The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS, 2013) emphasize rich integration of authentic science inquiry practices with science content knowledge to promote deeper understandings and flexible transfer of practices and knowledge (Hilton & Honey, 2011). Meeting this goal poses significant challenges for teachers (Hofstein, & Lunetta, 2004;…

The purpose of this study was to explore the behaviors and characteristics of school leadership, specifically principals' behaviors, that lead to increased student achievement. This study examined (a) what type of information is available to principals, (b) how they use the information, and (c) what factors determine a positive or negative impact…

This study was conducted to analyse the influence of learning styles and teaching strategies on academic performance in mathematics. Surveys were conducted to 277 randomly selected grade 9 students and five purposively sample mathematics teachers. Findings reveal that most of the student-respondents have a combination of dependent, collaborative…

Every student must have and develop spatial abilities to be successful in learning geometry. The rapid development of technology also allows teachers to use Macromedia Flash as an alternative in developing and improving students' spatial abilities. This study aimed to determine and describe the improvement of the students' spatial ability after…

Experienced middle school mathematics and science teachers were recruited for a pilot study. The teachers separately responded to a survey related to determining expected learning outcomes based on their traditional teaching, classroom experiences and observations, and self-brainstorming. The teachers then received training on how to design,…

South Lee Middle School is a small, rural school with approximately 270 students located in north Mississippi. The central issue of concern at South Lee Middle School was low levels of student academic growth in mathematics according to state assessments. An informal preliminary analysis identified root causes of this concern as a lack of…

This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of learning materials oriented on problem-based learning models, the improvement mathematical problem solving ability and students' metacognition ability. Learning materials that developed are lesson plan, student book, student worksheet, mathematical problem solving ability and students' metacognition…

It is important to enhance pre-service science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) during teacher education programs. As an alternative, this research aims to investigate whether participating in a lesson study enriched with content representation contributes to pre-service science teachers' PCK improvement in the heat and temperature…

Middle school special education teachers often express concern about challenging student behavior. Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT), a behavior management program based on school-wide positive behavior support, have been effective in elementary general education classrooms. The present study, the first to apply it in a…

Proper understanding of and learning from physics phenomena and experiments requires--among other competencies--flexible and coherent use of multiple representations (MRs). These can include everything from the "enactive" or "operational" manipulation of the experimental devices and materials to the most abstract level of a…

Historically, secondary students with emotional behavioral disorders (EBD) have made poor progress in mathematics putting them at risk for school failure and placement in an alternative setting. Two under studied areas essential to success in mathematics are fractions and algebra. The purpose of this study was to test the effects of a…

Supporting students' in-the-moment perseverance is a vital objective in mathematics education because it promotes learning with understanding. Yet, little is written about if and how student perseverance can improve over time. I examine the specific ways in which secondary students improved their perseverance as they engaged with challenging…

Background: Academic challenges such as losing/not turning in assignments, misplacing materials, and inefficient studying are common in middle-school students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability. Deficits in organization, planning, prioritizing, memory/materials management, and studying skills [i.e. academic…

STEM education is gaining increasing attention globally to fulfill the acute shortage of STEM workforce. Executing STEM education is frequently viewed as a complex and challenging agenda. The current study proposes Integrated STEM-lab activities in the teaching and learning of electrolysis. The activities use real-world contexts as a platform to…

District leaders have invested widely in the creation of parent portals, but have paid less attention to ensuring that they are achieving their purpose in providing information that parents can use in supporting their children's academic success. This study, based on qualitative field note data from a larger four-year study of a continuous…