Initial teacher education (ITE) programmes have been critiqued widely for failing to connect educational theory with everyday practices in schools. More meaningful collaborations between schools and teacher education providers have featured prominently among key recommendations addressing the traditional theory-practice divide. This paper traces and critically analyses one ‘simplex’ story of initiating and leading a large-scale school-university partnership (SUP) network in the Republic of Ireland. Using a narrative approach, the protagonists and researchers of this SUP story bring their ‘simplex’ journey of doing and shaping SUP to life. Analysis of the Irish case study emphasizes the authentic transformation of teacher educators’ institutional identities as a powerful enabler of meaningful collaboration while also highlighting ethical dilemmas that arose for university tutors in the context of deeper relational engagement in the school-university cross-boundary space. Constrained in their ITE praxis by power relations and a disequilibrium of responsibilities, tutors’ doubts, discomfort and, at times, disillusionment led them to readjust their expectations with regard to SUP while also refocusing their energy and hopes in student teachers as collaborative future change agents.

Methods of education in schools should promote students' activeness, self-awareness, initiative and creativity; be suitable with the characteristics of each class and subject; foster self-study methods, ability to work in groups, practice skills to apply knowledge into practice, and impact emotions to bring joy as well as excitement to students. Experiential education is a method of teaching and meets the above requirements. In fact, experiential activities are closely related to teaching and educational activities in schools, in order to create an environment for learners, associate theory with practice, and unify awareness with action and learners, and have the opportunity to experience their own behavior. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of activities through experience in solving problems about the equation of a circle and investigate students' attitudes as well as beliefs in such activities. The experimental class included 30 10th grade students and was taught by experiential learning model, while the control class also had 30 students and was taught in a conventional way of teacher’s guidance. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze and evaluate the collected data. The results showed that the experimental class achieved better mathematical results than the control class as well as had a positive learning attitude, showing interest in the learning topic.

This study aimed to describe seven indicators of students’ verbal linguistic intelligence in reading subject. It used a qualitative research method. The subjects of this study were 30 students consisted of 9 male and 21 female students. They took the reading subject in the second semester of the first year. They were given a test of verbal-linguistic intelligence. Seven students were selected to be interviewed because they have verbal-linguistic intelligence and good communication. To find out the validity of the data, the researchers used triangulation of the test results and the results of interviews and triangulation of the second researcher and research assistants. Furthermore, the data were analyzed using the content analysis method which consisted of three steps, they were data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing/verification. The results of the study show that there were seven indicators of verbal-linguistic intelligence of students in reading subject, first, having excellent initial knowledge in mentioning words, second, enjoying wordplay with Scrabble, third, entertaining themselves and other students by playing tongue twisters, fourth, explaining the meaning of the words written and discussed, fifth, having difficulties in mathematics lesson, sixth, their conversation refers to something they have read and heard, and the last, having the ability to write poetry based on personal experience.

This study investigated the development of problem-solving strategies demonstrated by 42 elementary pre-service mathematics teachers in problem-solving mathematics classes. The study used a mixed methods approach of quantitative and qualitative research by analyzing the collected data.. The quantitative portion calculates the frequencies and percentage of the participants’ responses to the problems posed in three different phases of the intervention: before, during, and after receiving the mathematics lessons. The qualitative approach was used for in-depth investigation to describe various mathematical problem-solving strategies demonstrated by participants across the three different research phases. Findings of the study indicated a limited number of problem-solving strategies present during the first phase of research such as “use arithmetic operation strategy,” and “make a drawing strategy,”. During the implementation of the problem-solving lessons and classroom discussion, the participants began to develop more strategies such as  “use logical reasoning,” “solve a simpler problem,” “guess and check,” “organize data in a table or a list,” “look for a pattern,” “work backwards,” and “solve an equation,”. However, the research findings nonetheless revealed participants’ weakness in applying the variety of skills required for success in problem solving, such as interpreting information, mathematical working, and logical thinking. Results also demonstrated a limited and incorrect use of mathematical terminology, as well as a lack of problem comprehension. The discussion of the study addresses different features and issues related to mathematical problem-solving strategies. In light of its findings, this study presents recommendations and suggestions for the future development of pre-service teachers’ problem-solving strategies.

