ADVANCES IN MATHEMATICS AND STEM EDUCATION

ADVANCES IN MATHEMATICS AND STEM EDUCATION (STEM education) is an international, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to publishing high-quality original research across the full spectrum of mathematics education and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM education) education. The journal engages with topics ranging from the formation of early mathematical concepts to the teaching of advanced mathematics in higher education, from in-depth discipline-specific pedagogical research to innovative practices in interdisciplinary STEM curriculum integration, covering all relevant fields within the discipline of education.

The core conviction of AMSE is “Advancing mathematics and STEM education through rigorous research.” In an era of rapid scientific and technological innovation and intensifying global competition, the quality of mathematics and STEM education bears not only on individual opportunities for development but also on humanity’s collective capacity to confront major challenges such as climate change, public health, and the ethics of artificial intelligence. We believe that progress in mathematics and STEM education must be grounded in serious scholarly research—requiring deep understanding of learning mechanisms, critical reflection on curriculum and instruction, and sustained attention to educational equity and social justice. The journal adopts a flexible publication policy that takes Open Access as the default model while allowing Non-Open Access publication under special circumstances, balancing the global free dissemination of scholarship with the specific needs of particular research contexts.

Publication Model and Open Access Statement

AMSE operates a Hybrid Open Access Model, with the following specific policies:

Default Model: Full Open Access

In the vast majority of cases, AMSE operates as a Diamond Open Access journal:

• Free for all readers: All articles published under the Open Access model are immediately, permanently, and unconditionally available to readers worldwide. No subscription, no registration, no paywalls. We believe that research findings on mathematics and STEM education should be freely accessible to teachers, curriculum developers, education policy-makers, education researchers, parents, and the public worldwide, to accelerate the diffusion of evidence-based instructional practices.

• Zero or minimal cost for authors: AMSE completely waives Article Processing Charges for papers recognised through peer review as being of exceptional scholarly quality, demonstrating outstanding originality and practical impact. For other Open Access papers, the journal charges only a minimal fee far below industry standards, solely to sustain basic operations. Authors from under-resourced regions and the Global South may apply for full or partial fee waivers.

• Open licensing: All Open Access articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0). Authors retain copyright of their work and grant anyone the right to share, adapt, and reuse the material, provided appropriate credit is given, to maximise knowledge dissemination and practical translation in the field of mathematics and STEM education.

Special Cases: Non-Open Access

In the following special circumstances, upon author request and with the approval of the editorial team, articles may be published under a Non-Open Access model:

• Funder mandates: Certain corporate-funded educational technology research projects, government-commissioned studies, or collaborative commercial research impose specific confidentiality or access restrictions that conflict with the CC BY licence of full Open Access.

• Commercially sensitive information and intellectual property protection: Content involving undisclosed educational technology algorithms, core technologies of proprietary teaching platforms, commercially valuable curriculum development outcomes, or patent-related materials, where full open dissemination could harm the legitimate interests of the relevant companies or research partners.

• Confidentiality requirements for large-scale assessment instruments: Content involving standardised test items, assessment scales, or examination materials still in active use, where full open dissemination could compromise the validity and security of assessment instruments.

• Authors’ specific publication needs: Authors may request Non-Open Access publication based on reasonable grounds such as career development, institutional evaluation requirements, or future publication plans.

• Legal and compliance requirements: Laws and regulations in certain countries or regions impose specific restrictions on the dissemination of research involving minor student educational data, confidential educational assessment content, or politically sensitive educational policy materials.

Under the Non-Open Access model: articles will be published under traditional subscription or paid-access arrangements; copyright arrangements and licensing conditions will be negotiated separately with authors; the journal will clearly mark the access status in the article’s metadata to ensure full transparency. The proportion of Non-Open Access articles will be strictly controlled to ensure that the journal’s overall Open Access character is not diluted. The editorial team retains final decision-making authority over the approval of Non-Open Access publication, and this decision will not affect the academic standards of peer review.

Aims, Scope, and Core Areas

STEM education is rooted in the rich scholarly traditions of mathematics education research and STEM education while actively responding to the new challenges that contemporary scientific and technological transformation poses for education. The journal’s fundamental position is that progress in mathematics and STEM education requires sustained and deep dialogue among theory researchers, frontline teachers, curriculum developers, and policy-makers. We reject the reduction of educational research to trivial descriptions of teaching techniques, just as we reject empty theoretical construction disconnected from classroom practice. AMSE is committed to publishing research that is both academically rigorous and practically relevant, both disciplinarily deep and interdisciplinary in vision.

