Status: This study explored the use of Minecraft Education Edition to create a metaverse-like environment for STEM education, involving 40 students in collaborative tasks across Chemistry, Coding, and AI Education.Research Methods: To assess student engagement and behavior patterns, the study employed the Game Experience Questionnaire (GEQ) and the STEM Outcome Survey. The research aimed to evaluate Minecraft Education Edition's alignment with metaverse platform criteria, its impact on social presence, and its influence on students' perceptions of STEM education.Data Collection and Analysis Methods: The data were collected using the GEQ and STEM Outcome Survey. Regression analysis was conducted on the GEQ dimensions to examine the effects of Competence (C), Flow (F), and Challenge (I) on the overall sense of immersion (I).Findings: The analysis revealed that Competence, Flow, and Challenge significantly contribute to the sense of immersion, supporting Minecraft Education Edition's role as an effective metaverse-like platform. The study also provided insights into how Minecraft Education Edition enhances social presence, fosters empathetic engagement, reduces negative social experiences, and promotes behavioral involvement. These findings underscore the potential of virtual worlds like Minecraft to revolutionize STEM education by offering immersive and engaging experiences. The study recommends Minecraft Education Edition as a valuable tool for educators and suggests further development of customized Minecraft worlds to better address students' specific learning needs and enhance game-based learning in STEM education.

This study explores the integration of drone technology into STEM education through the development and evaluation of the Drone Technology Enabled STEM Curriculum (DTESC). Grounded in “dronagogy”, a pedagogical framework that utilizes drones to enhance learning, DTESC effectively incorporates drone technology within science, mathematics, technology, and the humanities. The curriculum is structured to progress from multidisciplinary exploration to interdisciplinary integration, ultimately culminating in transdisciplinary applications. Sixteen Grade 9–10 students from a secondary school in Hong Kong participated in the study, engaging in activities such as designing drone-assisted water sampling systems and formulating entrepreneurial proposals for future applications. Employing mixed research methods, the study assessed the curriculum’s impact across cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning domains. Results indicated high levels of student engagement and satisfaction, alongside significant improvements in psychomotor and affective skills. However, enhancements in cognitive learning outcomes, particularly in mathematics and programming, are necessary. This research offers valuable insights into the implementation of dronagogy to foster cross-disciplinary STEM education.

This systematic review aims to offer a comprehensive analysis of recent empirical studies on technology-supported scaffoldings (TSS) within the education sector. A total of 31 TSS studies published between 2017 and 2022 were selected from the reputable databases. The analysis focuses on trends, research methods, intervention design, and student learning outcomes in TSS studies. The findings reveal that TSS applications encompass a diverse range of participants, subjects, pedagogical approaches, teaching strategies, and technological tools, impacting cognitive and affective domains. However, recent TSS research demonstrates a bias towards upper primary and junior secondary students, with a focus on science and language subjects. While established e-learning tools are commonly integrated into TSS designs, there is limited exploration of metacognitive and motivational scaffoldings. This study highlights the importance of dynamic scheduling and adjustment of TSS to cater to individual student needs and capabilities, laying the groundwork for future research to develop highly customized TSS that effectively support student learning.

This study aimed to develop a comprehensive diagnostic tool for assessing upper-secondary school students’ understanding of isomers, expanding upon existing two- and three-tier conceptual diagnostic methods. By incorporating ‘Confidence Rating Factor’ tiers within the answer and reason sections, a four-tier test was designed and developed. This test was utilized to evaluate students’ comprehension of the isomeric conceptual framework and to identify prevalent misconceptions in terms of quantity, complexity, and typicality. The initial phase involved evaluating the reliability and content validity of the developed test before its distribution, resulting in a total of 385 effective test returned for analysis. Data analysis focused on descriptive statistics of students’ scores across each tier and dimension, supplemented by unstructured interviews to gain deeper insights. Results indicated a general suboptimal mastery of isomer conceptual understanding among upper secondary school students. Notably, students exhibited higher scores and confidence ratings in the answer tier compared to the reason tier. At both tiers, there was a significant positive correlation between scores and their confidence ratings. Further examination revealed varying levels of proficiency across different content dimensions, with students demonstrating the strongest grasp on the concept of isomers but facing challenges, particularly in ‘number judgment and writing’. The study identified eight misconceptions, classified as moderate, serious, and typical across four dimensions, offering valuable insights for teachers. These insights enable teacher to address students’ specific learning challenges related to isomers promptly and effectively, ultimately enhancing their understanding and mastery of the subject.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) has assumed an increasingly pivotal role in STEM education. However, a comprehensive review that captures the current landscape and research trends in this domain remains conspicuously absent. Purpose: In response, this study undertakes an exhaustive examination of 186 scholarly articles, all centered on the application of AI in STEM education.Methods: This study used a bibliometric analysis to undertake an examination of the 186 articles. These articles, from the Web of Science Core Collections, spanned the time frame between 2013 and 2023.Results and conclusion: This study found that: (1) the field had traversed two distinct phases, discernible in the annual publication trends-an initial exploratory phase followed by a rapid development phase; (2) the utilization of AI in STEM education unfolded along four key pathways: the refinement of exploratory STEM teaching through design principles, the seamless integration of emerging AI technologies into STEM education, the practical application of novel AI tools within STEM classrooms, and investigations into AI's potential to enhance student motivation and academic performance in STEM disciplines; (3) 13 primary themes were identified, encapsulating diverse subjects ranging from early childhood education and 3D printing to the ARCS motivation model and collaborative learning strategies; and (4) relatively limited prevalence of long-term collaborations was identified, with research activities predominantly concentrated in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. This review serves as an essential resource for scholars. We also discuss the implications for educational practices, research, and policymaking within the STEM education landscape.

