We need a critical mathematics. Our ability to enact social change through teaching mathematics and through critical research in mathematics education is severely limited by the canon of mathematical knowledge and the ideology that declares mathematical knowledge as certain. In this dissertation I extend Carspecken's critical action theory to…

The work in this dissertation is presented in two parts. The first part (Chapters 3 and 4) details work relating to students' explanations of reaction mechanisms in organic chemistry. The second part (Chapters 5 and 6) details work relating to the evaluating the uptake of research-based instructional practices in introductory chemistry,…

This study examined the effects of embodied learning experiences on students' understanding of computational thinking (CT) concepts and their ability to solve CT problems. In a mixed-reality learning environment, students mapped CT concepts, such as sequencing and loops, onto their bodily movements. These movements were later applied to robot…

The field of science education has put effort into providing opportunities for students to position themselves as epistemic agents pursuing the goal of making sense of natural phenomena. However, students often struggle in adapting scientific practices to achieve the sense-making goal. In this position paper, we conceptualise students'…

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international comparative study that assesses how well 15-year-olds, who have nearly completed compulsory schooling in most participating educational systems, can use their knowledge and skills to meet real-world opportunities and challenges. In each cycle of PISA, students are…

We describe how we used puppets as tools to draw 9 to 10-year-old students into conversations about probability. Puppets supported classroom discourse by putting forth probabilistic arguments for critique, introducing extreme and unusual examples of concepts, and introducing an element of surprise.

Many students majoring in biology education at university find genetics as a quite complicated and difficult subject. A reflective journal has been used widely in teacher education to improve students' performance. This study aims to describe the role of the reflective journals for biology education students ina genetics course. The subjects in…

The study was conducted to assess the effect of a blended learning educational model on grade ten students' mathematics conceptual understanding in Ethiopia. A non-equivalent pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design was employed. Two intact classes from different schools were randomly selected and assigned to experimental (n=38) and…

This study examined and compared the effects of two types of online peer assessment, namely, "free selection and invitation" (FS&I) assessment and the commonly implemented "assigned-pair" (AP) assessment, on undergraduates' research competencies, flow, motivation, and interaction, supported by the Cloud Classroom online…

Embodied models of language comprehension assume that words become associated with sensorimotor experiences during word learning. Novel word learning paradigms may provide insight into embodied effects, but studies in this domain have yet to account for how concepts and information known in first language (L1) might influence the sensorimotor…

This research traced the history of mathematics education in Haitian secondary schools from 1935 until 2015. While there is not much explicit historical evidence of how mathematics education evolved in Haiti, its development gave some insight into the history of mathematics education in a Caribbean country with a colonial past. One might ask,…

This paper discusses two "GeoGebra" applets, "Radical" and "Parabola," that are designed to strengthen the conceptual understanding of specific topics in algebra. The design and pedagogical basis of the applets are presented. The integration of the applets in teaching Grade 9 mathematics in a partner high school in…

Purpose: To align with the artificial intelligence and robotics (AIR) research and policy agenda, this paper puts forth an adapted five big ideas framework specifically tailored to teaching young children about artificial intelligence (AI) via robotics. Design/Approach/Methods: Grounded in early childhood education research, the proposed framework…

Although Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is seen to benefit children and youth, evidence is largely built on summative trials of programmes, with little comparative insight into the specific approaches that underpin SEL. The current study sought to highlight a hitherto underutilized approach in identifying common SEL practices through the…

Intuitive conceptions based on cognitive biases (teleology, anthropomorphism, and essentialism) often prove helpful in everyday life while simultaneously being problematic in scientific contexts. Nonetheless, students often have intuitive conceptions of scientific topics such as evolution. As potential approaches to enable students to…