American Journal of STEM Education: Issues and Perspectives is a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal that publishes empirical research, reviews, and practitioner opinions related to issues and perspectives in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. Published by the Star Scholars Press, the journal undergoes peer review through a blind process, utilizing a national and international editorial board and peer reviewers.
Copyright (c) [year] [author] This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Effectiveness of realistic mathematics education
This study uses a meta-analysis of 15 studies (2014–2023) to assess the effectiveness of the Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) approach in improving students’ mathematics achievement. RME, which emphasizes real-life contexts and student-centered learning, showed a significant overall effect size (Hedges’ g = 0.65). Despite variability across studies, no major publication bias was detected, and consistent positive impacts were observed. The findings support the integration of RME into curricula, particularly in regions with persistent underperformance in mathematics. The study recommends improved teacher training, development of RME-based materials, and wider adoption of RME, along with further research into its long-term and cross-cultural impact.
Copyright (c) 2025 American Journal of STEM Education https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Artificial intelligence (AI) can play a transformative role in STEM education, although its integration presents pedagogical, technological, and ethical challenges. This review synthesizes interdisciplinary perspectives on AI integration in K–12 STEM classrooms through the AI Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (AI-TPACK) framework. Using PRISMA guidelines, 38 empirical studies published between 2018 and 2025 were analyzed through deductive coding. Findings indicate that AI can support the visualization of STEM content, enable adaptive feedback, and foster collaborative learning environments. However, these opportunities are constrained by infrastructure limitations, insufficient teacher preparation, and misalignment between AI tools and curriculum goals. Ethical concerns related to privacy, bias, and transparency emerged as central challenges. This study offers recommendations for the sustainable integration of AI in STEM education.
Copyright (c) 2026 Atefeh Ataran, Ladan shojaei https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
This study investigates the efficacy of a Writing-to-Learn Pedagogy (WTLP) intervention in fostering critical thinking among underrepresented STEM students at an Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Utilizing Ennis’s (1987) taxonomy, the research employed a qualitative descriptive design to evaluate shifts in dispositions and abilities through reflective journaling and writing-to-explain within a hybrid industrial electricity course. Findings from two cohorts of 23 students revealed significant growth in analytical thinking, inquisitiveness, and confidence in reasoning. However, the generalizability of these findings is limited by the small sample size and single-institution design. Notably, the integration of structured learning plans bridged the gap between metacognitive awareness and applied problem-solving performance. This research provides empirical evidence for asset-based instructional strategies implemented within the distinctive context of HBCU STEM education, contributing to the preparation of a competent and diverse STEM workforce.
STEAM Education: Hearing the Voices from the Global South
Copyright (c) 2026 Jie Ke, Francis Tuluri, Wei Zheng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
AI-enhanced pedagogical practices and mathematical language proficiency in STEM education
This study investigates the effectiveness of AI-enhanced pedagogical practices on improving the mathematical language proficiency of senior high school students in Ghana. The current research adopted a quantitative cross-sectional design, where the structural equation modeling approach was used on a sample size of 360 participants, to investigate digital literacy and learning engagement as partial mediators. As expected, results from this study show that AEPP, DL, and LE are statistically significant positive predictors of students’ MLP. Additionally, digital literacy and learning engagement play a mediating role in the relationship between the AI-supported instruction and the proficiency outcomes. The findings highlighted the importance of integrating adaptive AI tools to enhance the digital literacy of the students as well as their learning engagement to improve the mathematical communication and reasoning of the senior high school students.
Copyright (c) 2026 Isaac Davor, Francis Ohene Boateng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
This study examines how six chemistry teachers in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, implemented project-based STEAM learning to enhance chemical literacy and creativity within systemic constraints. Using a qualitative case study with semi- structured interviews analyzed thematically, teachers reported challenges such as limited time, inadequate laboratory facilities, uneven student readiness, and partial expertise in STEAM integration. They addressed these issues through virtual titrations, microscale buffer experiments, chemistry comics, natural indicators, and professional collaboration. Students demonstrated increased engagement, creativity, and critical reasoning, although macro–micro–symbolic translation remained difficult. The study introduces the R³ mechanism (Representations, Resources, and Rubrics) as vital for maintaining rigorous chemistry instruction in resource-limited environments, emphasizing both teacher agency and structural support.
