Longitudinal Studies: We need to move beyond measuring 'perceptions' at the end of a course and begin studying teacher learning

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the future-work section and future work and recommendations of the source papers, classified as general, spanning 3 journals.

Supporting evidence — 4 representative gaps

• Cultivating Teachers for STEAM Education: Preparing Educators for Integrated, Equitable, and Responsive Practice (2026) · Education Sciences · doi

  Longitudinal Studies: We need to move beyond measuring 'perceptions' at the end of a course and begin studying teacher learning and classroom enactment from pre-service teacher education across the first three to five years of teaching - Emerging Technologies: As artificial intelligence and new digital tools enter the classroom, we must investigate how they can support, rather than hinder, transdisciplinary sense-making and equitable access - Diverse Contexts: Expanding research into more diverse developmental levels and global contexts will ensure that STEAM education frameworks truly support all learners - Research-Practice Partnerships and Collaborative Inquiry: Future research should prioritize research-practice partnerships (RPPs) and other collaborative, participatory models that bridge scholarship and classroom practice - Equity-Centered Pedagogy: Future research should focus on how teachers specifically dismantle oppressive structures in STEM through justice-oriented…

  generalfuture-work section
  Keywords: longitudinal studies need move beyond measuring perceptions end
• Concept scaffolding in problem-based learning: Enhancing conceptual understanding of circular motion in a first-year physics module for engineering students (2026) · Journal of Education and Learning Technology · doi

  Based on the outcomes of this study, several avenues for future research are recommended. 1. Scaling across contexts: Replication across multiple universities, including both well-resourced and under-resourced institutions, would test the scalability and adaptability of scaffolding within PBL. 2. Longitudinal studies: Future research should track student cohorts beyond a single module to examine whether concept scaffolding-supported PBL fosters long-term retention, progression into advanced modules, and preparedness for professional practice. 3. Extension to other physics domains: Investigating whether scaffolding within PBL improves learning in topics beyond mechanics, such as electromagnetism or quantum physics, would test the broader applicability of the approach. 4. Technology-enhanced scaffolding: With increasing reliance on digital learning environments, research should explore how adaptive technologies, virtual simulations, or artificial intelligence tutors can expand the reach and impact of scaffolding. 5. Equity-focused studies: Given South Africa’s diverse student demographics, future work should specifically investigate how scaffolding impacts students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Such research could provide evidence for policy interventions aimed at improving equity and inclusion in STEM. 6. Instructor perspectives: Finally, examining how instructors design, implement, and adapt concept scaffolding within PBL would provide insights into professional development needs and institutional support structures required for scaling. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that embedding concept scaffolding within a PBL framework is highly effective in fostering conceptual mastery, engagement, confidence and the transfer of physics knowledge to applied engineering contexts. Quantitative and qualitative findings converge to show that students not only improved their problem-solving performance but also gained confidence, motivation, and the ability to articulate design rationales. By embedding guided inquiry, simulations, collaboration, and feedback, students effectively bridged theoretical understanding with real-world engineering applications. These findings affirm international evidence that scaffolding reduces misconceptions and fosters transferable knowledge while addressing South African priorities of equity and epistemological access. Ultimately, scaffolding- supported PBL emerges as a scalable, contextually responsive strategy for advancing foundational STEM education. The broader implications are clear as concept scaffolding-supported PBL offers a scalable, equitable, and contextually relevant strategy for advancing foundational STEM education, particularly in engineering-focused physics. By combining authentic problem-solving with structured supports, the approach addresses cognitive, affective, and social dimensions of learning simultaneously. 53 Kirschner et al., “Why Minimal Guidance during Instruction Does Not Work: An Analysis of the Failure of Constructivist.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology (JELT) 178 Bibin, M. G. / Journal of Education and Learning Technology / Vol.7 No.1 (2026) pp 166 - 181 Although the scope was limited, its findings provide valuable insights to both international and South African debates on effective pedagogy in STEM. With further research to scale and refine the approach, scaffolding within PBL holds the potential to transform first-year physics education into an inclusive, engaging, and professionally relevant foundation for engineering students.

  generalfuture workevidence 5/5
  Keywords: scaffolding within physics learning education concept students stem engineering future supported approach technology equity south
• Concept scaffolding in problem-based learning: Enhancing conceptual understanding of circular motion in a first-year physics module for engineering students (2026) · Journal of Education and Learning Technology · doi

