Search

Part of the research community that has followed the Early Algebra paradigm is currently delimiting the differences between arithmetic thinking and algebraic thinking. This trend could prevent new research approaches to the problem of learning algebra, hiding the importance of considering an arithmetico-algebraic thinking, a new approach which underpins the construction of a cognitive structure that links both types of thinking. This paper proposes a theoretical and practical framework for a learning approach that supports the construction of a cognitive structure which fosters arithmetico-algebraic thinking at the beginning of secondary school by means of cultural and technological activities relating to polygonal numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online reading requires a hybrid of reading and information and communication technology (ICT)-related skills. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of paper-based reading skills and ICT-related skills in online reading and to identify the effects of age on learning online reading. ICT-related skills that investigated in this study were defined as information searching which indicate abilities to locate online information. To verify these relationships, a path analysis model was proposed. The age effect for learning online reading was analyzed through multivariate analysis of variance. In total, 376 children from grades four to six were recruited as participants. A paper-and-pencil reading comprehension test, an online reading test, and a self-reported information searching skill questionnaire were administered. Results showed that paper-based reading and ICT-related skills together could predict almost 50% of online reading performance. However, with respect to online reading, the importance of ICT-related skills was much less than that of paper-based reading skills. Implications of the results are discussed. As for the age factor, it is recommended that an appropriate age for reading and making good use of online information might be around sixth grade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a model wherein parents choose the number of children, enroll some children in school at indivisible education costs, and receive supplemental earnings from uneducated children. The model accounts for the positive relationship between enrollment ratios and parental earnings and the N-shaped relationship between fertility and parental earnings in Brazil and Indonesia. When children's living costs are high (low) relative to education costs and children's earnings, fertility increases (decreases) with parental earnings due to a dominant income (substitution) effect. A decline in the ratio of child earnings to parental earnings or a rise in education subsidy rates can increase enrollment ratios and decrease fertility. Under progressive income taxes and favorable education subsidies for poor families, educated parents' fertility could be higher than that of illiterate parents' when incomes are low. However, the relationship will be reversed partially because of the rising education subsidy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study the authors investigated the effects of integrating iPad applications into writing instruction for fifth grade students. By comparing the writing of students taught with paper and pencil methods with that of students utilizing the iPad writing applications, two research questions guided the study: (1) Are there differences in student writing, especially in visualizing, sequencing, or incorporating sensory details, depending on whether they used iPad apps or paper and pencil? (2) What are, if any, the influences of iPad apps on student's attitude, behavior, or social relations during the writing instruction? The results demonstrated that the students with iPad apps wrote more cohesive, sequential stories using more sensory details than those with paper and pencil. iPad apps also had an impact on motivation to write and changed the classroom dynamics as iPad apps made the writing process more social and engaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends the theorization of identity grafting (Lee 2017), developed to understand individual cultural identity processes that buttress repression, born-again, integrated, and situational strategies to reconcile identity tensions that arise from change in a Chinese context. A qualitative case study approach is employed to examine two groups of teachers at an elementary school engaged in professional learning communities (PLC) to implement mixed-ability learning. Childhood home language (CHL) is used to identify homogeneous or diverse group cultural identities to typologize the identity grafting strategies of the two PLCs in the case school. The findings show that homogenous and diverse group cultural identity PLCs serve different purposes, and mixed-ability learning is more likely to emerge from PLCs of diverse group cultural identities engaging integrated/situational identity grafting. This paper is the first to extend the theory of identity grafting to study group cultural identities, and the findings demonstrated the potential for transforming identity grafting strategies as teachers engaged these collaborative spaces. The findings also broadened the scope to the study of language as a cultural construct, unveiling how CHL functions as a form of tacit cultural identity, as opposed to overt identities such as nationality and ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary goal of this paper is to provide a commentary on the teaching and learning of geometry in the early years of schooling with the set of papers in this issue as a guiding factor. It is structured around issues about geometry education of young learners, such as: what should we teach in geometry and why; representation of geometrical ideas; the teaching and learning of geometry; and assessment of children's learning in geometry. The author outlines his views based on the literature and the papers in this issue and concludes with an outlook on the future teaching and learning of geometry in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Project-based assessment has been used to evaluate coding projects created by students for a long time. Nevertheless, there is a lack of rigorously tested project-based coding rubrics that are developmentally appropriate for early childhood. This study presented the development and testing of a coding rubric to evaluate children's creations with the popular ScratchJr app for early childhood, as well as results from field testing of the rubric. This paper first presents the ScratchJr Project Rubric development phases, and then a field test on 228 ScratchJr projects from 1st and 2nd grade students (n = 87, aged 6–7 years old) across three time points. The results showed that the rubric demonstrates validity and reliability, and can measure changes