The activity presented in this article is an engaging engineering challenge that has been conducted with third- through fifth-grade students in school classrooms and during after-school programs. This article describes the hands-on activity as appropriate for fifth graders that supports the "Next Generation Science Standards." This…

This article describes a force and motion unit that spanned four weeks (50 minutes a day) in a fifth-grade classroom. The inquiry-based learning progression mirrors Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development (1952) because it allowed students to manipulate materials and ideas as they actively constructed and reconstructed their knowledge of motion…

Physically active learning is considered to enhance learning and additionally addresses health goals like increasing activity levels and reducing obesity. However, physically active learning has rarely been applied to science and engineering learning, or utilized with younger learners (e.g under sevens). This article describes a physically active…

Maximizing classroom time to include meaningful content-based learning with fun engaging activities that simultaneously challenge and encourage students is a hallmark of a successful school day. This article shares one instructional approach that does a model eliciting activity (MEA). A MEA is a real-world, problem-based scenario framed around a…

The aim of this research was to examine the potential of project-based learning (PBL) and everyday life contexts in developing primary pupils' scientific and engineering practices. Multiple data were collected in a Finnish primary school class; pupils were aged 7-8 years. The pupils' practices and creation of artifacts were videotaped and analysed…

Science fairs have a long history in the United States and internationally. Their implementation varies greatly (Kook et al, 2020), yet few empirical studies have examined the outcomes of these experiences for student learning. Research indicates that authentic scientific inquiry that focus on students' agency in investigations can contribute to…

The inclusion of engineering in science learning standards draws attention to the need to support pre-service teachers' ability to teach engineering to young learners. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of two courses on pre-service elementary teachers' self-perceptions of their ability to teach engineering and on their design…

Research Findings: The present study investigated the effects of a 12-week inquiry-based science and engineering (IBSE) program on preschoolers' science and engineering learning experiences. The treatment versus control condition was randomly assigned to four preschool classes, which included 122 preschoolers (M = 61.10 month, SD = 3.73).…

There is an increased interest in integrating engineering design into K-12 classrooms because it equips students to solve real-world problems. However, before students are introduced to real-world problems, K-12 teachers may need to develop inquiry pedagogies and establish a learning context that supports student problem-solving. This study…

Students with disabilities spend the majority of their day in the general education classroom (U.S. Department of Education 2017). However, these students consistently underperform in science. This highlights the importance of using effective differentiated instruction. According to Mastropieri and colleagues (2006), differentiated instruction…

Research findings This study aimed to explore whether the fusion of constructivism and instructivism could be observed in the teaching dialogs during the Engineer Block Building (EBB) activities in Chinese kindergartens. Altogether 20 block building activities about the theme of architecture were videotaped and coded with the "Engineer Design…

In this two-year ethnographic study, we explored engineering teaching and learning in fourth-grade, dual language (DL) classrooms. We discuss the biliterate disciplinary practices in these classrooms, examining data (field notes, interviews, artifacts, audio, and video recordings) gathered at a school on the US-Mexico border. Our purpose is to…

There is a growing demand in the US for more trained engineers, yet attrition rates from university engineering programs are high and diversity in engineering is low. Few resources have been dedicated to the improvement of freshman engineering courses even though freshman students have the highest rates of attrition. Through a synthesis of the…

Children are intrigued by moving objects, even more so when they can engineer the movement. This volume in the STEM for Our Youngest Learners Series uses Ramps and Pathways as a context to provide children ages 3-8 with opportunities to engage in STEM every day. Ramps and Pathways is a meaningful and fun way for children to develop engineering…

A project-based engineering education unit was implemented in a primary school in Cambodia. An effectiveness study was conducted to investigate students' attitudes and expectations of engineering as a profession and students' self-perceived 21st century skills. The findings revealed that prior to the curriculum implementation both male and female…