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This study aimed to explore the linguistic factors that influence the development and diversification of World Englishes along with implications for language teaching, learning, and policy, and to examine the trends in research related to WEs. Using a systematic review process with MAXQDA 20.2.1, the findings indicate that research on World Englishes has focused on a variety of linguistic elements, with a particular emphasis on syntax, phonology, and discourse and pragmatics. The study also highlights the importance of understanding the cultural and linguistic contexts in which English is being used, as these contexts can have a significant impact on the linguistic features and pragmatic norms of different varieties of English. Regarding the challenges that learners face when learning WEs, the findings suggest that learners may struggle with the different semantic features and pragmatic norms of different WEs varieties. In terms of trends in research related to WEs, the findings show a growing interest in the study of WEs from various linguistic and cultural perspectives, including sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, and language education. However, there is a need for a more interdisciplinary approach to research on WEs, incorporating diverse perspectives and methodologies.

Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) is a growing interdisciplinary field addressing exposures to microbial pathogens and infectious disease processes. Risk science is inherently interdisciplinary, but few of the contributing disciplinary programs offer courses and training specifically in QMRA. To develop multidisciplinary training in QMRA, an annual 10-day long intensive workshop was conducted from 2015 to 2019--the Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment Interdisciplinary Instructional Institute (QMRA III). National leaders in the fields of public health, engineering, microbiology, epidemiology, communications, public policy, and QMRA served as instructors and mentors over the course of the program. To provide cross-training, multidisciplinary teams of 5-6 trainees were created from the approximately 30 trainees each year. A formal assessment of the program was performed based on observations and surveys containing Likert-type scales and open-ended prompts. In addition, a longitudinal alumni survey was also disseminated to facilitate the future redevelopment of QMRA institutes and determine the impact of the program. Across all years, trainees experienced statistically significant increases (P < 0.05) in their perceptions of their QMRA abilities (e.g., use of specific computer programs) and knowledge of QMRA constructs (e.g., risk management). In addition, 12 publications, three conference presentations, and two research grants were derived from the QMRA III institute projects or tangential research. The success of QMRA III indicates that a short course format can effectively address many multidisciplinary training needs. Key features of QMRA III, including the inter-disciplinary training approach, hands-on exercises, real-world institute projects, and interaction through a mentoring process, were vital for training multidisciplinary teams housing multiple forms of expertise. Future QMRA institutes are being redeveloped to leverage hybrid learning formats that can further the multidisciplinary training and mentoring objectives.

Idiomatics--the scientific study of idiomatic language and figurative language--is a pervasive theme in global literature, yet its precise terminology often lacks clear definition. This article addresses this challenge directly by delving into the etymology, significance, and universality of idiomatics. It emphasizes the pivotal role of idiomatics in understanding human behavior and language development, stressing its interdisciplinary relevance. Advocating for idiomatics to gain recognition as a distinct academic discipline, the article calls for the establishment of clear boundaries and methodologies within academia. It concludes with a compelling appeal for collective action, urging idiomatists worldwide to unite under the imperative "Make it happen!" To this end, it presents ten strategic priorities that transcend geographical and linguistic divides, uniting researchers and language professionals in a common mission to advance idiomatics. These priorities underscore the urgency of addressing the current state of idiomatics and shaping its future trajectory, emphasizing the need for decisive action and collaboration. Through concerted efforts, the article seeks to propel idiomatics into new heights of understanding and application across diverse linguistic and cultural contexts, one priority at a time.

Art and artistic activities that play a significant role in the lives of both children and adults are an important requirement for all individuals. Cultures develop, expand, and enrich through artistic activities, which are important for the development of visual literacy, especially in social studies. The present study aims to determine the reflection of various artistic branches in the social studies course and the student interest and love that art is considered to evoke in the context of the social studies course. In the study, qualitative research methods and techniques were used to review relevant documents and determine participant views about the role of art in social studies. First, the current Turkish social studies curricula and textbooks were analyzed. Then, an interview form developed by the authors was applied to 80 students attending all grades in a public middle school and 3 teachers employed in these schools in one of the major cities in Turkey. The attributes employed by the teachers and students in the interview form were analyzed with thematic and content analysis. The study findings demonstrated that the curricula and textbook achievements that allow activities in several art branches are limited. However, despite the limitations, the study findings demonstrated that the students were interested in different art branches and evidenced the support of social studies in the development of interest and love for certain learning areas.

In this collaborative autoethnography, we, two early career academics used arts-based methods to explore and transform our understanding of scholarly impact. We began by narrating the disorienting dilemma we experienced while preparing our review, tenure, and promotion portfolios. After a brief review of Mezirow's transformative learning theory, we described our failed attempt to engage in collaborative autoethnography and our turn to transformative learning scholarship that prioritizes artistic ways of knowing. We resituated our collaborative autoethnography as an arts-based inquiry and described our collaborative process facilitated by poetic inquiry and narrative métissage. We then discussed how this arts-based collaborative autoethnography project afforded opportunities for us to engage in perspective transformation. Finally, we concluded with the theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical contributions this project makes to transformative learning scholarship.

