To learn mathematics, historically students had no choice but to memorize fundamental facts and apply memorized algorithms. Since 1995 in the US, all states have adopted standards to govern K-12 mathematics instruction, and in most, standards have de-emphasized memorization and emphasized reasoning based on concepts. This change assumed the brain…

Introductory courses in biology often lack sufficient emphasis on quantitative skills and interdisciplinary problem solving, leaving many students unprepared for more advanced biology coursework and hampering their ability to pursue biology research careers. MathBench Biology Modules were created to enhance the quantitative skills of biology…

This research applies the community cultural wealth model to explore how Black and Latinx students experience financial barriers in college from an appreciative lens. The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of how Black and Latinx students use aspirational, familial, social, navigational, resistant, and linguistic capital to…

This study investigated perspectives on extracurriculars by immigrant, non-immigrant Latinx, and non-immigrant Black parents of high school students, as well as potential barriers, if any, to their children's ability to participate in extracurriculars. Drawing upon previous research that demonstrates the positive impact of extracurricular…

The learning that happens before school entry provides children with a strong foundation on which to build new conceptual understandings. In particular, mathematical skills predict later math and reading outcomes in elementary school. This article summarizes existing research on equity-based math instructional approaches and provides a rationale…

The individual problem-solving (IPS) and collaborative problem-solving (CPS) have received a lot of attention, yet little research has been conducted to investigate whether CPS and IPS are equally effective in improving students' understanding of physics concepts, problem-solving abilities, and minimizing achievement gaps. Therefore, the present…

The literature on interdisciplinary teaching has tended to stress undergraduate teaching. As interdisciplinary graduate teaching becomes increasingly common, we need to reflect on what graduate students need to know. This article discusses key ideas that all interdisciplinary graduate programs should communicate. In particular, we need to teach…

Mathematical modeling is a process in which students investigate authentic problems and everyday situations using mathematics. In doing so, they bring their multiple mathematical knowledge bases and cultural funds of knowledge into their solution strategies. During a task called "Abuelo's Birthday", 297 students in grades 3-5 decided how…

Previous research found that critical thinking skills of students need to be trained more intensively using authentic problems in daily life. Critical thinking can be developed through problem-based learning as a pedagogical approach in an aligned learning and teaching context. This research aims to obtain the profile of students' critical…

This study examined the relationship between family wealth and school dropout among vocational education students (n = 1,231; mean age=17.81). It investigated whether (1) family affluence and adolescents' own perceptions and experiences of their family wealth (i.e., perceived family wealth, financial scarcity) predict dropout, (2) adolescents'…

We analyzed a population-representative cohort (N=13,611; M[subscript age] at kindergarten, first, and second grade = 67.5, 79.5, and 91.5 months, respectively) to identify kindergarten to second grade factors predictive of being bullies or victims during third to fifth grade. We did so by estimating a block recursive structural equation model…

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Inner Development Goals argue that addressing the world's challenges in the 21st century requires people to develop diverse skills. On the one hand, anyone, regardless of age and educational level, can develop multifaceted, transdisciplinary, and integrated competencies to address…

This paper reports on an action research (AR) study that pre-service teachers conducted to assess their students in practicum. Based on Xu and Brown's (2016) assessment literacy (TALIP) framework, we aim to empower them in a real classroom atmosphere. Data were collected systematically and came from interviews, pre-service teachers' own exams,…

Recent work has demonstrated that having students study worked examples and answer self-explanation prompts as part of their problem-solving practice improves learning on researcher-developed measures of mathematical proficiency. However, little work has been done to date to investigate whether these benefits translate to improvements on the types…

Facilitating the collaboration of multiple groups is a critical element in problem-based learning (PBL). In face-to-face learning environments, PBL facilitators require sufficient information about a group's progress and collaboration in real time to make decisions about when and how to facilitate. The capacity of facilitator is limited as PBL…