This qualitative study examines the experiences of pre-service high school biology teachers in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, focusing on the challenges and transformative learning experiences encountered during their school-based internship. It aims to explore the dichotomy between specialized biology knowledge and practical applicability in high school teaching and uncover the significance of fostering student engagement through innovative strategies and the role of mentor teachers in guiding pre-service teachers. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from pre-service biology teachers who completed a school-based internship in the Mekong Delta. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the interview data. The study highlights the challenges of bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and classroom practice, emphasizing the importance of innovative teaching strategies for student engagement. It recognizes the role of mentor teachers in guiding and enhancing the skills of pre-service teachers in creating effective learning environments. Findings suggest the need for curriculum reforms that balance specialized biology knowledge and practical pedagogical skills. The study emphasizes the importance of experiential learning through teaching apprenticeships to better prepare pre-service teachers for their professional journey.

The importance of research competence in pre-service teacher education has been highlighted in many studies, but concerns over the lack and inconsistency of definition, measurement, and development of research competence still exist. This poses a challenge for pre-service education programmes to provide quality education to pre-service teachers in this area. Through a systematic literature review it was found that there is a gap in the existing literature regarding the definition of research competence in pre-service teacher education, as there seems to be no consensus on the definition. There is, however, an agreement that the development of research competence is an important part of study programmes, as it contributes to higher quality education of pre-service teachers. Addressing this, the review proposes a concise definition of research competence as a multifaceted construct that includes critical thinking, self-directed learning, and organizational skills essential for effective research. The review also highlighted a lack of consensus on the most appropriate frameworks and tools to use in measuring research competence in pre-service teachers, with studies using various frameworks and tools that differ in terms of research methods, instruments and sample characteristics. The results suggest that there is a need for greater attention to be paid to the definition and measurement of research competence, as well as its development within pre-service teacher education programmes.

STEM education is an irreplaceable movement of educational systems across the globe in the 21st century. Both Pre-K, K-12, and higher education institutions consider STEM as an innovative approach to integrate and reform the teaching and learning processes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of studies on STEM in the Early Childhood Education context from 1992 to 2022. We investigated a dataset of 308 scholarly works from the Clarivate Web of Science database and figured a diversified collection of research focuses on topics such as children’s readiness, outcomes, teachers’ competency in designing and implementing STEM activities, and the role of computational thinking and robotics. The findings of this paper revealed the dominant contribution of researchers from the USA regarding research quantity and impact, as well as their collaborations with researchers from Western countries. In addition, we also figured out the top influencing authors, documents, and journals as a suggestion for scholars who are new to this topic. However, we would like to note that our findings depended on the quality of the imported database from the WoS system, which covers top-tier journals only.

This integrative literature review aims to provide a broader and updated perspective of teachers’ intergenerational learning (IL). The search was done in Web of Science and EBSCO ultimate  databases between 2011 and 2022. Thirty-two empirical studies were selected and submitted to a thematic analysis and five themes were identified: (a) defining and conceptualising generation, (b) IL from understandings to practices, (c) contexts, factors and roles from different generations and institutions to promote IL, (d) factors that facilitate the success of IL, and (e) factors that make IL difficult. Data shows an increase in the last decades of research in IL within the educational context, but an absence of the prospective dimension still prevails. Intergenerational knowledge has been researched mainly from an individual professional perspective at the micro and meso levels of scholarship. Effectiveness requires intentional cultivation and a genuine desire for intergenerational knowledge exchange, involving active engagement and awareness among diverse generations and alignment with organizational aims. The promotion of IL takes place in very different ways and forms, and reflection on what is different seems to be a dominant trait. Furthermore, the review could conclude that intergenerational opportunities to work together will improve teacher education and continuous professional development. 

eTwinning is a community of European schools that promotes networking and transnational collaboration projects. Therefore, as part of the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) initiative, we decided to explore how the research projects on scientific topics familiarize pre-service primary school teachers with eTwinning. 251 pre-service primary school teachers from Spain, Iceland, and Slovenia designed and carried out joint research projects on scientific topics. The aim was to gain insight into their self-assessment of their knowledge of the platform, the limitations of working with it, and their responses. An electronic questionnaire was used as the main instrument for data collection. It turned out that the pre-service teachers enjoyed this international collaboration, but also found it challenging. By the end of the projects, they were familiar with the eTwinning platform, although the least engaged prospective teachers recognized that they needed strong support and considered the platform a non-intuitive environment. Overall, they were willing to use the platform with pupils in the future, which is in line with the aim of the ITE initiative.

