Research has suggested that measures of both general classroom observational tools (Classroom Organization and Teacher Emotional/Instructional Support) and content-specific observational tools (Ambitious Math Instruction and Errors and Imprecision) are related to K-6 student math achievement and therefore there is encouragement to use both types…

Guided and open inquiry stands as a valuable instructional strategy for science education. Yet, confirmation and structured inquiry, which provides higher levels of teacher guidance, is more often enacted. These approaches, though more workable, remain unexplored in their effectiveness in improving achievement motivations. This study draws on…

The ability to read, the single most important skill students need for learning, has been on the decline across the nation while student interest in books has also waned. Yet, despite the flagging interest in, and proficiency with, reading, English Language Arts (ELA) instruction has remained largely unchanged especially in grades 6-12. The…

As schools reopened in the fall of 2021, educators faced pressure to fill in learning gaps created by unfinished learning. Findings from a qualitative case study of elementary school teachers show that at times teachers felt constrained by the limitations of teaching writing in an online environment; therefore, they were excited about returning to…

This study examines the ties of sixth-grade teachers to their interdisciplinary team colleagues and explores the dimensions of their efficacy beliefs for their own and their colleagues' teaching. Teachers (n = 238; 83% female, 88% White) from 26 middle schools completed surveys about the relational aspects of ties to team colleagues, the…

This paper presents one elementary school librarian's experience using gamification and game-based learning in the specialist classroom. While the academic literature on gamification and game-based learning is increasing, there has not been much written on using these techniques in the specialist classroom. Using a case study method, the…

This longitudinal study examined the effectiveness of a progress monitoring method, namely the Multilayer Instruction Model-Progress Monitoring (MIM-PM), which is a word reading fluency measure. It was used from 1st grade onward to predict the overall reading achievement of students in elementary school by tracking their reading achievement over…

Inspired by a "whole child" framing, the current study takes a "whole classroom" perspective to consider classroom practice. Study aims included: (1) presenting a systematic video-based observational coding strategy to concurrently consider practice domains that have implications for learning--cognitive instruction, classroom…

Opportunities for students to share their thinking with the class--which I refer to as "work-sharing practices--require a profound shift in who is positioned with intellectual authority in mathematics classrooms. This study explores work-sharing practices in one sixth grade mathematics classroom through an interactional lens. Video analysis…

The current study evaluates effects of teaching factors and extended day programs regarding both average achievement and socioeconomic achievement gaps. Analyses are based on data from the National Educational Panel Study in Germany. The sample comprises 1523 students in 120 classes in 71 secondary schools. The investigation period covers fifth…

This study explores teachers' use of Spanish in sixth-grade bilingual science classrooms at an urban middle school in Texas. We used a case study approach to study how two Spanish-English bilingual teachers utilized Spanish during instruction in a unit on space exploration and their beliefs on Spanish use in English-dominant science classrooms.…

Preservice teachers (PSTs) frequently face challenges with classroom management, a key aspect of effective teaching. Reflective practice is crucial for PSTs to enhance their skills, but their reflections tend to be superficial. This mixed-methods study explores whether integrating 360-degree video and virtual reality (VR) technology with a…

Supportive classroom environments are associated with improved student outcomes, particularly during early adolescence (ages 10-14 years). Applying Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory to further investigate the microsystem of the school (Bronfenbrenner and Morris in The ecology of human development, Harvard University Press, Boston, 1998),…

Racial discipline disproportionality is a persistent issue in schools with Black students experiencing exclusionary discipline two to three times more than their White peers, and Black males more likely to be diagnosed with an emotional and behavioral disorder. Interventions that target malleable root causes of disproportionality and have an…

Research and development of Learning Analytics (LA) have created new ways to support students' learning. However, our understanding of teachers' roles when implementing LA in classroom practices remains nascent. This study investigates how teachers can implement LA to support students' agency in directing their own inquiry, when engaging in a…