Search Results (929)

Learning from errors (LFE) constitutes a complex, multilevel process whose pedagogical value depends on how errors are elicited, interpreted, and corrected. This narrative review critically synthesizes research on LFE and its implications for science instruction in school and higher education. The reporting of the purposive, non-exhaustive search was strengthened with reference to the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA) criteria. The synthesis traces the historical transition from error avoidance to conditional error-as-resource perspectives and integrates five complementary lenses: error type, negative knowledge, cognitive load and prior knowledge, affective and self-regulatory processes, and the Generating Errors/Detecting and Correcting Errors model. It then evaluates instructional approaches including productive failure, erroneous examples, peer instruction, formative feedback, conceptual-change strategies, Predict–Observe–Explain, refutation texts, and gamification. Evidence is strongest when errors are embedded in structured cycles of manageable challenge, explanation, feedback, and revision; however, effects are heterogeneous and moderated by learner expertise, task demands, feedback design, classroom error climate, and safety constraints. Domain-specific evidence is most developed in physics, chemistry, biology, and health-professions simulation, whereas Earth and climate sciences and teacher professional development remain comparatively underexamined. The review concludes with an integrative framework and actionable design principles for science teacher education, while identifying methodological, cultural, and empirical gaps for future research. Full article

Background/Objectives: Musicians face occupational health risks from repetitive movement, sustained posture, and intensive practice. This study examined self-reported knowledge of musician-related disorders, physical complaints, and selected health practices among music educators and pre-service music teachers, using occupational health literacy (OHL) as an interpretive framework. Methods: A cross-sectional survey included 432 participants from public higher education institutions in Türkiye (83 educators; 349 pre-service teachers). The primary outcome was a common 15-item self-reported disorder knowledge score (range 15–75). Psychometric and nonparametric analyses included effect sizes, confidence intervals, and multiplicity correction. Results: Instrument-related physical problems were reported by 49.4% of educators and 53.0% of pre-service teachers. After false discovery rate correction, hand/wrist complaints were more frequent among pre-service teachers. The score showed a one-factor structure and excellent internal consistency. Educators (n = 79; M = 38.73, SD = 14.71) scored higher than pre-service teachers (n = 341; M = 26.81, SD = 12.35; U = 20,062.0, p < 0.001; rank biserial r = 0.489, 95% CI 0.364–0.602). Conclusions: Knowledge was uneven, especially for specialized conditions. Targeted musician-health education, communication, and referral pathways are warranted. The score is not a comprehensive OHL measure or a test of clinical competence, and causal effects on preventive behavior or occupational well-being cannot be inferred. Full article

The symptomatic characteristics of anxiety and depression among physical education (PE) teachers have not received sufficient attention in existing research. However, these characteristics are crucial for formulating targeted interventions for such issues. This study aimed to explore the symptomatic characteristics of the comorbid anxiety–depression network among Chinese PE teachers, so as to initially provide a direction for targeted interventions. A total of 519 Chinese PE teachers (69.56% male; M_age = 31.58, SD_age = 8.18) were recruited as research subjects, who were asked to complete a set of questionnaires covering demographic information, anxiety scales and depression scales. Both psychometric network analysis and Network Comparison Tests (NCTs) were adopted to identify the core symptoms, bridge symptoms, overlapping items, and gender-specific effects in the anxiety–depression comorbidity network. The results indicated that the psychometric network structure was relatively stable. “Psychomotor change” was identified both as the core EI (1.26) and bEI (0.62) indicators, while “depressed mood” also served as a key bEI (0.70) indicator. Moreover, “restlessness”, “irritability”, “self-deprecation”, and “psychomotor change” were the four overlapping symptoms. Additionally, network comparison yielded mixed findings across gender groups: symptom interconnections patterns were largely comparable, while global strength differed significantly between male and female PE teachers. Collectively, symptom nodes demonstrated heterogeneous importance within the network. Nodes occupying core positions may play a crucial role in guiding prevention and intervention for anxiety and depressive symptoms. Full article

Research on the specific competencies teachers need to design and guide practising phases in inclusive physical education (PE) is limited. This study aimed to develop a draft of a PE teachers’ sub-competency profile for planning and supporting during practising phases in inclusive PE classes, based on an integrative understanding of competency as a continuum. A corpus of 104 lessons (at 45 min each) of videographed PE classes was created to analyze real daily teaching situations. Using an interpretive analytical approach, performances, situation-specific skills, and dispositions were examined within and across 10 different cases of practising phases and reflexively evaluated at the case level. This led to two key partial requirements: (1) identifying the need for intervention and evaluating the effectiveness of measures, and (2) developing and implementing supportive measures. Moving beyond a technological view of as mere drilling, teachers’ actions in inclusive PE need to reflect a paradigmatic shift from focusing on the aim of practising to the practising individuals themselves. Full article

