The Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMPs; CCSSI, 2010) describe mathematical behaviors and habits that students should express during mathematics instruction. Teacher candidates should have knowledge about the SMPs and their implications for mathematical instruction. This study aims to share the validity evidence for interpretations of…

STEM technician and technologist careers can be accessible options for students; however, the historical devaluing of technical careers combined with a lack of awareness and familiarity with the specific options within this career cluster have resulted in a shortage of trained and prepared professionals. Grounded in social cognitive career theory,…

Understanding large number data is essential for making sense of real-world problems. For the research reported here, our intent was to find connections between quantitative cognitive science studies and our prior qualitative study about participants' understanding of the relative size of large numbers. While all 23 cognitive science research…

The purpose of this work was to explore how elementary preservice teachers responded to area conservation tasks. We administered written pre-assessments, followed by semi-structured interviews with 23 preservice teachers, asking them to respond to and reason with area conservation tasks. Findings highlighted several interesting preservice…

This research with middle school students from Kentucky (KY) and Nevada (NV) provides a snapshot of students' spatial-scientific understandings as we explored how well students understand lunar-related content, both spatially and scientifically, after receiving instruction with similar curricular Earth-Space content. Utilizing a lens of spatial…

The academic self-concept (ASC) is a domain-specific construct, which plays an influential role in academic motivation and choices. Although some ASC models and instruments have been developed for mathematics and science, none have been specifically designed to measure the physics ASC. Therefore, this study focuses on designing and validating a…

As the world population continues to increase and natural resources become limited, environmental education (EE) in universities play an essential role in developing environmentally literate. This study measured the environmental literacy (EL) levels (familiar knowledge, factual knowledge, attitude, behavior) of undergraduate college students.…

Classroom teachers need a well-developed deep understanding of fractions and pedagogic practices so they can provide meaningful experiences for students to explore and construct ideas about fractions. This study sought to examine prospective elementary teachers' understandings of fraction by focusing specifically on their use of fractions meanings…

This study describes the design and implementation of a science outreach program (elementary; 2nd-5th) and its associated student outcomes. Key features of the program include: (a) phenomenon-based, NGSS-aligned curriculum designed by science education experts and influenced by educational, sociocultural, and cognitive science theories, (b) active…

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is widely visible in education and workforce policies and discussions in the United States (US). However, there is a lack of consensus on what is considered a STEM career. In addition, little is known about how K-12 teachers conceptualize STEM careers and how this information is portrayed to…

The Clark Fork Watershed Education Program (CFWEP) goals are: (a) increasing students' understanding of the nature of ecological impacts within their watershed as related to historic mining damage; and (b) increasing students' sense of stewardship of newly restored landscapes. Data from 2012 to 2016 were evaluated for student knowledge gains (46…

A national study was conducted to investigate the inclusion of environmental education (EE) into educator preparation programs across the United States. Responses from teacher educators in institutions of higher education indicated that the infusion of EE into educator preparation programs is limited and varies greatly across the nation. Findings…

Science teacher educators use examples of practice to support teacher candidates (TCs) learning to engage in new forms of science teaching. However, interpretation of these examples assumes a level of expertise about practice TCs lack. This article describes a study designed to determine some of the differences between expert teachers' and TCs'…

Project-based science (PBS) aligns with national standards that assert children should learn science by actively engaging in the practices of science. Understanding and implementing PBS requires a shift in teaching practices away from one that covers primarily content to one that prompts children to conduct investigations. A common challenge to…

This article addresses the current state of the mathematics education system in the United States and provides a possible solution to the contributing issues. As a result of lower performance in primary mathematics, American students are not acquiring the necessary quantitative literacy skills to become successful adults. This study analyzed the…