The empowerment of metacognitive skills has an important role in increasing the capacity of critical thinking and active control of students' cognitive processes in learning. Metacognitive skills can be enhanced through the implementation of learning strategies involving higher-order thinking. The RQA, ADI, RQA integrated with ADI are constructivistic learning strategies that can accommodate these skills. The researches specifically examining the correlation between metacognitive skills and critical thinking skills at the implementation of RQA, ADI, and RQA integrated with ADI learning strategies are still rarely found. This research is a correlational research, aiming at revealing the correlation between metacognitive skills and critical thinking skills. The data of metacognitive skills and critical thinking skills are collected by using a valid and reliable essay test. The samples of this research are the fourth semester (IV) biology education students programming Animal Physiology course in the 2016/2017 academic year consisting of 109 students. The results of this research show that (1) there was a significant correlation between metacognitive skills and critical thinking skills at the implementation of the four learning strategies, (2) the regression equations analyzed using Anova obtain regression lines (not coincide), and non parallel regression lines (intersected); meaning that there is a difference in the increase rate and magnitude of the critical thinking skills influenced by the four learning strategies. It is expected that the teachers and the lecturers always strive to improve the quality of the learning process through the implementation of active and constructive learning strategies.

Environmental learning in the 21st century must be contextual and require the ability of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) to solve environmental problems such as green consumerism. The purpose of this study was to implement an Android-based Supplementary Book of Green Consumerism (SBGC) to improve students' HOTS abilities in environmental learning. The method used experiment with a sample of 144 students in 8th grade of Junior High School. Students divided into 72 students in control classes and 72 students in experimental classes. The treatment given was in the form of using SBGC in the experimental classes. The results showed that the students HOTS score increased significantly in the pre-post test in the experimental class or when compared to the control class. Increased in the experimental classes from a score 15.7 (very low) to 32.73 (low). Meanwhile, when compared between the experimental classes with a score 32.73 (low) and control classes with a score 25.25 (very low). This showed that SBGC is easy to understand. SBGC is also interesting so that makes students become active in learning. The conclusion of this study was that SBGC can increased students' HOTS in environmental learning.

This research study presents the PGBE model for teaching and learning percentages with students of Grade 7 when their cognitive development enables the conceptual understanding of percentages as proportional statements, and offers the possibility for more effective matching of them with fractions and decimal numbers. The abbreviation PGBE presents the interrelation of the poster method and three instructional models through which different types of students’ mathematical knowledge about percentages can be built. Hence, P stands for the poster method through which the recognition of students’ previous knowledge about percentages can be done, G represents different grids that can be used for building concrete type of knowledge about them; B signifies the bar model for developing students’ proportional understanding of percentages, and E represents the extended bar model for fostering students’ principled-conceptual understanding of percentages. The effectiveness of the implementation of the PGBE model is assessed by organizing two cycles of piloting and conducting the experimental method with 263 students of ten Grade 7 classes. The results of the study show that the implementation of the PGBE model has had an impact on the learning of students, stimulating an in-depth learning and a long lasting knowledge about percentages for this cohort of students.

The advancement of information and technology resulted in the change in conventional test methods. The weaknesses of the paper-based test can be minimized using the computer-based test (CBT). The development of a CBT desperately needs a computerized item bank. This study aimed to develop a computerized item bank for classroom and school-based assessments. A research and development method is used in this study, which consisted of four phases, i.e., planning, item development, system development, and field testing. Data is collected through documentation, expert judgment, and field testing. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and item response theory. The sample of this study was teachers and high school students in West Sumatera province selected using purposive random sampling techniques. The results of the study are as follows. 1) The computerized item bank has excellent quality based on expert validation. 2) There are 120 items inputted into the item bank system that has a moderate difficulty and good discriminant index based on item response theory. 3) The field testing indicated the computerized economics item banking has high effectiveness of usability, usefulness for the teachers, and feasible for classroom and school-based assessment.

