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The United Nations' announcements of a rise in the number of refugees have led to questions on how refugees are portrayed in children's picturebooks. Works that introduce children, at a young age, to the concept that there are other societies and cultures besides the one in which they currently reside have the potential to broaden their worldview and provide them with new insights. To further understand this, the current study focused on analyzing picturebooks (n = 15) of children in Turkey, as the country hosts the largest number of refugees in the world The portrayal of refugees, the discourses regarding refugees, and the cycles pointing to refugees are discussed through inductive content analysis. The results showed that refugees were portrayed as victims, homeless and helpless, and as people struggling to survive. The most dominant discourse about refugees is that they are longing for a family. In the refugee cycle in books, the migration itself constitutes the broadest stage. The results are presented for discussion in terms of educational and political implications.

Students enter the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pipeline in primary school, but leak out of it over time for various reasons. To prevent leaks, it is important to understand the variables that affect attitudes towards STEM learning from an early age. This study sought to examine the predictors of young students' STEM learning attitudes. In the study, 493 primary school students (M[subscript age] = 9.62, SD = 0.72) from a Turkish sample were reached through a survey. We recruited our participants using the convenience sampling technique. Data were collected with the STEM learning attitude scale, the Multidimensional 21st Century Skills Scale, and the Computational Thinking (CT) test. Descriptive and correlational analyses were performed on the data. Then the relationship between variables was tested with a structural equation modeling. The results of the analyses showed that STEM learning attitudes and CT skills of primary school students demonstrated good fit indexes. Also results showed that twenty-first century skills mediated the relationship between STEM learning attitudes and CT skills. The results of the analysis are discussed, and recommendations are presented in terms of strengthening young students' place in the STEM pipeline.

This study examined the effect of play-based practices implemented with a national project on the development of Turkish primary school teachers' perceptions of play. Thirty primary school teachers participated in the study, and the play-based applications lasted six days. Sample play activities were taught to the teachers, and then they were asked to produce their own. The perception of play scale was used to examine the effects of the applications on perceptions of play. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine the changes in individuals more clearly. Teachers' perceptions of play were examined in terms of the contributions, tasks, and nature of play activities. Nonparametric tests were used in the analysis of quantitative data, and content analysis was used in the analysis of qualitative data. As a result of this study, positive changes were seen in the teachers' perceptions of play.

In out-of-school-learning (OSL) environments, individuals are exposed to tasks that are not excessively difficult, and as a result, they gain experience rather than knowledge. Through the experiences that will be provided to teacher candidates, this situation can affect their pedagogical beliefs and attitudes toward classroom practices. This study investigated the impact of experiencing learner-centered processes in OSL environments on teacher candidates' pedagogical beliefs and classroom practices attitudes. According to the findings, while teaching in OSL environments led to a change in the pedagogical beliefs of teacher candidates, it did not result in a significant shift in their attitudes toward classroom practices. In the context of research conducted on teacher candidates, it is beneficial to explore the mediating elements that may influence the relation between belief and practice. This approach may contribute to a more thorough understanding of the subject matter.