This paper focuses on the impact of changing environment on undergraduate mathematics students' status, described through their engagement, participation, and motivation levels. These parameters were computed through a fuzzy cognitive map, which gathered data from a situation-aware e-learning platform. The main goal is to analyze the students'…

One of the main objectives of international large-scale assessments is to make comparisons between different countries, education policies, education systems, or subgroups. One of the main criteria for making comparisons between different groups is to ensure measurement invariance. The purpose of this study was to test the measurement invariance…

We present the result of an eight-year didactic experiment in two primary school classes involving comparative geometry activities: a comparison between Euclidean plane geometry and spherical geometry that took place over five years. Following the didactic experiment, three years on from the end of the experiment, final questionnaires were…

We investigate the process of becoming an expert in mathematics education through the narratives of Mario, a PhD student in mathematics education, and those of Anna, his young mentor. The narratives examine the initial interactions with mathematics education (specifically, the writing of a conference paper) and explore the motives, interests, and…

This chapter describes the process of developing an English for tourism studies course at a trilingual university across five academic years. The process involved four phases. During the 2011-2012 academic year, I gained a grounded understanding of the needs of the learners from the standpoint of a "reflective practitioner" (see Farrell,…

This paper describes an informal component that we added to an online formal language learning environment in order to help the learners reach relevant Internet pages they can freely use to complement their learning activity. Thanks to this facility, each lesson is enriched, at run time, with a number of links automatically retrieved from social…

We are delighted to welcome you to the International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends 2014, taking place in Porto, Portugal, from 4 to 6 of April. Psychology, in our time, offers a large range of scientific fields where it can be applied. The goal of understanding individuals and groups (mental functions and behavioral…

Presents the results of a questionnaire administered to students of Italian at the School for Foreigners of Siena to determine the following: (1) student characteristics; (2) student motivations for studying Italian; (3) student interests; (4) student linguistic needs; and (5) student evaluation of the program. (CFM)

States that the task of the school is to motivate and enable people to continue their education throughout life. Proposes that this goal be met by arousing students' interest in reading while they are being taught to read. Presents the criteria for a good school library and discusses ways in which student interest may be aroused. (GEA)