The problem addressed through this study was the inconsistent implementation of RTI2 in the mathematics classes for special education (SPED) upper elementary (i.e., Grades 3-5) students at a Southwestern, urban Tennessee school district (SUTSD). Students in SPED have low mathematics proficiency. Researchers have demonstrated that RTI2 is a process…

The current evidence base for outdoor and nature-based education in a context of education for sustainability is limited and unrepresentative of the realities of small, urban schools, which tend to be characterised by small outdoor spaces devoid of nature. To address this research gap, we carried out two studies in Malta, as an example of a…

In this paper, we discuss the theoretical foundation and implementation of two alternative instructional courses that aimed to support the development of elementary school students' early algebraic thinking. Both courses approached three basic algebra content strands: generalized arithmetic, functional thinking and modelling languages. The courses…

Reading comprehension seems to be a significant challenge for rising fifth graders with limited vocabulary knowledge. A possible solution is to provide them with explicit vocabulary instruction which may positively impact their reading comprehension. This action research aimed to evaluate the effect of implementing explicit vocabulary instruction…

Echoing calls to expand environmental education research through design, this study explores the role of design in garden-based education and illustrate its contributions towards practical impact and theoretical insight. Design can explicate and map conjectures about resources, tasks, roles, and other supports for learning and teaching then, in…

The purpose of this descriptive case study was to describe the successful instructional strategies that influence student engagement in an urban elementary school in Virginia. This study was designed to focus on the instructional strategies' teachers use to teach science and how those instructional strategies influence student engagement in third,…

This quantitative, nonexperimental research study focused on discovering the impact of inquiry-based instruction on the science achievement of rural Georgia fifth-grade students as measured by the Georgia Milestones Assessment System (GMAS), a criterion referenced test. Inquiry-based instruction is a teaching method that combines the natural…

This paper presents a study conducted in a Greek Elementary school and explores the impact of Digital Storytelling (DST) on developing children's second language (L2) writing skills and their intercultural awareness. The development of digital technologies has enabled the use of different multimedia tools to reconfigure traditional storytelling.…

A "Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS") are intended for all students, hence "all standards, all students" (NGSS Lead States 2013). To make this vision a reality, the "NGSS" highlight three key instructional shifts: (1) explain phenomena or design solutions…

This study examined the perceptions of participants regarding the use of embedded video demonstration lessons during literacy professional development sessions. The videos were captured in an urban elementary classroom and modeled two new literacy strategies. Based on survey responses from 160 kindergarten through fifth grade elementary school…

This non-experimental, quantitative study explored how factors related to teachers' beliefs, curricular orientation, training and support received, and their identity and background experiences are associated with their use of curriculum. Specifically, this study sought to examine teachers' use of a curricular resource specifically designed to…

This paper describes how fifth-grade English Learner students (ELs) in an urban school district develop the mathematics register during a problem-solving lesson. It provides examples of students' work to illustrate how they use the mathematics register to communicate their mathematical ideas orally and in writing. The teacher implemented teaching…

The purpose of this dissertation study is to examine the ways underprivileged fifth-grade students enacted digital multimodal composing practices and enhanced their understanding of digital multimodal composing in activity systems of ELA and science classes in a public school. This study was conducted within one fifth-grade classroom at McGrove…

Homework is a pervasive pedagogical practice worldwide, and somewhat neglected as a research topic. This study aims to provide a comprehensive account of teachers' homework practices, an aspect of teachers' work about which relatively little is known. We seek to explore what constitutes teachers' homework practices, illuminate their complexity,…

For decades, urban public schools have been plagued by systemic and structural challenges that continue today. Scholars, policymakers, and the general public have pointed to problems of learning in urban schools and to low expectations for urban students' learning, but little attention has been given to how urban students themselves conceptualize…