This study aimed to explore Cooperative Learning theories and practice by examining the relationships among three aspects: Experience, Practice and Perceptions. The data were from interview records from eight science teachers. As a student-centered active pedagogical trend, cooperative learning has become part of one of the most effective and…

The problem was the impacts of the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum on Chinese teachers' self-efficacy and student-centered learning practices were unknown. The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to determine the impacts of the International Baccalaureate curriculum on Chinese teachers' reports of self-efficacy and…

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…

Administration and ministers of elementary schools located in the target district in the Caribbean reported that some elementary teachers were inconsistently implementing differentiated instruction (DI) in their practice. Based on the identified problem, it was unclear which specific strategies of DI were causing teachers to experience barriers or…

Integrating technology into the classroom is more than just putting tools and hardware in front of children. To provide high-quality instruction, educators need to understand the relationship between pedagogy and technology. When technology is integrated into the classroom in a meaningful way, students become more engaged and they learn to take…

A growing number of schools are adopting social-emotional learning (SEL) programs to address students' social, emotional, and academic needs. The proliferation of school-based SEL programs has spurred more research to investigate the ways in which educators enact SEL in schools. However, very few studies have considered the role school leaders…

Despite increasing expectations for student proficiency in content area reading (e.g., Common Core State Standards), social studies text continues to present unique challenges to students who struggle with reading; for example, textbook readability is often at least two grade levels above the grade for which it is intended (Berkeley et al., 2016;…

The purpose of this study was to identify essential features of Epistemic Orientation toward Teaching Science (EOTS) and to explore the relationships between EOTS and instructional practices. This study proposes a new concept, EOTS: defined as a teacher's set of interrelated beliefs that are developed and used when teaching science, and are shaped…

The English Language Learner student population is on the rise in the United States. There are more students than ever entering school with a language other than English as their primary language. There is an inconsistency in the delivery service (pull-out or push-in) as well as a variety of pedagogical practices used to instruct students in…

This dissertation examined self-regulated learning (SRL) and motivation beliefs (i.e., self-efficacy, perceived responsibility) across ability (i.e., gifted, advanced, average) and achievement groups (i.e., high achievers, low achievers) in a sample of 135 suburban middle school students (i.e., fifth and sixth grade). In order to expand upon…

This study focused on students' responses toward an experimental instructional program called Flex-time that was offered in grades three through five in a Southeast NJ school district. The study aimed to determine: (1) if the Flex program motivated and/or engaged students to have a love for learning and (2) if characteristics, such as grade level,…