American Journal of STEM Education
type: channel
description: American Journal of STEM Education: Issues and Perspectives is a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal that publishes empirical research, reviews, and practitioner opinions related to issues and perspectives in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. Published by the Star Scholars Press, the journal undergoes peer review through a blind process, utilizing a national and international editorial board and peer reviewers.
publisher: STAR SCHOLARS PRESS
language: en
publication name: American Journal of STEM Education
issn: 3065-1190
copyright: Copyright (c) [year] [author] This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
items: An ethical AI framework for STEM education
items: Pre-service teachers’ perceptions of literacy in STEM classroom instruction by implementation of project-based lessons
items: STEM education
items: Evaluating the performance of 3 large language models in higher education essay-like assessments in 2024 and 2026
items: Economic status and Hispanic student reading college readiness
items: ChatGPT’s pedagogical approach and the potential for hidden curriculum through school context proxies
items: Employing generative AI applications in learning
items: Pedagogical quality of science and mathematics teachers across Pakistan
items: Mini-cycle PBL
items: Credentials gap and automation
items: Teacher attrition in Bhutan
items: Bridging AI-TPACK and STEM education
items: Bridging distances
items: Teachers’ digital literacy and teaching quality
items: Effectiveness of realistic mathematics education
items: Bridging metacognition and performance
items: AI-enhanced pedagogical practices and mathematical language proficiency in STEM education
items: Prerequisite chemistry knowledge as a predictor of senior high school students’ achievement in thermochemistry
items: Teachers’ voices from the global south
items: STEAM education and its implications for 21st century skills development in Timor-Leste
items: Language choice and students’ performance in mathematics and science
items: Effects of translanguaging on science literacy among high school students
items: Integrating the "A" in STEAM
items: STEAM education
items: Addressing structural and pedagogical challenges in STEM higher education
items: Speaking science in a foreign tongue
items: Determinants of perceived fairness in classroom assessments
items: Total quality management and educational innovation in primary and secondary education
items: Algorithmic feedback vs. human feedback
items: Informal STEM learning as a pathway to youth’s AI literacy

An ethical AI framework for STEM education
type: item
description: This study introduces a novel ethical AI framework for undergraduate STEM education that prioritizes privacy, transparency, and accountability. Employing a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, this study engaged 412 undergraduate STEM students, 15 faculty members, and 10 administrators across three universities over two semesters. Data collection integrated quantitative learning analytics with qualitative stakeholder interviews and focus groups to capture both measurable outcomes and lived experiences. The results demonstrate that responsible AI design significantly improves student engagement (35%), instructor acceptance (78%), and reduces performance gaps between student groups by 40%, all while maintaining the model's predictive accuracy at 89%. This research demonstrates that AI can be designed to be both technically robust and ethically committed.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: artificial intelligence in education
  topic: keywords
subject: federated learning
  topic: keywords
subject: blockchain technology
  topic: keywords
subject: educational ethics
  topic: keywords
subject: STEM pedagogy
  topic: keywords
subject: data privacy
  topic: keywords
subject: Artificial Intelligence
  topic: disciplines
subject: STEM Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: Data Privacy and Security
  topic: disciplines
subject: Educational Technology
  topic: disciplines
subject: Learning Analytics
  topic: disciplines
subject: Artificial Intelligence in Education
  topic: disciplines
creator: Meysam Abedi
creator: Ismaila Temitayo Sanusi
creator: Markku Tukiainen
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Meysam Abedi, Ismaila Temitayo Sanusi, Markku Tukiainen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-07-05
publication date: 2026-07-05
starting page: 121
ending page: 146
doi: 10.32674/04054e51

Pre-service teachers’ perceptions of literacy in STEM classroom instruction by implementation of project-based lessons
type: item
description: This study examines how project-based learning (PBL) supports pre-service STEM teachers (PSTs) in understanding and applying disciplinary literacy in classroom instruction. Conducted in a semester-long PBL course at a mid-sized public university, the research explores PSTs’ shifting perceptions of literacy in STEM and the challenges and successes they experience. Using qualitative methods grounded in student voice and case study frameworks, data were collected through focus groups, reflections, and lesson plan analyses. Findings show PSTs initially held narrow views of literacy but developed more nuanced understandings through PBL. Key successes included increased confidence and use of inquiry-based strategies; challenges involved time constraints and students’ unfamiliarity with active learning. The study highlights PBL’s value in fostering authentic, inquiry-driven STEM instruction.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: STEM
  topic: keywords
subject: Literacy
  topic: keywords
subject: Pre-Service Teacher
  topic: keywords
subject: Problem-based learning
  topic: keywords
subject: Inquiry
  topic: keywords
subject: STEM Education
  topic: disciplines
creator: Sarah Ferguson
creator: Mary Enderson
creator: Jamie Colwell
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Sarah Ferguson, Mary Enderson, Jamie Colwell https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-07-05
publication date: 2026-07-05
starting page: 172
ending page: 188
doi: 10.32674/8f8a5730

