Science and Science Education do not always progress in step with one another. In recent years, examination specifications in biology for 14- to 18-year-olds in England and Wales have placed greater emphasis on practical skills, whilst reports indicate that deductive teacher-led lessons still predominate. By bringing together a group of 28 university research scientists, secondary school teachers, and learning specialists, the Scientists' Collaborative Project with Educators (SCoPE) project sought to address this issue - for the purpose of producing innovative, relevant, practical activities that would introduce contemporary research into biology classrooms. An exploratory, instrumental case study approach was taken to examine the process through which scientists and teachers co-created four sets of toolkits, aimed at 14- to 18-year-old biology students. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with participants and video recordings of co-creation sessions. Datasets were analysed through qualitative thematic analysis. Whilst findings indicated that having a sharing disposition was an essential attribute of participants, the role of the learning specialists was key to the successful production of the toolkits - in facilitating the generation of ideas, guiding the selection and design of a toolkit that could be feasibly produced within the timeframe available, and overseeing the manufacture of the final product.

This 2-year longitudinal study examines the relations between math and science interest, STEM identity, and perceptions of STEM barriers in 280 (68% female; Mage = 15.27) adolescents in the United States and the United Kingdom. Structural equation models indicated that higher math interest at time 1 was positively associated with overall STEM identity at time 2, and greater STEM identity at time 2 was related to fewer perceptions of barriers to STEM at time 3. Surprisingly, science interest, gender-STEM identity, and racial-ethnic STEM identity were not associated with perceptions of STEM barriers. Results underscore the foundational role of math interest and STEM identity and in support of adolescents' persistence in STEM pursuits.

Research has shown how language plays an important role in science education and recommends that teachers give space to students to use scientific discourse to build explanations. This study examines the conceptual learning of primary school students when participating in talk-intensive science lessons. To produce such a dialogic case in the context of a monological-directive tradition of teaching, a classroom intervention was implemented in a Brazilian primary school. Data consisted of pre-post knowledge tests, audio recording of small-group work, video recording of whole-class teaching, and student interviews. Classroom talk was described through quantitative methods which employed discursive measures and a coding scheme. Although statistically significant, only small effects on students' learning were apparent, even though the lessons were described as highly interactive and moderately dialogic. These findings are discussed in relation to the role of different teaching resources and modalities, talk formats, and classroom culture in promoting the co-construction of knowledge.

Motivation is a key factor in engagement, achievement, and career choices in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). While existing research has focused on student motivation toward math in formal school programs, new work is needed that focuses on motivation for those involved in informal STEM programs. Specifically, the role of math mindset and perceived inclusivity of informal STEM sites (to those of varying gender and ethnic backgrounds) on longitudinal trajectories of adolescents’ math motivation has not been explored. This study investigates longitudinal changes in math expectancy, interest, and utility values and the effects of math fixed mindset, math growth mindset, and perceptions of the inclusivity of informal STEM learning sites on these changes for adolescents participating in STEM programs at these informal sites in the United Kingdom and the United States ( n = 249, M T1age = 15.2, SD = 1.59). Three latent growth curve models were tested. The data suggest that math expectancy, interest, and utility values declined over three years. Growth mindset positively predicted changes in utility, while fixed mindset negatively predicted changes in utility. Inclusivity positively influenced the initial levels of utility. Girls reported lower initial expectancy than boys. Age influenced both the initial levels and rate of change for expectancy. Older adolescents had lower levels of expectancy compared to their younger counterparts; however, they had a less steep decline in expectancy over three years. These findings suggest that designing inclusive learning environments and promoting growth mindset may encourage math motivation.

Limited research has explored the longitudinal pathway to youth career interests via identity and efficacy together. This study examined the longitudinal associations between science efficacy, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) identity, and scientist career interest among girls who are historically considered as an underrepresented group among scientists. The sample included 308 girls (M age = 15.22, SD age = 1.66; 42.8% White) from six STEM youth programs, each at a different informal science learning site within the U.K. and the U.S. Longitudinal structural equation modelling demonstrated that science efficacy consistently predicted STEM identity and scientist career interest, and similarly, STEM identity consistently predicted science efficacy over a two-year period. Scientist career interest at 12 months predicted science efficacy at 24 months. The coefficients of efficacy predicting STEM identity and scientist career interest were significantly larger compared to STEM identity and scientist career interest in predicting science efficacy from 12 months to 24 months. Further mediation analysis supported a significant pathway from STEM identity at 3 months to scientist career interest at 24 months via 12-month science efficacy. The findings highlight that science efficacy and STEM identity for girls relate to their scientist career interest and these longitudinal associations are reciprocal. This study suggests that science efficacy and STEM identity mutually influence each other, and enhancing science efficacy and STEM identity is key to promoting adolescents’ interest in being a scientist.

