The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how secondary teachers describe the role that the elements of the community of inquiry framework (social, cognitive, and teaching presence) play in a virtual learning environment in a rural school district in South Carolina. The community of inquiry framework was used to guide the…

Mathematics teacher educators enact inquiry-based preparatory courses with the underlying expectation that their students (prospective teachers) will take ownership (authority) of their mathematical learning through sharing their ideas and collaboratively discussing the reasonableness of their shared ideas. Yet, prospective teachers' expectations…

Teacher perceptions offer a perspective and point of view from a teacher's lens about a given topic. Professional behavior is often influenced by teacher perceptions. In this study, the researcher conducts interviews and surveys the teaching staff at a project-based learning high school after blending the curriculum with a computer-assisted…

Having discussions and working together in groups with other learners is the indicator of the collaboration aspect of engagement. Collaborative engagement can be fostered through active learning approaches, since they provide more opportunities for interaction among learners. In Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) classrooms, small…

In August 2006, in accordance with a recently passed charter school law, a Mid-Atlantic school district opened its first public charter schools. The charter schools' staff had opportunities to exercise autonomy over their instruction and had very little in-service training. This study examined what seven teachers at a newly created charter school…

The study examined the impact of Project-Based Learning on reading and mathematics achievement of 7th and 8th grade students. Project-based learning deviates from the customary school practices and is an innovative strategy used in the curriculum to engage students in solving authentic problems for deeper learning experiences. The association…

The study was a qualitative case study on engagement in work in four schools in Suffolk County, New York. The purpose of this researcher was to investigate how school systems and educators engage students and adults in 21st Century education. The levels of engagement were examined using patterns of instruction, organization, governance, and…

The National Research Council's most recent report "Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8," (2007) has suggested a redefinition of science proficiency. "This framework rests on a view of science as both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model building enterprise that continually extends,…

The purpose of this study was to determine ways "Digital Biographies," a Project Based Learning Unit, developed 21st century skills while simultaneously supporting NCLB accountability standards. The main goal of this study was to inform professional practice by exploring ways to address two separate, seemingly opposing, demands of…

The purpose of this study was to examine college algebra students' perceptions of self-efficacy relating to method of instruction in a large-lecture seminar and self-paced mastery outcomes course. This study was prompted by a lack of information currently available regarding students' perceptions of specific methods of instruction regarding…