This article examines feedback traditionally given by teachers in schools. Such feedback tends to focus on children's acquisition and retrieval of externally prescribed knowledge which is then assessed against mandated tests. It suggests that, from a sociocultural learning perspective, feedback directed towards such objectives may limit children's…

Britain's already poor record for language learning might be exacerbated by the Global English phenomenon, in that utilitarian reasons for learning languages other than English are increasingly undermined (Lanvers, 2014; Lo Bianco, 2014). This article offers a state-of-the-art review of UK research on second language (L2) learning motivation and…

This article details a mixed methods study designed to examine the impact of a group process consultation model in helping staff manage challenging behaviour in the nurture group setting. It relates to two geographical clusters of staff, including teachers and teaching assistants, running 11 nurture groups in a major metropolitan area in the UK,…

"Evolution" is an area of the curriculum in which children show great interest and enthusiasm to learn more. They also bring considerable prior (though incomplete) knowledge from their informal "life worlds". Most children have encountered the term "evolution" from an early age and tend to define it in terms of…

When the author took on the role of primary science advisory teacher at Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC) she thought it would be a really interesting role that would give her room to develop her skills as a teacher, but she had not appreciated just how powerful the links to industry can be for children. One example of how such an…

Literacy studies approaches have tended to adopt a position which enables ethnographic explorations of a wide range of "literacies". An important issue arising is the new challenge required for researchers to capture, manage, and analyse data that highlight the unique character of practices around texts in digital environments. Such…

In 2003, the Sutton Trust published a study on the university backgrounds of teachers in the state and independent sector by Prof. Alan Smithers and Dr. Louise Tracey. This report revisits this topic, using 2015 data from the National Foundation for Educational Research's Teacher Voice Omnibus survey, and the Independent Schools Council's Teacher…

Recent systematic reviews have found that the participation of adolescents and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) within research is limited despite an increasing international recognition of the importance of incorporating the views of all children and young people on matters that affect their lives. The purpose of this current…

In view of the recent developments in many countries, for example, in the USA and in the UK, it appears that computer science education (CSE) in primary or secondary schools (K-12) has reached a significant turning point, shifting its focus from ICT-oriented to rigorous computer science concepts. The goal of this special issue is to offer a…

The purpose of this article is to clarify the role of "teacher training initiatives" aimed at improving social, emotional and behavioural outcomes of primary school aged children through improved classroom management. Systematic searches were conducted using a range of electronic databases from inception up to September 2011. Included…

Antibullying interventions have been implemented in schools in an attempt to reduce bullying. However, school-based bullying is still prevalent in many schools across the United Kingdom. Therefore, antibullying interventions should aim to prevent bullying and also reduce the effects of bullying by educating victims about resilience against…

This article builds on and contributes to work in the area of science learning in the outdoors and addressing transition issues for pupils as they move from primary to secondary school. Previous studies have examined issues in the transition phase between primary and secondary school, but evidence is limited for the use of learning science…

School-based mental health prevention programmes can be effective but their adoption within schools will depend on their social acceptability. We report a qualitative evaluation summarising the views of children (115), parents (20) and school staff (47) about a universal school-based anxiety prevention programme FRIENDS. This study was conducted…

The United Kingdom Medical Research Council recommends use of a conceptual framework for designing and testing complex therapeutic interventions. "Partnering for Change" (P4C) is an innovative school-based intervention for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) that was developed by an interdisciplinary team who were…

Advocates of Oracy-Dialogics argue that it should play the major role in teaching and learning, yet it has also been argued that it plays little part in many teachers' pedagogic repertoire. This paper considers what is meant by Oracy-Dialogics. Then it describes research in a Cambridge Primary Review flagship school; it analyses the whole school…