Education (Educational Studies / Education Research / Education Sciences)
Copyright (c) 2026 Farhatul Uyun, Jamil Suprihatiningrum https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Prerequisite chemistry knowledge as a predictor of senior high school students’ achievement in thermochemistry
This study examined whether students’ mastery of prerequisite chemistry concepts predicts their achievement in thermochemistry. Using a quantitative correlational design, data were collected from 90 second-year science students in public senior high schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana. Prerequisite knowledge was measured using a Prerequisite Concepts Achievement Test (PCAT), while thermochemistry achievement scores were obtained from continuous classroom-based assessments. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s product–moment correlation. Results revealed a very strong positive and statistically significant relationship between prerequisite knowledge and thermochemistry achievement (r = .953, p < .001). The coefficient of determination (r² = .908) indicates that mastery of foundational concepts accounts for a substantial proportion of variance in thermochemistry performance. These findings reinforce the hierarchical nature of chemistry learning and underscore the importance of diagnostic assessment, curriculum sequencing, and targeted remediation in strengthening students’ conceptual readiness for advanced chemistry topics.
Copyright (c) 2026 Kenneth Afedzi Hayford, Dennis Yeboah Asiamah https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
STEAM education and its implications for 21st century skills development in Timor-Leste
This literature review examines recent global research on STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and its relevance for strengthening 21st-century skills in Timor-Leste. Although the national curriculum is undergoing modernization, STEAM approaches remain limited in classroom practice. Studies published between 2020 and 2025 indicate that STEAM learning enhances critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, and student engagement. The evidence further highlights that successful implementation depends on teacher professional development, interdisciplinary pedagogy, and adaptation to local contexts. Overall, the findings suggest that integrating STEAM approaches could support the development of innovative and competitive learners in Timor-Leste, while also providing a foundation for future research on contextually appropriate teaching practices and sustainable educational improvement.
Copyright (c) 2026 João Mariano Helder de Deus https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
STEM education is crucial for nations aiming to develop knowledge-based economies and enhance global competitiveness. To effectively leverage 21st-century technological advancements, safeguard national security, and address global challenges such as climate change and food insecurity, a significant improvement in the quality of STEM education policies and practices is essential. Successful implementation requires a thorough understanding of STEM’s core principles, philosophical foundations, practical applications, and relevant policy frameworks. This critique paper examines the status of key strengths and weakness of the diverse STEM education policies and practices implemented across developed nations. It intends to address the global knowledge and awareness deficit and improve understanding, about the importance of strategically investing in high-quality STEM education, particularly among developing countries.
Language choice and students’ performance in mathematics and science
In Pakistan’s post‑colonial multilingual context, language in education remains sensitive and complex. Most learners use their mother tongue at home, Urdu functions as the national lingua franca, and English, an official language, serves widely as the Language of Instruction (LoI) in private schools. These overlapping roles shape classroom interaction and student performance. This paper examines how language practices in Pakistani schools, particularly consistency across textbooks, instruction, and assessment, affect achievement in science and mathematics. Findings draw on a nationally representative sample of 15,391 students and 589 teachers from 153 elementary schools, using student achievement tests and classroom observations. Students exposed to consistent language use performed significantly better than those experiencing inconsistent language use in both subjects (p<0.001). The results show that language consistency, alongside school systems and teaching quality, influences performance, with effects strongest in classrooms with relatively better teaching quality.
Effects of translanguaging on science literacy among high school students
This study examined the effects of translanguaging on science literacy among Grade 10 students in a multilingual Philippine classroom. Seventy-eight participants were assigned to a translanguaging instruction group (n=39), integrating Filipino and English, or a monolingual instruction group (n=39). ANCOVA results showed significantly higher post-test science literacy scores for the translanguaging group (adjusted M=37.21, SE=0.64) than the monolingual group (adjusted M=29.13, SE=0.64), F(1,75)=79.64, p<.001, partial η²=.515, controlling for pre-test scores. No significant interaction with language proficiency emerged (F(1,73)=0.36, p=.549). Cognitive engagement also showed a significant main effect (F(2,70)=3.26, p=.044, partial η²=.085). Findings indicate that translanguaging enhances science literacy across proficiency levels, with cognitive engagement moderating outcomes, supporting its adoption in linguistically diverse classrooms.
