Hsin-Kai Wu

National Taiwan Normal University | NTNU · "Graduate Institute of Science Education"

The potential of computer-based assessments for capturing complex learning outcomes has been discussed; however, relatively little is understood about how to leverage such potential for summative and accountability purposes. The aim of this study is to develop and validate a multimedia-based assessment of scientific inquiry abilities (MASIA) to cov...

Effects of multiple external representations on teaching and learning have been widely researched; however, relatively little is understood about how different types of representations used for item presentation influence students’ performances in computer-based assessments, particularly in those evaluating complex abilities. We designed a multimed...

Drawing upon the literature in computational modeling, multivariable reasoning, and causal attribution, this study aims at characterizing multivariable reasoning practices in computational modeling and revealing the nature of understanding about multivariable causality. We recruited two freshmen, two sophomores, two juniors, two seniors, four maste...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of representation sequences and spatial ability on students’ scientific understandings about the mechanism of breathing in human beings. 130 seventh graders were assigned to two groups with different sequential combinations of static and dynamic representations: SD group (i.e., viewing static...

Drawing upon the model for science teacher assessment literacy developed by [Abell, S. K., & Siegel, M. A. (2011). Assessment literacy: What science teachers need to know and be able to do. In The professional knowledge base of science teaching (pp. 205-221). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3927-9_12], this study explored science teach...

The purpose of this study was to explore high school teachers' assessment literacy for inquiry-based science instruction (IBSI) in Taiwan. We recruited 40 high school science teachers with relevant experience in IBSI to participate in the study. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews and the background questionnaires. We analyzed the d...

Scientific inquiry abilities and the nature of scientific inquiry (NOSI) are critical in building a scientifically literate citizenry. However, little information is available regarding the inquiry abilities of young learners between the ages of 5-7 years, though it is widely agreed that children are born inquirers. Among the reasons why inquiry ab...

本研究目的在發展一份適用於臺灣國高中科學教師評量素養之量表，並進行量表信效度與恆等性之分析。此量表基於Abell與Siegel (2011)評量素養模型之構念與架構所編製，本研究檢驗量表之信效度，並檢驗跨性別與教育階段群體之測量恆等性，以確保在不同群體間皆能測量到相同的評量素養之構念組成。本研究的預試資料來自100位北部國高中科學教師，而正式施測收集到北部地區140所學校，872位中學科學教師之量表資料。本研究使用預試資料進行項目分析和探索性因素分析，正式施測資料則以驗證性因素分析與測量恆等性分析來處理。全部量表題項經分析刪減後，共包含35題。項目分析、探索性因素分析與驗證性因素分析結果支持Abell與Siegel評量素養模型架構。經刪題後，各構念題 項呈現良好的信效度，且透過恆等性分析顯示...

Background and Purpose As a growing number of instructional units have been developed to promote young children’s scientific and engineering practices (SEPs), understanding how to evaluate and assess children’s SEPs is imperative. However, paper-and-pencil assessments would not be suitable for young children because of their limited reading and wri...

Past studies have shown that kindergarten teachers find it challenging to integrate science into their instruction, but little is understood about factors that influence their science teaching in Indigenous areas. Our study aimed to investigate the associations between kindergarten teachers’ experiences, attitudes, self-efficacy, outcome expectatio...

Previous research has analyzed the meaning and value of STEM education and explored both its current possibilities and future development. However, STEM education experts have not reached a consensus on the goals of STEM education, making its promotion more challenging. Thus, this study examined which particular STEM education goals should be empha...

The purpose of this study was to explore high school teachers’ conceptions about Inquiry teaching in Taiwan. We invited 40 high school science teachers with relevant experience in inquiry teaching to participate in the study. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews of teachers and their background questionnaire. We analyzed the data usi...

本研究旨在探討高中科學教師對「探究與實作」課程的概念，包括課程特徵、挑戰、教學目標與教學活動設計。本研究邀集具有探究教學相關經驗的40位高中科學教師，參與半結構訪談。透過資料導向及文獻導向二種方式產生編碼架構，並以NVivo 12進行資料分析。結果顯示教師對於課程特徵的概念與課綱相符，但聚焦於教學面向，且忽視科學調查的部分面向。教師雖肯定課程的價值，但也提出不同層面的挑戰，其中最常見的挑戰為：教師的能力與興趣不足，以及學生缺乏知識、能力等微觀因素，其次則是巨觀因素及中觀因素。此外，教師賦予「探究與實作」課程多樣化的目標，最常見的是提高學習動機、連接科學與生活及瞭解、執行科學探究等。對於不同的探究階段及活動，教師賦予其 特定的教學目標，然而不論是教學目標或活動設計，都較少關注分析、詮釋數據及論...

