This paper aims to propose a repository of pre-use evaluation criteria for language teachers who wish to introduce e-books or e-textbooks to their own teaching practices. By selectively using a set of such criteria, they will be able to evaluate to what extent a given e-book/e-textbook lends itself to utilisation within their own teaching context.…

Our understanding of the process of interdisciplinary research has expanded considerably over the last decades. The purpose of this brief paper is to take stock of where we are and where we are going. The first section addresses definitional issues and discusses the relationship between teaching and research. The second section discusses potential…

Professionals have debated the use of the term binge drinking over the past couple of decades, yet little attention has been paid to college student perceptions. We explored how students at one university qualitatively defined binge drinking; whether their own definitions coincided with those adopted by researchers; and whether students' own…

There remains a plaguing question of how to get parents involved with their child's education. Many parents and educators have different perceptions of what parental involvement means. Miscommunication between the two groups often exists because of how parental involvement is conceptualized. While educators define parental involvement as…

Introduction: The term "information" in information science does not share the characteristics of those of a nomenclature: it does not bear a generally accepted definition and it does not serve as the bases and assumptions for research studies. As the data deluge has arrived, is the concept of information still relevant for information…

Many people influence us throughout our lives, and sometimes we are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to reflect upon the influence. Often, this is more challenging than it sounds, as some people become a part of our DNA, inextricably linked to who we are, what we believe, and how we work. Such is the case of the influence of Robert (Bob)…

The close relationship between children's vocabulary size and their later academic success has led researchers to explore how vocabulary development might be promoted during the early school years. We describe a study that explored the effectiveness of naturalistic classroom storytelling as an instrument for teaching new vocabulary to 6- to…

Definitions and associated descriptions of the condition now commonly known as "intellectual disability" serve many functions. The "Atkins v. Virginia" U.S. Supreme Court decision (2002) has called attention to the importance of clear, objective, and measureable wording of the definition. This article discusses the potential for misunderstanding…

The concept of education has been evolving to include social concerns in the teaching and learning process (Kärkkäinen, OECD Education working paper, 2012), bringing about more attention to distinct contexts and realities in which schooling occurs. This has led to an expansion of the concept of curricular contextualization in educational,…

While a great deal has been written about the complexities of engagement for learners without severe disabilities, there is less for students with severe disabilities. Engagement as a complex construct, consisting of behavioral, cognitive, and emotional components (Finn & Zimmer, 2012; Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004; Skinner &…

"What is life?" This deceptively simple question lies at the heart of biology. In this activity, students work in groups to come up with their own definition using a set of prompting cards that differs for each team. In doing so, students gain an appreciation of the complexities of addressing this question. The activity takes approximately 60-90…

The current paper presented theoretical assumptions behind language learning strategies (LLS) and an overview of methods used to identify learners' strategies, first, and then summarized what have been reported from large number of descriptive studies of strategies by language learners. Moreover, the paper tried to present the variety of…

About 80 middle and secondary school teachers participated in the professional development sequence as a part of a larger professional development project. Sessions provided participants with half-day experiences in an inquiry-oriented classroom taught by a master teacher, in which they experienced examples of inquiry lessons as both student and…

While the evidence for the effectiveness of the use of stories in science teaching and learning is strengthening in current research and literature, the intervention itself, namely, the science story, still suffers from a lack of definition and conception. The purpose of this paper is to determine the amount of narrative relative to non-narrative…

Here we propose a conceptual distinction among "educazione," "istruzione" and "formazione" on the basis of the Italian socio-cultural heritage and we consider the role that teacher has historically assumed in this context. Then, we analyze the competences ascribable to the "teacher" today. Finally, we…