In contemporary society, science constitutes a significant part of human life in that it impacts on how people experience and understand the world and themselves. The rapid advances in science and technology, newly established societal and cultural norms and values, and changes in the climate and environment, as well as, the depletion of natural resources all greatly impact the lives of children and youths, and hence their ways of learning, viewing the world, experiencing phenomena around them and interacting with others. These changes challenge science educators to rethink the epistemology and pedagogy in science classrooms today as the practice of science education needs to be proactive and relevant to students and prepare them for life in the present and in the future. Featuring contributions from highly experienced and celebrated science educators, as well as research perspectives from Europe, the USA, Asia and Australia, this book addresses theoretical and practical examples in science education that, on the one hand, plays a key role in our understanding of the world, and yet, paradoxically, now acknowledges a growing number of uncertainties of knowledge about the world. The material is in four sections that cover the learning and teaching of science from science literacy to multiple representations; science teacher education; the use of innovations and new technologies in science teaching and learning; and science learning in informal settings including outdoor environmental learning activities. Acknowledging the issues and challenges in science education, this book hopes to generate collaborative discussions among scholars, researchers, and educators to develop critical and creative ways of science teaching to improve and enrich the lives of our children and youths.

This book starts with the premise that beauty can be an engine of transformation and authentic engagement in an increasingly complex world. It presents an organized picture of highlights from the 13th European Science Education Research Association Conference, ESERA 2019, held in Bologna, Italy. The collection includes contributions that discuss contemporary issues such as climate change, multiculturalism, and the flourishing of new interdisciplinary areas of investigation, including the application of cognitive neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and digital humanities to science education research. It also highlights learners’ difficulties engaging with socio-scientific issues in a digital and post-truth era. The volume demonstrates that deepening our understanding is the preferred way to address these challenges and that science education has a key role to play in this effort. In particular, the book advances the argument that the deep and novel character of these challenges requires a collective search for new narratives and languages, an expanding knowledge base and new theoretical perspectives and methods of research. The book provides a contemporary picture of science education research and looks to the theoretical and practical societal challenges of the future.

This book discusses the scope of science education research and practice in Asia. It is divided into five sections: the first consists of nine chapters providing overviews of science education in Asia (China, Lebanon, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Oman, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand). The second section offers chapters on content analysis of research articles, while the third includes three chapters on assessment and curriculum. The fourth section includes four chapters on innovative technology in science education; and the fifth section consists of four chapters on professional development, and informal learning. Each section also has additional chapters providing specific comments on the content. This collection of works provides readers with a starting point to better understand the current state of science education in Asia.

This book reviews the current state of theoretical accounts of the what and how of science learning in schools. The book starts out by presenting big-picture perspectives on key issues. In these first chapters, it focuses on the range of resources students need to acquire and refine to become successful learners. It examines meaningful learner purposes and processes for doing science, and structural supports to optimize cognitive engagement and success. Subsequent chapters address how particular purposes, resources and experiences can be conceptualized as the basis to understand current practices. They also show how future learning opportunities should be designed, lived and reviewed to promote student engagement/learning. Specific topics include insights from neuro-imaging, actor-network theory, the role of reasoning in claim-making for learning in science, and development of disciplinary literacies, including writing and multi-modal meaning-making. All together the book offers leads to science educators on theoretical perspectives that have yielded valuable insights into science learning. In addition, it proposes new agendas to guide future practices and research in this subject.

"This compilation aims to analyse students' learning during STEM activities in the following categories: real-world problem solving and knowledge about the topic under discussion. This study is part of a larger project that comprises five school clusters and involves students from several grades. Next, the authors develop, validate and apply an attitude and learning environment questionnaire for gifted female students to evaluate technology-based science instruction by comparing regular and technology-based science classrooms. Additionally, Science Teaching and Learning: Practices, Implementation and Challenges reports the methods and outcomes of a study that explored the impact of a six-month school-scientist partnership involving a New Zealand science research institute and a group of 164 9-10 year olds. The authors investigate the effects of learning boxes on 5th grade students' academic achievement and retention in science classes. In order to realize this goal, a quantitative research method including an experimental design was used. The concluding study considers Kuhn's concept of how scientific revolution takes place based on individual elements or tenets of the nature of science, and explores the interrelationships within the individual elements or tenets of the nature of science"--

This book provides a comprehensive overview of humanistic approaches to science. Approaches that connect students to broader human concerns in their everyday life and culture. Glen Aikenhead, an expert in the field of culturally sensitive science education, summarizes major worldwide historical findings; focuses on present thinking; and offers evidence in support of classroom practice. This highly accessible text covers curriculum policy, teaching materials, teacher orientations, teacher education, student learning, culture studies, and future research.