This proposal is part of an Educational Doctorate (EdD) that explores the roll of the small rural school in its community in Scotland. Corbett (2015) states that rural schools are embedded in communities and often at the heart of rural communities. The particular focus of the study is to better understand the impact of national education policy on small rural schools ensuring equity of learning and teaching across Scotland. Barret et al (2015) suggests that rural schools remain under-examined relative to their suburban and urban counterparts, and this is relevant when looking at the national drive for equity, excellence and raising attainment.

The research has incorporated ethnography, trough portraiture and will showcase how these methods have captured a wealth of knowledge and experience of the context to provide equity of learning and teaching. The “portrait” created will demonstrate the innovative ways that equity is embedded within these rural schools and captures the unique and valuable contributions to education.

The study will focus on data from the fieldwork carried out in a small rural school. Field notes were often moments in time captured to reflect a particular portrait or memo of the moment or day that included reflection on each of the core elements of portraiture (context, voice, and relationship) Miles and Huberman (1994). Portraits were created by teachers and researcher. This brings a shared understanding of equity and inclusion.

Portraiture methodology was used to interpret data and present portraits to “capture the richness, complexity and dimensionality of the human experience in the social and cultural context,” of the rural school (Lawrence-Lightfoot and Hoffman Davis 1997 p 3)

The outcome of the research work will provide a wider understanding of rural context and implications for policy and future training for teachers through the lens of equity and equitable teahcing practices.

The 2023 World Economic Forum estimates that closing the gender gap in Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) fields could add $28 trillion to the global GDP by 2025 and studies show that women with STEM-related careers tend to have higher incomes and greater economic stability, thereby reducing their vulnerability to poverty. By empowering young girls in rural communities with STEM education and skills, they contribute to social protection and inclusion by providing them with opportunities for personal and professional development, thereby mitigating the risk of exclusion and vulnerability.

The Sapphires Development Initiative, Nigeria implemented STEMXX Nigeria and STEM4Girls projects to address this. The project aimed to transform 150 rural adolescent girls into strong STEM advocates. Hence, this study seeks to understand the short-term effects of STEM projects on beneficiaries’ agency and leadership potential.

To answer its research inquiry, a pre-and post-interventional study was conducted to explore the short-term effects of these school-based interventions on beneficiaries’ agency and leadership potential. Data was collected through a mixed method to assess the project's impact on the participants' knowledge, skills, attitudes, and aspirations regarding STEM education and careers.

The study findings indicate a significant improvement in participants' knowledge of STEM concepts, increased confidence in their abilities to lead and pursue STEM careers, and a greater awareness of gender stereotypes. They also expressed heightened aspirations to contribute to STEM-related fields and address societal challenges such as climate change and sustainable development. The success of these school-based interventions in rural regions demonstrates the effectiveness of equipping girls with STEM knowledge and fostering leadership skills, thereby promoting inclusion.

This article aims to investigate the pivotal roles that teachers play within the context of cultivating school culture. It constructs a foundational model for the role positioning and practice of teachers' involvement in school culture construction, offering a practical guide for front-line teachers engaged in school improvement initiatives driven by cultural development.

This article synthesizes existing theories, outlining the observable dimensions of school culture and the basics of Role Theory. Employing a qualitative approach, it studies a new group school in a Chinese rural area through interviews, artifact analysis, and semi-participant observation, focusing on primary and middle school teachers. The research identifies stages in the development of teacher roles, explores changes in role practice, and concludes with refined role positioning and practical insights for the construction of school culture.

The research findings reveal a spectrum of roles in the cultivation of school culture. These roles manifest as "practitioners and innovators" of school culture, "organizers and facilitators" of classroom culture, "boundless learners and miners" of knowledge, "reflectors and maintainers" throughout the process, "interlocutors and sharers" of experiences, and practical-oriented "communicators and collaborators". These roles exhibit traits of multiplicity, contextual transcendence, and growth through practice, underscoring the intricate and dynamic nature of teachers' roles in the development of school culture.

This paper examines teachers' roles in school culture construction, summarizing their role patterns from educational practices as a reference to address issues of inexperience and capability among teachers. It seeks to align teachers with societal expectations in modern education and bridge the gap between quality education and high-quality teacher shortage in rural areas. Furthermore, the research presents an ideal role model for teacher to redefine their rights, obligations, responsibilities, and expectations in the new educational ecosystem featuring as sustainable school improvement and high-quality education.

Increasingly, in Scotland there is an expectation of teachers to fulfil a social contract in education to close the poverty-related attainment gap and meet the needs of the range of learners in a diverse 21^st century Scotland (General Teaching Council for Scotland, 2021). Using Goodwin’s five domains of knowledge (Goodwin, 2010, 2019), we explored pre-service teachers’ understanding and conceptualisation of becoming a teacher.

This study was carried out with pre-service teachers based at a Scottish Higher Education Institution (HEI) offering initial teacher education (ITE) at postgraduate (Masters) level (Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework level 11). Participants included those seeking to qualify as teachers in the primary-school or secondary-school sectors (working with children aged 4-11 or 12-18 respectively). An anonymous online questionnaire, available for completion by all entrants and all those successfully completing the programme, was used as a convenient way of collecting data. The data was analysed using thematic analysis methods for qualitative questionnaire data.

On entry to the ITE programme, there was a range of depth of understanding across the five domains. On finishing the programme, this range persisted. In some cases, pre-service teachers articulated an understanding of what the knowledge domain was about, with some knowledge domains developed to a greater extent than others. For example, the majority of exiting students who completed the questionnaire demonstrated understanding of contextual knowledge but only within the context of the school and local community (i.e. “immediate and proximate” Goodwin (2010, p. 24)). Only a small number demonstrated a broader understanding of the inclusion of political, historical, structural and cultural context.

This study provides thought-provoking data for those involved in ITE as we consider the extent to which we prepare pre-service teachers for the complex demands of achieving equity and social justice through education.

In today's evolving world, the development of students as thinkers is key. In supporting this goal, intentionally incorporating instruction of higher-order thinking (HOT) has been proven to be essential. However, this complex instruction requires wide and deep teacher knowledge. This knowledge goes beyond merely presenting HOT assignments, as has often been the emphasis in professional development (PD). Research shows that when aimed at teaching diverse-students, teachers must have specific knowledge regarding thinking-difficulties and how to support students after identifying difficulties. Without this, mostly stronger-learners benefit from HOT learning, despite evidence that low-achievers are especially benefitted thereby.

This study addresses this gap by examining 115 teachers' analysis of HOT instruction and providing insights regarding (a) thinking-difficulties teachers identify and anticipate; (b) supports teachers offer for assisting students with their thinking-difficulties; and (c) knowledge sources teachers rely on when identifying student-difficulties and when suggesting supports.

The study found that while teachers were rather competent at creating HOT tasks, over half the teachers struggled to address student thinking-difficulties. Teachers' knowledge of student thinking-difficulties was limited, but also it was not highly accessible nor prioritised by them. Teachers' repertoire of supports for thinking-difficulties was also limited, with a majority explicitly stating they do not know how to support students through HOT difficulties. While teachers had wide knowledge of creating and evaluating HOT tasks, teachers' knowledge, of thinking-difficulties and of supports, was either lacking or based almost entirely on personal-experience.

This study has significant educational implications. Familiarity with HOT thinking difficulties, knowing how to seek and identify them, and of course knowing how to address them, must be explicitly taught. It is essential knowledge teachers must develop through PD in order to effectively teach HOT with diverse students.

*The full paper elaborates on the thinking-difficulties identified and the supports suggested by teachers (in preparation).

The objective of this study was to identify the professional knowledge needs of teachers in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) through a case study. ESD is increasingly important in global educational discussions due to its relevance for the planet’s future. The Teacher Professional Knowledge in Contexts (TPKinCs) model by Grangeat and Hudson (2015) was used to understand the contexts and beliefs shaping teachers' professional knowledge, with Lange's (2008) definitions and approaches to ESD providing additional support.

A case study was conducted with a Senegalese teacher (Subject 1), who is male, with a seventeen-year experience teaching mathematics and physics. The teacher was interviewed, and the responses were transcribed and analyzed using the theoretical frameworks. Three main themes emerged: the teacher’s characterization of ESD and his view of nature; his perceptions of the teaching profession, other teachers, students, and himself; and his practices and emphasis on community. A table cross-referenced these themes with the TPKinCs model.

The results show that the teacher’s approach is influenced by ongoing ESD and SDGs training, admiration for UNESCO, and religious and other beliefs, shaped by his contexts. While Subject 1’s teacher pedagogical knowledge aligns with the United Nations' vision of lifelong learning and quality education, updated knowledge and progressive pedagogical strategies could be envisioned in matters as gender equality, views on nature, and evaluation methods. Continuous teacher training on ESD can also help develop teacher professional knowledge related to the specific aspects of this field.

In conclusion, although the TPKinCs model offers a useful framework, the study highlights the need for longer duration and direct classroom observation to better assess alignment between the teacher's practices and discourse, as well as a larger sample to better capture the diversity of teacher profiles and needs.

