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This study explores the views of mathematics teachers at Assosa University regarding effective mathematics teaching. The study used a case study method as a mode of inquiry through semi-structured interviews with five mathematics teachers at Assosa University. The data were analyzed thematically. The results showed that mathematics teachers view memorization, practice, and concrete experiences as ways to enhance their students' understanding of mathematics. Teachers expressed different views on the nature of mathematics. Some teachers have an instrumental view, while others have a problem-solving view, and others have a Platonist view of the nature of mathematics. The study showed important arguments about the belief systems of mathematics teachers, showing that teachers' beliefs about the nature of mathematics provide the basis for their mental models of mathematics teaching and learning. The study revealed those mathematics teachers' beliefs about effective mathematics teaching influence their educational practices. The study suggests that developing the expertise of teachers in higher education institutions by changing their entrenched beliefs about mathematics needs particular attention, which ultimately affects their practice.

There are many rewards associated with teaching in public schools, but there are also several challenges such as understaffing, limited resources, overcrowded classrooms, and underpaid employees. All of these issues combined often lead to burnout and mental health concerns among public school teachers, particularly those in urban settings. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, literature regarding teachers' psychological distress has increased in a general sense; however, there remains limited exploration of a potential increase in job-related mental health concerns of urban teachers after the onset of COVID. Therefore, in this study we compare the 2018 (pre-COVID) and 2020 (early-COVID) results of the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey in order to answer whether there has been a change in the psychological distress of urban school teachers in North Carolina since the onset of COVID. Based on the findings, we offer recommendations to key stakeholders in an effort to better support the health and outcomes of K-12 urban school teachers as they continue adapting to the ever-expanding and ever-evolving implications of COVID.

Teachers with gender stereotypes are particularly likely to engage in gender-biased teaching practices and to transmit biased gender norms to students. Examining teachers' gender stereotypes is important for understanding gender transmission in schools and gender inequality in educational attainments. Using data from a questionnaire survey of junior high school teachers in the Kansai area of Japan, this study empirically examines teachers' gender stereotypes, focusing on their gender role attitudes. Using latent class analysis to examine teachers' gender role attitudes, the results identify three patterns (gender equality supporters, care-gender role supporters, and gender role supporters) in teachers' gender role attitudes. The distinctive pattern is the care-gender role supporters, a group that rejects some traditional gender roles but is more likely to hold the gender stereotype that women are better suited for housework and childcare; this group is considered "potential" gender stereotypes. Furthermore, using a latent class multinomial-logit model, we test three hypotheses regarding gender, age, and teachers' subject. The results show that the hypotheses are partially supported and that teachers' gender role attitudes are influenced by the basic factors mentioned above, including the interaction effect. Based on these findings, we discuss the structure of teachers' gender role attitudes and suggest the importance of focusing on teachers with potential gender stereotypes.

Yulin Normal University preschool education major existing children's game course instructional model more in passing test knowledge and practice test skills, students used to passively accept knowledge, rarely use critical thinking to treat knowledge, with a critical eye to question, thinking, and discovery, long-term students will not be able to adapt to the needs of the new era of social development of survival ability and professional competitiveness. Therefore, the objectives of this study were (1) to study the factors affecting the development of critical thinking ability, (2) to develop an instructional model based on experiential learning theory and six thinking hats, and (3) to compare the critical thinking ability of Third Year college students before and after the instructional model of experiential learning theory and six thinking hats. The sample group was 30 students from preschool education majors at Yulin Normal University. The research was conducted in three steps: studying the factors that affect the development of critical thinking ability, developing the instructional model, and the experimental and improvement process. The research instruments were a questionnaire about factors that affect the development of critical thinking ability, an interview form about factors that affect the development of college students' critical thinking ability, an observation form about student behavior, an interview form about opinions on teaching, lesson plans, and a critical thinking ability test. The study's results were 1) the main factors affecting the development of critical thinking ability include the instructional environment, the teachers, and the students, respectively, 2) the instructional model based on experiential learning theory and six thinking hats was developed consisting of four core components: a) principles, b) objectives, c) learning process, and d) results, and 3) after the implementation of the instructional model based on experiential learning theory and six thinking hats, the critical thinking ability scores of the students were higher than the critical thinking ability of the students before the experiment, with a statistical significance of 0.01 level. Finally, this paper strives to develop a based on Experiential Learning Theory and Six Thinking Hats instructional model to improve the critical thinking of preschool education students at Yulin Normal University.

