Search Results (443)

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is recognized as one of the most evidence-based interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), although its effectiveness relies on consistent classroom implementation by teachers. This study investigated the extent to which teachers of students with ASD in Qatar implement ABA techniques and whether implementation levels vary by gender, educational level, school type, years of experience, and teaching stage. A descriptive–analytical design was utilized on a sample of 155 teachers from government and private schools. Data were collected using the Applied Behavior Analysis Implementation Scale for Teachers of Students with ASD in Qatar (ABAIS-Qatar), a 26-item instrument developed and validated for this study across five dimensions. Teachers reported a high overall level of ABA implementation (M = 4.10, SD = 0.48). The Behavior Identification and Goal Setting and Strategy Application and Intervention dimensions received the highest ratings, while the Motivation and Corrective Procedures dimensions were rated at a moderate level. A five-way MANOVA revealed significant multivariate differences across years of experience and teaching stage. Post hoc analyses indicated that teachers with more than 15 years of experience reported significantly higher implementation of motivational and corrective procedures than those with 6–10 years of experience and that primary-stage teachers demonstrated superior classroom behavior management compared to intermediate-stage teachers. The findings have implications for teacher professional development and ABA training in both inclusive and specialist educational settings in Qatar. Full article

The shift towards collaborative teaching practices and the development of Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs) have brought significant changes to educational settings, particularly regarding acoustic demands and classroom listening. The experiences of teachers and other professionals working within ILEs are under-researched. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore how educators and professionals perceive and manage classroom listening and learning within these spaces. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight primary school teachers and eight speech-language therapists working in various school ILEs. Transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Three major themes were identified, namely experiences, creating order, and opportunities, with each theme encompassing two subthemes. Experiences included difficulties and positive experiences; creating order comprised teaching approaches and making it work; and opportunities involved collaboration and new roles. Key factors influencing the effectiveness of ILEs included collaboration, strategic resource use, use of scaffolding techniques, flexibility, and student engagement. The study highlighted the importance of mentorship for beginner teachers in order to foster a dynamic and supportive learning environment. Understanding these elements can help educators and professionals working together in ILE classrooms to shape their practices to enhance student outcomes. Full article

Game-based learning (GBL) has gained widespread attention as an innovative pedagogical approach, yet its potential to enhance students’ metacognitive learning remains underexplored. Guided by self-regulated learning (SRL) theory, the review investigates how GBL design features, such as goal-setting, real-time feedback, progress visualization, and reflection tools, scaffold students’ planning, monitoring, and evaluation strategies. A systematic search across Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest identified the studies, which included data from physical classrooms, online learning environments, and mixed settings. This scoping review synthesizes evidence from 11 peer-reviewed studies conducted between 2015 and 2025 to evaluate the impact of GBL on metacognitive learning in primary and junior middle school contexts. Findings reveal that GBL effectively supports metacognitive learning through real-time feedback and progress indicators, though planning and evaluation scaffolds are less comprehensively addressed. Furthermore, digital trace data and behavioral logs are emerging as robust tools for assessing metacognitive processes, offering deeper insights than self-reports alone. However, the review identifies critical gaps, including insufficient focus on junior middle school students, limited representation of non-STEM disciplines, and uneven theoretical grounding across studies. The findings underscore the need for theory-driven design and balanced scaffolding to maximize GBL’s potential in fostering metacognitive competence. This study also provides practical insights for educators to foster students’ metacognitive learning by effectively integrating games into educational practices. Full article

This systematic review examined empirical studies on in-service professional development (PD) aimed at fostering inclusive pedagogy-related practices in mainstream primary and secondary schools, focusing specifically on research employing quantitative pre–post teacher-level outcome designs. The review addressed three areas: (1) the core content and design features of such PD programmes; (2) their reported effects on teacher-, student-, and classroom-related outcomes; (3) factors associated with broader or more sustained forms of change. Searches of ERIC, Web of Science Core Collection, and Scopus identified 1915 records, of which 16 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most programmes reported short-term improvements in teacher knowledge, beliefs, self-efficacy, and, in some cases, instructional practice. To interpret programme heterogeneity, this review applied an alignment framework derived from inclusive pedagogy theory to examine the pedagogical assumptions reflected in PD programmes. Programmes varied substantially in their degree of alignment, and those showing stronger alignment more often reported broader and, in some cases, more sustained teacher-, classroom-, or participation-related changes. However, these patterns should be interpreted cautiously given the methodological limitations of the evidence base. More uniformly positive findings were concentrated in weaker single-group studies relying largely on self-report, whereas studies with comparison group designs reported more mixed, modest, or less sustained effects. Overall, the review suggests that inclusion-oriented PD may support meaningful forms of teacher learning, although evidence regarding sustained classroom transformation and longer-term student-level impact remains limited. Full article

