Common objects are made of materials that have obvious physical features which, although readily observable, may be overlooked by children. Helping young children to notice characteristic features -- scientifically referred to as properties -- equips them to discern common and distinct (diagnostic) features. Once children begin to recognise…

Inquiry skills are universally recognised as being integral to a contemporary science education where students need to understand the nature of scientific practices as well as concepts. Although inquiry learning is a common practice among primary educators, the development and assessment of inquiry skills is far less practised. There is a need for…

This article provides insights into the experiences of two teachers who were part of a project centred on inquiry approaches to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. The project required teachers (from a range of different schools) to develop integrated STEM inquiry projects for their students. It brought together…

Through Preschool and Foundation Level, children are confident in their knowledge about rocks. Five- to six-year-olds have firm ideas on what they consider rocks are and where they might be found (Preston, 2018). With the exception of children who are avid rock collectors, such knowledge usually comprises general, inconsistent ideas formed from…

At Lockyer District High School, the inquiry-based learning undertaken by the STEM Signature Program is complementary to the general capabilities, particularly: critical and creative thinking; information and communication technology; and personal and social capability. In this STEM program, numerous different digital technologies were used to…

The implementation of student-centred learning programs can improve student outcomes in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) domains. The required approaches to teaching and learning in such programs, however, are only slowly being adopted in the Asia-Pacific region. This article focuses on a STEM module, 'Water in the 21st…

Inspiring children to pursue a career in science is a worthy pursuit for many reasons. One way to achieve this is to actively engage children in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning from an early age. However, it is not always possible to integrate all the STEM fields in one activity. Rather, careful consideration of…

Australian science curricula have promoted the use of investigations that allow secondary students to engage deeply with the methods of scientific inquiry, through student-directed, open-ended investigations over an extended duration. This study presents the analysis of data relating to the frequency of completion and attitudes towards long…

This article illustrates an enhancement and lesson-delivery process used to engage classroom students in primary school science lessons. In the enhancement process, university educators and pre-service teachers collaborated with local experts to prepare lessons based in local or regional contexts. Lessons were designed to enable students to think…

In any demonstration to students, producing light and sound usually ensures interest and can enhance understanding and retention of the concepts involved. A guided inquiry (Predict, Observe, Explain: POE) approach was used to involve the students actively in their learning about the explosive combustion of fine flour particles in air in the…

One way to integrate indigenous perspectives in junior science is through links between indigenous stories of the local area and science concepts. Using local indigenous stories about landforms, a teacher of Year 8 students designed a unit on geology that catered for the diverse student population in his class. This paper reports on the…

In 2012, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) piloted the "Wonder of Science Challenge" with a view to enhance school students' interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Students in 15 schools across northern Queensland were provided with an inquiry-based research problem and…