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The "Global Best Practices" concept is subjective and varies from many perspectives based on the indicators used. As such, there needs to be a standardized and universally accepted definition of global best practices in education, which hinders the effective identification, adoption, and benchmarking of these practices across countries and educational institutions. This ambiguity challenges teachers, students, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners seeking to understand and apply global educational best practices. Hence, this explorative study investigated the conceptual definition and criticisms surrounding the concept of global best practices in education. A narrative literature review methodology was employed to systematically search, select, and analyze 34 relevant sources. The findings reveal that the conceptual definition of global best practices in education encompasses practical and contextually relevant approaches that transcend national boundaries. These practices have significant implications for curriculum development, teaching methodologies, assessment practices, and overall education quality, fostering inclusive environments, adopting innovative approaches, internationalizing institutions, and integrating diverse perspectives. However, the concept faces criticisms about its potential to legitimize neoliberalism's logic of differential worth, methodological assumptions in producing policy-relevant knowledge, and the need for a critical redefinition of international education. Both the concept and its criticisms have implications for educational policy and practice in addressing inequalities, critically examining assumptions, considering political implications, and promoting individual goals and holistic development. This study's outcomes contribute to the ongoing discourse on global best practices in education and provide insights for policymakers, practitioners, and future research endeavors.

We examined how Learning Analytics literature represents participants from diverse societies by comparing the studies published with samples from WEIRD (Western, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) nations versus non-WEIRD nations. By analyzing the Learning Analytics studies published during 2015-2019 (N = 360), we found that most of the studies were on WEIRD samples, with at least 58 percent of the total studies on WEIRD samples. Through keyword analysis, we found that the studies on WEIRD samples' research topics focused on self-regulated learning and feedback received in learning environments. The studies on non-WEIRD samples focused on the collaborative and social nature of learning. Our investigation of the analysis tools used for the studies suggested the limitations of some software in analyzing languages in diverse countries. Our analysis of theoretical frameworks revealed that most studies on both WEIRD and non-WEIRD samples did not identify a theoretical framework. The studies on WEIRD and non-WEIRD samples convey the similarities of Learning Analytics and Educational Data Mining. We conclude by discussing the importance of integrating multifaceted elements of the participant samples, including cultural values, societal values, and geographic areas, and present recommendations on ways to promote inclusion and diversity in Learning Analytics research.

Laboratory courses offer a unique opportunity, and sometimes challenge, to engage students in projects where they can experience ownership and authentic science practices. An important science practice is writing, which can lead to increased learning about concepts and science communication. Experiencing a sense of ownership in research can lead to various student outcomes, such as increased motivation, greater interest in research, and higher retention in STEM fields. Although previous work has extracted aspects of ownership from students' descriptions of research experiences, studies have not examined directly how students define and perceive ownership. In addition, we do not have a clear idea of whether a sense of ownership is related to student attitudes toward scientific writing in a lab course setting. To better understand the relationship between ownership and writing directly from students' perspectives, we used analysis of student responses to surveys and interviews in an upper-division laboratory course. Using a grounded theory approach for the analysis of 167 survey responses and 9 interviews, we found that students have varying perceptions of project ownership, with the most frequent being opportunities to contribute ideas and shape the project (autonomy), doing the work, and leadership. Students largely perceived that increased ownership had positive influences on their writing, such as increased understanding and thinking, freedom in writing, and increased motivation. Learning about how students perceive ownership in the context of a lab course is useful for considering how lab course structure may support the development of a sense of ownership and may influence how we can engage students in meaningful writing practices.

Background: This article describes how the National Reading Barometer project has redefined the concept of 'reading culture' in South Africa. Objectives: As expressed in the 2023 National Reading Survey (N = 4250) and the 2023 National Reading Barometer, a clearer description of reading cultures was developed to describe both individual reading practices (measured through the survey) and the national reading ecosystem (measured through the barometer). Method: We describe the survey and statistical tools developed to measure the new concept of reading cultures. This includes a survey questionnaire that introduced novel questions alongside established indicators. Reading is defined and measured through six distinct dimensions: reading purpose, habits, volume, depth, motivation, and identity. The expanded understanding of reading purpose includes reading for information, communication, and enjoyment. At an ecosystem level, the National Reading Barometer was applied to visualise data from the National Reading Survey and secondary data on reading ability, access to reading material, and enabling environmental indicators to provide a baseline for high-level longitudinal trends in the national reading environment. Results: The National Reading Barometer and National Reading Survey assisted to redefine the debate on reading cultures by providing evidence-based descriptions of varied reading cultures and situating these within the reading ecosystem. Conclusion: We conclude by proposing how this revised concept of reading cultures and the new tools for measuring impact may open research and policy advocacy opportunities in the literacy sector. Contribution: This article contributes a pluralistic, Afrocentric, and modernised understanding of reading cultures.