This research aimed to 1) study the factors that affect third-year undergraduate students' creative thinking ability at Baise University, 2) develop an instructional model based on design thinking and brainstorming, 3) compare third-year undergraduate students' creative thinking ability before and after using the instructional model based on design thinking and brainstorming. The sample group was 45 third-year undergraduate students at Baise University. The research Instruments were 1) an interview form about factors that affect the development of third-year undergraduate students' creative thinking ability, 2) a questionnaire about factors that affect the development of third-year undergraduate students' creative thinking ability, 3) lesson plans, 4) a creative thinking ability test 5) an interview form about opinions on teaching 6) an observation form about students' behavior. This study analyzed quantitative data through descriptive statistics, frequency, percentage, means, and standard deviation. For dependent samples, t-tests were used to analyze the different scores of undergraduate students before and after using the instructional model. Qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The research results were 1) the factors affecting undergraduate students' creative thinking ability include environmental factors (family, school, and society) and personal factors (personality traits, motivation, attitude, and emotional state), 2) the four components of the instructional model are principle, objective, learning process, and result, 3) after implementing the instructional model, the post-test scores of undergraduate students' creative thinking ability significantly increased, with a statistical significance of 0.01.

This study examined the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) professional development needs of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Teachers. EFL teachers participated in semi-structured interviews from seven primary schools in a middle-sized urban school district in the east part of China. Content analysis with frequency tables and quotations from the interview transcription were conducted. The results indicated that though primary EFL teachers in China have the basic technological knowledge to support teaching, they lack appropriate knowledge and training particularly in areas of TPACK related to EFL teaching. Results from the present study indicate that there is a need for professional development (PD) that helps EFL teachers integrate technology in teaching reading, speaking, and writing.

In this article, we explore demands and tensions involved when schools implement ambitious mathematics teaching (AMT). Following a description of a framework that distinguishes between internal and external demands, we characterize the tension between these in terms of alignment, balance, and buffering, which collectively speak to coherence. We then describe AMT and how it represents a departure from traditional mathematics instruction found in most countries. We applied the framework to an illustrative case and found that while the school devoted considerable resources to reforming mathematics teaching and learning, challenges persisted. These challenges include ongoing language and participatory demands for students and, for teachers, balancing the demands of implementing AMT with a range of other initiatives. The framework provides a means of exploring the full range of demands associated with ambitious instructional reforms, how these demands are mitigated or exacerbated, and the kinds of resources necessary to sustain AMT.

We compare the institutional standards and expectations for English language arts (ELA) educators from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the leading professional organization in this field, and the state of Georgia. By conducting a critical policy analysis of documents from NCTE and the Georgia Department of Education (GADoE) we sought to understand the tension between standards set for training English education students in institutions of higher education and the standards those teachers would be required to use in Georgia K-12 schools. We analyze these documents through Cooper et al.'s (2004) policy analysis framework, which questions the normative, structural, constituent, and technical dimensions of policy development. We found that the ideological beliefs and values embedded in the policies and documents from NCTE and GADoE have developed divergent sets of expectations for ELA teachers in Georgia, particularly around how teachers respond to oppression in our society; how we understand the overall purpose of ELA instruction; and the scope of responsibilities for educators. We end by presenting implications for educators working among these two sets of policies, in recognizing where these expectations may overlap as well as diverge.

This research aims to produce integrated biology teaching materials with the values of the Al-Qur'an and As-Sunnah that are valid and effective in improving cognitive, psychomotor, and strengthening students' faith and devotion. This development research (R&D) uses the ADDIE model which consists of five stages, i.e. analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The data collection techniques used were literature studies, observations, interviews, questionnaires, and tests. Data collection instruments used include interview sheets, validation sheets, questionnaire sheets, pre-test and post-test question sheets, observation sheets, and checklists. The teaching materials were validated by three validators (material experts, learning experts, Al-Qur'an/Hadist experts), and practitioners from several biology teachers from different schools. The data was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively (triangulation). The research results showed that the teaching materials developed met the very valid category based on the assessment of material experts, learning experts, Al-Qur'an/Hadist experts, and practitioners. Moreover, the products received excellent responses from the students. The teaching materials could improve students' cognitive and psychomotor and also increase students' values of faith and piety. Further action will be extended to schools, especially schools with Islamic nuances so that they can be used both as self-taught materials for students and as teaching materials for teachers to use in the learning process.

