In South Africa and in many other parts of the world, decolonising the curriculum has become a valued goal, while frameworks that would systematically support the decolonising project through "instructional design" are not broadly available. In this conceptual paper we bring readers to consider one framework for instructional design, the…

Utilizing Marsh's frame of reference theory, this article seeks understanding about boys' perceptions of giftedness and how academic and social self-perceptions are influenced by gender and ability practices. The literature proposes that gender and ability perspectives influence how boys construct their self-perceptions and how teachers develop…

After years evaluating teacher professional learning programs, researchers Andrew J. Wayne, Jordan Rickles, Mengli Song, Seth Brown, and Michael S. Garet describe a study that changed their perspective. The study's takeaways about the design of teacher professional learning are important for everyone who seeks to create systems to support teaching…

In a rapidly changing world, establishing strong foundations for children is vital for their well-being and resilience. Quality education is central to this endeavour and is the key to lifelong health and success. Recognizing that children thrive in the classroom when they are in good health, it is crucial to learn about health and well-being…

Elementary school students are often placed into groups with peers of similar reading ability for leveled guided reading instruction. Through this practice, students are differentially exposed to reading skills, strategies, and texts that are presumed to match their reading ability. This widespread practice is problematic given that (1) current…

Purpose: The paper aims to develop a coherent understanding of literacy assessment, one that draws on current conceptualising of assessment generally while accounting for the complexity of literacy and literacy development. It responds to The Foundation for Learning Literacy Touchstone #8, offering a view of assessment as an "eco-system"…

Gamification is an educational methodology and tool that offers benefits through mechanics and dynamics. It brings motivating experiences and benefits to the instructional design approach. Several studies highlight that this methodology fosters contributions in commitment, fun, enthusiasm, motivation, satisfaction, and interaction in pedagogical…

This preliminary study examines the efficacy of the Mind Walker Reading Programme in improving word knowledge and, consequently, improving reading comprehension skills for three upper-grade elementary students in a remote setting. The programme is based on the understanding by design (UbD) Model developed by Wiggins and McTighe (The understanding…

This system-level ethnographic study of a strength-based approach to transforming a national invention education program makes visible how program leadership drew on research and their own expertise to shift who and how they served. With data analysis grounded in program reports, documentation, and internal and published research, the program's…

This article reports on the design and implementation of a didactic sequence in the frame of a design-based research study. The research aim is to test the hypothesis that affordances of dynamic geometry may support students' awareness of logical relationships between geometrical properties of constructed figures. We elaborate on the task design…

Reading acquisition is a major focus in schools. For students to be literate in the later grades, it is crucial that foundational skills instruction takes place in the primary grades (K-2). In part, foundational skills needed to become a successful reader include phonological and phonemic awareness (PPA). PPA skills are crucial, and researchers…

A growing, research-based consensus supports addressing our nation's literacy crisis through instruction aligned with the Science of Reading (SoR). We recognize, however, that the complexity of SoR content, alongside the multiplicity of instructional decisions and practices, and the unique features of each classroom and school, make simple…

The aim of the study informing this paper was to investigate pre-service teachers' (PSTs') approaches to task design, posing the research question: How do pre-service teachers respond when they are asked to design an exploratory task using GeoGebra for 8th grade students? The research study and this paper focus on the PSTs' design stories rather…

Integrating scientific disciplines through a transdisciplinary approach is a pivotal component of contemporary learning paradigms, fostering educational experiences that transcend monodisciplinary boundaries and embrace the integration of diverse fields. Addressing this imperative, we collaborated with educators in Indonesia to devise a learning…

Preparing elementary-aged children to practice data science literacies is important and understudied. Our research investigates how data science curricula might be effectively designed and integrated into elementary classroom instruction. We use narrative case study methodology, focusing on a single case detailing a second-grade teacher's approach…