The work of teaching includes many in-the-moment decisions for teachers to make. In this study, we focused on the decisions prospective teachers made within the elementary context specific to shared teaching practice in mathematics and science instruction -- elicit and use evidence of student thinking. Within a qualitative multisite case study, we…

According to attributional theory, when the application of effort leads to success we praise the achievement. Effort and ability, however, are seen as compensatory and thus, paradoxically, being praised can lead to attributions of low ability. Our study investigates whether praise, not for academic performance, but for social classroom behavior,…

We contribute a preiously unidentified way representational gestures are used to organise participation and the co-construction of knowledge in whole-class interactions in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) classrooms. Drawing on ethnomethodology and conversation analysis (EMCA), we characterise students' "gestured…

Background: To examine relationships between teachers' experienced classroom demands and autonomic stress reactions, we report the results of a pilot study. Based on an integrative literature review, we identified and described the following situational classroom demands: time and work pressure (including missing rest periods, time pressure, and…

This article discusses the prevention interview, a one-to-one interview with a student, asking open-ended questions. Prevention interviews help educators learn about the whole young person to build trust that allows for new solutions for recurring problems. Prevention interviews also work well when done soon after a student has made poor behavior…

While positive teacher-student relationships are at the heart of teaching and learning, it is no easy task to improve these relationships and cultivate caring classroom communities. This study drew on key elements of improvement science. Three 9th grade language arts teachers and one researcher collaborated to plan, implement, study and revise an…

The purpose of this study was to explore how first-grade teachers respond to pupils in emotional distress within the framework of co-regulation. Co-regulation in this context refers to an adult-child interactive process that supports children in learning to regulate their emotions. We conducted focus group interviews at four primary schools in…

Teacher evaluation systems that use in-class observations, particularly in high-stakes settings, are frequently understood as accountability systems intended as nonintrusive measures of teacher quality. Presumably, the evaluation system motivates teachers to improve their practice--an accountability mechanism--and provides actionable feedback for…

There is much debate concerning students' evaluation of teaching and several academics discredit the validity and reliability of student comments. Student feedback would be a good source of information for academics to improve their teaching, while earlier studies indicate that the academics do not always make use of student feedback in their…

In the complex and dynamic environment of schools, the greatest asset is the collective wisdom of educators. The insights, experiences, and perspectives of teachers and staff are the most valuable data for driving meaningful improvement and fostering a positive environment where both students and adults can thrive. To lead effectively, one must…

This paper presents research undertaken in an early learning centre in Melbourne, Australia. The first of four case studies, it explores how arts practices and pedagogies can be embedded within and integrated across an early childhood centre curriculum, with a focus on the role of the teacher in achieving this. Twenty-one children aged 3to-5 years…

This study examines how professional noticing of student mathematical thinking evolves in the context of modeling and what is special about the context of modeling. Eight middle and secondary school teachers participated in this one-semester long study and received three training sessions on professional noticing. Teachers provided more…

Montessori teachers in public schools navigate a system daily that often does not align with their pedagogy, and district policies push them to stray from high-fidelity implementation. Using Weick's sensemaking theory and literature on Montessori teacher identity, I contend that Montessori teachers' identity plays a crucial role in how, or if,…

Background: Although one of the most significant educational goals is to teach learners to comprehend written texts, the Global Education Monitoring Report (UNESCO 2021) identified that many children and adolescents have not acquired the minimum proficiency in reading even at the end of their secondary school career. South African literacy rates…

Recently, numerous news stories have detailed the ways teachers across the country have been disciplined for addressing issues of oppression and justice in their schools. This paper engages poststructural discourse analysis to consider data from a year-long study of recent graduates of a justice-oriented teacher education program during their…