The commentary discusses phenomena highlighted in the studies of the special issue such as the hypercorrection effect, overconfidence, and the efficiency of interventions designed to increase monitoring accuracy. The discussion is based on a broader theoretical framework of self-regulation of learning that stresses the inferential character of…

Contributions to this special section represent advances in understanding help seeking as a self-regulated learning strategy that occurs in classrooms, during computer-mediated communications, and when using intelligent systems that provide help to improve learners' help-seeking skills and knowledge acquisition. Collectively, the research and…

This commentary highlights important contributions of four empirical investigations of how people sort through the masses of information that are now available to them and find what they need to solve some problem or make some decision. These studies demonstrate the impact of differences among information sources and the role that these…

This special section contributes to an inclusive cognitive model of information problem solving (IPS) activity, touches briefly IPS learning, and brings to the notice methodological pitfalls related to uncovering IPS processes. Instead of focusing on the IPS process as a whole, the contributing articles turn their attention to what is regarded the…

The editors of this special section have focused on a theme that is both old and new. Research on help seeking has a long history and a strong theory pointing out that help seeking is an important academic strategy of self-regulation that facilitates learning. It is a new topic to consider in the context of broadened learning environments,…

This commentary focuses on the use of the eye-tracking methodology to study cognitive processes during multimedia learning. First, some general remarks are made about how the method is applied to investigate visual information processing, followed by a reflection on the eye movement measures employed in the studies published in this special issue.…

Based on a critical re-analysis of cognitive load theory (CLT), Schnotz and Kurschner identified the need for research on more sensitive ways of assessing learner characteristics, both prior to and during instruction, in order to understand learning processes and outcomes. One emergent theme of the papers in this special issue is that the "same"…

Designers of interactive learning environments face the issue of managing the learner's cognitive load, reducing irrelevant sources while optimizing useful sources of load. I propose a conceptual framework aimed at organizing the contributions of the papers presented in this special issue. The framework identifies three main dimensions, namely…

This commentary to the special issue on teacher motivation began by considering certain educational truisms that were reinforced by the findings of the contributed articles. For instance, contributing authors strengthened commonly held perceptions that teaching is a challenging profession and that those challenges are both internal and external in…

This paper focuses on the tension between the idea that "mathematics is everywhere" and the idea that it is so difficult to craft meaningful, place-based, mathematics lessons. The approach is through an exploration of the nature of place and mathematics, what they are, how they relate, and ways of engaging the two through a pedagogical turn guided…

In this paper, the author describes, from a personal standpoint, the highlights of her most relevant studies on the topic of reform and resistance in mathematics education. Having moved from being a working-class kid to a tenured professor, the author hopes that by sharing her observations and advice, others on a similar path might have a smoother…

In quoting Ivan Illich's observation that "people who have been schooled down to size let unmeasured experience slip out of their hands," the author of this article contends that this is what is happening in education --- that we are being assimilated and schooled "down to size." Unmeasured experience, he says, is slipping out of our hands as a…

This essay is a reflection on several aspects related to my encounters with the concept of reform in mathematics education. I start with an exploration of the question of what is reform, grounded on my work with teachers in a project aimed at promoting reform. I focus on two aspects that seem to be present in most approaches to reform--group…

It is argued that mathematical modelling is important in teaching mathematics and that teachers have to create cultural support for it in the classroom. Posing an unsolvable problem for students may reveal the culture of the classroom as it exists, but its contribution to developing the needed culture that supports mathematical modelling appears…

It is argued that students who appear to ignore common sense and real-world knowledge in their approach to mathematics word problems in school are often behaving sensibly given the situation. The improvement of mathematics word problems for teaching will require changes in teacher beliefs and the use of modelling as an activity of organizing. (SLD)