STEM education
type: item
description: STEM education is crucial for nations aiming to develop knowledge-based economies and enhance global competitiveness. To effectively leverage 21st-century technological advancements, safeguard national security, and address global challenges such as climate change and food insecurity, a significant improvement in the quality of STEM education policies and practices is essential. Successful implementation requires a thorough understanding of STEM’s core principles, philosophical foundations, practical applications, and relevant policy frameworks. This critique paper examines the status of key strengths and weakness of the diverse STEM education policies and practices implemented across developed nations. It intends to address the global knowledge and awareness deficit and improve understanding, about the importance of strategically investing in high-quality STEM education, particularly among developing countries.
subject: STEM & Internationalization
  topic: section
subject: STEM Education
  topic: disciplines
creator: Sirak Tsegaye Yimer
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 American Journal of STEM Education https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-26
publication date: 2026-05-26
starting page: 119
ending page: 144
doi: 10.32674/691y6h68

Evaluating the performance of 3 large language models in higher education essay-like assessments in 2024 and 2026
type: item
description: Recent advances in artificial intelligence, especially generative large language models (LLMs), have transformed the higher education sector, raising concerns with academic integrity. The current literature lacks direct comparative analyses between LLMs. In the current study, we evaluated and compared the performance of ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot (free versions) in 2024 and 2026, following prompts related to coursework essay assessments in computer science education or biomedical science. Our results indicate that LLMs struggle to abide by the word count beyond 1000 words, with Gemini presenting greater deviations. Copilot presented the lowest frequency of reference hallucinations. Overall performance of the 3 LLMs did not reveal any statistically significant differences. Quality assessments of the outputs revealed issues with content and criticality for all the LLMs. Similar performances were observed in 2024 and 2026.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: large language models
  topic: keywords
subject: artificial intelligence
  topic: keywords
subject: essays
  topic: keywords
subject: assessments
  topic: keywords
subject: Computer Science Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: Biomedical Sciences
  topic: disciplines
creator: David Hunt
creator: Mathieu Di Miceli
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 David Hunt, Mathieu Di Miceli https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-07-05
publication date: 2026-07-05
starting page: 279
ending page: 304
doi: 10.32674/tfptev94

Economic status and Hispanic student reading college readiness
type: item
description: In this study, the relationship of economic status to reading college readiness was examined for Hispanic high school students in Texas. Texas statewide data on the state-mandated English I End-of-Course exam were analyzed for two years pre-pandemic and the last four years post-pandemic. Inferential statistical analyses revealed that lower percentages of Hispanic students in poverty met the Approaches Grade Level, Meets Grade Level, and Masters Grade Level standards than Hispanic students who were not in poverty. Extremely low percentages of Hispanic students met the Master's Grade Level standard, regardless of their economic status. Of note was that almost three-fourths of Hispanic students were economically disadvantaged. Implications for policy and for practice regarding the reading college-readiness of Hispanic students were provided, as well as recommendations for future research investigations.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: reading college readiness
  topic: keywords
subject: Hispanic students
  topic: keywords
subject: economic status
  topic: keywords
subject: grade level standards
  topic: keywords
subject: Educational Leadership
  topic: disciplines
subject: Education (Educational Studies / Education Research / Education Sciences)
  topic: disciplines
creator: Sa’Myra K. Bradford
creator: John R. Slate
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Sa’Myra K. Bradford , Dr. John R. Slate https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-07-05
publication date: 2026-07-05
starting page: 305
ending page: 330
doi: 10.32674/xnfqae50

ChatGPT’s pedagogical approach and the potential for hidden curriculum through school context proxies
type: item
description: This study investigates ChatGPT-4's pedagogical approach through mathematics lesson plans and examines how school context descriptors influence its output. We generated 45 individual eighth-grade probability lesson plans across three conditions: a baseline prompt, a "Successful School" context, and a "Struggling School" context. Content analysis of the lesson plans and 368 teacher-action verbs revealed that the LLM favored a direct instruction model (across all conditions) and shifted in specific ways in response to school descriptors. "Successful School" prompts generated lessons with additional mathematics concepts and advanced technology integration, whereas "Struggling School" prompts produced lessons with more monitoring of students’ progress, reinforcement activities, and attention to socioemotional support. These findings suggest that LLMs may replicate patterns of educational stratification.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: Generative AI, mathematics education, educational equity, mathematics pedagogy
  topic: keywords
subject: Learning Sciences
  topic: disciplines
subject: Mathematics Education
  topic: disciplines
creator: Laurie Rubel
creator: Shimrit Goidel
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Laurie Rubel, Shimrit Goidel https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-06-16
publication date: 2026-06-16
starting page: 157
ending page: 176
doi: 10.32674/nyqmx528

Employing generative AI applications in learning
type: item
description: This study seeks to understand the nature of the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) applications among Moroccan university students, by investigating the motivations for use and the effects of this use, by adopting the structural equation modeling technique using the partial least squares method (PLS-SEM) using the SmartPLS version 4 program, to analyze the study data collected through a scale prepared for this study and applied to a random sample of (206) male and female students from different Moroccan universities. After verifying the reliability of the proposed model, the study reached a set of results: Study pressure is the main motivation for using generative artificial intelligence applications among students, while the effect of time pressure and the search for quality and rewards was less significant.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: Academic performance
  topic: keywords
subject: Generative AI
  topic: keywords
subject: Higher Education
  topic: keywords
subject: memory impairment
  topic: keywords
subject: procrastination
  topic: keywords
subject: quality quest
  topic: keywords
subject: reward quest
  topic: keywords
subject: study pressure
  topic: keywords
subject: time pressure
  topic: keywords
creator: Bendaoud Nadif
creator: Mohammed Zemrani
creator: Brahim Ait Hammou
creator: Salah-Eddine Mansour
creator: Abdulnaser Fakhrou
creator: Abdelouahed Bouih
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Authors https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-06-16
publication date: 2026-06-16
starting page: 403
ending page: 424
doi: 10.32674/vt55r634

