The innovative volume seeks to broaden the scope of research on mathematical problem solving in different educational environments. It brings together contributions not only from leading researchers, but also highlights collaborations with younger researchers to broadly explore mathematical problem-solving across many fields: mathematics education, psychology of education, technology education, mathematics popularization, and more. The volume's three major themes-technology, creativity, and affect-represent key issues that are crucially embedded in the activity of problem solving in mathematics teaching and learning, both within the school setting and beyond the school. Through the book's new pedagogical perspectives on these themes, it advances the field of research towards a more comprehensive approach on mathematical problem solving. Broadening the Scope of Research on Mathematical Problem Solving will prove to be a valuable resource for researchers and teachers interested in mathematical problem solving, as well as researchers and teachers interested in technology, creativity, and affect.

This book presents a collection of selected papers that represent the current variety of research on the teaching and learning of probability. The respective chapters address a diverse range of theoretical, empirical and practical aspects underpinning the teaching and learning of probability, curricular issues, probabilistic reasoning, misconceptions and biases, as well as their pedagogical implications. These chapters are divided into THREE main sections, dealing with: TEACHING PROBABILITY, STUDENTS' REASONING AND LEARNING AND EDUCATION OF TEACHERS. In brief, the papers presented here include research dealing with teachers and students at different levels and ages (from primary school to university) and address epistemological and curricular analysis, as well as the role of technology, simulations, language and visualisation in teaching and learning probability. As such, it offers essential information for teachers, researchers and curricular designers alike.

What do you get when you bring together two of NSTA's bestselling authors to ponder ways to deepen students' conceptual understanding of science? A fascinating combination of deep thinking about science teaching, field-tested strategies you can use in your classroom immediately, and personal vignettes all educators can relate to and apply themselves. Teaching for Conceptual Understanding in Science is by Richard Konicek-Moran, a researcher and professor who wrote the Everyday Science Mysteries series, and Page Keeley, a practitioner and teacher educator who writes the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series. Written in an appealing, conversational style, this new book explores where science education has been and where it's going; emphasizes how knowing the history and nature of science can help you engage in teaching for conceptual understanding and conceptual change; stresses the importance of formative assessment as a pathway to conceptual change; and provides a bridge between research and practice. This is the kind of thought-provoking book that can truly change the way you teach. Whether you read each chapter in sequence or start by browsing the topics in the vignettes, Konicek-Moran and Keeley will make you think-really think-about the major goal of science education in the 21st century: to help students understand science at the conceptual level so they can see its connections to other fields, other concepts, and their own lives.

The purpose of this book is to promote a thoughtful engagement with key issues and theories that inform our understanding of childhood. Readers will enjoy, and be provoked by, a sophisticated analysis of the role and function of childhood in twenty-first century Britain, which can be used as a springboard for further enquiry and exploration.

Two intertwined themes permeate the text:
- Children's sense of self and adults' temporal and cultural fabrications of childhood, and the articulation of these with policy and provision for young children.

- Young children and representation: how they are represented, the sense they make of such representations and their own representational activity.

Whose Childhood Is It? intends to turn readers away from our collective tendency to simplify the experiences of young children and replace this with a fuller, more complex, and more realistic understanding of the social dynamic that constitutes childhood today.

This book takes a user-friendly approach, with key questions and reflection boxes throughout as well as chapter summaries and suggested further reading. It will provide a rich resource for students of Early Childhood Studies, and for Early Years professionals and those training to be Early Years practitioners.

This book shares insights into the achievement gap in mathematics between East Asian and Western countries, and the ways to improve students' mathematics achievements. Especially, it highlights the importance to integrate case studies with large-scale international comparative studies in general, and comparative studies of mathematics education in particular. This book is a must-read for mathematics teachers, mathematics educators, educational researchers, education administrators, curriculum developers, assessment designers, and student teachers who are interested in mathematics education and how to improve students' mathematics achievements.

