For most beginners, learning computer programming is a complex undertaking. Demotivation and learned helplessness have been widely reported. In addition to the subject's complexity, low in-class involvement has been linked to poor student performance. This work introduces a novel instructional technique called Student-Driven Probe Instruction…

We conducted a semester-long ethnographic study of group work in a physics class that implemented the investigative science learning environment approach. Students' conversations were videotaped while they were engaged in group learning activities. Our primary research goal was to better understand what factors made some groups more effective than…

The analysis of student questions can be used to improve the learning experience for both students and teachers. We investigated questions (N = 6457) asked before the class by first-year medicine/pharmacy students on an online platform, used by professors to prepare for Q&A sessions. Our long-term objectives are to help professors in…

This paper compares outcomes of student teachers' use of oral classroom and written online forum discussions of course literature, with the aim of examining how each mode facilitates reflective practice. Data were collected from a class of 11 participating student teachers. Oral discussions were video-recorded and written online discussions were…

A growing body of research has shown a positive role of task-supported instruction in second language (L2) learning (Ellis, 2003a; Loewen, 2015; Van Den Branden, 2006). From a pedagogical perspective, recycling or repeating parts of teaching materials is common practice and theoretical support for such practice is emerging (Bygate and Samuda,…

By analyzing the audio recording and transcription of classroom discourse, this case study focused on the ways in which the instructor used follow-up statements to socialize students into intellectual talk. Four relevant categories of follow-up statements emerged: (a) revoicing, (b) contextualization, (c) parallel elaboration, and (d) assistive…

The purpose of this multiple case study was to describe the experiences of graduate education faculty of varying racial/ethnic backgrounds, learning to navigate difficult discourses on race effectively over time. The study employed positionality as a theoretical framework. Findings indicate that faculty balance what we refer to as "strategies…

There has been increased interest in the transformation of post-secondary level instructional practices in STEM from more traditional to evidence-based practices that are more aligned with how learning occurs. Research has shown that instructional practices are linked to student learning outcomes even when content is unchanged; therefore,…

Pre-service teachers need support in developing their teacher identities as they navigate the uncertain and complex terrain of student teaching and face the pressures of high-stakes accountability. This support is particularly important for bilingual pre-service teachers as they negotiate the many complexities of the bilingual classroom, and as…

Symbols play crucial roles in advanced mathematical thinking by providing flexibility and reducing cognitive load but they often have a dual nature since they can signify both processes and objects of mathematics. The limit notation reflects such duality and presents challenges for students. This study uses a discursive approach to explore how one…

A teacher's practical knowledge contains the teacher's beliefs about the goals, values and principles of education that guide his or her actions in the classroom. There is still a lack of knowledge about how teachers' practical knowledge influences their teaching. The present study examines student teachers' practical knowledge in the context of…

This article explores the use of gesture by a French language teacher during lexical focus on form (FonF). The analysis compares pre-emptive FonF (before a problem in communication has occurred), and reactive FonF (after a problem has occurred) and looks at the differences between teacher-initiated and learner-initiated FonF in the use and type of…

When student teachers and cooperating teachers have conversations during the student teaching experience, research indicates that they spend considerable time talking about classroom management. In an effort to focus student teaching on the practice of eliciting, understanding and using student mathematical thinking, we altered the structure of…

We conducted an observational study to examine the effect of student and professor gender on college classroom participation and faculty-student interactions. A main effect for professor gender emerged, with more voluntary responses in female-taught classes. As the percentage of males present increased, overall voluntary responses and professor…

Recent years have witnessed increasing attention to the role of interaction in the classroom. Regarding the dynamic nature of language classrooms, teacher talk is assumed to promote interaction. Based on this assumption, this paper aims at investigating EFL teachers' perceptions of their use of teacher talk and how analysis of language use…