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Students believed physics was one of the most challenging sciences in education, and their interest in learning physics was lacking. Therefore, this study aims to enhance students' understanding and creativity in the STEAM learning system on electricity by creating a project (Paper Circuit) using the students' creativity at the junior high school level - quantitative research with a pre-experimental design used for this study. The population is 8th grade and 9th grade (50 students adapted to the curriculum used in the school) in one of the Junior Secondary Schools located in Bandung and Cimahi, Indonesia. The data is obtained from the pretest-posttest results, which show that the average pre-test score was 57.04 and the post-test score was 76.64. The nonparametric test was tested using the Wilcoxon test to measure student understanding. The results from e Wilcoxon are 0.000, which shows sig. <0.05, which means there is a significant difference between pre-test and post-test. Students' creativity is obtained from the Creativity Product Analysis Matrix (CPAM), and the result for Project 1 is 73.71%, categorized as enough, and Project 2 is 83.13%, categorized as good. Based on the result, Paper Circuit STEAM project-based learning can enhance student understanding and creativity. STEAM project-based learning can be used as an alternative teaching strategy in junior secondary school.

This study investigated the effect of a paper folding activity prepared to develop the sixth-grade students' concept definitions and images of parallelism and perpendicularity concepts. The study also examined how the concept definition and images changed after the paper folding activity. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used. A one-group pre-/posttest design revealed that the paper folding activity had a significant positive effect on students' concept definitions and images. In addition, the interviews after pre- and post-tests indicated that the students' personal concept definitions of parallelism and perpendicularity of two lines/line segments began to match the formal concept definitions of these concepts after the paper folding activity. Lastly, missing and mis-in concept image situations, encountered generally in the pre-test, were observed less after the paper folding activity.

The transition to the use of paper in public elementary schools in Mexico was not easy. At the end of the nineteenth century, the use of slates had been questioned due to the health risk they represented since students often erased their writing with saliva and the material with which the slates were made did not always meet the necessary specifications. On the other hand, paper, from a hygienic, pedagogical and aesthetic point of view, was considered a superior material compared to the hardness of the slate, the shine of the surface and the lack of precision obtained in the tracing of the letters. Derived from this approach, the possibility of changing materials in official schools was seriously envisioned. However, the paper represented a very high cost. Only two paper mills could supply the schools and it was necessary to lower the price, and guarantee the supply by enhancing the distribution system. This article analyses the beginning of the conversion process of a technology for learning to write such as the slate for paper. I analyse the expense that it meant for the authorities and families, how the change was the result of a multiplicity of social, cultural, economic and political relations that intersected to give a new configuration of time, noise and established values in the classroom.

Despite the growing interest in incorporating response time data into item response models, there has been a lack of research investigating how the effect of speed on the probability of a correct response varies across different groups (e.g., experimental conditions) for various items (i.e., differential response time item analysis). Furthermore, previous research has shown a complex relationship between response time and accuracy, necessitating a functional analysis to understand the patterns that manifest from this relationship. In this study, response time data are incorporated into an item response model for two purposes: (a) to examine how individuals' speed within an experimental condition affects their response accuracy on an item, and (b) to detect the differences in individuals' speed between conditions in the presence of within-condition effects. For these two purposes, by-variable smooth functions are employed to model differential and functional response time effects by experimental condition for each item. This model is illustrated using an empirical data set to describe the effect of individuals' speed on their reading comprehension ability in two experimental conditions of reading medium (paper vs. digital) by item. A simulation study showed that the recovery of parameters and by-variable smooth functions of response time was satisfactory, and that the type I error rate and power of the test for the by-variable smooth function of response time were acceptable in conditions similar to the empirical data set. In addition, the proposed method correctly identified the range of response time where between-condition differences in the effect of response time on the probability of a correct response were accurate.

