The impetus for this paper was the April 10, 2026, announcement made by the Ontario Minister of Education, Paul Calandra, about sweeping and non-negotiable changes to the consecutive teacher education programme in the province. The proposed changes include reducing teacher education programmes to 12 months over three consecutive semesters from 16 months over four semesters: prioritising “practical, in-classroom learning” by standardising the length of practicum placements to 80 days with teaching staff while concomitantly slashing the number of hours of formal academic teacher preparation at Faculties of Education (Newsroom Ontario, 2026). The rationale is that the new programme would save teacher candidates about 3000 in tuition and help address a growing teacher shortage in Ontario and is a response to an American National Research Council study cited by Calandra (without reference) that reports that “there is little evidence that the amount of course work in ITE (initial teacher education) makes a difference in teachers’ effectiveness when they enter the profession”, and “literature research shows that teachers who complete longer practicums feel better prepared and are more likely to stay in the profession” (National Research Council, 2010, p. 171). This paper argues that the proposed changes directly contradict important, and more recent research-based recommendations by reputable educational insiders, especially in mathematics education that call for an extended, specialized teacher education programme.
Scientific concepts are often difficult for elementary students to grasp, especially when they need to visualize the motion of the sub-microscopic particles under different temperatures. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of a constructivist teaching sequence (CTS) approach in fostering elementary students’ conceptual change in verbal and visual representations of heat conduction. We used an explanatory mixed-methods design involving both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Quantitative data focused on the frequency of students’ verbal and visual representations, while qualitative analysis examined patterns of change in both representation types. The study involved 69 fifth-grade students (28 boys and 41 girls) from a public elementary school in Indonesia. Findings indicate that students’ understanding of heat conduction at both macroscopic and sub-microscopic levels shifted toward scientific conceptions following the CTS intervention. Notably, the CTS approach improved visual representations. Many students revised their drawings from undefined (UD), non-microscopic (NMD), or misconception drawings (MD) to partial (PD) or scientific (SD) drawings, indicating conceptual growth facilitated by the CTS-based learning process. The CTS approach successfully facilitated changes in both verbal and visual conceptions through the assimilation and accommodation of prior knowledge, serving as a foundation for constructing new understanding of heat conduction.
Piano education has grown significantly in contemporary China since the 1990s, reflecting increasing educational aspirations (EA) and cultural development. However, previous studies have not comprehensively examined the interconnected roles of socioeconomic status (SES), parental investment (PI), and cultural capital (CC). This study developed and validated a combined framework to examine the relationships among family SES, EA, PI, CC, piano learning participation (PLP), and the transformation of piano education, while using piano education as a representative lens to understand broader changes in contemporary music education in China. Quantitative data were collected from 700 respondents through structured questionnaires across four major Chinese cities, followed by semi-structured interviews with 20 participants. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), structural equation modelling (SEM), and mediation analysis were performed, while thematic analysis was employed to analyse the qualitative data. The measurement model demonstrated strong reliability and validity (Cronbach’s α = 0.921, CR = 0.936, AVE > 0.70 for all constructs), and the structural model showed a good overall fit (χ2/df = 2.145, CFI = 0.953, TLI = 0.946, RMSEA = 0.041, SRMR = 0.048). The findings indicated that all proposed hypotheses were statistically supported (p < 0.001). EA significantly influenced PI (β = 0.612), while CC positively affected PLP (β = 0.596). Furthermore, CC partially mediated the relationship between EA and PLP, accounting for 49.2
The integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) into higher education has gained renewed attention in India in light of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. This study examines stakeholder perspectives on the inclusion of IKS in contemporary higher education curricula, focusing on attitudes, perceived relevance, benefits, challenges, and expectations for future reforms. This study is theoretically grounded in Stakeholder Theory and Diffusion of Innovations Theory, which provide an understanding of how stakeholders’ perceptions influence the acceptance and adoption of IKS within higher education curricula. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and data were collected from 180 purposively selected respondents, comprising students (n = 60), faculty members (n = 60), and administrators/IKS practitioners (n = 60) from higher education institutions. A structured and validated questionnaire was used, and the data were analysed using descriptive statistical techniques. The findings revealed an overall positive orientation toward IKS integration across stakeholder groups. Administrators and IKS practitioners reported the highest level of support (70
This study examines trends in the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and entrepreneurial skills in education through a systematic literature review (SLR). A total of 53 articles published between 2014 and 2024 were analyzed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework based on data retrieved from the Scopus database. The findings indicate a significant increase in publications after 2019, reflecting growing global interest in STEM-entrepreneurship integration. The results show that research is predominantly conducted in higher education contexts, while studies at primary and secondary levels remain limited. Qualitative methods are the most commonly used approaches, indicating a need for more quantitative and mixed-methods research. In terms of twenty-first-century skills, problem-solving is the most emphasized, whereas communication and leadership skills are underrepresented. Geographically, developed countries such as the USA and the UK dominate research contributions, although developing countries, including Malaysia and Indonesia, show increasing engagement. These findings highlight important gaps and provide insights for future research and educational practices to support more comprehensive integration of STEM and entrepreneurship.
