Context of STEM Integration in Schools: Views from In-service Science Teachers

This is the final version of the article. Available from ISER publications via the DOI in this record.This study explores science teachers' views regarding Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) pedagogy and its interdisciplinary nature. It also seeks to identify teachers' views on the contextual factors that facilitate and hinder such pedagogy in their schools. Qualitative methodologies were used through focus group discussions and an interview protocol. From the specific contextual issues that were highlighted in the findings, was teacher self-efficacy, pedagogical-knowledge, issues related to establishing a collaborative school culture and familiarity to STEM education among school administrators, students and parents. Findings expressed teachers' concerns of their under- preparedness to enact STEM practices and illustrated that engineering is the least mentioned discipline to be integrated with science. The study ends with recommendations that could lead to develop a professional development model to enact STEM education in schools based on valuing partnership with universities and industries as a necessary step for enacting a STEM integrated model.This research was conducted as part of the professional development for in-service Science and mathematics teachers Research group with support of the Excellence Research Centre of Science and Mathematics Education - King Saudi University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

International collaborative follow - up investigation of graduating high school students’ understandings of the nature of scientific inquiry: is progress Being made?

Understandings of the nature of scientific inquiry (NOSI), as opposed to engaging students in inquiry learning experiences, are included in science education reform documents around the world. However, little is known about what students have learned about NOSI during their pre-college school years. The purpose of this large-scale follow-up international project (i.e. 32 countries and regions, spanning six continents and including 3917 students for the high school sample) was to collect data on what exiting high school students have learned about NOSI. Additionally, the study investigated changes in 12th grade students’ NOSI understandings compared to seventh grade (i.e. 20 countries and regions) students’ understandings from a prior investigation [Lederman et al. (2019). An international collaborative investigation of beginning seventh grade students’ understandings of scientific inquiry: Establishing a baseline. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 56(4), 486–515. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21512]. This study documents and discusses graduating high school students’ understandings and compares their understandings to seventh grade students’ understandings of the same aspects of scientific inquiry for each country. It is important to note that collecting data from each of the 130+ countries globally was not feasible. Similarly, it was not possible to collect data from every region of each country. A concerted effort was made, however, to provide a relatively representative picture of each country and the world

Using Wiki in teacher education: Impact on knowledge management processes and student satisfaction.

The current study reports on the use of Wiki as an online didactic tool to develop knowledge management (KM) processes in higher education. This study integrates social constructivist principles to learning where learners are pro-active and collaborative through higher order cognitive processes. The study was administered in two countries, namely Egypt and Italy, to close a gap in the literature with an aim to introduce KM processes in teacher educational programmes. These processes are seen as necessary for teachers\u2019 professional skills. Such processes are claimed to enable teachers and therefore schools to evolve in a networked information-driven global society, especially as the complexity of subject knowledge is increasing. It is also a learning experience where teachers learn how to provide their students with educational settings where technology is enabled. Throughout the study, 27 Egyptian students and 36 Italian students participated in online activities and developed interdisciplinary projects for the primary and preparatory stages while collaborating in a Wiki experience within Moodle platform. The study followed a mixed methods approach that consisted of both quantitative and qualitative data. The authors developed several instruments in order to measure both processes and outcomes of the five-week online activities. This current study is reporting on the use of two closed question instruments and one open question instrument. These were: Knowledge Management Questionnaire (KMQ), Student Satisfaction Questionnaire (SSQ) and a Reflection Questionnaire (RQ). Data were analysed using statistical analysis and inductive content analysis. Results indicate that responses on the KMQ were all reliable >0.70, and fulfilled the five processes of KM and participants were highly satisfied. The results suggest that Wikis can develop teachers\u2019 knowledge management processes and fulfil student\u2019s satisfaction while collaborating in designing interdisciplinary projects. Future implications and suggestions for teacher education programmes are provided in light of the findings