Teachers' evaluations of students do not consider only academic competence, but are imbued with social considerations related to individual teacher and student characteristics, their interactions, and the surrounding context. The aim of this paper is understanding the extent to which teachers grade girls more generously than boys, and which…

The COVID-19 pandemic required specific protocols (e.g., social distancing, quarantine), which defied the notions of the traditional classroom and called for instructors to adapt content delivery. To empower students, some universities employed a HyFlex model that allowed students to choose their attendance modality (e.g., face-to-face,…

This essay provides a grounded critical discussion of why a professor might limit their undergraduate students' sovereignty of educational decision-making to promote an opportunity for a democratic dialogic culture in the class situated in a conventional university. On the one hand, both democracy and dialogue require voluntary participation by…

This dissertation explores the impact of the classroom environment on undergraduate engineering students by integrating three manuscripts using the process-person-context-time (PPCT) model within Bioecological Systems Theory. Each manuscript focused on students' sense of belonging, motivation, and academic confidence. The study confirms prior…

Hybrid teaching has become a common approach, with its inclusive character being a main advantage. However, it also comes with problems such as increased attention requirements for teachers and a lacking social integration of both groups of students (remote, on-site). The present research aims to enhance the potential of hybrid teaching through…

Adequacy of classroom learning spaces at the University of Guyana has historically been a challenge the institution faces. However, the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lessened the problem when the University of Guyana responded to the crisis by making rapid adjustments to continue operations online and to remain competitive while…

Classroom engagement is an excellent indicator of students' learning, grades, achievement, test scores, retention, and graduation. However, classroom engagement is heavily dependent on teacher-student interactions. Teachers' role in engaging students in the lesson learned is critical. Using a free and convenient tool, such as teachers' humor, can…

School-related sedentary behaviors are associated with adverse health outcomes and poor academic achievement of elementary students. Dynamic seats, where chairs allow movement, are an intervention that increases physical activity without interrupting academic instruction. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore teachers'…

Adopting a sociocultural standpoint, the present study investigated Greek early years professionals' experience of the compulsive distance learning that took place in Greece due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More specifically, we explored: (a) the pedagogical priorities, challenges, and opportunities teachers recognised, (b) their understanding of…

A growing literature has documented the importance of school socio-economic status (SES) composition to children's academic performance, but the channels through which school SES affects individual achievement remain poorly understood. We investigate differences in 15-year-old children's reading performance across schools with different levels of…

The physical characteristics of a child's learning environment can affect health, wellbeing and educational progress. Here we investigate the effect of classroom setting on academic progress in 7-10-year-old students comparing reading development in "open-plan" (multiple class groups located within one physical space) and…

In recent years, the changes experienced in the educational and social field have been reflected in the growing interest in defining how the attributes of the learning space affect students. This study seeks to determine the influence exerted by the design and organization of the university classroom on motivation and social interaction. The…

Black affective networks form in evanescent moments when two or more Black people in a white space cluster around a Black feeling and other things. This article is a feminist narrative inquiry into Black affective networks in classrooms on the campuses of Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) in the United States. Authors inhabit dual roles as…

The physical environment in early childhood education and care is crucial. This paper examines the Swedish government's vision of preschool design in the welfare state of the 1970s and the conceptions of children and society upon which it was based. Presenting an investigation of reports, booklets, and study materials published by various branches…

A general consensus exists among Member States that gaining academic knowledge on its own is not enough for young people to play a role as active citizens and face the socioeconomic realities in their lives, in order to avoid inequity, poverty, discrimination, marginalisation and exclusion. In the 21st century, education needs to go beyond narrow…