Using data from a 2-year empirical project in an urban school within the United States, this article describes how educators of preschool, transitional-kindergarten and kindergarten (PreK-TK-K) altered perceptions and practices as a result of participating in a purposefully crafted professional learning community using collaborative enquiry.…

This transnational comparative study between Costa Rica and the United States provides an in-depth understanding of the similarities and differences of the early literacy practices of educators in the Pre-Kindergarten to Kindergarten classroom settings. Drawing upon Costa Rica's curricular approach to Early Childhood Education, based upon the…

This study aims to integrate video games into classrooms not as a replacement for regular lessons but as supplementary materials under the teacher's supervision. To this extent, the researcher created an educational English learning video game specifically modeled on the students' real lives. Ninety-six middle school students, 48 in the control…

In this study we introduce "lesson play experience" (LPE) for implementation as professional development for in-service teachers. LPE is an extension of the "lesson play" notion, which refers to a script for an imagined lesson, written by a teacher, presented as dialogue of teacher-student(s) interaction. In mathematics teacher…

Employers often complain that students leave school unequipped with the real-world skills needed, including problem-solving, teamwork and effective communication. Conversely, school-based education often suffers from limited perceived authenticity leading to low student engagement. Work experience is one solution, but it is labour-intensive and…

Fostering spoken communication in a foreign language classroom is not an easy task. With that in mind, this paper explores a proposal to motivate students' L2 oral communication through the practice of narrative games called tabletop roleplaying games adapted as task-based activities. It implied an action research process in which the…

In this article, Rebecca Riley uses drama and role-play to provide a context for science learning and teach about STEM careers. The article discusses how using a meaningful text with a stimulating story and relatable characters allows children to become fully immersed in a narrative. By using the drama-based teaching approaches that teachers…

Pretend play leads to real-life learning. By imitating a firefighter using a horse, a doctor checking a patient's ear, or a construction worker building a skyscraper, children learn about community roles and services and feel proud and satisfied. When they pretend, children create pictures in their minds of past experiences and use their…

This study aimed to develop, introduce, and conduct an inquiry-driven creative drama activity. The activity, for elementary students, related to the transmission of light and full shadow. In the activity, which consisted of a warm-up, dramatization, and evaluation stages, two inquiry-based experiments were added to the dramatization stage. Thus,…

Purpose: To determine the impact of a training program on the ability of preservice teachers (PTs) to negotiate with their students while teaching through the skill themes approach during an early field experience. Method: Participants were 11 PTs who were given specific training on how to negotiate with their students. Data on their ability to…

In this study, analysis of video recordings of 5-year-old children's use of language and nonverbal modes of communication (e.g. gaze, action, gesture, and proximity) is used to examine how children contribute to sociodramatic play narratives and participate in the classroom peer culture. In their dramatic play at a restaurant play center and at a…

The purpose of this article is to determine the effectiveness of role-playing games (RPGs) as an intervention program to reduce bullying. Eighty-six French 6th-graders were randomly assigned to either the empathy training program involving three RPG sessions of 60 minutes or to the control condition in which students benefited from three sessions…

This paper describes the process of implementing the Global Storylines (GSL) approach in Czech primary schools by looking at the data (interviews, participatory observations, written teachers' reflections) collected from 12 primary schools. It attempts to analyze the main effects of GSL on pupils, teachers, and the class as a whole and…

Scholars have advocated for practice-based experiences, including high-leverage practices and metacognition, to be incorporated within preservice teacher programs, as they have the most pervasive impact on students' learning. One way in which teacher preparation programs have incorporated practice-based experiences is through the use of…

This article details how a newly arrived Turkish refugee student navigates schooling in the United States. It highlights the trauma purged Turkish families experience in their home country and their challenges as newcomers unfamiliar with their new country's dominant culture, language, and education system. The case narrative provides insight into…