in the project quality across time points. While the rubric was designed for researchers and teachers to evaluate ScratchJr projects, the design and conceptual framework is applicable to other programming languages for children that invite creative coding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an exploratory study that examined the content of preservice elementary teachers' reflections of their documented early field experiences of science teaching in authentic contexts. The study used an early field experience model that was focused on the objective of profiling an elementary science teacher as the practical merit of reflection. Preservice elementary teachers individually and collaboratively reflected on their early field experiences and used the resulting reflections to construct profiles of an elementary science teacher respectively in synthesis papers. Data sources included journal entries and synthesis papers resulting from individual and collaborative reflections. Thematic analysis revealed that profiles of an elementary science teacher constructed from both individual and collaborative reflections were based on the roles of teacher as a guide and teacher as a mediator. Analysis further revealed that classroom management and discipline and safety were the key foci factored within individual reflections while what promotes learning and the difference between what is effective and ineffective scaffolding respectively, served as the foci within collaborative reflections. Also, collaborative reflection provided a structured approach to reflection as it drew preservice elementary teachers into collective dialogue and negotiation capturing the tensions they faced when trying to make sense of the practice of other teachers. Implications include the need to frame early field experiences with objectives that are understood by all parties involved in early field experiences; and, the need to instill the importance of observation, documentation, and reflection which collectively sum up preservice teachers' early field experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics & Technology Education is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Educational technologies have captured the attention of researchers, policy makers, and parents. Each year, considerable effort and money are invested into new technologies, hoping to find the next effective learning tool. However, technology changes rapidly and little attention is paid to the changes after they occur. This paper provides an overall picture of the changing trends in educational technology by analyzing the Horizon Reports' predictions of the most influential educational technologies from 2011 to 2021, identifying larger trends across these yearly predictions, and by using bibliometric analysis to evaluate the accuracy of the identified trends. The results suggest that mobile and analytics technologies trended consistently across the period, there was a trend towards maker technologies and games in the early part of the decade, and emerging technologies (e.g., VR, AI) are predicted to trend in the future. Overall, the specific technologies focused on by the HRs' predictions and by educational researchers' publications seem to coincide with the availability of consumer grade technologies, suggesting that the marketplace and technology industry is driving trends (cf., pedagogy or theory). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a way of describing variation in young children's learning of elementary arithmetic within the number range 1–10. Our aim is to reveal what is to be learnt and how it might be learnt by means of discerning particular aspects of numbers. The Variation theory of learning informs the analysis of 2184 observations of 4- to 7-year-olds solving arithmetic tasks, placing the focus on what constitutes the ways of experiencing numbers that were observed among these children. The aspects found to be necessary to discern in order to develop powerful arithmetic skills were as follows: modes of number representations, ordinality, cardinality, and part-whole relation (the latter has four subcategories: differentiating parts and whole, decomposing numbers, commutativity, and inverse relationship between addition and subtraction). In the paper, we discuss particularly how the discernment of the aspects opens up for more powerful ways of perceiving numbers. Our way of describing arithmetic skills, in terms of discerned aspects of numbers, makes it possible to explain why children cannot use certain strategies and how they learn to solve tasks they could not previously solve, which has significant implications for the teaching of elementary arithmetic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Makerspace tools and technologies are becoming increasingly popular in K-12 educational settings. While makerspace education has the potential to democratize educational spaces, the integration of these new technologies into the classroom is not trivial. In this paper, we analyze a university-based makerspace apprenticeship program for pre-service teachers to learn makerspace tools and technologies for use in their future classrooms. We demonstrate how apprenticeship in this community of practice led to increased confidence in maker tools and technologies and a mindset toward learning in makerspaces as playful, collaborative, and iterative. We found that pre-service teachers require greater opportunities to see students engaged in making in elementary classrooms. We end with recommendations for supporting pre-service teachers to adopt making for their future classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Review of Education / Internationale Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Unterrichtswissenschaft (Springer Science & Business Media B.V.) is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper analyzes gender differences in the progress of students from elementary to secondary education in India by using India Human Development Survey (2004–05 and 2011–12) panel data. Using a logit model analysis, we have examined how post-enrollment, a child's family background, household educational inputs and process indicators determine his/her elementary and secondary school completion (SSC). Our findings suggest that even after accounting for school accessibility, family socioeconomic status plays an important role in the manifestation of gender inequality in school progression. Secondary school completion has emerged as the major stumbling block for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and Muslim children, particularly for girls belonging to low-economic-status households. Family educational inputs and student process indicators are also significant influencers of SSC. We find a significant gap in the performance of private and government school children that narrows as family economic status