The value and importance of play for children's well-being, learning and development is evidenced by its inclusion within the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and its increased policy and research presence on a national and international stage. However, with a need for educators and pupils to navigate a range of implicit tensions in…

During the COVID-19 pandemic period, elementary school students experienced many learning difficulties, which resulted in decreased learning motivation. This study aimed to determine the effect of the 5e+Powtoon learning cycle learning model on learning motivation in science. This quasi-experimental research was conducted at public Elementary…

Blended learning combines online and traditional classroom instruction, aiming to optimize educational outcomes. Despite its potential, student engagement with online components remains a significant challenge. Gamification has emerged as a popular solution to bolster engagement, though its effectiveness is contested, with research yielding mixed…

In the 21st Century, it has become more difficult for teachers to attract students to the curriculum due to many factors that entertain students. Hence, teachers need to think about teaching methods that indirectly motivate students to learn. Moreover, this need is more felt in mathematics because it requires the constant creation of new cognitive…

Learning with understanding is essential to enabling students to solve problems that they will inevitably face in the future. Students will be more successful, if they are engaged in thought-provoking activities that encourage them to grow in their mathematical understanding and identity. With this study we intended to understand how the…

One of the aims of primary education, as suggested by the Cambridge Primary Review, should be, 'Exploring, knowing, understanding and making sense'. It should give the children 'the opportunity to encounter, explore and engage with the wealth of human experience and the different ways through which humans make sense of the world and act upon it'.…

The use of stories in science education can make science more interesting and engaging, illustrate concepts, and provide opportunities for contextual and meaningful learning. Also, integrating a scientific story in which the sustainability goals are incorporated can lead to increasing students' motivation to learn as well as improve and facilitate…

This study investigated how the inclusion of model texts as a feedback technique affected students' task motivation and engagement in writing tasks. Adopting a longitudinal design, 60 English as a foreign language (EFL) children (aged 11-12) were divided into three groups: a treatment group, a long-term treatment group, and a control group. The…

This article aims to provide a systematic review of existing research on the use of digital game-based learning (DGBL) technology for foreign language (English) in preschool and elementary schools. Digital game-based technology enables learning to become more interactive and inspirational, thereby enhancing language acquisition. The authors…

A Meta-analysis of selected studies on the effectiveness of gamification method for children. Multiple gamification methods are used to motivate students to improve their learning outcomes. Yet, this method is still very rarely used in learning for children aged 6-10 years. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to objectively determine the…

This study investigates whether using My Math Academy, which provides personalized content and adaptive embedded assessments to support existing curricula, can improve learning outcomes and engagement for kindergarten and first grade students (N = 505 treatment, 481 control). Findings indicate that students using My Math Academy made significant…

Reflecting their dominance within music education, most musical instruments used in schools are of Western origin. In stark contrast, the adoption of folk instruments for the purposes of facilitating students' music-making and learning in the educational context is rarely encountered. This article reports the empirical data of a study in which a…

A growing literature points to the importance of classroom social climate as one of the determinants of students' academic performance and motivation, engagement, participation, and attitude towards school and teaching. However, little attention is given to social climate in the context of the mathematics classroom as a learning environment, with…

This paper presents the results of research whose aim was to investigate the relationship between teachers' epistemological beliefs and their inclination towards either traditional or constructivist learning and teaching paradigm. The study was conducted on a sample of 126 primary school teachers in Croatia. The results show that primary school…

More and more children and adolescents in Switzerland show serious deficits in their German language skills. In order to specifically promote the language skills of students with a non-German first language, special lessons in German as a second language (GasL) are therefore offered in addition to the regular lessons. The aim of this case study is…