This study aims at evaluating the environmental education (EE) and communication intervention for the valorization of migratory fish resources in an estuary of northern Portugal. The EE component intervention was implemented among Middle School pupils of that region. Students' knowledge was quantitatively evaluated with an experimental approach of…

The talents that neurodiverse individuals bring to STEM fields are being increasingly recognized, thus it is important to ensure neurodiverse youth have opportunities to experience an array of STEM fields as viable career options. Based on the results of a systematic review, this article provides recommendations for how informal STEM learning…

The purpose of the present investigation was to analyze the pedagogical infrastructures in three cycles of seventh graders' co-invention projects that involved using traditional and digital fabrication technologies for inventing and creating complex artefacts. The aim of the projects was to create high-end multi-material makerspaces by expanding…

Environmental education (EE) aims to create environmentally literate individuals that have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to solve important environmental issues. However, little research examines whether and which educators' emotional support behaviors, such as responsiveness and positive communications, enhance outcomes in an EE…

The Out of School Learning landscape continues to be an emerging ecosystem of learning, particularly for the adolescent population. While the focus for elementary school-aged youth has often been on after-school programming offering safety, supervision, and homework help, research has indicated that this approach is not equally successful for the…

There is widespread agreement that emotions play a critical role in informal science learning, yet little is known about the emotional experiences of children in informal science learning environments. This study aims to address this challenge by exploring the relationships among emotional, behavioral, and cognitive engagement in a science museum…

Computational thinking is an essential skill in the modern global workforce. The current public health crisis has highlighted the need for students and educators to have a deeper understanding of epidemiology. While existing STEM curricula has addressed these topics in the past, current events present an opportunity for new curricula that can be…

It is challenging to utilize learning analytic technologies to examine gameplay log data for game-embedded assessment in the field of game-based learning. Analytical approaches based on a new perspective focusing on complicated contextual data are imperative in the current scenario. A relatively new concept called precision education, which…

In this design-based research project, we investigated how and to what extent participating in architectural building and problem solving via a simulation game-based learning platform (called E-Rebuild) would facilitate mathematical practices of middle-school students in the informal learning setting. This study encompasses 2 iterative design…

The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine the practices and perspectives of four music teachers who integrated popular music and informal music learning practices into their secondary school music programs in the United States. A primary goal was to understand music teachers' process of enacting change. Data included 16…

This article presents a field-tested approach for integrating music arranging into middle and high school music ensembles. This project-based unit of study builds on scholarship in informal music learning and social constructivism. Reflections from former high school students who participated in the project help illuminate these connections. The…

Ocean Acidification (OA) is an emerging environmental issue that is still largely unknown to the public and in its infancy in terms of educational strategies. OA teaching material should address the specific challenges that educators face while building learners' understanding of OA. The objective of this study is two-fold. First, we identified…

This study presents the interpretations and perceptions of Black girls who participated in I AM STEM--a community-based informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program. Using narrative inquiry, participants generated detailed accounts of their informal and formal STEM learning experiences. Critical race methodology…

This interdisciplinary research examines how Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) and the L2 Motivational Self System (consisting of "the ideal L2 self" and "the ought-to L2 self") are linked with Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE). Together, these are flourishing research areas in computer-assisted language learning,…

How can youth become leaders in their communities' resilience efforts? The Lentes en Cambio Climático (LECC) filmmaking program aimed to empower students to investigate how a changing climate affects their lives and use their own findings to inspire local resilience. Secondary students in LECC created films that explore the experiences of…