The purpose of this research is to explore three English synonyms, namely critical, serious, and crucial, with a particular focus on meanings, degrees of formality, collocations, and semantic preferences. Two dictionaries, namely the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary and the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary online, as well as the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), were utilized as sources of information for the purpose of this research. It was shown that the two synonyms that are critical and crucial share the same core meaning and semantic preferences. However, the word serious is still distinct from the other two in terms of its particular meanings, degrees of formality, collocations, and semantic preferences. Because of this, the three words cannot be used interchangeably in any situation without causing confusion.

Vocabulary acquisition is a fundamental element of mastering the English language, necessitating a comprehensive lexicon that evolves through experiential learning to facilitate accurate comprehension and production of language. The current study examined the impact of Total Physical Response (TPR) tasks on the vocabulary acquisition of Thai primary school students, with a particular focus on the definition of words. It also explored the students' attitudes towards using TPR tasks for vocabulary learning. The TPR tasks were designed to engage three of the human senses--visual, auditory, and tactile--by incorporating multisensory tasks. Employing a mixed-methods research design, the study involved 27 second graders from a primary school in northeastern Thailand. The research methodology utilized three instruments. From a quantitative perspective, the Receptive Word Knowledge Test (RWKT) and the Productive Word Knowledge Test (PWKT) were administered to assess the students' vocabulary knowledge before and after the intervention within a single-group pretest-posttest framework. Qualitatively, a focus group interview was conducted to gain deeper insight into the students' attitudes towards participation in TPR activities. The quantitative data indicated a significant enhancement in both receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge among the participants. Furthermore, the qualitative findings highlighted the advantages of TPR tasks, with students expressing increased enthusiasm and competitive spirit and a shared willingness and pleasure in vocabulary learning through interactive tasks and peer interaction. In conclusion, this study corroborates the efficacy of TPR tasks in significantly advancing Thai primary school students' receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge.

Student absenteeism is a prevailing issue for schools, impacting academic performance and social-emotional development. This article explores the definitions, rates, and causes of absenteeism. Through analysis of existing literature, it proposes a comprehensive approach to address the problem. Drawing on concepts of trauma-informed education and Response to Intervention (RtI), the author endorses a framework with a tiered structure of supports to create safe and supportive environments, alongside a more targeted approach to address individual root causes. By combining trauma-informed practices with the tiered approach of RtI, schools can address absenteeism and promote well-being.

Institutional practices related to providing academic accommodations and access have long been ableist and bureaucratic and remain that way. This paper will focus on these practices in the post-secondary education context. The central question of this paper is: What do meaningful access and reasonable accommodation mean to post-secondary students with disabilities? Proceeding from the premise that students with disabilities do not currently define meaningful access and reasonable accommodations, this paper will argue that accommodations and access as defined within policy are not adequately serving the needs of post-secondary students with disabilities. This paper then highlights the definitions of meaningful access and reasonable accommodations provided by eight students who participated in a recent study. Finally, this paper will highlight the negative and positive encounters with accommodations experienced by many post-secondary students in the province of Ontario who follow the Policy on Accessible Education for Students with Disabilities (2018) as a policy that guides educational practices.