The general purpose of this research is to examine the mediating effect of STEM attitudes between STEM pedagogical content knowledge (CK) and STEM intra-class practice self-efficacy. This research was conducted in a causal design. A total of 345 teacher candidates, 261 females (75.7%) and 84 males (24.3%), were included in the research. The data were collected with the STEM Pedagogical CK Scale (STEM), Attitude Scale for STEM Education (STEMAS), and STEM Intra Class Practice Self-Efficacy Perceptions Scale. Path analysis technique was used in data analysis. In addition, bootstrapping analysis was used to evaluate the significance of the mediating effect of STEM attitudes. At this point, 1,000 resamples were made and lower-upper bound confidence intervals were determined. In research results, the mediating effect of STEM Attitudes was found to be significant in the relationship between STEM Pedagogical CK and STEM Intra Class Practice self-efficacy.

The paper examines how new age pedagogies and neoliberal policies consciously work towards "naturalizing" English language's hegemony in institutions of Higher Education (IHE) in India. An ethnographic study the paper foregrounds the precarious positioning of non-English Indian languages "vis-à-vis" the pervading discourses of internationalization and education as job/skill oriented. Hegemony of English in the present is coupled with a restructuring of language departments as well as fleeting market demands for human capital. The paper also brings into question the role of the Internet and related technologies in reorganizing the linguistic dynamics of HE. Instead of democratizing, the Internet produces new monopolies in knowledge production, controls knowledge traffic from global North to South and further legitimizes the language hegemony. The paper argues that, in the last two decades, the neoliberal rupture has been leading HE institutions to a death of vernaculars within their physical, cultural and academic spaces.

The roles of teachers as educators are to impart knowledge and skills to students, as well as develop their mental character. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the influence of locus of control, leadership style, environmental factors, and work motivation on teachers' performance in guiding students toward a higher level of education. A sample size of 720 high school teachers was used to explore the perceptions of locus of control, leadership style, environmental factors, and work motivation on performance. Furthermore, the data were analyzed using the Smart-Partial Least Square software. The results showed a direct effect of locus of control, leadership style, and environmental factors on work motivation. Moreover, there was an effect of locus of control, environmental factors, and work motivation on teachers' performance. These results highlight the necessity for qualified teachers, which the government of Indonesia needs to fulfill in order to achieve a better education across the country.

As a form of implementing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in educational institutions, an appropriate learning model is needed, which also accommodates aspects of spirituality. Before developing a model, baseline data is needed, so a broad-scale or national needs analysis is needed. This research aims to determine the profile of spirituality-based action competence for sustainability (ACS) among prospective biology teacher students throughout Indonesia. This research is a cross-sectional survey. The target respondents are students of LPTK biology education study programs in Indonesia. The target population size is 650 people, so based on the Krejcie and Morgan table, the minimum sample size with a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 5% is 620 students. The data collection instrument used in this research is the action competence for sustainability instrument based on spirituality (ACSIS). Data on respondent characteristics were analyzed using frequencies and percentages. The mean and standard deviation of scores were calculated for each item. Comparisons of two groups of students were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U Test, while comparisons of more than two groups used the Kruskal-Wallis H Test. We discuss interesting findings in this research, including the aspects of spirituality in ACS among prospective biology teacher in Indonesia.

With the unprecedented shift to online or flexible learning modes, both teachers and students adapt to the new normal of education. A qualitative study aimed to draw out the voices of three beginning science teachers, the study utilized the narrative inquiry approach through in-depth interviews. It was found that beginning science teachers are faced with challenges: transitioning to the actual teaching practice and adjusting to the new normal in education. Beginning science teachers voiced out their challenges, including adapting to the culture of the new generation of students, access to a stable internet connection, problems with technology use, and teaching-learning process adjustments. Coping strategies include creative and responsive adjustments to teaching-learning, assessment of learning, learning mode, and internet connection problems and online platforms. Their stories serve as a springboard for interventions that guide and assist beginning teachers.

