This paper explores magical realism as a theoretical lens for analysing mathematics classrooms. Traditional frameworks often overlook the complexities of teaching and learning, focusing solely on measurable aspects. Inspired by magical realism -- a literary genre blending the fantastical and the everyday -- I propose a new perspective on how…

Writing in science can be challenging for all learners, and it is especially so for students with cognitive or language-based learning difficulties. We examined the effects of a cognitive apprenticeship on student disciplinary writing skills as well as near and far transfer of learning outcomes. This instructional approach included a gradual…

This paper describes a study in which we investigated relationships between defining mathematical concepts--increasing and decreasing infinite sequences--explaining their meanings and classifying consistently with formal definitions. We explored the effect of defining, explaining or studying a definition on subsequent classification, and the…

Although basing instruction on learning trajectories (LTs) is often recommended, there is little direct evidence regarding the premise of a LT approach--that instruction should be presented (only) one LT level beyond a child's present level. We evaluated this hypothesis in the domain of early shape composition. One group of preschoolers, who were…

Purpose: Reading comprehension levels of elementary students have not significantly improved in the twenty-first century, and, as a result, the need for systematic and intensive reading interventions is as high as ever. Literacy clinics are an ideal setting for struggling readers to experience success through the implementation of a cyclical…

Learning to write well is a significant outcome of higher education, as confirmed and illustrated in the Written Communication VALUE Rubric of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). Scholars agree that writing and thinking are linked. Thinking about this relationship between writing and thinking in the context of…

Sarah Black wanted to remedy Year 9's lack of knowledge about nineteenth-century politics. With just five lessons to work with, she decided to devise a sequence on Gladstone and Disraeli, shaping the sequence with an enquiry question that invited argument about change and continuity. Black analyses the status and function of different layers of…

This article promotes the use of mathematically appropriate, engaging and challenging tasks to support learning that is worthwhile. The authors share insights from a three-lesson design experiment and the three tasks along with the results from their implementation are explored.

In this paper, the five interlocking de Bono LAMS sequences are introduced as a new form of generic template designs. This transdisciplinary knowledge-mobilising strategy is based on Edward de Bono's attention-directing ideas and thinking skills, commonly known as the CoRT tools. The development of the de Bono LAMS sequence series is an important…

Competence in algebra is linked to access to higher education, employment in better-paying jobs, and, increasingly, the ability to earn a high school diploma. For many students with learning disabilities, developing proficiency in algebra represents a challenging, but necessary goal. Teachers of students with learning disabilities need access to…

Regardless of the instrument used to determine learning styles, it is commonly accepted that people learn in different ways. As Professors, we tend to teach in a style that matches the way we ourselves learn. Tis may or may not match the learning styles of the students in our classroom. As Graphics educators, we cannot meet every student's…

Describes an approach to teaching civilization that organizes course content so that students respond to it from their own personal experience. The approach also closely links the learning of cultural information to the learning of linguistic information. (MSE)

This paper reviews instructional theory and research relating to three design criteria: (1) the order of presentation of instruction (sequencing); (2) the kinds of content relationships that should be taught; and (3) the way content relationships should be taught (synthesis). Also research on the relations between sequencing and synthesis is…

Discusses research in North Carolina during the 1970s that lead to graduated driver licensing, some of the educational principles on which it is based, obstacles to its acceptance, and some of the early efforts to implement it in the United States and elsewhere. (Contains 1 figure and 17 references.) (AUTHOR/WFA)

Presents a meta-model of instructional design (ID) that integrates content covered in instructional technology graduate programs and explores the impact of an instructional designer's perspective on designs. Discusses the theoretical background; instructional strategies; educational philosophies; paradigm shifts; behaviorist, constructivist, and…