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International audience

The awareness that many problems in our society are interdisciplinary in nature and require the integration of multiple STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) concepts to solve them has given rise to a new instructional approach, called “integrated STEM education”. Integrated STEM education aims to remove the barriers from the STEM fields and has the potential to increase students’ interest and motivation for learning, as well as to lead to improved achievement. It is important to assess the effectiveness of educational STEM initiatives in terms of students’ integrating ability, but to date, no such instruments are available. This study provides a definition of “integrating ability” and establishes a framework for understanding its components. Based on this definition and framework, a multiple-choice instrument for testing integrated physics and mathematics in the ninth grade (IPM9) was developed and validated. The definition and framework for integrating ability and the construction guidelines for an integrated test, can be used by researchers to assess students’ ability to integrate STEM subjects.

ispartof: pages:1-202 status: published

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-hej-10.1177_00178969231174685 for The role of specialised content knowledge in teaching basic life support by Tom Madou, Fien Depaepe, Phillip Ward and Peter Iserbyt in Health Education Journal

Subitizing, the ability to rapidly recognize and name the numerosity of a set, is crucial for children's cardinality principle (CP) development, which includes the ability to first count and then determine the numerosity of a set. In specific, the analogical reasoning account suggests that subitizing enables children to recognize and understand the connection between counting and numerosity, which is needed to acquire the CP (Mix et al., 2012; Paliwal & Baroody, 2020). Hence, it is essential to facilitate children's subitizing performances when teaching them about the CP. Theoretical research suggests that presenting homogeneous items in a row on a plain, uncluttered background with clear distinctions between each item, can help children subitize these items (e.g., Clements & Sarama, 2014). In an adult sample, empirical research found that the presence of distractors, heterogeneous items, randomly arranged items, and overlapping items resulted in lower subitizing accuracy and higher subitizing reaction times compared to, respectively, the absence of distractors, homogeneous items, linearly presented items, and distinct items. Limited empirical research has been conducted on the impact of visual features of a set on 3-4-year-old children’s subitizing performances (i.e., accuracy and reaction times). Some studies focusing on such young age groups found that children had lower subitizing performances with the presence of distractors versus absence of distractors, randomly arranged items versus linearly presented items, and heterogeneous items versus homogeneous items (Benoit et al., 2004; Jansen et al., 2014; Posid & Cordes, 2015). However, a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the effects of each of these visual features and their interactions on the subitizing performances of 3-4-year-olds is currently lacking. This study aims to investigate how four visual features, i.e., pictorial context (presence or absence of distractors), set homogeneity (homogeneous or heterogeneous items), set arrangement (linearly or randomly arranged items), and set differentiation (distinct or overlapping items), impact 3-4-year-olds’ subitizing performances, i.e., accuracy and reaction time, in a subitizing task using (manipulated) pictures of numeracy focused picture books. The study consists of a subitizing and word familiarization task, conducted in two sessions. In the subitizing task, children are shown pictures of 3-5 monsters (session 1) or animals (session 2), with variations in visual features (pictorial context, set homogeneity, set arrangement, and set differentiation). Children’s subitizing performances are assessed through measurements of accuracy and reaction times. Prior to the subitizing task, a word familiarization task is conducted to familiarize children with the items used in the subitizing task and to check whether children can correctly identify these items. We start with a sample of 172 children.

International audience; Background:More often than ever, universities are shifting towards hybrid forms of learning, not only for lectures but also for other instructional methods, such as collaborative forms of learning. Past research has mainly focused on students’ cognitive and motivational factors in hybrid learning settings during lectures. Previous research did not reveal significant differences regarding the cognitive results. Yet, significant results were found regarding the affective variables, i.e. stating that students attending a course remotely are generally less engaged compared to students attending the course on-campus. Research investigating collaborative learning in a hybrid setting is however limited. Methods:In the current study, students’ teamwork experiences during collaborative hybrid learning are investigated. More specifically, this study presents quantitative results on the effect of the learning delivery mode (on-campus or remote) on (a) students’ team flow experience during a hybrid collaborative learning task and (b) students’ individual flow experience and (c) learning gain during the entire hybrid course.Results:Significant results were found between the delivery mode and students’ team flow experience, in favor of students participating on-campus. Similarly, significant results were also found regarding students’ individual flow experience, again in favor of students attending the course on-campus, though only for one of the individual flow aspects. No significant differences were found between students’ learning gain based on the delivery mode.Discussion:More research is needed to investigate whether our research findings can be further generalized. Research and EdTech companies should investigate ways to counter the negative effects mentioned.Keywords: Computer-supported collaborative learning; optimal experience; hybrid learning; flow

