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Peer collaboration benefits second language (L2) learning and is a cornerstone of effective classroom instruction. It is, therefore, essential for teachers to consider how tasks work to promote peer collaboration and thus maximize learning. These considerations concern the task type, a task's inherent characteristics, and possible ways of task implementation to achieve peer collaboration. The body of research within the Task-based language teaching (TBLT) framework has shown that task-based instruction provides an optimal environment for second language acquisition. However, with regard to young learners (YLs), children from 5 to 12 years of age, the role of tasks in fostering peer collaboration in FL classrooms is not clear-cut. Grounded in research on task-based peer interaction among YLs, this article outlines how tasks enhance peer collaboration in foreign language (FL) classrooms.

Eye-tracking (ET) method provides a promising channel for educational researchers to connect learning outcomes to cognitive processes. The main principle of ET is that our gaze and our focus of attention are connected. Due to the advent of digital technologies, eye tracking studies are increasingly growing in different fields and in mathematics education. We assume that the provided task is one of the ways to analyse deeply cognitive processes, and we wonder how ET studies are dealing with the integration of digital technology in task-design in geometry. Starting from Strohmaier et al. (2020) we found three studies, one focused on geometric proofs and two based on construction of geometric objects. We highlight the contributions of integrating digital technology in learning and instruction, and in research in geometry.

Multitasking has been demonstrated to negatively impact performance across a wide range of tasks, including in the classroom, yet students continue to multitask. This study examined the relationship between college students' perceptions and performance of technology-based multitasking. Technology-based multitasking and self-efficacy data were collected and analyzed from 265 undergraduate students. Students engaged in a technology-based multitasking perceptions survey, a video + survey multitasking task or a video-only non-multitasking task, and a technology-based self-efficacy survey. An analysis of student perceptions indicated that students understood that different tasks required different levels of mental effort to complete successfully and that multitasking across high-mental effort tasks required greater effort than multitasking across low-mental effort tasks. In addition, students in the video + survey multitasking group significantly underperformed students in the video-only non-multitasking group. Finally, the relationship between technology-based multitasking and self-efficacy was addressed in a correlational analysis between student technology-based multitasking scores and technology-based self-efficacy scores, yielding no significant relationship. The study findings indicate that most students have an understanding and awareness of multitasking, but ultimately, whether they believed they could multitask or not, multitasking significantly impeded performance.

The contents of calculus, known for their complexity, present significant challenges for students, particularly in mastering multiple integrals and effectively visualizing related concepts. The transition to distance learning prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated the learning process in multiple integrals. In line with this and considering the potential of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL), in this research we explore the impact of teaching in a CSCL environment on student achievements, focusing on students from the computer science study program. Through data analysis using ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests, it was found that students exposed to collaborative learning in GeoGebra environment demonstrated higher levels of theoretical and practical knowledge compared to peers who acquired knowledge without using GeoGebra. Additionally, this group of students achieved results comparable to those of students who attended traditional in-person teaching, showing noticeable improvements in solving complex tasks. Our findings show the effectiveness of CSCL approach in context of distance learning and highlight potential of collaborative environments enhanced with technology in facilitating student understanding and achievements in calculus education.

Flavell's theory of metacognition was innovative at the time for its promising practicality. However, research findings that report inconsistencies in metacognitive trainings' outcomes and insufficiencies of translating the theory into mainstream classrooms have accumulated since then. In this sense, there may be a need to revisit metacognition theory for its practicality and credentiality. From a phenomenological perspective, this paper first describes the fundamental tenant of theory; thinking, and whether metacognition theory recognizes the nature of thinking. To manage thinking, it should be stimulated first. In other words, a sensitivity towards a stimulus that is metacognitive responsiveness needs to be raised to initiate the attendance of higher order thinking. Thinking and metacognitive responsiveness pertain to personal relevance, attentiveness, interest, previous experiences, tools for thinking, features of tasks, and the nature of social interactions. Therefore, it is important to present the stimulus designed or adapted to initiate individuals' thinking or metacognitive responsiveness. In this paper, Flavell's theory of metacognition was revised to embrace metacognitive responsiveness explicitly, and it is highlighted that practical implications need to focus on materials to initiate metacognitive responsiveness.

Teachers perceive student engagement in many ways, and do not necessarily align engagement strategies they employ with their own conceptualization of this construct. This situation is worsened in online learning of which popularity has grown since the emergence of the COVID-19 global pandemic. We explored perceptions of student engagement in online learning, both synchronous and asynchronous, using semi-structured in-depth interviews with K-12 teachers (N=13). We referred to different dimensions (behavioral, emotional, social, and cognitive) and contexts (student, peers, class, school, and home). Findings suggest that student engagement in online learning has unique characteristics: It is mostly behavioral, particularly task-centered; it relates to student-, class-, and home contexts; and teachers take responsibility on- and act upon issues related to it.

The present study employs regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997) to investigate the effects of L2 speakers' chronic regulatory focus on their L2 pragmatic versus grammatical awareness. It involved the participation of 121 Chinese students, who are English language learners, at a university in the United States. Haws et al.'s (2010) questionnaire was used to examine the participants' regulatory dispositions, and a judgment task was adapted from Bardovi-Harlig and Dörnyei (1998) to assess participants' awareness of grammatical and pragmatic errors, as well as the severity of each type of error. Multiple regression results largely confirmed the predictions. Prevention regulatory focus, concerned with obligations, responsibilities, and negative outcomes, predicted L2 speakers' recognition of grammatical errors and their severity. Conversely, promotion focus, which emphasizes growth, accomplishments, and positive outcomes, positively predicted L2 speakers' perceptions of pragmatic error severity. These findings contribute to the understanding of how differences in chronic motivational orientations can lead to different L2 use patterns and characteristics.

While Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) has been widely researched and accepted as a potentially powerful teaching method in language education around the world, research examining the teachers' beliefs about the impacts of a training on TBLT to date has remained limited. In Vietnam, studies on this topic were scarce (Nguyen & Jaspaert, 2021). This study thus investigates the Vietnamese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in-service teachers' beliefs about the impact of a TBLT training program. To collect data, classroom observations followed by semi-structured interviews were conducted with five volunteer teachers. The findings showed that the teachers generally had strong beliefs in the usefulness of the TBLT training program for professional development, and their willingness to pursue TBLT teaching. Although there exist barriers hindering this TBLT training program, many teachers expressed interest to undergo more TBLT training in the future. The findings in this study are expected to provide some insightful pedagogical implications for developing a TBLT training program for in-service teachers in the similar context of language education in Vietnam and other EFL settings.

Elementary school students still need help learning English, resulting in low learning outcomes. The lack of learning facilities and the application of inappropriate learning models impact students' low motivation to learn English. Regarding this matter, this study aims to examine the effectiveness of task-based e-learning on students' cognitive dissonance and reading engagement in learning English at elementary schools. The study was designed in a Quasi-Experimental Design with a posttest-only control group design. The population of the study was 158 4th-grade elementary school students. A random sampling technique was used in this study with a sample size of 55 4th-grade elementary school students. A survey was used to collect the data. The instrument used to collect research data was a questionnaire sheet. Two-way ANOVA was used to test the hypothesis. The results of the study show a significant effect simultaneously and partially with a Sig. value < 0.05, task-based e-learning has an impact on students' cognitive dissonance and reading engagement in learning English at elementary schools. The study implies that applying task-based e-learning can make it easier for students to learn English, which impacts their cognitive dissonance and reading engagement.

This paper investigates the cognitive processes involved in English word recognition among young EFL learners using eye-tracking methodology. A quasi-experimental mixed method design was used to investigate how young L2 learners engage with basic words, with or without pictorial cues. A total of seventeen 6th-grade pupils from two schools participated in the experiment. The participants were presented with a list of 20 words and were asked to read them aloud while their eye movements were tracked to discern their viewing patterns. Immediately after the reading task, stimulated-recall interviews were conducted to triangulate and validate the participants' viewing behaviors. Results indicate that participants focused significantly more on the text than the accompanying pictures yet demonstrated better performance in recognizing and reading the words presented in a picture-based mode. Some participants reported that the pictures were not viewed because the words were easy to read. In contrast, others struggled to read certain words due to an over-reliance on their background knowledge, which sometimes led to misinterpretation. These results emphasize the importance of integrating visual cues with word recognition instruction in early language learning contexts, highlighting when and how these cues should be utilized effectively.

This study aims to reconstruct Grade 11 students' misconceptions about force through the Conceptual Change Model (CCM) making use of Predict, Discuss, Explain, Observe, Discuss, Explore, Explain (PDEODEE) tasks. This study was conducted using a mixedmethod approach. The participants in this study were 65 students (33 students in the experiment class--13 males and 20 females, and 32 students in the control class--12 males and 20 females) from a high school in Bandung, Indonesia. The instrument test used is the Four-Tier Test-formed Force Concept Inventory (4TT-FCI) with 8 question items. Three analyses were carried out: an analysis of students' misconception profiles during the pre-test and post-test, the reconstruction of students' misconceptions analysed based on percentage and codification using Great Change (GC), Not Change (NC), and Un-Great Change (U-GC). The improvement in students' conception was carried out using N-Gain with three categories (Low, Moderate, and High). The results show that the students' conception profile during the pre-test and post-test still detects misconceptions. However, these misconceptions can be ameliorated using CCM with PDEODEE tasks because the highest conceptual change is in the Misconceptions category (GC= 34.5) and the lowest is in the Un-Code category (U-GC= 2.4). The increase in the correctness of the conception was measured in the experimental class at 0.73 (High category), and the control class is 0.42 (Moderate Category).

This study compares two leadership styles, emergent leader (EL) and assigned leader (AL), to explore effective leadership in second language (L2) group work. ELs were spontaneously chosen by the group, while ALs were pre-assigned by teachers before the task. The study involved 45 university students, who were divided into seven EL groups (n = 21) and eight AL groups (n = 24). Complex dynamic systems theory (CDST) was used to explore how these leadership styles impacted group work dynamics, motivation, and task outcomes. Findings revealed that having a group leader was beneficial for task performance, regardless of the leadership style. However, the study identified qualitative differences in group work dynamics and motivation between EL and AL groups. Behaviors contributing to group work activation were more frequently observed in the AL groups. Additionally, motivation increased gradually in the EL groups, while it peaked early and remained high in the AL groups. Results suggest that pre-assigning a leader with a clear role can ensure favorable initial conditions for the group, leader, and members, while accelerating the growth of group work dynamics and motivation in short-timed group tasks. Therefore, the study provides evidence supporting the effectiveness of pre-assigning a leader in L2 group work.

Scheduling of practice to create a spacing effect has been observed to lead to superior retention of L2 vocabulary and grammar. Two of the various methods of scheduling L2 task practice discussed widely in recent times are interleaving and blocking. In a desirable difficulty framework, both of these methods have been recommended for task repetition practices aimed at learning L2 vocabulary and grammar. Used at the appropriate level of difficulty both have been observed to facilitate the automatization and proceduralization of linguistic knowledge. Keeping two groups of 44 Indian adolescent English as L2 learners under interleaved and blocked conditions during a three-month-long task repetition practice program, the present study attempted to measure the difference in the effect of interleaving and blocking on the retention rate of English vocabulary and grammar. No statistically significant difference in the effect of these two methods on the retention of English vocabulary and grammar was recorded in a repeated measures ANOVA test (p=0.17, F=2.05, d=0.09) conducted on the pre-test, intermediate test, and post-test scores of the participants. Both groups continued to demonstrate limited flexibility and appropriacy in word choice and rare instances of complex forms and structures of sentences in English throughout the three tests.

