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…

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,…

Although the benefits of collaborative learning across disciplines are well-established, its effectiveness hinges on the quality of execution. Motivational beliefs and emotions are crucial in students' engagement and achievement. Yet, a notable gap exists in examining these variables among students with varying proficiency levels in the context of…

Background and Context: Students' self-efficacy toward computing affect their participation in related tasks and courses. Self-efficacy is likely influenced by students' initial experiences and exposure to computer science (CS) activities. Moreover, student interest in a subject likely informs their ability to effectively regulate their learning…

Mathematical learning has an important role and is often prioritized in education. In K-16 education, algebra is one of the most vital mathematical content domains: it represents one of the top barriers for students pursuing a postsecondary education. Game-based learning has been effective in fostering classroom math learning environments that are…

The COVID-19 pandemic's restrictions for schools and playgrounds threatened children's social and emotional wellbeing. In response, Grade 4/5 students created music-based activities through action research to sustain playground interactions. This study explored the crucial yet fragile playground relationships and the children's determination to…

Purpose: To understand how a season of sport education (SE) and a hybrid SE and cooperative learning season impacted on elementary school students' physical activity levels and motivation and to examine possible differences according to gender. Method: A total of 97 fourth- to fifth-grade students in four intact classes participated in a 14-lesson…

A partner's competence should logically favor cooperative learning. However, research in cooperative learning has shown that a partner's competence may or may not activate a threatening social comparison and yields dual effects: It is beneficial when students work on complementary information while it is detrimental when students work on identical…

Math and English Language Arts (ELA) are two major areas that continue to show gender achievement gaps in U.S. students. Given the importance of peer relations in academic success, the degree of gender integration in classrooms in early elementary school may shift student interest and performance to lessen these gender gaps. We tested the…

Research has consistently highlighted the importance of promoting child-parent interactions. In this essay, we describe the development of MAKEngineering kits that provide collaborative learning experiences for children in Grades 2-6 to engage in engineering design tasks with members of their families in their home environment. First, we present…

The study (N = 92) piloted an inclusive programme taking advantage of linguistic diversity in regular primary classrooms in Geneva (Switzerland) to reinforce classroom social climate. The same three-stages programme (activities for opening to others, activities for opening to linguistic diversity, and multilingual cooperative activities) was…

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate an authentic contextual learning framework with six constructs to model the relationships among essential factors of authentic contextual learning. In particular, this framework explores the relationships across six constructs, i.e. learning by applying, healthy learning, collaborative learning,…

In this paper we consider how the integration of mobile technology apps into classroom practice can form an alternative pedagogical medium that influences the learning process in mathematics. We give an account of one aspect of a research project that examined the use of tablets and apps in primary school mathematics programmes and report teacher…

This study investigated the technologies and tools used to support upper-level elementary students' engineering design and problem-solving activities in a bridge design and building challenge. The study was conducted in an eight-week afterschool program with a total of 36 4th to 6th grade students in small groups of four to six students. Analysis…

This research is based on the idea that general education teachers have the role and responsibility of providing inclusive classroom instruction for all students. Federal laws and the push for inclusion in general education classrooms contribute to the need for general education teachers to be effective and knowledgeable about meeting the needs of…