Within Canada, the need for individuals with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills has been well documented. One tactic towards increasing the number of individuals with STEM skills is to focus on the kindergarten to grade 12 (K-12) STEM education stakeholders, who can directly and/or indirectly influence a student's STEM…

The integration of coding in K-12 mathematics education is occurring throughout jurisdictions around the world. Best practices for applying coding practices in teaching mathematics are gaining research attention, and teacher education programmes are increasingly offering professional development to support this initiative. This paper discusses…

The first stage of a study in Québec enabled us to draw up a statistical portrait of probability teaching practices self-reported by 626 teachers at the elementary and secondary levels. For the second stage of the study, discussed here, we wanted to elaborate on some of the questionnaire answers and to discuss professional development avenues…

This paper briefly outlines three initiatives that the University of Toronto (U of T) Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering (FASE) has implemented as initial steps as the institution strives to be anti-racist and address Black inclusivity. These initiatives were based within K-12 outreach, race-based data collection and creating opportunities…

The focus on STEM has centered on knowledge use across multiple disciplines. However, there currently exists limited understanding of the relationship between the cognitive practices utilized across these disciplines as a function of performance on standardized assessments. Focusing on science and mathematics, we investigated the direct and…

The present study examined to what extent inquiry-based investigation as an instructional approach associated with students' overall science achievement and achievement in cognitive domains, including knowing science facts, applying scientific principles, and reasoning with scientific concepts to solve problems. Using TIMSS 2007 science…

In this article, we review published literature that draws on autobiographical accounts of students' experiences learning mathematics. We summarize the main findings of the target literature and present recommendations for further research that will extend this field. Our review indicates that autobiographical and narrative methodological…

In this response, I argue that Hodson and Wong's (2017) (see EJ1133274) critique of the consensus view, though valid, lacks a sufficiently detailed and elaborated alternative. Their emphasis on practice fails to define what the goals of engaging in practice might be. In contrast, the picture of science offered as consisting of six different…

Hodson and Wong (2017, this issue) argue that, though the nature of science (NOS) is now an established focus of school science education and a key element in defining scientific literacy, "the consensus view" of NOS misrepresents contemporary scientific practice. They then propose a number of alternative approaches to science curriculum…

This article provides a metacommentary on the special issue on nature of science (NOS). The issue is composed of senior scholars discussing Hodson and Wong's (2017, this issue) critique of the consensus view of nature of science, which on a basic level states that there are agreed-upon aspects of science that can be taught in K-12 schools. Each…

The term "STEM," used to describe science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, has come to prominence in Canada over the last decade, raising questions about its meaning. Here we examine its history in the United States and the sociopolitical commitments that have, in parallel, guided science education in Canada. The divergent…

Across Canada many initiatives have been initiated to generate more interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education; however, no single or comprehensive overview has been conducted that takes into account the impact of these STEM initiatives on teaching/learning outcomes in K-12 education. This knowledge synthesis of…

The editors have challenged us to consider STEM within the Canadian educational context. We find that the push to STEM is based on stories that frame the need for STEM within an economic imperative. Though some people are questioning the prevailing story and attempting to tell stories about STEM as a more integrated approach to teaching and…

This article examines science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education as represented in North American educational contexts. In this article we will argue that the dominant view of STEM education as currently circulated and practiced in the United States and Canada is not much more than an acronym of discrete disciplinary areas. We…

This article explores the potential for aspects of abstract algebra to be influential for the teaching of school algebra (and early algebra). Using national standards for analysis, four primary areas common in school mathematics--and their progression across elementary, middle, and secondary mathematics--where teaching may be transformed by…