This paper discusses the relevance of using physical situations to introduce the concept of angles at elementary school. We compare the effectiveness of two geometry teaching sequences. In the first one (physical sequence), the pupils learned the angle concept by experimenting on the playground (i.e. mesospace) and then modelling the situation. In the second one (paper-and-pencil sequence), the pupils worked solely in the space of a sheet of paper (i.e. microspace). In both sequences, pupils compared areas of space delineated by an angle between two directions. Pupils in two Grade 3 classes were exposed to one of the two teaching sequences. The unfolding of these sequences was videotaped and analyzed, and the pupils were tested individually, before and after teaching, to measure each sequence's effectiveness. Results showed that both sequences are effective to grasp the angle concept: Most pupils overcame the common erroneous conception of comparing angles' sides' lengths instead of angle openness. The comparison of areas of space delineated by an angle between two infinite directions, which is the two sequences' common core, seems to be the key factor underlying angle conceptualization. This paper ends with a discussion of these results' teaching implications and the merits of each sequence.

Interventions targeting cognitive control processes, such as Executive Functions (EF) have recently been experimented to enhance early math skills. This pilot study explored the feasibility and effectiveness of an intervention integrating EF activities into the mathematical domain among second-grade students. One hundred and four typically-developing-children were assigned to either a group that underwent the intervention (Trained Group; n = 58) or a group that continued with daily didactic activities (Control Group; n = 46). The training lasted for 8 weeks and included both home-based digital and school-based paper activities. According to teachers' feedback, the intervention was highly appreciated by children and compatible with classical school curricula. The Trained Group improved in behavioral self-regulation, math abilities and problem-solving in comparison to the Control Group. Notably, within the Trained Group, benefits of the training were higher in children with high working memory. This training offers a model to support math learning in primary school, considering inter-individual differences in EF.

As handheld devices, such as tablets, become a common tool in schools, a critical and urgent question for the research community is to assess their potential impact on educational outcomes. Previous meta-analytic research has evidenced the "screen inferiority effect": Readers tend to understand texts slightly worse when reading on-screen than when reading the same text in print. Most primary studies from those meta-analyses used computers as on-screen reading devices. Accordingly, the extent to which handheld devices, which provide a reading experience closer to books than computers, are affected by the screen inferiority effect remains an open question. To address this issue, we reviewed relevant literature regarding potential moderating factors for the screen inferiority effect through the lenses of the reading for understanding framework. We then performed two meta-analyses aimed at examining the differences in reading comprehension when reading on handheld devices, as compared to print. Results from the two multilevel random-effect meta-analyses, which included primary studies that used either between-participant (k = 38, g = -0.113) or within-participant (k = 21, g = -0.103) designs, consistently showed a significant small size effect favoring print text comprehension. Moderator analyses helped to partially clarify the results, indicating in some cases a higher screen inferiority effect for undergraduate students (as compared to primary and secondary school students) and for participants who were assessed individually (as opposed to in groups). We discuss the need to continue fostering print reading in schools while developing effective ways to incorporate handheld devices for reading purposes.

Researchers have considered how school choice policies affect student achievement, but less inquiry explores how the organization of schools may change in the presence of choice. This descriptive and exploratory paper analyzes a state representative sample of school mission statements at two time points: before the enactment of choice policies in Indiana, namely the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program, and again six years into the policy. Using structural topic modeling, this paper examines whether and how school mission statements topics have changed over this period. Descriptive findings suggest mission statement topics differ significantly between sectors but show few changes over time. The most striking shift is that Catholic and other private religious schools appear to be clarifying the religious aspects of their mission in the presence of robust choice policies.

This paper explored the factors influencing the leadership strategies of school principals in rural primary schools regarding the integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the process of teaching and learning in their schools. School principals are responsible for ensuring that there is ICTs integration in their schools' teaching and learning processes. Embedded within the theory of learning-centred leadership (LCL), school principals have a responsibility to lead, foster, manage, and support the learning process for teachers and learners in their schools. Thus, school principals need to be well acquainted with innovative technologies for teaching and learning amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), which is global, complex, and fast-paced, to lead learning through ICT integration. Underpinned by the interpretive qualitative approach and using a multiple case study as a research design, this study generated data from three selected South African rural primary schools through face-to-face interviews with the three school principals. Data were analysed thematically. Findings revealed that school principals' leadership strategies are influenced by their attitudes towards ICT integration into teaching and learning, their exposure to ICT workshops, and their own judgements of their abilities in using ICT. The paper recommends customised in-service training for school principals and teachers to alter and improve their exposure to, attitudes, perceptions toward ICT integration in teaching and learning.

