Affect and mathematical competence are each multifaceted constructs. Accordingly, the studies in this Special Issue address multiple pathways between the two in young children. This commentary highlights the variability of these pathways and asks how affective variables are specifically related to core mathematical activities such as problem…

What might science education learn from the recent affective turn in the humanities and social sciences? Framed as a response to Michalinos Zembylas's article, this essay draws from selected theorizing in affect theory, science education and science and technology studies, in pursuit of diverse and productive ways to talk of affect within science…

In this commentary, I build on recent interdisciplinary models for embodied cognition with additional perspectives from affective neuroscience, educational psychology, creativity theory, and science education. I invoke William James and John Dewey, pioneers of an embodied philosophy of mind, alongside recent affective neuroscience theory about the…

In this review article, I argue that games are complementary, not self-supporting, learning tools for democratic education because they can: (a) offer "simplified, but often not simple, outlines" (later called "models") of complex social systems that generate further inquiry; (b) provide "practice spaces" for…

Teaching literature from a psychological perspective provides a basis for the study and analysis of human motivation and behavior, as psychology and literature make mutual contributions to the study of both disciplines. Melancholia is a recurring theme in the novels of Dick Francis, and the first-person accounts of despair and depression are…

This essay begins by addressing concerns raised by Megan Boler regarding empathy's conceptual ambiguities and pedagogical effectiveness. This will be followed by a call for a systematic pedagogical approach to educating for empathy based on dialogue. I will argue that in order to be effective, empathic pedagogy should provide students with a means…

David Carr argues that the intelligibility of spiritual development as an educational activity is dependent upon there being a framework of propositions that relates to spiritual experience and that there is a methodology for establishing their truth. These propositions and the accompanying methodology need to be constructed along the lines of a…

In this commentary, Corno discusses Vollmeyer and Rheinberg's evidence from the perspective of related work in educational psychology. Relevant new terms provide background for understanding connections between the language used by Vollmeyer and Rheinberg and that of educational psychologists. The author uses results from research on teaching for…

For twenty years, the author of this article has helped prepare teachers for middle and high school classrooms. As with most lengthy journeys, this author relates how her journey as a teacher educator had taken different pathways. Early in her career, she had emphasized mainly what teachers should know: levels of Bloom's taxonomy, types of…

Discusses the importance (in Heinz Kohut's post-Freudian conception) of narcissism in postmodern pedagogy. Maintains that the affects (despair, depression, anger, joy) are the means by which students most fully understand the implications for their self-understanding of what they are being taught. (SR)

With the advent of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, virtually every school in America is expected to meet high academic standards in the face of declining resources. The requirements to meet these standards are rising as funding decreases, and little help is available to schools. "Strength-Based Teaching" is intended to fill that…

Presents different ideas on what "emotional literacy" means and why it is important to science teachers. (MM)

In A Philosophy of Music Education, Bennett Reimer reminds us that "the starting point is always an examination of values linked to the question, 'Why and for what purpose should we educate?" But because, as he puts it, the nature of pluralism in multicultural societies makes consensus about the purpose of education impossible, he suggests looking…

It is suggested that achievement of major aesthetic education goals can be directly facilitated by engaging students in historical activities. Examinations of the concepts of self-consciousness, judgment, imagination, particularity, and change are presented, demonstrating the similarities between aesthetic education processes and historical…

Criticizes the way music is being taught in the schools because current teaching methods do not emphasize music's emotional, expressive impact. The author argues that the primary role of music education programs should be to stimulate students' emotional and imaginative responses. (AM)