In general, teacher educators are considered to be educational specialists whose main task is to communicate content-based concepts to prospective teachers. However, unfortunately, most studies on teacher professional development overlook this specific language-oriented aspect of content-based teaching. Therefore, we address the aforementioned research gap and argue that teacher educators’ evaluation of their language-oriented performance in educational communication enhances the quality of their content-based teaching. Accordingly, we examine how the language-oriented performance of teacher educators is evaluated by both individual teacher educators (sample size N=3) and their students (N=32) in a small-scale intervention study. The findings of the study reveal that there is a relationship between the order of application of five language focus areas (i.e., language awareness, active listening, formalizing interaction, language support, and language and learning development, as noticed by the students), and teacher educators’ ability to apply these areas in accordance with their objectives related to content-based teaching.

The surge of learners being immersed in computer game contexts for learning has instigated dialogue about the contextually appropriate collection of reliable and valid data to inform education-based decisions. The purpose of this article is to develop educational practitioners’ understanding of preliminary research work, and to inform educational researchers about design and reporting of preliminary research work, in the context of reported preliminary studies on Digital Game-Based Learning Interventions (DGBLIs). First a checklist of processes for the reporting of preliminary studies is provided. Second, a summary is offered of the characteristics of each type of preliminary study including the description, objectives, and methodology. Third, an example from peer-reviewed literature is identified of each type of preliminary study relevant to DGBLIs and conducted within the past five years. Evident from the examples selected, educational researchers and practitioners are best advised to recognize the characteristics of preliminary studies — pilot work, feasibility study, pilot study, pilot trial, and field test — to better inform DGBLIs before embarking on a full-scale study, and to meet the need of educational practitioners for concrete evidence about DGBLIs.

This research aims to explore the effectiveness of interdisciplinary education program based on multicultural education on the tolerance value, attitude and critical thinking skills of the fourth grade primary school students. Single group pre-posttest design has been used in the study. The research has been carried out with 30 fourth-grade students, at a primary school located within the district of Karakocan in Elazig during the 2015-2016 academic year. Among the participants, 15 are females and 15 are males. The research has employed Tolerance Attitude Scale developed by Kaptan-Yarar, tolerance value and critical thinking story tests and scoring rubrics. Descriptive statistics and dependent samples t-test have been used during data analysis. Research results have revealed a statistically significant difference between critical thinking scoring rubric, tolerance value scoring rubric and tolerance attitude scale pretest-posttest scores in favor of posttest. Based on these results, it can be said that the interdisciplinary curriculum developed based on multicultural education improves students' critical thinking skills, tolerance value and attitudes.

This study aimed to develop an instructional design that focuses on programming teaching for gifted and talented students and to investigate its effects on the teaching process. During the development of the instructional design; the steps of Morrison, Ross and Kemp Instructional Design Model were followed. Embedded experimental design, one of the mixed-method research designs, was used in the modeling of the study. The participants consisted of students studying at the Science and Art Center (BILSEM) (experimental group: 13 girls and 12 boys, control group: 10 girls and 15 boys). While the instructional design developed by the researchers was applied to the gifted and talented students in the experimental group, the standard activities used in Information Technologies and Software Courses at BILSEM were applied to the gifted and talented students in the control group. “Computational Thinking Scale (CTS)”, “Torrance Creative Thinking Test (TCTT-Figural)” and “Computer Programming Self-Efficacy Scale (CPSES)” were used to collect the data of the quantitative phase of the study. Qualitative data were gathered by using interview form, observation forms, and design thinking rubric. Two-Factor ANOVA Test, Bonferroni Adjustment Multiple Comparisons Test, and interaction graphs were used to analyze quantitative data while qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis. The quantitative results of the research showed that the instructional design was effective on students' computational thinking and creative thinking skills, but not on programming self-efficacy. Qualitative findings revealed that the instructional design helped the students learn the computational concepts, use computational applications, and develop computational-perspectives. Also, students improved their design thinking skills to a certain level and expressed that they enjoyed the design thinking process, learned the course content, and experienced some difficulties.

