IntroductionThis study is part of a broader effort to validate psychometric scales translated and adapted to the French-speaking Belgian teacher education context. It examines the factor structure and internal consistency of several instruments measuring preservice teachers’ attitudes toward science and educational research and their perceived scientific skills.MethodFollowing the methodological recommendations on validation processes, the study focused on item development (translation, contextual adaptation, expert review), scale development (cognitive pretesting, exploratory factor analysis), and initial evaluation through confirmatory factor analysis. Six translated scales were first administered to an exploratory sample of 186 pre-service teachers, and the instruments with the most promising psychometric properties were subsequently examined on a confirmatory sample of 523 students. Exploratory factor analyses (parallel analysis, MAP, EGA, minimal residual extraction with oblique rotation), confirmatory factor analyses with WLSMV for ordinal data, and reliability indicators (McDonald’s omega) were used to evaluate the dimensional structure and internal consistency of the scales.ResultsThree scales (BISS, SESCI, and P-TATER) showed interpretable factor structures with adequate internal reliability (ω between 0.83 and 0.96), while three others (ATOSS, Adapted Barometer, and TPACI) did not meet the basic criteria for sampling adequacy and structural stability. The combination of exploratory and confirmatory analyses provided initial evidence for a one-dimensional solution for the BISS, a two-factor solution for the SESCI, and a three-factor solution for the P-TATER, despite strong correlations between the dimensions.ConclusionThis study provides preliminary evidence of the psychometric quality of three instruments for assessing preservice teachers’ attitudes toward science and educational research in the French-speaking Belgian context. It also highlights the limitations and contextual fragility of the other translated scales. The results remain partly provisional, particularly for the IRS, which has only been subjected to exploratory analysis, and require further confirmatory work. Nevertheless, the study provides an initial basis for the development of a set of stable and context-appropriate measurement tools that meet contemporary psychometric standards and support research-based teacher training.

Background: SI-PASS is a structured academic support program employing successful later-year students to facilitate peer-learning sessions attached to high-risk courses, specifically here statistics for psychology at ULie`ge. The research translates as: How much does this method improve academic performance and impact socioaffective perceptions in first-year students? Aims: This study compares academic performance and socio-affective variables of first-year students in the experimental condition and the control condition. Sample: Participants were 245 freshmen for the experimental trial, and 985 for the quasi-experimental trial. Methods: Participants were assigned to either participate to the SI-PASS scheme or not during the first semester following a randomized controlled trial with stratified random assignment method. Then, the whole cohort enlisted for the course was analyzed to validate supplementary hypotheses. Results: The first step of the study reveals no difference between both groups on academic performance, unless the level of attendance is considered; nor does it identify any significant impact on socio-affective variables. The second step consisted in the comparison of the experimental group and the group of students who chose not to volunteer for SI-PASS and resulted in significant improvement in academic performance in favor of SI-PASS. Conclusions: This delivered significant results in favor of the program but only when attendance is considered, thus offering empirical evidence that a genuine experimental design is likely to mitigate the effects found in a tradition of quasi-experimental designs. These results are valuable for the SI-PASS community, where randomized trials are still scarce, and for higher education institutions seeking evidence-based assistance.

This embedded single-case study investigates four secondary school L2 teachers’ perceptions of metacognitive oracy instruction (MOI) over a two-year Design-Based Research (DBR) project and examines the effects of the project on their declared practices almost a year after its completion. Questionnaires, learner notes, and interviews to the double were used to collect data. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, content analysis, and thematic analysis. The results indicate that the DBR project had an overall positive effect on three of the four teachers’ perceptions of MOI. The study also found a link between the teachers’ perceptions of MOI and their self-reported implementation in practice. The findings highlight difficulties teachers face in developing metacognitive practices, even when they believe in their efficacy and intend to implement them. The study offers insights into language teachers’ adoption of metacognitive practices through DBR and can serve to inform teacher educators and researchers.

