The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a novel scale, the Development and Validation of Out-of-School Learning Environments Perception Scale (OSLEPS), that measures middle school students' perceptions of out-of-school learning environments. A total of 990 middle school students (583 females and 407 males) participated in the study.…

This research analyzed two years of data from a 5-year NSF-funded informal STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) program. Our program aims to support development and maintenance of STEM identities in intergenerational teams learning geospatial technologies and conservation science to develop and implement community land-use…

Students should be provided with more meaningful learning experiences to attract more students to STEM careers, Out-of-School learning environments can offer students exciting and motivating learning opportunities that formal environments cannot provide. Therefore, national education reforms in many countries that are working on popularizing STEM…

There has been increased interest in utilizing making activities in classroom-based educational environments and research suggests these activities may promote desirable student dispositions such as increased confidence and agency. To realize these benefits, teachers must experience maker-centered learning in order to design and integrate these…

Purpose: Arts-integration is a promising approach to building students' abilities to create and critique arguments with data, also known as informal inferential reasoning (IIR). However, differences in disciplinary practices and routines, as well as school organization and culture, can pose barriers to subject integration. The purpose of this…

This study considers whether participation in several out-of-class high school experiences increased the odds that a student would aspire to earn a bachelor's degree, whether these relationships were moderated by the student's race/ethnicity or socioeconomic status, and whether these experiences, considered together, had a cumulative influence on…

This study was conducted to investigate the role of the parents of students in the science and technology lessons of the project-based teaching approach. The research was carried out through a case study, one of the qualitative research methods. The data of the study were obtained from semi-structured interviews with 24 students' parents. As a…

Using transformative experience theory as a framework, we investigate the potential of utilizing mobile technology and social media to foster deep-level engagement in the form of connections between in-school and out-of-school experience. A ninth-grade Earth science teacher instructed students to take pictures with their mobile devices when they…

The purpose of this research was to design and evaluate the efficacy of a gesture-based exhibit with augmented reality (AR) for understanding complex scientific concepts. In particular, this study focuses on the effect of differently guided conditions in a gesture-based AR. We first present the design and development of a gesture-based AR exhibit…

Band pedagogy has become the dominant teaching approach found in secondary music education. Band pedagogy's focus on meeting performance objectives in large ensemble contexts has created inflexible and teacher-centered learning environments. This paper seeks to examine the problematic aspects of band pedagogy being at the forefront of curriculum…

Extensive research shows that non-formal science education programs effectively build and sustain long-term interest and persistence in science careers. Framed by expectancy-value theory, this study examined the academic and career outcomes of students who participated in a multi-year volunteer program at a science museum. Twenty-one participants…

Teachers do not consistently maximize the potential of classroom technologies for enhancing student learning. As their self-efficacy is positively associated with technology integration, developing teachers' self-efficacy could increase high-quality integration. We investigate how a holistic system of professional learning about technology…

The study examined high school students' perspectives on climate change before and after participation in an informal science education program. During the program, students made a short, place-based film about climate change impacts in their communities. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of student data revealed key themes that illustrate how…

Informal pedagogy is closely associated with popular music practices, its methods known to engage students in authentic music learning that develops critical and independent thinking skills, social skills, creativity and self-identity, among others. However, formal and non-formal pedagogies also have relevant roles to play in popular music…

This qualitative study was prompted by initiatives that addressed the need for teachers to engage in professional development that enables them to be 21st century ready. Recommendations put forth by government and business have stressed that professional development foster connected teaching and create networked educators by emphasizing…