The amount of empirical research conducted in the area of differentiated instruction (DI) is overwhelming, necessitating this bibliometric analysis in order to produce an overview of literature on the topic. The objective of this study is to identify the characteristics of the most-cited educational research published on the topic of DI using science mapping and multi-dimensional bibliometric analysis methods. To answer the research questions which were related to: i) publication, ii) authorship, iii) authors’ keywords, and iv) journals, a total of 100 articles published between 1990 and 2018, generated from SCOPUS, were analysed. The results showed that the most-cited articles and the number of publications were highest between 1995 and 2011. With a total of 545 citations “A Time for Telling”, published in the Journal of Cognition and Instruction (1998), was the most cited. The most significant keywords were: a) differentiated instruction, b) differentiation, c) curriculum, d) mathematics, and e) reading. The analysis showed that there were 283 authors who contributed to the 100 articles, and amongst them Carol McDonald Connor was the greatest contributor. It was also revealed that the great majority of the most-cited publications were from Q1-ranked journals. These findings inform scholarly efforts adopted in developing a diverse knowledge base in the field. The findings are important to scholars as they provide an overview of the progress of research on the topic of DI.

The development of the revolution era 4.0 which increasingly rapidly demands the wider community to have the ability to think creatively mathematically. One effort to improve the ability to think creatively is through quality education. Quality education can be improved through to train thinking using the right learning model. This study aims to see which results are more effective in improving students' thinking skills between the two learning models applied. The two models are Problem Based Learning (PBL) and Aptitude Treatment Interaction (ATI) models. This research method uses quasi experimental method with a posttest only control test design not control group. This study uses two group subjects with two experimental classes. The analysis of the data used the hypothesis testing of the non-correlated 2-sample t-test. Based on the research results obtained Aptitude Treatment Interaction (ATI) models have a better effect on students' creative thinking abilities compared to Problem Based Learning (PBL) models.

This research aims to develop open ended-based worksheet in improving students' high-level thinking skills on static fluid materials. The method used in this research is Research and Development (R&D) with 3 steps namely, the initial stage, then the design and development of the product, and finally the product testing. The data analysis technique for product effectiveness is with the main field trials, namely (1) N-gain analysis, (2) paired t-test, (3) ANCOVA, and finally (4) effect size test. From the test results obtained information that conducted 10 students showed the results of the development worksheets obtained the average worth of development products by 90% this value is included in the very high category, while the student response of the average of 88% and also the readability response of 89% in the very high category. In the results of the n-gain analysis also show the value is0.70, that mean medium category. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that worksheets based on open ended can improve students' higher-order thinking skills. So, in further development we suggest that open ended-based on worksheet is not only applied to static fluid material, but also in other materials.

Achieving educational goals is based on the skills and competence of teachers; therefore, professional development of teachers is important to policy and decision-makers. Worldwide, the percentage of teachers who leave the profession within their first years of teaching is high therefore, professional support is essential to ease on their integration. Previous research indicates a positive and significant correlation between teachers' self-efficacy and their attitudes toward the teaching profession. Our study included three hypotheses: 1) teachers' pedagogical applications serve as mediators for the relationship between teachers' self-efficacy and their attitudes toward the profession; 2) participating in a professional development school (PDS) training program interacts with teachers' self-efficacy in predicting their attitudes toward the profession; and, 3) participation in a PDS training program will positively affect the two variables. A close and open-ended questionnaire was replied by 300 novice teachers, some of whom participated in the PDS program and others who did not. Findings indicate that the relationship between teachers' sense of self-efficacy and their attitudes towards the teaching profession was partially mediated by: applying constructivist pedagogical practices; matching to differences between learners; collaboration between fellow teachers; accountability; planning and teaching management; and academy-community relationships. Participation in a PDS program was not found as a moderator variable for this relationship, but novice teachers who participated in this program had a significant higher sense of self-efficacy and more positive attitudes towards the teaching profession. Findings are important for designing novice teacher training programs with an emphasis on the implementation of specific pedagogical practices.