The journal covers all fields of mathematics and STEM education and especially welcomes high-quality submissions in the following areas:

Mathematics Education: Learning and Cognition

• Formation and development of mathematical concepts: from early number sense to advanced mathematical thinking

• Cognitive processes and mental representations in mathematics learning

• Mathematical problem solving and mathematical reasoning

• Mathematics learning difficulties, mathematics anxiety, and learning disabilities

• Neuroscientific foundations of mathematics learning

• Conceptual change and misconception research

• Cultivation of mathematical creativity and higher-order thinking skills

• Motivation, beliefs, and attitudes in mathematics learning

Mathematics Education: Curriculum and Instruction

• Design, implementation, and evaluation of mathematics curricula

• Mathematics curriculum standards and textbook analysis

• Theory and practice of mathematics pedagogy: from direct instruction to inquiry-based learning

• Mathematical modelling and the teaching of applied mathematics

• Statistics education and the cultivation of probabilistic intuition

• Teaching algebraic thinking, geometric intuition, and functional concepts

• Integration of digital tools in mathematics instruction

• Mathematics homework design, feedback, and formative assessment

• Discourse analysis and teacher-student interaction in the mathematics classroom

• Differentiated instruction, tiered teaching, and personalised mathematics learning

Mathematics Teacher Education and Professional Development

• Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) and teacher competence models

• Mathematics teacher education curricula and preparation models

• Mathematics teacher beliefs, identity, and teaching efficacy

• Reflective practice and action research of mathematics teachers

• Construction and effectiveness of mathematics teacher professional development communities

• Continuous learning and growth of in-service mathematics teachers

• Mathematics teachers’ interpretation and implementation of curricula

• Mathematics teacher education in cross-cultural comparison

Science and Technology Education (S and T in STEM)

• Theoretical foundations of science education: constructivism, conceptual change, and sociocultural theories

• Scientific inquiry, laboratory instruction, and scientific practices

• Teaching and understanding of the Nature of Science (NOS)

• Teaching research in physics, chemistry, biology, and related disciplines

• Technology education: engineering design thinking, programming education, and computational thinking

• Maker education, digital fabrication, and hands-on learning

• Laboratory teaching, virtual laboratories, and simulation

• Scientific literacy, technological literacy, and citizen science education

Engineering Education (E in STEM)

• Teaching and assessment of the engineering design process

• Engineering thinking, systems thinking, and problem solving

• Curriculum design and implementation in K-12 engineering education

• Engineering education reform in higher education

• Engineering ethics and education for sustainable development

• Gender gaps and inclusive strategies in engineering education

• Connecting engineering education and industry: internships, project-based learning, and authentic problems

Integrated STEM Education

• Theoretical frameworks and design principles for integrated STEM curricula

• Development and evaluation of interdisciplinary STEM projects

• Project-Based Learning (PBL) and problem-oriented learning in STEM education

• STEAM education: integrating arts and humanities into STEM

• Authentic contexts and Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) in STEM education

• Effects of STEM integration on learning motivation, interest, and career aspirations

• Systemic reform of STEM education: from school to regional levels

• Interdisciplinary teacher collaboration and STEM teaching teams

Technology and Digital Learning

• Integration of educational technology in mathematics and STEM learning

• Intelligent tutoring systems, adaptive learning, and personalised learning platforms

• Game-based learning, educational games, and simulation

• Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in STEM instruction

• Applications and ethics of artificial intelligence and machine learning in mathematics and STEM education

• Learning analytics, educational data mining, and instructional decision-making

• Design and effectiveness of online mathematics and STEM courses

• Programming education, robotics education, and the cultivation of algorithmic thinking

• Digital textbooks, Open Educational Resources (OER), and instructional resource design

Assessment and Measurement

• Design and analysis of mathematics and STEM achievement assessments

• Formative assessment, diagnostic assessment, and continuous assessment

• Critical analysis of large-scale international assessments (PISA, TIMSS, etc.)

• Performance assessment, portfolio assessment, and assessment of authentic competencies

• Equity and cultural bias in assessment

• Computerised adaptive testing and intelligent assessment

• Definition, measurement, and credentialing of STEM competencies

• Connecting classroom assessment and instructional improvement

Educational Equity and Inclusive Diversity

• Gender differences and gender bias in mathematics and STEM education

• Socioeconomic status and inequality in STEM learning opportunities

• Race, ethnicity, and gaps in STEM participation

• Mathematics and STEM learning for students with disabilities

• English language learners and the linguistic dimension of mathematics education

• STEM education in rural and remote areas

• Gifted education, special needs, and differentiated support

• Culturally responsive mathematics and STEM instruction

• Social justice dimensions of mathematics and STEM education

Mathematics and STEM in Higher Education

• Innovation in university mathematics and STEM curricula

• Calculus reform and the transition to advanced mathematics

• STEM major choice, persistence, and attrition among university students

• Quality and development of graduate STEM education

• Deep learning research in university physics, chemistry, and engineering disciplines

• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in STEM higher education

• STEM in community colleges and vocational education

Early Mathematics and STEM Foundations

• Young children’s mathematical thinking and STEM experiences

• Early number concepts, spatial concepts, and pattern recognition

• STEM activity design in early childhood education

• Home environment and early mathematical development

• STEM learning through play

• School readiness and the predictive value of mathematical skills

Informal STEM Learning

• Museums, science centres, and public STEM education

• After-school programmes, summer camps, and extended STEM learning

• Family STEM activities and parent-child interaction

• The educational function of competitions (mathematics olympiads, science fairs, robotics competitions)

