School placement plays a critical and complex role in student teacher development as well as in their professional dispositions and career attitudes. It is where theory and practice meet, teaching skills are developed, professional relationships formed and future careers envisioned. This mixed methods study explores student teachers’ experiences with and perspectives about new models of extended school placements developed in Ireland following significant policy and programme reform. Data was collected through interviews and questionnaires with one of the first cohorts to experience a reconceptualised initial teacher education programme, including extended school placement periods in a variety of school settings. This paper will explore student teachers’ perspectives regarding the value of the extended placement and factors influencing their professional learning, agency and sense of belonging. Overall, our findings confirm the pedagogical benefits of the extended placement in two different school settings for student teachers’ professional learning. However, they also highlight how a number of factors, including the existence (or absence) of school support structures, school culture, peer networks, paid or unpaid additional workload and financial pressures impacted on student teachers’ capabilities to develop their skills and professional agency, their sense of belonging and, in some cases, their physical and mental health.

Teacher agency is a set of actions that a teacher takes beyond what is generally expected of them. The concept merits examination, as agency can bolster teachers’ ability to set and achieve professional development goals. To better understand how to study, and use, this relatively new concept in the academic literature, a systematic review of 164 publications written by researchers from 41 countries was conducted in order to document the research approaches used to study teacher agency, the participants whose agency was documented in a school setting, the methodology used and the type of analysis performed. The study found that teacher agency has been documented qualitatively in the form of case studies comprising interviews of a small number of individuals, with no consensus in terms of interview protocol. In most cases, the results are analyzed using emergent coding. The way that agency is documented varies but is most often underpinned by an ecological approach.

Guided by the analytical framework in the current literature, whereby ten nature of science (NOS) aspects were targeted, this study aims at assessing the extent to which the three physics textbooks for Cycle 4 of Fundamental Schools in Burundi represent the NOS aspects. The quantitative embedded research design which combines the qualitative and quantitative to both the representations of text and images were applied to collect and analyses data. Three physics textbooks used in this study as textbooks I, II and III (grade 7 textbook, grade 8 textbook and grade 9 textbook) were purposively selected. 65 physics lessons were analyzed in three steps including exploring representations of NOS aspects, representations of NOS teaching approaches and accuracy and completeness of NOS aspects. Data were collected using a guide document analysis and a rubric of NOS scoring and were analysed descriptively. The findings found a considerable deficit of NOS aspects in the physics textbooks. The findings also revealed the critical situation where the few lessons poorly represent the NOS aspects and the majority of them do not include the aspects of NOS. Furthermore, this study suggests the in-charge of quality assurance to evaluate and deliberate on the accuracy and completeness of physics textbooks for Cycle 4 of Fundamental Education in Burundi.

The pandemic era has caused changes in the learning system. The situation demanded online learning and triggered students to have learning difficulties. The research aims to examine the impact of social media, social environment, and student learning potential on student learning difficulties. This study utilizes a quantitative approach. The respondents were university students experiencing online learning in West Java, Indonesia. A questionnaire validated by four experts was distributed to 539 of them. Accommodating structural equation modeling (SEM) by evaluating the measurement and structural models was used in data analysis. This study revealed that the instrument had good construct validity and reliability. A good instrument will produce a good measurement process so that the instrument can get the data needed. Hypothesis testing shows that high media activity can inhibit students from learning. However, social media activity directly influences learning difficulties. Meanwhile, the variables of learning potential and social environment positively influence student learning difficulties directly or indirectly. There are a few things to note on learning potential, social environment, and social media to delve into their influences on students' learning difficulties.

Mathematics teachers’ instructional strategies lack in-depth knowledge of algebraic systems and hold misconceptions about solving two algebraic equations simultaneously. This study aimed to gain an in-depth analysis of teachers’ knowledge and perceptions about the promotion of conceptual learning and effective teaching of algebraic equations. The main question was, ‘How do junior secondary school mathematics teachers manifest their pedagogical practices when teaching algebraic equations? This article reports on a qualitative, underpinned by the knowledge quartet model study, that sought to explore how junior secondary school teachers’ pedagogical practices manifested in the teaching of algebraic equations. Data were collected from observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis of two mathematics teachers purposely selected from two schools. The collected data were analysed using a statistical analysis software called Atlas-ti. (Version 8) and triangulated through thematic analysis. The study revealed that teachers’ choices of representations, examples, and tasks used did not expose learners to hands-on activities that promote understanding and making connections from the underlying algebraic equation concepts. The study proposed Penta-Knowledge Collaborative Planning and Reflective Teaching and Learning Models to enable teachers to collaborate with their peers from the planning stage to lesson delivery reflecting on good practices and strategies for teaching algebraic equations.