This paper describes and compares primary school students' perceptions of science learning skills in a teacher-centered approach (TCA) and in inquiry-based science fieldwork (IBSF). This comparison was prompted by primary school students' perceptions of science learning skills, which has recently gained momentum, and the Namibian primary schools' recent curriculum shift from TCA to IBSF. The study utilized quantitative cross-sectional data (n = 237) collected from two primary schools in the Oshana region of Namibia. The data were gathered via an online survey and were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the TCA and IBSF groups. The results revealed that the students had positive to fairly positive perceptions of science learning skills in IBSF and very negative to negative perceptions of science learning skills in TCA, with the difference between the two perceptions being statistically significant. This may indicate that Namibian primary school students find it hard to develop science learning skills under TCA. Therefore, the current study provided evidence for the need to focus more on supporting students' science learning skills, particularly problem-solving, communication and teamwork skills. This implies that the IBSF teaching approach, which allows students to become aware of the importance of science learning skills, must be adopted in Namibian primary schools. The paper also discusses the benefits of IBSF of science learning skills in students.

In this paper we present findings from an initial phase of a more extensive study focussed on ways in which prospective mathematics teachers negotiate meaning from mathematics teacher education situations. The focus of this paper is on the language of one mathematics teacher educator and specifically the interpersonal aspects from one mathematics teacher education lecture in Sweden for prospective upper-primary school teachers. We draw on the enactivist view of cognition as a theoretical basis for a methodology we develop that utilises Systemic Functional Linguistics as an analytical tool for studying language-in-use. We exemplify our interpretations through a series of extracts from the mathematics education lecture. This initial phase of our study has exposed several important questions about how participating in an initial teacher education situation may contribute to the development of teacher identities, questions we raise throughout our analyses to provoke further investigation as part of our future research.

Physical activity breaks in the classroom are an efficient way of promoting healthy behaviors in students, enhancing the development of their cognitive and academic abilities. The effects of active breaks, which are exclusive to the academic environment, are almost entirely positive, only a few papers did not show significant improvements, but they did not show any negative impact on academic performance either. This research was carried out to identify the properties and consequences of active breaks and physical activity during classes in school age. We have examined multiple databases, and we have selected 41 papers accounting for a time span of 15 years. Psychology, medicine, and education databases were the most browsed. Most papers revealed positive outcomes for improving skills related to mathematics, language, reading, comprehension, as well as cognitive and executive functions. Overall, the results of this review corroborate the theory that physical education in schools is positively associated with academic performance in children. Education researchers keep investigating in order to fully assess the positive impact on academic performance, behavior during classes, and cognitive functions.

The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the relevance of the use of history in mathematics education. This paper presents an experiment carried out in France with sixth-grade students (n=108) in which an ancient number system is used, an approach that is commonly suggested in French sixth-grade textbooks but has previously been unassessed. Based on the data of a pretest and a post-test surrounding an activity on an ancient Chinese numeration system, a statistical analysis using Rasch modeling shows a specific added value of the history of mathematics for students with low abilities in mathematics. For these students, a significant increase in observed abilities of +0.67 logit in mean is measured with a large effect size (Cliff delta +0.52). This effect is then weighted by considering the regression to the mean (RTM) effect, leading to a value around +0.14 logit in mean and a negligible effect size (Cliff delta +0.10). So, this pilot study shows the important effect of RTM, which suggests a very strong rebalancing of students' results. In the last part of the paper, we discuss how RTM can nonetheless be positively interpreted in this specific context where students' disorientation is one of the purposes of history in mathematics education.

The notion of "professional" is built on a concept of traditionally male professions and patriarchal social orders. ECEC (early childhood education and care), however, is a female-dominated field characterised by its unique caring practice. This study investigated how a group of Australian early childhood preservice teachers presented themselves professionally on social media, in relation to respective infant (0-2) and kindergarten (3-5) practica. Data were drawn from focus group discussions about how the participants shared their practicum experiences on Instagram. The paper is guided by Foucault's concepts of self writing. Findings are organised around four themes of self-writing processes: collecting, selecting, annotating, and managing time and tasks. Two narratives are revealed. In the context of the kindergarten placement, the posts constituted a journey of continuous improvement against all odds. In contrast, the infant placement experiences evoked a sense of struggle and renunciation. The paper concludes with implications for further study beyond the Australian context.

