This study explored whether a daytime nap aids children's acquisition of letter-sound knowledge, which is a fundamental component for learning to read. Thirty-two preschool children in Sydney, Australia (M[subscript age] = 4 years;3 months) were taught letter-sound mappings in two sessions: one followed by a nap and the other by a wakeful period.…

Generalisation is a key feature of learning algebra, requiring all four proficiency strands of the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics (AC:M): Understanding, Fluency, Problem Solving and Reasoning. From a review of the literature, we propose a learning progression for algebraic generalisation consisting of five levels. Our learning progression is…

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) education has been actively implemented around the world recently. ICT curriculum in schools is intended to improve students' programming-oriented thinking rather than to train them as programmers. The core of ICT education is 'computational thinking'. Computational thinking is taking an approach to…

The article outlines ways that teachers could use the content in Biomes and Food Security unit in the Australian curriculum, and its state and territory versions, to encourage their students to engage with higher order thinking. It first briefly discusses how to describe and classify higher-order thinking and argues that concepts are central to…

Stephens (2008) described structural thinking as an awareness of the way different occurrences of a mathematical property develop into correct generalisations. Many primary pre-service teachers (PSTs) graduate from their tertiary studies without the ability to notice structural thinking. In this study, two primary PSTs learned to notice structural…

Cross-curricula opportunities afforded by STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education), supports an environment where students can develop twenty-first century competencies. One approach to addressing cross-curricula opportunities in STEM education is the introduction of computer science (computer…

This paper is a contribution to the debate on powerful knowledge in geography that began in a 2015 issue of IRGEE and was continued by Frances Slater and Norman Graves in 2016. It addresses some of the questions raised by Slater and Graves. First, it suggests an alternative way of describing and identifying powerful knowledge than the one in their…

A key aspect of learning algebra in the middle years of schooling is exploring the functional relationship between two variables: noticing and generalising the relationship, and expressing it mathematically. This article describes research on the professional learning of upper primary school teachers for developing their students' functional…

Individuals with autism have difficulty generalising information from one situation to another, a process that requires the learning of categories and concepts. Category information may be learned through: (1) classifying items into categories, or (2) predicting missing features of category items. Predicting missing features has to this point been…

This article describes the need for, and the structure and contents of, a reading program to help support children disadvantaged by reading difficulties. The program, delivered by trained and supported volunteers, lasts for 15 weeks. It uses a novel dual approach which aims to improve students' reading skills and simultaneously enhance their…

Issues relevant to teaching social studies are examined from a historical perspective. A curriculum plan, based on key generalizations from the social sciences, geography, and history is described. Emphasis is placed on development of intellectual skills, active involvement of the child through direct experiences, and the teaching of values. (SM)

The teaching and learning in algebra has been much debated. Traditionally early algebra has relied heavily on arithmetic. Recently our focus has changed to teaching algebraic thinking with arithmetic thinking. This paper explores the models that assist young students generalise the patterns of arithmetic compensation. A teaching experiment was…

The process of students' conceptual change was evaluated during a computer-supported physics unit in a Grade 10 science class. Computer simulation programs were developed to confront students' alternative conceptions in mechanics. A conceptual test was administered as pre-, post-, and delayed post-tests to determine students' conceptual change.…

An ongoing research project in Australia is focused on the concept of the transfer of competence across different working situations. It establishes a framework for learning that is student-centered and that integrates the concepts of activity theory, expansive learning, communities of practice, and multiple intelligences. Perceptions of those…

This document contains the fifth volume of the proceedings of the 30th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Conference presentations are centered around the theme "Mathematics at the Centre." This volume features 59 research reports by presenters with last names beginning between Sac and Zaz:…