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Modeling involves a set of scientific practices that pre‐service science teachers struggle with. These practices involve constructing, predicting, testing, and revising models. Engaging meaningfully in modeling practices leads modelers to gain new insights about phenomena. Research suggests that this requires domain‐general metamodeling knowledge and domain‐specific content knowledge. However, research has not yet systematically investigated the role of metamodeling and content knowledge in the modeling practices, particularly regarding which practices benefit from either knowledge facet or their interplay. Addressing this gap, we interviewed 17 pre‐service science teachers selected from a larger quantitative study based on their performance in metamodeling knowledge and modeling practice assessments. We showed participants their answers to the modeling practice assessments and asked them to recall their thinking. We analyzed their thinking processes, focusing on metamodeling and content knowledge application. By comparing high‐ and low‐modeling‐practice performers, we aimed to examine the role of these knowledge facets in modeling practices. Our study extends modeling literature with two main findings: First, both metamodeling and content knowledge supported the participants in engaging in modeling practices, but each practice had specific knowledge requirements. For instance, constructing models was driven by content knowledge, while an interplay between metamodeling and content knowledge supported revising models. Second, the metamodeling knowledge that participants demonstrated in the previous metamodeling knowledge assessment was not related to the metaknowledge they applied during modeling practices. This is best evidenced in testing models, for which participants frequently recalled metaknowledge they had not demonstrated in the previous metamodeling knowledge assessment. Our findings suggest that teaching modeling practices separately is probably beneficial, as this approach enables science educators to better scaffold practice‐specific knowledge requirements. For future research, our results question the meaningfulness of metamodeling knowledge assessments, as the knowledge demonstrated in such assessments does not indicate the knowledge learners actually apply when engaging in modeling practices.

Modeling is a set of scientific practices learners often struggle with. Modeling practices include ‘constructing models’, ‘predicting with models’, ‘testing models’, and ‘revising models’. Domain-general metaknowledge about modeling is assumed to guide the use of modeling practices. So far, studies have not shown this connection. However, they did not control for content knowledge about the phenomenon, which is crucial for using modeling practices. This study attempts to begin filling this lacuna. We assessed domain-general metaknowledge about modeling and modeling practices of 102 pre-service biology teachers while controlling for content knowledge. We controlled for content knowledge in our assessment of modeling practices. The practices were assessed through modeling tasks about two phenomena: a person’s reddened face, for which the participants had much content knowledge, and the sex change of clownfish, for which they lacked content knowledge. We examined metaknowledge by instructing participants to express their conceptions of modeling in a process diagram. Correlations between metaknowledge and modeling practice abilities were either non-significant or small. However, participants showed higher modeling practice abilities for the reddened face than for the clownfish phenomenon, indicating that content knowledge about the modeled phenomena was closer related to their use of modeling practices than metaknowledge. We infer that, when introducing learners to modeling practices, engaging them in modeling phenomena for which they have prior content knowledge is beneficial.

Zusammenfassung: Selbstwirksamkeitserwartungen und Lehrkräfteenthusiasmus als Teilaspekte motivationaler Orientierung einer Lehrkraft sind von Bedeutung für die Unterrichtsqualität, die Lernleistung der Schüler:innen sowie für arbeitsbezogene Merkmale der Lehrperson wie Jobzufriedenheit oder Stressempfinden. Im Beitrag wird ein Kurzfragebogen zur Erfassung der motivationalen Orientierungen (MotOr-Skala) im naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht präsentiert, der eine adaptierte und zeitökonomische Version bereits validierter Messinstrumente darstellt. Die MotOr-Skala wurde ausgehend von Langskalen entwickelt und bildet die Subskalen ‚allgemeine Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung‘, ‚domänenspezifische Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung‘, ‚Fachenthusiasmus‘ und ‚Unterrichtsenthusiasmus‘ mit jeweils drei Items ab. Das Messinstrument wurde durch eine konfirmatorische Faktorenanalyse mit Daten von 152 Biologielehrkräften validiert. Die Prüfung der internen Konsistenzen sowie die Itemanalysen zeigen hinreichende und reliable Werte. Positive Korrelationen der MotOr-Skala mit der durch die Lehrkräfte selbsteingeschätzten Unterrichtsqualität geben Hinweise für die Kriteriumsvalidität der Skala. Inhaltliche Validität wurde durch ein Rating von elf Expert:innen festgestellt. Damit liegt ein Kurzfragebogen zur validen Erfassung der motivationalen Orientierungen bei Lehrkräften für die naturwissenschaftlichen Fächer vor, der zeitökonomisch einsetzbar ist.

Sleep disorders are risk factors for diseases such as dementia or diabetes, and cause enormous costs. Despite the crucial impacts of sleep on human health, there is little to no research on sleep and health in the field of science education. Although health education is an overarching goal of science education in school, the topic of sleep is rarely addressed. In the related field of medical education, empirical studies shed light on the impact of school projects concerning sleep health but are yet unrecognized by science education research. Systematic reviews demonstrate the effectiveness of school-based sleep education programs for increasing sleep knowledge but show contradicting findings regarding the impact on sleep behaviors. Lacking knowledge about healthy sleep is related to unhealthy sleep behavior. In this perspective article, we prepare the topic of sleep for the field of science education by presenting the state of research concerning sleep education. Using the connection between light pollution and sleep disruption, we present a concept of sleep health literacy in science education, argue for the implementation of sleep health literacy in science education curricula, and describe how the topics of sleep and light can serve as a link between health education and Education for Sustainable Development.

Inquiry-based instruction is a prominent teaching strategy in science education that is assumed to be an effective means to foster not only students’ understanding of science content but also their...

In this study, we investigated participants’ reactions to supportive and anomalous data in the context of population dynamics. Based on previous findings on conceptions about ecosystems and responses to anomalous data, we assumed a tendency to confirm the initial prediction after dealing with contradicting data. Our aim was to integrate a product-based analysis, operationalized as prediction group changes with process-based analyses of individual data-based scientific reasoning processes to gain a deeper insight into the ongoing cognitive processes. Based on a theoretical framework describing a data-based scientific reasoning process, we developed an instrument assessing initial and subsequent predictions, confidence change toward these predictions, and the subprocesses data appraisal, data explanation, and data interpretation. We analyzed the data of twenty pre-service biology teachers applying a mixed-methods approach. Our results show that participants tend to maintain their initial prediction fully or change to predictions associated with a mix of different conceptions. Maintenance was observed even if most participants were able to use sophisticated conceptual knowledge during their processes of data-based scientific reasoning. Furthermore, our findings implicate the role of confidence changes and the influences of test wiseness.