Prevailing policies and practices in teaching suppress teachers’ autonomy in the classroom, leaving students subjected to scripted programs, standardized curricula, and passive rote learning (Leistyna, Lavandez, & Nelson, 2004; Sleeter, 2005). Such forms of teaching often run counter to those that support critical thinking, joy, and equity-oriented learning (Christensen, 2009; Nieto & Bode, 200...

Acquiring adequate vocabulary in a foreign language is very important but often difficult. Considering the importance of learner’s vocabulary learning and retention, the present study aimed at examining the impact of playing word games on young Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary learning and retention at Irandoostan language Institute in Tabriz. To that end, 50 female learners at the age range of...

Improving the reasoning skills of adolescents across the United States has become a major concern for educators and scientists who are dedicated to identifying evidence-based protocols to improve student outcome. This small sample randomized, control pilot study sought to determine the efficacy of higher-order cognitive training on gist-reasoning and fact-learning in an inner-city public middle...

Nursing students are exposed to a vast amount of information and reading material that is very specific, technical, and new to the students. Unless nurse educators provide a learning environment that promotes understanding through interaction, students might only commit unassimilated information to their short-term memory through rote learning, and no meaningful learning will occur. Nursing stu...

Knowledge space theory was used for mapping students’ knowledge structures in calculating density, mass-percent, molar mass and molar volume. Data were collected among the 9-10 graders (age 15-16) at two different secondary grammar schools. Students’ responses were evaluated in a binary fashion and were used for determining knowledge structures with a systematic trial-and-error process using χ ...

The question was whether a person's emotional mood could serve as a distinctive context for learning and retrieval of memories. Hypnotized subjects learned a word-list while feeling happy or sad, and recalled it in the same or the opposite mood, either immediately (Exp. 1) or after one day (Exp. 2). Retention proved to be surprisingly independent of the congruence of learning and testing moods....