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In this quasi-experimental study involving 23 fourth grade teachers, we investigated the effect of implementing teacher-child dynamic mathematics interviews to improve mathematics teaching behavior in the classroom. After a baseline period of 13 months, the teachers participated in a professional development program to support the use of dynamic mathematics interviews followed by a period of practice in mathematics interviewing to identify children's mathematics learning needs. To determine the effects of the teacher professional development program, pretest and posttest videos of mathematics interviews were compared. To analyse the effects of the intervention, mathematics teaching behavior, mathematics teaching self-efficacy and perceived mathematical knowledge for teaching were measured. Results showed not only the effect of the program on the quality of the dynamic mathematics interviews, but also the effects of the intervention on mathematics teaching behavior, mathematics teaching self-efficacy and mathematical knowledge for teaching.

Purpose: This study explores how lesson study (LS) can promote elementary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teachers' professional development (TPD) in terms of new pedagogical practices, attitudes and beliefs in the maker education (ME) context. Design/methodology/approach: This is a case study of a LS conducted in China involving four primary school teachers, 20 grade-4 students, and one researcher who also acted as a facilitator. This study adopted an integrated model that combined the unique characteristics of Chinese LS (CLS) with the Dutch LS (LSNL) model. Findings: This study revealed that LS participation facilitates teachers' integration of new ME pedagogical practices in their classrooms, while their attitudes and beliefs regarding teaching and learning are increasingly aligned with ME principles. However, challenges such as time constraints, lack of research skills, and insufficient learning resources have also been identified. Research limitations/implications: This was a small-scale study, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications: This study expands the use of LS in the ME context by highlighting its effectiveness in enhancing teachers' PD in terms of new pedagogical practices, attitudes, and beliefs. It also recommends incorporating diverse international LS models to address the limitations associated with localized models of TPD. Originality/value: The originality of this study lies in its adoption of an integrated LS model to enhance STEM teachers' PD in an ME context. The findings of this study further strengthen evidence supporting the positive impact of LS on teachers' PD.

This study explores teachers' experiences with School-Wide Positive Behaviour Interventions and Support (SWPBIS) at three special education (SPED) schools type 4 in the Netherlands. These SPED schools focus on supporting children with mental health difficulties or challenging behaviour. In 2014, an Act was introduced in the Netherlands with the aim of mainstreaming students with special educational needs (SEN) meaning they are educated in an inclusive environment with students who do not have such needs unless the nature and degree of those needs are such that they warrant a more specific support measure or intervention, which mainstream education cannot cater for. As a result, the manifestation of problem behaviour of students in SPED schools became more complex and intense. Based on 25 individual interviews and three group interviews with 40 SPED teachers, results indicate they experienced a safer and predictable school climate due to SWPBIS. In addition, teachers mentioned positive developments concerning team building, staff turnover and coping with a changing student population. More specifically they mentioned more open and positive communication, a sense of belonging and loyalty to their colleagues, and a shared commitment to their students in comparison to the situation prior to the introduction of SWPBIS. Staff also emphasised this approach contributed to a shared language. The development and dialogue on shared school values and the teaching of behavioural expectations as rules and procedures across school settings supported new staff-members to more easily integrate this with organisational routine and school culture and this contributed to a more predictable and safer environment for their vulnerable students.

This study is conducted to further understand the direct and indirect contributions of executive functioning (visuospatial updating, verbal updating, inhibition, shifting) and arithmetic fluency to mathematical problem-solving in 458 fourth-grade students. Arithmetic fluency along with visuospatial and verbal updating were significant predictors of mathematical problem-solving at the end of grade 4. When the growth in mathematical problem-solving during grade 4 was analyzed, only arithmetic fluency directly and strongly contributed to students' problem-solving at the end of grade 4. Inhibition and shifting (in combination with inhibition) were indirectly connected to mathematical problem-solving at the end of grade 4 via their arithmetic fluency. Arithmetic fluency plays a critical role and continues to do this in mathematical problem-solving. Furthermore, a decline in importance for visuospatial and verbal updating and increasing importance of inhibition and shifting (combined with inhibition) were found with regard to students' ability to solve mathematical problems during grade 4.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how lesson study (LS) can be transitioned to an online mode, with the purpose to derive recommendations for performing online LS while being loyal to the defining elements of a face-to-face LS. Design/methodology/approach: A theoretical analysis into the core components and procedures of LS resulted in five big ideas that capture essentials of LS. Using these big ideas, constraints were derived for online LS and a pilot online LS was performed. Data were collected on the process and team members' reflections. The experience in the pilot was mapped against the outcomes of the theoretical analysis. Findings: Setting up close collaboration and the observation of the online lesson appeared to be the most challenging issues. A set of recommendations in the form of do's and don'ts was derived from the experience. Practical implications: The set of recommendations can be applied by practitioners who face the challenge of performing LS in an online environment, and can serve as a start for further research in online LS. Originality/value: The original contribution of the article is the combination of the theoretical analysis of LS combined with the practical experience in the pilot. This gives rise to a framework that can help understanding LS in general and online environments in particular.

