Background: Recent engineering education research has found improved learning outcomes when instructors engage students actively (e.g., through practice problems) rather than passively (e.g., in lectures). As more instructors shift toward active learning, research needs to identify how different types of activities affect students' cognitive…

Teachers and curriculum specialists are exposed to many ideas from educational leaders, but it is difficult to know which ones can be transformed into meaningful learning experiences in the classroom. "Concept-Based Instruction": (1) Helps educators translate the works of leading educational thinkers into concept-based units; (2) Draws…

Research shows that keeping animals in classrooms can have profound effects on student well-being and success. With this practical guide, you will discover how to select a classroom pet, introduce it to students, and design carefully thought-out lessons centered around the animal.

Project-based learning (PBL) is a powerful way to make learning meaningful to students and to promote student questions and ownership of the inquiry process. It is a useful way to design and deliver curriculum that is similar in many ways to the Inquiry Design Model (IDM). Although PBL and IDM both value inquiry and student questioning, PBL…

Inquiry activities generate rich opportunities for STEM learning and for assessment. When teachers pay attention to assessment information collected during the course of learning, they are able to interpret and make decisions about such assessment data in a timely fashion that can drive future planning and support student learning, for example…

The benefits of peer tutoring in mathematics have repeatedly been proven at different educational levels. Nevertheless, mathematics teachers' perceptions towards this methodology and whether they are adequately trained to implement the practice is information that remains uncertain. Surveys and questionnaires directed at teachers regarding peer…

Based on quantitative survey data collected from an inquiry-based general chemistry laboratory course, the current study used marginal models to evaluate changes in students' teamwork and problem-solving skills, attitudes to teamwork, and willingness to explore new issues before and after the course. The results suggest that introductory-level…

This article presents a case study of the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) in high-school biology project-based learning. The study's main goal was to conduct an in-depth, qualitative examination of the students' experiences and the development of their skills over the course of this project. The following research questions were…

Drawing on the work of Lee Shulman, this article reviews literature exploring the concept of signasture pedagogies, which are described as having have surface, deep and implicit structures. These structures are complex and changing; concerned with habits of head, hand and heart. Emerging from professional education and now being explored in STEM…

Previous studies suggest a strong correlation between exposure to hands-on STEM programs and positive attitudes toward and experience with STEM subject matter amongst, middle, high school, and university students. However, there has been little research on the impact of hands-on STEM projects on Title I (socioeconomically disadvantaged) elementary…

Since the development of the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework, researchers have been developing a variety of instruments to measure the TPACK of pre-service and in-service teachers. The task of developing an efficient, reliable, and valid instrument is difficult. Even validated instruments require guidance for…

Background: Previous work has identified that the benefits of learning with videogames and learning from simulations. However, recent meta-analytic work has also identified that little research directly compares learning with videogames and learning with simulations. Objectives: This study examines two learning technologies and their corresponding…

We present data displaying course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) effectiveness in providing authentic cutting-edge research experiences to undergraduates, which both private and government organizations recognize as essential. A total of 68 students were enrolled in this research with 50 students being in a traditional laboratory…

Creative problem-solving has been identified as one of the most critical future-proof skillsets we can develop in our society. When educating future designers, entrepreneurship skills are now considered essential; however, designers find it difficult to establish themselves as entrepreneurs. Therefore, graduate designers are increasingly in need…

Purpose: Goal 4.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) explicitly frames education as an enabler of change and a means to achieve all SDGs. This study aims to explore the nature and culture of science as an academic discipline and its capacity for the integration of education for sustainable development (ESD). Design/methodology/approach:…