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![A loop of wire connected to an ammeter. a) Describe an experiment that will make the ammeter needle deflect to the right. Include a labeled diagram. The needle deflecting to the right indicates the current into the port on the right side of the ammeter. b) Explain in detail what causes the current in that direction. This example assesses student ability to design an application experiment and the ability to communicate. Learning is a social process [10]. The ISLE approach makes socializing and sharing a natural part of student progress. In class students work in groups. As the lab reports require group submissions, they often continue working in groups after the class is over and then start spontaneously forming study groups on their own. As every assignment can be improved, working together does not disadvantage anyone and very quickly the students realize the benefits of collaboration outside of class. Class group work and sharing ideas with the rest and outside of class learning lead to a community of learners. An opportunity to improve one's work leads to the development of a growth mindset and perseverance. Fixed or growth mindset determine how a person learns and what choices they make in the process. In their work "Mindsets That Promote Resilience: When Students Believe That Personal Characteristics Can Be Developed" [11] the authors show how to help learners develop growth mindset. The ISLE approach is fully consistent with these recommendations. Perseverance is one of the major predictors of success in life [12].](publication/351566544/figure/fig1/AS:1024818614915075@1621347206852/A-loop-of-wire-connected-to-an-ammeter-a-Describe-an-experiment-that-will-make-the.jpg)
A loop of wire connected to an ammeter. a) Describe an experiment that will make the ammeter needle deflect to the right. Include a labeled diagram. The needle deflecting to the right indicates the current into the port on the right side of the ammeter. b) Explain in detail what causes the current in that direction. This example assesses student ability to design an application experiment and the ability to communicate. Learning is a social process [10]. The ISLE approach makes socializing and sharing a natural part of student progress. In class students work in groups. As the lab reports require group submissions, they often continue working in groups after the class is over and then start spontaneously forming study groups on their own. As every assignment can be improved, working together does not disadvantage anyone and very quickly the students realize the benefits of collaboration outside of class. Class group work and sharing ideas with the rest and outside of class learning lead to a community of learners. An opportunity to improve one's work leads to the development of a growth mindset and perseverance. Fixed or growth mindset determine how a person learns and what choices they make in the process. In their work "Mindsets That Promote Resilience: When Students Believe That Personal Characteristics Can Be Developed" [11] the authors show how to help learners develop growth mindset. The ISLE approach is fully consistent with these recommendations. Perseverance is one of the major predictors of success in life [12].
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In a plenary talk “Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE): helping students learn physics by practicing it and be empowered in the process” at the SEA-STEM 2020 conference I (Eugenia Etkina) described the ISLE approach to learning and teaching physics, shared examples of activities and presented evidence of student learning. In this pape...
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Physics is a difficult subject for the vast majority of Filipino students to learn. It is also a challenge for educators worldwide to create learning media that makes it easier to explain the material especially in learning fields that require a reasonably high level of understanding, such as Physics. The use of high-quality instructional materials...
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... In physics education, teachers are expected to create learning environments that facilitate the scientific process, foster inquiry, and promote deep understanding of scientific concepts (Erlinawati et al., 2019;Etkina et al., 2021;Mardiati et al., 2024;Miharja et al., 2024). Physics presents theoretical frameworks and connects them to real-world phenomena encountered in daily life (Yosua et al., 2019;Feriati et al., 2025). ...
Misconceptions experienced by students must be identified, reduced, and remediated so that they do not become obstacles for students in their learning process. This study aims to reduce students' misconceptions about static fluids using interactive media developed using the Nearpod Platform based on Posner's conceptual change theory. The research design used was a one-group pre-test post-test design study, by conducting a pre-test, providing actions or treatments, and post-tests to 31 sample high school students. The test instruments and interactive media were first developed with a fairly strict validation process regarding content, construct, and face. Data analysis was carried out using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test to measure the effectiveness of the learning platform in reducing misconceptions. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the application of the Nearpod interactive learning platform based on Posner's conceptual change theory can significantly reduce students' misconceptions of the material of hydrostatic pressure and Archimedes' law, with a decrease in the percentage of misconceptions from an average of 34.83% in the pretest to 18.06% in the posttest. Therefore, the Conceptual Change Text strategy through Nearpod media has effectively reduced misconceptions.
