Science Education Research Articles

Rising Stargirls: Benefits of a Creative Arts-Based Approach to Astronomy Education for Middle-School Girls from Underrepresented Groups

Women from historically marginalized groups in the sciences continue to be severely underrepresented in the fields of physics and astronomy. Young girls identifying with these groups often lose interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields well before college. Middle school (grades 6-8) emerges as a pivotal phase for nurturing science identities among girls. The educational program Rising Stargirls offers creative arts-based astronomy workshops for middle-school girls, with the aim of cultivating their science identities. We retrospectively analyze participants' responses to four key assessment items through which their engagement in science and their science identities before and after the workshops are assessed. Our findings overwhelmingly indicate that girls exhibit heightened engagement in science and enhanced science identities after engaging in the Rising Stargirls program. These outcomes underscore the merits of fostering creativity and integrating the arts into science education.

Variable Teaching of Artificial Intelligence and Data Analysis Basics in Computer Science General Education Course: Integrative Approach and Key Components of Methodology

The paper prepared in the context of mainstreaming artificial intelligence (AI) school teaching describes a model of AI and data analysis variant teaching of schoolchildren in computer science class and its components based on the integrative approach. The main aim of this study is to provide scientific and teaching community with the results of a methodological research that was carried out in Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science (Moscow Pedagogical State University) to develop methodological support for teaching schoolchildren topics related to AI technologies in both basic and secondary general education organizations and basic or advanced computer science classes. The paper summarizes current experience in AI and data analysis school teaching, with an integrative approach being the main methodological approach to designing a course for schoolchildren. The paper proposes the structure and the components of a methodology of variant teaching of AI and data analysis that considers project and extracurricular activities possibilities and the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard of Basic General Education and the Federal State Educational Standard of Secondary General Education. The paper concludes that the model that is designed in accordance with the requirements of Federal State Educational Standard and which is in a sense an “ideal” model for teaching schoolchildren AI and data analysis basics can be interpreted by educational organizations, for example, to design various learning trajectories that meet the personal needs of schoolchildren, the technical and methodological capabilities of an educational organization, and the personal character of students. Moreover, the paper emphasizes that this model for variant teaching AI and data analysis basics centered on an integrative approach is already supported with practical educational learning materials for schoolchildren (Basic General Education and Secondary General Education level) and can be used by computer science teachers in their classroom, extracurricular, and project-research activities, as well as in preparing high school students for AI and data analysis Olympiads.

Brexit, Science and Higher Education: Legal Problems and Regulatory Dilemmas of Disintegration

The purpose of the study is a dialectical consideration of the sphere of science and higher education as a factor influencing the development of integration interaction between integration entities and member states and preventing disintegration. The authors substantiate that over the years of EU membership, the United Kingdom has become a highly integrated state that has received numerous benefits in the field of science and higher education, for which Brexit can be considered a step back. The concluded agreements between London and Brussels, as well as the adopted British legislation, on the one hand, contributed to a decrease in the flow of students and representatives of the academic community to the UK, and on the other, became an obstacle to the UK’s participation in projects for organizing mobility and developing the potential of universities within the framework of EU educational and research programs, previously making up a significant portion of UK university funding. As a result, the British government did not give up attempts to restore a high degree of interaction with the EU in this area. Following Windsor Framework Agreement, the two parties agreed on UK’s participation in European programs on an equal basis with colleagues from EU member states and access to appropriate funding, which, however, only partially compensates for the negative consequences of ending membership in EU. The authors emphasize that Brexit confirms that international interaction in science and higher education is an important factor in strengthening integration construction, which is fully relevant for the development and strengthening of integration of states within the Eurasian Economic Union.

Analisis Etnosains dalam Tradisi Ngawuwuh di Kabupaten Garut untuk Pembelajaran IPA

This study aims to examine the Community Knowledge of the Ngawuwuh Tradition through an Ethnoscience Approach. Ethnoscience is an approach that involves the reconstruction of indigenous knowledge into scientific knowledge. The research method employed is descriptive qualitative research. Data collection was conducted through observation, interviews, and literature review. The results of the study indicate that the Ngawuwuh Tradition has various benefits and values of goodness. The indigenous knowledge of the community regarding the Ngawuwuh tradition is obtained from experiences passed down through generations. Based on the scientific analysis, the integration of the Ngawuwuh Tradition as a form of local wisdom is found to have relevance to the science curriculum at the junior high school level, thereby making it a meaningful learning resource for students. Keyword: Ethnoscience; Science Education; Spice Beverage

Examining Science Teachers’ Conceptions of Student Interest as a Consideration in Designing Assessments

