This study seeks to extend research in the field by exploring literature examining preservice teachers' perceptions of community engagement efforts. We then report findings from a thematic analysis of a survey conducted with teacher candidates at a university in the southeastern U.S. who took part in school- and community-based STEM events, and…

This study aimed to address the gap in an environmental science undergraduate course by investigating the impact of explicitly integrating the Nature of Science (NOS) into the instruction of scientific inquiry. The lab-based course focused on developing an understanding of the natural world, as well as the processes scientists use to study that…

Male students are in the minority in nursing, social work and primary education university programmes leading to professional recognition. This article explores the experiences of men studying on these professional programmes in Higher Education (HE) in the United Kingdom. A phenomenographic methodology was used to explore male students'…

Research is mixed on the common patterns of substance use within a college student population after trauma. Data was collected from students from a mid-sized, Midwestern university. Respondents often reported the use of combinations of medications and drugs that could lead to dangerous effects. Alcohol use was predicted by the substance use…

This study examined preservice elementary teachers' (PETs') epistemological beliefs (EB) and their views about mathematics (VM) and the impact on these parameters by their prior experience in learning mathematics. A total of 541 PETs from an American university completed EB and VM questionnaires. It was found that participants' EB and the…

Effective environmental education can contribute to the preservation of the natural world. It is difficult to give effective environmental education to students who are passive in the lessons. The traditional method of teaching boring too many students, which results in passive learning. Project-Based Learning (PjBL) presents students with a more…

This study examined 388 elementary education teacher candidates (n = 388) across four semesters in one educator preparation program about their experiences completing the performance-based assessment edTPA. Candidates were in one of three programs at a large, public research university in the Southeast region of the United States. These programs…

This dissertation examined the impact of the CREST-MECIS community of practice on K-12 STEM teachers and undergraduate and graduate students, addressing the urgent need for innovative approaches in science education to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The study was grounded in response to three primary problem statements: 1) the…

Little is known about why people decide to mentor in the context of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the motivations of undergraduate student mentors working in an afterschool STEM program for underrepresented elementary schoolboys. We used self-determination theory…

This narrative inquiry examines teachers' influences on undergraduate and graduate students who enrolled in STEM programs and intended to enter STEM careers. Three National Science Foundation (NSF) scholarship grants sat in the backdrop. Narrative exemplars were crafted using the interpretative tools of broadening, burrowing, storying and…

This study investigates the effectiveness of a teaching activity that aimed to convey the meaning of indeterminate forms to a group of undergraduate students who were enrolled in an elementary mathematics education programme. The study reports the implementation sequence of the activity and students' experiences in the classroom. To assess the…

Teacher agency is a dynamic catalyst in the process of inclusion, emancipation and social change through school education. This article highlights three key curricular practices in the structure, content and method of a process-based elementary teacher education curriculum aimed at enabling the emergence of this agency that characterise the…

This article summarizes the authors' experience of developing and delivering undergraduate modules in Science Communication. The modules address two needs: resourcing science outreach activities for children in Years 5-7, and developing transferable skills (oral and written communication, team working, time management) to enhance student…

International teaching experiences are touted as an opportunity for preservice teachers (PSTs) to grow both personally and professionally, including increased cultural awareness, self-efficacy, independence, and enhanced key teaching attributes. The study reported in this paper explores the outcomes of a four-week international practicum in the…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of supervised mentorship in an authentic-context learning setting on music education graduate students' graduate school experiences. Participants were six current and former graduate music education majors who acted as supervised mentors to undergraduate students teaching instrumental…