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This research is focused on assessing how the incorporation of Padlet technology affects the evaluation of historical thinking skills in high school history education. The research methodology involved a pretest-posttest approach with a randomly selected group of 70 students. The research tool employed questionnaires aligned with the study's objectives. Data analysis utilized comparative statistics, specifically the paired sample t-test. The outcomes of the study reveal a significant positive impact resulting from the integration of Padlet technology in assessing historical thinking skills. This is substantiated by the sign value being less than 0.05 for all aspects examined. Consequently, this research provides compelling evidence that this approach can serve as an effective alternative for improving the quality of history education at the high school level. The findings of this study have important implications for educators, learners, and other stakeholders. These results may be used by educators to create more successful teaching strategies that will improve their students' historical thinking and comprehension. As a personal learning tool, Padlet technology can help students comprehend the historical subjects they are studying better. For those involved, this study offers compelling proof that using Padlet technology in high school history curricula may improve its caliber.

This study examines the entrepreneurial intentions of Austrian secondary school students, specifically comparing students from commercial schools with those from general education schools. We analyzed 2,329 data sets and found that subjective beliefs, primarily behavioral and control beliefs, significantly influence entrepreneurial intentions. In addition, demographic factors such as gender, language, acquaintance with entrepreneurs, and school type play a significant role in explaining the variance in entrepreneurial intentions. Our detailed analysis shows that students from commercial schools have stronger entrepreneurial intentions and subjective beliefs. Particularly notable are the differences in behavioral beliefs, where students from commercial schools find all aspects of entrepreneurship more attractive, especially job creation, taking calculated risks, and being one's own boss. The differences in control beliefs suggest that commercial school students also feel better prepared for entrepreneurial tasks, especially in identifying market opportunities, securing financial resources, and maintaining relationships. These findings are consistent with the business and entrepreneurial focus of commercial schools, suggesting that they are effectively nurturing the entrepreneurial potential of their students. In considering instructional improvements for commercial schools, whether they should further increase their focus on aspects where students from both types of schools show minimal or no significant differences.

The inclusion of culturally and linguistically diverse learners in schools remains a global challenge and South African schools are no exception. The increasing number of national and international immigrants and refugees contributes to cultural and linguistic diversity (CLD) in classrooms. Teachers thus grapple with the inclusion of CLD learners. In this study we explored the perspectives of teachers on strategies that could enhance the inclusion of CLD learners in secondary schools. We contend that the inclusion of CLD learners has not been fully addressed in South African schools. A qualitative phenomenological design located within the interpretivism paradigm was used. We employed culturally responsive pedagogy as theoretical framework for the study. From a population of South African teachers in Gauteng, South Africa, 12 secondary school teachers were sampled through critical case sampling. Data were generated through interviews. Research findings identify the need for amendment of government policies, in-service training, and workshops for teachers, incorporating ethnically and culturally diverse content during instruction. Within this study, we extend awareness of the strategies that teachers in CLD classrooms can use to enhance inclusive education and propose further strategies that can also be considered in teaching in CLD classrooms. It is concluded that there is a great need to incorporate inclusive education in the higher education curriculum to capacitate pre-service teachers on the inclusion of learners -- CLD learners included.

Experts in public health and education alike have long advocated for the engagement of youth in nature to foster movement, human-nature connectedness, and mental wellbeing. Physical and health education teachers in school-based programs continue to find a variety of ways to help their students be physically active in the natural environment due to the plethora of positive benefits. This paper describes a unit entitled Nature-Based Physical Activity in Pictures that utilized Photovoice to engage youth and foster human-nature connectedness.

The aim of this study is to reveal the literacy levels and metaphors of Social Studies teacher candidates regarding the concepts of war and peace taught in secondary school. The research may be important in terms of revealing how Social Studies teacher candidates interpret the concepts of war and peace and how they perceive these concepts metaphorically. Phenomenology, one of the qualitative research designs, was used in the research. The study group of the research consists of 60 teacher candidates studying in the 4th year of the Social Studies Teaching undergraduate program of two state universities. In the research, it was determined what meanings Social Studies teacher candidates attributed to the concepts of war and peace. The collected metaphors were classified according to the metaphors used by teacher candidates. In addition, the resulting metaphors were grouped around certain common themes. Accordingly, the prospective teachers who participated in the research created 33 metaphors regarding the concept of war and 30 metaphors regarding the concept of peace. According to the research results, the most frequently repeated war metaphor is "massacre", followed by metaphors such as "murder", "apocalypse", "grim reaper" and "virus". The most frequently repeated peace metaphor is "breathing", followed by Metaphors such as "peace", "friendship", "mother" and "obligation" were followed. Metaphors related to the concepts of war and peace were grouped under two categories: "positive" and "negative". While metaphors about war were concentrated in the "negative" category, metaphors about peace were observed to be concentrated in the "positive" category. When the participants' reasons for the decision to go to war were examined, the most recurring answers were "if the future and security of the country is in danger" and "to guarantee peace". It has been determined that Social Studies teacher candidates who are new to the profession view war as a negative concept and peace as a positive concept. On the other hand, the fact that they create simple and easy justifications for deciding on war can be interpreted as their failure to internalize peace sufficiently.

