STEM Lessons Research Articles

Exploration of the Experience of Hands-On Learning and Its Impacts on STEM Learning

The article aimed to assess the effects of hands-on learning on communicating STEM concepts. A survey was carried out involving 47 students at a gifted and talented center in Selangor, Malaysia. It was observed that after engaging in hands-on learning, there was a significant difference in the performance of the students, based on an evaluation of the pre- and post-test scores. The survey analysis shows the variables tested have positively influenced student learning. This paper is instrumental in assuring educators of the effectiveness of hands-on activities during STEM lessons.

Crafting STEM Lessons: A Systematic Literature Review on the Use of Minecraft in Education (2015-2024)

Crafting STEM Lessons: A Systematic Literature Review on the Use of Minecraft in Education (2015-2024)

Ai] Explore!: An Educational Game for Developing Programming Skills and Algorithmic Thinking

The game [ai] explore! was developed to introduce the algorithm behind the popular science exhibition. The idea behind the [ai] explore! exhibition was to show the application of mathematics and computer science in solving real engineering problems by creating the exhibit using the mathematical algorithm Heat Equation Driven Area Coverage (HEDAC). The algorithm is based on scientific research and has many applications: exploration and search in unknown space, painting, planning agricultural spraying, scanning 3D objects, etc. The exhibits show the process by which the algorithm paints objects with a virtual brush and explores their shape. By surveying the high school students, it was shown that new mathematical and engineering results can be explained and turned into a playable game. After playing the game, students respond positively to the game presented and state that they have a good understanding of the HEDAC algorithm presented and how it works. This motivated us to investigate [ai] explore! as an educational game for teaching mathematics and computer science. The aim of the research described in this paper is to investigate the potential of the developed game as an educational game. The game-based learning (GBL) approach is increasingly used to increase student motivation and engagement in STEM lessons. The main research question is: How do primary school teachers and students perceive the usefulness of the game [ai] explore! in supporting teaching and learning of computer science concepts? We have developed and implemented teaching scenarios on how the game [ai] explore! can be used as an educational game in computer science lessons. We show that the game has great potential to teach primary school students programming. In addition, the game promotes algorithmic thinking and computational thinking skills in general, which are valuable not only in computer science but also in other fields such as mathematics, where a systematic and analytical approach to problem-solving is required.

STEM образование подобряване на компетентностите на учениците чрез иновации в урока хранене и здраве в V клас

The article focuses on the importance and advantages of STEM education, emphasizing practical learning, critical thinking, and the application of scientific concepts. In Bulgaria, steps are being taken to implement the STEM approach in schools, including the creation of STEM classrooms funded by the Ministry of Education and Science. The main goal of the article is to show how innovative STEM lessons enhance the quality of education and develop key competencies in students. An experiment conducted in the 5th grade on the topic of “Nutrition and Health” demonstrated increased interest and better understanding among students through interactive methods and practical experiments, confirming the effectiveness of this approach.

Developing Skills and Attitudes for Preparation Future Workforce: STEM Education Strategies

This paper investigates the methodologies teachers could integrate into the STEM lessons of general secondary education to develop the skills and attitudes required in the workplace as a fundamental component of career readiness development. The conclusions about good practices in teaching STEM are provided by: a) participatory observation for six months in a sample of 27 students aged 16 years old of Evangeliki Model High School of Smyrna in Greece and b) simultaneous integrated design of the mixed methodological approach based on (i) descriptive statistical analysis of students’ skills scores and (ii) qualitative analysis of the data justifying how the learning activities implemented contributed to these scores.