In times such as this pandemic, where the spread of COVID-19 has resulted in school shutdowns, emergency remote learning was implemented in several countries and different educational settings. School closures made it challenging for special education teachers to support their children with special needs and families. This research aimed to identify the support provided by Spanish teachers in special education schools to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviour and the support given to their families. Data were collected from 22 teachers from seven special education schools by using focus group interviews. Thematic analysis was used to identify, analyse, and report patterns within the data. The results show that teachers deployed many different interventions to provide adequate support to their students and families, such as delivering materials to families, communicating in diverse ways, providing academic or functional tasks, and working with other services. Despite these efforts, teachers also reported difficulties when providing support to students and families. Therefore, future research needs to continue exploring experiences during COVID-19 to inform more accurate educational practices, especially considering children with special needs.

Objective This study investigated executive functions (EFs) in young adult survivors of childhood bacterial meningitis (BM). These skills are important for normal development, and their potential vulnerability in early years suggests that childhood BM could affect executive functions in the longer term. Method The adult self-report Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function was administered to 474 young adult survivors of childhood BM who participated in the 20|30 Dutch Postmeningitis study. Average scores were compared to population-norm group scores. Subgroup scores were compared according to causative pathogen and age at onset. Results Young adult survivors of childhood BM scored lower on overall metacognition than the age-matched population norm group. Young adult survivors of childhood BM caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae , S. agalactiae , or Escherichia coli had lower scores than cases caused by Neisseria meningitidis. Survivors with age-at-onset below 12 months had a higher (worse) overall EF score than survivors with age-at-onset above 12 months. Conclusions Young adult survivors of childhood BM experience difficulties in EF. However, most of the self-reported EF scores were within the norm. Future studies need to additionally assess EF in adult survivors of childhood BM using performance-based tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are practical questions about how inclusive schools can enable quality teaching and teachers' professional development that are relevant to students with special educational needs (SEN). In moves towards inclusive education, teachers are confronted with issues about their knowledge, skills and perceived efficacy to adopt inclusive teaching approaches. Based on an explicit approach to inclusive teaching, this paper illustrates how Lesson Study (LS) and Lesson Study related professional development practices embody the values of inclusive teaching and reflective practice. Peer-reviewed academic papers about LS and LS related practices were reviewed. This found that these practices were predominantly used in continuing professional development and evaluated with a focus on their contexts, processes and outcomes in ordinary and specialist settings. The extent to which LS and LS related practices have been evaluated in these settings with different kinds of SEN is also examined. Based on this review increased use and evaluation of lesson study and lesson study related practices are recommended.

Computer-based virtual learning environments (CBVLEs) are potentially useful teaching tools for training nursing students in professional duties such as the mathematical tasks associated with medication processes. In this study, a CBVLE was designed with well-structured instructional activities such as interleaved practice and feedback. Mathematical medication scenarios and basic arithmetic exercises were integrated into the CBVLE. Four training conditions were used in the CBVLE to facilitate extra support for mathematical medication learning: (1) learning without worked examples, (2) learning with worked examples involving domain-specific knowledge, (3) learning with worked examples involving regular thinking strategies, and (4) learning with combined worked examples. This study was conducted with 118 nursing students enrolled in post-secondary nursing education and Bachelor's nursing programmes. Students were pre-tested and post-tested on their mathematical medication learning. Training in the CBVLE improved mathematical medication learning for all students from pre-test to the post-test stages, but no differences were found among the four different conditions. Nursing students' prior knowledge, non-verbal intelligence, and number of correct tasks predicted mathematical medication learning outcomes. When controlling for non-verbal intelligence, students in the condition 1 benefited more than students in condition 3 in terms of their mathematical medication learning outcomes. The same accounted for the support of the low-achieving students in the CBVLE. The support conditions for the high-achieving group appeared to be unimportant for mathematical medication learning. It seems that technology is taken over some of the capacity of working memory, which accounts for the benefits to the low-achieving learners.

