Innovative Uses of Technologies in Science, Mathematics and STEM Education in K-12 Contexts

This paper is an introductory article to the special issue (SI), “Innovative Uses of Technologies in Science, Mathematics and STEM Education in K-12 Contexts,” in the International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. In this SI, there are six papers (including five empirical studies and one meta-analytic study), underscoring the potential of technological approaches to maximising pedagogical benefits for students and teachers, as well as addressing emerging challenges in formal schooling. While various technologies (digital gamification, mixed reality, virtual reality, robotics, metaverse, and computational modelling) were harnessed to transform science, mathematics and STEM learning in primary and secondary school settings, the contributive implications unfolded from these studies for informing future educational practices and research can be categorised into four overarching themes: (i) enhancing students’ engagement with technologies, (ii) improving students’ conceptual understanding with technologies, (iii) fostering students' collaboration and communication with technologies, and (iv) building teachers’ capacity in pedagogical uses of technologies.