Within Problem-Based Learning successful learning depends on the quality of cognitive, social and motivational contributions students make to the tutorial group. But at the same time, not all students in PBL automatically contribute in a high quality manner, which might impede successful group functioning. This study investigated whether peer…

Background: Although social exclusion among typically developing school-aged children has been well explored, it is under-researched for children with disabilities even though they are at a higher risk for being excluded. While there are a number of different programs available to improve social inclusion at school, the appeal of these programs to…

While a great deal of research has studied the messages students contribute to electronic discussion forums, productive participation in online learning conversations requires more than just making posts. One important pre-condition for productive interactivity and knowledge construction is engagement with the posts contributed by others. In this…

This study compared the effects of students' (a) receiving participation credit with and without self-recording their participation and (b) self-recording participation with and without receiving credit for participation on the percentage of students functioning at four participation levels: non-participation, credit-level participation, frequent…

Ever since Thomas Jackson introduced philosophy for children (p4c) to Hawai'i in the mid-1980s, one of the defining characteristics of his p4c Hawai'i program has been its commitment to working with classroom teachers in Hawai'i's public schools. Part of the program's mission has been to find every way possible to support these teachers, both in…

In the spring of 2010, the author had the pleasure of working with four fifth graders, exploring reading engagement with graphic novels. During her research study, she became inspired by the connections these fifth graders made between the graphic novels they discussed and the film medium and ultimately concluded that this connection contributed…

This study explores the relationship between theological discussion and organizational change within a church-related institution. The qualitative case study examines the dialogue on a campus that received a Lilly Endowment grant through their Program for the Theological Exploration of Vocation to engage its campus community in the theological…

In today's culture where bullying and violence are on the rise, we know that children who are afraid or anxious are in no state of mind to learn. If you are serious about creating a safe school climate conducive to learning, this book will show you how. Written by counseling experts, "Safe and Peaceful Schools" provides a variety of research-based…

This study investigated the effects of example-postings on students' cognitive load and performance in online discussions. Cognitive overload was assumed had caused the problem of the lack of reflective and thoughtful contributions in student discussions. The theoretical foundation supporting the use of example-postings aiming at reduce…

Models and analogies can help understanding, help explain the world and make a process or structure that one cannot easily see more explicit. Models and analogies can help children to visualise abstract processes and make ideas concrete. Children enjoy working with them because they are motivating and often require creative thought. Models and…

A paucity of published literature exists related to the use of panel discussion as a teaching strategy. This article describes the panel discussion, the underpinnings of constructivism and the use of panel discussion to create a constructivist classroom environment. Details of planning, evaluating, and challenges of a panel discussion are also…

Recent scholarship shows that teachers across English studies continue to struggle with discussions of race in their classrooms. In this article, I offer the intent/effect tactic as a tool teachers can use to analyze and respond to racially problematic assertions. By asking students to consider not only intent but also effect, we can help them…

This position paper argues that students' understanding and acceptance of evolution may be supported, rather than hindered, by classroom discussion of creationism. Parallels are drawn between creationism and other scientific misconceptions, both of the scientific community in the past and of students in the present. Science teachers frequently…

Within a globalised world that has ever changing social, economic, cultural and legal influences, higher education providers have a responsibility to equip graduates with the skills necessary to meet these demands. Pedagogic research shows that students' motivation is often driven by assessment and therefore the challenge for programmes is to find…

In this article, I examine how 6th-grade students used pop culture texts to inform their understandings about social studies texts and shape their discussions of it. Discussions showed that students used pop culture texts in three ways when talking about social studies texts. First, students applied comprehension strategies to pop culture texts to…