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Teacher-questioning has been acknowledged as critical in teaching and learning. A less researched topic is the ability for students to develop their own questions to deepen understanding. Student questions are important for engagement and to stimulate the understanding of new information. Traditionally, Ugandan teachers rarely instruct in ways that facilitate student questioning. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of teacher professional development on the ability of Ugandan students to ask meaningful questions. Professional development focused on promoting student questioning and students were assessed using a formative language assessment. Findings indicate that teachers can teach students to ask meaningful questions.

Play remains a topic for discussion, debate, and research within the education community. In this article, the authors argue for a broader view of education in line with Plato's observation (gender not withstanding) that "The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life" (Jowett, 1874, p. 249). The authors begin with a short overview of the potential and traditional developmental and academic benefits of play. Their argument then focuses on a less common consideration of the holistic benefit of play: they explore teachers' cultural reflections about the nature and worth of play through their personal accounts of playful childhood in Armenia, Great Britain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United States of America. Finally, they provide recommendations for the value of play as part of a whole child education.

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate special education teacher candidates' ability to impact their students' learning. Candidates selected and implemented evidence-based interventions while in their clinical practice placements. A university supervisor provided online support as candidates designed and implemented the instructional project with their students. Single-subject design methodology and calculations of the percentage of non-overlapping data points (PND) for each project were used to evaluate the effectiveness of each intervention. Results indicated that the teacher candidates were able to select appropriate evidence-based interventions and that the interventions had a positive impact on student learning.

Using ethnography and case study approaches from qualitative methodology, this study examined a Syrian immigrant child's language acquisition and culture adaptation in the United States. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with the teachers and the mother of the child, participant observations during home visits, and field notes during classroom observations. The child's culture and language learning were conceptualized through the lens of Bronfenbrenner's (1994) ecological model and Funds of Knowledge approach to education (Ferreiro & Teberosky, 1985). The article documented factors that facilitated and negatively impacted on her process of becoming bilingual and her cultural adaptation after moving to an English speaking country. Implications for fostering a better school and home relationship was discussed.

Recent economic analyses point to large returns for investing in quality early childhood education programs and programs provided for children in poverty most often show the greatest benefits for children. This article describes the role of an innovative coaching approach to educator professional development in one of the poorest states in the United States of America with 55% of children from birth to age six living in poverty. The authors describe the benefits of a quality Pre-Kindergarten education and examples of system-wide innovations that have allowed the program to increase from serving 6% to 25% of all eligible four-year-olds, while increasing the percentage of children meeting or exceeding widely-held expectations by the end of the program. Examples of innovations are provided that can be used by other programs to advocate for increasing Pre-Kindergarten investment and the quality of programs for young children.

This study examined kindergarten teachers' views about the importance and uses of school, family, and community partnerships (SFCPs) in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. We used Epstein's model of SFCPs and explored the roles of teacher, family, and community support for parenting skills, two-way communication, volunteering, learning at home, decision-making, and collaborating with the community. The study sample of 266 kindergarten teachers completed a 39 question modified survey concerning their views and use of the six general practices in an Arabic version of the Measure of School, Family, and Community Partnerships as reported by Epstein et al. (School, family, and community partnerships: Your handbook for action, Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, 2009). Two-way Multiple Analysis of Variance and Chi-square tests were used to analyze teachers' responses to the survey. There were no significant associations for teacher's years of experience or socioeconomic factors in terms of their views or uses of SFCPs. Teachers believed that all of the six practices were important, but to different degrees. The findings indicate that teacher-initiated practices that include parent education, helping to support learning at home, and promoting ongoing communication were more common. Practices that could be considered more family empowerment-oriented included community collaboration, volunteering, and decision-making and were less frequently implemented. Implications for practice are discussed.

Although established in the last century, the theories of two well-known psychologists, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky continue to be used throughout the world to prepare teachers and caregivers of young children (ACEI/Wortham, 2013). From an historical perspective, their theories provide insight regarding children's growth, development, and learning. Beyond a general understanding however, in what ways do the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky impact 21st century pedagogy, and what might the implementation of those theories look like in today's classrooms? Observations of children's experiences in two constructivist oriented classrooms help to provide connections between practice and theory. One classroom draws upon the work of Charlotte Mason, a pioneer of early childhood education in the late 1800's and early 1900's and considers the relevance of constructivist education as children examine themselves and develop high moral standards. The second example provides examples of constructivism from a more traditional kindergarten classroom, but one where a teacher uses principals of constructivism to guide developmentally appropriate practices for young children. The purpose of this article is to show how using examples of practice in early childhood classrooms can provide the means for learning about theories of learning and development. Rather than professors using practice to help students understand abstract theory, we flip this pedagogical practice to show how theory can be used with intentional reflection to help teachers understand the practice they see in their classroom. Recommendations for preservice and in service teacher education are provided.

