A student, and two professors collectively explored the unique nature of their graduate course entitled "Narrative Pedagogy as Social Justice." All of the authors experienced personal transformation through relationally engaging in difficult dialogue. They now wonder, how to create classroom spaces where dialog about difficult topics can…

This article describes the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) collection of "Essential Social Studies Skills and Strategies" in terms of common approaches to social studies teaching and learning (e.g., informed social criticism, reflective inquiry, transmission). We conducted descriptive and inferential analyses and found…

December 26, 2004 was one of the deadliest days in modern history, when a 9.3 magnitude earthquake--the third largest ever recorded--struck off the coast of Sumatra in Indonesia (National Centers for Environmental Information 2014). The massive quake lasted at least 10 minutes and devastated the Indian Ocean. The quake displaced an estimated…

The MicRoboCop project introduces chemistry students to the concepts and protocols of synthetic biology. MicRoboCop is a biosensor that has been designed for unique applications in forensic chemistry. The lab is carried out in collaboration with an instructor teaching a genetics course. Students in the biology course synthesize biosensors using…

Lactase is the enzyme responsible for the digestion of the disaccharide lactose, and deficiency in this enzyme causes the prevalent medical condition lactose intolerance. Management of lactose intolerance can be achieved through the administration of lactase supplements. Lactase is an appropriate platform for advanced enzymatic study because its…

Collaborative learning involves the collaborative regulation of cognitive activities to establish common ground for the coordination of content. Drawing on research on cognitive scripts to embed collaboration in learning, this study examines the effect of the quality of the grounding and testing processes on the quality of the inquiry processes…

Digital games are responsible for turning my pedagogical practice on its head and landing me in New Zealand. My journey down the digital games "rabbit hole" started in 2007. Not having a map to follow ended up being revolutionary as I learnt to follow the learning. I describe four important lessons I have learnt through working with…

The following article tells the story of how a qualitative research methods PhD course and the creation of a researcher portfolio helped to answer the sometimes elusive question of, "Who am I as a researcher?" and ultimately led to a rediscovery of voice. This story describes how using various modes of inquiry set the groundwork for my…

The challenges of contemporary society require pupils to make informed decisions and take responsible actions on problems related to science and technology. This work provides guidelines to support teachers in the design of learning scenarios that enable achievement of these goals. Two classroom examples based on contemporary news events explain…

The case for socio-scientific inquiry-based learning (SSIBL) based on the EU PARRISE project in schools is presented through three pillars -- citizenship education, socio-scientific issues and inquiry-based science education (IBSE) -- within the overarching context of the EU Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) initiative. Integrating these…

International professional experiences have long been esteemed by universities and pre-service teachers alike. This paper analyses the experiences of six academics who have supervised Australian pre-service teachers undertaking international professional experience (PE), with a view to better understanding the problems and prospects that they…

The development of new medicines holds particular fascination for chemistry, biochemistry, and biology students interested in a career in medicine or the life sciences. The identification and refinement of lead compounds to treat diseases requires researchers to be facile in a number of different disciplines including organic synthesis,…

Content area literacy has an important role in helping students understand content in specific disciplines, such as mathematics. Although the strategies are not unique to each individual content area, they are often adapted for use in a specific discipline. For example, mathematicians use mathematical language to make sense of new ideas and…

Based on a teaching intervention with modelling activities involving experimental work in 9th grade classes, the goal of this study is to find out how students estimate the credibility a modelling task setting when it integrates a hands-on experimental approach. The theoretical background is based on the concept of authenticity and its long…

In this study we designed, implemented, and evaluated an outreach programme for high-school biology students rooted in the 'science as inquiry' approach. Accordingly, students learn about science from experts in the field, as well as through in-class exposure to the history and philosophy of science. Our sample consisted of 11th graders (n = 497),…