The focus of the book is on different ways of knowing: the western scientific way (reductionist, dualistic and materialist) versus the indigenous approach (holistic, non-dualistic, and spiritual). It discusses both science and medicine in the context of the challenges experienced in introducing science and medicine into Africa through imperialism, colonization, and globalization. It looks at selected indigenous African paradigms, the dominant western paradigms, and the practitioners that represent these practices. The book deals with questions concerning compatibility and incompatibility of different ways of knowing and delves into epistemological stances, and the assumptions underlying these epistemologies. The volume investigates whether, and how a person can accommodate different epistemologies, and the nature of such accommodations.

Highlights the bridging character of drama-based foreign and second language teaching for intercultural learning. Drama here is not limited to theater-related work, but means the interplay between body and language in general, to include, for example, sports, dancing, singing, and storytelling. The major techniques and curricular structures of educational drama and its application in the foreign and second language classroom are introduced. What are the techniques, methods, strategies, and curricular structures that engage language learners in continuing dialogue between one's own culture and the one yet to be discovered? What comprises the language we speak in order to understand and be understood? Which body is it we communicate through and to? This volume answers these and other questions of the pedagogy of drama-based teaching across the foreign/second language curriculum and on all levels of the educational pyramid. There are two major issues currently discussed in drama-based foreign and second language methodology. The first is goal-oriented, asking whether the acquisition of accuracy or fluency is more important, and whether a controlled (learning through imitation) or an open (through improvisation) learning environment is more efficient. The second issue concerns using drama in language teaching: either its use is process-oriented, where drama becomes an immediate medium for language learning, or product-oriented, where it becomes primarily the reason for language learning. The book outlines the theoretical frameworks of both issues and introduces personal narrative, comparative observation, and analytical reflection, illuminating opportunities for learning at both ends of the seemingly contradictory poles of both issues.

This book addresses the expectations toward the science standards of various stakeholders including students, parents, teachers, administrators, higher education science and science education faculty members, politicians, governmental and professional agencies, and the business community. This book also investigates how the science standards have been translated into practice at the K-12 school district level, addressing issues around professional development, curriculum, assessment/evaluation, and accountability. The fundamental questions to be addressed are: (1) What is the response in terms of trends and patterns, of the educational system to the introduction of the national and state science standards since the late 1980's? and (2) What is the impact of the introduction of the science standards on teachers, classrooms, and students?

Cultivating motivation is crucial to a language learner's success - and therefore crucial for the language teacher and researcher to understand. This fully revised edition of a groundbreaking work reflects the dramatic changes the field of motivation research has undergone in recent years, including the impact of language globalisation and various dynamic and relational research methodologies, and offers ways in which this research can be put to practical use in the classroom and in research. Key new features and material: * A brand new chapter on current socio-dynamic and complex systems perspectives * New approaches to motivating students based on the L2 Motivational Self System * Illustrative summaries of qualitative and mixed methods studies * Samples of new self-related motivation measures Providing a clear and comprehensive theory-driven account of motivation, Teaching and Researching Motivation examines how theoretical insights can be used in everyday teaching practice, and offers practical tips. The final section provides a range of useful resources, including relevant websites, key reference works and tried and tested example questionnaires. Written in an accessible style and illustrated with concrete examples, it is an invaluable resource for teachers and researchers alike.

This book collects multiple disciplinary voices which explore current research and perspectives to discuss how spirituality is understood, interpreted and applied in a range of contexts. It addresses spirituality in combination with such topics as Christian mysticism, childhood and adolescent education, midwifery, and sustainability. It links spirituality to a variety of disciplines, including cognitive neuroscience, sociology, and psychology. Finally, it discusses the application of spirituality within the context of social work, teaching, health care, and occupational therapy. A final chapter provides an analytical discussion of the different voices that appear in the book and offers a holistic description of spirituality which has the potential to bring some unity to the meaning, expression and practice of spirituality across a variety of disciplines as well as across cultural, religious and secular worldviews. "A strength of the book is that each chapter is characterized by a fearless confronting of oppositional perspectives and use of the latest research in addressing them. The book takes the difficult topic of spirituality into almost every nook and cranny of personal and professional life. There is a persistent grasping of the contentiousness of the topic, together with addressing counter positions and utilizing updated research across a range of fields in doing this. The opening and closing chapters serve as book ends that keep the whole volume together."Terence Lovat, The University of Newcastle, Australia "The interdisciplinary nature of the work is by far the strongest aspect of this volume. It has the potential to contribute to a dialogue between different professions and disciplines. This prospective publication promises to promote a more holistic approach to the study of spirituality. This volume takes into consideration a wide variety of issues. The way the editors have structured the sequence of chapters contributes to facilitate any possible dialogue between the different areas."Adrian-Mario Gellel, University of Malta, Malta

