Category: News

We are pleased to share a new article by Rivka Gadot and Dina Tsybulsky, published in Education Sciences:

“Beyond Code Assistants: A Technical–Ethical–Agentic Partnership Framework for LLM Integration in Project-Based CS Education.”

The study explores how 29 undergraduate computer science students engaged with large language models while developing open-ended AI applications in a project-based course. Drawing on project documentation, reflection logs, and presentation transcripts, the study identified three interconnected dimensions of students’ interactions with LLMs: technical partnership, ethical-reflective partnership, and an agentic dimension involving students’ self-regulatory learning practices and perceived autonomy.

The proposed Technical–Ethical–Agentic Partnership Framework moves beyond viewing LLMs simply as tools for generating code or increasing productivity. It highlights the importance of designing learning environments that help students use AI thoughtfully, critically, and responsibly while maintaining an active role in their own learning.

The article is available open access:

Gadot, R., & Tsybulsky, D. (2026). Beyond Code Assistants: A Technical–Ethical–Agentic Partnership Framework for LLM Integration in Project-Based CS Education. Education Sciences, 16, 1402.

Members of our research group recently participated in ERIDOB 2026, presenting three studies that reflect several strands of our ongoing work in biology and science education.

Leah Yifrach presented Authentic Biology Education through Citizen Science: Enhancing Students’ Understanding of the Nature of Science, a study conducted with Haya Ben Simon and Dina Tsybulsky.

Haya Ben Simon presented Conceptualizing the Educational Value of Citizen Science for Fostering Scientific and Statistical Reasoning and NOS Understanding, developed with Anna Pshenichny-Mamo and Dina Tsybulsky.

Remah Haj presented Epistemic Emotions as Markers and Mechanisms in SSI Learning through Digital Curation, her collaborative work with Dina Tsybulsky.

Haya’s presentation was part of the symposium Transforming Biology and Environmental Education through Citizen Science, organized by Dina Tsybulsky and Tali Tal. The symposium offered a glimpse into several chapters and ideas from their edited book, The Contribution of Citizen Science to Biology and Environmental Education: Realities, Opportunities and Impact. With contributions from colleagues including Nirit Lavie Alon and Jelle Boeve-de Pauw, it brought together different perspectives on the educational possibilities and complexities of citizen science.

Beyond the presentations, ERIDOB provided a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, meet new researchers, exchange ideas, and begin conversations that we hope will lead to future collaborations. We returned with much to think about—and with renewed energy for the work ahead.

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 🎉