The author examines guided play among students in a South African classroom using a play-and-write workshop constructed by her and her students. She determines that the workshop displays the characteristics of playful learning, lies on the playful learning spectrum, and fits the criteria for guided play. She concludes that, given the benefits of…

Background: In this paper, we extend findings from previous iterations of a design-based project called ThinkerSpaces design studios that promotes human-centred design among children. ThinkerSpaces design studios is a play-based afterschool club that follows principles of embedded design by prioritising learner agency, exploration and ongoing…

This study tested a novel approach to capitalizing on the benefits of play for informal math learning. Two experiments evaluated a platform called "Fraction Ball," that provides an embodied, playful, and physically active learning experience by modifying the lines on a basketball court to support rational number learning. In the Pilot…

This study examined the effects of group games on female elementary students' cooperation skills. Two classes of elementary female students were assigned as an experimental or a control group. The study used a quasi-experimental method for the evaluation and comparison of cooperation development and administered the Measurement of…

School counselors need creative interventions to engage students in small groups. With students' interests changing quickly, one thing that has remained constant has been a fascination with comic books. They offer an enjoyable and creative way to engage children with stories that resonate with them. Additionally, bibliotherapy is an accessible and…

The COVID-19 pandemic's restrictions for schools and playgrounds threatened children's social and emotional wellbeing. In response, Grade 4/5 students created music-based activities through action research to sustain playground interactions. This study explored the crucial yet fragile playground relationships and the children's determination to…

Prosocial teasing is the positive playful form of relational aggression, and studies have found children engage in playful teasing more often than aggressive teasing. Therefore, understanding the basic characteristics or skills that contribute to the more complex social skill of prosocial teasing is important. The current study focused on the role…

Background: School connectedness (SC) is associated with improved health and academic outcomes. The purposes of this study were to explore factors contributing to students' perceptions of SC and if participation in structured recreation at school was associated with SC. Methods: We used concurrent mixed-methods including cross-sectional…

This article investigates how 9-13 years old pupils interpret activities involving the use of tablets in two Norwegian primary schools. The theoretical context draws on Goffman's frame analysis and on research on young people's digital literacy practices as socially situated meaning-making practices. Data was gathered through group interviews. The…

In this article we illustrate how one teacher used PhET cannonball simulation as an instructional tool to improve students' algebraic reasoning in a fifth grade classroom. Three instructional phases effective to implementation of simulation included: Free play, Structured inquiry and, Synthesizing ideas.

Children continuously engage in developing theories about how the world works as they inquire through play and interactions with others. In this study, we investigated children's in-process thinking in the form of working theories about language as they participated in engagements around dual language picturebooks in an afterschool club. Our…

This paper investigates in-service intermediate phase mathematics teachers' metacognitive awareness based on their engagement in a professional development intervention in two rural and one township school in South Africa. Professional teacher development interventions should be structured and collaborative as teachers tend to revert to…

In this study, it is aimed to evaluate the drama activities conducted in fifth grade science subjects with a developed analytical rubric. The study was conducted using case study. The sample of the study consists of 26 students attending 5th grade in a public school located in the Akçaabat district of Trabzon province. In the study, four groups…

Aim: Investigating the relationship between what Japanese elementary school students (aged 8 to 12) actually do and what they want to do in their free time, and clarifying the problems concerning Japanese children's free time. Background: Previous studies reported that 51.2% of Japanese fifth and sixth graders answered that they were either…

Although green schoolyards provide many benefits to children and communities, little research explores students' perceptions of these benefits and how natural elements (e.g. gardens, trees) and associated use shape student experience. We examine the relationship between nature-based attributes, nature-based activities, and teacher-led activities…