Integrating scientific investigations into science instruction has been a global phenomenon. Particularly in the US, this emphasis has been suggested by the nation-wide science educational standards over decades. However, the details on how the integration could be carried out remain under discussed. The present study focuses on the integration of…

In a recent survey of over 240 primary school children between the ages of 8 and 11, NUSTEM found that 75% of children said that they liked science and 63% said that they were good at science. However, when looking at the data by gender, there is a difference in enjoyment between girls and boys, with 71% of girls and 79% of boys saying that they…

In recent years, the focus of science education reform has shifted to engaging students in three-dimensional science learning experiences aligned with the National Research Council's (2012) Framework for K-12 Science Education. This movement has been associated with a focus on students participating in science as practice, which represents a…

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the stay-at-home order implemented by the New York State Governor, the introductory undergraduate biology courses were changed to an at-home remote learning modality. To provide conceptual learning and hands-on experience, the second semester introductory biology laboratory course utilised a multi-modal learning…

COVID-19 has changed about every aspect of life including how we teach in higher education. Laboratory experiments vital for learning hands-on techniques are limited due to social distancing requirements and increased numbers of distance-learning students. The solution to loss of hands-on activities has been to compensate with virtual laboratory…

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the mass shutdown of universities across the United States in the spring of 2020. As the pandemic progressed, regional regulations resulted in a broad range of teaching modalities for the 2020-2021 academic year. While some regions remained tightly locked down (resulting in online-only instruction), others allowed…

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted chemistry teaching practices globally as many courses were forced online, necessitating adaptation to the digital platform. The biggest impact was to the practical component of the chemistry curriculum--the so-called wet lab. Naively, it would be thought that computer-based teaching laboratories would have little…

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant impact on higher education worldwide. In-person courses had to be quickly transited to online, including lab courses embedded with Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). In response to this challenge, we successfully converted a fully in-person biochemistry lab that integrated with a…

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many courses to move online, presenting a particular challenge for hands-on laboratory courses. One such course in our Biotechnology track is an advanced Protein Interactions lecture/laboratory course. This 8-week course typically meets for 5 h a week in the laboratory space. For the Fall 2020 version of the course,…

Educators have been interested in the global maker movement as it provides hands-on learning opportunities for youths to enhance their knowledge and skills of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study aims to understand the maker movement from the perspective of frame analysis and collective action frames. Based on 33…

The Japanese lesson study (JLS) model for curriculum development has seen limited application to middle school science classrooms. The JLS model was used to develop and refine three hands-on activities focused on four major eighth grade science topics from the California curriculum. Prior assessments of these topics showed limited understanding by…

This paper shares findings from the first of its kind quasi-experimental mixed methods study exploring the potential impacts on teacher instruction through engagement with making and e-textiles. Because engagement in hands-on inquiry has demonstrated strong promise for increasing student interest and engagement in STEM careers, finding curricular…

Recent reforms in science education advocate for a vision of learning where students "figure out" science ideas through engagement in science practices. Consequently, there have been significant efforts to engage K-12 students in the science practices. However, less research attention has been given to understand how this…

Introductory-level laboratory courses provide students with hands-on experience using the discipline's tools and theories. These courses often rely on recipe-based experiments due to the constraints of large enrollments, short lab periods, and the desire to minimize complexity. In addition, covering a breadth of topics can lead to a fragmented…

Over the past 20 years research on reform efforts aimed at the chemistry laboratory has focused on different aspects of students' experiences including increasing content knowledge, improving student attitudes toward chemistry, incorporating inquiry activities, and providing students a hands-on experience related to the chemistry concepts learned…