Astronomy has great potential to attract children toward science and improve their scientific literacy. However, it has a relatively small presence within the school curricula worldwide. In Chile, home of the world's largest telescopes, astronomy is even more relevant in science education, but the presence of astronomical content within the national curriculum was not studied yet. In this context, this article characterizes the opportunities to learn astronomy within the Chilean science curriculum from grades 1 to 12. A mixed descriptive design with documental analysis is conducted to determine which science learning objectives (LOs) are directly or indirectly related to astronomy and classify them according to astronomical topics, cognitive processes, and Big Ideas in Astronomy. The proportion of LOs related to astronomy within the whole science curriculum and the categories of interest are calculated and compared over the school grades. The results show that the LOs directly related to astronomy are present only in a third of the grades and include a small variety of astronomical topics. Meanwhile, LOs indirectly related to astronomy appear in all grades and include more topics and higher cognitive processes. We discuss the implications of the outcomes and raise some possibilities to promote astronomy literacy through interdisciplinary work.

The importance and benefits of teamwork in the university context have been widely recognized in recent decades. However, there is little evidence that analyzes the effects of the combination of collaborative learning strategies and gamification methodologies for the improvement of transversal skills and academic performance. In this sense, in this study an intervention program was carried out in the university classroom that alternated the use of technology, gamification (through the use of the ClassDojo platform) and collaborative learning to improve the development of transversal skills. More specifically, the objective was to analyze the academic performance and qualitative perceptions of university students after the application of a gamified educational approach. A mixed research methodology was used with quantitative and qualitative techniques combining descriptive, correlational and linear regression analysis and an interview was administered to the 117 students involved in the experience. The results obtained indicated that the application of the program produced improvements on the development of transversal competences and on the academic performance of university students. In addition, the qualitative analysis of the perceptions allowed us to conclude that this program that combines gamification with collaborative learning received a positive evaluation by the students regarding different variables such as the applicability of gamification for the improvement of softskills, the benefits on the teaching--learning process and other factors that influence motivation before the use of gamification techniques in learning.

This paper presents a teaching scenario designed to introduce preschool children to electricity, structured around the 5E instructional model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate). The study involves 18 children from an urban kindergarten with diverse backgrounds and learning needs. Over four weeks, children engage in interactive activities to understand electrical devices, electric current, static electricity, conductors, insulators, electricity generation, and safety. The curriculum integrates interdisciplinary learning, combining literacy and science, and uses hands-on experiments and digital tools to enhance engagement. Activities include constructing simple circuits, experimenting with static electricity, and role-playing. Emphasis is placed on practical applications and safety. Findings highlight the effectiveness of a constructivist approach, where children build understanding through exploration. The study underscores the need for resources, teacher preparedness, and inclusive strategies to address diverse learning needs. This scenario provides insights into effective early childhood science education, emphasizing the potential to build a strong foundation for future learning and curiosity in young children.

While interdisciplinarity has been promoted in universities for decades, research suggests that untenured faculty struggle to receive recognition for their interdisciplinary research. Informed by the microfoundations of institutional theory and discursive legitimation, we examine how members of academic departments participate in the legitimation and reproduction of tenure and promotion norms in relation to disciplinary and interdisciplinary research in a prestigious private university. Our analysis draws on 59 interviews with department chairs, directors of interdisciplinary centers, and disciplinary and interdisciplinary untenured faculty in the STEM fields, the social sciences, and the humanities. Our findings reveal three mechanisms and processes through which tenure and promotion norms become legitimated and reproduced in academic departments: 1) institutional micro-practices concerned with evaluation and gatekeeping, 2) discursive legitimation of the expulsion of interdisciplinarity at the pre-tenure stage, and 3) scholarly positioning through discursive boundary strategies directed at rationalizing the expulsion of interdisciplinarity or the expansion of existing tenure and promotion norms. Taken together, these findings advance our understanding of the tensions between the promotion of interdisciplinary research in higher education institutions, reproduction of the disciplinary order in academic departments, and interdisciplinary early-career scholars' career advancement.

This paper highlights the design process and implementation for an "all majors" undergraduate course that allows students a chance to reconnect with the natural world. During this course students explore a wide range of biological and physical science based topics that seek to highlight human intervention and our impacts on the planet. The course prepares students to engage with scientific inquiry and research methodologies across a variety of disciplines. At the end of this course, students will be asked to engage in project-based learning experiences that ask them to identify, explore, and create potential solutions for problems in their local communities.

