Struggling writers often need more instructional support than is present in commercially available process writing curricula. In this study, we employed a one-group, pretest-posttest design to evaluate whether 41 struggling primary grade writers who attended a university-based summer learning program would increase in writing ability, given a…

Teaching programming skills has attracted a great deal of attention for more than a decade. One potential reason behind this is that the explicit teaching of computer programming can improve higher-order thinking skills, such as creativity. Moreover, whether or not creative programming learning activities, such as the use of…

How we should teach mathematics has long been debated by advocates of different instructional approaches. These debates can lead to tensions that are difficult to navigate for those who are new to (or even veterans of) the profession. Educators often propose a "balance" of different approaches as a solution. Charles Munter considers…

After 30 years of practicing, researching, and teaching project-based learning (PBL), Steven Wolk offers insight into what he has learned. He discusses what PBL is and responds to common misunderstandings about how it works. He describes how PBL units are structured, the role of direct instruction in PBL, how students learn content and skills…

By providing explicit instruction, teacher educators can play an essential role in helping teacher candidates develop as reflective antiracist educators. Using critical ethnography and case study, we examined the role of explicit instruction in helping teacher candidates develop skills in critical reflection. Findings revealed that explicit…

This study aimed to address the gap in an environmental science undergraduate course by investigating the impact of explicitly integrating the Nature of Science (NOS) into the instruction of scientific inquiry. The lab-based course focused on developing an understanding of the natural world, as well as the processes scientists use to study that…

Traditionally, in sports, we spend the majority of practice time trying to do the "right" things; that is, producing the desired performance outcomes (e.g., hitting a golf shot down the middle of the fairway, shooting a basketball into the net, hitting a baseball into fair play). An alternative is to practice doing the "wrong"…

Science process skills (SPSs) are one of the most important skills possessed by students in conducting scientific activities. Therefore, it is crucial for science teachers to understand and practice these skills. Considering the role of teachers in developing students' SPSs, the focus of this study is on developing pre-service science teachers'…

This study explores the parents' perceptions about the meaning and importance of various life skills education as tool for empowering young children, and about the role of schools and parents in stimulating these skills. The study was qualitative, involving a sample of 30 parents of secondary-level students selected through convenience sampling.…

Many teachers are ill-prepared to apply practices that can both preempt and address challenging behaviors that interfere with academic instruction. We evaluated the efficacy of a supplemental multi-platform (direct instruction, guided practice, and mixed reality simulations) intervention designed for preservice teachers who do not have…

One of the primary goals of adult basic education programs is to help individuals develop the reading, writing, and math skills necessary to access stable employment opportunities. In the US, this need has been largely overlooked by the burgeoning educational technology sector. To understand how learning technologies might support these learners…

Soft skills are highly sought by employers and linked to academic and personal success. Employers lament a perceived "skills gap" in new graduates, but few studies have examined faculty perspectives on soft skills. A survey of business faculty across the United States explored how they are teaching students in these areas. The findings…

The body of research on the importance of non-cognitive skills in middle school shows that emphasizing these skills diminish after elementary grades. Further, there is a lack of standard policy and framework for directly integrating these skills in middle schools. The purpose of this quantitative exploratory study was to gain a better…

For this dissertation, I had the opportunity to investigate a well-established university-based intensive English program in the northeastern United States as it transitioned from an integrated-skills to a paired-skills approach. My goal as a researcher was to investigate in what ways "listening," the second language (L2) skill…

Direct instruction is required in the use of different comprehension skills in order to advance students' ability to independently comprehend texts. Being able to make connections is an important reading comprehension strategy which allows students make meaning of what they are reading. The aim of the current study was to investigate the…