This exploratory case study reports findings on 20 middle-level science and mathematics teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of a one-year project in which teachers engaged in using robotics and engineering design inquiries in their classrooms. Principled by Bandura's Social Learning Theory (SLT) and using mixed methods approaches, the study…

Background: Further developing students' thinking about knowledge and knowing in science (epistemic beliefs) is considered a normative goal of science education in many countries around the world, even for elementary-school-aged children. Aims: The goal of the present study was to introduce and evaluate a new intervention in science education…

Research practice partnerships (RPP) intend to blur the lines of traditional teacher and researcher roles. Teachers who participate in RPPs gain experiences in research activities such as identifying problems of practice, designing research methods and data collection tools, collecting and analyzing data. They learn to be critical consumers of…

Learn how to enact justice-oriented pedagogy and foster students' critical engagement in today's history classroom. Over the past 2 decades, various scholars have rightfully argued that we need to teach students to "think like a historian" or "think like a democratic citizen." In this book, the authors advocate for cultivating…

Discover how to effectively incorporate literacy instruction into your middle or high school science classroom with this practical book. You'll find creative, inquiry-based tools to show you what it means to teach science with and through writing, and strategies to help your students become young scientists who can use reading and writing to…

Science tends to be viewed as a completely separate subject area from reading and math. This is the case even in elementary school, where academic content may be more intertwined than in later years. But scientific thinking and processes are valuable across all areas of learning and for career success. Waiting until the middle grades to give…

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to examine how novice special education teachers perceive administrative support during the first five years of teaching. This study was guided by the Cooperrider's appreciative inquiry (AI), and the Critical Systems theory (CST) conceptual framework. Purposeful sampling was used to select…

During this action research study of Algebra I teachers at a high school in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, I have presented information related to the implementation of inquiry-based learning (IBL) and the findings from classroom observations and a focus group interview. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of IBL instructional…

The National Council for the Social Studies recommends high-quality access to academic content in the social studies domains (history, government, economics, and civics) to improve in-school performance and postschool civic and community outcomes for students in K-12 schools. To date, limited research information exists to inform social studies…

Both the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework and Problem Based Learning (PBL) pedagogy encourage the use of compelling and supporting questions as a central element of the teaching and learning process. Some researchers, however, assert that the ideals of constructivist PBL may fall short of intended outcomes by leaving too much at the…

This paper advocates for the inclusion of big questions into the basic course curriculum. It begins by exploring the nature of big questions as those that engage pressing and perennial civic and global issues, and details their effectiveness in encouraging students and faculty to think about interpersonal responsibility and social space as…

Curiosity is a wonder of the human mind. It goes to the heart of modernity, as a driving force for learning, novel insights, and innovation, both for individuals and communities. In societies dependent on science and development, finding out what promotes or hampers curiosity and wonder in school curricula and science education is accordingly…

While the use of inquiry-based instruction has been encouraged for many years, it continues to be the exception rather than the norm. The publication of the "College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework," as well as the Inquiry Design Model that provides structure for its implementation, offer support for teachers to use inquiry in…

This systematic review provides a summary of studies on teaching, social, and cognitive presences in the community of inquiry (CoI) model using the CoI instrument in a higher education setting since its development in 2008 by Arbaugh et al. A total of 24 peer-reviewed studies on the CoI instrument from 2008-2017 were selected and analyzed explore…

As three-dimensional (3D) printing technology is fast becoming more affordable and accessible, calculus instructors can now consider using 3D printing and 3D printed models to actively engage students in core concepts relating to objects in R[superscript 3]. This article describes three lessons for a multivariable calculus class in which students…