In the U.S. education system, students of color experience multiple forms of marginalization at the intersection of markers of difference. These injustices manifest in multiple forms, such as higher rates of inappropriate referrals to special education, misidentification, conferring stigmatizing labels, and subsequently placing students of color in more segregated spaces. To combat this persistent racial injustice within special education practices and programs, policymakers have formulated regulations under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) aimed at ensuring equal educational opportunities and outcomes for students of color. In particular, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs introduced 20 State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) indicators in 2004 to monitor states' implementation of IDEA. Building upon an interdisciplinary and intersectional lens informed by the cultural historical approach to disability, critical policy analysis in education, and disability critical race theory, this systematic literature review synthesizes 19 studies investigating local policy actors' enactment of IDEA policies related to SPP/APR indicators, which were designed to address racial inequities in special education. The findings reveal that local policy actors' interpretations, negotiations, and implementations of equity-intended special education policies are intricately tied to the situated cultural and political dynamics, making the process multifaceted and deeply contextual.

An interdisciplinary Pop-Up Learning Community (PLC) allowed students from various disciplines with different levels of content knowledge to discuss their perspectives on and beliefs about climate change. The impact of this event on students' climate change beliefs was gauged by a survey from the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. This survey, the Six Americas Super Short Survey, consists of four questions relating to climate change belief. During the event, students participated in various activities, including faculty modeling of discussions about climate change using and highlighting their disciplinary perspectives and analysis skills, communications exercises, interdisciplinary table discussions, and writing in response to a social media message. After the conclusion of the event, students submitted reflections on their experiences at the PLC, which supplemented data collected during the event. Students gained an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of climate change discussions and applied general education skills and knowledge to spoken and written conversations about climate change.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of sustainability-focused, cocurricular, interdisciplinary programming for graduate students at creating future leaders in sustainability, i.e. did interdisciplinary sustainability programming further prepared graduate students in sustainability leadership beyond the scope of the individual student academic programs from the perspective of the student participants. Design/methodology/approach: The objective of the study was met by evaluating the University of Michigan Dow Sustainability Fellows Program. With a decade of graduate-student participation, surveys and interviews of Fellows alumni from 2013 to 2020 were used to assess the program impact on creating sustainability leaders. Opportunities for program reflections were included through prompted open-ended questions. Findings: A majority (88%) of the Fellows who responded to the survey agreed with the statement that their career path was positively affected by their participation in the program and that the cocurricular program provided opportunities to explore sustainability-related topics from perspectives they would not have experienced otherwise. The interdisciplinary aspect of the program and the focus on practical community sustainability projects were the most valued attributes of the cocurricular programming. Research limitations/implications: Supporting cocurricular interdisciplinary programs requires significant resources and intentionality to engage diverse disciplines and diverse partner organizations. Practical implications: Programs that provide experiential opportunities to build interdisciplinary team skills successfully enable graduate students to become leaders in sustainability fields in the workplace and in outreach and service. Social implications: Cocurricular graduate student programming focused on community sustainability projects can successfully create valued learning experiences while simultaneously supporting communities with practical solutions to sustainability challenges. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this work is the first longitudinal assessment of the effectiveness of the interdisciplinary cocurricular programming on graduate student sustainability leadership outcomes. The results include feedback received from eight years of cocurricular programming.

The US is becoming progressively diverse and so are our classrooms. Home-school partnerships are essential to supporting diverse learners. It is critical both new and veteran practitioners make intentional efforts to provide culturally proficient practices when building home-school partnerships. Cultural awareness is identified across disciplines as the initial step to being a culturally proficient practitioner (e.g., CCPEP, nd; Randall-David, 1989; SAMHSA, 2014). Self-awareness is an important but often overlooked step in cultural awareness. This article addresses three techniques to increase cultural self-awareness as an initial step to building effective home-school partnerships with diverse families.

Recent reforms in science education shift the focus of instruction to supporting students' sensemaking about phenomena. At the same time, discussions of equity in science education have become more common and more contested. For emergent bilingual (EB) learners, there is growing consensus that these trends together imply valuing diverse linguistic and cultural resources that students draw upon to make sense of the world. However, asset-based pedagogies often do not attend to the role of oppression and the co-construction of linguistic and racial marginalization. Furthermore, culturally responsive pedagogies push beyond valuing student assets to challenge the end goals of education, emphasizing the development of critical consciousness. Through this case study of one thematic unit within a transitional bilingual physical science class, this study puts forth "pedagogías entrenzadas" as a purposeful braiding of asset and critical pedagogies that attend to science, language, and cultural responsiveness. The study took place in a Title I school in the suburbs of a large midwestern city where the majority of students are from Latin American immigrant families. "Pedagogías entrenzadas" are articulated through the analysis of classroom episodes that attended to language, science, and cultural responsiveness in combination. By attending to these three facets in braided ways, the teacher created ruptures in systems that structurally exclude EB students. We present three classroom episodes in conjunction with additional evidence from a larger data set to demonstrate the ways "pedagogías entrenzadas" created spaces where (1) generative themes and words created opportunities for holistic sensemaking; (2) there were opportunities to consider and critique language and science; and (3) heterogeneity in linguistic, cultural, and academic resources was upheld and valued. The implications of this pedagogical work extended outside of the classroom, where the teacher successfully advocated with colleagues for the creation of an asset-based bilingual science program.

