Innovative Approaches in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Education: From Theory to Real-World Applications

Nanoscience and nanotechnology have emerged as transformative fields with profound implications across medicine, electronics, energy, and environmental applications. As nanomaterials and nanodevices increasingly permeate everyday life, the need for effective nanoscience education has intensified across all educational levels, from K-12 through higher education. Research consistently demonstrates that teaching nanoscale concepts presents unique pedagogical challenges: students struggle with scale comprehension, visualization of atomic-level phenomena, and applying physical principles across different magnitudes. Despite growing recognition of nanotechnology's societal importance, nanoscience education remains an emerging area of research, with scholars actively exploring innovative instructional strategies, curriculum development, and assessment methods. Recent studies highlight the potential of connecting nanoscience education to real-world applications and global sustainability challenges, particularly the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Yet significant gaps persist in understanding how to effectively integrate theoretical foundations with practical applications, leverage emerging educational technologies, and prepare diverse learners for this interdisciplinary field. This Research Topic brings together cutting-edge research on innovative pedagogical approaches that bridge these gaps across the educational spectrum.

This Research topic aims to advance nanoscience and nanotechnology education by building upon existing scholarship while addressing documented pedagogical challenges. Research has consistently identified specific obstacles: students struggle with understanding scale relationships and orders of magnitude, face difficulties visualizing atomic and molecular phenomena, and have trouble grasping how physical and chemical properties change at the nanoscale. Additionally, educators report challenges in making abstract nanoscience concepts tangible and relevant to learners' experiences. While recent scholarship has contributed valuable insights into curriculum design and assessment approaches, there remains a critical need to document innovative practices that effectively address these challenges. This Research Topic seeks empirical studies, theoretical frameworks, and practical implementations exploring diverse innovations including artificial intelligence integration, immersive laboratory experiences, inquiry-based and problem-based learning, virtual and augmented reality environments, collaborative strategies, maker-centered pedagogies, computational modeling, interdisciplinary curriculum designs, science communication approaches, and authentic assessment methods.

We particularly encourage research connecting nanoscience education to sustainability challenges, biomedical applications, environmental solutions, and other real-world contexts demonstrating nanotechnology's societal relevance. This collection aims to provide evidence-based insights for creating more effective and engaging nanoscience education across all educational levels.

This Research topic welcomes contributions addressing innovative approaches in nanoscience and nanotechnology education across all educational levels (K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and professional development).

We seek manuscripts exploring:

Pedagogical innovations and instructional strategies for teaching nanoscale concepts;

Integration of emerging technologies (AI, virtual/augmented reality, simulations, computational tools);

Curriculum development and interdisciplinary approaches;

Hands-on learning, inquiry-based methods, and project-based learning;

Assessment tools and methods for evaluating nano-literacy;

Connections between nanoscience education and real-world applications (sustainability, medicine, energy, environment);

Teacher preparation and professional development programs;

Student conceptions, misconceptions, and conceptual change;

Equity and accessibility in nanoscience education;

Science communication and public engagement strategies.

We welcome research articles that advance the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology education.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: nanoscience education, pedagogical approaches, educational innovation, sustainable education, technology- enhanced learning, STEAM teaching

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.