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The United States along with the rest of the world has experienced an unprecedented disruption in daily life due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost everyone has experienced some sort of stay at home order resulting in an economic catastrophe greater than the Great Recession of 2008 and on par with the Great Depression almost a century ago. Educational institutions at both the K-12 and post-secondary levels have not been immune from the shutdown, with many schools closed from mid-March through the end of the 2020 school year. Many schools moved classes to remote, distance delivery platforms. Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers were tasked with creative engaging learning activities online for curricula which is taught in a hands-on contextual learning environment. This paper will present preliminary results from research conducted by a collaborative group of nine researchers from across the United States with collectively over 200 years of career and technical education experience. The conceptual framework used for this study was Danielson's Framework for Teaching and Enhancing Professional Practice and Foundations of Career and Technical Education including Constructivism. 3,267 participants representing all 50 states responded to the 37-item survey. The research objectives included description of participants and identified challenges to planning and delivery of CTE content when schools were closed, and instruction was moved to remote/distance/online platforms. Participants ranked their challenges as instructors and their perceptions of challenges that were experienced by their students. CTE teachers ranked replicating classroom or lab environments online and lack of experience teaching online as their biggest challenges. The perceptions of the participants concerning challenges for their students included motivation to guide and manage their own learning and students' access to reliable internet connection. The emergence and prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic added a layer of complexity to educational practice that was not foreseen and for which no intentional preparation had occurred. Understanding how CTE teachers and instructors responded to this call, and the challenges they and their students encountered, is important to efforts to improve practice in the future and to be in a better position should another crisis occur that forces learning to be delivered in alternative formats from that of the traditional face-to-face classroom. [Note: The page range (177-194) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range is 177-193.]

Have you ever deeply considered the intersections between research and education, particularly for second-level students? Traditionally, the convergence of these two realms is most often noted when considering the integration of research findings into educational practices or the involvement of, typically a small number, of students in research activities. While these practices have demonstrated efficacy, the fields of scientific research and education are evolving rapidly, necessitating a reevaluation of how we can optimize their convergence. In our discourse, we delve into these evolving trends, uncover the potential for greater integration, and, ultimately, enhance outcomes using the citizen science initiative Kefir4All as an illustrative example.

The relation between English language teaching and religion has not been given sufficient attention. Most of the existing explorations of this relationship have tended to reify Western-biased outlooks of this phenomenon, which rightly highlight serious moral dilemmas derived from a focus on Christian evangelization, neo-imperialist dynamics attached to the spread of English, and valid questions about the quality of teaching while proselytizing (e.g. Edge, 2003; Pennycook & Coutand-Marin, 2003). This body of work, however, fails to consider other possible and multiple ways in which religious values come to bear in ELT considering, for instance, non-Western, less globalized, and less diverse contexts such as rural locales in a South American country. This paper presents an alternative outlook, drawing on a narrative study of the current state of ELT in rural Colombia. The analysis uncovers religion-informed metaphors that illuminate how the spiritual values of eight teachers intersect with their professional identities. It suggests that spirituality plays a central role in helping teachers navigate the complex sociocultural conditions of teaching English in rural areas, influencing their roles beyond language instruction.

The research sought to study potential efficiency in course design and execution using Constructive Alignment, and then classroom workflow grounded in eduScrum based on the Agile Project Framework of Scrum for graduate classes in managerial analytics. The research measured performance based on the Scrum concept of Velocity, defined as the rate of improvement in learning as measured by the number of Constructive Alignments' Learning Objectives achieved. The process of class design creates a list of activities for each class that lends itself to a standardized learning workflow. Scrum, as a project framework originated within software development in the early 2000s, but has now become a managerial method of choice for projects in a wide variety of industries and sectors. The final product to be delivered is broken into increments of value that can be created by the team in short work periods, also called Sprints. EduScrum mimics the same approach, using each class session to act as a sprint in which the students are assigned to self-managed teams of students and assigned a list of learning activities to achieve. The teacher/professor's role shifts to coach, moving from team to team and improving workflow, overcoming barriers, providing resources, and ensuring each class maximizes value creation. Scrum and eduScrum rely on a short reflective learning session at the end of the Sprint, called a Retrospective, in which students and professors assess how they can improve the velocity of learning. Assessments are embedded for individuals as part of Constructive Alignment, and are connected to the Teaching/Learning Activities.

In the global context, male participation in early childhood education is notably low, with only 3% of the workforce in mainland China comprising male professionals. This study delves into the intrinsic motivation of male kindergarten teachers, employing the framework of self-determination theory. Qualitative research, comprising face-to-face interviews with seven Chinese kindergarten teachers, aims to uncover the factors influencing their intrinsic motivation at work. By understanding their perspectives on intrinsic motivation, this research offers valuable insights to professionals in the field of early childhood education.

