This special double issue of the International Journal of Training Research with the theme 'emerging labor markets of the future--reimagining skills development and training' contains 13 articles that provide a comprehensive overview of global and regional trends that impact on emerging jobs and labor markets of the future. With particular…

Computer programming has been gradually emphasized in recent computer literacy education and regarded as a requirement for all middle school students in some countries. To understand young students' perceptions about their own learning in computer programming, this study aimed to develop an instrument, Computer Programming Self-Efficacy Scale…

This paper describes the design of an industrial informatics course, following the project-based learning methodology, and reports the experience of four academic years (from 2012-13 to 2015-16). Industrial Informatics is a compulsory course taught in the third year of the B.Sc. degree in industrial electronics and automation engineering at the…

This article explores how the use of digital devices such as fitness trackers, robotic toys and handheld mobile devices may be used by teachers to enhance student learning in geometric reasoning. It provides teachers with specific examples that encompass current pedagogy and practice to discuss the benefits of using these mobile devices within a…

As computational thinking becomes increasingly important for children to learn, we must develop interfaces that leverage the ways that young children learn to provide opportunities for them to develop these skills. Active Learning Environments with Robotic Tangibles (ALERT) and Robopad, an analogous on-screen virtual spatial programming…

Pre-college student participation in science fairs, robotics competitions, computing contests and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) competitions increases every year in the United States. This is despite the fact that little is known about the relationship between STEM competition participation and career interest in…

In a kindergarten classroom, exclamations like "Oh no!" may be causes for concern. However, when the students in Mrs. Grabia's classroom shouted "Oh no!" and "Uh oh!" during an engineering-infused 5E lesson, it meant that a persistent little robot had pushed its way out of the fences they had created. It also meant…

The results of our previous research on the pedagogical use of Speaking Robots (SRs) revealed positive effects on motivating students to practice their oral skills in a stress-free environment. However, our findings indicated that the SR was sometimes unable to understand students' foreign accented speech. In this paper, we report the results of a…

To address obstacles of adopting lesson study at scale, this study investigated how a technology-assisted lesson study (TALS) approach could remove the obstacle of scheduling while retaining positive effects of traditional lesson study (LS). The TALS approach involves embedding lesson study within teachers' normal schedules, videotaping the…

The design, implementation, and outcome of educational robots in special education have not been sufficiently examined in a systematic way. In particular, learner-based and contextual factors, as well as the essential roles played by various stakeholders have not been addressed when robots are used as a learning tool in special education.…

India is one of the fastest growing major economies and has a burgeoning young workforce. The average age in India will be 29 years by 2020. Given the limitations of absorbing growing labor force-- especially the unskilled and semi-skilled-- in service sector, focus has to be on spurring manufacturing growth to take advantage of this large pool of…

Because students have often been conditioned as passive learners and receivers of knowledge, it can be difficult for them to persevere in solving authentic problems. Nevertheless, teachers must persist in preparing students as problem solvers and critical thinkers. In an urban inner-city neighborhood school in the southeast, students embarked on a…

Fostering creativity as an imperative 21st-century skill has attracted increasing attention by educators and researchers in last decades. Many creative activities have been suggested. The current article describes the findings from a pilot study, which investigated the impact of a LEGO robotics intervention on fostering creativity among a sample…

Video-based modeling is an evidence-based practice for teaching social and communication skills, functional and daily living skills, and some academic skills to students with autism spectrum disorder. The efficacy of video-based modeling, however, has not yet been established for STEM skills related to science, technology, or engineering. Drawing…

This edited volume showcases current science education research in Canada, from pre-Kindergarten to Grade 7, conducted in Canada by a diverse group of researchers from across the country. We draw on the themes that emerged from our previous book, "Science Education in Canada: Consistencies, Commonalities, and Distinctions," to guide the…