STEM education is a pedagogical philosophy which aims to draw the interrelationship between science, technology, engineering and mathematics to solve complex problems in real life situations. In order to use STEM education to foster students’ learning, the researchers designed STEM activities for middle school students related to the concept of force and motion in three different approaches: a linear model, a jigsaw learning and a stand-alone engineering design activity. To compare the effectiveness of the three approaches, the researchers analysed students’ reasoning and problem-solving scores gained before and after doing the activities. The result showed students participating in the linear model and in the jigsaw learning significantly outperformed those in the stand-alone engineering design activity. In addition, when comparing conceptual development between those attending the linear model and jigsaw learning, the result showed that the former significantly outperformed the latter. It is therefore suggested that to maximise the effectiveness of STEM activities in promoting conceptual understanding as well as reasoning and problem-solving skills, teachers should adopt the linear model. However, when instructional time is limited, the jigsaw learning can be considered as an alternative approach. The stand-alone engineering design activity although can promote students’ enthusiasm to learn, it may not sufficiently lead to the development of reasoning and problem-solving skills as expected.

This paper sought to investigate the mathematics teachers’ reflection on the role of Productive Pedagogies’ framework in festering effective classroom instruction. Two research objectives were used to discuss the reflection of the four mathematic teachers. A qualitative case study was adopted as the design of the study. Classroom observations, Research Journal and Reflective Interviews were organised to collect data for the study, while the narratives approach to data analysis was used to analyse the data collected. From the study, the mathematics teachers were able to gradually adjust to the new framework through effective reflective meetings with their colleagues and with the support of the researcher. They (mathematics teachers) reflected that, the framework helps them developed confidence, positive attitude and interest to their teaching practice. It helped fostered effective collaboration and created an atmosphere of trust between the mathematics teachers and their students. The study also suggested that the pedagogy influence the mathematics teachers to provide and received feedback from their colleagues and from their students. They were also of the view that there was a gradual shift from the traditional teacher centred instruction they are more conversant with to a more student-centred pedagogy. The implication of the study suggests the need to adopt the Productive Pedagogies framework into the Nigerian mathematics classroom to improve mathematics teacher’s classroom instruction.

Decline in students’ motivation to learn languages remains a vexing issue for teachers and educators. Among a myriad of factors that affect student motivation, teachers’ practices appear to play a very dominant role. This has been reflected in the rising number of studies that examine teachers’ motivational strategies. This study aims to determine the specific teacher strategies which are most likely to positively affect the motivation of Arab learners of English from the perspective of learners. Some 400 teenage learners of English responded to an open-ended question in which they were asked to freely describe the strategies their teachers used that motivated them to learn. The results of the study suggest that the majority of students prefer strategies that promote communicative uses of the language to ones that focus on grammar or emphasize learning through texts. Many students also reported that they had more interest in studying English when their teachers integrated technology. It is therefore recommended that teachers give more weight to these motivating strategies by incorporating more communicative use of English and more technology into their lessons.

In this article, we present some core ideas underpinning research that takes a Designs for Learning (DFL) approach guided by theoretical considerations and choices, as well as by practitioners’ challenges and inquiries. These choices shape, and are shaped by, DFL’s research goals and motives, theoretical orientation, research objectives, questions, and practitioners’ participation and ethical considerations. Further, we present and discuss how DFL as a research approach compares to other design-oriented research strategies. Even if a DFL research approach shares several similarities with other approaches of inquiry, we argue that it remains primarily oriented towards knowledge areas that relate to understanding and developing learning and teaching – both in formal education and in informal settings such as museums.

There are different strategies to analyze teacher and student performance when they interact with each other in class. The most used strategies are direct observation and verbal reports. Even though what is observed or reported depends on theoretical frameworks regarding didactic interactions, these must be related to teacher functions such as supervision, providing feedback, and evaluation of student performance. In this study, instruments for observational recording and verbal reports were developed and validated considering teacher functions and their student performance counterparts to compare the degree of correspondence or divergence between data gathered from both strategies. 135 students enrolled in a science class and their teachers participated. The class was taught in a public high school located in center/south Mexico. Classes were videotaped and the corresponding observational records were analyzed. Two months later, verbal reports were administered to students and teachers. Coincidences and differences that were found revealed that observer-observe interaction is conditioned by social norms. These results were interpreted considering the notion of silence as a communicative element.