The study on "Educators' Academic Insights on Artificial Intelligence -- Challenges and Opportunities" was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the rapidly evolving phenomenon of AI in education. This research serves multiple objectives. Firstly, it aims to foster awareness regarding the integration of AI into teaching and learning practices by providing clear definitions of AI and explaining key AI-related terms. It also seeks to illustrate AI's diverse applications within a broader context, with a special focus on AI-supported research and learning platforms. Additionally, the study delves into the current discourse surrounding chatbots, contributing to address the central research question. Lastly, this initiative aims to provide valuable recommendations for effectively harnessing AI in education, enhancing the teaching and learning experience. The researchers conducted a review of literature concerning artificial intelligence. They adopted a qualitative method, using open-ended questions to collect feedback from educators globally, including those from the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Al Musannah, and participants in the online discussion forum at Oxford English Learning Exchange.com. The qualitative data was analysed, leading to the identification of key themes and subthemes derived from the responses of research participants. The study's findings incorporated a wide range of concerns expressed by educators, comprising ten key subthemes. These concerns ranged from doubts about AI's ability to replace human educators and fears of its potential to hinder student development to worries about its hyped popularity and its perceived futuristic nature. Educators stressed the importance of effective AI training while emphasizing the need to prioritize human expertise over excessive reliance on AI. They were also acutely aware of both the advantages and disadvantages of AI, viewing it as both a potential boon and a looming threat. Furthermore, educators recognized the potential for enjoyable experiences with AI and acknowledged the pivotal role of users in determining the extent of AI adoption. Content analysis revealed additional apprehensions, such as concerns about job displacement, AI's impact on critical thinking, teacher frustration in assessing AIassisted student writing, the use of AI-generated content for assessments, potential erosion of human services, stifling of user and learner creativity by AI, the risk of errors in AI-generated information, opportunities for cheating in exams, and concerns about the overreliance on and overrating of AI platforms. Positively, the findings included an array of opportunities that AI platforms offer. Study participants highlighted various aspects of these opportunities that surpassed their concerns and associated risks. The opportunities are categorized into twenty subthemes: enhancing learner motivation, facilitating template creation, utilizing AI as an educational aid, promoting proper training and fostering positive AI usage, harnessing AI for teaching challenging subjects, enabling personalized learning experiences, offering an interactive tutoring experience, supporting remote learning, facilitating self-study, providing comprehensive educational content overviews, giving instantaneous feedback and evaluation, functioning as search engines and chatbots, enabling content validation, efficiency in terms of cost and time, streamlining material preparation, facilitating skill and language enhancement, promoting familiarity with topics and vocabulary, enabling text-to-speech and speech-to-text conversions, editing multimedia elements, and facilitating content generation.

The terms 'open' and 'distance' are no longer helpful for advancing approaches to education traditionally served by open institutions. A proposal to reframe the terms 'open' and 'distance' is made: 'open', it is suggested, needs to be linked more explicitly to education that is increasingly available, inclusive, scalable, and sustainable. 'Distance', on the other hand, needs to be replaced with the term 'designed,' which places attention on to the range of educational approaches now used to facilitate learning in ways that remove geographical barriers. The paper is based on part on the experience of a dedicated ODL institution in New Zealand, which found itself marginalized while a nation-wide renewal of the vocational education sector was taking place. Rather than being seen as a central part of the solution, ODL was instead assumed to be possible across regional provision. The 'distance' component was even represented as 'online,' which is becoming common across new entrants into what was traditionally understood as ODL. Five reasons for the decline of traditional understandings of ODL are offered.

This study investigated the effect of a paper folding activity prepared to develop the sixth-grade students' concept definitions and images of parallelism and perpendicularity concepts. The study also examined how the concept definition and images changed after the paper folding activity. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used. A one-group pre-/posttest design revealed that the paper folding activity had a significant positive effect on students' concept definitions and images. In addition, the interviews after pre- and post-tests indicated that the students' personal concept definitions of parallelism and perpendicularity of two lines/line segments began to match the formal concept definitions of these concepts after the paper folding activity. Lastly, missing and mis-in concept image situations, encountered generally in the pre-test, were observed less after the paper folding activity.