Perceived life satisfaction during the period of childhood and adolescence can be considered a reliable measure of psychological and emotional growth of children and adolescents. The current study aimed to investigate age differences related to social support provided to students (by teachers, classmates, parents and close friends), and its relationship with school and life satisfaction. The study also examined the significance of social support in explaining students' school and life satisfaction. Data were collected from a sample comprising 390 primary school students in grades 3-8 in Croatia. The findings indicate that students perceive a lower level of support received from parents, teachers, classmates and close friends, and lower school and life satisfaction, as they age. Statistically significant differences were found in perceived teacher support and school and life satisfaction between younger and older students. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that age and support from teachers and classmates are significant predictors of school satisfaction. The most significant predictors of students' life satisfaction are support from parents and classmates, and school satisfaction. Finally, the implications of the findings and guidelines for future research are discussed.

The "Sekolah Penggerak" program is one of the Indonesian Government's efforts to realize the vision of Indonesian education, namely an advanced Indonesia that is sovereign, independent, and possesses the Pancasila personality. As the leading actors in education, teachers play an important role in implementing educational programs. This study was carried out to examine the experiences of teachers involved in the "Sekolah Penggerak" program regarding the impact of implementing the program. This study is qualitative with an exploratory case study design and a retrospective approach. The participants in this study were 15 mover teachers willing to participate, selected using a purposive sampling technique. To collect data, an open-ended questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews were used. The results of the study reveal that, in general, the "Sekolah Penggerak" program has a positive impact on teachers, namely helping them change mindsets to be more innovative in utilizing student-focused learning, and on students, namely increasing their motivation and critical skills. The experiences after participating in the "Sekolah Penggerak" program also direct teachers to be involved in collaborative reflective practice of program implementation to produce teachers who are more professional so that this program runs more effectively in the future.

Assessment professionals are often at the helm of leading discussions around data-use and data-driven decisions for higher education stakeholders. However, the problem is that assessment practitioners must be cognizant of how to engage stakeholders with equity-minded and socially just informed assessment practices. The purpose of this article is to provide a literature review of approaches to equity-minded data use and positing that assessment professionals should engage in Freirean critical pedagogy approaches to data use practices. The article opens with a discussion of the intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion work with assessment practitioners. Next, an introduction to the Freirean concept of engaging in praxis and how assessment leaders may unknowingly participate in what Freire calls banking education where educators act as a conduit to merely deposit information into students. The article concludes with recommendations for how assessment leaders can engage stakeholders in Freire's concept of "true dialogue."

Background: South African schools accommodate a wide range of learners with various learning abilities in accordance with the policy of inclusion. However, little is known about how learners with learning disabilities are supported in the classrooms. Aim: The study sought to explore how learners with learning disabilities are supported in mainstream classrooms in the wake of the policy on inclusivity. Setting: This qualitative study embedded in descriptive phenomenology was carried out in eight selected mainstream primary schools in the Vaal Triangle of South Africa. Method: Data were collected through in-depth interviews with each participant and were thematically analysed using the Capability theory by Sen, 1998. The theory basically states that individuals can reach their maximum capabilities if they receive adequate support. Results: Findings revealed that learners with learning disabilities receive additional support from their teachers through one-on-one tuition, their peers, learner support educators, school based support teams and psychologists. However, two major drawbacks have emerged in the provision of additional support to learners with learning disabilities: insufficient teacher training for inclusion and a lack of commitment from parents to have their children undergo further assessments by educational psychologists. Conclusion: The study recommends that psychologists, school based support teams, parents and social workers must all be involved in the provision of support to learners with learning disabilities. The study further recommends that teachers' training institutions must reinforce their training programmes to include strategies for teaching learners with learning disabilities in mainstream classes. Contributions: This study is important for mainstream class teachers as they can effectively strategise on supporting learners with learning disabilities in their classrooms. Strategies that can be used include supporting learners with learning disabilities with individual educational programmes, buddy systems, as well as provision of relevant teaching or learning aids. Furthermore, the study lays the foundation for further research on effective mainstream classroom teaching pedagogies.

Background: This study explores the experiences of early childhood education (ECE) leaders during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, drawing insights from case studies in Finland and South Africa. Theoretical frameworks of contextual and pedagogical leadership inform the understanding of ECE leadership. Aim: The aim is to analyse and compare the experiences of ECE leaders in two diverse contexts, Finland and South Africa, during the pandemic. Setting: The study involves two case studies conducted in Finland and South Africa, focussing on the experiences of ECE leaders amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Discursive analysis of interviews was conducted to uncover the experiences of ECE leaders. The study compared the discourses from Finland and South Africa. Results: In Finland, the discourses revealed the persistence of pedagogical leadership's importance, challenges to distributed pedagogical leadership and deepening difficulties in maintaining leadership quality. In South Africa, discourses included reconfigured pedagogical leadership, acceptance of new experiences driven by fear of uncertainty and changes in leadership practices and teachers' roles. Despite national diversity, both cases emphasised the resilience of pedagogical aims. Conclusion: The study underscores the significance of pedagogical leadership in ECE, even in times of crisis. The contextual leadership model offers valuable insights into ECE leadership across diverse contexts, highlighting the need for adaptive leadership strategies. Contribution: This research contributes to understanding ECE leadership dynamics during the pandemic, providing insights into the challenges faced by leaders and the resilience of pedagogical goals across different national contexts. It also emphasises the importance of contextual leadership models in developing effective leadership practices in ECE.

