SEARCH: Science Education Research Journal publishes scholarly work that advances theoretical understanding, research methods, and evidence-informed practice in science education. Its primary focus is education in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and interdisciplinary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The journal welcomes original research and scholarly analyses addressing significant issues in science curriculum, teaching, learning, assessment, educational policy, teacher education, and the relationship between science education, society, and the environment. Submissions should demonstrate a clear research purpose, engagement with relevant literature, appropriate and transparent methods of inquiry, and conclusions that are supported by the evidence presented.

This area includes theoretical, empirical, and methodological studies of how learners develop, interpret, and apply knowledge and practices in mathematics and science. Relevant perspectives may include cognitive, psychological, social, cultural, historical, affective, and sociological approaches. The journal welcomes research on conceptual understanding, scientific reasoning, problem-solving, inquiry, motivation, identity, assessment, and the relationship between learning, teaching, learners, and their educational contexts.

The journal considers research on curriculum design and implementation, pedagogical approaches, classroom interaction, laboratory and field-based learning, digital and technology-enhanced learning, learning resources, and assessment of student knowledge and competencies. Studies of instructional innovation should provide a clear conceptual rationale and a transparent account of research design, implementation, evaluation, and implications for educational practice.

This scope covers integrated and interdisciplinary approaches connecting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Topics may include STEM curriculum and pedagogy, design-based learning, engineering practices, computational thinking, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and the evaluation of STEM learning outcomes. Manuscripts should explain the nature of the integration across disciplines and establish the educational significance of the approach examined.

The journal welcomes analytical, empirical, interpretive, and theoretical studies of science learning beyond formal classrooms, including learning in homes, communities, museums, digital environments, extracurricular programs, and public engagement activities. Research may examine the development of scientific interest, knowledge, practices, and identities across the life span. Studies addressing inclusion, accessibility, equity, and differences in opportunities to participate in science learning are particularly relevant.

This area includes empirical and theoretical research on the preparation, induction, continuing professional development, and work of mathematics, science, and STEM teachers. Relevant topics include teacher knowledge, beliefs, professional identity, pedagogical content knowledge, classroom practice, mentoring, teacher collaboration, and the institutional, cultural, and policy contexts that shape teaching throughout a teacher’s career.

The journal considers research and carefully reasoned scholarly analyses of educational policies, reforms, and current social, philosophical, ethical, and political issues affecting mathematics and science education. Contributions may examine policy aims, implementation, and effects on teaching and learning, as well as the ways research evidence, educational theory, institutional priorities, and public interests interact. Submissions presenting contrasting viewpoints should engage fairly with relevant evidence and existing scholarship.

This area covers research on environmental education, sustainability education, environmental literacy, and the teaching and learning of environmental science. The journal welcomes studies of learners’ understanding of environmental systems, human–environment relationships, climate and sustainability issues, environmental decision-making, and educational interventions intended to support informed and responsible engagement with environmental challenges.

The journal encourages interdisciplinary investigations that inform the theory, methods, policy, and practice of science education. Contributions may draw on the history, philosophy, sociology, or anthropology of science, as well as cognitive science, educational technology, and artificial intelligence, provided that the connection to mathematics, science, or STEM education is explicit and substantive.

Where appropriate to the journal’s editorial plans, submissions may include critical reviews of recently published books or significant bodies of literature, as well as concise scholarly comments that address interpretations, arguments, or findings in previously published work. Such contributions should be evidence-based, constructive, and relevant to the journal’s scope. Comments and criticism should clearly identify the issue under discussion and provide a reasoned explanation supported by appropriate sources.

The Editorial Board welcomes manuscripts that address a clearly defined and significant problem in mathematics, science, or STEM education and use an established, appropriate, and transparently reported scholarly approach. Submissions should engage critically with relevant literature, explain their theoretical or conceptual foundations, describe methods and analyses in sufficient detail, and draw conclusions that are proportionate to the evidence. Quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, design-based, review, and theoretical studies may be considered when their approaches are suitable for the research questions and are rigorously implemented. The journal does not prioritize a method solely because it is statistically complex; rather, methodological appropriateness, analytical rigor, transparency, and the value of the contribution are central considerations. Manuscripts should discuss relevant implications, limitations, and, where appropriate, directions for future research.

SEARCH: Science Education Research Journal aims to contribute to the advancement of mathematics, science, and STEM education through the publication of relevant, methodologically sound, and theoretically informed scholarship. A manuscript’s suitability is determined by its alignment with the journal’s focus and scope, its scholarly quality, and its potential contribution to research, policy, or educational practice. All submissions are subject to editorial screening and the journal’s peer-review process.