Preservice elementary teachers' identities and beliefs related to children's creativity and artistry shape current and future elementary students' opportunities. As preservice elementary teachers forge new professional identities, they can engage in critical self-reflection to interrogate their identities and beliefs related to creativity and…

This paper reports data from a study investigating the nature of student-teacher interactions in elementary classrooms. These data suggest that while teacher candidates approach their work with school-aged children as a form of negotiation, teachers engage in negotiation with children in a variety of ways to meet a wide range and professional…

Although schools with a high concentration of ethnic minorities often underperform, not much is known about the factors that predict high and even excellent achievement of pupils within these schools. Therefore, we examined which concrete diversity practices and key psychological processes increase or decrease the likelihood/odds for high and…

Ambiguity of language can form a barrier to understanding mathematical concepts. The word 'capacity' is problematic as it holds a variety of meanings and might not be understood in school mathematics, to be an aspect of volume. We investigated pre-service primary school teachers' interpretations of 'capacity' when given the definitions of 'volume'…

As professional science becomes increasingly computational, researchers and educators are advocating for the integration of computational thinking (CT) into science education. Researchers and policymakers have argued that CT learning opportunities should begin in elementary school and span across the K-12 grades. While researchers and policymakers…

With the changes in Common Core State Standards, it was essential to explore how elementary pre-service teachers' sense of fractions is developing and their thoughts about how to teach fractions. A gap in practice exists because it is unknown how pre-service elementary teachers, after student-teaching, perceive their level of in-practice knowledge…

In this paper, we investigate the links between prospective elementary teachers' (PTs') ability to notice student mathematical thinking, their mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) and their ability to decompose learning goals into component conceptual parts (Morris et al., 2009). Previously, researchers have proposed theoretical connections…

An experimental science curriculum for primary school was introduced in Croatia for the 1st time in the 2023/24 school year. This is taking place against the backdrop of a shortage of teachers from various science subjects, especially physics. They are increasingly being replaced by non-professional teachers, often those with a Master of Primary…

Background: There is a concern in South Africa that pre-service teachers do not have the required knowledge to teach mathematics in primary school and to develop learners' number sense. In this study, pre-service teachers taught the mental strategy of bridging through ten through a structured teaching sequence from the Mental Starters Assessment…

Using game-based learning (GBL) and digital game-based learning (DGBL) as a teaching and learning environment can be a pedagogical resource and a good strategy in the classroom to support mathematical learning (Santos et al., 2023). Even though primary school teachers are demonstrating strong preferences for using non-digital games instead of…

Teacher preparation for generalist (non-specialist) elementary teachers in Ontario typically comprises one compulsory music class. In entry surveys, many generalists describe themselves as highly apprehensive about and unconfident in their ability to teach music, confirming previous research. Using narrative inquiry, we explore the stories of both…

Purpose: In the era of Industry 4.0, the relevance of webinar tutorials, a form of distance learning, is paramount. These tutorials can catalyze self-regulated learning, critical thinking and communication skills, especially for prospective and in-service teachers pursuing higher education. This paper aims to develop a conceptual framework and…

Current models of best practice in science education advocate for students to learn science by engaging in applied contexts that integrate the various science disciplines. Permaculture offers one such integrated context for elementary science. Although permaculture is relatively new in PK-12 education, the broader practice of school gardening has…

Although the notion of "assumptions" is important in mathematical activity as early as the elementary school, there is limited research on how to help elementary teachers develop "mathematical knowledge for teaching" related to assumptions. In this paper, we discuss the theoretical foundation and implementation of an…

Phenomena-based approaches have become popular for elementary school teachers to engage children's innate curiosity in the natural world. However, integrating such phenomena-based approaches in existing science courses within teacher education programs present potential challenges for both preservice elementary teachers (PSETs) and for laboratory…