Background: Research has shown the benefits of play for children's learning and development. Play can also be harnessed for pursuing pre-determined learning goals related to school curricula through "guided" play. Aim: The research inquired into the implementation of a pre-service teacher education course on play as pedagogy to evaluate…

Background: South African teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching and number sense are markedly low, evidenced in national and international research. There is a call for supporting teachers in developing their knowledge and confidence in teaching mathematics. Aim: The aim of this article is to share how pre-service teachers (PSTs) used the…

A long-standing concern in teacher education is the variability in the quality of practicum experiences afforded to preservice teachers. Although some variability is due to their personal attributes, preservice teachers often find it difficult to connect theoretical insights to teachers' classroom practices. These challenges can be exacerbated…

The analyses of observed lessons are an important part of learning to teach. Pedagogically focused conversations are one way for pre-service teachers to do so. But how do pedagogically focused conversations enable pre-service teachers to make sense of observed teaching? Using a collective case-study approach, the study qualitatively explored the…

As a language teacher, teacher educator and researcher, to me the name Rebecca Oxford has always been synonymous with language learning strategies across the world and specifically the theme of its teachability. Rebecca has always stated that the language teacher's role includes strategy instruction even if it achieves only partial success.…

It is fundamental for language teachers to assess their students' performance. Therefore, they should be familiar with various forms of assessments because teaching and assessing languages are closely related and have a great deal to do with one another. This study examined EFL preservice teachers' perceptions of assessment literacy at a…

Teacher quality in primary schools in South Africa is a serious concern, and how best to prepare teachers in initial teacher education--with regard to mathematics--remains an open and vexing question. There is a confluence of challenges facing the mathematics education community in South Africa: poor conceptual understanding of mathematics amongst…

This article explores data from a group of British pre-service teachers (PST) following a teaching programme in South Africa. Their reflections are analysed in relation to assertions that such intercultural programmes do little to change hegemonic beliefs about the 'other'. Analysis of questionnaire and interview data suggests that whilst these…

South African teacher education policy expects initial teacher education programmes to introduce integrated and applied knowledge to underpin a teacher's practice in diverse classroom contexts. This paper explores how a one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education responds to this expectation in terms of training prospective teachers to teach…

Background: The Mental Starters Assessment Project (MSAP) seeks to address poor performance in Grade 3 mathematics. The programme focusses on eliminating inefficient counting methods and promoting strategic mathematical skills, including numerical sense, mental calculation and rapid recall skills. Additionally, MSAP supports teachers' professional…

Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) is a form of experiential learning that connects students with workplaces in their chosen field of study. WIL is a vital component of South Africa's teacher education, requiring pre-service teachers to complete a school practicum as part of their qualification. This research explores the question: What are effective…

This paper is part of a broader study which explores South African pre-service teachers' use of the jump strategy on the empty number line for enhancing their confidence to do and teach mental mathematics computation strategies. The focus of this paper is the use of micro-teaching in the form of video recordings by pre-service teachers. Forty…

The study's research question was how a one-year initial teacher education (ITE) programme could equip prospective teachers for present needs and local challenges and the demands of a fast-changing world. To this end the study explored the perceptions and experiences of student teachers who were enrolled in an ITE programme for secondary school…

This paper explores pre-service life sciences teachers' behavioral intentions toward integrating artificial intelligence into life sciences teaching. Despite the growing influence of AI in education, there is limited understanding of the factors affecting teachers' willingness to integrate AI into life sciences teaching. These factors could inform…

This qualitative research study examines the perspectives of pre-service teachers (PSTs) in the US and South Africa as they learned about the "pedagogy of compassion" as a generative approach for supporting students in navigating issues of social justice in the context of English teaching and learning. We examine PSTs' work generated in…