Advancing Science Learning through Design-Based Learning

Dear Colleagues, 

Education Sciences is pleased to announce a Special Issue on design-based learning (DBL) approaches in science education. Researchers in science education have long held an interest in exploring how to productively engage learners in design thinking. Recent science education reforms that call for students to explain phenomena and solve problems using science and engineering practices have further emphasized the importance of design thinking in science education. As the challenges facing our society continue to grow in number and complexity, supporting learners in developing their capacity for design thinking and problem solving has only become more urgent. Now is an apt time to examine the current DBL approaches in science education to derive new insights and spur further innovation. 

This Special Issue aims to showcase original empirical work where learners engage in DBL approaches to support their science learning, with an emphasis on methodological and theoretical advances, as well as results with tangible implications for policy and practice. Notably, this Special Issue will focus on science learning in classroom settings—at the primary, secondary and higher education levels—and how to organize students’ productive engagement in design thinking within these spaces. 

In this Special Issue, topics may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Implementation of novel science curricula focused on engaging students in design thinking;
• Professional learning opportunities intended to support educators in productively engaging students in DBL in science classrooms;
• Experiences of students in science classrooms using DBL approaches who identify as members of historically underrepresented groups in STEM;
• Theoretical frameworks informed by original empirical work that provide insights into science learning using DBL approaches;
• Assessments for supporting DBL approaches to science learning;
• Technology and digital tools for facilitating DBL in science classrooms;
• Design principles informed by original empirical work for developing science learning opportunities integrating DBL;
• Interdisciplinary approaches that support design thinking in science learning. 

We look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Dr. Samuel Severance
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• design-based learning (DBL)
• science education
• design thinking
• engineering design practices
• designing solutions
• student science learning
• teacher professional learning
• science education reform
• school classroom
• science curriculum