improves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing computer science education in an elementary classroom is at the forefront of computing education. Nevertheless, the literature on K-12 Computer Science (CS) education offers limited guidance for developing elementary CS curricula that lead to multiple career paths through project-based learning. Particularly, more research is needed on culturally responsive elementary school computing that leverages students' cultural references to create a more equitable CS education that acknowledges one's identity, culture, or background in the curriculum planning. This paper offers an approach for designing culturally responsive computing for upper elementary students from a highly diverse, low socio-economic school district using a research-practice approach. The approach can be adapted for other schools that face unique diversity and curricular challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to contribute to the growing literature on children and computer programming by focusing on a programming language for children in Kindergarten through second grade. Sixty-two students were exposed to a 6-week curriculum using ScartchJr. They learned foundational programming concepts and applied those concepts to create personally meaningful projects using the ScratchJr programming app. This paper addresses the following research question: Which ScratchJr programming blocks do young children choose to use in their own projects after they have learned them all through a tailored programming curriculum? Data was collected in the form of the students' combined 977 projects, and analyzed for patterns and differences across grades. This paper summarizes findings and suggests potential directions for future research. Implications for the use of ScratchJr as an introductory programming language for young children are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematics discussions are important for helping students to develop conceptual understanding and to learn disciplinary norms and practices. In recent years, there has been increased attention to teaching prospective teachers to lead discussions with students. This paper examines the possibilities of designing a formative assessment that gathers information about prospective elementary teachers' skills with leading problem-based mathematics discussions and makes sense of such information. A decomposition of the practice of leading discussions was developed and used to design the assessment. Nine first-year teachers who graduated from a range of different teacher education programs participated in the study. The findings reveal that our formative assessment works to gather information about teachers' capabilities with leading discussions and that the associated tools support making sense of the information gathered. This suggests that such tools could be useful to support the formative assessment of the developing capabilities of prospective teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several authors insist on the importance of students' acquisition of spatial abilities and visualization in order to have academic success in areas such as science, technology or engineering. This paper proposes to discuss and analyse the use of educational robotics to develop spatial abilities in 12 year old students. First of all, a course to introduce robotics to 6th grade primary school students was designed. The key intention was to prepare practical and motivating sessions in order to foster the students' involvement in hands-on learning. Hence, during the sessions of the course, challenges were provided for the students, in order to develop their capabilities as proficient problem solvers. The teacher assisted and guided the students, and the students were encouraged to solve the problems by themselves, working in 3-members teams. The main goal of this paper is to discuss and analyse the potential usefulness of educational robotics to develop spatial abilities. To carry out the analysis, students were randomly divided into an experimental group (EG), which participated in the robotics course, and a control group (CG), which did not take part in the robotics course. The extensive existing literature for spatial ability evaluation was analysed and reviewed and a pre-test and a post-test were prepared for use in the research study. Initially, the spatial ability of both EG and CG students was assessed with the pre-test. Then, after finishing the robotics course, the same sets of students were tested with the post-test. An extensive analysis of the results is provided in the paper. Results show that the positive change in spatial ability of the participants in the robotics course (EG) was greater than change evident in the students who did not join the course (CG). The improvement was statistically significant. The results also show that the overall performance of the students depends on the instruments used to evaluate their spatial abilities. Hence, this study manifests clearly the importance of the selection of those instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, several Russian schools have been implementing a world-unique education program of mathematics for elementary schools. In it, the landscape of school arithmetic is radically expanded due to the basic objects of modern mathematics and computer science. These objects and their operations are visual, making them much more comprehensible than traditional arithmetic. The range of activities also expands due to, for example, the introduction of strategies for enumeration, game winning, and algorithms (also operating in a visual environment). At the same time, the student's position changes: they independently discover and build mathematics and constantly solve personally new, but feasible tasks that are "not-known-how-to-solve." The student's resources are saved by using a computer to perform routine arithmetic operations that have already been discovered and understood. The implementation of this approach is discussed in detail and is illustrated by examples of actual tasks that are representative of the program under consideration and the whole approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work that mathematics teachers do is frequently mathematical in nature and different from other professions. Understanding and describing common ways that teachers draw upon their content knowledge in the practice of teaching is important. Building on the descriptions by McCrory et al. (Journal for Research in Mathematics Education 43(5) 584-615, ) of two primary ways teachers use their content knowledge-decompressing and trimming-this paper differentiates between micro- and macro-levels of mathematical complexity as a way to extend and further conceptualize the moves that teachers make at a more nuanced grain size. This paper explains and portrays their counterparts, micro-level