Equity and Excellence in Education

Abstract Adaptive teaching practices align to students’ assets and learning needs, for example, by selecting tasks adaptively so that the next learning goal for a student can be achieved. While digital formative assessment tools have been developed to provide insights into students’ assets and learning needs, little is known how formative assessment reports can best be designed to support teachers’ adaptive task-selection practices. This study investigates how teachers' task-selection practices relate to the learning goals they explicitly or implicitly address (RQ1) and how digital formative assessment (DFA) reports can support these practices (RQ2). A cluster-randomized experiment (focusing on the example topic of multiplication) was conducted with mathematics teachers (n = 267). The researchers assigned teachers to one of three support conditions: the Error-Analysis report (analyzing student errors), the Next-Goal report (providing the student's next learning goal), and the Goal-and-Asset report (highlighting students' assets on which the teacher could build). Results show that only 25% of teachers addressed the relevant learning goal of unit structures in their task justifications. However, the Next-Goal report (p = .047, odds ratio 2.12) and the Goal-and-Asset report (p = .032, odds ratio 2.23) significantly improved the likelihood of addressing this goal in the logistic regression models. In contrast, no support effects were found for task selection practices. We conclude that formative assessment reports can modestly contribute to supporting teachers’ adaptive lesson planning practices, but should be combined with professional development workshops to increase the effects.

Abstract This paper presents the results of research on developing a method for capturing and analysing student engineering processes. The focus of the study was students in primary schools. By using a video-ethnographical approach to capturing individual and group engineering processes, it was possible to develop a coding scheme to capture students’ engineering subprocesses. The findings indicate that a meaningful analysis should distinguish between students’ physical activities and verbal communication since physical and verbal activities can be present simultaneously but apply to different subprocesses. The study uses an engineering design model with seven subprocesses. The development of the coding scheme shows that these subprocesses are not as distinct as the theory suggests, either in their descriptions or their relative order. Furthermore, our research shows that some engineering subprocesses may overlap and some processes appear mostly as verbal while others appear as physical. We found video-ethnographical analysis to be a useful tool for exploring group engineering subprocesses from the student’s perspective. These findings may be valuable to researchers interested in student-centred engineering processes or to teachers evaluating engineering teaching.

Abstract Talking productively with students and sufficiently integrating technology into mathematics classrooms have long been regarded as two hurdles for mathematics teachers. To enhance preservice mathematics teachers’ dialogic teaching skills and integration of GeoGebra-scaffolded dynamic visualizations, this study proposed and examined the effectiveness of a video-based professional development (PD) approach supported by a digital platform called Classroom Discourse Analyzer. Adopting the QUAL-quan method, one preservice teacher was selected as a representative case. The results showed that the PD approach effectively improved the preservice teacher’s declarative knowledge and teaching practice of using lower-order talk moves. The preservice teacher’s self-awareness and self-reflection on dialogic teaching informed her future practices. Furthermore, the preservice teacher was able to integrate GeoGebra-scaffolded dynamic visualizations into the instructions with different pedagogical decisions, reflecting how she reacted to student errors and the affordances and constraints of dynamic visualizations. This study suggests that the theoretically robust PD approach can serve as pioneering work in simultaneously promoting dialogic teaching and GeoGebra-scaffolded dynamic visualizations among preservice mathematics teachers. It also demonstrates the potential of integrating digital technologies to design hybrid PD programs to enhance preservice teachers’ self-reflection and facilitate improvement in their future teaching practices.

Abstract In this study, we compare students’ performance in solving mathematics and physics exercises with their confidence level in answering them. Accurate self-assessment of confidence is known to positively correlate with academic achievement, yet confidence is often neglected when designing teaching interventions. The research presented here aimed at investigating the relationship between students’ confidence levels and test scores and its evolution over a short lesson cycle. We also examine the presence of gender-based differences. The study was first conducted with a pilot group of 43 secondary school students and later expanded to 260 students. A modified version of the Test of Calculus and Vectors in Mathematics and Physics was used, incorporating confidence assessment for each item. Results suggest that, while test scores and confidence levels improved overall following the lesson cycle, this did not translate into a better “calibration” of the students (i.e., the alignment between confidence level and actual performance). Specifically, male students became more overconfident, whereas female students became more underconfident. These findings support taking into account confidence when designing teaching interventions and using confidence assessment practices to train students’ self-assessment skills.

Abstract Several studies demonstrate the importance of science education in early childhood. By using scientific practices in class, children can better comprehend the world around them, test hypotheses and develop positive attitudes towards science. These early experiences not only build a solid foundation for understanding abstract and concepts but also prepare children for continued learning in primary, secondary, and high school, ultimately supporting their success in higher education. The present study aims to study how an inquiry teaching sequence promotes the incorporation of scientific practices in early childhood education students and to what extent the teacher’s questions mobilises the children’s scientific operations and scientific practices in the context of a project about rain. The dialogues between the teacher and 3-year-old children during an inquiry session were analysed. The results show that scientific practices were present through all the Stages of the sequence, especially inquiry and argumentation. Moreover, the type of scientific practice shown by the children corresponded with the scientific practice the teacher tried to encourage. Therefore, we can conclude that 3-year-old children are able to engage in scientific practices and that the teacher’s scaffolding has a direct impact on it.

