This case study investigated gender-based differences in classroom participation through examining teacher-student interactions between a female biology teacher and two groups of middle school students, namely high achievers and low achievers. The female teacher used a questioning-orientated instructional strategy as her major teaching style which…

This study investigated the premise that action, manifested here through pretend play, is a semiotic arena that can enhance narrative development. It was hypothesized that children would produce structurally more complex narratives in play-prompted elicitation than in direct elicitation conditions, and that this competence would increase with age.…

Using an interdisciplinary approach and historical-materialist perspective, this article argues that economic systems largely influence and maintain the operation of all cultural activity. It contends that today's world has become increasingly dependent on a global economy dominated by capitalism--a profit-driven system--that has come to influence…

In this study, we investigated the use of humor in college classrooms. We examined how students perceived professors' uses of various types of humor during class and the types of humor that students and faculty recommend for use in class. We also correlated the way professors incorporated humor into their class lectures with their perceived…

Visual representations are essential for communicating ideas in the science classroom; however, the design of such representations is not always beneficial for learners. This paper presents instructional design considerations providing empirical evidence and integrating theoretical concepts related to cognitive load. Learners have a limited…

This article describes a step-by-step procedure to differentiate instruction through tiered lessons. (Contains 3 figures.)

The Teaching/Learning Centers (TLC) model is based on the assumption that the best foundation for meaningful, sustained, and transformative professional development is laid when teachers assess the particular needs for their school site, plan and implement professional development background. It is concluded that the TLC model of professional…

This article provides a summary of current research regarding literacy issues that boys face and offers practices and strategies that might help bridge the literacy gap for boys. The article began as a result of the author's son's struggles with literacy. By sharing Gabe's story, this teacher and researcher examines the issues he and other boys…

This article examines some of the issues that arise when two disparate cultures of learning engage with each other. It draws on various theories of language pedagogy and cultural appropriacy to suggest how such issues might be resolved. A snapshot of a specific teaching experience at a Gulf university is presented to illustrate some of these…

Statistics anxiety is prevalent among students whose academic background has little statistical training. The development and psychometric properties of statistics anxiety scales and the factors affecting statistics anxiety have been extensively studied for more than twenty years, but few studies focused on how to reduce the statistics anxiety for…

Pairs of students from two age groups made choropleth maps using Arc View. Evidence from their discourse is used to assess aspects of their cartographic understanding as well as the nature of their collaboration. Students from both age groups spent a high percentage of their time talking about cartographic strategy and a low percentage of time on…

Feminist analyses have shown that we need to understand the ways globalization not only oppresses women but opens up new spaces of possibility, including the possibility of escaping patriarchal, racist and classist structures. This paper briefly introduces some analyses which work towards such understandings, and argues that they are important for…

When children are asked questions that invite them to react and respond thoughtfully to what they have read, teachers can gain a great deal of insight into the thinking habits of their students. Discussions of ideas offer teachers valuable opportunities to observe their students' thinking habits and skills, the breadth and precision of their…

In this article, the author talks about valuing individual and group differences and knowing how to interact effectively with a variety of people in school through multicultural education in a middle school family and consumer sciences setting. Here, she answers the questions: (1) Why multicultural education? (2) Why middle school? and (3) Why…

In this paper I discuss the benefits of curriculum integration for gifted and talented students in the regular classroom setting. Although this approach to curriculum delivery enhances learning for all learners, the focus of this article is the gifted and talented student. In this paper I begin by describing the approach and the teacher's role in…