This study examined teacher-, school-, and student-level factors associated with classroom learning outcomes among junior high school students with special educational needs in inclusive education settings. Data were drawn from the 2012 wave of the Special Needs Education Longitudinal Study (SNELS), part of a nationwide longitudinal research project in Taiwan. The analytic sample comprised 1479 students across multiple disability categories, with learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and physical disabilities among the largest groups represented. SNELS was selected because it provides large-scale data on students with special educational needs and their educational experiences, allowing factors across multiple ecological levels to be examined within a common analytical framework. Pearson correlation analysis and hierarchical multiple regression were conducted to examine associations among the study variables and incremental changes in explained variance. Peer relationships and disability-related impact showed relatively large bivariate associations with classroom learning outcomes, while teacher attitudes toward inclusive education, resource teacher support, and teacher collaboration were also associated with classroom learning outcomes. The full hierarchical regression model accounted for 21.6% of the variance in classroom learning outcomes. These findings highlight the value of considering factors across multiple ecological levels when examining classroom learning outcomes in inclusive education. By integrating teacher-, school-, and student-level factors using a nationwide dataset, this study provides historical baseline evidence regarding inclusive education in Taiwan prior to subsequent policy developments and offers an empirical reference point for future research examining changes in inclusive educational practices and support systems over time. Full article

This exploratory descriptive-correlational study analyses the perceptions of 257 adult students (doctoral, master’s, and teachers) at DPPD, USV Iași, during the 2025–2026 academic year regarding hybrid education, teaching quality, and environmental sustainability. Using a structured Likert-scale questionnaire, the analysis indicates good-to-excellent internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging between 0.886 and 0.901, and a high overall global average score of 4.64. The findings reveal strong support for the hybrid model. Perceived teaching quality received the highest subscale rating (M = 4.80), closely followed by the perceived ecological impact (M = 4.65). The analysis indicates strong Pearson correlations, specifically between the hybrid learning experience and perceived teaching quality (r = 0.818), as well as between the perceived ecological impact and pro-sustainability attitudes (r = 0.809). Regarding academic mobility, the estimate indicates 81,283 km of avoided commuting travel and approximately 12,295 kg of avoided commuting-related CO₂ emissions, based on self-reported distance, means of transport, and number of physical attendances replaced by online activities. These findings suggest that hybrid learning may represent a relevant managerial option for university sustainability policies. The model appears well suited to postgraduate programmes addressed to employed adults, although the ecological benefits should be read as partial and do not displace perceived teaching quality as the central factor. Full article

Team sports are an important component of physical education (PE), and teachers’ instructional decisions shape students’ learning experiences and outcomes. This study examined associations between teacher age and didactic preferences in team sports pedagogy among 1856 Slovak PE teachers. A cross-sectional survey design was used, and participants were categorized into three age groups (≤30 years, 31–50 years, and ≥51 years). Associations between age and didactic preferences were analyzed using chi-square tests, adjusted standardized residuals, and ordinal and multinomial logistic regression models. Significant age-related differences were identified for didactic approach (χ²₍₄₎ = 14.67, p = 0.005, V = 0.063), teaching style (χ²(4) = 15.25, p = 0.004, V = 0.064) and methodological-organizational form (χ²(8) = 21.71, p = 0.006, V = 0.076), although effect sizes were small. Teachers aged ≤30 years had higher odds of preferring a technical rather than combined approach than teachers aged 31–50 years (OR = 1.958, 95% CI = 1.344–2.852, p < 0.001) and teachers aged ≥51 years (OR = 1.563, 95% CI = 1.019–2.399, p = 0.041). Teachers aged 31–50 years showed stronger preferences for practical rather than command teaching styles than both younger (OR = 1.455, p = 0.018) and older teachers (OR = 1.386, p = 0.023). Pearson’s chi-square test did not identify significant associations with teaching-unit duration (p = 0.052); however, ordinal logistic regression indicated significant overall age-group effects (p = 0.022). No significant age-related association was observed for preferred game activity (p > 0.05). The findings indicate that teacher age is associated with selected didactic preferences in team sports instruction. Although the observed associations were small, they may reflect variation in professional socialization and teaching experience and may have implications for PE teacher education and professional development. Full article