trimming and macro-level decompressing, which we discuss as concealing and foreshadowing complexity, respectively. Support for their use in teachers' work is provided through specific examples. Implications for the mathematical preparation and professional development of teachers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mathematics education, as in other domains, drawing serves as means to access, assess, and attend to children's understanding. While theoretical accounts of drawings are often based on developmental stage theories, we examine insights gained by considering children's geometric thinking and reasoning from embodied cognitive perspectives. We ask, what if the act of drawing serves as a means by which children become aware of geometric concepts and relationships, rather than being viewed as a product of that awareness? In this paper, we examine three vignettes and inquire into the ways that children come to draw in geometric contexts. We suggest that the children's choice to draw as a mode of thinking, the different ways they draw, the manners in which they attend to the mathematics as they draw, and the conceptions that arise with their drawings, contribute in significant ways to their geometric understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helping teachers to move away from a linear approach to teaching, encouraging them to collect knowledge together with their students as well as providing them support to do this are the fundamental issues that this paper wants to explore. In this paper a pilot test of a model designed to help teachers' plan and teach concepts in science and technology education is presented. The three-domain model (Koski et al. in Des Technol Educ Int J 16:50-61, ) suggests that while teaching science and technology lessons, teachers might benefit from paying more attention to three domains; social context, concrete object and abstract knowledge, and furthermore, constantly moving between these. Although the development of the three-domain model is based on real teaching situations, it is not self-evident that the model can be used as such in practice. Two teachers tested the model in their classrooms in order to see if the model helps them in planning a lesson, and if the teachers (and their students) benefit from the approach. The analysis is based on the pre- and post-lesson discussions with the teachers, lesson plans made by the teachers and observations made during the lesson. Analysis revealed that the teachers kept on looking for appropriate moments to bring more insights to the topic and they would have missed those moments without thinking in terms of the model. The model helped the teachers to seek for opportunities for the students to communicate their understanding. The use of the model also introduced them to a non-linear teaching method and to the profits of applying such. The study concludes that both teachers benefited from using the model; in their preparation of the lesson as well as during the lesson. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at identifying and understanding how and to what extent socioeconomic and cultural factors mediate mathematics achievement and between-school equity in mathematics education among countries. First, under the assumption that equity and quality of education are independent constructs, the construct of equity-in-quality in mathematics education is developed. Second, the 18 countries that were identified in the previous work of the author Jurdak in (Toward equity in quality in mathematics education. Springer, New York, ) as being diverse in mathematics education will serve as study cases to illustrate, compare, and contrast the mediatory role of socio-economic and cultural factors in mathematics achievement and between-school equity in mathematics education. The results show that the differences in mathematics achievement and between-school equity in mathematics education at the country level are associated with, and can be accounted for in some cases, by socioeconomic and cultural factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novice programmers are facing many difficulties while learning to program. Most studies about misconceptions in programming are conducted at the undergraduate level, yet there is a lack of studies at the elementary school (K-12) level, reasonably because computer science neither programming are regularly still not the part of elementary school curricula’s. Are the misconceptions about loops at elementary school level equal to those at the undergraduate level? Can we “prevent” the misconceptions by using the different pedagogical approach, visual programming language and shifting the programming context toward game programming? In this paper, we tried to answer these questions. We conducted the student misconceptions research on one of the fundamental programming concepts - the loop. The research is conducted in the classroom settings among 207 elementary school students. Students were learning to program in three programming languages: Scratch, Logo and Python. In this paper, we present the results of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Video tutorials for software training are becoming more and more popular, but their construction and effectiveness is understudied. This paper presents a theoretical model that combines demonstration-based training (DBT) and multimedia learning theory as a framework for design. The study investigated the effects of video tutorials on motivation, task accomplishment and learning with special attention being paid to the role of reviews. Three tutorials were compared: preview and demonstration (control condition), preview and demonstration and review (review condition) and preview and demonstration and 2nd demonstration (2-demo condition). Participants were 65 students from the upper grades of elementary school. Participant logs revealed a significant decrease in coverage for video types following the preview. All tutorials significantly raised self-efficacy and procedural knowledge (i.e., task performances during training, immediate and delayed post-test), but no effects of condition were found. The discussion addresses issues concerning the design of the tutorials (overlap between video types) and usage conditions (blocked video access during training tests) that may have negatively affected coverage and the effectiveness of the reviews. A limitation of the study is that no process data were gathered that could shed light on the relationships between design features and observational learning processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I make a contribution to three distinct, but deeply interwoven subjects. Firstly, I argue that, at the level of ideal theory, the distribution of educational goods should follow a sufficientarian pattern and that the evaluative space of children’s advantage should be inspired by