STEM Education Research Articles

Mapping the Kazakhstani STEM Education Landscape: A Review of National Research

The aim of this study was to map the current status of STEM education in Kazakhstan. The study encompasses 24 studies selected through a literature search in Google Scholar, ERIC, Web of Science, and Scopus. The descriptive characteristics of the reviewed studies reveal a significant increase in STEM education publications in Kazakhstan since 2019, indicating a growing emphasis on this field. The reviewed studies, spanning the years 2019 to 2023, included diverse formats such as journal articles, conference proceedings, book chapters, theses, and review articles. Notably, the reviewed studies involved participants from both K-12 and university levels, with a particular focus on female students in some studies. The thematically organized findings of the reviewed studies highlighted challenges faced by STEM education in Kazakhstan, including students’ perceptions about STEM subjects and careers, school environment and educational culture, and societal and gendered expectations. Creating interactive learning environments, addressing biases, dismantling gender stereotypes, and challenging traditional norms were identified as crucial steps to encourage the participation of young women in STEM disciplines. This study contributes to understanding STEM education in Kazakhstan and provides a foundation for future cross-country comparisons, emphasizing the necessity for adaptable approaches in designing and evaluating STEM initiatives in evolving educational contexts.

Choose your own T-cell fate: creation of a narrative-based, decision-making activity to engage students in immunology.

Undergraduate courses in immunology are content-heavy and combined with a new, complex vocabulary, can be an overwhelming subject for students. In-class active learning approaches have been found to improve understanding of difficult concepts in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines; however, many undergraduate courses maintain a high dependence on lecture-style teaching because of time constraints, content demands and student resistance. We designed an online, out-of-class activity, the "Life and Death of a Tcell", to complement a lecture on a complex immunological concept, T-cell development. Inspired by the "Choose Your Own Adventure" children's books, a fictional narrative was created in which students assume the role of a cell with a dream of becoming a helper Tcell. Decision-making scenarios then prompt students to draw on their knowledge from the lecture to successfully navigate the steps of T-cell development. The activity was built on two platforms, Google Forms and H5P (HTML 5 Package), both of which are readily accessible and allow the inclusion of branching logic and the creation of a decision tree-based activity. An anonymous survey revealed that students found this interactive approach enjoyable, and their perceived understanding of the content significantly increased. Students appreciated the inclusion of a novel learning resource, with requests for similar activities to be developed for other immunological concepts. In conclusion, we developed a narrative-based, decision-making activity to complement a lecture on T-cell development. As an out-of-class activity, this style of learning approach can potentially capitalize on the benefits of active learning, while also overcoming barriers of student resistance.

National STEM Education Framework: Teachers’ Perspectives on the 2015-2022 Curriculum Cycle

Throughout the world, nations are busy investing in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to prepare innovative minds that can spearhead the development and sustainable growth of their economies. Zimbabwe’s participation in the global economy is premised on the preference for STEM education system. The introduction of the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) in Zimbabwe meant a shift in the general aims and objectives of the education system. The transformation meant a move from an academic oriented and content-focused curriculum to one that is skills-based, giving prominence to continuous assessment over final examinations. To explore classroom practitioners’ perceptions of the first cycle of the CBC, 20 purposively selected STEM teachers participated in the study. A qualitative research approach and case study design were adopted as study methodology. Thematically analysed data were collected through focus group interviews with participants. The study focused on support systems available for STEM education in secondary schools and how the absence of the national framework affects its implementation. The study found that there were limited support systems for STEM education as some schools did not have adequate facilities and equipment such as science laboratories, apparatus, science consumables, computer laboratories, computer hardware and software among others. It came out from the study that the absence of national framework had negative effect on the implementation of STEM education in secondary schools. The study concluded that though the secondary schools experienced constraints in implementing STEM education there were noticeable pockets of good practices in some schools, for example, learners graduating with competences for life skills. The study recommended that the schools should engage stakeholders for support in provision of required resources. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should expedite the development of a national framework for the effective implementation of STEM education.