Developing media literacy has emerged as a key requirement in our rapidly evolving world. Particularly, the incorporation of media literacy into the secondary school curriculum in Kazakhstan is perceived to have a long-term impact on the employment prospects of graduates and aligns with the country's multi-vector policy. Consequently, teachers recognize the imperative to foster media literacy in their classrooms. The integration of media literacy into the existing school curriculum holds profound importance, challenging students' critical thinking skills, creativity, and functional literacy. This study aims to explore the development of media literacy within English as a Foreign Language (hereinafter, EFL) classrooms, concentrating on teachers' perceptions and challenges related to media literacy. Utilizing a qualitative approach, the research entails conducting semi-structured interviews with EFL teachers in Kazakhstan. This study is based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with fifteen EFL teachers in schools in Kazakhstan. The findings reveal that, despite certain barriers, EFL teachers acknowledge the necessity of incorporating media literacy components into their classrooms. The tension associated with teaching media literacy manifests in decisions related to selecting appropriate resources, adopting effective approaches, and navigating the attitudes of other education stakeholders. The research outcomes contribute to filling the current gap in studies within this domain, offering practical insights for teachers working in similar environments.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged during 2020, had a wide-ranging impact on all forms of social engagement in England until February 2022, when all COVID restrictions were lifted. Schools were widely affected during this time in both tangible and tacet interactions. The impact of COVID restrictions on curricula for 11-14-year-olds in the Key Stage 3 secondary music classroom in schools has been among the more hidden educational impacts, and research in this area has been limited. This article discusses research conducted between November 2020 and June 2021, which took the form of an online survey with 59 classroom music teachers and semi-structured interviews with 12 music teacher participants. Adopting a methodology of descriptive coding and thematic analysis for interviews and open-response survey questions, the findings reveal 10 unintended consequences of COVID-19 safety measures for curriculum music teaching in schools. The article concludes by developing the concept of the 'funnelling' of music teaching during this time and explores the lasting impacts of such treatment, tracing the implications for the future of music curriculum in school and policy contexts.

A global concern in recent years has been the formal incorporation of computing and digital technology subjects into high school curricula. Despite many initiatives to make these subjects accessible to students, significant barriers to uptake remain in many countries. In this study we convened a panel of 32 academic, research, and other experts from several countries, to participate in a three round Delphi study with the goal of identifying ways to improve student participation for high school computer science and programming subjects in New Zealand. The study explored barriers and challenges, potential solutions and future scenarios, as well as implementation ideas for the most important solutions across five domains: Computer Science and Programming Standards, Resources, Support, Assessment, and Student-centred factors. Together these three Delphi rounds were synthesized into a framework summarizing challenges and potential solutions, including suggestions relating to the implementation of those solutions, alongside key aspects of a likely and a desirable future scenario regarding high school computing in New Zealand. The framework, which is the major result of this study, was designed with the intention to summarise and present potential ways to increase student participation and engagement for computer science and programming standards. We hope that this framework will be of interest to government, teachers, schools, industry, universities and other key stakeholders.

This paper examines three questions: (1) (How) Is democracy promoted in secondary schools in England? (2) How is the promotion of democracy understood in education and teacher education policy? and (3) To what extent does existing education policy benefit the promotion of democracy in schools in England? To explore these questions, we first discuss the policy landscape surrounding democratic education in England. We then outline our data collection and analysis methods, which comprised (a) the coding of ten different policy documents, including curriculum specifications, teaching standards and inspection frameworks, and (b) the utilisation of an original survey of more than 3000 teachers working in approximately 50% of all secondary schools in England. Together, our data allow us to raise three important points. First, education and teacher education policy neglects to specify 'how' democracy should be promoted and by 'whom'. Second, schools are offering scant provision of democratic education. Third, the majority of teachers feel fundamentally underprepared to teach democracy. We conclude this paper by arguing that, if policymakers do wish to promote democracy, there is a need for a cohesive policy and teacher education approach that guarantees democratic education for all.

The aim with this study was to analyse and explore how physical sciences, engineering science and technology subjects (technical electrical technology, technical civil technology, technical mechanical technology) can contribute to the alignment of the technical sciences curriculum. We used document analysis to collect data. An analysis of the curriculum and assessment policy statements (CAPS) for technical sciences, physical sciences, electrical technology, civil technology, mechanical technology, and textbooks for engineering science was done. The findings of the study suggest that the technical science curriculum is a replica of the physical science curriculum. We recommend that the technical sciences curriculum be reviewed such that relevant scientific concepts can be used to bridge the gaps identified in the curriculum. The implications are that a new, aligned technical sciences curriculum that is relevant for technology subjects must be developed.