This exploratory case study contributes to the ongoing “methodological consolidation” in Applied Cognitive Linguistics ( Wirag et al. 2022 ). It does so by examining the relationship between pre-service English language teachers’ attitudes toward grammar teaching and their acceptance of an innovative pedagogical approach to the Count/Mass Distinction (CMD) inspired by Cognitive Grammar (CG). Eleven first-year college students at a teacher-training University College in Belgium participated in the study. A questionnaire was used to determine the participants’ beliefs about grammar and grammar teaching. Elements of a CG approach to the CMD were integrated into a lesson plan and presented to the participants. The participants were then divided into two random focus groups. The interviews followed a semi-structured format, and a thematic analysis was performed on the transcripts. The data suggests that the participants’ prior knowledge and experience, the ecological validity of the innovation, and their perceived capacity to integrate the resource into their practice, all affect their assessment of a CG-informed innovation, with the latter being the most likely to impede application. The study sheds light on how pre-service teachers’ beliefs impact the adoption of innovative pedagogical methods for teaching grammar and suggests ways to make CG more accessible to practitioners.

En Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (Belgique), les enseignants du premier cycle du primaire se disent fréquemment démunis pour enseigner la production d’écrits à leurs jeunes élèves. Nombre d’entre elles et eux font le choix d’attendre que les élèves maitrisent le geste graphique et entrent pleinement dans la lecture pour se consacrer à la production de textes, alors que les recherches soulignent, depuis longtemps déjà, l’influence positive d’une exposition précoce à l’écriture sur les apprentissages en lecture et en écriture. Dans le cadre d’une recherche à visée descriptive menée dans onze classes de 1re année du primaire, nous cherchons à observer les interactions entre l’enseignement dispensé à partir d’un dispositif didactique structuré, soit les ateliers d’écriture de Calkins (2016, 2017), et les apprentissages concomitants des élèves. L’adoption d’un devis de recherche mixte combinant approches quantitative et qualitative nous permet, d’une part, de décrire l’évolution des compétences scripturales des élèves, avec une attention particulière portée aux trajectoires des élèves qui présentent des difficultés de lecture-écriture en amont de l’intervention et/ou qui sont issus de contextes scolaires peu favorisés sur le plan socioéconomique ; d’autre part, de décrire l’appropriation du dispositif des ateliers d’écriture par les enseignants et d’identifier les zones d’obstacles potentiels dans l’introduction de pratiques dites « innovantes ».

In the context of the lockdown period and the consequent school closures between March and May 2020 in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, our study aims at mapping the respondents' pedagogical uses of digital technology and their feelings about their experience of distance teaching, via a short online survey completed by 331 primary and secondary school foreign language teachers. Our analysis, both quantitative and qualitative, shows a massive use of platforms, e-mail and educational content creation tools in language teaching. It also highlights some significant differences in usage between teachers with previous experience of digital practices and those who discovered these practices during the period. In addition, the results show contrasting feelings of the respondents regarding this teaching experience, which seem to depend in particular on the means at their disposal. Finally, the results question the training of teachers and pupils in digital literacies as well as the access to digital tools and equipment for all, before suggesting a reflection on the lessons to be learnt from this experience for the future of teaching.

This research focuses on the use of examples by university teachers. For this purpose, we used a questionnaire to ask 66 university teachers about the reasons and risks of using an example and the types of example they preferred. We also tested two hypotheses. The first was that the more experienced a teacher is, the more they will use examples when teaching. The second was that the perceived use of examples is different if the speaker is a man or a woman. The analysis of the results shows that all teachers acknowledge the positive impact of examples and, specifically, the cognitive, motivational and illustrative impact. We also show that only one teacher out of two considers examples to have negative effects at a cognitive, motivational and illustrative level. In addition, we also identify certain personal or didactic criteria as factors that influence the types of examples used by teachers. Finally, we also note that the teacher's seniority positively correlates with the number of examples used and that men and women use different types of example.