Background: Poverty's impact on children's academic outcome is a cause for concern in most urban Asian cities as education is viewed as one of the main channels of social mobility. Few studies examined how poor children's hope could be enhanced through school social support. Objective: This paper examines how children from low-income families' perceived frequencies and importance of social support from teachers and classmates, influence their levels of hope in academic achievement. Method: Utilizing a partially-mixed sequential design--first, with survey data from a larger study on low-income children (n = 513), this paper explores if perceived frequency of social support is associated with level of hope as well as the role of perceived importance in moderating the frequencies of school social support on sense of hope; second, to enrich the child-reported results, two in-depth focus group discussions with elementary school teachers (n = 10) were conducted. Results: Statistical analysis reveals that the frequency of social support from teachers and classmates is associated with the level of hope in low-income children. Furthermore, when teacher's support was rated important by children, there was a positive association between social support and hope. Integrating statistical results and qualitative insights, this paper extends extant literature on social support typologies with a novel category; 'support in providing opportunities for success'. Conclusion: This paper underscores the important role schools play as a source of social support for children. Such social support aids higher hope levels in low-income children which could translate into better academic outcomes.

This study reports on a systematic review of the current status of technology education in primary schools and the terminology used in the fields of technology and engineering education. Additionally, this review highlights crucial aspects of teaching and learning that must not be overlooked when outlining the current state of technology and engineering education, such as students' and teachers' personal factors, classroom communication, and teacher professional growth. Following PRISMA guidelines, two electronic databases were reviewed, Web of Science and Education Resources Information Center. The literature search identified a total of 1206 papers, 125 from Web of Science and 1081 from ERIC. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 33 papers were selected and evaluated in depth. The results show that research on technology education in primary schools is a growing field of interest but fragmented in focus. Our review is the first to indicate the wide range of technology and engineering education definitions. We also highlight the large heterogeneity of studies focusing on students' and teachers' personal factors and classroom interactions, a finding that may be explained by the unclear concepts and aims of technology and engineering curricula. This study contributes to and supports research and policymaking to better understand the current status, heterogeneities, and challenges in technology and engineering education in primary schools. In addition, we provide first insights to support professional development efforts targeting teachers' technology acceptance and improvement of their technology-related teaching practices.

This paper, co-authored between three adults and five children aged 8-11, adopts a 'collaborative writing as inquiry' approach to examine and discuss the authors' experiences of a participatory research project through the lens of critical dialectical pluralism. In the original project, children formed two 'young advisory panels', one online, comprising children from all over England, and one in a primary school in a suburban area in North England, informing and collaborating on the creation of 45 educational activities supporting critical digital literacy. Rather than focusing on the original research itself, the paper focuses on making a methodological contribution, through detailed and collaborative reflections on notions such as agency, power and control. Over a period of four 60 to 90 min-long meetings once the actual research was completed, adult and child authors considered their respective roles in the project, as well as detailing their understanding of the project as a whole. In co-framing our perceptions of participatory research, we problematise adult anxieties and highlight the importance of exploring 'silence as voice', arguing for an extension to participatory research projects, going beyond the research itself and creating a 'third space' which is un/familiar to all participants, openly inviting engagement with discomfort and normalising uncertainty.

Taking a languaging perspective, this paper considers how kindergarten students and their teacher are relationally and intellectually responsive to one another in authoring conversations by constructing a sense of copresence. Copresence is defined by Goffman (1966) as being "uniquely accessible, available, and subject to one another" (p. 22). In this paper, I make Goffman's construct visible by showing how students and their teacher discursively align with each other. Microethnographic discourse analyses of sharing time events in writing workshop reveal that copresence is performed as playfulness, empathy, and disagreement. Implications include using the construct of copresence to assess the relation between the performance of authoring and the social life of the classroom as well as drawing upon the dialogic, improvisational nature of copresence as a point of pedagogical leverage.