Teaching conceptions in higher education, or so-called academics' conceptions of teaching (ACTs), are essential in informing teaching behaviors and influencing students' learning. Consequently, several attempts have been made since the 1990s to understand what ACTs represent and how they can be developed towards student-centered teaching. However, the expected results did not occur as planned because ACTs were frequently misinterpreted mainly because of the similarities with teaching beliefs and other comparable concepts like cognitions about teaching or perspectives of teaching. Hence, many fundamental issues still need to be solved (e.g., ACTs definition, terminology use, measurement, etc.). The present systematic literature review aimed to clarify the conceptual discrepancies in the ACTs' definitions and terminology and propose a consensus regarding the most appropriate working definition and terminological use. We analyzed 1123 studies using systematic online searching in the Web of Science Database and citation searching. After the eligibility process, we came across 78 eligible articles. The results showed that most of the studies used the terminology and definitions of "conceptions of teaching" (Pratt, 1992) to the detriment of the "beliefs of teaching" or another related term. Even though the concepts "conceptions of teaching" and "beliefs of teaching" come from different theoretical perspectives--where "conceptions" originate from a phenomenological approach, characterized by qualitative methodologies, and "beliefs" come from a cognitive approach, represented by quantitative studies--most studies used them interchangeably. However, the authors only extremely rarely (N = 2) appeared aware of this interchangeability and explicitly mentioned it. While the "conceptions of teaching" emerged as the most utilized term, Pratt's (1992) definition was the most often employed definition of ACTs. We advocate for consistency in teaching conceptions, research definitions, and terminological use, paramount for diminishing the risk of misinterpretation, comparing, and synthesizing findings, as well as straightforward communication among educationalists, researchers, and policymakers.

In an upcoming coverage-comprehension study, we plan to assess learners' meaning-recall knowledge of words as they occur in the study's reading passage. As several meaning-recall test formats exist, the purpose of this small-scale study (N = 10) was to determine which of three formats was most similar to a criterion interview regarding mean score and the consistency of correct/incorrect classifications (match rate, k = 30). In Test 1, the prompt consisted of only the target item, and a written translation of its meaning was elicited. In Test 2, the prompt was a short sentence in which a target item was highlighted, and a written translation of only that target item was requested. In Test 3, the prompt was the same sentence as in Test 2, but the target item was unhighlighted, and participants were requested to translate the entire sentence. Finally, in the criterion interview, participants were asked to demonstrate their understanding of the target items in the same prompt sentences as in Tests 2-3. The results indicated that Test 3 produced a mean score and match rate most similar to the interview, followed by Test 2, with Test 1 being the least similar. The paper discusses several factors explaining differences in test performance that were explored during the interview.

Reasoning, reflective practice, and evidence-based practice are essential skills for occupational therapy practitioners, but it is unclear how these skills are defined in occupational therapy education. We used Delphi methodology to explore educator conceptualizations of clinical reasoning, professional reasoning, reflective practice, and evidence-based practice. Eligible participants on the Delphi expert panel were required to have been an educator in an occupational therapy program for at least three years at the master's level or higher, to be a current occupational therapy educator, based in the United States, and available across multiple survey rounds. Nine participants completed all three survey rounds. Among members of the expert panel there was continued moderate disagreement about terminology related to reasoning and there were some discrepancies between expert perspectives and the occupational therapy literature. However, these educators largely agreed on key features of the complex constructs. Consistency about the use of these terms will support both education and research related to essential professional skills.

The conceptualization of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning [SoTL] has evolved over its 30-year history. This study sought to understand how faculty, staff, and students at a research-intensive institution in Ontario, Canada label and describe SoTL. We performed an environmental scan that consisted of: 1) mining academic journal titles to identify names commonly used to describe systematic inquiry into teaching and learning; 2) a campus-wide survey of faculty, staff, and students; and 3) interviews with select faculty members who perform SoTL work. We identified several dichotomies between the findings from these three methods and discuss the meanings of these findings in relation to the 4M, micro-meso-macro-mega levels, framework.

Family Communication is an inherently value-laden class. When students walk into the classroom, some of them come with a very negative view of family, whereas others walk in with an extremely narrow view of family. By prioritizing and facilitating the importance of multiple definitions of families, instructors can move through more complex topics over the course of the semester knowing that students have an understanding of why defining family is important--even if they are hesitant to change their definition. In this article I present eight best practices for teaching family communication. This set of practices provides a foundation for educators to broach a value-laden topic while building classroom rapport.