Since the first release of NAEYC's guidelines, DAP has received a lot of attention from childhood professionals in the United States. Internationally, many countries have also shown a growing interest regarding DAP, yet interest in DAP is new to the Saudi educators. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore preschool teachers' subjective beliefs toward NAEYC's guidelines of DAP in Saudi Arabia, one of the most conservative Middle Eastern countries. Q Methodology, as a mixed methods approach, was used to study 37 preschool teachers randomly selected from five preschools in Mecca city. The participants sorted 50 cards with examples of DAP and developmentally inappropriate practice (DIP) or "In Contrast" statements which represented perceived importance of the practice to the sorter. To analyze the data, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation indicated four main components regarding the beliefs of Saudi preschool teachers as they relate to DAP's guidelines. Each component represents a unique perspective (viewpoint) on how Saudi preschool teachers view DAP and contrasting items based on their subjective points of view. The four main perspectives that emerged from the analysis show a dominance consensus among perspectives that fit equitably within the DAP framework regarding the best practice of early childhood education. Findings from this study provide evidence that many aspects of developmentally appropriate practice can be appropriate in different cultures and countries.

Objective Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) participate in less physical activity (PA) and more sedentary behavior than their peers without ASD. Methods The study employed Chi-square analyses of the NSCH 2016-2017 data to compare PA, TV/video watching/gaming, and usage of portable electronic devices by children with and without ASD by age and ASD severity. Results Results suggest more than two and a half times as many children 6-11 and 12-17 years old with ASD failed to engage in 60 min of PA during the past week compared to peers without ASD. As children aged, their PA time decreased, with a larger percentage drop for children with ASD. For children ages 6-11 years, an inverse relationship was found between PA and ASD severity that was not found for older children. As the children got older, children with ASD spent more time watching TV/video watching/gaming than peers without ASD, with differing results by ASD severity. More children Birth to 5 years ASD used portable electronic devices than their peers without ASD and more young children with ASD used devices for 3 or more hours a day. Roughly the same proportions of children 12-17 years old used devices for more than 3 h a day but differential results were found between children with and without ASD for less than 1 h of device use. Conclusions for Practice These data can be used to advocate for individualized PA interventions and services to increase PA and decrease sedentary behaviors of children with ASD., Author(s): Kristi S. Menear [sup.1] , James M. Ernest [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.265892.2, 0000000106344187, School of Education, University of Alabama at Birmingham, , 1720 2nd Ave S., EEC 321E, [...]

This article provides a description of how a beginning special education teacher in an inclusion classroom used pre-assessment, self-assessment, and on-going assessment to implement the principles of differentiated instruction to become more responsive to her students' needs in a systematic way. This article describes a case study of one beginning teacher's use of differentiated instruction. First, a discussion of the usefulness of differentiated instruction in increasing the likelihood of success for children with disabilities is provided. Next, qualitative data supported the implementation of the differentiated instruction process to help the teacher realize how she could positively impact students' learning using Tomlinson's (2000) categories of content, product, process, and learning environments. Finally, recommendations are provided for how to engage teachers to implement differentiated instruction as a data-based iterative process of using evidence-based practices to meet the needs of all children in an inclusion classroom. (Contains 2 tables.)

Early childhood poverty is a prevalent social issue, both in the United States and in the wider international community. It has been well established that factors associated with poverty, including familial income and parental education level, can negatively affect children's language and cognitive development, which can result in academic achievement deficits that compound across the lifespan. Additional environmental factors, specifically maternal and children's own social-emotional development, have also been shown to impact these sensitive early childhood developmental processes. Although individual components that relate to language and cognitive development in young children have been identified, additional examination of potential associative relationships between these components is warranted. Therefore, this study explored socio-economical, health, and developmental relationships between 122 caregiver-child dyads enrolled in an Early Head Start Program where children were 1-36 months old. Results indicated strong bidirectional correlations between children's cognitive and language development. Multiple linear regression path analysis indicated that children's cognition and social-emotional wellbeing have a significant direct effect on their language development. Additionally, language and fine motor development were found to have a significant direct effect and social-emotional wellbeing mediated an indirect effect through language on children's cognitive development. In light of socioeconomic and sociocultural challenges, the importance of nurturing children's social-emotional development in relation to language and cognitive development is discussed.

Discipline and behavior modification in schools is a culturally dependent and sensitive subject. Despite research demonstrating that corporal punishment is not effective, it remains a common practice in over 70 countries worldwide. School discipline practices vary widely around the world and even within national borders. While physical punishment continues to be practiced around the world, many schools employ a system of rewards and sanctions. All of these practices are external to the child, and can be ineffective in cultivating an innate sense of right and wrong in children. Best practices call for the creation of an environment in which children develop their own sense of morality through guided reflection and autonomous growth. In this article, the authors explore research on this topic and elucidate the dichotomy between heteronomous and autonomous moral development.

Questions about the potential benefits and dangers of media and technology use abound, with competing theories regarding its effects among young children. This article explores global perspectives on children's exposure to media, technology, and screen time (MeTS) in the schools, homes, and communities of an increasingly technology-driven world. The authors take a critically reflective approach by presenting competing narratives about the relationship of MeTS to the teaching, learning, and development of young children from around the world. The objective is to stimulate dialogue and create awareness about this issue in order to mobilize local decisions about MeTS. Given the undeniable exposure of young children to media and technology in their daily lives, this article recommends careful consideration and understanding of the potential benefits and concerns related to MeTS as educators guide children toward the positive aspects of technology and media use.

