The incidence and prevalence of alternative conceptions in science have been reported by a number of researchers. This article reports findings of a study involving the development and implementation of two intervention programmes to address alternative conceptions related to interference and diffraction of waves among 133 first year university…

This study examined the role of particular tasks implemented through two instructional methods on college students' "achievement" and understanding of probability. A mixed methods design that utilized a pre-test and post-test was used. This included treatment and control groups, each comprised of students in three sections of an…

This study investigated preservice teachers' beliefs toward cultural diversity by employing an inquiry through literature approach. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an inquiry through literature instructional format, such as book clubs, and whole class and individual inquiry, on preservice teachers' beliefs regarding cultural…

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to describe the perceptions of elementary teachers from an urban school district in Southern California regarding their inquiry-based science instructional practices, assessment methods and professional development. The district's inquiry professional development called the California Mathematics and…

This mixed methods study evaluated the differences in the perceptions of educators in the state of Missouri on cell phone use in the classroom setting and its relationship to instruction. Specifically, this study analyzed the difference in perceptions and relationships that exist among educators (teachers and counselors) and administrators in…

This mixed methods study examined preservice secondary mathematics teachers' perceptions of a blogging activity used as a supportive teaching-learning tool in a college Euclidean Geometry course. The effect of a 12-week blogging activity that was a standard component of a college Euclidean Geometry course offered for preservice secondary…

Over the past two decades, several new K-12 mathematics curricula have been developed. The question asked by many researchers, administrators, and policy-makers is: "Do these materials work?" This question has led to research on curricular effectiveness and, more specifically, on teachers' implementations of the curricula. Teachers…

This mixed methods study examined the impacts of digital fabrication activities that were integrated into contextualized mathematics education. The study investigated the students' mathematics content knowledge and attitudes. Data analysis yielded two key findings regarding our intervention combined with the other mathematics activities resulted…

In this article, we report the findings from a study exploring the effects of a problem-based learning (PBL) approach to teaching and learning on learning outcomes for master's of social work (MSW) students. Students who participated in a PBL pilot project were compared with students who did not participate in 5 outcome areas: social work…

A mixed-methods research study was designed to examine teachers' knowledge and confidence for implementing a STEM-based problem-based learning (PBL) unit in their 6-12 grade science and math classrooms. Twenty-one teachers (7 in-service and 13 pre-service) participated in an intensive two-week summer workshop during which they engaged in, and then…

In post-conflict and divided societies, global citizenship education has been described as a central element of peacebuilding education, whereby critical pedagogy is seen as a tool to advance students' thinking, transform their views and promote democratic behaviours. The present study investigates understandings of and attitudes to global…

A common approach for demonstrating learning in online classrooms is through submittal of research essays of a discussion topic followed by classroom participation. Issues arose at an online campus of a university regarding the originality and quality of critical thinking in the original submittals. Achievement of new course objectives oriented to…

The use of instructional technology in secondary mathematics education has proliferated in the last decade, and students' mathematical thinking and reasoning has received more attention during this time as well. However, few studies have investigated the role of instructional technology in supporting students' mathematical thinking. In…

This study of advanced readers in Reading First (RF) classrooms was part of a larger evaluation of one state's RF implementation. The study's purposes were to (a) assess the longitudinal growth of advanced primary readers as compared with their non-advanced-reading peers over a 3-year timeframe and (b) determine the degree to which RF classrooms…

Background: Recognition of the importance of the development of intercultural competence (ICC) has placed intense pressure on teacher education programs to infuse a global perspective into their programs. Several studies have proposed integration of global elements into teacher education programs. Although the use of online tools for…