Despite undeniable advances in research on language learning strategies in the last several decades, empirical investigations of actions and thoughts that learners engage in to better understand and use grammar structures in different contexts, or grammar learning strategies (GLS), remain scarce. Moreover, there is a paucity of studies examining the effects of pedagogical interventions in this area, both with respect to the use of different types of GLS and the mastery of grammar structures in terms of explicit and implicit (automatized) knowledge. There is also no empirical evidence concerning the mediating role of individual difference (ID) factors in this respect. The paper outlines a study currently in progress that seeks to address all of these gaps. The first part is devoted to a brief overview of key issues related to the definition and classification of GLS as well as a synthesis of available research in this area. This is followed by a description of an intervention-based research project which explores the effects of strategies-based instruction (SBI) targeting GLS by English majors in Poland, also taking into account the moderating impact of selected ID variables. In particular, the methodology of the study is presented and the envisaged contributions of the intervention are considered.

Although teachers are eager to facilitate community of inquiry (CoI) in their classrooms, they also fear being unable to convey the necessary knowledge to their students in an inquiry due to the inherent involvement of conflicting views, confusion, and a lack of strict definitions about the concepts. The author argues that the banking model of education relies on certain conceptual assumptions about the nature of concepts. For the banking model to function effectively, it must initially assume that all concepts can be defined by their necessary and jointly sufficient conditions. The author goes on to argue that treating concepts as prototypes is helpful in demonstrating the necessity of collective inquiry, even for technical and scientific concepts that are strictly defined. This approach to concepts is illustrated through an inquiry design in a science class on the concept of "mixture."

The purpose of this article is to conduct a mathematical and phenomenological comparison of three concepts: (1) the finite limit of a function at a point, (2) the finite limit of a sequence, and (3) the infinite limit of a sequence. Additionally, we aim to analyse the presence of these concepts in Spanish textbooks. The methodology employed is exploratory and descriptive. Our mathematical comparison revealed differences in several areas, including the dependence between variables, the involved infinite processes, the types of infinity, the dimensioning for each variable, and the intuition of continuity in the interval. Our phenomenological comparison found a correspondence between phenomena using a formal approach, but differences in phenomena when using an intuitive approach. Finally, our analysis of textbooks revealed that all three limits are most commonly presented in the verbal representation system and definition format.

Immersive learning practices (ILPs) in higher education are multidisciplinary in nature and varied in levels of integration into the student learning process. They appear in a variety of higher education programs such as teacher education, social work, law, and health sciences, and in practices such as service-learning, study away, internships, and foreign-language instruction. Based on observations of teaching and data from an open-ended survey and semi-structured interviews with post-secondary educators from three different countries, this study theorizes that immersive learning practices are composed of six distinct underlying theoretical components that work in combination. These six components can be used to describe, define, compare, and design different types of structured ILPs. This study suggests that ILPs are pedagogically distinct from other forms of engaged and experiential learning.

Following the gradual post-COVID-19 return of international student flows, it is important to examine how higher education institutions and international students are reacting to their new environment and how they relate to each other. Central to this relationship is the concept of "belonging"; what it means for international students, as newcomers and temporary residents in their host environment, to feel as if they belong. To address this question, and as a springboard from which further research into the topic can be undertaken, we examined the question of "belonging" within contemporary academic literature. We examined a broad range of literature to determine the key findings, as well as gaps in the implications for theory and practice. Our findings indicate that "belonging" is seldom clearly defined in the scholarly research. We also found that a proactive approach to student integration was the most common thread across the studies examined.

Abstraction is essential to learning mathematics because the mathematical concepts obtained through abstraction will be more meaningful than directly receiving these concepts. This study aims to describe the pre-service teachers' abstraction in constructing relationships among quadrilaterals. This research method was explorative qualitative research with a purposive sampling technique. The subject of this research was a pre-service mathematics teacher who had taken a geometry course. The data analysis techniques used in this study were data condensation, data display, drawing and verifying conclusions. The research results showed that the participant used epistemic actions in an abstraction, such as recognising each quadrilateral type, building-with their properties, constructing relationships among them, and consolidating the abstract results made. Thus, the abstraction in constructing relationships among quadrilaterals can be observed from the epistemic actions: recognising, building-with, constructing, and consolidation, known as RBC+C.