the capability approach (although with an important twist). Secondly, the paper is delving into the more policy-oriented debates on the desirability of school choice. I argue that, given the non-ideal circumstances in which decision makers have to act, giving parents the opportunity to choose the school for their children is a sine qua non condition for even approaching the ideals of sufficientarian justice. Lastly, I move the discussion on more empirical grounds, advancing a criticism of the Romanian educational legislation. I argue that the sufficiency-constrained school choice system that I envision could solve some of the problems that the Romanian educational system faces today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the existence and impact of theoretical mathematical foundations on the teaching and learning of whole numbers in elementary school in France. It shows that the study of the New Math reform –which was eventually itself replaced in the longer term – provides some keys to understanding the influence of mathematical theories on teaching and learning. The paper studies changes related to place value, a notion that was deeply impacted by the introduction of numeration bases other than ten in 1970, and their subsequent removal in the 1980s. What the author terms ‘numeration units’ (ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.) and ‘powers-of-ten written in figures’ (1, 10, 100, 1000, etc.) are key tools for describing and understanding changes. The author identifies two theories that have formed the basis for place value teaching in the twentieth century, and examines some aspects of their influence. The paper also addresses epistemological issues in the relation between academic mathematics and school mathematics, and highlights the role of units in the teaching of basic arithmetic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In inquiry-based science lessons teachers face the challenge of adhering to curricular goals while simultaneously following students' intuitive understandings. Improvisation (improv) provides a useful frame for understanding teaching in these inquiry-based contexts. This paper builds from prior work that uses improv as a metaphor for teaching to present a translated model for analysis of teaching in an inquiry-based, elementary school science lesson context. We call our model instructional improv, which shows how a teacher spontaneously synthesizes rules of improv with teaching practices to support student learning, engagement, and agency. We illustrate instructional improv through case study analysis of video recorded classroom interactions with one teacher and 26 first and second grade students learning about the complex system of honey bee pollination in a mixed reality environment. Our model includes the following defining features to describe how teaching happens in this context: the teacher 1) tells a story; 2) reframes mistakes as opportunities; 3) agrees; 4) yes ands; 5) makes statements (or asks questions that elicit statements); and 6) puts the needs of the classroom ensemble over individuals. Overall, we show how instructional improv helps explain how teachers can support science discourse and collective storytelling as a teacher (a) shifts power and agency to students; (b) balances learning and agency; and (c) makes purposeful instructional decisions. Findings have immediate implications for researchers analyzing interactions in inquiry-based learning environments and potential future implications for teachers to support inquiry learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of proof has attracted considerable research attention over the pastdecades in part due to its indisputable importance to the discipline of mathematics and tostudents' learning of mathematics. Yet, the teaching and learning of proof is an instructionallyarduous territory, with proof being recognized as a hard-to-teach and hard-to-learn concept atall levels of education. Prior research has examined, documented, and cast light on theprocesses underpinning different problems of classroom practice in the area of proof, buthas paid less emphasis on acting upon such problems to generate possible solutions throughresearch-based interventions in mathematics classrooms. In this Editorial, we first situate thecontributions in this Special Issue in a brief chronological account of scholarly work on research-based interventions in the area of proof, and we conclude with a proposal for somehigh-leverage directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are developing an approach to teaching important proportionality-based concepts to first grade students in a way that supports students' future progress in the domain. We consider the proportionality between magnitudes as a basic relationship behind multiple cases, usually described mathematically as ratio or rate. The core of our strategy is the modelling of a situation of proportionality and its transformations by creating a compound unit. The key action is coordinated measurement (co-measurement): students work in pairs, and each student is in charge of changing one of two magnitudes, while preserving proportionality. Based on our successful experiments in Grades 2–6, we incorporate shared responsibility work organization ("joint actions") and the idea of compound unit into Davydov's mathematics curriculum for the first grade. We built a new module based on Davydov's idea about the role of rule-mediated counting by sets. In this paper, we present the results of our study, showing that first graders can learn the idea of compound unit and work with two magnitudes of different kinds while preserving proportionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports an empirical study that examined relationships between the implementation quality of an argument-based inquiry (ABI) approach, teachers' talk moves, and students' critical thinking. Students were taught using an ABI approach in which they had opportunities to engage in critical thinking. However, this instructional approach was handled by a variety of teachers with differing capacities to implementing it. Systematic observation (talk move analysis) was therefore required to describe how quality of implementation affected students' critical thinking. Four middle school science teachers and 92 seventh-grade students participated. Videos of in-class implementations were examined through classroom discourse analysis. It was observed that the ABI approach seemed to stimulate student-led critical thinking when implemented with higher quality. Teacher-led talk moves were correlated with implementation quality and had the ability to evoke or hinder students' critical thinking. Instances of teachers evaluating students' responses based on scientific knowledge and transmission of knowledge tended to inhibit students' execution of higher-order critical thinking. Frequent use of less cognitively demanding talk moves, such as observe–compare–predict, did not seem to help students attain higher-order critical thinking. Four talk moves in particular (legitimating, challenging, monitoring, evidencing) appeared to be associated with higher implementation quality, in turn promoting students' critical thinking. Communicating moves appeared to facilitate the initiation and maintenance of elaborate verbal exchanges. These encouraged students to perform higher-order critical thinking, though only in the presence of other talk moves (e.g., challenging, legitimating, monitoring, and evidencing). