How do task experiences support proximal and longer-term desires to reengage? Central to this question is the interplay between perceptions of task difficulty and the situational interest. This interplay is increasingly researched but not yet well understood. Micro-analytic, latent studies are important tools for replicating past findings and…

This study tested competing theories about the effectiveness of different instructional sequences for learners with different levels of prior knowledge. Across two classroom experiments, undergraduates learned about noncovalent interactions in biochemistry by either receiving explicit instruction before problem-solving (I-PS group) or engaging in…

This study examined "backward transfer," which we define as how students' ways of reasoning about previously encountered concepts are modified when learning about new concepts. We examined the backward transfer produced when students learned about quadratic functions. We were specifically interested in how backward transfer may vary for…

Hands-on activities promote interest in engineering, but their use in primary education is under pressure due to doubts about their effect on learning. Based on the Challenge Point Framework, we hypothesized that an adaptive approach in which a pupil starts with tasks at its level of prior knowledge would raise the learning results of hands-on…

This research memorandum highlights the collaborative efforts of the literacy panel for the ETS Return on Investment (ROI) Study, Phase 1, comprising Jean-François Rouet, M. Anne Britt, and Tobias Richter, in developing their research memorandum, "Literacy Skills at and around Level 2 of the PIAAC Cycle 2 Proficiency Scale." This…

To examine the interaction between educators' intercultural development and students' intercultural growth, we studied the impact of CIEE's Intercultural Communication and Leadership (ICL) course. Our results indicate that Educator, Country, Gender, and Field had impacts on students' intercultural gains (Gibson et al., 2023); the focus of this…

Research has revealed that student teachers benefit from teaching practicum programs. The programs present the student teachers with myriad opportunities to negotiate and deconstruct their personal and practical knowledge with the help of teacher mentors and supervising faculty members. This study reports on a case study that examines the…

Objective: Our objective was to examine the perceptions regarding the teaching and learning of English of students in 16 undergraduate programs at a state public university in Mexico. Method: In our qualitative case study, participating students responded to queries about their experiences learning English at the university, as well as their…

Senate Bill 940 (SB 940), passed during the 2023 regular legislative session, required the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) "to conduct a study to identify how to improve processes to more easily and accurately transfer to high schools in [Oregon] any high school credits earned by a student outside the United States." The bill also…

This study investigates how undergraduate physics majors develop an interest in specific subfields. We examine interest formation through the lens of social cognitive career theory (SCCT) using four SCCT constructs: learning experiences, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and proximal environmental influences. We conducted 27 interviews with…

To achieve efficient reading comprehension, Chinese as a second language (L2) learners adopt various component skills and knowledge, including the aspects of vocabulary, grammar, and coherence. However, there is no consensus regarding the relative predictive powers of these three areas in L2 reading comprehension. Instead of employing direct…

This study investigates the influence of K-12 STEM education on the retention rates of Black women pursuing STEM majors in higher education institutions in Texas. The problem addressed in this study is the unknown influence of K-12 STEM education on Black women majoring in STEM in Texas higher education institutions. This research aims to describe…

Involving students in peer review has substantial benefits for students' learning and development and, more pragmatically, for staff workload. This paper reports on a student-led effort to co-design a peer review formative assessment task. The assessment is part of a personal development module within a higher education degree apprenticeship…

This research aimed to understand the features of the informal reasoning skills performed by students who debated the socio-scientific contentious issue of breastfeeding versus milk formula during an Indonesian biology lesson. A class of 30 students in grade 11 discussed this issue by participating in a role play represented by four organisations…

Task-based language teaching (TBLT) is widely recognized as an effective approach for developing second language (L2) learners' English skills. However, its success often depends on the teacher's ability to design engaging tasks and dynamic learning platforms that foster active participation. While previous studies highlight the importance of…