STEM education integrates the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Relevant research emphasizes a strong relationship among characteristics of STEM education and the ear...

In order for computational thinking (CT) to be successfully implemented in educational environments, teachers’ CT teaching self-efficacy beliefs should be developed. The existing research on this t...

In the digital age in which we live, one of the primary goals of education is to nurture individuals who are capable of thinking creatively, solving problems, and being innovative and productive. Computational thinking is an analytical process that requires defining problems and at the same time solving these problems by proceeding in creative ways. Based on this possible pattern of relationship between computational thinking and creativity, the aim of this study was to determine how two different versions of the computational thinking approach (plugged and unplugged) affect 6th-grade students' creative problem-solving skills (CPSS). Thus, two different teaching modules were designed on the circulatory system with a focus on plugged and unplugged computational thinking. A quasi-experimental design was used. Experiment group 1 utilized the plugged teaching module, experiment group 2 worked with the unplugged teaching module, and the control group in the Turkish middle school science curriculum's inquiry-based science activities. All three groups participated in 16 h of lessons over a 4-week period. We utilized the Creative Problem Solving Skills Inventory (CPSSI) for data collection. The results demonstrated that both the plugged and unplugged teaching modules were more successful at enhancing the CPSS than the inquiry-based science activities. Furthermore the unplugged teaching module was significantly more successful in developing CPSS compared to inquiry-based science activities. Hence, this empirical study demonstrated that both plugged and unplugged computational thinking approaches can enhance CPSS, but also reveals the greater effectiveness of unplugged approaches in fostering middle school students' CPSS.

Background: For the past decade, science educators have been exploring the use of Socio-scientific Issues (SSI) as contexts for science teaching and learning, and research indicates that doing so can support significant learning gains. However, research related to how teachers take up the practice of SSI-based instruction is far more limited, due in part to a lack of tools for use in this kind of research. Purpose: The focus of this research is development and testing of a new classroom observation protocol specifically designed for SSI-based instructional contexts. Design and methods: Development of this SSI-Observation Protocol (SSI-OP) took place in four distinct phases: review of existing protocols and SSI-based instruction frameworks, writing and revision of protocol items, initial testing of the draft protocol, and soliciting feedback from SSI experts. Sample: Following the four stages of SSI-OP development, we progressed to a series of field tests. The field tests were conducted with three different samples. The first sample was an experienced (10 + years) high school biology teacher and one of her honors biology classes. The second sample consisted of seven Turkish Pre-service Science Teachers (PST) participating in a science methods course. The third sample included two Thai PST from a field experience course embedded within a teacher education program. Results: The final version of the protocol addressed five dimensions of SSI-based instructional activities: focus of instruction, teaching moves, role of teacher, role of students, and classroom environment. Conclusions: The SSI-OP could be used in a variety of ways for research including documentation of current practices, impacts of professional development and/or curricula on teaching practices, and changes in teaching over time. We offer the SSI-OP as a new tool with the potential to contribute to science teacher education and research that may advance the teaching and learning of science through SSI.