Concrete symbols (e.g., "sun," "run") can be learned in the context of objects and actions, thereby grounding their meaning in the world. However, it is controversial whether a comparable avenue to semantic learning exists for abstract symbols (e.g., "democracy"). When we simulated the putative brain mechanisms of…

Introduction: Psycholinguistics presents a challenge to teaching and learning because of the many abstract models in the field. Language-related games provide a vehicle for students to ground and demonstrate their understanding of these models. Statement of the problem: Models in psycholinguistics are challenging to teach and learn because they…

In many cultural contexts, judging another as conscious or not has profound practical, legal, and philosophical consequences. However, little research focuses on how our ability to make such judgements arises. Thirty years ago a classic set of studies by Flavell et al. demonstrated that children do not develop a complex understanding of conscious…

In their recent article on teachers' proportional reasoning, Copur-Gencturk et al. (2022) draw attention to a type of strategy that they call "relative", lodged right between additive and multiplicative thinking. This strategy raised interest in our research team, as it aligned well and helped give stronger meaning to some strategies…

Teaching to support students' sense-making is challenging. It requires continuous, context-dependent decision-making about which student ideas to pursue, when, how, and why. This paper presents a single case study of an experienced teacher, Nadine, as an illustrative case in order to provide a rich description of this teacher's decisional…

Background and Context: In order to fully include learners with visual impairments in early programming education, it is necessary to gain insight into specificities regarding their experience of and approach to abstract computational concepts. Objective: In this study, we use the model of the layers of abstraction to explore how learners with…

This full paper considers how collaborative discourse can reveal ways upper-class engineering students mechanically reason about engineering concepts. Argumentation and negotiation during collaborative, multimodal discourse using speech and gestures helps establish common ground between learners and fosters reflection on their conceptual…

This Family and Practitioner Brief discusses how deaf children who have not had access to a complete language from birth often encounter unique challenges in developing academic language skills, particularly in the realm of inference-making.

Financial literacy is crucial for making sound financial decisions and living a better life. However, the field of finance is full of abstract concepts, such as inflation, liquidity, asset allocation and credit. Abstract concepts may be harder to comprehend than concrete concepts due to their lack of tangible referents in the physical world. In…

Literature suggests that "current characterizations of the terms procedural knowledge and conceptual knowledge are limiting and are, in fact, impediments to careful investigation of these constructs" (Star, 2005, p. 405). We examined secondary mathematics teachers' understanding of procedural and conceptual knowledge at superficial and…

Adaptive comparative judgment (ACJ) has been widely used to evaluate classroom artifacts with reliability and validity. In the ACJ experience we examined, students were provided a pair of images related to backpack design. For each pair, students were required to select which image could help them ideate better. Then, they were prompted to provide…

Sampling distributions are fundamental for statistical inference, yet their abstract nature poses challenges for students. This research investigates the development of high school students' conceptions of sampling distribution through informal significance tests with the aid of digital technology. The study focuses on how technological tools…

Mathematics education often grapples with the challenge of teaching abstract mathematical concepts, particularly those existing in 3D space. Visualizing, manipulating, and comprehending these abstract objects can be a formidable task for learners. While 3D printing technology has found applications in various fields, its utilization in mathematics…

Cognitive development of eighth-grade students, as identified by Jean Piaget, occurs during a time when many of them are transitioning between concrete operations and formal operations where the ability to think in abstract concepts becomes possible. Because of this period of transition, many eighth-grade students find difficulty in demonstrating…