This descriptive case study examined how teaching practices were evidenced in Grade 1 classrooms in two different cultural and educational contexts, Finland and Japan. Teachers' teaching practices were video-recorded in 53 classrooms in Finland and six classrooms in Japan and rated with the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure by trained…

Many studies conducted in the last decades report that very few elementary-grades students understand the meaning of = in mathematics, and that upper-elementary students do not understand it any better than the lower-elementary students do. Using data from thousands of Florida elementary students, we show that students in Florida perform ten to…

This article describes an unit that was created for first-grade students using both the "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS") and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in a student-centered, problem-based approach. The multifaceted classroom unit combined with a take-home field study provides students…

The purpose of this yearlong study was to examine literate identity development of first-grade students in a student-centered, literature-based classroom where meaning making was privileged over decoding skills. This cross-case analysis traced the identity trajectories of two case studies: one student with strong decoding skills (above grade level…

This study examined relations between child-reported teacher emotional support, teaching practices, and children's task-persistent learning behaviour. The study was carried out in Estonia, where a students' first teacher advances with his/her students and teaches all primary subjects in the first 3 years of schooling. In total, 660 sixth-grade…

This qualitative study examines the challenges and supports inherent in a student-centered mathematics curriculum developed for a constructivist environment. Mathematics education faculty and special education faculty from a university college of education collaborated on this study to determine how students responded to specific components of…

After decades of conflict with Indonesia, Timor-Leste is gradually rebuilding its education infrastructure and reclaiming its identity as an independent country. In the first decade post-independence the education sector faced many challenges, including a lack of school buildings and resources, the need to replenish and upskill the Timorese…

In this qualitative case study, we provide a series of vignettes illustrating a Grade 1 teacher's experiences integrating iPad technology into her instruction over a school year. We use the digital didactic model to deconstruct these vignettes and draw upon the teacher's reflections to gain further insights about her instructional experiences…

This article provides findings about how the construction of literacy practices mediated the positive identity development of first-grade bilinguals in an inquiry-based setting over an academic year. Utilizing a sociocultural approach and a Positive Discourse Analysis lens, the researcher reports findings from an exemplary primary classroom that…

In order to motivate indigenous learners to learn science and instil their positive attitude towards the subject, conducive and simulative learning environment need to be specifically designed for them. This research is aimed to determine the effect of Kayeu Learning Outside the Classroom (LOC) primary science module on intrinsic motivation of…

This study of two successful first grade teachers examines the forces that guide their instructional decisions. Findings reveal the complexities of forces that influence the moment-to-moment decisions made by these teachers. Teachers repeatedly attempted to balance their desires to be student-centered while addressing state standards and…

What picture of schoolwork do we obtain if we take a close look at everyday classroom activities and consider what students and teachers do and say about them? This is the basic focus of the study reported here which examines a teaching and learning practice called "own work" ("eget arbete") in the context of primary classroom…