This cross-cultural study examines the inclusion of global competences (GCs) in the curriculum of teacher education programs across three Baltic Sea countries: Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Using van den Akker's (2003) substantive approach to curriculum analysis, the researchers analyzed official documents and course descriptions of Daugavpils University (Latvia), Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy (Lithuania), and Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce (Poland). Employing Rapley's (2007) document analysis method, the study focused on both explicit content and implicit gaps to assess how well GCs are integrated into teacher training programs for primary and preschool education. The research involved a detailed examination of 262 syllabi, comprising 63 from Latvia, 61 from Lithuania, and 138 from Poland. The researchers used a template based on the PISA 2018 Global Competence Framework to identify which competences and sub-competences were included in the syllabi. The study aimed to answer the question: How are all the dimensions of global competences included in the syllabi of courses taught at the primary and preschool education levels in three Baltic Sea countries? The findings reveal that the Lithuanian curriculum includes the most GC-focused courses (92 courses, 276 ECTS), followed by Poland (44 courses, 99 ECTS), and Latvia (30 courses, 161 ECTS). The analysis was conducted in four steps: comparing the total number of courses and ECTS credits, ranking the development level of each GC dimension, characterizing the development of each dimension, and analyzing the general approach towards incorporating GCs into the curricula. The results indicate a significant variation in how GCs are integrated across the three countries, with Lithuania demonstrating the most comprehensive incorporation. The study highlights the need for a more sustainable, systematic and consistent inclusion of global competences in teacher education to better prepare educators for a globalized world.

This study documents secondary pre-service teachers (PSTs) who examined Black Lives Matter (BLM)-themed young adult literature (YAL) embedded in contemporary realistic fiction and graphic novels, as part of coursework for an online YAL course required for secondary teacher certification. An analysis of instructor mentoring, online discussions, literature evaluations, and interviews demonstrates enhanced awareness of the need to implement BLM-themed literature, against the grain of rigid curricular requirements and policies that ban critical race theory (CRT) dialogue in numerous school districts. Moreover, PSTs identified these texts as a source to guide CRT to raise awareness of the history and permanence of systemic racism and its influence on contemporary society and the implementation of culturally relevant literature.

Background/Context: Career and technical education (CTE) coursework in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medical/health (STEMM) fields has been supported by policy makers as a way to align the secondary-to-postsecondary-to-career pipeline. Yet, in the research, the focus has been on whether STEMM CTE coursetaking in high school predicts college-going or whether it predicts employment for non-college goers. Little attention has been paid to whether STEMM CTE coursetaking in high school aligns with college employment opportunities. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This study investigates the relationship between one promising educational practice--STEMM career and technical education (STEMM CTE) coursetaking--and outcomes along students' college employment pathways. Specifically, we asked the following research questions: Does taking more STEMM CTE courses in high school link to "general" college employment outcomes? Does taking more STEMM CTE courses in high school link to "STEMM-specific" college employment outcomes? How do these relationships vary across important student subgroups, namely, those identified by the National Science Foundation as traditionally underrepresented in STEMM fields: low-income students, students with learning disabilities, women, and Black and Hispanic students? Research Design: We relied on data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS). Administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), HSLS is the most current, nationally representative data set that follows a cohort of more than 20,000 ninth-grade students across the United States throughout high school and after graduation. Our regression analyses relied on data collected during the baseline year school-level survey (2009), the high school transcript update (2013), and student-level surveys from all four data-collection waves (2009, 2012, 2013, 2016). Conclusions/Recommendations: Using these national data, we find that taking more STEMM CTE courses was associated with a higher chance of having a STEMM job during college and having higher expectations for future STEMM employment, though not with general employment outcomes such as wages. The findings were different for students from some underrepresented backgrounds in STEMM fields, and implications are discussed.

In the era of inclusive education, every educator can expect to have students with disabilities in their classroom. Unfortunately, preservice teachers who are not specifically pursuing special education licensure are often only expected to take one course focused on teaching students with disabilities. Given the increased emphasis on less restrictive educational placements of students with disabilities, it is vital for teacher education to promote asset-based, inclusive approaches. In this article, we share the rationale for embedding critical perspectives from the field of disability studies into teacher education courses. We further detail five course design priorities that support teacher candidates' development of inclusive dispositions: (1) centering models of disability; (2) integrating disability history; (3) addressing language and terminology; (4) prioritizing first-person narratives; and (5) illustrating disability-inclusive curriculum. Inspired by our own experiences with developing and teaching introductory courses, the article follows one teacher educator's fictional journey of redesigning a "Special Education 101" class with these priorities in mind. This article spotlights small but powerful shifts teacher educators can make to prepare future inclusive educators who think, talk, and teach about disability through a critical lens.

Understanding genetics, an important topic in the study of biology, is critical for scientific literacy in agriculture, health, and forensic investigations. However, it has been observed that teachers find genetics difficult to teach and pupils do not perform well in it. Teachers can use expository teaching or active learning methods, but the secondary school curriculum in Malawi advocates the latter. The aim of this study was to find out how genetics is taught and how teachers justify their choice of method. This study used a multi-case design involving six teachers and observed their Mendelian genetics lessons and asked them to justify their choice of teaching method. The findings show that teachers mostly use expository methods utilizing lecture and question and answer teaching techniques. Contextual factors such as large classes, limited teaching time, and lack of resources were cited as reasons for their choice of expository techniques. In addition, they said that the topic was abstract and learners could not construct their own understanding. Furthermore, they indicated that they did not know what activities to arrange for the learners. The paper discusses the difficulties experienced in implementing active learning methods in teaching genetics and recommends possible avenues for teacher education and further research in Malawi.

