Education Sciences

In recent years, the discourse from media outlets around the globe, including Australia, has narrated a teacher supply crisis and highlighted the need to address an ever-growing teacher shortage. In Australia, a recent exodus of accredited teachers has seen a rapid change in the stability of the teaching workforce. School leaders are significantly challenged to find suitable teachers, especially in hard-to-staff schools in rural and remote communities. To fill the supply gap, governments have targeted career professionals looking to segue into a second career in education. Initial teacher education (ITE) preservice teachers trying to balance their external commitments and studies have necessitated a more flexible and versatile online learning platform and community. This paper discusses the need for ITE providers to pivot from the traditional modes of on-campus teaching and to establish a more accessible and highly engaging pedagogical approach to preservice teacher education to prepare this cohort of future teachers to be educators in schools. With a focus on the well-established pedagogical approach of collaborative communities of practice, this paper explores new narratives surrounding collective engagement and the link to academic accomplishment. The findings and thematic analyses unveiled a teaching-focused lecturer’s lived experiences while creating and delivering collaborative and authentic pedagogically mobile curricula. The goal is to prepare preservice teachers for their new careers while creating authentic learning experiences that build their capacity to become pedagogically adaptable beginning teachers. Full article

Computers in mathematics education help foster abstract concepts and solve problems that are unsolvable by hand. Moreover, students whose major does not have a mathematical background often struggle with the topic and may require learning aid. Although extensive research has been conducted on the effect of computers and different software in learning, students’ perception on computers to solve mathematical problems has scarcely been studied. In this work, a group of undergraduate social sciences students were given computers to learn mathematics and solve contextual real-life problems, with the aim of facilitating learning and providing empowerment. After the courses, the students were asked their perception of computers and mathematics to obtain descriptive results on their perception. Responses indicated that with computers, students felt learning and solving mathematics problems was easier (85% of the answers), they felt more confident about their skills (69%), and could think of new ways to solve problems (54%). Moreover, a text analysis was conducted using software to assess open-ended questions, and the results indicated that most answers were positive in nature. Additionally, the students were given the chance to rate the mathematics course using computers, and the course received a rating of 9.5/10, indicating the methodology was liked. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI), once a phenomenon primarily in the world of science fiction, has evolved rapidly in recent years, steadily infiltrating into our daily lives. ChatGPT, a freely accessible AI-powered large language model designed to generate human-like text responses to users, has been utilized in several areas, such as the healthcare industry, to facilitate interactive dissemination of information and decision-making. Academic advising has been essential in promoting success among university students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Unfortunately, however, student advising has been marred with problems, with the availability and accessibility of adequate advising being among the hurdles. The current study explores how AI-powered tools like ChatGPT might serve to make academic advising more accessible, efficient, or effective. The authors compiled a list of questions frequently asked by current and prospective students in a teacher education bachelor’s degree program in the United States. Then, the questions were typed into the free version of ChatGPT, and the answers generated were explored and evaluated for their content and delivery. ChatGPT generated surprisingly high-quality answers, written in an authoritative yet supportive tone, and it was particularly adept at addressing general and open-ended career-related questions, such as career outlook, in a clear, comprehensive, and supportive manner using plain language. We argue that AI-powered tools, such as ChatGPT, may complement but not necessarily replace human academic advisers and that these tools may very well serve to promote educational equity by empowering individuals from a wide range of backgrounds with the means to initiate effective methods of seeking academic advice. Full article

This research delved into the integration of PhET simulations in elementary science education, specifically aimed at Grade 3 students. The primary objective was to evaluate how the use of these digital simulations influenced students’ conceiving of scientific concepts, focusing on “States of M1atter and Phase Changes” and “Solubility and Saturation”. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study observed 19 students who worked in pairs and trios as they engaged with PhET simulations to explore assigned science topics and address related questions. The observations centered on tracking students’ interactions with simulations and their progression through different knowledge phases. We used deductive and inductive content analysis to analyze the transcripts of the observation. The findings reveal that in the “Remembering” phase, students demonstrated a tendency to relate personal experiences to simulations, underscoring real-life context’s role in learning. The “Understanding” phase highlighted how PhET simulations facilitated deeper comprehension, with students making insightful observations. Additionally, the “Application” phase showcased the effective translation of simulation-derived knowledge into practical scenarios, bridging theoretical and real-world understanding. Students’ use of high-order thinking skills, at the analysis, evaluation, and creative phases, showed that simulations supported Grade 3 students in their learning processes of scientific concepts. The research underscores the efficacy of integrating PhET simulations into elementary science education, enhancing students’ knowledge by promoting active engagement and problem-solving skills. Integrating simulations into teaching methodologies emerges as a promising avenue to nurture scientific expertise and holistic understanding among elementary school students. Full article