Digital transformation in education enables the integration of interactive tools that foster engagement, creativity, and sustainability awareness among young learners. GameOn! is a serious game using Minecraft Education Edition (MEE) to promote sustainability, inclusivity, and peace among primary school students aged 6–11. Grounded in Constructionism, Experiential Learning Theory, and Citizen Science (CS), it is designed to support connections between classroom experiences and real-world environmental actions. The project followed a co-design methodology involving international partners and educators to develop the GameOn! MEE world and a complementary teacher toolkit. The game was later tested in three Italian primary schools, involving 100 students through both guided and free play sessions. Findings show that 95% of students enjoyed the game, 89% learned new concepts, and teachers observed great focus and engagement during structured play. These results align with our observations: most children quickly engaged with the game, adapted to its mechanics, and demonstrated understanding of key tasks. Some usability challenges emerged, emphasizing the importance of facilitation. Overall, the findings suggest that GameOn!, consistent with the pedagogical potential of other serious games, could enhance sustainability literacy, active citizenship, and environmental awareness in early education. Future work will expand its implementation and further strengthen the integration of CS-based activities. Future work will expand implementation and strengthen the integration of CS-based activities. Full article

Background/Objectives: Spinal pain is common among schoolchildren and is associated with poor postural habits and sedentary behavior. Schools represent an optimal setting for prevention; however, they are also key environments for prevention strategies in children who already experience spinal pain. This study focused on children aged 9–11 years and aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a physiotherapist-led, classroom-based workshop as a prevention intervention to improve spinal pain outcomes. Methods: A quasi-experimental single-group pre–post intervention study was conducted in public primary schools. The intervention consisted of two 45 min theoretical–practical sessions. A 21-item questionnaire assessed spinal pain, postural habits, backpack-related behaviors, physical activity, screen use and spinal literacy at baseline and three months post-intervention. McNemar and Wilcoxon tests were applied (p < 0.05). Results: A total of 287 schoolchildren participated. Cervical and thoracic pain decreased significantly (p = 0.036; p = 0.040), while lumbar pain showed no change. Postural habits improved: sitting with back support increased (+12.7%; p < 0.001), sitting on the chair edge decreased (−10.5%; p < 0.001), and side-lying sleeping increased (p = 0.006). Knowledge of proper backpack load distribution also improved (+17.9%; p < 0.001). No significant changes were observed in physical activity, screen use, rising-from-bed technique, or backpack type. Conclusions: The workshop improved upper-spine pain, spinal literacy and modifiable habits, while automated motor behaviors and family-dependent routines showed limited change. Full article

Integrating sustainability into science education remains a key challenge for the design of contextualised, socially relevant instruction. Within this framework, integrated STEM education offers a promising avenue for connecting scientific concepts with socio-environmental problems through the analysis and development of technological solutions. This study examines the conceptual learning associated with a sustainability-oriented integrated STEM intervention implemented in real classroom settings in Primary Education and Compulsory Secondary Education. The intervention was designed based on a national curriculum analysis and was structured in two blocks: one centred on conceptual development of content related to water, energy, and waste, and another focused on applying this knowledge through the analysis and development of STEM projects. A single-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design was employed. The sample comprised 66 students: 43 in the third year of Compulsory Secondary Education and 23 in the sixth year of Primary Education. Conceptual learning was assessed using multiple-choice questionnaires adapted to each educational stage. The results indicate statistically significant improvements at both levels following the intervention, although the magnitude of the gains varied according to educational stage and conceptual domain. These findings provide empirical evidence of short-term conceptual changes associated with a sustainability-oriented STEM intervention and highlight the need for further research on its implementation in authentic school contexts. Full article

In the context of digital transformation, teachers’ information literacy has become a key factor for critical and effective teaching. This study seeks to determine its assessment and strengthening through a training intervention based on the Flipped Classroom model with a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), supported by the DigComp Framework. To this end, a quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design with a single group was used, complemented by comparative and correlational analyses according to sociodemographic variables. The study involved 810 primary school teachers from the Lambayeque region of Peru, considering sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, educational level, teaching experience, UGEL, and geographic area. It was found that teacher training based on the Flipped Classroom model with MOOC produced a statistically significant improvement in teachers’ information and digital literacy skills, evidenced by the increase in the post-test compared to the pre-test and confirmed by the Wilcoxon test (p < 0.05). It is concluded that training through Flipped Classroom with MOOC significantly strengthened teachers’ information skills; however, sociodemographic variables influence the levels and improvement achieved, which requires differentiated training strategies. Full article