Pedagogical quality of science and mathematics teachers across Pakistan
type: item
description: This study examines the pedagogical quality of science and mathematics teachers across Pakistan using observational data. A large-scale, cross-sectional classroom observation study was conducted with 589 science and mathematics teachers across 153 elementary schools. The findings reveal overall weak pedagogical quality among teachers. However, teachers in private schools, female teachers, and those teaching early grades demonstrate relatively better pedagogical practices. Female teachers, in particular, show greater attention to student interaction and instructional strategies. The study also highlights a tendency among teachers to prioritise content delivery as subject complexity increases, often at the expense of pedagogical quality. The findings have implications for teacher training and professional development in Pakistan, highlighting the need to strengthen pedagogical content knowledge through continuous professional learning and participatory instructional strategies.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: Pedagogical quality
  topic: keywords
subject: Science teaching
  topic: keywords
subject: Mathematics teaching
  topic: keywords
subject: Nationwide study
  topic: keywords
subject: Observational study
  topic: keywords
subject: Pakistan
  topic: keywords
creator: Sadia Muzaffar Bhutta
creator: Sohail Ahmad
creator: Aisha Naz Ansari
creator: Afaq Ahmed
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Sadia Muzaffar Bhutta, Sohail Ahmad, Aisha Naz Ansari, Afaq Ahmed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-26
publication date: 2026-05-26
starting page: 227
ending page: 250
doi: 10.32674/s4xywt33

Mini-cycle PBL
type: item
description: Middle grades STEM teachers, particularly in rural schools, often encounter structural constraints that limit sustained project-based learning (PBL). This descriptive case study introduces Mini-Cycle PBL, a five-day instructional framework that retains core PBL elements within time-limited classroom contexts. Grounded in experiential learning, constructivism, place-conscious pedagogy, and STEM identity theory, the model emphasizes iterative design, applied investigation, and local career relevance. Data were drawn from classroom observations, student artifacts, and embedded micro-assessments involving approximately 120 eighth-grade students across four rural STEM classes during a hydraulic prosthetic design challenge. Analysis indicates that students engaged in multiple cycles of testing and revision, demonstrated developing conceptual understanding of hydraulic force transfer, and articulated emerging connections to STEM careers. These findings suggest that short-cycle inquiry models may offer a feasible structure for supporting engineering engagement and identity development within rural instructional constraints.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: Mini-Cycle PBL
  topic: keywords
subject: PBL
  topic: keywords
subject: Engineering
  topic: keywords
subject: STEM
  topic: keywords
subject: Design
  topic: keywords
subject: stem education
  topic: keywords
subject: STEM Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: problem based learning
  topic: disciplines
creator: Angela McDaniel
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Angela McDaniel https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-07-05
publication date: 2026-07-05
starting page: 259
ending page: 278
doi: 10.32674/wt0f6y97

Credentials gap and automation
type: item
description: Credential gap refers to workers having more (overeducated) or less (undereducated) formal education than their occupations require. This study investigates whether prospective automation of occupations is related to the credential gap. Using quantitative Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions and data from Gmyrek et al. (2023), Frey and Osborne (2017) and Burning Glass in 102 occupations, I find that computerization automation is associated with undereducated occupations, while there are no clear statistical effects for AI automation. These results suggest that traditional computerization may help ease skills shortages by reducing the need for extensive educational credentials, whereas AI-driven automation may not yet influence credential structures, highlighting policy and educational planning challenges in aligning college workforce training with evolving technological demands.
subject: STEM & Internationalization
  topic: section
subject: Credentials gap
  topic: keywords
subject: automation
  topic: keywords
subject: AI
  topic: keywords
subject: artificial intelligence
  topic: keywords
subject: computerization
  topic: keywords
subject: educational mismatch
  topic: keywords
subject: overeducation
  topic: keywords
subject: undereducation
  topic: keywords
subject: Sociology
  topic: disciplines
subject: Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: Economics
  topic: disciplines
creator: Larry Liu
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Larry Liu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-06-07
publication date: 2026-06-07
starting page: 159
ending page: 174
doi: 10.32674/j0tzjm38

