In San Francisco, a partnership between a K-8 school and a non-profit writing program helps students who are achieving below grade level find their voices and blossom into confident thinkers and writers. 826 Valencia is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting under-resourced students ages six to eighteen with their creative and…

Project-based learning is an example of powerful social studies learning in which student engage in active inquiry. Action civics is a relatively new educational practice in which students "act as citizens" through a cycle of research, action, and reflection about problems they care about in their community. "Building Civic…

The Technology Enhanced Student Centered Learning (TESCL) Model in this study presents the core factors that ensure the quality of learning in a technology-supported environment. Although the model was conceptually constructed using a student-centered learning framework and drawing upon previous studies, it should be validated through real-world…

Building active learning strategies into courses can be risky, but the benefits to students often outweigh the concerns, as in the case presented here. The process began as an attempt to employ experiential learning, through the use of photovoice, to enhance the teaching of an undergraduate social work research course. In later courses it…

Building on the "questioning-based discourse analytical" framework developed by Singapore-based science educator and discourse analyst, Christine Chin, this study investigated the extent to which fifth-grade science teachers' use of questions with either an authoritative or dialogic orientation differentially restricted or expanded the…

Team projects are a way to expose students to conflicting project objectives, and "[t]here should be a strong real-world element … to ensure that the experience is realistic" [ACM/IEEE-CS 2015b]. Team projects provide students an opportunity to put their education into practice and prepare them for their professional careers. The aim of…

Personalized learning places the interests and abilities of learners at the center of their education experience. Educators develop environments in which students and teachers together build plans for learners to achieve both interest-based and standards-based goals. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education worked…

We learn by doing. This simple philosophy is at the heart of project-based learning in the 21st-century classroom. It is grounded in the belief that the stand and lecture approach to teaching, worksheets and rote memorization are not enough to move students down a path to the deep learning necessary for success in college and careers. Essential…

Out of concern that the nation's schools--particularly those working with traditionally underserved populations--are not adequately preparing all students to succeed in college and careers, education policymakers have launched a series of major reform efforts in recent years. To help students meet the new standards, schools will need to provide…

Out of concern that the nation's schools--particularly those working with traditionally underserved populations--are not adequately preparing all students to succeed in college and careers, education policymakers have launched a series of major reform efforts in recent years. To help students meet the new standards, schools will need to provide…

As schools continue to become more diverse, it is important to look at science teaching methods that will meet the needs of all students. In this study, 172 students in a middle school in Northwestern Illinois were taught using two methods of teaching science. Half of the students were taught using project-based science (PBS) and the other half of…

Many national policy documents underscore the importance of 21st century skills, including critical thinking. In parallel, recent American frameworks for K-12 Science education call for the development of critical thinking skills in science, also referred to as science inquiry skills/practices. Assessment of these skills is necessary, as indicated…

This qualitative study sought to understand how Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Project-Based Learning (PBL) can be used to help Costa Rican students gain and participate in the global knowledge-based economy of the 21st century. The purpose was to examine the influence that globalization, foreign direct investment, and…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of teacher education and professional development on teachers' perceptions of efficacy with providing effective English language instructional support to English learners. Using Bandura's (1997) self-efficacy theory, this study also analyzed the relationship between perceptions of efficacy and…

This study examined the effectiveness of Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) as an instructional model in a general chemistry laboratory course. The study was conducted over the course of ten experimental sessions with 125 pre-service science teachers. The participants' level of reflective thinking about the ADI activities, changes in their science…