Through consultations with the online version of the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (LDOCE) and the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), this study focuses on distinguishing between the two synonymous verbs "restrict" and "constrain," both part of Coxhead's (2000) Academic Word List, in terms of formality and collocations. The COCA-informed findings revealed that both near-synonyms are most prevalent in academic genres, sharing an equally high level of formality, and exhibit six overlapping groups of noun collocates. Interestingly, the target synonyms, along with their left- and right-sided noun collocates, form context-specific clusters. The verb "restrict" is associated with terms related to governance and rights (i.e., "laws and regulations restrict liberties") while "constrain" with governance and commerce (i.e., "rules constrain spending"). The two are also characterized by unique patterns of collocating with nouns that have opposite morphological meanings: "restrict" pairs with noun collocates containing morphemes representing inbound activities (e.g., "acc"- in "access," as in "restrict access"), while "constrain" with those indicating outbound directions (e.g., "ex"- in "expansion," as in "constrain expansion").

This study analyzes four English synonyms -- clear, obvious, apparent, and evident -- concentrating on meanings, distribution across genre, collocations, and semantic preference and prosody. The data were drawn from learner's dictionaries and the Corpus of the Contemporary American English (COCA). It was discovered that the four synonyms share the same core meaning but differ in terms of detailed meanings, collocations, semantic preference, and semantic prosody. "Apparent" and "evident" were found to be the most formal synonyms in this study. "Obvious" is mostly associated with negative meanings. "Clear" has a wide range of detailed meanings and is usually involved with nature and the physical world. The results of this study also shed light on ELT as they can guide teachers and students in practicing skills of corpora and applying them to classroom, autonomously.

A highly authentic learning setting is likely to trigger positive motivational and emotional reactions due to its emphasis on promoting the acquisition of knowledge that is connected and transferable to real-world phenomena outside the learning environment. However, a high level of authenticity is usually accompanied by a high level of complexity due to the complexity inherent in the real world. This complexity can be overwhelming for learners and can hamper or even prevent cognitive learning outcomes. Consequently, to help learners cope with this complexity, they need some kind of instructional support. By building a high level of support into the learning setting in order to promote cognitive learning outcomes, the level of authenticity and thereby the effects of authenticity on motivational outcomes may, however, in turn be reduced. In the present conceptual paper, we refer to this tension between authenticity and complexity, on the one hand, and instructional support, on the other hand, as the "authenticity dilemma". Based on existing empirical evidence from previous studies, we (1) outline this dilemma, (2) discuss ways to reconceptualize it, and (3) derive implications regarding the conditions and effects of authentic learning. Finally, we discuss the findings of the studies included in the special issue "Perspectives on Authentic Learning" through the lens of the authenticity dilemma.

Rural adolescents are at risk for firearm-related injury and death. In response, professional organizations have called for communication between adolescents, parents, and providers about firearms. A shared understanding of firearms between providers and families can facilitate effectiveness of health interventions. However, few studies engage adolescents in identifying their perception of common firearm terminology. The current study aimed to understand how adolescents in rural communities defined firearm-related terms including firearm, carrying, and handling, and differences in terms based on prior firearm training. Data were from a mixed methods community-based participatory study of 93 adolescents from rural Washington state. Thematic qualitative coding identified themes for firearm (gun, weapon, projectile, and tool), carrying (on you/your person, transportation, and holding), and handling (actively using, safe use, and holding) and differences between those with prior firearms training. Findings provide insight into perceptions of firearm-related terms for adolescents, an often-neglected voice, and inform rural policy and prevention efforts.

Theory of mind (ToM) involves understanding others' thoughts and feelings and is related to language abilities. Individuals with communication disorders are at risk of ToM difficulties; however, little is known about speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') knowledge, perceptions, and educational preparation related to ToM.U.S.SLPs (N = 95) completed an online survey in which they described their understanding of ToM and answered questions about their educational preparation related to ToM. A thematic analysis of SLPs' definitions of ToM revealed nine themes represented in participants' responses including perspective-taking and interpersonal and intrapersonal cognitive and affective ToM. Most SLPs' definitions included more than one code indicating a multifaceted understanding of ToM; however, most SLPs reported little formal education related to ToM. Although language ability plays a critical role in the development of ToM and SLPs are language specialists, these results suggest that SLPs receive little formal education on these topics. Clinical implications are discussed.