PHÁT TRIỂN NĂNG LỰC ĐỊNH HƯỚNG NGHỀ NGHIỆP CỦA HỌC SINH QUA BÀI HỌC E-STEM “CÔNG TY THIẾT KẾ SẢN PHẨM ỨNG DỤNG CẢM BIẾN” TRONG DẠY HỌC CHUYÊN ĐỀ “MỞ ĐẦU VỀ ĐIỆN TỬ HỌC” (VẬT LÝ 11)

Based on the E-STEM theoretical framework, STEM lessons, and thematic knowledge content “Introduction to Electronics” in the 11th grade physics curriculum, the article designs the E-STEM lesson “The company designs sensor application products” to foster students’ career-oriented capabilities. Experimental results show that the lesson has an impact on the development of career-oriented competency, including STEM career awareness, STEM self-efficacy, and STEM career interest. Furthermore, although the personal emotional aspect and the decision to choose a STEM career also had an increased average score after the experimental process, it was not statistically significant. In general, students can complete tasks and respond positively to the lessons, while also having the opportunity to foster behavioral manifestations of career-oriented and physics competency. These contributions will suggest and direct the integration of E-STEM into forms of implementing STEM education in high schools in the future. Keywords: E-STEM; STEM education; entrepreneurship education; career orientation; Physics curriculum.

Vodcast as ideating medium in STEM lesson plan in teaching heat transfer

Vodcast as ideating medium in STEM lesson plan in teaching heat transfer

Examining S-T-E-M Teachers’ Design of Integrated STEM Lesson Plans

AbstractReform efforts in different parts of the world call for the adoption of integrated approaches to STEM education. However, little is known about how teachers work, as members of learning communities, to design STEM teaching material such as lesson plans. To address this gap in the literature, we examined the design of STEM lesson plans by in-service secondary teachers (n = 26) from all S-T-E-M disciplinary backgrounds who participated as members of a learning community in the context of a 7-month professional development program comprised of 13 small-group sessions. STEM lesson plans were analysed based on the key characteristics of a conceptual framework of integrated STEM, and the teachers’ identified interdisciplinary elements were analysed through the boundary objects framework. The qualitative content analysis produced four main findings: (a) divergencies take place at the disciplinary level when teachers design STEM lesson plans; (b) teachers coming from different disciplines have different positioning regarding specific integrated STEM key characteristics; (c) the type and sequence of instructional activities served as a boundary-design practice; (d) the nature of the boundary objects that teachers identify in order to teach integrated STEM differs according to the discipline. The findings of the study shed light on teachers’ understanding and needs at the disciplinary level and call for specially designed STEM professional development programmes that provide explicit opportunities for disciplinary boundary crossings.

Effects of Design-Based Learning Arrangements in Cross-Domain, Integrated STEM Lessons on the Intrinsic Motivation of Lower Secondary Pupils

This study examines the influence of learning arrangements in which biology and technology (engineering) are taught in combination on the intrinsic motivation of lower secondary school students in STEM lessons. It is set in the context of STEM promotion to counter an observable decrease in motivation and interest during the school years. In a quasi-experimental design with 413 students (M = 12.53, SD = 0.818), we compare a design-based STEM learning program with two alternative teaching approaches (model building and reconstruction). A comparison of the intervention groups (ANOVA) reveals that the Design group shows significantly higher motivation than the alternatives. A multiple linear regression shows that the motivational starting position (=motivation in standard science/biology lessons), cognitive abilities, and participation in the design approach are significant predictors of intrinsic motivation. The results suggest that design-based, cross-domain learning arrangements can be an effective component of motivation-enhancing STEM instruction.

Integrated STEM Teaching: Innovative STEM Training for Preschool and Primary School Teachers

The effective implementation of STEM education relies on qualified and well-educated teachers who employ good practices for integrated STEM education. Quality STEM education equips children with the necessary skills to address 21st-century challenges, playing a critical role in developing critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, problem-solving, and responsibility. In this context, preschool and primary school teachers were recommended to attend STEM Professional Development (PD). This study aimed to determine the impact of the EarlySTEM Leader Teacher PD Program on teachers' ability to design STEM lesson plans, using mixed method. Researchers analyzed the STEM lesson plans prepared by preschool and primary school teachers (n=33) who participated in the integrated STEM PD program. All participants who met the graduation criteria were included in the study. The plans were evaluated using the Authentic Problems of Knowledge Society (APoKS) rubric. The findings showed that the Integrated STEM PD program positively influenced teachers' lesson planning skills, specifically when writing the APoKS. The implications of the study were discussed in detail.