ABSTRACT A key goal of science education articulated in A Framework for K-12 Science Education is to create opportunities for students to answer questions about the world that connect to their interests, experiences, and identities. Interest can be seen as a malleable relationship between a person and object (such a phenomenon students might study). In this paper, we analyzed data from a design study of an online course focused on preparing 11 secondary teachers to design three-dimensional tasks that align to the Next Generation Science Standards and that connect to students’ interests. Our data sources were teachers’ descriptions of their design decisions about what phenomena to use to anchor assessment, designed assessment tasks, and interviews with them about those decisions. We found that interest was an important consideration for assessment design, but teachers considered student interests in different ways. Some teachers shifted their views of what it meant to engage student interests in the context of assessment design over the course of their participation in professional learning. Most teachers made decisions about what they believed their students were interested in based on their knowledge of students or beliefs about their students’ interests. In supporting teachers to design summative assessments that link to students’ interest, it is critical to assume teachers bring a range of conceptions of interest and to consider the feasibility and utility of task design tools from teachers’ point of view.

Immersive Spatial Computing: How Technology Can Improve Science Content Reading and Vocabulary in Elementary Schools

Elementary school curricular standards in the United States emphasize mathematics and literacy, while social studies and science are often left behind. Integrating science instruction with either mathematics or literacy is a strategy some teachers use to teach skills and concepts in both disciplines. Understanding science at a young age is reliant on grasping vocabulary that is new to the learner. Integrating visual imagery into reading instruction improves students’ comprehension, enhances retrieval, and increases retention. The media-based reading enhancement of text through spatial computing has begun to show promise for the integration of science vocabulary and reading comprehension, especially for low-proficiency readers. This paper provides a literary rationale for technology-enhanced intervention, provides examples of a study conducted to test the efficacy of such an intervention, presents the implications of the study’s findings, and discusses future avenues for how spatial computing might be used in science and literacy instruction in the future.

The internationalization of Chinese social sciences research: publication, collaboration, and citation patterns in economics, education, and political science

ABSTRACT Despite recent Chinese government policies aiming to balance international and national publishing patterns, the enduring impact on China's global engagements, publications, and collaborations remains uncertain. Analyzing 8,962 publications from Scopus between 2016 and 2020, the paper assesses publication, collaboration, and citation patterns among the top 500 productive China-affiliated scholars within Economics, Education, and Political Science. Results indicate that publications are primarily in Western journals, with Political Science often focusing on China-specific issues, suggesting potential ‘silos’. Co-authorship patterns show Western dominance, with diverse international collaborations in Education and Economics, but more national-focused in Political Science. The paper concludes with discussions on practical implications and study limitations.

Innovative Uses of Technologies in Science, Mathematics and STEM Education in K-12 Contexts

Innovative Uses of Technologies in Science, Mathematics and STEM Education in K-12 Contexts

The Situation of Senior Citizens in the UK and Poland

The aim of this article is to compare and analyse the life situation of older people in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Poland. The similarities and differences presented within this paper are based on the results of conducted research in both countries, statistical data analysis and scholar papers. The article addresses such areas influencing the quality of life of older people as: demography, medical care, the pension system, social care homes, social and cultural activities of seniors, medical support and long-term care systems. This article is also a reference to the quantitative and qualitative research project "The World Tailored to Seniors - the Situation of Older People in Poland" conducted by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland and Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, Poland in 2024.

To the 70th Anniversary of the 1953 Meeting on Psychology: The First Post-Stalinist Event

The authors tried to take a new look at a little-known for Russian psychological science event — the II All-Union Meeting on Psychology, convened by the Presidium of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of the RSFSR and held in Moscow from July 3 to 8, 1953, the 70th anniversary of which was celebrated in 2023. The meeting was organized a year after the Meeting on psychology, convened on the initiative of the Presidium of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of the RSFSR and held from June 30 to July 5, 1952. Unlike the Meeting of 1952, where there were mainly theoretical speeches, in the reports at the 1953 Meeting psychologists presented concrete psychological research carried out experimentally, thus summarizing some preliminary results of the reorganization of psychological science on the basis of the teachings of I.P. Pavlov. There were three thematic groups of reports: language and thinking, sensation and perception, typological differences of human higher nervous activity, in which there was a desire to find concrete ways of genuine reorganization of the whole system of psychology on the basis of I.P. Pavlov’s doctrine of higher nervous activity. The disadvantages of the speeches were recognized as the weak connection of specific studies, carried out by the method of objective physiological analysis, with psychological problems, the loss of the specificity of psychological research, the dominance of questions of physiological analysis, the uncritical use of old psychological methods, and the formal use of I.P. Pavlov’s teaching. Another important issue discussed at the Meeting was the Prospectus of the textbook edited by professors S.L. Rubinstein, A.N. Leontiev, A.A. Smirnov, and B.M. Teplov, full members of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of the RSFSR.