Creativity is key in developing students' environmental competence so that they come up with working and sustainable solutions to address environmental issues in daily life. However, these remain under-investigated in both Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) research. Here, we report an action research study conducted in a Greek kindergarten, supporting and exploring little-c creativity in a group of preschool students during an art-based EE/ESD project. Visual art had a two-fold role in the study: it was applied as the pedagogical approach in the project and also functioned as a complementary art-based research method, to focus on the conditions that enable young learners' creativity within an educational intervention. The findings show that preschoolers' creative thinking is enhanced when encouraged to identify environmental problems in their school and leads to actions towards sustainability. This supports the idea that creativity in preschool EE and ESD requires a pedagogical framework that is receptive to innovation, alongside a supportive teacher who incorporates imaginative, collaborative and reflective approaches to unfold and develop students' creative potential.

In music educators' endeavoring to integrate equity into our curriculum, adopting a rhizomatic approach could provide a valuable perspective for reassessing the Western classical tradition as the norm. From a philosophical perspective, the rhizome is perceived as an interconnected multiplicity, where various elements are intricately connected without a central or hierarchical control system. In essence, a rhizomatic approach is more expansive than top-down alternatives and inherently places greater emphasis on equity. Given a rhizome's noncentered and nonhierarchical nature, the concept of a rhizome encourages engagement with music comparatively or relationally, fostering a broad perspective that recognizes the interconnectedness between musics. More importantly, lessons using a rhizomatic approach may promote teachers and students to view all forms of musics as equally significant, honoring diverse musical traditions rather than exclusively prioritizing Western classical heritage.

Data analytics is a rapidly growing field that plays a crucial role in extracting valuable insights from large volumes of data. A data analytics practicum course provides students with hands-on experience in applying data analytics techniques and tools to real-world scenarios. This practicum is intended to serve as a bridge between the student's academic environment and the professional application of their skills in an employment and internship setting. This study examined the design of a data analytics practicum course. The main objectives included (1) the identification of topics and skills employers look for in new hires in data analytics-related internships and entry-level positions, (2) the development and implementation of a Data Analytics practicum course and (3) reflection on the first-time offering of the course and suggested improvements for the next iteration. As part of this study, industry and organization survey responses drove the design of the course and development of key student learning gains for five learning modules throughout the semester. Faculty within the departments of information technology (IT), mathematics, and statistics collaborated in the construction, development, and implementation of team-teaching instructional practices of the Data Analytics Practicum in Spring 2023. This study applies an interdisciplinary approach to data analytics practicum development and instruction.

While scholars have found that undergraduate involvement in research is beneficial, the lack of such experiences in the social sciences and humanities is glaring. This paper analyzes how an emphasis on community through cohort models impacts undergraduate student experience in research, taking from the Emerging Scholars Program, an interdisciplinary research program where cohorts of undergraduates are matched with faculty and attend meetings, workshops, and presentations together. We find that the cohort model created a robust community that fosters positive relationships that develop professional skills and emotional support, allowing students to collaborate and aim more toward their professional goals. The results from this study offer valuable insights into how universities can ensure that students have meaningful research experience beyond the classroom.

The first step to access information; it is possible to perceive it by hearing, seeing and touching. It is necessary to make sense of this gained knowledge. Therefore, having some basic skills forms the basis of all disciplines. The purpose of this research is to determine skills through activities prepared with an interdisciplinary approach. The research was designed as a case study. Purposeful sampling method was used to determine the study group of the research; the study was conducted with third grade primary school teaching students as the study group. As data collection tools in the study; skill target list, in-class skill observation form, semi-structured interview form and student products were used. At the end of the research, the students' skills were determined and in terms of science skills; it was revealed that life skills and innovative thinking skills were sufficient, but scientific process skills were not sufficient. In terms of language skills, reading and writing skills were found to be at an intermediate level. However, speaking skills, which are self-expression skills, were found to be at a low level. In terms of mathematical skills, it was observed that their problem solving skills were high, but their level of using basic mathematical skills was low. Technology skills; it has been found that it is sufficient in terms of algorithm creation, but not in the context of science acquisition. In addition, it has been observed that the activities prepared through the task-oriented teaching method make the lesson interesting and are effective in revealing creativity.

