Applying Bio-Measurements Methodologies in Science Education Research

This book illustrates the problems of using eye tracking technology and other bio-measurements in science education research. It examines the application of bio-measurements in researching cognitive processes, motivation for learning science concepts, and solving science problems. Most chapters of this book use the eye-tracking method, which enables following the focus of the students' attention and drawing conclusions about the strategies they used to solve the problem. This book consists of a total of fifteen chapters. Authors from eight countries emphasise the same trends despite their cultural and educational differences. The book begins with general chapters describing cognitive processes and how these processes are measured using eye-tracking methods and other psychophysiology parameters and motivation. Finally, the book concludes the chapters presenting studies in specific scientific fields from chemistry, biology, physics and geology.

Dr. Iztok Devetak is a Professor of Chemical Education at the Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. His research focuses on how students can learn chemistry, how chemistry in context stimulates learning and how eye-tracking technology explains science learning. His interest is also environmental education and developing health-managing competences for teachers. Having previously co-edited a Springer monograph on active learning approaches in chemistry, Dr. Devetak was a Fulbright Scholar with Prof. Dr. Diane Bunce in 2009, and is currently Chair of the Chemical Education Division at the Slovenian Chemical Society and vice-chair for Eastern Europe of European Chemical Society Division of Chemical Education and president of the National Subject Testing Committee for chemistry in lower secondary schools, as well as Editor-in-Chief of the CEPS Journal.

Dr. Saša A. Glažar is a Professor Emeritus at University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. His research is focussed mainly on the development of methodology for the organisation of chemical data into networks of knowledge and building chemical relational information systems to be applied in the transfer of knowledge in education and industrial development. Saša A. Glažar is involved in defining, classifying and categorisation of science concepts in building relational systems for various levels of education, structuring information into knowledge maps, i.e. hierarchically built relational systems in science education. The same approach was also applied in designing study programmes for all levels of education. As an expert, he participates in the development and evaluation of national science curricula and in international studies (TIMSS, PISA).