The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the Predict-Explain-Observe-Discuss-Explain (PEODE)-based laboratory on enhancing the verbal and figural creativity of gifted students. The quasi-experimental research design utilised a pre- and post-test approach with a non-equivalent control group, consisting of 60 sixth-grade gifted students.…

Understanding how physicists solve problems can guide the development of methods that help students learn and improve at solving complex problems. Leveraging the framework of cognitive task analysis, we conducted semistructured interviews with theoretical physicists (N=11) to gain insight into the cognitive processes and skills that they use in…

Given the positive effect of teaching idiomatic expressions using the conceptual metaphor (CM) view, and the many benefits of using language tasks in English as a second or foreign language context, this article aims to help teachers design and develop tasks on the basis of CM and task-based language teaching (TBLT). In this study, a series of…

In spite of the fact that task-based language teaching (TBLT) has been extensively researched in both experimental and authentic contexts, there is a scarcity of research on TBLT in the area of pre-service teaching. Our current study seeks to help fill this gap via the examination of the attitudes of thirty-nine pre-service teachers -- after an…

This study investigated the relationship between a metaphor-based approach to teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) and involvement of the brain's right hemisphere. Specifically, it examined learners' understanding of three levels of sureness associated with different expressions in English -- those that are "certain,"…

Idioms abound in both spoken and written English, yet they present a particularly thorny problem in foreign language learning. One of the reasons for this difficulty is second language learners' ignorance of the holistic nature of English idioms. Based on computerized reading tasks, the present study probes the effects of using electronic glosses…

The competence in identifying and comprehending the meaning of idiomatic expressions developed at an early age. However, second language learners reach the comprehension skill differently within the age and at pace. There are many unresolved questions regarding the age which children start to comprehend L2 idioms. The objective of this study was…

One of the central challenges educators face today, especially in higher education, is the gap between warranted (domain-specific) knowledge and the prior beliefs students hold about certain concepts and phenomena (preconceptions). In the Internet age, students often self-directedly acquire knowledge from an increasingly large number of…

This conceptual paper proposes a model to describe the quality of student dialogue during participative collaborative problem solving. Drawing on the participation metaphor of learning, we argue that the construct of mathematical sophistication is useful to describe the quality. We then present two frameworks, mathematical competencies and…

Complex Instruction is a multifaceted instructional model designed to provide highly challenging learning opportunities for students in heterogeneous classrooms. The model provides a rationale for and philosophy of creating equity of access to excellent curriculum and instruction for a broad range of learners, guidance for preparing students for…

We explored the vocabulary and metaphor comprehension of learners of English as an additional language (EAL) in the first two years of UK primary school. EAL vocabulary knowledge is believed to be a crucial predictor of (reading) comprehension and educational attainment (Murphy, 2018). The vocabulary of five- to seven-year-old children with EAL…

Although metaphors are essential tools in everyday communication and educational settings, the literature lacks evidence of effective training tools to promote metaphor comprehension in typical development. Grounding in theoretical pragmatics, we developed a novel metaphor comprehension training (MetaCom) for school-age children that focuses on…

Metaphors reflect the way people think and know the world. When they are considered within teaching profession, they can be strong agents revealing teachers? beliefs about their profession. They may also explore the meaning that teachers attach to themselves. Despite their strength to shed light on how teachers conceptualize themselves, metaphor…

Different from other studies on the metaphor analysis of pre-service teachers and their cognition on teaching, the present study adopted a larger perspective and investigated their conceptualization of the dynamics of the practicum, namely teaching practice, mentors, supervisor, students, lesson plan and materials. 35 pre-service teachers were…

The advent of motion-controlled technologies has unlocked new possibilities for body-based learning in the mathematics classroom. For example, mixed-reality learning environments allow students the opportunity to embody a mathematical concept while simultaneously being provided a visual interface that represents their movement. In the current…