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in authentic research and generally increase the participation rate of students in research. Students' participation in research has a positive impact on their science identity and self-efficacy, both of which can predict integration of students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), especially for underrepresented students. The main goal of this study was to investigate instructor-initiated CUREs implemented as upper-level elective courses in the Biomedical Sciences major. We hypothesized that these CUREs would (i) have a positive impact on students' scientific identity and self-efficacy and (ii) result in gains in students' self-assessed skills in laboratory science, research, and science communication. We used Likert-type surveys developed by Estrada et al. (14) under the Tripartite Integration Model of Social Influence to measure scientific identity, self-efficacy, and scientific value orientation. When data from all CUREs were combined, our results indicate that students' self-efficacy and science identity significantly increased after completion. Students' self-assessment of research and lab-related skills was significantly higher after completion of the CUREs. We also observed that prior to participation in the CUREs, students' self-assessment of molecular and bioinformatic skills was low, when compared with microbiological skills. This may indicate strengths and gaps in our curriculum that could be explored further.

Convinced of the major advantages and effectiveness of an interdisciplinary approach in teaching, colleagues from American Studies, Economics, and Greek Studies offered a joint seminar for master's degree students on "Individual Goals and the Common Good: Perspectives on Utility Concepts from Ancient Greek Literature, American Studies, and Economics." We intended to expose the students to a new approach to significant texts and authors that address these key economic concepts and to integrate the perspectives from the three disciplines. In this essay, we describe the development of our methodological approach, the individual and common goals that guided us, the challenges that we encountered, and the extent to which we achieved our goals.

The purpose of this research was to identify the need for gender equality education. For this purpose, the views of mathematics, science, and information technology teachers on the current situation of gender equality in schools were determined. In addition, the awareness of sixth, seventh and eighth grade middle school students on gender equality was examined. This study was a descriptive research conducted in a qualitative context. In data collection, an interview form on teachers' views and a written view form on students' awareness about gender equality were used. Research data were collected in the spring semester of the 2017-2018 academic year. As a result of the research, it is thought that an interdisciplinary gender equality education will be beneficial to improve students' awareness.

This research aims to produce integrated biology teaching materials with the values of the Al-Qur'an and As-Sunnah that are valid and effective in improving cognitive, psychomotor, and strengthening students' faith and devotion. This development research (R&D) uses the ADDIE model which consists of five stages, i.e. analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The data collection techniques used were literature studies, observations, interviews, questionnaires, and tests. Data collection instruments used include interview sheets, validation sheets, questionnaire sheets, pre-test and post-test question sheets, observation sheets, and checklists. The teaching materials were validated by three validators (material experts, learning experts, Al-Qur'an/Hadist experts), and practitioners from several biology teachers from different schools. The data was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively (triangulation). The research results showed that the teaching materials developed met the very valid category based on the assessment of material experts, learning experts, Al-Qur'an/Hadist experts, and practitioners. Moreover, the products received excellent responses from the students. The teaching materials could improve students' cognitive and psychomotor and also increase students' values of faith and piety. Further action will be extended to schools, especially schools with Islamic nuances so that they can be used both as self-taught materials for students and as teaching materials for teachers to use in the learning process.

In South Korea, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) has been implemented in public education for several years. This article explores the IB MYP's characteristics and educational effects by adopting the grounded theory research approach of Corbin and Strauss (1990, 2015). A total of 27 students from three public middle schools offering the IB MYP in one Korean city participated in interviews. Through the interviews, 151 concepts, 41 sub-categories, and 22 categories were identified. Compared to conventional Korean education, the IB MYP's noticeable traits include student-centered classes, inquiry-based learning, interdisciplinary subjects, writing-centered tests, and an emphasis on the IB learner profile. While these differences may initially pose difficulties for Korean students, they can lead to positive outcomes in the cognitive and affective domains, as well as in interpersonal relationships. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the Korean provincial government should develop a long-term vision both nationally and internationally.

This chapter describes a pedagogy-first summer faculty development program designed to support faculty who want to add digital components to a course or academic program.

Language program evaluation is a complicated field of practice, especially for models that are not commonly implemented in higher education. This article features Languages Across the Curriculum (LAC), a lesser-known program model, reporting on a qualitative evaluative program study taking place in a Northeastern university. It identifies challenges associated with common program evaluation approaches (used in LAC and other language models) and advances a holistic framework, informed by multiple learning perspectives, to interpret students' experiences. Drawing on interviews with 16 students of Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish (as primary data) and triangulating interviews with observations in nine classrooms as well as other programmatic artifacts, it explores how participants reflected on their experiences and identifies the learning types that LAC appears to support. Findings indicate that LAC especially supported critical content-based language learning, language maintenance, and peer-to-peer collaboration among learners of mixed abilities. Implications for LAC program evaluation are discussed.