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability education plays a pivotal role in driving change in the present and shaping our global future. This study explores the process of transformative learning among 67 preservice elementary teachers (PSTs) enrolled in a sustainability science course by analyzing six assignments submitted throughout the semester. Using a combined deductive–inductive coding procedure guided by transformative learning theory, our analyses document how PSTs looked inward (e.g., thinking, feeling), outward (e.g., making connections, relating to others), and forward (e.g., taking action) toward building a sustainable future. During the course, all PSTs experienced a disorienting dilemma, the foundation upon which transformative learning takes place. However, few PSTs demonstrated higher-level perspective transformation. When imagining alternative futures, PSTs drew on limited exposure to sustainability-oriented curricula and practices at internship sites, and perhaps as a consequence, most PSTs reflected foremost on their own lifestyles and consumer actions as primary areas for transformation. Moreover, PSTs rarely viewed themselves as potential agents of collective, policy-directed, or collaborative change. Importantly, it was uncommon for PSTs to reflect on their potential role as agents of change as educators who can cultivate sustainability within their classrooms and through their students. Returning to the inward-, outward-, and forward-looking framework, this paper closes with several recommendations for improving the transformative potential of teacher education—particularly towards preparing PSTs to recognize and actualize their potential to influence both what sustainability science content is taught, how these curricula are addressed, and their role in the classroom as agents of societal transformation toward sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although educational games have been used for a considerable time, their true potential for enhancing achievement and motivation is still being explored. We argue in this paper that we may get closer to realizing this potential if the theoretical underpinning of educational games is improved. We developed a simple interactive math game based on insights from cognitive load and game design theory, in which players solve mathematical problems competitively and creatively. To investigate the effects of the game on achievement and motivation, we ran an experiment with fifth- and sixth-grade students. Our results show that students who played the game achieved better math results than those who did not. We did not find any significant differences in math motivation. Another promising finding, albeit beyond the scope of our hypotheses, relates to the potential effects of math games on student behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper covers type one and two educational obstacles in using technology in the classrooms, and considering those obstacles tries to find the answer to the following overarching research question which can help to gauge some obstacles for the educational technology integration for elementary and high school education: What obstacles do teachers identify when integrating technology with instruction? This paper examines the educational obstacles like time to prepare materials and lessons for quality technology-rich lessons, policies and security restrictions, access to resources, and the level of comfort to use technology. Based on examining the type one and two obstacles, the goal is to gain a greater understanding as to why there is a disconnect between the seemingly common educational belief, that technology can and must be used in the twenty-first century classrooms, and actual classroom practices through evaluating the mentioned obstacles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times there has been an enormous interest in Vygotsky’s writing on conceptual development, particularly his insights on the differences between everyday and scientific thinking. In drawing upon cultural–historical theory, this paper seeks to examine the relations between everyday concepts and scientific concepts within playful contexts, such as preschools, with a view to better understanding how very young children develop conceptual understandings in science. This paper presents an overview of a study which sought to map the transformation and appropriation of scientific concepts within two early childhood settings. Approximately ten weeks of data gathering took place, with video recordings, field notes, photographic documentation, and child and teacher interviews for recording child concept formation within these naturalistic settings. The findings indicate that when teacher programs are more oriented towards concepts rather than materials, children’s play is focused on conceptual connections. Importantly, the study showed that: It was possible to map the multiple and dynamic levels or stratas of thinking that a child or group of children may exhibit within play-based contexts; An analysis of ‘unorganised heaps’ and ‘complexive thinking’ evident in conceptually or materially oriented play-based programs can be determined; the dialectical relations between everyday concepts and scientific concepts in play-based programs can be understood; and greater understanding about the nature of concept formation in situated playful contexts have been possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many discussions of the ways in which abstraction is applied in computer science (CS), researchers and advocates of CS education argue that CS students should be taught to consciously and explicitly move among levels of abstraction (Armoni Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 32(3), 265–284, 2013; Kramer Communications of the ACM, 50(4), 37–42, 2007; Wing Communications of the ACM, 49(3), 33–35, 2006). In this paper, we describe one way that attention to levels of abstraction could also support learning in mathematics. Specifically, we propose a framework for using abstraction in elementary mathematics based on Armoni's (2013) framework for teaching computational abstraction. We propose that such a framework could address an enduring challenge in mathematics for helping elementary students solve