Science literacy enables citizens to make informed decisions in their everyday lives. Educators can enact science teaching practices in science classes to develop science literacy in the youth. As pre-service teachers transition from coursework to student teaching, they enter a new authentic discourse where they navigate their position as student teachers. This multiple case study explored the student teaching experience of Emma and Grace as pre-service elementary teachers (PSETs) in two different rotations. PSETs rotated to a different classroom with new students and a cooperating teacher at the midpoint of student teaching. Semi-structured interviews, surveys, and artifacts were collected. Emma’s and Grace’s use of core science teaching practices (CSTPs) was identified through inductive content analysis. In addition, the identified CSTPs were compared between rotations to explore the contextual constructs that impacted their experience. Contextual constructs were interpreted using the conceptual framework of disciplinary literacy to present a framework called Framework to Develop Scientific Literacy (FDSL). The study findings identified relationships, time, school structure, and community as contextual constructs. Contextual constructs function as the power shared or denied by people for control. With enabling influences, power and control are shared between the participants and contextual constructs. With disabling influences, the contextual constructs deny power and control, leading to control of the participants’ utilization of CSTPs. The findings of this study suggest that teacher education programs should consider introducing the FDSL to PSETs before they enter student teaching to contextualize their experience.
This study examines whether cooperative learning contributes to developing problem-solving skills and self-efficacy among pre-service teachers. A total of 477 students participated (M = 19.28; SD = 2.66). Findings show that, in permanent groups, the relationship between cooperative learning and self-efficacy is mediated by specific problem-solving skills, such as emotional regulation and evaluation of outcomes. However, newly formed groups did not show significant improvements in problem-solving skills or self-efficacy. These results highlight the potential of cooperative learning to enhance key competencies in stable groups and emphasize the need to intentionally develop its foundational elements in new groups.
This article examines the development of Israel’s system of higher education over three decades, focusing on the paradox between mass quantitative expansion and ‘functional convergence’. While the number of students grew 3.5-fold and the system underwent an accelerated process of massification, functional differentiation remained limited due to institutional isomorphic pressures and promotion incentives that sanctify the research university model. The analysis reveals how academic drift and maximally maintained inequality (MMI) mechanisms preserve social and institutional stratification even under the guise of formal pluralism. It is evident from the research findings that Israel’s system of higher education is caught in a loop of research prestige leading to neglect of its teaching and community engagement missions, requiring a paradigmatic change to “uncertainty as a foundation” and distinct mission-oriented management.
This paper applies Philip Crosby’s core ideas from Quality Is Free to contemporary educational assessment, arguing that simplifying and clarifying definitions of quality can make assessment more reliable, equitable, and effective. Crosby’s four principles—quality as conformance to requirements, prevention rather than inspection, zero defects in system design, and measuring the price of nonconformance—offer a useful framework for addressing long-standing assessment challenges such as vague criteria, inconsistent grading, weak alignment, and inequitable outcomes. Drawing on literature in constructive alignment, formative assessment, rubrics, validity, reliability, and sustainable assessment, the paper shows that unclear conceptions of “good work” create substantial hidden costs for students and institutions, including remediation, misclassification, disengagement, and excessive workload. In contrast, clear learning outcomes and simplified success criteria support consistent scoring, meaningful feedback, and student understanding of quality. A prevention-oriented assessment system—featuring formative assessment, feedback cycles, and opportunities for revision—reduces defects in final performances and strengthens mastery-based learning. The paper concludes that while care must be taken to avoid over-simplification, a Crosby-informed approach redirects assessment toward clarity, alignment, and fairness, making high-quality assessment an attainable and sustainable goal.
This study examines what student voice offers to curriculum and teaching in the Korean educational context. Drawing on major Anglophone scholarship on student voice, the study first explores how students’ words may be understood not simply as criticism of school, teachers, or learning, but also as proposals for school improvement, resources for teacher reflection, and forms of participation in meaning-making. It then considers practical challenges accompanying student voice, including formal participation, representation and exclusion, interpretive asymmetries in knowledge production, constraints of time and place, and differences in modes of expression. On this basis, the study proposes three implications for curriculum inquiry: students should be recognised as co-inquirers rather than objects of research; inquiry with students should be understood as a process of teaching and learning; and curriculum should be understood as a generative process and outcome co-constructed by teachers and students. The study argues that student voice should be treated not merely as data about schooling, but as an epistemic and practical resource for rethinking curriculum and teaching.
Addiction is a multifaceted psychological, social, economic, and structural state of existence that can take over a person’s life causing self-harm and possibly death. In response, the Ontario Ministry of Education has embedded within the Ontario Elementary Health and Physical Education school programs with curricula designed to equip students with knowledge and skills to address addiction. Ontario Elementary educators are tasked with the job of educating children and youth about drugs, usage and addiction from an early age in Ontario Elementary schools. This content analysis was completed within the Ontario Elementary Health and Physical Education (2019) document to better understand how educators are to address the topic of addiction within the current Ontario Health and Physical Education curricula.