The present study investigates the students' perceptions of applying performance tasks based on the GRASPS framework, exploring and seeking to explain the relationships between these tasks and English language learning. Data was collected over one semester in 14 public secondary schools in Ecuador, and it consisted of a questionnaire applied to 283 EFL students and two focus-group interviews with 12 EFL learners. After receiving a two-week workshop, sixteen Ecuadorian EFL teachers planned three units following the three stages based on the Backward Design Model (Wiggings & McTigue, 2005); however, this study focuses on the students' perceptions of the GRASPS framework. Overall, the students showed high levels of awareness of the benefits of developing performance tasks based on the GRASPS framework. The main benefits encountered by these students were improving English skills, fostering creativity, and autonomous and lifelong learning. Subsequently, the primary takeaway from this study proposes applying the GRASPS framework as a potential support for EFL learning. Theoretical and practical implications are presented, and further research suggestions are provided.

The need to create more efficient approaches to teaching L2 writing has grown due to the increasing demands placed on English writing proficiency in a global setting. The present investigation aimed to explore the impacts of the ENGAGE Model and task-based language teaching (TBLT) method on Iranian EFL learners' overall L2 writing performance. According to their performance on the standard Oxford Quick Placement Test, 67 Iranian female EFL learners between 18 and 25 years old were chosen for this quasi-experimental study. The participants were divided into three groups at random: the ENGAGE group (N=22), the TBLT group (N=24), and the control group (N=21). The participants were given a writing pretest to verify their L2 writing homogeneity. Then, they went through 12 sessions of instruction. After the treatment, the participants received the writing posttest to measure the learners' development in L2 writing. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that the ENGAGE model more substantially impacted Iranian EFL learners' overall L2 essay writing skills than the TBLT. ELT professionals, curriculum designers, English teachers, and learners can utilize the study's findings to solve linguistic and metalinguistic problems.

To this day, there are only a few studies that have used a controlled instructional intervention on specific linguistic structures to investigate if language instruction is beneficial for heritage learners (HLs), in the same way it is for second (L2) language learners, and more research in this area is rapidly needed (Bowles, 2018). The results from this small body of research suggest that explicit language instruction can be beneficial for HLs, but overall L2 learners still appear to benefit from language instruction more than their HLs counterparts (Potowski et al., 2009; Torres, 2018, inter alia). The present study seeks to contribute to this growing body of research and further examines if the type of task employed to measure learning gains plays a role in the uneven outcomes heritage and L2 learners evidence after receiving language instruction.

Mendelian genetics are essential for students seeking to comprehend the complexities of inheritance; although fundamental, these biology concepts are difficult for students to understand. This study examined the effectiveness of task-based learning (TBL) in enhancing the students' conceptual understanding of the Patterns of Mendelian Genetics. A pretest and posttest quasi-experimental research design involved an experimental and a control group. An Intrinsic Motivation Inventory questionnaire was utilized to assess the level of intrinsic motivation for task evaluation for the experimental group. Paired t-test was used to compare the pretest and post-test results. Before the intervention, both groups had a low conceptual understanding of the topic. At the end of the intervention, both groups had significantly increased their performances from pretest to posttest scores. The study revealed that TBL is more effective than Traditional Lecture-Based Instruction (TLI), as seen in their enhanced student performance, implying the effectiveness of the TBL as an innovative instructional approach. Participants from the experimental group expressed enjoyment, competence, and ownership of their task activities, and they did not feel nervous and anxious about doing the tasks. Pearson r-correlation was used to establish a relationship among the variables. Perceived choice, pressure/tension, and student performance in the experimental group have low positive correlations, and perceived choice, interest/enjoyment, and performance have a negligible correlation. This approach is highly commendable for biology instruction. By illuminating the effectiveness of active learning in improving student's conceptual understanding, this study bridges the gap between theoretical-practical gap in genetics via active learning effectiveness.

Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States and the most taught additional language (L2) in elementary-level schools. However, the amount and type of access differs according to the resources available. Rural settings, which comprise a third of all schools in the US, often have fewer resources and support for the development and maintenance of exposure-track L2 programs, which meet once per week with the goal of, as the name suggests, providing exposure to the L2, rather than a focus on cumulative language development. Given that there are immediate and long-term benefits of even low levels of early bilingualism, ensuring access to quality L2 education is a matter of equity. This paper centers on the first year of a longitudinal collaboration between an exposure-track Spanish language teacher in a rural elementary school, and the research team who created a task-based program tailored for the school following a needs analysis. We analyze the first year of the grant-funded program based on task effectiveness, student enjoyment, and teacher perspectives. We contextualize results within the rural community and offer initial longitudinal data on US exposure-track Spanish. We detail how we adjusted the program for the second year, are freely sharing the materials on the Task Bank (tblt.indiana.edu) and have transferred the program to the teacher's autonomy. Finally, we highlight that the success of this program was and is due to the collaborative nature of the partnership between the teacher, the researchers, and the administrators.

The use of Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approaches in English as Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms has recently gained special attention. In the context of Bangladesh, "English for Academic Purposes," a contextualized TBLT module prepared jointly by British Council and University Grant Commission Bangladesh, was piloted in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses in private universities in Bangladesh. This study explores TBLT and CLIL teachers' perceptions regarding feedback and how the success of TBLT and CLIL relates to providing feedback to the students of a large English class at the tertiary level. A mixed-method research design was adopted, including a questionnaire(n=50) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) (n=10) as research instruments among the English teachers at different universities. The results indicated that the classroom teachers as research participants were positive about providing corrective feedback to learners' tasks in TBLT and CLIL classes. The participating teachers suggest some feasible and plausible ways and strategies to provide effective feedback to the students of a large English class.

