Background: Based on the embodied cognition perspective, interdisciplinary hands-on learning combines several disciplines, such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), to improve students' capacity to solve real-world problems. Despite the popularity of interdisciplinary hands-on learning, particularly the six-phase 6E model,…

High school students are currently transitioning out of an autism program at the author's school, without functional life skills. This impacts their ability to live independently and reduces their employment opportunities. Life skills are "skills or tasks that contribute to the successful, independent functioning of an individual in…

This qualitative evaluation of Emory's Oxford Summer Experience Program examined rural students' college aspirations. Educational and economic barriers hinder rural students' college enrollment and degree attainment (Adelman, 2002; Byun, Meece, & Irvin, 2012; Means, Clayton, Conzelmann, Baynes, & Umbach, 2016). Because of these barriers,…

Building foundational job and social skills for high school students with intellectual disability (ID) is critical for post-school employment success. Unfortunately, students with ID often experience limited opportunities to learn and hone these skills while in school. One way to build job and social skills are through a peer-mediated intervention…

This qualitative study investigates the impact of the traditional multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) on Black and Brown students in high schools in the Northeastern United States. The MTSS framework, designed to monitor academic and social-emotional progress, has faced criticism for perpetuating disparities among historically marginalized…

There is a growing need for science educators and communicators who can support public understanding of complex science issues. Furthermore, little is known about how to nurture career aspirations for teaching science. This study examined the influence of youth volunteer experiences on career aspirations through a lens of science identity.…

In this study, the positive aspects that active participation in the Erasmus+ project "Different but together" has on students are highlighted. In the project initiated and coordinated by the Technological High School "Gheorghe Sincai" from Târgu Mure? (Romania), high schools from Italy, Greece, the Czech Republic and Turkey…

Recent updates to federal policy governing career and technical education (CTE) in the United States have emphasised the need to include work-based learning (WBL) experiences as central components of CTE programming. Many of these experiences showcase an informal learning component which has strong ties to early career success as suggested by the…

It is important that teens are exposed to STEM education both through formal and informal learning opportunities. STEM cafés are an instance of the latter. Within an informal setting, teen science cafés can significantly enhance teens' view of the importance of science in their lives, positively influencing teens' understanding of science in the…

The Maryland Action for Drug Discovery and Pharmaceutical Research (MADDPR) Program provides hands-on lab experience and mentoring to underserved minority high school students. Over 4 years, 93 high school students and their science teachers participated in the two-week summer camp program which was led by 15 faculty from the School of Pharmacy.…

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience difficulty with transitioning to competitive integrated employment following high school. Addressing this disparity in transitioning to competitive integrated employment can be supported through a high school transition program with community-based work experiences for…

Climate change is the one of the most controversial issues in environmental history since natural processes and human activities lead to causation. This complexity often thwarts communication and education efforts. Some research suggests that place-based approaches are effective for delivering climate change instruction because they feature local…

This study explores the "Youth Leadership Experience" (YLE), (pseudonym) an afterschool experiential learning and leadership program for 9th and 10th-grade high school students from the midlands area of Columbia, SC. The study aims to identify and document the experiential learning and leadership practices at "Youth Leadership…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand how learners describe their experiences with short-term, introductory maker experiences and to test a method for assessing learners' experiences authentic to short-term learning. Design/methodology/approach: The authors collected written responses from participants at a two-day event, STEM Center…

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine current agricultural mechanics project construction and its use as a supervised agricultural experience in Texas and was conducted using survey methods. The population was composed of agricultural education teachers who had students with an agricultural mechanics project at one or more of four…