This study aimed to analyze articles published in the Web of Science database from 2012 to 2021 to examine the educational goals and instructional designs for STEM education. We selected articles based on the following criteria: (a) empirical research; (b) incorporating instructional design and strategies into STEM teaching; (c) including…

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of teachers in kindergarten through first grade utilizing digital technologies to engage elementary students during mathematics instruction. This phenomenological study was guided by the following research questions. (1) How do elementary…

Do you work tirelessly to make your math lessons meaningful, challenging, accessible, and engaging? Do you spend hours you don't have searching for, adapting, and creating tasks to provide rich experiences for your students that supplement your mathematics curriculum? Help has arrived! "Classroom Ready-Rich Math Tasks for Grades 2-3"…

A theoretical framework grounded in constructionism and pragmatism theories supported research on learning by doing. This framework underpinned the purpose of this qualitative case study to explore how K-8 STEM teachers facilitated projects utilizing innovative technologies to solve community-based problems. The problem was a lack of connection…

Model Eliciting Activities (MEAs) are pedagogical approaches that allow teachers to integrate multiple subjects into creative multi-day learning experiences that captivate students' curiosity and engage them in real-life problem solving. MEAs are known in the fields of mathematics and engineering (Gilat and Amit 2014), but despite their ability to…

Problem-based learning (PBL) offers a powerful approach to engage students in meaningful learning experiences by connecting classroom content to real-world challenges. This Spotlight explores how PBL can be implemented across K-12 to foster critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. From preparing students for the workforce…

Fredrich Froebel was a scientist, both in instinct and in training, and his life coincided with an important and dynamic period of scientific growth. I take this opportunity to delve both into some history and futurology to examine the heritage and legacy of his work. The usual of interpolation is of reading into data: where there exist some…

In this article, Mann and Pynes describe a five-day mini-project-based learning (PBL) unit about organisms and their environments that addresses the "Next Generation Science Standards" (3-LS4-3). Third-grade students were asked how they could determine which animals live in their neighborhoods. In teacher-determined collaborative groups,…

In Problem-Based Learning (PBL), a problem is posed before students have learned how to solve it. Language and PBL pair well for effective learning environments. Informed by language-based theories of learning and strategically adding methods for working with English Language Learners (ELLs), we developed an approach called Problem-Based…

Entrepreneurship education has gained considerable interest in the last decade, both in the political and academic arenas, because it fosters innovation and plays a crucial role in developing the business landscape. However, instructors are faced with challenges related to creating successful learning objectives, suitable methodologies, and…

This study explored and analyzed a purposeful sample size of five teachers from four districts on the perceptions of teachers in first and second grade regarding their participation in whether or not professional development provided through Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) grant activities influenced their implementation of…

The use of integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instruction has the affordances of combining harmonious content area connections into real-world experiences that are both engaging and challenging. This article introduces findings from a study that used an integrated robotics module to expose in-service and preservice…

This viewpoint paper presents the writer's opinion that while the use of problem solving as the core method for learning mathematics is valid and reasonable in secondary schools (where students generally possess the necessary prior skills and strategies) there are many obstacles to applying the same method in primary schools, particularly in the…

This article describes a cooperative project between eighth graders and first graders called "Going Green in the Neighborhood." The project entailed the first grade students sketching home designs on paper to make a model community, and the eighth grade students taking those drawings and making them into 3D computer models and then…

The Technology-Rich Authentic Learning Environments (TRALE) program was designed to develop for young, urban learners a responsive and effective instructional program in which technology played a vital part in the completion of rd meaningful, problem-based tasks. TRALE was implemented in early childhood classrooms (i.e., K-3rd grade) as a…