The authors define accountability broadly as a government's mechanism for holding educational institutions to account for the delivery of high quality education. The idea that the practice of accountability can contribute directly to improvements in education is a powerful one that underpins policy. Paradoxically, though, some hold that…

This article explores why the humanities are an essential element of a balanced and broadly based primary curriculum. While history, geography and religious education make important contributions, the humanities should be seen more broadly as the study of one's own and other cultures, and so including areas such as literature, philosophy and…

Teachers act as role models and through their activities are active co-designers of future generations. Independent thinking and taking responsible, sustainable actions form the basis for a vibrant society. Entrepreneurship skills can already be fostered in primary school children. This requires well-trained primary school teachers. The following…

The use of information technology in the academic environment has grown. Building different didactic techniques to help students learn and practice with Information Technology (IT) resources is common. However, applying these techniques does not necessarily mean that students may acquire knowledge. The differential idea of this work is to create…

The purpose of this article is to present the design and main findings of a three-year study analyzing the transition from printed to digital educational materials for primary education in Spain. Special attention has been given to the metamorphosis of didactic materials in the context of the digital society. The research focused on two issues:…

This paper traces the introduction of Steiner programmes in publicly funded school settings in Victoria, Australia, through a recent history covering approximately 1990-2011. Three programmes are examined through interviews with Steiner educators focusing on some of the challenges of working with these alternative educational ideas in these…

This document contains a model policy for state departments of education to create a K-8 Math Act or policy. The intent of such Legislature is that each student is prepared for success in Algebra I starting with 60 minutes of daily math instruction to build math proficiency in grades Kindergarten through 8 using effective, standards aligned…

Out-of-school-time (OST) programs have long focused on children's social and emotional development as part of their mission of building a culture of connectedness and positive relationships between youth and adults. Research demonstrates that high-quality, evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs are associated with positive…

The use of student-centered practices is influenced by several factors (Peterson et al., 1989). Specifically self-efficacy has been shown to influence teachers' self-reported teaching practices (Hadley & Dorward, 2011; Peterson et al., 1989; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2007). The purpose of this study was to determine possible relationships among…

Effective continued professional development (CPD) is critical in preparing teachers for implementing curricular changes. Utilising the professional design framework [Loucks-Horsley, S., Stiles, K. E., Mundry, S. E., Love, N. B., & Hewson, P. W. (2009). "Designing Professional Development for Teachers of Science and Mathematics."…

This article contributes to the study of radio pedagogy in Africa by exploring the Cameroonian case. It shows how Cameroon, after it gained independence in 1960 but faced a shortage of primary school teachers, set up a continuous training scheme based on distance learning via radio broadcasts. Drawing on archival sources of Yaoundé, documentaries…

The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine the extent to which the relation between teacher reported (N = 26) teaching efficacy and observations of classroom quality varied as a function of a specific classroom characteristic, classroom adversity, a measure of classroom level hardship that includes factors such as student challenges with…

Purpose: Government primary schools in Australia increasingly take up the International Baccalaureate's Primary Years Programme (IB-PYP) to supplement government-mandated curriculum and governance expectations. The purpose of this paper is to explore how teachers navigate and contest dual policy-practice expectations in the Victorian Government…

Purpose: This instrumental case study (Stake, 1995) explores the benefits experienced by mentor teachers who mentored resident teachers in a year-long residency program. Design/methodology/approach: The study was grounded by the Benefits of Being a Mentor conceptual framework, as defined by Ragins and Scandura (1999). The participating mentor…

This article reports on the qualitative findings of a mixed methods study that investigated primary school teachers' beliefs, practices and choices of resources for teaching written grammar. Qualitative data were collected from Primary teachers in Western Australia through semi-structured interviews (n = 10) and analysed thematically. Although all…