ispartof: pages:184-191 ispartof: Mathematics Education in the Digital Age pages:184-191 ispartof: MEDA3: Mathematics Education in the Digital Age location:Nitra, Slovakia date:7 Sep - 9 Sep 2022 status: published

Picture book reading recently has been identified as a promising tool for stimulating young children’s mathematical development. However, research-based insights into the contribution of the text of the picture book to the effectiveness of this activity in the domain of early mathematics are scarce. This study aims to deepen our understanding of the potential of picture book reading to enhance young children’s CP knowledge, by systematically analyzing the contribution of the picture book’s text to its effectiveness. The study has a pretest-intervention-posttest-retention-test design. During the intervention, children will be read picture books via tablets 2 times a week for 4 weeks. The picture books’ text are manipulated in four conditions: the text includes (1) counting the set only , (2) labelling the numerosity of the set only, (3) first counting the set and then labelling the numerosity, or (4) first labelling the numerosity and then counting the set. We start with a sample of 185 3-4-year-old children, who will be randomly assigned to the four conditions. The pretest, posttest and retention test will consist of 3 tasks assessing children's knowledge of the cardinality principle. The pretest will also include tasks measuring children’s subitizing, counting, and language ability.

Various studies pointed to the potential of picture book reading (PBR) for supporting preschoolers’ mathematical development. The features of picture books vary greatly, and these features contribute to the effectiveness of PBR. It is therefore important to adequately select picture books for mathematics instruction. We analyzed the general and mathematical PB features preschool teachers take into account when selecting picture books for this aim. Interviews with 66 preschool teachers indicated that they rate general features and features related to basic mathematical skills as most important, and explain their importance based on instructional goals rather than preschooler characteristics. Our results point to the need for professional development initiatives on the selection of picture books for mathematics instruction.

ispartof: International Journal for History and Social Sciences Education vol:2018 issue:3 pages:39-62 status: published

In education research, socio-cognitive conflicts are discrepancies of knowledge that can trigger in learners a cognitive imbalance. This imbalance could be beneficial for learning because it can lead to the reconstruction of knowledge. However, socio-cognitive conflicts can only promote learning when they are aimed at finding an epistemic solution to the cognitive imbalance. This requires a collaborative effort in an environment that facilitates cognitive and social processes and leads them to an optimal educational experience. The discussion forums of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) could potentially provide an environment where learners can have and resolve socio-cognitive conflicts. Several studies have provided guidelines on sound online pedagogical practices to encourage discussions aimed at the co-construction of knowledge. Nevertheless, few studies have analysed how these guidelines have been applied in MOOC forums and their effect on learning. This study seeks to fill this gap by analysing the cognitive and metacognitive prompts that MOOC instructors provide in discussion forums to help learners self-regulate their learning and resolve socio-cognitive conflicts. We study the effects that these prompts have in the social and cognitive interactions of the learners. Thus, our study contributes to a better understanding of how an online collaborative environment can support and foster the co-construction of knowledge.

