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Education Sciences
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STEM Education: Current Trends, Perspectives, and Narratives
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STEM Education: Current Trends, Perspectives, and Narratives

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "STEM Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2023) | Viewed by 7841

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Amber Simpson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
Interests: STEM identity; making spaces; family engagement; informal learning environments (e.g., homes; museums); failure in STEAM-making tasks
Dr. Kelli Paul

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Research on Learning and Technology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Interests: STEM identity; career aspirations; invention education; family engagement
Dr. Pavneet Kaur Bharaj

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Interests: teacher education; teacher identity; teacher beliefs; mathematics education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Scholarship in science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics (STEM) education has persistently highlighted issues and problems that we as a field continue to face—underrepresentation of socially excluded groups in STEM degree programs and careers, systemic boundaries, and stereotypes that lead to opportunity and achievement gaps, lack of teacher preparation to support children as STEM learners, parents/families as a critical resource in developing STEM persistence, connecting industrial knowledge with educational institutes, among others. Addressing these issues and problems is important so as to meet the enduring demands for technological advances, economic stability, environmental innovations, cybersecurity advancements, and healthcare developments, to name a few.

In this Special Issue, we invite recent scholarship that addresses one of two objectives: (a) novel and/or alternate research (e.g., methods, interventions, techniques, or materials) or perspectives that address a persistent problem highlighted above and (b) reviews of literature and theoretical pieces that take a critical perspective on STEM education practices and/or research. Authors are encouraged to explore these and other related topics across contexts (e.g., urban, rural, after-school programs, and libraries), ages (e.g., toddlers, K-12, higher education, workforce), and international settings. Our goal with these two objectives is to push the field of STEM education and STEM education research to make progress towards addressing the persistent problems related to equitable and/or broadening participation and experiences in STEM, as highlighted above.

The Special Issue seeks to feature research papers, reviews of research studies, and theoretical pieces that address one of these objectives. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Convergence of interdisciplinary teams, community partnerships (e.g., schools, industries), and/or various learning environments (e.g., home, museums, zoos), among others, for inclusive change.
  • Utilization of novel frameworks (e.g., embodied cognition) or methodologies (e.g., participatory action research) in STEM research.
  • Consideration of the value of other fields to enhance and/or support STEM education (e.g., arts, agriculture, archaeology, literacy).
  • Inclusion of socially excluded participants within STEM education research (e.g., families and parents, Indigenous peoples, and children and adolescents in juvenile detention centers).
  • Unusual and distinctive approaches to professional development, teacher education programs, and industrial workforce development.
  • Use of virtual simulations, game-based virtual reality programs, humanoid robots, and/or other technologies.
  • Transdisciplinary approaches to integrating STEM education in classroom settings.
  • Consideration of epistemic emotions within the learning of STEM concepts.
  • School-level and/or district-level approaches to promote STEM education through innovative learning environments, programs, and/or policies.

Dr. Amber Simpson
Dr. Kelli Paul
Dr. Pavneet Kaur Bharaj
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • STEM education
  • STEM participation/broadening STEM participation
  • learning environments
  • non-formal education
  • teacher preparation and professional development
  • technology in STEM learning partnerships and collaborations in STEM learning
  • STEM career opportunities

