This paper focuses on the importance of identifying students' Prior Knowledge (PK) for the teaching and learning of mathematics. Specifically, we present a framework that exemplifies the core elements teachers need to consider in relation to the purpose, design and implementation of learning experiences that enable PK to be activated and assessed.…

Kinematics is an important but challenging area in physics. In previously published works of the current research project, it was revealed that there is a significant relationship between facial microexpression states (FMES) changes and conceptual conflict-induced conceptual change. Consequently, the current study integrated FMES into a kinematics…

In this paper, a teacher educator discusses her experience of professional learning through self-study. The author found the transition between being a classroom teacher and teacher educator challenging, as has been noted in recent literature. Thus, she decided to embark on a self-study, which was focused on the enhancement of her teaching so that…

This article examines the backgrounds and pedagogical evolution of twelve community college (CC) human anatomy and physiology faculty participating in a larger study known as the Community College Anatomy and Physiology Education Research (CAPER) project. Using qualitative analysis of interviews based on Luft & Roehrig's (2007) Teacher Belief…

Previous investigations of satire posit that satire comprehension is influenced by prior knowledge, satirical strategies, and other demographic features, such as age. However, these claims have not yet been tested using online processing techniques. In this study we investigate satire processing using newspaper headlines from the satirical…

Science teacher education literature has emphasized the importance of prospective teachers' prior knowledge of their K-12 experiences as a key factor influencing their professional development as future science teachers. The purpose of the study was to identify the teaching practices in prospective teachers' prior knowledge of science instruction…

Despite the importance of prior knowledge to learning, few studies have systematically addressed the extent to which or ways in which instructional resources support teachers in the activation of students' prior knowledge, or the extent to which teachers prompt students' prior knowledge activation in practice. In study one, a content analysis was…

The importance of students' prior knowledge to their current learning outcomes cannot be overemphasised. Students with adequate prior knowledge are better prepared for the current learning materials than those without the knowledge. However, assessment of engineering students' prior mathematics knowledge has been beset with a lack of uniformity in…

This study examines experiential learning within a higher education master's program through the experience of 15 higher education master's students who participate in a structured internship program. Study findings speak to the importance of facilitating connections between students' prior knowledge, theories of higher education, and on-site…

Many studies in the literature have addressed reading comprehension, the ultimate goal of the reading process, due to its complex nature. These studies have focused on various areas, such as the nature of reading comprehension, how it occurs, the factors that affect the process of comprehension, reading comprehension impediments, and how to…

This article adds to the literature on video-aided professional development for teachers by presenting a schema-based framework for analyzing teachers' video-aided reflection on their own teaching. Qualitative analysis of two novice teachers' video-enhanced reflection was used to demonstrate how the framework could be used. Results emphasized the…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of an integrated experiential learning and action research project on preservice science teachers' developing ideas about science teaching, learning, and action research itself. The qualitative, interpretive study examined the action research of 10 master's degree students who…

Young Canadian boys and girls aged nine to eleven were asked to consider their personal futures, the future of their community and the future of the world. Mixed methods were employed for data collection and analysis. Responses were compared with those given by children in eight countries and the discussion focused on the importance prior…

The purpose of this paper is to provide a coherent framework to present the relationship between individual differences and web-based learning. Two individual difference factors have been identified for investigation within the present paper: Cognitive style and prior knowledge. The importance of individual differences is reviewed and previous…

Preservice teachers face the challenge of integrating multiple types of knowledge, such as pedagogical-psychological knowledge and subject-specific pedagogical knowledge. We investigated whether prior instruction emphasizing the importance of knowledge integration (relevance instruction) supports preservice teachers in using both knowledge types…