<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Derya Girgin</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Fuat Elkonca</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">İsmail Satmaz</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Eylem Yalçinkaya-Önder</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Serkan Demir</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT OF LOWER-SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ LEARNING NEEDS RELATED TO POLAR TOPICS: SCALE DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Journal of Baltic Science Education</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">climate literacy</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">learning needs assessment</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">lower-secondary school students</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">polar education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">scale development</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2026</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">October / 2026</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2026/987-1793131672.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">25</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Rapid polar change makes it important for science teachers to know what students need when they study these regions. This study reports the development and validation of the Polar Topics Learning Needs Scale (PPLS), a self-report instrument for lower-secondary school students. The scale covers five dimensions: Content Learning Needs, Perceived Conceptual Difficulties, Teaching Support Needs, Technology and Activity-Based Learning Preferences, and Interest and Curiosity in Polar Topics. An initial pool of 35 items was reviewed by nine experts (CVR ≥ .78) and piloted with 25 students. Exploratory factor analysis with 316 students produced five factors that accounted for 53.81% of the variance, with loadings between .46 and .88. Confirmatory factor analysis with a separate group of 204 students supported this structure, χ²(265) = 420.98, p &lt; .001, χ²/df = 1.59, RMSEA = .054, SRMR = .06, CFI = .98, NFI = .95, NNFI = .98, GFI = .84. Subscale α and ω coefficients ranged from .82 to .88. The 25-item PPLS yields subscale scores that can be used descriptively with similar samples; predictive validity, temporal stability, and cross-cultural generalisability have not yet been established.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">835-854</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Halime Yerli</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Derya Girgin</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">PERCEPTIONS OF STREAM AND SELF-EFFICACY IN ENGINEERING DESIGN SKILLS AMONG PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS: SCALE ADAPTATION, VALIDITY-RELIABILITY, AND RELATIONAL EVIDENCE</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Journal of Baltic Science Education</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">engineering design self-efficacy</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">measurement invariance</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">pre-service teachers</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">scale adaptation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">STREAM education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2026</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">August / 2026</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2026/987-1789235195.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">25</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">As interdisciplinary and design-based learning approaches gain importance in teacher education, there is an increasing need for valid and reliable instruments to evaluate pre-service teachers’ perceptions of STREAM education and related competencies. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Turkish adaptation of the STREAM Perception and Implementation Challenges Scale for Pre-Service Teachers (STREAM-PICS) and its relationship with engineering design self-efficacy. A methodological and relational survey design was employed with 498 pre-service teachers in Türkiye. The adaptation process included translation, expert review, back-translation, and pilot-testing. Confirmatory factor analysis using the DWLS estimation method was performed due to the ordinal data structure and violation of multivariate normality assumptions; four items with low factor loadings and high error variances were removed. The final 26-item model confirmed a three-factor structure: perceptions of STREAM implementation, STREAM disciplines, and implementation challenges. Reliability analyses showed acceptable Cronbach's alpha, McDonald’s omega, and composite reliability for all sub-dimensions. Correlation analyses revealed positive relationships between the first two STREAM dimensions and engineering design self-efficacy, whereas the implementation challenges dimension showed weak relationships. Significant differences were found by department, whereas no significant differences emerged by grade level.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">631-649</style></section></record></records></xml>