In this paper, we have combined a pragmatic and a sociocultural perspective on how artifacts are used in technical problem-solving. With these perspectives we explore how three mechanical engineering students build a plastic spider together, using instructions they found on the internet. Ten hours of video recordings were selected for a detailed…

Guiding students' STEM problem solving entails dynamic processes driven by changes in real-world contexts. To understand these processes, we aimed to identify the formation and influence of 'norms' as shared behaviour patterns desirable in STEM problem-solving. To this end, 10 sessions of STEM lessons for secondary students were carried out, and…

Recently, our course team transformed a large-enrollment introductory genetics course from being predominantly lecture based to active learning based. During class sessions, students engaged in problem solving, which occurs when a student attempts to solve a problem without knowing the path to complete it. We designed class activities…

Future needs and challenges, especially in complex real-world problem-solving, require education to equip individuals with quality skills. Inquiry-based learning that integrates socio-scientific issues (SSI) can significantly develop students' problem-solving skills. This study aims to test the effects of the Socio-Scientific Real-world Inquiry…

The current research implemented the Predict Observe and Explain (POE) instructional approach in mathematics and examined its efficacy in enhancing students' understanding of functions in terms of their ability to connect algebraic and graphical representations in optimization problems. Two grade 11 classes (40 students in total) and two grade 10…

Information problem solving (IPS) is an important twenty-first century skill, but it is lacking at all age levels. One type of information problem, those of an ill-structured nature that require multiple iterations of (re)defining problems and formulating emerging solutions, can be particularly challenging but have received less attention in the…

How can we prepare students for a world where data-driven decision-making shapes nearly every aspect of life? "Data Minds: How Today's Teachers Can Prepare Students for Tomorrow's World" helps K-8 educators infuse data literacy into everyday lessons across disciplines, without overwhelming existing curricula. Data literacy is an ability…

By some estimates, over 1.2 billion tons of soil was blown across the Great Plains during the height of the Dust Bowl. The so-called "black blizzards" these massive dust storms caused suffocated cattle, sickened children, and destroyed thousands of family farms. Formerly prosperous farmers, unsure why they had such bad luck, wondered if…

Preparing the new generation to be data-literate citizens is a pressing challenge, and some explorations have been made to cultivate K-12 students' data science skills and attitudes. However, there is a lack of instructional models to guide the design of data science programs in K-12 due to its complex and interdisciplinary nature as well as the…

Recent advancements in large language models (LLMs) have shown potential in enhancing educational practices, particularly in technology-assisted learning environments. This study critically evaluates the reasoning capabilities of LLMs, such as ChatGPT, within the context of chemistry education. We designed targeted adversarial prompts that…

In recent years, inquiry-based learning and collaborative learning are widely used in education. They have great effects on cultivating students' core competencies. However, most studies only focus on their individual effects. Little research has been done on how their combination helps students with teamwork and problem-solving. This study used a…

Research on the possible benefits of digital games for learning outcomes in STEM education has shown mixed results, which is another reason that this study is focused on inconsistencies in past research outcomes. Moreover, it seeks to explore the moderator variables which affect the success of digital games like game design, interactive…

Collaborative problem-solving (CPS) is increasingly essential in both scientific practice and modern education, yet remains difficult to embed authentically in classrooms. This study addressed that gap by integrating CPS into a ninth-grade biology lesson using a smartphone-based asymmetric simulation. The innovative three-phase instructional…

Society is currently experiencing a wave of misinformation and disinformation spread through social media and other means. Widespread false information threatens our social relationships and our democracy. A shift toward inquiry learning in PreK-12 education can both improve student learning in general and teach students to assess the validity of…

While access to digital innovations for creative learning in the Digital Age is pivotal, the preparedness of educational systems to meet children's learning digitally should there be a reemergence of a pandemic on the scale witnessed in 2019 remains unanswered by Learning Scientists. Using constructionist theory, the study examined the…