Including systems thinking in science education helps students understand the complex global problems of the present era. The study aimed to trace and evaluate the system thinking (ST) skills in K-8 science curricula, with a focus on sustainability-related subjects and units. Firstly, the authors reviewed the related literature on the systems…

The Joint Educational Project's (JEP) STEM Education Programs at the University of Southern California (USC) present an elementary-level curriculum centered on the science of stem cells in partnership with Dr. Adam MacLean, an Assistant Professor of Quantitative and Computational Biology at USC for the broader impacts of a National Science…

A self-avoiding walk (SAW) is a sequence of moves on a grid that does not visit the same point more than once. SAWs are used to study how networks form, including social networks, biological networks and computer networks, and have provided inspiration to scientists, artists and designers. Here we describe a collaborative project which aims to…

Elementary schools face pressures to substantially increase student achievement in all subjects with limited time in the school day. In particular, science struggles to gain instructional momentum due to many internal and external factors. The school district of Wynne (pseudonym), located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, has generational…

This qualitative study explores the in- and out-of-school experiences that could have influenced elementary preservice teachers? beliefs and attitudes toward learning and teaching science. Participants were 126 Latina/o EC-6 preservice teachers in the context of a 16-week undergraduate level elementary methods course. Data sources consisted of…

In this research it is aimed to examine the effects of STEM-based activities on pre-service primary school teachers' scientific inquiry skills, conducted in a science education course of third year undergraduate students. A mixed research method, combining pretest posttest single group design and semi-structured interviews guided the study.…

Facing calls for greater emphasis on STEM education in primary school classrooms, teachers may be anxious because of limited exposure to STEM in their own education. The Australian Curriculum: Technologies is new and many teachers are not familiar with its content. Hence both in-service and pre-service teachers (PSTs) require preparation. This…

As the number of jobs in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) workforce grows exponentially, there has never been a more important time to provide students with real-world learning opportunities that have 21st century implications. Measuring things that matter is a fundamental skill that formulates the backbone of many concepts…

Integrating science and mathematics in the elementary classroom is a significant challenge, as evidenced by the few convincing examples currently available in the scholarly literature. Yet, this integration is often seen as presenting epistemological and pedagogical value. This study aims to measure the impact of science and mathematics (S&M)…

This study aims to examine the effects of engineering design-based science teaching (EDBST) on classroom teacher candidates' decision-making skills, scientific creativity and engineering design-based process skills. The random design of the quantitative approach with a pretest-posttest control group was used in the study. The study group consists…

In this article, the author discusses her ground-breaking work with her organisation, Creative Tuition Collective, in Bristol, and how schools can have an impact on decolonising the curriculum through active environmental science contexts. Included is an exemplar diversification STEM activity for primary level.

Elementary school teachers are commonly known to have low self-efficacy in mathematics and science. Previously conducted research on science teaching self-efficacy and content knowledge has often focused on whether methods courses, professional development or other interventions improve both self-efficacy and content knowledge among elementary…

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013) promote a new vision of K-12 science education that emphasizes the importance of integrating engineering practices into science education. Recent engineering studies have highlighted design approaches that focus on designers' empathy, such as human-centered design (Hess & Fila,…

In this study, the researcher explored the relationship between K-8 STEM science teachers' self-efficacy and factors that contribute to building positive self-efficacy. The factors correlated to self-efficacy in this study were STEM teachers' type of certification, the number of hours per week spent in collaboration with peers, the number of…

As a science leader in her school, the author is always looking for new and interesting ways to inspire children in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) subjects. Attending several science conferences introduced her to new STEM programs, such as Street Science and fractals. In this article, she shares a couple of the activities…