The difficulties that primary students experience when dealing with real-world related word problems have been discussed extensively. These difficulties are not only related to complex, non-routine problems but already occur with respect to routine problems that involve the application of a simple algorithm. Due to difficulties with the…

The tradition of using giant puppets in dance rituals is widespread throughout Africa. Huge puppets can communicate spiritual and moral authority, which is all the more easily accepted because it is delivered with a sense of playfulness. Giant puppets also create unique movement possibilities. This potent combination of symbolic meaning and…

This article suggests that the notion of an educational "trading zone" is an analytically helpful way of describing a space in which ideas about learning and teaching are shared within and between disciplines. Drawing on our knowledge of anthropology and the Humanities, we suggest three possible reasons for the limited development of…

One question guided this experimental study: What impact does the change from teacher training to educational research have on university teachers' methodology and attitudes to teaching? To find answers to this question, the researchers selected five teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at the language centre of a private university on…

The study focused on the development of the concept of fractions in a group of 11- and 12-year-old students who were deaf or hard of hearing. The approach implemented in the study relied extensively on the use of games with very little formal instruction. It emphasized the development of appropriate language to facilitate an understanding of the…

To define what is special about the education of students with severe disabilities, this article provides a snapshot of research-based practices that are relevant to the "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) focus on accountability. The NCLB requirement to assess all students in reading, math, and science is contrasted to the functional approach typical…

In this topical issue of "The Journal of Special Education," leading scholars in special education reviewed the literature and investigated whether special education is, indeed, special by examining to what degree (a) effective techniques have been developed for students with disabilities, (b) these effective techniques are applied and implemented…

This paper describes an approach called opportunity centred learning that has been developed by the author and applied in the field of enterprise education. The relationship between opportunity centred learning and existing theory and practice in learning and education is outlined in comparison with problem-based learning and action learning, and…

The value of reflection on experience to enhance learning has been advanced for decades; however, it remains difficult to apply in practice. This paper describes a reflection model that pushes students beyond superficial interpretations of complex issues and facilitates academic mastery, personal growth, civic engagement, critical thinking, and…

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning movement is now truly international although national and contextual differences affect its implementation. Institutional capacities for and openness to innovation vary widely and cannot be readily predicted. The research university referred to in this article has a conservative reputation in Australia, yet…

Students take summer and compressed courses for a variety of reasons and research indicates that learning outcomes in these courses are similar to those gained in traditional semester or quarter courses. This quantitative study was an attempt to clarify faculty perceptions about summer compressed courses. One hundred and fifty-one faculty members…

The working drafts of the human genome, announced in February 2001, have clearly provided a breakthrough in biochemistry and molecular biology research. The scientific data also provide an opportunity to vary a typical approach to teaching. Advanced graduate students at our university can elect to take a course in molecular genetics. The human…

Many U.S. institutions of higher education are initiating and expanding the use of the Internet for collecting and reporting student ratings of instruction. The primary objective of this study was to better understand the effects of the Internet on student ratings of instruction in higher education. More specifically, data were collected to…

Representations and changes between them play a major role in education (e.g., Hewson, Beeth, & Thorley, 1998), problem solving (e.g., Bauer & Reiser, 1990), cognitive development (e.g., Vosniadou & Brewer, 1992), and the history of science (e.g., Kuhn, 1970). By definition, change of representations is also indispensable for collaborative work…

Seven principles of leadership that empower individuals and school communities to fulfill their potential are identified in this article. In the Montessori classroom, where children share common goals and guidelines, and in the process gain independence and maturity, the teacher moves from being a manager of capricious behavior to acting as the…