Digital visualization technologies play a pivotal role in aiding students' comprehension of abstract concepts. This study addresses this critical need by creating a tailored stop-motion animation (SMA) aimed at rectifying students' misunderstandings concerning gas-collection activity. The development process spanned six phases, involving information collection, episode identification, storyboard construction, model creation, transformation of models into digital images, and the addition of narration to craft captivating animations. To evaluate the efficacy of this SMA on students' conceptual understanding, data from the think-aloud method and written responses were gathered from a cohort of ten ninth grade students at a local junior secondary school. The findings were encouraging, underscoring the substantial role played by the customized SMA in facilitating students' understanding of the structure of the multifunctional bottle, the properties of gases, and the gas flow in the gas-collection experiment. This study marks a promising stride in uncovering the potential of self-developed multimedia-based educational tools in chemistry education, paving the way for more effective and engaging learning environments.

Under global public health emergencies such as COVID-19 and monkeypox, online learning for the second language (L2) has become prevalent, especially mobile learning, which provides a new training form spanning time and space for L2 learners in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Taking the turn construction of learners who learn Chinese as a second language (CSL) as a point cut, this study investigated L2 learners' communication strategies in a mobile learning context through conversation analysis, a qualitative method. The result showed that the CSL learner adopted self-turn construction, co-construction, and turn-taking in online communication. In turn-taking, the CSL learner raised the pitch at the beginning of a new turn to a position higher than the pitch at the end of the previous turn. This study revealed the structure and approach of CSL learners' turn construction in 'talk-in-interaction', enriching the theoretical research of turn construction under the transactional distance theory of L2 learning supported by mobile technologies.

With the widespread use of Generative AI in education, effectively utilizing and integrating it into teaching have become key focal points and challenges in education. Different subjects and target audiences require varied norms and strategies for implementing Generative AI, such as ChatGPT. These differences directly impact the educational integration of Generative AI in various educational contexts. To address these disparities and establish common ground, we propose the concept of ChatGPT literacy to bridge research gaps. In this study, we tailor the concept of ChatGPT literacy specifically for language teachers, aiming to delineate the essential competencies needed to proficiently and ethically use ChatGPT as a language learning and teaching tool. We propose a theoretical framework encompassing six fundamental constructs: benefits, limitations, prompts, evaluation (of ChatGPT responses), assessment (assisted by ChatGPT), and ethics, to comprehensively conceptualise and evaluate ChatGPT literacy. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative survey data from 492 language teachers across 41 countries, we validate the proposed ChatGPT literacy framework by examining teachers' practices and challenges associated with ChatGPT usage. Our analysis of Likert-scale data, utilizing item and confirmatory techniques, confirms the effectiveness of the six-construct framework in defining ChatGPT literacy. In addition, we collected qualitative data through open questions and conducted thematic analysis, demonstrating that ChatGPT has been integrated throughout the instructional cycle, from material preparation to formative and summative assessment phases. These quantitative and qualitative findings have significant implications for a range of stakeholders, including language educators, learners, AI technology developers, and policymakers, providing valuable insights to inform decisions regarding ChatGPT integration in language education. Ultimately, our study equips relevant stakeholders with the necessary competencies to responsibly exploiting ChatGPT's potential in language and other subject areas.