Recently, much importance has been placed on early science education. This study examined the associations between kindergarten teachers' science teaching self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and their integration of science into teaching, and investigated how four potential factors (i.e. mastery experience, interpersonal support, previous science...

This study examined the impact of a project-based learning module on young children’s scientific practices in urban and Indigenous areas. The module was developed by drawing upon early science standards and research on scientific practices and project-based teaching approaches. Ninety-eight children from northern Taiwan participated. Their average...

Background Previous research has revealed that teaching self-efficacy could play a critical role in engaging students in integrated STEM education; however, teachers’ multiple identities in STEM education (i.e. implementers, disseminators, and designers) and their commitment with respect to the different identities have not been considered and exam...

Textbooks remain an important resource in the hands of science teachers in ensuring that curricular aims and educational reforms are realised in school science. In a publication of the National Research Council (NRC) entitled “A Framework for K-12 Science Education,” emphasis is placed on students experiencing inquiry-based practices and not merely...

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of different ways to use visualizations on high school students’ electrochemistry conceptual understanding and motivation towards chemistry learning. Expanding upon a model-based learning approach (Khan, 2007), we adopted a VGEM sequence (View, Generate, Evaluate, and Modify) to create three instr...

The purpose of this study was to investigate preservice science teachers' proficiency levels regarding their practical knowledge of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK-P). A sample of 103 third- and fourth-year participants from a South African university were surveyed on their TPACK-P proficiency levels using a 17-item questionnaire...

The aim of the study was to investigate students’ views of model evaluation through the lens of personal epistemology. We developed an integrated analytical framework by combining a developmental framework, including absolutist, multiplist, and evaluatist, with a multi-dimensional framework, including limits of knowing, certainty of knowing, and cr...

This study aimed at investigating how the factors across the student and school levels would influence students' performance on a technology-based assessment (TBA). TBAs not only enable teachers to evaluate their students' complex abilities, but have also been adopted by large-scale and international evaluation programs in recent years. Although so...

The impact of epistemic beliefs on learning is an issue continuing to attract research attention. Some psychologists indicated that epistemic beliefs exert their influence on learning through variables of metacognition and self-regulation learning. However, little is understood about the relations between the elements of epistemic beliefs (EB) and...

According to policy documents and research studies, one key objective of science education is to develop students’ inquiry abilities; however, relatively little is known about the interplay among students’ inquiry abilities, the dimensions of their engagement, and their inquiry-related curiosity. The purpose of this study is to explore how four dim...

Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) has driven curriculum reforms in science education globally, with many educators teaching science as inquiry, in the hope of improving learners' understandings of scientific concepts and improving achievements in standardised tests. The curiosity of whether learners' engagements and understandings of the Nature of Scien...

The purpose of this article is to propose a new diagnostic test that can be used to diagnose students' deeper understanding of a concept and what they think about the concept. The instrument is a further development of the existing four-tier test by adding one more tier, drawing sub-microscopic representations. So, this new instrument is called a f...

Numerical and symbolic representations are used extensively in physics problems. However, relatively little is understood about how students respond to these two representational formats when they are solving problems. This study examined the effect of the representational format (numeric vs symbolic) on the problem-solving performance, self-effica...

This study addresses the issue of curiosity‐driven inquiry learning by examining the interplay among students’ inquiry‐related curiosity, laboratory engagement, and inquiry abilities and investigates how their learning experiences would associate with such interplay. We employed structural equation modeling to analyze data collected from 920 eighth...

In this study we investigated how a newly developed learning environment that integrates mobile augmented reality (AR) technology supported students’ socio-scientific reasoning (SSR). Drawing upon the reasoned action theory, we consider the roles of students’ attitudes toward SSR before learning, and their cognitive and emotional engagement during...

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an online contextualized test for assessing students’ understanding of epistemic knowledge of science. In addition, how students’ understanding of epistemic knowledge of science interacts with learner factors, including time spent on science learning, interest, self-efficacy, and gender, was als...