This paper reports on curriculum analysis of climate change expectations in Canada's provincial curricula. The research is focused on curriculum policy in Canadian provinces; however, it pertains to an international audience as Article 12 of the Paris Agreement, the international treaty on climate mitigation, adaptation and finance, calls for signatories to "enhance climate change education," and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have called for environmental education to be a core curriculum component by 2025, which will require all countries to evaluate and improve their curricula globally. Curriculum policy within Canada has not yet been aligned with these policy calls, and our analysis showed fractured and uneven inclusion of climate change. Data findings present explicit climate change education curriculum expectations for each province according to grade, subject, and mandatory versus elective courses. The review shows uneven inclusion of climate change topics, themes, and units within grade 7-12 curricula, with most expectations occurring in elective senior secondary courses. A second level of analysis with a ranking tool indicates shallow inclusion. The paper concludes with recommendations for addressing gaps.

This study aims to evaluate mathematics curriculum used in social sciences high schools' preparatory classes based on Stufflebeam (CIPP) evaluation model in terms of context, input, process and product dimensions. With this aim, this study seeks to answer "How is preparatory class mathematics curriculum (PCMC) evaluated in terms of its context, input, process and products?" from the viewpoint of teachers and students. Case study method which is one of qualitative research methods is used in this study. The study is carried out in the first term of 2021-2022 academic year in a social sciences high school which uses National Ministry of Education's curriculum. Participants of the study are 65 students and four mathematics teachers. Mathematics achievement test and interview forms are used as data gathering tools. The results of the study revealed that both teachers and students have critical views of context, input, process and product dimensions of the curriculum; however, the criticisms intensify in process and product dimensions of the curriculum. Another finding of the study is that specific conditions of schools and characteristics of students and teachers have a major impact on commitment to curriculum, teaching-learning processes and learning outcomes. Some recommendations are made for implementers and researchers based on the findings of the study. [This article includes an extended summary in Turkish.]

The aim of this study is to determine Turkish pre-service science teachers' levels of chemical explanations of various daily life phenomena and to investigate whether these examples are in accordance with the high school chemistry curriculum in Turkey. This study was carried out with descriptive research methods. The participants are 71 freshmen pre-service science teachers in a state university in Turkey. The data of the study were collected with the "Chemical Explanations of Daily Phenomena" Questionnaire previously developed in the literature. The phenomena in the questionnaire were related to chemistry concepts such as diffusion, temperature, combustion reactions and the law of conservation of mass, isotopes, reaction rate, redox reactions, and mixtures and solutions. The answers were analyzed in three categories: correct, wrong, and can't determine and the frequencies and percentages of the categories were determined. Also, the learning outcomes in the latest version of the Turkish high school chemistry curriculum were examined in order to determine whether they were related to the chemistry concepts in the questionnaire. Document analysis was utilized to analyze the learning outcomes in the chemistry curriculum. The findings of the study revealed that most of the pre-service teachers answered correctly the questions that are compatible with the chemistry curriculum. Their misconceptions were mostly related to heat transfer and specific heat capacity, the law of conservation of mass, and heavy water and isotopes. The findings indicated that future curriculum changes should integrate some important chemistry concepts closely related to everyday life, such as radioactivity and heat transfer.

This article is a qualitative investigation of teachers' pedagogical approaches to the terror attacks on September 11, 2001. The ten participants are regionally diverse in-service teachers who attended workshops conducted by the 9/11 Memorial Museum and Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in New York during June and July, 2019. Teachers presented their 9/11 lessons at a March 5, 2020 conference in New York City to pre- and in-service teachers. Surveys, interviews, and lessons determined how teachers implemented professional development in their schools. The paper seeks to improve teacher training through the use of primary sources and place-based education to engender student inquiry. The creation of 9/11 digital lesson plans on the Library of Congress' Teaching with Primary Sources site provides teachers access to ensure that 9/11 receives greater emphasis in the social studies curriculum. Findings indicate that in-situ, place-based experiences increased 9/11 curriculum in classrooms.

This study aims to investigate pre-service science teachers' knowledge levels, practical experiences, and perceived competencies in teaching biodiversity at secondary school level. The study was conducted in Turkey with 151 pre-service science teachers, 50 of whom were first-year, 34 second year, 42 third year, and 25 fourth year during the fall semester of 2022-2023. An open-ended biodiversity concept test was applied to identify their knowledge levels, prior education experiences, and perceived competencies in teaching biodiversity. Descriptive statistics and content analysis results revealed that as the year level increased, the knowledge levels and experiences of the pre-service teachers increased as well, and in parallel, they perceived themselves as more competent in teaching the subject of biodiversity. When first and second year students were evaluated together, it was found that most of their answers were at a low level in terms of their knowledge about biodiversity. When the third and fourth grade teacher candidates' knowledge levels about biodiversity were examined, it was revealed that they were predominantly at a good level. As can be clearly seen, as year levels increased, the level of knowledge also increased. These results highlight the importance of theoretical and practical courses for content and pedagogical knowledge on the perceived competencies of the pre-service teachers in teaching biodiversity.