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 732 KiB  
Article
Examining the Relationships between Teacher Self-Disclosure and Emotional and Behavioral Engagement of STEM Undergraduate Research Scholars: A Structural Equation
by Yahya Bouhafa, Pavneet Kaur Bharaj and Amber Simpson
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(8), 821; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13080821 - 10 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1109
Abstract
Understanding the factors contributing to the persistence and retention of students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is among the main issues of concern within STEM post-secondary education. The literature suggests that teacher self-disclosure and emotional and behavioral engagement play a significant [...] Read more.
Understanding the factors contributing to the persistence and retention of students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is among the main issues of concern within STEM post-secondary education. The literature suggests that teacher self-disclosure and emotional and behavioral engagement play a significant positive role in the learning process across disciplines. Such factors may lead to improved academic achievements and retention in STEM disciplines. A variety of studies examined the relationship between teacher self-disclosure and emotional and behavioral engagement within the field of humanities, but less within the fields of STEM. This study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the relationship between teacher self-disclosure and emotional and behavioral engagement of 208 undergraduate students enrolled in a two-year Freshman Research Immersion program. The results showed significant relationships between different aspects of teacher self-disclosure and classroom engagement. Additionally, STEM students view that high amounts of teacher self-disclosure can be related to negative aspects of classroom engagement such as emotional engagement anxiety. The study’s significance lies in practical recommendations associated with the strategic use of instances of teacher self-disclosure while teaching STEM classes and ways to support STEM undergraduate students’ levels of classroom engagement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEM Education: Current Trends, Perspectives, and Narratives)
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17 pages, 915 KiB  
Article
Causes of the Shortage of Physics Teachers in Croatia
by Nataša Erceg, Lejla Jelovica, Vanes Mešić, Ljubiša Nešić, Ivana Poljančić Beljan and Patricija Nikolaus
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(8), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13080788 - 02 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1007
Abstract
Knowing the causes of the shortage of physics teachers in primary and secondary schools is necessary for the development of effective educational policies because the shortage of physics teachers is a global and persistent problem with negative consequences for the quality of education, [...] Read more.
Knowing the causes of the shortage of physics teachers in primary and secondary schools is necessary for the development of effective educational policies because the shortage of physics teachers is a global and persistent problem with negative consequences for the quality of education, but also for the survival of the physics profession as a whole. The aim of this study was to investigate, for the first time, the opinions of Croatian physics teachers on the causes of the deficit in their profession. For this purpose, we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study using an online survey with Likert-type items and a constructed response item. A total of 390 respondents from all over Croatia participated in the survey, which is 29% of the total population of Croatian physics teachers in the 2022/2023 school year. According to their opinion, the causes of the shortage of Croatian physics teachers are related to the following: lack of incentives and support from the relevant institutions and bodies, the inadequacy of physics content in the curricula, the lack of motivation and negative attitude of students towards physics, impeded professional development, unequal opportunities, and challenges such as excessive workload. The results obtained provide a concrete basis for the development of an effective policy to solve the problem of the physics teacher shortage in Croatia and beyond by governments, universities, and schools. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEM Education: Current Trends, Perspectives, and Narratives)
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17 pages, 302 KiB  
Article
Learners’ Perspectives on ARCH + STEM: Integration of Archaeology and Indigenous Knowledges with Western Knowledges of STEM
by Amber Simpson, Jada McCann and Laurie Miroff
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(5), 450; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050450 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1888
Abstract
It is often the case that the integration of archaeology and Indigenous knowledges with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts, practices, and processes is missing in school-based contexts, which limits learners’ perspectives of STEM. This study examined how an afterschool program focused [...] Read more.
It is often the case that the integration of archaeology and Indigenous knowledges with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts, practices, and processes is missing in school-based contexts, which limits learners’ perspectives of STEM. This study examined how an afterschool program focused on the intersection of STEM and the field of archaeology and Indigenous knowledges developed and/or enhanced middle school learners’ perspective of (a) Indigenous people; (b) the field of archaeology; and (c) STEM concepts, practices, and processes. Data were collected through 15 focus group interviews held approximately six weeks after the program’s conclusion. The results demonstrated that learners gained a new perspective of STEM, integrating Indigenous and Western perspectives; gained an understanding of archaeology and archaeological concepts; and made connections between STEM concepts embedded in the program and those within and outside of their school experience. Based on the results, we contend that the integration of alternative knowledges and ways of being and seeing the world within nonformal learning environments has the potential to diminish differences and/or tensions between Indigenous and Western knowledges and perspectives of STEM, as well as support archaeology as an approach to facilitating the learning and application of STEM concepts, practices, and processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEM Education: Current Trends, Perspectives, and Narratives)
19 pages, 1499 KiB  
Article
Transdisciplinary STEM: Examples of Student Thinking within Nonformal Learning Experiences
by Kristin Lesseig, David Slavit and Amber Simpson
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(5), 435; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050435 - 24 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1221
Abstract
Calls for more integrated approaches to STEM have reached every sector of education, including formal and nonformal spaces, from early childhood to tertiary levels. The goal of STEM education as an integrated effort shifts beyond acquiring knowledge in any one or combination of [...] Read more.
Calls for more integrated approaches to STEM have reached every sector of education, including formal and nonformal spaces, from early childhood to tertiary levels. The goal of STEM education as an integrated effort shifts beyond acquiring knowledge in any one or combination of STEM disciplines and, instead, focuses on designing solutions to complex, contextual problems that transcend disciplinary boundaries. To realize this goal, we first need to understand what transdisciplinary STEM might actually look and sound like in action, particularly in regard to the nature of student thinking. This paper addresses that need by investigating student reasoning during nonformal STEM-focused learning experiences. We chose four learning episodes, all involving elementary students working on engineering design tasks, to highlight the various ways transdisciplinary thinking might arise or not. In our analysis, we highlight factors that may have supported or hindered the integration of mathematical, scientific, technological, and engineering ways of thinking. For example, the nature of the task, materials provided, and level of adult support influenced the nature of student reasoning. Based on our findings, we provide suggestions for how to promote transdisciplinary thinking in both formal and nonformal spaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEM Education: Current Trends, Perspectives, and Narratives)
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14 pages, 3419 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Effect of Binary Gender Preferences on Computational Thinking Skills
by Rose Niousha, Daisuke Saito, Hironori Washizaki and Yoshiaki Fukazawa
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(5), 433; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050433 - 23 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1428
Abstract
The Computer Science industry suffers from a vivid gender gap. To understand this gap, Computational Thinking skills in Computer Science education are analyzed by binary gender roles using block-based programming languages such as Scratch since they are intuitive for beginners. Platforms such as [...] Read more.
The Computer Science industry suffers from a vivid gender gap. To understand this gap, Computational Thinking skills in Computer Science education are analyzed by binary gender roles using block-based programming languages such as Scratch since they are intuitive for beginners. Platforms such as Dr. Scratch, aid learners in improving their coding skills by earning a Computational Thinking score while supporting effective assessments of students' projects and fostering basic computer programming. Although previous studies have examined gender differences using Scratch programs, few have analyzed the Scratch project type's impact on the evaluation process when comparing genders. Herein, the influence of project type is analyzed using instances of 124 (62 male, 62 female) projects on the Scratch website. Initially, projects were categorized based on the user's gender and project type. Hypothetical testing of each case shows that the scoring system has a bias based on the project type. As gender differences appear by project type, the project type may significantly affect the gender gap in Computational Thinking scores. This study demonstrates the importance of incorporating the project type's effect into the Scratch projects' evaluation process when assessing gender differences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEM Education: Current Trends, Perspectives, and Narratives)
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