Mastering Primary Design and Technology introduces the primary design and technology curriculum and helps trainees and teachers learn how to plan and teach inspiring lessons that make design and technology learning irresistible. Topics covered include: * Current developments in design and technology * Design and technology as an irresistible activity * Design and technology as a practical activity * Skills to develop in design and technology * Promoting curiosity * Assessing children in design and technology * Practical issues This guide includes examples of children's work, case studies, readings to reflect upon and reflective questions that all help to exemplify what is considered to be best and most innovative practice. The book draws on the experience of a leading professional in primary design and technology, Gill Hope, to provide the essential guide to teaching design and technology for all trainee and qualified primary teachers.

A volume in Contemporary Research in Education Series Editor Terry A. Osborn, Fordham University Functional literacy, cultural literacy, and progressive literacy are just a few of the many terms one can invoke when attempting to define literacy. From a critical perspective, for a democratic society to exist, a critical literacy is of crucial importance. Critical literacy aims to empower individuals and transform society. It is grounded in critical theory and, like critical pedagogy, investigates ways in which social, cultural, racial, sexual, and economic inequalities are reproduced. By investigating the ideological, political, and social structures that perpetuate such inequalities, it hopes to raise consciousness and move towards creating a more socially just society. This book examines the approaches set forth by Atwell, Calkins, and Rief in their books, In the Middle (1998); The Art of Teaching Writing (1994); and Seeking Diversity (1992), respectively. This book is of relevance to teacher educators and English Language Arts teachers. It enables one to become familiar with the main components of the Readers'/Writers' workshop and develop an awareness of how literacy may be conceptualized and reconceptualized through this approach. Teacher educators will find this text useful for raising preservice teachers' awareness of the ideologies that inform literacy education and in developing their understanding for how students are positioned socially, culturally, politically and economically by such ideologies. English Language Arts teachers will find this book informative in understanding how they can be positioned by teacher texts to teach towards certain ideologies of literacy. Finally, it allows teacher educators and English Language Arts teachers to consider what kind of literacy education is provided for through the Readers'/Writers' workshop, and whether space may be negotiated within the Readers'/Writers' workshop, for the teaching of critical literacy.

This edited collection challenges the perceptions of disciplinary, linguistic, geographical and ideological borders that run across language education. By highlighting commonalities and tracing connections between diverse sub-fields that have traditionally been studied separately, the book shows how the perspectives of practitioners and researchers working in diverse areas of language education can mutually inform each other. It consists of three thematic parts: Part I outlines the field of language education and challenges its definition by highlighting additional theoretical constructs that have tended to be viewed as separate from language education. Part II investigates curricular boundaries, showing how the language-learning curriculum can be enriched by connections with other curricular areas. Lastly, Part III looks into the challenges and opportunities associated with language education against the backdrop of globalisation.

For decades, educators, historians, and social commentators accorded major responsibility for the reform of medical education in the United States to the Flexner Report of 1910. More recently, historians have begun to challenge the impact of the Report and the desirability of the changes attributed to it. This volume takes the themes articulated in the Report and traces their development. With each theme being discussed by a specialist in the subject area, the book provides a comprehensive review of medical education in the twentieth century. These themes, many of which have not been discussed in other books, include the basic sciences, the clinical curriculum, women in medicine, black medical education, and sectarian medical education. In addition, the volume includes chapters on the evolution of the health care delivery system, trends in financing medical education, the use of outpatient settings for clinical education, the current status of the medical curriculum and needed changes, and health manpower needs. The work concludes with a chapter discussing the current proposals for change and how they relate to the problems and reforms of the Flexner era. The work will be of interest to medical school administrators, policy makers, and faculty members as well as to practicing physicians.