The skill to solve mathematical problems facilitates students to develop their basic skills to solve problems in daily life. This study analyzes students' problem-solving process with a reflective cognitive style in constructing probability problems using action, process, object, and schema theory (APOS). The explanatory method was used in this qualitative study. The participants were mathematics students at the Department of Mathematics, Universitas Negeri Semarang. The researchers collected the data with the cognitive style test using the Matching Familiar Figure Test (MFFT), used a valid problem-solving skill test, and the interview questions. The data analysis techniques used were processing and preparing the data for analysis, extensive reading of the data, coding all data, applying the coding process, describing the data, and interpreting the data. The results showed that (1) the problem-solving process of students with symbolic representation was characterized by the use of mathematical symbols to support the problem-solving process in the problem representation phase; (2) the problem-solving process of students with symbolic-visual representation was characterized by the use of symbols, notations, numbers, and visual representation in the form of diagrams in the problem representation phase.

Development research demands a improvement in the implementation of learning by developing products based on learning needs. The products of this development are teacher book and student book based on the realistic mathematic education (RME) approach for package A in statistics material. Validity testing in this study includes instrument validation, self-evaluation, expert validation, one-to-one evaluation. Aiken's V and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) are used to determine the validity and reliability of the product. The result of research shows that the instruments and prototype are valid and feasible. Then, the ICC obtained moderate stability, it also categorize reliable. In terms of context and hypothetical learning trajectory (HLT) developed, the products should be revised to achieve meaningful learning.

Metacognitive, critical thinking and opinion expression are in high demand. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the blended project- based literacy that integrates school literacy movement strengthening character education (literasi berbasis proyek terintegrasi GLS dan PPK: Li-Pro-GP) learning model on students' metacognitive skills, critical thinking, and opinion expression. A post-test experimental design was used to answer the research question. The study was conducted from August to October 2021 at Government Junior High School 23 Malang. Seventh-grade students were selected as research participants. The participants included 30 students from class VII-2. The research instrument was five essay questions to measure critical thinking skills. Material and assessment experts validated the essay questions developed by the researcher. The items that were declared valid were tested for validity. The result showed five valid items with high reliability of .670. Metacognitive skills were measured using the Metacognition Awareness Instrument (MAI), which consists of 40 items. The questions declared valid were tested for validity with a very high reliability of .953 for 37 items, and only three items were invalid. The ability to express an opinion was measured with an observation questionnaire validated by experts with a valid instrument score. Data analysis was performed by path analysis using the SmartPLS software. The results showed that the Li-Pro-GP blended learning model significantly strengthened students' metacognitive skills, critical thinking, and opinion formation.

The most crucial factor influencing inclusive education is the preparation of educators for their professional activities. The aim of this study was to create and present a model for developing the professional competences of pre-service social educators in the context of inclusive education. The model reflected its main components: aim, objectives, methodological approaches, principles, technologies, study conditions, forms of training and stages of implementation (preliminary, main and final). The model introduced for professional activity in the conditions of inclusive education in the university's study process has the following characteristics: expediency, integrity, internal unity and consistency. The distinctiveness of the presented model lies in the possible application of taught subjects, such as the Inclusion in the Educational Environment module developed by the authors, educational internships and research work of students (RWS). Furthermore, the model is functional, based on a systemic and student-centred approaches and the principle of continuity of learning, i.e., lifelong learning (LLL).

Several reforms have been introduced to help enhance Vietnamese people’s English competencies. However, research on what reforms Vietnamese teachers support or resist is limited. Also, the impact of teachers’ demographic information on their responses to reforms is underrepresented. This mixed-methods study used a questionnaire, responded by 102 English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers, and six semi-structured interviews to address the gap. The results revealed that the teachers supported the reforms in their teaching context. They preferred using their self-developed or self-adapted materials to using required materials. On the other hand, using the VSTEP framework for designing tests was not supported. Teachers’ demographic information, especially educational qualification, significantly differed one’s responses to reforms from those of another. Some practical implications were discussed at the end of this paper. Also, some recommendations were presented to be considered for further studies.

This study examined students’ calibration of performance in a sport skill in relation to their performance in an executive functions test. A total of 265 students in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades participated in the study. The students took an executive functions test, and then they were tested on a basketball shooting test, after having provided a personal estimation regarding their performance. Based on students’ actual and estimated performance, the bias index was calculated to classify students into three categories; accurates, underestimators and overestimators, while the accuracy index (absolute values of the bias index) was also calculated. The results showed a positive but small magnitude relation between students’ scores in the executive functions test and their performance calibration, while accurate scored higher on the executive function test compared to over estimators and under estimators. These results are similar to those of previous studies with elementary school children that employed cognitive tasks and were discussed with reference to theoretical and empirical implications.