DESIGN OF A LESSON PLAN IN THE CONTEXT OF STEM EDUCATION FOR PROSPECTIVE PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

his paper explores the issue of organization and implementation of the educational process in the context of STEM education. The relevance of the research arises from the need to train students who are capable of implementing interdisciplinary integration in the educational process, to master the ways and methods of teaching through STEM, and to identify the possibilities for establishing interdisciplinary communication through common topics. The main goal of the study is to develop a lesson plan in the context of stem education for prospective primary school teachers. Stages of developing lesson plans based on STEM include the issue of teaching through STEM, analysis of school textbooks, use of digital resources, STEM lesson planning, and so forth. These actions culminate in the creation of STEM-based lesson plans. This workshop aims to integrate STEM elements, utilize PhET stimulations, and stimulate interest in science subjects. The results of the study demonstrated that students developed skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, cooperation, and interdisciplinary communication. The results of quantitative data during the study were analyzed as descriptive statistics

Developing problem-solving and creative competences for students through teaching biology with a stem education orientation in Vietnam

This study uses a process of organising the teaching of biology for students following a STEM education orientation and examines the impact of this teaching process on the development of students' problem-solving and creative competences. Research and organize the implementation of three STEM lesson plans for 382 selected 11th-grade students in 3 schools in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2023. To assess the development of the problem-solving and creativity competence of students, the research is based on the structure of problem-solving and creativity competence, including 4 skills: problem identification (KN1); proposing and selecting solutions (KN2); planning, implementation, and evaluation of solutions (KN3); and report presentation (KN4). Assessing these four skills will show the level of students' problem-solving and creative competence. This study documents the positive relationship between STEM-oriented biology teaching and the development of students' problem-solving and creativity competences. Specifically, teaching STEM-oriented subjects increases students' problem-solving and creativity competences. The interesting thing is that classes with a small number of students are more effective in developing problem-solving and creative competence. Research has suggested that in classrooms with fewer students, teachers have more opportunities to interact with each student. The research results are of interest and beneficial to educational policymakers, schools, and teachers in trying to develop students' learning competencies, especially core competencies like problem solving and creativity.

Sustainable STEM Lesson 5: Testing the Cell Phone Cases

Sustainable STEM Lesson 5: Testing the Cell Phone Cases

Sustainable STEM Lesson 1: Beginning an Investigation by Gathering Evidence

Sustainable STEM Lesson 1: Beginning an Investigation by Gathering Evidence

Sustainable STEM Lesson 6: Presenting a Sustainable Solution

Sustainable STEM Lesson 6: Presenting a Sustainable Solution

Sustainable STEM Lesson 2: Using Engineering Design to Make a Prototype

Sustainable STEM Lesson 2: Using Engineering Design to Make a Prototype

Digital K–12 STEM Education through Human–Robot Interaction: Investigation on Prerequisites

This article aims to explore, investigate, and determine the prerequisites that learners (students) should possess for participating in and being adequately benefitted from digital (robotics-enabled) K–12 STEM education offered through intuitive human–robot interaction. We selected 23 middle school mathematics and science teachers who received training on how to design, develop, and implement robotics-enabled lessons. The teachers then implemented robotics-enabled lessons in actual classroom settings, and separately responded to a survey based on their training, classroom experiences and observations, and self-brainstorming. We derived a set of prerequisite knowledge, skills, and abilities, including their relative importance for the students by analyzing the survey responses. The results showed that the students should not only possess prerequisite knowledge in the subject matter, but also possess behavioral, social, scientific, cognitive, and intellectual skills and abilities to participate in and receive benefits from robotics-enabled human–robot interactive digital STEM education. Out of the many prerequisites, the computational thinking ability of students was identified as one of the most required prerequisites to participate in robotics-enabled digital STEM education. To validate the derived prerequisites, teachers separately assessed the fulfillment of prerequisites by 38 participating students, and the results showed user acceptance, effectiveness, and suitability of the derived prerequisites set. We also identified a set of limitations of the studies and proposed action plans to enable students to meet the prerequisites. The results presented herein can help determine required instructional efforts and scaffolds before implementing robotics-enabled digital STEM lessons, and thus foster incorporating technology-enhanced (robotics-enabled) digital STEM education into K–12 curricula.