This paper presents the findings of a scoping review of longitudinal research on teaching 1970-2023 in the context of Teachers Professional Journeys (TPJ): The First Decade (2024-2030) study (Author et al, 2024). TPJ, a nationally funded study, is an accelerated longitudinal mixed-methods study focused on understanding the dynamics of teacher learning and development during their first decade teaching in the context of the wider education system at primary, post primary and further education (FE) sectors in Ireland. The study followed the PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) for scoping reviews using these five steps: scoping, searching, screening, data extraction and data analysis (Page et al., 2021). The following bibliographic databases were searched from 1970 to 2023 (published in English): Web of Science, EBSCO and Scopus. Longitudinally-designed studies of teachers and teaching at primary, post-primary and further education and training sectors were included in the initial search with the final set of studies for full text review comprising longitudinal studies 2010-23 involving three or more time points of data collection. Longitudinal studies focused only on initial teacher education were not included. Criteria for data extraction were refined through discussions between the research teams and informed by the larger goals of the study. Two reviewers then worked independently to extract data from the 207 included studies. Findings indicate a somewhat broadly focused literature with studies focused on teacher journeys encompassing (i) describing the self as teacher (teacher identity, knowledge, beliefs, experiences or practices) (ii) appraisal of self as teacher (autonomy, efficacy and job satisfaction), (iii) Impact of teacher professional learning and career experience, (iv) national priorities/policies and (v) teacher supply. Findings under these five headings are discussed along with the scoping review’s overarching finding, that is, the now burgeoning longitudinal literature in teacher education.

In this paper, I consider the findings from a self study in which I considered how I, as a white female teacher educator, do and do not take up anti-oppressive pedagogies (Rodriguez and Swalwell, 2021) in the classroom. The theoretical framework, “rehumanizing praxis,” is informed by white supremacy logic (Enumah, 2021) to contextualise accountable inquiry with white teachers, including myself as a professor. It is within this understanding of white supremacy logic that “rehumanizing praxis,” referencing simultaneous inward and outward pedagogies, can be understood, making barriers and possibilities visible among the tensions.

This paper discusses a two-part research inquiry, with emphasis on phase two. In phase one, white in-service teachers participated in a project examining internal and external barriers, supports, and pedagogies related to their commitments to racial justice in their classrooms. While the field of education works to dismantle the persistent overrepresentation of white women in the field (Fenwick, 2021), teacher preparation programmes continue to require more robust support for diverse classrooms without perpetuating harmful pedagogies or reproducing injustice. From that study, many inward and outward pedagogies were identified across participants, seasoned teachers in school contexts ranging from early childhood through adolescence.

For phase two, I kept a teaching journal, recording observations and reflections of my opportunities to support racially just teacher education as informed by the findings in phase one. I noted barriers to my anti-oppressive education commitments at the university level. I cited personal and institutional supports as an experienced professor in a new, white-dominant college context. In addition, I described interactions and meetings through the lenses of my own inward and outward pedagogies. I will share findings from the self-study as I explored practices that supported and, at times, obscured my efforts.

Teacher educator knowledge is an emerging field of research. Berry (2007) conducted the first study which uncovered the typical tensions teacher educators had to resolve in their practice. More recently, Lay inquired into an online course (2021) where she revealed how seven themes of teacher educator knowledge informed decisions about planning, teaching and assessing. Through that project, we came to see assignments were repositories of teacher educators’ knowledge of teaching, teacher education, and their tacit knowledge. This understanding led us to wonder about what an assignment we co-constructed would reveal about our own knowledge of teaching and teacher education and what we might also uncover concerning our tacit teacher educator knowledge. We engage in self-study of practice. We began by identifying an assignment we designed and taught pre-service teachers as part of a course that taught them to teach multilingual students within their regular classrooms. We selected a curriculum development project based on the model developed by CREDE (Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence). For our analysis, we worked together identifying what the assignment revealed. We met three times. We kept careful notes for each session. At the end of each session, we identified what the assignment revealed about our teacher knowledge, our teacher educator knowledge and our tacit knowledge as a teacher educator. We integrated our assertions from the three sessions producing our findings. We found that our knowledge of teaching impacted our pacing, plans for group work, and reporting student work. Our teacher educator knowledge revealed our beliefs that the work needed to feel authentic, link together things learned in other classes, and demonstrate their knowledge of the underlying principles for instruction. Our tacit knowledge revealed our clear grounding of our pedagogy in sociocultural theory and commitment to equitable teaching.

This collaborative self-study was conducted by two faculty who teach research methodology to non-traditional students pursuing an educational doctorate (Ed.D.). Working together since 2022 in a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), many of our shared doctoral students work full-time jobs, have families, and often struggle with the demands of the doctoral program. The goal of this study was to inquire how we could leverage an already extant cohort model to improve student retention and outcomes of our students through improving small group work in our courses.

In the U.S., Ed.D. candidates are more likely to be older, employed full-time, female, and from minority backgrounds. Research indicates that factors such as lack of social support, faculty relationships, prior academic rigor, self-efficacy, and motivation contribute significantly to higher attrition rates among non-traditional doctoral students (Bain et al., 2011; Deshpande, 2017; Brill et al., 2014).

Beginning in 2022, we started meeting bi-weekly to reflect on our individual and collective teaching experiences (Hamilton & Pinnegar, 2016). We focused on revising the structure, pacing, and curriculum to strengthen small group pedagogy. Through joint journaling and synchronous discussions, we created interim texts (Clandinin & Connelly, 2010) that allowed us to identify resonances (Charmaz, 2010) grounded in our teaching experiences (Munby & Russell, 1994). Our analysis of course artifacts, student assessments, and previous self-study data suggested that students struggled with completing assignments and understanding methodological and programmatic goals.

To address these challenges, we improved the small group curriculum by embedding stronger reading and task support, establishing structured and accountable group meetings, incorporating classroom modeling, and ensuring transparency of goals and purposes. Preliminary findings indicate that students found the group work beneficial, particularly in helping them understand difficult concepts and apply their learning.

Expanded examples from teacher notes and student feedback will be included to further illustrate these findings.

This doctoral research aims to examine how I, as a primary teacher and teacher educator, respond to tensions produced by policy narratives of educational change, reflecting on how my practice is influenced by the system in which I work (GTCS, 2021). This research primarily builds upon Amanda Berry’s (2007: 132) reconceptualization of teacher education knowledge as tensions, specifically her assertion that tensions, “…serve as both a language for describing practice and as a frame for studying practice”. Data was gathered through analysis of six Scottish education policy documents using the framework, What’s the Problem Represented to Be? (WPR) (Bacchi, 2009). Reflecting the self-study methodology and to capture how changes made to practice are shaped by personal responses to policy, the policy analysis was supported with journaling (a policy response journal and a practice journal). Initial findings suggest that it is my response to uncertainty, and its simultaneous acceptance and denial in the Scottish policy landscape, that influences the practices I habitually adopt and find tension in enacting. This is because these practices, such as planning and modelling, provide a sense of control and stability, despite their incongruence with my personal beliefs and the beliefs put forth in policy that teachers should be adaptable, responsive, and creative to meet the needs of their students in present-day society. This research is relevant to the conference theme and sub theme of ‘characteristics of quality teaching’ as it highlights critical reflection as an integral part of teacher professionalism. This is particularly relevant to the need to support educators to cultivate and sustain a willingness to disrupt both external narratives of change, such as those found in policy, and internal narratives of change that inform the adoption of habituated practices.

This study examines the impact of Israel's Amendment No. 11 to the Special Education Law (2018) on teachers' professional development and career pathways in inclusive education settings. The amendment allows parents to choose educational institutions for their children with diverse learning needs. The research explores how this legislative change affects educator preparedness, support systems, and career decisions in inclusive environments. Grounded in theories of educational equity and professional development, the study examines the intersection of inclusive education policies, teacher preparedness, and professional growth opportunities. It considers how policy changes influence teacher education needs, support systems, and career trajectories in increasingly diverse classrooms. Using a qualitative approach, the research employed personal questionnaires and focus groups to gather insights from teachers and kindergarten educators affected by the law. Participants included educators who voluntarily pursued additional special education certification in response to the legislative changes. Preliminary findings reveal a pervasive sense of helplessness and burnout among educators, primarily due to inadequate training and support for managing inclusive classrooms. Participants viewed pursuing further studies in special education as both a career advancement opportunity and a means to build a supportive community among educators facing similar challenges. Many educators expressed frustration with insufficient resources for children with diverse learning needs in inclusive settings and growing disillusionment with existing educational policies. A notable trend emerged of experienced teachers transitioning to the special education system, attracted by smaller class sizes and better support options. This shift indicates a potentially concerning exodus of skilled educators from inclusive education settings, which may have long-term implications for the quality of inclusive education in mainstream classrooms. The study highlights the need for improved teacher training, resources, and support systems to ensure the success of inclusive education initiatives and retain experienced educators in mainstream settings.

This presentation describes a research and training initiative conducted within a project involving three preschools in Rome, aimed at exploring the potential benefits of teacher training and implementation of the Group-based Early Start Denver Model to foster inclusion in classrooms in which children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are present. In line with the European Disability Strategy 2021-2030 adopted by the European Commission, the objective of this project is to promote inclusion and equity through active dialogue and collaboration with school leaders and teachers in Italian educational institutions.

