Project-based learning, in which students engage in meaningful learning with authentic projects and building agency and autonomy for sustainable learning, has been increasingly promoted in higher education. However, completing an authentic project involves a complex process, which may pose challenges to many students, especially low-achievers. This study incorporated computer-based scaffolding into a project-based programming course to make complex project learning accessible to students. The scaffolding was designed based on the four-component instructional design (4C/ID) model. The results show that with the support of computer-based scaffolding, all participants maintained a high level of motivation during the course. At the end of the course, their performance was improved by 35.49% in product quality and 38.98% in subject knowledge; their programming thinking skills were improved by 20.91% in problem understanding, 21.86% in modular design, and 25.70% in process design. Despite academic achievement discrepancies among the participants at the beginning of the course, low-achievers’ post-study performance in product quality and programming thinking skills became similar to that of high-achievers, and their post-study performance in subject knowledge became similar to that of medium-achievers. The findings reveal the promising role of computer-based scaffolding in making complex learning with real-world projects accomplishable by a wide range of students and reducing the gaps between high- and low-achieving students.

Challenges exist in the validating procedure and comprehensiveness of the existing TSE measurements, though advancements have been achieved. Also, less consistencies have been received regarding teacher self-efficacy measurement in Chinese context so that the study developed and validated a new comprehensive scale for this construct. A total of 854 Chinese pre-service teachers responded to 40 purposely selected teacher self-efficacy items, together with the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, the agreeableness subscale of the Big Five Inventory, and items on their effectiveness of teaching practicing and intention to be a teacher. Exploratory factor analyses revealed two distinct factors, one factor (Ethos) focused on the general school climate, harmony, and cooperation, as well as teachers’ own professional development, the other (Teaching) focused on aspects of classrooms and student learning. Confirmatory and second-order factor analysis supported the existence of two factors and also indicated one overarching construct of teacher self-efficacy. Both domains were significantly correlated with general self-efficacy and agreeableness, with either moderate or low correlations. Significant differences in teacher self-efficacy for Ethos and Teaching were found between pre-service teachers who reported higher levels of effectiveness during their professional placement and greater intention to be teachers compared to those with lower self-ratings. In addition, a 20-item short version of the scale was developed, and the same factorial structure was confirmed. This study validated the two-factor structure of a newly developed teacher self-efficacy scale that covers domains both within and outside classroom teaching. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Previous studies have revealed the restorative effects of exposure to natural environments on psychological well-being and cognitive performance. Recent studies have reported the effects of exposure to nature sounds (e.g., the sounds of birds, rainfall, and waves) through a mobile application on reducing students’ mental fatigue and improving their cognitive performance. However, it remains unknown whether exposure to nature sounds through a mobile application may influence students’ learning performance. To address the gap, we conducted a study with 71 university students. During the four-week intervention, 36 students in the experimental group were exposed to nature sounds through a free mobile application for at least 30 consecutive minutes per day when working on academic-related tasks; 35 students in the control group did not have such exposure when working on similar tasks. The results show that students in the experimental group outperformed those in the control group in their engagement in deep learning, frequency of academic procrastination, and academic self-efficacy. The findings reveal the promising effects of exposure to nature sounds through a mobile application on improving students’ learning performance. The implications of the findings are discussed.

STEM education emphasizes improving student learning by linking abstract knowledge with real-world problems and engaging students in authentic projects to solve real-world problems. Accordingly, project-based learning has been widely promoted in STEM programs and has shown a promising impact on student learning. However, solving real-world problems in STEM projects involves complex processes. It remains unclear how students engage in complex problem-solving processes in STEM projects and how their processes may differ among students. This study was conducted with secondary school students who engaged in a design-based STEM project in small groups. The findings show that questioning and responding appeared most frequently and connected with other elements in group discourse, while argumentation and justification appeared least frequently. The findings reveal distinctive discourse patterns that differ among high-, medium- and low-performance groups, based on which the implications of the findings were discussed.