This study aimed to analyze the effect of game-based learning (GBL) through the use of Genially in English as a foreign language (EFL) online instruction. The participants were 61 EFL undergraduate students, who were distributed into an experimental group (32 students), and a control group (29 students). Their ages ranged from 22 to 56 years old, and their English proficiency level was B1, according to the Common European Framework of References (CEFR). The students were enrolled in two pre-intermediate courses that are part of an EFL Teaching program at a private university in southern Ecuador. The courses were delivered in an online remote learning environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study followed a quasi-experimental approach and it took place over a sixteen-week period. The instruments included a diagnostic survey, a pre-test, a post-test, a students’ perceptions survey, and a semi-structured interview. The main findings revealed that Genially games have the potential to enhance EFL learners’ academic performance in online instruction, particularly in aspects related to students’ knowledge of grammar and vocabulary in context. Besides, it was found that according to students’ perceptions, the implementation of games based on their real learning needs increases their motivation, especially when feedback is effectively provided.  

This study focused on teachers' awareness of students' learning situations during distance learning. It took place at the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST) - Gabaldon Campus during the academic year 2021-2022. The study employed descriptive-comparative and descriptive-correlational designs. The 249 students were selected using a stratified sampling technique, whereas the 25 teachers were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Findings revealed that teachers are aware of their students' situations. The students believe that they faced learning challenges during distance learning. There is a significant difference between male and female teachers in terms of student learning environment awareness, but no statistically significant difference in the teacher's awareness of the student's learning situation across age groups, service years, and academic rank. There is a significant difference in the learning anxiety of male and female students but not in the learning environment and blended learning readiness. The learning environment and readiness for blended learning do not differ significantly across age groups of students, but anxiety does. A statistically significant difference in student readiness in blended learning was observed based on students' courses but not on the learning environment or anxiety. There is no significant difference in students' learning situations based on family income or parental educational attainment. There was no significant difference in student achievement based on the teachers' level of awareness. Achievement is positively correlated with learning environment and readiness but negatively associated with anxiety. In addition, the study discussed its theoretical and practical implications.  

The purpose of the study is to explore the ways of involving university stakeholders specifically in updating educational services. It combined exploratory and observational research methods which relied on qualitative or quantitative data gathered through the researcher-designed and validated tools which were the empirical and methodological contributions to the previous research. The five most frequent choices that might encourage the stakeholders to donate or invest in an educational institution were as follows: a portfolio of the use of donations, investments, or grants, having a stake in the educational services of more than 7%, having access to budgeting and cost reporting, having a share in the institutions’ profit and being one of the decision-makers. The factors that discouraged investors from investing in education were as follows: distrust of the activity of the educational institutions in terms of addressing the stakeholders’ needs or interests, lack of engagement or cooperation, institutional and government-imposed barriers between them and the institutions, uncertainty concerning the efficiency of the institutions and inefficient use of the resources by the institutions. The initiative was complimentarily perceived by stakeholders in terms of collaboration and investment opportunities. It was also found beneficial by the sampled students.

Considering the fact that learning difficulties are mostly related to academic learning, and students first encounter tasks related with academic learning during the pre-school, it is critical for early intervention that the first symptoms of students with potential learning disability are detected by the pre-school teachers. The aim of this research is to examine knowledge levels of pre-school teachers about the characteristics of learning difficulties that 3–6 years old students, in the pre-school period, may show. With this aim in mind, the development of the “Test for identifying characteristics of learning disabilities in pre-school students (3-6 years)” was completed with 471 pre-school teachers and pre-school teacher candidates of the last grade of pre-school education program. The research has been done in the survey model with a quantitative approach. The sample of the study consists of 291 pre-school teachers. The data have been collected by means of the “Test for identifying characteristics of learning disabilities in pre-school students (3-6 years)” and analyzed using descriptive statistics techniques. At the end of the research, it has been found that there are no statistically significant differences in knowledge levels of pre-school teachers regarding the cognitive, affective, social and motor characteristics of learning disabilities in terms of their gender, the program they have graduated from, having taken courses on special education, having taken courses on learning disabilities, the types of institutions they worked at, and their class sizes. It has been found that there are statistically significant differences in their knowledge levels about cognitive, affective, social and motor characteristics of learning disabilities according to the length of service, teaching students with learning disabilities, having inclusive students in their class, having a relative in need of special education, and teaching students with learning disabilities variables.