In New Zealand/Aotearoa, high levels of secondary school absenteeism are a nationwide problem. Absenteeism is associated with a range of adverse outcomes for individuals and has detrimental effects on society. Since the global COVID-19 pandemic, with the government closing schools during lockdowns, absenteeism has reached epidemic proportions as students have failed to return to school. Despite the considerable concerns around absenteeism, there remains a significant gap in the research literature regarding the circumstances that influence students' decisions not to attend school. This systematic literature review of qualitative research conducted in Aotearoa through student voice examines adolescents' reasons for being absent from school. The review found that many underlying factors influence absenteeism, including teacher/student relationships, the school environment, peer relationships, curriculum and pedagogy, and family and personal well-being. This review found that the most critical theme that influenced student non-attendance at school is relationships. These findings indicate that relational pedagogies and restorative practices in schools, which serve to support and sustain student relationships with their teachers and peers, could reduce absenteeism.

This study seeks to comprehend the planning and development of the Independent Curriculum in middle and high schools in Medan. Additionally, it aims to investigate the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum in these institutions and its impact on the quality of learning and student outcomes. The study also endeavors to identify the primary obstacles and challenges encountered by teachers, students, and schools in the execution of the Merdeka Curriculum in Medan. Furthermore, it aims to analyze the factors influencing the effectiveness of curriculum implementation. The research methodology employed is an evaluative approach. The methodology employed in this study is the CIPPO method, encompassing context, input, process, product, and output. The data is presented qualitatively through narrative descriptions with accompanying descriptive percentages. Analytical techniques involve tabulation and qualitative analysis. Based on the outcomes of data analysis, it is discerned that the planning and development of the Independent Curriculum in Middle and High Schools in Medan have proceeded smoothly, aligning seamlessly with established criteria. The execution of the Independent Curriculum in middle and high schools in Medan has been generally successful; however, a few minor obstacles persist, impeding its seamless implementation. The primary challenge encountered by teachers, students, and schools in implementing the Independent Curriculum in Medan stems from insufficient facilities and infrastructure, particularly in schools situated in remote areas. This factor significantly affects the overall effectiveness of curriculum implementation. The research novelty resides in delineating the distinctive aspects of planning and executing the Merdeka curriculum within resource-constrained environments. The study delves into perceived obstacles and elucidates strategies aimed at surmounting challenges, thereby facilitating the effective implementation of the Merdeka curriculum in such settings.

Educators have long questioned why some students can experience achievement more easily in some school subjects/curriculum, but not in others. We argue that learners cannot ignore navigating two key features inherent within every curriculum--its cognitive demands as well as its opportunities for access to knowledge that are the twin foci of this study. We adopt Specialisation codes from Legitimation Code Theory to examine the epistemic and social relations of intended learning outcomes from secondary science- and arts-based curricula in mainland China. The results showed that science curricula coded predominately with knowledge codes, but the latter possessed mainly elite codes. Compared to science, the Chinese arts curriculum is therefore more challenging for learners because achievement here is largely dependent on possession of specific attributes, dispositions, or qualities that can potentially restrict access. Implications for improving teaching and learning in these two types of curriculum in this region are discussed.

The purpose of the article is to discuss, explore and advocate for the importance of self-management skills (cognitive and behavioural) for physical activity in health and physical education (HPE) in relation to the newly revised Australian Curriculum. This conceptual paper is presented as two halves. The first half presents an examination of the contemporary literature around learning about physical activity and fitness knowledge (PAFK). In doing so, I present the importance of physical activity and the role of school physical education in the development of cognitive and behavioural skills and the contribution these can make to HPE curriculum and pedagogy. The second half explores and interrogates the proposed sub-strand "Making Active Choices" of version 9.0 of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education (AC: HPE). Here, I explore the literature as well as the proposed aims, rationale, content descriptions/elaborations and focus areas to ask questions of the legitimacy and value of PAFK and the role of self-management skills in contemporary curriculum policy. The contribution is timely, given the imminent development of the revised AC: HPE and its implications on curriculum and pedagogical enactment in primary and secondary schools here in Australia.

Schools are turning to research-based social emotional learning (SEL) practices to improve student achievement and school progress. Research to support SEL implementation, however, has lagged behind outcomes-based evaluations, often resulting in poor SEL program quality and fidelity. This mixed methods study explores SEL implementation at a high-needs high school to determine the extent the program's implementation adhered to the identified model. The findings indicate the study school only minimally implemented the evidence-based model due to barriers also cited in peer-reviewed research and, therefore, the evidence-based program was not implemented as intended. This study validates the need for research to shift attention from efficacious outcomes-based studies toward establishing best implementation practices to ensure interventions are transferred and implemented with fidelity. Doing so should strengthen adherence to evidence-based models, improve the overall quality of SEL program implementation, and increase the likelihood of achieving the desired outcomes attributed to SEL program implementation.