Abstract The research paper explores the use of a metaverse‐enabled immersive learning environment (MeILE) guided by the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework to enhance university student interactions and collaboration. The platform integrates various components, including avatar usage, multimodality, and gamification, with careful consideration of each CoI element to maximize students' immersive interactions and collaboration in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning contexts. By aligning activities with Bloom's digital taxonomy, the metaverse environment aims to improve STEM learning outcomes. A case study conducted at a university demonstrated the successful implementation of essential CoI elements, leading to increased student engagement and improved learning performance. Results indicate MeILE facilitates interactive, reflective, constructive, and self‐regulated learning, which are essential for developing STEM and 21st century skills. The study emphasizes the teacher's role as a facilitator in fostering self‐directed learning, and cultivating 21st‐century skills through collaborative learning activities in virtual environment. The research underscores the importance of innovative educational tools in adapting to the evolving landscape of education in the digital age.

In the ever-evolving AI-driven education, integrating AI technologies into teaching practices has become increasingly imperative for aspiring STEM educators. Yet, there remains a dearth of studies exploring pre-service STEM teachers' readiness to incorporate AI into their teaching practices. This study examined the factors influencing teachers' willingness to integrate AI (WIAI), especially from the perspective of pre-service STEM teachers' attitudes towards the application of AI in teaching. In the study, a comprehensive survey was conducted among 239 pre-service STEM teachers, examining the influences and interconnectedness of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Ease of Use (PE), and Self-Efficacy (SE) on WIAI. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed for data analysis. The findings illuminated direct influences of TPACK, PU, PE, and SE on WIAI. TPACK was found to directly affect PE, PU, and SE, while PE and PU also directly influenced SE. Further analysis revealed significant mediating roles of PE, PU, and SE in the relationship between TPACK and WIAI, highlighting the presence of a chain mediation effect. In light of these insights, the study offers several recommendations on promoting pre-service STEM teachers' willingness to integrate AI into their teaching practices.

Blended learning, a pedagogical approach that seamlessly integrates online and offline teaching methods, has evolved into a pivotal component of higher education. In order to assess students’ perspectives on their experiences with blended learning in higher vocational schools, we developed a comprehensive tool known as the Blended Learning Perception Scale (BLPS). The scale’s reliability and validity have been rigorously substantiated through data obtained from 600 students enrolled in a vocational school in China. The creation of this scale primarily entailed the application of quantitative methodologies, including both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The final scale encompasses 24 items, categorizing student perceptions into five distinct factors: content coherence, interaction effectiveness, platform functionality, learning motivation, and learning satisfaction. Collectively, these factors elucidate 68.346% of the total variance. Moreover, the Cronbach’s coefficients (α) for these factors range from 0.791 to 0.842, denoting a high degree of internal consistency and thereby establishing the scale’s reliability. Item-based analysis further substantiates the scale’s reliability and discriminability, while confirmatory factor analysis unequivocally confirms its structural validity. Each factor’s average variance extracted (AVE) ranges from 0.589 to 0.671, with a cumulative value of 2.766. Additionally, the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RSMEA) recorded at 0.053 underscores the scale’s satisfactory level of structural validity. In essence, this study presents a valid and dependable instrument for gauging students’ perceptions of blended learning, thoughtfully tailored to the specific attributes of higher vocational education and its students. Furthermore, it offers insights into areas that necessitate further enhancement within blended learning programs.

Knowledge building (KB) competencies are crucial for undergraduates’ creative knowledge work and academic success. While there is substantial research on KB discourse, there are limited efforts in examining how KB competencies in the conceptual, metacognitive, socio-emotional, and epistemic dimensions are demonstrated in KB discourse and how the competencies can be scaffolded. Previous studies suggest the effectiveness of reflective assessment on sustainable and productive KB discourse. This study developed a framework for analyzing KB competencies using KB discourse moves. It also examined whether a KB design augmented by reflective assessment enriched by analytic tools and artifacts could foster undergraduates’ KB competencies, and if so, how. This KB design involves principle-based pedagogy with the participants engaging in collaborative inquiry and discussion on Knowledge Forum, and reflective assessment using (a) super synthesis notes, (b) KB interaction rubrics, and (c) learning analytics visualization tools. Qualitative tracking and lag sequential pattern analysis of Knowledge Forum’s discourse revealed that implementing reflective assessment supported by analytics and artifacts could help the undergraduate students develop KB competencies manifested in discourse with evidence of conceptual advance, epistemic engagement, metacognition, and productive socio-emotional interactions with a collective focus. The thematic analysis illustrated the dynamics through which the design enriched by standards and visualizations helped the undergraduates develop KB competencies: leveraging synthesis super notes to promote conceptual and metacognitive advancement and epistemic engagement; employing KB interaction rubrics to cultivate metacognitive, socio-emotional, and epistemic competencies; and harnessing KBDeX visualizations to promote metacognitive and conceptual advancement and to facilitate epistemic engagement. The implications of scaffolding students’ epistemic agency, metacognition, productive collaborative inquiry, and developing KB competencies in a technology-supported metacognitive learning environment are discussed.

