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The integration of children's literature, specifically mathematical story picture books, in mathematics education has demonstrated significant benefits. Nevertheless, its actual implementation largely hinges on teachers' beliefs. This exploratory mixed-methods study examines the beliefs of 78 teachers regarding the integration of children's literature into mathematics teaching and learning, with a focus on identifying its barriers and enablers. Data were collected through an open-ended survey and semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis framed by the concept of belief indication. The study identifies 15 barriers (across five themes) and 16 enablers (across six themes) that, teachers believe, affect their decisions to integrate children's literature into mathematics teaching and learning. This paper contextualizes the findings within the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), a framework from social psychology, to provide actionable recommendations and compare findings from studies conducted in Asian and Western countries. Ultimately, this research offers a broader understanding of teachers' behaviors and their receptiveness to educational reforms, such as the integration of children's literature, across diverse cultural and international settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specifically in the field of language teaching, it has been recognized that metacognitive strategies maximize language acquisition and improve performance. But despite this, it appears that few teachers currently consider metacognition in their teaching practices. The current study adopted a qualitative design to focus on the reasons that inhibit teachers in French‐speaking Belgium from prompting their students to engage in metacognition in first‐language (L1) lessons. Semistructured interviews were conducted with seven teachers. The teachers in our sample believed that use of metacognitive strategies can provide benefits for students. But despite this, they explicitly said that they do not prompt their students to engage in metacognition in L1 language lessons. And this for seven specific reasons, as outlined in the article. Knowing these reasons allows us to target the points of attention to be had in training teachers in metacognition in L1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have seen increased interest in school-based whole-child development in the Austrian education system. Engaging with this context, the paper provides insights from a quantitative phase of analysis within a broader mixed-methods project that sought to ascertain teachers’ beliefs around character education in schools. An emphatic majority of respondents (94.6%) working in lower secondary schools believe that character education is more important for 10- to 14-year-olds in schools than good exam results. This confidence of educators in character education notwithstanding, the current education system in Austria presents numerous obstacles to the realization of holistic approaches to education which incorporate character development. In the Austrian context, a paradigm shift in education commencing in 2008 entailed a greater emphasis on evidence-based monitoring of learning outcomes, which many of our surveyed teachers see as detrimental to a holistic form of schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn response to the increasing linguistic diversity in educational settings resulting from migration waves into the Global North, this study delves into the beliefs of secondary teachers regarding multilingualism within predominantly monolingual policy schools in Flanders, Belgium. Despite the recognized benefits of multilingual pedagogies, entrenched monolingual policies persist in many Western schools, posing challenges for teachers striving to navigate the linguistic repertoires of their students. Drawing on interviews with 18 teachers, including language and content teachers across three secondary schools, this research explores teachers’ perspectives on the potential implementation of multilingual pedagogies in their classrooms. Findings reveal a nuanced landscape of beliefs, with teachers acknowledging the cognitive and emotional benefits of multilingualism while expressing concerns about maintaining control and promoting Dutch proficiency. Notably, minimal distinctions were observed between language and content teachers, indicating a shared optimism tempered by practical considerations. Our study highlights the need for nuanced understanding and support for multilingual pedagogies, underscoring the complex interplay of pedagogical and instructional beliefs in navigating language diversity. Ultimately, fostering inclusive and effective language education practices requires proactive efforts to address and accommodate teachers’ beliefs, promoting professional development and dialogue around multilingualism in educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: In recent years, there has been increased attention to translanguaging in educational research, particularly in higher education. The successful implementation of translanguaging practices depends on various factors, including the attitudes and beliefs of both teachers and students. However, there has been limited systematic review on this issue. This study aims to examine and synthesize existing literature on teachers’ and students’ beliefs regarding translanguaging practices in higher education contexts. Methodology: A systematic review was conducted, following PRISMA guideline. Research databases including Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC were searched with specific search terms ‘perception OR belief AND translanguaging’, resulting in the retrieval of 469 articles. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 28 articles were selected for ultimate thematic analysis. Findings: The analysis revealed that teachers’ and students’ beliefs regarding translanguaging were significantly shaped by their pre-existing values and knowledge, institutions’ policies, as well as the nature of courses or curricula. Despite the evident benefits of translanguaging pedagogy highlighted in the reviewed studies, teachers encountered challenges in its implementation. The study identified four primary areas of support needed for the implementation of translanguaging, encompassing teacher training, adjusting curriculum and assessment, fostering collaboration, and developing language policy. Contributions: This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of the attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of both teachers and students in implementing translanguaging practices in higher education. The study contributes to advancing knowledge and understanding of translanguaging in higher education, with implications for both theory and practice in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe paper presents the findings of a systematic literature review on teachers’ attitudes and opinions toward Sexuality Education (SE) that can be implemented with students aged 14 and older. Relevant articles were systematically searched in four scientific databases (ERIC, PsycInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection) and other sources (i.e., Google