The 2020-2021 academic year was a unique time for many instructors who had to adapt their courses to be conducted remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was especially challenging for physics lab courses, which usually emphasize hands-on experiments. Although many courses have now returned to in-person teaching, the possibility remains of…

Recently, much importance has been placed on early science education. This study examined the associations between kindergarten teachers' science teaching self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and their integration of science into teaching, and investigated how four potential factors (i.e. mastery experience, interpersonal support, previous science…

Student investment in learning is often stronger when learning incorporates student choice, "real-world" authenticity, and creativity. This action research study investigated the impact of a particular tool for emphasizing these elements in learning: a free-choice, or "Genius Time," project in which middle school students in an…

Owing to the importance of a subject like mathematics in the teaching and learning of science, self-learning often poses a challenge to the educator. The objective of this study is to analyse the enhancement of the textual and the media form of self-learning modules to teach algebra and geometry to eighth graders considering their retention…

This study explores 17 elementary teacher candidates' perceptions of teaching mathematics before, during, after participating in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teaching and learning experience. Teacher candidates responded to their perceptions about teaching mathematics in STEM classrooms and elementary mathematics…

Limited empirical research has investigated the impact of interdisciplinary STEM approaches on students' learning with a particular dearth in the area of assessment. A lack of alignment between interdisciplinary approaches in STEM teaching and its assessment strategies is notable. In this study, we adopt an inquiry approach to the ways in which…

A key process in the discipline of science is argumentation, which has recently been receiving more attention in K-12 classrooms. The purpose of this multiple case study was to concurrently examine self-regulated learning processes (SRL) and learning outcomes of three teachers in a professional development (PD) on argumentation in science to…

The purpose of this study was to reveal the experiences of science teachers during the pandemic and their recommendations about the post-pandemic process. In the study, the "first period" referred to the period when the pandemic first appeared (the period between March-June 2020) and the "second period" referred to the…

After the passage of the U.S. National Quantum Initiative Act in December 2018, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) recently assembled an interagency working group and conducted a workshop titled "Key Concepts for Future Quantum Information Science Learners" that focused on…

Efforts to improve student learning in K-12 education in the US are not new; however, educational research has traditionally focused on individual components of schools (e.g., teacher professional development, leadership, social relationships, programs, curricula) targeting teachers to improve student learning. While these innovations provide hope…

One of the goals of science education is to help students make sense of the world around them. To that end, it is critical that students understand the central ideas in each discipline like, in chemistry, energy and interactions. These ideas are of particular importance because they are directly related to one another and are relevant across other…

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) science and engineering practices (SEPs) involve commands of the English language in writing, speaking, reading, and listening. Language tasks embedded in NGSS SEPs require English learners (ELs) to develop science skills and understanding and language proficiency simultaneously. Sense of self-efficacy…

Undergraduate genetics courses have historically focused on simple genetic models, rather than taking a more multifactorial approach where students explore how traits are influenced by a combination of genes, the environment, and gene-by-environment interactions. While a focus on simple genetic models can provide straightforward examples to…

Scholars continue to propose that students develop scientific literacy and 21st century competencies through student-centered reform-based science instruction with the teacher as the main facilitator of learning (Maeng et al., 2018). The National Science Teaching Association (2018) called for high-quality science instruction that builds on…

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…