This project used a story book for young readers (aged 6-8) to explore environmental identity features and their potential impact upon its young readers. A variety of different units of analysis from the narrative practice approach were employed to explore: (a) how the story's narrative constructs the environmental identity of the main character;…

Drawing on racial battle fatigue as theoretical framing and critical race methodology, we offer the counterstories of 16 Black men doctoral scientists and engineers who relied on same race peer support to successfully persist in their science and engineering (S&E) doctoral programs. Our analysis of narratives and interviews yielded three…

This research interrogates the integration of spirituality in health science education through a semi-structured survey of 23 nursing students as well as semi-structured surveys and focus group interviews conducted with seven lecturers in the school of health sciences at St. Paul's University, Kenya. The research acknowledges the way in which the…

One function of modern education has been to prepare students for future college and/or career pathways. Particular attention in the US is given to preparation in STEM career fields. However, we may not be effective in advising students towards some STEM careers. This qualitative interview study evaluates the perspectives of stakeholders in…

It has been 150 years since D.I. Mendeleev formulated the Periodic law and expressed it visually in the form of a table of elements in 1869. As is clearly well known today, Mendeleev's ideas, confirmed by the discovery of the elements he predicted, turned out to be very promising indeed. However, Mendeleev was not the first, nor the only scientist…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to discuss the significance of "contextual factors" on the talent development of underserved populations. Understanding the "context" and background of an individual provides greater insight into their life experiences (Paik, 2013). Race, class and gender, in particular, play a role in…

Background: New technology and increased collaboration have revolutionized how scientists work with data. This creates a need to identify new aspects of working with scientific data that are important for K-12 students to learn. Purpose: To address this need, we conducted a study with practicing scientists and K-12 science teachers. The purpose of…

In science education, learners' conceptions of scientists and their work are often assessed by the Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST). Due to validity concerns, methodical literature demands the development of alternative instruments to measure learners' conceptions validly and efficiently. This study presents an instrument with 29 rating scale items to…

Courses in teacher training programmes, especially science method courses, play a major role in the development of beliefs. Because children's science learning starts in preschool years, it is critical to investigate early childhood teachers' beliefs about scientists and science teaching. The purpose of this study was to describe, document, and…

We explored the potential for addressing nature of science through a historic narrative about disagreement between researchers concerning a socio-scientific issue, incidence of juvenile thyroid cancer following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. The narrative was developed from authentic sources and tested in two cycles. Eight groups of three…

The documentary "Picture a Scientist" was adapted into a discussion-based laboratory assignment for organic chemistry students in an effort to open conversations about racism and gender-based harassment in STEM. The viewing of the documentary was scaffolded to prepare students to have a meaningful experience and to help manage and…

For many high school students, physics is an abstract subject with complex mathematical statements explaining the world around them. The mathematics can feel intimidating and the introduction of difficult vocabulary, such as "force," "kinetic energy," or "spectroscopy," can give students the impression that physics is…

The science laboratory is a politically entrenched space where complex power relations interplay while social agents learn about the rules and routines to ensure safety, precision and reproducibility in research work. This paper presents a case study of two Singaporean students undergoing apprenticeship in a 3-year school-based School Scientist…

Properly made solutions are critical to the scientific method. However, in various laboratories and collaborative environments, we have noticed a lack of proper technique for making solutions. Instead of measuring the moles of solute then filling up to the needed volume with solvent, we observed many individuals would measure the moles of solute…

Background: Mentorship has been well-established in the literature as fostering scientific identity and career pathways for underrepresented minority students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Mentorship is prioritized by programs that aim to increase diversity and support future leadership in STEM fields, but…