Virtual Digital Laboratory Vernier as a Tool of Implementing STEM-Education Principles in Physics Lessons

The article highlights the results of the theoretical and methodological analysis of the issue of the use of the Vernier digital virtual laboratory as an innovative tool for implementing the principles of STEM education in physics lessons in high school. The purpose of this research paper is to justify the feasibility of integrating digital laboratories into the physics curriculum, which allows for its modernization through the integration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The study's methodological foundation is based on the active learning concept developed by D. Sokoloff, R. Thornton and P. Laws. According to it, the active nature of learning physics using the Vernier digital laboratory is ensured by the ability to conduct real, high-precision, and multiple measurements of various physical quantities, analyze the obtained data, visualize them as graphs or charts, and interactively adjust and generalize the results of the experiment. The main advantages and disadvantages of using this innovative learning tool have been analyzed, and its compliance with safety, accessibility and adaptability requirements has been determined. The content of implementing the scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical aspects of STEM education through the methodology of using the Vernier digital laboratory in physics lessons has been explored. An example of a tentative lesson plan for a physics class using the Vernier digital laboratory is provided. Based on the conducted research and the practice of using the Vernier digital laboratory in middle school physics lessons, it has been concluded that it has significant and comprehensive educational potential as an innovative tool for implementing STEM education principles.

Teachers’ Attitudes Towards STEM Education: Exploring the Role of Their Readiness via a Structural Equation Model

Over the past decade, there has been an intensified emphasis on STEM education to correspond with the goals of twenty-first century education. Educators play a vital role in executing a cohesive approach to interdisciplinary teaching and learning; hence, considerable focus has been directed towards the elements influencing teachers’ attitudes. The study aimed to provide empirical evidence illustrating the significant influence of teachers’ readiness on predicting attitudes. This was achieved by developing a conceptual model that explores the factors affecting individuals’ attitudes towards teaching STEM courses. The emphasis was put on self-efficacy, commitment, cognitive readiness, emotional readiness, and teaching attitudes. A total of 494 Greek primary and secondary education teachers participated electronically in the survey, answering according to the TRi_STEM and TASET scales. The validity of the conceptual model was evaluated using a structural equation model (SEM). The results demonstrated a positive association among all six factors. More notably, general attitudes towards teaching impact positively, either directly or indirectly, the four readiness variables and, finally, teachers’ attitudes towards STEM education. The current study contributes to the existing body of the literature by identifying and analyzing critical attributes that substantially impact teachers’ attitudes towards teaching STEM courses.

Science in the Language of the Heart: Ukrainian Language and Literature in the New Ukrainiian School as a Driver of STEM Development

The article outlines the pathways for integrating STEM disciplines into the planning of Ukrainian language and literature lessons in secondary education institutions within the framework of the New Ukrainian School. It substantiates the growing need for interdisciplinary approaches that foster the development of core competencies while considering the advantages, potential risks, and limitations of the proposed methods. The emphasis is placed on the importance of combining humanities with natural and mathematical sciences to enhance students' understanding of a holistic worldview, illustrating the need to avoid focusing solely on one aspect of development (so-called «humanitarians» and «technocrats»). The article offers theoretical and practical recommendations for developing STEM projects that engage students in creative literary exploration through applying scientific principles and doctrines. The effective combination of STEM education principles with the field of philology enables the creation of a dynamic and effective educational environment where students perceive the interconnectedness of knowledge, develop a well-rounded intellect, and receive foundational preparation for higher education. Methods of linguistic analysis of scientific texts are discussed, demonstrating how language skills can be enhanced through scientific discourse. To illustrate the material, approximate schemes for planning integrated lessons with specific examples from both linguistic-literary and scientific perspectives are provided. To improve understanding and engagement of modern students, emphasis is placed on using digital tools and platforms that ensure integration, including online resources, interactive modeling, multimedia content and artificial intelligence. The necessity for alignment among educators of various disciplines is evident to ensure a fair assessment of proficiency in the state language and scientific literacy, which is a crucial issue during wartime when language matters become increasingly prominent, alongside scientific and mathematical literacy, for building an intellectually developed country.

Professional Development of Teachers in the Context of STEM Education as a Relevant Psychological and Pedagogical Issue

The article analyzes scientific research related to the issues of professional development of teachers in the context of STEM education, which is determined as a prerequisite for improving the quality of education. It is determined that the professional development of teachers in the context of STEM education involves mastering the knowledge and skills necessary for the implementation of STEM programs and methods, adaptability and cognitive flexibility, professional self-improvement, etc. This process should be systematic and continuous and requires training and professional development during courses, scientific and practical seminars, conferences, workshops, summer schools, and other educational events. The article presents the results of a study that highlights the psychological and pedagogical aspects of teachers' professional development in the context of STEM education, and identifies a number of problems with professional support for educators. The authors of the publication substantiate the relevance of teacher training to ensure the competitiveness and high quality of the educational process. The steps for effective professional pedagogical development in modern conditions are highlighted and a list of resources for the professional development of the teaching community in the context of STEM education is proposed.