In England, there has been a teacher recruitment and retention crisis for many years. In such a crisis, it is important that initial teacher education (ITE) providers are able to identify, recruit and educate ‘high quality’ applicants to join the teaching profession. In this study, we focused on two case studies of beginning teachers who were enrolled in a University-School ITE Partnership. By listening to these two novice teachers, and analysing their experiences against two frameworks of professional development (the professional learning continuum of Wilson & Demetriou (2007) and the characteristics of effective teachers identified by Korthagen & Wubbels (2001)), we explain how a synthesis of the frameworks could help ITE providers to select, monitor and assess beginning teachers’ developmental trajectory when learning to teach.

Past research has shown that growth mindset and motivational beliefs have an important role in math and science career interest in adolescence. Drawing on situated expectancy-value theory (SEVT), this study extends these findings by investigating the role of parental motivational beliefs (e.g., expectancy beliefs, utility values) and parent growth mindset in math on adolescent career interest in math-intensive fields (e.g., mathematics, computer science, statistics, and engineering; MCSE) through adolescent motivational beliefs in math. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model using data from 290 adolescents (201 girls, 69.3%; Mage = 15.20), who participate in informal STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) youth programs, and their parents (162 parents, 87.7% female) in the United Kingdom and the United States. As hypothesized, adolescent expectancy beliefs, utility values, and growth mindset in math had a significant direct effect on MCSE career interest. Further, there was a significant indirect effect of parental expectancy beliefs in math on MCSE career interest through adolescents’ expectancy beliefs. Similarly, there was a significant indirect effect from parental utility values in math to MCSE career interest through adolescents’ utility values. The findings suggest that parents’ math motivational beliefs play a critical role in adolescent math motivational beliefs and their career interest in math-intensive fields.

AbstractThe aim of this longitudinal, mixed-method research study is to examine thoroughly the design and practical application of a new, promising, multi-dimensional educational approach that has emerged recently, namely Educational Escape Rooms (EERs). Focusing on EERs’ educational potential to facilitate learners in developing their 21st century skills, the study attempts to systematically record which of the 4Cs (Critical thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication) are being practised by students while engaging in an EER activity, but also to examine whether a measurable development of these skills could be observed. From a practitioner’s perspective, the research study also seeks answers on how to optimise the design of these didactic interventions so as to enhance the practice of the 4C skills. Regarding the study’s outcome, the research provides strong empirical evidence of EERs’ ability to foster the practice of these skills, illustrating the significance of their puzzles’ design. It also presents several indications of skills development, acknowledging the need for further investigation. Lastly, it reveals the existence of specific connections between certain puzzle types and the practice of the 4C skills. These findings, in turn, enabled us to frame useful guidelines for designing EERs that combine the practice and development of these skills with content learning.

The fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are rife with inequalities and under-representation that have their roots in childhood. While researchers have focused on gender and race/ethnicity as two key dimensions of inequality, less attention has been paid to wealth. To this end, and drawing from the Social Reasoning Development approach, we examined children's and adolescents' perceptions of STEM ability and access to opportunities as a function of wealth, as well as their desire to rectify such inequalities. Participants (n = 234: early childhood, n = 70, mean age = 6.33, SD = .79; middle childhood, n = 92, mean age = 8.90, SD = .83 and early adolescence, n = 62, mean age = 12.00; SD = 1.16) in the U.K. (64% White British) and U.S. (40% White/European American) read about two characters, one high-wealth and one low-wealth. In early childhood, participants reported that the high-wealth character would have greater STEM ability and were just as likely to invite either character to take part in a STEM opportunity. By middle childhood, participants were more likely to report equal STEM abilities for both characters and to seek to rectify inequalities by inviting the low-wealth character to take part in a STEM opportunity. However, older participants reported that peers would still prefer to invite the high-wealth character. These findings also varied by ethnic group status, with minority status participants rectifying inequalities at a younger age than majority status participants. Together these findings document that children are aware of STEM inequalities based on wealth and, with age, will increasingly seek to rectify these inequalities.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, young people have been exposed to distressing content about COVID-19 without knowing whether they can trust such content. This indicates a need to examine the effects of social media use on mental health and well-being. Existing research provides an inconsistent impression of such effects. Thus, we examined the relation between exposure to COVID-19 information on social media and well-being and assessed if trust in COVID-19 information on social media moderated this relationship. The sample consisted of 168 adolescents and young adults from the U.K. and U.S. (Mage = 17.4 years). Participants completed measures of exposure to, and trust in, COVID-19 information on social media platforms, and measures of emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Results revealed a null to positive relation between exposure to COVID-19 information on social media and well-being across measures. However, when trust was added to the models as a moderator, results indicated that, for adolescents with higher levels of trust in COVID-19 information found on social media, the relation between information encountered on social media and well-being was positive. In contrast, for adolescents with lower levels of trust, the association between information encountered on social media and well-being was null or sometimes negative. Given the lack of consensus about the impact of social media use on well-being, these results point to the importance of trust when assessing the relationship between exposure to COVID-19 information and well-being.

