Textbooks play an important role in teachers' instructional decisions (Jones & Tarr, 2007), which consequently affects students' learning. This paper reports on a comparison of the elementary mathematics textbooks used in Iran and the United States, the Go-Math textbook. I analyzed topic sequences, frequency of the tasks, and cognitive demands…

This study evaluates the Children's Worlds Psychological Well-Being Scale (CW-PSWBS) within a diverse international cohort of children aged 10 and 12, utilising Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT) methodologies. Through a detailed psychometric analysis, this research assesses the CW-PSWBS's structural integrity, focusing on…

This study examined relationship-defining memories in the cultural context and how phenomenological characteristics of those memories were related to psychological well-being. A total of 105 Asian and 108 European American college students (M[subscript age] = 20.16 years; 64% women) each recalled a positive and a negative event significant for…

Phylogenetic trees are important tools for teaching and understanding evolution, yet students struggle to read and interpret them correctly. In this study, we extend a study conducted by Catley and Novick (2008) by investigating depictions of evolutionary trees in US textbooks. We investigated 1197 diagrams from 11 German and 11 United States…

Access to education is the first step to benefiting from it. Although cumulative online learning experience is linked academic learning gains, between-country inequalities mean that large populations are prevented from accumulating such experience. Low-and-middle-income countries are affected by disadvantages in infrastructure such as internet…

This study was conducted to optimize the designs of learning guides embedded in a computer-based simulation environment. The research was based on the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning and Cognitive Load Theory. We investigated computer simulations under four conditions that combined representation and imagination learning strategies. This…

Understanding the intellectual demands of an intended curriculum is crucial as it defines the frames for teaching and learning processes and practice during lessons. In this study, upper-secondary school chemistry curricula contents in Czechia, Finland, and Turkey were analysed, and their objectives were compared using the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy…

There is a large body of research exploring the difficulties young people experience on the transition to secondary education. However, there has been little comparative research yielding insights into how these experiences vary by institutional context. This article explores differences in school transition difficulties among young people in…

This study analysed the designs of algebraic problems in elementary mathematics textbooks used in Finland, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan. This study employed a content-analysis method that focused on four dimensions: representational forms, cognitive demand levels (CDLs), contextual features, and types of responses. The result of the…

Textbooks, which form the staples of a teacher's set of resources, play a critical role in deciding what and how mathematics is taught in classrooms. However, textbooks do not always present concepts in ways that enhance understanding by students, nor are they always comprehensive in the treatment of a topic. In this exploratory study, we analyse…

In this study, we examined monitoring accuracy during in class-exams for Emirati, American and Cypriot college students. In experiment 1, 120 students made local, confidence-ratings for each multiple-choice question in a psychology exam and also estimated their performance at the end of the exam. In experiment 2, to investigate the effect of…

The use of visual metaphors has received growing attention in recent years, but their widespread use is not without certain challenges. The most common critique of visual metaphors in teaching indicates that they can be misleading as the meaning attributed by the recipient can be far apart from the intended one. This can make learning less…

Non-degree postsecondary programs are often seen as complements to, rather than substitutes for, other postsecondary credentials. However, many of these programs could serve as entry points into high-wage, stable careers for students right out of high school. Increasing and equalizing participation in high-quality non-degree postsecondary programs…

This cognitive interview study aims to improve the content validity of a newly developed reading motivation instrument for English learners. Previous research has shown there is a significant need for survey developers to conduct cognitive interviews to ensure that in real world settings survey respondents interpret the items as the framers…

Purpose: This study aims to examine the instructional preferences exhibited by students in an Australian and a Zimbabwean setting and how cultural conditioning can reflect in the instructional design choice and the effect on the learning process. Design/methodology/approach: Using graphical and textual presentations of an experiment with three…