A key aspect of this initiative is teacher training which, as outlined in the European Framework for Inclusive Teaching Competences (European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, 2012), calls for continuous professional development. This enables educators to collaborate effectively with their teams to support each pupil, recognizing their unique characteristics, needs, and aspirations. It is within this framework that the dialogue between schools and universities naturally emerges, offering opportunities for research aimed at transforming and enhancing educational practice.

Following Fixen et al.’s “Active Implementation Framework” the project involved three phases: Exploration, Installation, and Initial Implementation, carried out in collaboration with local school leaders and teachers. The methodology included workshops introducing the G-ESDM’s theoretical and practical aspects, alongside in-class coaching and evaluation tools such as the G-ESDM Fidelity Tool and adapted Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scales. Preliminary results indicate a high level of acceptance and feasibility among educators, with positive outcomes in fostering inclusion and the development of adaptive behaviors in children with ASD. This project aligns with the themes of the conference, particularly in addressing both teacher education and professional development for inclusion and to support broader inclusion efforts. Findings may offer insights to shape teaching practices and learning environment to the educational needs of pupils with ASD and their peers.

While initial teacher education (ITE) programs are designed to prepare pre service teachers for inclusive teaching practices, many teachers in service feel they lack sufficient training and skills effectively address the diverse needs of all students. This raises concerns about whether there is a mismatch between what ITE programs offer and their application in practice.

This comparative research aims to enhance knowledge in the field of ITE programs by examining how beginning teachers are prepared for inclusive education. It explores cross-cultural similarities and differences in ITE programs for inclusive education between two distinct contexts: Azerbaijan and Scotland.

A qualitative approach has been chosen as the most suitable method for data collection, utilizing three research methods: document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions. The current study is framed by three theoretical models: Korthagen’s (2004) Onion Model, Goodwin’s (2010) Knowledge Domains for Teaching, and the Comparative Case Study (CCS) framework proposed by Bartlett and Vavrus (2017) and these frameworks guided both the design of the data collection process.

Currently, the research is in its initial stages of data collection, with some preliminary findings already emerging. Although the data collection process is ongoing, all data collection and analysis will be completed before the conference date.

By examining how ITE programs prepare student teachers for inclusive education, my research directly contributes to the conference theme of equity and inclusion in teacher education in a way of exploring how all students at the primary education level, regardless of their abilities or diversities, will be taught equitable and inclusively through the learning prosesses.

The paper is based on the premise that diverse individuals come together in a classroom community, and that the quality of their learning and holistic development depends on the quality of their wellbeing in the classroom. Classroom teachers have a particularly important role and responsibility in building and maintaining the classroom community. The concept of the classroom teacher's role is conditioned by the pedagogical tradition of each country. Especially in the countries of Continental Europe, the classroom teachers are expected to provide a safe and supportive learning and social environment, to build supportive peer relationships and to provide opportunities for the optimal development of all students, especially the most vulnerable ones.

The findings of a national evaluation research study on the roles and needs of classroom teachers in the management of educational work in Slovenian primary and secondary schools will be presented. The findings concern classroom teachers’ assessment of their competences, such as recognising and accommodating individual differences among students, developing an appropriate climate, acting in accordance with ethical principles, reflecting on their own work and introducing necessary changes. In particular, the paper focuses on what contributes to their competences and in which areas they would need additional training. An online questionnaire was designed with closed and open-ended questions, and Likert-type scales. The invitation to participate in the study was sent to all Slovenian primary and secondary schools, together with a link to the questionnaire.

The collected data was analysed using statistical methods. The findings highlight key areas where classroom teachers need quality education and further training to meet the challenges of the daily practice of very diverse students’ learning together. Only competent classroom teachers who are prepared to reflect critically on their own practice and act in accordance with professional ethical standards can contribute to building a more just and inclusive community.

Research aim

The aim of the research is to investigate the attitudes and opinions of pre-service students regarding Differentiated Instruction as a characteristic of Quality Teaching (QΤ) in the Greek Primary School.

Theoretical framework

Research on QΤ is intensifying, especially in recent years, due to the challenges of the modern school where students coexist in classrooms that are differentiated on the basis of a combination of parameters such as cultural and ethnic background, etc.

QΤ is a complex conceptual construct and therefore researchers have developed a variety of frameworks and models to observe and investigate QΤ, such as the lesson observation form for assessing QΤ by researcher W. van de Grift which includes a variety of dimensions such as Differentiated Instruction, etc.

From the literature review it is found that there are not enough studies where the research subjects investigating QΤ are external observers such as future teachers.

Methods

The research was conducted among students of the Department of Primary Education at the University of Ioannina (Greece). During the Teaching Practice in Primary Schools they observed the teachers' teaching for 2 weeks.

They were then asked to complete a structured questionnaire with 42 "closed" type five-point Likert-type questions (1=not at all and 5=Extremely) exploring QΤ. This study analyses the questions related to Differentiated Instruction.

The sample of the study consists of 222 students. Convenience sampling was used to select the sample.

Findings

From the processing and analysis of the responses, it is clear that the statements of pre-service students in all the questions, regarding Differentiated Instruction as a characteristic of QΤ in Greek Primary Schools, are neutral and tend to be positive since the average ranges between 2.5 and 3 (3=moderate).

Relevance to the Conference theme and specific strand

Abstract is relevant the sub-theme: Characteristics of QΤ

This study examines how teachers navigate and redefine their roles during two crises: the COVID-19 pandemic (in alternative schools) and the Iron Swords war in Israel (in evacuee schools). We aim to broaden understanding of teachers' roles, characteristics, work, and tensions, focusing on the interplay between teachers' perspectives, community expectations, and adherence to governmental instructions.

Employing Tyack and Tobin's (1994) "grammar of schooling" framework—which describes persistent organizational, curricular and relationship patterns in schooling—we analyze how educational structures are challenged and reshaped during crises. This approach reveals hidden structures and work (Bowker & Star, 1999) in emergency educational settings.

Our multiple case study incorporates data from four evacuee schools during the Iron Swords war (2024) and twelve alternative schools during the COVID-19 pandemic (2021-2022). Methods include semi-structured interviews with 65 educators, on-site observations, and thematic analysis.

Preliminary results expose hidden aspects of teachers' roles, uncovering three main tensions:

1. Holistic student well-being versus academic achievement
2. Trauma-informed pedagogy versus normalcy and resilience
3. Maintaining community obligation and routines versus academic instruction

We propose a triangular model of the teacher-educator role—parental work, therapeutic perspective, and academic teaching—which maps onto these tensions. The first tension lies mainly on the parent-academic axis, while the second tension aligns with the therapeutic corner. SEL lessons represent the therapeutic-academic side. This model has implications for educational practice and policy.

This research addresses the conference theme by exploring how teachers reconcile work-related tensions and suggesting a model that manifests tensions between established norms and crisis-driven necessities. It illuminates the process of negotiating a new social contract in education, where teachers' roles expand beyond traditional boundaries. Future research could explore the applicability of this model in non-crisis educational settings.

The passive learning phenomenon, common in teacher-centred classrooms, persists in classrooms globally despite continuous calls for learner-centred pedagogies. The educational landscape is in dire need of a shift to not only promote learner-centredness but also to move towards autonomy-supportive pedagogical approaches. This paper aims to elucidate and explore the potential of the ‘Altered Flipped Classroom Pedagogy’, a context-specific active learning intervention, to enhance learner engagement and participation in an everyday high school classroom. It originates from Bergman and Sams’ seminal work on the topic. It was, however, ‘altered’ to meet the needs of the South African context, where only an estimated 20,35% of the public high schools in the country have access to technology for teaching and learning purposes. The Flipped classroom was selected as instructional pedagogy as it is founded on socio-constructivist theories of learning that increase the potential for active engagement. Additionally, the research is situated within Self-Determination Theory, as the design of the intervention addresses learners' need for autonomy, relatedness and competence. Using volunteer sampling, high school teachers attended an online training session and received a training manual before implementing the intervention. Data was primarily collected via semi-structured interviews and triangulated using three alternative qualitative methods after undergoing the process of thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The primary findings demonstrate the potential of the AFCP to increase learner engagement, participation, and motivation. Further findings also highlight the positive effect on learner autonomy and the activation of learners’ self-determined behaviours thereby increasing the richness of learners’ learning experiences. When learners become more autonomous, they grow their ability to think independently, to problem solve and to take greater ownership of their learning. This intervention directly speaks to curriculum design for equitable teaching as it was developed to suit various educational contexts within the diverse South African educational landscape.

Research Aim

Presenting several long-term projects in cities in Israel, enabling school clusters (10 schools and more) to experience deeper learning and teaching in specific subject matter or generally in all the schools' teaching through the use of Attentive Teaching mode of instruction.