TECOL staat voor Technology-Enhanced Collaborative Learning. Het is de naam van het ontwikkel-, implementatie- en onderzoeksproject uitgevoerd aan de KU Leuven, campus Kulak Kortrijk in de periode 2016-2018. Dit liep in nauwe samenwerking met twee industriële partners, namelijk Barco en Televic Education. Voortbouwend hierop werd financiering aangevraagd en gehonoreerd via een imec.ICON-project onder de naam “Lecture+”. Binnen dit project werd het lopende onderzoek in universitair hoger onderwijs verdergezet en verdiept met focus op effectief afstandsonderwijs. Ook werd een extensieproject toegekend om de activiteiten onderzocht binnen TECOL uit te breiden naar het secundair onderwijs. Dit rapport werd opgesteld als “white paper” en wil de lezer informeren en inspireren. Het rapport beschrijft grondig de aanpak en uitvoering van het TECOL-project en maakt de (voorlopige) balans op van de gerealiseerde impact. Meer specifiek wordt in het deel TECOL in concept ingegaan op de aanleiding, de visie en de aanpak binnen het project. Vervolgens worden in het deel TECOL in praktijk de verschillende proeftuinen binnen het project toegelicht. TECOL in opleiding beschrijft op welke manier voorzien werd in zowel interne als externe professionele opleiding van docenten en docententeams. TECOL verschilt van andere onderwijsinnovatieprojecten door de sterke nadruk op wetenschappelijk onderzoek. TECOL in onderzoek zoomt in op dat onderzoeksluik binnen het project. Het deel beschrijft de achterliggende onderzoeksbenadering en -methodologie en vat de belangrijkste onderzoeksresultaten samen. Ook wordt beschreven hoe het onderzoek verdiept werd binnen het imec.ICON project Lecture+. TECOL in de kijker toont de mediaberichtgeving rond het TECOL project. TECOL in interactie geeft een overzicht van de wisselwerkingen die plaatsvonden met andere onderwijs- en onderzoeksinstellingen. Deze interacties hebben geleid tot verschillende samenwerkingen die in de toekomst verder invulling zullen krijgen. De implicaties, aanbevelingen en uitdagingen voor de toekomst die we op basis van het TECOL project kunnen formuleren worden geformuleerd in TECOL in de toekomst. We willen benadrukken dat TECOL geen einde kent maar verder gezet wordt in tal van initiatieven binnen de onderzoeksgroep ITEC en de ruimere onderwijscontext van KU Leuven. ispartof: pages:1-39 status: published

ispartof: Hermes: Tijdschrift van de Vlaamse Leraren Geschiedenis vol:24 issue:1 pages:24-29 status: published

ispartof: International Journal of Research on History Didactics, History Education, and Historical Culture vol:5 issue:1 pages:53-80 status: published

International audience

ispartof: Hermes: Tijdschrift van de Vlaamse Leraren Geschiedenis vol:23 issue:2 pages:28-32 status: published

International audience

This article encompasses a systematic review of the research on ICT-based learning environments for metacognitively oriented K-12 mathematics education. This review begins with a brief overview of the research on metacognition and mathematics education and on ICT and mathematics education. Based on a systematic screening of the databases Web of Science and ERIC wherein three elements—ICT-based learning environments, metacognitive pedagogies, and mathematics—are combined, 22 articles/studies were retrieved, situated at various educational levels (kindergarten, elementary school, and secondary school). This review revealed a variety of studies, particularly intervention studies, situated in elementary and secondary schools. Most studies involved drill-and-practice software, intelligent tutoring systems, serious games, multimedia environments, and computer-supported collaborative learning environments, with metacognitive pedagogies either integrated into the ICT software itself or provided externally by the teacher, mainly for arithmetic or algebraic word problem-solving but also related to other mathematical topics. All studies reported positive effects on mathematical and/or metacognitive learning outcomes. This review ends with a discussion of issues for further theoretical reflection and empirical research.

ispartof: International Journal for History and Social Sciences Education pages:101-135 status: published

