This study investigated how sixth graders' credibility evaluation self-efficacy was associated with their ability to evaluate the credibility of online texts. Students (N = 265, M[subscript age] = 12.45) worked in a web-based environment, where they read and evaluated two more credible texts and two less credible texts that required confirming and…

We report a study examining, for the first time, the effectiveness of engagement in dialogic argumentation in relation to its ability to promote integration of multiple source perspectives in an argumentive writing task after reading controversial multiple texts. Sixty-four primary school students engaged in a dialog-based intervention aiming to…

Background: Previous research indicates that students lack sufficient online credibility evaluation skills. However, the results are fragmented and difficult to compare as they are based on different types of measures and indicators. Consequently, there is no clear understanding of the structure of credibility evaluation. Objectives: The present…

A classroom teacher and a university researcher examined what criteria fourth-grade students use to examine text authority and how traditional and new literacy skills may support such evaluation. Results of this case study indicate that students rely heavily on traditional reading skills, including background knowledge and vocabulary skill, to…

This tool is part of the Countering Truth Decay initiative, which is focused on restoring the role of facts, data, and analysis in U.S. political and civil discourse and the policymaking process. RAND researchers developed this educational tool, consisting of five sequenced lesson plans for middle school teachers, with the goal of improving RAND's…

Student engagement in the learning process drastically declines as students make their way through the education system from fifth grade onward. Student disengagement increases the likelihood a child will eventually drop out of school. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the promotion of student engagement,…

In this article, John Larmer paints the picture of the ideal high-school graduate--one who is ready for college, career, and life in general. Among other qualities, this student is a problem solver, manages time effectively, works well with others, is open to feedback, and is innovative and creative. How do K-12 schools go about building this…

This case study applied sociocultural theory to examine the climate change ideas communicated by one group of middle school students (N = 39) in a suburban community on the U.S. East Coast. We investigated the ways in which students' participation in the sociocultural activities of their varied communities appeared to inform their understandings…

The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary students' perceptions of PE teacher credibility. Eight high- and low-skilled students from grades 3 and 5 were selected from a school employing a PE teacher holding a National Board Certification. Data were collected in the school setting utilizing observations, field notes, an open-ended…

In order to avoid problems such as lack of confidence, lack of respect, and lack of love, as well as violence within a given social structure, students should be trained not only as academically successful individuals, but also as people who have adopted the core values of the society. To address this need, this study explores the use of short…

Previous research has identified various factors that contribute to readers' comprehension of expository texts, including strategy expertise, language proficiency, prior knowledge, and more recently, readers' beliefs about knowledge. This study addresses the need to understand the relative contributions of these predictors to readers'…

In this article, the author describes her use of direct instruction to introduce the skill of determining source reliability in a fifth-grade unit on immigration in American history. She structures instruction to help students establish a thinking-skill strategy that results in not only an understanding of immigration in the late 1800s to early…