Mathematics Anxiety (MA) is an increasing challenge for mathematics educators and is a barrier to mathematical learning. Through reflection on the implementation of a lesson sequence designed to elicit regular use of explicit metacognitive questions (EMQ's), this paper explores the impact of the incorporation of self-regulated learning (SRL)…

This study examines the influence of design-based learning on 25 eighth-grade students' design-thinking mindsets, that is, on the mental outlook that they adopt habitually when they engage in design thinking. It also compares changes in design-thinking mindsets across individuals of different genders and different levels of experience in design.…

This study examined students' understanding of, and reflective inquiry into discourse, specifically their epistemic discourse understanding and meta-discourse, and investigated their roles and relationships in fostering productive inquiry in knowledge building. The participants comprised two classes of ninth grade visual arts students inquiring…

Highly proficient expert engineers begin the iterative process of design by thoroughly investigating the design problem. Engineering students are often distracted by surface details, leading to a faulty conception of the problem and inappropriate solution strategies. Adequate problem-scoping is arguably the most important step in the design…

Design-based learning has been recognized by educational scholars as the key approach to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at K-12 levels. However, it is unclear whether, and which dimensions of, design thinking mindsets support the conceptual learning of science. This quasi-experimental study aims to explore 37…

Purpose: When using embedded, student-centered assessment tools for maker education, understanding the characteristics of a body of evidence can help teachers guide the assessment process. This study aims to examine assessment artifacts from a makerspace program and present a set of qualities that emerged, which researchers and maker educators can…

Engineering design was integrated into K-12 science education in the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States, 2013), but teaching design remains a challenge for educators. Design problems are ill-defined, ill-structured, and complex problem-solving tasks. Their solutions require creativity and recursive, metacognitive…

This study investigates the effect of design-based science (DBS) instruction on students' learning of electrical energy and students' metacognitive strategy use in science. Two classes of seventh-grade students participated in the study. DBS instruction was used in the treatment group, while the comparison group was taught the unit with…

An urban middle school goes through the transformation of becoming a university-supported lab school. Drawing upon design thinking principles, the planning team cultivates a sense of shared empathy, creative problem-solving, and an ethos of curiosity and learning in a collaborative environment.

This study investigated the effects of scaffolds as cognitive prompts and as metacognitive evaluation on seventh-grade students' growth of content knowledge and construction of scientific explanations in five inquiry-based biology activities. Students' scores on multiple-choice pretest and posttest and worksheets for five inquiry-based activities…

A central issue in the design of curricula for all school levels is the development of the learners' high-order thinking skills and metacognitive skills. Among such required skills is the ability to solve problems. The literature dealing with the development of problem-solving skills is vast and primarily addresses the scientific disciplines, even…

This quasi-experimental study examined the effects of a strategy for making text-dependent inferences--with and without embedded self-regulation skills--on the reading comprehension of 24 middle-grade students with disabilities. Classes were randomly assigned to receive the inference intervention only (IO), inference + individual goal setting…

Using a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test control groups, 93 eighth grade students were randomly assigned either to the experimental or to the control group and responded to the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale two weeks before and after the intervention. While the students in the experimental group were instructed in quality books…

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of systematic explicit instruction of a questioning strategy for improving the text comprehension of middle school students. Specifically, the reading comprehension of six 8th grade students was investigated to determine whether the questioning strategy, QtA, lead to an increase in the…

Background: Enhancing students' metacognitive abilities will help to facilitate their understanding of science concepts. Purpose: The study was designed to conduct and evaluate the effectiveness of a repertoire of interventions aimed at enhancing secondary school students' metacognitive capabilities and their achievements in science. Sample: A…