Mapping provides an entry point for improving teacher and student understandings of inquiry and systems thinking. The authors recognize their potential for structuring inquiry learning, developing culturally responsive and sustaining classrooms, and engaging teachers and students in deep discussions about the complexity of life. In this article,…

The percentage of undergraduate students in the U.S. who report a visual disability is over 3.5%, and worldwide over a billion people claim a significant visual impairment. As more higher learning institutions build Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs), it's critical to understand how these students experience such a different style of learning…

Based on the fact that many youth do not meet global health recommendations for physical activity (PA), and that schools constitute an arena in which all children may be reached, PA integrated into school settings is critical. Inspired by the theoretical framework of Gert Biesta and his three domains of education, i.e. qualification, socialization…

Contributions to conservation biology research are traditionally approached from an ecology and evolutionary biology perspective, but education research can be equally valuable. Population genetics research can inform management decision-making while education research can improve how we teach conservation. My dissertation tackles conservation…

The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative survey method is to gather State GEAR UP leaders' perceptions about the actual program activities and their sense of importance of those same program activities. The objectives of the GEAR UP Program are: (a) to increase the academic performance; (b) preparation for postsecondary education of…

The paper identifies what is meant by culture and examines approaches to mapping it, while suggesting alternatives. It notes the global spread of action learning, expressed through the prism of Western values, although practice is not necessarily reflective of the original ethos. It offers some rules of thumb on the use of action learning in…

There is strong evidence that professional learning in schools can positively impact learner experience and outcomes. This conceptual paper draws on key literature focused on understandings of high-quality professional learning and what makes an excellent environment in which to learn. This literature informed and spoke to the sense-making of our…

In many collegiate level statistics courses, the focus of the learning outcomes is often on the analysis of data after it has been collected. Students are provided with clean data sets from previous studies to practice statistical analysis, but receive little to no application as to the amount of time and effort that goes in to collecting good…

In the 21st century, preparing university students for real work and lifelong learning requires instructors to serve as facilitators of learning rather than as providers of information. Instruction needs to be learner-centered, active, enjoyable, and engaging. As one form of active learning strategy, cooperative learning (e.g. group assignment)…

At its simplest, paint pouring is the mixing of paints with lower density and viscosity liquids and then pouring them onto a surface for an aesthetic artifact. Using active art as a teaching tool, middle school students were engaged in a paint pouring activity to study the influence of the interdisciplinary combination of chemistry and art topics…

Metacognition is an important component of the learning process for students and teachers. With disparate findings regarding teacher attention to student thinking, and other indications that teachers enter the profession with preconceived notions, we use semi-structured interviews and a researcher-created professional development experience on…

Curriculum and professional standards mandate that digital technologies are used in schooling, and consequently, universities are required to prepare pre-service teachers for this in initial teacher education degrees. In response, one Australian university developed an inquiry-based collaborative approach, called creative inquiry. Feedback from…

With the advancements in information and communications technologies, new teaching approaches arise. In this context, project-based learning (PBL) and science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics model (STEAM) emerge as the most popular in the education field, attributed to their efficacy on students' learning capacity. This article…

The usefulness of virtual reality (VR) technology in physiology education is largely unexplored. Although VR has the potential to enrich learning experience by enhancing the spatial awareness of students, it is unclear whether VR contributes to active learning of physiology. In the present study, we used a mixed-method research approach to…

In this study, students' understanding of some important features of competitive elimination and substitution reactions of alcohols was examined based on their participation in a guided inquiry activity of two organic laboratory experiments: the dehydration of cyclohexanol and the conversion of tert-butyl alcohol into tert-butyl chloride. Students…