Search Results (33)

The teaching of natural sciences in complex school contexts, such as border and peripheral zones, faces challenges linked to curricular relevance, teacher preparation, and structural conditions. This study explored the professional demands of elementary teachers in northern Chile through four focus groups with 21 in-service teachers from rural and urban schools in the tri-border region. Thematic analysis revealed challenges including limited disciplinary training, scarce resources, reduced instructional time, and pressure from standardized tests. Enabling factors included the natural environment, students’ experiential knowledge, and interdisciplinary integration. Findings stress the need for situated teacher education policies responsive to territorial realities. Full article

This qualitative study explored how elementary preservice teachers (PSTs) in an equity-centered teacher preparation program understood technology’s role in equity pedagogy. Drawing on two focus groups of five PSTs each—organized to reflect the most recent cohort’s division into separate sub-cohorts—and a short reflective writing activity, we examined (1) how the PSTs conceptualized the relationship between technology and equity pedagogy, (2) what opportunities and challenges they perceived at this intersection, and (3) how various aspects of their program shaped their understanding. While PSTs generally viewed technology as a tool for advancing equity pedagogy, their understanding varied considerably between the two sub-cohorts, particularly in terms of their knowledge, confidence, and perceived barriers to teaching at the intersection of these domains. These differences appeared to stem from how well-supported PSTs felt in making connections between these domains across their coursework, field experiences, and peer interactions. This study reinforces the need for more intentionally integrated coursework that equips PSTs to use technology for advancing equity in the K–12 curriculum. Full article

Reading and writing in the 21st century have evolved from traditional text-based formats to multimodal literacy, integrating linguistic, visual, auditory, and spatial modes to enhance communication and comprehension. While multimodal reading has been widely studied, multimodal writing remains underexplored, despite its growing importance in K–12 education across disciplines. Multimodal composing demands advanced self-regulation as students navigate multiple digital tools and platforms. Self-regulated learning strategies, particularly the self-regulated strategy development model, offer a promising approach to support students in planning, monitoring, and revising multimodal compositions. However, a comprehensive framework linking self-regulation and multimodal composition is lacking. This article addresses this gap by synthesizing findings from two studies—one in preservice teacher education and another in a first-grade classroom—along with existing research to propose a self-regulated multimodal composing framework. This framework aims to guide educators in fostering students’ autonomy and competence in multimodal composing. By integrating self-regulation strategies with multimodal composition processes, the SRMC framework provides actionable insights for instructional practices, helping teachers support diverse learners in today’s digitally mediated classrooms. The article discusses implications for pedagogy and future research, advocating for greater emphasis on self-regulated multimodal composing in literacy education. Full article

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for quality, inclusive education for all through Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). Given the central role of teachers in achieving this goal, this study examined (1) whether pre-service elementary teachers develop self-efficacy for inclusive teaching by graduation and (2) whether self-efficacy varies according to the type of teacher education program (general vs. dual) and the opportunities provided to learn inclusive teaching strategies. Using a non-experimental, cross-sectional comparative design, we surveyed 330 pre-service elementary teachers in the United States and Spain, enrolled in two distinct teacher education pathways. Participants completed the Teacher Self-Efficacy for Inclusive Practice (TEIP) and Opportunity to Learn to Teach Inclusively (OLTI) scales. Results revealed moderate levels of self-efficacy for inclusive teaching overall. Spanish participants in general teacher education programs reported significantly lower self-efficacy than U.S. participants in dual certification programs. Regardless of program type, those with greater opportunities to learn inclusive teaching strategies reported significantly higher self-efficacy. Notably, opportunity to learn was found to moderate the relationship between program type and self-efficacy. These findings highlight the critical role of practice-based opportunities in developing teachers’ confidence in inclusive education. Embedding such opportunities in teacher preparation is essential for advancing sustainable, inclusive education systems worldwide. Full article

In recent years, rapidly advancing technology has reshaped our world, holding the potential to transform social and economic structures. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a comprehensive roadmap that promotes not only economic growth but also social, environmental, and global sustainability. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a critical technology contributing to sustainable development by offering solutions to both social and economic challenges. One of the fundamental ideas is that education should always maintain a dynamic structure that supports sustainable development and fosters individuals equipped with sustainability skills. In this study, the impact of various variables related to AI applications in primary education at the elementary school level, in line with sustainable development goals, was evaluated using a mixed meta-method complemented with quantitative analyses. Within the framework of the mixed meta-method, a meta-analysis of data obtained from studies conducted between 2005 and 2025 was performed using the CMA program. The analysis determined a medium effect size of g = 0.51. To validate the meta-analysis results and enhance their content validity, a meta-thematic analysis was conducted, applying content analysis to identify themes and codes. In the final stage of this research, to further support the data obtained through the mixed meta-method, a set of evaluation form questions prepared within the Rasch measurement model framework was administered to primary school teachers. The collected data were analyzed using the FACETS program. The findings from the meta-analysis document review indicated that AI studies in primary education were most commonly applied in mathematics courses. During the meta-thematic analysis process, themes related to the impact of AI applications on learning environments, challenges encountered during implementation, and proposed solutions were identified. The Rasch measurement model process revealed that AI applications were widely used in science and mathematics curricula (FBP-4 and MP-2). Among the evaluators (raters), J2 was identified as the most lenient rater, while J11 was the strictest. When analyzing the AI-related items, the statement “I can help students prepare a presentation describing their surroundings using AI tools” (I17) was identified as the most challenging item, whereas “I understand how to effectively use AI applications in classroom activities” (I14) was found to be the easiest. The results of the analyses indicate that the obtained data are complementary and mutually supportive. The findings of this research are expected to serve as a guide for future studies and applications related to the topic, making significant contributions to the field. Full article