The purpose of this review is to illuminate and examine written curricular prompts which introduce a means to influence and guide the educator when teaching certain content. Herein a summative content analysis was completed which identifies and quantifies the frequency of keywords in textual data. Scripted textual prompts were acknowledged to offer educators an exemplar when addressing specific aspects of curricula. Prompts can be used when students are learning in classrooms while talking, writing, or showing their understanding in health and physical education. Ontario (Canada) teachers can prompt students via questioning and in a Socratic manner move minds forward. Written prompts in the curriculum inform educators and impact pedagogy as the educator constructs plans and implements preplanned lessons. The author of these written prompts, the Ontario government, maintains that all prompts are not required hence the notion of option is implied and yet scripted prompting remains contentious.
Building on the concepts of content-centered learning and historical empathy, this study examined students’ perceptions and rankings regarding the suppression of the Protestant church’s social and religious influence in Eastern Europe during the Cold War. High school students ranked nine possible plans of action to both silence and diminish the Protestant church’s influence on East German citizens. Students evaluated both secretive and passive strategies developed by the East German government, ranked from most to least effective. They also listed positive and negative traits and potential consequences of each option, along with their rankings. The results revealed that students increasingly favored an active anti-religion campaign within schools and a mandatory government loyalty requirement for communist youth.
Education is an academic discipline whose core knowledge consists of teaching and learning, research into teaching and learning, and the building of new theory based on research. Advancing over the years from basic teaching of “the three R’s” to stresses on science and discovery learning, education remains deeply connected to cultural change and changing societal values. Young people are influenced by teachers and curriculum, but this does not replace personal decision making based on the search for knowledge. Teachers’ values will be revealed to some extent through the relationships they form with students, their teaching methods and classroom behavior. Curriculum will always be value laden in that curriculum developers must choose from a sea of knowledge. But it is never, ever appropriate for teachers to reveal their own personal and political views or for curriculum to espouse a political stance. Rather, we must teach students to read, deeply and broadly, to replace quick scanning of information on cellphones, with reading of books and entire articles, and to think critically about what they read. “Woke” ideas do not replace deep reading, critical thinking and making individual, informed, independent decisions.
This study examines how specialized public university graduates view their job market readiness. It evaluates the university curriculum for its capacity to prepare graduates for the job market, focusing on employability-promoting teaching and learning practices. It also examines students’ opinions of employability, focusing on developing digital skills and careers. Students are realistic about their capacity to navigate technologies and solve problems, but the lack of industry-specific knowledge and skills dissatisfies them. Graduates may feel unprepared since the curriculum rarely matches industry and new technology. The findings can help educational stakeholders enhance employability by integrating courses and fostering partnerships between industry and academia.
This study validates the Student Questionnaire for Controversial Issues (SQCI) in a Spanish compulsory secondary education sample ( n = 728; M age = 15.84, SD age = 0.36). The unidimensional model showed excellent fit (χ 2 /df = 1.38, CFI = .989, TLI = .988, RMSEA = .023 [90% CI .015‐.030]) and high internal consistency (α = .931; ω = .935). Multi-group invariance and reliability/AVE indices (.979‐.719) supported structural stability and comparability of latent means (sex, reading habits, origin). Differences emerged by sex (military service, wealth inequality) and reading habits (religion, electoral systems). Students favored including AI, human rights, fanaticism, and cloning in the curriculum.
This study assessed the English language proficiency of English Language Professionals (ELPs) in the ESL workplace context of Tarlac, utilizing a multiple-choice test benchmarked against international standards. Participants, drawn from regional public institutions via purposive sampling, were predominantly female educators. Results revealed varying proficiency levels, with a notable prevalence of elementary English among participants. The study discovered no significant correlation between proficiency and the ELPs’ age or work experience. It highlights a pressing need for tailored language training programs, particularly in non-academic sectors, to bolster proficiency and ensure effective workplace communication, which is pivotal for global competitiveness and professional advancement.
This study aims to enhance the quality of higher education in Algerian universities by revising the first-year mathematics syllabus for science and technology students. It employs a comparative analysis of international curricula and reviews syllabi across scientific disciplines. Surveys of students and professors at various academic levels revealed a disconnect between theoretical instruction and practical applications. Findings show that the current syllabus lacks sufficient integration of applied mathematics relevant to future careers. In response, the study proposes an updated curriculum to foster interdisciplinary links, improve problem-solving skills, and better prepare students for both professional paths and scientific research.
