Cognitive activation is an approach to instruction associated with increased mathematical achievement and engagement. However, researchers have questioned its effectiveness for students with different learner characteristics. A Year 6 class participated in a lesson designed using cognitive activation practices. Interviews with ten case study…

In this contribution, we present a follow-up work-in-progress on an innovative system for facilitating small-group online discussions using an avatar during a video conference. A previous study has shown that the system had an effective, understandable, and more participatory interaction. Here, we examine long-term usage and its effects on…

The study reported here was conceptualised using a theoretical framework that included three dimensions of engagement; emotional, behavioural, and cognitive, and these were used to structure the data collection and analysis vis-à-vis learning mathematics outdoors. This comparative case study involved 34 students from two Year 6 classes at a…

Historically, learning for young students has occurred in formal, in-person classroom environments, but the distance learning context has opened a myriad of learning modalities. To this end, we aim to better understand how deploying learning experience design (LXD) approach supports or hinders children's engagement while participating in an…

Interest-driven activities, such as mathematical play, can support student agency, motivation, and engagement, and can foster dispositions that reflect authentic disciplinary engagement. However, the bulk of research on mathematical play investigates the mathematics that emerges in young children's natural play or in informal spaces such as video…

Historically, learning for young students has occurred in formal, in-person classroom environments. But in just a matter of weeks, children were mandated to transition to a completely new mode of learning, facing new learning challenges with heightened anxieties. To this end, we aim to better understand how our learning experience design (LXD)…

Research suggests that quality teacher-student relationship promotes student development in various domains including school engagement which consists of behavioral, cognitive, and emotional components. While associations between school engagement and academic achievement have been widely studies, predictors of school engagement have been less…

The paper examines how the game Minecraft can be used as a new digital learning environment in the context of second language teaching and learning. It explores how the concepts of digital space and digital place within the new 3D digital environment can contribute to reshaping the language learners' experience and promote greater engagement in…

When implementing large-scale educational computing initiatives (e.g., One Laptop Per Child) it is vital to allocate resources for training, support, and device deployment judiciously. One question that arises is how learners' engagement with online educational resources is affected by receiving a new computer; do the benefits justify the costs?…

This study relied on motivational models derived from self-determination theory to explain how garden-based science activities can contribute to minority students' motivation and learning in science class and academic identity in science. Participants were 105 sixth-grade students from primarily low-SES families at two diverse urban schools.…

Classroom discourse is central to fostering mathematical practices, but we still have much to learn about how the detailed work of teaching can support students to engage in the range of mathematical practices set out in the Common Core. This study examined mathematics discussions in four inquiry based secondary mathematics classrooms to…

Even though there is growing consensus for engaging primary students with early algebraic ideas, there is limited research knowledge about the relevant learning opportunities designed in textbooks. Textbooks are considered to play an important role in what is happening in classrooms, especially in educational contexts where classroom instruction…

Early adolescents, particularly from underrepresented or marginalized communities, may feel disconnected from school science leading to a lack of engagement. The lack of connection between their out of school experiences and school science may lead them to devalue science. This study examines interviews with 56 middle school students and 12…

This paper presents a study of teachers' perceptions of '21st century literacy' practices and the dilemmas teacher face when these perceptions clash with the policies and the practices they feel are expected of them. Using narrative inquiry as its methodology, the paper presents 3 themes identified within the study, namely: 'Teachers' insights…

This paper reports on a study designed to examine the dialogic processes teachers used to sustain focused discussions, using questioning techniques and Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs). IWBs and their related technologies such as plasma touch screens and projected tablets have passed through several phases of implementation as classroom objects,…