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Call for Papers

The Science Teacher

 

Write for our award-winning journal

The Science Teacher (TST) is seeking manuscripts that describe new and creative ideas for the secondary science classroom.

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Upcoming Themes

Manuscripts should provide worthwhile ideas and practical help for teachers as they relate to the themes listed below. Don’t see a theme that fits your idea? Don’t let that stop you from writing! We always make room for good manuscripts on any high school science topic.

Special Issue on Data Science in the Science Classroom
Guest Editors: Colby Tofel-Grehl and Justice Walker

The data revolution is underway and has had myriad impacts on society and culture. Children today face novel opportunities and challenges as they navigate an increasingly data-centric world.  With each click, their worldly activities are noted, quantified, and distilled into data representation of who they are and in a way that no generation has ever experienced before. As rapidly as their engagement with data changes, so too are the literacies they need to navigate it safely and as critically engaged citizens. Data science and data science literacy represent productive frames for how we might prioritize efforts to support learners in their development in agency in connection to data. 

However, few in service teachers have, to date, engaged data science as part of their professional development or preservice teacher training. Thus, it proves challenging for teachers to develop and curate resources for students around best data science practices within science. In response to this challenge, Science and Children, Science Scope, and The Science Teacher are partnering to put forth a set of special issues to provide space for science educators and science education researchers to share perspectives and resources regarding data science in the science classroom across ages.  Papers and lessons are welcomed on a wide range of data science topics such as data science inquiry and skill development, culturally responsive data sets and practices, critical data literacy, data collection with children, and data visualization. Please adhere to the word limits and author guidelines for the specific journal you are submitting to. If you have any questions, please contact the guest editors at Colby.tg@usu.edu or jtwalker@utep.edu. 

  • Call for Papers: end of June 2024

  • Extended Abstracts Due: October 2024

  • Abstract Decisions: December 2024

  • Paper Submissions: March 2025

  • Final Decisions: June 2025

  • Revisions Due: August 2025

  • Full Special Issue to Editor: November 2025

  • Special Issue Out: January 2026
     

Submit Your Manuscript

Please read our manuscript guidelines before submitting your manuscript. Manuscripts should be submitted electronically; once online, follow the steps for New Author Registration.

  

Your 2000-word manuscript should describe a set of connected lessons or investigations that build an idea or content area

  

Include assessments (pre-, post- and formative) as well as enough detail that another teacher could replicate the lessons in the classroom

  

Examples of student work are encouraged

Questions?

Contact Journals Director Peter Linderman at plindeman@nsta.org.

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Not ready to pen a feature article? 

Consider writing a column. These shorter, focused pieces are the perfect way to share your experiences with the wider high school school science community.

Activities and Investigations

Submission deadline: Ongoing

Activities and investigations play a central role in all science courses. Do you have a new activity that promotes inquiry and allows students to better understand important science content? Have you found ways to improve on an old favorite or to integrate technology? What about low-cost alternatives? Have you modified an activity to align it with the new Framework for K–12 Science Education or the Next Generation Science Standards or created a new investigation with these new standards in mind? TST is looking for manuscripts describing interesting, practical investigations that can be incorporated into science classrooms and laboratories.

General Topics

Submission deadline: Ongoing

Do you have an article idea in mind that does not fit with one of TST’s themes? Write about it and submit it for review! General articles, not targeted to a requested theme, are published in every issue. If you have written a manuscript on a secondary education topic, please submit it at any time.

Idea Banks

Submission deadline: Ongoing

TST is always seeking Idea Banks—short articles of about 1,000 words. If you want to share an experience, activity, or classroom tip but do not think it will work as a feature-length article, consider submitting an Idea Bank!

Commentaries

Submission deadline: Ongoing

Commentaries of approximately 750 words on any secondary education topic are accepted at any time. Do you have thoughts on science education that you would like to share with your peers? Write up a Commentary and submit it to TST for review.

Letters to the Editor

Submission deadline: Ongoing

Have you used an activity published in TST in the last year, or liked—or disliked—something you read? Send us an e-mail at drannmackenzie@gmail.com. We welcome your comments and feedback at any time.

The Fine Print

In addition to submitting articles specifically targeted to the focus of each issue, authors are always encouraged to submit original manuscripts, Idea Bank articles, or commentaries on any secondary science education topic at any time for further consideration by the peer-review panel and the field editor. Manuscripts should describe successful lessons implemented in secondary classrooms, as well as provide specific details for educators who might wish to use the activities with their own students. The manuscripts should include appropriate assessment tools and specifically reference the Next Generation Science Standards where appropriate. Examples of student work to illustrate results of a successful lesson are encouraged, as are figures, sidebars, and accompanying photos. Author Guidelines can be found here.

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