Background: Many children aged 9-12 appear to have low levels of fundamental movement skills (FMS). Physical education (PE) is important because PE-teachers can teach children a variety of FMS and can influence PE-motivation. However, declined levels of PE-motivation are reported in the final grades of elementary school. Therefore, more insight in…

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the impact of mathematics and reading learning difficulties on the mathematics-vocabulary understanding of fifth-grade students. Students (n = 114) completed three measures: mathematics computation, general vocabulary, and mathematics vocabulary. Based on performance on the mathematics computation and…

Background: There is worldwide interest in improving the effectiveness of teachers and teaching. This paper considers two strands of that interest. It revisits the impact of using enhanced feedback from teachers to pupils as a way of improving attainment, and it looks at the feasibility of teachers using research evidence to create their own…

Despite decades of research, little is known about the dynamics of sustaining change in school reform and how the process of change unfolds. By tracing the nine-year reform journeys of four primary schools in Hong Kong (using multiyear interview, observational, and archival data), this study uncovers the micro-processes the schools experienced…

The literature on service-learning outcomes in pre-adolescent children is relatively sparse. Empathy (i.e., overall, cognitive, affective) and community engagement (i.e., connection to the community, civic awareness, civic efficacy) were assessed in 155 first, second, and fifth graders (n = 79 males; n = 76 females) using a pre/post design for a…

The purpose of this pilot study is to analyze the efficacy of a program that combines fine motor activities, animated models, exercises on a digital tablet and paper-pencil exercises. The 10-week program with a 45-minute session and daily exercises was implemented in a class of 16 students of first grade (mean age = 6.9 years old), with another…

Parents and schools often notice the need for addressing advanced mathematical performance in elementary students. Many gifted programs do not offer differentiated or accelerated mathematics as part of their elementary school options. In this report, the efforts of one school system to identify and serve the needs of highly mathematically able…

This study examined the initial effects of a participatory-based, competency-/skill-building professional development workshop for physical education (PE) teachers on the use of physical activity (PA) promotion practices (e.g., eliminating lines, small-sided games) and students' moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). A total of 823…

Researchers have established that morphological awareness is an important skill because it contributes unique variance to word-level reading and reading comprehension; however, few studies include students with reading disorders. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate whether training morphological awareness would improve morphological…

Elementary school students in today's urban classrooms face many life circumstances at home and in their communities that contribute to stress and coping needs. These stressors are often brought into the classroom, which impact learning, behaviors, and overall academic performance. Mindfulness has been used in classroom settings, particularly with…

A sedentary life style contributes to many chronic diseases and poor educational performance. Since elementary school-aged children spend most wakeful hours in school, classroom teachers are essential for providing physical activity (PA) breaks during school. As first objective, we assessed current PA levels for Oregon public elementary schools…

"'Do You Want Paper or Plastic?' An Inquiry into Single-Use Grocery Bags" is an inquiry-based, solutions-focused environmental education unit developed for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Field-tested in two U.S. southeastern regions, the unit engages students as informed change makers who investigate the production, consumption, and disposal…

We report on a practitioner implementation of Fusion, a first-grade mathematics intervention. Studies such as this evaluation of a loose implementation under realistic conditions are important to curriculum developers' understanding of how evidence-based programs and tools work under a variety of implementation scenarios. In this…

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate behaviors related to fruit and vegetable intake before and after implementation of a theory-based Farm to School pilot intervention in a rural school. Methods: Students in fifth grade at a rural elementary school were asked to complete pre- and post-test measures based on the Theory of…

This multi-methods, descriptive case study examines attitudes and practices of classroom-based iPad use. The site is one inner-city, urban, publicly funded school, focused on two iPad-infused classrooms (Grade 2/3 and Grade 4/5). Data were collected from 5 educators and 35 students to investigate two research questions: How are iPads being…