Due to the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the comparison of online versus traditional face-to-face (FTF) environments has now come under review. The research of online informal learning spaces for K-12 education in particular is underdeveloped and requires more investigation. The purpose for this paper is to report an analysis of the…

This study is framed within Norton's notion of 'investment' to explore the factors influencing teachers' reasons and decisions to participate in continuing professional development (CPD) activities. Data were collected from 522 junior high school teachers in the Central region of Ghana using a survey and in-depth interviews. The findings reveal…

Video games, as the most frequent tools of computer technologies, have been integrated into classroom teaching through experimental studies. However, there is still much to investigate if and to what extent video game involvement (VGI) in informal settings can influence students' language learning motivation (LLM) in formal settings. Adopting a…

Project Tomorrow® has had a unique front-row seat on this evolutionary journey in the adoption of technology within teaching and learning in K-12 schools. The original Speak Up® surveys were designed to collect firsthand feedback from K-12 students nationwide in October 2003 as an input to the National Education Technology Plan. The idea of…

Most literature on youth focuses on prominent issues of bullying/cyber abuse, dating and relationship issues, and mental health concerns for children and adolescents; however, specific to preadolescence, little is written in comparison due to the implication that the transition between the two life stages are well blended. However, the question…

Background: Informal learning environments (ILEs) like Fablabs and Makerspaces have potential to facilitate development of STEM skills. However, these environments might be difficult for teachers to adopt in their teaching because of teaching approaches grounded in constructionism where the role of the teacher changes from a transmissive…

This article describes how I, an American music teacher educator, visited the classrooms of eight Musical Futures Champion Teachers in the United Kingdom and observed their teaching with a focus on informal music learning and nonformal teaching. Musical Futures, a professional development organization in the UK, is the original organization that…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to focus on the informal learning (IL) processes of teachers in primary and secondary schools in Spain. Its objective is to study the strategies currently used by teachers to generate IL, identifying the factors that condition such learning and the changes that must be introduced to enhance it.…

Background and Context: Both in- and out-of-school computer science (CS) learning opportunities are expanding, but their influences on CS career interests are unclear. Method: To investigate, we applied multinomial propensity score weighting analysis on a 2021 U.S. nationally representative sample of 4,116 5th-to-12th-grade students. Findings: The…

Extramural exposure, through activities such as watching TV, gaming, networking, and online reading, has become an important source of vocabulary acquisition in English as a foreign language, particularly when learners' first language (L1) has many cognates with English. Our study examined extramural vocabulary acquisition of 10th-grade L1…

We investigated the characteristics of a medical simulation-based informal learning environment (MSBE) of a science center--an environment not yet studied--to understand its uniqueness and its impact on visiting students. In the MSBE, students interact with, and operate, sophisticated simulators which demonstrate a range of medical situations.…

Supporting more equitable participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) remains a key, persistent educational challenge. This paper employs a sociological Bourdieusian lens to explore how equitable youth outcomes might be supported through informal science learning (ISL). Drawing on multimodal, ethnographic data from…

This comprehensive study explores the experiences of underrepresented students who have participated in informal science education programs at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Using qualitative methods, including interviews and participant observations, the research uncovers transformative insights shaping the educational landscape.…

This paper investigates the different ways in which the Battle of Okinawa in World War II is presented in and beyond formal education, using narratives and photos in Japan's state-authorized history textbooks and at a local museum. Specifically, this study examines 15 upper secondary school textbooks issued by six publishing companies from across…

In response to growing concerns about adolescents' low expectations for science-related careers, this study explores the mechanisms of the ternary associations among science learning experiences, science-related attitudes and beliefs, and science-related career expectations, involving a sample of 9841 15-year-old students from four Chinese…