  Future Research Based on the outcomes of this study, several avenues for future research are recommended. 1. Scaling across contexts: Replication across multiple universities, including both well-resourced and under-resourced institutions, would test the scalability and adaptability of scaffolding within PBL. 2. Longitudinal studies: Future research should track student cohorts beyond a single module to examine whether concept scaffolding-supported PBL fosters long-term retention, progression into advanced modules, and preparedness for professional practice. 3. Extension to other physics domains: Investigating whether scaffolding within PBL improves learning in topics beyond mechanics, such as electromagnetism or quantum physics, would test the broader applicability of the approach. 4. Technology-enhanced scaffolding: With increasing reliance on digital learning environments, research should explore how adaptive technologies, virtual simulations, or artificial intelligence tutors can expand the reach and impact of scaffolding. 5. Equity-focused studies: Given South Africa’s diverse student demographics, future work should specifically investigate how scaffolding impacts students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Such research could provide evidence for policy interventions aimed at improving equity and inclusion in STEM. 6. Instructor perspectives: Finally, examining how instructors design, implement, and adapt concept scaffolding within PBL would provide insights into professional development needs and institutional support structures required for scaling. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that embedding concept scaffolding within a PBL framework is highly effective in fostering conceptual mastery, engagement, confidence and the transfer of physics knowledge to applied engineering contexts. Quantitative and qualitative findings converge to show that students not only improved their problem-solving performance but also gained confidence, motivation, and the ability to articulate design rationales. By embedding guided inquiry, simulations, collaboration, and feedback, students effectively bridged theoretical understanding with real-world engineering applications. These findings affirm international evidence that scaffolding reduces misconceptions and fosters transferable knowledge while addressing South African priorities of equity and epistemological access. Ultimately, scaffolding- supported PBL emerges as a scalable, contextually responsive strategy for advancing foundational STEM education. The broader implications are clear as concept scaffolding-supported PBL offers a scalable, equitable, and contextually relevant strategy for advancing foundational STEM education, particularly in engineering-focused physics. By combining authentic problem-solving with structured supports, the approach addresses cognitive, affective, and social dimensions of learning simultaneously. 53 Kirschner et al., “Why Minimal Guidance during Instruction Does Not Work: An Analysis of the Failure of Constructivist.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology (JELT) 178 Bibin, M. G. / Journal of Education and Learning Technology / Vol.7 No.1 (2026) pp 166 - 181 Although the scope was limited, its findings provide valuable insights to both international and South African debates on effective pedagogy in STEM. With further research to scale and refine the approach, scaffolding within PBL holds the potential to transform first-year physics education into an inclusive, engaging, and professionally relevant foundation for engineering students.

  generalrecommendationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: scaffolding within physics learning education future concept students stem engineering supported approach technology equity south
• Online STEM Education Before COVID-19: An Integrative Review and Thematic Framework for Higher Education (2026) · Online Learning · doi

  Future research on online STEM education should build on the thematic framework and pre-COVID baseline established in this review. Five cross-cutting priorities emerge. First, stronger theoretical grounding is needed. Future studies should use established online learning, persistence, motivation, adult learning, sociocultural, and identity-oriented Online Learning Journal – Volume 30 Special Issue – September 2026 134 frameworks to guide research design and interpretation rather than applying theory only after findings have been generated. Relevant traditions include persistence and motivation theory (Bandura, 1977; Bean, 1982; Tinto, 1975), adult learning theory (Knowles, 1973), established online learning models such as the Community of Inquiry (Garrison et al., 2000; Shea & Bidjerano, 2010), and sociocultural and identity-oriented perspectives (Brown et al., 1989; Luehmann, 2007; Wenger, 1998). Such perspectives may help explain how disciplinary culture, interaction, belonging, self-efficacy, resilience, epistemic beliefs, pedagogical conceptions, and professional identity shape teaching, learning, and participation in online STEM environments. Second, more diverse and rigorous research designs are needed in online STEM research. Multi-institutional, longitudinal, experimental, and mixed-methods studies could strengthen understanding of how instructional design, learner support, faculty preparation, and program structures influence learning, persistence, and workforce pathways across disciplines and institutional contexts. Studies should clearly define the instructional modalities examined and use terminology consistently, distinguishing among asynchronous, synchronous, combined-online, blended or hybrid, and other relevant contexts. Where appropriate, researchers should investigate modality-specific and cross-modality patterns. Third, equity should be examined as a cross-cutting dimension of online STEM education rather than confined to studies focused specifically on underrepresented populations. Research should consider how accessibility, prior preparation, interaction, assessment, belonging, course design, faculty preparation, and institutional policy shape participation and outcomes for diverse learners in online STEM environments. Social justice, critical, feminist, culturally responsive, and accessibility-oriented perspectives can help researchers examine how power, agency, inclusion, and relationality operate in digitally mediated learning environments (Freire, 1970; Gay, 2000; Kumi-Yeboah & Amponsah, 2023; Woodley et al., 2017). Fourth, research should examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping online STEM teaching and learning. AI-enabled tools may influence instructional design, feedback, learner support, assessment, accessibility, simulation, and disciplinary problem solving, while raising questions about accuracy, bias, data privacy, academic integrity, learner agency, ethical use, and the changing roles of faculty and instructional designers. Research should examine these developments across specific STEM disciplines and learner populations, including how AI is integrated into learning platforms and institutional policy, how it affects preparation for AI- mediated STEM work, and whether it reduces or reproduces existing inequities. Finally, the pre-COVID literature synthesized here provides a lens for examining how online STEM scholarship changed during and after the pandemic. Comparative reviews could identify which established concerns and practices were extended, reframed, or overlooked and which longstanding questions resurfaced without connection to the earlier knowledge base.

  generalfuture workevidence 5/5
  Keywords: online learning stem established design institutional instructional learner preparation cross persistence identity oriented theory perspectives

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