Active Learning Pedagogies in High School and Undergraduate STEM Education

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "STEM Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 8352

Special Issue Editors

School of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Interests: assessment; complex problem-solving; creativity; engineering education; systems thinking

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Advanced Study in PBL, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Interests: problem-based learning; STEM education; education transitions; curriculum development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, active learning methods have been promoted as helping to foster a variety of learning outcomes, including but not limited to conceptual understanding, higher-order thinking skills, and interpersonal skills. While high school education and undergraduate education differ from each other in multiple ways, we believe researchers focused on these different educational levels can learn from each other’s findings and conclusions.

In this Special Issue, “Active Learning Pedagogies in High School and Undergraduate STEM Education”, we are interested in submissions from a variety of STEM disciplines and geographic regions. Active learning pedagogies may include but are not limited to case-based learning, challenge-based learning, experiential learning, inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, and project-based learning.

This Special Issue of Education Sciences welcomes submissions of manuscripts from scholars focused on STEM education research in high school or undergraduate levels. Papers may be theoretical or empirical, involving formal or informal educational settings. All research methods will be considered, including quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and design-based and action research.

Topics for this Special Issue include but are not limited to the following:

  • Evaluated programs, courses, or interventions;
  • Interventions for improving student skills;
  • Professional development of faculty;
  • Reviews or meta-analyses of the literature;
  • Validation of assessment instruments.

Dr. Rea Lavi
Dr. Lykke Brogaard Bertel
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles and review articles are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • active learning
  • assessment
  • case-based learning
  • challenge-based learning
  • conceptual understanding
  • curriculum development
  • experiential learning
  • engineering education
  • high school
  • inquiry-based learning
  • interpersonal skills
  • mathematics education
  • pre-college
  • problem-based learning
  • project-based learning
  • professional development
  • science education
  • STEM education
  • technology education
  • thinking skills
  • undergraduate