U.S. educational reform is often the harbinger of global demands on mathematics education practices globally. It behooves teacher education to ‘catch up’ on current trends, hopefully, to stave off the worst of the fascist tendencies of contemporary politics of education. Past foci on research-based ‘best practices’ and ‘mathematics for all’, grounded in liberal multiculturalism (confirming expectations from critical mathematics education scholarship), have become the targets of activists and politicians, turning once-exemplary teachers and their students into casualties. The four phases of currere are employed to study this phenomenon and to identify strategies and tactics for teacher education programs. The currere methodology indicates that the content of such programs must reduce time devoted to evidence and research-based practice in order to accommodate techniques and knowledge bases for the recognition of right-wing tactics, clowning, slogan parody, and political organizing. Teacher education must further place mathematics teachers’ embrace of expertise, authority, and neutrality within broader perspectives on the politics of education, organizational infrastructure strategies and tactics, resource curation, and personal safety planning. Teacher educators themselves must prepare responses to threats on their careers, lives, and families, and proactive ‘game plans’ for the development of new program curricula. Full article

The integration of technology into educational institutions is transforming education and fostering innovative approaches to learning. Blended learning, an increasingly popular approach, integrates technology with traditional teaching approaches. Blended learning can overcome the limitations associated with using technology purely as a tool, facilitating its full integration into the educational process. The present study involved 106 students enrolled in a vocational education program (VET) in Slovenia. The students were subjected to a pilot implementation of blended learning, and their experiences were subsequently analyzed and evaluated. The results showed that the use of different teaching approaches led to different outcomes in terms of student workload, learning outcomes, and motivation. The different teaching approaches were found to present different levels of difficulty for students. For example, live sessions and the integration of virtual reality/augmented reality (VR /AR) technology presented greater challenges. Conversely, collaborative group work and online courses focused on developing professional skills were found to be beneficial. The study also highlighted the importance of feedback and instructor support in online learning environments. In general, the results of our study suggest that the adoption of blended learning in education can lead to positive outcomes. However, it is important to emphasize the importance of careful planning and thoughtful consideration of optimal pedagogical strategies. Full article

The rapid evolution of university education is accompanied by a multitude of very specific, but rarely interrelated, research. The importance of socialization, informal learning, virtuality, flexible furniture, and learning by doing are recurrent themes, but they are often analyzed in isolation. The great potential for understanding these concepts lies in the value of their gradients, thresholds, interstices, interconnections, and the multiple relationships between them. Interrelating the existing analyses defines the learning ecosystem where thresholds acquire didactic prominence. Since the beginning of this century, radical changes have been taking place in the way learning is understood and are accompanied by regulatory changes (e.g., the Bologna Plan), methodological shifts, and spatial changes. Teaching innovation and spatial innovation mutually enhance each other in the search for teaching quality. In this research work, the state of the art is organized and classified into five assumptions, each with a graphic analysis, so that different architectural styles, geographical locations, and periods are represented, all with didactic potentials. The result comprises five design criteria proposed to build the different gradients of each hybridization. Full article

A variety of new policy requirements set for learning and teaching affect the work in schools. The local context in which a school is located forms the grounds for school-level policy adjustments and development work. Caring is a common pedagogical concept and depending on the context its interpretation and meaning varies. Teachers can express their caring attitude in their interactions with students and other teachers. We investigated teachers’ perceptions of school development and elements that encourage and motivate teachers to engage in school development work. We also studied caring as one feature in the descriptions related to the work cultures of the schools. The data were teacher group interviews (N = 10) in five different Finnish comprehensive schools located in five different municipalities. In total, 44 teachers participated in the study. We used conventional content analysis allowing a data-driven descriptive approach to the material. The data were thematized and classified into categories concerning the aspects of development work. The categories were further examined to analyze caring. The analysis resulted in finding categories concerning meaningful school development and prerequisites to development that reflected and were aimed at the caring elements in the work culture. Full article

