Education Article Assignment

1

Publication Manuscript Journal Selection

Brunarious McKever Sr.

School of Education, Liberty University

EDUC 798

Dr. Jillian Wendt

September 27, 2026

Publication Manuscript Journal Selection

Research topic: How does participation in hands-on STEM activities influence spatial reasoning, mathematics achievement, and perseverance among early elementary students?

Journal Selection and Fit

Selected journal: Young Children, published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The Research in Review column asks contributors to synthesize relevant research around a question significant to early childhood educators and to present recommendations teachers can use. This aligns with a literature-informed article on hands-on STEM, spatial reasoning, mathematics learning, and perseverance. The intended article would translate the evidence into feasible classroom practices for children through age 8 rather than report outcomes from a study that has not been conducted (National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC], n.d.).

Submission Guidelines

The Research in Review column requires a central question, a synthesis of research across relevant methodologies, and practical implications for educators and leaders.

All article types require 3,000–3,500 words, excluding references and graphics. A literature review without clear connections to practice is not suitable.

Manuscripts use 12-point Times New Roman, double spacing, one-inch margins, page numbers, subheadings, and Chicago style for citations and references.

Blind review requires removing author and workplace identifiers from the article. A separate cover letter names the article type and author and provides a summary of its practical value and an abstract of no more than 50 words.

Submissions go through Editorial Manager. The journal expects current, primary research references where available and requires authors to check AI-assisted information and retain original authorship (NAEYC, n.d.).

AI Integration

The following prompt and output are reproduced from the Microsoft Copilot exchange supplied for this assignment (Microsoft, n.d.).

User Prompt

My Discussion: Research Topic is List scholarly or practitioner education journals relevant to it. For each journal, summarize its scope, suggest matching manuscript topics and keywords, and link to its official author guidelines. I need a journal that accepts a literature review, discussion article, or practitioner article of at least 2,500 words without requiring completed original research. Distinguish verified requirements from suggestions I must check. Then send me your exact Discussion: Research Topic and Copilot’s response. You’ve recently worked on both early elementary STEM and international student retention, so I don’t want to choose the wrong one. I’ll help check the journals against their official guidelines, identify a suitable choice, and work through each required section with you.

Unedited Copilot Output

Based on the discussion you provided, your exact Discussion: Research Topic is:

How does participation in hands-on STEM activities influence spatial reasoning, mathematics achievement, and perseverance among early elementary students?

That places you firmly in the early-elementary STEM education area, not international student retention.

Copilot Response

Research Topic

How does participation in hands-on STEM activities influence spatial reasoning, mathematics achievement, and perseverance among early elementary students?

This topic intersects:

Early childhood/elementary education

STEM education

Mathematics education

Spatial reasoning

Student perseverance/grit

Hands-on and inquiry-based learning

Below are journals that appear to be strong matches for a literature review, conceptual discussion, practitioner article, or review-focused manuscript related to your topic.

1. Early Childhood Education Journal (Springer)

Scope

Publishes scholarship related to early childhood education, curriculum, teaching practices, child development, learning environments, and educational interventions involving young children. It accepts multiple manuscript types, including review papers. [link.springer.com] , [link.springer.com]

Potential Manuscript Topics

Hands-on STEM learning in grades K-2

Spatial reasoning as a foundation for mathematics achievement

STEM play and perseverance

Block play and mathematical thinking

Early engineering design challenges

Keywords

early childhood STEM

spatial reasoning

mathematics achievement

kindergarten STEM

engineering design

perseverance

problem solving

elementary mathematics

Author Guidelines https://link.springer.com/journal/10643/submission-guidelines

Verified Requirements

Journal publishes Review Papers. [link.springer.com]

Manuscript categories include Original Paper, Guest Editorial, Report, and Review Paper. [link.springer.com]

Peer reviewed. [link.springer.com]

Must Be Checked Further

Whether a particular review format requires systematic-review procedures.

Current expectations for literature-review structure and length.

Overall Fit

Excellent

2. Young Children (NAEYC)

Scope

A peer-reviewed professional journal that bridges research and practice for educators working with children from birth through third grade. It emphasizes classroom application and practical implications for teachers. [naeyc.org] , [naeyc.org]

Potential Manuscript Topics

Using STEM centers to build persistence

Block play and early mathematics

Practical classroom strategies for spatial reasoning

Building resilience through engineering challenges

Keywords

STEM learning

play-based learning

persistence

early mathematics

kindergarten

spatial thinking

inquiry learning

Author Guidelines https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/writing

Verified Requirements

Peer-reviewed publication. [naeyc.org] , [naeyc.org]

Publishes practical, research-based articles. [naeyc.org]

Audience includes practitioners working with children birth through age 8. [naeyc.org] , [naeyc.org]

Verified Limitation

Does not typically publish literature reviews by themselves unless they are clearly translated into classroom practice. [img.earlyc...binars.com]

Overall Fit

Very good for a practitioner article.

