This study investigated the actual learning processes of two preservice teachers as they explored geometry problems with dynamic geometry software and the effects of using the software on developing their mathematical reasoning and proof abilities. A constructivist teaching experiment was designed and implemented for the investigation. Through…

This paper describes student difficulties in first-year calculus classes and suggests some instructional strategies to address these difficulties. Participants in this study were 200 low socio-economic background freshmen majoring in business in Brazil. Results show that the main difficulties are related to lack of understanding of algebraic…

There is a growing consensus among educational researchers that traditional problem-based assessments are not effective tools for diagnosing a student's knowledge state and for guiding pedagogical intervention, and that new tools grounded in the results of cognitive science research are needed. The ConMap ("Conceptual Mapping") project, described…

Meaningful learning of social studies content, skills, and values through a constructivist approach is this textbook's approach. The textbook is designed to help teachers facilitate students' development into problem-solvers and decision-makers who take an active role as citizens of their world. It is designed to illustrate the following: the…

This paper addresses problems inherent in traditional science teaching and argues that the pitfalls of assimilation and exclusion can be avoided by adopting an anthropological approach: regarding scientists as a sub-cultural group with its own language and ways of thinking about, investigating, and explaining phenomena and events, its distinctive…

The Numeracy Development Project (New Zealand), now into its third year of implementation, spans years 1 to 10 of schools. By the conclusion of 2001, the project had involved approximately 3,300 teachers and 64,000 students. The Number Framework forms the core of the project program by providing teachers with a knowledge of how students acquire…

This paper describes a theoretical framework for the investigation of some specific types of visual learning difficulties commonly experienced by biology undergraduates. The framework was developed based on the findings of three simple qualitative pilot studies. A variety of neurological, cognitive and cultural mechanisms can influence what humans…

Because knowledge is constantly in flux, it is important for individuals to accurately incorporate new information into previously developed knowledge structures. Some of the issues surrounding this development of thought are explored in this paper. Although the phenomenon of knowledge integration is relatively common, very little empirical…

Reviewing the research literature in literacy studies demands patience to deconstruct the multilayered meanings of the concept of literacy. Literacy is a loaded term that is also embedded in myths associated with social and economic progress, political democracy, social and educational mobility, and the development of cognitive skills. Graff…

One problem in the field of conceptual change theory is that disparities occur with respect to the meanings of the terms "conflict,""disequilibrium," and "dissonance." As the strategies aimed at conceptual change have evolved, the same terms have taken on new meaning. This paper aims to present a brief review of the evolution of conceptual change…

This study was conducted to describe in detail Korean students' conceptual change learning processes in the study of kinetic theory of gases. The study was interpretive, using multiple data sources to achieve a triangulation of data. Three students from a public high school for boys served as representative cases. How epistemological aspect and…

In this lesson plan students examine the concepts of immigrant and refugee, identifying the similarities and differences in the two concepts and exploring the stories of refugees and the people and organizations that help them. The lesson outlines knowledge objectives for students in grades 2-3 and presents additional objectives for students in…

The goal of this research is to compare the effectiveness of two teaching methods (inducing a cognitive conflict, or ICC, versus direct teaching, DT) for students of two academic levels (low versus high) regarding gains in the ability to use the control of variables strategy. 121 students who learned in a heterogeneous school were divided into…

This document contains an annotated bibliography aimed at the teaching of the physical sciences at the tertiary level to those who wish to become more informed about teaching related research evidence and undertake science education research. The bibliography offers an overview of teaching and learning in the physical sciences and key references…

This paper concerns a study of the performance of students in a linear algebra examination. Differences in performance of tasks requiring understanding of concepts with those that required only the use of routine procedures and factual recall were investigated. Central to the study was the use of a taxonomy based on Bloom's Taxonomy for…