The study investigated the impact of the first principle approach (FPA) on students’ performance in determining limiting reagents in chemical stoichiometry. A quasi-experimental design, involving 120 science students from two colleges of education in Ghana, was adopted. Sixty (60) students each were randomly assigned to the experimental group (EG), which was taught using FPA, and the control group (CG), which followed traditional teaching approach (TTA). Data on students’ entry knowledge (EK) and their performance on algorithmic problems (AP) and conceptual problems (CP) were collected and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The mean scores for EK were moderate for both groups (EG: 66.00%; CG: 68.30%). After treatments, there was no statistically significant difference in the groups’ performance on AP. However, the EG significantly outperformed the CG on CP, indicating that FPA enhanced students’ conceptual understanding of limiting reagents. The findings suggest that FPA is an effective teaching strategy for fostering deeper conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills in stoichiometry. This study highlights the importance of incorporating FPA into chemistry education to improve students’ ability to determine limiting reagents.

This study analyses the impact of manipulative learning tools, specifically the Engino toy blocks, on the mathematical performance of pre-primary students, especially in understanding the sections of counting and addition. The research hypothesis states that students using Engino toy blocks will perform significantly better than those using traditional learning methods. An experimental design of randomly assigning the students was employed, involving 50 students divided equally into an experimental group (students who used Engino toys) and a control group (students who did not use Engino toys). Statistical analysis included mean comparison, standard deviation and independent t-test to analyse performance differences. Findings indicate that students in the experimental group performed better, showing a mean value increase of approximately 37% compared to the control group, and a p-value was also found to be less than the significance level of .05. The large effect size of 0.83 demonstrates a strong influence of using the toy blocks in their learning experience. These results highlight the effectiveness of Engino toy blocks in improving engagement and deeper understanding of the concepts in early mathematics education.

As skills-gap between available skills and in-demand skills in the Solar Energy Technology Sector (SETS) continues to expand due to rapid growth of the sector, the need for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to design and run critical Solar Energy Technology Training (SETechTra) modules has become imperative. Informed by the findings from SETechTra project – which includes extensive literature reviews, stakeholder interviews, observations, feedback from pilot model involving circa 1500 students from schools/colleges across four European countries, this article reports on a developed strategic undergraduate (UG) 30-credit module. The module is designed to embed in-demand skills in SETS within students enrolled upon wider Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses. The contents of the module comprise learning and teaching activities engineered to embed key identified academic, industrial, and entrepreneurial in-demand skills in SETS in STEM UG students. Formative and summative assessments are the implemented assessment strategy used to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the module in the pilot model. Analysis of feedback from the pilot model demonstrations indicates significant positive impact, giving a promising indication of wider applicability to HEIs across Europe interested in fast-tracking production of more SETS industry-ready graduates.

Immersion is an essential technical feature of immersive virtual reality (VR) environments, which can affect various learning and psychological outcomes. However, limited research has studied the impact of immersion via multiple mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the effects of immersion in a VR science learning environment using two different mechanisms, delivery format and sound stimuli, on various cognitive and psychological outcomes, including learning, cognitive load, self-efficacy, presence, enjoyment, and usefulness. Through a 2 (delivery format: immersive VR vs. Desktop VR) x 2 (sound stimuli: yes vs. no) design, one hundred and twenty participants experienced one of four versions of a VR tour on nature-based science learning, including an immersive VR (iVR) tour with or without sound, and a desktop VR (dVR) tour with or without sound. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Results indicated that dVR groups rated significantly higher than the iVR groups on perceived learning, presence, self-efficacy, and usefulness, regardless of sound stimuli. However, neither immersion mechanism impacted knowledge retention, cognitive load, or perceived enjoyment. Meanwhile, all groups significantly improved self-efficacy after their condition-dependent VR experience. Qualitative data from participant responses provided additional perspectives on the quantitative findings. This research fills a gap in the limited existing literature by investigating immersion through multiple mechanisms in VR learning environments. The findings offer both theoretical and practical implications for researchers and practitioners.

Multimedia instructional strategies (MIS) have been shown to significantly enhance learners’ academic performance in mastering challenging chemistry concepts. However, few studies have specifically investigated using MIS to enhance students’ conceptual understanding of molecular hybridisation. This study employed a nonequivalent two-group pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design to determine the impact of MIS on students’ conceptual understanding of hybridisation. Data were collected from 60 second-year senior high school students using a diagnostic test and an interview guide. Pre-tests and post-tests were administered to two intact classes of 30 students each: one served as the experimental group and the other, the control group,  purposively sampled from two different schools. The results revealed that students in the experimental group (taught using MIS) achieved significantly higher post-test scores than those in the control group (taught using conventional methods). Additionally, the experimental group exhibited a significant improvement from pre-test to post-test scores, whereas the control group’s pre-test and post-test scores did not differ significantly. Moreover, MIS was highly interactive, promoted student interest, and enhanced students’ understanding of hybridisation. Therefore, the study recommends that science educators incorporate MIS into their instruction to improve students’ conceptual understanding of other abstract chemistry concepts. The implications of these findings are discussed in detail, highlighting the potential of MIS in chemistry education.