Previous studies have shown both benefits and challenges of group work and whole-class activities in educational settings. One overall finding in the existing literature is that it is challenging for teachers to facilitate whole-class conversations that realise the rich potential of student discussions and undertakings during group work. This…

Problem-based learning (PBL) has the potential to enhance both cognitive and affective engagement but has been criticised for being unsuitable for learners with low levels of knowledge and skills, such as South African learners from poor backgrounds. In such cases, guided problem-based learning (GPBL), which includes direct instruction and teacher…

Incorporating small-group discussions in classrooms has shown promising benefits in improving 4th grade students' thinking and social skills; however, the practice remains challenging. Although teachers are motivated to try to incorporate small-group discussions, studies examining the shift from teacher-dominated classroom practice towards a more…

This article elaborates three important practices that a kindergarten teacher used to support students' mathematics discourse: (1) establishing expectations that support mathematical discourse; (2) eliciting student thinking; and (3) narrating student thinking. The authors use vignettes from a kindergarten classroom to elaborate the nature of…

In this systematic literature review, we synthesize 48 research studies about science talk in elementary classrooms to inform the development of supports for teachers. Our findings suggest that characteristics of high-quality elementary science talk include that it (1) supports equitable student participation and engagement, (2) supports deepening…

One main obstacle for instructors in inviting students to design knowledge construction is the tension between prioritizing students' ideas and maintaining the scientific validity of the activity. In this study, as a way of supporting students in shaping their own knowledge construction, the establishment of an audience for knowledge was enacted…

Teachers regularly plan and implement lessons to facilitate student learning using a traditional lesson model where the content often progresses in a linear manner. Through our work of preparing pre-service elementary teachers to teach about race and racial injustice, we wondered if some content might be better developed using a specialized or…

The research brief, "Integrating Literacy And Science: A Powerful Partnership for Student Success," describes four key components of effective integration ofliteracy and science instruction at the elementary level. In this practitioner's guide, the authors describe sample lessons to demonstrate each of these components inaction in an…

Since the publication of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire has been important for disseminating the concept of dialogue in education. Dialogue is often framed as the kind of interaction that educators should enact in their practice, to right historical and socio-political wrongs. With this, speaking and assuming one's voice has a special…

Traditional methods of teaching differentiation calculus usually involve lectures. Nevertheless, this process impedes students' thorough comprehension of concepts and their practical application by promoting dependence on memorisation and procedural learning. Numerous studies have also denoted that teaching experiments and technology can enhance…

The integration of web-based discussion platforms in education is increasingly recognized for its potential to enhance pedagogical practices. This study examined the impact of web-based discussion tools on teachers' pedagogical practices in teaching organic chemistry in selected Rwandan secondary schools. The study adopted sequential explanatory…

Critical thinking (CT) is an essential skill in today's ever-changing society. Yet, the influences of instructional strategy, a crucial factor of educational outcomes, on the development of CT remains unclear. We proposed that the instructional strategy played a significant role in fostering CT and aimed to explore the complex neural mechanisms…

It is essential that students are encouraged to become rational thinkers for building thinking classrooms. Teachers must adopt rational questioning techniques to facilitate the development of rational behaviours in their students. However, the implementation of rational questioning requires the ability to respond to students based on their…

In this study, we explored the contribution of instructional strategies in nurturing critical thinking skills in Non-Formal Secondary Education (NFSE) in Tanzania. It was carried out in the Dar es Salaam Region. A qualitative approach with phenomenology design was employed and it involved 44 learners and 8 teachers making a total of 52…

This research aimed to explore (1) the characteristics and patterns of student interactions on online discussion boards throughout a course using social network analysis (SNA) and (2) the mediating effect of social presence, as the underlying mechanism, on the relationship between these interactions and students' learning outcomes. Eighty-four…