The mathematical construct of dimension is one of the fundamental ideas for developing a sound understanding of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) shapes. Yet, research in mathematics education has rarely explored children's understanding of dimension in primary education. This paper explores how year 5/6 (9 to 11 years old) children construct and negotiate their meanings about dimension while engaging in classroom interactions about 2D and 3D shapes during geometry lessons in a New Zealand (NZ) English-medium multilingual primary classroom. Transcribed data of two key moments selected from six audiovisually recorded geometry lessons are presented. The findings suggest that children may use different discursive constructions--"another world", "different ways to go", and "flat vs fat"--to display their meanings about dimension. The findings also suggest that children and teacher participants may use prosodic features of their languages to interactionally construct the meanings of these discursive constructions. The paper discusses these findings in light of current research literature and offers a few implications for curriculum development and future research.

Support for school-age children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) usually takes place within the school setting. Successful outcomes for children with SLCN rely on effective collaborative working between speech and language therapists (SLTs), school staff and families. We need to understand the current evidence regarding the joint working practices, relationships and collaboration experiences of SLT and teaching staff within mainstream primary schools, in order to identify whether sufficient research exists for a systematic review within this field, and to inform practice. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify what research currently exists regarding collaboration, roles and relationships of SLTs and teaching staff within mainstream UK primary schools, and clarify the nature, participants and concepts described within this literature. A scoping review framework was used, consisting of identification of the review objectives, identification of relevant studies, study selection and iterative searches, data charting and reporting of the results. Information regarding research question, participants, data collection and analysis and terms used for key concepts was extracted. This scoping review identified 14 papers, however, collaboration was the primary focus of only 5 of these. Clarity and perceptions of roles were key themes within six of the papers. Whilst facilitators and barriers to collaboration are discussed in all 14 papers, only 4 studies aimed to investigate barriers and facilitators. Teaching assistant (TA) views are underrepresented within the research. Drawing conclusions from the body of research is challenging due to the varied ways in which the key concept 'collaboration' is used. Currently, there is insufficient literature to carry out a systematic review. This scoping review highlights the need for research that considers collaboration within the complex social network of school staff (including TAs) and SLTs, in order to ensure that future guidance is rooted in research.

This systematic review, adhering to the PRISMA framework, investigated the utilisation of ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI, throughout Kindergarten to 12th grade (K-12) educational settings. The review synthesises findings from 13 selected papers, encompassing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis of ChatGPT's implementation in K-12 education, implications for various stakeholders, and practical recommendations. It is highlighted that ChatGPT could empower educators through curriculum, lesson planning, materials generation, differentiation, and optimising student learning experience through personalised learning. However, concerns regarding academic integrity and output quality must be addressed. The paper provides pedagogical recommendations and ethical considerations to utilise ChatGPT better. It contributes to the ongoing discourse about AI, particularly ChatGPT's role in K-12 education, further inspiring future research and educational practices and facilitating the effective integration of ChatGPT into K-12 educational settings where collaboration arises as a key role, in particular under the approach of co-design for learning.

Rapid automatized naming (RAN) is a powerful predictor of reading fluency, and many digitized dyslexia screeners include RAN as an essential component. However, the validity of digitized RAN has not been established. Using a sample of 174 second-graders, this study tested (1) the comparability between paper and digitized versions of RAN and (2) the validity of the digitized version. We found that paper and digital versions were highly correlated, and such correlation was consistent across students' reading levels. Further, the digital RAN predicted children's word reading proficiency as well as the paper version. Moreover, the constructs measured by paper and digital versions of RAN were comparable. We conclude that the digitized RAN is a valid alternative to the traditional paper version for this age group.

