Explains that culturally responsive teachers are socioculturally conscious; have affirming views of diverse students; see themselves as responsible for and capable of bringing about change to make schools more equitable; understand how learners construct knowledge and can promote knowledge construction; know about the lives of their students; and…

Describes a study performed in a microbial physiology course to increase students' self awareness of their misconceptions, promote sound research techniques, develop written and oral communication skills, stimulate metacognition, and improve team work and interpersonal relationship skills. (Contains 19 references.) (Author/YDS)

Details the results of a survey on the most important instructional strategies that enhance learning and employ the vehicle of environmental education. Discusses constructivism, cooperative learning, and problem solving. (DDR)

This study compares the effectiveness of two forms of a knowledge mobilization task on preservice elementary teachers' (n = 65) performance in solving a triangle fraction problem. The study then identifies the source of the successful solutions by linking solutions to earlier activities. One group worked with the triangle fraction task…

This article explores some specific issues involved in online learning and assessment. It draws on data from a postgraduate course for professional educators, delivered globally online, and highlights the relationship between students' online discussion and their written assessed work, arguing that we need to focus on both of these in terms of the…

The authors examined the views of parents and teachers regarding beginning reading instruction using the questionnaire Approaches to Beginning Reading and Reading Instruction (ABRRI). Parents also rated the importance of 9 developmental areas, including literacy, and the extent to which home and school were responsible for each. Two components…

Affective consequences of two types of mathematics instruction, guiding instruction and directing instruction, were studied for two types of students with special needs: mildly mentally retarded students and students with specific learning disabilities. Seventy students were instructed in small groups in either a guiding or a directing instruction…

Advancements in online technologies have facilitated a convergence of distance and campus-based learning and, thus, offer new opportunities for all students through better access to resources, increased interaction between staff and students and greater flexibility in place and time. However, the transition to online teaching and learning presents…

The authors applied constructivist learning theory to environmental education to explore knowledge gains, student attitudes, and engagement among high school students exposed to a week-long unit on nonnative plant species. The authors compared constructivist and traditional teaching methods. Each class was given a pretest and a posttest. The…

The author reviews the literature related to life roles and describes a variety of techniques that can be used from a constructivist career counseling perspective. Seven counseling techniques are included: life space map, life line, life-space genogram, life roles circles, life roles assessment, life role analysis, and goal map. Framed from the…

Development of Web-based learning has started a revolution in instructional design that is providing new opportunities for education. Instructional design for educational purposes is the systematic design of teaching and learning environments as well as instructional systems. Instructional design may include various facets of didactic methods…

This article presents a five-tiered taxonomy that describes the nature of participation in, and learning through, asynchronous discussion. The taxonomy is framed by a constructivist view of asynchronous discussion. The five tiers of the taxonomy include the following: (a) passive participation, (b) developmental participation, (c) generative…

The development and validation of the Teacher Beliefs Survey (TBS) is described. The TBS, an instrument for assessing the beliefs of teachers related to constructivist and traditional approaches to teaching and learning, contains 21 items in three hypothetical constructs. Elementary teachers, preservice (n = 61) and in-service (n = 137),…

Relates each of the eight conditions of learning in Brian Cambourne's theory of literacy to findings in brain research within a constructivist approach to early childhood education. Cites sample classroom dialogues demonstrating classroom elements that foster a brain-based, developmentally appropriate learning environment supporting Cambourne's…

Describes classroom exercises involving sociology students in the process of learning social construction of reality concepts. Focuses on stigmas and social interaction. States students gain deeper understanding of sociological concepts useful in real life situations. (KDR)