International Journal of STEM Education

Responding to the need for interdisciplinary, real-world STEM-integrated learning, we examine the relationship between teachers’ adaptive expertise in bioinformatics (a STEM field that integrates biology, data literacy, and computational approaches) and students’ classroom experiences. We draw on data from an earlier study, in which we conducted a summer professional development workshop and subs…

Informal STEM education (ISE) programs provide mentorship and opportunities to explore STEM concepts and practices outside of traditional classroom settings and have shown promise in broadening participation, particularly among youth with systemically excluded identities in STEM. Many ISE programs engage undergraduate students as facilitators and near-peer mentors for the youth participants. Our …

ChatGPT, an AI-driven chatbot capable of generating code and providing timely, personalized feedback, offers new opportunities for supporting programming learning among younger learners. This study employed a quasi-experimental design to examine the effects of Self-Directed Programming (SDP) and ChatGPT-Facilitated Programming (CFP) learning modes on primary learners’ programming knowledge, skill…

The growing societal presence of artificial intelligence (AI) necessitates that students develop not only conceptual understanding (CU) of AI mechanisms but also epistemic understanding (EU) of how AI knowledge is generated, constructed, warranted, and constrained. Responding to this need, this study proposes Enact-Examine-Extract (E3), an epistemic tool designed to scaffold upper elementary stud…

The integration of generative AI into programming education has produced a widely reported tension between performance and learning. We distinguish immediate task performance from genuine learning: durable, transferable conceptual understanding and evaluative skill, and examine how AI support shapes learning processes, not merely outcomes. While many studies document improved speed, accuracy, and…

An overarching goal of STEM education is to support learners in developing systems thinking (ST), a set of cognitive resources used to work with and understand systems. Although systems are widespread, ways of describing and using ST vary across disciplines (including STEM education), and their similarities and differences are still largely understudied. This study continues a bibliometric survey…

Providing engineering students with the non-technical professional skills they will need in the workforce, including communication, teamwork, and leadership, requires repeated, contextually embedded development opportunities. Yet, limited research has explored how such opportunities vary by institutional type and academic year, or how students gain access to them. This study examines the relation…

A common rationale for integrating computational thinking (CT) in science curricula has been the opportunity to increase learning outcomes in both CT and science. While evidence shows that learning to code to create computer models of scientific phenomena improves students’ CT, few studies have demonstrated equivalent increases in science learning. This study aims to investigate the impact of a C…

Abstract STEM graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are responsible for teaching many undergraduate students. Yet, graduate teaching assistants typically receive limited formal pedagogical preparation. The reasons for this lack of professional development are sometimes external to the GTAs themselves (e.g., time or monetary cost to participate, few training opportunities offered by departmental lea…

Research has thoroughly demonstrated that the intention to pursue and persist in a Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics (STEM)-related career is influenced by the extent to which students perceive themselves as a STEM person, namely their STEM identity. However, previous studies have mainly used variable-centered approaches to explore relationships between identity and its precursors, which…

STEM transfer students tend to have lower transfer rates, lower degree completion rates, and longer time to degree. STEM identity, defined as how individuals perceive and position themselves within STEM fields, positively influences persistence and success in STEM majors and careers. While previous research has studied STEM identity among non-transfer four-year students, little is known about its…

The literature commonly agrees on the importance of science identity in determining students’ career choices. Yet, there is a lack of empirical research on how diverse learning experiences contribute to the formation of science identity and influence future career choice. Moreover, although early studies often considered science identity as a direct determinant of career choice, recent findings i…

Abstract Background The public often perceives STEM disciplines as objective and neutral from human and societal factors. However, recent movements in STEM education have increasingly challenged this value-free assumption, advocating for the integration of empathy into STEM education reform. How STEM education leaders view the role of empathy profoundly influences STEM education policy and curric…

Prominence of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) competencies has transcended mere academic achievements, contributing cross-cuttingly to individual, societal, and global development. Despite consensus that STEM-related outcomes are largely shaped by complex and interconnected factors, key determinants of STEM competencies remain insufficiently explored. Guided by Dynamic Mo…

Abstract Background The progression and retention of students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines are influenced by their performance in calculus courses, particularly among underrepresented minoritized (URM) and first-generation college students. Research stresses the importance of addressing psychosocial factors to bolster resilience, persistence, and positiv…

Abstract Background Education for Human Flourishing aims to empower students to develop their full potential to lead a meaningful, autonomous life to the benefit of themselves and society at large. Recent technological developments call for an evaluation of the entanglement of (Education for) Human Flourishing and generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Following the PRISMA guidelines, this scop…

Abstract Background Amid growing interest in cooperations between schools and out-of-school organizations to enrich STEM learning, questions remain about the actual conditions that enable such collaborations to succeed. Empirical insights are especially scarce when it comes to the perspectives of those directly involved in planning and practice. Existing frameworks are often focused on specific p…