Students frequently struggled with the mathematizing process -- forging connections between implicit and explicit mathematical thinking -- when solving a context-rich applied problem. The current research investigated how students interact with and leverage purposively designed "mathematizing" supports when solving applied math problems…

Open-ended learning environments (OELEs) support constructivist approaches to STEM learning. This promotes student engagement and facilitates a deeper understanding of STEM topics. Despite their benefits, OELEs can present significant challenges for novice learners. Recent studies have revealed the complex relationship between students' affective…

PS-I learning approaches with an initial problem-solving phase (PS) followed by an instruction phase (I) can be optimised by providing adaptive (individualised) instruction that builds on students' problem-solving products. A computer-based implementation of both phases offers the possibility of adaptivity at the transition from the…

School climate surveys are commonly used to solicit youth perspectives about their experiences in schools. However, to move climate surveys from solicitation towards a more youth-centered, partnered practice for school improvement, guidance is needed from the youth themselves about how and in what ways they hope adults respond to their survey…

The issue of low math performance, particularly in schools serving historically marginalized communities, requires immediate attention. Despite implementing various interventions, including leadership changes, curriculum updates, and hiring consultants, student achievement in math has remained stagnant at Ida B. Wells Academy (Wells). This case…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if, or to what extent, the soft skills of a principal, as perceived by their teachers, can predict a positive school climate at the middle school level in a large Independent School District (ISD) in southeast Texas. The theoretical constructs of attribution and emotional…

While inquiry-based pedagogy is expected to prepare students well for their future life and work in the modern world, research indicates that teachers still prefer the more traditional lecture-based teaching practices. To explore better the issues underpinning the adoption of inquiry-based teaching, this study hypothesized that inquiry-based…

Recent studies of caring school leadership have focused on the way that caring leaders support teachers and influence the school environment. Though caring is understood improve educational outcomes, questions about the interpersonal and organizational enactment can lead to significant disagreements--micropolitical contests. Using case study data,…

This study aims to investigate the effect of using Minecraft on Year 5 pupils' higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) in fractional problems-solving. A quasi-experimental pretest and posttest non-equivalent groups design was used. The study sample involved 65 Year 5 pupils from two intact classes which consists of 31 pupils as the treatment group and…

The goal of this research is to present the effects of virtual learning environments, specifically designed according to the problem-based learning approach (PBL) for 7th-grade students' science lessons. The effects of these specific environments on students' academic success, problem-solving skills and motivations were carefully analyzed and…

Scholars have suggested that flipped learning can be enhanced by designing effective in-class learning activities to improve students' higher order thinking skills. Problem posing has been recognized as such a learning strategy that has great potential for improving students' higher order thinking skills. However, it has been reported as a…

In this article we show how students' productive struggle on a mathematical task can lead to collective mathematical creativity. We use observable (co)actions and interactions from a video record that features three Grade 6 students in a problem-solving session to document the emergence of collective creativity leading to a solution. We discuss…

A key affordance of game-based learning environments is their potential to unobtrusively assess student learning without interfering with gameplay. In this paper, we introduce a temporal analytics framework for stealth assessment that analyzes students' problem-solving strategies. The strategy-based temporal analytic framework uses long short-term…

A theoretical model of metacognition in complex modeling activities has been developed based on existing frameworks, by synthesizing the reconceptualization of metacognition at multiple levels by looking at the three sources that trigger metacognition. Using the theoretical model as a framework, this multiple-case study explores students'…

We report on a design-based research study that was conducted over three iterations. It chronicles the design, development, and implementation of School Scene Investigators, a forensic science game series for middle school students that utilizes mobile augmented reality. Played on mobile devices while exploring the school environment, School Scene…