This study aimed to explore the perceptions of academic staff on the concept of curriculum decolonization in a selected technical and vocational education and training (TVET) college in Eastern Cape Province. South Africa has been confronted with calls for curriculum decolonization and at some point, students all over the country decided to embark on a nationwide protest asking for the decolonization of the curriculum in the institutions of higher learning between 2015 and 2016 through the #feesmustfall movement. The study focused on one Eastern Cape TVET college as an institution of higher learning as a case study. A qualitative approach was adopted, and an interpretive paradigm was employed. There are about eight TVET colleges in Eastern Cape Province offering different courses. The researcher purposively selected two lecturers from each of the five campuses, one assistant director academic and one deputy principal academic to get to a sample size of 12. Critical theory guided this investigation. Data was analysed thematically. The study revealed that some academics do not know what decolonization all is about. There is no formal involvement of lecturers, when it comes to the process of curriculum decolonization at the said TVET college, however, there are engagements on general perspectives about transformation in TVET college sector. The study recommends that TVET colleges should develop a policy on curriculum decolonization. TVET colleges should form a committee that will look at matters of curriculum transformation, which should be inclusive of lecturers, students, managers, and relevant external expects of curriculum transformation.

The teaching and learning of mathematics in sub-Saharan African countries is dominated by teacher-centred pedagogies rather than student-centred ones. Observations of mathematics teachers at two private schools in South Sudan confirmed such practices. This inspired the researchers to design an intervention to help six primary mathematics teachers shift their practices through problem-solving and mathematical discourse. Design-based research methods were implemented, and data were gathered using observations supported by video and audio recordings and field notes. The participants were selected using convenience sampling, and the data were analysed using Stephan's checklist of student-centred teaching as a framework. The findings revealed that initially, teachers were using tasks from textbooks, and the teachers themselves were engaged in solving the tasks while their students reproduced their actions. Additionally, all the teachers dominated classroom discussions. After the intervention, the teachers began to select tasks that could enhance learning through problem-solving and mathematical discourse among the students, shifting the teacher's role to facilitation as the students engaged in solving the tasks on their own. However, the shift in practice was highly dependent on the intervention, as the teachers' tasks were adopted from the workshop.

The occupational well-being of teachers and their job satisfaction are interconnected, both influencing teacher performance and student well-being. After several years of ongoing economic and financial crises, this cross-sectional descriptive study highlighted several factors that impact the quality of education in relation to these concepts. To achieve this, a scale created through principal component analysis was distributed online. The responses of 297 school teachers, from both the public and private sectors were subjected to analysis using descriptive and logistic regression tests. The findings revealed a strong sense of self-efficacy among teachers, indicating their dedication to providing quality instruction to students on the one hand and helping them overcome challenges on the other. Additionally, the factor of income and financial security emerged as the primary concern for teachers, with approximately 80% of respondents expressing this sentiment. Similarly, collegiality, working conditions, and attitudes towards teaching itself were also sources of concern.

Workplace shortages are a top concern for schools in times of calm and even more troubling in times of stress. Burnout is especially widespread in stressful situations of disrupted learning, trauma, and discord (e.g., Diliberti & Schwartz, 2022; Thomas et al., 2019). In the wake of the pandemic, educators struggled to deal with the stressors on their own (IES, 2022). It became clear that schools could no longer work in isolation. Moving forward in the wake of the pandemic required an intentional shift in purpose from isolated classrooms to interconnected partnerships with families and communities. In the path to recovery, educators rediscovered the value of shifting beyond the schoolhouse to engage in partnerships with the greater community. Lessons learned indicate that schools were more likely to make the shift to partnerships happen when they welcomed the wisdom of families, embraced external supports, and collaborated to expand local community resources for healing and recovery.

This article reviews the importance and the roles of the stakeholders who support students throughout school. Student success is dependent on the people involved and the climate that is created within the school. The climate in a school is dependent on the people who are supporting the students throughout their whole learning experience. Stakeholders include students, teachers, administrators, and parents. Each stakeholder has a role in creating a positive school climate. As trust and support of each stakeholder grows, so does the positive climate within the school. Stakeholders fulfill their roles and responsibilities, school climate evolves, and students become successful in their education.