由於建構反應試題較選擇題更適於評估學生的高階認知能力，本研究目的係在發展科學能力的建構反應評量，建立評分規準，並分析信度與效度。全評量包含「科學知識的記憶與瞭解」、「科學程序的應用與分析」、「科學邏輯的論證與表達」，以及「問題解決的評估與創造」四個分評量，共計32題。分析結果顯示，評分者內之Cronbach’s α 與評分者間之Kendall ω 和諧係數值均大於 .90，表示評分者內與評分者間的一致性良好。再者，評分者嚴苛度之多面向Rasch測量模式之卡方考驗未達顯著水準，表示評分者間的嚴苛度未有差異存在，infit與outfitMNSQ 介於1 ± 0.5，顯示無論嚴格或寬鬆的評分者，均能有效區分高、低能力的學生。另RSM 與PCM 模式比較的卡方考驗達顯著水準，將所估計的Devianc...

The aim of this study was to examine the potential impact of the representational characteristics of models and students’ educational levels on students’ views of scientific models and modeling (VSMM). An online multimedia questionnaire was designed to address three major aspects of VSMM, namely the nature of models, the nature of modeling, and the...

The appropriate selection and implementation of technology in instruction is made possible by teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). The TPACK that inservice teachers develop is practitioner-based and can be continuously transformed with teaching experiences. In this study, we constructed video-embedded and discipline-focuse...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of simulation design, visual-motor integration, and spatial ability on students’ conceptual understandings of projectile motion and collision. We developed three simulations including two mobile applications (app) and a computer simulation. One app (TA) employed the multi-touch feature for vi...

Numerical and symbolic representations are used extensively in presenting physics problems. However, little is understood about how students respond to different representational formats while solving problems. The purpose of this study thus was to explore and compare 10th graders’ problem solving performances, self-efficacy and perceptions about i...

In order to promote scientific inquiry in secondary schooling in Taiwan, the study developed a computer-based inquiry curriculum (including structured and guided inquiry units) and investigated how the curriculum influenced students’ science learning. The curriculum was implemented in 5 junior secondary schools in the context of a weeklong summer s...

The two-year study aimed to explore how students' development of different inquiry abilities actually benefited from the design of technology-infused learning modules. Three learning modules on the topics of seasons, environmental issues and air pollution were developed to facilitate students� inquiry abilities: questioning, planning, analyzing, an...

Technological pedagogical content knowledge-practical (TPACK-P) refers to the knowledge construct that teachers in the digital era develop for and from their teaching practices with technology. This study explored a standard-setting method using item response theory to cross-validate ranks of proficiency levels and examine in-service and pre-servic...

The purpose of this chapter is to present how the technology-infused learning environment (TILE) research team in Taiwan developed and evaluated innovative learning environments for science education. The three environments presented in this chapter cover important scientific topics and involve real-life issues such as the seasons, air pollution, a...

Computer-based learning tools include design features to enhance learning but learners may not always perceive the existence of these features and use them in desirable ways. There might be a gap between what the tool features are designed to offer (intended affordance) and what they are actually used (actual affordance). This study thus aims at in...

Abstract In this study we reviewed 22 studies on developing instruments that measure teachers', students' and adult students' perceptions of learning environments enhanced by a certain type of technology. We conducted a review of all the instruments to propose a new framework conceptualizing technology-supported learning environments (TSLEs) for fu...

So far relatively little research in education has explored the pedagogical and learning potentials of applications (Apps) on tablet PCs (TPCs). Drawing upon research on learning technologies and taking an embodied perspective, this study first identified educational functionalities of TPCs and generated guidelines to design educational Apps for sc...

So far relatively little research in education has explored the pedagogical and learning potentials of applications (Apps) on tablet PCs (TPCs). Drawing upon research on learning technologies and taking an embodied perspective, this study first identified educational functionalities of TPCs and generated guidelines to design educational Apps for sc...

We investigated the impact of an augmented reality (AR) versus interactive simulation (IS) activity incorporated in a computer learning environment to facilitate students' learning of a socio-scientific issue (SSI) on nuclear power plants and radiation pollution. We employed a quasi-experimental research design. Two classes (a total of 45 ninth-gra...

TPACK refers to the knowledge construct that teachers rely on to facilitate their instruction with technology. In order to decompose what constitutes this knowledge construct, researchers have proposed and validated frameworks from different perspectives or for different purposes. However, no one has tried to develop a working model of TPACK within...

Advances in information communication technologies (ICTs) have diversified teacher instruction. The appropriateness of representation selections and learning activity designs involving ICTs is determined by teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge-practical (TPACK-P), a knowledge construct transformed and reinforced through different t...

It is well accepted that the main goal of science education is to prepare future citizens with scientific literacy. As a means of achieving scientific literacy goals, the science education reforms in countries around the world have all made significant commitments to science curriculum redevelopment that increasingly advocates inquiry-based instruc...

