This study advances the understanding of providing effective professional development for elementary teachers in the field as the Pennsylvania STEELS standards require inquiry-based learning as a component of the science classroom. I sought out elementary teacher perceptions surrounding professional development as it pertained to their ability to…

Over the past two decades, there has been an increased focus on designing STEM learning experiences for primary and second-level students. We posit that for teachers to design rich learning experiences for their students, they must first have the opportunity to develop their own STEM knowledge and competences, either during their pre-service…

In order to compete worldwide, the school system must be transformed by raising educational standards by implementing the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education approach. The purpose of the primary school curriculum is closely aligned with the teaching goals of STEM education, which is to develop each child's full…

Reform-oriented instruction is advocated in secondary science, encouraging students to engage with the experimental and epistemic practices of science. It is challenging for teachers though, especially for out-of-field teachers. This study focuses on biology and chemistry teachers who are called to teach middle-school physics. These teachers face…

This design-based research project reports on three multilevel networks that were focused on implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Given the recent attention to understanding infrastructure to craft coherence in NGSS implementation, this research investigated how these networks iteratively re-designed infrastructure as they…

This study, which is part of the special issue on Teacher Learning and Practice in Organizational Contexts, investigated the ways in which urban middle school science teachers' organizational contexts influenced their ability to identify and leverage minoritized students' funds of knowledge (FoK) to facilitate equitable science learning through…

This study explored science and mathematics teachers' knowledge and beliefs about project-based instruction (PBL). Data included two focus groups, and a 12-item questionnaire administered to 138 teachers. The response rate was 70% (n=96). Results show strong teacher knowledge of PBL Gold Standard Design Elements/Teaching Practices, but low usage…

Teaching chemistry as a practice rather than as a mere collection of facts demands that teachers modify their practices, particularly their approach to formative assessment (FA). In this study, we investigated how teachers' FA practices changed as a result of their participation in a professional development program designed with a Chemical…

This study developed and validated the Science Practice Scale (SPS) and investigated the implementation of scientific teaching practices by Grade 8 science teachers in Jordan. The responses of 235 8th grade science teachers who participated in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study [TIMSS] of 2019 were analysed using the Rasch…

This descriptive case study aimed to understand the perception and needs of Michigan public high school science teachers during the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and subsequent preparedness to teach the content found in the new curriculum. A questionnaire was distributed to science teachers state-wide, with twenty…

Integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has gained popularity worldwide. With the twenty-first century's different economic, political, and societal needs, nations intend to train citizens as better problem solvers. The current integrated STEM movement has influenced science curriculum documents and science…

There is a large amount of research that indicates that the use of 3DMP in STEM education improves students' knowledge, motivation, and participation in the learning process. Nevertheless, despite the existing attempts to market 3DMP in education, its adoption in schools remains low. A number of studies with teachers in secondary schools and…

It is critical to provide inservice elementary teachers the opportunity to advance their science instruction, which in turn can positively impact not only their practice but also their perceptions towards science teaching and learning. Too often, science-specific professional development (PD) programs are scarcely provided as a result of an…

The instructional practices of the engineering design process and culturally responsive pedagogy have each garnered national attention and multiple decades of research. Findings from the respective literature bases call for educators and policymakers to integrate these two pedagogical approaches into K-12 classroom instruction. Scholars have…

Scholars continue to propose that students develop scientific literacy and 21st century competencies through student-centered reform-based science instruction with the teacher as the main facilitator of learning (Maeng et al., 2018). The National Science Teaching Association (2018) called for high-quality science instruction that builds on…