In most middle schools, learning is segregated by discipline. Yet interdisciplinary approaches have been shown to cultivate creative thinking, support problem solving, and develop interest while supporting knowledge gains (NAE & NRC in STEM Integration in K-12 Education: Status, Prospects, and an Agenda for Research. National Academies Press,…

This study aims to examine preferences of teachers for curriculum design approaches in terms of various variables. In this study, the relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used. The population of the study consists of branch teachers working in all types and levels in public schools in the central districts of a…

Prior research has highlighted that for teachers to develop robust practices, they need to develop rich professional vision (PV)--the ability to see nuanced issues of teaching and learning in situ, interpret them, and respond. In the context of problem-based learning (PBL), PV involves guiding student-centered learning and understanding when to…

High school academic departments remain under-examined yet powerful entities in American high schools. High status department leaders create and sustain narratives around teaching and learning, disciplinary-specific best practices, and the overall efficacy and effectiveness of any number of school improvement policies and initiatives promoted by…

Teachers' educational philosophies regulate their curriculum-design orientations, shaping their teaching decisions and practices. However, theoretical assumptions in this relationship were not tested empirically in different contexts. To this end, this cross-sectional survey design study aimed to examine the relationships between teachers'…

Our purpose in this paper is to shed light on the intricacies of designing and enacting curricular innovations aiming to enhance students' interest in science and their understandings of STEM careers. We present the design and describe the implementation of a set of STEM career-oriented curriculum materials referred to as career-based scenarios. A…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teachers' educational beliefs and curriculum design orientation preferences. In this research, prediction research design, one of the correlation models, was employed. The study group consisted of teachers (n = 182) working in public primary, elementary and high schools in Bilecik…

Scholars propose that contextual problems can be used to ground students' understanding of mathematical ideas, and recent curricular trends have resulted in a plethora of resources that introduce and develop new mathematical ideas through contextual problems (CPs). Given the tension between this approach and the traditional role of CPs as…

The implementation of student-centred learning programs can improve student outcomes in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) domains. The required approaches to teaching and learning in such programs, however, are only slowly being adopted in the Asia-Pacific region. This article focuses on a STEM module, 'Water in the 21st…

A critical step in addressing a call for schools to use curricula such as problem-based learning (PBL) is developing an understanding of how school leaders can support its implementation. The purpose of this study was to examine ways school leaders at a comprehensive, public high school provided supports to teachers as they implemented this…

"Thriving in Our Digital World" is a technology-enhanced dual enrollment course introducing high school students to computer science through project- and problem-based learning. This article describes the evolution of the course and five lessons learned during the design, development, implementation, and iteration of the course from its…

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable scale for preferences of teachers in regard of their curriculum design orientations. Because there was no scale development study similar to this one in Turkey, it was considered as an urgent need to develop such a scale in the study. The sample of the research consisted of 300…

Both employer expectations and education standards, including the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards, are shifting the focus of learning from knowledge and discrete skills to the ability to think critically and creatively. This paper describes the process of translating an existing teacher-led STEM curriculum to fit…

Youth civic engagement in the United States is at an all time low (Barber 1998; Galston, 2004, Owen, 2008). Youth are routinely characterized as civically apathetic, disengaged, and ignorant (Niemi & Junn, 1998; Putnam, 2000; Ravitch & Finn, 1987). Or, as Owen (2008) succinctly puts it, "young people in America have long anchored the…

For the thirty-sixth year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the annual AECT Convention in Anaheim, California. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two…