Argumentation is a fundamental communicative ability that children develop over time through formal schooling and daily practice with peers and family members. Literature on children's argumentation appears to have focused on their social interactions out of school, clinical environment, or informal pedagogic contexts. Even though there are research inquiries into children's argumentation in formal academic learning, many have been focused on argumentative writing in math or science classes. Much less is known about teacher-led argumentation and the youngest children's emerging argumentation in language art classes, where argumentation is formally and systematically introduced and learned. This paper reports a year-long ethnographic study on argumentation in a first-grade English language art classroom in the United States. Ethnographic discourse analysis was conducted to analyze two key literacy events from the daily reader's and writer's workshop. It is supplemented with qualitative analysis of the researchers' field notes and the students' artifacts. Our findings highlight the inherent intertextual nature of children's argumentation and a critical role the teacher played in eliciting and steering the children's argumentation construction through strategic instructional conversations (especially accountable talk). Our findings also revealed teacher-led children's intertextual argumentation as a powerful heuristic process and tool to enrich students' learning. The paper concludes some classroom argumentation teaching practices based on the research findings.

Educational robotics has been adopted to create interactive and engaging learning environments to develop computational thinking (CT) in K-12 learners. This study systematically examined 22 peer-reviewed empirical research articles on the use of educational robotics to develop CT in young learners (pre-kindergarten to 6th grade) published between 2012 and 2021. The findings revealed that using robotics activities to develop CT has mostly been studied in the formal education settings with the duration of robotics curricular activities ranging from 80 minutes to 24 hours. The five CT skills studied most often include Sequencing, Conditionals, Loops, Debugging, and Algorithmic Thinking. The different versions of LEGO Mindstorms are the most frequently adopted robotic kits in the examined studies. The most frequently adopted learning and instructional strategies in the robotics activities include collaborative learning, project-based learning, and embodied learning. This paper identified and discussed developmentally appropriated CT skills, robotics kits, and pedagogical approaches suitable for supporting CT development in young learners. The findings can guide educators and instructional designers for future robotics activity design and development endeavors. This paper also identified gaps in the current research and recommended directions for advancing research in adopting robotics to develop CT in young learners.

The majority of art education research in the United Kingdom originates from England; however, the devolved nations each have responsibility for education resulting in four different curricula working concurrently across Great Britain. It can be argued that in comparison to England, art and design education research in Scotland is an under-researched area though one that is increasingly garnering interest. This paper contributes to the field by presenting and discussing some of the findings from a survey of teachers focused on art and design education in Scottish primary schools in 2022. A total of 110 teachers participated and the survey examined the value of the subject, the current delivery in schools, the future of the subject and support for teachers. A wealth of data were gathered so this paper focuses particularly on the value of the subject among staff, confidence levels regarding delivery and the role of training and professional learning. The paper concludes that while the value of the subject among staff is strong, confidence levels with regard to teaching the subject are not. Staff felt that training had left them unprepared to teach the subject, and there was limited awareness of professional learning opportunities in their geographical area.

Celebrated as the country with the best education system globally, Finland has also gained a reputation as one of the most racist countries in Europe for black people, especially people from Sub-Saharan Africa. The best education system in the world is built on the sweat and blood of racialised people whose experiences and roles they play as teachers and students, or their systemic absence, is often ignored. Using critical discourse analysis, this paper argues that Black male kindergarten teachers in Finland have a lot to offer outside their racialised perceived hegemonic conceptualisations and practices. This paper demonstrates how this group of teachers experiences racism because of their skin colour and gender. Despite these experiences of racism, their essential role in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) cannot be underestimated.

This paper illustrates how years 1 and 2 students were guided to engage in data modelling and statistical reasoning through interdisciplinary mathematics and science investigations drawn from an Australian 3-year longitudinal study: "Interdisciplinary Mathematics and Science Learning" (https://imslearning.org/). The project developed learning sequences for 12 inquiry-based investigations involving 35 teachers and cohorts of between 25 and 70 students across years 1 through 6. The research used a design-based methodology to develop, implement, and refine a 4-stage pedagogical cycle based on students' problem posing, data generation, organisation, interpretation, and reasoning about data. Across the stages of the IMS cycle, students generated increasingly sophisticated representations of data and made decisions about whether these supported their explanations, claims about, and solutions to scientific problems. The teacher's role in supporting students' statistical reasoning was analysed across two learning sequences: "Ecology" in year 1 and "Paper Helicopters" in year 2 involving the same cohort of students. An explicit focus on data modelling and meta-representational practices enabled the year 1 students to form statistical ideas, such as distribution, sampling, and aggregation, and to construct a range of data representations. In year 2, students engaged in tasks that focused on ordering and aggregating data, measures of central tendency, inferential reasoning, and, in some cases, informal ideas of variability. The study explores how a representation-focused interdisciplinary pedagogy can support the development of data modelling and statistical thinking from an early age.