Scholar, references, and the University Library) between March and September 2023. The databases were searched for original articles published in six languages, utilizing the keywords “teachers,” “sexuality education,” “attitudes,” and “opinions.” Of the 2217 records recovered, 103 were included in the review. The studies were categorized into four emergent themes (and relative subthemes), using Reflexive Thematic Analysis: (1) Barriers and facilitators to SE; (2) programs’ aspects of SE; (3) SE curricula; (4) individual factors and SE. The review results provide evidence of teachers’ challenges in implementing SE programs, teachers’ opinions on SE, and the importance of including all educational figures in the SE programs. Future studies should invest in teacher education to enable them to explore their values and become more aware of how to conduct lessons and activities focused on SE. The implications of these findings for a deeper understanding of teachers’ perspectives on SE are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grade retention decisions are high‐risk because this practice can significantly affect students' academic and professional path and their socioaffective development. This study aimed to contribute to a better understanding of second‐grade retention decision‐making by exploring the factors the professionals consider during the retention decision‐making, their beliefs about the effectiveness of grade retention, and their cognitive decision‐making style. The study sets in Portugal, where second‐grade retention is a common practice. One hundred ninety‐four teachers answered an online questionnaire developed for this purpose. Path analysis results suggested that teachers' beliefs and decision‐making styles served as a filter, defining what factors they consider relevant or not to make grade retention decisions. Intuitive experiences seem to inform teachers' grade‐retention decisions, especially when they believe retention is essential for students' success. Practitioner Points: Teachers considered up to 12 factors when deciding whether to retain or promote a second‐grade student.Teachers' decisions are shaped by their beliefs and intuitive experiences, influencing the factors they consider relevant during the decision process and, ultimately, the decision to retain or not a student.Intuitive experience informs teachers' retention decisions by maintaining their beliefs in the effectiveness of grade retention and guiding the factors considered during the decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, I reflect on how multilingual pedagogies can be added to STEM and S.T.E.M. practices, in what could be called a 'double-crossing': on the one hand, crossing linguistic boundaries and, on the other, crossing specific subject knowledge. Based on a content analysis of teachers' interviews referring to their pedagogical experiences with a multilingual platform providing subject content in several languages, I reflect on the extent to which and how multilingual STEM and S.T.E.M. pedagogies are implemented and accounted for. More specifically, I analyse the arguments put forward by teachers for using or not using multilingual practices in STEM and S.T.E.M. and I delve into the apparent contradictions underlying the fact that, despite using a multilingual platform, its multilingual affordances are sometimes overlooked, underestimated or even used in monolingualised practices in multilingual settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the beliefs of primary school teachers about multilingual language teaching and learning approaches and examines the relationship between these beliefs and the current ideas on multilingualism. This paper reports key elements of the multilingual educational reality in the Basque Country, where a minority language (Basque), a majority language (Spanish), and an international language (English) share space in the curriculum. The study adopts a mixed methods approach combining a specifically designed online questionnaire regarding beliefs (N = 418), and four focus groups (N = 20). The findings indicate that teachers believe fluency is essential in the language learning process, prioritize the non-native multilingual teacher model, and show awareness of the influence parents' linguistic attitudes have on students' language learning outcomes. Teachers hold welcoming beliefs toward multilingual language teaching approaches and regard translanguaging as suitable for upper levels of Primary education. A major implication of this study is that teachers have a positive point of departure from which to develop and promote multilingual teaching approaches; however, the provision of valuable and applicable training plans based on the current school of thought on multilingualism should be considered in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractTeachers’ conceptions of geography play a key role in teacher identity. They also impact students’ learning. This paper aims to describe teacher students’ conceptions of geography and their sources.Our data comes from two online questionnaires. Participants came from Switzerland (nQ1 = 20, nQ3 = 98). In contrast to previous research, participants in our studies could not be assigned to only one conception. Eight of 11 statements about what geography is and five of eight statements about the main purpose of geography education were endorsed by 90% or more of participants in both studies. This includes those about understanding sustainability and the system earth. Some items showed significant differences by migration background and by the grade level the students want to teach.While the results are mostly positive, teacher educators need to find ways to reach those students who do not yet have a current view of geography, e.g. regarding the role of sustainability.Participants saw diverse sources as shaping their conceptions. Most participants saw specialist literature as an influential and often-used source. Yet, many knew few empirical studies about teaching/learning the subject.Teacher educators and researchers thus need to find ways to make research literature more memorable for teacher students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the increasing challenge of integrating students with migration backgrounds into school systems internationally, various models to support the learning of the language of education have emerged. In Austria, a model of ‘German Language Support Classes’ (GLSC), introduced in 2018, requires that students be pulled out of regular class teaching and taught German in a segregative context. Critics argue that this approach contradicts evidence-based language learning and principles of inclusive education, and that it diminishes school autonomy. With this in mind, we present a qualitative interview study comprising 25 primary teachers of German language in Vienna, Austria, which aims to capture their beliefs about what constitutes ‘ideal practice’ in language education and to explore the extent to which these beliefs are evidence-based. A typological analysis reveals that there is a ‘segregative type’, an ‘integrative type’, and an ‘in-between type’. Although teachers’ perceptions of language education differ, their understandings are similarly shaped by a monolingual habitus. Our findings provide evidence