... There are recurrent calls and programs that emphasize experimental practices in physics (Etkina et al. 2021;Holmes and Wieman 2018) and mathematical modeling in biology and chemistry (Cox et al. 2016;BIO2010, NRC, 2003Seshaiyer and Lenhart 2020;Šorgo 2010), but since these are not comparative studies, it is difficult to draw conclusions about the differences between school subjects and teachers in these contexts. ...
Reform‐oriented instruction is advocated in secondary science, encouraging students to engage with the experimental and epistemic practices of science. It is challenging for teachers though, especially for out‐of‐field teachers. This study focuses on biology and chemistry teachers who are called to teach middle‐school physics. These teachers face not only a knowledge gap, but also an epistemic gap arising from the distinct epistemic practices that are applied in the different school‐subjects to construct scientific knowledge. We put forward a professional development (PD) approach for out‐of‐field teachers that capitalizes on the strengths and resources they bring from their original field of expertise, and describe design guidelines for a PD program designed to enable them to carry out inquiry experiences in physics with their students. Given our PD approach, we argue that successful classroom implementation should be framed differently for out‐of‐field teachers. Rather than expecting them to strictly implement the PD activities and thus completely change their familiar practice, successful implementation would entail modifications that integrate new practices with familiar ones. Using the boundary‐crossing framework, we analyze three illustrative case studies in which teachers report on classroom implementation. We show how teachers remained rooted in their former practice ‐ biology and chemistry instruction ‐ and at the same time were inspired to adopt physics‐oriented practices, for example integrating mechanistic reasoning and deductive approaches. Illustrating the different boundary crossing mechanisms the teachers applied and the boundary objects that mediated this process sheds light on new productive avenues for the PD of out‐of‐field science teachers.
... The highest indicator on the completeness and support of the material (76%) indicates that this module has provided experiments that are quite diverse and relevant to the concepts of wave and optical physics, so that it can help students in understanding the theory through practical applications. The diversity of experiments offered, such as measuring the speed of sound using a smartphone microphone and investigating the Doppler effect through sound frequency analysis applications, is considered a key advantage as it provides a more in-depth and contextualized inquiry-based learning experience (Etkina et al., 2019). ...
The limited laboratory equipment in many schools hinders students in conducting physics experiments, so that learning is more theoretical and less supportive of practice-based understanding. This study aims to develop a smartphone sensor-based physics experiment module on wave and optical materials that is valid, practical, and effective, and allows students to conduct experiments flexibly and independently. This research uses the Research and Development (R & D) method with the Borg & Gall model. Validation by media and material experts showed that this module has met the eligibility standards, with a score of 3.67 (73.4%) for media aspects and 3.56 (71.2%) for material aspects. The practicality test showed that this module can be used well in experimental learning, with a score of 3.48 (69.6%) in the “Good” category. Evaluation of effectiveness through comparison of pre-test and post-test showed an increase in learning outcomes with an N-gain of 0.55 (medium category). These results indicate that the integration of smartphone sensors in physics experiments can be an alternative solution for schools with limited laboratory facilities. This module offers a more flexible, accessible and technology-based learning approach. Future research can develop similar modules for other physics materials and evaluate their effectiveness in various learning scenarios.
... Each learning activity is designed based on the ISLE model (Etkina et al., 2021(Etkina et al., , 2015(Etkina et al., , 2001, particularly in shaping the student's thought process to explore the extent of their understanding of the fundamental concepts in physics. In the instructional material for magnetic induction, the sequence begins with a very basic experiment on the properties of magnets. ...
Many schools face difficulties in implementing science education through a practicum due to insufficient laboratory facilities and bureaucratic constraints, which hinder students' hands-on learning. To address such constraints, a new web-based remote laboratory, Remote STEM (R-STEM) platform, was introduced by the STEM Research Center. This study explores using R-STEM in learning magnetic induction using the ISLE-based STEM approach with Student Activity Sheets (LKPD) to enhance engagement. A mixed-methods research design was utilized, and 72 high school students underwent a set of experiments according to the ISLE cycle, from observations to pattern detection, explanation, predictions, and experimentation verification. The results show a high rate of students’ understanding of magnetic induction, with a score in LKPD evaluation at 84%, a rate of implementation at 93%, and a score in learning activity alignment at 78.5%. In addition, pretest and posttest tests showed a learning outcome increase by 71%. This study contributes to the broader scientific educational community by demonstrating that remote laboratories can be effective in enhancing STEM learning, particularly in schools with fewer laboratory facilities.
