This study presents a STEM activity titled "A Paleontologist's Task: Fossils" designed based on the 5E learning model. The activity was implemented within the unit of "Earth's crust and Earth" in a science lesson with 22 fourth grade students attending a public primary school in Düzce/Turkey in the 2020- 2021 academic year. As…

Scientific literacy must be developed to prepare the students for handling current challenges. This study purpose is to determine whether the use of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) and Virtual Reality (VR) with the Project-based Learning (PjBL) model has an influence on scientific literacy in elementary students. The…

Students build up their STEM career interest based on their experiences. However, it remains unclear how students reflect on their STEM experiences in light of their understanding of STEM careers. This study aimed to explore how students relate their practices in STEM project-based learning (PBL) with their perceptions of scientists' and…

This report summarizes the results of kindergarten through fifth grade students' academic achievement outcomes in mathematics and science following four years of campus-level participation in the Launching Elementary Academic Foundations (LEAF) to STEM program. The LEAF to STEM Program consists of three key components that were adapted for K-5…

The Native American Astronomy Outreach Program (NAAOP) at Lowell Observatory is an in-class STEM enrichment program that pairs astronomers with 4th-8th grade teachers at Native-serving schools in northern Arizona. The astronomer works with the teacher to present hands-on astronomy activities to their class with the goal of getting students excited…

The aim of this research is to examine the effect of gamified STEM activities on 3rd and 4th grade students' intrinsic motivation, perception of problem-solving skills, and critical thinking disposition. In this mixed method study, problem solving skills perception scale, critical thinking disposition instrument and intrinsic motivation inventory…

Background: Further developing students' thinking about knowledge and knowing in science (epistemic beliefs) is considered a normative goal of science education in many countries around the world, even for elementary-school-aged children. Aims: The goal of the present study was to introduce and evaluate a new intervention in science education…

This study reports on the capabilities of 53 Year 4 students as they completed the final stages of their first complete statistical investigation. In the context of becoming acquainted with students in a sister school in another city, students in both schools wrote and refined questions, which were answered by all students in an on-line survey.…

In this case study, the authors collaborated with two grade 4 teachers, who participated in a large-scale professional learning program focused on helping K-9 teachers enhance their classroom practice and confidence in teaching science through inquiry-based learning. The specific research questions that guided the study were the following: (a) How…

Both computer science (CS) knowledge and workforce readiness skills (e.g., creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking) have equally grown in national importance to fill the growing pipeline of CS careers. Various factors have contributed to CS job shortages, which include a lack of student instruction on, engagement with,…

This study provides a qualitative approach to the issue of student engagement with a particular focus on urban area young learners in 4th grade science classes. Each class consisted of approximately 25 students. The students were given Interactive Notebooks to see whether this intervention helped promote greater engagement with the science…

In relation to an international concern to encourage inquiry-based pedagogies in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and the issues of transfer in teacher professional development (PD), we report on the aspirations and perceived challenges of teachers in Qatar as they embark on PD to introduce inquiry-based learning…

Inquiry-based lessons have been demonstrated to improve children's scientific thinking (i.e. reasoning abilities and domain-specific knowledge). Although empirical evidence shows that inquiry-based learning requires instruction, research comes from two approaches that have not been bridged yet: direct instruction of scientific reasoning and…

Students need to be prepared for the 21st century by developing the literacy skills necessary for participating in the age of synthesis--an age that requires a progressive set of skills and knowledge. The authors identified nine educational innovations that are perceived to be effective for preparing students for the 21st century age of synthesis…

In the STEM classroom, students can work in collaborative teams to build those essential skills needed for the 21st-century world. In project-based learning (PBL), teams of four to six students are often randomly selected to describe a realistic situation that may occur in today's workplace; this may be done by counting off in fours, fives,…