for the inappropriateness of this language education model and reveal aspects of teacher education needed to lead to better outcomes in language education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 30 years, 'Aldea' (global village), the Education for Environmental and Sustainability (ESE) School Programme has been implemented in over one thousand public schools in Andalusia, Southern Spain. The present study analyses the beliefs of a group of teacher coordinators who have experience of implementing the Aldea programme in their schools with the aim of improving awareness of sustainability. Using data from 13 teachers who participated in regional focus groups, we analysed their beliefs towards the programme, their views of the perceived impact of the programme, and the common drivers and barriers related to the programme. Findings point to the need for a Whole School Approach in order to avoid the typical challenges associated with the implementation of such a programme, in particular teacher burnout. Finally, implications for the successful incorporation of ESE school programmes and subsequent effective practices are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been well established that for all students, but particularly second language (L2) English speaking students, academic English speaking skills are key to developing specialist terminology and disciplinary content in an English as a medium of instruction (EMI) context. However, what is less clear in many contexts is the institutional language policy necessary to guide and support both L2 English speaking students and disciplinary tutors. In this paper, we focus on disciplinary tutors' beliefs of language and their roles with respect to language support to surface implicit and covert language policies. We argue that in the absence of explicit policy, showcasing the range of tutor perspectives and practice around language support can provide a way forward in explicating good practice and highlighting an approach in which all stakeholders take responsibility for supporting students' academic speaking skills in an EMI context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is part of a larger project with the general aim of developing the ability of preschool teachers to reflect critically on questions, topics and theories related to different understandings of death(s). The article is based on three focus-group interviews with a focus on how preschool teachers reflect on what, how, why and when they teach about death and death-related issues. The results show that preschool teachers consider that it is important in early childhood education to teach about death because death is a fundamental aspect of life in daily reality, and they consider it to be their task to comfort a child in grief, as well as care for the well-being of the group. However, much of the time, they avoid teaching about biological death relative to concrete goals that the children are to achieve in understanding what death implies. Instead, they use child-responsive, improvisational teaching that is intended to calm and comfort the children. The content of the teaching arises at the intersection of expert knowledge in talking about death as an irreversible outcome of natural processes and the preschool teachers' own beliefs and ideas about death, dying and an afterlife. As a consequence, the biological conceptions of death coexist with the teachers' own beliefs in an afterlife, reflecting a dualistic thinking within which culturally constructed beliefs coexist with biological views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ladson-Billings (2014) asserts educators often fail to carry out a critical form of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) by neglecting the development of sociopolitical consciousness and attending to limited understandings of "culture." Using narrative inquiry, this study explored preschool teachers' narratives on various factors which influenced their implementation of CRP with an emphasis on sociopolitical consciousness development by engaging young children in lessons on racism and racial justice. Our findings indicate that teachers' beliefs and commitments, social justice driven school culture, and a flexible Montessori curriculum contributed to their implementation of CRP in order to teach for social justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper suggests that ‘language change’ might hold an important key to aspects of educational reform and to the betterment of teacher education. The language we identify as contributing the most to the ineffectiveness of educational reform is the educational language impregnated by psychologised metaphors, which dominate educational discourses – a language that utilises constructs (e.g. self, mind, cognition), as if those were ‘things’ located within an individual. We argue that psychologised language creates and uses metaphors for students and teachers that constitute obstacles to learning/knowing. Psychologised metaphors produce learning/teaching ‘technologies’ that bring about subsequent practices that work against the declared school goals, while pathologizing individual minds and holding them responsible for departing from assumed universal patterns of normality. The paper suggests some alternative paths by proposing a different metaphor (learning as performance) and discussing its implications for teaching and teacher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research in mathematics education has yielded a great number of results on mathematics teachers' beliefs in recent decades, it is still an open question as to whether these teachers' beliefs are stable or not. However, since mathematics teachers' beliefs are perceived to be the default of their classroom practices, it is important to gain insight into these beliefs and into their development. In this paper, we contribute to this field of research by providing an approach designed to analyse a change in teachers' belief systems. We study a sample of 20 prospective teachers during their first practical experience. We analyse the structure of teachers' belief systems with interviews and a questionnaire set twice within one year. To analyse development of these teachers' belief systems, we assigned the young teachers of the first and second survey to clusters that were developed in a former study and re-analysed for our purposes here. Our results show considerable changes in mathematics teachers' central beliefs during their first practical experience. However, a general pattern of belief changes is not found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International literature is increasingly disclosing the relevance of cultural aspects within the processes of teaching and learning mathematics. Knowledge is inextricably linked to the activities in which the subjects engage, and must be considered in relation to the socio-cultural context wherein the activity takes place. Literature reveals the relationship between the background culture (e.g. language, nationality, etc.) of prospective elementary teachers and their beliefs about mathematics and its teaching. In this paper, we define culture with reference to the wider discussion from cross-cultural psychology literature about cultural values, and we investigate if