Diagnostic tests are generally two or three-tier and based on classical test theory. In this research, the Four-Tier Diagnostic Test (FTDT) was developed based on modern test theory to determine understanding of physics levels: scientific conception (SC), lack of knowledge (LK), misconception (MSC), false negatives (FN), and false positives (FP). The goals of the FTDT are to (a) find FTDT constructs, (b) test the quality of the FTDT, and (c) describe students' conceptual understanding of physics. The development process was conducted in the planning, testing, and measurement phases. The FTDT consists of four-layer multiple-choice with 100 items tested on 700 high school students in Yogyakarta. According to the partial credit models (PCM), the student's responses are in the form of eight categories of polytomous data. The results of the study show that (a) FTDT is built on the aspects of translation, interpretation, extrapolation, and explanation, with each aspect consisting of 25 items with five anchor items; (b) FTDT is valid with an Aiken's V value in the range of 0.85-0.94, and the items fit PCM with Infit Mean Square (INFIT MNSQ) of 0.77-1.30, item difficulty index of 0.12-0.38, and the reliability coefficient of Cronbach's alpha FTDT is 0.9; (c) the percentage of conceptual understanding of physics from large to small is LK type 2 (LK2), FP, LK type 1 (LK1), FN, LK type 3 (LK3), SC, LK type 4 (LK4), and MSC. The percentage sequence of MSC based on the successive material is momentum, Newton's law, particle dynamics, harmonic motion, work, and energy. In addition, failure to understand the concept sequentially is due to Newton's law, particle dynamics, work and energy, momentum, and harmonic motion.

This study is qualitative with descriptive and aims to determine the process of generalizing the pattern image of high performance students based on the action, process, object, and schema (APOS) theory. The participants in this study were high performance eighth-grade Indonesian junior high school. Assignments and examinations to gauge mathematical aptitude and interviews were used to collect data for the study. The stages of qualitative analysis include data reduction, data presentation, and generating conclusions. This study showed that when given a sequence using a pattern drawing, the subjects used a number sequence pattern to calculate the value of the next term. Students in the action stage interiorize and coordinate by collecting prints from each sequence of numbers in the process stage. After that, they do a reversal so that at the object stage, students do encapsulation, then decapsulate by evaluating the patterns observed and validating the number series patterns they find. Students explain the generalization quality of number sequence patterns at the schema stage by connecting activities, processes, and objects from one concept to actions, processes, and things from other ideas. In addition, students carry out thematization at the schematic stage by connecting existing pattern drawing concepts with general sequences. From these results, it is recommended to improve the problem-solving skill in mathematical pattern problems based on problem-solving by high performance students', such as worksheets for students.

The primary objective of this study is to require the experts’ unanimous agreement on the e-learning antecedents and usage behavior towards e-learning performance. This study used the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) to gather answers and feedback using a 7-point Likert scale. The survey (items) was reviewed and approved by eight panel members or experts. It was analyzed using Fuzzy Delphi Logic (FUDELO 1.0) software. The data were evaluated using triangular fuzzy numbering and the position (ranking) of each variable was established through defuzzification. The findings revealed that all of the items received high levels of expert agreement, significantly greater α-cut defuzzification values >.5, the overall value of the threshold (d) is less than .2 and had to comply with the overall percentage of percent consensus, which must be greater than 75%. All 45 recommended items were retained adequately and acceptable for a large-scale survey in this study. Finally, each item was prioritized (ranked) based on the defuzzification value, and then some additional items were added, as recommended by experts.

Numerous events occur in students' educational trajectories that are linked to school success. Some of these events are related to school-related factors. Moreover, these factors alter the quality of students' engagement, generating the risk of dropping out of school. The objective of this research has been to explore, compare and understand the different events that occur in the school trajectories of at-risk youths that are related to the existing dynamics in schools. In order to achieve this objective, a narrative research based on the life stories approach was developed. For the reconstruction of the stories, the technique of in-depth interviews and mixed data analysis was used, by means of different analysis techniques. The main conclusions reached after the research have been highly relevant for studies on educational trajectories of at-risk youth. The different factors associated with schools affect the trajectory and involvement of students. There are certain dynamics that have a greater presence in some stages or others, however, all of them can positively or negatively affect the quality of student engagement. Finally, it is shown that the key lies in the way in which the different dynamics of schools develop, i.e., how the dynamics associated with certain factors develop.

