The call for papers of The Asian-Pacific Education Researcher (TAPER) 2019 Special Issue on Research in STEM education
Guest Editors
Associate Prof. Min-Hsien Lee, National Taiwan Normal University, TAIWAN
Prof. Ching Sing Chai, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, HONG KONG
Prof. Huang-Yao Hong, National Chengchi University, TAIWAN
As technology advances with increasing power to change sociopolitical and economic landscape, STEM education is becoming more important in today classrooms. Particularly, failure to promote science and mathematics achievements is perceived to lead to lower enrollment in related engineering majors in colleges and universities which may consequently causes a country to lag in technology advancement. The concern of dropping out in global competitiveness hence is a dominating reason articulated by many education authorities regarding why STEM is needed (see Hoeg & Bencze, 2017; Marginson, et al., 2013). Marginson et al. have highlighted that countries that perform well on international assessment for science and mathematics are also countries that are economically dynamic. Given such background, STEM education are attracting attention from policy makers.
Current international assessment such as TIMSS and PISA indicate that East Asian countries consistently produce good results among their learners in primary and secondary schools for science and mathematics (Mullis, Martin, & Loveless, 2016; OECD, 2016). As STEM education in interdisciplinary and cross disciplinary contexts may help to promote creativity, design capacity, and entrepreneurship among Asian students, Asian educators may need to find ways to leverage on students’ science and mathematics achievement for creative and meaningful endeavor beyond test results. Moreover, STEM education in East Asian context may be better serve with a dual foci on maintaining the high achievement and breaking the confines of learning for examinations. However, there seems to be very little research in STEM education conducted in East Asian countries. How does STEM education changes teaching and learning towards a knowledge based society where creativity and entrepreneurships among learners are raised is of particular value in today’s world. This special issue is therefore particularly interested in breakthrough discussion and research that contributes to such educational change.
Moreover, educators have noted the needs to understand how teachers prepare for STEM education of the future, and how they develop teaching conceptions or technological pedagogical content knowledge and knowing from multi-disciplinary, inter-disciplinary, to trans-disciplinary in STEM education. By publishing relevant empirical studies, this special issue hopes to make a comprehensive view of the research in STEM education to reflect insights for the current educational environment in Asian-Pacific countries. This special issue calls for papers that integrate STEM involving at least three subject areas and above (i.e. authors must explain clearly how at least three subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics are integrated in the curriculum unit).
The suggested topics of interest for this special issue include, but are not limited to:
1. Students' learning outcomes and experience within STEM education
2. The concern about equity, either for gender, ethnicity, or transferred students in STEM education in Asian context
3. Learners’ learning conceptions and/or beliefs of STEM education
4. Teachers’ teaching conceptions and/or beliefs of STEM education
5. Teacher professional development in STEM education
6. STEM in Higher education
7. Innovative learning environments for STEM education
8. Other emerging new topics that are relevant to STEM education
Interested authors who have query may e-mail to Dr. Min-Hsien Lee ()
The timetable for the call for papers and reviews
l Call of paper: January 2018
l Full paper submission deadline: 15th June 2018
l Review decision: 15th August 2018
l Final decision: 15th October 2018
l Final version submission: 15th November 2018
l Publication date: January 2019
Submissions
Manuscripts should not exceed 6,000 words. All papers will be peer reviewed based on quality, originality, novelty, organization and clarify of writing, and evidence provided for assertions and conclusion. Please refer to the ‘Instructions for Authors’ at http://www.springer.com/40299. Papers submitted for this special issue must not be submitted or are under consideration for publication anywhere.
References
Hoeg, D. G. & Bencze, J. L. (2017). Values underpinning STEM education in USA: An analysis of the Next Generation Science Standards. Science Education, 101(92), 278-301.
Marginson, S., Tytler, R., Freeman, B. & Roberts, K. (2013). STEM: country comparisons: international comparisons of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Final report. Australian Council of Learned Academies, Melbourne, Vic.
Mullis, I.V.S., Martin, M.O., & Loveless, T. (2016). 20 Years of TIMSS. International Trends in Mathematics and Science Achievement, Curriculum, and Instruction. Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMSS & PIRLS. International Study Center, Boston College.
OECD (2016). PISA 2015: Results in Focus. Retrieved 9th Oct 2017 from https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisa-2015-results-in-focus.pdf