and how differences in individuals' cultural values are related to prospective teachers' beliefs about being successful in mathematics and in its teaching. We adopt a questionnaire from the studies by Schwartz to measure participants' values. We assign each prospective teacher of our sample to a cluster of beliefs and we analyse how the beliefs of prospective teachers are related to their values. Results show that cultural values and beliefs about mathematics are related, while this is not the case for beliefs about the teaching of this subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' beliefs about multilingualism at universities in North Macedonia. Multilingualism as a concept is related to an individual's ability to speak three or more languages. Given the educational and cultural globalization, multilingualism is crucial in many countries in the world. North Macedonia is an excellent example of multilingualism where different cultures live together and learn the languages of each other. At Universities across the country, teachers face different challenges while teaching multilingual classes. Linguistic competence in many local languages allows students to learn foreign languages easily and thus raises students' global awareness and deepens knowledge about their future teaching career. The study analysed data collected from thirty EFL teachers from four different universities, Southeast European University, University of Tetova, Mother Teresa University and International Balkan University in North Macedonia. The research instrument used was the teacher survey which contained five domains: Teachers' perspective on multilingualism; Students' language learning knowledge; Language teacher collaboration; Learning materials, and other topics related to L2 learning and teaching. The study results revealed that teachers view multilingualism as a positive asset for the students, and they expressed that they have developed an approach which helps multilinguals to achieve their learning goals. One area which needs improvement is teacher collaboration, as they tend to collaborate regarding materials and textbooks, however, not willing to share their experience on teaching methods/strategies and challenges faced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate Teaching Persian to Speakers of Other Languages (TPSOL) teachers' beliefs about providing corrective feedback (CF) on TPSOL students' writing. To that end, the transcendental phenomenological design was used in which the experiences and practices of six TPSOL teachers (four male and two female teachers) were examined to obtain TPSOL teachers' beliefs about providing CF on students' writing. A series of phenomenological interviews were conducted with TPSOL teachers. Moreover, students' writing samples corrected by TPSOL teachers were collected and analyzed. Finally, the data were analyzed and synthesized using Giorgi's (2009) five steps framework. The findings indicated that TPSOL teachers believed that (1) providing CF is a pedagogical responsibility of TPSOL teachers, (2) providing CF on local errors is more crucial than global errors, (3) providing direct CF is more beneficial rather than providing indirect and oral CF, (4) peer feedback is not applicable in TPSOL context, and (5) providing CF in the process is more beneficial compared to providing CF as a product. TPSOL teachers believed in providing CF on their students' writings; however, they had different pedagogical beliefs concerning the types and methods of providing CF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally bilingual Maltese school populations are increasingly linguistically diverse, due to intensified migration flows. To shed light on central issues to be addressed by policy makers, school administrators, researchers and teacher trainers, collective beliefs of Maltese primary school teachers regarding their conceptual understanding and pedagogical actions concerning multilingualism are investigated. Through the application of Q methodology and focus group interviews, data from twenty-one in-service teachers from six different colleges were collected. Using inverted factor analysis, three factors were extracted for each of the components (understanding and pedagogy). Detailed narratives for each group of collective teachers' beliefs were described and supplemented with teachers' validating comments. Findings indicate that having a positive understanding of multilingualism does not necessarily imply positive pedagogical beliefs and vice versa. In Malta's inherently bilingual education system, teachers tend to accept and welcome children's languages in their classrooms and encourage the learning of additional languages. However, possibly due to a lack of adequate training on the subject, there is scepticism regarding whether and how to effectively draw on multilingualism in the classroom. Additionally, the need arises for more teacher autonomy and agency to make decisions regarding classroom language practices, and for a more comprehensive Maltese national language education policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global and national education agendas are concerned with improving quality and equality of learning outcomes. This paper provides an analysis of the case of Vietnam, which is regarded as having high learning outcomes and less inequity in learning. But national data and international test outcomes may mask the hidden inequities that exist between minoritized groups and majority (Kinh) students. Drawing on data from qualitative videos and interviews of secondary teachers, we examine teachers' beliefs, curricular design and actions in ethnic minority and Kinh majority classrooms. We show that teachers hold different beliefs and engage in curricular design – or the use of hegemonic curriculum and instructional practices – that produce different learning outcomes for minoritized students compared to Kinh students. These findings suggest that policies need to focus on the social-cultural aspects of teaching in addition to the material and technical aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This two-year longitudinal study explores whether a professional learning community (PLC) helps shift language teachers' beliefs about implementing play-based learning. Ten practitioners from a preschool participated in this case study. Data were collected through interviews and observations of participants' practices engaged in the PLC. The emerged PLC characteristics found transform teachers' beliefs that are (1) shared goals, (2) learning activities and (3) collegiality. All participants had different conceptual changes about implementing play-based learning towards a child-centred approach. The emerged change categories are the prime concern in lesson planning, learning objectives, types of lesson plans, instructional pedagogies, learning activities and teaching materials. Implications for teacher development are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching multilingual learning groups is an important part of the professional activity of primary teachers in Germany, placing high demands on their occupational professionalism. The aim of this article is to analyse the effects of educational and occupational influencing factors on the beliefs of teachers regarding