Motivation is often a major concern for educators in all subject areas. Educational benefits associated with increased levels of student motivation have been well-documented within educational research. Improving student motivation can be affected by the educational environment (motivational climate), developed by the teacher. This study examined…

Increasingly, national stakeholders express concern that U.S. college graduates cannot adequately solve problems and think critically. As a set of cognitive abilities, critical thinking skills provide students with tangible academic, personal, and professional benefits that may ultimately address these concerns. As an instructional method, writing…

In this study, the effectiveness of learning environments, developed in line with the specifications of the four components instructional design model (4C/ID model) and the additional effect of ICT for fostering the development of technical expertise in traditional Ghanaian classrooms, was assessed. The study had a one-by-one-by-two…

The current exploratory study investigated the effects of a Direct Instruction program implemented with middle school students identified as at-risk for failure in mathematics. Direct Instruction has typically been implemented with students with disabilities in separate special education settings. However, this study examined the extent to which…

"The Expert Mathematician" is designed to help middle school students develop the thinking processes for mathematical applications and communication. A three-year program of instruction, "The Expert Mathematician" uses a software and consumable print materials package with 196 lessons that teach the "Logo" programming…

265 kindergarten children from a high-risk community participated in an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Waterford Early Reading Program, a software program designed to facilitate early literacy development. 151 students in eight experimental classrooms used the program for approximately 15 minutes per day. 114 students in seven…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Extension, and Evaluation (5E) learning cycle, conceptual change texts, and traditional instructions on 8th grade students' understanding of photosynthesis and respiration in plants. Students' understanding of photosynthesis and respiration in…

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two death education programs by comparing pretest and posttest scores of behavioral intentions and (reported) behavior of EMTs when at the scene of a death. After the interventions, the majority of EMTs intended to change their behavior at the scene of a death when compared to the control…

The freshmen transition is a crucial time when students make health choices in their physical activities, eating behaviors, and stress management skills. A consortium of student affairs staff created and implemented an introduction to the wellness program through freshmen orientation classes. The program included a health behaviors assessment,…

This study investigated the effects of a family-centered intervention that involved parents in weekly assessments and daily routine activities for promoting young children's language and behavior. Forty-one 3-5-year-old children at-risk for language and behavior problems, recruited from three developmental preschools, were randomly assigned to a…

This investigation examined the use of computer-assisted instruction (i.e., "WordMaker") on students having different levels of reading ability. Of particular interest were the effects of "WordMaker" on the spelling performance of first graders in a co-taught classroom. In a short 10-week period, the "WordMaker" software program had a positive…

Two teachers working in Year 0-1 classes at Manurewa South School, a decile 2 school in the Manurewa area of Manukau City, Auckland, share their voyage of exploration around their own circle of influence. In this article the research team including Bronwyn Blair, a facilitator from the University of Auckland, worked through a cycle of needs…

With the increasing interest by Asian countries in developing a more creative workforce through the education system, many universities have introduced courses that aim to enhance the creativity of their students. Students also perceive a need for increased creativity. However, there is some debate about whether short-term creativity training is…

Background: In most primary schools in Hong Kong, a product-oriented approach is used in teaching writing. The process approach to writing has been seen as an improvement over the traditional methods of writing instruction in recent years. However, the effectiveness of using the process approach to teach writing is still inconclusive. It is…

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether a Web-based computer tutorial for food safety is an effective tool in the education of food science and nutrition students. Students completing the Web-based tutorial had a greater improvement in pre-test scores compared with post-test scores and compared with students who attended lecture only.…