A frequent concern about constructivist instruction is that it works well, mainly for students with higher domain knowledge. We present findings from a set of two quasi-experimental pretest-intervention-posttest studies investigating the relationship between prior math achievement and learning in the context of a specific type of constructivist…

The growing differentiation of specialties in education creates the need for a common framework. This chapter discusses the basic premises of complex dynamical systems theory (CDST), its intellectual foundations, and its applicability to the field of education, with a particular focus on the areas of learning and development, school reform, and…

Teachers and school librarians know that giving students the freedom to choose what to read from a variety of materials is the most effective way to foster a love of reading. Curiosity, pre-existing interests, or even a desire for connection cause students to reach for books that inform instead of entertain. But a genre of books is often left out…

Almost fifty years ago, Barrows (1986) claimed that problem-based learning (PBL) was broad enough that a single methodological description was not possible. It has only grown more complex since. In addition to meaningful variations of PBL, there are several related problem-centered pedagogies, such as case-based learning, project-based learning,…

This Element explores ways to promote critical literacy in teacher education. First, the authors define critical literacy in the context of teacher education through established theoretical frameworks and models of critical literacy pedagogy and share their collective findings on critical literacy research over the course of a decade. Building…

Drawing from our experiences facilitating an FYE faculty development program, we highlight how we have practiced elements of trauma-informed pedagogy to work with first-year students and faculty. We discuss how both students and faculty can benefit from a more complex process of cultivating relationships through mindfulness. Practices of…

This article describes central tenets for design thinking and entrepreneurial thinking individually, then examines their intersection to analyze a product's feasibility in the market. The conceptual framework of combining design and entrepreneurial thinking can foster novelty in design, and also provides a means of extending instruction in the…

This practice report discusses the term "bricolage" and its relationship to student learning. The positive and negative perceptions of teachers and students as "bricoleurs" (those who practice bricolage) are discussed. An exploratory study that examines the application of bricolage in the classroom is discussed. In two…

This essay is an invitation to consider a paradigm shift in the academy, one that allows and encourages us to bring our whole selves into our teaching and professional lives. I describe a set of values that permits and encourages the expression of a rigorously examined inner self in harmony with the traditional expression of our scholarly selves…

It is time to mobilize whole child advocates behind the neuroscience of learning and development, write education professors Sara Rimm-Kaufman and Jacqueline Jodl. Here, they describe four key research findings on the brain and learning--and how to translate them into practice in order to support the whole child.

Some situations are presented with perplexing properties, which become clearer by looking at contingency tables. This in turn leads to problems that can be solved using conditional frequencies and thus leading to the Bayes formula with natural frequencies or probabilities.

Students and teachers often approach math with a single goal in mind: to get the right answer. But teachers must resist the urge to simply teach a procedure, writes educator LauraMarie Coleman. Instead, they should make a conscious decision to facilitate a discussion that leads to deeper student learning.

Studying humankind's relationship to the earth involves broad and deep questions for students as today's educators explore changing teaching methods. This article highlights benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental education, drawing upon ancient natural philosophy as a coherent conceptual resource. The Greek philosopher Plotinus…

This article argues that law cases are rich raw material for analytical ethics education in public administration. While scholars acknowledge that law can play some role in teaching ethics, they have aimed outside the law for ways to engage students in developing a sense of ethical responsibility. Law cases are a readily available resource to…

This article addresses the pedagogical practices applied by teachers at pre and primary school level when working with children with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD) as well as potential challenges in a research collaboration between teachers and academics. A praxeological study was conducted with two preschool teachers and…