Researchers of science education, historians, and philosophers of science agree that the teaching of nature of science (NOS) is important to be integrated into K-12 classes. Our previous research showed that NOS is not embedded into science teaching in Greece. To study the possibility of its integration, a PD-program for in-service science…

This study explored K-12 teachers' understanding and implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) during and after participation in a professional development (PD) program that included the development of science teachers' conceptual understanding of science. We add to the literature with our focus on a multi-year PD program…

The release of NGSS in 2013 brought forth uncertainty among K-12 educators on how to translate these standards into practical science lessons (Harris et al., 2017). One important instructional change that teachers still need assistance with is supporting sensemaking. To guide students in the process of sensemaking, teachers must ask questions that…

Multilingual learners (MLs), or students in the United States who are learning English as an additional language, possess knowledge from their lives outside of the classroom that science teachers can draw upon when giving instruction. This three-paper dissertation examines teacher use of these unique sources of knowledge, known as funds of…

Water is one of Earth's fundamental natural systems. It is crucial to foster water literacy in today's global citizens, particularly through formal education. The purpose of this research, in parallel with a study focused on human dimensions of water systems (Mostacedo-Marasovic et al., in press), is to examine water-related K-12 standards for…

Mobile instructional spaces such as retrofit buses, customized trucks or trailers, and repurposed shipping containers are innovative, unique venues for teaching and learning. STEM-focused mobile instructional spaces have emerged as vehicles for providing students and teachers with high-quality integrated STEM learning experiences that emphasize…

This dataset focuses on the impact of Continuous Professional Development in Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science (CPD-ITMS), offered by the Rwanda Quality Basic Education for Human Capital Development (RQBEHCD) Project, Subcomponent 1.2. The provided training aimed to provide essential assistance to teachers in upper primary and lower…

Computational thinking (CT) has great potential for enhancing mathematics and science lessons in K-12 education. Numerous studies demonstrate that under the right circumstances, CT integration in math and science can improve student learning and promote deeper understanding. However, teacher education currently does not include preparation for…

The Lead Teacher Program (LTP) is organized by Beyond Benign, an institution that promotes green chemistry principles and sustainability in education. LTP trains K-12 teachers to run workshops in their own communities across the US and Canada. This research project aimed to study the culture among K-12 science teachers in LTP and how they share…

Take a selection of balls and marbles along to a nearby playground slide and let students investigate factors that may influence how balls accelerate down an inclined plane. Students can make hypotheses in small groups, plan investigations to test multiple possible explanations and draw conclusions about the importance of different variables. The…

The National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education (NSSME) has provided periodic snapshots of K-12 science instruction in the United States for over 40 years. Study topics include teacher background and beliefs, professional learning opportunities, course offerings, instructional objectives and activities, resources for instruction, and…

Teachers are increasingly recognizing the need--and their power--to advocate on behalf of the teaching profession for the sake of their students and communities. National organizations like AAPT have a key role in amplifying teachers' voices. Building on the strategic vision for K-12 physics teacher professional development of the "Aspiring…

As the vision in "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) takes hold in schools and classrooms, there is an urgent need for teacher professional development (PD) programs that align with NGSS-designed curriculum materials and address the unique strengths and needs of diverse student…

Recent national reforms focus on learning disciplinary core ideas through engaging in science and engineering practices. These reforms also call for students and teachers to use crosscutting concepts (CCCs), or analytical lenses, that support scientific sensemaking and connections across disciplines. The "Framework for K-12 Science…

Since the launch of Sputnik by the U.S.S.R. on October 4, 1957, the United States has aimed to bolster nationwide STEM education with the intention of creating a strong STEM pipeline. Despite many efforts, there remains a distinct lack of diversity in the STEM career fields, and many people cannot accurately describe what engineers do. These two…