This paper advocates for the integration of the 'sociological imagination', as proposed by the sociologist C. Wright Mills, into pedagogical practices to foster inclusive and democratic classrooms. Departing from narrow evidence-based approaches, it explores how the sociological imagination connects personal experiences with broader societal…

This article explores the usefulness of detective role-play as a research method to facilitate young children's critical thinking. The study examines four specifically designed detective play experiences, adopting an ethical rights-based approach to research with children. This qualitative multiple-case study is grounded in play-based pedagogy…

This article explores the role of educators in our current environment, where truth and truthfulness must fight their corner in a world of 'alternative facts'. The article opens with a review of the effects of the 24/7 news cycle on our sense of the overall well-being of the world, then discusses the meaning of moral identity and questions whether…

This paper argues that political compassion is a necessary disposition for engaging with human rights principles and combatting social injustices such as racial discrimination. Drawing from Martha Nussbaum's theory of political emotions, the paper concentrates on the need to understand compassion as connected to cognition and practical reasoning.…

Cultivating children's creativity and imagination is fundamental to preparing them for an increasingly complex and uncertain future. Engaging in creative learning enables children to think independently and critically, work cooperatively, and take risks while actively engaged in meaningful projects. While current trends in education, such as maker…

Wonder-full education recognises experiences of wonder as lying at the heart of learning and education. If we accept the premise that wonder is important for/in education, what should characterise wonder-full education? This paper clarifies what it is like to wonder, how the aims of wonder-full education are best described, and it discusses three…

The overarching aim is to explore what teachers perceive as the opportunities provided by using literature in ethics education in compulsory school. When being interviewed, in what ways do the teachers express views on the potential of fiction to encourage students to accept certain human conditions as imaginable, or to create motivation for…

It is extremely important to bring national and universal values to young individuals from an early age. This study aims to evaluate the views of teachers about teaching modern Kazakh stories over national values. The qualitative research method was used in the research. The study group of the research consisted of 40 primary school teachers…

This article presents the findings of a university reading and writing workshop on fairy-tale reimaginations. Fairy-tale reimaginations, understood as rewriting fairy tales using alternative narrative techniques, can be introduced into a literacy classroom where learners read reimagined fairy tales that stimulate their critical response and…

The aim of this study is to reveal the contribution of digital storytelling to the creative thinking skills of middle school seventh grade students. The study was designed as a mixed method research. The data were obtained from the digital stories created by the students through block-based coding, video recordings and student interviews.…

The article discusses two versions of a complex role-playing exercise in undergraduate courses on Buddhism. The pedagogical exercise demonstrated how imagination cultivated through creative writing could be used to enhance learning about history, culture, and religion. Students were also challenged to generate an understanding of religious…

The aim of this study is to collect and analyze children's comments on the pictures in children's story books. Four students studied in the first grade of a public primary school in Adana participated in the study. The research model is an example of phenomenology among qualitative research patterns. Focus group method was used as the data…

Deborah Britzman, over 15 years ago in her insightful essay "Is There a Queer Pedagogy? Or Stop Thinking Straight", posed questions that continue to resonate (Britzman, Deborah P. 1998. "Curriculum: Toward New Identities", edited by William Pinar, 211. New York: Routledge). What if lesbian and gay theories were understood as…

This paper reflects on the teaching of science fiction texts to first-year engineering students at the University of the Witwatersrand as part of a Critical Thinking course that uses literature as a vehicle through which to develop competence in critical literacy and communication. This course aims to equip engineering students, as future…

Many educators in adult, community and higher education contexts are concerned with fostering reflective learning amongst their students. This paper explores the concept of critical reflection and considers how engaging with fiction may be an innovative pedagogical approach to support critical learning opportunities. Drawing upon interviews with…