Decades of evidence demonstrates that a strong foundation in early childhood leads to healthier, more successful life outcomes. Developing socio-emotional skills and executive functions in this period of life improves academic outcomes, school readiness, and wellbeing, as well as work, health, wealth, and public safety outcomes. Thus, social and…

Background: 'Learning to Learn' (L2L) is considered a key skill for the twenty-first century. It is understood here as a hyper-competence, which mobilises resources of the individual and/or groups in a sense-making effort to improve or update one's own learning. By means of classroom assessment during the teaching-learning cycle, teachers can…

This paper discusses the design modifications of a sequence of specified learning goals for teaching early number, which characterise an instructional resource developed in a design research collaboration with teachers in Mexican preschools. Highlighted are the types of research involvement that appear to be necessary in designing resources for…

This paper shares reflections and stories from a collaborative design process between the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab and a global network of community-based educators to develop a creative coding app called OctoStudio, which supports children and families to create and share interactive projects on mobile devices. The app…

This work reports, from a qualitative research perspective, the development of an English Corner project for a preschool Children's House classroom in central Mexico over the course of a 3-year period. It shows the transition of a language specialist over six consecutive periods of work, from a traditional understanding and practice of teaching…

This study was designed to examine the literacy and language development processes and practices used in Mexican preschools. Participants were 18 early childhood teachers from three schools selected to represent the range of available programming. Research methods included focus groups, teacher questionnaires, and classroom observations. Results…

This report uses the most recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) data, primarily from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 and Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2013 cycles, and seeks to evaluate the Ibero-American, countries where Spanish or Portuguese are the predominant…

This study aimed at exploring the processes of teacher socialization and identity formation of nine English as a foreign language teachers at public schools in central Mexico. These teachers began their careers in the National English Program in Basic Education. Qualitative research and narrative inquiry were used as a basis for this research. The…

Study abroad programs offer a unique opportunity for students to immerse themselves within different cultural backgrounds as they continue to further their education. By experiencing this first-hand, in-service and pre-service educators are better prepared to address diversity issues within their classrooms. The "Handbook of Research on…

We explored the role of enabling school structures, trust in the principal, collegial trust, and collective efficacy in 15 pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade international, private schools in South and Central America. While the majority of these schools shared an "American" curriculum that was taught predominantly in English, we found that…

There is growing evidence among researchers and international organisations that quality of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), and ultimately the outcomes for children and families--especially disadvantaged ones--is dependent on well-educated and competent staff, and that a lack of higher pre-service training can be partly compensated by…

This book contains a compilation of papers presented at the International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends (InPACT) 2019, organized by the World Institute for Advanced Research and Science (W.I.A.R.S.). Modern psychology offers a large range of scientific fields where it can be applied. The goal of understanding individuals and…

This cross-cultural study examines early childhood professionals' perceptions of their social status, working conditions, and public appreciation in seven countries/territories: Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Mexico, Peru, and the United States of America. One hundred eighteen participants, consisting of preschool and elementary school…

A qualitative approach was used to explore the challenges and dilemmas faced by kindergarten teachers in Mexico as a result of recent K-9 curriculum reform. Influenced by the United States, the new curriculum emphasizes the development of academic skills and stresses the values of individualism and assertiveness. In addition, there is increasing…

The child rearing beliefs of 68 Mexican mothers and preschool teachers were compared. Also investigated were differences in beliefs of mothers in two types of families: the first characterized by interdependent social structures where the actors are closely linked by emotional ties, the second by individualistic social structures where social…