The typical physical education class period consists of a number of instructional activities linked together by brief transitory phases, or transitions (e.g., lining up, identifying teams, handing out equipment, etc.). Transitions can challenge even the most experienced physical educators, because without good classroom management, transitions can provide opportunities for off-task behaviors and disruptions that result in a loss of instructional time. Vogler, van der Mars, Cusimano, and Darst (1999) examined the effects of transitions on students' learning and off-task behavior with children in inclusive elementary physical education classes. The authors reported an average of 16 transitions per class period, with 26% of the time in a class period allocated for transitions. Results from the study indicated that there was a correlation between the frequency of off-task behavior and the frequency of transitions, with more frequent transitions resulting in higher levels of off-task behavior. (Contains 1 table.)

Educational policy is often developed using a top-down approach. Recently, there has been a concerted shift in policy for educators to develop programs and research proposals that evolve from "scientific" studies and focus less on their intuition, aided by professional wisdom. This article analyzes several national and international educational studies that have recently been made available to the public. Recommendations for teachers, personnel preparation professionals, and policymakers are based upon selected aggregate and disaggregated data. Results challenge the negative public perception of U.S. education, question the current trend to spend more class and homework time on informational literacy, and advocate for a more balanced approach to early childhood preparation across the content areas. (Contains 4 figures and 1 table.)

Student outcome data were examined for 35 teacher education candidates working toward special education certification who used an iterative differentiated instruction process over a 5-week period. Data were analyzed across a range of content areas and ages. Results indicated statistically significant and noteworthy effects across students regardless of whether teachers were working in an elementary, middle, or high school in a number of content areas. Qualitative data support a conceptual shift in how teacher education candidates use outcome data to inform their teaching, providing support for the social validity of this approach to implementing differentiated instruction. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)

This study investigated the attitude toward physical education of 1107 high school students from four countries, Czech Republic, Austria, England, and the United States. Survey data were gathered and measured using the Adams Scale survey instrument (Adams, 1963). While the data revealed individual differences, the overall sample indicated a decidedly positive attitude toward physical education. Students from the Czech Republic had significantly higher attitude scores than both U.S. and English respondents (p < .001), and males showed a more favorable attitude toward physical education than females (p < .001). Several notable differences were also found when the combined effect of gender and country of origin was measured.

Discusses commonalities in the papers of this special issue, addresses concerns about errors of omission expressed by T. Knapp, and provides some recommendations for the use of statistical significance testing with requirements for estimates of effect sizes. (SLD)

Although statistical significance testing as the sole basis for result interpretation is a flawed practice, significance tests can be useful as one of three criteria that must be demonstrated to establish a position empirically. Statistical significance testing provides evidence that an event did not happen by chance but gives no evidence of the meaningfulness of the event. (SLD)

Questions about the potential benefits and dangers of media and technology use abound, with competing theories regarding its effects among young children. This article explores global perspectives on children's exposure [...]

Educational policy is often developed using a top-down approach. Recently, there has been a concerted shift in policy for educators to develop programs and research proposals that evolve from 'scientific' [...]

As Schools and Colleges of Education work to increase enrollment and retention of teacher candidates, providing courses through distance education has become a practical necessity and a competitive reality. Students [...]

This study investigated the attitude toward physical education of 1107 high school students from four countries, Czech Republic, Austria, England, and the United States. Survey data were gathered and measured [...]

Student outcome data were examined for 35 teacher education candidates working toward special education certification who used an iterative differentiated instruction process over a 5-week period. Data were analyzed across a range of content areas and ages. Results indicated statistically significant and noteworthy effects across students regardless of whether teachers were working in an elementary, middle, or high school in a number of content areas. Qualitative data support a conceptual shift in how teacher education candidates use outcome data to inform their teaching, providing support for the social validity of this approach to implementing differentiated instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a description of how a beginning special education teacher in an inclusion classroom used pre-assessment, self-assessment, and on-going assessment to implement the principles of differentiated instruction to become more responsive to her students' needs in a systematic way. This article describes a case study of one beginning teacher's use of differentiated instruction. First, a discussion of the usefulness of differentiated instruction in increasing the likelihood of success for children with disabilities is provided. Next, qualitative data supported the implementation of the differentiated instruction process to help the teacher realize how she could positively impact students' learning using Tomlinson's (2000) categories of content, product, process, and learning environments. Finally, recommendations are provided for how to engage teachers to implement differentiated instruction as a data-based iterative process of using evidence-based practices to meet the needs of all children in an inclusion classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trend to identify teacher quality in terms of student performance has become increasingly evident in the restructuring of accrediting agencies and in recommendations to revise the No Child Left Behind Act to include language that specifies a highly qualified and effective teacher in every classroom. The challenge for teacher preparation programs is to build teacher candidates' knowledge and skills in identifying evidence-based practices, implementing appropriate strategies for their learners, and analyzing learner outcomes. In this article we present the program components we have developed to prepare our teacher candidates to positively impact student learning using evidence-based practices in P-5 classrooms, including examples of candidates' impact data from a culminating project in the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]