This article describes how integrating children's literature in mathematics classrooms has proven to provide a common context that is suitable for problem solving and modeling that advances mathematical thinking and reasoning. The engaging task inspired by children's literature allowed this teacher to infuse science, engineering, technology, and…

An understanding of how sensemaking unfolds when elementary students engage in engineering design tasks is crucial to advancing engineering teaching and learning at K-12 levels. Sensemaking has been widely studied in the context of science as a discipline. In this paper, we seek to contribute to the more nascent efforts to build theory about the…

The purpose of this study is to assess how the use of therapy dogs affect elementary students' anxiety levels and attendance. This study adds to the existing research base on the impacts of therapy dogs and the association between anxiety and attendance. Specifically, children who have frequent absences often have challenges in multiple areas, as…

Prior research highlights the role of number manipulation activities in fostering the early mathematical development of children. This study (N = 1,491) explored the effect of a bear-themed intervention on enhancing arithmetic abilities in kindergarten students. Utilizing a pre- and post-test design, the study compared the advancements of children…

Many K-16 educators agree that active learning is a key component for student success in life sciences. At the same time, some instructors are frustrated by inconsistent student participation in these activities and may revert to traditional teaching strategies. Horse caregivers face a similar frustration when they lead a horse to water and it…

In this study, we aim to analyze the effects of discovery-based learning through film viewing on students' knowledge about a specific animal species and its habitat. The following hypothesis is tested: students' knowledge about animals and their environment is greater as a result of discovering information through watching videos. The study…

The topic of keeping livestock is very well suited to addressing the ecological, social, and economic aspects of the sustainable production of our food in school lessons. However, the production of animal-based foods is mainly outside the personal experience of children and young people. To derive relevant implications for teaching, this paper…

Despite the growing influence of the "material" turn within childhood studies and education, scholarship related to teaching and learning within the early childhood classroom remains a largely humanistic endeavour. By applying relational and multispecies onto-epistomologies to both children's classroom relations "and" our own…

Attending to emotion in science classrooms can expand the range of resources valued for science learning, and it can offer insights into students' investigations. However, research that characterizes emotion as a part of disciplinary science learning is relatively nascent. In response, we explore the dynamic relationships between feelings,…

Visual data--or visual sources of information--are a crucial part of helping students understand STEM concepts, improve their reading skills, and engage in science and engineering practices (Finson and Pedersen 2011). Indeed, many science and engineering practices require students to make meaning from visual data. When students are developing and…

The importance of genetic diversity, especially within small populations of endangered species, is becoming increasingly apparent. Genetic engineering techniques that could potentially enhance diversity are now being developed. However, the use of such techniques would require social licence and yet within the general population there is limited…

Biodiversity loss is one of the biggest environmental issues in the world today and the biodiversity literacy of citizens can be key to counteracting this. Considering that children can be change agents and actively take part in decision-making from early years, we have assessed the native fauna identification skills of Primary School students…

Evolution is the integrative framework of the life sciences. Even though the topic is often not formally introduced before high school, young children already have various ideas about evolutionary principles (variation, inheritance, and selection) and their underlying key concepts (e.g., differential fitness, reproduction, and speciation).…

It is crucial that future generations have the knowledge about nature and the willingness to make right decisions for sustainable development, including the halt of global biodiversity loss. Perception of species and the ability to identify wild species (i.e. animals, plants and fungi) are fundamental for the understanding of biodiversity.…

Students are required to develop essential 21st-century skills, such as critical thinking and biological literacy, to effectively navigate challenges in the globalization era. It is known that the results of PISA 2022 and several studies show that these skills in students are still very low. However, traditional learning models often fail to…