The actions, processes, objects, and schemas (APOS) theory is a constructivist learning theory created by Dubinsky based on Piaget's epistemology and used to teach math worldwide. Especially the application of APOS theory to the curriculum of a mathematics class helps students better understand the concepts being taught, which in turn contributes to the formation and development of mathematical competencies. With the aid of the APOS theory and the activity, classroom discussion, and exercise (ACE) learning cycle, this study sought to ascertain the effect of teaching derivatives in Vietnamese high schools. In this quasi-experimental study at a high school in Vietnam, there were 78 grade 11 students (40 in the experimental and 38 in the control classes). As opposed to the control class, which received traditional instruction, the experimental class's students were taught using the ACE learning cycle based on the APOS theory. The data was collected based on the pre-test, the post-test results and a survey of students' opinions. Also, the data that was gathered, both qualitatively and quantitatively, was examined using IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 26) predictive analytics software. The results showed that students in the experimental class who participated in learning activities based on the APOS theory improved their academic performance and attitudes. Additionally, it promoted the students' abilities to find solutions to problems about derivatives.

This study used the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to test a model that hypothesized the influence of self-efficacy, self-control, emotion, and engagement on student academic performance. The structural equation modeling model was developed to link all the study variables with a literature review to describe the interrelationship. Data collected were from 413 college students in their second year. The results show that self-efficacy, self-control, emotion, and engagement predict student academic performance. And through emotion and student engagement, both self-efficacy and self-control predict student academic performance indirectly. Practically the measures used in this study give more information about the learning environment in higher education settings than those usually come from traditional practices faculty received in the classroom, such as student rating forms and feedback. The main findings of this study have some implications for higher education, theory development, measurement, and future research.

Professional learning communities (PLCs) are important for improving student achievement and school development. According to PLC research, teachers' knowledge and practice in teaching are significantly improved by various PLC forms and favorable working environments. This qualitative research was conducted to find out what forms of PLCs were popular and what challenges were facing three primary schools in a province in Vietnam. The study utilizes a multiple-site case study design relating to PLCs in those schools with the data from interviews with the principals, group leaders and teachers, observations of PLC activities and related policy documents. The two forms of PLCs were identified in this research, including professional groups and groups of core teachers. Besides, four challenges facing PLCS implementation in those schools included the old habit of professional learning in PLCs, structural conditions of schedules and facilities, economic conditions of teachers and motivation for reforms. The study provides recommendations based on the findings for PLC research and practice within and beyond the Vietnamese context.

Ursula von der Leyen identifies diverse classrooms have different knowledges and ‘epistemologies’. A typology of epistemologies for democratising knowledge ‘A Blueprint for Character Development for Evolution’ (ABCDE) is offered to mainstream policy benefits for all by Higher Education as hubs i) credentialing educational leaders by doctoral-study and ii) propelling networks of Professional Educators and Administrators Committees for Empowerment (PEACE) across professions credentialed by Higher Education and chaired by educational leaders. PEACE builds robust evidence bases to inform redesigning curriculums and culturally responsive pedagogies as policy benefits that empower students to use ABCDE with Assessment for Personal and Social Learning (APSL) to problem solve across the quadruple-helix. Education Outcomes include students’ self-management of personal and social understanding and wellbeing for resilience within sustainable circular, entrepreneurial, green and digitised economies with products and means of production regulated by professions credentialed by Higher Education. Impacts include communities developing responsible historical social consciousness to reinvigorate democratic governance, accountability, transparency, effectiveness and trustworthiness of rule-of-law based institutions and policies to expand active and inclusive citizenship empowered by safeguarding human rights. Further research, building on the powerful European Commission funded platform ‘DocEnhance’ is recommended to inform effective and efficient investment into high quality education and training.

This paper discusses the development and validation of a concept inventory for interpreting kinematics graphs in the Tanzanian context. The study involved 61 participants comprising physics pre-service teachers, secondary school teachers, diploma college tutors, and a university lecturer from Tanzania. We developed 25 multiple-choice questions for interpreting kinematics graphs. The different steps in the development process used are selecting the topic, setting objectives, constructing questions, validating questions, and reliability testing. We carried out descriptive and inferential statistical analysis by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22 followed by item analysis for pre-and post-piloting. Findings revealed normal distribution scores with a mean and standard deviation of 39.28±10.893 for pre-piloting and 40.16±8.08 for post-piloting. It also revealed no significant difference between pre-and post-piloting results with a p-value of 0.414.  In addition, correlation coefficients for test re-test reliability were .783 and .878 for single and average measures respectively. Moreover, item analysis in terms of difficulty index, discrimination index, and distractor efficiency agreed with the published standards. Based on these findings, the study recommends the use of developed and validated kinematics graphs concept inventory by physics educators in both research and classroom instructions in the Tanzanian context.