A growing body of scholarly work indicates that student performance on physics problems stems from many factors, including relevant conceptual understanding. However, in contexts in which significant conceptual difficulties have been documented via research, it can be difficult to pinpoint and isolate such factors because students' written and…

Using a grounded theory research design, this paper examined the collaborative learning experiences of secondary school students in Singapore. The core phenomenon that emerged was the need for social interactions in collaborative learning, both in classroom and online settings. Educators often take for granted that effective collaborative learning…

The article analyses the findings of a small-scale qualitative study in Ireland that examines interactions between asylum-seeking mothers and primary school teachers, and highlights the significance of teachers' understandings of asylum in shaping home-school communications. Mothers and children in this study were living in Direct Provision,…

Literature on the support of the First Year Experience (FYE) in institutions of Higher Education provides a range of modelled approaches. However, we argue that institutions still need to selectively plan which approach/es and attendant strategies are best suited to their particular contexts and institutional policy and practice frameworks and how…

The aims of teaching laboratories is an important and ever-evolving topic of discussion amongst teaching staff at teaching institutions. It is often assumed that both teaching staff and students are implicitly aware of these aims, although this is rarely tested or measured. This assumption can lead to mismatched beliefs between students and…

This article outlines the rationale for adopting a mixed methods approach within randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and explores challenges associated in doing so. Taking the example of the EASE Back feasibility and pilot study (Evaluating Acupuncture and Standard care for pregnant womEn with "BACK" pain: ISRCTN49955124), we detail why…

Students with AD/HD experience difficulty concentrating in the classroom due to unwanted behaviours. This article focuses on what six Australian adolescent boys have to say about teacher and teaching factors that enabled them to regain focus (if distracted) and concentrate on classroom learning. A multiple, instrumental case-study was used to…

In the growing field of K-12 engineering education, there is limited research that highlights the experiences of youth from historically marginalized communities within engineering learning environments. This study offers insights into the ways in which two groups of elementary school students constructed approaches for participating in the…

The immersion of societies in the digital and networked age has led to an increase of opportunities for young people to learn across countless face-to-face and online contexts. However, youth disaffection towards school remains high and access to opportunities across and within countries is remarkably unequal. This article builds on the results of…

Interviews were conducted with 29 part-time taught postgraduate (TPg) students to determine forms of teaching and curriculum which motivated their learning. The study was conducted in an open exploratory manner to investigate the aspects of pedagogy or curriculum design which particularly motivated the TPg students which were in any way distinct…

The aim of this study was to determine the anxiety level that visually impaired students may have for the future when planning their profession. Anxiety is defined as excessive level fear and worry about real or imaginary situations. So the excessive worry can affect the ability to act to solve a problem. This study was a case study based on the…

Rapid changes in the Higher Education (HE) sector are increasing the pressure on teaching staff to introduce technology-enhanced learning experiences into the curriculum. Institutions therefore need to provide effective means of enabling academics to successfully transition to these new modes of curriculum delivery. This paper reports on an…

Little is known about how university leaders approach the complex task of supporting peer observation of teaching in their Faculties. This paper explores the experiences of four Associate Deans of Learning and Teaching at a research-intensive university in Australia. Interviews revealed three different approaches to supporting peer observation of…

The present paper presents three deliberately chosen mathematical episodes observed in a class of engineering students taking a basic calculus course. By drawing on analyses of instrumental and relational learning strategies, the episodes are shown to illustrate instrumental approaches indicated by the students. The paper discusses positive…

Organic chemistry students struggle with understanding the energetics of chemical reactions. Reaction coordinate diagrams are one tool that is widely used in organic chemistry classrooms to assist students with visualizing and explaining the energy changes that take place throughout a reaction. Thirty-six students enrolled in organic chemistry II…