Prior research highlights the role of number manipulation activities in fostering the early mathematical development of children. This study (N = 1,491) explored the effect of a bear-themed intervention on enhancing arithmetic abilities in kindergarten students. Utilizing a pre- and post-test design, the study compared the advancements of children…

Many K-16 educators agree that active learning is a key component for student success in life sciences. At the same time, some instructors are frustrated by inconsistent student participation in these activities and may revert to traditional teaching strategies. Horse caregivers face a similar frustration when they lead a horse to water and it…

Visual data--or visual sources of information--are a crucial part of helping students understand STEM concepts, improve their reading skills, and engage in science and engineering practices (Finson and Pedersen 2011). Indeed, many science and engineering practices require students to make meaning from visual data. When students are developing and…

Evolution is the integrative framework of the life sciences. Even though the topic is often not formally introduced before high school, young children already have various ideas about evolutionary principles (variation, inheritance, and selection) and their underlying key concepts (e.g., differential fitness, reproduction, and speciation).…

It is crucial that future generations have the knowledge about nature and the willingness to make right decisions for sustainable development, including the halt of global biodiversity loss. Perception of species and the ability to identify wild species (i.e. animals, plants and fungi) are fundamental for the understanding of biodiversity.…

Preschoolers have different experiences in different environments. These experiences can stimulate children's imaginations. This longitudinal study examines the impact of preschool children's three-year experiences in early childhood institutions, which are their primary educational environments. The question 'Do preschoolers imagine different…

This study aims to determine the learning outcomes of children in educational settings by using an AR (Augmented Reality) app for animals in classroom activities. To achieve this, the study used sequential exploratory research design, applied in both quantitative and qualitative research. The participants in the study are 2 teachers and 37…

This qualitative multiple-case study examined kindergarten students' engagement in science concepts and literacy learning in a classroom in which these two subjects were integrated through Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI). CORI is an instructional framework created to increase reading engagement by teaching reading comprehension…

This article spotlights the transformation of a kindergarten classroom culture as told through the story of selecting and naming a class pet, emphasizing the teacher's understanding of children's ways of knowing and the role of trust in building an inclusive and equitable classroom environment. Bronfenbrenner's bioecological systems theory serves…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether Animal Assisted Education (AAE) benefited English Learners (ELs) in the elementary classroom using qualitative methods of observation, interviews of students, parents, and teachers, and student work samples. Ten identified ELs, who were also identified as below grade level in reading, participated…

This mixed-methods research study focuses on students', teachers', and parents' perceptions of the influence therapy dogs in schools can have on reluctant readers' attitudes about reading and motivation to read at school and at home as well as exploring changes in the participants' oral fluency. Eight student participants read to our school…

Will spring be early next year? This is a question the authors ponder each fall as they prepare for a yearlong citizen science project with kindergartners. Citizen science projects naturally promote the development of science and engineering practices. These projects can be integrated at any grade level and aligned to meet other content areas as…

Purpose: This article aims to describe and discuss what local weather landscapes mean to children and how weather implies exploring bodily sensations and capabilities. It does so by following the work of a community artist, working as a kindergarten teacher, over 1 year. Design/Approach/Methods: Through a narrative inquiry approach, which also…

We join scholars who criticize the Western separation of humans and the more-than-human (MtH) and believe that an emphasis on the MtH within students' local community is supported by repeated exposure. We take an ethnographic approach to study a collaborative program between a university, a local nonprofit, and a US public elementary school that…

The hierarchical human-centric paradigm has been criticized by various movements of posthuman philosophy because this paradigm forgets and dismisses nonhuman beings and entities: animals, nature, objects, and technology. When I developed a course called 'Education and Adaptations of Animal Studies' for university students in 2015, I learned two…