Developing computational thinking (CT) skills at an early age can help develop literacy, science, and mathematics skills; however, CT instruction in grades K-2 remains limited. This study examined the perceptions of 45 K-2 teachers from 30 school districts before and after a CT professional development (PD) experience. The PD included two online…

Research findings indicate a decline in students' motivation towards science learning through grade levels. However, there is a lack of studies investigating students' motivation comparing learning between science subjects and at different school levels. Using self-determination theory as a framework, this study compares perceived changes in…

Mathematics education research has given increasing attention to the role of affective factors in the learning process. While 'affect' is used to refer to a variety of aspects including feelings, emotions, beliefs, attitudes and conceptions, this paper focuses on 'beliefs' of elementary pre-service teachers. In particular, the study evaluates the…

Over the past decade, there has been a strong national push to increase minority students' positive attitudes towards STEM-related careers. However, despite this focus, minority students have remained underrepresented in these fields. Some researchers have directed their attention towards improving the STEM pipeline which carries students through…

This study examines whether and how student-perceived parents' and teachers' overestimation of students' own perceived mathematical ability can explain trajectories for adolescents' mathematical task values (intrinsic and utility) controlling for measured achievement, following expectancy-value and self-determination theories. Longitudinal data…

Research on perceived instrumentality of students' academic work for attaining life goals has shown to have positive effects on academic achievement and motivation The purpose of the study was to examine the changes in perceived instrumentality over time and to identify how significant others such as parents, teachers and peers affect changes in…