Are the many crises of higher education real, or are they in the eye of the beholder? They are evidently something of both: The crises to which we are characteristically alerted are manifestations in the real of the world and indicate much about our scholars' perceptions and even their values. To say this, however, invites the question: can we sort the wheat from the chaff? Might there be a way of validating any effort to identify a crisis that lies in the world, independently of claims made about it? There is straightaway a fundamental difficulty after all; namely, that the very concept of crisis is fact and value, both pointing to a phenomenon in the world and making a judgement about it. It seems then that, in the language of crisis, we may be conflating ontology with epistemology and ethics. When we hear talk of crisis, we may be being told more about the claim-maker than the feature of the world that is in question. However, I suggest that, if we deploy the artifice of ecosystem, and so adopt an ecological approach to the matter, we can move on two planes at once: We can point to phenomena of crises in higher education that are in the world and that also warrant our evaluative judgements of them.

Definitions play an integral role in mathematics and mathematics classes. Yet, expectations for definitions and how they are intended to operate, i.e., mathematical norms for definitions, can remain hidden from students and conflict with other discursive norms, explaining differences in mathematicians' and students' understandings of the nature of definitions. We examined how six inquiry-oriented Introduction to Proof instructors supported their students in revising their definition drafts to adhere to mathematical norms. We identified four procedures that effectively supported students' drafts in adhering to various mathematical norms, particularly to those that worked to increase clarity. We discuss how the instructors' teaching practices provided different opportunities for students to engage with mathematical norms for definitions, general mathematical norms, and mathematical content.

The International Dyslexia Association definition of dyslexia was updated 20 years ago and has been referenced frequently in research and practice. In this paper, researchers from the Florida Center for Reading Research consider the components of the definition and make recommendations for revisions. These include recognizing the persistence of word-reading, decoding, and spelling difficulties, acknowledging the multifactorial causal basis of dyslexia, clarifying exclusionary factors, and denoting comorbidity with other developmental disorders. It is also suggested that the academic and psychosocial consequences of dyslexia be highlighted to reinforce a preventive service delivery model. Lastly, the inclusion of dyslexia within a specific learning disability category is supported.

We address defining and identifying students with dyslexia within the context of multi-tier systems of support (MTSS). We review proposed definitions of dyslexia, evidence for proposed definitional attributes, and emphasize the role of instructional response in identifying students with dyslexia. We identify dyslexia as individuals with specific deficits in reading and spelling single words combined with inadequate response to evidence-based instruction. We propose a hybrid identification process in which assessment is utilized within school-wide MTSS allowing for integration of routinely collected progress monitoring data as well integrating with more formal diagnostic measures. This proposed "hybrid" method demonstrates strong evidence for valid decision-making and directly informs instruction. We close proposing a revised definition of dyslexia that incorporates these elements.

Here we build from the central strength of the existing definition of dyslexia--its emphasis on neurobiological origins--and proffer a set of seven core principles for a new, more comprehensive conceptualization of dyslexia. These principles derive from two major research directions: (1) the still evolving history of attempts to explain dyslexia, including in varied writing systems; and (2) the study of the reading brain circuit, its development, and its genetic and environmental influences. What emerges from connecting these two directions is a dynamic conceptualization of dyslexia that incorporates the extensive research on the heterogeneity of dyslexia and the interdependent contributions of multiple biological and socio-cultural risk and preventive factors. A new definition of dyslexia, therefore, needs to transcend both past unitary characterizations and past assumptions based largely on the English orthography. Such a conceptualization references the ways that different languages interact with the reading brain circuit to produce different sources of reading failure. Similarly, the characteristics and consequences of dyslexia that have been considered as secondary sequela (e.g., reduced reading comprehension, social-emotional issues) should be part of a more comprehensive narrative. Of critical importance, any definition of dyslexia should clarify persisting misconceptions that associate dyslexia with a lack of intelligence, potential to learn, or talents. Thus, the overall purpose of such a definition should serve as an instrument of knowledge and an enduring reason for pursuing growth in reading for the individual, the educator, and the public.

Culturally responsive personalized learning (CRPL) emphasizes the importance of aligning personalized learning approaches with previous research on culturally responsive practices to consider social, cultural, and linguistic contexts for learning. In the present discussion, we briefly summarize two bodies of literature considered in defining and developing a framework for CRPL: technology-enabled personalized learning and culturally relevant, responsive, and sustaining pedagogy. We then provide a definition and framework consisting of six key principles of CRPL, along with a brief discussion of theories and empirical evidence to support these principles. These six principles include agency, dynamic adaptation, connection to lived experiences, consideration of social movements, opportunities for collaboration, and shared power. These principles fall into three domains: fostering flexible student-centered learning experiences, leveraging relevant content and practices, and supporting meaningful interactions within a community. Finally, we conclude with some implications of this framework for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working to ensure that all students receive high-quality learning opportunities that are both personalized and culturally responsive.