Background: Photomicrographs are major biological representations which help students understand more about the structures of cells and tissues. Owing to their abstract nature, students often rely on representations in textbooks to develop their understanding of photomicrographs. Purpose: This study investigated how students with low, medium and high competence for visualizing photomicrographs integrated textbook representations into their understanding of photomicrographs. Sample: Twelve 14-15 year-old students who were studying biology in a UK secondary school participated in this study. Design and methods: We carried out semi-structured interviews with these students. A modified model of integration of text and picture was used to interpret students' verbal response and their drawing. An innovative discourse analysis approach, Epistemic Network Analysis, was used to analyse the connections between codes which were informed by the model. Results: Compared to students with high competence, students with low and medium levels of competence did not necessarily understand the structure-behaviour-function relationship of the textual representation, or notice the visual elements in the diagrams. Hence, they could not transfer their understanding of textbook representations into that of the photomicrograph. Conclusion: This study suggests that the modified model of integration of text and picture can potentially reveal how students with different levels of visualization competence access information from textual and pictorial information. Equally importantly, the study argues for using epistemic network analysis as a tool to examine how students integrate textbook representations.

Little is known about the factors that influence engagement for adolescents participating in informal youth science programs. This study examined longitudinal reciprocal associations between adolescents’ science engagement, interest, and growth mindset. Participants were adolescents (Mage = 15.06, SD = 1.82 years, 66.8% female) from the UK (n = 168) and the US (n = 299). A cross lagged path analysis indicated that participants’ science growth mindset at baseline was positively related to interest, and engagement at year 1, and science interest at year 1 was positively related to growth mindset at year 2. Additionally, girls had lower science growth mindsets than boys. This evidence suggests that informal programs may encourage positive STEM trajectories by fostering engagement, growth mindset and interest.

The impact of educators in informal science learning sites (ISLS) remains understudied from the perspective of youth visitors. Less is known about whether engagement with educators differs based on the age and gender of both visitor and educator. Here, visitors (5-17 years old) to six ISLS in the United States and United Kingdom (n = 488, female n = 244) were surveyed following an interaction with either a youth (14-18 -years old) or adult educator (19+ years old). For participants who reported lower interest in the exhibit, more educator engagement was related to greater self-reported learning. Younger children and adolescents reported more engagement with an adult educator, whereas engagement in middle childhood did not differ based on educator age. Participants in middle childhood showed a trend toward answering more conceptual knowledge questions correctly following an interaction with a youth educator. Together, these findings emphasize the promise of tailoring educator experiences to visitor demographics.