Transition from high school to higher education poses a significant challenge for students, particularly in chemistry, where students' prior laboratory experience is varied. Traditional laboratory education, focusing on chemical knowledge, scientific methodology, and practical skills, does not focus on the development of translational skills and establishing a proper level of self-efficacy, critical for students' success as future scientists. To address this problem, we developed the Chemical Kitchen, a transdisciplinary simulation utilizing the parallels between professional gastronomy and chemistry laboratory practices. By engaging students in creative food experiments that mimic chemistry experiments, the course aims to enhance practical skills in a less intimidating environment. We evaluated the impact of the Chemical Kitchen on students' self-efficacy through pre- and postcourse surveys. We found a significant adjustment in students' self-efficacy: those with initially lower self-efficacy experienced increases, while those with initially higher self-efficacy saw decreases, showing a "leveling of the playing field" among first-year chemistry students. Qualitative feedback highlighted the course's success in providing a fun, engaging, and meaningful learning experience, underscoring the importance of innovative teaching methods in enhancing practical skills and confidence. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the Chemical Kitchen in establishing students' self-efficacy and practical and transferable skills, offering a novel approach to laboratory education that could be beneficial across various scientific disciplines. Future research is encouraged to explore the long-term effects of such interventions on students' engagement with science and their overall development as learners.

This article discusses the latest developments of the Sucre4Stem tool, as part of the Sucre initiative, which aims to promote interest in computational thinking and programming skills in K-12 students. The tool follows the Internet of Things approach and consists of two prominent components: 1) SucreCore and 2) SucreCode. SucreCore incorporates an advanced microcontroller packaged in a more compact design and enables wireless connectivity. SucreCode, the block-based visual programming tool, supports two different sets of blocks depending on the education grade, and facilitates wireless communication with SucreCore. At the educational level, Sucre4Stem fosters new group dynamics and encourages students to experiment real-world projects by promoting the "programming to learn" approach to concepts from other disciplines as opposed to the strategy widely applied in schools of "learning to program" in isolation.

The purpose of this article is to share worked examples of skills profiling within the universal micro-credential framework, a novel approach designed to further the enablement of 21st century skills which are defined here as a generalized series of competencies gained by a learner that enable them to self-reflect, self-regulate and self-optimize their capabilities within highly emergent contexts. This approach improves interdisciplinary learning and assessment paths for computing education by providing personalized learning and assessment options and by enabling curricula to better accommodate both internal and external interdisciplinary content. Through these worked examples, this article addresses potential solutions to fundamental and persistent structural issues in today's learning-earning ecosystem. Most significant of these issues is what the authors refer to as a "capability-competency chasm," a term used to describe an enduring gap that creates problematic deficits for learners as they transition between education and employment. At the core of the universal micro-credential framework is skills profiling, which can leverage micro-credential pathways and badge catalogues, both within the context of computing education in particular and across higher education in general. Accounting for the complexity of implementing system-wide redesign in highly variable higher-education contexts, this article also briefly references the role of design patterns to enable such implementation. Collectively, these flexible credentialing innovations offer a globally innovative solution to systemic challenges, explaining both the importance of addressing such challenges and the opportunities arising from them.

This study looked at titles of research papers on educational technology that were published between 1927 and 2023 using computational text analysis. To map research trends, metrics for technology terminology use, network complexity, and knowledge updating rates were used. The findings showed that, despite some fluctuations, titles have become more technologically diverse and interconnected over time, indicating a greater emphasis on technology and interdisciplinarity. Escalating title complexity was visualized using network analysis. Citation patterns revealed that science/engineering and educational technology both update knowledge at comparable rates. This computational analysis shows how the fields of education and technology have been evolving together over time, giving historical context to understand current trends. The study shows how to use data science techniques to map the dynamics of research within a practical domain that connects technology and practice.

The significance of interdisciplinary learning has been well-recognized by higher education institutions. However, when teaching interdisciplinary learning to junior undergraduate students, their limited disciplinary knowledge and underrepresentation of students from some disciplines can hinder their learning performance. ChatGPT's ability to engage in human-like conversations and massive knowledge grounded in different disciplines holds promise in enriching undergraduate students with the disciplinary knowledge that they lack. In this exploratory study, we engaged 130 undergraduate students in a three-condition quasi-experiment to examine how ChatGPT influences their demonstrated and perceived interdisciplinary learning quality, as measured by their online posts and surveys, respectively. The content analysis results show that overall, students' online posts could be coded into four interdisciplinary learning dimensions: diversity, disciplinary grounding, cognitive advancement, and integration. The means of the first three dimensions were close to the middle level (ranging from 0.708 to 0.897, and the middle level is 1), whereas the mean score of integration was relatively small (i.e., 0.229). Students under the ChatGPT condition demonstrated improved disciplinary grounding. Regarding their perceived interdisciplinary learning quality, we did not find significant differences across the three conditions in the pre- or post-surveys. The findings underscore ChatGPT's ability to enhance students' disciplinary grounding and the significance of further fostering their integration skills.