Using video technology to support individual and collaborative reflection in pre-service teacher education is an increasingly common practice. This paper explores the type of teaching practice challenges identified by the pre-service teachers and the feedback provided during analysis by school mentors and university tutors through the use of the VEO app to supervise a teaching practicum. Student teachers selected and uploaded a short clip of their dissatisfied interventions during the practicum to the app. Each student analyzed their clip and received online feedback from their school mentor and university tutor. The objectives were to analyze the challenges in the chosen video clips, identify which mentoring feedback episodes occurred, characterize them according to their feedback strategies and analyze differences between school mentors’ and university tutors’ feedback. We conducted a descriptive and exploratory study with a sample of 12 pre-service teachers, their school mentors and their university tutors. Pre-service teachers identified communication and the learning climate as frequent challenges. University tutors used more emotional feedback strategies and a greater range of task assistance feedback than school mentors. Three types of feedback episodes were identified (complementary, collaboration and school mentor-centered episodes). Implications in teacher learning and mentoring programs were discussed. Full article

This study investigates how Education Outside the Classroom (EOtC) was used to foster the inclusion of students with immigrant backgrounds into the class. An ethnographic mixed-methods design was used, and two exemplary stories display the barriers and facilitators of inclusion in a rural school in Germany. The findings show that a lack of language proficiency and academic and social overburdening are among the main barriers to inclusion. An EOtC approach with a strong focus on place and culture responsivity, on the other hand, offers possibilities for the participation of all students and offers a promising way to more inclusive schools. Full article

The recent increase in online instruction caused by the 2020 pandemic has reignited the debate over the efficacy of online instruction compared to in-person instruction. This study explored the impact various modes of instruction had on student achievement and compared students’ stated modality preference with their actual attendance behavior. Results show that while most students preferred in-person instruction (74%), only 47% of those who indicated they preferred in-person instruction attended class only in-person. Many attended classes utilizing a modality other than in-person, and several students switched their preferred modality away from in-person instruction. In general, students who attended class using a mixed modality or in-person achieved slightly better results than those attending class live online. However, the only statistically significant difference was between those participating predominantly in person and those watching class recordings (88% compared to 84% on average). Overall, many students achieved high grades regardless of their chosen instructional modality. In addition, students reported appreciating the option of multiple modalities when they could not attend class in their preferred modality. These results suggest offering a choice of modalities benefited many students. Full article

This article puts forward the core argument that a pedagogical shift is very much needed if we want to address the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities represented by increasingly diverse educational settings and move towards a more inclusive, equal, and just academia. First, it is suggested that we replace the current pedagogical models in use, namely, the teacher-centered and student-centered models, as their educational philosophies are insufficient and can be considered, to a certain extent, oppressive. Then, it is argued that transformative pedagogy can broaden the scope of academic goals by including students’ well-being, as well as their individual and collective emancipatory goals. To support the argument, the author presents a theoretical framework that has been developed over time while teaching migration topics to students coming from all over the world. The framework includes a holistic approach rooted in transformative pedagogy, which engages with students’ cognitive, practical, and affective dimensions. It is further argued that the theoretical framework should integrate intersectional and decolonial approaches into its praxis. These approaches offer further insights into how to challenge power imbalances in the classroom, center the experiences and voices of marginalized communities, and recognize the interplay between individual experiences, systemic oppressions, and the broader socio-political context. The article concludes by explaining that transformative pedagogy has not yet received the attention it deserves, both in practice and in research, and that more efforts need to be made to explore its potential and scientific relevance. Full article

The universalization of schooling has triggered issues about the organization and management of more inclusive education systems. Several transnational organizations have produced guidelines that have contributed to the concept of inclusive education being incorporated into national educational policies. To identify the ideas underpinning this concept, we mobilized a policy cycle theoretical–methodological proposal. From a thematic analysis of (inter)national texts, four themes emerged: the recognition of diversity, the struggle for equity, the promotion of school autonomy and the emphasis on the participation of the educational community. In this article, we analyze the ideas underpinning the themes of struggle for equity and promotion of school autonomy to analyze the challenges and opportunities resulting from their articulation. Analysis of the Portuguese case revealed that the legal and normative framework shaped by international documents underlines a tension between these two themes, raising questions regarding the practices enacted by national and institutional actors. The findings suggest that equity is conditional on school autonomy; nevertheless, granted autonomy may not translate into improved equity. The extent to which our analysis of the Portuguese case reflects other national contexts where effective autonomy enhances equity remains to be seen. Full article

White people, Black men, and non-Black People of Color often expect Black women to care for others, often to the detriment of Black women being able to prioritize their own needs. This feeling is even more pronounced in helping professions, such as student affairs, and is consistent with a history of expectations that Black women care for others’ needs. In this manuscript, we use Black Feminist Thought to explore racial battle fatigue and how Black women student affairs educators worked to center themselves and focus on their healing from gendered racism. We employed a narrative inquiry methodology to center participants’ stories. Findings illustrate differences between self-care and healing, the importance of community, and efforts to support future generations of Black women. Our work builds on Black Feminist Thought as a theoretical framework and contributes to the literature on the particular ways racial battle fatigue manifests and strategies for healing in the midst of navigating gendered racism. Full article