Copyright (c) 2026 Christian Genesis Guinto https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
This article presents a reflective dialogue on the special issue of the American Journal of STEM Education, which addresses STEAM education from a Global South perspective. This work challenges the traditional and technocratic views of education and proposes a more critical, inclusive, and interdisciplinary approach. It highlights the importance of empowering underrepresented communities, especially women and girls, through an education connected to the cultural and social realities of their territories. Likewise, the authors argue that STEAM education can become a form of resistance against new expressions of colonialism and inequality. The article emphasizes the need to strengthen public policies, teaching innovation, and academic collaboration in order to build fairer and more transformative educational models and bridges in response to contemporary challenges such as artificial intelligence, climate change, and technological inequalities.
Copyright (c) 2026 Oswaldo Castro-Romero, Emerson Montaña Narváez, Mariana Betzabeth Pelayo Pérez, Abril Saknycte Orozco Salcedo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
This paper explores the integration of the arts ("A") into STEM education through stop-motion animation projects. Stop motion is a dynamic, hands-on medium for students to visually represent complex scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematical processes. By combining storytelling, artistic design, and scientific knowledge, students deepen their understanding of abstract concepts while enhancing creativity and collaboration. One project example illustrates how students model neuronal signal transmission using hand-built neuron models and stop-motion techniques. Additional project ideas are provided to demonstrate the broad applicability of stop-motion across STEM fields. This study highlights the benefits of incorporating artistic expression into STEM education, promoting deeper conceptual understanding and higher student engagement.
Copyright (c) 2026 Angela McDaniel https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Addressing structural and pedagogical challenges in STEM higher education
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is an important component in enhancing innovation, economic growth and general development of Ghana. However, higher education institutions in Ghana face many challenges that hinder the effective delivery and advancement of STEM programs. Through a comprehensive literature review, this study explores the challenges that Ghana’s STEM Higher education faces. The study examines the causes and implications of these challenges and offers recommendations for improving them. The findings highlight inadequate infrastructure, lack of skilled teachers, outdated curriculum and lack of financing and research as challenges faced in STEM higher education in Ghana. It recommends the need for policy reform, teacher training, curriculum reforms and design, gender representation and infrastructural development to bridge gaps in STEM education and ensure equitable access and quality. The study may be relevant to STEM policymakers, researchers and educators.
The internationalization of STEM education has significantly transformed academic discourse in U.S. universities. However, research on how non-native English-speaking STEM students navigate linguistic challenges remains limited. This gap is especially important given that over half of the international students in the U.S. are enrolled in STEM fields, where technical language adds complexity to academic communication. Drawing on Communication Accommodation Theory and translingual perspectives, this study examines how international STEM graduate students navigate language barriers at their host institutions. Through in-depth interviews with 10 international graduate students from Africa and Asia, our analysis reveals systemic challenges, including inadequate institutional support and integration difficulties.
Academic challenges, International students, Linguistic adaptation, Plurilingualism, STEM education
Copyright (c) 2026 American Journal of STEM Education
ChatGPT’s pedagogical approach and the potential for hidden curriculum through school context proxies
This study investigates ChatGPT-4's pedagogical approach through mathematics lesson plans and examines how school context descriptors influence its output. We generated 45 individual eighth-grade probability lesson plans across three conditions: a baseline prompt, a "Successful School" context, and a "Struggling School" context. Content analysis of the lesson plans and 368 teacher-action verbs revealed that the LLM favored a direct instruction model (across all conditions) and shifted in specific ways in response to school descriptors. "Successful School" prompts generated lessons with additional mathematics concepts and advanced technology integration, whereas "Struggling School" prompts produced lessons with more monitoring of students’ progress, reinforcement activities, and attention to socioemotional support. These findings suggest that LLMs may replicate patterns of educational stratification.
Generative AI, mathematics education, educational equity, mathematics pedagogy
Copyright (c) 2026 Laurie Rubel, Shimrit Goidel https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Total quality management and educational innovation in primary and secondary education
This systematic review examines Total Quality Management (TQM) and educational innovation in primary and secondary education (P&SE). Following PRISMA, 30 Scopus-indexed studies were selected and synthesized through affinity diagramming and thematic analysis. Six interlinked themes emerged: school leadership, stakeholder collaboration, technology adoption, quality assurance, teacher development, and school policy. Quality assurance and school leadership appeared most often; the remaining themes worked as supporting conditions. The review proposes a TQM-Driven Educational Innovation Model and discusses what the findings mean for STEM schooling, where strong quality cultures, inquiry-based teaching, and shared leadership are especially important. The paper offers practical guidance for school leaders and policymakers, with particular attention to the conditions that help STEM-related reforms last over time.
