This article introduces eight instructional modules designed to create aha moments for students and help them gain clear insights on how geotechnical engineering principles are applied in the real world. Each module consists of (1) an interactive class demonstration using a physical model, (2) a whiteboard-style animation that provides the…

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the engineering profession with the highest demand in 2021 is biomedical engineering (BME) (BLS, January 2021). Biomedical engineers combine engineering principles with medical and biological sciences to design and create equipment, devices, computer systems, and software used in healthcare (BLS, 2021).…

Background: Training both pre - and in-service teachers who are capable of planning and enacting engineering design-based science instruction are critical for integrating engineering into K-12 science curricula. Purpose: This study investigates pre-service teachers' efforts to integrate engineering into their lesson plans. Sample: 13 pre-service…

Background: Teacher educators have begun exploring the most effective ways to prepare preservice teachers (PSTs) to engage elementary students in engineering design. However, this remains challenging as PSTs continue to report a lack of exposure to engineering during their K-12 school experiences. This study investigates the engineering-related…

This convergent mixed methods study sought to explore the effects of engineering design challenges (EDCs) on middle school students' achievement. Data was collected from four middle schools from an urban school district in Maryland. Two of these, Group A, included teachers with experience with EDC design and implementation; the other two schools,…

Our study examines the scaffolding strategies employed by secondary biology teachers to support multilingual learners (MLs) in engaging with Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs). Rooted in sociocultural theory, we focus on the integration of academic language in disciplinary practices. Data from video-recorded observations of 12 secondary…

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) integration is a desired outcome according to Next Generation Science Standards. However, learning to teach integrated STEM content has been challenging for teachers. Consequently, the purpose of this qualitative study was to describe how 16 preservice teachers enrolled in a mathematics…

This study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate the feasibility of an activity titled "Space Adventure for Little Explorers", integrating the engineering and entrepreneurship design model within the STEM education framework into preschool education. The activity was structured in four stages: (1) Discovery with the Family, (2)…

When the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020, the educational process had to be redesigned to meet current needs. At the Faculty of Education of the University of Ljubljana, pre-service engineering and technology teachers (3rd and 4th years of undergraduate two-subject teachers' study programme) are obliged to complete a teaching practice in…

While some might argue that lessons such as this cater towards nonformal education, teachers should not be deterred from integrating these lessons into their formal classrooms. Nonformal lesson plans--including their structures and techniques--can and should be integrated into formal classroom settings. Many nonformal activities are easy to…

Teacher-student conversations are central to student learning within the science classroom. Educational literature recommends teachers aim to build a common scientific language and, through dialog, develop shared meanings with students. This study examines teacher-student conversations in the specific situation of an integrated science and…

The Visible Learning (VL) approach to learning processes stems from Hattie's work based on synthesising meta-analyses regarding achievement in education. Although the model is used at many levels of instruction, its performance has been less studied in higher education, engineering education, and in the context of synchronous online learning in…

Each fall at harvest time, young students in the authors' part of the Midwest visit apple orchards to learn more about the life cycle of plants. This tradition is one part of a larger unit centered on apples, integrating life science with language arts and social studies. The authors partnered with kindergarten teachers at several schools to…

Recent studies show that many of the current and future careers involve some form of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) integration. The new development of school STEM education provides opportunities for students to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes to face the challenges ahead. Involving students with…

The didactic strategy is given by the set of methods and techniques by which the cooperation between the teacher and students, between students and teacher, between students and students is achieved to obtain the anticipated results. For a positive result of the didactic approach, there must be a good didactic strategy capable of leading to the…