Studs Terkel explores the motivation to work in his classic book "Working," compiling more than 100 interviews of workers across America. The author has found "Working" to be a useful vehicle for exploring organizational issues and for confronting students with the realities of the workplace. Terkel's interviews are honest, earthy, seasoned with…

During three series of molecular genetics experiments, our students engage in ungraded discussions of research articles related to their experiments. The research articles are selected less for their relevance to students' laboratory experience than for their focus on experimental design and the clarity of data presentation. By discussing these…

After spending most of the day in school, students are given additional assignments to be completed at home. It is worth asking not only whether there are good reasons to support the nearly universal practice of assigning homework, but why it is so often taken for granted--even by vast numbers of teachers and parents who are troubled by its impact…

So often teachers say that motivation is the key to everything they do in the classroom. They want to motivate kids to read, write, and solve problems. They want to inspire them to take pride in a fluently-read paragraph or a simple act of kindness. They hope that their encouragement will help students to find their passions so they can become…

This article on problem-based learning (PBL) explores the advantages of its use as a teaching/learning strategy for introducing information literacy to students. The author reviews the various methods presented in the literature for integrating PBL and information literacy, examines the unique challenges PBL presents for instructors, librarians,…

The difficulties that primary students experience when dealing with real-world related word problems have been discussed extensively. These difficulties are not only related to complex, non-routine problems but already occur with respect to routine problems that involve the application of a simple algorithm. Due to difficulties with the…

The tradition of using giant puppets in dance rituals is widespread throughout Africa. Huge puppets can communicate spiritual and moral authority, which is all the more easily accepted because it is delivered with a sense of playfulness. Giant puppets also create unique movement possibilities. This potent combination of symbolic meaning and…

This article suggests that the notion of an educational "trading zone" is an analytically helpful way of describing a space in which ideas about learning and teaching are shared within and between disciplines. Drawing on our knowledge of anthropology and the Humanities, we suggest three possible reasons for the limited development of…

One question guided this experimental study: What impact does the change from teacher training to educational research have on university teachers' methodology and attitudes to teaching? To find answers to this question, the researchers selected five teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at the language centre of a private university on…

The study focused on the development of the concept of fractions in a group of 11- and 12-year-old students who were deaf or hard of hearing. The approach implemented in the study relied extensively on the use of games with very little formal instruction. It emphasized the development of appropriate language to facilitate an understanding of the…

To define what is special about the education of students with severe disabilities, this article provides a snapshot of research-based practices that are relevant to the "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) focus on accountability. The NCLB requirement to assess all students in reading, math, and science is contrasted to the functional approach typical…

In this topical issue of "The Journal of Special Education," leading scholars in special education reviewed the literature and investigated whether special education is, indeed, special by examining to what degree (a) effective techniques have been developed for students with disabilities, (b) these effective techniques are applied and implemented…

This paper describes an approach called opportunity centred learning that has been developed by the author and applied in the field of enterprise education. The relationship between opportunity centred learning and existing theory and practice in learning and education is outlined in comparison with problem-based learning and action learning, and…

The value of reflection on experience to enhance learning has been advanced for decades; however, it remains difficult to apply in practice. This paper describes a reflection model that pushes students beyond superficial interpretations of complex issues and facilitates academic mastery, personal growth, civic engagement, critical thinking, and…

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning movement is now truly international although national and contextual differences affect its implementation. Institutional capacities for and openness to innovation vary widely and cannot be readily predicted. The research university referred to in this article has a conservative reputation in Australia, yet…