Youth with disabilities experience bullying at rates much higher than those who do not identify as having a disability; however, they are often underrepresented in national measures of bullying due to a lack of accessibility. This study was set to evaluate (1) how individuals with disabilities define "bullying," (2) the prevalence of bullying among youth with disabilities in comparison to national bullying rates previously reported in the literature, and (3) their knowledge of the resources available to prevent bullying. Surveys were developed and administered to participants from two populations in California: (1) youth with disabilities, (2) parents of youth with disabilities. Results of the study showed that the definition of bullying is subjective and the prevalence of bullying experienced among individuals with disabilities was 90%. Over half of the youth with disabilities and their parents were unaware of how to file an anti-bullying complaint and 29% were unsure if their school had an anti-bullying policy. This study revealed that it is imperative for the public to better understand the concept of bullying, especially among the population of individuals with disabilities, to ensure the development and enforcement of robust policies. It also highlighted the lack of knowledge among individuals with disabilities regarding current policies put in place to mitigate bullying in the schools. Results of this study emphasized the need for including adolescents with disabilities in conversations about bullying and for the development of more inclusive preventive measures.

Inferencing is an important and complex process required for successful reading comprehension. Previous research has suggested instruction in inferencing is effective at improving reading comprehension. However, varying definitions of inferencing is likely impacting how inferencing instruction is implemented in practice and inferencing ability is measured. The goal of this study was, first, to systematically review the literature on inference instruction to compile a list of definitions used to describe inferences, and second, to review textbooks used in instruction and assessments used in research and practice to measure inferencing skills. A systematic literature search identified studies that implemented inferencing instruction with learners across all ages from preschool to adults. After screening and elimination, 75 studies were identified and reviewed for inference definitions, instructional practices, and assessments used. A widely-used reading textbook and two reading comprehension assessments were reviewed for grade 4 (elementary school) and grade 7 (middle school) to connect inferences taught and measured with the identified definitions. Reviewing the 75 studies suggested 3 broad categories of inferences and 9 definitions of specific inference types. Textbook and assessment review processes revealed differences between the types of inference questions practiced and tested. The large variation in inference types and definitions may create difficulties in schools implementing inference instruction and/or attempting to measure students' inference abilities. More alignment between research studies on inference instruction and the textbooks and assessments used in schools to teach and assess inference skills is needed.

This phenomenological study explored how five participants used their Texas state-approved definition of dyslexia to identify children with dyslexia as different from those with other global reading difficulties. Drawing on theories from disability studies in education and dis/ability critical race theory, I interviewed participants who identified dyslexia in terms of sociocultural differences, beliefs about intelligence, and reading ability. They frequently left unexamined concerns of race and how explanations of dyslexia privileged white, middle-class children over children of color and children in low-income schools. This study contributes to research that critically examines how these definitions of dyslexia segregate students with reading difficulties based on beliefs about intelligence, sociocultural factors, and the lack of conversations about race. Implications suggest that a growing focus on dyslexia may exacerbate inequalities already present in school systems. Stakeholders should critically examine their identification practices of reading difficulties to ensure that all children receive reading support.

Causal inference involves determining whether a treatment (e.g., an education program) causes a change in outcomes (e.g., academic achievement). It is well-known that causal effects are more challenging to estimate than associations. Over the past 50 years, the potential outcomes framework has become one of the most widely used approaches for defining, identifying, and estimating causal effects. In this paper, we review the potential outcomes framework with a focus on potential outcomes notation to define individual and average causal effects. We then show how three canonical assumptions, Unconfoundedness, Positivity, and Consistency, may be used to identify average causal effects. The identification results motivate methods for estimating causal effects in practice, which include model-based estimators, such as regression, inverse probability weighting, and doubly robust estimation, and procedures that target covariate balance, such as matching and stratification. Examples and discussion are grounded in the context of a running example of a study aimed at assessing the causal effect of receipt of special education services on 5th grade mathematics achievement in school-aged children. Practical considerations for education research are discussed.