Formative assessment has been long emphasised as a powerful means for enhancing science learning. However, there is still a lack of research to investigate the impacts of formative assessment on both students' motivational beliefs and behaviours in science learning. This study examined such impacts using data from six Western and six East Asian countries/economies in PISA 2015. 96,491 15-year-old students were included. The SEM analysis of overall data showed that (i) formative assessment had both direct effects on students' science learning behaviours and indirect impacts mediated by students' motivational beliefs and (ii) the total effect of teacher feedback on science learning behaviours was greater than adaptive instruction. The comparison between Western and East Asian datasets indicated that (i) the impact of teacher feedback on East Asian students' motivational beliefs was greater than that on their Western counterparts, (ii) the impact of adaptive instruction on Western students' motivational beliefs was greater than that on East Asian counterparts, and (iii) the direct impacts of teacher feedback and adaptive instruction on science learning behaviours were similar for both groups of students. Suggestions were made on how to effectively implement formative assessment to enhance science learning in different cultural contexts.

Augmented reality (AR) has the potential to enhance visual cognition through virtual object experimentation and practice, while also fostering spatial skills relevant to mathematics. This experimental study was conducted with 86 sixth graders in Eastern China, involving a 3-month AR integrated Mathematics Curriculum (ARiMC), with pre- and post-tests administered. The analysis of spatial skills encompassed four dimensions: graphics recognition, movement, orientation, and measurement. The results revealed that there was no significant improvement in spatial skills with the experience of ARiMC. However, it’s noteworthy that ARiMC had a significant impact on the graphics movement dimension, particularly among female students. This finding suggests that AR-enabled learning is a convenient and effective teaching strategy compared to traditional methods, although it didn’t yield a broad enhancement in overall spatial skills. It demonstrates the capacity to improve certain abilities, particularly benefiting female students. This underscores the value of AR-enabled learning in mathematics education.

This study explores the relationship between parental attitudes toward outdoor activities and children's health-related quality of life, focusing on the mediation of outdoor activity time and nature connections. Data from 399 kindergarten children, supplemented by parental insights, were analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Positive parental attitudes toward outdoor activities were found to predict enhanced physical functioning and kindergarten performance. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed for social functioning, while emotional functioning remained unaffected. Parental attitudes directly influenced physical functioning, with indirect effects on kindergarten performance mediated by outdoor time and nature connections. These findings highlight the importance of parental attitudes in promoting children's well-being and suggest potential strategies to enhance their health-related quality of life.

This study utilized the SEC (Survey of Enacted Curriculum) method to examine the alignment between Chinese high school chemistry curriculum standards (HSCCS) and the assessment of ‘Chemical Reaction Principles’ in the National College Entrance Examinations (NCEEs). The HSCCS and NCEEs were coded into two-dimensional matrices separately using SPSS, MATLAB, and EXCEL. The alignment coefficients were analyzed both macroscopically and specifically based on two dimensions: themes and cognitive levels. The findings indicated a generally low alignment between NCEEs and HSCCS in the ‘Chemical Reaction Principles’ domain, and no statistically significant alignment was observed. Comparing Porter alignment coefficients revealed a gradual increase in the overall alignment level between 2018–2022 NCEEs and HSCCS due to curricular reforms. Further specific analyses and comparisons highlighted significant discrepancies between NCEEs and HSCCS concerning themes and cognitive levels. Regarding themes, ‘Ionic Reactions and Equilibrium in Aqueous Solutions’ showed substantial alignment between NCEEs and HSCCS. However, for ‘Application of Ionic Reactions and Equilibrium’ and ‘Systems and Energy,’ NCEEs diverged significantly from or exceeded HSCCS requirements. Concerning cognitive levels, NCEEs demanded higher levels of student cognition compared to HSCCS. Keywords: alignment, chemical reaction principles, content analysis, curriculum standards, upper-secondary schools

This study extends the community of inquiry (CoI) framework and empowerment theory by exploring the relationships between motivational variables, CoI variables, learning presence, and empowerment. We added motivational beliefs (growth mindset, self-efficacy, and task value) as associated variables and learning presence (online self-regulation) as a mediator and examined their contribution to students’ cognitive presence and empowerment. The participants were 539 junior middle-school students in rural China who had acquired significant online learning experience as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that motivational variables were associated with students’ social presence and online self-regulation, which in turn related to their cognitive presence and empowerment in the online learning environment. Growth mindset and self-efficacy also exhibited a significant correlation with students’ cognitive presence. There was a positive correlation between cognitive presence and empowerment. We also found teaching presence has a positive association with social presence but a negative association with online self-regulation. Our research provides a more comprehensive explanatory model of online instruction and student empowerment by introducing the elements of motivational beliefs and learning presence to the CoI framework.