word problems with attention to context. In a discussion of implications, we propose that future research using the framework for instruction and teacher education could also explore ways that attention to levels of abstraction in elementary school mathematics may support later learning of mathematics and computer science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents findings regarding the addition of robotics education in kindergarten and elementary school as a tool for enhancing technological thinking, increasing children's confidence in using technology, developing essential twenty-first century skills and increasing children's self-confidence. A unique tailored compulsory program for kindergarten and elementary schools is presented. An important feature of this program is that the general education teachers are trained as robotics instructors. A quantitative survey of 197 children and a qualitative analysis of interviews are presented. Gender and age-related differences in attitudes towards robotics, self-confidence and technological self-efficacy are analysed. Children were assessed on their knowledge of basic robotics, sensors and programming, understanding technology and technological thinking and their desire to continue to study robotics and technology. Results show that kindergarten and elementary school children feel confident in their ability to invent new robots and other technological devices, and have positive attitudes towards learning technology, science and robotics in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wide adoption of mobile technology has greatly influenced K-12 education. In teacher education programs, it is necessary for educators to train teacher education students to use mobile technology for educational purpose. This paper reports an exploratory effort in preparing elementary education students for mobile learning. The participants' perceptions of mobile learning and intended use of mobile technology were examined through the analyses of their online discussion posts, responses to survey items and their projects. Their perceived benefits of mobile learning, limitations of mobile technology, their intended implementation of mobile learning and the challenges they anticipated were reported. Implications and recommendations were discussed regarding the knowledge of mobile apps, pedagogical practices and some non-instructional issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a curriculum, textbook and test result analysis for the new (to California) elementary school “Key Standard” mathematics curriculum, transplanted in 1998 from it's foreign roots in Asia and Europe, locations with far different cultural and economic backgrounds. Based on topic analysis methods developed by Michigan State University, this curriculum is a “quality” curriculum, since it is closely aligned with the curriculum of the six leading TIMSS math countries. Five-year test results are presented for two cohorts totaling over 13,000 students, all from four “early adoption” urban districts where 68% of the students were economically disadvantaged. Included are two cohorts of English learning immigrants totaling over 4,400 students. Performance was found to be statistically superior to similar (control) districts which continued with the old 1991 curriculum and textbooks (0.003 < p < 0.015). The focus of this paper is on the transition from far-below to above average learning performance of these students over the 1998–2002 period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one by Julie McLeod and Sheri Vasinda on perceptions of elementary students, their parents and teachers about the use of e-portfolios, and another by Ofra Korat on the affects of using CD-ROM storybooks on children's early literacy.

Proportional reasoning, the ability to use ratios in situations involving comparison of quantities, is essential for mathematical competence, especially in the middle school years, and is an important determinant of success beyond school. Research shows students find proportional reasoning and its foundational concepts difficult. Proportional reasoning does not always develop naturally, however some research suggests that with targeted teaching, its development can be promoted. This paper reports on a large Australian study involving over 130 teachers and their students. A major goal of the study was to investigate the efficacy of ongoing teacher professional development for promoting middle years students' proportional reasoning. A series of professional development workshops was designed to enhance the teachers' understanding of proportional reasoning and to extend their repertoire of teaching strategies to promote their students' proportional reasoning skills. The workshop design was informed by research literature on proportional reasoning teaching and learning as well as the results of a diagnostic instrument administered to over 2500 middle years students prior to the professional development. Between workshops, the teachers implemented a variety of targeted teaching activities. This paper reports on pre- and post- instrument student data collected at the beginning and end of the first year of the project (i.e., after completion of half of the workshops). The findings suggest that targeted professional development and explicit teaching can make a difference to students' proportional reasoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This design case describes how the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) informed the development of SpectrumPlay, a digital tool created to support learning and instruction of elementary music literacy and composition in inclusive music classrooms. The learning supports embedded in the tool enable students with visual processing difficulties learn to read music notation and play independently. Informed by Universal Design for Learning and Cognitive Load Theory, SpectrumPlay emerged as a direct response to the needs of diverse students. The tool evolved from a paper prototype that supported independent learning to a digital software that accounts for individual learner needs. In this design case, design judgments and prototype iterations provide precedent to the learning technologies design community for transforming an inclusive instructional design strategy into a digital tool with broad transformational reach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the reasons behind the decision to send children aged under three to ECEC (Early Childhood Education and Care) and the causes that may explain why some families send their child to ECEC once they reach the age of two while others decide to do so at an earlier age. To answer the first question posed a probit model is used, while to answer the second query a Heckprobit model is estimated to take into account possible selection bias. The data for this study was taken from an unpublished