Technological pedagogical content knowledge-practical (TPACK-P) refers to a unified body of knowledge that teachers develop from and for actual teaching practices with information communication technologies (ICT). This study attempted to unveil the longitudinal and multidimensional development of knowledge that teachers possess by interviewing 40 t...

The emphasis on scientific inquiry has increased the importance in developing the fundamental abilities to conduct scientific investigations and urged a need for valid assessments of students’ inquiry abilities. We took advantage of the advanced technology to develop a simulation-based assessment of inquiry abilities (SAIA) that allowed students to...

Studies that incorporate technologies into school science laboratories have proliferated in the recent two decades. A total of 42 studies published from 1990 to 2011 that incorporated technologies to support school science laboratories are reviewed here. Simulations, microcomputer-based laboratories (MBLs), and virtual laboratories are commonly use...

There is a distance between the power that whole class dialogic discussions (WCDD) may offer to the science class and their use in practice. Teachers’ attitudes toward WCDD are part of the problem. The aims of this study were twofold: (a) to examine Taiwanese physics teachers’ attitudes toward WCDD by considering cultural perspectives and describe...

This study aimed to understand students' views of the nature of model evaluation and the nature of change of models in different context. A total of 102 eighth graders and 87 eleventh graders were surveyed. Two cases, the SARS and dinosaur extinction, were presented to prompt students' ideas about different models proposed by scientists. The statis...

We implemented a simulation-based learning environment in a summer camp program in which 45 ninth-grade students conducted virtual experiments using computer-based simulations to learn the concepts of buoyancy. We collected data including all students' responses to the pretests, assessments embedded during class in the learning environment, and pos...

This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal,...

Technological pedagogical content knowledge TPACK refers to the knowledge set that teachers currently use to further improve the quality of their teaching and assist their students in learning. Several TPACK models have been proposed, either for discussing TPACK's possible composition or its practical applications. Considering that teachers' practi...

Although there is a broad agreement among scientists and science educators that students should not only learn science, but also acquire some sense of its nature, it has been reported that undergraduate students possess an inadequate grasp of the nature of science (NOS). The study presented here examined the potential and effectiveness of Nobel Pri...

Although augmented reality (AR) has gained much research attention in recent years, the term AR was given different meanings by varying researchers. In this article, we first provide an overview of definitions, taxonomies, and technologies of AR. We argue that viewing AR as a concept rather than a type of technology would be more productive for edu...

This edited volume of papers from the twenty first International Conference on Chemical Education attests to our rapidly changing understanding of the chemistry itself as well as to the potentially enormous material changes in how it might be taught in the future. Covering the full range of appropriate topics, the book features work exploring theme...

Multiple external representations (MERs) have been widely used in science teaching and learning. Theories such as dual coding theory and cognitive flexibility theory have been developed to explain why the use of MERs is beneficial to learning, but they do not provide much information on pedagogical issues such as how and in what conditions MERs cou...

Technology has been widely involved in science research. Researchers are now applying it to science education in an attempt to bring students’ science activities closer to authentic science activities. The present study synthesizes the research to discuss the development of technology-enhanced laboratories and how technology may contribute to fulfi...

This study compared modeling skills and knowledge structures of four groups as seen in their understanding of air quality. The four groups were: experts (atmospheric scientists), intermediates (upper-level graduate students in a different field), advanced novices (talented 11th and 12th graders), and novices (10th graders). It was found that when t...

The purpose of this review study is to examine how science simulations are used for assessment purposes. Eleven assessments were identified from 67 reviewed computer-based science assessments. Based on these 11 assessments, we concluded that by including simulations, science assessments would measure critical competences that are authentic and mean...

The purposes of this study are to examine young children’s explanations of floating and sinking and to investigate how scaffolding strategies provided by a tutor could promote their scientific understandings. Fifteen 4-year-olds and fifteen 5-year-olds from a public kindergarten in northern Taiwan participated in this study. The children were inter...

The purposes of this study are to explore fifth graders’ epistemological views regarding their own experiences of constructing scientific knowledge through inquiry activities (i.e., practical epistemologies) and to investigate possible interactions between students’ practical epistemologies and their inquiry skills to construct scientific explanati...

Recently, video analysis has been used increasingly more widely in educational research. The purpose of this article is to present how to conduct video analysis in education and discuss its potential benefits, limitations, and ethical issues. The benefits of video data include preserving detailed information of interactions, allowing repeated exami...

