This study explored the integration of technical vocabulary into pre-observation conferences and its influence on English teachers' professional learning and discussion in their post-observation conferences. The conceptual framework based on Harvey [2011. "A Sociocultural-Theory-Based Study of the Impact of Mediation During Post-observation…

There has been little research into 'language play', the manipulation of language for enjoyment, in children's narrative writing. The unprompted language play of 36 children was investigated in their writing of an imaginative story. The sample comprised three attainment sub-groups from a larger repeat-design quantitative study of writing…

This study compared the financial literacy and teaching practices of 82 early and elementary teachers in India and US using a 43-item survey. Analysis showed that financial literacy of Indian teachers was lower than their American counterparts. Teachers in India enjoyed teaching financial literacy more than teachers in the US. Indian teachers…

This study investigated the instructional practices of three teacher leaders employed in a diverse, elementary school in the USA. Through extended observations, it was found that learning centres occupied a central role in the organisation and learning in each of the classrooms. Bernstein's theory of classification and framing was used to analyse…

The low status of the foundation subjects (e.g. Music and Physical Education (PE)) in English primary schools is well documented. Using PE as an illustrative example, a thematic analysis of 51 PE trainee students' assignments, based on their perceptions of a two-week experience in a primary school, highlighted a number of areas of concern (e.g.…

Cooperative learning (CL) has a strong research base, but it is underutilised. This can be explained by teachers' reluctance to experiment with pedagogies in an environment increasingly focused on high-stakes testing. Early career teachers (ECTs) need support to be innovative practitioners, particularly with such a complex one as CL. The teacher's…

The data featured in this article were collected during a classroom-based study with seven- and eight-year-old children in British Columbia, Canada. The multiple purposes of the research included exploring how the development of the students' understanding of elements of visual art and design would affect their subsequent application of these same…

Coombe Boys' School in New Malden worked with Kingston University to establish a 'Big Read', a scheme of pre-arrival shared-reading for boys transitioning from local primary schools into year 7 of the Coombe Boys' secondary school. A novel was chosen for shared-reading, and all arriving pupils were given a copy at their Induction Day (at the end…

This study investigates Hong Kong primary science teachers' understandings of inquiry learning, perceived difficulties in implementing inquiry learning, as well as their current practices of and resistance to using online resources, in order to identify their needs and propose suggestions to address these needs. An online survey has been used to…

In this article, I discuss how the context of children's classroom activities and the quality of their participation and agency are key to learning around values. These pedagogical approaches lie in a socio-cultural theoretical framework which I use to show how "empowered" participation in classrooms and in enquiry activities in…

It has been vigorously argued over decades that trainee teachers hold entrenched, stereotypical attitudes and beliefs about diverse groups of pupils. These assumptions have been shown to create discriminatory teaching practice which affects the educational attainment of pupils as young as five. This article reports on a study of the complex issues…

Interest is a central learning prerequisite for teaching. The article deals with a survey among 1600 primary school pupils in forms 2, 3 and 4 (ages 7-10) in the German federal state of Bavaria who were interviewed on their interest in geographical topics and working methods. They were given a questionnaire including 40 items to indicate their…

This article discusses the views of 25 Icelandic preschool and compulsory school teachers who were interviewed on the role of the outdoor environment in children's learning. The teachers reported not being afraid to take children outside. These teachers valued the learning potentials of the outdoors more than they feared the possible risks. They…

Elementary school English teachers in Taiwan are required to have a formal professional dialogue regularly and engage in purposeful discussions about the curriculum and classroom practice (Ministry of Education. [1998]. "Small-Size Class Plan." http://163.19.62.3/smlass/E983A8E8A888E58A%83.htm). This study used a questionnaire to…

In time-poor and pressured teaching environments, some classroom teachers look for immediate and simple solutions to resourcing their arts teaching. Online platforms, such as Pinterest, seem to offer ready-made answers for these teachers, however, a lack of criticality can underscore the unexamined 'advantages' of such accessible resources.…