multilingualism as a facet of pedagogical professionalism. The data is based on the 'BLUME-study', in which primary teachers (N = 123) were asked about their beliefs regarding multilingualism. A linear regression model was used to analyse the extent to which the teachers' beliefs are influenced: (a) by participating in learning opportunities on 'German as a Second Language (GSL)' in teacher training; (b) through experiences with multilingual students in teaching; (c) by participating in training on multilingualism in professional practice; and (d) by undertaking language-sensitive school programmes. Therefore, we analyse influencing factors drawn from both the university phase and the occupational phase of teacher professionalisation. The results show that the use of learning opportunities on the topic of 'GSL' in pre-service training and in in-service training as well as the positive evaluation of contact experiences in teaching lead to supportive beliefs towards multilingualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores Saudi teachers' beliefs about STEAM education in early childhood education settings. The study sample consisted of 245 teachers working in kindergartens. The participants completed a survey comprising twelve items to elaborate teachers' beliefs toward implementing STEAM practices in their classrooms, as well as four close-ended questions to evaluate teachers' knowledge of and familiarity with the terminology of STEAM education and their professional training in STEAM-related content. The findings reveal overall positive beliefs toward STEAM education for young children and rather moderate beliefs regarding the implementation of STEAM practices. The results also reveal that teachers were somewhat familiar with the term STEAM; however, they reported limited knowledge of the integration process and basic strategies and skills needed for its implementation. The results also demonstrate that the majority of the Saudi teachers participating in this study believed they needed additional professional development and training regarding STEAM implementation. A chi-square test indicated statistically significant associations between teachers' knowledge of STEAM education and their beliefs and between teachers' previous professional training in STEAM education and their beliefs. The implications and future recommendations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overarching aim is to explore what teachers perceive as the opportunities provided by using literature in ethics education in compulsory school. When being interviewed, in what ways do the teachers express views on the potential of fiction to encourage students to accept certain human conditions as imaginable, or to create motivation for ethical change, by means of the capacity of fiction to evoke feelings? Also, in what ways do the teachers interviewed consider fiction to be useful for evoking thoughts about how something could have turned out, in situations that are morally complex? What makes compassion grow within human beings are linked in this article to the concepts as is and as if in play research (cf). Analytical tools are developed and used to explain how, and why, the use of literature is suitable for work with ethics in compulsory school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although much has been written about the relationship between teachers' beliefs and practices, research examining the role of emotions in the realm of teacher cognition remains limited. This article presents a case study investigating one English as a second language (ESL) teacher's beliefs and practices about teaching literary texts, drawing on Zembylas' three levels of teacher emotions (2002, 2005), i.e. intrapersonal, interpersonal and intergroup, as the conceptual framework. The ESL teacher's beliefs and practices were investigated via open-ended interviews and lesson observations that explored her perceptions of teaching literary texts throughout one academic year. The findings point to the complexity of teacher practices which may converge or diverge with their beliefs. Various contextual factors were found to contribute to this complexity. The results highlight the need to situate the emotions of teachers beyond contextual factors and consider the dynamic nature of teacher cognition. The practical value of the study lies in its extension of the role of emotions in mediating teacher cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The division of educational systems into different tracks—academic and vocational—represents one of the key elements in explaining social stratification and inequalities. Previous research identifies teachers' expectations as a critical factor to understand the relationship between tracking and social inequality. This paper discusses how ability is represented in teachers' discourses and whether and to what extent it works as a legitimation of systemic forms of tracking. Using in‐depth interviews with 35 secondary school tutors, we analyse how teachers draw on the concept of ability to explain students' unequal transitions from a lower comprehensive to an upper tracked education system in Barcelona (Spain). The results indicate three main elements: a highly naturalistic conception of students' abilities among teachers; a remarkably dichotomised conception of theoretical and practical abilities that match with the academic and vocational tracks; and a direct association between types of student and types of track based on different types of ability at a cognitive, behavioural and personal level. Overall, the analysis contributes to opening the 'black box' of the notion of ability as represented by teachers and to identifying what we call the 'mechanisms of misrecognition' which serve to naturalise, legitimise and reproduce a highly segmented post‐16 school system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dyslexia is a frequent language-based learning difficulty, and therefore, it may significantly affect learning an additional language. Students with dyslexia often struggle in a language classroom if the teacher does not alter teaching approaches and provide adequate accommodations. In the present study, we investigated the teaching practices of 16 Croatian primary and secondary school English as a foreign language teachers to see whether they are inclusive and dyslexia-friendly. The analysis of qualitative data collected through an in-depth interview, which, among others, included situational tasks, suggests that participants used inclusive practices only to some extent and their use varied depending on the phase of education (primary or secondary school). The results thus corroborate the findings of previous studies with a similar research focus. The paper also discusses participants' beliefs about accommodations and teaching approaches that are recommended for students with dyslexia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers' beliefs, conceptualised as heuristics encompassing perceptions and ideologies regarding aspects of their profession, strongly influence their practices. Grounded in this perspective, this study investigated teachers' beliefs and perceived practices in the context of teaching English as foreign language (EFL) to immigrant students in Israeli schools. Utilising