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 study investigated whether the Key Concepts in Science Project influenced the pedagogical development of Natural Science teachers. Grounded in social constructivism, emphasising collaborative learning and hands-on interaction, the study employed qualitative methods to collect empirical data. Through photographic evidence, field notes, and…

This paper examines the use of social media as a collaborative and engagement tool for participants in a middle school science research project conducted over a three-year period. Sky Stories is a learning initiative that employs a blend of Indigenous and Western knowledge of astronomy to engage Year 5-8 middle school students in investigative…

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced educational institutions to adjust their learning process to distance education or online learning. This paper explains how to teach optics during the COVID-19 pandemic by implementing project-based learning that can be supervised online. Students are instructed to design, characterize, and optimize droplet lenses…

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…

A way to promote student interest and engagement in physics is by capitalizing on students' skills in arts and crafts to design and make physics-based toys. This article illustrates how two students (averaging 14 years of age) in the authors' science class designed and fabricated a variation of a physics-based teaching aid that demonstrates the…

Low cost, open-source analytical instrumentation has the potential to increase educational outcomes for students and enable large-scale citizen science projects. Many of these instruments rely on smartphones to collect the data, mainly because they can effectively leverage a dramatic price-to-performance ratio of the optical sensors. However,…

"Making" has been used to describe an internally motivated iterative design process that embodies notions of playful building and tinkering. Recently, interest in applying making to PK-12 education has increased. As schools add facilities dedicated to making, there is a need to support teachers in effectively utilizing these makerspaces.…

Science is a human endeavor; the way it is taught, applied, and in some cases exclude populations from having access to it, may affect people for generations (NGSS Lead States 2013). Science education continues to be a complex civil rights issue (Tate 2001), but there is hope. Movements to promote just, equitable, and inclusive opportunities to…

This paper highlights an investigation of how middle school students responded to a theatre performance designed to portray science as a humanistic and relatable endeavour that youth -- similar to the youth in the audience -- engage in during their everyday lives. The play included in this study was generated as a part of a design research project…

Thousands of students around the country have participated in activities using the Data Jam model, creating poetry, songs, videos, or sculpture to improve their data literacy, gain knowledge of local science research, and creatively express their findings. This article introduces the Data Jam model and describes how teachers can use it in…

Educational modules can play an important part in revitalizing the teaching and learning of complex analysis. At the Westmont College workshop on the subject in June 2014, time was spent generating ideas and creating structures for module proposals. Sharing some of those ideas and giving a few example modules is the main purpose of this paper. The…

Increasing student achievement is a fundamental concern for many school districts and teachers. Providing students with engaging, blended STEM educational experiences may help them understand how scientists and engineers solve problems. The purpose of this article is to share teaching strategies and student activities that will not only increase…

As well as providing a valuable and enjoyable experience for pupils, outdoor learning also enhances and contextualises learning in science by helping pupils understand science concepts. Teachers' lack of confidence in which aspects of the science curriculum they can actually teach outdoors deters them from venturing outside the classroom for…