Search Results (230)

The authors of this article describe a study designed to support first-grade students’ social studies knowledge and literacy development through a teacher–researcher co-constructed and teacher implemented integrated unit within the context of a rural community. The goals of the study were to determine the extent to which a contextually relevant unit of study affected the development of students’ content knowledge of key terms from the domain of social studies and influenced students’ reading and social studies interest. The researchers used a combined multi-phase and convergent mixed methods design, implementing a matched pairs design for the quantitative, quasi-experimental component of the study. Results indicated that assignment to the treatment condition was a predictor of students’ post implementation vocabulary scores and social studies interest. In pairing these results with the qualitative analyses of students’ end-of-unit retellings, researchers found that vocabulary can be a powerful bridge to cultural and content knowledge when the focus of instruction and texts is on local and community knowledge, demonstrating that contextually relevant social studies–literacy integration is a promising practice for building content knowledge and interest in first grade classrooms. Directions for future research are discussed. Full article

The purpose of this study was two-fold: (a) to examine the joint contribution of teachers’ knowledge of foundational language and literacy concepts and their perceived ability to teach reading to their students’ reading growth, and (b) to examine whether the effects of these factors were mediated by teachers’ perceived ability to differentiate instruction. A total of 32 language arts teachers and their 582 Grade 3 to 9 students (48% female) participated in the study. Teachers completed a survey on their knowledge of phonological awareness, phonics and morphology, and also rated their ability to teach different reading skills and to differentiate reading instruction. Children were assessed at the beginning and end of the school year on the Test of Word Reading Efficiency-2 and on the Test of Silent Reading Efficiency and Comprehension. Results of multilevel modeling indicated that teachers’ knowledge had a direct effect on students’ performance at the end of the school year, even after controlling for students’ earlier reading ability. Teachers’ perceived ability did not predict students’ reading growth either directly or indirectly. Taken together, these findings suggest that we need to invest in increasing teachers’ knowledge around foundational literacy skills. Full article

Integrating literacy-focused curricula in preschool settings may help support children’s literacy learning. In this study, we explored the use of literacy-focused curricula and how it was associated with preschool children’s literacy gains (i.e., print and letter knowledge, phonological awareness, language and comprehension, and emergent writing) relative to non-literacy-focused curricula. We estimated multilevel structural equation models using data from an intervention study that included a sample of 571 children nested within 98 preschool classrooms. Because early disparities in emergent literacy are associated with later reading and writing difficulties, we examined how such associations might be moderated by child risk status, receipt of emergent literacy intervention, and program settings. We found that literacy-focused curricula were not often used by teachers in preschool classrooms, but teachers’ use of such curricula was positively associated with children’s phonological awareness gains. Risk status did not moderate the association between use of literacy-focused curricula and children’s emergent writing gains. Additionally, emergent literacy intervention and program settings did not moderate the associations. However, we found that teachers’ use of literacy-focused curricula was positively associated with print and letter knowledge, phonological awareness, and language and comprehension for children identified as at risk for later reading difficulties compared to those who were not at risk. As such, our findings suggest that integrating or supplementing existing classroom instruction with literacy-focused curricula could yield meaningful benefits for children identified as at risk for later reading difficulties. Full article

Particulate matter (PM2.5) is a critical indicator of air quality and has significant health implications. This study presents the development and evaluation of a custom-built PM2.5 device, named the P-Tracker, designed to offer an accessible alternative to commercially available air quality monitors. This paper presents the design framework used to address the requirements of a low-cost, accessible device which meets the performance of existing commercial systems. Step-by step build instructions are provided for hardware and software development and connection to the P-tracker open access website which displays the data and interactive map. To demonstrate the performance, the P-Tracker was compared against leading consumer devices, including the AtmoTube Pro by AtmoTech Inc., Flow by Plume Labs, View Plus by Airthings, and the Smart Citizen Kit 2.1 by Fab Lab Barcelona, across four controlled tests. The tests included: (1) a controlled paper combustion test in which all devices were exposed to combustion aerosols in a sealed environment alongside the DustTrak 8530 (TSI Incorporated, Shoreview, MN, USA), used as the gold standard reference, where the P-Tracker achieved a Pearson correlation of 0.99 with DustTrak over the final measurement period; (2) an outdoor test comparing readings with a stationary reference sensor, Osiris (Turnkey Instruments Ltd., Rudheath, UK), where the P-Tracker recorded a mean PM2.5 concentration of 3.08 µg/m³, closely aligning with the Osiris measurement of 3.53 µg/m³ and achieving a Pearson correlation of 0.77; (3) a controlled indoor air quality assessment, where the P-Tracker displayed stable readings with a standard deviation of 0.11 µg/m³, comparable to the AtmoTube Pro; and (4) a real-world kitchen environment test, where the P-Tracker effectively captured fluctuations in PM2.5 levels due to cooking activities, maintaining a consistent response with the DustTrak reference. The results indicate varied degrees of agreement across devices in different conditions, with the P-Tracker demonstrating strong correlation and low error margins in high-pollution and controlled scenarios. This research underscores the potential of open-source, low-cost, custom-built air quality sensors which may be developed and deployed by communities to provide hyperlocal measurements of air pollution. Full article

