Everyone knows that education is important. We are confronted daily by discussion of it in the media and by politicians, but how much do we really know about education? "Education: The Basics" is a lively and engaging introduction to education as an academic subject, taking into account both theory and practice. Covering the schooling…

Terms related to disabilities change over time, evolving in response to changing social conventions. Currently, there is a shift toward emphasizing level of supports needed to maximize independence for individuals with disabilities, using terms such as extensive support needs (ESN), significant support needs (SSN), and complex support needs (CSN).…

Due to the embeddedness of digital technologies in mathematics education of today, we often see examples of students simultaneously using their mathematical competencies and digital competencies. In relevant literature, however, these are not seen as a connected whole. Based on reviewing existing competency frameworks, both mathematical and…

Before reading this essay, go to your kitchen and find a bottle of Italian salad dressing. Get one that has been sitting still for a while at a fixed temperature--that is, one in thermal equilibrium. You will find an oil-rich layer at the top of the bottle and a vinegar-rich layer at the bottom (see Fig. 1). But think for a moment before spreading…

This article has its roots in both literacy studies and environmental education. Beginning with a critical consideration of what it might mean to be 'literate' I argue that a re-evaluation of what it means to be "ecoliterate" is in order. I challenge current articulations of ecoliteracy, both in their relation to foundational literacy…

Previous studies suggested roles for curiosity and interest in knowledge acquisition and exploration, but there has been a long-standing debate about how to define these concepts and whether they are related or different. In this paper, we address the definition issue by arguing that there is inherent difficulty in defining curiosity and interest,…

Learner engagement correlates with important educational outcomes, including academic achievement and satisfaction. Although research is already exploring learner engagement in blended contexts, no theoretical framework guides inquiry or practice, and little consistency or specificity exists in engagement definitions and operationalizations.…

This discussion paper makes the case that the term counter-argument should be replaced with the term "alternative point of view," as the counter-argument, in an essay, implies that it is the opposite of the argument put forth by the writer, and, in fact, it isn't. It, also, looks at the root of the word counter and how that word is often…

In this study, we examined the effect of previewing unfamiliar vocabulary on the real-time reading behavior of first language (L1) and second language (L2) readers. University students with English as their L1 or L2 read passages with embedded pseudowords. In a within-participant manipulation, definitions of the pseudowords were either previewed…

This study analyzes four English synonyms -- clear, obvious, apparent, and evident -- concentrating on meanings, distribution across genre, collocations, and semantic preference and prosody. The data were drawn from learner's dictionaries and the Corpus of the Contemporary American English (COCA). It was discovered that the four synonyms share the…

Mathematics is one of the universal subjects taught in schools across the globe. Knowledge, understanding, and application of mathematics are essential for all members of society to fully participate without restrictions in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers (Gulnaz & Fatima, 2019). Although universal and…

Contextual definitions of success are situated within specific schools and informal learning environments and, within those situated contexts, impact the identities that youth develop. This article explores what it means to be successful outside of mainstream education and the resources youth use to reorient to alternative definitions of success,…

Associate Professor Margaret Plunkett, Federation University, Australia, has over 30 years' experience in education. She currently coordinates and lectures in a range of courses and programs in both secondary and primary education, related to gifted education and professional experience. Margaret has won a number of awards for teaching excellence…

This study (a) examines the role of cognitive abilities, age and vocabulary in the development of definitions and (b) compares the development of definitions (in content and form) in children with and without Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). Definitions have been extensively studied in (non-)impaired populations. So far, no studies have…

Entropy is a concept with an extreme controversy which many scientists have been trying to explain. Some of the approaches employed in its definition contradict each other, which made it extremely difficult for high school and college students to understand. Boltzmann was the first person who brought a statistical explanation to entropy and…