Teacher candidates are central to the implementation of educational policy in schools, but receive little professional training around policy in their teacher education coursework or in their practicum experiences in the field. In examining this disconnect, this article explores the following questions: What do teacher candidates know about…

This study investigated the influence of five problem characteristics on students' achievement-related classroom behaviors and academic achievement. Data from 5,949 polytechnic students in PBL curricula across 170 courses were analyzed by means of path analysis. The five problem characteristics were: (1) problem clarity, (2) problem familiarity,…

Classroom design for the 21st-century learning environment should accommodate a variety of learning skills and needs. The space should be large enough so it can be configured to accommodate a number of learning activities. This also includes furniture that provides flexibility and accommodates collaboration and interactive work among students and…

Faculty and staff are participating in blogs and online discussions in greater numbers, but this involvement is poorly understood. This study used content analysis to evaluate 40 online discussions hosted on "The Chronicle of Higher Education" website. The majority (n = 22) of discussions had as their main topics the personal and professional…

The importance of making online and distance education successful has been dramatically prioritized due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Student retention is a key performance indicator in online higher education. Evidence suggests that within online distance education the key to retaining students is to encourage an engaging and supportive online…

This document is a guide through the process of setting up and running a book study about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belongingness, to better create an inclusive and equitable environment where everyone feels they belong. Books on these topics provide tools and context to navigate race, age, physical ability, religion, and sexual…

This article is based on a discussion with seven voluntary Spanish pre-service primary school English-language teachers on queer issues. The focus group followed a questionnaire on their knowledge and understanding of sexual identity issues in education. The facilitated discussion enabled the participants to be better prepared on the subject. At…

Engaging students in discussion and creating high impact teaching and learning practices are a challenge in every classroom. Small group discussion and poster presentations were used to solve case-based problems to highlight issues for the learner and to allow each student to demonstrate understanding and application of theory to real life…

In recent years, we have observed a rising interest in studying the effects of Web 2.0 technologies on student learning. We learned that human behavior can be influenced by personal and environmental factors as in Bandura's concept of "reciprocal causation." For business statistics students, we implemented online discussions to extend…

This chapter reflects on the educational, socioemotional, and relational impact of a critical literacy and trauma-informed reading discussion group for women of color, highlighting the collective sense of knowledge, awareness, and resistance nurtured through the group process.

This article interweaves the voices of four participants attending a Working group at the Canadian Mathematics Education Study group on the theme of social justice in 2015. The theme that emerged was learning to meet "the other" in the working group; however, interactions were not straight-forward. This article presents the reflections…

This teaching tip details one teacher's implementation of student-led book talks in her primary-grade classroom. The author describes a simple gradual-release method that she has successfully used with her students in order to get them talking about the books that they are reading independently. She found that when used in the readers' workshop…

This study describes an initiative to support first-year teachers and address the following questions: During a year-long, asynchronous support/study group to help first-year teachers with classroom management, what SEL practices would the teachers identify as effective in supporting their classroom management and what SEL competencies would those…

Adult students 25 and older are a growing population at U.S. colleges and universities. Mathematics courses present a particular challenge for these students who may have less academic preparation than younger students and have experienced a significant time-lapse since their last formal mathematics instruction. This exploratory, qualitative study…

To assess the effectiveness of a cooperative learning activity, students were randomly assigned to small groups and asked to lead an online discussion. Responses to a survey administered at the completion of the course suggest that the activity was effective in meeting its goals of promoting student interaction and increasing perceived student…