Category: News

Haya Ben-Simon was invited to deliver a lecture at the Karl Shtivelman Seminar, an independent interdisciplinary forum for Russian-speaking audiences dedicated to fundamental questions in science, society, and culture.

In her lecture, “Cultivating Different Types of Reasoning in an Era of Data Abundance and a Changing Reality,” Haya presented findings from her doctoral research, conducted under the supervision of Prof. Dina Tsybulsky and in collaboration with Leah Yifrach. Her research demonstrates how students’ participation in a citizen science project on sleep research can foster the development of scientific reasoning, statistical reasoning, and understanding of the Nature of Science.

The lecture highlighted the educational potential of engaging students in authentic scientific research as a means of preparing them to make informed decisions in a data-rich and rapidly changing world.

Watch the lecture HERE [in Russian].

Congratulations to Prof. Dina Tsybulsky on receiving a four-year research grant from the Israel Science Foundation (ISF) for the research project “Understanding and Making Nature of Science Accessible: A Conceptual Framework for Natural History Museums.”

The project focuses on the unique role of natural history museums in connecting scientific research with society. Through exhibitions, educational programs, and engagement with diverse audiences, these museums offer rich opportunities to foster a deeper understanding of how science works. The project will develop a research-based conceptual framework and practical toolkit to support museums in making Nature of Science more accessible, meaningful, and inclusive.

We are especially delighted that Anna Pshenichny-Mamo will lead the project. Anna has contributed significantly to its development, building on her doctoral research on Nature of Science in natural history museums and her collaborations with museums and researchers internationally. She will oversee the project’s research activities and international collaborations.

Congratulations to Prof. Tsybulsky, Anna, and the entire research team on this exciting achievement!

We were delighted to host education inspectors from the Northern District of the Special Education Administration and the Society and Youth Administration at our Smart BioEd Lab.

During the visit, we presented a variety of research projects conducted in our lab, including studies examining the epistemic emotions that arise during participation in the digital curation process, as well as studies investigating the development of scientific reasoning, statistical reasoning, and Nature of Science understanding among students participating in a citizen science sleep project.

We were delighted by the great interest shown by both groups and by their enthusiasm for promoting future collaborations that will enable many more students to visit the Smart BioEd Lab, participate in authentic scientific research, and experience science firsthand.

We thank our guests for their inspiring visit and look forward to continuing our collaboration.

At the recent annual conference of the TCSS center, held at the University of Haifa, our research group was pleased to present findings from our ongoing research on the Fly Sleep citizen science project.

Our presentation focused on how participation in the project supports students’ development of Nature of Science understanding, scientific reasoning, and statistical thinking through authentic citizen science experiences. It was a pleasure to share our work with teachers, scientists, and educational researchers, and to contribute to the ongoing conversation about the potential of citizen science to advance meaningful science education.

At the recent IHPST 2026 conference in Lisbon, our research group was delighted to present our work on how the Pedagogy of Practice framework can guide professional development to help science educators implement Nature of Science in their instruction.
Our presentation synthesized findings from two of our group’s complementary studies, examining in-service science teachers on the one hand and natural history museum guides on the other. Despite working in very different environments, both groups of educators benefited significantly from this practice-based approach. The framework helped them bridge the critical gap between understanding Nature of Science as an abstract concept and actively and meaningfully integrating it into their daily educational practice.
These joint findings suggest that the Pedagogy of Practice offers a highly transferable model for preparing educators to foster richer, more authentic scientific literacy in both formal and informal settings. It was a privilege for our team to share these insights and to engage in inspiring dialogues with international colleagues working at the vital intersection of the history, philosophy, and teaching of science.

Pshenichny-Mamo, A., Ben Simon. H, & Tsybulsky, D. From knowing to doing: professional development for science educators in nature of science through a ‘pedagogy of practice’ framework. IHPST2026. Lisbon, Portugal, July 2026. Oral presentation.

At the Azrieli Fellows End-of-Year Gathering, Ph.D. candidate Anna Pshenichny-Mamo marked the completion of her three-year Azrieli Graduate Studies Fellowship.

The fellowship has supported her doctoral research throughout the past three years. Anna expressed her gratitude to the Azrieli Foundation, the program team, and the fellows community for their continuous support and inspiring collaborations. She now joins the Azrieli Alumni community and looks forward to the next stage of her academic career.

We are pleased to share that Remah Haj presented her research at the Israeli Math, Computer and Natural Science Education Student Forum, held at the Weizmann Institute of Science in June 2026.

As part of a plenary session, Remah presented her doctoral research examining epistemic emotions in a Socio-Scientific Issues through Digital Curation (SSI-DC) learning pathway. Her presentation highlighted the dual role of epistemic emotions: both as indicators of uncertainty, cognitive conflict, and knowledge gaps, and as mechanisms that support students’ information exploration, evaluation of evidence, argumentation, and knowledge construction throughout the learning process.

The forum provided an excellent opportunity to share ongoing research with the science education community, engage in scholarly discussions, and receive valuable feedback from researchers and graduate students across mathematics, computer science, and natural science education.

Congratulations, Remah, on this important presentation and contribution to the field. 👏🎓

We are delighted to congratulate Remah Haj on receiving the Faculty Excellence Scholarship. This prestigious award recognizes her outstanding achievements, commitment to academic excellence, and promising contributions to educational research. We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition and look forward to her future accomplishments 🎉

We are proud to congratulate Haya Ben-Simon on winning the 1st Place Award at the Faculty Research Day poster competition. Her award-winning poster, “Modeling in Citizen Science Contexts: Fostering the Co-Development of Statistical Reasoning, Scientific Reasoning, and Nature of Science Understanding,” presents findings from a study examining how participation in citizen science projects and engagement in modeling practices foster students’ statistical reasoning, scientific reasoning, and understanding of the Nature of Science. Congratulations, Haya, on this well-deserved achievement!

We are pleased to share that Remah Haj presented her research at the Annual International Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Education 2026:

Haj, R., Tsybulsky, D. Epistemic emotions as markers and mechanisms in the integration of scientific knowledge through the SSI-DC learning pathway. Annual International Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Education 2026. Western Galilee College, Israel, May 2026. Oral presentation.

Her presentation focused on the role of epistemic emotions in students’ learning processes within a Socio-Scientific Issues through Digital Curation (SSI-DC) learning pathway.
The study conceptualizes epistemic emotions as both markers of uncertainty, cognitive conflict, and knowledge gaps, and mechanisms that support exploration, evaluation of information, argumentation, and knowledge construction. By examining students’ experiences across different phases of SSI learning, the research highlights the dynamic ways in which emotions accompany and support the integration of scientific knowledge.
This work contributes to the growing body of research on emotions in science education and provides new insights into the role of epistemic emotions in technology-enhanced learning environments.