Assessment for learning (AFL) is a pedagogical approach that enhances student learning outcomes through high-quality feedback. This study investigates the effectiveness of integrating the feedback loop model (FLM) with AFL to improve students' engagement and understanding of physics, specifically in kinematics and motion dynamics. The study employs a mixed-methods research design, combining quantitative and qualitative data to assess the impact of the FLM-based AFL approach. A one-group pretest-posttest design was used, supported by research instruments that measured student engagement and their conceptual grasp of physics. The findings indicate that integrating FLM into AFL led to significant improvements, evidenced by Cohen's effect size of 1.91, highlighting a substantial impact on student learning. These results affirm that FLM-based AFL positively affects student engagement and understanding of physics. The study contributes to the existing research on effective assessment methods, providing valuable insights for educators and policymakers in developing enhanced assessment and teaching strategies. This study emphasizes the potential benefits of incorporating FLM-based AFL in diverse educational settings to elevate student learning experiences and outcomes.

Metacognition is one of the key learning skills in the 21st century, with a strong potential to help students succeed in science learning. Until now, this metacognitive awareness is less empowered by lecturers in learning. This study aimed to analyze the problem-based learning (PBL) reading-questioning-answering (PBLRQA) model's effect on metacognitive awareness in pre-service teachers. This research is a quasi-experiment with a pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design. Determination of the research sample class was carried out by random sampling. Each learning model was represented by PBLRQA and PBL class. The number of classes used was 2, totaling 57 students. The instrument used was the metacognitive awareness inventory (MAI). This inventory comprised 52 statement items divided into planning, monitoring, evaluating, and revising skills. An important finding in this research is that students' metacognitive awareness in learning with PBL and PBLRQA is not significantly different. Thus, the PBLRQA and PBL models can still be used in students' science learning to encourage metacognitive awareness, so that academic success can be achieved.

Although many issues about the use of transcripts for studying classroom interactions have been addressed in other studies, little attention has been given to the use of transcripts to study student teachers' classroom interactions. To achieve a deeper understanding of student teachers' perspectives and permit the formulation of a more appropriate framework, it is crucial to hear from student teachers and investigate their experiences about the use of transcripts. Therefore, in the study reported on here we used 7 focus-group interviews of approximately 6 Saudi EFL (English as a foreign language) student teachers in each group to investigate their perceptions on the use of transcripts for studying their classroom interactions. The data were thematically analysed. Three themes that represented the participants' experiences of using transcripts to study their classroom interactions emerged: using the transcript analysis, learning from the transcript analysis, and committing to using the transcript analysis. The findings reveal that most participants felt they had autonomy in using transcripts to study their classroom interactions, but experienced some challenges. Most students were determined to change their classroom interaction based on their analyses of classroom interactions but only a few demonstrated the determination to continue using the transcript analysis approach.

There is an urgent need to establish classroom libraries, especially in rural areas where learners hardly come across any reading material. The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers set up classroom libraries in rural areas of the Mogodumo circuit in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The study was qualitative in nature. Fifteen English First Additional Language (EFAL) teachers from 12 schools participated in the study. Observation and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data. It was found that while all participants recognised the importance of reading for their learners, only 7 of the 15 teachers managed to establish classroom libraries. The study revealed that teacher self-efficacy (TSE) played a crucial role in setting up classroom libraries, given the serious challenges of funding, resources and support experienced by rural schoolteachers. Teachers with high TSE managed to establish classroom libraries by using their own time, money, and resources, while those with low TSE failed to establish classroom libraries. We recommend that school managers should make time and resources available to rural schoolteachers to enable them to establish classroom libraries.

