Object exploration is considered a driver of motor, cognitive, and social development. However, little is known about how early childhood education and care settings facilitate object exploration. This study examined if children's exploration of objects during free play was facilitated by the use of particular spatial components (floor, tables,…

Recent findings of neuroscientists offer educators insights into what kinds of instructional formats and strategies are likely to help students develop social, emotional, and cognitive competencies for success.

Limited research has explored mothers' perceptions of teachers' pedagogical practices that may or may not support the learning and development of their child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mothers of children with ASD were asked to describe their perspective regarding three questions: (1) How do teachers structure the classroom environment…

Observational studies comparing child outcomes in early care and education classrooms of differing quality are often confounded by between-child differences. A within-child design, tracking children across contexts, can identify the effects of quality with less confounding. An analysis of Australian children (N = 1128, mean age 5 years, 48%…

Controversial topics may be uncomfortable for teachers to include in their in-class discussions. However, there are considerable cognitive and social-emotional benefits to engagement in controversial conversations, or classroom discussion about controversial topics. It is critical that teachers support students in respectful discussion to help…

Nowadays, classrooms include children coming from a wide range of cultures and speaking different languages. Teachers are therefore challenged to create appropriate learning opportunities for very diverse children. The current study examined the unique contribution of general classroom interaction, individual teacher-child interactions and…

Background: This longitudinal study examines the extent to which a school classroom (inclusive vs. special education) is meaningful for theory of mind (ToM) development among children with mild intellectual disability. Materials and Methods: The participant group consisted of 166 primary school-aged children (M = 8.1, SD = 0.99), 79 of whom…

Research Findings: The present study explored the extent to which teachers' participation in professional development focused on children's social-emotional learning moderated the relation between self-reported burnout and teacher-child interactions. The sample included 307 Head Start preschool teachers who participated in a large randomized…

The constructivist theory of learning states that student interaction with peers leads to cognitive development. Meanwhile, scholars claimed that traditional management classes that use group work do not promote student interaction effectively. Despite this concern, student interaction has not been compared between different courses. In the…

Robotic education is a popular topic in recent years. There are robotic education courses from pre-K to K-12 and these courses claim that they support STEM education. However, the teacher's perception of these activities and needs for this education is the missing part of the chain. The aim of this study to find out the perceptions and suggestions…

The current study reports the results of a study examining the relationship between classroom climate and the development of the student-teacher relationship for young children at-risk. Participants were 267 children and 93 early educators. All children were from low income backgrounds and were experiencing developmental concerns in the area of…

This study aimed to investigate the influence of Outdoor Education (OE) on different areas of development in 1-3-year-old children attending Italian nursery schools. The sample was composed of 160 children (1-3-year-old) divided into a first group (Traditional), with 76 children attending nursery schools with traditional educational activities;…

Children develop many school readiness skills such as motor and cognitive skills during the preschool years. The development of these skills requires repeated opportunities to practice. Many preschool teachers may not be aware that motor development provides a foundation for cognitive development, and they may be unsure how they can support motor…

Background: A growth mindset is a significant factor in the motivation and achievement of learners. Previous research has shown one-off interventions do encourage growth mindset thinking but only improvements are only short-lived. A sustainable and embedded approach may therefore be the only way to engender long-term changes to an individual's…

The Aspen Institute's National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development united a broad alliance of leaders to speak with a unified voice about the urgency of integrating social and emotional development into the fabric of K-12 education. The commission convened a group of scientists, researchers, and academics across disparate…