Despite extensive advocacy and research underscoring the benefits of inclusive education, students with Extensive Support Needs (ESN) continue to be predominantly placed in segregated educational settings, making inclusion a "wicked problem" within the field of education. Wicked problems are characterized by complexity, interconnected…

Recently there has been an increase in scientists, educators, and activists moving into comedy to tell the climate story. Could using humour as an educational method encourage a greater response to the climate crisis? The present research addresses this question by exploring the impact that an environmental-based comedy show had on various…

Previous research indicates that learners appear to connect with nature and have heightened environmental perceptions after participating in environmental education programs (EEPs). Positive changes in attitudes toward nature are important because they can precede environmentally responsible behaviors, such as individuals' leadership on…

Technology has become an integral part of the teaching and learning process in the current educational landscape, revolutionizing students' learning experiences in alternative and traditional educational settings. However, despite having access to various tech tools that support student learning, an achievement gap still exists, and many students…

4-H academics responded to the COVID pandemic by rapidly adapting CDC and other resources for virtual delivery. A statewide epidemiology project was taught to 48 youth with the goal of minimizing fears and confusion, increasing prevention measures, leveraging current topics for education, and bolstering the social-emotional health of youth…

Purpose: Sustainability is one of the global challenges, individuals and businesses need to change their behavior and consumption patterns to move towards sustainable development. This is not possible without planning for education and related knowledge transfer. On the other hand, disruptive technologies such as virtual reality (VR) have…

Science education professional development (PD) experiences are important for developing effective teaching practices aligned to reform-based principles using innovative approaches, such as the Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) framework. The ability of schools and other organizations to provide high quality science education PD was challenged…

This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study examining the influence of professional development (PD) on tutors' teaching philosophies. It found that tutors construe their role in three ways: as transmitter, facilitator, or reflexive practitioner. The findings suggest most tutors, prior to a PD program, hold a teacher-focused conception…

This mixed methods experimental study examined the impacts of the Early College High School model on students' college readiness in mathematics measured by their success in college preparatory mathematics courses in the 9th through 11th grades, and disaggregated for academically prepared and underprepared students. This study looked at the…

STEM transformation has been a longstanding goal for higher education institutions who not only wish to maintain global economic competitiveness but most recently have also aimed efforts at achieving STEM equity. While researchers have typically looked to students' and faculty's experiences for answers, STEM program directors possess great insight…

This sequential mixed methods study evaluated the impact of the Chicago Parent Program (CPP) in 12 Baltimore Title I PreK programs on parent engagement and student outcomes from kindergarten through 2nd grade. Phase 1 (quasi-experiment; N = 11,996) compared PreK students whose parents enrolled in CPP with those whose parents did not enroll in CPP…

The purpose of this article is to explore how intergroup contact theory and inclusive recreation curriculum may influence undergraduate students' perceptions of individuals with disabilities. Attitudinal barriers continue to be a constraint for people with disabilities in regards to community participation. Academic recreation programs have an…

This research evaluates the development of three environmental knowledge dimensions of secondary school students after participation in a singular 1-day outdoor education programme. Applying a cross-national approach, system, action-related and effectiveness knowledge levels of students educated in Germany and Singapore were assessed before and…

Despite the importance of bees, there is a gap in the public's understanding of them. To help address this gap, we developed the outreach tool Experience Bees, a series of simple learning and hands-on activities to teach community members about bees and their importance in our landscapes. Program evaluation showed that participants learned about…

Healthy 2B Me aims to educate and empower underserved children ages seven to 11 years old to improve their health and well-being through a supportive, educational and entertaining public health-themed summer day camp. Qualitative data collected through camper exit slips, final posters/presentations, and parent surveys were analyzed to identify…