The research investigated the effect of socioeconomic status, gender, perceived parental influences, teacher affective support, classroom instruction and previous achievement on students’ attitude towards mathematics. The comparison of these effects was also done between urban and rural school students.  This research employed a cross-sectional quantitative design based on a structural equation modelling approach. The sample consisted of 808 students from ten secondary schools in Sabah, three of which were urban and seven were rural schools. Findings showed positive relationships exist between perceived parental influences (r = .231), teacher affective support (r = .242), classroom instruction (r = .439), and previous achievement (r = .284) with students’ attitude towards mathematics. The multigroup analysis for urban and rural students showed similar results as the whole student group. However, for urban students, classroom instruction (r = 0.352) and previous achievement (r = -0.363) had the greatest impact on attitude towards mathematics. For rural students, the highest impact on attitude towards mathematics was from classroom instruction (r = 0.452) and teacher affective support (r = 0.246). The least impact for both groups was perceived parental influence. This study implied that factors affected students’ attitude towards mathematics in rural and urban secondary students are different

This research aims to find out: (1) the more effective learning model on students' divergent-thinking skills; (2) the better adversity quotient on students' divergent-thinking skills; (3) the better adversity quotient to improve students' divergent-thinking skills in each learning model; and (4) the better learning model to improve students' divergent-thinking skills in each adversity quotient. This research uses a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental type. The fifth-grade students were selected as the research subjects. This research was carried out at the public elementary schools in Laweyan District, Surakarta, Indonesia. Test and questionnaire techniques were used to collect data. The data analysis was performed with the analysis prerequisite, hypothesis, and multiple-comparison tests. The results showed that the learning model and adversity quotient have an influence on divergent-thinking skills; for each adversity quotient, the thinking actively in a social context learning model is better than the creative problem solving and direct instruction learning model; the creative problem solving learning model is better than the direct instruction learning model; and adversity quotient of the climbers is better than that of the campers and the adversity quotient of the campers is better than that of the quitters in each learning model.

This study aims to investigate the impact of using a LEGO Education program, specifically the “MoreToMath” kit, on the achievement of Deferent Levels of Elementary Students. The quantitative research design was used in this research study, and the participants were comprised of 120 elementary school students in the 2nd grade, in Amman, Jordan. A quasi-experimental research method and the MANCOVA were used, and a study tool to measure achievement was developed by the researcher for which the validity and reliability of achievement were verified. The results of the study show that there was a statistically significant improvement (α ≤0.05) in the achievement of the experimental study group, that studied using LEGO education, over the control group. There is also a statistically significant difference (α ≤ 0.05) between the arithmetic means of the three sub-groups of students’ previous achievement levels— high, middle, and low— and by using the Least Significant Differences (LSD) test we notice that there are significant differences between the high and low sub-groups, as well as between the middle and low. However, that there are no significant differences between the high and middle level sub-groups; and there is also no statistically significant interaction between the groups (experimental, control) and the levels of pre-achievement seen in the post-achievement levels. The study results indicate that the use of new technological tools, like the “MoreToMath” kit, may be beneficial in teaching mathematics as they tend to motivate students, and can lead to higher achievement for elementary students of different mathematics aptitude levels.

This study aims at exploring the problem of the readiness and competence of new teachers to teach in primary schools. This study specifically focuses on identifying the readiness of new teachers to conduct teaching professionally, and analyzing their competence in conducting teaching. This study employs a mixed-method research design with data collected from two different approaches: a qualitative approach by conducting interviews and observation, and a quantitative approach by conducting a survey. The data were collected from lecturers, graduate teachers working as teachers, graduate teachers working not as teachers, and users of graduate teachers. The results of data collection and analysis were made into several themes. The results showed that the majority of graduates were ready to join the workforce as professional teachers with the risk that they had to accept the lack of welfare and legitimacy as unprofessional teachers because they had to attend further professional education programs. The education provided by the lecturers during their study in their institution in the aspects of knowledge and skills in the field of study and pedagogy became the foundation for new teachers in starting their careers as professional teachers in schools. A good educational process had produced teachers who have competencies with good categories in various aspects.

