Curriculum reforms often fail because teachers are asked to implement approaches to teaching and learning that are contrary to their beliefs about students and how to teach them. Since curriculum reforms are attempts to resolve particular educational problems, failures in implementation produce parallel failures to resolve the problem for which…

Gaming the system, a behavior in which learners exploit a system's properties to make progress while avoiding learning, has frequently been shown to be associated with lower learning. However, when we applied a previously validated gaming detector across conditions in experiments with an algebra tutor, the detected gaming was not associated with…

We report on an innovative design of algorithmic analysis that supports automatic online assessment of students' exploration of geometry propositions in a dynamic geometry environment. We hypothesized that difficulties with and misuse of terms or logic in conjectures are rooted in the early exploration stages of inquiry. We developed a generic…

This qualitative study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of principal practice through the voices of principal talk gathered from principals through the lens of Motivating Language Theory (MLT). A qualitative methodology was utilized to gain a deeper understanding from eight principals -- four elementary and four middle level. Data were…

To explain children's difficulties learning fraction arithmetic, Braithwaite et al. (2017) proposed FARRA, a theory of fraction arithmetic implemented as a computational model. The present study tested predictions of the theory in a new domain, decimal arithmetic, and investigated children's use of conceptual knowledge in that domain. Sixth and…

A group of eighth-graders was presented with a two-day lab exploring graph theory as an enrichment experience. With the school's winter break looming, students were weary of solving linear equations, and this topic was intended to inject some new life into the classroom. In addition to learning about a completely new topic, they would be exposed…

The purpose of this study is to implement an a-didactical activity relating to the acquisition of the triangle inequality, prepared within the framework of the "Didactic Situations Theory" (TDS), and to report the experiences of the students during the implementation process. The study employs a case study method based on a qualitative…

Writing assessments often consist of students responding to multiple prompts, which are judged by more than one rater. To establish the reliability of these assessments, there exist different methods to disentangle variation due to prompts and raters, including classical test theory, Many Facet Rasch Measurement (MFRM), and Generalizability Theory…

Students' strongly positive STEM interest and identity predict their future study and career choices in a STEM field. STEM education studies addressing multiple disciplines together are insufficient, as they have produced mixed findings and inadequate direction for advancing integrated STEM education. Self-determination theory (SDT) provides an…

Much of the existing research on adolescent firearm and weapon carrying lacks a theoretical framework. Relatedly, few studies have examined the relationship between weapon carrying and bullying victimization experienced at school, which has been established as a key strain in adolescence. The present study seeks to provide a partial test of…

Bullying in middle school can be understood through the lens of the evolutionary theory. This theory views bullying behaviours as aspects of a drive for power and status, dark facets of charisma and leadership. In this light, we seek to channel these natural instincts into more positive outlets, giving "bullies" -- and all students --…

Recent reform initiatives in STEM disciplines inspired the development and implementation of integrated STEM approaches to science teaching and learning. Integrated STEM as an approach to science teaching and learning leverages engineering principles and practices to situate learning in an authentic and meaningful science learning environment.…

Children continuously engage in developing theories about how the world works as they inquire through play and interactions with others. In this study, we investigated children's in-process thinking in the form of working theories about language as they participated in engagements around dual language picturebooks in an afterschool club. Our…

With the development of the Internet as a main source of information, teenagers are increasingly faced with multiple documents which may contain contradictory statements, and whose reliability must be assessed. One way to assess information reliability is to evaluate the source of the information (e.g., author expertise, intention). However,…

This study investigated the application of item response theory (IRT) to expand the range of ability estimates for gifted (hereinafter referred to as high-achieving) students' performance on an above-level test. Using a sample of fourth- to sixth-grade high-achieving students (N = 1,893), we conducted a study to compare estimates from two…