In this article, the authors explain how they leveraged the popularity of the "Star Wars" franchise to introduce a task steeped in popular culture as a fun way to engage their students in investigating complex mathematics that have real-life connections to careers in toy design and engineering design in general. The authors share various…

This study examines the effect of teaching with the STEM Cycline of the 'Force and Energy' unit on students' creativity, metacognitive awareness, and academic achievement. The nonequivalent control group design, one of the quasi-experimental models, was used in the study. The study included 54 seventh-grade students studying at a public school in…

In this research we explore the pedagogical affordances associated with the use of a 3D printer in a middle school classroom (11-12 years old). We introduced the 3D printer in a classroom where no one, including the teacher, had prior knowledge of 3D printing. Lessons using the 3D printer were designed to correspond with the mathematics curriculum…

This mixed-methods study focused on advanced student engagement, mathematics competence, and the influence of teachers in classrooms that used 3D printing to teach mathematics. Quantitative methods were used to understand changes in student perceptions of competence, engagement, and feelings regarding group work. Qualitative methods were used to…

Assistive technologies are frequently used to help disabled students to access core and expanded core curricula and to improve their functional, communication and literacy skills. Non-optical low vision devices and optical and tactile graphics technologies are some of the assistive technologies used by visually impaired students in today's…

Virtual reality (VR) has evolved to include non-immersive to fully-immersive experiences for the classroom. This study seeks to understand the potential effects VR may offer, specifically characteristics associated with how a student experiences a VR intervention and the effects of using a VR device for learning. A group experimental design was…

The interaction between water and surfaces is observed in our daily lives and is used in laboratories to study materials properties, such as interfacial tension. Making the connection between fundamental scientific phenomena and everyday observations is a powerful method of highlighting the importance and relevance of science to the K-12…

This study involves the development and implementation of a STEM activity containing 3 D printer technology, which is commonly used in STEM education. Out of school STEM courses were organized with seven middle school students studying in the 7th grade and the activities in the course were carried out with a 3D printer. One of the activities in…

The stressors of teaching can be individual and hard to identify. Merely recalling stressful events after a lesson can be biased by neglect, modification, or extenuation of memories. Therefore, the present study explores how video data can be used to reactivate or relive stressor memory. Eight teachers' lessons were recorded while their stress was…

Systemic gender inequality and sexual discrimination continues across a wide spectrum of social, political, and economic fields. Using three key feminist curriculum and pedagogy principles (decentering norms, centering difference, distributing leadership) we employ feminist pedagogy by facilitating curriculum development and implementation that is…

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) for Math still use traditional data input methods: computers' keyboard and mouse. However, students usually solve math tasks using paper and pen. Therefore, the gap between the manner the students work and the requirements imposed by these typing-based systems expose students to an extraneous cognitive load,…

Alignment with the Montana Indian Education for All (IEFA) Act, tenets of Tribal Critical Race Theory (TribalCrit) (Brayboy, 2006) and the 7 Essential Understandings, results in the effective integration of Computer Science and Storytelling into the classroom. Teacher disposition and pedagogies that reflect current education transformation trends…

This study focuses on the use of American Invention Kits from the Smithsonian Institute in conjunction with a 3D printer. In conjunction with a large dataset from a study funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), this innovative research focuses on the effect the digital fabrication curriculum unit has on gifted and talented students'…

The Mathematics, 3D Printing, and Computational Thinking Through Work-Based Learning (MPACT) program relies on teacher professional development, specialized curriculum and materials, and STEM industry mentors to provide grades 4-7 students with project-based experiences implemented across three learning modules. This technical report presents…

The Mathematics, 3D Printing, and Computational Thinking Through Work-Based Learning (MPACT) program combines teacher professional development, specialized curriculum and materials and STEM industry mentors to provide grade 4-7 students with project-based experiences implemented across three learning modules. This technical report presents…