The COVID-19 health crisis brought about transformations in education systems. In Chile, the ministerial authorities prioritized the school curriculum, stressing certain learning objectives over others. This paper seeks to uncover the social functions underlying curriculum prioritization for the subject of natural sciences. To do this, the functionalist approach to the sociology of education was adopted to analyse the prioritized curriculum for the subject in sixth grade elementary. Three dimensions were considered: (1) the principles of curriculum prioritization; (2) prioritized learning objectives; and (3) nonprioritized learning objectives. The presence of functions of creation (social consensus, social stratification, technical-modern development, human capital formation, and care for children and youths) was verified. As there has been no change in the curriculum that enables science education to address the current issues, the paper proposes that the social functions of science education should be resignified. Finally, examining the meritocracy and credentialism underlying the rationale for prioritization, the article finds that the social stratification attributed to education has increased rather than decreased.

The history of the Hilfsschule (special school) is contested and multifaceted. For the German context, most research to date has focused on institutions or professional pioneers in special education. This paper, through a "New Historicism" perspective, asks how a group of pupils, described as "retarded", could become a new pedagogical object within a discourse among teachers, psychiatrists, school doctors and local administrations at the end of the nineteenth century. Linking national and local discourses, this paper analyses the emergence of the special school pupil (Hilfsschulkind) in Germany within a broader discourse of educability as well as through knowledge practices, namely record-keeping systems.

This paper examines the teacher's role in developing students' self-regulated learning (SRL) by examining the beliefs and practices of one primary school teacher. The paper then describes how the teacher applied these in her classroom and how students benefitted. Data were collected via interviews, classroom observations, and informal conversations. Findings suggest that although the teacher held positive beliefs that emphasise behavioural, cognitive, and motivated components of SRL, there was less focus on meta-cognition and strategic actions. Nonetheless, classroom observation data revealed that the teacher actively engaged students in meta-cognition and strategic actions. This implies that the teacher had an implicit understanding of her emphasis on these important components of SRL. It also shows that the teacher's SRL-supportive beliefs and practices were not well-aligned. We believe that a more candid cognisance of meta-cognition and strategic actions may help teachers to directly promote SRL. The study has implications for teacher education and professional development programmes.

This study explored early childhood student teachers of color's (ECSToCs) development of cultural competence during their fieldwork experience. Nine female students of color enrolled in an early childhood education fieldwork course participated in this study. Employing a qualitative research methods approach, we analyzed multiple data including students' reflection papers on culture and diversity, teaching philosophy papers, interview transcripts, lesson plans on cultural diversity, and post-teaching reflection. The findings showed: (a) ECSToCs' perceptions of culture were highly influenced by their lived experiences including their bilingual, bicultural, and schooling experiences; (b) ECSToCs' awareness of and attitude toward diversity were implicated by their parents' lived experiences and knowledge; and (c) they viewed culture as a pedagogical and methodological tool to guide their teaching practices, emphasizing asset-based approach. This study contributes to developing effective instructional strategies to elevate ECSToCs' cultural competence in their teaching.

This is a small-scale qualitative participatory research study conducted in two large primary schools in Ireland with classes for autistic students. The paper reports how a menu of immersive technology learning experiences was thoughtfully designed and employed with autistic children who were communicating through their behavior an aversion to the learning environment and many aspects of conventional learning activities. Through this study, students were enabled to explore and respond to learning through immersive learning environments. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) infused design of these immersive learning experiences was tailored to remove barriers to learning, thus counteracting the observable disruptive behaviors of the students. The study explores a purposive sample of six participating teachers' perspectives on the affective gains (engagement, motivation, and self-efficacy) achieved through the use of these immersive experiences and their impact on students' use of disruptive behaviors as a means of communication. Semi-structured interviews with teacher participants were analyzed using the theory and a general inductive approach for qualitative data analysis. This paper contributes to the literature on the use of immersive technologies in education and highlights the potential benefits of incorporating these technologies into the classroom.