• Makerspaces, Fab Labs, and informal creative environments

• Public understanding of science and mathematics communication

STEM Education Policy and Reform

• Comparative analysis of national and regional STEM education strategies

• International comparison of mathematics and science curriculum standard reforms

• Policy responses to STEM teacher shortages

• Funding and resource allocation for STEM education

• Impact evaluation of education policies on STEM learning outcomes

• Critique of STEM education reform under the discourse of global competitiveness

• The role of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in STEM education

Research Methodology and Discipline-Based Education Research

• Design-Based Research (DBR) in mathematics and STEM education

• Classroom experiments, randomised controlled trials, and quasi-experimental designs

• Qualitative research in mathematics and STEM education: case studies, ethnography, and discourse analysis

• Design and application of mixed-methods research

• Development, reliability and validity validation, and cross-cultural adaptation of measurement instruments

• Systematic review and meta-analysis methods in STEM education

• Replication studies, repeated experiments, and cumulative knowledge building

• Ethical issues in mathematics and STEM education research

Interdisciplinary Dialogue
STEM education consistently welcomes boundary-crossing scholarship from mathematics, science, engineering, computer science, cognitive science, educational psychology, sociology of education, philosophy of education, education policy, curriculum studies, teacher education, measurement, educational technology, and related fields, provided it carries a clear connection to mathematics and STEM education.

Sections and Article Types

To foster a multi-dimensional space for scholarly dialogue, AMSE maintains the following regular sections:

The journal especially welcomes proposals for Special Issues submitted jointly by scholars and frontline educators. We encourage proposals that bring together deep, multi-perspectival discussion from multiple disciplines, methods, and regions around a pressing mathematics and STEM education problem or emerging trend, and we welcome guest-editing teams that include both researchers and practitioners to foster genuine interaction among theory, research, and practice.

Editorial Policies and Peer Review

Editorial Structure

STEM education is led by an Editor-in-Chief, supported by Regional Editors, Associate Editors, and an international Editorial Board whose members represent the full breadth of relevant specialisms, including mathematics education, science education, technology education, engineering education, educational psychology, curriculum studies, teacher education, educational measurement, educational technology, and education policy. The editorial team is committed to:

• Upholding the journal’s scholarly integrity and intellectual quality;

• Ensuring a fair, transparent, and efficient review process;

• Advancing the journal’s role as an open international forum for mathematics and STEM education research.

The composition of the Editorial Board reflects genuine diversity in geography, gender, intellectual tradition, disciplinary background, and career stage, to ensure that the journal broadly represents the plurality of voices in global mathematics and STEM education research.

Peer Review Process

STEM education operates a double-anonymous review system: reviewers do not know authors’ identities, and authors do not know reviewers’ identities. This policy is designed to minimise biases related to prestige, institutional affiliation, gender, or nationality.

The standard process is as follows:

1. Initial Editorial Screening: All submissions are first assessed by the Editor-in-Chief or an Associate Editor for scholarly quality, originality, and fit. Manuscripts that are clearly unsuitable or have significant scholarly deficiencies are desk-rejected, usually within 1–2 weeks, with an explanatory note.

2. External Review: Manuscripts that pass initial screening are sent to 2–3 external reviewers with relevant expertise for double-anonymous evaluation. For manuscripts involving interdisciplinary intersections or practice-oriented research, editors will invite reviewers from different academic backgrounds or with teaching experience.

3. Editorial Decision: Based on the reviewers’ reports and the journal’s overall standards, the editor makes a decision of “Accept,” “Minor Revision,” “Major Revision,” or “Reject,” and provides integrated constructive feedback.

4. Revision and Re-review: Revised manuscripts may be assessed directly by the editor or sent back to reviewers. AMSE aims to notify authors of the final decision within 8–12 weeks of initial submission.

STEM education does not accept simultaneous submissions. Allegations of research misconduct—including plagiarism, data fabrication, improper image manipulation, unethical authorship practices, undisclosed use of AI-generated content, and undisclosed conflicts of interest—are taken seriously and handled in accordance with the best-practice guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Statement on AI-Assisted Writing

STEM education acknowledges that generative AI is transforming the practices of scholarly writing and educational research. The journal requires authors to clearly declare their use of AI tools during the research process at the time of submission (including the scope of use, tool name(s), and manner of use). AI tools may not be listed as authors. Authors bear full responsibility for the entire content of their papers. Research involving the use of AI for data analysis, automated scoring, or learning analytics must provide detailed explanations in the methods section regarding the role of AI, algorithmic logic, and potential biases.

Author Rights and Responsibilities

Author Rights

• Copyright retention: Regardless of whether an article is published under the Open Access or Non-Open Access model, authors retain full copyright of their work. No exclusive copyright transfer is required.

• Open Access articles: Authors grant the journal the right to publish the work under the CC BY 4.0 licence, securing the widest possible attribution and reuse rights globally.

• Non-Open Access articles: Copyright arrangements and licensing conditions will be negotiated separately between the author and the journal, and specified in a written agreement before publication.

• Persistent identifiers: All published works, regardless of publication model, will be assigned permanent Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) and disseminated across multiple indexing platforms to ensure visibility and longevity.