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 1179 KiB  
Article
Secondary School Apprenticeship Research Experience: Scientific Dispositions and Mentor-Student Interaction
by Mercedes Edry, Irit Sasson and Yehudit Judy Dori
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(5), 441; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050441 - 25 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1222
Abstract
This study investigated the impact of a secondary school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research apprenticeship program (STEM-RAP) as part of active learning pedagogy on students’ performance. We examined students’ (a) scientific dispositions—self-efficacy, intrinsic goal orientation, and sense of control over learning, [...] Read more.
This study investigated the impact of a secondary school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research apprenticeship program (STEM-RAP) as part of active learning pedagogy on students’ performance. We examined students’ (a) scientific dispositions—self-efficacy, intrinsic goal orientation, and sense of control over learning, (b) STEM career choice, and (c) mentor-student interaction. Research tools included open- and closed-ended questionnaires, as well as interviews with a sample of students and mentors. The questionnaire was administered to 319 11th and 12th grade students majoring in science and technology in Israeli high schools. Of these, 262 participated in STEM-RAP and 57 took part only in studying a high-school STEM subject as a major. The results show highly positive scientific dispositions. A significant difference was found in intrinsic goal orientation in favor of the STEM-RAP students, who also had different contextual images of their mentors as ‘research partners’. The mentor interviews revealed several interaction themes, including content, procedural, and epistemic knowledge development, partnership, and emotional support. The findings emphasize the importance of research activities as part of active learning pedagogy for developing students’ motivation to study science. Full article
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22 pages, 1018 KiB  
Article
Perceptions of Lecturers and Engineering Students of Sophism and Paradox: The Case of Differential Equations
by Faezeh Rezvanifard, Farzad Radmehr and Michael Drake
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(4), 354; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13040354 - 29 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1230
Abstract
One of the important topics that many STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students learn at the tertiary level is differential equations (DEs). Previous studies have explored students’ perceptions of engaging in puzzle tasks in STEM courses; however, no study has explored lecturers’ [...] Read more.
One of the important topics that many STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students learn at the tertiary level is differential equations (DEs). Previous studies have explored students’ perceptions of engaging in puzzle tasks in STEM courses; however, no study has explored lecturers’ and students’ perceptions toward using sophism and paradox tasks in teaching mathematics courses, including DEs. This study explores DEs lecturers’ and undergraduate engineering students’ perceptions of using sophism and paradox tasks in the teaching and learning of DEs. The perceptions of 17 lecturers and 134 undergraduate engineering students of sophism and paradox tasks were explored using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The findings showed that more than 50% of lecturers and students perceived that sophism and paradox tasks are enjoyable and entertaining activities which improve students’ mathematical understanding and problem-solving skills, and enhance thinking skills. The findings suggest that sophism and paradox tasks can be used along with routine problems in teaching DEs to provide good opportunities for students to participate more effectively in classroom discussions and motivate them to learn DEs. Full article
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26 pages, 1008 KiB  
Article
Awareness and Adoption of Evidence-Based Instructional Practices by STEM Faculty in the UAE and USA
by Melinda Joy Biggs Albuquerque, Dina Mustafa Mohammad Awadalla, Francisco Daniel Benicio de Albuquerque and Ashraf Aly Hassan
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 204; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13020204 - 15 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1450
Abstract
There has been a widespread call for improvement in undergraduate STEM education, leading to what are known as evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs). However, EBIP usage in STEM is a more recent phenomenon in the United Arab Emirates, which is historically known for its [...] Read more.
There has been a widespread call for improvement in undergraduate STEM education, leading to what are known as evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs). However, EBIP usage in STEM is a more recent phenomenon in the United Arab Emirates, which is historically known for its passive teaching practices but is now taking strides to transform its educational system. This study sought to assess (i) STEM faculty EBIP awareness, adoption, and ease-of-implementation perceptions from STEM faculty at a leading university in the United Arab Emirates and the demographic factors correlated with faculty responses, and (ii) the contextual factors that influence faculty EBIP adoption. Data was compared to that of STEM faculty at a top-tier research and teaching university in the United States of America. Finally, this study sought to provide a snapshot of current STEM faculty teaching practices when both a leader (United States of America) and a newcomer (United Arab Emirates) in STEM EBIPs were considered. A survey containing 16 teaching practices—3 traditional, 13 EBIPs—along with 20 contextual factors was developed and completed by faculty. EBIP awareness and usage were positively affected by time spent on teaching, teaching experience, and teaching workshop participation, and negatively affected by more class time spent lecturing. Significant contextual factors point to potential factors for consideration in efforts to improve EBIP adoption. Full article
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Review

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25 pages, 3010 KiB  
Review
A Systematic Review of Engineering Students in Intercultural Teamwork: Characteristics, Challenges, and Coping Strategies
by Dan Jiang, Bettina Dahl and Xiangyun Du
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(6), 540; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13060540 - 24 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3049
Abstract
In response to the challenges posed by globalization and internationalization, engineering education programs are increasingly focused on knowledge, technologies, and competence that meet global needs. Against this backdrop, higher engineering students are often encouraged to collaborate in teams with others from diverse, cultural, [...] Read more.
In response to the challenges posed by globalization and internationalization, engineering education programs are increasingly focused on knowledge, technologies, and competence that meet global needs. Against this backdrop, higher engineering students are often encouraged to collaborate in teams with others from diverse, cultural, and disciplinary backgrounds, for the purpose of preparing them to accommodate change and innovation across international working contexts. Within a growing number of intercultural systematic and meta-analysis reviews in engineering education, little attention has been paid to intercultural team characteristics, and even less has been given to the challenges of intercultural teamwork and the relevant coping strategies. Using a systematic approach, this paper reviewed 77 journal articles to identify the intercultural team characteristics of engineering students based on team formats, level of collaboration, learning goals, evaluation methods, and learning gains. Through the process of intercultural collaboration, several challenges and corresponding coping strategies were reported at the individual, relational, and contextual levels. Recommendations for future practice for engineering educators and programs faculties, and future research directions for engineering educational researchers, are proposed in order to support engineering students’ intercultural team learning. Full article
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