Planning is one of the professional tasks teachers have to carry out before their direct action in the classrooms. This planning is closely interrelated to the way teachers teach. The question about how and why teachers reach their decisions in their pre-class planning is a classical one in the research into curricular design and development. The…

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the first part of the CoRT program for teaching thinking (BREADTH) on the development of communication skills among a sample of students from Al al-Bayt University in Jordan. The study sample consisted of all the students enrolled in the training session for the first part of the CoRT program held by…

The experience that students gain through creative thinking contributes to their readiness for the 21st century. For this and other reasons, educators have always considered creative thinking as a desirable part of any curriculum. The focus of this article is on teaching creative thinking in K-12 science as a way to serve all students and,…

The theory of realistic mathematics education establishes that framing mathematics problems in realistic contexts can provide opportunities for guided reinvention. Using data from a study group, I examine geometry teachers' perspectives regarding realistic contexts during a lesson study cycle. I ask the following. (a) What are the participants'…

In this discussion-based article, the author considers the benefits of an in-depth collaborative model for curricular and faculty development, the Japanese lesson study, a method that is largely untested in higher education, though the few instances of its usage have produced promising results. The author examines the barriers to faculty…

In the attentive, targeted mentoring framework, mentors shift their focus from helping beginning teachers merely survive the first year to empowering them to thrive and impact student learning.

In an effort to better prepare science teachers to engage in high-leverage practices, this study investigates the choices and rationales of preservice science teachers in planning elicitation strategies and describes how their understandings about the elicitation of students' ideas changed over time. Four cohorts of preservice science teachers…

As standards in the United States change, many teachers are faced with negotiating multiple standards documents. This research examines how pre-service elementary teachers learn to plan for instruction using national standards documents (NGSS and C3 Framework, respectively) and the state content standards. This qualitative case study examines…

Our research focuses on the creation and reinforcement of overgeneralized and inaccurate depictions of language behavior on the Internet. Misrepresentation of language behavior spreads easily by exposure to unchallenged depictions. We posit that such stereotypes have already influenced our students, consumers of the Internet, by introducing,…

The "conceptual storyline" of a lesson refers to the flow and sequencing of learning activities such that science concepts align and progress in ways that are instructionally meaningful to student learning of the concepts. Research demonstrates that when teachers apply lesson design strategies to create a coherent science content…

Many fields of education at the moment, especially in physical and technological educations, use 5E learning cycle. The process is defined as five "E"s. These represent the verbs engage, explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate. The literature has been systematically reviewed and the results show that the 5E learning cycle is an untested…

Field Elementary School in Littleton, Colorado, had previously seen success with its pullout model of instruction for English language learners. However, as the English language learner (ELL) population increased to 42 percent, the school's performance on state assessments dropped, and it was clear that something different was needed. School…

In this article the authors describe a project during which they unpacked fraction standards, created rigorous tasks and lesson plans, and developed formative and summative assessments to analyze students' thinking about fraction multiplication. The purpose of this article is to (1) illustrate a process that can be replicated by educators…

In this article, veteran educator Otis Kriegel provides eight questions that teachers can ask themselves as they create or tweak lesson plans. With practical, straightforward advice, Kriegel suggests that teachers be mindful of who their audience is, how much students already know, and what materials they'll need. He also urges teachers to…

This column presents ideas and techniques to enhance science teaching. In today's classrooms, teachers face numerous challenges. They are preparing students for jobs and careers that are not even conceived of yet. Assessments are being used to address students' college and career readiness and to promote critical thinking and problem solving.…