Computer programming provides a framework for interdisciplinary learning in sciences, arts and languages. However, increasing integration of programming in K--12 shows that the block-based and text-based dichotomy of programming environments does not reflect the spectrum of their affordance. Hence, educators are confronted with a fundamental…

Teachers' goals and orientations underlie their instructional decision making and can make the difference between "talking the talk" and "walking the walk" when trying to change lab instruction. Schoenfeld's "Resources, Orientations, and Goals" (ROG) framework was employed to shed light on the challenges involved in a…

Political education is a loaded expression, and even more so when it is suggested that state authorities should be in charge of it. The main claim from the author in this article is that, in contexts of sufficient political pluralism, political education should more firmly be taken in charge by primary and secondary schools. In the first section,…

Cyber security is a growing area of international importance, with shortages present for cyber security skills. While many universities have introduced degree programmes for cyber security, the major focus of these programmes is on the development of technical skills with some reports indicating how graduates of these courses lack in softer skills…

The first part of this article describes in brief the Six Steps methodology for designing educational environments--be they K-12 schools, tertiary institutions, community centers, youth movements, or the like-- as set forth in my book "Educational Design in Six Steps: A Strategic and Practical Scaffold" (Routledge 2020). The second part…

"Core Practices for Project-Based Learning" offers a framework and essential set of strategies for successfully implementing project-based learning (PBL) in the classroom. Centering on teaching practice, this work moves beyond project planning to focus on the complex instructional demands of the student-centered PBL approach. Pam…

The purpose of this study was to conduct a critical text analysis of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) policy documents and the resources teachers have access to help them implement these standards into their classroom. NGSS outlines the skills and content needed for students to become proficient in STEM fields. These standards increase the…

Knowledge building dynamics are central to scientific communities and involve dialog, debate, inquiry, and contested reasoning. Refining and developing knowledge is an oft missing dynamic in precollege educational programs. Practical reasoning and human decision making are essential epistemic and social dynamics in knowledge-building struggles and…

With a visionary approach to school improvement, "Equity-Based Leadership" proposes a framework to support system leaders seeking to organize change and achieve more equitable education. In this ambitious yet pragmatic work, Joshua P. Starr makes the case that intentional and attentive district leadership can bring about continuous…

Pedagogical reforms in sub-Saharan Africa have often been unsuccessful, arguably because they fail to account for the social and cultural context of teachers' choices. Two studies in rural Tanzania examined the pedagogical decisions of teachers taking part in a programme of teacher professional development. Teachers reflected on their own…

This paper reports findings from a formative design experiment during which the practical problem of how to support 31 preservice teachers as they approximated planning for ambitious literacy instruction was examined. Collaborative planning conversations between the PSTs and a teacher educator were analyzed. Discourse analysis revealed a…

Background Postsecondary institutions are expected to provide students with skills such as communication that are considered essential for success in school, work, and society. However, faculty are rarely trained to design courses that emphasize complex, cultural skills like communication, highlighting the need for professional development that…

Middle school is a place where many students are first introduced to more complex novels. Novel instruction in middle school English language arts classrooms is potentially influenced by the elementary focus on reading strategies and/or the secondary focus on literary analysis. Using a qualitative methodological approach, six middle school…

Many traditional Information Systems (IS) programs are either redesigning current courses to incorporate business/data analytics or expanding curricular offerings to include business /data analytics; our IS program chose the former route to meet the demand (from employers) for business/data analytics. In that transition, a traditional systems…

As described in the Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice, school nurses bridge the realities of health and education policy within the school community every day. This role is inclusive of helping teach sexual health education (SHE) to students. We were interested in characterizing how school nurses navigate requirements of health…