This study investigates university students' graph interpretation strategies and difficulties in mathematics, physics (kinematics), and contexts other than physics. Eight sets of parallel (isomorphic) mathematics, physics, and other context questions about graphs, which were developed by us, were administered to 385 first-year students at the…

Theoretically, it has been argued that a conscious understanding of metacognitive knowledge requires that this knowledge is explicit and systematic. The purpose of this descriptive study was to obtain a better understanding of explicitness and systematicity in knowledge of the mathematical problem-solving process. Eighteen 11th-grade…

A central aim of social studies curriculum is to prepare young people for making "informed and reasoned decisions for the public good" concerning consequential problems like global climate change. By developing students' "vision of a good society" and exploring what actions and policies move our society in this direction,…

Oliver Herring, the creator of TASK, defines it as: "[a]n improvisational event with a simple structure and very few rules... TASK's open-ended, participatory structure creates almost unlimited opportunities for a group of people to interact with one another and their environment. TASK's flow and momentum depend on the tasks written and…

The Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is a cyclical, large-scale study of adult skills and life experiences focusing on education and employment. Nationally representative samples of adults between the ages of 16 and 65 are administered an assessment of literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology rich…

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a widely adopted pedagogy that ignites students' interest of a subject through the investigation of an authentic problem and cultivates their abilities of innovation and self-learning. Traditional PBL often involves a project of complexity and significant scale, which, under the time constraint of a course, is often…

In Yucatec Maya middle schools in the Yucatán, math scores are low and drop out rates are high. Although addressing larger social and economic causes may ameliorate these issues, improving math instruction may be a more immediate, feasible approach. This ethnographic, mixed-methods study explores community approaches to problem-solving relevant to…

We start with the stance that it is important for educators to understand students' language repertoires in relation to characteristically mathematical conceptualizations and processes. The data in our study of grade 3 to 11 students' language repertoires for conjecture led our attention to competing discourses in the classroom and the…

Despite the importance of teachers' conception of effective problem-solving instruction, limited attention is given to this area in the current literature. In this study we examined 96 preservice teachers' (PSTs) views on effective problem-solving instruction and how their conceptions are related and reflected in their views on problem solving and…

In "Making Sense of Math," Cathy L. Seeley, former president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, shares her insight into how to turn your students into flexible mathematical thinkers and problem solvers. This practical volume concentrates on the following areas: (1) Making sense of math by fostering habits of mind that…

As part of a project exploring the use of challenging mathematical tasks, data from New Zealand teachers and their students were analysed to explore teachers' actions that encouraged students to persist. Rather than rescuing the students when they needed help, the teachers' actions included arranging for and encouraging students to work…

In a world where one in four people speaks English and the other three out of four are likely to be learning English, it would be disingenuous to suggest that speaking English as the global language is anything other than a significant asset now and for the future. Technology makes it possible and pragmatic to choose a global language, and there…

It's a staggering statistic -- 36 million adults in the United States read at a 3rd grade level or below. Of these, more than two-thirds are members of the workforce but don't have the skills for advancement. Yet, finding and completing education programs is often a struggle for this population. Access to quality education programs is limited at…

In order to address concerns with the underrepresentation of spatial thinking in K-12 curricula, (National Research Council, 2006), Valentine and Kopcha (in press) designed and implemented a learning environment integrating cases as alternative perspective (Jonassen, 2011) in the context of eighth-grade mathematics. The design aimed to provide…

The Social and Emotional Learning Challenge was designed to identify promising practices for building skills in six areas: emotion management, empathy, teamwork, initiative, responsibility, and problem solving. The Challenge was a partnership between expert practitioners delivering exemplary programs in eight unique communities, a team of…