Designing a MOOC for primary and middle school science teachers

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.