This paper reports results of a design experiment regarding young children's concepts of mass measurement. The research built on an earlier study in which a framework of "growth points" in early mathematics learning and a related, task-based, one-to-one interview to assess children's understanding of the measurement of mass…

Maintaining current, relevant curriculum in undergraduate Food Microbiology courses is essential for training future experts in food quality and safety. Having an understanding of the fundamental techniques (for example, polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) that are used in the food industry and regulatory agencies is critical for students entering…

This study examined the opportunities that pair and small group interaction offer for collaborative dialogue and second language (L2) vocabulary learning. It compared the performance of the same collaborative writing task by learners working in groups of four (n = 60) and in pairs (n = 50), focusing on the occurrence of lexical language-related…

To strengthen energy conservation knowledge and behaviors in youth, the PowerSave Schools Program (PSP) instructs students using hands-on projects. However, there is a lack of empirical support for the PSP. The present study is the first to use a repeated measures design to assess its effectiveness in two school districts. In District 1, there was…

This manuscript details our efforts to assess and compare students' learning about electricity in three countries. As our world is increasingly driven by technological advancements, the education of future citizens in science becomes one important resource for economic productivity. Not surprisingly international large-scale assessments are viewed…

We assessed the performance of students with a self-reported conflict between their religious belief and the theory of evolution in two sections of a large introductory biology course (N = 373 students). Student performance was measured through pretest and posttest evolution essays and multiple- choice (MC) questions (evolution-related and…

This research investigates the influence that gender, single-sex and co-educational schooling can have on students' mathematics education in second-level Irish classrooms. Although gender differences in mathematics education have been the subject of research for many years, recent results from PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment)…

There is a need for psychometrically sound measures of youth experiences of community/home leisure activity settings. The 22-item Self-Reported Experiences of Activity Settings (SEAS) captures the following experiences of youth with a Grade 3 level of language comprehension or more: Personal Growth, Psychological Engagement, Social Belonging,…

This study examined the effectiveness of using the online digital reading environment to increase elementary students' comprehension within a reading clinic. Preservice teachers at a four-year university in the Midwest worked one-on-one with 58 fourth-grade students from three schools who were assigned to one of three conditions: print-based text…

This paper reports on a research project which aims to improve prospective mathematics teachers' relational understanding and pedagogical beliefs for teaching in second-level Irish classrooms. Prospective mathematics teachers complete their teacher education training with varying pedagogical beliefs, and often little relational understanding of…

Human Patient Simulation (HPS) exercises with life-like computerized manikins provide clinical experiences for nursing students in a safe environment followed by debriefing that promotes learning. Quantitative research in techniques to support learning from debriefing is limited. The purpose of the quantitative quasi-experimental study using a…

This case study followed fourteen preservice arts students through a content area literacy course intended to guide them toward broadened definitions of literacy and text and perceptions of the literacy needs of their disciplines. By focusing on the disciplinary knowledge of music and art, preservice teachers might change their opinions of how…

This dissertation study presents an instructional intervention called LINKS: Learning to Integrate InterNet Knowledge Strategically. It reports evidence of the intervention's impact on two variables: (a) ninth graders' use of ten online reading and integration strategies while engaged in dyadic online inquiry on science topics in school, and (b)…

Critical thinking skills in the healthcare field are imperative when making quick-thinking decisions. This descriptive comparative study investigated to what extent completing a critical thinking course improved college students' critical thinking skills. The study further investigated whether the instructors' critical thinking skills were…

Students must leave high school with a diploma in order to compete in the global economy. However, many students enter high school lacking the academic skills needed to be successful and are not engaged in the educational process. Ninth grade represents one of the last opportunities that educators have to address these problems. The purpose of…