Problem solving has been characterized as one of the 'employability skills' due to the high demand for such abilities in a modern workplace. Most universities do not monitor progress of the generic problem-solving skills (PSS) of their students due to a lack of available assessment tools. We used previously reported 15-min tests to measure the…

The social studies curriculum travels through time and space and is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. To an outsider, the social studies curriculum is a single line on a program of studies, 45 minutes of a student's school day. Those on the inside, however, know that the field covers history, geography, civics, economics, and much…

How do we preserve our civil society and dynamic political system and prepare students to be active citizens in a democratic society? The need for civic education is more essential now than ever before, and students deserve access to powerful civic lessons that actively engage them in learning about our democracy. The ultimate goal would be for…

Humans have become the most dominant animal on the planet. They have adaptations providing advantages over other animals. They have even out competed other species in their own genus. Humans have opposable forefingers and thumbs for superior dexterity, very large brains for intelligence, walk upright with bipedal locomotion to cover distances more…

The present study summarized three studies of schema-based instruction (SBI), a research-based Tier 1 mathematics program implemented in general education classrooms. We evaluated the efficacy of SBI in improving the mathematics achievement of seventh-grade students, including students with or at risk for mathematics disabilities (MD). The three…

According to Geary's evolutionary approach, humans are able to easily acquire primary knowledge and, with more efforts, secondary knowledge. The present study investigates how primary knowledge contents can facilitate the learning of formal logical rules, i.e., secondary knowledge. Framing formal logical problems in evolutionary salient contexts…

The first author's initial attempts at a whole-class mathematics discussion were woefully dysfunctional. Ten second graders showing their answers to a missing addend question about the number of children left riding a school bus did not result in the mathematical epiphany that the textbook promised. She did not give up on using mathematical…

The use of active learning techniques in engineering classrooms has been limited despite substantial evidence supporting their efficacy in helping students construct problem-solving expertise. A blended classroom, which combines online and in-class learning, was employed in a Chemical Engineering Computation class to address instructional…

Problem solving is an important yet neglected mathematical skill for students with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability (ASD/ID). In addition, the terminology and vocabulary used in mathematical tasks may be unfamiliar to students with ASD/ID. The current study evaluated the effects of modified schema-based instruction (SBI) on the…

Statistics standards found in the Common Core (CCSSI 2010) and other state standards require considerable instructional time and focus for students to develop the depth and breadth of understanding necessary. In this article, the authors offer an approach to teaching a statistics unit that combines student choice with authentic and sustained…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has called on teachers to create supportive and equitable classroom environments, to steadfastly advocate that all students can learn mathematics, to hold high expectations for all students and to adopt practices that offer students the opportunity to excel (NCTM 2014). The overarching aim of…

This study was designed to examine predictors of instructional beliefs related to problem solving that influence mathematics in-service teachers' practices in the Chilean context. A total of 713 in-service mathematics teachers from various elementary schools participated in the survey study during 2015 and 2016. Results showed that teachers'…

Organic chemistry students at two universities, one in Canada and the other in the United States, connected using video conferencing software as learning partners for six online collaborative assignments. Mixed-methods analysis of interviews, surveys, and student-written reflections was used to identify barriers that students encountered during…

Business communication programs and business school competitions are a prevalent component of graduate-level business education. Both activities help students develop problem-solving skills, critical thinking, high-level communication, and applied experiential learning. While business competitions may aid in the development of advanced…

Collaborative gestures in the mathematics classroom occur when multiple learners coordinate their bodies in concert to accomplish mathematical goals. Collaborative gestures show how cognition becomes distributed across a system of dynamic agents, allowing for members of groups of students to act and gesture as one. We explore ways high school…