This research aims to prove and find out the influence of local wisdom-based learning media on the character of students in Indonesia. This research uses a quantitative method with a meta-analysis approach. The research data were analyzed using the 0.8.5 version of JASP software. The eligibility criteria used include: (a) The publications must be searchable in search databases such as Google Scholar, ERIC, DOAJ, Research Gate, and or ScienceDirect; (b) The publications are reputable indexed; (c) The publications must relate to learning media based on local wisdom and student character; (d) The publications must be in the range of 2015 to 2023; (e) The articles are worth (r), (t), or (F); (6) N ≥ 30. The results of the analysis of 30 studies showed that there was a significant effect of learning media on the character of students in Indonesia (z = 9.700; p < .001; 95% CI [.987; 1.487]). This effect is categorized as very strong (rRE = 1.237). This meta-analysis study is the result of accurate, valid, and representative research reviewed because publication bias was not detected. Thus, it can be concluded that learning media based on local wisdom has a big influence on student character.  

This study focused on the development of teaching aids for the topic of Isometric Transformations for Form 2 students in Malaysia. The first objective was to determine the usability of teaching aids in the isometric transformations kit integrates game-based learning (GBL) Method (KitTI Method) and the second objective was to examine the effectiveness of using the KitTI Method on students’ achievement and motivation. This study was directed by the Design and Development Research (DDR) model with survey and quasi-experimental designs. The sample selection was conducted by cluster sampling involving Form 2 students from schools in the district of Muallim and Batang Padang in the state of Perak. The instruments used were KitTI Method Teaching Aids Usability Questionnaire (KMTAUQ), Isometric Transformations Topic Achievement Test (ITTAT), and KitTI Method Motivation Questionnaire (KMMQ). The findings showed that the mean score of KitTI Method‘s usability was high, the treatment group obtained significantly higher improvement in achievement compared to the control group while the mean scores of pre-test achievement as a covariate and students’ motivation in learning Isometric Transformations were high. Therefore, the KitTI Method is suitable to be implemented as a guide for mathematics teachers in designing dynamic teaching and learning and is able to improve students’ achievement and motivation.

This study investigated college students’ career maturity as a mediator of the effect of professional identity on academic achievement. The researchers developed a structural equation model and a research hypothesis using the Chinese college students’ professional identity scale, career maturity scale, and academic achievement scale. After experts’ revision and confirmatory analysis, the 3 scales had sufficient reliability, validity, and fit. The researchers distributed electronic questionnaires to students in 4 universities in Jilin Province, China, and participants responded using 5-point Likert-type scales. The researchers collected 1,104 valid questionnaires. According to the analysis, college students’ professional identity is a positive predictor of their academic achievement, and career maturity partially mediates the influence of professional identity on academic achievement. Therefore, improving Chinese college students’ professional identity may improve their academic achievement, and professional identity can have a positive effect on academic achievement through career maturity. University administrators and teachers should enhance the career maturity of college students and promote their professional development.

Writing is a complex activity. If a child’s preparation for writing, which begins to develop in the preschool years, is poor, this can inhibit writing and cause problems. Because children are expected to know how to hold a pencil correctly, how to sit correctly while writing, and how to prepare and adjust the writing surface without planning, this study seeks to determine how first graders are prepared for writing in terms of selected biomechanical and ergonomic factors at the beginning of the school year. The goal was to determine whether there are any differences between students according to sex and handedness and if there is any connection between basic pre-writing skills and the ergonomic suitability of furniture (table and chair size). An empirical study was conducted involving 246 first graders from randomly selected public primary schools in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and fifteen of their female teachers. The results of the research showed that inadequate furniture size affects how students sit and that there are statistically significant differences between the positions of the writing surface for right-handers and left-handers. The research did not show a correlation between posture and pencil grip, but it is very likely that it would have been demonstrated in a larger sample. No sex differences were found between pencil grip, writing surface position, and posture; no connection between handedness, pencil grip, and posture; no connection between pencil grip, poor posture, and writing surface position; and no connection between posture and ergonomically appropriate school desks and chairs.