The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influences of a structured after-school program on student physical activity for third- through fifth-grade students at five schools in southern Colorado. The study utilized a pretest-posttest intervention design in which six elementary schools in a low socioeconomic status school district in southern…

This book presents evidence of a longitudinal study in teacher preparation utilizing a threefold multicultural (TFM) model of immersion. It establishes the need for culturally responsive teachers in classrooms, and outlines a proven model that can be employed to prepare them. Through the TFM model elements, pre-service teacher candidates…

Block building activities help develop students' spatial reasoning, but few studies focus on the development of block building skills beyond preschool. We worked with four kindergarten, four first grade, and four second grade students to learn more about their Lego block building. We compared students' accuracy, building strategies, and spatial…

Despite ample research evidence about the benefits of out-of-school-time (OST) programs, recent studies have revealed an increasing gap in access to and engagement in OST between youth from working-class and middle-class backgrounds. There are both immediate and long-term implications of this difference in high-quality program participation, as…

The purpose of this study was to identify motivational elements of an online multi-player educational computer game that uses a 3D multi-user environment to immerse children ages 9-12 in educational tasks. The methodological approach design ethnography, a process that involves using ethnographic methods when the researchers are both observers and…

Purpose: This article sheds light on the historical changes in the tutoring industry and discusses the nature and driving forces of tutoring in the Hong Kong context. Based on the historical overview, this article introduces new developments in tutoring and discusses how tutoring fits into the bigger education picture. Design/Approach/Methods:…

Science education should help children acquire sophisticated understandings about science, how it is done, and how they can be scientists. Consequently, there is a need to explore how minoritized children's linguistic and cultural resources can be employed in the science classroom. This study examined how perceptions of science teaching and…

In compensation for the diminishing time spent on science in school, afterschool programs are taking an increasingly larger role in STEM education, with over 69 percent of programs in the U.S. offering some type of STEM programming (Afterschool Alliance, 2015). As the demand for afterschool STEM programs increases, so too does the need for trained…

Recent research demonstrates that, along with the family, the peer group and the school environment, extra-curricular activities are important contexts for young people's educational and social development. This article is the result of a survey conducted with a sample of young people in their last year of compulsory school in Sweden and examines…

Studies on the academic achievement of refugee students cite continuous underachievement in literacy skills. Due to trauma from fleeing their countries of origin, limited school experiences, and language barriers, refugee students struggle with demonstrating progress in academic achievement. Learning challenges continue to take place when…

This dissertation is comprised of three interlinked studies investigating young children's authentic inquiry practices. The first article provides a literature synthesis of over two hundred and fifty in-depth cases of K-6 facilitated authentic inquiry learning environments. These cases reveal the wide-ranging authentic inquiry practices that are a…

In Boston and Providence, youth serving organizations recognized a need to credential students' real-world skills including teamwork, perseverance and critical thinking. By issuing digital badges, a microcredential gaining traction in both workforce development and education, programs are equipping students with portable evidence of their skills,…

This book illuminates emerging perspectives and possibilities of the vibrant schooling and civic lives of Black African youth and communities in the United States, Canada, and globally. Chapters present key research on how to develop and enact teaching methodologies and research approaches that support Black African immigrant and refugee students.…

Research Connections developed this document in collaboration with the Tribal Child Care Capacity Building Center for use during the OCC National Tribal Conference 2024 on April 9-11, 2024. This resource list highlights sample resources from the Research Connections library on the Conference topic areas. It also includes links to additional…

Background: Though there has been some attention to how emergent bilinguals learn in relation to languages and cultures, very little research to date has examined similar processes in emergent bilinguals with dis/abilities, including how to understand dis/ability as a source of strength. Purpose: In this article, I explore how dis/ability can…