This study aimed to investigate how English teachers' identity (ETI) levels vary based on different sociodemographic backgrounds in Algeria. To this end, a survey research design was adopted by utilizing a questionnaire as research instrument: The first of section elicits information about teachers' background information, including age, professional title, teaching experience, leadership position, salary level, and family condition. The second section is Yan's (2024) 19-item English Teacher Identity Measure (ETIM) to measure the teachers' levels of ETI, which consists of four indicators: self-efficacy (SE), future perspective (FP), teacher belief (TB), and career perception (CP). By using convenience sampling, an online questionnaire was emailed to 170 tertiary EFL teachers from different regions in Western Algeria, and 105 teachers voluntarily participated in this study. 30 of them participated in the pilot study and the remaining 75 teachers' responses were analyzed using SPSS. The data revealed significantly different ETI levels according to years of teaching experience. The findings showed that teachers who scored the lowest ETI levels were PhD holders, lecturers, teachers of the 1980s generation and middle-level leaders. This study informs teacher management and teacher educators of those particular teacher groups that need more support.

Language teaching has the potential not only to teach language skills but also to create a peaceful learning environment where students feel relaxed, safe and valued. To achieve this goal, teachers need to develop an ideal identity that reflects their commitment to promoting peace in their classrooms. In the interest of developing peacebuilder language teachers, this study investigated the ideal identity of English language teachers as peacebuilders, the strategies they employ to achieve their peacebuilder identities, and the manifestation of peace language: hope, help, and harmony (Oxford & Curtis, 2020). The narratives of three Iranian language teachers were thematically analyzed to understand their hopeful, helpful, and harmonious experiences. Our findings indicate that teachers' ideal peacebuilder selves are becoming 'an encouraging teacher', 'a more hopeful and caring teacher', and 'a patient teacher'. To achieve their peacebuilder identity, they proposed strategies such as encouraging students to communicate internationally, caring about students' success, pursuing academic studies, and improving emotion-regulation skills. The findings of this study contribute to incorporating peace in language education and developing peacebuilder language.

This study aims to reveal the views and suggestions of in-service mathematics teachers about supporting online learning. Many times, studies indicate the teachers' views related to the advantages and disadvantages of online learning. However, limited studies investigate teachers' views for improving the online learning environment. Thus, this study reveals teachers' recommendations for supporting elearning. To achieve this, a case study was conducted to describe teachers' views. Data were collected from four middle and high school mathematics teachers through interviews, reflections, and lesson plans for online mathematics education courses. Teachers' views and suggestions related to supporting online learning were coded under five categories: norms, selection of manipulatives, building a community of learners, participation in group work, and assessment in the online learning environment.

Teacher identity stems from personal identity and one's desires relative to their professional goals as a teacher. Understanding one's personal motivation to teach is a first step towards establishing a sense of teacher self while beginning to craft a personal identity as a teacher and a teacher identity in the classroom. The purpose of this study is to explore pre-service teachers' initial thoughts surrounding their teacher identity. This study looks at pre- and post-survey data collected during the first and last days of their first introduction to teaching course. Fifty-three pre-service teachers were asked the same survey questions on the first and last days of their first introductory STEM teaching course through which they planned and taught their first lesson. Findings suggest students gained significant insight into the role of the teacher in the classroom while also gaining greater understanding of how they see their personality aligning to the role of a classroom teacher. The results of this study indicate a recommendation to provide early field experience in teacher education curriculums.

This article examines how educators can create a sense of belonging in their school and classroom communities by infusing Indigenous perspectives. A literature review was conducted by examining various peer-reviewed sources. It was found that students who feel a sense of belonging are more likely to be more motivated at school, take risks, and have positive mental health experiences. Educators can promote a strong sense of belonging through the classroom community, peer relationships, and the physical learning environment by incorporating Indigenous perspectives such as a whole-child approach, land-based education, the Seven Grandfather Teachings, and the Circle of Courage. Results showed that a sense of belonging can be accomplished through Indigenous perspectives by considering social-emotional status of children, the peacefulness of the physical space, and seeing children as positive contributors to society.

