<?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></records></xml>