The forming of microplastics in the environment continues be a global problem with damaging risks to ecosystems and human health. Currently, most microplastic studies concentrate on water and air, while research focus on terrestrial samples such as soil still lags behind. This project reports the first results of our effort to develop and…

The past two decades have seen a rise in citizen science projects and tools available for formal and informal learning; however, research has indicated there is a dearth of professional development for educators regarding understanding, adapting, and applying these resources in their learning environments. To address this gap, we created the…

Previous studies have shown both benefits and challenges of group work and whole-class activities in educational settings. One overall finding in the existing literature is that it is challenging for teachers to facilitate whole-class conversations that realise the rich potential of student discussions and undertakings during group work. This…

This paper presents empirical evidence from research carried out in New Zealand by a research-practice partnership (RPP) that included school teachers, teacher professional learning providers, and researchers in science education, technology education, and information systems. The RPP worked together from 2018-2023 to investigate the affordances…

In an exploratory project over 12 months, we investigated the role and impact of online citizen science (OCS) participation in primary school science education in four schools. Our inquiry focused on the potential of participation in online citizen science projects to support development of science capabilities for citizenship, teacher practices…

The explosive growth of citizen science has led to myriad independent projects in Minnesota and beyond. Here, we examine whether the field of citizen science would benefit from a center to coordinate efforts and help citizen science practitioners. We present results of a focus group--based needs assessment involving 52 practitioners active in…

In this paper, we introduce a conceptual framework for researching the dynamics of imagination in science classroom interactions. While educational interest in imagination has recently increased, prior research has not adequately accounted for how imagination is realized in and through classroom interactions, nor has it created a framework for its…

This research is based on the "Journey through Space and Time" (JTST) educational astronomy project for primary and junior high school science curricula in Australia, which seeks to improve students' astronomy content knowledge through science inquiry. The focus of the current project is on the learning needs of students for whom the…

Some of the most important scientific studies are associated with either incredibly large dimensions (e.g., the universe) or extremely small proportions (e.g., the cell). While a teacher's curriculum may often switch from mega-expanses to minutia, they should question how easily students comprehend the change in sizes. This article addresses…

Drawing from their respective work at the intersection of music and science, the coauthors argue that engaging in processes of making music can help students more deeply engage in the kinds of creativity associated with inquiry based science education (IBSE) and scientists better convey their ideas to others. Of equal importance, the processes of…

The role of competencies is discussed with respect to science teaching. In particular, competence models from Germany, Switzerland and Austria are presented and compared. A special topical program, "Competencies in Mathematics and Science Teaching", was started in Austria three years ago. Initial experiences with this program are…

Taxonomic education and botany are increasingly neglected in schools and universities, leading to a "missed generation" of adults that cannot identify organisms, especially plants. This study pilots three methods for teaching identification of native plant species to forty-three adults engaged in the participatory science project…

In this paper, we will present and discuss data from a research project called MIRACLE, in which high school students learned about energy and energy transformation in a technology-rich learning environment. This learning environment spanned across a classroom, a science center, and an online platform specially designed to support coherence across…

The objectives of the present study are to investigate both the history of the collection of scientific instruments from the Maraslean Teaching Center (MTC) and the potential for the collection's use in STEM education programs. Although MTC went by a number of different names during its long history, its institutional goal remained the same:…

All over the world, studies related to design of appropriate educational programs for gifted students have been continuing. It is also important that these programs should be adapted to both realities of countries and developing educational technologies. In Turkey, the structure of The Education Program for the Gifted Students' Bridge with…