This study examined the effects of scripted lessons (SLs) alone and in combination with guided notes during science instruction on science quiz scores of three elementary students with moderate to severe intellectual disability and autism. This study used a multiple probe across three science units design with replication across students and…

Both exploration and explicit instruction are thought to benefit learning in many ways, but much less is known about how the two can be combined. We tested the hypothesis that engaging in exploratory activities prior to receiving explicit instruction better prepares children to learn from the instruction. Children (159 second- to fourth-grade…

We taught 2 children with visual impairments to select a coin from an array using tactile cues after hearing its name and then to select a coin after hearing its value. Following the acquisition of these listener (receptive language) skills, we then observed the emergence of speaker (expressive language) skills without direct instruction.…

Motivated by computational analyses, we look at how teaching affects exploration and discovery. In Experiment 1, we investigated children's exploratory play after an adult pedagogically demonstrated a function of a toy, after an interrupted pedagogical demonstration, after a naive adult demonstrated the function, and at baseline. Preschoolers in…

Teachers of students with chronic challenging behaviors need relief, and they need it quickly. While they may appreciate the sympathy of others, what they really need is some genuine help. Challenging children can make a teacher's day difficult. In this article, the authors share some strategies that can provide "emergency relief" to…

This article explores the tensions surrounding teaching linguistically diverse students that are illuminated during a teacher inquiry group that has an explicit focus on working with English learners (ELs). The discussion is focused on the tensions teachers encounter when trying to make sense of the complexity of working with large numbers of ELs…

This study investigated how student participation in an authentic scientific investigation may shape underrepresented students' views of science and support students in learning science. The research centered on the instructional approach used in a fifth-grade classroom to engage English language learning students from Latino backgrounds in a…

The Word and World Reading programme aimed to improve the reading comprehension and wider literacy skills of children aged 7-9 from low income families. The programme focused on improving the vocabulary and background knowledge (sometimes labelled "core knowledge") of pupils, through the use of specially designed "knowledge…

Educators are continually seeking effective, research-based strategies to address the unique needs of their students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It is well documented that students with ASD benefit from direct instruction and visual supports when learning new skills. This article provides step-by-step procedures for using a tiered…

Although there is a clear body of evidence supporting the idea that undergraduate students benefit from participation in original research projects, many units of study--particularly in the creative arts and humanities--have been slow to embrace curriculum renewal along these lines. In this paper, we detail a pragmatic approach to meeting this…

From 2005-2009, the state determined that the Williams School had made no progress in raising its poor performance on the state English language arts test. In the fall of 2009, the state awarded literacy partnership grants to provide professional development to low-performing schools, and the Williams School partnered with our institution of…

In this study the effects of different learning environments on the promotion of decision-making competence for the socioscientific issue of genetically modified crops is investigated. The comparison focuses on direct vs. indirect instructions. Therefore on the one hand a sophisticated decision-making strategy was presented to the directly…

This paper examines the relationships between the elements of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, disciplinary differences, perceived learning, instructor effectiveness, and delivery medium satisfaction. Specifically, the proposed research examines whether disciplinary differences such as those proposed by Biglan (1973a, 1973b) moderate the…

The Foundations of Reading course and the Direct Instruction reading program Corrective Reading are components of literacy instruction designed to meet the needs of struggling adolescent readers. An evaluation of the program's effectiveness within the district has not been conducted, and the impact on student achievement was unknown. The purpose…

In this research, an experimental study was carried out in social studies 4th grade students to develop students' conceptual achievement and motivation to succeed academically. The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of project-based learning (PBL) in social studies. A quasi-experimental research design (pre- and posttest) was used in the…