Many researchers, teacher educators, teachers and students view graphics in text as an aspect of student learning (e.g. engagement, comprehension). However, as a field we have not addressed teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and decision-making associated with the use of graphics, student learning and issues of access. This mixed methods…

This study addresses the following questions: Does professional development (PD) designed to meet third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade teachers' pedagogical and content needs influence how teachers teach and engage with graphical devices found in social studies texts? If so, what effect does that instruction and engagement have on students'…

This study explores the possibilities for learning content that might accompany the use of an historically accurate graphic novel as part of a language arts instructional unit. During a 6-day unit, 16 sixth grade students engaged in graphic novels in ways that support comprehension, both in the context of a graphic novel text set and a specific…

This mixed methods study explored students' learning following an intervention unit, which focused on discipline-specific practices in elementary social studies/history. The research questions were: To what extent does students' learning in social studies/history change following their participation in a unit emphasizing disciplinary-specific…