When implementing digital technologies into mathematics teaching and learning situations, new representational and communication infrastructures arise that allow for new speech acts and actions. These new speech acts and actions are also referred to as 'representational expressivity'. Such expressivity arises in the intersection of…

Scholars and practitioners have called for personalized and widely accessible professional development (PD) for teachers. Yet, a long-standing tension between customizing support and increasing access to such support has hindered the scale-up of high-quality PD for individual teachers. This study addresses this challenge by developing a…

With the increased rigor of academic standards, high expectations of academic writing skills have been imposed on students in U.S. K-12 schools. For English learner (EL) students who cope with the dual challenges of learning rigorous subject matters and developing their English language proficiency simultaneously, extra support and effective…

The purpose of this study is to examine gender differences in entrepreneurial competencies and self-efficacy among middle school students in an entrepreneurship program. The study evaluates teamwork, innovation, marketing, feasibility, and impact skills. It also measures entrepreneurial self-efficacy pre-post program. Previous research shows that…

The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study was to explore how the implementation of physical movement brain breaks impacts engagement and academic achievement for middle school students. This study is grounded in brain-based learning theory which explains how we can use brain science to inform instructional decisions in the…

Background: The prevalence of mental health challenges among adolescents warrants innovative school-based approaches that support students' mental health literacy (MHL). Purpose: In this qualitative case study, we interrogated the experiences of three eighth-grade English Language Arts (ELA) teachers and two of their school's social support staff…

This paper examines the need to integrate students' full linguistic repertoires into literacy instruction in middle and high school classrooms. Traditional monoglossic approaches often neglect the linguistic assets multilingual students bring, limiting their academic potential. Drawing on translanguaging theory, this paper explores three…

At all educational levels, the number of English learners continues to increase; their academic and linguistic success are growing concerns. The problem is that middle school English learners struggle to reach English proficiency in literacy and language. Closing the achievement gap is a challenge for both English learners and middle school…

Balancing disciplinary knowledge and practical reasoning in problem solving is needed for meaningful learning. In STEM problem solving, science subject matter with associated practices often appears distant to learners due to its abstract nature. Consequently, learners experience difficulties making meaningful connections between science and their…

The "Integrated Development of Key Competences" has been identified as the core idea in education to face competition in the 21st century. Similarly, reform efforts in science education emphasize the importance of integrating scientific practices and disciplinary core ideas. The learning progression (LP) is viewed as a robust tool to…

Mathematics curricula from many countries have emphasized conceptual understanding as more important than the mastery of isolated skills. However, researchers and educators have used different measures to access students' conceptual understanding of mathematics. Thus, it seems necessary to further explore whether and to what extent different…

Student-Teacher-Scientist Partnerships (STSPs) provide opportunities for students and teachers to participate in citizen science and engage with scientific concepts and practices, thereby bridging school learning with issues of importance to society, such as climate change. But STSPs require partners to cross boundaries between the cultures of…

This dissertation study investigated secondary mathematics teachers' designing and enacting lessons to draw on students' multiple mathematical knowledge bases. The ultimate objective of incorporating open spaces in mathematics lessons is to support students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in developing mathematical…

Public schools have experienced an endless cycle of reform aiming to improve student achievement. Despite the time, funding, and resources that have been expended, most school reforms have not been successful at manifesting and sustaining meaningful change. New Jersey's latest attempt at school reform involved Regional Achievement Centers (RACs)…

This study aimed to explore the complex interplay between general teacher self-efficacy, self-efficacy for inclusive practices, and attitudes toward inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. A quantitative research design was employed involving 21 participants who completed a survey encompassing three distinct…