Science process skills (SPS) are a vital component of science education and a prerequisite for engaging in scientific inquiry in the classroom. This study aimed to examine the level of SPS among primary school teachers and to explore possible differences compared with physics teachers as subject specialists. Additionally, the study investigated whether differences in SPS exist among primary school teachers in relation to years of teaching experience. The research was conducted as a quantitative cross-sectional study on a sample of 222 teachers in Croatia (160 primary school teachers and 62 physics teachers). The results indicate that the level of SPS among primary school teachers varies across different domains. Lower levels of achievement were observed in tasks involving the identification of variables, the selection of measuring instruments, and the interpretation of graphical and tabular data. Comparison with physics teachers revealed statistically significant differences in most examined domains, with subject specialists achieving higher levels of performance. However, years of teaching experience did not systematically explain differences in SPS levels. The findings highlight the need for a more systematic development of inquiry-related competencies among primary school teachers within both initial teacher education and professional development programmes. Full article

Food waste is a global problem involving the loss of natural resources, human labour and money. This paper presents an educational proposal implemented as an exploratory pilot case study in a rural primary school classroom in Spain, aimed at raising awareness of food waste and promoting pupils’ involvement in its reduction. The Sustainable Development Goals and the European framework of sustainability competences (GreenComp) enabled the work to be aligned with current education legislation and global sustainability challenges. The intervention was assessed through a questionnaire administered before and after the implementation of the proposal to analyse students’ progress, adapted rubrics, and sets of questions used to review the content covered. The comparison between the initial and final questionnaires, analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, showed statistically significant differences (W = 3.0; p = 0.019), suggesting an improvement in students’ knowledge after the implementation of the teaching proposal. The results suggest that working from pupils’ initial misconceptions may support both understanding of key concepts related to food waste (such as the causes of food waste, use of resources in its production and the difference between expiry dates and best-before dates) and the development of sustainability competences, particularly critical thinking, systemic thinking and adaptability in consumption-related situations. Overall, this pilot study suggests that food waste can be meaningfully addressed in primary education not only through school-canteen practices, but also through classroom-based activities grounded in pupils’ prior ideas and supported by hands-on, competence-oriented activities. Full article

Background: The main purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of active Brain Breaks^® implemented during mathematics lessons on attitudes towards PA and levels of PA in primary school-aged children, with particular emphasis on their potential applicability in inclusive classroom settings. Methods: A total of 229 12-to-14-year-olds were recruited and assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group performed active Brain Breaks^® programs over a period of 16 weeks. Outcomes of PA included attitudes towards PA and the level of PA. Results: Post-intervention data revealed that the experimental group significantly increased self-efficacy attitude scale towards PA (mean diff. = 0.38, p = 0.002) in comparison with the control group (mean diff. = 0.14, p = 0.261). After the intervention program, the difference between groups showed significant decreases in PA levels during evenings (mean diff. = −0.26, p = 0.046) and for every day for the last week (mean diff. = −0.35, p < 0.001) in the experimental group, while the control group exhibited increases (during evenings) or maintained similar values (for every day for the last week). Conclusions: This study shows that self-efficacy is the most prominent attitude scale towards PA that can be changed effectively following active Brain Breaks^® interventions. Full article

This mixed-methods study investigates Italian primary school teachers’ perception-based attributions of giftedness, with specific attention to how gendered classroom recognition patterns may shape the visibility of girls in everyday educational practice. International research suggests that teachers’ professional judgement can be shaped by cognitive biases and gendered classroom norms, while many girls perceived as gifted may appear less visible within classroom recognition processes because their behaviours are often interpreted as more closely aligned with school expectations. Against this backdrop, the study examines whether similar dynamics emerge in the Italian context, where early recognition often relies on teachers’ classroom observation and educational decision-making. Quantitative data were collected through an online questionnaire administered to Italian primary school teachers in 2024. The survey explored teachers’ reported experience with pupils perceived as gifted (not formally assessed), their estimates of how many such pupils are present in their class, and the gender distribution they attributed to these pupils. Qualitative data were collected in 2025 through three focus groups, designed to deepen understanding of the observational criteria teachers use and the instructional decisions associated with recognising giftedness. Focus group transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Across the Italian sample, teachers widely reported having taught pupils they considered gifted; however, within teachers’ perception-based attributions, recognition was more frequently associated with boys than with girls. Focus group discussions corroborated this pattern and helped clarify its educational mechanisms: teachers frequently linked giftedness to behavioural salience and participation styles (e.g., visibility, assertiveness, and, at times, disruptiveness), whereas, within teachers’ accounts, girls perceived as gifted were often represented as more compliant and discreet, which may make them less visible through informal recognition criteria centred on behavioural salience. Overall, the findings point to a visibility gap in early classroom recognition and underscore the need for teacher education and practical, gender-responsive observational tools that broaden conceptions of giftedness beyond overt performance and support more equitable differentiated instruction, reducing the risk of missed recognition of gifted girls in primary school. Full article