This study represents the inaugural attempt at assessing the authenticity of the tasks encompassed in the IELTS Speaking Module. The evaluation is conducted from the vantage points of applied linguistics and general education, and serves to enhance comprehension of authenticity and authentic assessment. In order to achieve this objective, an analysis was conducted on the Speaking Module tasks using Bachman and Palmer's model of test usefulness from the discipline of applied linguistics, as well as Herrington and Herrington's inventory of the fundamental attributes of genuine assessment from the realm of general education. The results of both task analyses revealed low indices of authenticity of the tasks. The high degree of convergence of the results from the analyses could open new horizons for experts in applied linguistics to exchange ideas about authentic language assessment with those in general education. Furthermore, such characteristics as problem-solving skills, higher-order thinking skills, integrated assessment, and multiple indicators of learning, are not included in Bachman and Palmer's framework.

The idea of "threshold concepts" has been used to identify discipline-based concepts that are critical to that academic area. Threshold concepts are often difficult for students to assimilate in a meaningful way but, once done, can be powerful for the learner. In general, threshold concepts are 1) transformative to learner thinking; 2) bounded by the discipline; 3) integrative with other concepts; and 4) irreversible once understood (Meyer and Land 2003). This paper presents five threshold concepts in quantitative reasoning (QR) developed by transdisciplinary faculty workgroups that may be applicable for non-mathematics disciplines as well. They are as follows: 1) QR is an iterative process; 2) Abstract patterns can represent relationships between variables or objects; 3) There is a bidirectional translation between the concrete and the abstract; 4) Effective comparison depends on proportional reasoning; and 5) Different visual representations can communicate varying perspectives on the same quantitative information. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to explore and justify the proposed concepts as threshold concepts in QR-based courses and to offer practical examples which might assist students in developing and understanding these proposed threshold concepts.

It is asserted that task-based instruction improves the environment and makes it easier to teach English. Due to this, many EF language teachers and syllabus developers have recently turned their attention to task-based language education. With a focus on Business English instruction in Moroccan universities, this study examined ESP (English for Specific Purposes) teaching within the paradigm of task-based language teaching. For that purpose, information from a total of 234 students and 21 teachers was gathered using questionnaires. First, questionnaires were created to gather learners' opinions on the impact of the given assignments on their language development, learning processes, and skill acquisition. This study also tried to investigate how instructors felt about using a task-based approach in ESP classes. The findings indicate that both students and instructors have positive opinions and attitudes concerning (TBLT).They believed that the inclusion of this method, specifically ESP, in language instruction creates favorable teaching and learning conditions because it engages students in tasks that are pertinent to their academic and professional needs. As a result, it is advised to use a task-based approach over an extended length of time and in a manner that is most appropriate while taking into account the talents of different students in a specific classroom.

Second language (L2) writing researchers have enthusiastically adopted task complexity frameworks in their examination of the effects of complex task features on L2 written performance. However, such research often overlooks the effect(s) of such features on general L2 development as well as L2 writing development. Drawing from Manch?n and William's (2016) perspective of writing as a mechanism for language development, this paper (a) presents a critical review of L2 writing research informed by task-based language teaching and conceptions of task complexity and (b) argues for expanded L2 writing research on task complexity and its effect on L2 production as well as the ways in which complex task features facilitate attention to language, and thus general L2 development, and L2 writing development. Future research is suggested in light of a discussion of research trends to date.

This text critically examines traditional methodologies for teaching grammar in the context of Portuguese as a Foreign Language (PFL). It proposes an alternative, eclectic approach, which can be used in any foreign language. Drawing on evidence from research and pedagogical practices, it highlights areas for improvement in current approaches, such as the decontextualization of linguistic structures and insufficient gradual progression in exercises. The paper suggests a teaching framework based on Motivating-Grammaring-Applying (MGA), aiming to embed grammar learning in meaningful, communicative contexts and develop grammatical proficiency beyond mere rule memorization. The MGA model foregrounds the importance of authentic texts, student-centric discovery learning, and the application of learned structures in diverse communicative tasks. The paper further emphasizes the potential of digital tools and the importance of integrating grammar learning with other linguistic and cultural skills. Ultimately, this study encourages PFL teachers to diversify their pedagogical strategies and reconsider the role of grammar teaching in language learning, aiming at empowering students for effective communication in real-world contexts.

The conception of functions, defined as the relationship between magnitudes or sets of ordered pairs, varies among students depending on the contextualization of the concept within the curriculum, notably in school textbooks. This investigation endeavors to scrutinize the approach taken by Indonesian textbooks in introducing the function concept at the lower secondary school level. An eighth-grade mathematics textbook was scrutinized utilizing praxeology, the fundamental construct of the Anthropological Theory of the Didactic. The analytical process unfolded in three main phases: examination of the praxis block, analysis of the logos block, and evaluation of the textbook's praxeological structure in collaboration with experts and educators. The examination revealed that the Indonesian textbook organizes functions into three distinct local praxeological frameworks: functions as sets, bijective functions, and functions as relationships between magnitudes. The praxis primarily emphasizes tasks and techniques for functions formulated by sets, shaping the landscape of function learning in Indonesia. Consequently, a notable epistemological gap within logos stems from the disparity between two conceptions of functions: functions as sets and analytical expressions. These findings underscore the necessity for an alternative praxeological arrangement of functions, mainly to bridge the divide between the set-theoretical definition and the analytical expression of a function.