Modeling and simulation activities are common in secondary technology and engineering education classrooms. Virtual simulations are used to integrate engineering design into classroom instruction. The performance outcomes of a student's final virtual design usually depend on the level of knowledge application. When applying the learned content to the virtual design, a student may reach the limit to which the theoretical knowledge can be applied. At this point, students may resort to other problem-solving processes to improve the design, such as trial and error. This study measures the performance outcomes of students introduced to the content in different formats to determine how the introduction of knowledge impacts their performance within a virtual simulation. The activity in this study is a bridge-building project where the students use virtual modeling software to design a truss. The results show that students with more exposure to the content at the beginning of the activity have significantly better performance outcomes in the initial designs. However, students that receive less content initially can perform equally well if given enough opportunities to engage in the simulation activity.

The goal of this qualitative research is to understand equitable teaching practices of computer science classrooms in the Chicago Public Schools through the video analysis specifically for the Latinx students. Data was collected through video recording from 10 different CPS classrooms. The videos were analyzed qualitative to determine the inquiry driven equitable practices. Though the equitable practices were identified based on the classroom video analysis, literature review on equitable practices and core ECS philosophy informed us to recognize and group the themes and their indicators of equity. This research plays a crucial role in terms of informing the current equitable teaching practices based on the videos in ECS classrooms in Chicago, also the research identifies a need to study further cultural references in terms of teaching computer science curriculum. This research has significance for designing professional development for marginalized population in computer science and possibly for other STEM areas.

Selecting diverse texts is vital for creating culturally inclusive and responsive literacy classrooms. However, despite growing student diversity and a push for multicultural literature curricular adoption, little impact has been made on secondary teacher multicultural text selection. This text selection stagnation begs further examination amidst the alarming context of a marked reading decline in U.S. classrooms wherein fewer than one-third of students entered high school as proficient readers this year (Nation's Report Card, 2022). This study uses data from recent high school graduates to unfurl text selection practices in Kansas high school English classrooms. Study results detail Kansas's most frequently taught texts, compare these texts to two previous studies, and suggest a continued homogeneity in text selection. These results demonstrate the need to understand the factors influencing text selection practices and the impact of traditional text selection on students' engagement, motivation, and learning.

Much cultural capital research has accumulated since its inception in the 1970s and researchers have charted the corresponding development of cultural capital theory in academic communities. This empirical study takes the further step of offering an account of cultural capital as it is interpreted in schools. This 'interventionalist account' is based on classifications of practices that had been explicitly implemented at 14 secondary schools in England in order to give students access to cultural capital. The collection of cultural capital practices was compiled from 38 interviews with senior leaders, teachers, and support staff. Practitioners justifiably believed these practices to be supported by research evidence. It was found, however, that a wide variety of cultural capital practices exist in schools today, with limited support from research evidence and theory. I discuss how the 'evidence pipeline' has broken down in this case and is sometimes an inappropriate metaphor for conceptualising research dissemination.

This article demonstrates how the use of affect in literature education invokes trajectories of nationalism and/or solidarity using the case of postcolonial Cyprus as example. For this, we analyse secondary school literature curricula and textbooks in both Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot educational systems. We do so by making use of affect theory -- mainly 'affective nationalism' and 'affective solidarity' -- met with Henri Lefebvre's 'rhythms' and 'truth of space,' and Raymond Williams' dominant, emergence, residual positions. Our focus questions are: What social, cultural, political meanings about the ethnic self and 'Other' are produced by literature curricula and textbooks? How can affect be used to regulate students and meanings in literature education, and what kind of 'alternative' affective meanings emerge? Our analysis shows that literature can be used in educational settings to evoke simultaneously conflicting affective ideologies and feelings. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed for literature education in postcolonial settings.

This article examines the place of ijtihad in the British Religious Education curriculum. It argues that the concept should be taught to high school students earlier than A-Level. Knowledge of ijtihad enables students to understand diversity of thought and legal interpretation in Islam, and why different conclusions can be reached from the same or similar corpus of Islamic sources. Ijtihad has always played an important role in the consolidation and evolution of Islamic legal thinking. Yet despite increased research about the value of a hermeneutical approach in the RE classroom in recent years, ijtihad is rarely taught in UK schools. The article presents real life classroom experience and tweaks to the established RE syllabi which have been implemented in schools where the majority of students identify as Muslims. Its principal author (Zameer Hussain) is a religious studies teacher who brings his own expertise in teaching to this debate in order to evidence how a hermeneutical approach to the study of Islam at all levels will benefit students' understanding of Islam and help them to understand the importance of legal pluralism within and between Islamic traditions.