The pandemic continues to exert its impact across the world. In the United Kingdom, the numbers of hospital patients with Covid-19 are, at the time of writing, identical to those in the first wave of the pandemic over two years ago. The difference between those admitted now, and then, lies in their vaccination status, with the majority of patients who are currently seriously ill being those who have decided against vaccination. In the United Kingdom, there is an extensive vaccination programme, but that is by no means true in every country of the world. With new variants of Covid-19 emerging on a regular basis, it is essential that wealthier countries support global vaccination programmes to help limit the extent to which new variants are given opportunities to thrive. When people make decisions about their health and about vaccination, it is important for them to have knowledge and understanding. Simply in terms of school biology, we are asking people to remember what they learnt about disease transmission, the immune system, vaccination, mRNA translation, protein synthesis, and the breathing system, amongst many other topics. In terms of school mathematics, we expect them to make sense of graphs, to understand probability and modelling, and to undertake complex assessments of relative risk. As biology educators, we are expert in teaching these ideas at school (and of course at University level). But biology education varies across the world, and memories fade. As a result, many seek information from the Internet and social media, the veracity of which can often be very poor, and sometimes deliberately misleading. Given the above, it seems more important than ever that policy makers, globally, invest more in biological education outside formal contexts, and in particular in adult education. The Aims and Scope of this journal have been revised during the pandemic, to identify the informal sector as one additional area in which biology educators are active. The Editorial Board has also been expanded, with biological education related to health now being more strongly represented. During the pandemic, submission rates to the journal have expanded substantially, from across the world. Our expanded Editorial Board also now reflects better our global community of biology educators, and we have revised our submission types to help attract manuscript submissions from across that community. The revised Aims and Scope describes the journal as providing a forum where the latest advances in research into teaching, learning and assessment of biology can contribute to policy and practice in biological education for all ages. Given the global challenges we face, including the pandemic, climate change, and threats to food supply, it seems clear that such a forum is more important than ever before.

Little research has examined the associations between perceived inclusivity within informal science learning sites, youth program belonging and perceptions of program career preparation. This study explored relations between these factors at three timepoints (T1 = start of program, T2 = 3 months and T3 = 12 months after start). Participants were a diverse sample of 209 adolescents participating in STEM youth programs within informal science learning sites situated in the United States and United Kingdom (70% females: M age = 15.27, SD age = 1.60), with 53.1% British and 64.1% non-White. Path analysis revealed that only perceptions of inclusivity for own social identity group (i.e., gender, ethnicity) at T1 were associated with T2 STEM youth program belonging. There was a significant indirect effect of T1 perceptions of inclusivity for one's own social identity groups on T3 perceptions of program career preparation via T2 program belonging. This study highlights that, over time, perceptions of inclusivity around youth's own social identity groups (i.e., gender and ethnicity/culture) are related to a sense of youth program belonging, which in turn is later associated with perceptions of program career preparation.

Gender stereotypes are harmful for girls’ enrollment and performance in science and mathematics. So far, less is known about children’s and adolescents’ stereotypes regarding technology and engineering. In the current study, participants’ (N = 1,206, girls n = 623; 5–17-years-old, M = 8.63, SD = 2.81) gender stereotypes for each of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) domains were assessed along with the relation between these stereotypes and a peer selection task in a STEM context. Participants reported beliefs that boys are usually more skilled than are girls in the domains of engineering and technology; however, participants did not report gender differences in ability/performance in science and mathematics. Responses to the stereotype measures in favor of one’s in-group were greater for younger participants than older participants for both boys and girls. Perceptions that boys are usually better than girls at science were related to a greater likelihood of selecting a boy for help with a science question. These findings document the importance of domain specificity, even within STEM, in attempts to measure and challenge gender stereotypes in childhood and adolescence.

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workers need both motivation and interpersonal skills in STEM disciplines. The aims of the study were to identify clusters of adolescents who vary in math and science motivation and interpersonal skills and to explore what factors are related to membership in a high math and science motivation and interpersonal skills cluster. Participants included 467 adolescents (312 female; M age = 15.12 to SD = 1.71 year) recruited from out-of-school STEM programs in the US and UK. Findings from latent class analyses revealed four clusters, including a “High Math and Science Motivation and Interpersonal Skills” group, as well as groups that exhibited lower levels of either motivation or interpersonal skills. STEM program belonging, and STEM identity are related to membership in the high motivation and skills cluster. Findings provide insight into factors that may encourage motivation and interpersonal skills in adolescents, preparing them for STEM workforce entry.

This study explored relations between COVID-19 news source, trust in COVID-19 information source, and COVID-19 health literacy in 194 STEM-oriented adolescents and young adults from the US and the UK. Analyses suggest that adolescents use both traditional news (e.g., TV or newspapers) and social media news to acquire information about COVID-19 and have average levels of COVID-19 health literacy. Hierarchical linear regression analyses suggest that the association between traditional news media and COVID-19 health literacy depends on participants' level of trust in their government leader. For youth in both the US and the UK who used traditional media for information about COVID-19 and who have higher trust in their respective government leader (i.e., former US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson) had lower COVID-19 health literacy. Results highlight how youth are learning about the pandemic and the importance of not only considering their information source, but also their levels of trust in their government leaders.