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…

This paper reports on a project that sought to enhance problem-solving practices within a cluster of primary schools. In-service teachers' description of their approach to problem-solving suggested it was treated as an isolated practice that occurred after concepts had been taught; often focusing on teaching particular problem-solving strategies…

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…

Findings from qualitative studies reveal an array of discursive supports that peers employ to mediate language and literacy for one another during collaborative and cooperative learning. Quantitative studies posit that enhanced literacy outcomes can result from students participating in these peer mediated tasks. Studies also suggest that the…

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…

Gender balance in computing education is a decades-old issue that has been the focus of much previous research. In K-12, the introduction of mandatory computing education goes some way to giving all learners the opportunity to engage with computing throughout school, but a gender imbalance still persists when computer science becomes an elective…

The aim of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to examine differences in teachers' perceptions of cooperative learning and factors influencing their implementation in the classroom. In order to assess teacher perceptions and current use of cooperative learning, the Cooperative Learning Implementation Questionnaire (CLIQ) developed by…

This paper discusses how primary school students, who are writing together in the context of inquiry learning, explicitly orient to knowing of oneself and others within the peer group. Using Conversation Analysis, we disclose the conversational functions of assertions holding 'I know', 'you know' and 'we know'. First, students position themselves…

This case study investigates the intricate landscape of K-8 education in Connecticut, particularly focusing on Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT). Drawing inspiration from theories of cultural intelligence and collaborative learning, the research sought to understand the experiences, perceptions, and practices of K-8 educators concerning CRT,…

As schools strive to instill college and career readiness within students, the academic success of students continues to be a priority of educators and administrators alike. The classroom learning environment utilized by students was examined throughout this study. Specifically, this study examined how the spaces within the classroom are utilized…

This study investigated the understudied area of virtual reality (VR) creation among elementary-aged youth, exploring their engagement in VR creation and the ways in which educators can facilitate this creative process. Using an embedded case study, the researcher examined how the youth visualize writing using the VR creation tool, CoSpaces. To…

The perceptions of Tennessee educators who successfully implemented blended learning in their classrooms were the main focus of this phenomenological study. Blended learning is a modality that uses stations which consist of a teacher-led station, an online station, and an off-line station. Teachers work in small groups with students while others…

This year-long qualitative study explored third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade gifted students' participation during inquiry explorations. We discovered that it took considerable time for students to balance the process and final product created. For instance, students focused on the process and planning of the outcome. However, when the outcome…

This task structure both engages students in serious, grade-level appropriate mathematical work and allows the teacher to do the intentional and purposeful work of building a collaborative classroom culture. We highlight possibilities for adapting this task structure to teach different mathematics content across grade levels 3-5.