"Impact/Impasse" argues for the value of everyday life in college classrooms. Quantifiable categories such as high-impact practice, student engagement, and integrative learning have captured the imagination of a generation of higher education researchers, practitioners, administrators, and policymakers. But they miss those mundane…

The issue of class size is a complex and contested topic that has divided opinion for many years. Whilst many teachers believe that smaller class sizes assist in enhancing outcomes, a number of policy influencers, policy makers and researchers argue that it has little influence on success in learning and that decreasing class sizes is not…

The article reviews studies that focus on classroom management. The aim of classroom management is twofold. The first is to establish a quiet and calm environment in the classroom so that the pupils can take part in meaningful learning in a subject. The second aim is that classroom management contributes to the pupils' social and moral…

This article extends the discussion started by Margaret Beier, Leslie Miller, and Shu Wang's (2012) paper, "Science games and the development of possible selves". In this paper, I suggest that a theoretical framework based on a sociocultural theory of learning is critical in learning in a virtual environment. I will discuss relevant research on…

Today as in the past, many students struggle with mathematics and become affected as they continually encounter obstacles to engagement. Mathematics is generally seen as a difficult subject and how this subject is communicated to pupils will influence how pupils learn the subject. Classroom routines play an important role in developing students'…

Concludes that while external class interruptions might be a major source of irritation to teachers, they may not have much of a detrimental effect on student learning. Suggests that teachers use nonverbal techniques to cope with such interruptions in order to maintain classroom order and instructional continuance. (FL)

Authors observed classrooms that served as models for open education and testified that what former observers have described is actually only part of the story. (Editor/RK)

A promising area in educational research is the application of techniques of literary criticism to curriculum theory. Kenneth Burke's dramatistic system clarifies the five sources of motives in the drama--purpose, agency, scene, agent, and act. This pentad creates a possibly fruitful model that highlights the drama of the classroom. Contrasting…

Discusses a theoretical framework that draws together previous research on the role of the educator in children's learning. Urges teachers to create classroom "communities" in which children have some control over their learning environment and interact with teachers and peers to carry out legitimate personal and social tasks. (HTH)

A comment from the author on the design and validity of the research concerning the use of teaching methods on children's progress and achievement in primary schools is discussed. (Editor/RK)

In this article, we argue for a change in how researchers study motivation to learn. We believe that research can provide better explanations of the origins and outcomes of behavior, and thus be more useful, if we focus on how motivation develops and why it changes. We suggest reframing motivation research in education by extending the current…

The purpose of this study is to show that the psychological climate of the classroom has an effect on the learning of students. (Editor)

This paper outlines an evaluation system for elementary education based on cognitive and social development research. Piaget has defined certain core mental structures that develop in all humans in the same order. Both Piaget and Kohlberg have done work on the process of developmental change and the conditions necessary for optimal growth of the…

Discusses appropriate methodologies for investigating how learning occurs in the laboratory. Presents two techniques, concept mapping and V-diagramming, which can be effective research tools in probing students' understanding of chemical principles. These techniques can also be effective instructional tools that help students integrate lecture…

The major emphasis of this paper (a summary of the results and implications of recent research into the nature of the teaching process) is the relationship between teacher behavior patterns and teacher effectiveness. The underlying thesis is that application of the scientifically supported systems approach to teacher training can yield (and has…