© ISLS. Differences in use of e-learning components can be influenced by student-related characteristics. In this study, an e-learning environment was developed in line with the four component instructional design (4C/ID) model. The four components consist of authentic problem-based tasks (i.e., learning tasks), various support (i.e., supportive and procedural information) and additional drill-and practice exercises (i.e., part-task practice). This study firstly investigates the influence of students’ prior knowledge, task value and self-efficacy on students’ use of the components. Secondly, it examines the influence of students’ use of the components on their learning gain, taking into account their characteristics. Results of 161 students reveal a significantly negative influence of prior knowledge on students’ use of learning tasks and part-task-practice, whereas task value has a significantly positive influence on use of learning tasks and supportive information. Furthermore, use of learning tasks, procedural information and students’ prior knowledge significantly contribute to students’ learning gain. ispartof: pages:128-135 ispartof: Proceedings of International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS vol:13 issue:2018-June pages:128-135 ispartof: 13th International Conference of the Learning Sciences location:London, UK date:23 Jun - 27 Jun 2018 status: published

ispartof: Hermes: Tijdschrift van de Vlaamse Leraren Geschiedenis vol:22 issue:63 pages:8-26 status: published

Onder invloed van maatschappelijke veranderingen is zowel de inhoud als de vorm van onderwijs vaak stof ter discussie. In 2016 bracht de VLOR en de Koning Boudewijnstichting 10 jongerenteams samen die reflecteerden over ‘de school van de toekomst’ en dit resulteerde in verschillende kernideeën. In september 2017 legden we deze ideeën voor aan meer dan 1000 jongeren in de context van een onderzoeksproject dat loopt in samenwerking met KU Leuven, campus Kulak en drie secundaire scholen. De resultaten duiden op een duidelijke kloof tussen wat jongeren wensen en wat ze krijgen binnen hun onderwijs. Binnen dit artikel gaan we dan ook verder in op de vraag in welke mate het inzetten van educatieve technologie hierop een antwoord kan bieden. ispartof: Impuls voor Onderwijsbegeleiding vol:48 issue:3 pages:131-141 status: published

Omwille van de sterke invloed van professionele kennis van leraren op hun onderwijskwaliteit en op de leerresultaten van hun leerlingen is het belangrijk dat de lerarenopleiding optimaal inzet op de ontwikkeling van professionele kennis bij toekomstige leraren. Het is echter onduidelijk hoe de lerarenopleiding zo goed mogelijk kan bijdragen aan de ontwikkeling van professionele kennis. In twee interventiestudies over professionele kennis met betrekking tot het onderwijzen van het vak Frans (pedagogical content knowledge ‘PCK’, pedagogical knowledge ‘PK’ en content knowledge ‘CK’) werd nagegaan in welke mate een systematisch ontworpen, taakgerichte aanpak een bijdrage levert aan de ontwikkeling van professionele kennis, of het noodzakelijk is om PCK, PK en CK expliciet aan te bieden in de lerarenopleiding, en of het geïntegreerd aanbieden van PCK, PK en CK tot betere resultaten leidt dan het gesegregeerd aanbieden van deze kennisdomeinen. Er werden instrumenten ontwikkeld om PCK, PK en CK te meten en de studies volgden een quasi-experimentele opzet. De resultaten tonen aan dat een taakgerichte, systematisch ontworpen aanpak wenselijk is in de lerarenopleiding, dat het noodzakelijk is om PCK, PK en CK expliciet aan te bieden aan toekomstige leraren, en dat een geïntegreerde aanpak tot dezelfde PCK-ontwikkeling leidt als een gesegregeerde aanpak. ispartof: Pedagogische Studien vol:2017 issue:94 pages:441-458 status: published

ispartof: Hermes: Tijdschrift van de Vlaamse Leraren Geschiedenis vol:19 issue:57 pages:14-28 status: published

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is generally accepted as positively impacting teaching quality and student learning. Therefore, research on PCK development in (prospective) teachers is highly relevant. Based on a search in three databases (ERIC, PsycInfo, and Web of Science), a systematic review is conducted on intervention studies aiming at PCK development. The research questions are threefold: (1) How are the studies designed? (2) How are the interventions designed? and (3) What elements of interventions contribute to PCK development? The results show that most intervention studies are conducted in math and science education and use a qualitative methodology. Reflection, PCK courses, contact with other teachers, and experiences in educational practice are typically part of effective interventions. The review enables the identification of clear guidelines that may strengthen future research on stimulating PCK.

