Background/purpose: This study evaluates the implementation and impact of the Merdeka Curriculum in music education at SMP Negeri 1 Padangpanjang, focusing on fostering creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration through a flexible and experiential approach. The curriculum faces challenges, including limited teacher training and inadequate…

Students spend a lot of time in the classroom, and the physical environment in the classroom plays an important role in the development of students. It is necessary to scientifically investigate students' views and opinions on the physical factors in the classroom. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this study used the Q method online and allowed 40…

This thought piece explored the scholarship that expands and disrupts ideas of citizenship. In U.S. civic education classrooms, citizenship is viewed through the lens of a legal model that does not accurately reflect mixed-status classrooms in U.S.-Mexico border schools. We argue for a cathartic pedagogy that normalizes the discussion of…

At Mayfield Middle School, in order to create personalized and more meaningful learning experiences for the students, it was realized that a typical, traditional schedule was not always conducive to the types of learning experiences teachers wanted to create. Teachers had great ideas for projects and practices that would incorporate more critical…

Research on science education in Africa shows many teachers continue to use traditional lecture methods even when curriculum favours more student-centred approaches. This paper explores science teacher professional learning as a means to realise practice change at a crucial time of curriculum reform in Ghana. The study was a qualitative formative…

In this study, we examined the longitudinal effect of the free semester system on middle school students' academic achievement and career maturity using the Korean Education Longitudinal Study data, cohort 2013. We performed Difference-in-Difference (DiD) method to analyze whether the free semester system has effects on academic achievement and…

This article discusses a partnership with two different civic education organizations to study three different student-centered discussion designs. In one study, the authors worked with the Close Up Foundation. Close Up is a non-profit that annually brings 20,000 high school and middle school students from all 50 states and U.S. territories to…

Participating in classroom mathematics conversations, particularly engaging with the opinions of others, can improve learners' mathematical comprehension. Teachers can use a variety of invitation and follow-up moves to encourage student engagement. The study aimed to explore teacher follow-up on learners' initial responses to teacher questions and…

Elements of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) that create a connection with academic learning are based on one main principle: Effective, lasting academic learning and SEL are built on caring relationships and warm but challenging classroom and school environments. Although potential varies from student to student, each student deserves the…

The goal of this research was to test the effectiveness of a new science curriculum focused on increasing awareness and knowledge of microplastic pollution in middle school students. The curriculum utilized three teaching methods including lectures, object-mediated learning, and peer collaboration to enhance student engagement and learning. The 84…

This study explores the co-development of music theory resources for Grades 7 and 8 at the Malta School of Music using a case study methodology. The first author collaborated with learners to create and refine music theory guides, testing sample chapters in classrooms and incorporating iterative feedback. Data collection included focus group…

This paper explores the school culture and sense of community of a Midwestern middle school after seven years of personalized learning reform. This mixed method study identified a strong school culture based on the School Culture Triage Survey. Focus group interviews supported the survey findings and attributed the successful implementation and…

This qualitative, embedded single case study provides a rich description exploring the evolution of preservice teachers' intention to use and actual use of technology-enabled learning (TEL) during student teaching. The study followed four middle-level education majors at a mid-size public teaching university in the southeastern United States…

In this component mixed methods study, we analyzed two STEM teacher candidates' constructivist practices during their alternative route to licensure summer teacher education program. The findings suggest that the STEM teacher candidates incorporated all six components of constructivism in their instruction, although each candidate focused on…

This observational case study employed a qualitative design to investigate the impact of student-centered instructional coaching and self-determined professional development on student engagement in middle school mathematics. Research demonstrates that engaging students in the learning process increases their attention and motivates them to engage…