Cognition Metacognition And Culture In Stem Education

This book addresses the point of intersection between cognition, metacognition, and culture in learning and teaching Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). We explore theoretical background and cutting-edge research about how various forms of cognitive and metacognitive instruction may enhance learning and thinking in STEM classrooms from K-12 to university and in different cultures and countries. Over the past several years, STEM education research has witnessed rapid growth, attracting considerable interest among scholars and educators. The book provides an updated collection of studies about cognition, metacognition and culture in the four STEM domains. The field of research, cognition and metacognition in STEM education still suffers from ambiguity in meanings of key concepts that various researchers use. This book is organized according to a unique manner: Each chapter features one of the four STEM domains and one of the three themes—cognition, metacognition, and culture—and defines key concepts. This matrix-type organization opens a new path to knowledge in STEM education and facilitates its understanding. The discussion at the end of the book integrates these definitions for analyzing and mapping the STEM education research. Chapter 4 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com

Unique and stimulating, this book addresses metacognition in both the neglected area of teaching and the more well-established area of learning. It addresses domain-general and domain-specific aspects of metacognition, including applications to the particular subjects of reading, speaking, mathematics, and science. This collection spans theory, research and practice related to metacognition in education at all school levels, from elementary through university.

Why is metacognition gaining recognition, both in education generally and in science learning in particular? What does metacognition contribute to the theory and practice of science learning? Metacognition in Science Education discusses emerging topics at the intersection of metacognition with the teaching and learning of science concepts, and with higher order thinking more generally. The book provides readers with a background on metacognition and analyses the latest developments in the field. It also gives an account of best-practice methodology. Expanding on the theoretical underpinnings of metacognition, and written by world leaders in metacognitive research, the chapters present cutting-edge studies on how various forms of metacognitive instruction enhance understanding and thinking in science classrooms. The editors strive for conceptual coherency in the various definitions of metacognition that appear in the book, and show that the study of metacognition is not an end in itself. Rather, it is integral to other important constructs, such as self-regulation, literacy, the teaching of thinking strategies, motivation, meta-strategies, conceptual understanding, reflection, and critical thinking. The book testifies to a growing recognition of the potential value of metacognition to science learning. It will motivate science educators in different educational contexts to incorporate this topic into their ongoing research and practice.

This edited volume focuses on challenges facing science education across three areas: curriculum, teacher education, and pedagogy. Integrating a diverse range of perspectives from both emerging and established scholars in the field, chapters consider the need for measured responses to issues in society that have become pronounced in recent years, including lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic, the environment, and persisting challenges in STEM teaching and learning. In doing so, the editors and their authors chart a potential course for existing and future possibilities and probabilities for science education.

This book reports on a study on physics problem solving in real classrooms situations. Problem solving plays a pivotal role in the physics curriculum at all levels. However, physics students’ performance in problem solving all too often remains limited to basic routine problems, with evidence of poor performance in solving problems that go beyond equation retrieval and substitution. Adopting an action research methodology, the study bridges the `research-practical divide ́ by explicitly teaching physics problem-solving strategies through collaborative group problem-solving sessions embedded within the curriculum. Data were collected using external assessments and video recordings of individual and collaborative group problem-solving sessions by 16-18 year-olds. The analysis revealed a positive shift in the students’ problem-solving patterns, both at group and individual level. Students demonstrated a deliberate, well-planned deployment of the taught strategies. The marked positive shifts in collaborative competences, cognitive competences, metacognitive processing and increased self-efficacy are positively correlated with attainment in problem solving in physics. However, this shift proved to be due to different mechanisms triggered in the different students.

This edited volume brings forth intriguing, novel and innovative research in the field of science education. The chapters in the book deal with a wide variety of topics and research approaches, conducted in various contexts and settings, all adding a strong contribution to knowledge on science teaching and learning. The book is comprised of selected high-quality studies that were presented at the 11th European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) Conference, held in Helsinki, Finland from 31 August to 4 September, 2015. The ESERA science education research community consists of professionals with diverse disciplinary backgrounds from natural sciences to social sciences. This diversity provides a rich understanding of cognitive and affective aspects of science teaching and learning in this volume. The studies in this book will invoke discussion and ignite further interest in finding new ways of doing and researching science education for the future and looking fo r international partners for both science education and science education research. The twenty-five chapters showcase current orientations of research in science education and are of interest to science teachers, teacher educators and science education researchers around the world with a commitment to evidence-based and forward-looking science teaching and learning.

The book illustrates how Lesson Study can be applied to craft metacognitive teaching strategies to enhance students’ learning to learn competencies. Based on the findings of an empirical study of a university-funded teaching development project, this book reports how to apply Lesson Study and Learning Study to enhance teachers’ metacognitive teaching competencies with a view to tackling the impacts and challenges created by and underlying the learning to learn curriculum. The book allows readers to experience metacognitive learning by sorting the prior knowledge on the metacognition, setting the goal and planning reading schedule, checking their understanding and progress, evaluating what they have or have not learned and reflected on their reading experience and feelings. Readers can grasp the key concept underpinning metacognitive teaching, including teaching strategies for developing students’ metacognitive abilities that include working on problem-solving activities, working on small collaborative groups, making metacognitive and learning strategies explicit, and encouraging students to reflect upon and talk about their learning.

Volume III of this landmark synthesis of research offers a comprehensive, state-of-the-art survey highlighting new and emerging research perspectives in science education. Building on the foundations set in Volumes I and II, Volume III provides a globally minded, up-to-the-minute survey of the science education research community and represents the diversity of the field. Each chapter has been updated with new research and new content, and Volume III has been further developed to include new and expanded coverage on astronomy and space education, epistemic practices related to socioscientific issues,design-based research, interdisciplinary and STEM education, inclusive science education, and the global impact of nature of science and scientific inquiry literacy. As with the previous volumes, Volume III is organized around six themes: theory and methods of science education research; science learning; diversity and equity; science teaching; curriculum and assessment; and science teacher education. Each chapter presents an integrative review of the research on the topic it addresses, pulling together the existing research, working to understand historical trends and patterns in that body of scholarship, describing how the issue is conceptualized within the literature, how methods and theories have shaped the outcomes of the research, and where the strengths, weaknesses, and gaps are in the literature. Providing guidance to science education faculty, scholars, and graduate students, and pointing towards future directions of the field, Handbook of Research on Science Education Research, Volume III offers an essential resource to all members of the science education community.