STEM learning in not merely a matter of training children for current jobs--the job market is likely to change radically before a current kindergartner graduates from college, as artificial intelligence, robotics, and other technologies evolve and new technologies emerge. STEM education is an integrated, cross-disciplinary approach to teaching…

Purpose: This paper aims to introduce a novel AI learning progression for upper-elementary students and aligns assessment items across levels of each construct to gather evidence of understanding. It also validates this quantitative measure by examining these items as two subscales for psychometric properties using the Rasch model.…

The increasing prevalence of AI in everyday life has intensified the emphasis on teaching AI literacy to children. However, there is no consensus on the specific knowledge and skills that constitute children's AI literacy, resulting in varied AI learning materials for young people. We systematically searched for educational practices for…

Incidences of school shootings have surged in the United States. The increases in school shootings and the implementation of active shooter drills in various formats in response to these incidences have been identified as causing psychological issues in many students, including fear, vicarious trauma, and anxiety, and as causing diminished…

"TechCheck" is an assessment of Computational Thinking (CT) for early elementary school children consisting of fifteen developmentally appropriate unplugged challenges that probe six CT domains. The first version of "TechCheck" showed good psychometric properties as well as ease of administration and scoring in a validation…

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…

The adult-centric concept of 'age-appropriateness' is an arbitrary signifier and yet it commands a powerful common-sense appeal in governing the shape of sexuality education. The visibility of LGBTQ+ lives in primary schools is deeply impacted by the cis-heteronormative ways in which age-appropriateness is commonly understood and mobilised; very…

This case study presents the development of a picture-based interview protocol designed to assess STEM identity among Black elementary students participating in a community-driven environmental justice program called 'Engineering Roots'. Created in response to a lack of developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive tools for younger…

Recent research suggests that many environmental education (EE) programs for youth in the United States focus on meeting educational standards rather than using civic engagement and advocacy techniques to promote environmental literacy. We distributed a survey to members of several EE organizations to identify which civic engagement, advocacy, and…

This study explored the impact of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) on reading test scores as measured by the Mississippi Academics Assessment Program (MAAP) for students in grades 3-5. The research problem is centered on the potential disconnect between traditional teaching methods and the developmental needs of students, which…

Self-efficacy has been associated with benefits to everyday life such as resilience to stress and adversity, healthy behaviours, improved performance, and academic achievement. Research into self-efficacy development is scarce in early childhood, yet self-efficacy is associated with numerous skills and competencies taught in the early years of…

This paper analyses the efficacy of the Gender Equality Matters (GEM) educational programme in raising awareness, building confidence, and enhancing capacity levels among children to tackle gender stereotyping, gender-based bullying and gender-based violence (GBV). While many primary schools are open to engaging children in the aforementioned…

In this study, New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) provides a snapshot of how generative artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging in teaching and learning within Aotearoa New Zealand's primary classrooms (Years 5-8). This report contains survey responses from a cohort of 266 primary school teachers who were disproportionately…

Learning History in upper primary requires the development of at least two key skills: historical perspective and historical empathy. Picture books might offer one approach to supporting the development of these skills with these children. Informational Picture Books (IPB) indicate positive results linking the use of the IPB with improved critical…

This article explores animation as a popular mode of moving image education in the wider field of Scottish film education, through a discussion with film education practitioner Jonathan Charles. It reflects on Jonathan's pedagogic approach to film education, the way in which it is shaped and aligned with changing institutional and funding…