Research into teachers' concepts and changes over time in digital technologies is crucial for gaining insights into the factors that shape teachers' concepts of technologies and influence their use in the classroom. Numerous studies have indicated that the use of 3D modelling and printing (3DMP) contributes to the modernization of teaching and the…

An increased reliance on nanotechnology and recent developments in materials fabrication coincide with a greater prevalence of 3D printers in high schools. We developed this lesson to foster an exploration of interdisciplinary fields and to increase access to recent advances in materials chemistry through two different learning modules. The lab…

Creativity and problem-solving are 21st-century skills that we need to develop in our students. Research on computational thinking (CT) integration in school subjects and STEAM activities has shown a positive effect on students' problem-solving skills and creativity. Our study extends our previous work from the integration of CT in a mathematics…

Over the past few years, digital fabrication has been utilized in technology laboratories to emphasize hands-on learning processes in technology and engineering education. Recent studies indicate that hands-on activities can help students connect with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and develop key skills…

As part of the maker movement, 3D printing technology has received considerable attention in education. Although this technology has become increasingly available in schools, K-12 teachers often struggle with integrating 3D technology into classroom teaching and learning. Professional development support is needed to help teachers develop the…

In this article, the authors explain how they leveraged the popularity of the "Star Wars" franchise to introduce a task steeped in popular culture as a fun way to engage their students in investigating complex mathematics that have real-life connections to careers in toy design and engineering design in general. The authors share various…

This study examines the effect of teaching with the STEM Cycline of the 'Force and Energy' unit on students' creativity, metacognitive awareness, and academic achievement. The nonequivalent control group design, one of the quasi-experimental models, was used in the study. The study included 54 seventh-grade students studying at a public school in…

In this paper we present a collaborative 3D modeling and printing experience within a Project Based Learning (PBL) activity, carried out with two different groups of participants: pre-service teachers at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain), and school students of Primary and Secondary level taking part in an extra-curricular activity.…

In this research we explore the pedagogical affordances associated with the use of a 3D printer in a middle school classroom (11-12 years old). We introduced the 3D printer in a classroom where no one, including the teacher, had prior knowledge of 3D printing. Lessons using the 3D printer were designed to correspond with the mathematics curriculum…

This mixed-methods study focused on advanced student engagement, mathematics competence, and the influence of teachers in classrooms that used 3D printing to teach mathematics. Quantitative methods were used to understand changes in student perceptions of competence, engagement, and feelings regarding group work. Qualitative methods were used to…

Systemic gender inequality and sexual discrimination continues across a wide spectrum of social, political, and economic fields. Using three key feminist curriculum and pedagogy principles (decentering norms, centering difference, distributing leadership) we employ feminist pedagogy by facilitating curriculum development and implementation that is…

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) for Math still use traditional data input methods: computers' keyboard and mouse. However, students usually solve math tasks using paper and pen. Therefore, the gap between the manner the students work and the requirements imposed by these typing-based systems expose students to an extraneous cognitive load,…

Consumer-grade manufacturing tools such as 3D printers are becoming increasingly prevalent in STEM education environments, especially as tools to develop inexpensive, tactile visualization models. Presented here is a workflow for creating 3D-printed periodic tables displaying a variety of trends from traditionally taught relationships such as…

In this paper, we present the details of the development of a smartphone spectrometer for education using a 3D printer and characterized the performance by comparison with a paper craft spectrometer. The optical design and the narrow slit used in the build resulted in the formation of accurate images of the slit on the image sensor leading to a…

This article presents the results of a study on the use of 3-D printed models in a science classroom for students with visual impairments and examines whether the use of these models impacts student conceptual understanding and misconceptions related to geosciences concepts, specifically plate tectonics. Data were collected one week prior to…