This study follows the literacy experiences of four Latina middle schoolers as they read Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and compose home language narratives in their heritage voices. Both their vibrant ethnic cultures and other intersecting rays of identities are analyzed in the vein of their literate identities. Through analysis of their…

Mid-adolescence has been identified as a period of considerable potential growth in the language skills and practices that support reading and writing at school, but little research has examined mid-adolescents' use of connectives in school-relevant persuasive writing. In this study, we define connectives as cohesive devices that signal to a…

In this study, we investigated how secondary students interpret algebraic expressions that contain literal symbols to stand for variables. We hypothesized that the natural number bias (i.e., the tendency to over-rely on knowledge and experiences based on natural numbers) would affect students to think that the literal symbols stand for natural…

In their daily work teachers are responsible for several complex tasks; might AI be harnessed to support teachers in the challenging work of planning lessons? In this paper we investigate the use of an AI tool, namely ChatGPT, to generate a lesson plan that may be of use to teachers in their planning. A carefully worded prompt, informed by…

Biology teachers received professional development to effect instructional changes that ensure student cognitive engagement and knowledge acquisition at higher cognitive levels. We asked the following questions: 1) What are the initial needs of teachers to promote active learner engagement and knowledge acquisition at higher cognitive levels? 2)…

Background: While the concept of translanguaging has gained significant traction in education in multilingual contexts, it is also debated and contested. Claims are made about what translanguaging can and cannot do, how different it might be from code-switching, whether it arises from a single repertoire of language resources or from use of…

Due to the learning paradox, students cannot have real difficulty in understanding a mathematical concept that they have not yet understood. There is a gap between real difficulties, directly experienced by students, and illusionary ones, only observed by researchers. This paper aims to offer a critical reflection on our understanding of the term…

Classroom group characteristics are not only related to student outcomes, but also have an impact on classroom instruction. This study investigates an integrated model that examines the direct or indirect relationships among classroom-level adversity (CLA), instructional clarity, student academic self-concept and achievement in math lessons. Using…

This study explored the manner in which poor planning skill impairs reading comprehension of students with ADHD. Ninety-six adolescents with and without ADHD completed a planning task (Tower of London) and answered open-ended questions following the reading of two expository texts under two reading goals - study and entertainment, while their…

An important educational goal is enabling students to learn scientific concepts. The scientific concepts learned in class are developed within students' cognitive structures. Despite the successful application of Semantic Network Analysis (SNA) to study these cognitive structures, there has been limited examination of students' concept networks…

The capacity for mathematical reasoning, pivotal in grasping core math concepts, directly shapes a student's success in their mathematical studies. This study aimed to detail and analyzed how the search, solve, create, and share (SSCS) instructional framework impacts mathematical reasoning skills within the context of linear equations. We adopted…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is an integral measure of academic progress over time. It is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what our nation's students know and can do in various subjects such as civics, mathematics, reading, science, technology and engineering literacy, U.S. history, and…

Building on the literature of student leadership development, Natalie Sew, Adrianne Billingham Bock, and Danielle Allen share an approach to civic education: Deeper Civic Learning. This approach offers students the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and key civic dispositions needed to engage in their communities and develop their…

This study investigates how self-efficacy and motivation predict students' science literacy and career expectations above and beyond their socioeconomic status. A structural equation model built on self-determination theory and self-efficacy was examined using PISA 2015 data from Finland and Japan. The study sample is 5882 and 6647 15-year-old…

Understanding test-taking strategies (TTSs) and the variables that influence TTSs is crucial to understanding what reading comprehension tests measure. We examined how passage and student characteristics were associated with TTSs and their impact on response accuracy. Third (n = 78), fifth (n = 86), and eighth (n = 86) graders read and answered…