Investigating the optical properties of various chemical compounds using UV-vis spectrophotometers is an essential part of education in chemistry. However, commercial spectrophotometers are usually treated as "magic black boxes", where the dominant majority of optical elements are hidden "under the hood". This often limits…

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…

STEM is becoming widespread as an education model in many countries today, and it has been included in the curriculum in our country, and the need for teachers trained in this field has emerged. The purpose of this study, in which the case study method, one of the qualitative research methods, is used, is to examine the skills of Physics-Chemistry…

The STEM education emphasizes on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics with a major focus on engineering design process that engineers require in solving challenges or problems. Kolb's model provides micro-learning activities such as experiencing, sharing and processing, generalizing and applying. Therefore, both Kolb's model and…

Teaching design to middle and high school students can be challenging. One of the first procedures in teaching design is to help students gather information that will be useful in the design phase. An early stage of engineering design as described by Lewis (2005), calls for the designer to establish the state of the art of the problem. During this…

This paper reviews empirical studies that have evaluated the impact of problem-based learning (PBL) on school-aged pupils, in order to summarise how it has been implemented and to assess its effects on academic and personal development. Following electronic searches of PsychINFO, the British Education Index and the Cochrane review database, six…

Attempts at integrating mathematics and science have been made previously but no definitive, widely adopted teaching model has been developed to date. Research suggests that hands-on, practical, student-centred tasks should form a central element when designing an effective model for the integration of mathematics and science. Aided by this…

This article explores the shift in terminology that occurred in a 2-year Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC)-funded curriculum renewal project that set out to broadly explore current teaching and learning practice in Indigenous Australian studies (www.teaching4change.edu.au). While we started with the term "Problem-Based…

The Ministry of National Education of Turkey has decided to give up traditional methods to be used in the classes and to develop a new secondary school curriculum based on Context-Based Learning (CBL) in 2007. This paper discusses integrating Problem-Based Learning (PBL) tasks into the new physics curriculum in Turkey. A brief overview of a…

This paper reports on research from a network of high school and museum partnerships designed to explore techniques for integrating mathematics and physics learning experiences during the first year of high school. The foundation of the curriculum is a problem-based, museum-based, and hands-on approach to mathematics and physics. In this paper, we…

In this paper, we explore some aspects regarding the introduction of an active learning approach to deal with environmental issues in secondary school during natural sciences lessons. Integrated curricular program and PBL (problem-based learning) are comprehensive approaches designed to engage students in investigation of authentic problems. We…

Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University, in collaboration with the marine industry and local school systems, is improving STEM preparation using innovative experiences for students and teachers in the nation's major shipbuilding and repair areas through MarineTech and SBRCD (Shipbuilding Repair and Maritime Career Day) projects. The…

Noting the current push for rigor in secondary school curriculums (the lead member of the "new three Rs" of rigor, relevance, and relationships), Washor and Mojkowksi take a closer look at the prevailing conception of rigor. They argue that a narrowly defining a rigorous curriculum as one with more advanced courses and more factual content…

High school teacher Jeff House and his students revamp their study of "The Grapes of Wrath" by creating a class website. Students practice traditional skills such as researching, organizing material, and providing focused ideas while pursuing areas of interest such as music, film, and journalism. The project enhances their understanding of…

This paper briefly examines the literature on (a) problem-based learning (PBL), including constructivism and problem solving, and (b) learning in context, including mediation, embodiment, distribution, and situatedness. We use this literature, our previous research [Hill & Smith Journal of Technology Education 9(1), 29-41 (1998)], and some initial…