School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports is a framework that aims to improve school culture and climate, students’ behavior and attendance. As the program is largely spreading, comparative studies showing its efficacy on students’ outside the United States are needed. In addition, there is a need for studies examining SWPBIS effects on school climate from all the stakeholders’ point of view, especially students and parents. Moreover, few researches used comprehensive questionnaires including the three main components of school climate: engagement, safety and environment. The purpose of this study is twofold: investigate the SWPBIS implementation feasibility in a French speaking European country and measure implementation effects on school climate and absenteeism. Using a quasi-experimental design, the current study investigates the impact of SWPBIS implementation in elementary and secondary high-need schools (n intervention schools = 4, n control schools = 5). Findings show positive effects for all stakeholders on different components of school climate. Effects on absenteeism are mixed. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Dans le contexte de la période de confinement et, partant, de la fermeture des établissements scolaires entre mars et mai 2020 en Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, la présente étude vise, sur base d'une enquête en ligne à laquelle 331 enseignants de l'enseignement fondamental et secondaire ont participé, à cartographier à la fois les usages pédagogiques du numérique des répondants pendant cette période et leur ressenti quant à leur expérience d'enseignement à distance.Notre analyse, quantitative et qualitative, montre une forte utilisation des plateformes, du courriel et des outils de création de contenu éducatif dans le cadre de l'enseignement des langues à distance. Elle souligne également quelques différences significatives d'usage entre les enseignants ayant déjà une expérience des pratiques pédagogiques numériques et ceux ayant découvert ces pratiques pendant cette période. En outre, les résultats mettent en avant des retours d'expérience contrastés de la part des répondants quant à l'expérience vécue. Les résultats questionnent, enfin, la formation aux compétences numériques des enseignants et des élèves ainsi que l'accès aux outils numériques et à l'équipement pour tous, avant de proposer une réflexion sur les leçons à tirer de cette expérience pour le futur de l'enseignement.

Teachers’ collective efficacy is predictive of students’ success. School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports implementation requires the whole team to set itself common goals regarding behavior management. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the medium-term effects of a SWPBIS intervention on teachers’ collective efficacy. Nine schools and 139 teachers and staff members (n intervention = 74, n control = 65) took part in the study. The study shows that SWPBIS implementation has a positive effect on teachers’ collective efficacy both for primary and secondary schools at post-test 1 (ES = +0.80) and 2 (ES = +0.71). Differences are observed at baseline and at posttests according to the educational level. The link between subscales of a school climate instrument and teachers’ collective efficacy is also investigated. The “structure for learning” subscale explains the greatest variance in collective efficacy.

This article presents a study aimed at validating the implementation of an active playground system with different movement zones and measuring the effects on pupils. The realisation of an active playground was built through the development of collaborative research, carried out by interactions between researchers, pupils and the teaching team. Six schools in Belgium, located in the Province of Luxembourg, participated in the study. The movements on the playground of 125 pupils aged between 10 and 13 years were measured using a pedometer. The creation of a fidelity index for the implementation of the active schoolyard system made it possible to quantify the importance of the variables essential for the proper implementation of the system. The results showed that the variables that most explain the variance in the number of steps per minute during breaks are gender, the active profile of the pupils, the surface area, the introduction of interventions on the playground and the atmospheric conditions. The question of the sustainability of the effects of the device will be discussed as well as the analysis from an ecological perspective.

Purpose: Taking the case of educational reform in French-speaking Belgium (the Pact for Educational Excellence ), this article aims to describe the process of integrating evidence-based education (EBE) into an educational reform within a country where the influence of qualitative research is important. Design/Approach/Methods: A narrative case study was conducted to analyze and understand the stages of the ongoing educational reform process and the successive involvements of our research center in the work of this reform. Inspired by the paradigm of EBE, we initiated both the consultation processes intended to set the direction of educational decisions and programs. Findings: According to Slavin (2017, 2019), providing educator-friendly reviews, making available a broad range of proven education programs, and providing resources to help schools to implement proven programs are levers for implementing evidence-based reform within an educational system. This article shows that one of the three levers is fully met. For the other two, work being done on EBE in the U.S. and the UK in particular can save us time. Originality/Value: This article highlights concrete actions that will ensure the gradual establishment and acceptance by political and educational actors of an evidence-based reform.