a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 153 teachers via questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Two major sets of beliefs emerged in the data, aligning conceptually with two of Ruíz's orientations to language planning and multilingual societies: multilingualism as a resource, and multilingualism as a right, reflected in supporting special accommodations for immigrant students. These beliefs were found to be significantly related to teachers' reported practices. Certain factors, especially teachers' personal biography as immigrants and the particular school contexts, have been identified as predictors of teachers' beliefs about teaching immigrant students in the EFL classroom. Results further indicate insufficient professional knowledge about the unique conditions and challenges confronted by immigrant students while acquiring an additional language. Recommendations are made regarding professional development programmes for teachers within the framework of 'language as resource'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is part of the international survey studies on teachers' beliefs concerning the integration of children's literature in mathematics teaching and learning, and this paper reports the findings of the thematic analysis of open-ended survey responses elicited from 287 primary school teachers and teacher trainees in Taiwan. Using the seminal social psychology theory, the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179–211, 1991) to frame the findings, this study highlights 11 perceived barriers and 11 perceived enablers that are thought to influence the teachers' intention to integrate children's literature in their mathematics teaching. More specifically, we identified time constraint, lack of pedagogical knowledge and confidence, and resource constraint as being the most-cited perceived barriers, while pedagogical benefits, desire to improve teaching, and enabling social norms were identified as the top perceived enablers. Ultimately, this article offers several recommendations to address some of these key perceived barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of researchers in the field of inclusion of pupils with special educational needs have reported on the influence of teachers' beliefs on their performance in the classroom. Despite this, very few studies have investigated teachers' beliefs in the subject of visual art education. This paper will focus on the beliefs of preservice teachers who acquire competencies for teaching visual art education. We included Slovenian students of the first or second Bologna level of general education, special education and visual art education (N = 168). For the purposes of the research, a questionnaire with a Likert-type rating scale was designed. Respondents show positive beliefs about the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs and the use of adaptations in the visual art education, while at the same time they do not feel competent enough and ready for such teaching. Results show some differences between preservice teachers' beliefs according to the study programme and experience with students with special educational needs. Ways of applying the findings and suggestions for further research are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this contribution is to extend a survey conducted in 2019 on oral teaching practices in the classroom. Specifically, we address here: (1) teachers' beliefs about oral language and its teaching; (2) their self-efficacy to do so; (3) oral situations for which teachers believe students should be competent in oral language; (4) what they say they do about oral language in the classroom; and (5) reasons that may inhibit them from carrying out activities where oral language is taught. In addition, we were interested in whether responses to these questions differed between preschool and primary school teachers. The quantitative analyses conducted on the basis of the responses to a questionnaire showed that certain similarities exist between the teachers of the two "groups": they find it important to work on and teach oral language in the classroom and they are confident in their ability to teach it. Their top 4 oral situations that should be privileged in the classroom are "summarizing information, explaining a process of reasoning, expressing emotions and rephrasing an instruction". Nevertheless, differences were also highlighted, such as the fact that oral language is taught less in primary school than in preschool. The qualitative analyses conducted with primary teachers identified five reasons for this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall purpose of this study was to investigate the role of personal relevance in conceptual change. First, we used an experimental design to investigate the role of augmented activation—which directly implicated teachers' personal prior beliefs about mathematics learning and instruction—and refutational text manipulations on short and long-term conceptual change in preservice and inservice teachers' constructivist beliefs about mathematics to test for a mechanism of change. Second, we examined the relationships among affect, cognitive processing, and conceptual change to clarify our understanding of the mechanisms of the conceptual change process and to empirically test key hypotheses in the Cognitive-Affective Model of Conceptual Change (CAMCC). Our results indicated that messages that heighten the personal relevance and challenge to prior beliefs with contrary evidence (i.e., augmented activation) produced conceptual change in preservice and inservice teachers' mathematics beliefs, whereas there was no consistent effect of refutational text. We also found support for several key pathways in the CAMCC, with implications for conceptual change theory and teacher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An earlier paper focused on how born-free learners constitute, negotiate and represent their identities after almost two and half decades of democracy in South Africa. Utilising the theoretical framework of subjective realities of educational change, in this article I set out to explore what implications teachers' beliefs hold for born-free learners, and how teachers' beliefs can be changed or adapted to initiate appropriate educational change. The focus of this article is on the beliefs of teachers and how the change thereof can contribute to educational change, based on how learners perceive their identities. The epistemological lens of social constructivism and the research strategy of narrative inquiry was used. Fifty-eight born-free learners across 6 research sites participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews and field notes comprised the data capture, which were analysed using the qualitative content analysis method. Findings reveal that shifting and diverse selfidentifications of born-free learners hold fundamental and crucial implications that reside at the heart of educational change, namely a change in teachers' beliefs and in teachers' practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An educational reform in Iran required teachers to employ communicative pedagogies while teaching English at secondary schools in order to develop students' communicative ability. This study seeks to