This article focuses on one common type of many different classroom discussions, open-strategy sharing (OSS), because it offers a starting point for teachers new to mathematical discussions. The goal of an OSS discussion is to explore multiple possible ways to solve a single mathematical task. Students share strategies, listen to others'…

It is critical for mathematics tasks to provide students with the opportunity to engage actively in reasoning, sense making, and problem solving so that they develop a deep understanding of mathematics. Learning mathematics while solving a problem can be like entering a dark room with a single small light. The objects are in the shadows, difficult…

This research reports on the effectiveness of Polya Problem-Solving and Target-Task collaborative learning approaches in electricity amongst high school physics students. It also includes a gender focus. It was an experimental research with a pre-test post-test control group design. The experimental groups were exposed to Polya Problem-Solving…

The article deals with the development of collaborative problem-solving (CPS) abilities of pre-service science teachers using the following stepwise problem-solving (SPS) strategies: (1) identification (this stage presupposes identification of fundamental problems), (2) solution (this stage in essence involves implementation) and (3) checking…

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the concept of competence has been introduced as a new paradigm in several educational systems. It reflects the need of educational systems to respond to societal and economic changes, i.e. the transition from industrial- to information-based societies. In contrast to earlier educational goals that…

Gestures are associated with powerful forms of mathematical understanding. However, determining the causative role of gestures has been more elusive. In the present study, we inhibit students' gestures by restraining their hands, and examine how this impacts their problem-solving when presented with geometric conjectures to prove. We find no…

In computer-supported collaborative learning research, studies examining the combined effects of individual level, group level and within-group differences level measures on individual achievement are scarce. The current study addressed this by examining whether individual, group and within-group differences regarding engagement and prior…

At a time when changes in standards and curriculum compound the pressures of fifth-grade state testing, the authors wanted to find an engaging way to involve students in authentic science and engineering. Rather than put their efforts into a traditional science fair that would inevitably lead to inequitable input by parents and students alike,…

Using the Teach to Lead process and drawing on their own study of how teachers can lift their social-emotional skills, three elementary teachers in Connecticut created a plan to work with fellow teachers to increase everyone's camaraderie and regularly problem solve together. When their school closed to in-place learning, they pivoted to find ways…

Mathematics and technology serve the health sciences as demonstrated in this article, cowritten by one of our calculus students. Creating a lesson based on dosing an antibiotic allows teachers and students to see the immediate value of high school calculus and technology.

This research aims to explore the latent effect of elementary student engagement in a Spherical Video-based Virtual Reality (SVVR) environment for a school-based course on higher level competence development. Student engagement and higher level competence development were investigated using a valid sample of 324 students from five elementary…

Research shows that teachers and educators struggle to act when conflict appears in the classroom. This article argues that (political) conflict should not be avoided or eradicated. Teachers should enable conflict and attend to their pupils in the process, in order to enable further understanding of each other and their differences, as part of…

When learning a new concept, should students engage in problem solving followed by instruction (PS-I) or instruction followed by problem solving (I-PS)? Noting that there is a passionate debate about the design of initial learning, we report evidence from a meta-analysis of 53 studies with 166 comparisons that compared PS-I with I-PS design. Our…

Employability can be an alternative solution to increase individual chances of getting a job. The study aims to identify indicators that can measure students' employability skills and attributes. The research model, based on The Conference Board of Canada (Employability Skills 2000+), is divided into fundamental skills, personal management skills,…

This research aims at detecting and stimulating multiple intelligences of kindergarten children early by applying collaborative action research by academics and practitioners. This research moves from the most fundamental problem in early childhood education activities especially in kindergartens namely the teachers' mistreatment in learning…