... Workshop or studio based instruction has had positive impacts on conceptual knowledge, student attitudes, and addresses gaps in performance due to gender or equity [39][40][41][42][43][44]. Another integrated approach is the Investigative Science and Learning Environment, which produces impacts on motivation, sense of belonging, conceptual understanding, and expertlike decision making [14,[45][46][47]. One challenge of these approaches is the need for renovation or increased personnel [48]. ...
The COVID-19 pandemic forced introductory lab courses to shift to an online format. This implementation involved a shift in emphasis in learning goals towards transferable lab skills and involved a range of activities, including PhET simulations, video data collection, analysis of data sets, and open-ended free response conceptual questions. In this study, we examined student perceptions of aspects of the online lab activities and learning outcomes. We find that synchronous attendance is more likely to produce positive learning outcomes and that activities associated with data analysis are perceived to be more difficult. We discuss structural flaws with the learning management systems that can exacerbate student perceptions.
... The experiment can be integrated into various learning cycles, such as the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) [8] or Modeling Instruction [9], and used as a homework assignment. ...
We present an activity to illustrate the Hubble–Lemaître law and the cosmological principle. Using an elastic band to represent the expanding Universe and dots on the band to represent galaxies, we use Tracker software to measure recession velocities as a function of distance and analyse their relationship in different reference frames. Unlike previous work, which has focused on changes in position, this approach allows direct and quick measurement of velocities for different reference frames and different expansion rates. The activity is simple and can be incorporated into different learning cycles or used as homework.
... The literature further seems to indicate that representations are in general beneficial for learning. In fact, in ISLE (see for example [5] and [24]), a lot of attention is given to various representations, such as energy bar diagrams, double notation of forces and similar innovative representations that have been developed through research. However, it is impossible to know what kind of representations will work for students without researching it. ...
... The course where this intervention was carried out is structured with inspiration from the ISLE framework [5]. Students work in groups of three or four. ...
In my active learning course on quantum mechanics, students build their knowledge by following the scientific process as outlined by the Investigative Science Learning Environment. In this course, open-ended questions on the effect of measurement (collapse) failed to elicit meaningful responses from students. Meaningful responses are crucial for the next steps of testing students’ ideas using hypothetico-deductive reasoning. I wanted to help the students in this process with a pictorial representation. To arrive at a pictorial representation that would have meaning for students, I first asked them to provide their analogies for a superposition state. A common suggestion was the mixture of colours, but other, more inventive analogies were also suggested. I developed a pictorial representation based on the colour analogy. I reformulated the questions on collapse using this representation and a more concretized formulation. The ability of students to meaningfully answer the questions increased to the point where it was possible to complete also the testing part of the process. In the article, I discuss the analogies that students suggested and what underlying ideas known from literature they could represent. I provide the derived representation, the reformulated questions and evidence of how this helped students articulate their answers and helped identify students’ productive ideas that they could not clearly articulate in words. This enabled students to arrive at conclusions about the effect of measurement following the scientific process. This study contributes to the literature by providing student-generated analogies, using a pictorial representation derived from student-generated analogies, and showing an example of an efficiently formulated question on a difficult topic that is able to elicit meaningful responses.
... Here we could provide the example of ISLE approach which has two major goals: a) students are engaged in practices that mirror real scientific research process; b) students' activities are focused on supporting their intellectual and emotional growth. To achieve these goals ISLE is based on three key elements: 1) learning process based on cognitive effort and learning tools which support inquiry; 2) multilateral assessment and community of learners; 3) mandatory time for presentations and discussionsin order to let students learn scientifically articulate their thoughts (Etkina et al., 2021). ...
