Exploring relationships between playspaces, pedagogy, and preschoolers’ play-based science and engineering practices

This manuscript reports the results of a research study exploring the ways in which physical space and teacher pedagogy are related to preschoolers’ engagement with science and engineering practices while at play. Using the Science and Engineering Practices Observation Protocol (SciEPOP), researchers captured children’s engagement with the eight science and engineering practices identified in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This study explores relationships between specific playspaces, materials, and pedagogical strategies, and children’s patterns of engagement with particular science and engineering practices during free play. There are notable differences in the spaces, materials, and pedagogies children encounter across the four participating preschools, and these differences suggest significant gaps in children’s opportunities to engage in and deepen their enactment of science and engineering practices. The authors present evidence in support of adaptive, personalized strategies for deepening children’s engagement with science through play, and raise questions about equity in early science learning environments that have implications both nationally and internationally for science education research, practice, and policy.

How Does Professional Development Impact on Teachers' Use of an Interactive Whiteboard in New Zealand Primary Classrooms?

<p>My research examined how professional development impacts on teachers' use of an interactive whiteboard in New Zealand primary classrooms. The research, in the form of a survey and qualitative case study, specifically looked at the professional development experienced by teachers with an IWB and contextual factors that enhance and constrain the introduction of an IWB for teachers learning to use it in their class programme. It also explored how an IWB is used in the classroom programme. Sociocultural theory provided the theoretical framework to analyse the data. The findings of the research showed that professional development featured as both an enhancing and constraining factor. This was determined by the content of the activity. Sustained professional development appeared to have the most impact on teachers' IWB use. The data examined how and why teachers like to use an IWB, and the impact of the unique and multi-media features of the IWB had on teacher pedagogy and students. Recommendations are made for effective professional development for IWB users and areas for further research are discussed.</p>

How Does Professional Development Impact on Teachers' Use of an Interactive Whiteboard in New Zealand Primary Classrooms?

<p>My research examined how professional development impacts on teachers' use of an interactive whiteboard in New Zealand primary classrooms. The research, in the form of a survey and qualitative case study, specifically looked at the professional development experienced by teachers with an IWB and contextual factors that enhance and constrain the introduction of an IWB for teachers learning to use it in their class programme. It also explored how an IWB is used in the classroom programme. Sociocultural theory provided the theoretical framework to analyse the data. The findings of the research showed that professional development featured as both an enhancing and constraining factor. This was determined by the content of the activity. Sustained professional development appeared to have the most impact on teachers' IWB use. The data examined how and why teachers like to use an IWB, and the impact of the unique and multi-media features of the IWB had on teacher pedagogy and students. Recommendations are made for effective professional development for IWB users and areas for further research are discussed.</p>

Science in School: Transforming K-12 Outreach through Scientist Teacher Partnerships

The Scientist in Every Florida School (SEFS) program was started in 2019 with a long-term vision to connect Earth systems scientists with public K-12 schools in Florida and therefore create long-term scientist-teacher partnerships. SEFS fulfills personalized requests to create meaningful and impactful interactions to support teacher pedagogy and student learning. We have as part of our mission a focus on mainstream public schools, and in particular, those that are Title I. We also are committed to working with at-risk teachers. The major components of our program include the scientist-teacher partnerships, focused professional development workshops on Florida's Earth systems (air, water, land, and life), classroom visits, and other web-based activities. Although still only in its first few years, the project and its more than 600 scientists have a wide reach with over 850 teachers and 53,000 students participating in our programs, which were delivered virtually in the 2020-2021 school year covering about 60% of Florida's 67 counties. In this article, we describe our programmatic features as well as recommendations for those who could implement similar programs.

