While there is little doubt that engaging in musical or mathematical activities stimulates brain activity at high levels and that increased student involvement fosters a greater learning environment, questions remain about whether musical ability and mathematics performance are related. This study took a qualitative approach that allowed 24 high…

Policy makers at the federal level have embraced an educator effectiveness agenda, which in turn has driven many states across the country to rapidly develop and implement new and more complex teacher evaluation systems. It is increasingly clear that the success of these nascent teacher evaluation systems partly depends on the will, skill, and…

Achieving respectable response rates to surveys on university campuses has become increasingly more difficult, which can increase non-response error and jeopardize the integrity of data. Prior research has focused on investigating the effect of a single or small set of factors on college students' decision to complete surveys. We used a…

In this article, I apply autoethnography to recount and analyze my experiences as a recent enrollee and course completer of a massive open online course (MOOC). Research surrounding MOOCs heretofore has been predominantly quantitative in nature, whereas this research utilizes a qualitative approach and offers a student's in-depth perspective.…

This study describes student perceptions of potential elaborative or generative learning strategies called student knowledge links. This construct was assessed using the Student Knowledge Linking Instrument-Perceptions (SKLIP), a new learning inventory to measure late-elementary student perceptions of the creation of student knowledge links. After…

Maintaining effective undergraduate academic advising programs that meet the needs of students is an ongoing challenge for universities across the country. Using expectancy violations theory as a lens, this study argues that student satisfaction with advising is linked to alignment between student expectations of the advising process and perceived…

A recent report from the "American Association of Community Colleges" indicates that about half of first-year students do not return for a second year, and 35% of students withdraw despite having an A or B average. These students may have particularly challenging circumstances, such as juggling family and work obligations along with…

Using microlectures in a flipped classroom is a growing trend. In this media review, the benefits of microlectures for such classrooms are discussed, including how they can be used to help students become more responsible for their learning, as well as how they can be used by teachers to provide differentiated instruction. A list of resources for…

Recent Illinois legislation requires school principals in the state to be qualified to provide school leadership for children from preschool to grade twelve instead of kindergarten to grade twelve. Illinois is the first state to make such a change and may well serve as a model for change in school leadership preparation on a national level. The…

The relationships between adolescent ethnic identity and attitudes toward school and school climate are investigated in a small, multiracial/multiethnic city in the Great Lakes region with ethnically diverse adolescents taught by primarily White teachers. The mixed methods investigation of 986 eighth through eleventh grade students during the…

The present study examines school professionals' self-reported perceptions of readiness in relation to the implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI) following a mandated deadline across the state of Illinois, as well their beliefs about the framework. A survey was developed to measure variables in the model related to school…

During the past 10 to 15 years, nearly every state and school district across the nation has begun to dramatically overhaul their evaluation systems for teachers. Such evaluation systems are ultimately aimed at improving teachers' instructional practices. However, the evidence on the efficacy and effectiveness of these systems is weak and…

Although there are numerous calls to enhance the professionalism of teachers, there is little empirical research in the United States that examines educators' understanding of the concept. This exploratory case study compared the conceptualization of professionalism by faculty and students in a college of education vis-à-vis the…

The purpose of this study was to explore empathy and prosocial behaviors within real-world issues among Korean middle-childhood children living in Australia. Using a qualitative approach, seven students were engaged in six sessions of group or individual activities including five sessions of responding to video vignettes which demonstrated…

The arguments and for and against minimum grading systems have grown increasingly more intense and acrimonious in the past decade. However, there has been an absence of empirical data, theory and clear comparative analyses of conflicting points of view. Critics of minimum grading contend that the practice will produce grade inflation and social…