Students' critical thinking is often researched using quantitative tests designed to measure critical thinking. In contrast, this study qualitatively analyses group and whole-class dialogues in an interdisciplinary SSI project by focusing on students' critical thinking practices. As such, the study provides an in-depth example of an immersion approach to teaching critical thinking in an SSI classroom. The SSI project, called the Climate project, lasted 18 lessons and involved an 8th-grade mixed-ability class in a suburb on the west coast of Norway. The data consist of field notes, full-class video recordings and audio recordings of student talk in groups. Based on an interactive ethnographic perspective, patterns in the data were identified using open coding informed by conceptualizations of critical thinking followed by identification and holistic analysis of episodes characteristic of the critical thinking practices in the classroom. The study offers insight into the characteristics of young students' critical thinking in dialogic settings. The students' interpretations, analyses, evaluations, and inferences are based on a mix of knowledge and guesswork. The analysis reveals that the two teachers involved challenged students to, for example, interpret and evaluate information, make inferences, and to suggest alternative views. Explicit teaching of critical thinking was limited. The study demonstrates that it is possible, by employing appropriate teaching strategies, to support students across all levels of abilities in actively participating in critical thinking. Additionally, it shows how specific student centered teaching strategies and students' responses to these strategies contribute to a classroom culture permeated with critical thinking practices.

Agricultural systems are complex and can be used as examples to teach science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts. However, inclusion of agriculture in core STEM courses is often limited. Three professional development sessions for K-12 teachers were offered in 2021-2022 (hybrid or remote sessions) and repeated in 2022-2023 (in-person sessions) to highlight ways that agricultural plant production systems could be incorporated into core courses like biology, environmental science, chemistry, and math. Teacher participants asked how knowledge level and confidence were influencing their inclusion of agriculture into STEM courses before and after the sessions, and gains in knowledge on content-based questions were also evaluated. Response rates in Year 1 ranged from 8.0% to 38.5%, and usable response rates in Year 2 ranged from 47% to 68%. The availability of lessons or activities and teacher content knowledge both increased teacher likelihood to incorporate in three sessions. However, the additional time needed to incorporate new lessons was identified as affecting the likelihood to incorporate materials after the Year 1 ecology session. Teacher confidence to incorporate agricultural lessons or activities into their courses increased in four of the sessions, though teachers became more aware that limited resources are available to help increase adoption. Awareness of how agriculture can be used to meet learning standards also improved teacher confidence in four sessions. Average score on knowledge-based questions increased in all six sessions, but was only significant for two sessions. These sessions were successful at increasing teacher knowledge and confidence to incorporate agriculture into STEM courses.

The concept of transformational creativity has been widely embraced as a desired shift in creativity research. Transformational creativity emphasizes the development of creativity in service to the common good. However, to date, what precisely constitutes this "common good" for researchers of transformational creativity remains unclear. As evidenced by the recent Handbook of Transformational Creativity, the term "common good" has been deployed on numerous occasions without any definition or rationalization of its meaning. The aim of this article was therefore to delineate what may constitute a common good which is worth contributing to. Motivated by transdisciplinary outlooks, it explores the concept of the common good through the lenses of human needs, degrowth, and the ethics of care. This article redefines transformational creativity as the creation of new ideas, artifacts, or practices that promote the common good by fostering caring, needs-responsive relationships and enabling communities to collectively contribute to their well-being and support a sustainable, ecologically nurturing, and preserving livelihood.

This research examines how artificial intelligence (AI) can be effectively integrated into education. It focuses on the skills and strategies that students and educators need to be successful. The study takes a qualitative approach. It includes discussions with students and faculty at a Moroccan University of Interdisciplinary Studies and a review of the relevant literature. The findings show that AI has great potential to enhance learning and critical thinking. However, there is a clear need for structured training and strong institutional support to build AI literacy. The study suggests that educational institutions should take a comprehensive approach to integrating AI. This includes creating training programs, integrating AI into the curriculum, and encouraging collaboration on AI-related projects. These steps can help prepare students for a future in which AI plays an important role in their careers. This research adds to the ongoing conversation about AI in education. It also offers practical ideas for improving teaching and learning with technology.

STEM experiences that capture students' curiosity have a unique role in inspiring awe in science, enculturing science engagement, and recruiting students to pursue STEM careers. Here, we present a unique interdisciplinary STEM experience for elementary school students that teaches them to write computer code to test primate intelligence at a zoo where they test their code with real monkeys. In a pilot study involving 3rd to 6th grade students, we find that students can acquire "hard skills" in computational thinking during this short-term immersive STEM experience, with a significant increase in accuracy and problem-solving attempts at post-test. Furthermore, students' interests in animal science, computers, and robots remain stable or even increase following this experience, demonstrating the project's capacity to blend technical skills with authentic scientific exploration. Teachers' feedback highlights the positive impact on critical thinking and leadership. This research underscores the potential of free-form, authentic, interdisciplinary STEM experiences to simultaneously nurture computational skills and a passion for science.