Scientific images from the history of science to primary education: Insights from historiographic research on the visual history of science for the compilation of primary school science textbooks

Since 2008, the author of this paper has conducted historiographic research on the visual history of science in the West since the mid-twentieth century. The findings show that the cognitive functions of visual scientific representations in the history of science are connected with theories of knowledge development in dialectical materialist epistemology and theories on children's cognitive features at different ages in developmental psychology, as well as the stage-specific curriculum objectives outlined in the Compulsory Education Science Curriculum Standards (2022 Edition). These insights provide essential inspiration and theoretical support for the establishment of the twin-theme logical structure in the Primary School Science Textbooks (Daxiang Edition)—core competencies as the warp and cognitive development as the weft—and for the intentional cultivation of students’ cognitive abilities using scientific images across different learning stages and textbooks.

Community-Engaged Research Projects in School Settings: Science Teachers’ Practices and Reflections

Community-engaged research (CER) is a justice-oriented research paradigm that emphasizes equitable and reciprocal knowledge co-production with community members and organizations, sharing power, benefits, contributions, and responsibilities among all participants. This study explores nine teachers’ cases of facilitating CER projects in their respective school settings, aimed to support students’ critical consciousness and action for environmental issues and injustices. This study contributes to educational research by adapting an existing framework for CER for environmental justice that can guide K-12 teaching and research on it. By analyzing data from teacher community meetings and individual interviews in the CER framework, this study articulates classroom practices that addressed the Distribution, Procedure, Recognition, and Transformation dimensions of CER, as well as the positive impacts and challenges of these implementations. The findings report teacher practices categorized by the CER dimensions they addressed (the what of the practices) and the instructional strategies they employed (the how of the practices). The findings also compare the frequency of these practices as an indicator of variation in teacher practices and illustrate this variation through three teachers’ CER cases. The findings also document the positive outcomes of CER in student empowerment, as well as the challenges related to time, resources, assessment, and stakeholder skepticism, underscoring the need for systemic support to enhance CER in school settings. The discussion focuses on the implications of these findings and ways to address the identified challenges through future research and institutional efforts.

Navigating Academic Language in English Medium Instruction (EMI) Science Classrooms in Hong Kong

The use of English to teach content subjects is a growing phenomenon in schools around the world. However, many content teachers in English medium instruction (EMI) classrooms are unsure of the extent to which they should focus on academic language while teaching their subjects. Should they focus on content and not be overly concerned about language, or should they put more emphasis on fostering students’ academic language skills? This study explored the role of academic language in EMI science classrooms from the perspective of secondary teachers and students in Hong Kong through the lens of Systematic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and a sociocultural approach to academic language. Interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with 10 teachers and 50 students, respectively. The results reveal the participants’ attitudes towards academic language in science learning, report relevant practices, and highlight the challenges and coping strategies for teaching and learning academic language in science classrooms. The data shows that the participating teachers and students all had a preference for teaching and learning science content over language. The teachers expressed concerns regarding their students’ limited academic English proficiency for effective communication during science lessons. However, the students focused overwhelmingly on their lack of vocabulary knowledge. Both groups also demonstrated a lack of effective strategies to improve academic English abilities necessary for authentic communication during science learning. The implications of the value of using different registers of English to facilitate EMI science learning are discussed.

Students' situational engagement profiles in formal and informal science learning environments

AbstractStudent engagement is widely considered to be a multidimensional construct consisting of behavioral, cognitive, and affective components. Recent research has examined student engagement in science learning contexts using holistic approaches that account for multidimensionality through the identification of engagement profiles. However, it is not yet clear whether identified science engagement profiles are consistent across different samples, different learning environments, or different modes of measurement. Using data from three extant datasets involving middle‐ and high‐school aged youth, we explored the consistency of students' situational engagement profiles across science learning environments (formal and informal) and modes of measurement (experience sampling and end‐of‐class reports). Results from latent profile analyses of students' behavioral, cognitive, and affective engagement identified four common profiles across the three datasets, though each dataset had its own unique profile solution (ranging from five to seven profiles). Consistent profiles across the three datasets included universally low, moderate, recreational, and full engagement. Three additional engagement profiles were identified (rational, purposeful, and busy engagement), though they emerged inconsistently across the samples. Findings speak to the applicability of conceptual frameworks of engagement to science learning contexts. Results are discussed considering environmental (formal vs. informal learning environments) and methodological considerations (experience sampling vs. end of class report).

Engaging Preservice Secondary Science Teachers in TeachLivETM to Support English Learners in Developing and Communicating Science Ideas: An Innovation Guided by a Trifocal Approach

To meet the needs of English learners (ELs) and the call of the Next Generation Science Standards to engage all students in communicating science ideas, a collaboration between science, second language acquisition, and disciplinary literacy teacher educators resulted in a trifocal approach within a reformed science teacher education program. The purpose of this study is to explore how TeachLivETM, a mixed-reality simulation technology, was used to prepare preservice teachers (PSTs) to support ELs in communicating science ideas through questioning. Findings from transcribed lessons, coaching sessions, and PST self-reports show that TeachLivETM provided opportunities to practice questioning and reflect on challenges, and was a collaborative learning context. The significance for secondary science teacher education and inservice teacher professional development is presented.