Universities, significantly impacted by the shift to online learning during pandemic, must critically evaluate their teaching methods and outcomes to enhance performance in the post-pandemic era. However, there has been a limited examination of whether students achieved comparable levels in cognition and social interaction during the pandemic compared to traditional face-to-face learning. Addressing this gap, this exploratory study utilized a quasi-experimental design to analyse and compare the learning performance and outcomes of two cohorts of students (totalling 45) in a 12-week university course delivered through the computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) approach, both during and after the pandemic. Employing quantitative analysis and lag sequential analysis, the study examined students' behaviours, similarities and differences in performance within CSCL environments under two distinct social situations. Results indicated that students engaged in complete online learning with CSCL and those in face-to-face teaching with CSCL achieved similar levels of conceptual understanding. Additionally, a comparable distribution pattern of learning behaviours was observed. However, significant differences in behaviour sequences emerged between the two implementations, with students exhibiting a higher level of engagement in CSCL activities during the post-pandemic period. These findings inform the design of CSCL environments should integrate student-centred activities and include guiding scripts, prompts and scaffoldings in navigating learning endeavours effectively.Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic The CSCL environment could facilitate teacher-student and student-student interaction in learning activities. Studies have been conducted on the impact of scripts and prompts on students' cognition and social interaction in CSCL environment. There is a crucial need for conducting more in-depth data analysis to comprehensively explore the CSCL process within university settings. What this paper adds A well-designed CSCL environment, coupled with effective instructional strategies, exhibits resilience, sustaining its beneficial effects on students' academic performance and interaction. Both cohorts demonstrated a proclivity for engaging in repetitive behaviours, particularly focused on reviewing and reading activities. The latter cohort displayed a preference for individual tasks over collaborative efforts, showcasing a relatively higher frequency of individual work as opposed to group activities. Notably absent in both groups were crucial behavioural sequences, namely VR-IA and VC-IA, underscoring potential areas for CSCL improvement. Implications for practice and/or policy In the CSCL environment, a variety of activities rooted in student-centred pedagogy (ie, self-regulated learning, inquiry-based learning and peer feedback) should be seamlessly integrated. It is recommended to furnish students with scripts, prompts and scaffoldings to bolster their navigation through collaborative and independent learning endeavours within CSCL environment. Students are encouraged to bridge their newly acquired knowledge with their existing understanding, for enhancing engagement and promoting deeper comprehension.

This interventional case study adopted a data-supported reflective assessment (DSRA) design to help pre-service teachers (PTs) engage in effective Knowledge Building (KB) and examined the mechanisms of this design to support PTs' productive KB discourse. The participants were 80 PTs from two classes taking the same course. Statistical analysis of indices from social network theory and content analysis of the participants' Knowledge Forum discourse revealed DSRA's positive influence on PTs' KB discourse. Thematic analysis of the PTs' prompt sheets, supplemented by analysis of classroom videos and classroom observations, revealed four mechanisms by which the DSRA fostered PTs' KB: (1) identifying promising directions for further inquiry; (2) navigating data for extending collective focal ideas; (3) integrating separated keywords and identifying problems for further inquiry; (4) and improving "storylines" in the collective inquiry process and making numerical values meaningful. These findings extend the literature by revealing the mechanisms by which learners engage in productive shared regulation which are crucial for successful inquiry and KB. The findings also have significant implications for teacher educators and researchers seeking to design technology-enhanced learning to develop PTs' higher-level KB competencies.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a design thinking teaching and learning model on students' design thinking skills in science class. The study utilised two projects, 'Making a Simple Solar Water Heater' and 'Drawing a 3D Topographic Map of Zhejiang Province,' based on the 5th-grade science curriculum in China, and involved 45 Grade-5 students from a primary school. The quasi-experimental repeated measure method was used to evaluate the students' improvement in design thinking skills, with task-based pre-, mid-, and post-tests. Employing quantitative data analysis, the results showed significant improvement in students' overall performance, with more pronounced improvement between the pre-test and post-test than between the pre-test and mid-test. The analysis of the seven design indexes of students' design work demonstrated significant improvement in five indicators, except for 'material' and 'shape.' The study highlights the importance of incorporating design thinking into elementary school curricula to equip students with the necessary competencies for success in the twenty-first-century workforce.