According to the work of several cognitive psychologists, analogy is a central process in thinking. However, research has yielded mixed results with regard to the effectiveness of this process in learning. Our experimental study postulates that the semantic distance that an analogy establishes between its source and its target is the main determinant of its cognitive impact. Our study tests this hypothesis by comparing the results of upper secondary students (N=221) in memorisation, comprehension, and transfer according to the types of analogies. Our results show that distal analogy produced the greatest effect sizes (respectively ES = +0,60; +0,58) compared to the other experimental conditions.

Selon les travaux de plusieurs psychologues cognitifs, l’analogie constitue un processus central de la pensée. Cependant, des recherches ont abouti à des résultats contrastés quant à l’efficacité de ce processus sur l’apprentissage. Notre étude expérimentale part du postulat que la distance sémantique qu’une analogie installe entre sa source et sa cible est le déterminant principal de son impact cognitif. Elle met à l’épreuve cette hypothèse en comparant les résultats d’étudiants (N = 221) de la fin de l’enseignement secondaire sur les dimensions mémorisation, compréhension, et transfert selon les différents types d’analogies à partir desquelles un concept leur a été présenté. Nos résultats montrent que l’utilisation de l’analogie distale a produit les effets les plus positifs (respectivement ES = +0,597 ; +0,575…) comparativement aux autres modalités.

Cet article est consacré à l’analyse des effets de deux dispositifs d’ateliers d’écriture sur les compétences relatives à l’encodage des mots de 127 élèves issus de vingt-deux classes de l’enseignement fondamental belge. Les analyses statistiques menées ont permis de mettre en évidence un effet positif significatif sur l’ensemble des indicateurs observés (nombre de mots produits, concept de phrase, segmentation, nature des mots, valeur sonore des lettres et correspondances graphophonologiques). Les résultats font également apparaitre une réduction des écarts entre les élèves sur certains de ces indicateurs.

Cet article présente les résultats d’une étude longitudinale, avec prétest et posttest, sur la motivation des élèves au cours de néerlandais. Plus spécifiquement, l’étude a analysé l’effet de l’utilisation de Kahoot!, une application interactive et ludique de questions-réponses, sur la dynamique motivationnelle et les émotions positives ressenties au cours de néerlandais langue étrangère. Les données, recueillies dans trois classes de l’enseignement secondaire de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (n=53), indiquent un léger affaiblissement de la dynamique motivationnelle entre le début de l’année scolaire et les examens organisés à la fin du premier semestre. Si les résultats devaient être confirmés lors d’une réplication de l’étude menée dans des conditions différentes, il conviendrait de reconsidérer le potentiel du numérique dans la perspective d’une ludification du processus d’apprentissage, et en particulier son rôle de levier efficace sur le plan de la dynamique motivationnelle des élèves au cours de néerlandais langue étrangère. Ces réserves concordent avec les travaux de Glover et al. (2016) et Kolb (2017) qui suggèrent de ne pas chercher dans le seul outil numérique un vecteur de modification cognitive ou motivationnelle profonde.

Cet article est consacré à l’analyse des effets de deux dispositifs d’ateliers d’écriture sur les compétences relatives à l’encodage des mots de 127 élèves issus de vingt-deux classes de l’enseignement fondamental belge. Les analyses statistiques menées ont permis de mettre en évidence un effet positif significatif sur l’ensemble des indicateurs observés (nombre de mots produits, concept de phrase, segmentation, nature des mots, valeur sonore des lettres et correspondances graphophonologiques). Les résultats font également apparaitre une réduction des écarts entre les élèves sur certains de ces indicateurs.