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GAMTAMOKSLINIS UGDYMAS 2024, Vol. 21, No. 1 *** NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION 2024, Vol. 21, No. 1

CONTENTS

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GAMTAMOKSLINIS UGDYMAS 2024, Vol. 21, No. 1 *** NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION 2024, Vol. 21, No. 1

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND EDUCATION: SOME CONSIDERATIONS

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a subject of growing interest and concern recently. Although it is not a particularly new technology in a general sense, the free availability of certain AI tools has created a certain momentum. AI is becoming an increasingly popular topic every year and is generating a lot of controversy, but even with the increased attention, most people are not aware of what AI actually is and that it has long been a crucial part of our daily lives. It is clear that the ever-evolving tools of the AI are nowadays not bypassing the field of education. The role of the teacher is an important aspect in the context of the development and penetration of AI in education. AI may have an impact on the role of teachers, but this will be a complementary form of change rather than a complete replacement of teachers. While various AI tools may help teachers to be more effective in their tasks, the aspects of human interaction, motivation and empathy that are important for the teacher are likely to remain unchanged. It is clear that the spread/penetration of AI in education will lead to an overall paradigm shift, such as a massive shift towards project-based learning/study and a fundamental change in the role of the teacher/lecturer. The field of education is conservative in nature and based on tradition. Therefore, innovations are usually not the first to come, but are tried and tested in other areas. Artificial intelligence is thus becoming a key player in the field of education, opening up new perspectives and challenges. AI is not only a tool, but also a new aspect of education. We are undoubtedly on the verge of unique opportunities, but at the same time we are facing complex challenges both known and unknown. It is becoming important to develop effective strategies for introducing AI into education, while preserving the values and overarching goals of education.

THE ASPECT OF SUSTAINABILITY IN DEVELOPING THE STEAM PROJECTS IN PRIMARY EDUCATION

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STEAM education is identified as one of Lithuania's educational priorities and has been taking root in primary education over the last decade in the form of various creative and/or exploratory projects for students. As education experts analyze the aims and outcomes of STEAM education, it is noticeable that the rapid increase in the number of STEAM projects is resulting in a decrease in the number of relevant real-life problems and solutions that incorporate sustainability aspects. To find out how future primary school teachers consider sustainability in STEAM projects, a qualitative research methodological approach (focus group discussion) and qualitative content analysis were applied. The results of the study revealed that primary teachers perceive sustainability in STEAM projects as environmental knowledge, encouraging students to be responsible consumers, and teaching them how to find and make reasonable solutions to problems. The results of this study do not allow for drawing broad and generalized conclusions, but point to the need to review more carefully the information and assignments presented during the placement year from the sustainability perspective, to encourage students to design and implement different STEAM project models and to critically evaluate them in the context of students' sustainability competence development, and to encourage the primary teachers' readiness to develop sustainability competences in STEAM projects remains a relevant area for further research.

TEACHING ORGANIC CHEMISTRY TO UPPER-SECONDARY STUDENTS HASN’T BEEN EASY: A CONVERSATION WITH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ON BARRIERS

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A lot more students’ difficulties in learning organic chemistry, as a component of upper secondary chemistry, have been reported in the literature. Some reasons have been assigned to these students’ learning difficulties in organic chemistry. Hence, in this research, we explored the barriers to effective teaching of organic chemistry in upper-secondary schools, through a phenomenological qualitative method. In this phenomenological research, we explored participants' understanding, perceptions, and experiences of barriers to effective teaching of organic chemistry. In phenomenology, 14 students and nine chemistry teachers were purposely sampled for conversations to share their experiences regarding barriers to effective teaching of organic chemistry. That is, data were collected using Organic Chemistry Students’ Interview Guide and Organic Chemistry Teachers’ Interview Guide. The qualitative data were thematically analysed. The barriers identified were self-tuition challenge, concept overload, pace of teaching, teacher support, introduction to organic chemistry, experiment materials, student attitude, and lack of opportunity. The implications for further research, practice, policy, and decision making were made.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SATELLITE SYSTEMS AND NAVIGATION IN STEAM EDUCATION

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The research focuses on the relevance of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) in modern society, education, and the role of satellite systems. The STEAM approach combines technical and creative skills to provide students with a holistic education that encourages innovative problem-solving and critical thinking. Understanding the workings of geostationary satellites and navigation systems, vital to many modern technologies, is essential for developing the competencies students need in the digital world. An engineering approach to understanding the concepts and content we use in our everyday lives is pointed out. The research emphasizes that integrating these topics into the educational process promotes interdisciplinary integration of physics, mathematics, geography and informatics knowledge and enhances students' digital competencies. Using innovative pedagogical approaches such as simulations, project work, and practical workshops, teaching complex subjects such as satellite systems effectively while contributing to the development of creativity and critical thinking is possible. This approach ensures that the education system effectively prepares young people for life in a technologically advanced and globalized society, where science and technology are becoming increasingly important.

THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY IN TEACHING GEOGRAPHY IN SECONDARY SCHOOL

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In today's innovative education, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies are increasingly emerging as powerful tools to enhance the learning experience, especially in the teaching of geography in primary schools. This research explores how these technologies are being used to improve geography teaching and stimulate students' interest. AI brings personalised learning where content is adapted to individual learners' needs. Easier access to information, better visualisation of content, and help with analysis and interpretation make learning more accessible for students. At the same time, the ease of recreating content and the help in tracking individual learners' progress allows teachers to adapt learning strategies better and provide additional resources according to individual needs. VR and AR technologies help to create more interactive and realistic learning environments. Virtual reality allows learners to experience geographical phenomena more directly, while augmented reality complements the real world with digital information that can enrich the understanding of geographical concepts. These technologies focus on creating interactive content, virtual field trips, simulations of natural phenomena, and encouraging student participation and interest. The study also discusses challenges and solutions related to introducing AI in school geography, such as access to technology, teacher training and professional development, curriculum adaptation and ethical dilemmas. AI, VR and AR technology enable a new, at least in Slovenia, technologically sophisticated approach to teaching geography in primary schools. It encourages students to explore, interact and better understand complex geographic content.

TEACHER OPINION ABOUT USING PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING IN TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING EDUCATION

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A school for the 21st century requires innovative approaches to learning and teaching. The presented research investigates the current state of innovative teaching methods, particularly problem-based learning (PBL), among teachers of the subject Technology and Engineering (TE) in Slovenian lower secondary schools. The main aim of the research was to determine the attitude towards such innovative teaching approaches, how often innovative teaching methods are used, how teachers perceive their importance, and finally, according to the teachers, how they are qualified for this. In the research, an appropriate questionnaire for teachers is developed. Qualitative and quantitative research was conducted using an online survey and statistical data processing. The online survey results showed that teachers positively assess the importance of using PBL, which is perceived as a more challenging method than traditional teaching methods. Despite numerous challenges, teachers express high motivation to improve their teaching practices. Based on the data obtained, it is found that teachers' knowledge is assessed less positively than their competence assessment, which indicates the need for more accurate methods of evaluating knowledge and emphasizes the importance of continuous professional development. The research findings could be important for improving teaching practices and promoting innovations in the educational process. High motivation and readiness of teachers to accept innovative pedagogical approaches can contribute to a better learning environment and the development of a more competent teacher in the future.

30th NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC PRACTICAL CONFERENCE “NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION IN A COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL – 2024”: CONFERENCE REVIEW

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2024 is a truly special year. This is the year of the Jubilee Scientific and Practical Conference "Natural Science Education in a Comprehensive School - 2024". And this was the thirtieth conference. Throughout this time, science, engineering and technology have developed at a significant and rapid pace. The theory and practice of science education has undoubtedly evolved, including the strategies and practices of science education. The importance of science and technology education is unquestioned, but its orientation towards competences, with an emphasis on learning through science and the linking/integration of science with other subjects, remains. The 30th Conference continued an already established practice. The conference took place over two days. The two-day conference focused on science and technology education, which has recently become a priority in society and is likely to remain so in the future. The 30th Conference started on 25 April. On the eve of the Conference, an informal round table discussion on "Education issues" was organised. The importance of the cultural programme should also be mentioned. On the first day, at the end of the conference, participants had the opportunity to get to know Plunge better. The most important places of the city were visited. The staff of the Plunge Tourism Information Centre organised a sightseeing tour of Plunge. The city centre, the central square and the church were visited. Participants had a unique opportunity to walk around the Plunge Smart Park and to visit the Plunge Manor House, or Mykolas Oginskis Palace, one of the most beautiful monuments of 19th-century Lithuanian architecture. The plenary session of the conference provided a retrospective of all the conferences. Thirty years of really great organisational, managerial, publishing and other work. A total of 30 conference proceedings were published. It is estimated that a total of 677 papers were published, with a total page count of 4787. If all the pages were put together, it would be a single publication 281 mm thick. This is a really big work, a really good repository of scientific and didactic-methodological research and work. The work of this 30th conference has been recorded and is freely available on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoZNO1c3zi72-RxbETp4AmMQ8Lz2C-QPC). Most conference reports were presented in the form of articles and published in the conference proceedings. One can find full texts in the database at: https://oaji.net/journal-archive-stats.html?number=1984&year=2023&issue=20002

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GAMTAMOKSLINIS UGDYMAS 2024, Vol. 21, No. 1 *** NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION 2024, Vol. 21, No. 1