Children’s Right to Belong?—The Psychosocial Impact of Pedagogy and Peer Interaction on Minority Ethnic Children’s Negotiation of Academic and Social Identities in School

Migration across the OECD this decade is reflected in increasingly diverse societies. Although migration into Ireland remains relatively low, increasing pupil diversity is evident in the physical, pedagogical, curricular, and socio-relational aspects of schooling. While the intensity of such changes are evident in teacher pedagogy, children’s social worlds, and classroom/school dynamics, most notable is the lack of policy development to support school practices. Drawing on two in-depth case studies, this paper aims to foreground minority ethnic children/young people’s voice(s) as they negotiate the complexity of identity (re)formation and belonging in school. It explores whether mis/recognition impacts teacher pedagogical practices through ability grouping, and minority ethnic children’s navigation of social spaces within/between the classroom. Using a children’s rights lens, this paper interrogates whether minority ethnic children’s right to education preparing them “for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace (and) tolerance” (Article 29 (1), UNCRC, 1989) is being realised. Findings indicate the need to foreground minority ethnic children’s voices and rights to ensure how they “do”/”feel” learning is in their best interests and affords them equal opportunities in their school lives.

Peran Manajemen Kepemimpinan, Pelatihan Dan Supervisi Terhadap Pedagogical Content Knowledge Di Madrasah

Pedagogical knowledge in the context of PP No. 74 of 2008 is more equated with the term teacher pedagogic competence. Teacher pedagogic competence is the ability to manage student learning which at least includes understanding of educational insights or foundations, understanding of students, curriculum/syllabus development, learning design, implementation of educational and dialogical learning, utilization of learning technology, evaluation of learning outcomes, and development students to actualize their various potentials. This research was conducted using a correlational quantitative approach. The quantitative approach in research is an approach that emphasizes analysis on numerical data (numbers) that are processed by statistical methods. Basically, the quantitative approach is carried out in inferential research (in the context of testing the hypothesis) and relies on the conclusion of the results on a null probability of rejecting the hypothesis. With quantitative methods will be obtained the significance of the relationship between the variables studied. In general, quantitative research is research on a large sample. The leadership of high-quality madrasah principals with learning outcomes has been widely documented in various research results. A number of recent studies have shown that superior leadership is one of the determining factors in improving teacher performance, both in terms of professional competence and teacher pedagogy.

Ethnography and Bush Kinder Research: A Review of the Literature

Bush kindergarten programmes (known as bush kinders), where preschool children learn in, about and with nature, are proliferating in Australian early childhood education. This scoping review reports on, and analyses, the research literature pertaining to how ethnography has been applied to the bush kinder context. We included studies conducted in related contexts, such as forest schools, and other programmes that focus on nature pedagogy, as these contexts assist us to better understand bush kinders. The findings from our literature review illustrate and confirm that empirical research in bush kinder settings is in its early stages. Consequently, bush kinders present opportunities for piloting research methodologies. After a review of the research literature, it was found that ethnography as a research methodology is valuable to understand teacher pedagogy, young children’s learning, the implications of researcher positionality, the context and the place of bush kinders in early childhood education and care.

Human rights education in humanitarian settings: opportunities and challenges

Human rights education in humanitarian settings provides an opportunity for adolescent refugees to understand and exercise their human rights, respect the rights of others, and gain active citizenship skills. This paper examines non-formal education programmes and the extent to which they embed education about, through and for human rights; it draws on mixed method data from two diverse contexts–Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and Syrian refugees in Jordan. We find stark differences in how human rights are reflected in non-formal education programming for refugees. In Jordan, the Makani programme integrates human rights across subjects and teacher pedagogy, and fosters skills for active citizenship. By contrast, in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, a lack of basic rights hinders the delivery of meaningful human rights education for Rohingya adolescents. We conclude that human rights education should be a core pillar of humanitarian responses, but that it requires significant adaptations to contextual realities.

Transforming K-12 Mathematics Classroom Teacher Pedagogy Through Virtual Number Talks

Number Talks is a popular K-12 mathematics routine utilized in classrooms across the United States. Number Talks allows teachers to elicit and respond to students' mathematical thinking through the development of an encouraging classroom community and provide opportunities for students to engage in critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity. In this chapter, the authors report their “virtualization” of the Number Talks routine and the development of a teacher learning cycle that supports implementation of this practice. The virtualization of Number Talks is illustrated through the pedagogical transformation of one teacher, who begins the teacher learning cycle skeptical of the value of Number Talks and ends with an innovative Virtual Number Talks practice that benefited both students and teachers in her school. This teacher's implementation of Virtual Number Talks and engagement in the “4C” of 21st century learning demonstrate a transformation of pedagogy that uses technology to create rich online mathematics learning experiences.