De notie pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) werd door Shulman (1986, 1987) geïntroduceerd en verwijst naar de kennis die leerkrachten inzetten bij het ondersteunen van het leren van bepaalde leerinhouden bij leerlingen, rekening houdend met specifieke leerling- en contextkenmerken. De voorliggende studie onderzoekt de PCK van wiskundeleerkrachten en leerkrachten gedragswetenschappen bij het onderwijzen van respectievelijk de normale verdeling en het nature-nurture debat. Daarenboven beoogt de studie de invulling die beide groepen leerkrachten aan PCK geven te vergelijken en na te gaan in welke mate de manier waarop leerkrachten denken over het onderwijzen van hun vak beïnvloed wordt door het vak dat ze onderwijzen. Gebaseerd op de conceptualisering van PCK door Loughran, Berry en Mulhall (2012) werden semi-gestructureerde interviews afgenomen bij vier leerkrachten wiskunde en vier leerkrachten gedragswetenschappen die aan dezelfde groep leerlingen uit de bovenbouw van het secundair onderwijs lesgeven. De interpretatieve analyse van de data toont zowel treffende verschillen (bijv. in de keuze en verantwoording van lesdoelen) als enkele gelijkenissen (bijv. ter evaluatie van de leerinhoud) tussen de PCK van leerkrachten wiskunde en gedragswetenschappen. Daarnaast merken we niet enkel verschillen in de PCK van leerkrachten tussen beide disciplines, maar ook binnen eenzelfde discipline. ispartof: Pedagogische Studiën vol:92 issue:2 pages:114-130 status: published

ispartof: Impuls voor Onderwijsbegeleiding vol:45 issue:2 pages:58-69 status: published

Deze bijdrage heeft tot doel wiskundeprestaties en geboekte leerwinst voor wiskunde in de bovenbouw van het basisonderwijs te verklaren door middel van leerlingpercepties inzake (wiskunde)leren (m.n. wiskundig zelfconcept, inzet voor wiskunde en schoolwelbevinden), rekening houdend met een aantal achtergrondkenmerken (m.n. geslacht, socio-economische status en voorafgaande schoolse vertraging). We baseren ons op een dataset van 2719 leerlingen uit 179 klassen in 113 scholen, die representatief is voor het Vlaamse basisonderwijs. Bij elke leerling werd op het einde van het vierde en het vijfde leerjaar een leerlingperceptievragenlijst en een wiskundetoets afgenomen. Multiniveau-analyses tonen aan dat meisjes, leerlingen met een lage socio-economische status, voorafgaande schoolse vertraging, laag wiskundig zelfconcept en gepercipieerde hoge geleverde inspanning voor wiskunde significant slechter presteren voor wiskunde op het einde van het vierde leerjaar. Op de leerwinst tussen het einde van het vierde en van het vijfde leerjaar had alleen vroegere schoolse vertraging een negatief effect. ispartof: Pedagogische Studiën vol:91 issue:2 pages:113-130 status: published

Resumen basado en el de la publicación Título, palabras clave y resumen también en español y francés Se estudia la particular relación que existe entre un profesor y su asignatura, y se analiza la forma en la que esta relación se conceptualiza en la investigación educativa. Cuatro campos temáticos se desprenden del análisis: las creencias de los profesores sobre su asignatura, su conocimiento de la asignatura, los sentimientos hacia su asignatura y su dedicación a la asignatura. En cada campo temático se describen las principales conclusiones sobre la relación entre el profesor y/o su asignatura en la investigación educativa. Basándose en este análisis, se acentúa la necesidad de la investigación no sólo de la relación cognoscitiva, sino también emocional, entre el profesor y su asignatura. ESP