Multimodal practices of unpacking and repacking subject-specific knowledge in CLIL physics and chemistry lessons

BackgroundDifferent school subjects have their specific meaning-making practices for building and conveying knowledge. Research drawing on the Semantics dimension of the Legitimation Code Theory has noted the importance of shifting between levels of abstraction and context-dependency in knowledge-building. There is a need to better understand how such shifting between different levels of abstraction is accomplished with multimodal resources in classroom interaction. AimsThis study aims at exploring subject-specific knowledge construction as a form of translanguaging, i.e., as movement between different registers and multimodal resources of meaning-making. DataThe data comes from a Finnish teacher development project aimed at supporting CLIL teachers' professional development. This exploratory study analyses teachers’ knowledge-building practices in two STEM lessons video-recorded in the project, Physics and Chemistry. MethodsThe data is analysed using multimodal conversation analysis and analysis of semantic waves. Analysis focuses on how the teachers engage in unpacking and repacking subject-specific knowledge by talking, gesturing, as well as displaying, handling, and modifying various kinds of multimodal materials and artefacts. ResultsThe teachers were found to use a versatile set of multimodal translanguaging practices for unpacking and repacking. The findings also indicate complexity in semantic waves due to multimodal resources accomplishing simultaneous shifts in semantic gravity and density, with either aligning or diverging functions. ConclusionsThe simultaneous use of different multimodal resources and their potential to serve different functions point to the need to acknowledge the multidimensionality of semantic waves. The multimodal translanguaging approach also has implications for conceptualising subject-specific knowledge-building as inherently multimodal.

Soulful Science: A Journey into Integrating Religious and Moral Values in STEM Education in Ghana

Soulful Science: A Journey into Integrating Religious and Moral Values in STEM Education in Ghana

The impact of instructional design on language acquisition in multilingual STEM classrooms

This conceptual review investigates the profound influence of instructional design on language acquisition within the dynamic context of multilingual STEM classrooms. In an era marked by the intersection of diverse linguistic backgrounds and the growing emphasis on STEM education, understanding how instructional strategies can facilitate language learning alongside scientific inquiry is imperative. This paper navigates through the intricate terrain of curriculum development to elucidate strategies to foster environments conducive to language acquisition and scientific exploration. The strategies for seamlessly integrating language objectives into STEM lessons are central to this exploration. The paper underscores the importance of deliberate planning to embed language proficiency goals within the framework of scientific concepts, thereby facilitating a holistic approach to learning. Furthermore, it illuminates the role of collaborative learning activities in nurturing language skills, emphasizing the synergy between peer interaction and linguistic development. Through collaborative endeavors, students engage in meaningful discourse, negotiating language use while collectively constructing scientific knowledge. Moreover, the review delves into the efficacy of scaffolded instruction as a cornerstone for supporting students' linguistic and cognitive development. By providing structured support tailored to learners' proficiency levels, scaffolded instruction scaffolds students' language acquisition journey while concurrently scaffolding their understanding of complex STEM concepts. This targeted approach not only cultivates language fluency but also fosters conceptual mastery, ensuring equitable access to STEM education for all students regardless of linguistic backgrounds. This conceptual review offers insights into the intricate interplay between instructional design and language acquisition within multilingual STEM classrooms. By delineating strategies for embedding language objectives, fostering collaborative learning, and implementing scaffolded instruction, it contributes to the ongoing discourse on enhancing educational practices that empower students to thrive linguistically and scientifically in the multicultural landscape of modern education. Keywords: Instructional Design, Language Acquisition, Multilingual, Stem Classrooms, Curriculum Development, Scaffolded Instruction.