites" in the developing world, these projects were the products of an intellectual bandwagon comprising scientists and experts commonly working with transnational organisations like the OECD and UNESCO. Characterising the need in terms influenced by this trend, the Ford Foundation's representative in Turkey proposed establishing a special high school for students gifted in the sciences. Analysing the process of the establishment of this school, this article explores how Turkish scientists connected to the same networks participated in the Foundation's initiatives to advance their status, and examines the broad political and economic factors that the Foundation's "non-ideological" interest in education for scientific manpower overlooked, leading to the mixed results of the project.