Learning and innovation skills such as creativity, critical thinking and problem solving, communication, and collaboration can be fostered through learning about STEAM role models. Using selected picture book biographies, teachers can help their elementary students visualize the experiences of these individuals as they developed and refined ideas…

Teachers serve as gatekeepers to the implementation of curriculum in their classroom (Thornton, 2005). Their beliefs about a topic and the wider political environment can influence what they teach. To this end, our goal was to investigate whom preservice teachers identify as heroes and why, which heroes should be included in the curriculum, and…

This paper draws lessons from the Read like a Champion (RLAC) program implemented in Suva, Fiji, which engaged elite sporting individuals in literacy activities at schools. A qualitative case-oriented study was utilized, drawing on Esser and Vliegenthart's (2017) practical steps in analyzing comparative data to consider lessons from RLAC in…

Recent studies describe Jordan as a context where the encounter between modernity and tradition in the framework of neo-liberal transformations in the labour market have brought about paradoxes affecting women's lives. Despite several policies to implement gender equality introduced by the government, the rapid reduction of the gender gap in…

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (2010) encourages teachers and their students to "use the target language as exclusively as possible (90% plus) at all levels of instruction during instructional time and, when feasible, beyond the classroom," and local boards of education around the world, including here in…

The annual "National Council for the Social Studies" (NCSS) Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People list often contains picture books that profile citizen role models--people who worked to change society for the better. In 2018 the list includes beautiful, thoughtful biographies of people who chose "doing good" over…

Practice-based teacher education (PBTE), an approach to teacher education that privileges authentic experiences and is centered around the acquisition of a set of core practices, has seen an increase in popularity in recent years. The goal of PBTE is to cultivate preservice teachers (PSTs) who are 'advanced beginners' in a variety of pedagogical…

This research was carried out to determine pre-service teachers' perceptions of "peace". This was a qualitative research based on case studies scenarios and document analysis. The sample of the study consists of 180 teacher-candidates studies in the social sciences and primary education at a state university in the Aegean Region of…

The purpose of this study was to explore two sophomore pre-service teachers' processes of professional orientation in the same teacher education program in the US with emphasis on their identity construction. The pre-services teachers were asked to reflect on their "identity" and articulate "who they are" as becoming teachers…

Teachers act as role models and through their activities are active co-designers of future generations. Independent thinking and taking responsible, sustainable actions form the basis for a vibrant society. Entrepreneurship skills can already be fostered in primary school children. This requires well-trained primary school teachers. The following…

This article presents research undertaken with female headteachers in UK primary schools and explores several influential discourses in relation to female headteachers' identities. It considers themes inherent in women's narratives as they reflect upon their professional lives and discusses various identities inhabited by female leaders which…

The education of girls living in Maasailand in Kenya's arid and semi-arid regions presents many challenges. This policy brief explores how deep-seated perceptions embedded in Maasai culture hold girls' back. This research looks in depth at Kajiado and Narok counties, both predominantly Maasai areas that have some of the lowest school enrollment…

The lack of physical activity, low fitness levels, and elevated obesity rates as high as 32% of today's youth are well documented. Many strategies and grants have been developed at the national, regional, and local levels to help counteract these current trends. Strategies have been developed and implemented for schools, households (parents), and…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the characteristics and practices of principals in four successful Singapore primary schools. Design/Methodology/Approach: Multiple perspective case studies were used which included semi-structured interviews with the principal, teaching and non-teaching staff, students, parents and school board…

This study explored the reasons for pre-service teachers choosing to specialise in primary physical education and how these choices related to their motivation. Pre-service teachers who then elected to specialise in primary physical education (n = 248) completed the Attractors and Facilitators for Physical Education (AFPE) questionnaire and the…