In recent decades, mathematics education scholarship has promoted a shift from traditional teaching and learning approaches to novel approaches that privilege peer-to-peer collaboration. To mobilize researchers towards advancing scholarship on collaborative learning, scholars need to understand the methodologies available to them for examining…

Current theorizing in the field of cognitive science embraces the concept that cognitive activity is not centered in the brain alone but is dependent on embodiment and the environment in which it is functioning. A key component of that environment is the presence of others. This article examines the social nature of cognitive activity from a 4E…

The technology in the K-12 classroom has changed from being a tool that educators can utilize on an as needed basis, to a classroom necessity. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore K-12 technology directors experiences in the decision-making process of integrating technology in a K-12 education system at a district level…

Mathematics is a particularly notable domain in which to understand the role of body movement for improving reasoning, instruction, and learning. One reason is that mathematics ideas are often expressed and taught through disembodied formalisms--diagrams and symbols that are culturally designed to be abstract, amodal, and arbitrary (Glenberg et…

Although consultation models have expanded, research demonstrating the effectiveness of consultation has lagged behind, thus limiting the acceptance of consultation as a method of intervention in schools. This study presents a preventive consultation framework and demonstrates its effectiveness in working with school principals to change the…

Investigates the factors that influence the effectiveness of collaboration on open-ended mathematical tasks. Identifies various phenomena that influence cognitive "lifting", "hovering", and "falling"; that is, improvement, no change, and reduction in levels of functioning, respectively. (Author/MM)

There has been much discussion recently of the effect that gender and learning style have on student performance. Educators have attempted to develop new teaching and assessment strategies that accommodate a variety of learning styles, and both males and females are becoming more aware of gender-related traits and their relationship to classroom…

Specifically designed for teachers, administrators, and other school decision-makers, this monograph outlines ways quality circles can be used to improve educational planning and decision-making. The first of four sections defines quality circles as a group of workers who identify, analyze, and propose solutions to problems within their scope of…

This monograph's purpose is to provide a basis for team development for quality circle groups involved in problem-solving and decision-making. Training group members in team building is a crucial factor for success in quality circles. The following are important needs for group members: a sense of belonging, a commitment to group goals, a sense of…

Conditions in schools that reduce the effectiveness and perceived value of instructional supervision can be diagnosed and corrected through a cyclical process called "organizational learning." Rather than merely responding to symptoms, this method focuses on eliminating or mitigating the underlying causes of "organizational…

This training packet is intended to aid educators in planning and effecting positive change within the learning environment through a group problem-solving intervention process. It primarily addresses the concept of "change agentry" and how it can be used to improve the climate for learning, focusing on the role of the change agent and the…

Summarizes research on disjunctive versus conjunctive, and multistage versus single-stage problem solving in a classroom setting. Concludes that students working in groups are less likely to drop out of class, give higher subjective motivation to learn ratings, perform better on tests, know more classmates, and score higher on Raven's Progressive…

Orienteering is an outdoor pursuit in which participants try to locate a series of different control points, using only a map and compass (Laubach, 1998). It is a life-long skill that can be taught to all ages in both a natural and urban setting. Adventure education is an approach to teaching where an individual is placed in an unfamiliar…

In the introduction to this monograph on the workshop as an effective educational function for inservice teachers, the need for inservice education is discussed as well as the particular value of workshops in meeting that need. The historical background of workshops is outlined in the second chapter, including selected definitions of workshops and…