Theoretical framework

The need for Deeper Learning in American schools is emphasized in Mehta and Fine (2019). The pedagogy is the goal of the exceptional schools that they analyze, looking for the combination of: mastery, identity and creativity. Attentive Teaching (Schur & Guberman, 2023) cultivates the individual nature of the understanding that students experience in the classroom allowing the students to connect their knowledge, identity and creativity with observations and understanding of environments or texts or concepts in any subject matter and any age.

Methods

Implementation of Attentive Teaching in schools, starts with enabling leading teachers to get two years of training in Attentive Teaching, and then lead the school implementation of the teaching and learning method for two or three more years.

Findings

Three Long term projects of implementations of Attentive Teaching will be described:

1. in Arab East Jerusalem 15 primary schools

2. English Attentive Teaching in 12 high-schools in Arab East Jerusalem

3. Intervention in 10 primary and high-schools in Kiryat Shemona, the northern part of Israel

The leading teachers experience mediated interactions where they draw and explain their points of view of the learnt topic. Products from their experiences will be presented.

Relevance to the Conference theme and specific strand

As the conference deals with quality teaching and influencing equity in society, the presentation relates to an implementation of innovative teaching and learning in areas of low socio-economical populations, with the aim of influencing whole areas in long term projects.

As settler teacher educators, the authors have embarked on a journey of self-reflection regarding their teaching practices. Teaching foundational courses in literacies and educational law, we reflect on fostering decolonizing pedagogies. McGregor (2012) defines decolonizing pedagogies as “teaching and learning approaches that both acknowledge and deconstruct structures of power associated with colonization in an effort to create space for, and give legitimacy to, Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing” (p. 13). Making connections between quality teaching and equity in socially just classrooms mirrors our responsibilities as settler educators to pursue our commitment to decolonization practices (Battiste, 2013; Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015). Our guiding question is: How can decolonizing pedagogies in teacher education amplify social justice in classrooms?

As allies in education (Morcom & Freeman, 2018), we challenge ourselves to integrate “relational accountability” (Wilson, 2008) while designing our curriculum. We are informed by culturally responsive pedagogies (Alim & Paris, 2017; Battiste, 2013; Brayboy & Maughan, 2009) and Indigenous education (Nardozi & Restoule, 2020; Nardozi et al., 2014; Toulouse, 2018). Madden (2015) suggests when teacher educators are exposed to an Indigenous worldview, it “opens up space within the academy and schools to conceptualize education differently” (p. 4).

This study is grounded in action research (Gravett, 2004; Ross, 2020) to improve our practices in a teacher education program. This reflective self-study brings the authors together as dialogic partners (Bakhtin, 1991; Gravett, 2005) towards transformative action to improve our own teaching, the curriculum we design, and as a model for settler teacher educators. Transdisciplinary journals (Marshall, 2014) will act as catalysts for our conversations.

Our work will illuminate Madden’s (2015) “pedagogical pathways” as deep learning and understanding occur. Findings, both action-oriented and reflective, will be presented during our session.

This proposal meets the sub-themes of Curriculum design for equitable teaching and Equity and inclusion in teacher education.

Research Aim

Quality teaching and learning is predicated upon teachers' skills, knowledge, and dispositions like adaptability and self-reflection. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education has been markedly increasing and will lead to significant transformations in the teaching and learning processes. In this study, as educators/researchers we explored AIs transformative impact on teaching practices in our classrooms while maintaining skepticism about AI’s ability to support critical thinking, given the complexities and ethical tensions.

Theoretical Framework

This self-study leverages posthuman perspectives (Barad, 2007; Braidotti, 2013) to examine and reflect upon teaching/learning complexities, thereby providing a lens to better understand how AI can be ethically harnessed to impact classroom environments, students’ knowledge, and teachers’ pedagogical practices (Paris, 2012; Muhammad & Mosley, 2021).

Methods

We engaged in self-study (LaBoskey, 2004; Pinnegar & Hamilton, 2009) to examine our teaching pedagogies using AI in our courses. Our data sources included reflective journals, course artifacts, and transcribed recordings of self-study meetings. Providing constructive feedback and support, these data sources reflect our perspectives as critical friends.

Findings

Our findings suggest that AI can increase students' awareness of the importance of using critical thinking and reflexivity. For this, first, the instructor/mentor must have an understanding of AI and self awareness of one’s capabilities for successful incorporation into the classroom. Second, engaging in AI learning activities prompted and engaged students critically. Third, educators’ self-mentoring practices guided proactive student application and learning. Distinct stages of self-mentoring emerged: (Level1/Reflection; Level2/Practice; Level 3/Guiding others).

Conclusion & Relevance

Engaging in self-study transformed unfamiliarity and challenges into opportunities for growth and empowerment and reduced anxiety of AI usage. Collaborative mentoring with critical friends created a space to explore ethical tensions while incorporating new technologies that enhanced practices, fostered students to think critically, develop resilience, and encouraged continuous learning.

Aim

This study explores why early childhood education (ECE) faculty at different institutions joined and sustained their involvement in a Self-Study Community of Practice (SSCoP). The aim is to understand the conditions that promote long-term engagement in an innovative form of online professional development.

Theoretical Framework:

The study is grounded in the self-study of teaching, a research methodology that fosters professional development by combining reflective practice with scholarly inquiry. Self-study is characterized by five key elements: it is self-initiated, improvement-focused, interactive, employs qualitative methods, and relies on trustworthiness for validity. This methodology provides a space for educators to critically examine their teaching practices, offering a structured yet flexible approach to professional growth and collaboration.

Methods:
Four ECE faculty members from various institutions participated in the SSCoP. Collaborative qualitative data analysis of personal journals and reflective discussions was conducted to identify the factors that influenced participants' sustained engagement in the SSCoP. These reflective data points were thematically coded and analyzed.

Findings:
The study identified key factors driving sustained engagement in the SSCoP, including strong interpersonal relationships, a desire to improve teaching practices, shared goals and expectations, and opportunities for professional advancement. The SSCoP served not only as a platform for individual growth but also as a supportive, collaborative network that fostered a sense of belonging and accountability among members.

Relevance to Conference Theme and Specific Strand:

This study is highly relevant to the conference self-study theme, added to the ISATT conference in place of the Castle Conference in 2024. Specifically, the presentation addresses faculty reasons for participating in a SSCoP and for sustaining their engagement. The findings demonstrate how cross-institutional SSCoPs can support ECE faculty in higher education, addressing both their unique challenges and the broader need for effective, ongoing professional development.

Teachers and teacher educators report uncertainties about the ‘how’ of integrating social justice content into (physical education) teacher education [(PE)TE]. As one possibility for addressing this challenge, Scanlon et al. (2022) re-imagined the existing Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model through a social justice lens and implemented the teaching and learning of social justice matters in (PE)TE. The purpose of this research was to understand and improve our PETE practice enacting the SJ-TPSR approach across diverse modules in three countries (Ireland, Australia, and Canada). There were 8 PETEs involved in this exploration, organised into 3 micro collaborative self-studies (Ireland [3], Australia [2], and Canada [2]) within one macro collaborative self-study with a macro critical friend.

Collaborative self-study methodology informed by LaBoskey’s characteristics of quality self-study guided this research. Members from each community enacted the approach, while the other member(s) acted as micro critical friends. Self-study occurred within the micro learning communities and across the macro learning community: emphasising a layered notion of self-study. Data included: teacher educator reflections; whole group interrogations of reflections with teacher educator responses; recorded weekly or fortnightly micro critical friend meetings; and recorded monthly macro meetings. Results from this research share the realities of translating a theoretically informed vision into practice in ways that support the next generation of teachers’ learning about and through innovative pedagogy.

We suggest that colleagues from the (PE)TE community may consider these findings in their endeavour to reconsider existing pedagogical models through a social justice lens, and as they strive to work toward social justice. This presentation will also show how a layered approach to self-study can encourage deep interrogation of teacher education practice.

University education is meant to improve the quality of society in terms of novelty (quality products and process improvement) through research and teaching. However, Nigerian University education remains more theoretical based years after the colonial masters introduced formal education making it difficult for industry to thrive. This study examined how the Nigerian University education can look beyond theory and become practice oriented. To achieve this objective, the study surveyed the views of both educationist at the University level and industrialists. Their feedbacks were analysed through statistical means which were presented in organised forms. The findings revealed that Nigerian University education is more for literacy and certififcation. Also, the equipments and tools that can facilitate practical learning and teaching are not readily available. Similarly, it was revealed that the mindset of average University students cum job seekers is public service and not industry. Lastly, the study found that University administrators need to seek for ways to get equipments and take industrial training programs seriously to bring about the shift. It was concluded that government and other owners of Universities, University administrators, students and other stakeholders must change their mindset about what University education is. It is beyond literacy but include skill development, creativity and innovativeness.

Aim

This study seeks to understand how schoolteachers in Scotland respond to and manage the challenges in an increasingly complex educational environment. It examines teachers’ views on their working environment and the ways in which conditions in their schools have an influence on aspects of teacher quality including professionalism.

Framework

The conceptual framework was based on a review of the literature on teacher quality and effectiveness which led to the creation of a conceptual map of the main debates that seemed to relate to teacher commitment to pupils and their learning, pedagogical content knowledge, self-efficacy, successful school leadership and policy reform (Bradford et al., 2021).

