To further teaching and learning, there has been a push to engage faculty to pursue research on teaching. With the recognition that science research often is done by teams, we sought to create a research-cluster approach to support faculty engaging in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). This article describes a faculty-focused process…

Background: The adoption of virtual laboratories (VLs) has experienced a significant surge, catalysed by the global changes in the educational landscape, notably influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally supplementary to traditional in-person laboratory experiments, VLs swiftly transitioned into a primary source of hands-on laboratory…

This study explores the experiences and perceptions of three senior phase Natural Sciences teachers using the flipped classroom approach (FCA) to enable them to implement inquiry-based learning (IBL) activities in their classrooms. The research data consisted of semi-structured interviews and classroom observation. The classroom observation data…

[This paper is part of the "Focused Collection on Instructional Labs: Improving Traditions and New Directions."] Recent studies provide evidence that social constructivist pedagogical methods such as active learning, interactive engagement, and inquiry-based learning, while pedagogically more effective, can enable inequities in the…

This article aims to explain how social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter can be useful setting for effective professional learning communities (PLCs) for physical educators. It also pinpoints the opportunities and challenges of using social media for PLCs and provides recommendations for physical educators and physical education teacher…

Teacher educators globally have argued that developing coherent programs can combat the fragmentation that often characterizes teacher education and better support teacher learning. Yet, there is little research on coherence in mathematics teacher education, especially from the perspectives of preservice teachers. To that end, in this article, we…

This research focuses on "BioScientist," a digital game-based, inquiry-based learning program embedded in the biology curriculum that develops inquiry skills in 8th-grade students. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate a combination of elements of digital game-based learning (DGBL) with inquiry-based learning (IBL) through…

The study investigates students' ability to analyze visual literacy and digital literacy through open-ended inquiry activities with astronomical observations and Heaven View application. The investigation consists of assignments for students to carry out six different variations of observational activities. Supervision is given in introductory…

Education plays a vital role in addressing the current environmental crisis. Integrating ecoliteracy in teacher preparation programs empowers colleges and universities to promote a healthy biosphere by producing pre-service teachers (PSTs) who can develop an ecoliterate student citizenry. Connectedly, ecoliteracy must be taught to PSTs through…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop a novel guided inquiry-based pedagogical practice embedded into regular library and information science (LIS) courses to improve LIS students' information literacy (IL) in a developing country. Design/methodology/approach: A guided inquiry-based pedagogical practice for IL instruction was introduced…

Critical analysis (CA) skills are crucial in higher education and should be incorporated into the curriculum at that level. The unique characteristics of abstract biology materials and the involvement of prospective Biology teachers (PBTs) in scientific investigation activities make them highly relevant for teaching CA skills. Inquiry activities…

Purpose: This article aims to identify and describe the research outcomes of studies that have employed the theoretical framework of lesson study (LS) in initial science teacher preparation programs. The focus is on the impact of LS on preservice teachers' (PST) pedagogical and content knowledge, beliefs, routines and norms for professional…

There have been growing calls for inquiry, a practice-oriented way of engaging students in authentic scientific work, yet research has shown some challenges that might impede inquiry practices in educational settings. In this study, we proposed an approach that blends educational gaming with physical experiments. We developed an educational game,…

Science communication skills are increasingly emphasized as an important skill for undergraduate STEM students. In our science communication podcast project, students use the fundamentals of science communication to research a topic related to their inquiry-based lab project. Groups then create a podcast that presents the current science to a…

In response to national and state trends promoting inquiry-based social studies over the last decade, social studies teacher educators at the University of Kentucky revamped their pre-service program to create alignment around the key inquiry concepts of questions, tasks, and sources. Part of the program revision involved the creation of a new…