3. Educating Young Children (NAEYC)

Scope

Practice-focused professional publication emphasizing research-informed classroom applications for early childhood educators. [naeyc.org]

Potential Topics

Budget-friendly STEM activities

Supporting perseverance through engineering challenges

STEM materials for diverse learners

Keywords

STEM centers

hands-on learning

active learning

elementary STEM

play

Author Guidelines https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/eyc/writing

Verified Requirements

Publishes practical, research-informed articles. [naeyc.org]

Audience includes practicing educators. [naeyc.org]

Must Be Checked Further

Preferred article length.

Acceptance of evidence-based discussion articles without original research.

Overall Fit

Good practitioner outlet.

4. Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12 (NCTM)

Scope

NCTM's practitioner journal focused on improving mathematics education and connecting research to classroom practice. It replaced Teaching Children Mathematics. [nctm.org] , [nctm.org]

Potential Topics

Spatial reasoning and mathematics performance

STEM challenges in elementary mathematics

Engineering design in K-2 mathematics

Developing perseverance through mathematical problem solving

Keywords

mathematical reasoning

spatial visualization

mathematics learning

STEM integration

productive struggle

Author Information https://www.nctm.org/

Verified Requirements

Peer-reviewed practitioner-oriented publication. [nctm.org]

Includes articles connecting research and classroom practice. [nctm.org] , [nctm.org]

Must Be Checked Further

Current manuscript categories.

Whether conceptual/literature-based papers are being solicited.

Overall Fit

Excellent mathematics-focused audience.

5. Journal of STEM Outreach

Scope

Publishes STEM education outreach research, program descriptions, case studies, and commentaries. The journal specifically notes acceptance of multiple article types beyond traditional empirical research. [jstemoutreach.org] , [wp0.vanderbilt.edu]

Potential Topics

Low-cost STEM interventions

Classroom-based STEM programs

STEM engagement and perseverance

Spatial reasoning development through engineering activities

Keywords

STEM outreach

elementary STEM

STEM engagement

engineering education

persistence

Author Guidelines https://www.jstemoutreach.org/for-authors

Verified Requirements

Accepts program descriptions. [jstemoutreach.org] , [wp0.vanderbilt.edu]

Accepts commentaries. [wp0.vanderbilt.edu]

Not all submissions require completed formal research studies. [jstemoutreach.org] , [wp0.vanderbilt.edu]

Overall Fit

Good if you want a discussion or program-focused article.

Best Choice for Your Assignment

If your assignment requires a 2,500+ word paper that does not require completed original research, I would prioritize:

1. Early Childhood Education Journal

Best scholarly option

Explicitly publishes review papers. [link.springer.com]

Strong alignment with STEM, spatial reasoning, and early childhood education.

Suitable if you intend to build toward future publication.

2. Young Children

Best practitioner option

Highly respected professional journal.

Strong readership among early childhood educators.

Works well for a literature-informed discussion article focused on classroom application. [naeyc.org] , [naeyc.org]

3. Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12

Best mathematics-specific option

Ideal if the paper emphasizes mathematics achievement and spatial reasoning. [nctm.org] , [nctm.org]

Recommendation

For your current topic and the narrative you wrote, Early Childhood Education Journal is the strongest match because it explicitly accepts Review Papers and aligns directly with your focus on STEM, spatial reasoning, mathematics achievement, and perseverance. [link.springer.com]

Your topic statement can be summarized as:

Investigating how hands-on STEM experiences affect early elementary students' spatial reasoning, mathematics achievement, and perseverance, with the goal of identifying practical classroom strategies that support both academic growth and resilience.

AI Literacy Reflection

Young Children fits the kind of article I want to write because it bridges dense academic theory with practical, actionable strategies that teachers can immediately use in real classrooms. I checked the journal’s official guidelines on the NAEYC website and confirmed that Young Children features a “Research in Review” column and requires 3,000–3,500 words. In future academic work, I will use AI solely as a tool for initial brainstorming and structuring, while verifying every specific claim, quote, and citation against primary peer-reviewed sources before including it.

AI interfaces can confidently present generalized or slightly conflated details as facts. Secondary technological summaries can supplement—but never replace—direct rigorous evaluation.

References

Microsoft. (n.d.). Microsoft Copilot [Generative AI tool]. https://copilot.microsoft.com/

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Writing for Young Children. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/writing