This book explores the beneficial impact of pedagogically updated practices and approaches in the teaching of science concepts as well as elaborates on future challenges and emerging issues that address Science and Technology Education. By pointing out new research directions it informs educational practices and bridges the gap between research and practice providing information, ideas and new perspectives. The book also promotes discussions and networking among scientists and stakeholders such as researchers, professors, students and companies developing educational software and ICT tools. The volume presents papers from the First International Conference on “New Developments in Science and Technology Education” (1st NDSTE) that was structured around four main thematic axes Modern Pedagogies in Science and Technology Education, New Technologies in Science and Technology Education, Teaching and Learning in the light of Inquiry learning Methods and Interest, Attitude and Motivation in Science.

Science and technology education research, influenced by inquiry-based thinking, not only concentrates on the teaching of scientific concepts and addressing any misconceptions that learners may hold, but also emphasizes the ways in which students learn, and seeks avenues to achieve better learning through creativity. New developments in science and technology education rely on a wide variety of methods, borrowed from various fields of science, such as computer science, cognitive science, sociology and neurosciences. This book presents papers from the first international conference on “New Developments in Science and Technology Education” that was structured around seven main thematic axes: namely modern pedagogies in science and technology education; new technologies in science and technology education; assessment in science and technology education; teaching and learning in the light of inquiry learning methods; neuroscience and science education; conceptual understanding and conceptual change in science; and interest, attitude and motivation in science. It explores the beneficial impact of pedagogically updated practices and approaches in the teaching of science concepts, and elaborates on future challenges and emerging issues that concern science and technology education. By pointing out new research directions, the volume will inform educational practices and bridge the gap between research and practice, providing new information, ideas and perspectives. It will also promote discussions and networking among scientists and stakeholders from worldwide scientific fields, such as researchers, professors, students, and companies developing educational software.

This edited volume discusses major issues in present-day science and technology education (STE). It is divided into three thematic sections: philosophical foundations and curriculum development; sustainable development, technology and society; and the learning sciences and 21st century skills. Section I examines the history and future of STE curriculum development, along with specific issues within this dynamic area. Section II explores sustainable development in three important aspects: economic development, social development, and environmental protection. Section III covers the 21st century skills that are of overarching importance to the success of learners in school and the world of work. Anchoring each chapter is an assemblage of veteran science and technology education specialists selected from across the world. The book’s target is a worldwide audience of undergraduate / post-graduate students and their teachers, as well as researchers. This book’s exploration of the ever-increasing advances in STE and its narrative writing style will be of interest to a broad range of readers.

This international handbook reflects on the development of the field of technology education. From reviewing how the field has developed and its current strengths, consideration is given to where the field might go and how it can be supported in this process.

In this book, the authors examine a series of key science identity-based research models with the goal of discussing the interplay between individual agency and social interaction through the lens of transformative learning. Current identity-based models are critiqued based on the importance given to either social structures and/or agency separately. Following this, a synthesis report on the development strategies of technology education carried out at basic schools in Slovakia (lower secondary education ISCED 2) is presented. Additionally, the authors discuss the results of a survey done with the goal of finding out the reality of technology teaching at these schools. As the research results show, despite the good intentions of the different strategies, programs and reforms, the technology education at basic schools is on the decline. The next article discusses gender-based segregation and falling recruitment for scientific and technological studies in Nordic countries. This study traced and interviewed students who achieved the best results in the measurement of technological competence twenty years ago in order to examine their progress. In the final study, the book proposes a new vision for science education in the era of sustainable development. The authors discuss how sustainable development goals (SDGs) identify new roles for science and technology to address global and local challenges such as climate change, energy innovation, and biodiversity. These areas of sustainability reveal new horizons for science education by enabling us to approach science learning as a more community-based practice and collaborative way of thinking, beyond classroom-based learning.

Design-Based Concept Learning in Science and Technology Education brings together contributions from researchers that have investigated what conditions need to be fulfilled to make design-based education work.

