Despite the large body of knowledge on adults suggesting that 2 basic types of mental spatial transformation--namely, object-based and egocentric perspective transformations--are dissociable and specialized for different situations, there is much less research investigating the developmental aspects of such spatial transformation systems. Here, an…

The big idea of "celestial motion", observational astronomy phenomena explained by the relative position and motion of objects in the solar system and beyond, is central to astronomy in primary and secondary education. In this paper, I argue that students' progress in developing productive, scientific explanations for this class of…

Since the complex and transient information in instructional animations requires more cognitive resources, the segmenting principle has been proposed to reduce cognitive overload by providing smaller chunks with pauses between segments. This study examined the effects of different types of activities during pauses in a segmented animation. Four…

In this activity, students manipulate three-dimensional molecular models of the Ala-Ala-Ala tripeptide, where Ala is alanine. They rotate bonds to show that the pairs of dihedral angles phi = 0 degrees, psi = 180 degrees, and phi = 0 degrees, psi = 0 degrees lead to unfavorable interactions among the main chain atoms of the tripeptide. This…

The research literature has made calls for greater coherence and consistency with regard to the meaning and use of the term advanced mathematical thinking (AMT) in mathematics education (Artigue, Batanero, & Kent, 2007; Selden & Selden, 2005). Educators and researchers agree that students should be engaged in AMT but it is unclear…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to monitor in-class activities and the performance of the students. Design/methodology/approach: A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the proposed system using a questionnaire with 132 participants (teachers and non-teachers) in a presentation style to record the participant's perception about performance…

Differences were examined between groups of sixth grade students? spatial-scientific development pre/post implementation of an Earth/Space unit. Treatment teachers employed a spatially-integrated Earth/Space curriculum, while control teachers implemented their Business as Usual (BAU) Earth/Space units. A multi-level modeling approach was used in a…

In a previous study, Mix et al. (2016) reported that spatial skill and mathematics were composed of 2 highly correlated, domain-specific factors, with a few cross-domain loadings. The overall structure was consistent across grade (kindergarten, 3rd grade, 6th grade), but the cross-domain loadings varied with age. The present study sought to…

In a previous study, Mix et al. (2016) reported that spatial skill and mathematics were composed of 2 highly correlated, domain-specific factors, with a few cross-domain loadings. The overall structure was consistent across grade (kindergarten, 3rd grade, 6th grade), but the cross-domain loadings varied with age. The present study sought to…

"Game Maker" is widely used in UK secondary schools, yet under-researched in that context. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative case study that explores how authoring computer games using "Game Maker" can support the learning of basic programming concepts in a mainstream UK secondary setting. The research draws on…

The following study investigates the range of strategies individuals develop to infer and interpret cross-sections of three-dimensional objects. We focus on the identification of mental representations and problem-solving processes made by 11 individuals with the goal of building training applications that integrate the strategies developed by the…

In this paper I describe classroom experiences with pre-service secondary mathematics teachers (PSMTs) investigating and extending patterns embedded in the Pythagorean configuration. This geometric figure is a fruitful source of mathematical tasks to help students, including PSMTs, further develop habits of mind such as visualization,…

In this paper we introduce a new collaborative technique in teaching and learning the epsilon-delta definition of a continuous function at the point from its domain, which connects mathematical logic, combinatorics and calculus. This collaborative approach provides an opportunity for mathematical high school students to engage in mathematical…

In this work, certain task designs to enhance middle school students' spatial visualisation ability, in the context of an instrumental approach, have been developed. 3D modelling software, SketchUp®, was used. In the design process, software tools were focused on and, thereafter, the aim was to interpret the instrumental genesis and spatial…

Using the concepts of sensory and affective experience, this work relates the concepts of socialization and cognitive development to the embodiment of gender in the human infant. Evidence obtained from biweekly observations from 30 children and their mothers observed from age 3 months to age 12 months revealed measurable sex-related differences in…