The physical and multisensory conditions of classrooms influence students’ well-being, motivation, and learning, yet much of the available evidence comes from high-income contexts and from primary education, and it rarely evaluates integrated interventions in settings with fewer spatial and social resources. This study assessed the effect of a human-centered, multisensory architectural classroom intervention, developed through a participatory process with students and teachers, on students’ life satisfaction, school satisfaction, school motivation, and classroom satisfaction in a public school in Greater Concepción, Chile. A quasi-experimental repeated-measures design with three assessments (baseline, pre-intervention, and post-intervention) was used with students aged 12 to 14; the intervention was implemented in two classrooms of traditional typology (54.5 m² each) and analyzed as a single condition. The results showed significant improvements in classroom satisfaction and school motivation, whereas the more global dimensions, school satisfaction and life satisfaction, did not change. The effects followed a proximity gradient: they were largest for the dimension most directly linked to the modified space and attenuated toward the more distal dimensions. The findings indicate that classroom-scale interventions were associated with improvements in the school experience of adolescents. Moving toward a design that goes beyond the merely functional to incorporate the sensory dimension and elements that afford flexibility and choice within constrained spatial conditions constitutes a concrete pathway to improve that experience, particularly in resource-limited public schools. Full article

The transition from secondary school to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) higher education may be hindered when science is perceived as abstract or disconnected from everyday experience. This descriptive educational-practice report presents Beyond the Magic, a participatory science station implemented during the annual ConCiencia FACTA outreach event at the Faculty of Food Science and Technology, National University of Comahue, Argentina. Approximately 200 students aged 15–18 from eight regional secondary schools attended the event in October 2025. During approximately 45-min visits in groups of 10–15, students encountered eight short chemistry and physics experiences organized around prediction, observation, guided explanation, and discussion. Retrospective facilitator observations were organized into descriptive categories: predictions and alternative explanations, spontaneous questions, everyday-life connections, changes in willingness to participate, questions about university study and research, and participation by accompanying teachers. The facilitators perceived broader participation as each visit progressed. These observations were not counted, coded, independently assessed, or collected as contemporaneous transcripts, and no measures of learning, situational interest, STEM identity, or educational aspirations were administered. The contribution is therefore a replicable implementation design rather than evidence of educational effectiveness or changes in STEM pathways. Full article

While manipulatives, physical learning materials reifying mathematical concepts, have been discussed for a long time, 3D-printing revitalized the discussion and allows teachers to have new manipulatives at their disposal, as well as to design their own using a fraction of the effort. How this can be achieved, i.e., how teachers need to be prepared to utilize 3D-printing, is being tested and implemented in current research. In this study, we report findings and the three-year-long design evolution of an elective seminar where student teachers, beginning in the third semester, are trained to use OpenSCAD programming to 3D-model and then print their own manipulatives, guided by scaffolding elements such as cookie stamps in the second session or a design profile. Each student conceives, models, prints, and didactically embeds their manipulatives over three phases during the semester: the input phase, resembling a “normal” seminar; the hands-on phase, akin to a makerspace; and a presentation phase, tying the project work together. This concept combines technical elements, mathematics didactics, constructionism, and modern teaching technologies innovatively, inviting other educators to adapt it based on the provided structure. Full article

Background: Tattooed teachers are increasingly visible in schools, yet the norms governing their professional acceptability remain poorly understood. This study tests whether pluralistic ignorance—private acceptance systematically exceeding the acceptance attributed to others—operates in attitudes toward tattooed teachers, and identifies individual-level predictors of this misperception. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 1226 individuals in Hungary across four groups: physical education (PE) teacher trainees, university students from other disciplines, secondary school students, and in-service teachers. Participants rated their own acceptance of tattooed PE and academic-subject teachers and the acceptance they attributed to other teachers and to parents, and reported tattoo status, gender, and professional background. Results: Own acceptance exceeded attributed acceptance in all four groups and for both reference targets, consistent with pluralistic ignorance; gaps were largest among secondary school students and smallest—though still positive—among in-service teachers. Personal tattoo experience was the strongest individual predictor of acceptance after group membership, and among teachers both age and experience were negatively associated with acceptance. Acceptance was predominantly conditional, structured by a visibility hierarchy in which arm placements were most acceptable and facial or neck placements least so. Conclusions: The apparent disapproval of tattooed teachers reflects collective misperception more than genuine consensus, suggesting that making actual peer attitudes visible could reduce conformity pressure and support more authentic professional self-expression. Full article

