Preschool-age children receive little formal instruction regarding science and engineering concepts. Digital media interventions have been effective in supporting young children's literacy and mathematics skills, but there is little evidence of their efficacy in building science and engineering skills. This article reports on an experimental study…

Humor is seen as an effective tool to create a conducive learning environment. However, there is a dearth of research into the use of humor devices by second language (L2) learners. To fill this gap, this study investigated the role of proficiency and self-reported creativity in the quantity and diversity of humor devices used in written comedy…

Television programs have introduced viewers to characters on the autism spectrum (e.g., "Sesame Street," "The Good Doctor"), impacting audiences' knowledge and attitudes. Thus, it is essential that character representations convey accurate health information. This study explores how autistic portrayals across six adult and…

Parenting is outrageously difficult; it asks us to tap into qualities and competencies that we may not yet have. If you look closely into the past for such supportive guidance, you will find a well of wisdom about child wellbeing offered by a neighbor who promoted healing, gratitude, forgiveness, and acceptance of others. That neighbor was Mister…

Researchers have studied children's exposure to television and the impact it has on children's academic development, and have discovered that educational television programs may positively influence children's vocabulary growth (Fuenzalida, 2017; Heintz & Wartella, 2012; Larson & Rhan, 2015; Linebarger, Moses, Liebeskind, & McMenamin,…

One of the staple components of "Sesame Street" over the last 50 years is the short, animated segments that periodically interrupt the narratives and focus on brief educational and literacy concepts. Histories of the show have recognized these segments and referred to them as commercials, but to date, literature lacks a comprehensive…

This dissertation explored the transformative impact of integrating the pedagogical philosophies of Fred Rogers and LeVar Burton into virtual learning environments amid the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Adopting an autoethnographic approach reflected the author's journey as an educator striving to create…

This qualitative case study examines the intersection of the legacy of Mister Fred Rogers as a master relationship-builder, and his impact on relationship-building between educators and students in contemporary classrooms. The timeless relationship-building practices of Fred Rogers, as well as the ways educators are extending Mister Rogers's…

Procedural knowledge is often transferred by spoken 'how-to' instructions delivered with simultaneous hands-on demonstration. As reflected by the popularity of YouTube instructional videos, such spoken texts have become a common way to learn how to learn a wide range of things. Surprisingly, there is a lack of research concerned with salient…

Television programs are a rich source of input for which we can utilize in vocabulary acquisition. With foreign language television programs becoming more accessible globally, there is the possibility to better use this input source for learning. Can we incorporate television viewing into classroom learning (intentional learning)? Or use it as a…

This research illustrates how young children conceptualize the image and role of television in their lives. Building upon Kress and Van Leeuwen's theoretical framework of Visual Grammar, 70 drawings of children from kindergartens of Thessaloniki were analyzed both qualitative and quantitative. The research found that children sketch a rich and…

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between lexical coverage and TV viewing comprehension. Previous studies have indicated that 95% to 98% of lexical coverage may be needed for reading comprehension (Hu & Nation, 2000). To understand informal listening passages, lower coverage figures (95%-90%) may suffice. However, no study has…

The inclusion of pleasure in school-based sexuality education remains a controversial issue despite a long-standing body of scholarship which argues for its importance. While recent studies reveal sexual pleasure remains missing in school programmes, it appears to be in abundance in the Netflix series "Sex Education." This paper examines…

The development of English-language skills, a near necessity in today's global economy, is heavily influenced by historical national decisions about whether to subtitle or dub TV content. While prior studies of language acquisition have focused on schools, we show the overwhelming influence of out-of-school learning. We identify the causal effect…

In the final season of the Norwegian drama series "Skam" ("Shame") (2015-2017), the protagonist Sana, navigating in a secular, liberal youth culture, is a practicing Muslim wearing the hijab. The series is analysed as an instance of public religious education focusing on the issue of representation. This approach is informed by…