Background: Blending collaborative learning and project-based learning (PBL) based on Wolff (2003) design categories, students interacted in a learning environment where they developed their technology integration practices as well as their technological and collaborative skills. Purpose: The study aims to understand how seventh grade students…

This study explores the experiences of six urban middle school students in an authentic science inquiry program. Drawing on data including teaching journal entries, student work folders, and semi-structured focus group interviews of six participants, the findings explore six dimensions of authentic science inquiry, an approach to science inquiry…

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a web-based TPACK scaffolding for online learning to enhance the TPACK skills of preservice chemistry teachers. The preliminary study identified the lack of a clear perception of TPACK among preservice chemistry teachers. Therefore, we developed a web-based TPACK scaffolding tool consisting of five menus:…

The German science project "NAWI-Interaktiv" is an example of innovative use of E-Learning and new media education. Since 2009, the learning platform provides learners and teachers with high-quality learning tools, teaching material, useful information and E-learning programs for free. This is to raise the pupils' motivation to learn…

Mueller, Tippins, and Bryan's contrast of the current limitations of science education with the potential virtues of citizen science provides an important theoretical perspective about the future of democratized science and K-12 education. However, the authors fail to adequately address the existing barriers and constraints to moving…

We describe an interactive collaborative environmental education project that makes advanced laboratory facilities at Brookhaven National Laboratory accessible for one-year or multi-year science projects for the high school level. Cyber-enabled Environmental Science (CEES) utilizes web conferencing software to bring multi-disciplinary,…

I respond to Pike and Dunne by exploring the utilization of citizen science in science education. Their results indicate that students fail to pursue science beyond the secondary level, in part, because of prior educational experiences with science education. Students lack motivation to pursue degrees and careers in science because they feel…

Problem solving is a valuable skill in the science classroom. Students often use a variety of inquiry strategies to identify problems and their implications; develop action plans; locate relevant sources, information, and data; and formulate solutions. Problem solving is a logical, analytical, and sometimes creative process. The less tangible,…

Gliders and sailplanes provide a great launching platform for teaching about technology and scientific principles. Soaring is technological innovation in action, using earth's natural resources for energy and endurance during flight. This article focuses on the basics of soaring, which educators can use to increase excitement and interest in the…

Science fair judges provide secrets to a successful science fair. Whether students are competing in science fairs at the high school, local, district, regional, state, or international level, their success is dependent on the judges' interpretation of their work. In this article, the authors present a series of questions and answers from past…

The author felt comfortably settled in her career. She had been teaching middle school science for seven years. She attended cutting-edge classes in college, received a master's degree in educational technology, earned a license in administration, and had attended a variety of classes and professional development workshops. Looking back, she…

Nothing brings out the best in eighth-grade physical science students quite like an engineering challenge. The wind turbine design challenge described in this article has proved to be a favorite among students with its focus on teamwork and creativity and its (almost) sneaky reinforcement of numerous physics concepts. For this activity, pairs of…

In order to understand better the role of affect in learning about socio-scientific issues (SSI), this study investigated Year 12 students' emotional arousal as they participated in an online writing-to-learn science project about the socio-scientific issue of biosecurity. Students wrote a series of hybridised scientific narratives, or BioStories,…

As a science teacher educator and former science teacher, the author has long known that the science fair should be part of his professional experience, but he had not given it much thought until recently. As he worked with his daughter's project, he became convinced that it is time to reconsider the range of activities one calls "science fairs."…

This action research study examines what common perceptions and constructs currently exist in educating adult immigrants in Arizona and considers how might the integration of citizen science with the current English curriculum promote higher order thinking and educational equity in this population. A citizen science project called the Mastodon…