Play is often called the work of children, but questions abound about how early childhood educators are prepared to support children’s learning through play. In this study, we investigated undergraduate pre-service teachers’ perception of community-engaged coursework in the early childhood and elementary educator preparation program of a U.S.-based Hispanic-Serving Institution and how such a course could support student training and capacity for planning playful lessons. We analyzed data collected by our institutional Center for Community Engagement to understand the impact of field-based engagement on student experiences. Findings indicate that despite initially mixed perceptions, students developed professionally and felt positively about engaging children in various play types in the classroom. Practical implications for teacher educators and directions for future research are discussed. Full article

This study investigated how the time that elementary pre-service teachers (PSTs) spend studying certain mathematics topics during a content course is related to growth in their perseverance in problem-solving. Using a quasi-experimental design, PSTs from two classes taught by the same instructor engaged in 12 problem-solving sessions each to measure their willingness to initiate and sustain, and re-initiate and re-sustain upon an impasse, productive struggle during engagement. Inspired by the thinking-oriented and knowledge-oriented theoretical approaches to teacher preparation in elementary mathematics, there were two class conditions. Over one semester, the treatment group studied five mathematics topics (averaging about 400 min of classroom time per topic) and the control group studied 10 mathematics topics (averaging about 150 min of classroom time per topic). The results show that the perseverance of PSTs in problem-solving in the treatment group grew at a significantly greater rate compared to PSTs in the control group. This suggests that PSTs’ perseverance development may be supported by spending more classroom time studying fewer topics during mathematics content courses. Full article

Few studies of computational thinking (CT) integration in elementary curricula have yet focused on supporting early elementary educators with implementing and assessing their young students’ application of these practices to content area work. This paper summarizes a collaborative research project that engaged researchers, K-second grade teachers, and professional development (PD) providers in implementing a hybrid PD model to answer the following research questions: (1) What kind of PD and guidance do teachers need to identify and support emergent computational thinking development in young students’ language and work process? (2) What kind of PD and guidance do teachers need to identify emergent computational thinking development in young students’ work products? This project employed a mixed-methods research design that included pre- and post-surveys and interviews with teachers to measure and understand how growth in teachers’ confidence, knowledge, and self-efficacy with CT prepared them to identify and support these concepts with young learners. Additionally, analysis was able to identify the key formative assessment strategies these teachers employed to generate insight into students’ understanding and application of CT during problem-solving. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study assessed teacher comfort in supporting the medical management of children with asthma in elementary and middle schools in two southern states in the U.S. Teacher comfort in asthma management is a largely underexplored area yet holds promise to support medical management in schools. Methods: Using survey methods, data were gathered from a random sample of teachers in two southern U.S. states (n = 574). Data from the Teacher Capability and School Resource Scale for Asthma Management scale were used to assess teacher comfort and capability in managing stressful asthma management episodes. Results: Teachers expressed comfort in supporting children with asthma in their classrooms. On the Teacher Capability in Social and Emotional Aspects of Asthma Management (SEAM) factor, the mean rating was 3.89 (SD = 0.83) out of 5, and the mean rating for the School Resources/Institutional Capability for Asthma Management factor was 3.77 (SD = 0.99) out of 5. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that access to school, community, and medical resources; coordinated school-based asthma care plans; and pre-service preparation improve teacher comfort. School nursing support is needed for teacher education. Full article

Faced with the environmental challenges facing today’s society, it is necessary to form critical, conscious, committed and competent citizens that can take action. Children represent, at the same time, the need for care and hope for a better and more sustainable world. The school is the ideal place to carry out this training. All citizens pass through school for many years and many hours a day. Everything in the school is designed to teach people how to learn and live together: the people who work there, the infrastructure, the rules, the resources and the opportunities to share daily actions. But are schools prepared to carry out effective environmental education? Several reasons have been pointed out as potential explanations of the lack of awareness and sustainable behavior observed in a large part of the population. Surely, one of the most important is the lack of adequate organization, which leads to a lack of long-term planning, of people in charge, or of an evaluation and communication of the results. In this paper, we present a study on environmental education carried out in a group of Early Childhood and Elementary education schools using structured interviews conducted by students of the Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir. The results obtained are congruent with the contributions made by previous studies, which have highlighted the lack of coherence between training, attitudes and teaching practices. The conclusions drawn seem to indicate that, although practicing teachers are aware of the importance of the subject, the presence of environmental policies in the school and the implementation of good educational action are far from being considered optimal, given the current need for them. Full article

