Recently, there has been a surge in developing curricula and tools that integrate computing (C) into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs. These environments foster authentic problem-solving while facilitating students' concurrent learning of STEM+C content. In our study, we analyzed students' behaviors as they worked in…

Problem-solving, collaboration, and adaptability to in-person and virtual environments are critical for success today. Therefore, brick-and-mortar and online instructional models have shifted to ensure that K-12 students are prepared with these skills for 21st-century challenges. Grounded in systems theory, the study examined the inputs,…

Many studies have incorporated concept maps into digital games to enable learners to make connections between subject concepts in the game. However, most learners do not associate spontaneously with the thematic concepts in the game but need to be facilitated by effective scaffolding mechanisms to reconceptualize the learning process and content.…

Project-based learning (PBL) aims to foster students' problem-solving ability and collaboration by engaging them in completing a project in teams. Researchers have indicated the importance of guiding students to make comparisons and reflection during the process of project-based learning. Therefore, the present research proposed a peer…

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of online problem-based learning (PBL) tasks on problem-solving ability (PSA) and programming skills of secondary school students. A quantitative research design of a quasi-experimental research was adopted in this study. A purposive non-random sampling method was used to select two schools. Then, a…

Knowledge tracing (KT) is a method to evaluate a student's knowledge state (KS) based on their historical problem-solving records by predicting the next answer's binary correctness. Although widely applied to closed-ended questions, it lacks a detailed option tracing (OT) method for assessing multiple-choice questions (MCQs). This paper introduces…

Students frequently struggled with the mathematizing process -- forging connections between implicit and explicit mathematical thinking -- when solving a context-rich applied problem. The current research investigated how students interact with and leverage purposively designed "mathematizing" supports when solving applied math problems…

The current study explores the connection and affordances of talk and gesture in collaborative science problem-solving activities using an emerging analytical approach. A total of 15 three to five-member groups of middle school students participated in a set of clinical collaborative science problem-solving activities. Six groups (three low- and…

Background: Based on the embodied cognition perspective, interdisciplinary hands-on learning combines several disciplines, such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), to improve students' capacity to solve real-world problems. Despite the popularity of interdisciplinary hands-on learning, particularly the six-phase 6E model,…

This study investigated the impact of participating in a year-long digital-fabrication course on high-school seniors' problem-solving skills, with a focus on problems involving mechanistic systems. The research questions centered on whether working in a makerspace impacted students' abilities to solve such problems and whether the process data…

In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of cooperative learning on the computational thinking skills and academic performances of middle school students in the computational problem-solving approach. We used the pretest-posttest control group design of the quasiexperimental method. In the research, computational problem-solving…

Despite the growing emphasis on integrating collaborative problem-solving (CPS) into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, a comprehensive understanding of the critical factors that affect the effectiveness of this educational approach remains a challenge. This study aims to identify effective strategic and behavioral…

This Spotlight explores effective strategies for improving math instruction and enhancing student achievement in K-8 classrooms. From making math more relevant and engaging and mastering word problem-solving to deepening conceptual understanding of fractions and nurturing students' ability to tackle challenges, these articles offer valuable…

Escape rooms have been receiving more attention for use in education. Escape rooms are games in which teams solve multiple puzzles and challenges using clues, hints, and strategy to determine how to escape from a locked room. The implementation of escape rooms has the potential for increasing students' mathematical understanding and engagement.…

This paper introduces a model built upon the Method of Varying Inquiry, offering a didactical approach to problem posing and solving activities that stimulates inquiry-based learning in mathematics classrooms. The model combines the inquiry-based framework with the variation theory and with specific didactical and theoretical elements (the…