Psychological science has much to contribute to enhancing teaching and learning in the classroom. Teaching and learning are intricately linked to social and behavioral factors of human development, including cognition, motivation, social interaction, and communication. Psychological science can also provide key insights on effective instruction,…

In this article, veteran educator Otis Kriegel provides eight questions that teachers can ask themselves as they create or tweak lesson plans. With practical, straightforward advice, Kriegel suggests that teachers be mindful of who their audience is, how much students already know, and what materials they'll need. He also urges teachers to…

Over the last 15 years educational organizations, researchers, and practitioners have developed frameworks for teacher effectiveness. These frameworks were established in an effort to define 'good teaching' and have ultimately informed the process of teacher evaluation. Simultaneously, new tools, such as simulation, have emerged to support teacher…

Quantitative and qualitative studies of various aspects of the perception of biotechnology were conducted among 469 Slovenian high school students of average age 17 years. Our research aimed to explore relationships among students' pre-knowledge of molecular and human genetics, and their attitudes to four specific biotechnological applications.…

Briefly describes how students use their prior knowledge of conventions in making inferences about literature. Outlines some techniques that could be employed in conducting descriptive research studies to determine what students do or do not know and how that difference affects their response to literature. (RL)

Describes a teacher-researcher's instructional experience with her middle school students in which she applied strategies and techniques to promote the development of English as a Second Language (ESL) and critical thinking through a literature-based approach to social studies. (Author/VWL)

Reports a study that examined images of teaching brought by entry-level students as they began their initial work in elementary education. Students were asked to describe and draw ideal teacher and student situations. Results indicated students entered teaching with complex ideas about pupils, the learning environment, and teachers' roles. (SM)

Early results are reported for an effort to use a reasoning-based mathematics program in the primary classroom. In the preschool years, children develop knowledge about quantities of material, referred to as protoquantitative reasoning. Integrating counting with the protoquantitative schemas seems to occur as early as 4 years of age. Drawing on…

This document presents the proceedings of the 31st Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA). The theme of this conference is "Navigating Currents and Charting Directions." The theme reminds us that, although we are constantly pushed to account for the quality and impact of our research, we…