Science education at the upper secondary level presents an extremely diverse image. In some education systems, it is possible for students to abandon the discipline altogether; in others, program specialization may involve students' being enrolled in science-intensive tracks. In the latter case, the links between secondary and higher science education tend to be strong, especially for competitive-entry, science-based programs in subjects such as engineering and biomedical sciences. In this capacity, upper secondary science may be said to have created a new academic elitism.
This edited volume adopts a comparative approach to upper secondary science as it occurs in sixteen countries, focusing on such key topics as links with basic science education, issues in assessment, and the secondary/tertiary education interface. With contributions from a wide cross-section of countries, including Australia, Malaysia, Brazil, Nigeria, and Pakistan, Issues in Upper Secondary Science Education provides an unparalleled resource for understanding upper secondary science education systems around the world.

While phonics instruction is important for all readers, it is essential for older students whose underdeveloped reading skills impede content-area learning. This resource offers dozens of practice pages that give struggling readers multiple opportunities to recognize, review, and reinforce must-know phonics elements, such as consonants, long and short vowels, blends, digraphs, and more. With this practice, students dramatically improve their ability to recognize sound-spelling relationships and use these skills to accurately and efficiently decode words, which in turn boosts fluency and comprehension. For use with Grades 3-6.

This book explores an area that has been somewhat overlooked in the literature to date - the current status and future trends of English education in Oman. It offers a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches to the subject and explores areas of English education in Oman that have, until now, been little investigated. It explores these issues from a variety of perspectives: the professionalization of English teachers in the country; the implementation of novel teaching methodologies, curricula, and assessment approaches, into what are, in many ways, still very traditional education settings; the integration of learner identity into English language instruction; country- and culture-specific concerns with conducting research with Omani participants; the strategic demands of building stronger links between education and workforce needs; and developing learner autonomy and motivation.

Seminal lectures on music education since the 1990s. There is no question that music education is in crisis today. The place of music in the national curriculum is controversial; there have been cuts in the provision of individual lessons; and there have been severe reductions in government funding, with more planned. This book, containing the first five Bernarr Rainbow Lectures, makes an important and timely contribution to the debate on music education. Baroness Warnock brings the perspective of a distinguished philosopher to bear on issues about the nature of music and its study; Lord Moser urges us to maintain and expand what has been achieved since World War II; the late Professor John Paynter, responsible for the 1960s surge in creative approaches to music teaching, presents his case in two contributions; John Stephens discusses structures for music teaching and then, in a second contribution, brings everything up to date; and Professor Gavin Henderson traces his own colourful career and supports music for all ages. Also included is the 2005 Royal Philharmonic Society by the Master of the Queen's Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies; an assessment from Bernarr Rainbow himself, written late in his life; an indictment from Wilfrid Mellers; and two reviews of Bernarr Rainbow on Music: Memoirs and Selected Writings, showing the continuing importance of his work fifteen years after his death. This book is part of the series Classic Texts in Music Education, edited by Professor Peter Dickinson, and supported by the Bernarr Rainbow Trust. Peter Dickinson is a British composer, writer and pianist and authorand editor of books on Lennox Berkeley, Copland, Cage, Barber and Berners.

The current global marketplace demands more workers who are scientifically literate, yet few are being adequately prepared to meet that demand. Particularly underrepresented are women and minorities, who often lack the social and academic support that stimulate and sustain interest in science, math, and engineering. The authors of this book demonstrate that early intervention, especially during grades 4 through 8, can help overcome some of these obstacles. They show how increased career awareness and exposure to mentors and role models can help students see science and math-related careers as desirable and viable options. And they explain how test preparation, activity-based instruction, cooperative learning, and tutoring can help to improve academic outcomes. The authors also provide critical information on ten successful intervention programs, including MESA, Project SEED, and Operation SMART - and they offer practitioners specific guidance for developing, funding, and implementing similar programs in their own schools.