Asia-Pacific Science Education (APSE): Building Visibility and Supporting Scholarship in Our 10th Year

We are pleased to present Asia-Pacific Science Education, Volume 11, Issue 1, featuring seven articles from scholars across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.This issue offers a rich and diverse collection of research in science education, addressing timely and significant themes such as digital innovation, teacher identity development, educational equity, and the preparation of learners to meet global environmental and societal challenges.The articles employ a range of research methodologies, including systematic reviews, qualitative inquiry, sociocultural analysis, and quasi-experimental design and offer valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers alike.To guide readers through the issue, we introduce the articles thematically below.The issue opens with a systematic review by Yiqiao Zhang, Ha Anna Mang, Sarah Hajama, and Hye-Eun Chu (Australia), examining the impact of fully immersive virtual reality (FIVR) on students' motivation in science learning.Drawing on 39 studies published over the past decade, the authors highlight Martin ASIA-PACIFIC SCIENCE EDUCATION 11 (2025) 1-10 FIVR's positive effects on motivation, self-efficacy, and interest, while also identifying areas for future exploration, including simulation quality and underrepresentation in physics education.Venus Hung (China) follows with a study that proposes a novel analytical framework to assess secondary students' causal reasoning in biology.Using written responses from Year 10 students in Hong Kong, the study employs mechanistic reasoning diagrams to visualize and evaluate the coherence and complexity of students' scientific explanations.The findings offer practical strategies for educators to support the development of causal understanding in science classrooms.Yi Wu (United States) contributes a cross-national investigation of scientific literacy in the five highest-performing economies in PISA 2022: Singapore, Japan, Macau, Taiwan, and South Korea.Using hierarchical linear modeling and Bourdieu's theory of practice, the study examines how student-level dispositions and school-level structures interact to influence science achievement.The results underscore the importance of contextually informed perspectives on equity and excellence in global science education.Two articles explore how culturally and contextually grounded experiences shape science teacher identity and professional development.Tanwarat Pinthong, Weeyawat Jaitrong, and Jeerawan Ketsing (Thailand) investigate the influence of internships in informal science education settings, specifically science museums, on preservice teachers' identity formation.Drawing on life narratives and reflective journals, the study reveals how museum-based experiences foster science teacher identity through reflection and participation in communities of practice.Building on the theme of culturally grounded pedagogy, Arifah Novia Arifin, Murni Sapta Sari, Herawati Susilo, and Utami Sri Hastuti (Indonesia) introduce the PINISI learning model, a problem-based instructional approach inspired by the maritime traditions of South Sulawesi.Designed to promote character development, including honesty, responsibility, and collaboration, the model illustrates how local cultural practices can inform science teaching in meaningful ways.This theme is further explored in two studies that examine how science education can prepare students for global environmental and societal challenges.Ji-Heon Keum and Seongheui Baek (Korea) report on a STEAM-based climate change education program for elementary school students.Despite the absence of formal science instruction at this level, the program successfully enhanced students' environmental competencies, including information literacy, problem-solving, and community engagement, through hands-on, interdisciplinary learning.