One of the main goals of lower division "service" mathematics courses is to provide STEM-intending students with opportunities to engage in activities and contexts that can support their efforts to apply the mathematical ideas they are learning to successive major courses. The Mathematics Association of America has supported many mathematicians' efforts to ask partner discipline faculty what topics and habits of mind they feel should be covered in mathematics classes to prepare them for their subsequent classes. We add to this work with a twist: Instead of asking physics faculty what they want students to know, we analyzed videos that students in an introductory physics class created so that we could ask ourselves what mathematical practices were most and least prevalent in the students' physics problem-solving efforts. A qualitative analysis of the results, which we present here, indicated that most students were proficient in math practices involving problem setup and that the majority were able to apply mathematical concepts such as trigonometry and the solving of algebraic equations. However, only 44% of the student groups concluded their explanations by discussing answer reasonability and only 18% conducted a unit analysis to determine if their answers were applicable to the context of the problems assigned, even though both of these elements are important components of the overall sensemaking process. This report presents examples that illustrate these results and concludes with implications for teaching both entry-level mathematics and physics courses by modeling productive problem-solving and sensemaking practices.

This article explores the evolution and expansion of experiential learning theory (ELT) within the context of contemporary adult education, emphasizing the integration of technology, interdisciplinarity, and cultural responsiveness. Although Kolb's foundational model has been instrumental in linking theoretical knowledge with practical application, its limitations--particularly in addressing the complexities of modern learning environments--are critically examined. The authors advocate for an expanded ELT framework incorporating interdisciplinary approaches to enrich adult learning experiences. By integrating digital tools, considering socio-political contexts, and fostering collaboration, the article proposes a more inclusive and adaptable model that better aligns with the diverse needs of today's adult learners. This reconceptualization aims to enhance the relevance and efficacy of ELT, ensuring it remains a vital tool for personal, professional, and societal development in a rapidly changing world.

Despite coverage of materials development principles in the applied linguistics literature, principled production of open textbooks has not received attention. To address this gap and demonstrate the interdisciplinary potential of materials development research, the authors drew upon concurrent verbalization and interview data they collected while composing their first coursebook, a freely available open textbook designed for first-year university writing courses that enroll English first-language and second-language learners, to discern how they applied principles. Qualitative content analysis of the data indicated the novice textbook writers focused on learning objectives to negotiate textbook relevancy and currency concerns, tried to create relatable content, and employed varied repetition and layering to build modular chapters. This study illustrates the generalizability of materials development research and principles and offers a view of open textbook authorship for teachers interested in the activity.

Classroom instruction is the cornerstone of teaching methodologies, supported by educational and pedagogical research. It is the primary way students acquire knowledge and skills. The quality of the curriculum directly affects the effectiveness of personnel training. Assessing the curriculum quality is crucial for improving classroom instruction. Establishing a scientifically sound evaluation framework is essential for fostering a strong educational ecosystem and creating a sustainable mechanism for long-term educational advancement. This study addresses the challenges in assessing course quality in application-oriented universities. It identifies assessment parameters through expert consultation and adopts a 'student perception' perspective. Using the entropy weight method, the importance of each parameter is determined. A curriculum quality evaluation model based on the cloud model is then formulated. Finally, the practical application of this evaluation model is demonstrated. This approach provides a theoretical basis for refining curriculum quality evaluation systems in higher education institutions.

This study reports an empirical case study about using interdisciplinary approach in business English courses with 41 English majors in the Chinese university context. The methodologies are two-stage surveys, teacher reflection and participant observation. The results show that participants most preferred using specialist vocabulary and cross-cultural business communication as learning activities in using interdisciplinary approach. The challenges and difficulties in interdisciplinary learning included lack of professional vocabulary, business or interdisciplinary knowledge, business thinking skills and inadequate language skills. A majority of the participants perceived the interdisciplinary approach as effective, as they had improvements in business language, knowledge, communication and English ability. For improving and refining the interdisciplinary approach, participants suggested more practical and detailed business knowledge, practice-based activities, oral simulation and role-play activities, more detailed guidance and feedback in the writing tasks, more business cases with interesting videos, increasing Chinese native language explanation and producing a business English language corpus.

Background: Leadership development is commonly named as an outcome for experiential learning (EL) programs. Some programs have shown success at inculcating individual leadership traits. However, it is not clear whether there is a relationship between certain kinds of experiential pedagogy and specific leadership concepts or styles, such as industrial and postindustrial leadership and other concepts. Purpose: The researchers identify course-design factors associated with leadership-learning outcomes in an interdisciplinary EL program called Vertically Integrated Projects. Method: From five courses across disciplines, faculty were interviewed and syllabi and student reflections were analyzed for concepts of leadership and course designs. Findings: Students showed the most evidence of leadership learning when at least two of the three factors were present: (i) flexible and cooperative course structures; (ii) conceptual instruction; and (iii) faculty coaching. Leadership practice is distinguished from leadership learning. Implications: Leadership educators recommend conceptual instruction prior to experiential learning; the findings support supplementing that instruction with a flexible, cooperative course design to encourage leadership learning. More research is needed on the relationship between "vertical" experiences, in which advanced students mentor junior students in courses of any size, and leadership development.