The OECD’s education agenda has been marked since the 1990s by monitoring quality and manufacturing problems and solutions for the so-called knowledge economy. Among the instruments used by the OECD is “PISA for Schools” (Pisa-S), an assessment applied directly to schools worldwide since 2011. In Portugal, it was implemented in 2019 under the designation of “PISA for schools in the municipalities” (PISA-M), claiming to create opportunities for collaborative work between schools to promote the success of local educational policies and the quality of student learning. Taking PISA-M as a policy instrument and building on Coburn problem-framing typology, in this article, the revision of PISA-S to PISA-M is reread to analyze the regulatory rationale for the educational system that PISA-M encodes. This research draws on data from OECD PISA/PISA-S/PISA-M websites and two public hearings with the Portuguese PISA-M coordination in the Portuguese parliament and with education unionists, and in existing research relating to PISA-S. Overall, PISA-M appears to be an instrument to reframe local school governance and teacher professional development practices by capturing problematizations and solutions raised on education, teachers’ development, and how school education should be ordered and coordinated at a municipal scale. Full article

Physics deals with complex systems by reducing them to relationships between a limited number of relevant quantities and general principles. Since we live in a reality characterised by an increasing complexity in all fields, an indispensable challenge arises for education to turn basic science instruction into a key stage of education per se. Is it possible to introduce some aspects of the physics approach as early as the first school years? Which ones, how, and with what results? Here, results of the initial phase of a three-year project on complexity are presented. This educational innovation path has been developed for elementary and middle schools and is designed as a gentle introduction to complex and systemic thinking. It aims to foster in children reasoning by analogies and the development of simple but effective and versatile basic concepts. The project exploits the use of the small set of primary metaphors already available in children’s cognitive toolkit to apply them to describing the characteristics of various circuits, from marbles to water and air to electricity. Pupils’ feedback was analysed through a single case study with a qualitative and quantitative methodology. Results were encouragingly positive and showed a wide range of abilities to capture and develop analogies on the topic of the circuit. Full article

The school-to-work transition is a critical time for engineers that involves rapid learning across multiple fronts, but relatively little is known about the setting (i.e., how, where, and with whom) of significant learning experiences during this time. The purpose of the study is to examine the setting of significant learning events for recent engineering graduates. We used a multi-case study in which 12 recent engineering graduates responded to weekly reflective journal prompts for the first twelve weeks of their transition from school to work. Participants described significant learning events through a series of open-ended questions. We used both deductive and inductive coding to identify the setting of the event in terms of how, where, and with whom engineers engaged in learning at work. The findings highlight the emergent, social nature of workplace learning and point to critical differences across school and work. To better prepare students for professional practice, engineering educators should consider how they might create learning environments that promote effective transfer of knowledge and skills. Full article

The present study examines the role of everyday play-based activities, planned and implemented by parents, on the development of children’s mathematical thinking at the age of up to 3 years old. Parents’ knowledge and beliefs were measured by using an online questionnaire, while a nonformal training program was developed and implemented with the participation of a group of parents using technological tools. The aim was to improve their knowledge on how to use relevant play-based activities and the understanding of their role. Results indicated that parents asked for the contribution of experts in order to acquire the relevant knowledge and skills and develop positive self-efficacy beliefs about their role. They found the training practical, through the use of digital tools, as well as useful for collaboration and communication. The shared examples by them indicated that the training has to concentrate further on the use of daily activities outside of the school-based context, which is more known to the parents. Full article

Every year, an increasing number of students decide to study abroad in non-English-speaking countries, and Spain is recently a very popular destination within Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) communities. This paper attempts to deepen our knowledge of the impact of international student mobility (ISM) on students’ multicultural identity and career development. To do so, the experiences of 10 LAC students who completed a one-year degree programme in Barcelona are examined. Semi-structured interviews were employed to evaluate the international experiences one year after their completion. During their post-mobility interviews, participants were able to reflect on the ISM through a structured dialogue that allowed them to analyse the experience from a distance. Findings indicate that the ISM helped them to grow personally and professionally and, one year after the stay, they are aware of this evolution. They show an increase in their self-confidence, and they see the experience as an opportunity for personal maturity. This suggests that universities should consider the importance of offering guidance to these students when they end their master’s degree and are considering their plans for the future. Full article