Argues that in the study of bilingualism, conceptual representations should be treated as related but not equivalent to word meanings, as knowledge-based, dynamic and language- and culture-specific. (Author/VWL)

The author reacts to peer commentaries written in response to an article she published on new approaches to concepts in bilingual memory. Clarifies that the focus of her main argument is not the merits of distinguishing between the conceptual and semantic levels of representation in bilingualism. (Author/VWL)

Reports on a workshop on electronic concept mapping with a group (n=18) of science teachers in a Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA). Suggests using this software for the academic enrichment of underserved students, regular classroom instruction, and inservice training for colleagues. Concludes that HSTA teachers embrace electronic…

Joseph Novak discusses the concept of mapping to capture and archive expert knowledge. He worked in various corporations where he used the concept of mapping for research and development efforts and to create and transfer knowledge and information in corporate environments.

Concept mapping has been widely used as one of the most efficient methods of revealing the cognitive structure of an individual on any concept. There are not only different concept mapping techniques but also different ways of analysis. It has been suggested that concept maps provide valuable and rich information which becomes disoriented when…

Commercial computer games contain "physics engine" components, responsible for providing realistic interactions among game objects. The question naturally arises of whether these engines can be used to develop educational materials for high school and university physics education. To answer this question, the author's group recently conducted a…

This article investigates the previous research and theories of workplace commitment using content analysis and concept mapping. It provides a conceptual model of workplace commitment, integrating the literature on organizational commitment, occupational/career commitment, and individual commitment. The significance of this article lies in the…

"Mathematics teacher educator-researcher-mentor" is a mouthful, but an accurate title to describe the range of roles of mathematics teacher educators across the nation and around the world. There is limited research about the professional development of teacher educators and even less research specific to mathematics teacher educators. This…

Higher education institutions are becoming increasingly engaged in assessing their programs in order to enhance student learning outcomes. States, accreditation bodies and various organizations are calling upon institutions to buildup their accountability towards student learning. Accordingly, multiple assessment methods (both direct and indirect)…

As teacher educators better understand the recurved, holistic, and often deeply embedded ways in which teachers learn, they can better support meaningful professional preparation that serves teachers' careers, the students they teach, and the profession of teaching as a whole. This article uses the ecologically minded "teacher identity"…

A key challenge of effective teaching is assessing and monitoring the extent to which students have assimilated the material they were taught. Concept mapping is a methodology designed to model what students have learned. In effect, it seeks to produce graphical representations (called concept maps) of the concepts that are important to a given…

This paper reports on a small-scale pilot study undertaken at a secondary school in England, exploring how children learn about and construct distant places. Using drawings, concept mapping and interviews, the research examines the process of learning about Brazil over a period of formal learning, and how teaching and resources influence…

This article describes a detailed analysis of knowledge building in a problem-based learning group. Knowledge building involves increasing the collective knowledge of a group through social discourse. For knowledge building to occur in the classroom, the teacher needs to create opportunities for constructive discourse in order to support student…

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' growth in understanding of algebra using concept maps. The study was set in the context of a five-year National Science Foundation funded teacher retention and renewal professional development project. In this project both beginning and experienced teachers are supported as they increase their…

Concept maps are an instructional strategy that promotes meaningful learning. This chapter examines the use of concept maps in online environments through discussion of CmapTools software. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)