This qualitative study examines how elementary school teachers teach the notion of home in the curriculum, centring on the 'All About Me' and 'Where We Live' units. This study also illustrates how the notion of home presented through teaching practices can marginalise children, particularly those who are experiencing homelessness. Through…

Growing emphasis on elementary STEM education has pushed elementary teachers to face curriculum changes that focus on standards with which they are largely unfamiliar (Smith, 2020; Trygstad et al., 2013). As a result, elementary students are not always exposed to STEM subjects or integration and miss out on opportunities to access and enjoy the…

Written for K-12 educators, this e-book brings together contemporary approaches in science, STEM, and language education, with a specific focus on multilingual learners. Incorporating learnings from studies like A Framework for K-12 Science Education, "Next Generation Science Standards," and "English Learners in STEM Subjects,"…

In this paper, primary teachers' views about STEM education and the conditions of its introduction to primary education are investigated. The results came from 114 questionnaires and 27 structured primary teachers' interviews. STEM is clearly perceived as an interdisciplinary subject with many advantages, related to the cultivation of students'…

In high accountability cultures, primary phase literacy education tends to focus on improving children's test scores. Driven by each country's performance in international league tables, this results in narrow, predominantly skills-based programmes designed to address attainment gaps. While scores may have been enhanced in recent years, there is…

The Rio Grande Valley, situated at the southernmost point of the United States, has grown to comprise a constellation of communities with shifting racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic demographics. While Rio Grande Valley communities have changed, the K-12 educational system where diverse students form the student body, does not always change…

Professional learning grounded in educational equity is an essential tool for educators who aspire to improve instructional practices that lead to equitable student outcomes. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of voice and choice for elementary educators in designing and planning professional development learning initiatives that…

Implementing computer science education in an elementary classroom is at the forefront of computing education. Nevertheless, the literature on K-12 Computer Science (CS) education offers limited guidance for developing elementary CS curricula that lead to multiple career paths through project-based learning. Particularly, more research is needed…

This paper is part of the special issue on Teacher Learning and Practice within Organizational Contexts. Shifting instructional practices in elementary schools to include more equitable, reform-based pedagogies is imperative for supporting students' development as science learners. Teachers need high quality professional development (PD) to learn…

School district administrators must address structural racism and inequitable access to advanced learning opportunities in their school districts. District administrators in one large district in the northwestern part of the United States sought research-based advice by asking the authors to provide the answer to the "million-dollar"…

This research addressed the complex challenge faced by public school districts in ensuring equitable academic and social-emotional opportunities for all students, considering the pervasive influence of bias and discrimination. The study focused on an initiative within a suburban school district, where various stakeholders collaborated to identify…

In times of deep crisis, the most powerful critical contemplative pedagogy available to us is that of supporting all children and youth in learning to teach and teaching to learn as a primary path toward self-realization, social inquiry and civic contribution. This vital opportunity should be made accessible to all students, regardless of…

In this article, we describe our work with a teacher collaborative focused on enhancing elementary teachers' conceptualization of culture, culturally relevant pedagogy, culturally relevant science pedagogy and the process of developing culturally relevant science curricula. Using culturally relevant pedagogy as inspiration for equitable science…

In mid-March of 2020, the United States realized the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic was real and was affecting our world in ways not seen for 100 years. From its tattered beginnings to now, teachers have answered the call and have remained vigilant and flexible regarding their professional practices, pedagogy, and overall sense of what it truly means…

This qualitative multiple case study explores the collaborations between three STEM middle school teachers and three STEM undergraduate mentors of color in an urban school district. Drawing on sociocultural theories and literature on culturally relevant education, we used a comparative thematic approach to explore how mentors contributed to…