In this article, the author shares two investigations that relate the variables of height and volume using different contexts. Each of the investigations surfaced unfinished learning for students, regardless of their starting place, and facilitated growth in understanding of measurement and algebra. The Functions and Volume of Vases task…

The Building Painted Cubes Task is a groupworthy algebraic task. Students build cubes using linking unit cubes, search for algebraic patterns, and report findings on posters. This task can create spaces for students to see themselves as doers of mathematics.

This study was situated at Mountain Middle School (Pseudonym). Students at Mountain Middle School often engage in collaborative compositions embedded within week-long multidisciplinary and multiage units of study called Odysseys. These units of study and the collaborative composition projects are classified as formal cooperative learning. Johnson…

The current study explores the connection and affordances of talk and gesture in collaborative science problem-solving activities using an emerging analytical approach. A total of 15 three to five-member groups of middle school students participated in a set of clinical collaborative science problem-solving activities. Six groups (three low- and…

In this article, we show how students' productive struggle on a mathematical task can lead to collective mathematical creativity. We use observable (co)actions and interactions from a video record that features three Grade 6 students in a problem-solving session to document the emergence of collective creativity leading to a mathematical solution.…

In this article, we revisit the co-creation of a 45-min film, "Gender is Like an Ocean," produced with middle school students in response to Kirstin Cronn-Mills's young adult novel "Beautiful Music for Ugly Children." The making of this film brought together collaborative inquiry and arts creation. Drawing on the work of…

Background and Context: Computational thinking (CT) is a critical part of computing education in middle school. The existing practices of collaboration and collaborative design activities at this education level pairs well with CT practices, but this interaction has previously been under-explored in the existing literature. Objective: In this…

Jigsaw is an attractive cooperative method for implementing physical education (PE). However, Jigsaw is a demanding method for students and teachers and requires time. Thus, the time required for the implementation of Jigsaw is important with respect to its potential effects on students. Previous findings regarding the effects of Jigsaw on…

Despite the growing emphasis on integrating collaborative problem-solving (CPS) into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, a comprehensive understanding of the critical factors that affect the effectiveness of this educational approach remains a challenge. This study aims to identify effective strategic and behavioral…

There are relatively few studies examining cooperative learning during laboratory activities in a science museum. This study aims to explore such activities to better understand the nature of cooperative learning, if any, in that setting. The participants in this study were 60 fourth-grade students who visited a science museum lab as part of a…

Background: Adolescent mental health issues are a major public health concern, highlighted by the US Surgeon General as a crisis. Traditional school-based interventions show inconsistent success, creating a demand for effective solutions. Aims: This study evaluates the impact of technology-supported cooperative learning (CL) on adolescent mental…

Productive talk is structured talk designed to support students in developing a deep understanding of the content (Michaels et al., 2008): a characteristic of high-quality mathematics instruction (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2014). Students who engage in talk during mathematics class have opportunities to make sense of the…

The ability of solving problems collaboratively has been increasingly significant. This research takes mathematics open-ended problems as the tasks and carries out collaborative problem solving with multi-machine video recording in the classroom environment aimed at 112 student pairs and 56 four-person student groups stemming from 224 students in…

Productive collaborative learning and the utilization of educational robots as a tool for developing conceptual understanding and promoting student engagement and interest levels are considered crucial components of our teaching and learning environments. This is becoming more prevalent with the rise of making spaces where collaboration is a key…

Gifted students' often go unchallenged in the classroom, and this lack of tailored instruction can lead to decreased motivation, which, in turn, influences underachievement, which is a significant concern since these children, theoretically, should be our highest achievers. This 4-week (i.e., eight instructional days) semi-randomized,…