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in naturally ventilated school buildings remains a widespread problem, particularly during the heating season, when limited ventilation leads to elevated CO₂ concentrations. At the same time, increasing ventilation rates may significantly increase energy demand, creating a conflict between IAQ and energy efficiency. This study aims to evaluate whether CO₂-based demand-controlled mechanical ventilation, particularly with heat recovery (HRV), can improve IAQ while maintaining acceptable energy performance in existing school buildings. A previously validated CONTAM model of a Polish primary school classroom was used to simulate natural ventilation, mechanical exhaust ventilation, and balanced ventilation with heat recovery. In mechanical systems, CO₂-based demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) was applied. The resulting airflow rates were then used in EnergyPlus simulations to assess seasonal heating and primary energy demand under Kraków climatic conditions. Increasing the outdoor air supply rate significantly reduced indoor CO₂ concentration but led to higher heating demand in exhaust ventilation systems. In contrast, HRV reduced heating energy demand by more than 80% compared with exhaust ventilation while maintaining comparable indoor air quality. Although HRV required additional electricity for fan operation, the total primary energy consumption remained low. The results demonstrate that CO₂-based DCV systems with heat recovery provide an effective balance between indoor air quality and energy performance. These findings support the application of HRV as a practical retrofit solution for improving ventilation in existing school buildings. Full article

The indoor environmental quality of primary and secondary school classrooms is crucial for students’ health and learning efficiency, yet enhancing comfort often leads to high energy consumption. Efficiently balancing the complex relationship between daylighting, visual comfort, and energy consumption during the early design stage presents a significant challenge for architects. To address the design optimization of standard classrooms in primary and secondary schools in the cold region of Zhengzhou, this paper proposes an efficient multi-objective optimization method based on metamodels. This method integrates physical performance simulation (EnergyPlus and Radiance), Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS), an artificial neural network (ANN) metamodel, and the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II). Using Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI), Discomfort Glare Index (DGI), and Cooling Energy Use Intensity (cEUI) as optimization objectives, ten design parameters, including classroom spatial form and envelope structure, were optimized. The aim is to replace time-consuming traditional simulation calculations and rapidly generate a Pareto optimal solution set. A case study of a typical south-facing classroom in Zhengzhou demonstrates that this method can substantially improve daylighting performance while moderately reducing cooling energy. Compared to the baseline model, the optimized schemes show an average increase in UDI of 42.9% (maximum 50.5%), an average reduction in DGI of 8.4% (maximum 9.6%), and an average reduction in cEUI of 4.7% (maximum 7.7%). Because the study focuses on summer cooling energy only, the reported cEUI improvement should not be interpreted as an annual energy reduction. Through K-means clustering and sensitivity analysis, the study further identifies different design strategies from the Pareto solution set and clarifies the key design variables affecting each performance indicator. This provides an evidence-based reference and preliminary design guidelines for the early-stage design of primary and secondary school classrooms in the region. Full article

Despite the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in science education, little is known about the motivational value of AI-supported digital tools in upper-primary ecosystem science learning. This quasi-experimental study examined whether participation in a teacher-guided digital ecosystems unit integrating AI-supported elements and interactive non-AI tools was associated with sixth-grade students’ ecosystem achievement, interest in science, attitudes toward science, and science self-efficacy. Four sixth-grade classes in an Israeli elementary school (123 students) participated. The experimental group completed six 45-min lessons; the control group studied the same content without the AI-supported components and integrated digital sequence. Students completed pretest and posttest questionnaires and an ecosystem achievement test; the experimental group also completed a satisfaction questionnaire. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 students from the experimental group. Baseline-adjusted analyses indicated higher post-intervention achievement and motivational outcomes in the experimental group. Boys reported higher interest and self-efficacy than girls, and mothers’ education was positively associated with interest and attitudes. Within the experimental group, satisfaction was positively related to all motivational outcomes and significantly predicted self-efficacy. Interview themes highlighted visualization, feedback, collaboration, and occasional cognitive and technical challenges. Overall, this teacher-guided instructional package was associated with more favorable outcomes under classroom conditions in schools. Full article