Combining Natural Language Processing with Epistemic Network Analysis to Investigate Student Knowledge Integration within an AI Dialog

AbstractIn this study, we used Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA) to represent data generated by Natural Language Processing (NLP) analytics during an activity based on the Knowledge Integration (KI) framework. The activity features a web-based adaptive dialog about energy transfer in photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Students write an initial explanation, respond to two adaptive prompts in the dialog, and write a revised explanation. The NLP models score the KI level of the initial and revised explanations. They also detect the ideas in the explanations and the dialog responses. The dialog uses the detected ideas to prompt students to elaborate and refine their explanations. Participants were 196 8th-grade students at a public school in the Western United States. We used ENA to represent the idea networks at each KI score level for the revised explanations. We also used ENA to analyze the idea trajectories for the initial explanation, the two dialog responses, and the final explanation. Higher KI levels were associated with more links and increased frequency of mechanistic ideas in ENA representations. Representation of the trajectories suggests that the NLP adaptive dialog helped students who started with descriptive and macroscopic ideas to add more microscopic ideas. The dialog also helped students who started with partially linked ideas to keep linking the microscopic ideas to mechanistic ideas. We discuss implications for STEM teachers and researchers who are interested in how students build on their ideas to integrate their ideas.

Fostering Sustainable Female Participation in STEM Through Ecological Systems Theory: A Comparative Study in Three African Countries

This study explores factors influencing female engagement in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields in Mozambique, Nigeria, and Uganda through Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. The research collected qualitative data from 81 women across these countries through open-ended surveys. Using content analysis, the results demonstrate the critical role of personal interests nurtured by family, showing how direct interactions with family influence STEM engagement at a microsystem level. The mesosystem level reveals the supportive influence of community and school interactions, emphasizing the importance of relationships between different microsystems, such as family–school collaborations, in fostering female participation in STEM. The exosystem level identifies the impact of positive media portrayals and role models, illustrating how external environments indirectly affect perceptions and aspirations in STEM through media and societal influences. The macrosystem level underscores the persistent cultural norms shaping gender roles, reflecting broader societal and cultural values that influence gender diversity in STEM fields, with 63% of respondents in Mozambique, 57% in Nigeria, and 67% in Uganda indicating that societal views on gender roles discouraged participation. Lastly, the chronosystem level captures the temporal changes and progress in gender diversity in STEM, highlighting the need for targeted interventions and policy reforms to address longstanding gender imbalances. Despite progress, significant gender imbalances remain, necessitating targeted interventions and policy reforms. The study proposes a sustainable, collaborative model to foster early interest and sustained participation of females in STEM, emphasizing the importance of seamless cooperation among families, educational institutions, communities, and government bodies. The findings aid in creating supportive environments for sustaining female STEM participation, promoting economic and social development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Role of Critical Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education to Create Pathways into STEM for Racially Minoritized Communities

This longitudinal study examines the long-term impact of critical pedagogy on the academic and social development of students from a marginalized Mexican American borderland community, with a specific focus on their trajectories in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Drawing on in-depth interviews with three students who participated in a critical pedagogical approach during their formative elementary years, this case study explores how power, agency, and curiosity were cultivated in the classroom and how these elements influenced the students’ pursuit of higher education and careers in STEM ten years later. The findings reveal that an equitable distribution of power and the fostering of student agency through critical-based pedagogies empowered students to engage critically with their learning and to challenge systemic barriers. Furthermore, this study highlights the role of early curiosity in sustaining students’ interest in STEM, despite encountering obstacles in higher education environments dominated by market-driven influences. By situating this research within the broader context of critical pedagogy and its emphasis on social justice, the study underscores the transformative potential of education in shaping the futures of minoritized students in STEM disciplines.

Leveraging professional learning communities in linking digital professional development and instructional integration: evidence from 16,072 STEM teachers

BackgroundIntegration of digital tools and resources in STEM instruction has garnered significant attention due to its high potential. Digital professional development is identified as a pivotal factor for equipping teachers with necessary digital skills to effectively orchestrate digital resources. Notably, the role of professional learning communities is considered critical. However, the intricate relationships among digital professional development, professional learning communities, and digital instructional integration among STEM teachers remain underexplored. Utilizing partial least-squares–structural equation models (PLS–SEM), the present study examined links in digital professional development, professional learning communities, and digital instructional integration among STEM teachers (N = 16,072) who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022.ResultsFindings from the PLS–SEM analysis indicate that digital professional development exhibits a direct positive relationship with professional learning communities and digital instructional integration. Relatedly, professional learning communities is positively correlated with digital instructional integration. In terms of indirect effect, findings show that professional learning communities play a significant positive mediating role in linking digital professional development and digital instructional integration.ConclusionsThis study reports new evidence on the influence of digital professional development on digital instructional integration through professional learning communities among 16,072 STEM teachers and concludes that, when STEM teachers regularly immerse themselves in professional learning communities, they are more likely to benefit from their digital professional development by integrating digital technologies in classroom instruction. Policymakers and educational leaders should consider promoting digital professional development and professional learning communities among STEM teachers, along with efforts to encourage digital instructional integration.