Context: This study is about the teaching method of simulation exercises and is set in a police education context. Simulation exercises are a central part of Swedish police education, and therefore it is of interest to explore how they are used, and for what purpose, by investigating police teachers' perceptions of this teaching and learning method. Police teachers are police officers who work as teachers at a police education unit on contracts lasting a few years, but which can be extended, and they usually lack any formal pedagogical training. Approach: In this study, the exploration of the use of simulation exercises was conducted through an inductive approach which included semi-structured interviews with 12 police teachers. The analysis was carried out in several steps. To promote impartiality in the initial data analysis the researcher first stayed close to the data and connection with the findings of previous studies was only considered in the latter stages of this analytic process. Findings: The findings show that the police teachers perceive that the overall purpose of simulation exercises is for students to apply specific content taught in courses, both physical techniques and methods, and more theoretical knowledge, in the fluid context of scenarios relevant to police work. The results also show that the teachers are aware that the purpose of the exercises is stated in the planning documents, but because they inherit the designs from previous teachers, they may not be aware of the underlying details of it or what is to be achieved in the scenario. The findings also demonstrate that the teachers learn the craft of designing and performing simulation exercises and develop their roles as teachers through an informal workplace learning process that involves tacit knowledge developed through working together, and by talking to and observing each other. Conclusion: The paper contributes to the field of simulation exercises in vocational (higher) education in that the findings can provide educated arguments for the need for scholarly discussions on simulation exercises as a pedagogical tool that supports student learning, as well as arguments for why formal pedagogically-oriented continuing education on the design and implementation of simulation exercises where learning is in the foreground may be needed to support police teachers' professional development.

This paper reports the findings from a pre- and post-survey of participants and interviews with a small number of course members. A three-day course of training in qualitative research methods was delivered to a cohort of inexperienced researchers, all of whom were working in the field of special educational needs and disability, in Kolkata, India. The study examines the effectiveness of the training, taking into account the teaching methods used and the structure of the workshop. The findings suggest that emerging researchers prefer a hands-on workshop approach to more traditional lecture delivery of research training. The levels of support provided by tutors and the interaction with practical activities using bespoke resources found favour with participants. Following the training workshop, members expressed greater confidence in their ability to use qualitative research methods and understood the relation of this approach to quantitative studies. Some who completed the course have begun to conduct independent research investigations using the methods taught.

This study examined the mathematical learning opportunities provided to emergent bilinguals (EBs) through their participation in whole class discussions in an elementary classroom. Positioning theory (Harré & van Langenhove, 1999) was used to examine a third-grade monolingual teacher's positioning acts and related storylines across two years. An examination of the data revealed the teacher utilized three prevalent positioning acts with EBs (i.e., inviting EBs to share mathematical thinking, valuing EBs' mathematical contributions, and inviting peers to consider EBs' mathematical contributions) that provided multiple and varied opportunities to participate in whole class mathematical discussions while circulating two storylines: EBs are mathematically competent and EBs can explain their mathematical reasoning to others. Findings suggest that positioning acts can be used in similar ways by other teachers across contexts to strive for equitable mathematics education.

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are faced with managing how to respond to student disclosures of grief in the classroom but often lack grief training from their universities when these instances occur. Good and Mad grief, and Critical Grief Pedagogy (CGP) are the frameworks for which this study is positioned. Through interviews with GTAs in the United States, we explore their experiences when engaging with student grief disclosures and revealed three main themes: "regulations and boundaries, transactional exchanges in institutions," and "the classroom being a human space." We also discuss how GTAs use CGP to manage these interactions. We further suggest that GTA training should include CGP to help prepare future instructors for student grief and welcome grief into the classroom.

This article investigates two language teacher identity dilemmas encountered by EFL preservice teachers (PSTs) during their last practicum and how they navigated them to reconcile their identities. Dilemmas, characterised as inner conflicts and challenges PSTs face in resolving contradictory demands and different roles in their profession (Cabaroglu & Tillema, 2011), can illuminate how PSTs understand their teaching roles and language teacher identity (LTI) amidst the complexities of the teaching practice. The article begins by contextualising the study, presenting an overview of the ELT national curriculum and how this is reflected in the practicum. Next, an exploration of LTI and how dilemmas can serve as tools for reconciling this identity will be drawn. Lastly, findings and conclusions will be presented. This study suggests that a locally responsive ELT pedagogy could empower PSTs to better navigate and transform challenges into valuable learning-to-teach opportunities. Accordingly, caring emerged as a tool for PSTs to better navigate political dilemmas in underprivileged contexts. By integrating contextual knowledge into curricula, PSTs could align their language teaching identities with specific needs, enhancing student engagement, motivation, and success in diverse educational settings.

This research explores the educational beliefs of select fourth-year preservice Filipino mathematics teachers enrolled in the Bachelor of Education major in Mathematics program in the second semester of the 2022-2023 academic year in a state university in Bulacan, Philippines, via qualitative-exploratory research. Three qualitative tools were used: a metaphor construction task, unstructured questions, and a drawing task. Thematic analysis and intercoder reliability checking were implemented. Based on the findings, the first theme, the teacher as a knowledge dispenser belief, features the imperative conduct of the dispensation of knowledge; the second theme, the teacher as a reliable improver belief, highlights the formation of space for student participation after dispensing knowledge; the third theme, teacher as an equity promoter belief, highlights the significance of addressing the needs of the students while dispensing knowledge; and the last theme, teacher as a strategic scaffolder belief, highlights combining, extending, and maximizing all knowledge, experiences, and learning opportunities to align with and attain learning objectives. The teacher-as-knowledge dispenser belief is more teacher-centered, the teacher-as-reliable improver and teacher-as-equity promoter beliefs are mixed teacher-centered and student-centered, and the teacher-as-strategic scaffolder belief is more student-centered.