Teacher attrition in Bhutan
type: item
description: This study explores the rising teacher attrition rate in Bhutanese schools, examining the personal and professional factors influencing teachers’ decisions to leave the profession. The Push-Pull-Mooring (PPM) Theory serves as the theoretical framework, explaining teacher attrition through push factors that drive teachers away from their current roles, the pull factors attract them toward new professions, and the mooring factors either facilitate or hinder resignation decisions. A qualitative secondary data analysis was conducted, using existing teacher resignation information from various online platforms. Findings indicate that professional factors such as excessive workload, limited career progression, weak leadership, and policy constraints are more influential than the personal factors such as low salaries, lack of financial incentives, and parental disengagement, intensifying teachers’ job dissatisfaction.
subject: STEAM Education: Hearing the Voices from the Global South
  topic: section
subject: Personal factors
  topic: keywords
subject: push-pull-mooring theory
  topic: keywords
subject: professional factors
  topic: keywords
subject: secondary qualitative research
  topic: keywords
subject: teacher attrition in Bhutan
  topic: keywords
subject: Faculty of Business and Law -James Cook University, Brisbane
  topic: disciplines
creator: Tshultrim Dorji
creator: Kinley Choden
creator: Nim Bidha
creator: Tashi Pelden
creator: Tashering Dema
creator: Sangeeta Rai
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Tshultrim Dorji, Kinley Choden , Nim Bidha , Tashi Pelden , Tshering Dema , Sangeeta Rai https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-26
publication date: 2026-05-26
starting page: 155
ending page: 182
doi: 10.32674/f4y6aq26

Bridging AI-TPACK and STEM education
type: item
description: Artificial intelligence (AI) can play a transformative role in STEM education, although its integration presents pedagogical, technological, and ethical challenges. This review synthesizes interdisciplinary perspectives on AI integration in K–12 STEM classrooms through the AI Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (AI-TPACK) framework. Using PRISMA guidelines, 38 empirical studies published between 2018 and 2025 were analyzed through deductive coding. Findings indicate that AI can support the visualization of STEM content, enable adaptive feedback, and foster collaborative learning environments. However, these opportunities are constrained by infrastructure limitations, insufficient teacher preparation, and misalignment between AI tools and curriculum goals. Ethical concerns related to privacy, bias, and transparency emerged as central challenges. This study offers recommendations for the sustainable integration of AI in STEM education.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: STEM education
  topic: keywords
subject: Artificial Intelligence
  topic: keywords
subject: AI integration
  topic: keywords
subject: K-12 education
  topic: keywords
subject: systematic review
  topic: keywords
subject: AI-TPACK
  topic: keywords
subject: STEM education
  topic: disciplines
subject: Artificial Intelligence in Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: Systematic review
  topic: disciplines
subject: AI in STEM education
  topic: disciplines
creator: Atefeh Ataran
creator: Ladan shojaei
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Atefeh Ataran, Ladan shojaei https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-06-16
publication date: 2026-06-16
starting page: 43
ending page: 72
doi: 10.32674/b2pss783

Bridging distances
type: item
description: This article shares reflections from a 2-week research trip to Suriname’s remote Sipaliwini District, where a U.S.-based research group engaged in conversations with teachers and administrators to discuss teaching and administrative experiences, STEM education integration, challenges of teaching in remote areas, and recommendations for policy and practice. The article includes background information on the education system of Suriname and some of the predominant challenges faced in remote schools within the interior of the country. This article is a reflective scholarly account drawing on field experiences. It highlights issues related to access, infrastructure, and educational equity in interior communities of Suriname.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
creator: Jena M. Collins
creator: Philip C. Short
creator: John McConnell III
creator: Andrea Rakushin Lee
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Jena M. Collins, Philip C. Short, John McConnell III, Andrea Rakushin Lee https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-06-16
publication date: 2026-06-16
starting page: 229
ending page: 338
doi: 10.32674/9vzk4594

Teachers’ digital literacy and teaching quality
type: item
description: This study examined the mediating role of instructional flexibility (IF) on the relationship between digital literacy (DL) and teaching quality (TQ) in Junior High Schools in Ghana. A quantitative cross-sectional survey of 220 teachers from Junior High Schools was employed. A questionnaire was developed to measure digital literacy, instructional flexibility, and teaching quality. DL significantly predicted TQ (β = 0.273, p < 0.001). Further, DL predicted IF (β = 0.462, p < 0.001). IF significantly predicted TQ (β = 0.379, p < 0.001). IF also significantly mediated DL and TQ partially (β = 0.179, p < 0.001). Findings highlighted implications for teacher professional development, specifically that professional development programs should train teachers on digital skills and pedagogical flexibility to use technology instructionally. This study highlighted the emerging evidence from Ghana that digital literacy enhances teaching quality, specifically by increasing a teacher’s pedagogical flexibility.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: Digital literacy
  topic: keywords
subject: Instructional flexibility
  topic: keywords
subject: Teaching quality
  topic: keywords
subject: Teachers
  topic: keywords
subject: technology education
  topic: disciplines
subject: teacher education
  topic: disciplines
creator: Isaac Osei Gyimah
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Isaac Osei Gyimah https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-07-05
publication date: 2026-07-05
starting page: 1
ending page: 19
doi: 10.32674/m4a2c277

Effectiveness of realistic mathematics education
type: item
description: This study uses a meta-analysis of 15 studies (2014–2023) to assess the effectiveness of the Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) approach in improving students’ mathematics achievement. RME, which emphasizes real-life contexts and student-centered learning, showed a significant overall effect size (Hedges’ g = 0.65). Despite variability across studies, no major publication bias was detected, and consistent positive impacts were observed. The findings support the integration of RME into curricula, particularly in regions with persistent underperformance in mathematics. The study recommends improved teacher training, development of RME-based materials, and wider adoption of RME, along with further research into its long-term and cross-cultural impact.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: Realistic Mathematics Education;
  topic: keywords
subject: Mathematics Achievement;
  topic: keywords
subject: Meta-Analysis;
  topic: keywords
subject: Forest Plot; Funnel Plot
  topic: keywords
subject: Pedagogical Innovation
  topic: keywords
subject: Mathematics Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: Education
  topic: disciplines
creator: Ernest Frimpong Akosah
creator: Arthur Dissou Arthur
creator: Benjamin Adu Obeng
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 American Journal of STEM Education https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-06-16
publication date: 2026-06-16
starting page: 361
ending page: 380
doi: 10.32674/dkrfgy81

