Designing a MOOC for primary and middle school science teachers

Regina Tavano; Paola Caccin; Federica Picasso

doi:10.29333/ejmste/18759

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Regina Tavano ¹ ^* , Paola Caccin ¹ , Federica Picasso ²

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¹ Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, ITALY² Pegaso University, Napoli, ITALY^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness and participant satisfaction of the massive open online course (MOOC) “questione di cellule (QdC),” designed for primary and middle school science teachers in Italy. Developed by the University of Padua, the course addresses a gap in teacher training for cellular biology in Italy. With a 49% completion rate among 1,100 enrollees, the MOOC showed high levels of satisfaction regarding content quality, clarity, and classroom applicability. Learning outcomes and quiz performance indicate effective knowledge acquisition, particularly among participants with lower initial scores. Video lectures and classroom-oriented resources were especially appreciated. Overall feedback supports the MOOC’s effectiveness in providing accessible, high-quality science education for teachers, while also highlighting areas for improvement, such as strengthening online interaction and expanding inclusive resources for diverse learning needs.

Keywords

cellular biology
continuous professional development
science education
teacher training

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 22, Issue 7, July 2026, Article No: em2857

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/18759

Publication date: 15 Jun 2026

Article Views: 29

Article Downloads: 20

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How to cite this article

APA

Tavano, R., Caccin, P., & Picasso, F. (2026). Designing a MOOC for primary and middle school science teachers. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 22(7), em2857. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/18759

Vancouver

Tavano R, Caccin P, Picasso F. Designing a MOOC for primary and middle school science teachers. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2026;22(7):em2857. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/18759

AMA

Tavano R, Caccin P, Picasso F. Designing a MOOC for primary and middle school science teachers. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2026;22(7), em2857. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/18759

Chicago

Tavano, Regina, Paola Caccin, and Federica Picasso. "Designing a MOOC for primary and middle school science teachers". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2026 22 no. 7 (2026): em2857. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/18759

Harvard

Tavano, R., Caccin, P., and Picasso, F. (2026). Designing a MOOC for primary and middle school science teachers. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 22(7), em2857. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/18759

MLA

Tavano, Regina et al. "Designing a MOOC for primary and middle school science teachers". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 22, no. 7, 2026, em2857. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/18759