Educator Perceptions of Early Learning Environments as Places for Privileging Social Justice in Rural and Remote Communities

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Australia has long been associated with the concept of social justice, however, a clear understanding of what it looks like across diverse services and communities is not available. This article reports the process of inquiry, as well as the outcomes, of a small-scale study designed to uncover the perceptions of ECEC educators working in rural and remote communities in the state of Queensland. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews with five educators from rural and remote settings identified as areas experiencing significant growth in population diversity. An initial thematic analysis of the data revealed three key themes. A secondary analysis using a place and space conceptual framework uncovered deeper, more sophisticated meanings of the educator experience of social justice. The research is important in bringing pedagogical conversations to the forefront regarding ECEC educator perceptions of their role in creating a socially just learning environment. In addition to identifying future research possibilities, implications from the findings indicate opportunities for re-examining and rethinking initial teacher education and ongoing professional learning.

Investigating the Impact of an AI-driven Discussion Platform on Educator Perceptions and Feedback

Asynchronous discussions are a popular element in online education, often used to replace the student-student and educator-student interactions that occur in physical classrooms. Most Learning Management Systems (LMSs), such as Canvas and Moodle, include native discussion tools that offer students and instructors the ability to interact and communicate at their own time and pace. Some specialized products offer a wider variety of discussion features that standard LMS tools may not have. In this study, we discuss the impact of an online discussion platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and gamified features. We conducted a qualitative study examining how AI elements affect the workflow, grading, and feedback experience of educators. Preliminary findings offer insights into the impact of the AI elements on graders’ perceptions, in particular on their perception of giving feedback and the perceived ambiguity of the way the AI assesses students’ post quality.

Educator Perceptions of English Language Learners

This article explores educator perceptions of gifted and talented (GT) English language learning (ELL) students. Nine educators from two schools within a school district with high population of ELL students were interviewed in this qualitative study. Discussion focused on understanding teachers’ ideas regarding ELL gifted students. Three main themes emerged from interviews: educator perceptions, identification, and professional development. Implications from the study include the need for specific professional development to restructure thinking regarding ELL students and to inform educators on the myriad of ways giftedness may manifest itself.