Young children often explore partitioning as the idea of fair sharing in contexts where equal parts are created and distributed based on spatial constructs of the objects, rather than enumerating parts or collections. However, the presence of spatial reasoning in children's early fraction experiences is implicit within much of the literature and…

Background: Over the past three decades, researchers have increasingly advocated for pedagogical practices that privilege exploration, collaboration, problem-solving, and hands-on projects in K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S.T.E.M.). Many researchers have studied the efficacy of these instructional practices, but there has…

Previous research has demonstrated a link between children's ability to name canonical finger configurations and their mathematical abilities. This study aimed to investigate the nature of this association, specifically exploring whether the relationship is skill and handshape specific and identifying the underlying mechanisms involved.…

The teaching competencies of science teachers significantly influence students' science academic achievement. It shapes the students' understanding of complex science concepts and their ability to excel in scientific exploration, ultimately nurturing their scientific literacy. This study assessed the teaching competencies influencing the teaching…

In March 2018, metal construction kits were distributed to all elementary schools in Rhineland-Palatinate as part of the project called "Technikkiste" [translation from German: technology box] to promote STEM education. At the end of the year 2018, three more expansion sets followed. So far, no requests have been made to schools, even…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore whether and how principles from variation theory can contribute to the planning of teaching and learning beyond learning study. Design/methodology/approach: We study whether and how principles from variation theory contributed to a group of teachers' planning of teaching and learning about decimal…

This article explores the integration of the art studio framework developed by Harvard University's Project Zero into science education and investigates its influence on the academic achievements of third-grade students. This study involved a cohort of 140 third-grade students from a primary school in Iran, 70 of whom were students assigned to an…

Background: Dealing with errors in the classroom is a crucial aspect of instructional quality and has multiple consequences for students' own dealing with errors, their learning and their achievement. The available literature on error climate indicates a paucity of research on the effects of perceived error climate on social aspects such as…

Learning fractions is essential for academic and daily life success. A critical first step in acquiring fractions is learning to transcode them (e.g., writing ½ when hearing "one half"). However, little is known about how students master fraction transcoding. We addressed this gap by assessing fraction writing in two groups of Brazilian…

Statistics need data and data need context. Contexts from across the curriculum can be the most powerful in creating interest, reward, and enthusiasm for both teachers and students. The activity described here is based in STEM, employing aspects of each field to create and solve a hypothetical problem of escaping from an erupting volcano (Science)…

Currently, primary and secondary school education quality is a major source of concern for educators. A significant number of factors, such as the development of scientific and technological progress, technological innovations, and digitalization, affect the quality of education. In recent years, teachers have come to believe that the textbook…

Due to low levels of student engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic, elementary school students suffered significant learning losses, which served as the driving force behind this research. Teachers should be the key to solving problems. This research aims to measure how much influence the competence of professional elementary school teachers has…

For students to engage in mathematical thinking, a greater emphasis is needed on the expectations of students, by themselves and others, as active listeners and explainers. As student responsibility for mathematical thinking and participation increases, the roles of the teacher and learner change. A qualitative study of changing classroom…

This study continues an investigation of how spherical units, compared to cubical units, can facilitate students' units-locating and organizing units in composites. We analyze how Norwegian grade 3 students enumerate 3D arrays with cubical and spherical units. Our results show how spherical units can act as perceptual clues that facilitate…

Values are the trans-situational goals guiding human attitudes and behavior (Schwartz, 1992). As early socialization agents, teachers have a responsibility to promote democratic values of citizenship to create an inclusive, fair, and sustainable society, necessary for individual and collective well-being (OECD, 2019). By facilitating social…