Teacher education has been innovated in Brunei to support the ongoing inclusive education and curriculum reforms. This survey investigated the development of essential instructional skills in initial Brunei trainee teachers. The sample consisted of 109 student teachers (71 females and 38 males). Significant mean scores (Mean ≥ 4, p< .05) and 95% confidence intervals were used to identify the levels of proficiency and enablers of success in teaching. Participants were proficient on 15 of the 28 skills measured by the Teacher Behaviors Checklist (Approachable; Confident; Effective communicator; Encourages; Enthusiastic; Flexible; Good listener; Humble; Prepared; Professional; Rapport; Respectful; Sensitive; Striving to be a better teacher; Understanding). From independent groups, T-tests and One-Way ANOVA analyses, other significant trends in participants’ performance emerged at p< .05 level of evaluation. Females scored highest on Humble and Realistic expectations while males scored highest on Understanding. Trainee teachers aged 31-35 scored highest on: Promoting critical thinking; and Providing constructive feedback, than counterparts. Participants with higher degrees (e.g. Master of Arts) scored higher on Authoritative skills than those with lower degrees (e.g. Bachelor of Arts). Trainees with teaching experience scored significantly higher on: Accessible; Knowledge about the subject matter; and Technological competence, than those with no experience. The findings suggest the need to help pre-service teachers to gain proficiency in all teacher skills to improve the quality of education in the country. Further research was recommended.

The objective of the study was to study the perceptions of student teachers and educators of an educational cluster as a tool for improving the professional competence of future educators, and to identify the cluster-related tools to be used to improve the professional competence of future educators. The project evaluation checklist for experts, a questionnaire for participants in the experiment, a semi-structured interview questionnaire to conduct with focus group respondents were used for collecting data. Data were processed using content analysis technique and SPSS Statistics v24 package. The study is quantitative, based on subjective evaluations of study participants and representatives of educational clusters, and does not aim at evaluating students’ achievements. Two simulation models of the educational cluster (“Cluster Educational Initiative” and “Cluster of Educational Opportunities for Educators 2.0”) and four educational activities for educators (discussion "Agglomeration of Subjects, Educational Institutions: Realities and Prospects”; online conference “Ukraine-Brussels - Sharing Experience in Education”; an educational tour to Finland for teachers, parents and managers in the field of education; the exchange of four teachers from two schools) was a key result of this study. It has been found that the creation of clusters for improving the professional competence of future educators and their professional advancement is now part of national education policy in Ukraine and in the world. The tools of this form of organization of educational activity are competence-oriented and aimed at deepening professional experience, development of competences of realization of life-long education, creation of own public image.

Mathematics is one of the most challenging subjects for many students. A similar problem is faced by special needs students, such as students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Various instructional strategies are implemented by specialists to help ASD students understand mathematics in schools. To explore the impacts of an instructional strategy of mathematics on ASD students, the authors conducted a review of literature from 2011 to 2017 using various databases including ProQuest Digital Dissertations and Theses Full Text, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. A total of 39 articles were found. Most of the instructional strategy aimed to assist ASD students in solving mathematics problems. The implications of the study are also discussed in this literature review, which indicates that teachers need to use the appropriate instructional strategy to meet the needs of students with ASD and maximize their mathematics learning outcomes in schools.

This study aims to determine the effect of the application of the Search, Solve, Create, and Share (SSCS) learning model to the mathematical reflective thinking skills and the students' mathematical problem-solving abilities. This research is a type of Quasi-Experimental Design research with a 2x2 factorial research design. Data collection techniques in this study in the form of documentation and tests at Private school in Bandar Lampung with 28 students of experiment classes and 28 students of control classes. Data analysis techniques used are the normality test and homogeneity test. Testing the hypothesis in this study using the Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) test. Based on the results of the study, The calculation of the MANOVA test, it was concluded that there was an influence on the application of the SSCS learning model to students' mathematical reflective thinking skills. The application of the SSCS learning model to the mathematical reflective thinking ability has an influence percentage of 91.9%. The application of the SSCS learning model to mathematical reflective thinking skills and mathematical problem solving abilities has a relatively high level of effectiveness.