Bridging metacognition and performance
type: item
description: This study investigates the efficacy of a Writing-to-Learn Pedagogy (WTLP) intervention in fostering critical thinking among underrepresented STEM students at an Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Utilizing Ennis’s (1987) taxonomy, the research employed a qualitative descriptive design to evaluate shifts in dispositions and abilities through reflective journaling and writing-to-explain within a hybrid industrial electricity course. Findings from two cohorts of 23 students revealed significant growth in analytical thinking, inquisitiveness, and confidence in reasoning. However, the generalizability of these findings is limited by the small sample size and single-institution design. Notably, the integration of structured learning plans bridged the gap between metacognitive awareness and applied problem-solving performance. This research provides empirical evidence for asset-based instructional strategies implemented within the distinctive context of HBCU STEM education, contributing to the preparation of a competent and diverse STEM workforce.
subject: STEAM Education: Hearing the Voices from the Global South
  topic: section
subject: Critical Thinking
  topic: keywords
subject: writing to learn
  topic: keywords
subject: STEM Education
  topic: keywords
subject: Writing-to-learn pedagogy
  topic: keywords
subject: culturally responsive pedagogy
  topic: keywords
subject: HBCU
  topic: keywords
subject: pedagogy
  topic: keywords
subject: STEM Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: Interdisciplinary STEM Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: Teaching and learning
  topic: disciplines
creator: Jie Ke
creator: Francis Tuluri
creator: Wei Zheng
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Jie Ke, Francis Tuluri, Wei Zheng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-26
publication date: 2026-05-26
starting page: 214
ending page: 236
doi: 10.32674/f5cqte11

AI-enhanced pedagogical practices and mathematical language proficiency in STEM education
type: item
description: This study investigates the effectiveness of AI-enhanced pedagogical practices on improving the mathematical language proficiency of senior high school students in Ghana. The current research adopted a quantitative cross-sectional design, where the structural equation modeling approach was used on a sample size of 360 participants, to investigate digital literacy and learning engagement as partial mediators. As expected, results from this study show that AEPP, DL, and LE are statistically significant positive predictors of students’ MLP. Additionally, digital literacy and learning engagement play a mediating role in the relationship between the AI-supported instruction and the proficiency outcomes. The findings highlighted the importance of integrating adaptive AI tools to enhance the digital literacy of the students as well as their learning engagement to improve the mathematical communication and reasoning of the senior high school students.
subject: STEAM Education: Hearing the Voices from the Global South
  topic: section
subject: AI-enhanced pedagogical practices
  topic: keywords
subject: digital literacy
  topic: keywords
subject: learning engagement
  topic: keywords
subject: mathematical language proficiency
  topic: keywords
subject: STEM education
  topic: keywords
subject: structural equation modeling
  topic: keywords
subject: SEM
  topic: keywords
subject: AEPP
  topic: keywords
creator: Isaac Davor
creator: Fracis Ohene Boateng
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Isaac Davor, Francis Ohene Boateng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-26
publication date: 2026-05-26
starting page: 237
ending page: 262
doi: 10.32674/6h0e3376

Prerequisite chemistry knowledge as a predictor of senior high school students’ achievement in thermochemistry
type: item
description: This study examined whether students’ mastery of prerequisite chemistry concepts predicts their achievement in thermochemistry. Using a quantitative correlational design, data were collected from 90 second-year science students in public senior high schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana. Prerequisite knowledge was measured using a Prerequisite Concepts Achievement Test (PCAT), while thermochemistry achievement scores were obtained from continuous classroom-based assessments. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s product–moment correlation. Results revealed a very strong positive and statistically significant relationship between prerequisite knowledge and thermochemistry achievement (r = .953, p < .001). The coefficient of determination (r² = .908) indicates that mastery of foundational concepts accounts for a substantial proportion of variance in thermochemistry performance. These findings reinforce the hierarchical nature of chemistry learning and underscore the importance of diagnostic assessment, curriculum sequencing, and targeted remediation in strengthening students’ conceptual readiness for advanced chemistry topics.
subject: STEAM Education: Hearing the Voices from the Global South
  topic: section
subject: thermochemistry achievement
  topic: keywords
subject: Prerequisite knowledge
  topic: keywords
subject: chemistry education
  topic: keywords
subject: senior high school students
  topic: keywords
subject: conceptual understanding
  topic: keywords
subject: foundational concepts
  topic: keywords
subject: STEAM education
  topic: keywords
subject: Chemistry Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: STEM Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: Science Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: Secondary Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: Educational Assessment
  topic: disciplines
creator: Kenneth Afedzi Hayford
creator: Dennis Yeboah Asiamah
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Kenneth Afedzi Hayford, Dennis Yeboah Asiamah https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-26
publication date: 2026-05-26
starting page: 53
ending page: 71
doi: 10.32674/pzhze917