Samenvatting In voorliggende discussiebijdrage bespreken we een aantal aspecten van de voorgestelde structuurhervorming voor het Vlaams secundair onderwijs (Smet, 2010). Hoewel we de uitgangspunten van de hervormingsnota(zoals het wegwerken van ongelijke kansen, het gelijk waarderen van onderwijs-richtingen en het behouden en zelfs verbeteren van het niveau van het Vlaams onderwijssysteem) onderschrijven, richten we ons tot een kritische beschouwing van een aantal aspecten die volgens ons nog onvoldoende zijn uitgeklaard in de oriëntatienota voor de hervorming van het secundair onderwijs. Meer specifiek richten we ons tot de veronder-stelde gelijkwaardigheid van belangstellingsgebieden, de onderliggende visie op de brede basisvorming en het voorstel rond differentiatie en de invulling van het basispakket. Verder formuleren we een aantal bedenkingen bij de focus op competenties en de oriëntatie van leerlingen op basis van abstractieniveau en belangstellings-gebied. Op basis van deze discussiepunten formuleren we ten slotte enkele aandachtspunten ten behoeve van de verdere uitwerking van de hervormingsplannen. Abstract Towards a form of Flemish secondary education: considerations and concerns from a Flemish (research) perspective The contribution critically discusses a number of aspects of the proposed structural reform of secondary education in Flanders (Smet, 2010). Although we agree with the underlying principles of the reform document (such as eliminating unequal opportunities, promoting the equal appreciation of educational tracks, and maintaining or even enhancing the Flemish educational level) we aim at a critical reflection of a number of aspects that are insufficiently addressed in the reform document for secondary education. More particularly, we focus on the assumed equality of the proposed ‘areas of interest’, the underlying view on a broad general education for all, and the proposal for differentiation and the way in which this differentiation is conceived. Furthermore, we focus on the suggested orientation towards competences, and student orientation based on abstraction level and area of interest. In conclusion, we formulate some concerns that could be taken into account in the further elaboration of the reform plans. ispartof: Pedagogische Studiën vol:89 issue:5 pages:307-316 status: published

ispartof: Logopedie vol:23 issue:4 pages:10-17 status: published

During the last decades, numerous initiatives have been taken in many co untries to reform and innovate mathematics classroom practices. First, t his reform movement is characterized by a shift in focus from rules, mec hanic procedures, and memorization to students acquisition of higher-or der problem-solving skills. Second, an important role is ascribed to the use of reality in mathematics classrooms. Third, the reform movement pa ys attention to the establishment of an innovative classroom culture inv olving a more active role for students. Inspired by these three characteristics of the reform movement in mathem atics education, scholars have designed powerful learning environments a imed at eliciting in students appropriate mathematics-related beliefs an d problem-solving skills. In Flanders, for instance, Verschaffel et al. (1999) designed, implemented, and evaluated an innovative learning envir onment for teaching and learning how to solve mathematical word problems in upper primary school. The learning environment aimed at students ac quisition of an overall metacognitive strategy for solving mathematical application problems, and of positive mathematics-related beliefs. The b asic principles of this innovative learning environment were threefold a nd clearly reflected the main ideas of the reform movement in mathematic s education: (1) using a set of realistic and complex problems; (2) appl ying a variety of highly interactive instructional techniques and classr oom organization forms; and (3) establishing appropriate classroom norms concerning (learning) to solve mathematical problems. Meanwhile, the reform-based ideas have led to a new generation of mathem atical textbooks. However, the question remains to what extent these inn ovative ideas also effectively impact today s regular mathematics classr ooms. This dissertation aims at a dual goal that has guided the scope an d design of two studies that will be reported. The first goal relates to an in-depth analysis of the way in which problem-solving lessons based on an innovative textbook are implemented in regular mathematics classro oms. The second goal focuses on the analysis of the relationship between teachers instructional approaches to the teaching of mathematical prob lem solving, and teachers and students beliefs, on the one hand, and s tudents problem-solving skills, on the other hand. In the first, exploratory study we investigated the way in which ten six th-grade teachers implemented the same two problem-solving lessons from an innovative textbook. The analysis was based on a coding scheme which covers the three basic principles of Verschaffel et al. s (1999) learnin g environment (i.e., the nature of the tasks, the instructional techniqu es and classroom organization forms, and the classroom norms) that are a ssumed to influence students mathematics-related beliefs and problem-so lving skills. Additionally, the students of all participating classrooms were administered a questionnaire and test to measure respectively thei r mathematics-related beliefs and problem-solving skills.Two teachers wh o revealed in the pilot study a considerably different approach towards learning to solve mathematical word problems volunteered to participate in the second, more extended and more in-depth investigation. We observe d both teachers approaches to word problem solving over a seven-month p eriod (from September until the Easter holidays). The complex and multif arious data were studied from different perspectives, relating to three themes that are characteristic for the aforementioned reform movement in mathematics education: (1) the way in which reality is dealt with in ma thematics lessons, (2) the focus on heuristic and metacognitive skills i n the teaching and learning of problem solving, and (3) the establishmen t of an innovative classroom culture in which students are actively invo lved in making mathematical contributions (i.e., a broad distribution of authority). At the beginning and at the end of the seven-month observat ion period, we investigated students beliefs, the way in which they app roached realistic word problems, and their general mathematics achieveme nt level. Moreover, we conducted in-depth interviews with both teachers and all students about their beliefs about the installed classroom cultu re. status: published