database compiled by the Spanish National Institute for Educational Evaluation, which gathers information from 1.166 children schooled in the Infant Education stage. The results of our estimations show that the decision to enroll children under three in ECEC services depends fundamentally on the sociodemographic characteristics of the mother (educational level, employment situation and age), on household size (if it is a large family) and on the availability of ECEC services in the area in which the child lives. Our study has also shown that the only variable regarding factors that explain the differences in the age of access to ECEC services, two or under two, is the importance that parents place on their children developing empathy towards others. On the basis of our results, the study offers recommendations aimed at the progressive universalization of this initial educational stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary education forms the foundational learning stage, providing young learners with essential skills and knowledge. The 2009 Right to Education Act ensures free and compulsory education for ages 6–14. It mandates neighborhood school access without fees, enabling completion of elementary education without financial barriers. The research aims to determine whether all the settlements in the Chamarajanagara district have school within a specified distance and whether children are provided with elementary education. Therefore, mapping of Chamarajanagara district primary schools is carried out, and their spatial distribution and accessibility to the residents are explored using a geographic information system as a tool for analysis. School spatial analysis involves conducting assessments for the Service Area Road Network, spanning 1 km from Primary Schools, 3 km from Upper Primary Schools (VI–VII std.), and 5 km from Upper Primary Schools (VIII std.). Using GIS exposed several issues associated with schools, emphasizing their geographic locations. It has been found that, out of the 884 settlements, 252 settlements are unserved for the schools, and children are expected to travel more than the maximum standard distance, indicating the current service provision is inadequate. The limitation is due to the combined effect of population distribution, spatial variables, socio-economic conditions, transportation problems, and the absence of regular monitoring and evaluation. The study would support the planning efforts to improve service provision and help the Government formulate effective policies for the context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kindergarten is emphasized as a critical first entry into the education system, as politicians and pundits believe kindergartners' success can lead to later academic achievement. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of kindergarten school readiness data should consider how it is measured and how that affects learning. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Studies—Kindergarten (ECLS-K) cohort 2010–2011 data, the author examined the relationship between teacher reports about children's academic readiness at kindergarten entrance and their later outcomes in reading, math, and science through fifth grade. This study used a latent basis growth model with time-invariant predictors to analyze the relationship's trajectory. Overall, findings determined that teachers' perceptions of children's Approaches to Learning, mathematical thinking, and science significantly impacted later achievements in math and science direct assessments throughout elementary education. This research discussed the practice and policy implications on teachers' perceptions of school readiness and its impact on later academic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines physics and mathematics textbooks published in France at the end of the 1950s and at the beginning of the 1960s for children aged 11-15 years old. It argues that at this 'middle school' level, textbooks contributed to shape cultural representations of both disciplines and their mutual boundaries through their contents and their material aspect. Further, this paper argues that far from presenting clearly delimited subjects, late 1950s textbooks offered possible connections between mathematics and physics. It highlights that such connections depended upon the type of schools the textbooks aimed at, at a time when educational organization still differentiated pupils of this age. It thus stresses how the audience and its projected aptitudes and needs, as well as the cultural teaching traditions of the teachers in charge, were inseparable from the diverse conceptions of mathematics and physics and their relationships promoted through textbooks of the time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Review of Education / Internationale Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines the long-term consequences of elementary school curricula on the formation of social preferences. The estimation results, using Japanese data, show that the hidden (non-academic) curriculum at public elementary schools varies widely by region and is associated with preference formation. Specifically, people who have experienced participatory and cooperative learning practices are more likely to be altruistic, cooperative with others, reciprocal, and have national pride. In contrast, education emphasizing anti-competitive practices is negatively associated with these attributes. Such contrasts can also be seen in other preferences regarding government policies and the market economy. The findings imply that elementary school education, as a place for early socialization, plays an important role in the formation of life-long social preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of the 'National Strategies' for primary education in 1998, positioned 'strategy' as a powerful instrument for mobilising the school 'workforce' in England in the cause of continuous improvement. Government approaches to strategy formulation and enactment appear to reflect an instrumentalist orientation found in many mainstream strategic management publications. This paper reflects on how the strategic pursuit of quick, 'spectacular' gains may lead to the loss of ethics of care. Phenomenological insights into modes of being- in- the- world are drawn upon to suggest that a preoccupation with strategy and its accompanying 'toolkit' of targets, standards and inspections diminishes a deeper engagement with the meaning and purpose of education. Based on Heidegger's premise that understanding is at the core of being human, it is posited that the concern with 'spectacular' outputs is both superficial and potentially de-humanising. At the root of strategic thinking and the resulting forgetfulness of being is the Cartesian dogma and its dualistic (mis)understandings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]