Undocumented Hispanic students in higher education have many challenges and barriers to overcome. This qualitative study investigated the emerging themes identified in the lived experiences of five undocumented Hispanic (UH) students who successfully completed their education in a two-year college in southeast Texas. This phenomenological…

The purpose of this concurrent mixed methods study was to examine the collaborative relationship between scientists and science teachers and to incorporate and advocate scientific literacy based on past and current educational theories such as inquiry based teaching. The scope of this study included archived student standardized test scores,…

This study focused on exploring and creating life pathways with a group of twelfth graders at West Philadelphia High School. I invited students to inquire into "life pathways," broadly construed; participants chose to concentrate on transitions to college. Although scholars have investigated many elements of college access, there is…

The author studied a public junior high school identified as successfully implementing authentic instruction. Such instruction emphasizes higher order thinking, deep knowledge, substantive conversation, and value beyond school. To determine in what ways higher order thinking was fostered both for students with and without disabilities, the author…

Learning science requires the understanding of concepts and formal relationships, processes that--in themselves--have been proved to be difficult for students as they seem to encounter substantial problems with most of the inquiry-learning processes in which they engage. Models in inquiry-based learning have been considered as powerful…

Educational institutions change slowly, and sometimes superficially at best. Large public (and sometimes smaller private) systems can be highly resistant to deep change. Schools are notorious for rearranging the desk chairs for a while, then reverting back to something very close to the original design. Even the most well-intentioned of…

The demographic changes in Greek schools underline the need for reconsidering the way in which migrant pupils move from their everyday culture into the culture of school science (a process known as "cultural border crossing"). Migrant pupils might face difficulties when they attempt to transcend cultural borders and this may influence…

Research over the past fifteen years has investigated and developed online science inquiry environments to support students engaging in authentic scientific inquiry practices. This research has focused on developing activity structures and tools to scaffold students in engaging in different aspects of these practices, but relatively little of this…

The University of Gloucestershire, located in the southwest of the United Kingdom, is a small university with approximately 7,500 full-time students and 400 teaching staff. It has three faculties, all with a professional or applied focus: (1) Media, Art, and Technology; (2) Business, Education, and Professional Studies; and (3) Applied Sciences.…

Honors programs represent one way that secondary schools and undergraduate programs address the needs of academically talented students. Evidence suggests that these programs contribute to positive student outcomes in terms of achievement, social development, and career preparation. Because colleges of education produce graduates who typically…

As the United States strives to achieve energy independence, students need to be literate about energy and environmental issues. In this article, the authors present a lesson about the nation's electricity resources that is part 1 of a free, comprehensive unit on coal and energy that is available online (http://tinyurl.com/coalenergyunit). The…

This research revealed the interactions between the Kuwaiti culture, gender, and leadership from the perspective of five Kuwaiti female leaders. Within a qualitative design approach and narrative inquiry methodology, the researcher interviewed five Kuwaiti females who shared their stories of their personal and professional experiences about the…

I believe that in-depth exploration of one's gendered sense of self can contribute to both the personal and professional lives of educators and facilitate pedagogical and curricular change within schools and classrooms as students are offered similar opportunities for reflexive thought and learning. In this study, I both illustrate and examine the…

Using relational and action oriented qualitative modes of inquiry (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009; Gilligan, Spencer, Weinberg, & Bertsch, 2003; Raider-Roth, 2005), this research explores the trajectory of five veteran teachers' practice over two years. The participants were part of a group of teachers involved in an intensive Summer Teachers…

Little is known about the variety of ways students conceptualize matrix multiplication, yet this is a fundamental part of most introductory linear algebra courses. My dissertation follows a three-paper format, with the three papers exploring conceptualizations of matrix multiplication from a variety of viewpoints. In these papers, I explore (1)…