In educational technology environments, the ability to customize digital text presentation offers opportunities to enhance learning experiences through typographical adjustments. This study investigated how digital letter spacing (LS) manipulations affect reading comprehension (RC), reading speed, calibration of comprehension (CoC), and preferences in emergent readers. We examined 163 second graders and 126 third graders as they read digital texts in Hebrew under two conditions: standard LS (100%) and increased LS (150%). The results revealed developmental differences in response to spacing manipulations: increased LS significantly improved RC in second graders, whereas it showed an opposite trend for third graders. Reading rate remained stable across conditions for both groups. Children also demonstrated more accurate CoC under their individually optimal LS condition, suggesting that their comprehension monitoring was responsive to typographical features that supported reading. Preferences analysis indicated a higher numerical proportion of participants favoring the standard LS condition over the increased LS condition in both grades. These findings imply that by integrating adaptive typographical features into educational technology, educators can enhance performance in developing readers, supporting differentiated instruction in increasingly digital learning environments. Full article

Background/Objectives: Patient education materials (PEMs) in ophthalmology often exceed recommended readability levels, limiting accessibility for many patients. While organizations like the AAO provide relatively easy-to-read resources, topics remain limited, and other associations’ PEMs are too complex. AI chatbots could help clinicians create more comprehensive, accessible PEMs to improve patient understanding. This study aims to compare the readability of patient education materials (PEMs) written by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) with those generated by large language models (LLMs), including ChatGPT-4o, Microsoft Copilot, and Meta-Llama-3.1-70B-Instruct. Methods: LLMs were prompted to generate PEMs for 15 common diagnoses relating to cornea and anterior chamber, which was followed by a follow-up readability-optimized (FRO) prompt to reword the content at a 6th-grade reading level. The readability of these materials was evaluated using nine different readability analysis python libraries and compared to existing PEMs found on the AAO website. Results: For all 15 topics, ChatGPT, Copilot, and Llama successfully generated PEMs, though all exceeded the recommended 6th-grade reading level. While initially prompted ChatGPT, Copilot, and Llama outputs were 10.8, 12.2, and 13.2, respectively, FRO prompting significantly improved readability to 8.3 for ChatGPT, 11.2 for Copilot, and 9.3 for Llama (p < 0.001). While readability improved, AI-generated PEMs were on average, not statistically easier to read than AAO PEMs, which averaged an 8.0 Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level. Conclusions: Properly prompted AI chatbots can generate PEMs with improved readability, nearing the level of AAO materials. However, most outputs remain above the recommended 6th-grade reading level. A subjective analysis of a representative subtopic showed that compared to AAO, there was less nuance, especially in areas of clinical uncertainty. By creating a blueprint that can be utilized in human–AI hybrid workflows, AI chatbots show promise as tools for ophthalmologists to increase the availability of accessible PEMs in ophthalmology. Future work should include a detailed qualitative review by ophthalmologists using a validated tool (like DISCERN or PEMAT) to score accuracy, bias, and completeness alongside readability. Full article

This study investigates the integration of learning theories with personalized technologies, focusing on the use of Augmented Reality (AR) in reading instruction. Its primary aim is to conduct a systematic literature review of research employing AR to support readers with the complexities of the reading process. The review focuses on literacy development in children from kindergarten through age twelve, encompassing both typically developing readers and those with reading difficulties. It is suggested that AR can contribute to inclusive education by offering adaptable and engaging learning experiences that meet diverse learner needs. Guided by clearly defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, the study analyzes key elements of research design, the types of AR technologies utilized, and the educational outcomes reported. Furthermore, it critically examines the limitations of the current body of evidence in this field. Full article