The responsibility of a teacher preparation program (TPP) goes beyond teaching future educators the knowledge and skills of the profession. It needs to provide experiences that help them succeed in the real classroom settings (GarzaRodriguez, 2019). However, there is evidence that disconnection between what is taught in TPPs and what is needed in the practical work exists. Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve the quality of these programs by constantly evaluating their quality and effectiveness. This paper reports a pilot study on pre-service teachers' perspectives about their English as a foreign language teacher (EFL) teacher preparation program in Mexico. The aim of the study was to reveal how pre-service teachers evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of their EFL teacher preparation program. Following a mixed-method, data were collected from 17 participants using an online Likert scale, adapted from Peacock (2009), and three open questions to elicit strengths and weaknesses. Findings were divided in both quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative data indicated that students were undecided or to some extent in agreement with most of the items associated with the features of the program; however, the lowest mean was shown in the areas of meeting students' needs, the balance between theory and practice and learning some practical teaching skills. On the other hand, the qualitative results showed that students' preparation as linguists and self-reflective learners as well as some subjects from the program were perceived as strengths, while the lack of teaching experience, the content, and low English language proficiency as the main weaknesses. In conclusion, though students' perspectives were still uncertain, they provided useful information to improve the curriculum.

This study aims to examine the formal integration of scientific research within teacher preparation programs at universities in Kazakhstan, aiming to enhance the research capacity of pre-service teachers. It introduces a research-based learning (RBL) model for delivering research components in postgraduate programs, tailored to address individual research interests through defined modules and directed research projects. The study's objective is to examine the effectiveness of implementing the RBL model in building pre-service teachers' research capacity. Using a quasiexperimental pretest-posttest design, the study employs a questionnaire survey to evaluate participants' self-perceived research skills and knowledge before and after the intervention, assessing the development of their research capability dimensions. Expert assessment is utilized to examine research performance and writing skills among pre-service teachers. The study involved students from language teacher education departments, specifically 120 postgraduate (master's level) students from K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University and Baishev University in Aktobe, Kazakhstan. The research findings highlight the effectiveness of the RBL model in training preservice teachers across various stages of the research process. This includes formulating research questions, reviewing literature, planning research activities, clarifying methodologies, conducting investigations, analyzing data, and presenting results. The study shows that the RBL model enhances students' understanding of research, their ability to plan and design research projects, knowledge of research methodology, data analysis skills, research writing abilities, and capabilities in publishing and presenting research. These findings offer valuable insights for university instructors and suggest avenues for further investigation. The study also examines potential implications for how teacher education research is conducted and how programs are designed.

Despite the promise of virtual reality (VR) videos to provide reflective opportunities analogous to those afforded by real-world classroom recordings, there has been scant research on its usage in teacher education to date. In this quasi-experimental study, we compared the effects of two distinct stimuli used for student teachers' reflections on their teaching. This mixed-methods study investigated how participants' perceptions of their own abilities to engage in reflective thinking changed over time. Twenty-three preservice instructors watched a genuine classroom film and compared it to 46 who watched a virtual reality version. Only the VR group saw a gain in self-efficacy related to reflection over time. We also discovered that, like traditional classroom videos, VR videos prompted participants to engage in self-reflection. This research is the first to show that reflecting on VR classroom footage yields similar outcomes as reflecting on actual classroom videos in mathematics. This demonstrates the viability of VR for use in teacher education and its potential value as a tool for education professionals.

This article describes the qualitative phase of a larger intervention study, where pupils with learning disabilities (nine dyslexic pupils) were engaged in a pedagogically blended 'Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend' (RAAC) and Theatre Art activities to enhance Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTs) in reading comprehension. Data from pupils' answers in the reading comprehension passages, interviews with the Special Education Needs (SEN) teacher and observations were collected. Qualitative analysis based upon pre-determined categories of learning strategies from literature revealed pupils' application of HOTs in reading comprehension. Drawing from this study, the importance of addressing HOTs in reading comprehension among mainstream and SEN pupils and other implications for inclusive classrooms are discussed.

Scientific literacy plays a crucial role for elementary teachers in developing the strategies of science learning and implementing them in the classroom. Nevertheless, the scientific literacy of college students in elementary education has not been optimal. Science encyclopedia-assisted project-based learning (PjBL) integrated into the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) approach is hypothesized to enhance scientific literacy. The present study describes and examines the effectiveness of science encyclopedia-assisted STEM-PjBL in enhancing pre-service elementary teachers' scientific literacy. Quasi-experimental research using a pre- and post-tests control group design was applied to this study. 56 pre-service elementary teachers at the University of Halu Oleo were involved in this study whereby they were equally distributed to two groups. A test of scientific literacy was adapted and used to measure scientific literacy. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to describe and analyse the data of scientific literacy. Results revealed that science encyclopedia-assisted STEM-PjBL had a positive modest effect on the achievement of scientific literacy. The scientific literacy of college students in elementary education who received science encyclopedia-assisted STEM-PjBL had moderate enhancement. Additionally, a science encyclopedia-assisted STEM-PjBL significantly enhanced scientific literacy. Educational practitioners can implement a science encyclopedia-assisted PjBL integrated STEM approach to enhance scientific literacy resulting in high achievement in science education.

