Science education international 

About: Science education international is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Science education & Teaching method. It has an ISSN identifier of 1450-104X. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 517 publications have been published receiving 5438 citations. The journal is also known as: SEI.

Engaging Students In STEM Education

Abstract: With the "flattening" of the global economy in the 21st century, the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) has taken on new importance as economic competition has become truly global. STEM education has evolved into a meta-discipline, an integrated effort that removes the traditional barriers between these subjects, and instead focuses on innovation and the applied process of designing solutions to complex contextual problems using current tools and technologies. Engaging students in high quality STEM education requires programs to include rigorous curriculum, instruction, and assessment, integrate technology and engineering into the science and mathematics curriculum, and also promote scientific inquiry and the engineering design process. All students must be a part of the STEM vision, and all teachers must be provided with the proper professional development opportunities preparing them to guide all their students toward acquiring STEM literacy. By focusing on student engagement, educators from institutions of higher education and K-12 schools can work together to develop pedagogical models that provide rigorous, well-rounded education and outstanding STEM instruction. This paper defines the necessary attributes of STEM programs designed to engage all students, describes a number of model programs focused on student engagement, and discusses assessments in progress.

Moving from structured to open inquiry: Challenges and limits

Abstract: The article provides science educators with definitions of inquiry and its levels, relating them to real-world scientific processes. Such an educational shift entails a fundamental cultural change in the epistemology of science learning in schools, shifting it from ‘instructionism’ to social constructivist learning. The highest level of inquiry, open inquiry, simulates and reflects the type of research and experimental work that is performed by scientists, and demands highorder thinking capabilities (i.e., questioning, designing an experimental array, critical and logical thinking, reflection). Students who participate in an open inquiry project demonstrated ownership and responsibility for determining the purpose of the investigation and the question to be investigated as a scientist would. We present a model that has been implemented in Israel's high school biology teaching for the past twelve years. The model consists of several components, each of them independently proven important to inquiry teaching by the relevant research literature available. In the article, we present the components of our model, emphasizing the importance of each component. The components (development, implementation, support, and control) at the heart of the model presented here are based on numerous projects and researches from the literature.

STEM Education: A Review of the Contribution of the Disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Abstract: Recent global educational initiatives and reforms have focused on increasing the number of students pursuing STEM subjects, and ensuring students are well-prepared, and suitably qualified to engage in STEM careers. This paper examines the contributions of the four disciplines - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics - to the field of STEM education, and discusses STEM literacy; factors influencing students’ engagement in STEM education; effective pedagogical practices, and their influence on student learning and achievement in STEM; and the role of the teacher in STEM education. Through a critical review of 237 studies, three key factors were identified: (1) the importance of focusing on the junior secondary phase of schooling to maintain student interest and motivation to engage in STEM, (2) the implementation of effective pedagogical practices to increase student interest and motivation, develop 21st century competencies, and improve student achievement, and (3) the development of high-quality teachers to positively affect students’ attitudes and motivation towards STEM.

Critical thinking: Conceptual clarification and its importance in science education

Abstract: In different countries efforts have been made to integrate critical thinking into science curricula, recognizing that it is necessary to live in a plural society with citizenship competence. However, this objective has not been appropriately implemented in classrooms. One of the obstacles is the fact that teachers do not have a clear idea about critical thinking because the meaning ascribed to critical thinking in different contexts is rarely explicit. This paper attempts to clarify this concept, evincing its relationship with other concepts such as scientific literacy and to present and discuss a framework for promoting students’ critical thinking in science classrooms.

Factors affecting the motivation of Turkish primary students for science learning

Abstract: In this study, Turkish primary students’ (sixth to eighth grade) motivation toward science learning was investigated and factors affecting this determined. The sample for the study consisted of 376 students from 5 different primary schools in Izmir. The data were collected through a Students’ Motivation toward Science Learning (SMTSL) questionnaire which was developed by Tuan, Chin & Shieh (2005) and adapted for use in Turkey by Yilmaz & Cavas (2007). It was found that it was a valid and reliable tool for the Turkish students, having 6 sub-scales which were selfefficacy, science learning value, active learning strategies, performance goal, achievement goal, and learning environment stimulation. Also collected was data on students’ science attitudes and achievement scores. Results showed that Turkish primary students’ science motivation differed significantly in terms of their gender and grade level. Student’s motivational level was found to have a considerable impact on their science attitudes and achievement in science.