Providing scientific explanations for natural phenomena is a fundamental aim of science; therefore, scientific explanation has been selected as one of the key practices in science education policy documents around the world. To further elaborate on existing educational frameworks of scientific explanation in K-12, we propose a learning progression…

The purpose of this article is to report on a newly funded research project in which we will investigate how secondary students apply mathematical modelling to effectively address real world situations. Through this study, we will identify factors, mathematical, cognitive, social and environmental that "enable" year 10/11 students to…

When deciding what constitutes students' "on task" or "off task" mathematical communication, teachers and researchers are also making judgements about what is, and what is not, mathematics. In this paper, we question our ability to separate the mathematical from the nonmathematical. We explore intersecting storylines in Grade…

Understanding the relationship between energy and temperature can be challenging, but it is crucial to developing an understanding of the underlying mechanism behind climate change. In this article, the authors review the development of a unit that focuses on the relationship between energy, greenhouse gases, aerosols (a suspension of fine solid…

Explicit and reflective teaching of communal goals forms connections between STEM content and practices, providing in- and out-of-class opportunities to reflect on how communal goals relate to class activities. This lesson integrates the concepts of "prosociality" (science helps others and gives back to the community) and…

The purpose of this mixed methods case study was threefold: (a) to describe 7th through 12th grade science teachers' efficacy beliefs, perceptions of support, and concerns about using inquiry-based instruction and examine how they are related to one another, (b) to explore how teachers reporting different levels of concerns demonstrate levels of…

Teachers have several challenges when designing and implementing mathematically-rich tasks, and hence, these tasks are not prevalent in many mathematics classrooms. Instead, teachers often use "typical problems," such as standard textbook tasks and examination questions, to develop students' procedural fluency. This begs the question of…

This study examined the effects of Reading Intervention for Adolescents, a 2-year extensive reading intervention targeting current and former English learners identified as struggling readers based on their performance on the state accountability assessment. Students who enrolled at three participating urban high schools were randomly assigned to…

Research shows that students face a range of difficulties when using the Internet to solve information problems. Using a quasi-experimental design, we tested a strategy to improve Chilean 10th graders' skills for information problem solving using the Internet (IPS-I). The intervention was based on a workshop in which students learned IPS-I…

Introduction: Braille readers encounter difficulties when reading mathematical expressions. In this exploratory study, we created a setting to investigate these difficulties. Method: Using a motion-capturing system, we analyzed the tactile strategies of three braille readers while they read mathematical expressions. To compare tactile with visual…

The purpose of this study was to explore high school students' ideas regarding two theoretical scientific models, either electron cloud or sodium chloride crystal, in the context of active learning in small groups. Conversations among peers regarding these models took place during two types of active learning activities: small-group discussion and…

The study sought to investigate the role played by language in the academic performance of science students at a high school in the Free State province, South Africa who are taught through a language different from their mother tongue. The paper reports on the decisive mantle language plays in the comprehension and subsequent scholastic…

This paper highlights learning supports associated with genetics lessons that were implemented in a urban high school biology classroom. The supports provided access to science content for ELLs [English language learners], students with IEPs [individualized education programs], and struggling readers during an introductory unit on genetics. Due to…

The study is framed by critical race theory to explore the intersection of cultural and institutional factors that influence Latino students' completion of high school. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which factors related to students' background, culture, socioeconomic status, and institutional-support such as…

The purpose of this study was to assess high school students' perceptions of nature and the amount of time they spend outdoors. More than 200 tenth graders from different demographic locations in Minnesota, USA were surveyed to understand their perceptions of nature, their attitude towards it, as well as to gauge what activities students were…