This study explored how participating in a faculty development course based on improvisational theatre affects college instructors' ability to increase student engagement and learning. Theoretical foundations included engagement, active learning, collaboration and social interaction, the art of improvisational theater, and the practice of applied…

This mixed research methods study explores whether project-based service-learning projects promote greater learning than standard project-based projects and whether introduced earlier into the curriculum promotes a greater student understanding of the world issues affecting their community. The present study focused on comparing sophomore and…

21st Century skills such as critical-thinking and problem-solving skills are very important when it comes to Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics or STEM. But those same skills should be integrated in social studies. The impact of students' learning in social studies as a result of implementing inquiry-based instructional strategies was…

New approaches to instruction are needed in all educational levels in order to develop the skills suited to the twenty-first century (i.e., inquiry, problem solving, innovation, entrepreneurship, technological communication, experimental design, and investigativeness). This research evaluated the outcomes of an approach aiming to develop such…

The developing synergy of legislation and research throughout recent history points to the current momentum behind college and career readiness for every student. Researchers have found that embedding academic content into career education improves student learning. Integrated learning can vary in approach and style and can be adjusted to fit into…

The present study assesses the attitudes and practices of teachers in relation to the national program Escuela 2.0 in Spain, implemented in 2009. The study analyzes attitudes and needs of 424 teachers and it assesses teaching practices developed with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Data is analyzed through mixed methods with…

Studies have shown an association between argumentative discourse in science class, better understanding of science concepts, and improved academic performance. However, there is lack of research on how argumentation can increase student motivation. This mixed methods concurrent nested study uses Bandura's construct of motivation and concepts of…

The issues that prompt this study are based on current research indicating the positive effects of inquiry learning on the cognitive development of children. The purpose of this case study was to understand the effects of inquiry learning on the academic achievement and bilingual verbal ability of 5th grade bilingual students in a French/English…

The purpose of this project was to evaluate an online course in child development in which active learning strategies were infused. Preservice teachers taking the course were future elementary teachers seeking initial prekindergarten to sixth-grade teaching certification. Sixty-one persons were enrolled in a traditional face-to-face section of the…

Given the shift to Common Core, educational leaders are challenged to see new directions in teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the instructional practices which may be related to the effectiveness of a performance-based system (PBS) and their impact on student achievement, as part of a thematic set of dissertations…

This study aims to evaluate a differentiation approach that was recently developed to teach mathematics to gifted middle school students in terms of its practice by teachers by studying the effect of the approach on achievement among both gifted and non-gifted students. From mixed research methods, the study used an explanatory design. It was…

The number of online courses in higher education is on the rise; however, empirical evidence elucidating best practices for synchronous online instruction is needed to implement these courses. The purpose of this dissertation was to perform a mixed-method investigation into the relationships between instructor prompt and student engagement in 5…

The purpose of this research was to investigate the differences in perceptions of learning and achievement of students and teachers in "Project-Based Learning" and Balanced Mathematics classrooms. The study utilized quantitative and qualitative surveys or a mixed method approach to gathering data relative to the perceptions of students…