Technological advances allow for improved immersion experiences using information and communication technologies (ITCs) and their respective didactic possibilities. On the other hand, with the expansion of internet, mobile applications, and video games, they have become common use in student educational environments. By integrating digital tools and resources into the curriculum, teachers can create interactive and immersive learning experiences that cater to diverse learning styles and foster critical thinking skills. Harnessing new technology may allow educators to enrich their classrooms while preparing students to navigate the digital world, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application in social and experimental sciences. Utilizing ICT for Didactics of Social and Experimental Sciences explores the benefits of using information and communication technology in social and experimental sciences. It includes strategies and resources such as virtual reality, augmented reality, videogames, and virtual classrooms that can transform social sciences, teaching and learning, and society. This book covers topics such as digital technology, virtual reality, and gamification, and is a useful resource for computer engineers, scientists, sociologists, education professionals, academicians, and researchers.

This book analyzes the main Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) used in science education and the main theoretical approaches that support science education mediated by ICT in order to show how digital technologies can be employed in Inquiry-Based Science Education. It presents the results of a comprehensive review of studies focusing both on the use and effects of digital technologies in science education and on the different theoretical approaches that support the use of ICTs in science teaching.By doing so, the book provides a useful summary of the current research in the field and a strong analysis of its limitations. It concludes that there are few studies that report strategies and didactics for the practical use of ICT in science classes and that the use of ICT in science education can’t be seen as an isolated action without a theoretical basis to support it. Based on these conclusions, the volume identifies the main ICTs used in inquiry activities, the main steps in inquiry activities used in science education and their approaches to the use of ICT. It shows that the use of ICT in Inquiry-Based Science Education allows students to develop more active work styles, improved attitudes towards science, better conceptual and theoretical understanding, improved reasoning, better modelling capabilities, and improved teamwork, along with improvements in other abilities. Using ICT in Inquiry-Based Science Education will be a valuable resource for science teachers and science teacher educators looking for an introductory text that presents an overview of the scientific research analyzing the implementation of digital technologies in science teaching and that provides useful insights to all educators interested in using digital technologies to introduce their students in the world of scientific inquiry and research.

Research on history education and historical thinking is becoming increasingly relevant internationally. The need for a renewal of history education is not only justified by the epistemology of history itself, but also by the demand for a methodological change in education in general, making students active protagonists in the construction of their learning and based on the development of competencies. Further study on the potential use of gamification within social studies and humanities education is required to understand its benefits and challenges. Cases on Historical Thinking and Gamification in Social Studies and Humanities Education proposes and analyzes gamification as a pedagogical innovation that can enable the renewal of the teaching and learning process of history, facilitating the active learning of historical thinking concepts while influencing students' conceptions of history as a discipline and as a school subject. Covering key topics such as historical thinking, social sciences, video games, and mobile learning, this reference work is ideal for historians, policymakers, researchers, scholars, academicians, practitioners, instructors, and students.

This book explores the beneficial impact of pedagogically updated practices and approaches in the teaching of science concepts as well as elaborates on future challenges and emerging issues that address Science and Technology Education. By pointing out new research directions it informs educational practices and bridges the gap between research and practice providing information, ideas and new perspectives. The book also promotes discussions and networking among scientists and stakeholders such as researchers, professors, students and companies developing educational software and ICT tools. The volume presents papers from the First International Conference on “New Developments in Science and Technology Education” (1st NDSTE) that was structured around four main thematic axes Modern Pedagogies in Science and Technology Education, New Technologies in Science and Technology Education, Teaching and Learning in the light of Inquiry learning Methods and Interest, Attitude and Motivation in Science.

In most schools the dominant supporting technology has been either the stand-alone personal computer or a modest local network. The situation is changing rapidly as a rising number of schools provide access to the Internet for their staff and pupils, opening avenues for communication and networking hitherto not possible. This book reflects on this change. It aims to further the vision of how these new technologies could improve and transform aspects of education. Yet in parallel it asks serious questions about the realities of an interface between the social, cultural and pedagogical contexts of education and the actual affordances that these new information and communication technologies offer. The chapters in this book provide a heady mix of foresight and practical reporting, of planning for the future but at the same time respecting the problems education already has with current technologies. The richness of the points presented here stems in part from the range of experience of the international authors - from academics and administrators, to teachers and curriculum designers. This mix ensures that the central questions on communications and networking in education are considered not simply from a variety of personal perspectives, but also from different cultural and environmental experiences. And yet interest also lies in the commonality of reporting and discussion based on activity in the field. All the contributions draw heavily on research and experience in devising and running projects and experimental activities in a range of schools and teacher-training institutions and environments. The opinions expressed are thus grounded in knowledge gained from work embedded in the reality of today's educational settings. This must be the only sound base upon which to consider the issues of the future. This book is essential reading for all professionals involved in all aspects of information and communication technologies in education. Teachers, lecturers, researchers, students and administrators will find it invaluable.

This groundbreaking handbook offers a contemporary and thorough review of research relating directly to the preparation, induction, and career long professional learning of K–12 science teachers. Through critical and concise chapters, this volume provides essential insights into science teacher education that range from their learning as individuals to the programs that cultivate their knowledge and practices. Each chapter is a current review of research that depicts the area, and then points to empirically based conclusions or suggestions for science teacher educators or educational researchers. Issues associated with equity are embedded within each chapter. Drawing on the work of over one hundred contributors from across the globe, this handbook has 35 chapters that cover established, emergent, diverse, and pioneering areas of research, including: Research methods and methodologies in science teacher education, including discussions of the purpose of science teacher education research and equitable perspectives; Formal and informal teacher education programs that span from early childhood educators to the complexity of preparation, to the role of informal settings such as museums; Continuous professional learning of science teachers that supports building cultural responsiveness and teacher leadership; Core topics in science teacher education that focus on teacher knowledge, educative curricula, and working with all students; and Emerging areas in science teacher education such as STEM education, global education, and identity development. This comprehensive, in-depth text will be central to the work of science teacher educators, researchers in the field of science education, and all those who work closely with science teachers.