Science, engineering, and technology permeate nearly every facet of modern life and hold the key to solving many of humanity's most pressing current and future challenges. The United States' position in the global economy is declining, in part because U.S. workers lack fundamental knowledge in these fields. To address the critical issues of U.S. competitiveness and to better prepare the workforce, A Framework for K-12 Science Education proposes a new approach to K-12 science education that will capture students' interest and provide them with the necessary foundational knowledge in the field. A Framework for K-12 Science Education outlines a broad set of expectations for students in science and engineering in grades K-12. These expectations will inform the development of new standards for K-12 science education and, subsequently, revisions to curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development for educators. This book identifies three dimensions that convey the core ideas and practices around which science and engineering education in these grades should be built. These three dimensions are: crosscutting concepts that unify the study of science through their common application across science and engineering; scientific and engineering practices; and disciplinary core ideas in the physical sciences, life sciences, and earth and space sciences and for engineering, technology, and the applications of science. The overarching goal is for all high school graduates to have sufficient knowledge of science and engineering to engage in public discussions on science-related issues, be careful consumers of scientific and technical information, and enter the careers of their choice. A Framework for K-12 Science Education is the first step in a process that can inform state-level decisions and achieve a research-grounded basis for improving science instruction and learning across the country. The book will guide standards developers, teachers, curriculum designers, assessment developers, state and district science administrators, and educators who teach science in informal environments.

This collection examines issues of agency, power, politics and identity as they relate to science and technology and education, within contemporary settings. Social, economic and ecological critique and reform are examined by numerous contributing authors, from a range of international contexts. These chapters examine pressing pedagogical questions within socio-scientific contexts, including petroleum economies, food justice, health, environmentalism, climate change, social media and biotechnologies. Readers will discover far reaching inquiries into activism as an open question for science and technology education, citizenship and democracy. The authors call on the work of prominent scholars throughout the ages, including Bourdieu, Foucault, Giroux, Jasanoff, Kierkegaard, Marx, Nietzsche, Rancière and Žižek. The application of critical theoretical scholarship to mainstream practices in science and technology education distinguishes this book, and this deep, theoretical treatment is complemented by many grounded, more pragmatic exemplars of activist pedagogies. Practical examples are set within the public sphere, within selected new social movements, and also within more formal institutional settings, including elementary and secondary schools, and higher education. These assembled discussions provide a basis for a more radically reflexive reworking of science and technology education. Educational policy makers, science education scholars, and science and technology educators, amongst others, will find this work thought-provoking, instructive and informative.

Science Education: A Global Perspective is ‘global’ both in content and authorship. Its 17 chapters by an assemblage of seasoned and knowledgeable science educators from many parts of the world seek to bring to the fore current developments in science education and their implications. The book thus covers a wide range of topics in science education from various national and international perspectives. These include the nature of science, science and religion, evolution, curriculum and pedagogy, context-based teaching and learning, science and national development, socially-responsible science education, equitable access for women and girls in science and technology education, and the benefits of science education research. It ends on an optimistic note by looking at science education in 50 years’ time with a recommendation, among others, for stakeholders to take the responsibility of preparing children towards a blossoming science education sector in an anticipated future world. This book is suitable for use by discerning researchers, teachers, undergraduate and postgraduate students in science education, and policy makers at all levels of education. Other educationalists and personnel in science and technology vocations will also find it interesting and useful as the reader-motivated approach has guided the presentation of ideas. Science Education: A Global Perspective is a rich compendium of the components of science education in context, practice, and delivery. Dr Bulent Cavas, Professor of Science Education, Dokuz Eylul Univerity, Buca-Izmir, Turkey/President-Elect, International Council of Associations for Science Education (ICASE) This book will be of immense relevance for current and future global strides in training and research in science education. Surinder K. Ghai, Chairman, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India This book provides a refreshing insight into the current status and future direction of science education. It will be very useful to researchers, those pursuing undergraduate and post-graduate courses in science education, and all other personnel involved in the policy and practice of science education. Dr. Bennoit Sossou, Director/Country Representative, UNESCO Regional Office in Abuja, Nigeria

This book defines STS—science, technology, and society—education and discusses current thinking about its conceptual evolution. It synthesizes a broad range of research and thought in the history and philosophy of science and technology, STS studies, and education as they are informed by the the dual perspectives of cognitive and social psychology. A model for STS curriculum development in science, social studies, or technology education is presented with well-chosen examples. The book includes an extensive and invaluable bibliography that will enable students, teachers, and researchers to explore the richness of this emerging field.