This report validates a novel quantitative methodology for analyzing moment-to-moment interactions in classrooms called the Poisson Process Methodology (PPM). PPM differs from moment-to-moment qualitative and quantitative analyzes typically used in education by using time-series data to quantify the degree to which the presence of facilitator…

In this paper I analyze a problem solving event in a secondary mathematics classroom. As the event unfolds, the teachers, including me, understand the event as involving interactions that were not related to learning. By adopting an expansive view of learning, I advance a different interpretation, that the interactions tell a story of student…

Many studies in mathematics education have emphasized the importance of attending to students' interactions, particularly, their mathematical reasoning when collaborating on solving problems. However, the question of how teachers can facilitate students' productive interactions for learning mathematics, is still a challenging one. This case study…

This article, a case study of a single instance of collaborative translation in the classroom, explores the role of material mediation and embodied activity in the linguistic problem solving work of emergent multilinguals. We describe one teacher's lesson with a small group of Spanish speaking students in her 7th grade ESL classroom. Collaborative…

It has been theorized that contextual tasks support student engagement and sense making. Yet, contradictory ideas exist about the role of these tasks in lessons, and further research is needed to explore how classroom interactions can help achieve their intended purposes. Through video observation of lessons in three eighth-grade classrooms using…

While problem solving is a relatively well understood process, problem framing is less well understood, particularly with regard to supporting students to learn as they frame problems. Project-based learning classrooms are an ideal setting to investigate how teachers facilitate this process. Using participant observation, this study investigated…

While a body of research exists on individual metacognition, research on reflective communities is just beginning. This study generated a framework for conceptualizing metacognition in groups by describing likely components of group metacognition. I focused on a group of five preservice science teachers engaged in problem-based learning (PBL). The…

This article discusses the relationship between procedural and conceptual problem solving in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment designed within the field of science education. The contribution of this article, and our understanding of this phenomenon, is anchored in our socio-cultural interpretation, and that implies…