Copyright (c) 2026 Eleni Theodoropoulou, Evangelos Psomas, Nancy Bouranta https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Generative AI has renewed interest in automated formative feedback, yet evidence from STEM assessment remains limited. This comparative study examined algorithmic and human feedback in undergraduate Biology, Chemistry, and Calculus courses. 126 students were assigned to a course to receive either large language model-generated feedback or instructor feedback on a draft constructed-response task. Outcomes included revision quality, transfer performance, expert audit ratings of feedback, and student perceptions. Algorithmic feedback was substantially faster and more extensive, but human feedback was more accurate, more actionable, more aligned with the rubric, and associated with greater revision gains and higher transfer scores. Students also reported greater trust, usefulness, fairness, and overall satisfaction with human feedback.
Copyright (c) 2026 Joedel Peñaranda https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Digital transformation as a catalyst for enhancing business agility in the service sector
Grounded in Dynamic Capabilities and Resource-Based View (RBV) theory, this study explores how digital transformation influences business agility in the service sector through the mediating effects of business performance and competitive advantage. To test the hypothesized model, cross-sectional data were purposively collected from 394 respondents across five diverse service sectors (i.e., education, Healthcare, Bank and Financial Institutions, Hospitality, and IT) operating in the Kathmandu Valley. The data were analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0. The findings indicate that digital transformation, business performance, and competitive advantage are significant predictors of business agility. Further, business performance and competitive advantage mediated the interplay between digital transformation and business agility. This study advances the digital transformation study by integrating strategic management principles to explain business agility drivers, emphasizing technology, talent, customer focus, and policy support to strengthen competitiveness in the service sector.
Business agility, business performance, competitive advantage, digital transformation, service sector
Copyright (c) 2026 Mr., Prof. Dr., Assistant Professor, Miss https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Visual narratives in environmental education
This article examines the relationship between art, ecology, and education in the context of the Anthropocene, focusing on visual narratives as ethical-political devices oriented toward environmental justice. The study adopts a qualitative, interpretive approach based on a semiotic-discursive analysis of three short films produced by students in the course Art, Nature, and Ecology at the Autonomous University of Nayarit. The findings show that the process of creating these audiovisual works enabled students to construct a visual and sonic grammar through which they represent the socio-environmental crisis as a structural, everyday, and normalized phenomenon, articulated through aesthetics of devastation, slow violence, and critiques of anthropocentrism. In addition, aesthetic and narrative resources mobilize affective and sensory dimensions that foster the development of critical environmental awareness. In this sense, audiovisual production functions as a pedagogical device that not only represents ecological crisis but makes it perceptible, promoting reflection, memory, and collective responsibility.
Copyright (c) 2026 Mariana Betzabeth Pelayo Pérez, Christian Leobardo Martínez Aguilera, Cinthya Magally Gómez Sánchez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
English language teaching and the integration of technology in the Mexican educational system
One hundred years after the inclusion of English in Mexican basic education, and despite advances in technology for language teaching, Mexicans' proficiency in English language remains limited. Given that English is taught as a second language in Mexico, what explains the lack of English language proficiency among Mexicans despite the advancements in educational technology for language teaching? Considering that educational policies guide the national educational progress, this historical-descriptive research aims to contextualize English language teaching in Mexico and its political and technological trajectory. To this end, an analysis of the background and technological integration of English language teaching in Mexican public Education was conducted. As a result, a historical classification is proposed as a basis for analyzing public policies and developing educational strategies.
Copyright (c) 2026 Abril Saknycte Orozco Salcedo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Enacted self-regulated learning in contextual numeracy tasks
Numeracy competence in contemporary assessment requires students to interpret contexts, reason quantitatively, and apply strategic problem solving. Although self-regulated learning (SRL) is widely linked to academic achievement, limited research has examined how regulatory processes are enacted during contextual numeracy tasks across performance levels. This qualitative cross-case study explored the manifestation of SRL in three students representing high, moderate, and low numeracy performance. Data were collected through written responses to four contextual numeracy tasks and semi-structured interviews. Analysis was guided by Zimmerman’s cyclical SRL framework, focusing on forethought, performance, and self-reflection phases. Findings revealed clear differences in regulatory depth. The high-performing student demonstrated coherent and adaptive regulation across phases, the moderate performer showed procedural regulation with limited monitoring, and the low performer exhibited surface-level planning and minimal persistence. Results indicate that numeracy performance is strongly associated with the sophistication of enacted regulatory processes rather than computational skill alone.
