Many U.S. students possess only a weak knowledge of fraction arithmetic. I hypothesize that textbooks are a critical reason for students' poor performance on fraction arithmetic. This is not because of what textbooks contain but rather because of what they lack. Distributions of fraction arithmetic problems in textbooks are imbalanced, with…

Background: Recently, the high prevalence of problematic digital media use among youth has become a public concern. Therefore, this study investigated digital citizenship's moderating effects on a supportive school environment, parental pressure to achieve, academic stress, problematic digital media use, and happiness in school-aged children.…

This study compares direct instruction to two constructivist approaches, namely experimentation and problem-based learning, in fifth-grade science learning in Hong Kong. Constructivist instructional approaches, contrary to direct instruction, stress on students' active role in constructing knowledge in learning. Experimentation and problem-based…

This study reports the findings from a year-long randomized evaluation assessing the impact of assigning 62 classrooms in Nigeria to receive either blocked or interleaved math problem sets. Blocked practice sessions focused on a single skill at a time. Interleaved problem sets alternated between different skills within a practice session. On tests…

This paper explores how learning analytics data provided by a math problem-solving educational technology platform informed 5th and 6th grade teachers' instructional decisions around socioemotional learning (SEL). MathSpring is an educational technology tool that provides teachers with data on students' effort, progress, and emotions while…

In this comparative study, students from inclusive schools in Canada and Saudi Arabia shared their beliefs about factors associated with learning difficulties. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with 36 Canadian and 62 Saudi elementary students in Grades 5 and 6. Thematic analysis uncovered six themes: lack of knowledge,…

Background: Both transactional and common etiological models have been proposed as explanations of why externalizing behavior problems (EBP) and internalizing behavior problems (IBP) co-occur in children. Yet little research has empirically evaluated these competing theoretical explanations. We examined whether EBP and IBP are transactionally…

For children with persistent mathematics difficulties, research and practice espouses that an altered kind of mathematics instruction is necessary due to sustained performance differences. Yet, a critical issue in mathematics education rests in the question of why research locates the problem within these children. In this paper, we challenge a…

This study investigated risk factors for school absenteeism in a sample of 983 children in elementary and lower secondary schools in Denmark, using administrative data on absenteeism measured in the year following risk factor measurement. Risk factors were measured by survey (children and teachers) and register data. Two methods of determining…

Background: The worked example effect in cognitive load theory suggests that providing worked examples first followed by solving similar problems would facilitate students' learning. Using problem solving-worked example sequence is another way of implementing example-based instruction. Although research has demonstrated the superiority of worked…

This research was conducted to evaluate the effects of Problem-based Learning (PBL) with Thinking Maps (TM) teaching method (PBL-TM) on Fifth Graders' science critical thinking. The critical thinking skills evaluated were Comparing and Contrasting, Sequencing, and Identifying Cause and Effect in physical science. A quasi-experimental pre-test and…

Many students identified with a specific learning disability (SLD) experience difficulty with mathematical problem solving. Schema-based instruction (SBI) is identified as a promising practice for students with a SLD. The current projects aimed to tests the efficacy of SBI implemented by a teacher under routine conditions. This extends prior…

Clarity of school rules and teachers' use of praise are strategies suggested to facilitate a positive classroom climate. Studies indicate difficulties for teachers to use such approaches in classrooms with higher levels of disruption. To study (1) if student-rated clarity of school rules, use of praise, and classroom climate differ between…

This research was done on primary school students who are able to understand mathematical concepts, but unable to apply them in solving real life problems. Therefore, this study aims to improve primary school students' mathematical literacy through problem-based learning and direct instruction. In addition, the research was conducted to determine…

Educators and several national standards highlight the role that problem solving should play in students' mathematics education: problem solving is recognized as one of the most significant activities of doing mathematics. From the research point of view, nowadays, it is well established that cognitive and affective factors come into play in…