This study examines Malay language teachers' perceptions of using Google tools in their online teaching in primary schools. It uses a basic interpretative research methodology to investigate the perspectives of six primary school Malay language teachers from Terengganu, Malaysia. Interviews with semi-structured questions were used to collect data and analyzed thematically. All the themes and sub-themes were organized using NVivo 12 software. The data show that the predominant topic in teachers' thoughts on the importance of Google tools was the reasons for their absence of use. There were two essential sub-themes: a lack of skills and proficiency and a need for more awareness of how to use Google tools. Furthermore, this study highlighted personal support of module development as a secondary theme which included two sub-themes: agreement with the need for modules and the importance of providing them. This study also underlined the importance of module preparation which was reinforced by two sub-themes: facilitating teachers' implementation of online teaching and serving as a significant reference for teachers. This study shows that effective online education requires competency, skills and knowledge of Google Tools. It suggests creating a Google Tools module to guide and serve as a resource for Malay language teachers.

This study compared two versions of the same elementary science professional development (PD) and curriculum program that were offered face-to-face and completely online, while keeping all content consistent between the two. Using quantitative analyses of pre- and posttests of content knowledge (CK), we evaluated the extent to which the online version of the PD compared to the face-to-face PD for increasing the earth science and art CK of upper elementary teachers required to teach an earth science and art integrated curriculum. Additionally, we explored how the impact of PD modality (online vs. face-to-face) on teachers' CK learning outcomes differed for novice and experienced teachers. Findings revealed significantly higher CK learning gains for teachers who participated in online PD compared with face-to-face PD, but with a small effect size. Subgroup analysis revealed that compared with experienced teachers, the novice teachers had significantly higher CK gains from participating in the online PD compared to the face-to-face version with a large effect size. We also discuss the implications for the design of large-scale online teacher PD.

Teacher professional development (PD) has been shown to have numerous benefits, such as greater self-efficacy, higher motivation, and enhanced wellbeing (e.g., Kimura, 2014; Polin, 2023; Wang & Chen, 2022), and teaching additional languages is certainly no exception. However, the extent to which teachers are willing and able to engage in PD throughout their careers depends on many factors, some of which are related to the context in which they work, while others are reflective of their individual attributes such as attitudes, motivations, and personality. This paper focuses on the latter by reporting the findings of a study that examined language teacher professional curiosity (LTPC). The data were collected through semi-structured interviews from 6 Austrian and 6 Polish language teachers at different stages of their careers. Qualitative analysis allowed valuable insights into the nature of LTPC, curiosity-driven behaviors as well as factors influencing these behaviors. It also provided the basis for a tentative cyclic process model of LTPC in which interest and curiosity interact to produce a focus of curiosity, which is impacted by motivation, agency, autonomy, and social context, generating a drive for teacher behaviors in respect to their PD.

This article describes a piloted approach to responsive lesson planning and lesson reflection that centers the motivation of both teachers and students in public school settings. Anchored in the African philosophical approach of Sankofa and Self-Determination Theory, the tools and practices described encourage strategic reflection while considering the basic psychological needs of both children and adults. Special Education teachers in Washington, DC employed a Lesson Internalization co-planning tool and found it aligned the paired teachers and filled gaps in the social-emotional and support needs for their students not captured by traditional lesson planning formats. General education teachers in the Bronx utilizing a responsive post-lesson reflection tool were able to adeptly pinpoint problem areas in delivered lessons, identify differences in causes of struggles between different sections of students, and even replace a traditional approach to behavior intervention for a student. Crucially, the practices were found to be fully internalizable and did not unduly add to the planning or reflection workload or time commitment for the teachers. The successes found in these pilots suggest the potential for a broader application of motivation-centered approaches in other aspects of school including conflict resolution, teacher evaluation, coaching, hiring practices, and professional development.