understand three Iranian English language teachers' incentives for supporting their strongly established grammar instruction practices as they trialed aspects of task‐supported language teaching. Interviews and observations were used to gather data from these teachers in a junior secondary school. The results revealed that despite the teachers' practical attempts to implement reform changes, their strong beliefs in the importance of accuracy, enhanced by their students' low English proficiency and parental expectation, continued to guide lessons with an initial explicit grammar teaching. The results support the post‐method pedagogical idealism, emphasising that communicative goals should embrace class context particularities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined (in)congruences between beliefs and practices of EFL university teachers on in‐class oral corrective feedback (OCF). The participants were 20 university English language teachers from a private university in Turkey. Data were collected via video‐recorded non‐participant detached observation, a task about OCF to determine the beliefs of the teachers, and a stimulated recall interview. The results showed incongruence between what the teachers said they believed and what they did. However, teachers' beliefs and practices were similar regarding whether the errors should be corrected, when errors should be corrected, and who should correct them. Particularly notable in this study was the finding that those teachers with the greatest incongruence almost always stood by their decisions, even after they watched their unsuccessful OCF practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The longest internal conflict in Colombia was concluded in 2016, leading to the creation of Cátedra de la Paz, a peace and citizenship education course required for all schools and grade levels. However, teachers' understanding of the course, their ways of implementation and the challenges they face remain unknown. This study examines teachers' understanding of Cátedra de la Paz and the challenges they face when implementing it. Data were collected from 45 teachers using qualitative survey, followed by semi-structured interviews with 10 selected participants. Results showed that a) teachers have more integrated views of the course compared to the guideline provided by the Ministry of National Education, and b) teachers face several challenges implementing the course. Findings provide insights about context-oriented learning design for peace education and highlight the need for professional development and relevant support for teachers in a way that considers their understanding and implementation of peace education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educating student teachers to teach highly diverse groups of pupils has become one of the central tasks of teacher education programmes. Research on inclusive education has pointed to the need for more studies around student teachers' inclusive teaching competence. This study explores the extent to which student teachers' beliefs and self-efficacy related to inclusive teaching practices predict their professional vision of two inclusive classrooms' characteristics being (1) teacher-student interactions (TSI) and (2) differentiated instruction (DI). The data were collected from a sample of 1397 student teachers in Flemish primary teacher education institutions (N = 8). The video and survey data were combined through multiple regression analysis. The findings indicate that student teachers' constructivist beliefs and self-efficacy in inclusive instruction contribute to the development of their professional vision of TSI and DI. The results are discussed with recommendations for teacher education programmes on inclusive teaching practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In second language (L2) writing, the concept of genre has been an important construct. To date, multiple theories (sometimes referred to as schools or approaches) have driven a considerable amount of genre-based research and pedagogy, including: English for Specific Purposes (ESP), Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), and the New Rhetoric/Rhetorical Genre Studies (RGS) approach. Despite their growing prevalence, studies are needed that investigate the extent to which writing instructors adopt these theories in practice. This study addresses this issue by exploring 1) the genre-based theories that inform writing instructors' pedagogies; 2) the different genres instructors teach in their classrooms; and 3) the types of pedagogical activities practitioners employ. To understand these phenomena, survey data (N = 141) and semi-structured interviews (n = 7) were collected from L2 English writing instructors. Findings show that ESP was the most well-known and adopted approach, followed by SFL and RGS. For written genres, most instructors reported teaching traditional, monomodal genres (e.g., argumentative essays), while digital multimodal genres were rare. This study discusses the implications of these findings, including developing teacher training, expanding pedagogies to include multimodal genres, and forging links between genres used in the classroom and those students will encounter in their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this commentary, I seek to join the ongoing conversation about evidence-informed educational practice that has been threaded through this special issue. I do so by drawing on related insights from the fields of teachers' beliefs and epistemic cognition and considering the roles of teacher education and educational research in improving (preservice) teachers' use of educational research. In particular, I focus on the merits of explicit research-based practice in teacher educators' teaching and ways that they can encourage preservice teachers' interactions with educational research in class, and methods of changing the beliefs that may underlie (preservice) teachers' engagement with educational research evidence, and finally, the need for clearly communicated research, including details of implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how Singapore social studies, geography and history teachers make meaning of the concept of meritocracy and its role in the education system. The findings indicate the participants simultaneously adopted and challenged the meritocratic values and beliefs promoted by the Singapore state. The teachers strongly believed that the principle of meritocracy helped promote educational and social equality, but they were also deeply concerned about the limitations of meritocracy and the impact of structural and institutional inequalities on educational equality. Even though most participants were able to identify and critique structural inequities and explain how this could affect students' academic achievement, their awareness of the limitations of the meritocratic system did not undermine their belief in the system of meritocracy and they could not envisage alternative systems for determining educational access and equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this commentary, I seek to join the ongoing conversation about evidence-informed educational practice that has been threaded through this special issue. I do so by drawing on related