The development of math and reading is an important goal during primary education. Early numerical skills and reading skills have been shown predictive for children's future academic performance and it has been argued that the training of these skills at young age prevents children from later difficulties in math and reading. However, many children still experience difficulties acquiring these fundamental skills and a tendency towards more inclusive education strengthens the need for the development of appropriate interventions. Over the past years, the use of technology in education has increased, and consequently also the number of technological interventions available for schools. Digital educational games have been introduced as a motivating way for children to learn due to the immediate feedback, an attractive narrative and interaction between the learner and the system. Empirical studies investigating the effectiveness of digital educational games have shown that these games can be more effective than traditional teaching methods in terms of cognitive gains. However, meta-analyses have argued that previous research often suffers from methodological issues. Besides, the evaluation is often narrow in the sense that only cognitive outcomes are assessed, ignoring effects on noncognitive and efficiency outcomes and how individual differences moderate the effect of digital games. Especially one specific characteristic of digital educational games has been proposed to be promising to take into account children's individual differences. Digital educational games with integrated adaptivity can modify the difficulty of the tasks to learners' needs. Therefore, the current PhD project aims to investigate the effectiveness of interventions targeting early numerical skills and reading skills and comprises five studies. First, to enlarge our understanding about previous intervention research, a meta-review was conducted on the effectiveness of math interventions (Chapter 2). The results revealed that digital technologies have potential to enable learning and to make learning more enjoyable. Informed by these results, a longitudinal, large-scale intervention study was conducted with the Number Sense Game (NSG) and the Reading Game (RG) in order to gain insights in children's cognitive and noncognitive outcomes as a result of a game-based training compared to 'business as usual' (Chapter 3). The results revealed that learning gains in terms of cognitive and noncognitive outcomes were limited. Therefore, a subsequent study was conducted to investigate the impact of an adaptive digital game-based intervention by comparing an adaptive version of the RG compared to a nonadaptive version of the RG and an active control group (Chapter 4). Again, the benefits of the integrated adaptivity on children's cognitive and noncognitive learning outcomes were modest. In a third intervention study, it was hypothesized that adaptive digital educational games would benefit children's efficiency outcomes rather than their cognitive and noncognitive outcomes. Therefore, the effects of an adaptive and nonadaptive version of the NSG on learners' cognitive, non-cognitive and efficiency learning outcomes was examined (Chapter 5). The results revealed that children needed less time in the adaptive condition compared to the nonadaptive condition to obtain the same learning goals. In a final study, a more detailed investigation of children's learning efficiency was carried out by analysing the log-data collected during gameplay (Chapter 6). The results indicated that children learnt more efficient in the adaptive compared to the nonadaptive game condition. These five studies are preceded by an introductory chapter (Chapter 1) and followed by a general discussion with the main conclusions and the theoretical, methodological, and educational implications of these five studies (Chapter 7). status: published