This article is a collaboration among three Philadelphia public school teachers who wrote curriculum units based on their new learning and research of W.E.B. Du Bois' groundbreaking book, "The Philadelphia Negro" (1899) of the Seventh Ward. Du Bois' book was the first major race study of an African-American urban community ever published in the United States. Teachers Holloway, Moon, and Yau utilize the past and current history of the Seventh Ward being in Philadelphia to give their students the first hand experience of Du Bois' scholarly work. Tyriese James (TJ) Holloway, an 11th and 12th grade teacher from Overbrook High School begins his session with a personal narrative about the complex meanings of "home" and shares his class assignments and examples of student works. Similarly, Jeannette Moon, a 7th and 8th Grade Teacher from Penn Alexander School designs her curriculum unit to focus students with the essential question: "What is home?" with mapping, reading of primary sources as well as fictional works of Du Bois. Lisa Yuk Kuen Yau, a 5th Grade Teacher from Francis Scott Key School finds it crucial to introduce students at a young age to the race issue by having them create accordion books, data portraits, and community spaces inspired by Du Bois' scholar works.

Background: In Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes, there are concerns about student teachers' English language proficiency. Aim: To discuss the first iteration of the PrimTEd English language and literacy test and analyse the results for information about the test instrument and about student teacher attainment. Setting: South African student teachers in BEd programmes preparing for teaching in primary schools, across six public universities, participated in the test from 2020 to 2022. Methods: The student results for the PrimTEd English assessment were analysed using basic statistics, focussing on the largest samples of first-year and fourth-year students who took both the subtests. The items in each subtest were coded according to their underlying language constructs, and each subtest was subjected to Rasch analysis before the test was considered as a whole. Results: The initial test showed the attainment of fourth-year students (mean = 55%, standard deviation [SD] = 21%, n = 731) was only 3 percentage points higher than that of first-year students (mean = 52%, SD = 20%, n = 1177). Conclusion: The similarities between the first- and fourth-year students' test results is concerning. There remains much work to be done in building student teachers' English language proficiency in BEd programmes. Contribution: The findings and recommendations should be useful to ITE lecturers in designing programmes that enable progressive development of English language and literacy competence from first year to graduation.

Background: There is a concern in South Africa that pre-service teachers do not have the required knowledge to teach mathematics in primary school and to develop learners' number sense. In this study, pre-service teachers taught the mental strategy of bridging through ten through a structured teaching sequence from the Mental Starters Assessment Project (MSAP) materials as a work-integrated learning opportunity. Aim: We ask the question: How do the MSAP materials support pre-service teachers in competently teaching mental mathematics? Setting: Thirty-eight Bachelor of Education (Foundation Phase) third-year preservice teachers from an Eastern Cape university participated in this study. Methods: Participants taught the strategy during their Teaching Practice, quantitatively analysed the results of their classes and reflected on the experience in a questionnaire and focus group interviews. Results: Results indicate that the teachers were relatively successful in their teaching of the strategy; however, all indicated that they taught the sequence for a more extended period than recommended. Qualitative responses provide evidence of the teachers' development in their knowledge of learners and their characteristics, general pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and knowledge of educational contexts. Conclusion: This study offers evidence of the professional learning of pre-service teachers that resulted from taking an integrated approach to facilitating a mathematics teaching methodology course through requiring a work-integrated learning component. Contribution: We argue that such an approach is necessary for pre-service teachers to be adequately prepared for the challenges of teaching mathematics in the South African classroom.