Methods

A questionnaire survey was employed to get an overview about teachers’ perceptions of their school conditions and their work. The survey embraced a 48-item Likert-type scale and was informed by the wider research literature on teachers’ perceptions of improvement in different areas of their school’s work including non-academic areas. Data were collected from a sample of 280 teachers (12% response rate) through a stratified random sample of secondary schools in Scotland.

Results

Exploratory and confirmatory analyses generated four underlying factors for the models focusing on 1) curriculum, pedagogy and assessment, 2) creating an environment for raising achievement, 3) collaborative school culture and 4) teachers’ self-efficacy. Results demonstrate that teachers’ perceptions of their work vary significantly, and can be dependent on the individual teacher, the influence of school leadership, as well as the school culture.

Relevance to the Conference theme

This study builds knowledge of teacher quality, development and motivation as pillars of teacher professionalism in Scotland and points to the importance of teacher commitment as a significant factor in teaching quality, teachers’ capacities to adapt successfully to change, teacher retention, and pupil learning outcomes.

The professional life of a schoolteacher is influenced by several contextual factors that account for changes in their professional practice and attitudes, both of which influence how they participate in education as a social contract. This study aimed to explore how Zimbabwean teachers’ narratives of their professional experiences influenced changes in their perceptions of, and attitudes towards their profession. The study was motivated by the several curriculum changes that the country has gone through since attaining independence in 1980. Documenting changes in the teachers’ professional perceptions and attitudes was seen as important for understanding their evolving commitment and values, both of which are significant for the quality of teaching and students’ learning. The study drew on Positioning Theory (Felix & Ali, 2023) and the Multidimensional Adapted Process Model (MAP) (Riitta-Leena Metsapelto, et al., 2022) to analyse teacher narratives of their experiences for changes in their practice and attitudes. The study involved a sample of 13 teachers with 10 or more years of teaching experience in either primary of secondary schools. The teachers’ written narratives of their experiences on several issues relating to their professional practice constituted the data collected and analysed in the study. The narratives were analysed thematically. Findings indicate that the teachers’ perceptions of changes in their practice and attitudes were shaped by curriculum reforms, economic instability, technological developments, migration, and professional mobility, among others. The findings highlight several issues that influence how teachers’ experiences influence how they position themselves in relation to their professional practice, and their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the profession. The findings contribute to knowledge of how teachers’ experiences influence qualitative changes in their professional practice, which in turn can inform an understanding of their evolving roles and attitudes in relation to education as a social contract.

The research aims to contribute to the intelligibility (Bru, 2021) of the practises of ‘expert teachers’ in classroom management from the point of view of the opportunities they offer for student learning, with particular attention to the dynamics that emerge around certain recurring critical points. The aim is to promote the construction of a repertoire of knowledge related to the question of how to support learning that is more closely linked to the phenomenology of teaching and learning processes, with particular reference to the needs of primary teacher training. At a methodological level, the problem of constructing ‘evidence about practises’ (Zanniello & De Vita, 2021; Bryk, 2015) is addressed through categories that can simultaneously have a cognitive value in a theoretical and operational key (Pastré, 2011). Using a sample of 100 cases of experienced Italian teachers from Piedmont (2022-2023), recurring problematic teaching situations were identified, described and analysed (Fabre, 2017, 2005; Perrenoud, 1998). Referring to the frameworks related to teaching as action and mediation (Lenoir, 2017, Damiano, 2014; Bucheton, 2019), critical areas and "configurations of teaching practises" (Veyrunes, 2017) were catalogued that develop in classrooms, starting from the articulation of individual dynamics of teachers and students (Veyrunes, 2017), and that seem to exhibit elements of typicality. The problematic situations observed (Rey, 2014) concern in particular the management of tasks, the involvement of students in the development of work assignments. The professional gestures observed (Jorro, 2018; Bucheton, 2019) concern in particular the use of language, moderation and sanctions for behaviour perceived as inappropriate. Analysing the data in the light of the frameworks makes it possible to identify certain recurring features in the classroom management models considered "professional" by teachers, to analyse them and to hypothesise possible prospects for improvement.

While the practical value of English as an academic lingua franca is generally recognised, studies highlight negative consequences for non-native English speaker (NNES) university students and staff. These include difficulties communicating clearly in English and time spent learning it (Tardy, 2004), as well as the additional time required to do academic work in English (Amano et al., 2023). In Hong Kong’s English medium instruction (EMI) tertiary environment, a disjunction exists between the language of instruction and the proficiency and preferences of L1 Cantonese students (Evans & Morrison, 2011). Two thirds of secondary schools and most primary schools use Cantonese (Shephard & Rose, 2023), often leading to English proficiency depending on families’ socioeconomic background and extracurricular support (Li, 2018). Increasing enrolment of L1 Mandarin and international students has complicated matters further, and students often rely on translation, proofreading and paraphrasing applications to cope. The emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has also been met with enthusiasm by the Hong Kong government and local university administrations and can be perceived as improving academic equity for NNESs (Berdejo-Espinola & Amano, 2023). However, is GenAI an innovative technology helping to improve educational equity or a shortcut negatively impacting learning? This study investigates perceptions and use of GenAI of students from four English Language Centre subjects (n=76). Data was collected from pre- and post-course surveys, interviews, reflections, GenAI transcripts, and written assessments over two semesters. The findings suggest that while students are generally aware of ethical issues and limitations, they are increasingly adopting GenAI and positively view its convenience and efficiency for brainstorming, research, organisation and language use. However, few question GenAI’s impact on their overall learning. This presentation explores the growing disconnect between task performance and proficiency, and the extent to which GenAI-enhanced teaching and learning sustainably addresses the equity gap in globalised education.

The rapid progress of generative AI (GAI) has raised significant questions regarding its impact on teaching. As these tools become integrated into practice, educational institutions are challenged to rethinking their pedagogical approaches. Universities need to develop strategies to support faculty in integrating GAI to enhance teaching. In this context, an Estonian University formed a taskforce to address these issues.
A survey was developed and distributed online in February 2024 to understand teacher perspectives and practices about GAI tools in their classrooms. Out of 2479 staff members, 413 completed the survey. The taskforce aims to provide training for staff based on the collected responses and the survey will be repeated after one year to evaluate the effects of these training.
Our study aims to answer the following questions:

1. What are the main concerns identified by teaching staff regarding the use of GAI tools in their teaching practices?
2. How have these concerns and practices evolved over the course of a year?

Our initial survey results show that half of the respondents (48%) do not use GAI in their teaching nor regulate its use for students. The main reasons include uncertainty how to use GAI effectively, distrust in the information provided, and the belief that their subject is unsuitable for GAI integration. Some respondents reported unsatisfactory results from using GAI or found traditional teaching practices more effective. When asked about topics for staff training, respondents expressed interest in practical recommendations for effective GAI use and in understanding the connection between GAI tools and academic fraud.
Our study reports on the results obtained from the second survey comparing them with the initial findings. We aim to highlight the change in teacher concerns and practices. Based on these findings, we will offer recommendations focussing on professional development; policy guidelines on GAI use; equitable access to GAI tools.

Research Aim & Theoretical Framework: This presentation features findings from a bilingual, critical meta-analysis of global educator Ikeda Daisaku’s (1928–2023) publications on A.I. relative to ningen kyōiku, or “human education.” Comprising aims and methods of dialogue, value creation, creative coexistence, and a locally enacted global consciousness, Ikeda’s philosophy of human education centers on the persistent cultivation of fully human being and becoming in self and others, teacher and taught. Responding to the theoretical framing of “posthuman” converges of natural, social, and technological dimensions of human life and living (Snaza, 2015), this study provides teachers and teaching uniquely Eastern, quintessentially universal ways of engaging with A.I. that do not forsake or erase what makes us fundamentally human. Analyses center on two interlocking questions to which Ikeda consistently returns when assessing the impact of A.I. and the hyperfocus on reason and rationality underpinning and engendered by it: What does it mean to be human? and What is the nature of civilization and humanity?

Methods

The effects of A.I. and enhanced computerization on humanity and education abound in the popular and academic discourse. Ikeda has examined A.I. since the 1970s, but these works are inaccessible to the anglophone academy. This study employs bilingual-bicultural and critical discourse analyses (Rogers, 2004) of Ikeda’s 150-volume “Complete Works,” identifying his engagements with A.I., systematically coding, triangulating, and synthesizing these thematically.

Findings

Ikeda advocates practices of cultivating intuition, reestablishing human interactions in reality, developing creativity, and restoring the shigokoro, or “poetic mind/heart/spirit,” to enact justice and remedy and forestall what ails civilization and hinders human happiness in the expansion of A.I.