This exploratory survey study examines the use of accelerative practices among lower secondary physics and chemistry teachers in Finland and Sweden (N = 160), where a longstanding emphasis on educational equality and inclusion has limited attention to the needs of gifted students. Although international research demonstrates strong academic and socio-emotional benefits of acceleration for gifted students, evidence suggests that Nordic schools rarely implement such practices systematically. The present study investigates teachers’ experiences with four accelerative approaches relevant to the Nordic context—early entrance, grade skipping, subject-based acceleration, and curriculum compacting—and analyses how these practices shape instructional decision-making in science classrooms. Using a mixed-methods design combining descriptive and inferential statistics with inductive content analysis, the study reveals that acceleration is infrequently used in both countries, though Swedish teachers report higher implementation rates than Finnish teachers. Teachers with prior knowledge of gifted education were more likely to employ accelerative practices across all categories. Teachers reported limited time and material resources as barriers to implementation. The findings illustrate a persistent gap between policy-permitted accelerative opportunities and actual inclusive science education classroom practice, highlighting that meeting the learning needs of gifted students requires strengthened teacher education, policy support, and resource allocation. Full article

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, children and adolescents across Europe have experienced a significant rise in mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and behavioural disorders. Schools have observed a marked shift in social behaviour, with increased emotional instability, social withdrawal, and attention-related issues. Simultaneously, educational systems face a growing shortage of skilled professionals, particularly in psychological support roles. While digital technologies offer partial relief, their effectiveness is limited by concerns such as screen fatigue and a lack of embodied interaction. This paper conceptualises the use of social robots as a novel intervention tool in education, grounded in the 4E cognition framework—embodied, embedded, enacted, and extended—and informed by interdisciplinary research. Using design thinking and insights from empirical and practical work, we developed five use cases for integrating robots into the Swiss MindMatters mental health promotion programme. These five use cases demonstrate how robots can facilitate emotional learning, simulate social interactions, support conflict mediation, and reduce teacher workload. By combining physical presence with adaptive behaviour, social robots, which will serve as digital twins of pedagogical partners, offer a promising, ethically sensitive extension of classroom environments, fostering deeper engagement, social competence, and cognitive development in ways traditional technologies cannot fully replicate. Full article

Initial teacher education requires assessment mechanisms capable of identifying strengths and weaknesses in professional preparation. This study analyzes the performance of students in Initial Teacher Education in Physical Education against the pedagogical standards assessed by the 2024 National Diagnostic Assessment (NDA) in Chile, examining achievement patterns and differences by sex and administrative dependency. A quantitative, cross-sectional, and correlational design was employed, based on official census data corresponding to 1035 students enrolled in Chilean universities offering this degree program. Descriptive analyses and non-parametric inferential tests were con-ducted, using the Mann–Whitney U test for comparisons by sex, and the Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Dunn’s post hoc comparisons with Bonferroni correction for comparisons across administrative dependency categories. The highest levels were observed in pro-fessional ethics (M = 0.69) and student learning and development (M = 0.57), and the lowest in respectful and well organized learning environments (M = 0.39) and curricular pedagogical content knowledge (M = 0.40). Significant differences by sex appeared only in personal and social development and professional ethics (p = 0.01; r = 0.08), favoring women. Differences by administrative dependency were significant in few standards and consistently small (r ≤ 0.14). These effects indicate that achievement is largely comparable across institutions and that the main weaknesses are systemic. Strengthening these di-mensions constitutes a challenge for the sustainability of teacher education, rather than a problem restricted to specific institutions. Full article

Augmented reality (AR) may support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teaching, but continued use depends on teachers’ readiness and implementation conditions. This mixed-methods, single-group pre-test/post-test study examined changes in perceived competence and views following an eight-week professional development program involving 23 volunteer secondary-school teachers of science, physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and computer education. Data sources were a 35-item questionnaire, semi-structured interviews analyzed thematically, and teacher-developed materials. Mean perceived competence increased from 2.38 (SD = 1.15) to 4.21 (SD = 0.77), t(22) = 7.57, p < 0.001, Cohen’s dz = 1.58. Participants reported benefits for visualizing abstract concepts, comprehension, lesson efficiency, motivation, and interactive material design. Reported barriers included internet and power interruptions, paid applications, unequal access to resources, and additional time demands. All 23 participants intended to use AR, and 18 believed they could train colleagues. The materials demonstrated practical engagement during the program. The findings indicate short-term implementation readiness and perceived feasibility, not sustained classroom use or causal effectiveness. Longitudinal follow-up, classroom observation, comparison groups, and student-outcome evidence are needed to assess continued implementation. Full article