Selecting the "better" solution to a problem between the first one that comes to mind and the alternative that may follow is not a "fait-accompli". After all, is it better if it is more economical? Or is it better if it is more elegant? Moreover, taking shortcuts does not always lead to a shorter solution. Consider the simple…

Collective impact is a recently developed concept and approach to solving social problems that rectifies many of the issues associated with isolated impact. We compared collective impact and the formal definition of collaboration and made integrations between the two concepts. Specifically, we explored effective assessment and facilitation methods…

Public discussion on the quality of education in different corners of the world very much relies on the data provided by the international large-scale assessment (ILSA) studies. While aware of different methodological keystones and technicalities embedded in these, the idea behind this special issue is to contribute to the understanding of how…

How do diagrams and illustrations affect mathematical problem solving? Past research suggests that diagrams should promote correct performance. However, illustrations may provide a supportive context for problem solving, or they may distract students with seductive details. Moreover, effects may not be uniform across student subgroups. This study…

Background: Preparing students to solve complex problems is an identified area of need in engineering education. Despite the documented influence of motivation on learning, little research exists that examines how motivation and problem solving in engineering interconnect. Purpose: This study explores how engineering students perceive problem…

Visualization is an effective method for students to internalize concepts and to establish correlations between concepts. Visualization method is especially more important in mathematics which is perceived as the combination of abstract concepts. In this study, whether 6th grade students can solve questions about "Fractions" by using…

Previous studies revealed that many students cannot perform well when it comes to word problem-solving questions. There are various problem-solving strategies that can be applied to help students to overcome the problem. Visualisation techniques in learning have been used to help students enhance their conceptual understanding of the mathematical…

The usage of symbol, unit and formula of some fundamental physical quantities are quite important for science and engineering students regardless of their majors. The purpose of the present research was to examine the students' knowledge regarding the usage of symbol, unit, and formula of the fundamental physical quantities. The opinions of…

A flipped classroom approach consists of two distinct parts: direct on-line instruction in the students' own time and at their own pace, and interactive group learning and problem solving activities in scheduled classes. This approach has the potential to suit theoretical and practice-based courses such as technology education. This article…

This article presents some paper-folding activities for students to explore a different way to prove some of the angle properties in a circle.

Successful mathematical problem-solving relies on choices about how best to represent and solve problems. In this article, a range of methods and strategies are presented for solving a single mathematical problem, including novel methods posed by in-service teachers at one Australian university. The variety of problem-solving strategies rely on…

In fact, ever since Seymour Papert (famous in his later years for constructionism, a learning theory that married conceptual constructivism with concrete experience) created Logo programming, many schools have been coding using Logo, the educational computer programming software that has the famous 'turtle' on the computer screen. Importantly,…

The main purpose of the study is to understand the mathematical problem-solving strategies among student teachers. This study used both quantitative and qualitative type of research. Aside from the semi-structured interviews, data were gathered through participant's actual mathematical problem-solving outputs and the videotaped interviews.…

After three years of collecting electronic resources of troubleshooting tickets in Springhare's LibAnswers at University of Houston Libraries, the author conducted an analysis of over 300 tickets. The type of problem was identified for each ticket and then categorized into a functional area using an existing categorization schema developed at…

The two-stroke engine is an engineering marvel that has been incorporated into many aspects of modern-day life. While many seek to eliminate the two-stroke, others seek to revive this simple and effective power plant, aiming to make it more environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient. If successful, improvements could be far-reaching and…