There is an emerging need for redefining religious literacy for teachers in mainstream secondary schools in the United Kingdom (UK) where Religious Studies is part of the core curriculum. The research study draws upon careful observation and analysis of UK mainstream secondary school curricula about Islam and on the qualitative pieces of evidence from teaching the Institute of Ismaili Studies' (IIS) secondary curriculum in religious education classes for learners within the Shi'a Imami Ismaili Muslim community. A novel three-dimensional pyramid approach is proposed for those who teach Islam in UK secondary mainstream schools that aims to provide a holistic understanding of Islam using inclusivist and multifaceted perspectives. The dimensions of the approach include religious situatedness, social connection, and chronological evolution. The findings from implementing this approach show that situating religion within a humanistic realm helps learners gain insights into the nuances of dynamic forces that are at play.

Teacher education programs need to prepare future teachers to adapt their teaching for students varying in motor ability, experience, and prior knowledge. The purpose of this case study was to examine (a) preservice teachers (PSTs) adaptations in lesson plans; (b) whether the adaptations were modifications or refinements; and (c) the appropriateness of these adaptations in lesson plans as a function of three conditions to reflect during a secondary methods class in volleyball and badminton. Twenty-one (12 female, 9 male) PSTs made adaptations in lesson plans to six core practices, namely goals and assessments, rules and routines, active supervision and monitoring, management, task presentation, and content development. In this methods class, focus was put on the latter three. The PSTs adapted their lesson plans after being a student-participant (PST-S) or a student-teacher (PST-T) with or without a personal feedback meeting (FM) with content experts. Adaptations were collected through the track changes function in Word. Data were descriptively and inferentially analyzed. Results indicated PSTs made a mean 6.7 and 6.8 adaptations per lesson plan for volleyball and badminton, respectively. In both domains, PST-T with FM made significantly more adaptations to management and task presentations compared to PST-S (p < 0.05). For volleyball, PST-T with FM made significantly more modifications, refinements, and appropriate adaptations compared to PST-S. For badminton, PST-T with FM made significantly more modifications and appropriate adaptations compared to PST-S. This case study demonstrated that a feedback meeting with content experts facilitated PSTs adaptations to core practices.

The history of subjects is often told analysing notions of knowledge in historical reforms, policies, curricula, and textbooks. In this article, we analyse student papers from 1968, focusing on their responses to the topic 'Social distinctions and prejudices in Denmark'. The students present a number of concepts and categories of social differences and prejudices, depict a contemporary problem, refer to theoretical or categorical frameworks, provide a historical account, state bold claims and/or present conceptual definitions. Then, by giving different examples from their everyday life and by establishing some form of line or structure in their writings, they form an argument or narrative. They do this by using--we assume--information from their textbooks, from what have been discussed in teaching, in the public debate, and in the students' homes. The student papers not only passively reflect but are part of the ongoing constitution of the subjects and subject matter, during a period of tremendous educational change.

Neo-Aristotelian forms of character education often draw on literary sources as materials, although rarely poetry. This article offers retrospective reflections on a poetry-based character-education intervention, conducted in an Icelandic secondary-school setting. Having run into practical difficulties during the implementation phase, the challenges of implementation were reflected upon through consultation with ten subject experts who shared their views about the enablers and barriers encountered when running such an intervention. The interviews yielded a rich data set, which often took interviewees beyond the boundaries of a poetry-based curricular context to focus on more general conditions for effective, character-inspiring school-work. Through thematic analysis, four themes were identified: freedom, time, creativity, and wonderment. Of these four, creativity had been identified in advance as an interview theme, meaning that the researchers expected to find it. The remaining three provide an insight into how, according to the interviewees, the ideal Icelandic school system should be designed. The theme of freedom addresses both negative and positive aspects of the current state of affairs, while the theme of time mostly reflects negative aspects of the Icelandic curriculum. The theme of wonderment has solely positive connotations in the minds of interviewees, and is the core of this analysis because it seems to hold the key to the question: what factors would enable an effective intervention of the sort under scrutiny here? This theme is analysed in detail, and some specific and general educational implications are elicited.

In today's rapidly evolving global economy, it is essential to equip young learners with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in the workforce and contribute to economic development. Education is a vital driver of human capital and development in countries, and the effectiveness of any educational system depends heavily on its curriculum. This article studies the pivotal role of the curriculum in shaping education and its contribution to economic development. We examined four components (objectives, content, teaching-learning methods, and evaluation) of secondary school curricula in G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, USA) and Iran to present a set of proposed concepts for the Iranian curriculum with a focus on economic features. A comparative strategy with four qualitative stages (description, interpretation, juxtaposition, comparison) was used. The proposed concepts are arranged in three layers: the first includes improvement of scientific skills; technical skills; and process skills. The second includes study of world history and geography, and other countries' languages and cultures. The third includes altruism for others, and health and environment. Our study serves as an introduction to the skills and abilities needed by Iranian students to compete in the real world. It also provides a concise outline of some of the essential competencies for tomorrow's society and workplaces.

