Recent years have seen a growing interest in intelligent game-based learning environments featuring virtual agents. A key challenge posed by incorporating virtual agents in game-based learning environments is dynamically determining the dialogue moves they should make in order to best support students' problem solving. This paper presents a…

Guided by the theoretical framework of curriculum as a platform for talent development, this quasi-experimental field study investigated an intervention focused on engineering curriculum and curriculum based on a biography of a scientist through a comparative design implemented in low-income schools. Student outcome measures included science…

Reform-based science education emphasizes the need for engagement in authentic science, that is, work that resembles real-life scientific practices. However, few studies address the notion of authenticity from the participants' perspectives. As such, this study addresses the following: What events do young participants view as scientific? To what…

This study addresses the association between middle-school students' reported participation in science summer programmes and their reported expectation of a career in science and engineering. Data were collected on 1,580 students from eight middle schools in five states, applying an accelerated longitudinal design. Two consecutive cohorts were…

The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of a specific Disability Camp Program (DCP) in the attitudes of children without disabilities toward the inclusion of children with disabilities in a summer sport and leisure activity camp. Three hundred eighty-seven campers without disabilities participated in the study and were divided into…

A randomized trial involving 19 elementary schools (K-5) was conducted to replicate and extend two previous experimental studies of the effects of a voluntary summer reading program that provided (a) books matched to students' reading levels and interests and (b) teacher scaffolding in the form of end-of-year comprehension lessons. Matched…

Today's complex and fast-evolving world necessitates young students to possess design and problem-solving skills more than ever. One alternative method of teaching children problem-solving or thinking skills has been using computer programming, and more recently, game-design tasks. In this pre-experimental study, a group of middle school…

Drawing from the historical lens of cultural memory, I examined the development of three social studies pre-service teachers' African American history knowledge. The participants were engaged in a rigorous summer reading program dedicated to learning African American history. This qualitative case study examined both pre and post interpretations…

Students' reading skills are closely linked to academic success; however, several students fall behind, especially during the summer months when no academic expectations are present. The summer months are also a time when the achievement gap increases between students from lower income and middle to upper income households. Researchers…

This paper reports on an intentionally constructed hybrid space, the Odyssey, as an approach to address the gap between theory and practice in teacher education programs. In the Odyssey, prospective teachers and mentor teachers engaged in joint explorations of mathematics. We analyzed the interactions among participants using the concepts of…

This article includes a suggested model for postsecondary institutions to address the problem of summer melt among students from low-income backgrounds. The model accounts for four areas deemed integral support systems for low-income students to matriculate. The following partners are advised: student affairs, admissions, counselor education…

This description features a set of lively demonstrations and observations, including some group work, that illustrate features of Earth science such as the Earth's rotation, ocean currents, the formation and erosion of rocks, earthquakes and volcanoes. All were shown in a one-hour presentation to teachers and can readily be used in schools,…

Students learn about the history of the civil rights movement and are empowered to create positive change in their communities, states this author, Susan M. Glisson, Executive Director of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation. She describes the efforts to build racial understanding among young high school students through the…

The changing demographics of neighborhoods and schools require that all educators consider how to support children who are developing bilingualism and biliteracy. Research documents the importance of engaging young children in learning by drawing on community heritages and cultural and linguistic resources, and of connecting more effectively with…

Children with weakened academic skills face the possibility of having less access to higher education, or advanced career opportunities later in life. Such disadvantages, if not addressed, may result in a series of diminished opportunities that may affect a child's overall quality of life. Several educational experts suggest that the negative…