This study examines the effect of native "vs." non-native prosody instruction on developing interpreter trainees' speech comprehensibility in English as a foreign language (EFL) using a pretest-posttest-delayed posttest design. Twenty-three groups of 28 interpreter trainees at a University in Iran (six different branches) took part in the study, all groups receiving the same amount of instruction (9 hours over 3 weeks). Three control groups listened to/viewed authentic audio recordings and movies in English, discussed their contents, and completed a variety of speaking tasks but received no specific prosody instruction. Twenty experimental groups spent part of the instruction time on theoretical explanation of, and practical exercises with, English prosody by thirteen nonnative instructors, and seven native instructors. Three experts evaluated the comprehensibility of the trainees in elicited speech samples collected during the pretest, immediate posttest and delayed posttest, and subsequently presented in random order. The findings revealed that the experimental groups gained between 1 and 2 points on the 0 to 10 comprehensibility scale, and lost little in the delayed posttest; however, hardly any changes were observed in the control groups. We conclude that native and non-native English instructors' prosody teaching were equally effective in enhancing EFL students' speech comprehensibility.

Textbooks are one of the main resources for teaching and learning mathematics. This study examines the presentation of angle topics in 4th-grade mathematics textbooks in Indonesia and Singapore. The analysis focused on the general characteristics of the textbook and the nature of the mathematical tasks presented. The results showed that Indonesian mathematics textbooks are more likely to provide a more ample opportunity to learn than Singaporean textbooks based on the number and description of task activities. However, the distribution of items in each task activity in Singapore mathematics textbooks is more proportionate than in Indonesian mathematics textbooks. Concerning mathematical tasks, the findings show that the form of representation in Indonesian mathematics textbooks contains a more purely mathematical form, while Singapore's mathematics textbooks are dominated by visual form. Regarding contextual features, mathematical tasks in Indonesian and Singaporean mathematics textbooks are dominated by non-application forms. Closed tasks also dominate the response type of task for both textbooks. The implications of this finding can be applied to classroom teaching activities, as highlighted in the discussion section.

This study aims to investigate pre-service teachers' integration of technology and how the integration of technology influences the level of cognitive demands of the mathematics tasks in their mathematics technology activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the various levels of cognitive demands of mathematical tasks created or modified by pre-service mathematics teachers for technology activities. This study presents case studies of pre-service teachers chosen from a group of participants, and these PSTs come from a variety of backgrounds. Showcase Portfolios and lesson plans were gathered in order to comprehend the selection/creation of mathematical tasks and how they were intended to be implemented in the classroom by PSTs. This study offers suggestions for teacher preparation to integrate technology into mathematics instruction in ways that support students' learning through a review of results, the cognitive demands of mathematical tasks in PSTs' technology activities.

Language proficiency diagnosis is essential to extract fine-grained information about the linguistic knowledge states and skill mastery levels of test takers based on their performance on language tests. Different from comprehensive standardized tests, many language learning apps often revolve around word-level questions. Therefore, knowledge concepts and linguistic skills are hard to define, and diagnosis must be well-designed. Traditional approaches are widely applied for modeling knowledge in science or mathematics, where skills or knowledge concepts are easy to associate with each item. However, only a few works focus on defining knowledge concepts and skills using linguistic characteristics for language knowledge proficiency diagnosis. In addressing this, we propose a framework for language proficiency diagnosis based on neural networks. Specifically, we propose a series of methods based on our framework that uses different linguistic features to define skills and knowledge concepts in the context of the language learning task. Experimental results on a real-world second-language learning dataset demonstrate the effectiveness and interpretability of our framework. We also provide empirical evidence with comprehensive experiments and analysis to prove that our knowledge concept and skill definitions are reasonable and critical to the performance of our model.

This study investigates school-age children's arithmetic operations performance while solving larger-size problems which produces interferences in memory. Complex problems can trigger competing responses in working memory, which are irrelevant to a task goal and increase the likelihood of interference from previously learned problems (De Visscher et al., 2018). Interference control in working memory is required to be able to manage and suppress irrelevant information while performing cognitive tasks such as arithmetic problem-solving (Unsworth, 2010). The present study explores potential cognitive processes while performing arithmetic tasks and emphasizes the important role of interference control for better performance in such tasks. This study applied a mixed-effect model experimental design. Forty-four primary school children were involved in the study. The results showed that children's performance in terms of correct responses was similar for both small-size and large-size problems. However, their response speed was significantly lower in larger-size problems, which created more interference in working memory.

Teachers often repeat language learning tasks and materials with students year after year. Although some tasks do not render satisfactory outcomes, students' performances can serve as valuable historical autoethnographic data that teachers can reflect on to improve their teaching materials and language learning tasks. In this article, using autoethnography as a pedagogical tool, I share my thinking and experiences regarding one task type (the simile task), which I have used with students over the years to develop creative language use (language creativity). I reflect on various similes produced and attempt to discover how to redesign the somewhat imperfect task to optimize creative language use. In particular, I try to find new constraints that can be set up to funnel the creative behaviour of the teacher and students. Before promoting students' creativity, teachers must nurture their creativity under various self-imposed constraints. Teachers' personal experience is a valuable source when implementing creative language teaching. This article shows two task constraints that can be set up to stimulate creativity in language learning tasks: exclusionary constraints (avoiding confirmation-based salient patterns) and focusing constraints (requiring the use of violation-based salient patterns). It also shows how we can identify micro-constraints to be excluded or focused on.