The transfer and adoption of school-wide approaches, like School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS), from one country to another, is an underexamined process. SWPBIS was mainly developed in the US. Although research shows that implementation of SWPBIS contributes to a positive school climate and a decrease in problem behavior, little is known about the generalizability of the effects in other countries. Of special interest is the role of underlying cultural values and concepts as reflected in SWPBIS. This can influence the acceptance of teachers and principals when implementing SWPBIS in another country. SWPBIS procedures need to be adjusted to the educational context where it is implemented. As a consequence, fidelity of implementation can be at stake when adjustments affect not only SWPBIS procedures (e.g., the way expected behavior is taught) but also core features (e.g., teaching of behavior). In this study, we explored cultural adaptation efforts in the Netherlands. We have drawn on perceptions of Dutch SWPBIS experts. In two sessions, 12 and then 10 experts were questioned. Results suggested that core features of SWPBIS seemed to be quite consistent across cultures, but adaptations in procedures were necessary.

Professional school cultures, which can be characterized by teachers who take an inquiry stance and in which exchanging knowledge and collaboratively developing classroom material is common practice, receive increasing attention. However, teachers in many schools still often work in isolation and generally do not critically examine their practices. This could lead to decreased feelings of self-efficacy and could negatively impact teacher learning. To counteract such an isolationist school culture, Lesson Study, known for its integration of collaborative and inquiry-based features, could play an essential role. Using a quasi-experimental design (N = 60) including two questionnaires, this study explores whether participating in Lesson Study influences teachers' perceptions of the school culture and conditions in their schools (such as leadership and collegial support), as well as their feelings of self-efficacy. The results reveal significant between-group differences in terms of efficacy in student engagement and significant within-group differences in the intervention group in terms of teacher autonomy and support from the school department leader as well as all teacher self-efficacy. This study could support school leaders who wish to implement, sustain or upscale Lesson Study practices in order to promote a professional school culture in their schools.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop an analytic framework for studying interdisciplinary learning in collaboration between schools and child support services. The analytic framework connects the concept of boundary crossing with the social--psychological processes of trust and identity formation. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is written from a theoretical point of view. Empirical research data from two schools are used to illustrate the use and merit of the proposed framework. Findings: The framework proved to be useful for identifying the level of co-work in the two schools. In addition, the framework helped to shed light on how the support for trust and identity formation by the school management aids interdisciplinary learning. Research limitations/implications: The most essential feature of the suggested framework is its use of complex theoretical concepts. Examining each concept in detail would ignore the interconnected nature of concepts in the framework, as well as the fact that it is not yet known how this interconnectedness works. Therefore, the framework is based on a generalised use of the concepts. Practical implications The contribution of the framework for practice lies in its potential to shed light on how processes in interdisciplinary collaboration can be shaped. The framework can be used to inform contextual interventions that seek to optimize collaborative structures. Originality/value: The paper contributes to understanding the complex processes that constitute interdisciplinary learning in collaboration.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder with different levels of severity. Although the exact causes of ASD is not yet known, nor is there a medical cure for ASD to date, special facilities and schools have been established to help individuals coping better and becoming more independent. With the advancement in Virtual Reality (VR) technology, there has been a greater depth of development of technology-enhanced game-based learning for children with ASD. This paper will describe our effort on virtual pink dolphins to assist children with ASD in their learning, at the same time, to avoid the use of physical pink dolphins which is a species endangered. A study on the use of a low-cost VR enabled pink dolphins game for children with ASD to learn direction following, psychomotor skills and hand-eye coordination will be reported.

This study investigates the effects of Digital Learning Material (DLM) including instructional clips, online guidance, structuring of content, and a collaboration tool on students' mathematics learning in Dutch vocational education. A pretest-posttest design was used. Apprenticeship students were asked to complete assignments and to discuss them with their peers and the online teacher. The results showed that DLM can enhance students' mathematics learning in vocational education. The learning enhancement was mostly due to the use of instructional clips and structuring of the content of the mathematics tasks. Elaborations of these results, implications, limitations and recommendations for further research are provided.