The Austrian education system faces the ongoing challenge of addressing linguistic diversity in classrooms where many middle school students speak a first language other than German. Yet, teaching practices often prioritize subject content over inclusion through language-sensitive approaches, limiting equitable access to education. In response, the revised Austrian middle school curriculum emphasizes “language learning and reading” as a cross-cutting theme, promoting language-sensitive teaching across all subjects, including physics. This study explores how Austrian middle school physics teachers (N = 131) perceive and implement language-sensitive practices in response to the new curriculum. Using a questionnaire, it investigates their attitudes towards (1) the revised curriculum, (2) reading, and (3) the role of language in physics lessons. Findings show that while teachers are highly motivated to implement the curriculum, they often lack the methodological knowledge necessary to effectively support learners with lower German language proficiency. Physics instruction poses specific challenges due to its reliance on subject-specific terminology and academic discourse, further disadvantaging students with lower German language skills. This research highlights the urgent need for targeted professional development to support inclusive, language-sensitive teaching, ensuring all students—regardless of linguistic background—can access and succeed in physics education. Full article

This study is about Palestinian university students’ attitudes toward English as a foreign language (EFL) learning, paying special attention to variables such as gender, parents’ knowledge of a foreign language, academic year, and travel to English-speaking countries. The researchers implemented a descriptive–analytical design to collect data. The sample of the study is 570 university students across various higher education institutions in Palestine. The researchers used several statistical tests, such as an Independent Sample t-test and one-way ANOVA, to analyse data. The findings suggest that Palestinian university students’ attitudes toward learning English are mainly neutral. However, there are positive inclinations in specific aspects such as travel, academic content, and reading and writing, with no statistically significant differences due to variables such as gender, academic year, or exposure to English-speaking countries. These results suggest that student attitudes are shaped less by personal background and more by broader sociopolitical and educational conditions. This study contributes to the limited body of localised research on affective variables in second language acquisition (SLA) within conflict-affected regions. It highlights the need for contextually responsive pedagogies that promote student engagement and linguistic resilience. Implications are offered for educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers seeking to enhance EFL instruction in Palestine and similar settings. Full article

This study explores the relationship between and within Hausa and English letter sound knowledge and word decoding skills among children studying in early years settings in northern Nigeria. There is a lack of correlational studies as well as causal evidence in the African context to indicate any transfer of language skills from L1 and L2 and vice versa. Test scores from 851 children studying in 158 government provided pre-primary schools took tests in letter sound (phoneme) and reading (word) decoding skills. Through bivariate correlations and a just-identified feedback path model, the results support Cummins’ interdependence hypothesis. Hausa and English word scores are bidirectionally associated, and the data reveal very strong significant positive correlations between Hausa and English letter sound scores and Hausa and English word scores. With the language policy set to change in Nigeria concerning the use of the language of the immediate community becoming a possible medium of instruction, these results, supporting bidirectionality and linguistic interdependence, provide evidence for the teaching of L1 and L2 in pre-primary settings in northern Nigeria. Full article

Federal law and judicial rulings in the United States direct educators to provide special education services to students with disabilities that enable them to demonstrate meaningful progress, considering their circumstances. The services are to comprise evidence-based practices and must account for students’ unique learning characteristics and the time allotted for instruction. Accordingly, this paper reports on two interconnected investigations involving four high school students with autism and an intellectual disability who were taught to read and define finance vocabulary via a systematic instructional approach presented during short-duration lessons (5–8 min). A multiple-probe, nonconcurrent single-case design established a functional relationship between the lessons and the students’ vocabulary acquisition. All four students learned to read their targeted words. One student demonstrated acquisition of all the definitions, whereas the other three demonstrated variable acquisition before the study was discontinued because of the end of the school year. The students also demonstrated variable skill maintenance and generalization. The results suggest an appropriate structure for a short-duration lesson and a corresponding research agenda for investigating parameters associated with its effectiveness and efficiency. The study offers teachers instructing students with moderate-significant disabilities a practical evidence-based instructional strategy that accounts for their time management challenges. Furthermore, the strategy’s framework offers a theoretical way for investigating the impacts of increased academic learning time and practice opportunities. Full article

This qualitative action research case study explored how a blended literacy learning intervention combining the flipped classroom model with youth-selected multimodal texts influenced sixth-grade Academic Intervention Services (AIS) students’ comprehension of figurative language. The study was conducted over four months in a New York State middle school and involved seven students identified as at-risk readers. Initially, students engaged with teacher-created instructional videos outside of class and completed analytical activities during class time. However, due to low engagement and limited comprehension gains, the intervention was revised to incorporate student autonomy through the selection of multimodal texts such as graphic novels, song lyrics, and YouTube videos. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, journal entries, surveys, and classroom artifacts, and then analyzed using inductive coding and member checking. Findings indicate that students demonstrated increased the comprehension of figurative language when given choice in both texts and instructional videos. Participants reported increased motivation, deeper engagement, and enhanced meaning-making, particularly when reading texts that reflected their personal interests and experiences. The study concludes that a blended literacy model emphasizing autonomy and multimodality can support comprehension and bridge the gap between in-school and out-of-school literacy practices. Full article