insights from the fields of teachers' beliefs and epistemic cognition and considering the roles of teacher education and educational research in improving (preservice) teachers' use of educational research. In particular, I focus on the merits of explicit research-based practice in teacher educators' teaching and ways that they can encourage preservice teachers' interactions with educational research in class, and methods of changing the beliefs that may underlie (preservice) teachers' engagement with educational research evidence, and finally, the need for clearly communicated research, including details of implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite an increasing academic attention towards both gamification and competencies-based education, little is known about Higher Education teachers' beliefs regarding the use of gamification to develop students' competencies. To fill this research gap, concept mapping was used to cluster teachers' beliefs in 4 dimensions regarding the use of gamification to develop students' competencies. Our findings suggest that teachers believe that gamification encourages team working and oral communication skills. Moreover, critical thinking and social skills development were also found as some of the benefits that teachers believe the use of gamification can provide to the development of students' competencies. These findings should encourage both Higher Education teachers and policy makers to increase the use of gamification-based programmes to develop students' competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language education has long been considered a female domain across many countries, with girls outnumbering and outperforming boys. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the nature and structure of gender stereotypes favouring girls among EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers. In the quantitative strand, 60 teachers from six Chinese high schools rated typical boys' and girls' affect, achievement and aptitude regarding English in a questionnaire. Meanwhile, in the qualitative strand, another 20 teachers participated in semi-structured interviews about their perceptions of language learners. In both strands, girls were rated more enthusiastic, higher achieving and somewhat more gifted than boys, albeit with descending effect sizes and increasing contention. Additionally, the stereotypical additive connection between affect and achievement appeared stronger than that between aptitude and achievement. The findings highlight the need to tackle gender stereotyping for educators, researchers and policymakers aimed at improving boys' engagement in language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study investigated teachers' beliefs about the availability of play materials in the physical indoor environment of early childhood education and care (ECEC). The empirical data were gathered from fieldwork in eight child groups in ECEC institutions across Norway and comprised 13 semistructured interviews with teachers. The findings indicate a common ideological understanding among teachers that play materials should be available in children's play, enhancing play, learning, and development possibilities. However, many teachers described putting play materials out of children's reach during times of play. There are variations, but practical considerations often override pedagogical intentions when teachers plan and facilitate children's play. This study aims to enhance the indoor ECEC environment's quality by stimulating teachers' consciousness about play materials' availability, ensuring equal possibilities for children's play in ECEC. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of a research study carried out in the field of teacher knowledge. The objectives are to explore vocational education teachers and managers' conceptions of planning and to analyze the similarities and differences between them. To this end, a descriptive quantitative research method was used. Planning concepts were analyzed by means of a questionnaire adapted from Marrero (1988) and validated by experts. The results show that there are few differences between the conceptions of the teachers and those of the education managers. It is concluded that goals and students are the point of reference for planning vocational training rather than experience or content and that these four aspects must be incorporated into teacher training as basic elements of reflection and learning in the professional development of teachers. Moreover, it is necessary to combine teaching with professional practice (OECD, 2011; Barrientos and Navío, 2015) in order to fulfill the purpose of this active employment policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers' practice is based on their beliefs about how student learning should be developed. In the practice of programme leaders in outdoor environmental education centres, experiential learning is considered to be one of the prominent learning theories. This study analyses the ways in which experiential learning is interpreted and transferred into the practice of programme leaders in five outdoor environmental education centres in the Czech Republic. The authors collected qualitative data from interviews with the programme leaders (N = 17) and from observations of five different outdoor environmental education programmes. They identified three distinctive experiential learning theories representing the leaders' beliefs and practices. Further, the implications for future practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Any effort to integrate problem-posing instruction in school mathematics must attend to teachers' beliefs about the advantages of teaching through problem posing and especially their beliefs about the challenges of teaching in this way. This study investigated teachers who were learning how to teach mathematics through problem posing. The primary foci were the teachers' beliefs about teaching through problem posing and their problem-posing performance. The findings demonstrate that the participating teachers were able to engage successfully in problem-posing tasks and that they held a number of different beliefs about the advantages and challenges of teaching through problem posing. After participating in three workshops, a sample of teachers showed gains in problem-posing performance and in the scope and specificity of their beliefs about teaching through problem posing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explored knowledge and beliefs about reading instruction of Chinese teachers teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile and the Survey of Basic Language Constructs Related to Literacy Acquisition were administered to 262 EFL teachers in the south-eastern part of China. Additionally, three teachers were interviewed, and their instructional practices were observed. The results showed that there was no correlation between teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and the performance on the knowledge of basic language construct survey. However, it was found that teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and instructional practices were mediated by the Chinese EFL contextual factors. Educational and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]