Few studies have explored approaches to teaching qualitative data analysis software (QDAS). As more researchers rely on self-teaching, more research into best practices for developing QDAS expertise is warranted. In this paper, we report our experience using the Five-Level QDA® method to guide the design of an introductory ATLAS.ti workshop. By…

This study explores kindergarten students' early notions of mathematical equivalence in the United States. In particular, it uses qualitative methods to examine the understandings children hold about the equal sign prior to formal instruction and how these understandings shift throughout an 8-week classroom teaching experiment designed to develop…

Studies have shown the importance of visual metaphor in facilitating learning. Metaphor aids in communicating complex concepts in a clear manner, and enhances the learning experience. This study investigates graduate students' experiences and attitudes toward visual metaphors in an online learning environment. The visual metaphor used in this…

Connectivist learning is interaction-centered learning. A framework describing interaction and cognitive engagement in connectivist learning was constructed using logical reasoning techniques. The framework and analysis was designed to help researchers and learning designers understand and adapt the characteristics and principles of interaction in…

This study reports the findings of a qualitative case study that examined how elements of design and organization were conceptualized and enacted in two graduate level online courses, and, how these conceptualizations and enactments evolved. Data was collected through interviews and "think-alouds" with the course instructors and through…

In the last five years or so, research has extensively explored the benefits and problems of flipped classrooms in helping improve the student learning experience. However, little attention has been given to the kinds of support that students would need in the process of mastering learning outside class. To address this gap in research and…

This qualitative study explored the nature of informal learning in professional instructional designers' everyday work activities. Based on intensive interviews with six full-time practitioners, and using a hermeneutic form of data analysis, this study produced seven themes concerning the practices, tensions, and ironies associated with this…

This paper has been conducted to determine future teachers' mathematical beliefs and to explore the relationship between their mathematical beliefs and initial teaching practice in a classroom setting, in terms of how they design the content of teaching activities, they employed the style of teaching in mathematics, and they engaged with pupils. A…

Drawing on a teacher concerns framework, alongside notions of critical consciousness, this article examines the extent to which teacher candidates' (TCs') concerns are related in any way to the critical scholarship they have engaged with throughout their teacher education coursework. Utilizing teacher candidates' written dilemmas of practice…

There is a need for a holistic usability evaluation framework that accommodates social constructivist online courses. Social knowledge construction may not be adequately evaluated using current frameworks. This qualitative research study examined the usability needs of a social constructivist online course. Data from an online course were analyzed…

Although much research addresses prejudice toward and discrimination of individuals with disabilities, few studies engage with the concept of "ability privilege," or the benefits that typically abled individuals are afforded in relation to their position within the hegemony. Given the fledgling nature of research on ability privilege, it…

Drawing on the experience of training graduate students and researchers in qualitative and mixed-methods analysis since the mid-1990s, the authors reflect on the evolution of a multidisciplinary graduate course developed in a Canadian university since 2007. The hands-on/hands-off course design based on the use of NVivo was developed in parallel…

The arrival of the Common Core State Standards changed the landscape of teacher preparation for many teacher education programs by highlighting the importance of growing students as readers, writers, and communicators. This study focuses on the instructional literacy practices of preservice teachers enrolled in a co-taught course with a literacy…

Improving instruction has been shown to be among the best means of improving student achievement, and professional development has, in turn, been shown to be integral to improving instruction. Moreover, to be effective, professional development programs should be based on adult learning principles and incorporate teacher input. The problem serving…

Students use concrete manipulatives to form an imperative affiliation between conceptual and procedural knowledge (Balka, 1993). Hence, it is necessary to design specific mathematics manipulatives that focus on different mathematical concepts. Preservice teachers need to know how to make and use manipulatives that stimulate students' thinking as…