In today’s elementary classrooms, students face an uncertain future, standing to inherit a world characterized by environmental unsustainability. Therefore, elementary teachers must educate their students on anthropogenic climate change to increase the likelihood that future generations will mitigate its risks. This article documents the perspectives on children’s literature depicting climate change held by 27 Teacher Candidates in a conservative, oil-producing region of a U.S. state. The results show a low likelihood of participants self-censoring the topic of climate change compared with other frequently censored topics (i.e., gender, sexuality, and race). However, they report accepting others’ views on climate change even when those views contradict settled climate science. This implies a need for more directed preparation for elementary teachers to actively negotiate with their students to ensure they develop research-aligned perspectives on climate change. Full article

Because of the Common Core State Standards (2010), all elementary students across the United States, including multilingual learners, must learn to compose written texts in opinion, informational, and narrative genres. By nature, writing also plays many diverse roles in educational settings, and advanced writing skills are needed for students to reach interdisciplinary success. Specifically, writing can be incorporated into content-area learning in subjects such as science, social studies, and math to support genre-based writing development. While advanced writing can be challenging for any student to master, multilingual students may need additional support to develop these crucial composition skills because of the complexities of learning two languages simultaneously. Furthermore, while many educators understand that multilingual students have distinct literacy needs, not all teachers are prepared to meet these specific writing instructional demands. This article presents the results of a systematic review guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach. This study investigated literacy-based empirical research used to support multilingual learners since the inception of the Common Core (2010–2023) genre-based writing standards. In characterizing effective writing supports, seven themes emerged: (a) the role of the teacher, (b) writing mentor texts, (c) the creation of multimodal texts, (d) writing scaffolds, (e) authenticity, (f) specific teacher instruction, and (g) multilingual language approaches. While this body of research is literacy-focused, these findings provide elementary teachers with specific strategies to support developing multilingual writers when implemented into traditional literacy spaces or content-area instruction. Full article

The increasing linguistic and cultural diversity in K-12 schools necessitates preparing preservice teachers [PSTs] to address the unique needs of Emergent Bilinguals [EBs]. This study examined elementary preservice teachers’ (PSTs) lesson plans in English Language Arts, social studies, math, and science, focusing on integrating pedagogical translanguaging strategies. The research questions were the following: (1) What translanguaging practices are evident in PSTs’ lesson plans? (2) How do PSTs integrate these practices into their instructional planning for EBs? Fifty-six PSTs enrolled in a second language methodology course at a large urban research university participated in this study. This course, taken in their senior year or during student teaching, aimed to equip PSTs with skills for delivering linguistically and culturally appropriate instructions and assessments for EBs. For the final assignment, 56 lesson plans were analyzed using deductive and inductive coding methods with the Dedoose 4.2 software. The findings reveal that while PSTs effectively identified key vocabulary and used multimodal resources to support EBs, they need more training in leveraging EBs’ home languages, strategic grouping, multilingual collaboration, and translanguaging assessments in their instructional planning. Full article

Research into pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) ability to develop meaningful interdisciplinary, project-based curricula is lacking; at the same time, many young adolescents fail to see the connections between their schoolwork and the real world. As such, there is a need for new methods to prepare elementary and middle school teachers’ abilities to integrate mathematics and science through authentic content. This article will examine how elementary and middle PSTs collaborated across their mathematics and science methods courses to design project-based learning (PBL) unit plans that integrate social justice and global awareness in a STEM context. The content analysis of 25 distinct PBL unit plans documented the levels at which PSTs could incorporate practical PBL design elements into their projects, integrate robust mathematical content, and identify connections to social justice and global awareness. Through this analysis, we will share the successes and challenges faced in guiding PSTs to create PBL STEM units and present a series of next steps that could be taken to further this cross-curricular endeavor. Full article

Research has identified principal leadership as one of the most salient school-level predictors of teacher retention. However, the survey-based quantitative nature and specific survey questions used in this research make it difficult to discern which leadership behaviors or approaches contribute most to teacher retention. As a result, school leaders and those responsible for preparing and/or employing them lack clear, research-based information about specific practices that could be effectively utilized, particularly in high-poverty schools. This qualitative case study, set in a high-poverty U. S. elementary school with high retention rates, utilized Simon and Johnson’s (2015) framework of how principal behaviors that increase teacher retention in the quantitative research are exhibited in under-resourced schools. The study generates qualitative understandings of how a principal’s actions contributed to retention by reaffirming a mission to serve high-poverty students, recognizing teachers for their work, developing and fostering within-faculty relationships, strengthening relationships with families, and providing disciplinary support. In doing so, the study also provides support for an existing framework for leading for retention and insights into how these actions may influence or be seen in survey responses used in survey-based research. Full article