Purpose: This paper investigates the interplay between consequences in restorative practices (RP) and the synergies with responsive classroom, particularly in international schools. Addressing critics who deem RP a "soft option", the study defines "restorative consequences" within the RP framework. It analyses literature and three school policies, focusing on international school needs. Emphasising the importance of accountability, the paper explores the role of logical consequences in preventing perceived permissiveness. By comparing RP and Responsive Classroom, it seeks to guide school leaders in aligning transformative change with their vision and values. This paper aims to enhance understanding, offer practical insights and address challenges in RP implementation. Design/methodology/approach: This research delves into the relationship between RP and consequences in international schools, addressing concerns about RP's perceived lack of accountability. It defines "restorative consequences" within the RP framework, examining RP integration into school policies. Through a literature review and analysis of three RP policies, the study extracts insights for international schools, emphasising the role of logical consequences in preventing perceived permissiveness. In addition, a comparative evaluation of responsive classroom and RP identifies effective models for transformative change. The research aims to empower international school leaders with informed decision-making, offering insights into challenges and strategies for effective RP implementation in alignment with institutional values. Findings: In delving into the positive discipline approach advocated by responsive classroom, it becomes evident that there exists a potential synergy between various disciplinary systems. Emphasising logical consequences as a pivotal component in school behaviour policies, it is crucial to apply them through the lens of social discipline window (SDW), specifically the "with" approach, incorporating both high levels of support and accountability. Recognizing this dynamic is essential as the authors endeavour to construct effective policies that not only align with responsive classroom values and methods but also prove practical in real-world application. Furthermore, within the international context, responsive classroom has demonstrated its ability to address the social and emotional needs of third culture kids. This revelation presents compelling grounds for the adoption of responsive classroom in international schools contemplating systemic transformations. Research limitations/implications: The study acknowledges limitations stemming from the reviewed RP policies, primarily the exceptional one derived from a large, well-supported school district, which may not be universally applicable, especially in diverse international schools. The potential for reputational damage to RP exists if policies lack comprehensive detailing and troubleshooting for varied classroom scenarios. Teacher testimonials carry significant weight, necessitating greater involvement in RP training and research. International schools face unique challenges in achieving staff "buy-in", requiring culturally responsive training to overcome Western-centric perceptions. The clash of RP with authoritarian cultures poses challenges, emphasising the need for clear values. Practical implications: While the exemplary RP policy reviewed is from a large, well-supported school district, this may not apply universally, particularly in international schools with diverse affiliations. To safeguard RP's reputation, detailed policies addressing classroom nuances are crucial. Recognising the influence of teacher testimonials and involving educators in RP training and research is pivotal. International schools face a unique challenge in ensuring staff alignment with RP, requiring culturally responsive training to dispel Western-centric perceptions. Acknowledging RP's clash with authoritarian cultures, schools must establish clear values. Drawing from educational theorists, future RP research should explicitly explore the consequences--RP relationship, enhancing the understanding of the SDW Social implications The research's social implications emphasise the need for transparent and detailed RP policies to prevent reputational damage and rejection. Recognising the influence of teacher testimonials, active involvement of educators in RP training is crucial. For international schools, culturally responsive training is vital to overcome Western-centric perceptions and ensure staff alignment. The study underscores the challenge of RP conflicting with authoritarian cultures, emphasising the importance of clear values. Furthermore, it advocates for a nuanced dialogue on the consequences--RP relationship to enhance understanding within the SDW. These implications stress context-specific and inclusive approaches for effective RP implementation in diverse educational settings. Originality/value The research offers significant originality by addressing the underdeveloped literature on the role of RP in international schools. It contributes novel insights by defining "restorative consequences" within the RP framework and examining the interplay between consequences and RP in school policies. The comparative evaluation of Responsive Classroom and RP adds a distinctive dimension, guiding international school leaders in transformative decision-making. Moreover, the study advocates for a culturally responsive approach, challenging Western-centric perceptions. This unique focus on consequences, accountability and cultural considerations positions the research as a pioneering contribution, offering valuable perspectives for effective RP implementation and policymaking in diverse educational settings.