Teachers’ voices from the global south
type: item
description: This study examines how six chemistry teachers in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, implemented project-based STEAM learning to enhance chemical literacy and creativity within systemic constraints. Using a qualitative case study with semi- structured interviews analyzed thematically, teachers reported challenges such as limited time, inadequate laboratory facilities, uneven student readiness, and partial expertise in STEAM integration. They addressed these issues through virtual titrations, microscale buffer experiments, chemistry comics, natural indicators, and professional collaboration. Students demonstrated increased engagement, creativity, and critical reasoning, although macro–micro–symbolic translation remained difficult. The study introduces the R³ mechanism (Representations, Resources, and Rubrics) as vital for maintaining rigorous chemistry instruction in resource-limited environments, emphasizing both teacher agency and structural support.
subject: STEAM Education: Hearing the Voices from the Global South
  topic: section
subject: STEAM education
  topic: keywords
subject: project-based learning
  topic: keywords
subject: chemical literacy
  topic: keywords
subject: Global South
  topic: keywords
subject: Teacher strategies
  topic: keywords
subject: Education (Educational Studies / Education Research / Education Sciences)
  topic: disciplines
subject: Science Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: inclusive education
  topic: disciplines
creator: Farhatul Uyun
creator: Jamil Suprihatiningrum
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Farhatul Uyun, Jamil Suprihatiningrum https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-26
publication date: 2026-05-26
starting page: 263
ending page: 288
doi: 10.32674/cw0wbr16

STEAM education and its implications for 21st century skills development in Timor-Leste
type: item
description: This literature review examines recent global research on STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and its relevance for strengthening 21st-century skills in Timor-Leste. Although the national curriculum is undergoing modernization, STEAM approaches remain limited in classroom practice. Studies published between 2020 and 2025 indicate that STEAM learning enhances critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, and student engagement. The evidence further highlights that successful implementation depends on teacher professional development, interdisciplinary pedagogy, and adaptation to local contexts. Overall, the findings suggest that integrating STEAM approaches could support the development of innovative and competitive learners in Timor-Leste, while also providing a foundation for future research on contextually appropriate teaching practices and sustainable educational improvement.
subject: STEAM Education: Hearing the Voices from the Global South
  topic: section
subject: STEAM education
  topic: keywords
subject: 21st-century skills
  topic: keywords
subject: curriculum reform
  topic: keywords
subject: teacher development
  topic: keywords
subject: Timor-Leste
  topic: keywords
subject: educational innovation
  topic: keywords
subject: student engagement
  topic: keywords
creator: João Mariano Helder de Deus
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 João Mariano Helder de Deus https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-26
publication date: 2026-05-26
starting page: 100
ending page: 113
doi: 10.32674/jjawkp10

Language choice and students’ performance in mathematics and science
type: item
description: In Pakistan’s post‑colonial multilingual context, language in education remains sensitive and complex. Most learners use their mother tongue at home, Urdu functions as the national lingua franca, and English, an official language, serves widely as the Language of Instruction (LoI) in private schools. These overlapping roles shape classroom interaction and student performance. This paper examines how language practices in Pakistani schools, particularly consistency across textbooks, instruction, and assessment, affect achievement in science and mathematics. Findings draw on a nationally representative sample of 15,391 students and 589 teachers from 153 elementary schools, using student achievement tests and classroom observations. Students exposed to consistent language use performed significantly better than those experiencing inconsistent language use in both subjects (p<0.001). The results show that language consistency, alongside school systems and teaching quality, influences performance, with effects strongest in classrooms with relatively better teaching quality.
subject: STEAM Education: Hearing the Voices from the Global South
  topic: section
subject: Evidence from Pakistan
  topic: keywords
subject: language of instruction
  topic: keywords
subject: multilingual society
  topic: keywords
subject: observation study
  topic: keywords
subject: STEM disciplines
  topic: keywords
subject: student learning
  topic: keywords
subject: teaching quality
  topic: keywords
creator: Sadia Muzaffar Bhutta
creator: Aisha Naz Ansari
creator: Sohail Ahmad
creator: Barkat Ali
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 American Journal of STEM Education https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-26
publication date: 2026-05-26
starting page: 289
ending page: 316
doi: 10.32674/pgf3k964

Effects of translanguaging on science literacy among high school students
type: item
description: This study examined the effects of translanguaging on science literacy among Grade 10 students in a multilingual Philippine classroom. Seventy-eight participants were assigned to a translanguaging instruction group (n=39), integrating Filipino and English, or a monolingual instruction group (n=39). ANCOVA results showed significantly higher post-test science literacy scores for the translanguaging group (adjusted M=37.21, SE=0.64) than the monolingual group (adjusted M=29.13, SE=0.64), F(1,75)=79.64, p<.001, partial η²=.515, controlling for pre-test scores. No significant interaction with language proficiency emerged (F(1,73)=0.36, p=.549). Cognitive engagement also showed a significant main effect (F(2,70)=3.26, p=.044, partial η²=.085). Findings indicate that translanguaging enhances science literacy across proficiency levels, with cognitive engagement moderating outcomes, supporting its adoption in linguistically diverse classrooms.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: cognitive engagement
  topic: keywords
subject: language proficiency
  topic: keywords
subject: multilingual education
  topic: keywords
subject: science literacy
  topic: keywords
subject: translanguaging
  topic: keywords
subject: science education
  topic: disciplines
creator: Christian Genesis Guinto
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Christian Genesis Guinto https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-26
publication date: 2026-05-26
starting page: 227
ending page: 241
doi: 10.32674/sjz1hy05