Application of artificial intelligence in career development of women in STEM field: Counseling, network construction and recruitment

With the rapid development of science and technology, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is increasingly extensive, which provides a new idea for solving the challenges of women's career development in STEM. This paper deeply discusses the application of AI in counseling, network construction and recruitment of women's STEM career development, aiming at promoting gender equality and women's career growth. In career counseling, AI technology provides customized career advice and development path for women through deep learning and big data analysis. According to personal education background, skill level, hobbies and career goals, the system intelligently recommends suitable career directions, and updates industry trends and job market data in real time to help women make more informed career choices. The AI tutoring system also enhances women's professional self-confidence through functions such as simulated interviews and career planning exercises. In terms of network construction, AI helps women to expand their professional networks more effectively through intelligent recommendation system. Based on user behavior data and preferences, AI accurately recommends industry seminars, technical exchange activities and online communities to promote women to establish contacts with like-minded professionals. AI also assists women in managing and maintaining network relationships, ensures the continuity of network interaction through intelligent reminding functions, and identifies key nodes and influential people to enhance network quality. In the recruitment process, AI technology reduces gender bias and improves the fairness and transparency of recruitment through automatic resume screening, standardized interview process and competency-based evaluation model. AI system can analyze a large amount of data, accurately match the skills and job requirements of female candidates, and improve the employment rate of women in STEM field. At the same time, through transparent algorithm decision-making process and fairness check, the potential gender bias problem in AI algorithm is overcome. The research in this paper provides theoretical support and practical guidance for using AI technology to promote women's career development in STEM field, and helps to build a more equal and inclusive scientific and technological working environment.

STEM Teacher Candidates’ Preparation for Online Teaching: Promoting Technological and Pedagogical Knowledge

Emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on pedagogical challenges that require the immediate attention of teacher education programs. This paper focuses on teacher candidates’ preparation to teach online in a STEM curriculum and pedagogy course in a teacher education program at a Canadian university. The authors present a two-phase study of two cohorts of teacher candidates enrolled in this course and explore 1) their perceptions of the dynamics and effectiveness of online teaching as a teaching modality, and 2) the impact of the course on their technological and pedagogical skills necessary for online teaching. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through pre- and post-surveys administered online at the beginning and end of the course. Findings suggest that teacher candidates’ engagement with course content resulted in a notable improvement in their views toward online teaching as a teaching modality, pedagogical approaches, and personal abilities utilizing innovative online teaching strategies. This research emphasizes the necessity for comprehensive training programs that enhance teacher candidates’ technological competencies while simultaneously refining their pedagogical methodologies for online settings. Implications for teacher education research and practice are discussed.

Educational Robotics and Preservice Teachers: STEM Problem-Solving Skills and Self-Efficacy to Teach

Integrating STEM education within the elementary school science curriculum in Ontario, Canada, elevated the expectation for elementary preservice teachers to teach STEM skills such as problem-solving through coding. Research shows that educational robotics can promote STEM knowledge and skills. This mixed methods study investigates the effect of an educational robotics intervention on preservice teachers’ STEM problem-solving skills and their self-efficacy to teach with educational robotics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data sources included a pre- and post­questionnaire on problem-solving, a pre- and post- self-efficacy teaching questionnaire, a problem-solving worksheet, and transcripts of group interactions. Quantitative findings were statistically significant for preservice teachers’ self-efficacy to teach with educational robotics (large effect size) and for problem-solving competencies (small effect size). Using a STEM problem-solving framework, two preservice teacher group interactions were analysed. Qualitative findings indicated that preservice teachers exhibited similar problem-solving processes as STEM experts, but preservice teachers’ prior STEM knowledge limited the types of decisions considered at the problem-solving stages. The study provides an example of how preservice teachers’ self-efficacy to teach with educational robotics was developed within a science education course and lends unique insights into the problem-solving processes these preservice teacher groups engaged in.