Executive functions (EFs) in early childhood are predictors of later developmental outcomes and school readiness. Much of the research on EFs and their psychosocial correlates has been conducted in high-income, minority world countries, which represent a small and biased portion of children globally. The aim of this study is to examine EFs among children aged 3-5 years in two African countries, South Africa (SA) and The Gambia (GM), and to explore shared and distinct predictors of EFs in these settings. The SA sample (N = 243, 51.9% female) was recruited from low-income communities within the Cape Town Metropolitan area. In GM, participants (N = 171, 49.7% female) were recruited from the rural West Kiang region. EFs, working memory (WM), inhibitory control (IC) and cognitive flexibility (CF), were measured using tablet-based tasks. Associations between EF task performance and indicators of socioeconomic status (household assets, caregiver education) and family enrichment factors (enrichment activities, diversity of caregivers) were assessed. Participants in SA scored higher on all EF tasks, but children in both sites predominantly scored within the expected range for their age. There were no associations between EFs and household or familial variables in SA, except for a trend-level association between caregiver education and CF. Patterns were similar in GM, where there was a trend-level association between WM and enrichment activities but no other relationships. We challenge the postulation that children in low-income settings have poorer EFs, simply due to lower socioeconomic status, but highlight the need to identify predictors of EFs in diverse, global settings.

Differences in the sequence with which children pass the tasks in Wellman and Liu's (2004) theory of mind (ToM) battery is increasingly bringing into question the universal and cultural specifics of children's developing understanding of others' minds. Children from China, Iran, and Turkey pass the knowledge access (KA) task of the battery earlier than they pass the diverse beliefs (DB) task (e.g., Selcuk et al., 2018). This pattern is the reverse of what has been documented with children from Australia and the US (e.g., Peterson et al., 2005). This paper presents three studies with Turkish samples that explore the possible reasons for developmental sequence and performance differences in the ToM battery. Study 1 investigated Turkish-speaking adults' judgments of appropriateness for different epistemic verbs as used in the DB and false belief (FB) tasks. Study 2 investigated whether adults' performance (i.e., accuracy, reaction time) on FB tasks were affected by culturally preferred uses of these verbs. Collectively these studies showed that adults found different epistemic language ("guess," "think," and the Turkish-specific "falsely think") to be appropriate for different belief-based tasks. However, there was no difference in adults' performance based on epistemic language. In Study 3, Turkish-speaking preschoolers' performance in belief-related tasks based on variations in epistemic language and epistemic features (i.e., presence of evidence) was investigated. Among five modifications, Turkish children benefited only from a modification that involved the manipulation of the epistemological basis for ambiguous beliefs (i.e., visual evidence for belief).

The present study examines secondary school students' geometrical figure apprehension based on Duval's theoretical framework regarding perceptual, operative, and discursive apprehension. The aim is to explore the cognitive structure of the geometrical figure apprehension dimensions (operative, discursive, and perceptual) in three grades of secondary school students. The tasks in the present study were completed by a sample of 881 students attending public secondary education in Cyprus. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the stability of the structure of the model concerning secondary school students' geometrical figure apprehension. However, differences were found in the interrelations among the three main aspects of the model in the examined grades (9, 10, and 11). Moreover, it was observed that students find it easier to solve tasks involving perceptual apprehension compared to discursive apprehension tasks, indicating a possible hierarchical structure of figure apprehension. The present study acts as a pilot study of the constructed instrument. Finally, the results are interpreted in relation to the type of geometrical paradigm in which students work at each hierarchical level.

Accurate monitoring of performance in problem-solving tasks is an important prerequisite for students' future academic success. A wide variety of interventions aiming to enhance students' monitoring accuracy have been developed, but their effectiveness is not apparent from the individual studies in which they have been examined. This meta-analysis classified these interventions in terms of how they target students' monitoring and investigated their relative effectiveness to improve monitoring accuracy in problem-solving tasks. Findings across the 35 included studies indicated that all interventions combined have a small positive effect on students' monitoring accuracy (g = 0.25). Intervention type moderated the findings. Interventions on the whole task, metacognitive knowledge, and external standards improved monitoring accuracy. On the other hand, interventions targeting the timing of metacognitive judgment negatively impacted monitoring accuracy and significantly differed from all other interventions. Exploratory moderator analyses of study features indicated that secondary school students benefited least from the interventions compared to primary school students and adults, laboratory studies showed larger effects than classroom studies, and interventions were more effective for retrospective confidence judgments than for judgments of learning. For educational practice, interventions targeting the whole task, metacognitive knowledge, and external standards are recommended, while reconsideration and possibly discontinuation of timing interventions is needed.

Purpose: Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts approximately 7% of the population and is characterized by unexplained deficits in expressive and/or receptive components of language. A common procedural learning task, serial reaction time (SRT), has been used to develop models of the basis of DLD. However, paradigms involve differing levels of implicit and explicit learning during this task, muddying interpretations of the data. Here, we tested adults with DLD on implicit and explicit SRT tasks to better understand implicit and explicit procedural learning in this population. We hypothesized that adults with DLD would demonstrate reduced learning on only the implicit SRT task, as alternate explicit neural mechanisms could lead to equivalent performance on the explicit task. Method: Fifty participants (25 with DLD and 25 with typical language) completed implicit and explicit SRT tasks, measuring their ability to learn visually presented 10-element sequences. Group differences were evaluated on sequence learning, error rates, and explicit recall of the sequence after learning. Results: Sequence learning was the same between the groups on both tasks. However, individuals with DLD showed increased errors and significantly worse recall of the explicitly learned sequence. Conclusions: Results suggest that sequence learning may be intact in this population, while aspects of explicit learning and motoric responses are impaired. Results are interpreted in light of a neurobiological model of DLD.

