Resources

This article and my career as an educational researcher are grounded in two fundamental assumptions: (a) that research and practice can and should live in productive synergy, with each enhancing the other, and (b) that research focused on teaching and learning in a particular discipline can, if carefully framed, yield insights that have implications across a broad spectrum of disciplines. This article begins by describing in brief two bodies of work that exemplify these two fundamental assumptions. I then elaborate on a third example, the development of a new set of tools for understanding and

This chapter discusses findings from a National Science Foundation (NSF) project funded by the Innovative Technologies Experiences for Student and Teachers (ITEST) program. The project has an ongoing research agenda focusing on the impact of robotics summer camps and competitions targeted at middle school youth. The research focused on the impact of the interventions on youth a) learning of computer programming, mathematics, and engineering concepts, b) science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) attitudes, c) workplace skills, and d) STEM career interest. Results show that robotics

A sentiment held by Dewey and shared by other educators is that learning should enrich and expand everyday experience. However, this goal has not been a focus of research. In this article, I propose transformative experience as a construct capable of reflecting this goal and functioning as an empirical research construct. I discuss the theoretical grounding for this construct in the work of Dewey and define it in terms of three characteristics: (a) motivated use, (b) expansion of perception, and (c) experiential value. In doing so, I describe how transformative experience integrates current

Many preservice teachers struggle in science courses and foster anxieties regarding science instruction in their future classrooms. Providing time and support for preservice teachers to teach science in an after-school classroom through service learning allows them to build a science learning environment outside the formal school day. In this alternative learning space, student dialogue can enhance learning in science while also improving preservice teachers’ confidence and enthusiasm to teach science. SCI-TALKS, a program that integrates service learning and science methods instruction

The proliferation of new technologies has changed the way we live, learn, and work. Although the future of work is unclear, thought leaders, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), assert that artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, robotics, and machine learning will be ubiquitous in tomorrow’s workplaces. This vision of the future includes a new machine age, where various technologies (sensors, communication, computation, and intelligence) will be embedded around, on, and in us; where humans will shape technology and technology will shape human interaction; and where

CADRE, the Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education (CADRE), the resource center for the National Science Foundations' Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) Program.CADRE developed the CADRE Early Career Guide: Tips for Early Career STEM Education Researchers, a guide to becoming a successful researcher in the field of STEM education, and a profile of the CADRE Fellows program. Early career researchers may independently access the resources in the guide or share them with a study group of graduate students and professional peers. Advisors, supervisors, mentors, and program leads

The attached document provides an overview of the National Science Foundation's ITEST Program. The data for this report was derived from Management Information System (MIS) survey data from 2003-2016, a survey of newly-awarded projects in 2016, and from the NSF report of all ITEST project awards.

This monograph shares results of our inquiry into pedagogical strategies that infuse career awareness into science lessons. We first identify four cognitive building blocks of career development and four promising approaches for raising awareness of science careers. We then provide a typology of ten replicable teacher practice strategies, with accompanying examples of each. These findings are part of a larger exploration into the potential for secondary science teachers to increase student awareness of, and interest in, science careers, and are intended to contribute to field-building efforts

The interrelationship of structure and function is a key theme of biology. One important example of this relationship involves how the three-dimensional shapes of proteins are related to the roles they play at the cellular level. The treatment of protein structure in many introductory textbooks, however, is cursory and focuses on the relationships among primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure without a clear link to how these levels of organization contribute to functional aspects of the protein. This short and engaging hands-on activity helps reinforce the connection between

Understanding how high school students become aware of STEM career options, how educators can help students translate awareness into pursuit of STEM careers, and how to provide students with the support and skills they need to succeed, are crucial elements in ensuring the future of our STEM workforce. One important factor is the role that high school science teachers can play in fostering STEM career interest and awareness. As part of our study, we conducted interviews and focus groups with over 70 high school science teachers and other science and career education experts. Teachers’