Educational leaders today are well versed in the complex and often overwhelming nature of their respective roles. The difficulty of educational leadership increases exponentially when implementing innovative practices like competency-based learning that challenge every aspect of the traditional structure and function of schools, thereby requiring…

Technology has become commonplace in K-12 classrooms with students actively using digital technology to support learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there is empirical support that implementing the ISTE Standards for Students can result in learning gains. A scoping review methodology was used to map extant literature to…

The motivation for the design of this study was to understand the possibility and impact of the involvement of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) professionals on school STEM education. This involved two stages, with the design of a set of authentic STEM inquiry activities firstly and implementation in primary classrooms…

Exceptional talent includes the ability and willingness to solve varied, complex problems, and having a knowledge structure that facilitates problem solving and creativity. The purpose of this study was to determine changes in students' knowledge structures resulting from fidelity of implementation of Real Engagement in Active Problem Solving…

This paper shares the process of developing a fully integrated assessment framework and model for a mapping curriculum. The foundational aspects of this model are the development of layered outcomes that occur at each level of the curriculum and the linking of courses together to ensure building blocks that are progressive within a program. The…

In this chapter, eight foci relevant for science educators are presented and illustrated by paradigmatic examples and discussed in two parts. The first part "from science education to practice and authorities" discusses the four foci of: (1) developing concepts for instruction; (2) responding to the needs of schools; (3) connecting…

At the centre of a student's university experience stands the programme that they follow. Therefore, creating curricula that are fit-for-purpose is at the heart of an institution's teaching mission. These curricula need to be relevant for students during their time at university, as well as serve as suitable preparation for their future…

A key challenge for lecturers of many first year Management courses is how to help students create meaningful knowledge connections while at the same time introducing considerable foundational material. This article reports on an instructional innovation that explores how we can better design and teach a first year Management course that provide…

Although it is helpful to identify a list of concepts to categorize and communicate the big ideas of engineering, it is important to determine how best to incorporate them into instruction. Concept mapping is a well-established learning and assessment tool that can be used by technology and engineering teachers. Maps can trace levels of…

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the development of student knowledge in pre-vocational secondary education schools which differ in the manner and extent to which they have implemented characteristics of competence-based education. The implementation of these characteristics was examined using a teacher questionnaire and the…

A strong, recent movement in tertiary education is the development of conceptual, or "big idea" teaching. The emphasis in course design is now on promoting key understandings, core competencies, and an understanding of connections between different fields. In biochemistry teaching, this radical shift from the content-based tradition is…

Concept mapping is discussed as a means to promote meaningful learning and in particular progress in reading comprehension skills. Its increasing implementation necessitates the acquisition of adequate knowledge about frequent errors in order to make available an effective introduction to the new learning method. To analyse causes of errors, 283…

The "Multiple Intelligences, Curriculum and Assessment Project" at University College Cork was a collaborative project carried out between 1995 and 1999. The key research question focused on whether Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences could be applied to, and enhance, aspects of curriculum and assessment at primary and…

Working under an activity theory framework, the present study was designed to determine how the activity settings, individual and contextual, contributed to the instructional practices and understandings of test-only beginning special education teachers. Specifically, the focus of this study was to examine how teachers with no formal teacher…

This article is concerned with the connection between religions and education. It explores the case of one particular values education programme, "Living Values: an educational program", and its link with the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (BKWSU) to show how the programme originated and developed, which individuals and…