As new technologies shape education, helping students develop historical consciousness remains a challenge. Building on Nordic curricula that emphasize students as both “history-made” and “history-making” citizens, this paper proposes an approach that integrates artificial intelligence (AI) with implicit digital game-based learning (DGBL) to learn and develop historical consciousness in education. We outline how traditional, lecture-driven history teaching often fails to convey the abstract principles of historicity (the idea that individual identity, social institutions, values, and ways of thinking are historically conditioned) and the interpretation of the past, understanding of the present, and perspective on the future. Building on Jeismann’s definition of historical consciousness, we identify a gap between the theory-rich notions of historical consciousness and classroom practice, where many educators either do not recognize it or interpret it intuitively from the curriculum’s limited wording, leaving the concept generally absent from the classroom. We then examine three theory-based methods of enriching teaching and learning. Game-based learning provides an interactive environment in which students assume roles, make decisions, and observe consequences, experiencing historical consciousness instead of only reading about it. AI contributes personalized, adaptive content: branching narratives evolve based on individual choices, non-player characters respond dynamically, and analytics guide scaffolding. Implicit learning theory suggests that embedding core principles directly into gameplay allows students to internalize complex ideas without interrupting immersion; they learn by doing, not by explicit instruction. Finally, we propose a model in which these elements combine: (1) game mechanics and narrative embed principles of historical consciousness; (2) AI dynamically adjusts challenges, generates novel scenarios, and delivers feedback; (3) key concepts are embedded into the game narrative so that students absorb them implicitly; and (4) follow-up reflection activities transform tacit understanding into explicit knowledge. We conclude by outlining a research agenda that includes prototyping interactive environments, conducting longitudinal studies to assess students’ learning outcomes, and exploring transferability to other abstract concepts. By situating students within scenarios that explore historicity and temporal interplay, this approach seeks to transform history education into an immersive, reflective practice where students see themselves as history-made and history-making and view the world through a historical lens. Full article

This study investigates the impact of structured input, referential activities, and affective activities on English simple past tense acquisition in a second language (L2). Thirty-three participants from a senior high school were divided into four groups based on the pretest–posttest design: referential only, affective only, a combination of both, and a control group. A self-paced reading (SPR) test was used to measure accuracy and response times to evaluate the effectiveness of these instructional strategies. Structured input and referential tasks enhance grammatical acquisition more rapidly and accurately than affective-only treatments or controls, showing the beneficial effects of structured input on grammar acquisition. The results emphasized the importance of designing instructional strategies that address specific processing challenges in L2 learning by focusing on form–meaning connections. By demonstrating differential impacts of structured input activities on grammatical learning and processing efficiency, the research contributes to the field of second language acquisition. The SPR method was selected for its ability to capture subtle, immediate differences in processing at the word level, its suitability for controlled classroom-based online administration, and its established validity in L2 processing research. Unlike other methods, SPR allows precise measurement of reaction times for specific sentence components, isolating processing effects of the target grammatical form while minimizing the influence of explicit knowledge. Full article

This study investigates how Spanish heritage language (SHL) learners, and second language (L2) learners cognitively and socially engage with texts through collaborative digital annotations. Conducted in two advanced online writing courses with forty students, the study employed Perusall, a social annotation platform, to examine reading behaviors and peer interactions. Quantitative analysis revealed both similarities and differences in strategy use: while both groups demonstrated equal levels of interaction, SHL learners favored Evaluating and Connecting strategies, suggesting reflective, experience-based engagement, whereas L2 learners more frequently used Questioning and Translating strategies, indicating a more analytical approach. Survey responses further highlighted perceived gains in vocabulary, motivation, grammar, and academic language awareness. These findings challenge deficit-based assumptions about SHL literacy and underscore the value of integrating culturally relevant, digitally mediated tasks in language instruction. The study affirms that collaborative annotation not only fosters cognitive engagement but also promotes social presence and academic identity development. It offers practical recommendations for grouping, scaffolding, and platform use, and contributes to a broader understanding of how digital tools can support inclusive, meaningful reading experiences for diverse learners in the twenty-first-century classroom. Full article