With the increasing technology integration practices in education, the adoption of computer simulations to teach conceptual understanding of science concepts is widely accepted by educators across the globe. To understand the connections between learners’ engagement and satisfaction with simulations for science learning and their learning styles, the present study analyzed 1034 university students' perceptions and experiences of using simulations for learning physics, chemistry, and biology subjects. The study took place in a large public university in a gulf country. Precisely, this study provides an empirically driven exploration of the connection between tertiary students' engagement and satisfaction with simulation-based learning and their learning styles. The findings of this study showed that the participants showed a very high level of engagement and satisfaction with the use of simulations for learning science concepts in the subjects of physics, chemistry, and biology. Their self-confidence and VAK learning styles, particularly the kinesthetic style, were significant predictors of their engagement and satisfaction with the learning process. The findings from this study have implications for the benefit of researchers and practitioners interested in the effective adoption of computer simulations as a pedagogical approach in science education.

This study examined the effect of collaborative learning (CL) versus traditional lecture-based learning (TL) pedagogies and gender group composition in effecting positive or negative attitudes of biology major and nonmajor men and women students. The experimental research method was administered in experimental and control groups to test the hypotheses. Students’ attitudes refer to their positive or negative feelings and inclinations to learn biology. A nine-factor attitude scale was administered in (1) single-gender nonmajor biology, (2) mixed-gender nonmajor biology, (3) single-gender major biology, and (4) mixed-gender biology major groups. Men (221) and women (219) were randomly assigned into single and mixed-gender classes without groups and single-gender groups (4M) or (4W) and mix-gender (2M+2W) groups. In CL nonmajor and major single-gender groups, women demonstrated significantly higher positive attitudes than men. In contrast, men’s attitudes were significantly improved in mixed-gender CL groups for major and nonmajor sections, and the effect size was larger in mix-gender classes. Women feel less anxious in single-gender groups but more anxious in mixed-gender groups. In mixed-gender groups, men’s self-efficacy, general interest, and motivation enhanced significantly; overall, men experienced greater satisfaction and triggered their desire to collaborate better, affecting all nine attitudinal factors. There was an interaction effect demonstrating the teaching pedagogy’s impact on improving students’ attitudes toward biology; students’ gender and gender-specific group composition have been the most influential factor for nonmajor students. These findings suggest that there is a need for developing gender-specific and context-specific learning pedagogies, and instructors carefully select gender grouping in teaching undergraduate science subjects.

This study aimed to compare female and male students’ attitudes and achievements within different learning settings determined by e-learning and in-classroom learning modalities, collaborative (CL), and traditional (TL) learning pedagogies and investigated the effect of single-gender (SG) and mixed-gender (MG) grouping in an undergraduate biology course. 1375 biology students enrolled in a public university were randomly divided into 12 learning settings. Keller’s ARCS model and Vygotsky’s Socio-cultural Theory were the theoretical frameworks that guided this study. Results indicated that females attained higher achievement and more positive attitude towards biology in TL and CL sections in single-gender compared to mix-gender classes; overall, academic achievements between females and males demonstrated a significant difference at P < .05. Females students performed relatively low achievement and had a negative attitude toward biology in mix-gender CL groups (2 Females + 2 Males) compared to single-gender CL groups (4 Females) in in-classroom modality. E-learning attenuated the negative impact of mixed-gender grouping on female students within e-learning CL settings. The effect size value indicated that males benefited more than females from mixed-gender CL (2F + 2 M) pedagogy in e-learning and in-classroom modalities. Thus, e-learning may encourage female students to overcome the socio-cultural barrier that leads them to feel reticence in mixed-gender groups. The study helps to understand the most suitable learning settings for female and male students to decrease gender disparities, reduce the negative influences of stereotypical threats in different socio-cultural environments, and develop learning strategies to further equalize opportunities for females and male students, promoting students’ attitudes and achievement in undergraduate biology education.

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This chapter provides new insights on the experimental research that hypothesized whether the gender group composition in active learning (AL) versus traditional lecture (TL) classrooms of undergraduate biology majors and non-majors correlate with students' achievements and attitudes. The research found that AL improves males' achievements and attitudes while females perform lower in their tests and exams in mixed-gender groups. In single-gender groups, female achievements were higher in both TL and AL classes. The authors argue that students' gender and gender group composition and associated socio-cultural beliefs have been the most influential factors in students' achievements and framing attitudes towards science learning. The findings suggest that underlying socio-cultural, social identities, and associated beliefs supersede the effectiveness of pedagogical approaches. Thus, there is a need for developing gender-specific and context-specific teaching pedagogies, and instructors carefully select gender grouping in teaching undergraduate science subjects.

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