This study examines the impact of constructivist physics lessons and laboratory activities on middle and high school students’ academic success. Utilizing the constructivist learning model, which emphasizes active student engagement, the research was conducted at Hyperion Theoretical High School in Chișinău, Moldova, involving 195 students across grades 6, 8, and 10. The study finds that integrating constructivist teaching methods — such as the 5E model, Flipped Classroom, and Early Physics Approach — positively influences students’ academic performance at the middle and high school level. The results indicate a significant positive correlation between students’ performance in laboratory work and their end-of-chapter evaluations. This highlights the importance of hands-on lab work in reinforcing learning and improving academic performance. The research reveals that, in middle school, girls perform better than boys in lab work and evaluations, but this difference diminishes in high school. The study suggests that constructivist lab work and assigned roles in group activities help reduce the gender gap in physics. The study indicates that physics is perceived as less masculine than traditionally thought, based on performance data and gender-related stereotypes. Despite some differences in performance, the overall constructivist environment in physics labs does not contribute to a negative experience based on gender.
... This recognition underscores the importance of integrating real-world contexts into science education, thereby bridging the gap between abstract scientific concepts and students' lived experiences (Kervinen et al., 2020). That's why the real-world examples make the learning experience in science education more engaging and meaningful for students, for instance: Using everyday examples like car crashes to explain the principles of momentum and energy conservation (Etkina et al., 2021); vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (Liu et al., 2021), etc. ...
The study was conducted as a case study to enhance pre-service science teachers’ readiness for integration, inquiry-based learning (IBL), the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and the application of real-life examples during their teacher training courses. The objective of the research was to explore pre-service science teachers’ perceptions of integrated teaching, inquiry learning, and the use of ICT in science education, drawing on their experiences in teacher training. It also aimed to examine potential differences in their viewpoints and the evolution of their perceptions over time. A questionnaire was developed to gather insights from 50 pre-service science teachers regarding their views on the integration of science subjects before and after their 2-year teacher training courses. The collected data were analyzed using a qualitative approach with the QCAmap software, followed by a quantitative analysis utilizing the Microsoft Excel software. The findings revealed significant variances in perceptions among pre-service teachers based on the number of science subjects they studied during their training. Those who studied two or more subjects placed greater emphasis on the value of integration, IBL, ICT use, and real-life examples in science education, and exhibited more significant changes in their views throughout the 2 years of teacher training. Furthermore, the study found that nearly half of the pre-service teachers did not view IBL in science classes as crucial, and only about a quarter recognized the importance of ICT utilization.
... Our framework for designing activities in which students learn to generate models is the investigative science learning environment (ISLE) approach [5,[10][11][12][13] This phase of the ISLE process, itself a simplified but authentic representation of the scientific process, is followed by iteratively testing, revising, refining, and applying the model. In our approach, we alter the language slightly from Etkina to optimize transparency for the students of what they are doing. ...
... We begin by considering what lab activities reflecting the real-world practice of science look like. The ISLE approach to physics education [5,[10][11][12][13] prioritizes epistemologically authentic investigation of physics as a means to develop students' scientific abilities [7] and habits of mind. Teaching students to think like expert physicists takes priority over covering conceptual content. ...
[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Instructional labs: Improving traditions and new directions.] We report on a study of the effects of laboratory activities that model fictitious laws of physics in a virtual reality environment on (i) students’ epistemology about the role of experimental physics in class and in the world; (ii) students’ self-efficacy; and (iii) the quality of student engagement with the lab activities. We create opportunities for students to practice physics as a means of creating and validating new knowledge by simulating real and fictitious physics in virtual reality (VR). This approach seeks to steer students away from a confirmation mindset in labs by eliminating any form of prior or outside models to confirm. We refer to the activities using this approach as Novel Observations in Mixed Reality (NOMR) labs. We examined NOMR’s effects in 100-level and 200-level undergraduate courses. Using pre-post measurements, we find that after NOMR labs, students in both populations were more expertlike in their epistemology about experimental physics and held stronger self-efficacy about their abilities to do the kinds of things experimental physicists do. Through the lens of the psychological theory of flow, we found that students engage as productively with NOMR labs as with traditional hands-on labs. This engagement persisted after the novelty of VR in the classroom wore off, suggesting that these effects were due to the pedagogical design rather than the medium of the intervention. We conclude that these NOMR labs offer an approach to physics laboratory instruction that centers the development of students’ understanding of and comfort with the authentic practice of science.
Published by the American Physical Society 2024
