Tertiary institutions are migrating away from didactic and teacher-centred approaches, and instead, pivoting to lesson designs that encourage hands-on learning and student engagement. However, this practice is often "try and see", with few frameworks providing evidence-based approaches for practical application that demonstrates how…

Circle time is a common part of the day in many early childhood programs. This important routine can encompass instruction on curricular concepts, provide a space to introduce new topics, and build membership and community within inclusive classrooms. Lesson plans or strategies for circle time instruction are also a part of many early childhood…

Efforts to address the identified needs of labeled groups of children (e.g. identified with disabilities, considered at-risk) may magnify difference and further stigmatize children labeled as different. In this article, we introduce a relational framework to the field of inclusive early childhood education that reframes perceptions of difference…

This paper provides a background on recent research related to learning and instruction, focusing on two mechanisms essential to deeper learning: (1) inclusion of authentic learning contexts and (2) valuing student voice as part of instruction. The authors point to ways that culturally responsive and related pedagogies leverage these same two…

In response to widespread concerns about student mental health, a growing movement in higher education is focused on fostering student well-being as an important element of student success. Thriving college students experience a level of psychological well-being that contributes to their persistence toward graduation and allows them to gain…

Online education has increased rapidly since its inception and will likely continue this upward trend post-pandemic. Strategies of successful online instructors include incorporating active learning, effectively communicating with students, and using universal design and backwards design principles in course development. Additionally, online…

There is a national urgency in higher education to close the achievement gap and increase graduation rates for first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented minorities, and classroom environments are integral to the student learning experience. The authors propose shifting learningspace discussions away from building an historically small…

Originally implemented in general education classrooms, project-based learning (PjBL) is gaining traction in classrooms serving diverse learners at the elementary, middle, and high school levels as well as in alternative and segregated settings. Emerging evidence suggests PjBL may be especially useful for engaging students at risk of school…

This essay describes the concept of access needs as a tool for improving accessibility in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education broadly, from the classroom, to research group meetings, to professional conferences. The normalization of stating access needs and creating access check-ins is a regular practice used in…

The need for all students to have science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) experiences has translated into research examinations of what strategies and practices work in learning STEAM-related concepts and ideas. Through research, effective frameworks, strategies, and additional considerations have been identified for…

This article describes the development of the Teaching and Learning Inquiry Framework (TLIF) and applications for its use. For decades teacher preparation and support has been dictated by a narrow mindset in which academic disciplines have been taught in isolation. This landscape, however, is evolving to align with the view that the world is…

The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) serves K-12 students and teachers, school districts, state education agencies, and ministries of education throughout the world with curriculum materials, digital resources, professional development, leadership development (through our Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform [LASER]…

Containing all of the practical tools needed to put theory into practice, "STEM for All" by Leena Bakshi McLean provides a roadmap for teachers, instructional coaches, and leaders to better understand the challenges that create low engagement and scores in STEM subjects and implement exciting and culturally relevant teaching plans. This…

When COVID-19 appeared on international radar this year and began its march around the globe, it revealed to any who might have previously denied it that the work to eliminate educational inequities is far from done. During this pandemic, more than ever, many educators are keeping these inequities top of mind. Rather than move online with what…

Fewer than one in five American students follow a clear and uninterrupted path from high school through college to career. The promise of a public education is to prepare all learners to engage in, contribute to, and achieve purpose in the world, both as it is today and as it will be tomorrow. And yet, the American education system as we know it…