Background: National and international assessments show South Africa's underperformance in mathematics. As many learners already fall behind in the early grades, where foundational number sense should be established, addressing the challenges of number sense in the Foundation Phase (FP) is important. Research recognises the need to better develop pre-service primary teachers' (PSTs') mathematical content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Understanding the importance that CK PSTs bring to their tertiary studies is needed. Aim: The study explores, what knowledge do third-year FP PSTs have of additive reasoning mental mathematics strategies? Setting: We share data from a larger study of PSTs' CK and PCK of additive reasoning strategies (a key aspect of number sense) before additive reasoning lectures with 80 third-year FP PSTs during their mathematics methodology course at a private institution. Methods: Participants included 54 of the 59 PSTs who agreed to take part in the study and were present in the first session when the pre-questionnaire (the focus of this article) was administered. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of PSTs' methods used, performance on the pre-questionnaire calculation items and explanations of methods and strategies were carried out. Results: Results highlight the need for explicit teaching of efficient calculation strategies along with required fluencies for using strategies. Conclusion: Knowledge of additive reasoning strategies cannot be taken for granted as established at school. Contribution: The findings of the study highlight the need for explicit teaching of efficient mental strategies such as Bridging Through Ten, Jump Strategy and Rounding and Adjusting in PSTs' studies.

This study explores how pre-service mathematics teachers build alternative model simulations of real-world scenarios. Inclusion in the formal structures for wealth generation and accumulation is a fervently debated issue in South Africa. Share owning in companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in South Africa is one of many wealth-building tools. Related discussions evolved on the spread of share ownership among black and white citizens. Two mathematically motivated positions were reported in a newspaper. In one of their mathematics courses, prospective mathematics teachers were presented with the article and asked to reflect on it with the prompt 'Which of these two methods for determining the "number of Black South Africans holding shares on the JSE" would your group support?' Audio- and video-recorded data were collected and subjected to thematic analysis. The themes that emerged from the analysis were economic empowerment, authority of research and trustworthiness of information. The discussions reflected on the complexities and rationalities involved in decision-making of mathematically driven opposing positions on issues of social importance. The mathematically derived results of such issues will eventually be resolved in the political field. The findings revealed that building of alternative mathematical models by pre-service mathematics teachers begins with an explicit problem setting, followed by the development of mathematical models that included real-world problems.

The narrative permeating higher education institutions globally is the intention to advance the quality of preservice mathematics teachers to gain better performance than mathematics school learners. In this article we report on a qualitative case study which explored the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of preservice teachers (PST) (n = 20) at a South African university of technology. These preservice teachers were provided with activity sheets with past examination questions in analytical geometry. Their written responses were analysed, and verification interviews were conducted. This was followed by an analysis of the preservice teachers' lesson plans for teaching the topic to Grade 11 learners. The domains and subdomains of the Shulman's PCK derived Mathematics Teacher's Specialised Knowledge (MTSK) model were used as the theoretical framework. The study established that the PSTs had limited content knowledge, and knowledge for teaching analytical geometry at Grade 11 as their responses to the activities confirmed that they mostly had procedural understanding. The study was conducted in a context with multilingual PSTs who are training in multilingual classrooms.

The teaching and learning of mathematics in sub-Saharan African countries is dominated by teacher-centred pedagogies rather than student-centred ones. Observations of mathematics teachers at two private schools in South Sudan confirmed such practices. This inspired the researchers to design an intervention to help six primary mathematics teachers shift their practices through problem-solving and mathematical discourse. Design-based research methods were implemented, and data were gathered using observations supported by video and audio recordings and field notes. The participants were selected using convenience sampling, and the data were analysed using Stephan's checklist of student-centred teaching as a framework. The findings revealed that initially, teachers were using tasks from textbooks, and the teachers themselves were engaged in solving the tasks while their students reproduced their actions. Additionally, all the teachers dominated classroom discussions. After the intervention, the teachers began to select tasks that could enhance learning through problem-solving and mathematical discourse among the students, shifting the teacher's role to facilitation as the students engaged in solving the tasks on their own. However, the shift in practice was highly dependent on the intervention, as the teachers' tasks were adopted from the workshop.

"Affordances in the third space" is a concept that can improve teacher education and inspires supervisory innovations that can be empirically studied. An intentionally designed hyperdocument workspace fostered collaboration among the university supervisor and classroom mentor teacher and shifted the clinical environment in favor of increased teacher candidate growth.

Using only monocultural books create problems of invisibility, ethnocentrism, and systemic privilege. For this study, undergraduate preservice teachers (PSTs) delved into books representing diverse identities and experiences over two subsequent semesters. Using surveys, reflections, and lesson plans, the knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives of PSTs changed as a result of the exposure and use within classroom assignments. PSTs responses indicated a stronger desire to include a broader range of books and to promote representation within the curriculum.