Conceptual understanding (CU) and procedural fluency (PF) are two important mathematical competencies required by students. CU helps students organizing their knowledge into a coherent whole, and PF helps them to find the right solution of a problem. In order to enhance CU and PF, students need learning experiences in constructing knowledge and…

This study tested and integrated the effects of an inquiry-based didactic method for preschool science in a real practical classroom setting. Four preschool classrooms participated in the experiment (N= 57) and the children were 4-6 years old. In order to assess children's attention for causal events and their understanding at the level of…

Purpose: This manuscript represents the 3rd in a series of articles documenting our longitudinal evaluation of "The First Tee," a physical activity-based youth development program that uses golf as a vehicle for teaching life skills and enhancing developmental outcomes. Previous phases of our project: (a) established initial data-based…

This pilot project investigated the effects of ABRACADABRA (ABRA), a web-based literacy program developed by the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) at Concordia University, on primary school children in Hong Kong. A total of 125 Primary 2 students participated in a 14-week long study. Five classes were randomly assigned to…

This study examined the effectiveness of a multisensory phonics-based reading remediation program for adolescent delinquents classified as poor readers living at a residential treatment center. We used a pretest--posttest control group design with random assignment. The treatment group participated in a 30-hr multisensory phonics reading…

There has been an increased level of attention devoted to the consequences of test use in recent years; however, the majority of washback studies focused on teaching. In fact, little research has addressed learners' perspectives to analyze possible determinants of test results. To address this issue, this study first compared the pre-and-post…

Out-of-school factors can significantly impact students' readiness to learn and thrive in school. Research confirms that larger social structures and contexts beyond the school are critical, accounting for up to two-thirds of the variance in student achievement (Coleman et al., 1966; Rothstein, 2010; Phillips, Brooks-Gunn, Duncan, Klebanov, &…

This quasi-experimental study tested the efficacy of a research-based biliterate reading strategy, Lotta Lara, that is part of a larger paired literacy instructional program. Its purpose was to investigate whether Lotta Lara, which focuses on reading fluency, comprehension, and oracy through whole group instruction, impacted first grade emerging…

Significant numbers of people have very low levels of literacy in many OECD countries and, because of this, face significant labour market penalties. Despite this, it remains unclear what teaching strategies are most useful for actually rectifying literacy deficiencies. The subject remains hugely controversial amongst educationalists and has…

This study provides empirical data regarding multicultural education within teacher preparation programs. Individual course sections of pre-service teachers (PSTs) completing field-based teaching experiences were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups or a no-treatment control group. Quantitative measures within a…

We investigate the impact of active learning techniques, specifically experiment based learning, in a Principles of Economics class. Our case study demonstrates that when using pedagogical techniques intended to facilitate active learning, teachers should be intentional about incorporating components of learning that appeal to students with…

This exploratory study investigated young children's beliefs and opinions about computers by actively involving children in the research project. Fifty two children, four to six years old, were asked a set of questions about their favourite activities and their opinions on computer use before and after a seven month computer intervention…

The current study aimed at investigating the effect of the Master Thinker program on developing critical thinking skills of 11th grade students in Bahrain. Specifically, this research attempts to examine the hypothesis: Teaching the Master Thinker program will be significantly effective in developing critical thinking and its skills (inference,…

The increased use of video capable cellular phones to document everyday life presents educators with an exciting opportunity to extend this capability into the introductory laboratory. The study assessed whether students enrolled in a southeastern U.S. university's first-year laboratory course retained technical information at a higher rate after…

Two experiments tested the hypothesis that prereading instructions, including how to self-explain during reading, would enhance multiple-text comprehension for college readers. Three prereading instruction conditions included a control condition that provided only the instruction for participants to try to comprehend well; a definition-only…