Research in feedback literacy (Carless & Boud, 2018; Molloy et al., 2020; Yu & Liu, 2021; Zhang & Mao, 2023) explores student use of written feedback and barriers to feedback uptake; the role of faculty in designing contextually appropriate feedback has been termed teacher feedback literacy (Carless & Winstone, 2020). When feedback does not achieve desired results, faculty must evaluate their feedback practices; they may be unaware of underlying features that hinder feedback effectiveness. In this paper, a long-time instructor of first-year college composition (FYC) interrogates her own feedback practices using tools from the specialization dimension of Legitimation Code Theory (LCT, Maton, 2014; Maton, 2016a; Maton, 2016b). A translation device (Maton & Chen, 2016) connecting feedback data to LCT concepts was constructed to code responses to 105 student drafts. Subsequent analysis reveals that knowledge codes, which legitimate student achievement through the demonstration of specialized knowledge and skills, predominate in the feedback. Comments foregrounding the student writers' dispositions, intentions, and agency occur much less frequently. From these results, the instructor identifies potential barriers to student feedback uptake, including code mismatches and code confusion, which may be mitigated through adjustments to written responses and classroom instruction.

Nature-based early childhood education (NBECE) is a growing field for children aged 3-6 in North America. This growth demands the need for NBECE professionals. Often grounded in personal journey and perceptions, pedagogical practices of NBECE teachers play a vital role in learning experiences and nature-connectedness. This qualitative research delves into North American NBECE professionals' perceptions of nature, their journey into NBECE, and their responses to the pervasive influence of settler-colonial values in education. The data was generated through teacher interviews with four outdoor preschool teachers. Each teacher participated in two interviews. Between the two interviews they wrote a journal entry. At the end of the second interview, I led each participant through a cognitive mapping exercise in which they created a visual representation of their journey with nature. Findings indicated that these teachers have a close connection and history with nature. This often translated into their feelings about NBECE. Framed within settler-colonial studies, I deconstructed teachers' discussions to illuminate examples of resisting a nature-culture divide and human exceptionalism. I identified most teachers exhibiting awareness of settler-colonialism, with more experienced teachers thoroughly exploring their connection to its ongoing influence.

This paper explores the professional identities of four Filipino English teachers (FETs) who instruct international students at a language academy in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), a special district for the Philippines' globalization. Employing a narrative inquiry approach, data was gathered through individual interviews, and subsequently analyzed using a thematic analysis framework. The findings indicate that the participants assume three distinct roles within the academy. As experts in English language teaching, they consider themselves the equal of, or even superior to, native English-speaking teachers, which they attribute to their language proficiency, pedagogical skills, and content-based teaching. In their role as educational caretakers, they prioritize their students' well-being, providing motivation for English language learning, and offering emotional support. Furthermore, they identify themselves as international teachers, having deliberately chosen BGC as their career destination to foster multiculturalism and global citizenship. This study is of particular significance, as it scrutinizes the roles of FETs, frequently categorized as "non-native teachers," within the context of globalization.

This study explored the experiences of retired faculty members in higher education through semi-structured interviews. As a qualitative study, researchers conducted interviews with retired faculty members regarding their joyful moments, challenges, and strategies for overcoming obstacles in academia. The study also examined the advice retired professors offered to new faculty members and the potential qualifications for success in academia.

Executive function skills are crucial for children in the 21st century, serving as indicators of their readiness for learning. Children with well-developed executive function skills can effectively accomplish various tasks, solve problems using diverse strategies, and collaborate with others happily. This research aims to: 1. Identify the necessity for fostering executive function skills among early childhood students in Nonthaburi Province. 2. Analyze the causes underlying the necessity to promote executive function skills in early childhood students. 3. Propose strategies to enhance executive function skills in early childhood students. The research consists of two phases. Phase 1 involves identifying the necessity for developing executive function skills among early childhood students, with a sample group comprising 12 volunteer kindergarten teachers randomly selected from 12 classrooms and 328 early childhood students aged 5 to 5 years 11 months (162 boys and 166 girls). The research instrument used is the MU.EF-101 assessment. Data analysis involves calculating the mean and standard deviation of T-scores for working memory, inhibitory control, and shift/cognitive flexibility. Phase 2 analyzes the causes of necessity and proposes strategies to promote executive function skills in early childhood students. The data sources for this phase are 12 teachers, and the research instruments include fishbone diagram recording forms and group discussion recording forms. Findings suggest that parental involvement is crucial in training children to perform tasks independently and in teaching children patience. Additionally, teachers should analyze children's behaviors to plan appropriate learning activities based on their context. Teachers must encourage children to think and make decisions independently, encourage when mistakes occur, and ensure the availability of suitable tools and toys that promote the development of executive function skills in early childhood students, which teachers or parents can conveniently utilize.

