Journal of Research in Science Teaching

Journal of Research in Science Teaching
Title	Journal of Research in Science Teaching
Discipline	Science education
Abbreviation	JRST
Publisher	Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching
Country	United States
Frequency	Monthly
History	1963–present
Impact	3.000
Impact-year	2023

Journal of Research in Science Teaching is a peer-reviewed academic journal focusing on research related to teaching and learning in science. The journal publishes empirical studies, theoretical analyses, methodological advances, and reviews that engage with classroom practice, teacher education, curriculum development, and policy debates. It serves as a forum for researchers, teacher educators, and policymakers linked with institutions and professional associations across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.

History

The journal was established in 1963 amid post-World War II expansions in science instruction associated with institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Stanford University, and University of Chicago. Early editorial leadership included scholars connected to National Science Foundation, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Council for Exceptional Children, and the United States Department of Education. During the 1960s and 1970s the journal intersected with curricular reforms influenced by figures at Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan, and Teachers College, Columbia University. In later decades editors and contributors were affiliated with universities such as University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Texas at Austin, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and University of British Columbia, reflecting transnational collaborations with agencies like UNESCO and foundations including the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Scope and Aims

The journal's remit encompasses empirical investigations into classroom instruction, assessment, and learning trajectories tied to laboratories at California Institute of Technology, field studies near Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and museum partnerships with the Smithsonian Institution. Topics include inquiry-based approaches influenced by work from Jean Piaget-inspired researchers at University of Geneva, constructivist perspectives linked to University of California, San Diego, and sociocultural analyses drawing on scholarship from Vanderbilt University and University of Oxford. The journal aims to bridge research communities spanning International Society for Technology in Education, American Educational Research Association, European Science Education Research Association, and national teacher unions such as National Education Association. It solicits articles addressing teacher preparation at institutions like Teachers College, Columbia University, policy implications examined by scholars at Harvard Graduate School of Education, and cross-disciplinary collaborations with centers at MIT Media Lab and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Editorial and Publication Information

Published by a major academic publisher in partnership with a professional association headquartered in Washington, D.C., the journal operates under editorial boards drawn from scholars at University College London, Monash University, University of Toronto, Peking University, and University of Cape Town. Editors oversee peer review consistent with standards used by journals such as Science, Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and American Educational Research Journal. The journal accepts manuscripts reporting quantitative analyses referencing datasets from sources like Programme for International Student Assessment, qualitative studies inspired by ethnographies at King's College London, and mixed-methods syntheses aligned with frameworks from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is indexed in major services including Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, PsycINFO, and EBSCOhost, and appears in library catalogs at institutions such as Library of Congress, British Library, and National Diet Library (Japan). Citation metrics for the journal are tracked by agencies including Clarivate Analytics and databases maintained by Elsevier and ProQuest. Abstracting services that cover the journal mirror those for leading titles published by houses like Wiley-Blackwell, Springer Nature, and Taylor & Francis.

Impact and Reception

Scholars from University of Cambridge, University of Melbourne, National Taiwan University, Seoul National University, and Hebrew University of Jerusalem frequently cite the journal in work on science teacher cognition, curriculum design, and assessment policy. The journal's influence is reflected in citations in policy reports by UNESCO, curriculum frameworks from ministries such as the Ministry of Education (Israel), and textbooks produced by publishers like Routledge and Cambridge University Press. Its articles have informed large-scale studies funded by agencies including National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust, and national research councils such as the Australian Research Council.

Notable Articles and Contributions

Notable contributions include empirical studies building on theoretical work of scholars affiliated with Columbia University, methodological innovations comparable to those in Journal of Educational Psychology, and cross-national comparisons referencing datasets from Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. Influential pieces addressed misconceptions traceable to classic cognitive research by Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky and were cited alongside work from laboratories at Max Planck Society, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Salk Institute. Reviews published in the journal have synthesized evidence informing teacher professional development programs at universities such as Arizona State University and University of Helsinki.

Related Associations and Conferences

The journal is closely associated with the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, and participates in conferences including annual meetings of the National Science Teachers Association, the American Educational Research Association annual conference, the European Science Education Research Association symposium, and regional gatherings organized by Asia-Pacific Science Education Network and African Association for Research in Science and Mathematics Education. Editorial board members regularly present at venues such as International Conference on Learning Sciences, Society for Research in Child Development, and colloquia at institutions like University of Pennsylvania.

Category:Science education journals