Natural Selection is prevalent throughout life science learning standards across K-12 contexts. Additionally, undergraduates who are interested in the fields of biology and education must also be well informed on the topic, as it is foundational to some biology research and necessary to touch upon within elementary and secondary classrooms. This…

The purpose of this study is to use the matrix laser teaching aids to teach in the moon observation unit to explore the effectiveness of science learning of elementary school students. The subjects of the study were 367 fourth-grade students in an elementary school in New Taipei City, including 154 students in the experimental group and 213…

Some elementary students may exhibit challenging externalizing or internalizing behaviors in addition to difficulty with mathematics. In this study, we explored the behavioral patterns of 441 3rd-grade students with and without mathematics difficulty (MD). Compared to students without MD, students with MD demonstrated higher rates of externalizing…

The investigation of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and the quality of education within and between the four disciplines continues to be a topic of concern throughout the United States. Employers, policymakers and educators have recognized a need for a stronger focus on the quality of STEM education in schools (Becker…

Over the decades, sweeping reforms in education have resulted in science education researchers and practitioners grappling with what counts as literacy in science. Despite a growing body of evidence of the role that language and literacy play in students learning science, elementary teachers do not often enact science teaching practices that…

Serious educational gameplay continues to gain traction in K-12 educational settings, as access to novel technologies increases. Increased access to computers and other devices has shifted the landscape of the classroom, increasing students' screen-time, as technology infused lessons replace other learning experiences. Amid this context, our…

In recent years, research has shown that the proportion of young people considering science for future study and careers is not significantly improved by increasing their enjoyment of science at school. Rather, it is more important to help children understand that science is done by people like them and that science is relevant to their daily…

Electromagnetism, along with mechanics, is one of the most fundamental disciplines in physics, and the magnetic force is one of the most easily accessible forces existing in nature. Magnets are often used as science teaching aids and are readily available from a young age; the forces of these magnets are first dealt with in NGSS (Next Generation…

School science is often very different from "real world" science. One important difference, and possibly the main one, is that in school science the relationships between variables have often been sanitized -- essentially "cleaned up" -- so that there is very little (and often no) variation in the data from the relationship…

In this article, Nicky Bolton describes how she devised an approach that would encourage both experienced and newly qualified and trainee teachers to approach outdoor learning confidently. The challenge was to enable every teacher to view the outdoors as an effective learning. She called this model 'Bucket School' and initially developed the…

In recent years, the field of education has challenged researchers and practitioners to incorporate computing as an essential focus of K-12 STEM education. Integrating computing within K-12 STEM supports learners of all ages in codeveloping and using computational thinking in existing curricular contexts alongside practices essential for…

The concept of productive failure posits that a problem-solving phase prior to explicit instruction is more effective than explicit instruction followed by problem-solving. This prediction was tested with Year 5 primary school students learning about light energy efficiency. Two, fully randomised, controlled experiments were conducted. In the…

A key aspect of learning in K-12 education is the idea that what students know and are able to do grows and evolves over time. Simple ideas learned in the early elementary grades gain levels of detail and complexity as students progress in their education. Connections between different topics and disciplines are made. Therefore, a key feature of…

Following the emergence of chatbots, especially ChatGPT, researchers have begun to examine their capabilities, credibility, and reliability in educational context. In this study, ChatGPT and Google Gemini are used as technological tools to create 7th-grade lesson plans for mathematics, science, literature, and social studies classes. Using…

The use of digital technologies as teaching and learning materials supports and enhances science learning, encouraging students to develop valuable inquiry skills and knowledge. In response, this paper seeks to explore digital inquiry-based learning as a useful aid for teaching the elementary school science curriculum on plants in Malaysia. There…