There is a need to provide more case studies of alternative grading strategies in the biology education literature and report on student perceptions of these strategies. Student participants were instructed using alternative grading strategies and then completed course metacognitive self-reflections. Qualitative content analysis was performed on…

The problem that this action research study addressed was the ineffective facilitation strategies used in professional development for teachers. The purpose of the study was to determine whether reflective practices impact teachers' instructional decisions. The study used Cognitive Coaching, a reflective coaching model, as its intervention. To…

The scientific problem to which this article is devoted is determined by the tasks facing modern education. One of these tasks is to build a continuous education system, covering all stages of a person's life. To ensure the movement of the individual in the educational space, it is necessary to form a culture of lifelong learning, which implies…

The professional development of middle leaders in higher education is little considered in existing research, though there are general concerns being raised about the suitability of the professional development opportunities currently available. This article develops and explores the use of meta-reflection as a method for professional development,…

School and university classrooms remain the standard around the world for second language instruction. However, over the past 20 years various methods of language learning have permeated the educational landscape to include self-study textbooks, language learning software and online teachers. Some models are evidence based while others lack…

Modeling is considered an important scientific practice, and modeling instruction has the potential to support conceptual change in students in physics. However, when students are not taught how to think about modeling, and how to develop and use models, the learning potential of modeling may be limited. This paper argues that the use and explicit…

Teaching scientific writing in biology classes is challenging for both teachers and students. This article offers and reviews several useful 'toolkit' items that instructors of science writing can use to improve college student success. The tools in this kit are both conceptual and practical, and include: (1) Understanding the role of student…

Metacognition is a type of thinking in which learners think about their own cognitive processes. Because it transcends disciplines and grade levels, metacognition is useful in many educational settings and can be transferred from the music classroom to other subject areas. Music educators can promote metacognition by designing and implementing…

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether there is evidence of reflection in student-written journals and to investigate whether students show improvements in their reflective skills through journal keeping. To that end, the reflection journals of 3460 first-year students enrolled in a polytechnic were studied by means of an…

During discussions with students the author often says, "I ask questions because I wish to know what you think. I already know what I think." Recently, he has taken his own advice, in a way, and has carefully considered what he does think and how those beliefs shape and are shaped, by his practice. Several questions with the author's answers are…

This paper draws on emerging data from a doctoral study exploring how schools approach the development of self-regulated learners in Years 7-12. The research is exploring stakeholders' attitudes, beliefs, experiences and perceptions around the development of self-regulated learning (SRL) in contemporary secondary schools and how new and emerging…

Learners are multi-faceted, unique people. Discovering the whole individual is incumbent upon realizing the teaching/learning environments, common social and societal realities, and belief and value systems respective of academic and socio-societal factors that establish who one is as a learner and teacher. In "Learning and Teaching," the authors…

A working paper on how to use common E-Learning platforms to incorporate critical thinking and reflection into traditional and hybrid formatted curriculums. Definitions and conceptual framework of both constructs are discussed and their benefits towards cognitions and reflection are highlighted. Best practices, including examples of previous…

A common view seems to be emerging in the mathematics education world at the moment that the development and use of "rich tasks" is a good thing; a "right thing" to do. There are many examples of these "rich tasks" and teachers are encouraged to use them whenever they can. Professional learners don't just accept this uncritically, but question…

Success in the 21st century, for individuals and societies, requires competence in comprehending and communicating in the academic disciplines--the natural sciences, history, geography, and more. The Read-Write Cycle (RWC) Project, a three year longitudinal research study conducted from 2005-2008 in ten public elementary schools in southern…