Accompanying a senior methods course, 19 teacher candidates at Southeastern Louisiana University participated in a semester-long social studies fifth grade mentorship at an International Baccalaureate World School. Teacher candidates identified factors they perceived to affect the success of the experiential learning experience through…

This study examined the impact of action research conducted by five science teaching methods course instructors on their students' perceptions of the classroom learning environments at a large public university in Texas. The study analyzed the results from 133 students who completed two administrations of the What is Happening in this Class…

The purpose of this study was to explore an approach to an elementary science methods course that utilized a science notebook to physically distinguished multiple perspectives of science teaching and learning. We conceptualized teacher candidates' (TCs') thinking within a framework titled "Exploring Multiple Perspectives in the Methods…

Over a period of eight years, undergraduate students were surveyed to describe instructional strategies, routines, or techniques they perceived to be effective. A content analysis of the 1,471 collected surveys yielded nine themes that faculty may find helpful when designing instructional environments. Students expressed appreciation for…

Metacognition, or the monitoring of one's own learning, is an underutilized tool in STEM education. Previous research suggests instructional strategies that attempt to improve student metacognitive skills could increase student resilience and retention in STEM classes. This pilot initiative aimed to improve student metacognitive skills and…

Virtual reality (VR) learning is believed to increase focus, engagement, and emotional connection. To that end, we developed an immersive business case study in VR to teach essential business concepts. This paper outlines the process we followed to develop and launch the case in the hope that other institutions can use our process as a blueprint…

Second language (L2) learning has largely occurred in the traditional lecture-based classroom setting. Studies show that the lecture format has an impact on student outcomes and perceptions of classroom learning. Negative impacts include insufficient time for reinforcement activities, reviewing lecture materials, and engaging in conversation…

Peer feedback is commonly used in higher education for both practical and pedagogical reasons. However, peer feedback has been criticized by teachers, researchers, and students for being superficial, harsh, uncritical, and/or detached from learning objectives. This study contributes to the existing literature on how to enhance the effectiveness of…

This study, conducted across five classes and four disciplines, explores how students respond to a choice-based assessment scheme where students accumulate points by choosing from a menu of assignments. Students were surveyed at the beginning and end of the semester to assess their motivation, engagement, self-regulation, and stress levels. The…

Statistics anxiety is a reality among many students that may affect their academic and professional lives. Although there are instructional strategies proven to demonstrate advanced statistical concepts, a method to mitigate statistics anxiety in introductory courses is lacking. This research examines the effectiveness of three interventions used…

Role-playing using avatars has been demonstrated as effective, but it has not been compared to role-playing with a live actor. In this study, undergraduate psychology students (N=93) conducted a clinical interview in a role-play with an avatar or live actor. Mixed methods included a survey and written reflection. The study found no differences in…

Typically, students view classroom assessments like tests, exams, reports, and essays as a major stressor in higher education. However, it is also plausible that students have experienced instances in which the purposes, format, and design of classroom assessment actually supports their well-being. We used a qualitative descriptive design to…

Background/purpose: Sustainable development is a fundamental concern of today's economic and political world; therefore, several steps have been taken to promote sustainable development through students by implementing advanced and internationally accepted teaching pedagogies. Achieving the goals for sustainable development in universities is a…

Teacher education programs are pivotal in the professional preparation and formation of pre-service secondary mathematics teachers (PSMTs), but there appears to be a lack of understanding of how best to prepare PSMTs for the profession. The purpose of this study was to examine and monitor changes over time in PSMTs' views about approaches to…

In this study we investigated pre-service early childhood teachers' (referred to as student teachers) beliefs that might influence their intention to use inquiry-based learning methods that have been taught on an inquiry-based science course. During this course, the student teachers (N = 17) participated in a number of classroom experiments…