The current study explores patterns of informal science experiences among youth in urban and rural middle schools by gender and socioeconomic status. Data come from surveys in two Midwestern middle schools, one in a mid-sized city, and the other in a rural-remote town. We asked about participation in informal science activities (e.g. visiting zoos…

Research on innovative, integrated outreach programs guided three separate week-long outreach camps held across two summers (2018 and 2019). These camps introduced computer science through real-world applications and hands-on activities, each dealing with cybersecurity principles. The camps utilized low-cost hardware and free software to provide a…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how young adolescents participated in various activities in a science summer camp. A total of 26 Taiwanese students and 16 U.S. students participated in a one-week "Argue like a Scientist" summer camp. Based on the design features of project-based learning, this science summer…

Drawing on a cross-cultural, qualitative study in Finnish and Korean comprehensive schools, we explore how teacher control and student agency are manifested and exercised in the teaching and learning practices of the "official school" and in the student-teacher interactions of the "informal school". We also elaborate on how…

"Building Computational Thinkers," a three-year research study, explored how educators and designers can most effectively support the development of computational thinking capacity, and how these learning experiences could be customized to meet the needs of different learners. This research study focused on three specific exhibit design…

This study examines expressions of reasoning by some higher achieving 11 to 18 year-old English students responding to a survey consisting of function tasks developed in collaboration with their teachers. We report on 70 students, 10 from each of English years 7-13. Iterative and comparative analysis identified capabilities and difficulties of…

Music education in formal settings has the last decades been characterised by informal methods borrowed from outside school. In this study we analyse situations in Swedish secondary school where pupils' experience of music outside school becomes visible in music class. Pedagogical challenges in these situations are identified that concern how to…

This article examines a unique music curriculum and assessment environment through the fndings of a practical action research project carried out in secondary schools. I address two current international educational issues: the relationship between formal and informal learning in music, and how individuals' contributions in collaborative groups…

This article describes methods and findings from a study focused on youth living in rural communities in northern New Hampshire who struggle with accessing STEM learning opportunities because of economic underinvestment and geographical isolation. These challenges also negatively impact researchers hoping to learn how rural youth benefit from…

Toward the end of 6th grade, some bright and highly motivated science-oriented Israeli students and their parents are required to make a decision: whether or not to enrol in a non-mandatory advanced science programme for 7th graders ([almost equal to] 12 year olds) upon entering middle-school. In other words, for many students, entry into the STEM…

Answering calls to map college-level proficiency development (Modern Language Association, 2007) and longitudinally chart language learning (Barkaoui, 2014; Ortega & Byrnes, 2008), we mapped the oral proficiency growth of 1,922 lower-division college students of Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish (in the second, third, or fourth semester of…

This report presents vocational education and training (VET) policy developments in Turkey between 2015 and 2017. It covers all five Europe-wide priority areas or medium-term deliverables (MTDs) agreed at Riga in June 2015: (1) Work-based learning with special focus on apprenticeships; (2) Quality assurance mechanisms in line with European Quality…

This report presents vocational education and training (VET) policy developments in Republic of Serbia (hereinafter Serbia) between 2015 and 2019. It covers all five Europe-wide priority areas or medium-term deliverables (MTDs) agreed at Riga in June 2015: (1) Work-based learning with special focus on apprenticeships; (2) Quality assurance…

This report presents vocational education and training (VET) policy developments in North Macedonia between 2015 and 2019. It covers all five Europe-wide priority areas or medium-term deliverables (MTDs) agreed at Riga in June 2015: (1) Work-based learning with special focus on apprenticeships; (2) Quality assurance mechanisms in line with…

This report presents vocational education and training (VET) policy developments in Montenegro between 2015 and 2019. It covers all five Europe-wide priority areas or medium-term deliverables (MTDs) agreed at Riga in June 2015: (1) Work-based learning with special focus on apprenticeships; (2) Quality assurance mechanisms in line with European…