Mathematics education researchers suggest that it is important for teachers to select mathematics tasks that align with their goals for students; however, this can be challenging as there are many facets of alignment to consider. In this article, I present a rubric that details the alignment between tasks and learning goals. This rubric was…

Co-teaching teams of special educators and science educators can collaboratively plan and implement the Rock Out the Rubric revising strategy to improve students' writing in science class. The strategy is implemented as part of the evidence-based writing practice of Self-regulated Strategy Development (SRSD). In this article, first we describe how…

This dissertation comprises three complementary studies that aim to advance the understanding and practice of Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) development in special education. In the first study, we systematically reviewed empirical research measuring IEP…

This study aimed to unveil pre-service primary school teachers' (PPSTs) technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) regarding the unit "Let's Recognize the Force" suggested by grade 3 science curriculum. Through a single-case (holistic) design of case study method, 43 PPSTs voluntarily participated in the study. To collect data,…

Although research methodology is a staple and essential requirement of many undergraduate political science programmes worldwide, there are still many intense and ongoing debates among teachers and students on the series of effective learning and teaching approaches and strategies for this subject matter that involve theoretical understanding,…

Designing and analyzing lesson plans is a ubiquitous practice in teacher education, and yet we know little about how preservice teachers (PSTs) notice elements of their lesson plans that afford opportunities for supporting equitable student sensemaking. We investigate how the use of a tool, a framework for supporting equitable sensemaking, guided…

In undergraduate science education, laboratory courses stand as essential cornerstones of experiential learning. Chemistry laboratory courses offer students unique hands-on experiences that bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. The journey through the undergraduate chemistry curriculum is paved with a series of…

This quasi-experiment tested whether co-constructing a writing rubric gives students an advantage over only using the co-constructed rubric. We used students' perception and use of the rubric, and their writing performance as outcome variables. One hundred and twenty-six second-year university students who enrolled in an elective course…

The recent emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has significantly influenced different fields, including education. One notable example is ChatGPT, an AI-driven large language model (LLM) developed by OpenAI. This tool holds potential for supporting both teachers and students in the teaching and learning process. While some fields of…

For over two decades, NIET has been dedicated to building educator excellence to enhance student success by supporting states, districts, schools, and educator preparation programs in recruiting, developing, and retaining educators. The first section of the 2023-24 NIET Research Summary presents highlights from five recent studies that align with…

We report on the development of a rubric to reliably qualify and score responses to the "Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire" (VNOS): The "VNOS Analysis and Scoring Rubric" (VAScoR). The "VAScoR" is designed to (a) provide systematic guidance for the qualitative analysis, and score assignment to nuanced…

Extension awards recognize programs that have achieved outstanding accomplishments, results, and impacts in addressing contemporary issues. Whether an individual or a team is recognized, the awardees gain inspiration and motivation and may attain promotion and/or tenure. The Western Region Program Leadership Committee oversees a special award…

Metabolic systems form the very foundation of life and as such are broadly taught in the molecular life sciences. Here, we describe the biochemistry educator community-based development and use of an assessment instrument designed to evaluate students' ideas about metabolic pathway dynamics and regulation in undergraduate biochemistry courses.…

The core concept of genetic information flow was identified in recent calls to improve undergraduate biology education. Previous work shows that students have difficulty differentiating between the three processes of the Central Dogma (CD; replication, transcription, and translation). We built upon this work by developing and applying an analytic…

Writing rubrics have been used in doctoral dissertations in Turkey to assess student writing for nearly twenty years. This study aims to determine which features are assessed in the rubrics used in doctoral dissertations. Twenty-five rubrics were selected to determine the analysis of validity and reliability, rubric dimensions, features of…