This work applies a cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) framework to understand how the outcome of a high school laboratory task may be positively influenced without making changes to the hands-on practical task itself. Informed by cognitivism, novel practical instruction videos that were based on the same video but had different audio…

This study reports on the results of students' perceptions of Digital Storytelling (DS) in online classes enhanced with synchronous Zoom meetings. Two main problems were identified with remote English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses conducted primarily as asynchronous classes in spring 2020. Firstly, seven of the 64 participating students…

The substantive component of construct validity requires a confrontation between empirical test results and content relevance. The Vocabulary Size Test (VST) has been extensively validated in terms of empirical results. Less is known, however, about expert judgments of content relevance. The VST was constructed and validated according to the…

A vast majority of elementary students struggle with the core, pre-algebraic concept of mathematical equivalence. The Improving Children's Understanding of Equivalence (ICUE) intervention integrates four research-based strategies to improve outcomes for second grade students: (1) introducing the equal sign before arithmetic, (2) non-traditional…

National mathematics achievement results show that elementary students in the United States are not increasing in cognitive ability or critical thinking skills (NAEP, 2020). For this increase, mathematically promising students require more opportunities for cognitively demanding mathematics instruction. As a result, this descriptive study focused…

In courses with a heterogeneous student population, instructors are often challenged to balance successful course completion with rigor. This difficult task can be confounded in foundational, gateway courses, such as introductory biology, which serves a mix of freshman majors at various levels of preparedness. Research suggests that changes in…

A Trigonometric function is one of the challenging materials for not only high school students but also pre-service teachers and teachers. On the other hand, An understanding of trigonometric function is an initial stage in understanding calculus derived from it such as limit, derivative, and integral. Thus, the competency in trigonometric…

Educators are recognizing the potential power of immersive virtual reality (IVR) to allow learners to experience previously intangible firsthand phenomena, such as atoms and molecules. In this study, an IVR simulation of a complex gene regulation system was co-designed with an undergraduate microbiology course instructor. The course, with 234…

Present and future social and ecological challenges are complex both to understand and to attempt to solve. To comprehend the complex systems underlying these issues, students need systems thinking skills. However, in science education, a uniform delineation of systems thinking across contexts has yet to be established. While there seems to be…

Faculty are responsible for providing academic accommodations needed and used by students with learning disabilities (SWLD). Since learning disabilities (LD) are hidden, faculty may question the need for, efficacy of, and fairness of accommodations. Yet academically accommodating SWLD is important to academic success and persistence. This…

Background and Context: Subgoal labeled worked examples have been extensively researched, but the research has been reported piecemeal. This paper aggregates data from three studies, including data previously unreported, to holistically examine the effect of subgoal labeled worked examples across three student populations and across different…

In scientific inquiry learning, manipulatives have been widely utilized as learning resources. Studies have explored the advantages of virtual manipulative (VM) for conceptual understanding and knowledge construction in science education. However, research on the mental engagement and perception of students during collaborative learning under…

A previous study found that task shifting and fluid intelligence, but not working memory capacity (WMC) and prior knowledge, influenced the worked example effect (Schwaighofer, Bühner, & Fischer, 2016). To increase confidence in these findings, we report a preregistered extended replication study of Schwaighofer et al.'s investigation.…

Students in upper secondary education encounter difficulties in applying mathematics in physics. To improve our understanding of these difficulties, we examined symbol sense behavior of six grade 10 physics students solving algebraic physic problems. Our data confirmed that students did indeed struggle to apply algebra to physics, mainly because…

Purpose: To promote gains in cognitive complexity (measured by integrative complexity, IC) associated with recognition of validity in others' viewpoints/values, supporting peaceful conflict reduction. Design: Assessment of effectiveness of "Living Well with Difference" (LWWD) course designed to promote critical thinking about contested…