Recent research has identified factors influencing the choice of a special education career; however, it has not thoroughly examined their connection with personality traits and identity status. Thus, the present study was designed to explore how different personality traits and identity statuses correlate with the motives and perceptions associated with the choice to teach in special education. The study involved 209 pre-service special education teachers. The NEO-Five Factor Inventory was used to measure the Big 5 personality traits. The Ego Identity Process Questionnaire assessed identity commitment and exploration. The Factors Influencing Teaching Choice Scale was used to evaluate motivations and perceptions about teaching. Regarding the factors that influenced the decision to pursue a career in special education, intrinsic value, shaping children’s future, social equity, making social contributions, working with children, task demands, and job satisfaction were highly rated. Additionally, extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness, and identity statuses were identified as positive predictors for certain factors influencing the choice of a teaching career in special education. Finally, the study identified two distinct groups of students: "Identity Achievers" characterized by high positive personality traits, and identity commitment, and "Identity Explorers" characterized by lower positive personality traits and higher identity exploration. Differences were observed between the groups in their motives and perceptions concerning teaching in special education. In conclusion, this study highlights the relationships between personality, identity status, and career decision factors, offering insights into the factors that influence this critical career decision among future special educators. Directions for future research are discussed.

The sense of belonging is a human need that educational systems must foster to achieve student success. In the school setting, this feeling strengthens the bond between members of the institution and motivates families to become more involved with the school, improving the overall school climate. Teachers play a crucial role in promoting this sense of belonging by influencing the connection between families and the educational community. This study aims to understand how teachers from different contexts, one Colombian and the other Spanish, promote families' sense of belonging to the school. To this end, an evaluative, comparative, quantitative, and non-experimental study was conducted using a validated questionnaire applied to a significant sample in both contexts. The results show that, for teachers in both contexts, it is very important for families to feel satisfied with the education their children receive, which is why they strive to build trust in the teaching staff. The sense of belonging is more strongly promoted by teachers in charter schools and those with more years of experience in schools in the Spanish context. In the Colombian context, women are the ones who most actively promote it, thereby perpetuating gender roles. There is a need to provide specific training for teachers to help them develop this capacity in families, as well as to conduct further research to explore the differences that may influence the promotion of a sense of belonging.

This study evaluates the impact of an educational intervention strategy – Project-Based Learning (PBL) – designed to enhance university students' knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their integration into academic curricula, and their relevance for future professional and personal applications. The research is motivated by the recognised importance of the SDGs in education and the current limited integration and understanding within higher education settings. The study applied a pre-test and post-test experimental design used, involving 199 first-year students from the University of Cordoba (Spain), enrolled in Primary and Early Childhood Education programmes. The intervention comprised PBL activities aimed at increasing knowledge and perceptions of the SDGs. Data were collected using a questionnaire assessing three dimensions: knowledge of the SDGs, the importance of their inclusion in the curriculum, and the perceived relevance of applying SDG principles in professional and personal contexts. The findings indicate that the intervention strategy effectively improved, albeit partially, students' understanding and perception of the SDGs. There was a significant improvement in students' knowledge. However, regarding the perceived importance of integrating the SDGs into their curriculum and the relevance of the SDGs for their future professional and personal lives, no effects were observed. These results underscore the partial efficacy of PBL in promoting sustainability competences and global citizenship among students, suggesting the need to explore other pedagogical methodologies for greater effectiveness. The study advocates the integration of SDGs into higher education curricula to better prepare students for future challenges, emphasising the need for further research to explore the long-term impacts and broader applicability of such educational intervention.

With the introduction of the new curriculum, primary school Croatian fine arts teachers faced many challenges. The fundamental problem, the lack of school lessons, is highlighted by the challenges of implementing problem and project work and integrating technology into the teaching process. Therefore, it is important to organise activities where pupils use modern tools and media for high-quality educational purposes. The animation was chosen as a fine arts technique that can fulfil these requirements. Qualitative action research was conducted in city Split in the school year 2023/2024. The 5th and 8th grade pupils (125) and their fine arts teachers (3) participated in the research. A total of 75.23% of respondents were positive about the occasional introduction of technology into fine arts classes. After completing the fine arts project, 77.98% of pupils stated that they now have the knowledge and skills to create an animation themselves, while 77% of pupils consider their digital stories to be interesting and original. All three fine arts teachers cite a lack of continuity due to the small number of lessons as a shortcoming. The results point to poor material conditions: overheating of old projectors, low-quality tablets, poor internet connection and lack of power sockets. The research has shown that there are discrepancies between the prescribed theoretical requirements for learning outcomes and the possibilities for their practical realisation. As a result, teachers need to take a keen interest and receive additional training to ensure that the projects designed are in line with the requirements of the curriculum.