Copyright (c) 2026 Julia Noviani, Elfi Rahmadhani, Basaruddin https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Toward verifiable human provenance in digital ecosystems
The exponential growth of automated identities and generative AI content has triggered a multidimensional crisis of epistemic trust, economic asymmetry, and ecological strain. This paper introduces the World Population Identifier (WPI), a neutral, privacy‑preserving, and interoperable socio‑technical framework designed to restore verifiable human provenance across digital ecosystems, enable consent‑based mechanisms for presence‑derived value, and reduce incentives for uncontrolled bot proliferation. The architecture integrates national attestation anchors, decentralized identifiers, verifiable credentials, and post‑quantum cryptography with selective disclosure mechanisms. Beyond its technical design, the WPI incorporates governance principles of neutrality, transparency, and Global South leadership, alongside explicit environmental accountability. Educationally, it advances epistemic literacy through STEAM‑oriented curricula that equip learners to critically assess provenance and resist disinformation. By situating the framework within diverse contexts, the study contributes to theory and practice, offering a pathway toward sustainable identity infrastructures and inclusive digital trust.
Education / Educational Technology / Intercultural and Global Studies/ AI Ethics and Sustainability
Copyright (c) 2026 Alberto Rafael Roman Soltero https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Educational AI deployment in multilingual contexts often assumes passive adoption, yet little research examines how users respond to systems positioning languages unequally. This ethnographic study investigated teacher and student responses to AI systems treating French and Arabic differently in Moroccan secondary schools. Eighteen months of fieldwork across four schools included classroom observations (N=78), interviews (N=15), and student focus groups (N=60). Thematic analysis revealed three patterns: teachers developed systematic appropriation strategies in 67% of lessons (78% in Arabic-medium contexts), students recognized differential treatment (78%) and created tactical workarounds, and collective resistance emerged through professional networks and advocacy. Findings challenge technological determinism, demonstrating that user resistance constitutes professional expertise, revealing system inadequacies. Teacher and student adaptations specify requirements for equitable educational AI, offering essential design knowledge that vendors currently ignore.
Copyright (c) 2026 Wyssal El Gourari, Rachid Ed-Dali https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Instructional decision-making process is inherently complex, involving reasoning, choices, and dispositions that shape classroom practices. Science teachers’ pedagogical actions and decisions are influenced by multiple factors, ranging from intrinsic beliefs to external constraints. This study explores the interplay of actions, dispositions, and decision-making in various teaching and learning strategies used in science classrooms. Using classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with 16 elementary science teachers from a nationwide mixed-methods study, we examine their instructional approaches. Findings indicate that most teachers rely on traditional methods, such as ‘chalk-and-talk’ or text-based instruction, with their pedagogical strategies being predominantly discipline-oriented. Teachers' narratives reveal gaps in pedagogical knowledge, often leading to misconceptions or inadequate instructional dispositions. Drawing on situated cognition theory, we discuss how internal factors, including exam-driven teaching and workplace conditions, shape science instruction. Based on these findings, we propose recommendations to enhance science teaching practices.
Copyright (c) 2026 Sadia Muzaffar Bhutta, Afaq Ahmed, Sohail Ahmad, Aisha Naz Ansari https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Cross-age peer tutoring using a design-based research approach to expand computer science education in schools
In times of increased demand for the implementation of computer science as a compulsory subject in schools in Germany, additional human resources are required. These are reduced due to the shortage of skilled workers. The concept of "learning to teach" and cross-age peer tutoring enables older students to teach younger students, which has been shown to have positive effects on both groups. This approach is to be realized and evaluated in the "Minteers" project in order to develop a solution approach for lessons in computer science. Based on the design-based research approach, a solution for a concept in cross-age peer tutoring for schools is being explored. This is based on a preliminary examination of the conceptual foundations, followed by testing of the prototypes with the implemented didactic concepts. In the evaluation phase, the concepts and the materials are now being continuously developed and adapted.