近年來，錄影資料在教育研究的應用日漸普遍。本文探討錄影如何成為有效的觀察和研究工具，並且如何應用錄影分析於其他的研究方法中。錄影資料具有忠實紀錄細節、可供重複觀看等特性，然而，錄影資料的轉換及分析過程可能相當複雜，因此，本文圍繞在資料收集、管理和分析三大部分，提供錄影資料登錄、選取和表徵的策略，以實例說明如何將錄影分析應用於量化、質性及混合方法的研究，並簡介七種錄影分析軟體供研究者參考。這些實例顯示，若能善用錄影分析，將之與研究設計有效地結合，可更深入地瞭解所關心的現象。雖然錄影分析有諸多優點，研究者仍應考量其限制並留意研究倫理的議題，本文建議運用同儕審視和多重驗證等策略，以確保分析結果的信度與效度。最後，期待在證據為導向的教育研究中，錄影分析能被有效應用，並進一步擴展教育研究的架構和視野。...

Modeling of a natural phenomenon is of value in science learning and increasingly emphasized as an important component of science education. However, previous research has shown that secondary school students encounter difficulties when engaging in modeling activities and need substantial support in order to create meaningful scientific models. The...

The purposes of this article are to present the design of a technology‐enhanced learning environment (Air Pollution Modeling Environment [APoME]) that was informed by a novice–expert analysis and to discuss high school students’ development of modelling practices in the learning environment. APoME was designed to help high school students understan...

Ever since Johnstone (1993) addressed the three levels of chemistry (symbolic, macro, and microscopic or so called submicro currently), many studies investigate how multimedia could support constructing, developing, and evaluating students’ mental representations of chemistry at the three levels. This chapter focuses on how multimedia could enhance...

Based on the expert-novice analysis, we developed a distributed scaffolding curriculum for modeling air quality (DSCMAQ) to facilitate high school students' model-based reasoning in a technology-enhanced learning environment (APoME) which provided the Modeling Air Quality (MAQ) software associated with gradual complex learning tasks. Three studies...

The purpose of this study is to understand in what ways a technology-enhanced learning (TEL) environment supports learning about the causes of the seasons. The environment was designed to engage students in five cognitive phases: Contextualisation, Sense making, Exploration, Modeling, and Application. Seventy-five high school students participated...

Researchers in educational technology have searched for factors to explain teachers’ acceptance and resistance to using technology for instruction. Among the many identified factors, however, organizational and school factors have not yet been explored and discussed. This study investigates the effects of school size on science and mathematics teac...

Sandholtz, Ringstaff, & Dwyer (1996) list five stages in the "evolution" of a teacher's capacity for computer- based instruction—entry, adoption, adaptation, appropriation and invention—which hereafter will be called the teacher's computer-based instructional evolution. In this study of approximately six hundred junior high school science and mathe...

Engagement has been viewed as an important construct to understand students' learning performances in classroom settings. Taking an interactive perspective, the study investigates ninth graders' cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement in teacher-centered (TC) and student-centered (SC) technology-enhanced classrooms. 54 students from two sci...

The purpose of this study is to investigate how sixth graders develop inquiry skills to construct explanations in an inquiry-based learning environment. We designed a series of inquiry-based learning activities and identified four inquiry skills that are relevant to students’ construction of explanation. These skills include skills to identify caus...

This study explores seventh graders' use of inscriptions in a teacher-designed project-based science unit. To investigate students' learning practices during the 8-month water quality unit, we collected multiple sources of data (e.g., classroom video recordings, student artifacts, and teacher interviews) and employed analytical methods that drew fr...

This study characterizes the inscriptional practices demonstrated by 7th graders, particularly their use of data tables and graphs, in an inquiry-based learning environment. Drawing on a naturalistic approach, we examined two seventh grade classes during an eight-month instructional unit that emphasized water quality and relevant concepts. We colle...

This case study characterizes the inscriptional practices demonstrated by seventh graders, particularly their use of data tables and graphs, in an inquiry-based learning environment. Using a naturalistic approach, we collected multiple sources of data during an 8-month instructional unit that emphasized water quality and relevant concepts. The anal...

In this article, we examine the role of visuospatial cognition in chemistry learning. We review three related kinds of literature: correlational studies of spatial abilities and chemistry learning, students' conceptual errors and difficulties understanding visual representations, and visualization tools that have been designed to help overcome thes...

Chemistry learning involves establishing conceptual relationships among macroscopic, microscopic, and symbolic representations. Employing the notion of intertextuality to conceptualize these relationships, this study investigates how class members interactionally construct meanings of chemical representations by