This article examines how social studies teachers from middle schools view the concept and application of professional development. We utilized qualitative data from semi-structured interviews of nine teachers from the State of Tennessee. This article addresses several questions: What are middle school social studies teachers’ perceptions of professional development? What are middle school social studies teachers’ perceptions regarding professional development and its relation to the subject? What are middle school social studies teachers’ perceptions regarding professional development concerning pedagogy? What are teachers’ perceptions of middle school social studies teachers’ professional development and student achievement? The teachers’ responses answers appeared unvarying. Although they mainly considered a one-size-fits-all professional development ineffective, teachers believed content-specific professional development had noticeable benefits if performed correctly. Although teachers recognized that the possible benefits of professional development in tested content areas held benefits, social studies teachers believed professional development should apply to pedagogy and classroom practices. Furthermore, aligning content and state-mandated standards and interpreting student examination data would prove beneficial.
This study investigated the in-service teachers’ attitude towards inclusive education with respect to gender. An adapted version of the Sentiments, Attitudes and Concerns about Inclusive Education Scale (SACIE) (Loreman et al., 2007) and the Concerns about Inclusive Education Scale [CIES] (Sharma & Desai, 2002) were administered to 58 in-service secondary school teachers (33 male and 25 female teachers) from 30 schools in Pakistan. The findings revealed that overall, female secondary school teachers had more negative attitudes towards inclusion than their male counterparts, especially towards students with behaviour management issues. Where students’ needs were more complex, teachers did not favour inclusion of such students in mainstream classes. These findings have implications for teachers and practitioners in the field of inclusive education.
In the world of education, quality assurance has become a keyword that indicates awareness of the importance of quality in the implementation of both formal and non-formal education. This is evidenced by the issuance of Ministerial Regulation Number 28 of 2016 concerning the Quality Assurance System for Elementary and Secondary Education. This paper was created to understand how the strategies carried out by schools in implementing education quality assurance are based on education planning, implementation and supervision in the framework of realizing quality national education. This research is a case study using a qualitative research approach conducted at SMK Negeri I Agriculture Sukaraja. The results of this study are an overview of the process and results of implementing quality assurance in schools. The implementation of the quality assurance system is carried out in stages, starting from schools up to the local and central government levels. Improving the quality of schools is carried out in a systemic, planned, measurable and sustainable manner. The findings in this study are that there are four stages of quality assurance that must be carried out, namely quality mapping, preparation of quality compliance plans, implementation of quality compliance, and evaluation of the implementation of quality compliance. This study also reveals how stakeholders are involved in implementing quality assurance in schools.
This article aims to demonstrate the importance of intercultural courses for developing intercultural sensitivity among students in schools and universities, and Chen and Starosta’s (2000) Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) used to evaluate the course. The results indicated intercultural courses significantly contributed students’ intercultural sensitivity through five categories of ISS. There is an increase in students’ intercultural sensitivity across all ISS categories, including respect for cultural differences, interaction engagement, interaction enjoyment, interaction confidence, and interaction attentiveness. Nonetheless, some studies found only a slight increase in students’ intercultural sensitivity for some indicators of ISS, and a small study found no significant change.
The need for inclusive education (IE) is growing dire in mainstream classrooms. Yet, teacher preparedness and confidence to deliver IE in mainstream classrooms remains a critical issue. To highlight this need, document analysis, interviews, and questionnaires were employed for qualitative data-gathering from 9 teachers. Thematic analysis revealed the need for IE in mainstream classrooms, however, teachers require support to implement IE. Bronfenbrenner’s theory expressed the need for interconnectedness and interplay among systems to enhance teacher development and inclusive advancement. The study recommends the DBE cogitate the needs expressed by the teachers to strengthen the provision of IE in mainstream classrooms.
Several studies have investigated how pre-task planning affects L2 writers’ writing performance. However, results remain contradictory and many of the studies that dealt with this area of interest mainly focused on individual writing and less on collaborative writing. It is in this context that the current study examines how collaborative pre-task planning affects the writing performance of English as foreign language (EFL) students. Specifically, we seek to answer the following questions: (1) Is there a significant posttest gain among the group who were exposed to collaborative pre-task planning? (2) Is there a significant difference between the control group and the treatment group who used collaborative pre-task planning? This quasi-experimental study involved 30 intermediate EFL learners, who were enrolled in English classes at a language institute in Iran. They were divided into two groups. Each group was composed of 15 students. Based on the pretests and posttests, results have confirmed the positive effects of collaborative pre-task planning on EFL learners’ writing performance. The improvement in students’ writing performance is attributed to the interaction and meta-talk involved during the collaborative pre-task planning. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.
Students’ challenging classroom behaviour remains problematic in some primary schools, causing daily disruptions. In South Africa, alternatives for managing student behaviour have proven ineffective, leaving teachers to grapple in classrooms. To gain insights into what teachers are doing to curtail the problem, fifteen teachers were interviewed for qualitative data. Thematic analysis revealed some conventional, yet affectionate ways teachers are trying. Social cognitive theory explicated how reinforcement and self-regulation influence behaviour. Education departments should include value-based character education in the curriculum to shape students’ characters and provide responsive alternatives to support teachers to respond decisively to students’ misbehaviour in diverse contexts.