This study analyzes educators' conceptions of STEM education at the beginning of an online graduate course for in-service teachers. It offers a qualitative thematic analysis of educators' initial conception of STEM education and their roles as STEM educators through the use of concept maps and reflection statements. Conceptions of STEM varied greatly across the sample and fell into seven categories: (a) utilitarian, (b) acquisition of disciplinary knowledge, (c) activities and resources, (d) meaningful problem-solving experiences, (e) advocacy for systemic change, (f) buzzwords, and (g) educator's role in STEM teaching and learning. This study reveals the complexity of educators' ideas of STEM and educator roles within STEM education. Using concept maps as formative assessments can better position teacher educators to provide structured reflection space for educators while aligning coursework and resources to better meet educators' varied needs.

This article uses the findings obtained from a study that delves into the perceptions of students on their relationship with their higher education (HE) lecturers and how it affects their academic success, to respond to the issue of decolonisation in South African HE, and to approach the question of decolonising HE in Africa. The article argues that it is essential to prioritise student well-being, amplify their voices, and promote a caring culture towards addressing the issue of decolonisation in African education systems. The study shows that African HE students hold higher expectations of their lecturers beyond being professionals. This expectation includes respect for students' thoughts and incorporation of epistemology that aligns with fostering African development, culture and thoughts (without necessarily conforming to neoliberal norms). The four categories of the teacher's role, which include academic development, respect and trust, social relationships, and ethics of care are highly demanded by HE students. Borrowing the study outcome, this article holds the view that students' high expectations of their lecturers to foster social relationships should be channelled to incorporate the African student as a collaborator in the business of education and as a response to the demands of HE students to decolonise African education system. These four categories are not only institutional strategies for effective teaching and learning but also a way to address the non-inclusive impact of Western epistemology on historically racial institutions in Africa. Contribution: This article proposes that adopting mainstream pedagogical relationships can be a powerful tool in incorporating the African students' thoughts and a step towards liberating the HE system in Africa. It recommends these four cardinal themes as institutional strategies for restricting teaching and learning that relegate students to the receiving end thus systems that refute students as collaborators of knowledge sharing especially at historically racial institutions.

Home-school communication is fundamental to parent involvement and student success. This essay and discussion article outlines the broad range of opportunities currently available for teachers to communicate with parents and associated strategies. The most frequent one-way modes of communication used with parents are discussed (websites, newsletters, email, texts, apps, report cards) as well as popular two-way interaction strategies (phone calls, home visits, parent-teacher conferences, virtual meetings). Key barriers to parent-teacher communication are also discussed, including racial stereotypes, language, teacher training, technology, and time, as well as the potential impact of a pandemic. Future directions for research in the area of school-home communication are also proposed. Ultimately, every communication exchange between teachers and parents occurs within the context of what has gone before and sets the stage for future interactions.

Teacher identity is the reflection of teachers' perception, position, and identification as teachers. Teachers' identities are dynamic and continuously negotiated by the interplay of their professional practices, past experiences, and contextual conditions. Drawing on this understanding, this study explores Chinese English teachers' professional identities within a private English institution in China. Research data was collected through semi-structured interviews with six Chinese English teachers from one private English institution. Interview data was analysed thematically. The study results revealed common teacher identities as advocates of learner autonomy, struggling teachers for higher-level students and sources of students' learning motivation. Specifically, teachers were challenged in cultivating autonomous students by institutional and sociocultural contextual obstacles. They were also in a challenging situation to improve the effectiveness of teaching higher level students. However, teachers exhibited positive perceptions towards their influence on students' learning motivation reflected in their effort to actively establish teacher-student relationships and utilize facilitative teacher roles. The research findings suggest the need for designing more effective teacher trainings, improving teachers' working conditions and a call for re-evaluating English language learning among Chinese students.

