The purpose of this study was to use Kuh's theory of student engagement to compare levels of active and collaborative learning, student and faculty interaction, and support for learners for African American males in community college using the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) data. The independent variables were the levels of…

Project-based learning is gaining popularity as a student-centered approach to education. It provides a multitude of benefits, especially compared to the practices surrounding standardized testing. The purpose of this action research study was to examine and improve teaching practices related to project-based learning at the elementary school…

This brief examines the findings of a study conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California examining a project-based approach to Advanced Placement courses. The randomized study found the proportion of students earning a credit-qualifying score on the AP test was 8 percentage points higher in the project-based version of the…

Socio-scientific inquiry-based learning (SSIBL) incorporates the European Commission's approach to Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). These relationships are elaborated into a pedagogic model encouraging young people to ask real-world questions that interest them, collect evidence to answer the questions and, as a result, to take personal…

Ample attention is being paid in the higher education literature to promoting active learning among students. However, critical examination of educational purposes and ends is largely lacking in this literature on active learning. In expanding this debate, we consider it important to ask: "About what" substantive matters are students to…

Software Verification and Validation (SV&V) is proven to be an effective approach to ensure software quality. Yet it is not commonly deployed in industry practices. We started a project intent on building a sustainable community skilled in SV&V. The fundamental objective is the transformation of undergraduate education in software…

Student response systems (SRSs) are widely used in anatomy and physiology courses as a form of active learning. While traditional SRSs (clickers) are pervasive, gamified SRSs such as Kahoot! are becoming increasingly popular. However, the impact of using both types of systems in the same course is unknown. The goal of this study was to determine…

The newsvendor problem is a classic problem of decision making under risk that is taught in traditional Operations and Supply Chain Management classes as a single-period inventory problem. We discuss the following three pedagogical points of interest to any instructor tasked with teaching this topic: a) why the newsvendor model is relevant in this…

Scientific inquiry is widely accepted as a method of science teaching. Understanding its characteristics, called Nature of Scientific Inquiry (NOSI), is also necessary for a whole conception of scientific inquiry. In this study NOSI aspects were taught explicitly through student inquiries in nature in two summer science camps. Students conducted…

This study investigates the discrete effects of inquiry-based instructional practices that described the PISA 2015 construct 'inquiry-based instruction' and how each practice, and the frequency of each practice, is related to science achievement across 69 countries. The data for this study were drawn from the PISA 2015 database and analysed using…

The role that caregivers can play in their child's science education is often overlooked within science education research. Few studies have focused on the capacity and abilities of caregivers to guide science activities. The purpose of this study was to describe how families utilize science activity packs at home. Data indicate that the adults…

Five experts were asked what it means to personalize learning for students and what role professional learning should play in these efforts. Reflective of the diversity in the field today, their responses reveal both commonalities and notable differences (for example, some see technology as central, while others believe personalization can happen…

In this paper I reflect on the experiences of Life- and Natural Sciences teachers in the Northern Cape who engaged in classroom action research (CAR). The context was a short-learning programme (SLP) facilitated by the North-West University on epistemological border-crossing between indigenous knowledge and the school science curriculum. After the…

This paper describes the use of a large-scale, multi-semester design project as a means of integrating six courses in the mechanical engineering curriculum. The project, a bench-scale hybrid powertrain, is built up -- component by component -- as students advance through the curriculum. The authors used the project to test two research hypotheses:…

This section of the comprehensive account of the action research and pedagogical reform of the CASA-Sevilla study-abroad programme concerns the introduction of community-engaged learning as a way to complement classroom instruction. Some experiential elements were already part of the programme's previous design (homestays, cultural visits), but…