Abstract This study examines how Scratch can influence mathematical generalization in secondary school students. Real-life problems were adapted and presented to students as part of a problem-solving process. The study focused on the generalization process in terms of mathematization and verification. Data was collected through screen recordings and interviews, with analysis carried out using a designed rubric to assess students’ generalizations. The findings revealed improvements in both mathematization and verification. It was found that Scratch holds great potential for creating real-life problems and promoting mathematical thinking. By engaging with Scratch-based problems, students were able to generalize mathematical procedures and operations, benefiting from its representational affordances and the power of coding. The study is hoped to shed light on how mathematics educators can effectively integrate Scratch into their classrooms.

Abstract Gender equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has been a persistent global issue for decades. In particular, the under-representation of girls in STEM has been highlighted as an ongoing challenge for many countries. Current approaches to promote equitable participation in STEM tend to focus on attracting school-aged girls to STEM. However, there is a growing recognition that addressing gender disparity in STEM should begin in early childhood, as gender norms and stereotypes affecting engagement in STEM emerge early on. In this paper, we explore factors influencing gendered access, engagement, and participation of young children in early years STEM through a critical review of literature on the topic of gender equity in early years STEM education. Informed by this review, we propose a conceptual framework for guiding curriculum design and development that aims to foster gender equity and inclusivity in early years STEM education. Positioning STEM practices and core values at its very heart, encapsulated through three intertwining themes of Everyday STEM, Career Awareness, and Gender Inclusivity, we argue that this framework has the potential to guide researchers, educators and parents in creating equitable opportunities for children of all genders to participate in STEM and in developing their strong sense of belonging in STEM.

Abstract Science education researchers argue for encouraging multilingual students’ use of different linguistic and multimodal resources to make meaning of scientific practices. However, multilingual students need to internalize beliefs that they can freely draw on these asset forms of resources, so that they can consistently adopt sustainable multilingual and multimodal practices. Complementing the recent research efforts on measuring teachers’ beliefs about epistemic use of languages in science, we reported a study that develop and validate a Likert-scale instrument that measures students’ beliefs about equitable and epistemic use of languages in learning science. The instrument was initially piloted to 191 junior secondary students, and then was revised and administered to 981 junior secondary students in Hong Kong. Supported by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the instrument inherited four dimensions: beliefs about constitutive role of language in scientific practices, beliefs about multiple modalities in science learning, heteroglossic beliefs about language use in learning science and inclusive beliefs about use of multiple languages in collaborative discussion. The instrument inherited satisfactory content and construct validity, while we also provided evidence that such an instrument was sensitive to different linguistic contexts. Hence, we argue that the instrument can potentially measure the outcome of translanguaging-based science education intervention and comparing students’ beliefs under a range of linguistic contexts worldwide.

Abstract Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) career aspirations and choices provide critical insights into students’ motivations and attitudes toward STEM careers. With the rapid evolution of technology and societal shifts following the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a pressing need to update our understanding of the factors influencing students’ STEM career aspirations and choices. This systematic review aims to identify the most influential factors reported in research on young people’s (11–19 and undergraduate) STEM career aspirations and choices over the past decade or so, as well as highlight prevailing trends in current empirical studies. Seven databases including Australia Education Index, British Education Index, ERIC, ProQuest, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for publications between January 2009 and December 2022 in English. 159 papers were screened as eligible using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Literature Reviews (PRISMA) protocol and reviewed for general trends. A further 12 papers were screened for in-depth review which are career aspiration/choice factor studies that reflect students’ voices on STEM career aspirations. Self-motivation, social persuasion, self-efficacy, personal utility, and positive STEM experiences were among the identified influential factors. While previous determinants such as ease of occupation and peer pressure have reduced effects, future studies should focus on cultural, regional, and societal implications, as well as the intersectionality of these factors. Furthermore, research into social media, utility impact, and viewpoints on the changing nature of work and technological advancement is critical for guiding policies to encourage young people to enter STEM disciplines.

Abstract Statistical studies performed mainly in the U.S. have depicted that students with disabilities (SWDs) are excluded from the educational process and are prone to several gaps and barriers in terms of special accommodations, learning opportunities, and socio-emotional support in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM)-Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics (STEAM) education. To clarify this, we conducted a systematic literature review focused on interventions and strategies in STEM and STEAM education for SWDs based on 263 studies retrieved from the databases SCOPUS, Web of Science (WoS), and ERIC from 2013–2024. The studies cover proposals from early childhood to tertiary education. After the screening and appraisal stages, 39 interventions with 21 strategies were identified. The outcomes mostly reveal the following: (1) The studies are mainly focused on the U.S. and in students with autism, learning disabilities, or behavioral disorders between low and medium severity levels. (2) Interventions for autistic students use robotics and coding to foster cognitive, social, and communicative skills. (3) Interventions for deaf or hard-of-hearing students focus on creating a science identity and the issues with non-standardized STEM concepts in American sign language (ASL); in contrast, visually impaired students focus on assistive technologies and the accessibility of educational materials. (4) Little attention has been paid to other disabilities apart from autism, intellectual or learning ones, as well as the perspective of educators to support SWDs in classrooms. And (5) New machine learning, metaverse, and AI models are being used to assess the cognitive-emotional states of the SWDs. The conclusions and insights derived from this study can help educators and researchers to create new methodologies or strategies that sustain SWDs in STEM-STEAM education.