Since the mid-90s, a growing concern has emerged regarding text comprehension from a multimodal perspective. In the Chilean educational context, multimodality has been highlighted in the official programs of the Ministry of Education. The present study examines one of the official Chilean ELT school textbooks, investigating whether its reading comprehension questions align with the country's interest in developing multimodal literacy. This analysis employs Unsworth et al.'s (2019) taxonomy for classifying question types to examine 17 while-reading sections, comprising 216 questions. The findings reveal a predominant focus on questions that can be answered by reading the written text without looking at the pictures as well as a lack of images in several reading passages. These results highlight the crucial role that teachers play in complementing the school textbooks, enabling students to develop multimodal literacy as well as the necessity for textbook designers to recognize the pivotal role of images in comprehending multimodal texts.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a prominent area of investigation in the field of education. Also, perceptions, challenges and threats of AI among university professors show notable variations. This study explores university professors' perspectives regarding AI, including their familiarity with AI, its educational impacts, challenges associated with its implementation, and perceived threats. To achieve this, a survey was administered to 65 university professors from diverse Egyptian institutions, both state and private. Subsequent statistical analyses were conducted to treat the collected data. The outcomes of these analyses reveal that university professors possess varying degrees of familiarity with AI. Despite this, they view AI as a valuable educational tool. The study identifies several challenges hindering AI adoption, encompassing difficulties in comprehending and interpreting AI algorithmic outcomes, the intricate autonomy of AI systems, financial implications of implementation, and concerns regarding data privacy. Additionally, the study identifies apprehensions pertaining to AI''s influence on professors' skills, potential dehumanization of pedagogy, adverse effects on students, and the potential obsolescence of professors. These findings bear implications for the integration of AI in educational contexts, highlighting the necessity for further exploration in this evolving field.

Netnography, a qualitative research approach, entails observing, analysing, and interpreting online data. This netnography explores how teacher agency, emotion regulation, and professional identity were enacted by a novice Chinese language teacher in response to emergency remote teaching (ERT) in Australia amid the global pandemic. Ecologically sound, netnography creates uncoerced spaces to allow participants to have their voices heard, thus enabling researchers to discover nuanced patterns linked to the social-emotional state and wellbeing of the community members, regarding fears, tensions, and resilience triggered by ERT. Multiple data sources were triangulated from the teacher's reflective journal, digital teaching artifacts, debriefing sessions, interviews, and online questionnaire responses. Thematic analysis reveals teacher identity was re-envisioned through crisis teaching pedagogy and the regulation of negative emotions to facilitate agency, which reciprocally bolstered teacher identity. The findings also indicate teacher identity development is challenged and shaped by negotiating a new role in remote teaching, thus impacting pre-ERT identity. Hence, the emotion regulation trajectory of ERT can stimulate and encourage technology enhanced professional learning as teacher agency and resilience reinforce a new identity reimagined as a capable online teacher. By situating novice teacher agency, emotion regulation, and emerging identity in crisis teaching, this netnographic research conceptualises how ERT presents not only challenges for novice teachers' identity development and emotion but also the sustainability and empowerment of online teaching and professional growth of impacted teachers of Asian languages.

In recent years, mentoring practices have become increasingly common in different disciplines. One of these disciplines is education. In this connection, mentoring at the macro level contributes to the education system, while mentoring at the micro level reduces school dropout rates, increases academic success, supports students in their career journeys and protects them against any problems and unhealthy habits. In this context, the objective of this study is to provide an in-depth examination of teachers' student mentoring experiences in the school context. To this end, phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in this study and the study was carried out with face-to-face interviews. The maximum variation sampling method, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used to select the participants. A total of 15 teachers selected from different branches formed the study group of the study. The data obtained from the study were transcribed and the thematic analysis method was used to determine the emerging themes and, in this way, a total of five themes were determined: identification, the role of the mentor, the types of mentoring used by the mentor, the mentoring strategies used by the mentor and the problems encountered during the student mentoring process.

Background: Teachers are responsible for curriculum implementation and transformation. Therefore, they are viewed as the primary agents of change in teaching and learning. As agents of change, they are responsible for being innovative and creative in their teaching and learning in their English First Additional Language (EFAL) class. Objectives: The study aimed to explore South African teachers as agents of change in teaching EFAL in their Grade 3 classes. Method: This study adopted a qualitative research approach with an interpretivist paradigm. The researcher wanted to explore teachers' lived experience as agents of change in the Foundation Phase class. A case study design with purposive sampling was used. Results: The findings revealed that teachers understood their roles and responsibilities as change agents in their classrooms. They agreed they were responsible for implementing the curriculum to improve basic literacy skills among EFAL learners. Conclusion: The study found that teachers, as agents of change, needed support in continuous professional development to implement the curriculum. They also highlighted the need for help from their school management teams. Contribution: This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of the EFAL teacher. They are no longer mediators of learning but agents of change in teaching, learning and curriculum adaptation. Their roles go beyond imparting knowledge to learners. They are developers and mediators of critical thinking, decision-making, communication, use of technology and relationship-building skills.

Achieving higher levels of proficiency in a foreign language depends on more than an extensive knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. Evidence is mounting that true proficiency depends on cultural awareness about how and when language is used. This suggests that teachers in foreign language classrooms must incorporate explicit cultural lessons into their teaching plans. Yet, there remains a stubborn resistance to doing so. This paper outlines the main reasons in teaching culture and how cultural instruction and awareness lead to increased intercultural communicative competence (ICC). It addresses teachers' concerns about teaching culture and outlines their roles. The paper provides a strategy for designing successful activities that will build intercultural communicative competence and critical thinking skills.