The longitudinal retention of STEM students through a multifaceted mentoring and tutoring program

ABSTRACT This 4-year longitudinal study identified the impact of a multifaceted mentoring and tutoring program on the retention and graduation rates of a diverse body of undergraduate college students enrolled in high-risk science courses. Findings revealed that the program was successful in increasing the retention and graduation rates of students who participated in the program. All student cohorts tutored through the program demonstrated significantly higher survival rates when they increased their usage of tutoring, threby demonstrating greater survival to retention. Notably, cohorts with high as well as those with low academic competencies achieved the highest 4-year retention survival probabilities when they participated in six or more tutoring sessions. Additionally, through further analysis, a predictive model derived from this research offers a valuable tool that can be strategically utilized to improve retention and/or graducation outcomes of at-risk populations and underrepresented populations in STEM education.

Using text-scrolling to increase student engagement in the STEM classroom: a collaboration

The benefits of using active-learning approaches to increase student engagement and participation in the HE classroom are well known (Allsop et al., 2020). In STEM disciplines specifically, active-learning approaches can contribute to a reduction in achievement gaps for underrepresented students by promoting self-efficacy and a sense of belonging (Kovarik, Robinson and Wenzel, 2022). Despite these benefits, academics in those disciplines may be reluctant to adopt active learning for reasons such as lack of familiarity or more time spent in traditional, lecture-style delivery (Arnaud, 2021). This presentation reported on the outcome of a small-scale pedagogical innovation in one tutorial of a first-year undergraduate theory module in Chemistry. The aim was to increase students’ classroom engagement in the tutorial by using a text-mapping activity with scrolled research papers (Abegglen et al., 2019), with the additional benefit of introducing tutors to this active-learning technique. The transcript of a professional conversation between a Chemistry lecturer and Learning Developer discussing the approach along with slides outlining a typical session were circulated to tutors a week prior to the timetabled tutorial. Qualitative feedback from tutors was presented to indicate the success of the text-mapping activity as a way of increasing student engagement in the tutorial. Insights were also gained about tutors’ own perceptions of pedagogical value and confidence in adopting such approaches in future. Implications were presented for how the first-year tutorials might be redesigned to include more active learning, as well as how Learning Developers can work in collaboration with academic colleagues in STEM programmes.

Institutional implementation of Industry 4.0 competencies in TVET programmes in the Indo-Pacific: Critical success factors

This article responds to the question: What are the critical success factors that support the implementation of Industry 4.0 competencies in TVET (technical and vocational education and training) programme offerings? The scope of our study was programme offerings targeting STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields at the tertiary level across 15 countries in the Indo-Pacific region. The study evaluated the ‘actions already taken’ to implement Industry 4.0 competencies, and a survey questionnaire was used to collect data. The findings identified staff capacity development, a supportive culture, the availability of resources, and public awareness as critical success factors. In addition, TVET institution type and the annual growth rate of real GDP (gross domestic product) per employed person were found to boost the relationship between these factors. This means that TVET colleges are in a weaker position in implementing Industry 4.0 compared with the other two types of institutions in the study.

Transcending Disciplinary Boundaries: The Advantages, Challenges, and Future Directions of STEM Education

Transcending Disciplinary Boundaries: The Advantages, Challenges, and Future Directions of STEM Education

The long reach of mentoring: a descriptive study of how the benefits of mentoring to mentors vary over time

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate how the benefits described by undergraduate mentors in an afterschool STEM program for elementary students changed over time the longer they served as mentors in the program. We used the afterschool program as a case study and drew on interviews with 30 mentors who served between one and six semesters in the program between 2017 and 2022. We found that the mentors developed their competence, enhanced their autonomy, and built new relationships. How and the extent to which the mentors experienced these benefits shifted over time the longer they served. Our findings add to existing research on how mentors’ experiences change over time and have implications for mentoring programs and how they support and retain mentors.

The role of virtual reality in improving the quality of professional training of natural science teachers

The use of information technologies, in particular virtual reality (VR), is becoming a topical issue in the professional training of natural science teachers. The study aims to assess the effectiveness of a professional development program that utilizes virtual reality as an educational tool to enhance the quality of training for natural science teachers. The obtained results testify to the positive impact of the VR use on various aspects of teachers’ professional training. The study found that the attitude towards technology improved significantly after the VR introduction (from 65% to 72%). The percentage of positive responses regarding the feasibility of using STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) technologies in education increased by 25%. Student feedback emphasizes the importance of integrating new technologies into STEM education. Further research should examine the training needs of STEM teachers in different educational contexts, explore effective technology integration strategies, and assess their impact on student outcomes.