This literature review examined trends in the curricular focus and type of articles published on secondary curriculum for transition-age students with severe disabilities across a 40-year time span (1981-2020). We analyzed 397 peer-reviewed journal articles by decade. The number of articles published steadily declined from 1981-1990 to 2001-2010 and then increased from 2011-2020. The majority of articles focused on functional curriculum particularly in the area of social, speech, and language skills. Few articles were published in the areas of science, social studies, music/art, safety skills, and sex education. Changes in the percentage of articles published within each curricular area occurred in the areas of curricular issues, recreation and leisure, domestic and daily living skills, and self-determination. Most articles were empirical and utilized single-case design. There was a decline in non-empirical articles over time.

Instructional videos are a popular teaching and learning tool. Teachers use already existing videos and develop their own videos, in which they explain important domain concepts. The effectiveness of these videos depends on their instructional quality. To support future teachers in creating high-quality videos, we developed a training and compared the instructional quality of videos developed by pre-service economics teachers ("N" = 24) before and after the training period. The quality is assessed based on a theoretically funded framework. We identify small improvements regarding the overall instructional quality and provide an overview of the most common changes made by the preservice teachers. Overall, the study contributes to a better understanding of how future teachers can be supported in creating high-quality digital media.

This article, which is intended as a contribution to wider conversations around music literacy, explores current conceptions of music literacy within the UK, using the area of aural skills training as a focus. Specifically, it considers the nature of music literacy and aural training in secondary (ages 11-18) music curricula and the role of aural training in supporting the development of music literacy. Contemporary secondary music courses now explore a far wider range of musics than their historic counterparts, yet the ways in which these are taught, practised, and assessed continue to be driven by pedagogic models that were designed to develop music literacy within a narrower range of musics associated with a specific tradition. This is compounded by the fact that contemporary secondary music courses have become somewhat diluted in terms of their focus and the main curricular components (performance, composition, and listening/appraising) are unnaturally separated into disconnected areas of practice to conveniently be assessed in isolation. This article concludes by proposing potential enhancements that educators might consider as they look to develop a student-centred approach to aural training and how this might better support the development of multiple forms of music literacy within their curricula.

Chemical reasoning, and in particular structure--property reasoning, is an important goal of chemistry education. Johnstone's triangle (1982, 1991) is often used to explicate this type of reasoning. This triangle describes the multilevel thought chemical reasoning requires and shows why students find chemistry so difficult. However, this model gives little guidance for teachers and students on how to teach and learn structure--property reasoning. In this theoretical article, we propose an alternative model for structure--property reasoning which has three advantages compared with previous models, namely, more coherence between chemical concepts and the skill of reasoning, more horizontal coherence (coherence between the concepts), and more vertical coherence (coherence throughout the school years). In four cases selected from the Dutch secondary school chemistry curriculum, the model was used to show how it can guide teachers and students in teaching and learning structure--property reasoning, and to demonstrate these above-named three advantages. The presented model has various educational applications as a scaffold for students' reasoning, and as an instruction, design, and curriculum tool for teachers.

There is a renewed interest for the use of inquiry in social studies classrooms; though, research has long shown numerous benefits. This lesson seeks to utilize the inquiry method to invigorate the social studies curriculum as well as explore a controversial topic of gender equality in historic representation. Women are often underrepresented in history textbooks and curriculum. Thus, students may examine various females and their role in history; more specifically this lesson aims to explore women from the 1920s to fight the misconception that women quickly earned equal status as men because of their enfranchisement with the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment.

The present article discusses female students' perception of the female role models introduced to them during religious education classes in Poland. Besides imparting knowledge, the teaching of religious classes in schools, a part of religious education, aims at shaping attitudes. Therefore, presenting young people with role models who can inspire them and be a reference point concerning their behaviour should be a vital component of religious education. The current research shows, however, that this is a neglected area. This article is based on a research study comprising focus group interviews. The participants were adult students in the final grades of secondary school who had completed the entire cycle of religious education at school. The article is structured as follows. The first section discusses the relationship between the role models presented to students during religious education classes and the shaping of their identity "vis-a-vis" the morphogenetic approach of M. Archer. The second section focuses on the female personal role models mentioned in the core curriculum and religious education textbooks. This is followed by a delineation of the methodological assumptions of the present research and a discussion of the results.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) in basic education, i.e. K12 education, have often been constrained by sociocultural context and limited to pedagogical aspects, and these innovations have not yet catalyzed curriculum reform as expected. To address this research gap, this study adopted a key-competence-based subject knowledge learning tool, i.e. Smart Learning Partner (SLP), and conducted a quasi-experimental study to evaluate its effects among middle school students. A total of 400 participants in Grade 7 from four schools were followed for a period of two and a half years. The results on online learning engagement indicated that the manipulation generally succeeded in promoting students' use of SLP in the experimental schools. Furthermore, the results on academic performance showed that SLP could not only directly benefit students' learning in the first academic year but also continued to have an effect within the following one and a half years. This study contributes to the existing knowledge in two aspects: first, it extends the use of an adaptive learning cognitive map and shows positive effects in supporting the implementation of the whole curriculum; second, it presents a long-term and large-scale example of successfully integrating ICTs into the key-competence-based curriculum reform in the Chinese context.