Relevancies

This study enhances our understanding of A.I. relative to the conference theme of teaching quality, socio-cultural identities, and what makes us uniquely human. It provides innovative, Eastern approaches for addressing social justice and leveraging technology.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been introduced in education recently. With its incorporation in the educational process, opportunities as also challenges have been arisen for teaching and learning. The research on AI in education aligns with equitable teaching practices by offering personalized learning experiences and enhancing engagement, but it must also address issues of access, cultural responsiveness, and teacher support to ensure inclusivity for all students. This research explores the impact of AI applications on both cognitive and non-cognitive skills of elementary school students. A systematic literature review was conducted, focusing on studies published since 2019, to gather insights into how AI technologies and AI educational platforms are integrated into primary schools and their subsequent effects on student learning. For a study to be included in the review had to be published after 2019, to examine an intervention with AI in elementary schools and be published in English language. For this purpose, experimental and quasi-experimental studies were identified. The results showed that these interventions were typically of short-term and utilized diverse AI-based tools, such as dialogic systems, AI-driven educational platforms, robotics, and educational games. The majority of these interventions concentrated on subjects like Language and Mathematics, aiming to assess the effectiveness of AI in enhancing learning outcomes in these core areas. The findings of the systematic literature review are generally encouraging, indicating that AI has the potential to positively influence student learning in primary education. The use of AI tools was associated with improvements in both cognitive skills, such as problem-solving and critical thinking, and non-cognitive skills, including motivation to learn and engagement in educational process. Despite these promising results, the review also highlights the need for further research to better understand the long-term effects of AI interventions, as well as their applicability across a broader range of subjects and skills.

This research aimed to explore student-teachers’ understanding and perceptions of the factors involved in designing an environment for quality learning and teaching, and to identify common elements, ideas, or specificities in their perceptions. The research was conducted during a teaching session of the elective course Stimulating Environment for Teaching and Learning, which was enrolled by second-year students (N=25) at the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Rijeka, Croatia. Based on the modern educational paradigm and socio-constructivist theory, the process of learning and teaching is understood as a dynamic, holistic, developmental category in which designing an environment adapted to students’ needs encourages active and collaborative learning, individualization, and differentiation (Čepić & Pejić Papak, 2021). Using a qualitative approach, students’ written papers on the elements of the spatial environment aimed at stimulating student activity were analyzed. Thematic analysis was conducted starting with text analysis, development of main topical categories, followed by two coding processes and category-based analysis. Our findings indicate that students emphasize the importance of teacher competence in modernizing the learning and teaching process and adapting teaching methods to different learning styles and individual needs. They underscore the significance of collaborative relationships and the creation of a supportive atmosphere in the classroom. The spatial environment of the classroom is recognized as a key factor in providing a pleasant, safe, and adaptable space that encourages student activity and creativity. Specificities in students’ perceptions are manifested in varying emphases on teacher competence, collaborative relationships, and classroom atmosphere. This paper provides useful insights into understanding the possibilities and limitations of the elements of the spatial environment from the students’ perspective and underscores the importance of comprehensive student-teacher training to foster a dynamic, responsive, and equitable educational environment for quality learning and teaching in which every student can develop and progress according to their abilities.

This project aims to better understand how faculty members co-construct a shared understanding and collective agreement on how UDL aligned strategies should be operationalized in a teacher preparation program. A growing number of students with dis/abilities are entering higher education institutions (HEI; Fleming et al., 2017; Hartsoe & Barclay, 2017; Madaus et al., 2021)’ therefore, it is essential higher education faculty have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to effectively teach students with dis/abilities. This is an equity imperative, as students with dis/abilties are graduating at lower rates than their non-disabled peers (Lightfoot et al., 2018). Consequently, higher education faculty need to implement instruction designed to increase accessibility and learning for all students. I propose Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as an effective framework to support students with dis/abilities in higher education (King-Sears et al., 2023). Further, higher education faculty need to feel empowered to use inclusive instructional strategies which may disrupt previous norms of university-level instruction. In this Mixed Methods Action Research (MMAR), participants engaged in three asynchronous professional development sessions to build their foundational knowledge of UDL. These short online sessions emphasized practical ways for UDL aligned strategies to be implemented in higher education classrooms. Participants learned about multiple means of learner engagement; multiple means of representing information; and multiple means for learners to take action and express themselves. Additionally, participants co-developed an Innovation Configuration (IC) map to explicitly define acceptable instructional strategies for integrating UDL. Data was collected through a pre/post inventory, session transcripts, and participant interviews. Initial findings show that through this collaborative process, HEI faculty developed the knowledge, skills, and disposition needed to operationalize UDL practices. This presentation will address the sub-theme “equity and inclusion in teacher education” by sharing the lessons learned throughout this process.

Research Aims

This research investigates interdisciplinary curriculum practices in secondary schools in Scotland. Global policies such as The 2030 Agenda for sustainable development (UN, 2015) emphasise the need for young people to be fully engaged in their learning, acquire key skills and knowledge by applying their learning within real life contexts. Within Scotland this is reflected in Curriculum for Excellence where Interdisciplinary Learning (IDL) is cited as one of the four contexts for learning. However, some studies suggest that a serious implementation gap exists and many teachers remain unsure about how to incorporate IDL into their own practice. (Harvie, 2018; Graham, 2019).

In this study, Glasgow City Council and the University of Glasgow partnered to conduct a research study in three secondary schools which were identified as have good practice in IDL. The study aimed to identify practical approaches schools took to implement IDL and the impact this work had on pupils, teachers and the wider school community.

Theoretical Framework

Harvie’s (2020) model of IDL was used as a theoretical framework to underpin the research. This framework was used to inform the questions that were asked during the focus group discussions, analyse the data and present the findings.

Methodology

This was a small-scale qualitative study which adopted a pragmatic constructivist approach. Three focus groups were conducted in each of the three participating secondary schools. Focus groups comprised of members of each school’s Senior Leadership Team, class teachers and pupils.

Findings

The study found benefits for students, teachers and the wider school community. These included cognitive advancement for students in the disciplinary areas, the development of students’ social, interpersonal and transferrable skills, improved relationships between teachers and pupils and increased teacher confidence in terms of curriculum design.

Relevance to the Conference theme and specific strand

Curriculum design for equitable teaching.

There is increasing responsibility on headteachers to challenge political and social constructions that reinforce marginalisation and oppression. Accordingly, political acuity is a necessary characteristic of contemporary headship, and a critical aspect of leadership preparation and development (Mitchell, forthcoming).

Research Aim

The aim of this study is to problematise the professional learning → practice transfer from an Enhanced Political Awareness (EPA) programme in Scotland. EPA is offered to aspiring headteachers through a partnership between a university and an education authority (EA) to augment participants’ political acuity in their leadership practice.

Theoretical framework

The study draws on intersections between Feminist and Marxist theories (Madhavi & Rao, 2024) as a lens to explore EPA participants’ Critical Leadership Praxis (CLP) in their contextual sites of practice, with an emphasis on their agency and capacity to challenge neoliberal hegemony and systemic oppression.

Methods

The researcher conducted semi-structured, one-to-one interviews with EPA participants to explore factors that supported or undermined the application of their learning from the university programme in their respective sites of practice within the EA. The inductive analysis of the interviews followed a sequential framework (Braun & Clarke, 2006) to identify significant themes in the data, from initial reading to synthesis and reporting.

Findings

The study found that factors around professional authenticity, capacity, agency and safety, were key determinants of the extent to which participants’ felt empowered and supported to enact political acuity through CLP in their respective contexts.

Relevance

The conclusion draws on the findings to propose a three-way social contract between the LA, the University and the participants, to support CLP for equity and social justice in education. Further it highlights implications for practice-based leadership preparation programmes, specifically the need for such professional learning to take cognisance of the challenges of professional learning → practice transfer in participants’ unique contexts.

The Partnership Model of School Experience used at the University of Glasgow has been in place since 2011. The model was reviewed and scholarship activity exploring its evolution has been carried out. The overarching aim has been to develop and strengthen our model for the support and assessment of student teachers on school placement with an emphasis on equity and inclusion. This paper will discuss the themes and understandings about partnership as a concept emerging from the data while also providing an overview of our response. This work is placed in the context of the unique characteristics of teacher education in Scotland, and how these provide both opportunities and constraints.

Several research methodologies have been used to record the voices of the partners in the model, expert interviews, focus groups and questionnaires. Nominal group technique and appreciative enquiry were used in student voice data collection. 

Analysis of data from practitioner expert interviews allowed key themes to be identified.   Relationships and communication, identity, teacher learning, and challenges featured strongly. Student voice, focussed on appreciative enquiry, which allows us to identify the positive attributes of school experience and university-based preparation for placement to inform future practice.

For student teachers, experience in schools is hugely significant to their progress as learners and to the development of their teacher identity. Lofthouse and Thomas (2014) have referred to school placement as a ‘vulnerable workplace learning practice’ and student teachers report increasingly variable experiences. The Partnership Model was developed to help mitigate negative placement experiences by providing a dedicated university-based teacher educator to support the student and develop partnerships with the teacher mentors. This study seeks to understand the extent to which this aim has been achieved and what needs to be done to ensure that the student experience is consistent and positive in future.

Teacher shortages and access to authentic professional formation are pressing issues in the Australian education system, particularly in under-resourced and rural schools. These challenges not only affect the quality of education but also hinder the development of pre-service teachers, limiting their exposure to diverse teaching environments and their ability to form strong professional identities. Additionally, universities face difficulties in creating meaningful partnerships with schools to provide authentic learning experiences, while schools struggle to alleviate workforce pressures and provide equitable educational opportunities.

