A major aspect of the power of a historically based science story derives from its ability to cultivate interest in the reader or listener. In this paper, we review the research on interest originating from diverse scholarly areas and apply it to the understanding, construction, and effective use of science stories in both formal and informal…

This Issue Brief summarizes data collected from the ACT Career Club in Whyville, a leading educational virtual world for children ages 8-15, with an emphasis on student behavior within the CareerQuest room. We try to use visitors' behavior to understand the development of adolescents' career interests and understanding about occupations.…

This study explored, from the perspective of intellectual passion developed by Michael Polanyi, the unintended learning that occurred in primary practical science lessons. We use the term "unintended" learning to distinguish it from "intended" learning that appears in teachers' learning objectives. Data were collected using…

Children are naturally curious about the world around them and are often intrigued by everyday objects and experiences. Primary school teachers frequently make use of "WOW moments" to generate children's interest in science (Feasey, 2005). These moments capitalise on the children's fascination with objects and experiences in their…

Purpose: The aim of this research was to analyze change of STEM career choices of female students having different cognitive styles who participated in out-of-school STEM activities. Socio-economically disadvantaged, high academic achiever 20 female students participated in the research. Participants received integrated STEM training for six days…

In the teaching process of Social Studies course, which includes many disciplines including literature, students have chance to increase their interest in different subjects and to develop their mental skills as well. In this context, the study aimed to determine the opinions for prospective teachers and middle school students about the use of…

We describe two established STEM camps that went virtual following the outbreak of COVID-19 during the summer of 2020. Our Summer Research Opportunity (SRO) camp engages middle school science fair winners in a forensic research opportunity, while The Immokalee Foundation (TIF) camp introduces middle school students from historically…

This study examines Spanish secondary school teachers' views of gender differences in academic achievement and study choices. Thirty-six secondary school teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. Most teachers acknowledged that girls had better school performance, particularly in reading comprehension. Some were also acquainted with a…

Research output is seen as an indicator of quality. Emerging higher education hubs, such as the United Arab Emirates, are heavily focused on developing research activity within the constraints of a developing research culture. This paper employs a case study model of a research-intensive university in Dubai to highlight key challenges and…

Introduction: Disability simulation activities are commonly used for various purposes in higher education; however, instructors may be unaware of controversies regarding their use. The purpose of this research was to assess the effects of an activity using low vision goggles to simulate visual impairment in the context of an undergraduate course…

Community colleges are a vital source of students in the STEM career pipeline. Yet, research indicates that rather than diversifying the STEM workforce, community colleges may be perpetuating gender imbalances. This qualitative phenomenological study was designed to examine differences in male and female experiences in two male-dominated community…

The present study investigated whether self-estimation bias in maths competence was associated with motivational costs or benefits, concurrently and prospectively, and whether these associations depended on students' achievement levels. Participants were 2,807 seventh grade students who were reassessed after 2 years to examine the longitudinal…

Attitude toward science has been recognized as highly influential in students' engagement with science and future career choices. Science is important in our everyday lives as well, in a society demanding more scientific vocations and higher levels of scientific literacy. There is little research on how attitudes develop and evolve at early ages,…

Children's books support children's development, but many factors influence interest in engaging with books, including book physical features. Additionally, the lack of diverse children's books makes it difficult to determine whether racial characters influence children's book preferences. This study utilized a forced-choice selection task to…

This mixed-methods study explored the factors secondary history teachers use to determine historical content for their classrooms and the degree of perceived control in decision-making. Through a survey (N = 260) and follow-up interviews (n = 23), we found that secondary history teachers in the United States ranked historical significance most…