Integrating the "A" in STEAM
type: item
description: This paper explores the integration of the arts ("A") into STEM education through stop-motion animation projects. Stop motion is a dynamic, hands-on medium for students to visually represent complex scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematical processes. By combining storytelling, artistic design, and scientific knowledge, students deepen their understanding of abstract concepts while enhancing creativity and collaboration. One project example illustrates how students model neuronal signal transmission using hand-built neuron models and stop-motion techniques. Additional project ideas are provided to demonstrate the broad applicability of stop-motion across STEM fields. This study highlights the benefits of incorporating artistic expression into STEM education, promoting deeper conceptual understanding and higher student engagement.
subject: STEAM Education: Hearing the Voices from the Global South
  topic: section
subject: Interdisciplinary learning
  topic: keywords
subject: Project-based learning
  topic: keywords
subject: STEAM education
  topic: keywords
subject: Stop motion animation
  topic: keywords
subject: Visual storytelling
  topic: keywords
creator: Angela McDaniel
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Angela McDaniel https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-26
publication date: 2026-05-26
starting page: 204
ending page: 213
doi: 10.32674/tta28c71

STEAM education
type: item
description: This article presents a reflective dialogue on the special issue of the American Journal of STEM Education, which addresses STEAM education from a Global South perspective. This work challenges the traditional and technocratic views of education and proposes a more critical, inclusive, and interdisciplinary approach. It highlights the importance of empowering underrepresented communities, especially women and girls, through an education connected to the cultural and social realities of their territories. Likewise, the authors argue that STEAM education can become a form of resistance against new expressions of colonialism and inequality. The article emphasizes the need to strengthen public policies, teaching innovation, and academic collaboration in order to build fairer and more transformative educational models and bridges in response to contemporary challenges such as artificial intelligence, climate change, and technological inequalities.
subject: STEAM Education: Hearing the Voices from the Global South
  topic: section
subject: Academic collaboration
  topic: keywords
subject: critical education
  topic: keywords
subject: higher education
  topic: keywords
subject: STEAM education
  topic: keywords
subject: teaching innovation
  topic: keywords
creator: Oswaldo Castro-Romero
creator: Emerson Montaña Narváez
creator: Mariana Betzabeth Pelayo Pérez
creator: Abril Saknycte Orozco Salcedo
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Oswaldo Castro-Romero, Emerson Montaña Narváez, Mariana Betzabeth Pelayo Pérez, Abril Saknycte Orozco Salcedo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-26
publication date: 2026-05-26
starting page: 1
ending page: 10
doi: 10.32674/2sbqe519

Addressing structural and pedagogical challenges in STEM higher education
type: item
description: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is an important component in enhancing innovation, economic growth and general development of Ghana. However, higher education institutions in Ghana face many challenges that hinder the effective delivery and advancement of STEM programs. Through a comprehensive literature review, this study explores the challenges that Ghana’s STEM Higher education faces. The study examines the causes and implications of these challenges and offers recommendations for improving them. The findings highlight inadequate infrastructure, lack of skilled teachers, outdated curriculum and lack of financing and research as challenges faced in STEM higher education in Ghana. It recommends the need for policy reform, teacher training, curriculum reforms and design, gender representation and infrastructural development to bridge gaps in STEM education and ensure equitable access and quality. The study may be relevant to STEM policymakers, researchers and educators.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: STEM
  topic: keywords
subject: Ghana
  topic: keywords
subject: Higher Education
  topic: keywords
subject: Structural challenges
  topic: keywords
subject: pedagogical challenges
  topic: keywords
subject: STEM Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: Higher education
  topic: disciplines
creator: Vida Bugri
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 American Journal of STEM Education https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-03-12
publication date: 2026-03-12
starting page: 77
ending page: 90
doi: 10.32674/bb7dfa66

Speaking science in a foreign tongue
type: item
description: The internationalization of STEM education has significantly transformed academic discourse in U.S. universities. However, research on how non-native English-speaking STEM students navigate linguistic challenges remains limited. This gap is especially important given that over half of the international students in the U.S. are enrolled in STEM fields, where technical language adds complexity to academic communication. Drawing on Communication Accommodation Theory and translingual perspectives, this study examines how international STEM graduate students navigate language barriers at their host institutions. Through in-depth interviews with 10 international graduate students from Africa and Asia, our analysis reveals systemic challenges, including inadequate institutional support and integration difficulties.
subject: STEM & Internationalization
  topic: section
subject: Academic challenges, International students, Linguistic adaptation, Plurilingualism, STEM education
  topic: keywords
creator: Wilhelmina Antwi
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 American Journal of STEM Education
date: 2026-03-07
publication date: 2026-03-07
starting page: 87
ending page: 98
doi: 10.32674/3ad6hy78

