Background/purpose: This article presents the results of a pedagogical experiment involving 602 elementary school children from the north of Portugal. Based on the principles of outdoor learning, this experience was carried out in a non-formal education context during the post-pandemic school year - Férias VIVES. The aim of this initiative was to…

Student learning outside the formal classroom is inextricably linked to informal learning environments. In many countries, most activities that employ informal learning prioritize the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and have shown a positive impact on increasing students' interest, self-efficacy,…

Open-ended learning environments (OELEs) involve high learner agency in defining learning goals and multiple pathways to achieve those goals. These tasks involve learners transitioning through self-regulated learning (SRL) phases by actively setting goals, applying different strategies for those goals, and monitoring performance to update their…

In this article, we investigated how a class engaged in whole-class discussions of modeling solutions, across two different types of modeling tasks: a Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) and a Three-Act Task. We analyzed whole-class discourse as small groups presented and responded to each other's solutions to a MEA and a Three-Act Task. We have also…

We report on a case study of eight grade 5 to 6 students (ages 12-14) involved in a three-day "digital-making summer camp" focused on mathematical problem-solving through block-based programming combined with programmable electronics. Data analysis focused on the computational thinking (CT), mathematics, and problem-solving challenges…

United States history standards are written through a Eurocentric lens, centering white people's experiences. This occurs in schools by teaching some Black histories, but not through (or by) Black people's perspectives. In a recent survey, teachers said they try to teach Black history, but they do not feel prepared to do so. With this context in…

The Junior Knight Camp is an annual summer program that specifically supports elementary school students in an effort to increase knowledge of social studies using an interdisciplinary thematic approach. This interdisciplinary approach includes STEM, the arts, literacy, and physical education. The camp operates on multiple campuses of the…

During recent decades, educational reform in the U.S. has favored standards-driven curricula with the purpose of improving education. However, national assessments have not demonstrated significant improvements in educational outcomes, especially among economically disadvantaged and minoritized populations. To mitigate these outcomes,…

Digital safety involves protecting oneself, and one's personal information to mitigate the risks that are inherently associated with using digital technologies. This study employed a multi-method design to explore 26 inservice and preservice elementary teacher experiences from attending a professional development on digital safety and facilitating…

The fundamental goal of the Third Grade Summer Reading Camp program in 2024 was to bolster the reading skills of struggling third grade students and to prepare them to demonstrate mastery of state standards needed to be promoted to the fourth grade. The Office of Program Evaluation undertook an evaluation to gauge whether students who completed…

Students who develop interest in STEM careers by the eighth grade are more likely to pursue careers in STEM (Tai et al., 2006). Interest development can happen through a variety of sources, including informal learning experiences such as out of school programs and summer camps. This study looks at one such informal STEM experience, an engineering…

This paper works to illustrate how silence, a powerful semiotic tool, was used by a Black middle school girl, Cierra, to negotiate for additional processing time in challenging situations and as a form of protection, for herself and others. Critical race theory, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and social constructionist grounded theory are used to…

The present study focuses on the assessment of summer robotics camp designed for 7th grade students who were supposed to work on a STEM-related problem through modeling and design activities. It was exclusively investigated the effects of these activities on the STEM-related career interests and knowledge structures of students. The students were…

The importance of design and technology (D&T) education has been advocated by numerous researchers over the last three decades. For instance, Nigel Cross suggests that in design education, there are ill-defined problems and "designerly ways of knowing" (2006). Today D&T in school education is employed globally and the common…

This single case study design examines the impact of collaborative inquiry- and design-based learning on elementary students enrolled in the STEM summer camp program. Sixty-five students participated in a two-week summer camp that offered a curriculum centered on (a) coding; (b) STEM arts; (c) 3D printing; and (d) digital storytelling. Data is…