Past work has shown that eye movements are affected by long-term memory across different tasks and instructional manipulations. In the current study, we tested whether these memory-based eye movements persist when memory retrieval is under intentional control. Participants encoded multiple scenes with six objects (three faces; three tools). Next, they completed a memory regulation and visual search task, while undergoing eye tracking. Here, scene cues were presented and participants either retrieved the encoded associate, suppressed it, or substituted it with a specific object from the other encoded category. Following a delay, a search display consisting of six dots intermixed with the six encoded objects was presented. Participants' task was to fixate one remaining dot after five had disappeared. Incidental viewing of the objects was of interest. Results revealed that performance in a final recognition phase was impaired for suppressed pairs, but only when the associate was a tool. During the search task, incidental associate viewing was lower when participants attempted to control retrieval, whereas one object from the nonassociate category was most viewed in the substitute condition. Additionally, viewing patterns in the search phase were related to final recognition performance, but the direction of this association differed between conditions. Overall, these results suggest that eye movements are attracted to information retrieved from long-term memory and held active (the associate in the retrieve condition, or an object from the other category in the substitute condition). Furthermore, the level of viewing may index the strength of the representation of retrieved information.

Although stories for children often feature supernatural and fantastical events, children themselves often prefer realistic events when choosing what should happen in a story. In two experiments, we investigated whether 3- to 5-year-olds (total N = 240 from diverse backgrounds) might be more likely to include fantastical events in stories about familiar fantasy characters. In Experiment 1, children saw stories about fantasy or real-world characters (e.g., a mermaid or an ordinary woman) and judged whether they would achieve goals using fantastic or realistic methods. Children were more likely to choose fantastic methods for the fantasy characters, and this tendency was more common in older children. In Experiment 2, children were asked yes/no questions about whether characters could use fantastic, realistic, and unusual methods to achieve goals. Children more often affirmed fantastic methods for fantasy than real-world characters. These findings contrast with previous work suggesting children avoid including fantastic events in fiction and suggest that children use precedent and familiarity to decide what can happen in a story.

Children with a history of behaviorally inhibited (BI) temperament face a heightened risk for anxiety disorders and often use control strategies that are less planful. Although these relations have been observed concurrently in early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence, few studies leverage longitudinal data to examine long-term prospective relations between cognitive control and anxiety. Using longitudinal data from 149 adolescents (55% female; from predominantly White middle-class families), we assessed temperament in toddlerhood and cognitive control and anxiety at 4, 12, 15, and 18 years of age. At age 4, separate measures of task switching and inhibitory control were obtained via the Dimensional Change Card Sort and Stroop tasks, respectively. At 12, 15, and 18 years of age, planful control was assessed with the AX-Continuous Performance Test, and anxiety symptoms were assessed via self-report. Growth curve models revealed that children with greater inhibitory control at age 4, regardless of BI status, experienced a sharper increase in anxiety symptoms across adolescence. Children with heightened BI during early childhood displayed lower levels of planful control at age 12, but experienced a more rapid improvement in these skills across adolescence. Children with greater task switching ability at age 4 displayed higher levels of planful control at age 12, but experienced a smaller increase in these skills across adolescence. Finally, children's growth rate for anxiety was unrelated to their growth rate for planful control. These findings reveal that early-life temperament, cognitive control, and anxiety remain interconnected across development, from toddlerhood to at least late adolescence.

The risk of multitasking is high in online surveys. However, knowledge on the effects of multitasking on answer quality is sparse and based on suboptimal approaches. Research reports inconclusive results concerning the consequences of multitasking on task performance. However, studies suggest that especially sequential-multitasking activities are expected to be critical. Therefore, this study focusses on sequential-on-device-multitasking activities (SODM) and its consequences for data quality. Based on probability-based data, this study aims to reveal the prevalence of SODM based on the javascript function OnBlur, to reflect the its determinants and to examine the consequences for data quality. Results show that SODM was detected for 25% of all respondents and that respondent attributes and the device used to answer the survey are related to SODM. Moreover, it becomes apparent that SODM is significantly correlated to data quality measures. Therefore, I propose SODM behavior as a new instrument for researching suboptimal response behavior.

Contribution: Although a limited number of studies have compared textbooks used in introductory science courses (ISCs) and technical engineering courses (TECs), such a study has not been conducted regarding the Laplace transform (LT). The LT is one of the important topics that electrical engineering students learn as part of their undergraduate degree. It is instrumental in both ISCs (e.g., DEs) and TECs (e.g., signal processing (SP)). Background: Textbooks stand as one of the main resources for teaching and learning mathematics. Previous research has highlighted differences in how mathematical concepts are discussed in ISCs and TECs. These disparities might hinder students' opportunities to learn mathematics and identify the importance of mathematics in engineering. Intended Outcomes: The findings have the potential to increase awareness of mathematics and engineering instructors regarding the teaching and learning of the LT in ISCs and TECs. Additionally, it could result in the identification of several suggestions for textbook authors of DEs and SP, ultimately contributing to the improvement of engineering education for (electrical) engineering students. Application Design: This study uses the praxeological analysis rooted in the Anthropological Theory of the Didactic to analyze two textbooks. One is tailored for teaching and learning DEs, while the other addresses teaching and learning SP, a mandatory course for electrical engineering students in many countries. Findings: The findings indicate that there are several differences between the two textbooks, including differences in the purpose/motivation of presenting this topic and the definitions provided for the LT.