Determinants of perceived fairness in classroom assessments
type: item
description: This study addresses this gap through a descriptive scoping literature review that identifies key determinants of perceived fairness in CA. A search was conducted across five major psychology and education databases—EBSCOhost, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC—covering literature published between 1965 and 2024. Using targeted keywords and defined inclusion criteria, 74 peer-reviewed empirical studies were identified. Content analysis revealed three main categories shaping fairness perceptions: subjective, psychological, and social factors. Based on these findings, the study proposes a tripartite model of perceived CA fairness offering a framework to guide future research and support educators and policymakers in improving fairness in evaluation practices.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: Classroom Assessments
  topic: keywords
subject: Classroom Assessment Fairness
  topic: keywords
subject: Determinants
  topic: keywords
subject: Fairness
  topic: keywords
subject: Students’ Perception
  topic: keywords
subject: Assessment
  topic: disciplines
subject: Educational Assessment
  topic: disciplines
subject: Psychology
  topic: disciplines
creator: Mehrdad Falavarjani
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Mehrdad Falavarjani https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-07-05
publication date: 2026-07-05
starting page: 331
ending page: 385
doi: 10.32674/4krn1d61

Total quality management and educational innovation in primary and secondary education
type: item
description: This systematic review examines Total Quality Management (TQM) and educational innovation in primary and secondary education (P&SE). Following PRISMA, 30 Scopus-indexed studies were selected and synthesized through affinity diagramming and thematic analysis. Six interlinked themes emerged: school leadership, stakeholder collaboration, technology adoption, quality assurance, teacher development, and school policy. Quality assurance and school leadership appeared most often; the remaining themes worked as supporting conditions. The review proposes a TQM-Driven Educational Innovation Model and discusses what the findings mean for STEM schooling, where strong quality cultures, inquiry-based teaching, and shared leadership are especially important. The paper offers practical guidance for school leaders and policymakers, with particular attention to the conditions that help STEM-related reforms last over time.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: Total Quality Management
  topic: keywords
subject: Educational Innovation
  topic: keywords
subject: Systematic Review
  topic: keywords
subject: Primary and Secondary Education
  topic: keywords
subject: STEM Schooling
  topic: keywords
subject: Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: Educational Management
  topic: disciplines
subject: Educational Policy
  topic: disciplines
subject: Educational Leadership
  topic: disciplines
creator: Eleni Theodoropoulou
creator: Evangelos Psomas
creator: Nancy Bouranta
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Eleni Theodoropoulou, Evangelos Psomas, Nancy Bouranta https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-05-25
publication date: 2026-05-25
starting page: 177
ending page: 203
doi: 10.32674/nbhcew94

Algorithmic feedback vs. human feedback
type: item
description: Generative AI has renewed interest in automated formative feedback, yet evidence from STEM assessment remains limited. This comparative study examined algorithmic and human feedback in undergraduate Biology, Chemistry, and Calculus courses. 126 students were assigned to a course to receive either large language model-generated feedback or instructor feedback on a draft constructed-response task. Outcomes included revision quality, transfer performance, expert audit ratings of feedback, and student perceptions. Algorithmic feedback was substantially faster and more extensive, but human feedback was more accurate, more actionable, more aligned with the rubric, and associated with greater revision gains and higher transfer scores. Students also reported greater trust, usefulness, fairness, and overall satisfaction with human feedback.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: algorithmic feedback
  topic: keywords
subject: formative assessment
  topic: keywords
subject: generative AI
  topic: keywords
subject: higher education
  topic: keywords
subject: STEM education
  topic: keywords
subject: Education
  topic: disciplines
subject: AI in education
  topic: disciplines
subject: AI in STEM education
  topic: disciplines
creator: Joedel Peñaranda
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Joedel Peñaranda https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-06-16
publication date: 2026-06-16
starting page: 115
ending page: 128
doi: 10.32674/c2d27f86

Informal STEM learning as a pathway to youth’s AI literacy
type: item
description: Informal STEM learning (ISL) is a blueprint for learner-centered experiences grounded in hands-on, real-world, and semistructured activities. ISL engages youth in complex disciplines (e.g., engineering and computer science) while building confidence, self-efficacy and persistence in STEM. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly accessible, youth emerge as early adopters. Researchers and practitioners can utilize ISL to support youth AI literacy. This study implements Ng et al.’s (2023) ABCE Framework and the AI Literacy Questionnaire to analyze baseline AI literacy among 104 youth aged 12–17 from three summer camps. An interpretive phenomenological analysis of youth’s perception of AI systems was conducted through semistructured interviews. Drawing on findings and the literature, I argue that ISL is an effective approach to developing youth’s AI literacy.
subject: STEM Education (regular)
  topic: section
subject: Informal STEM Learning
  topic: keywords
subject: AI Literacy
  topic: keywords
subject: Camps
  topic: keywords
subject: Mixed-Methods
  topic: keywords
subject: All STEM Disciplines
  topic: disciplines
subject: computer science
  topic: disciplines
subject: AI Literacy & Digital Literacy Studies
  topic: disciplines
subject: informal learning
  topic: disciplines
creator: Charlotte JuliAnn-Marie Avery
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Charlotte JuliAnn-Marie Avery https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
date: 2026-07-05
publication date: 2026-07-05
starting page: 66
ending page: 95
doi: 10.32674/1999hy61