Pre-service teachers' mental models of the nature of soil were investigated in a sample of 181 students from four different Spanish universities, using three different methodological approaches: a phenomenographic analysis of definitions, a categorisation of labelled-drawings and the analysis of answers to a questionnaire consisting of both open-…

Inquiry as a strategy for science teaching has become widespread in the classroom and has various applications. But whether teachers are sufficiently trained to carry it out in pre-university classrooms would need to be determined. The objective of this study is to determine the inquiry knowledge of preservice primary teachers and their ability to…

Fermi problems are real-context estimation tasks that are suitable for introducing open-ended problems in primary school education. To ensure their effective introduction in the classroom, teachers must have adequate proficiency to deal with them. One of the key aspects of problem-solving proficiency is flexibility, but there are few studies on…

The integration of sports-related contexts into mathematics education, along with the inclusion of guest speakers in classroom settings, is a widely acknowledged pedagogical strategy. This study employs a descriptive research approach to analyze a didactic activity conducted with 86 third-year students pursuing a Degree in Primary Education at the…

Background: The present study analyses the design of programming literacy in the sixth grade of Primary Education, starting from the use of simple activities with visual block-based programming, through "Scratch," and progressively linking difficulty to the use of the "Unity" engine, and the "C#" language, with simple…

The university years represents a pivotal period in the student's life, influencing decision-making and impacting their identity. The new experiences encountered during this phase may give rise to a certain identity crisis, allowing for a reconsideration of previously adopted commitments, and potentially influencing the development of future…

The development of a collaborative culture in the teaching profession is a challenge that ought to be addressed in initial teacher education. The involvement in a European programme that connects different educational institutions allowed student teachers to explore a learning environment created to enhance the use of technology, foreign languages…

This paper analyses a research developed at the University of Cantabria (Spain) committed to inclusive education, as it proposes a process of collaborative enquiry into relevant educational concepts related to attention to diversity. The work carried out by the university students (preservice teachers) resulted in the production of a dictionary…

In the educational context, the transmission of scientific evidence to the classroom is essential to improve the quality of education and to develop effective research-based practices. However, in the interplay between teachers, researchers, political and educational institutions, there are a number of barriers that hinder this transmission.…

Gender equality and women's empowerment are important issues that still need to be addressed, despite some progress in recent years. The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which aim to tackle various global challenges, including the 4th (Quality Education) and 5th (Gender…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the presence of systems thinking after an educational proposal on climate sustainability based on reflection and video creation. To evaluate this competency, an evaluation rubric was constructed. Design/methodology/approach: This research is a case study with a mixed approach. It was carried out…

Gamification consists of using game elements in non-game contexts, such as in education, aiming to promote cooperation, motivation, or engagement. Here, the Escape Room and Breakout games are in early stages in formal educational environments. Specifically, in primary education, this type of tools can be useful to support the teaching and learning…

Introduction: Based on the Social Cognitive Model of Career Development (SCCT) theory, the academic development process of university students is analyzed. Self-efficacy and outcome expectations are core constructs within the SCCT, which are influenced according to the model by personal factors and predispositions, such as disability, sex or race.…

Basic science process skills (SPSs) constitute a key dimension of the scientific competence that should be developed from an early age. Therefore, preservice elementary teachers (PETs) who are preparing to teach science should have a sufficient mastery about it. This study presents a questionnaire that allows gradual levels of performance in SPSs…

This article presents the results of a piece of research that analyzed the views on the nature of science (NOS) among student teachers enrolled in programs of Primary Education at two public universities in Spain. Previous studies have reported that science teachers maintain 'eclectic' epistemological perspectives on science; in this article, we…