In response to these challenges, our study investigates the role of UniConnectED, a technology-enabled platform designed to foster equity, inclusion, and professional formation among pre-service teachers by facilitating effective university-school partnerships. UniConnectED aims to bridge the gap between campus and career by connecting pre-service teachers with schools, regardless of location or sector, lessening the future impact of praxis shock, as well as the current cost of living needs. Through this platform, pre-service teachers gain authentic work experiences in a variety of school settings, addressing both the disparity in educational opportunities and the national teacher shortage.

Our 2024 trial study has seen a steady increase in user profiles on the platform since its launch mid-year. There has also been a strong upward trend in direct partner reach outs to pre-service teachers. Through a mixed-methods approach involving quantitative surveys and qualitative analysis of open-ended responses, this research offers insights into the platform’s impact on user experiences, professional identity formation, equity and employment.

By promoting reciprocal relationships, this study highlights the platform’s potential to transform university-school partnerships through providing equitable access to diverse educational experiences, fostering professional growth, and promoting workforce sustainability. UniConnectED has the potential to addresses some of the most pressing issues in education today and aligns with the broader goal of fostering quality teaching for a more equitable world.

Research Aim: To understand how university - school partnerships can leverage practitioner enquiry to improve equity and quality in education provision.

Conceptual framework: Conceptualizations of research-practice partnerships (RPPs) support and inform this research (Chapman et al., 2016; Farrell et al., 2022; Henrick et al., 2017). Focussed on co-production of knowledge and educational improvement and transformation, this study explored professional learning and practitioner enquiry at the boundaries of partner organizations, intermediary outcomes, research, and practice.

Methods: The research is an Exploratory Sequential mixed methods design (Creswell 2017) to engage with four different types of relevant data to understand the effectiveness of the RPP in leveraging practitioner enquiry to improve quality and equity in education provision: A) Surveys (n=53), B) Social Network Analysis (n=53), C) Interviews (n=12), and D) Document Analysis (n=51).

Findings to be discussed: The impact of practitioner enquiry on a 'learning culture', staff collaboration, and building confidence in teaching practices; ways in which practitioners engage with research; areas of strengths and challenges when engaging in enquiry; structures and practices which support or hinder school improvement efforts; and a demonstration of how co-production of research with teachers and university staff can be realized.

Relevance to conference themes and strand: The expectation that all teachers in Scotland have a depth of knowledge and understanding of “practitioner enquiry…to challenge and inform professional practice” (General Teaching Council for Scotland, 2021: 7) is embedded within the professional requirements for teachers, as Scotland strives to tackle inequity and, in particular, the poverty-related attainment gap in Scotland’s schools. The local secondary school in this partnership is committed to improving educational attainment by supporting teachers to develop as enquiring leaners through collaboration with the University of Glasgow’s School of Education.

Research into the experiences of disabled educators highlights how they draw on their own experiences of isolation in school to inform their teaching. They view themselves as empathetic to the challenges of disabled students and committed to disrupting shame/lowered expectations (Duquette, 2000; Ferri, 2001). Their insights support equitable, inclusive, quality instruction. However, there is limited research on disabled teachers and even less on other adults who work with disabled youth.

We apply Disability Sustaining Pedagogy (DSP) which explicitly draws on the knowledge and lived experiences of disabled individuals. DSP honors disability identities as a cultural form of diversity worthy of sustaining (Rabinowitz et al., 2024), a clear connection to the conference theme. This project highlights the knowledge and strategic maneuvering of disabled educators (defined broadly). We ask: what strategies do educators with disabilities use to sustain their own disability identities and support disabled and nondisabled youth?

We completed semi-structured interviews (Spradley, 1979) with ~25 disabled educators. For analysis, we utilized narrative inquiry methods (Chase, 2011), which center life experiences told by those who live them; we analyzed narrative segments using deductive coding for the tenets of DSP. Amplifying narratives disrupts the history of research about disabled individuals that did not include their perspectives (Valente & Danforth, 2016).

We share how the knowledge of participants continues to develop DSP through illustrative narratives. Participants have expertise in the science of neurodiversity because of their experience with the medical system and personal research. They enact complex embodiment (Siebers, 2008) by leveraging their expertise in neuroscience into non-stigmatizing, concrete teaching practices (e.g. play-based instruction for youth with ADHD to promote dopamine production). They create translational research across disciplines, filtering more medicalized knowledge through the lens of their own identities and experiences, which leads them to consider social implications alongside academics.

Research Aim

This study aims to illustrate how special education teachers self-conceptualise curricula to account for varying levels of cognitive development, in the context of the international drive towards inclusive education (Morrissey, King and Keating, 2024).

Theoretical Framework

The research is underpinned by Norwich’s (2010) Curriculum Aspects theory, which espouses four basic ‘aspects’ as a curriculum structure:

1. General principles / aims

2. Areas of learning

3. Programmes of study

4. Teaching practices

In between a completely common curriculum (applicable to everyone) and a completely different curriculum (applicable to a few), there are five hybrid curriculum options with degrees of commonality and difference, depending on how the four curriculum aspects are varied in particular circumstances. This spectrum acts as a structural assemblage for teachers who ‘want to have it both ways as far as possible’ (Norwich 2013, 66) – essentially, a common curriculum with differentiated aspects.

Methods

A two-phase mixed-methods data-gathering apparatus was employed. Phase 1 consisted of a questionnaire distributed to every special school principal in Ireland. Phase 2 consisted of an embedded case study with three special schools.

Findings

The findings endorse the relevance of the Norwich (2010) model. However, this study establishes that there are other curriculum aspects which teachers recognise (and vary), but which to date have not been theorised sufficiently. In particular, it showcases how teachers employ a relatively imperceptible ‘Support’ aspect, to accessibilise the curriculum.

Relevance

Quality, inclusive teaching for learners with special needs is dependent on how teachers calibrate curricula to ensure equity-based models at the micro-level. This is fundamental in enabling active, socially-just participation in society post-school (Gordon-Gould and Hornby, 2023). This paper, in presenting an inclusive curriculum model, aligns perfectly with the conference theme and will interest researchers concerned with both inclusion and/or philosophical debates around what curriculum should look like in a socially-just society.

This study aims to explore cross-cultural understandings of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) among staff in an international school in Thailand. Specifically, it investigates two key areas: (1) the perspectives of both Thai and Western teaching and leadership staff on SEND, and (2) the influence of culture on SEND provision and inclusive practice at both the micro (individual) and macro (school-wide) levels. Using a grounded theory approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff to capture their insights and experiences. The findings were presented in both traditional formats and through the use of creative non-fiction, providing a nuanced view of how culture shapes both perceptions and practices of inclusion.

The study revealed a disconnect between staff members' personal beliefs about SEND, which were largely shaped by their individual cultural experiences, and their professional practices, which were influenced by the prevailing school culture. The school culture was found to be heavily oriented towards measurable academic outcomes and financial priorities, often at the expense of consistent inclusive practices. The absence of a unified approach to inclusion within the school created significant variation in the quality of SEND provision, leading to inconsistent support for students.

The research highlights the critical need for school leadership to consider the role of culture in shaping inclusive practices within international educational settings. Without a coherent, school-wide approach to inclusion, individual staff members' practices may continue to vary, resulting in potentially inequitable provision for students with SEND. This study underscores the importance of fostering a school culture that prioritises both inclusion and academic achievement, ensuring that all students receive high-quality, consistent support.

This paper will aim to contribute to the conference theme of research on equitable teaching practices.

The project Dispositifs inclusifs pour élèves sourds : Comment s’entendre ? (DINCLUES, 2024-2026) aims to better understand the difficulties and successes encountered by Deaf children and adolescents, with or without associated disabilities, in their schooling in France. In collaboration with the Deaf specialist education centre CESDA in Bordeaux, the project aims to promote quality teaching and learning for Deaf pupils in mainstream schools in the Gironde department. This presentation will focus on how interactions between Deaf pupils, families, CESDA, the Aquitaine teacher education centre and mainstream teachers are promoting quality classroom teaching practices, and whether this shows a difference for Deaf pupils in their experiences of mainstream schooling.

Drawing on works from the inclusive education literature (Ebersold, 2017; Bedoin, 2018; Kohout-Diaz & Strouhal, 2021) and Deaf education literature (Clouard, Roux et Seban-Lefebvre, 2007; Le Capitaine, 2013; Beal-Alvarez, 2017 ; Feuilladieu, 2021), we are interested in exploring how learning environments in France are addressing the needs of Deaf pupils in sustainable ways.

Within a participative research-action framework (Payet et al, 2010; OECD, 2021), qualitative data will be gathered between September 2024 and March 2025 on the experiences of the various stakeholders, in semi-structured interviews. Selected case studies of pedagogical practices will provide data through observations and video recordings of teaching and learning sessions. As the project is in its early stages, findings are not yet available, but intend to focus on (1) how Deaf pupils experienced and responded to adaptive pedagogies in inclusion settings, and (2) the experiences and observations of mainstream and SEN teachers during this process, and (3) suggestions from participants, going forward.

