The study aimed to investigate how students in lower secondary schools in England perceive the subject of music in terms of its importance and enjoyment. Following findings from the first survey phase of the project, it specifically sought to shed light on the reasons why the majority of students decide not to choose music as one of their optional…

This paper investigates the impact of assignment to the Accelerating Literacy for Adolescents (ALFA) Lab, an additional semester-long class taken during an elective period, on ninth grade student reading achievement, motivation, and frequency. We conducted a regression discontinuity (RD) study where 1,378 students from diverse high schools in four…

In education, there is a risk that joy in learning is counteracted by allowing a performance culture to dominate. Research shows that emotions are of great importance for results, motivation and well-being. This study aims to add knowledge about the essential meanings of joy in learning based on students' lived experiences and thereby implications…

This mixed-methods study was conducted at a single urban high school using the Funds of Knowledge Framework. The goal was to understand the feelings of teachers of elective courses regarding instructing multilingual learners in their classroom. The six departments included in this study were art, physical education, music, technology, business,…

This paper reports on curriculum analysis of climate change expectations in Canada's provincial curricula. The research is focused on curriculum policy in Canadian provinces; however, it pertains to an international audience as Article 12 of the Paris Agreement, the international treaty on climate mitigation, adaptation and finance, calls for…

This study explored the effects of design thinking on the conceptual cognition of artificial intelligence (AI) learning, attitudes toward AI, idea creativity, and the product creativity of AI applications. The concept map indicated that design thinking had a significant effect on the conceptual cognition of AI learning, particularly the relational…

Computational thinking and programming have emerged as central 21st-century skills. Several countries have embedded these skills in their school curricula. This study investigates how an optional programming course affects eighth-grade mathematical problem solving in Norway using a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-tests. These tests…

This report looks at the provision of A level subjects in England in 2021. Provision in a subject is defined as the number or percentage of schools with at least one student taking the subject. This report was produced using publicly available data from the Department for Education's (DfE) "Find and compare schools in England" service…

Many students have the opportunity to enroll in elective courses during secondary school and the choices they make about pursuing specific electives may foreshadow future outcomes. The present study utilized a sequential, mixed methods design to investigate the association between students' attitudes toward science, their declared intentions to…

This study investigated the sources of difficulties experienced by prospective teachers in mathematical modelling in the context of a semester-long course on mathematical modelling for teachers. The data reported in this study were collected from six prospective teachers through in-depth semi-structured interviews supported by audio and videotaped…

National and local data show that many female students lose interest in STEM at an early age, female students that remain interested in STEM show partiality for life sciences. This results in gender stratification in STEM subject areas and is evident in high school enrollments in elective courses. This three-manuscript dissertation investigates…

Autonomy-supportive activities are understood to promote students' autonomous forms of learning motivation, educational outcomes and well-being. In the current study, two learning labs in one Dutch secondary school have been studied. In these learning labs--each lasting one entire school year--students' autonomy during their learning process have…

Background and Context: We explore the potential for understanding the processes involved in students' programming based on studying their behaviour and dialogue with each other and "conversations" with their programs. Objective: Our aim is to explore how a perspective of inquiry can be used as a point of departure for insights into how…

Teaching quantum physics (QP) to high school (HS) students is gaining momentum, necessitating the exploration of various effective methods. Specifically, the research on quantitative teaching methods is still in its early stages. Understanding the power of Dirac notation (DN) in teaching is crucial for grasping the complexities of QP, as it…

Standardized literacy assessments that place emphasis on testing and attainment of results have caused many students, particularly in middle years schooling to be disenfranchised by literacy teaching and learning practices. This study employed an action research methodology to investigate whether an outdoor learning experience in a Year 7/8…