Supporting Human and Machine Co-Learning in Citizen Science: Lessons From Gravity Spy

We explore the bi-directional relationship between human and machine learning in citizen science. Theoretically, the study draws on the zone of proximal development (ZPD) concept, which allows us to describe AI augmentation of human learning, human augmentation of machine learning, and how tasks can be designed to facilitate co-learning. The study takes a design-science approach to explore the design, deployment, and evaluations of the Gravity Spy citizen science project. The findings highlight the challenges and opportunities of co-learning, where both humans and machines contribute to each other’s learning and capabilities. The study takes its point of departure in the literature on co-learning and develops a framework for designing projects where humans and machines mutually enhance each other’s learning. The research contributes to the existing literature by developing a dynamic approach to human-AI augmentation, by emphasizing that the ZPD supports ongoing learning for volunteers and keeps machine learning aligned with evolving data. The approach offers potential benefits for project scalability, participant engagement, and automation considerations while acknowledging the importance of tutorials, community access, and expert involvement in supporting learning.

A bibliometric analysis of Indonesian stem education research (2019–2023): Trends, contributors, and future directions

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is a global priority, but effective implementation faces challenges. This bibliometric study analyzed the results of Indonesian STEM education research to elucidate publication and contributor patterns. The Scopus database was searched for Indonesian STEM education publications from 2019–2023 and produced 52 documents from 23 sources. The analysis found a negative average growth rate of −5.43%, with a peak of 14 releases in 2020, possibly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the output was relatively limited, the diversity of sources suggests wide-ranging interest. The leading authors were identified based on their productivity and impact on citation, with Wahono. emerging as the most influential worldwide. Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia was an institutional leader. The Journal of Physics Conference series dominated the contributions and emphasized the role of conference proceedings. Examination of the citations and text frequencies revealed key themes that include technology, engineering, pedagogy, and skills of the 21st century. Several widely cited works ensured international visibility. In general, this bibliometric analysis quantitatively mapped the landscape of Indonesian STEM education research, finding a decline in performance but a strong foundation of committed institutions and authors. The sustainability of production and impact requires targeted policies based on insight into existing strengths, productive scholars, and influential publications. The results provide an empirical basis for practices and policies for the effective development of STEM education in Indonesian schools.

Liveworksheet-Based E-LKPD and Interest in Learning Improves Science and Social Learning Outcomes for Elementary School Students

This research was motivated by students who had difficulty understanding the learning material. This impacts low student learning outcomes due to using less creative and innovative learning media in grade IV elementary school. This study aims to analyze the influence of direct worksheet-based E-LKDP and interest in learning on social studies learning outcomes for fourth-grade elementary school students. This research design uses a quantitative type of research. The research method used in this research is the correlational research method. The population in this study was 132 students. The sampling technique used in this research is Probability Sampling with the Simple Random Sampling type. The methods used to collect data are interviews, questionnaires and documentation. The instruments used in this research are questionnaires and documentation. The techniques used to analyze data are descriptive statistical analysis, analysis prerequisite tests, and hypothesis testing. The research results show that the influence of live worksheet-based E-LKPD and interest in learning on the learning outcomes of class IV students in science subjects is significant. It was concluded that live worksheet-based E-LKPD can improve the learning outcomes of class IV students in science subjects.

Closing the educational gap for first generation learners: an exploratory study of interactive learning for underprivileged children in India

Previous research studies have indicated that interactive tools where information is presented through computer mediated technology using elements like text, still images, graphics, animation, video, audio, etc., increase student performance as students (men and women) give more attention and enjoy lessons taught with interactive tools. In India, an increasing number of students belonging to disadvantaged classes withdraw from schools due to a lot of contributing factors such as inability to afford education, disinterest of parents, access to transportation, etc. This study, by applying a mix-methods approach, explores the potential of an interactive learning prototype of a website, in increasing engagement, retention and learning level of grade 4 students who are first generation students. In-class observation and semi-structured interviews, tests, and a questionnaire were used as instruments to collect qualitative and quantitative data from 58 participants. Two types of groups, experimental and control, were examined in the Environmental Science and Maths classes. Experimental groups were taught with the website while control groups were taught in a traditional class. Results show the average test scores of experimental groups in both the subjects to be higher than the control groups. Students preferred learning through interactive tools with colourful images and animations.

Investigating Preservice Science Teachers’ Perceived Values of an Interdisciplinary Climate Change Laboratory Project

Investigating Preservice Science Teachers’ Perceived Values of an Interdisciplinary Climate Change Laboratory Project