Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) is a qualitative data analysis approach that combines mind mapping with inductive analysis to condense data obtained from group interviews. One benefit of REM is the ability to identify unintended outcomes, or "ripples," of the intervention of interest. Ripples are visually represented by a mind map created…

This research project attempted to investigate the impact of applying philosophical inquiry method of teaching on classroom engagement and reasoning skills of low achievers. Low achievers are those who have the potential to succeed but lagged behind because of several factors that demotivate them to perform at their highest ability. In this study,…

The study reported in this dissertation is a response to the call for school science argumentation interventions to shift from a focus on argument framework towards epistemic criteria valued by the scientific community, and to focus on the practice of critiquing in addition to constructing arguments, as both practices are part of scientific…

A pedagogic intervention, in the form of an inquiry-based peer-assisted learning project (as a practical student-led bioinformatics module), was assessed for its ability to increase students' engagement, practical bioinformatic skills and process-specific knowledge. Elements assessed were process-specific knowledge following module completion,…

The Department of Economics at Duke University has endeavored to increase participation in undergraduate honors thesis research while ensuring a high-quality learning experience. Given the faculty-to-student ratio in the department (approximately 1:16), increasing research participation required the creation of a stable, replicable framework for…

The scientific process is nonlinear, unpredictable, and ongoing. Assessing the nature of science is difficult with methods that rely on Likert-scale or multiple-choice questions. This study evaluated conceptions about the scientific process using student-created visual representations that we term "flowcharts." The methodology,…

This teacher research project focused on utilizing blended learning to teach writing to middle school students. The intervention was designed to fit into individual lessons needed to improve students' writing skills with the main focus on sentence structure. Sixteen (16) 7th grade students were assessed with a writing sample applying the new…

This paper addresses the importance of argumentation in science education. A research project was done in order to know how a group of pre-service chemistry teachers has been prepared to promote students' argumentation. A Chemistry degree studies plan from a Colombian university was surveyed, and 18 future teachers' representations about…

Amongst the academic community there has been an increasing acceptance that knowledge and learning is no longer situated solely within academic settings and that workplace settings are also legitimate spaces for reflecting on practice in order to enhance professional capabilities. Learners are uniquely placed to draw on their workplace experiences…

The first appendix in this report is the complete version of the literature review from the research project "Motivation and Engagement of Boys: Evidence-based Teaching Practices." This project was carried out by the University of Western Sydney on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST)…

An action research project was undertaken focused on integrating recorded readings and Retrospective Miscue Analysis (RMA) into center-based instructional time in a third-grade classroom. Initial DIBELS test results were used to select 6 struggling readers, all of whom showed improved fluency in response to our instructional interventions. The…

Students enrolled in a college success course were assigned to (a) a cognitive intervention using the Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI) workbook (Sampson, Peterson, Lenz, Reardon, & Saunders, 1996b), (b) an occupational research project involving an oral report, and (c) a control condition. The workbook condition had a significant effect on the…

The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to research ways to improve outcomes for children and young people with the most complex educational needs and disabilities through the development of evidence-based teaching and learning strategies. The programme of research brought together a…

This study focuses on three case studies of three Florida teachers' action research projects focusing on improving at-risk students' literacy skills through innovative instructional technology, culturally-relevant poetry and bilingual teaching. The teachers, White, African American and Latina, describe their research journeys, the literacy…

Much of what happens in primary classrooms reflects a number of rituals and routines that have largely become an unconscious part of teachers' repertoires. While these "rituals of practice" provide a framework or structure to learning in classrooms, they are often left unexamined. These taken-for-granted ways of teaching require close…