This study aimed to adapt and validate the Word Complexity Measure (WCM) for Persian-speaking toddlers. The WCM is a tool for assessing phonological complexity, originally proposed by Stoel-Gammon. The study was conducted in two phases: (1) adapting the WCM parameters to the Persian language and (2) conducting a validation study with 60 monolingual Persian-speaking toddlers aged 18-35 months. The toddlers' language productions were collected through a picture-naming task, and the researchers derived the Proportion of Word Complexity Measure--Persian (PWCM-P) and Proportion of Consonant Correct (PCC) scores. Parents completed the Persian adapted version of the MacArthur-Bates Communication Development Inventories--II (CDI-II) to obtain receptive and expressive vocabulary scores for each child. Statistical analyses showed a significant difference in PWCM-P scores between age groups, with younger children producing fewer phonologically complex words. In addition, PWCM-P scores were positively and significantly correlated with PCC scores, receptive and expressive vocabulary size. Overall, the successful adaptation and validation of the WCM for Persian provides a reliable tool for assessing phonological development in young children and sheds light on the importance of phonological complexity in vocabulary acquisition. This research can further deepen our understanding of phonological development during early childhood and its implications for language learning.

This study delves into the syntactic parsing abilities of children and infants exposed to Catalan as their first language. Focusing first on ages 3 to 6, we conducted two sentence-picture matching tasks. In experiment 1, 3 to 4-year-old children failed in identifying singular third-person subjects within null-subject sentences, although they performed above chance in all other scenarios, including plural third-person subjects and sentences with overt full DP subjects. This is reminiscent of the results of Pérez-Leroux for Spanish. In experiment 2, with the same design but involving numeral distractors, children's performance was above chance level across all conditions from age 3 to 4. Then, in experiment 3, we moved to a younger age range with the help of eye-tracking techniques. The findings revealed that infants at 22 months had the ability to parse subject--verb agreement in sentences with third-person null subjects, and at 19 months there was evidence of parsing for third-person plural null subjects. These findings are inconsistent with the perception of children grappling with syntactic agreement computation. We argue that instances of underperformance in subject--verb agreement parsing identified in the literature often stem from task-related and pragmatic issues rather than core syntactic delay. If so, the putative asymmetry between early production of verbal inflection and late comprehension disappears; rather, the results suggest early establishment of matching operations and mastery of language-specific agreement properties before production starts.

This qualitative study aims to explore how a university-level School of Marketing integrates the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into curriculum, using Bloom's Taxonomy, and to develop a reflective process that could be applied within tertiary education, more broadly. The research investigates the depth of SDG integration, with marketing subject coordinators mapping the Goals within their teachings across Bloom's dimensions, then identifying and reflecting on how they are embedded. The reflective process has revealed that some subjects are directly mapped to SDGs, for example where students are required to work on an assessment task which relates to a specific Global Goal. The results also show that other subjects are indirectly mapped, such as where subject coordinators discuss topics linked to Goals or Targets but do not explicitly state this content is SDG-related. To effectively implement SDGs within teaching and learning practice, marketing subjects require an evaluation method to identify gaps and opportunities. Therefore, this reflective process enabled subject coordinators to recognize gaps in their own SDG knowledge and teaching, a process through which future marketing subject curriculum modifications can be developed, with possible applications in other disciplines.

Background: In scientific inquiry learning, students often have difficulties conducting hypothetical reasoning with multiple intertwined variables. Concept maps have a potential to facilitate complex thinking and reasoning. However, there is little investigation into the content of student-constructed concept maps and its association with inquiry task performance. Objectives: This study explored students' concept mapping style and its association with task performance in computer-based inquiry learning. Methods: An exploratory study was conducted with 80 Grade 11 students, who collaboratively constructed concept maps in a free style to support inquiry learning with a virtual ecosystem. Student-constructed concept maps was analysed by firstly identifying different types of propositions formed in the maps and then determining the style of each concept map based on the dominant type of propositions in the map. Finally, the association between the concept map style and inquiry task performance was explored. Results and Conclusions: Two major concept map styles were identified: (1) knowledge-oriented concept maps (KCMs) mainly representing problem-related subject knowledge as a set of concepts and their relationships, and (2) problem-oriented concept maps (PCMs) mainly representing problem situation as a sequence of changes and their causal relationships. Compared with those constructing KCMs, the students constructing PCMs formed higher-quality propositions in their maps and performed better in hypothesising, reasoning, and drawing conclusions in the inquiry task. Implications: Besides KCMs, students in inquiry learning can be encouraged to construct PCMs to foster effective thinking and reasoning; that is, constructing a concept map to represent the problem situation as a sequence of changes and the causal relationships between the changes.

Successful recognition is generally thought to be based on both recollection and familiarity of studied information. Recent studies found that making judgments of learning (JOLs) can reactively facilitate recognition performance, a form of reactivity effect on memory. The current study aimed to explore the roles of recollection and familiarity in the "reactivity effect" on recognition performance. Experiment 1 replicated the positive reactivity effect on recognition performance. Experiment 2 used the sequential remember/know (R/K) procedure, Experiment 3 utilized the simultaneous R/K procedure, and Experiment 4 inserted a long study-test interval (i.e., 24-h) to determine the roles of recollection and familiarity in the reactivity effect. These three experiments converged in demonstrating that making JOLs reactively facilitated recognition performance through enhancing both recollection and familiarity. Furthermore, there was minimal difference between the reactive influences on recollection and familiarity. The documented findings imply that the JOL reactivity effect on recognition is supported by two underlying mechanisms: greater recollection induced by enhanced distinctiveness, and superior familiarity induced by enhanced learning engagement.

The growing use of programming in mathematics classrooms presents a challenge linked to implementation in general and task design in particular. This article presents design ideas for mathematical problems incorporating programming in which the focus remains mainly on learning mathematics and less on learning programming. The article starts by reviewing the theoretical background for technology implementation and design, and then presents the methodology for the design, before exploring and discussing the design ideas with an in-depth example. Building on the idea of adidactical situations from the theory of didactical situations, the design illustrates a possible way of implementing programming in the mathematics classroom to facilitate mathematical learning.