Copyright (c) 2026 Anne-Maria Schmer, Claas Wegner https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Developing a heatmap rubric to assess meaningful learning
In the evolving landscape of education, understanding how different modalities of course delivery impact student learning is crucial. Anderson’s (2003) Interaction Equivalency Theorem (IET) provides a guideline for designing effective interactions in distance learning. Anderson’s theorem states that deep and meaningful formal learning is supported as long as one of the three forms of interaction (student–teacher, student–student, or student–content) is at a high level. High levels of more than one interaction mode may provide a more satisfying educational experience, although these experiences may not be as cost- or time-effective. While Anderson’s theorem was based on distance education, it can be extended to hybrid and traditional learning. The IET, as further discussed by Garrison (2017), emphasizes that a balance of student–content, student–student, and student–teacher interaction can lead to meaningful learning.
Copyright (c) 2026 Adam Chekour, Suguna Chundur https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Pedagogical quality of science and mathematics teachers across Pakistan
This study examines the pedagogical quality of science and mathematics teachers across Pakistan using observational data. A large-scale, cross-sectional classroom observation study was conducted with 589 science and mathematics teachers across 153 elementary schools. The findings reveal overall weak pedagogical quality among teachers. However, teachers in private schools, female teachers, and those teaching early grades demonstrate relatively better pedagogical practices. Female teachers, in particular, show greater attention to student interaction and instructional strategies. The study also highlights a tendency among teachers to prioritise content delivery as subject complexity increases, often at the expense of pedagogical quality. The findings have implications for teacher training and professional development in Pakistan, highlighting the need to strengthen pedagogical content knowledge through continuous professional learning and participatory instructional strategies.
Copyright (c) 2026 Sadia Muzaffar Bhutta, Sohail Ahmad, Aisha Naz Ansari, Afaq Ahmed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Credential gap refers to workers having more (overeducated) or less (undereducated) formal education than their occupations require. This study investigates whether prospective automation of occupations is related to the credential gap. Using quantitative Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions and data from Gmyrek et al. (2023), Frey and Osborne (2017) and Burning Glass in 102 occupations, I find that computerization automation is associated with undereducated occupations, while there are no clear statistical effects for AI automation. These results suggest that traditional computerization may help ease skills shortages by reducing the need for extensive educational credentials, whereas AI-driven automation may not yet influence credential structures, highlighting policy and educational planning challenges in aligning college workforce training with evolving technological demands.
Copyright (c) 2026 Larry Liu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Examining the effects of experiential science education in middle school classrooms
This study investigated the impact of experiential science education on middle school teachers’ practices and efficacy, as well as students’ attitudes toward science. Teachers from four northeast Louisiana schools participated in a university-led professional development focused on the use of technology, data collection, and analysis through innovation in learning science, including school-based weather stations. Mixed methods were employed to examine classroom discourse and learning experiences within an interdisciplinary framework. Before intervention, analyses revealed no significant difference among schools, but showed varied (or heterogeneous) improvements afterward, demonstrating the site-specific/contextual effectiveness of the intervention. Post-hoc analyses revealed within-school variations across efficacy measures. Overall, findings post-intervention indicated reduced student anxiety toward science, enhanced perceptions of the societal value of science, and increased interest in pursuing science. The results highlight the potential of innovative, cross-disciplinary, experiential approaches to strengthen both teaching practices and student engagement in science education.
Copyright (c) 2026 Saswati Majumdar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Factors impinging on science teaching and learning at the College of Education in Ghana
This study examined institutional, instructional, and resource-related factors affecting the teaching and learning of Integrated Science in Ghanaian Colleges of Education. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, data were collected from 543 teacher trainees, 33 tutors, and 36 administrators across six colleges through questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups. Quantitative findings identified insufficient instructional time, limited teaching and learning resources, and inadequate practical opportunities as major challenges, whereas syllabus coverage, assessment techniques, and tutors’ beliefs had limited influence. Qualitative findings expanded these results by revealing inadequate laboratories, obsolete equipment, and competing co-curricular activities that constrained science instruction. Integrated findings showed that lecturers and administrators adopted adaptive strategies such as demonstrations, improvisation of materials, and the use of national service personnel despite persistent institutional constraints. The study concludes that improving instructional time, infrastructure, and practical resources is essential for strengthening science teacher education in Ghana.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ebenezer Appah Bonney https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0