Finally, and in response to the ISATT conference theme, this presentation proposes to discuss questions of how to promote equity and inclusion through effective partnership with schools, within the context of Deaf pupils learning in French mainstream settings, supported by multiple stakeholders.

This study examines teacher retention strategies in Australia and Sweden, focusing on career progression mechanisms and their impact on equity and inclusion in the teaching workforce. The research is grounded in theories of teacher professionalism, career development, and gender equity in education. It draws on conceptualizations of teacher career trajectories and the impact of policy mechanisms on teacher retention. A comparative policy analysis was conducted, examining Australia's Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers (HALTs) standards and Sweden's förstelärare (first teacher) reform. Document analysis and synthesis of existing research were used to evaluate the effectiveness and equity implications of these approaches.

We found that both Australian and Swedish policy mechanisms aimed at retaining teachers in the classroom show limitations in addressing the complex realities of teachers' career trajectories, particularly regarding gender equity. The HALTs standards in Australia have seen limited uptake, while teachers continue to prioritize postgraduate qualifications. In Sweden, the förstelärare reform has yielded mixed results in retaining teachers and addressing shortages. Neither approach adequately accounts for the gendered nature of teacher career paths or the need for flexible work arrangements.

This study contributes to the conference sub-theme of "Equity and inclusion in teacher education" by highlighting the need for more nuanced and holistic approaches to teacher retention. It emphasizes the importance of considering gender equity in career progression strategies and suggests alternative approaches, such as job-sharing and mentoring, to create more inclusive and sustainable career pathways for teachers. The findings have implications for policymakers and teacher educators in developing more equitable and effective strategies for retaining diverse talent in the teaching profession.

Teacher shortage is an increasingly global issue, with many countries, including Estonia, facing challenges in attracting candidates and retaining qualified teachers. State statistics and international comparisons show a worrying decade-long decline in the qualified teacher workforce in Estonia, worsening yearly. Addressing this shortage is crucial for sustaining high-quality education in the country.

This article aims to analyse the teacher shortage in Estonia from the perspectives of different target groups, such as pre-service and in-service teachers, teacher educators, school leaders and school governors, and policymakers. More specifically, we posed the following research questions:

1) What are the causes of the teacher shortage in Estonia from the perspective of different stakeholders?

2) What additional measures are needed to reduce the teacher shortage in Estonia from the perspective of different stakeholders?

This study employed focus group interviews to investigate six distinct target groups associated with the teacher profession in Estonia. A total of 38 participants were included in the study. We used qualitative thematic analysis (Ryan and Bernard 2003) and identified seven themes related to causes and suggestions: the attractiveness and status of teaching, governance and legislative framework, competencies of school governors, teacher preparation, teacher workload, salaries and motivation packages and school conditions. These themes, essential for understanding and addressing Estonia's teacher shortage, are comprehensively explored and discussed in the presentation. Similarities and differences with findings from other contexts are also pointed out.

Research studies in Australia and internationally consistently report that rural schools have trouble in recruiting and retaining staff. Different factors underpin rural staffing shortages, including teachers exiting the profession due to workload pressures, and teachers not taking or leaving rural posts due to isolation and distance from their family and friends. To combat rural school shortages, state governments in Australia offer teachers an array of financial and material incentives. Research on staff shortage often offers a deficit construction of teachers’ work by drawing attention to what individuals, rural schools, and communities lack. The research aim is to shift the focus from attraction of teachers and why they leave to why rural teachers stay. This perspective offers a change in the deficit narrative of rural schooling by positioning rural schools and communities as assets. Drawing conceptually on Fraser’s (1997, 2003) and Honneth (1995, 2003) dimensions of justice, distribution of resources and recognition theory, the paper focuses on four domains of teachers’ work and lives – classroom, school, personal and community – to explore why teachers stay. Methodologically this is a qualitative study that draws on data from twenty in-depth interviews with rural teachers in Victoria to examine their decisions and motivations to work and make a life in rural places. Findings point to the myriad connections between individuals, schools and communities and the influence of this relationship on sustaining a quality and committed rural teacher workforce. While both resources and recognition matter, teachers’ experiences and views show that rural teacher retention requires a combination of positive factors and enabling resources across more than one domain. The paper aligns with the conference call for equitable and socially just learning environments, and with the sub-themes of equity and inclusion, and the promise of reconciling tensions in rural staffing with a new social contract in education.

Fierce competition for student tuition fees is prompting English language schools in Canadian universities to adopt new business models that are making some of those units more tightly coupled. As teachers and administrators attempt to address students' needs within a recoupled governance structure, they may experience “turmoil” – an erosion of longstanding meanings regarding the purposes and expectations in an organizational unit (Hallett, 2010). This reaction to organizational change may prompt teachers to engage in iterative “sensemaking” processes (Weick, 1995; Degn, 2018). Using sensemaking as the foundation for my conceptual framework, I hope to demonstrate that limiting teachers’ discretion increases the likelihood of resistance on the ground level by threatening teachers’ perceptions of their professional identity. This qualitative study used 19 semi-structured interviews to explore how ESL teachers within Ontario Higher Education responded to turmoil within their units and how this impacted their discretion within their classrooms. The findings reveal a trend towards administrative rationalization over the past 20 years which has manifested as casualizing the workforce and increasing bureaucratic control over the nature of teachers’ work in a bid to increase compliance and in a direct clash with teachers’ need for autonomy. On the micro-level, teachers’ resistance and compliance are enacted as self-preservation tactics, both in terms of maintaining their professional identities and their jobs in a turbulent industry. An ESL classroom is an international dynamic with every student coming from a diverse background requiring the teacher to be nimble in how they respond. By reconciling the tensions between the micro, meso, and macro levels, the quality of teaching can be vastly improved as discretion again returns to the expertise of the teacher in the classroom. Supporting students’ learning and providing an equitable education within this context relies on reconciling the turmoil on the ground level and the tension within the organization.

Research Aim

This presentation will outline the findings of a recent dual case study (Larkin, 2024). This study suggests that cultural, policy and physical spaces continue to reflect the religious, cultural and educational interests of the majority ‘white, Irish’ student population; a situation that marginalises this vulnerable group.

Theoretical Framework and Methods

Qualitative data based on documentary analysis, a semi-structured walkthrough, photo elicitation and semi-structured interviews was interpreted using Gramscian and Bourdieusian conceptual frameworks to explore how students for whom EAL were construed and included and/or marginalised. Choosing two contrasting socio-economic school settings allowed a comparative exploitation that brought into greater relief how these students’ cultural identities were constructed in each setting and how policy and practice developed in each.

Findings

Findings suggest that the origin and circumstances of immigration and social class seemed to be a significant factor in how these learners were construed by their teachers. Moreover, school and teacher autonomy played a significant role in responses and innovations designed to respond to post-primary learners for whom EAL. Educators who may be in similar contexts may find relatable features from this study to their own settings. From a methodological perspective, researchers may find some of the theoretical underpinnings and data collection methods utilised beneficial to future research projects. Research pertaining to students for whom EAL is an under-explored educational space.

Relevance to the Conference Theme

In addition to challenging current discourses from a neo-liberal perspective, this paper aligns with the ISATT’s conference strand “Reconciling tensions for a new social contract in education” by looking at innovative ways of exploring the ever changing topography of Irish schools. This study innovates by incorporating visual methods within a qualitative approach to critically investigate how students learning EAL are construed and included within under-explored policy, cultural and physical spaces in secondary schools.

Governments are responsible for ensuring they provide a high-quality education for all their young people. This requires a teacher workforce that is adequately prepared, through their initial teacher education programmes, early career teacher induction support and on-going professional development, to provide such an education. However, the current global teacher shortage, which is forcing governments to rethink their policies aimed at attracting and retaining teachers, is potentially damaging of that responsibility. This symposium brings together studies that have examined the policy landscape developing around this global problem and considered the consequences of these policy responses. One paper examines the expansion of who is eligible to teach and their induction (White, Sullivan, Simons, et al). In Australia, policy changes now allow pre-service teachers to be employed to work in schools, thus redefining the ‘early career teacher’ and presents issues about their induction. A second paper, also considering the Australian landscape, presents an analysis of how one government policy response (Strong Beginnings) has reshaped teacher education to address teacher shortages (Mills et al). It will be argued that in implying teacher education is a major cause of teachers’ lack of retention in education system, along with the subsequent changes that have been mandated in teacher education programmes, will undermine the provision of a high-quality education for all. A third paper (Brooks) examines the impact and “unintended” consequences of recent teacher education policy reforms in England. A spatial analysis reveals the winners and losers: increasing opportunities and influence in major urban centres, whilst rural and isolated communities lack locally-owned teacher education provision. A critical account of the reform’s evidence base underscores this lack of local accountability, and how universities are sidelined in all aspects of teacher education provision. Chair Prof Anna Sullivan; Discussant: Prof Maria Assunção Flores

STEM education gained importance in the early 2000s to equip students for a knowledge-based economy driven by constant innovation. An educated workforce well-grounded in STEM skills was seen as critical to maintaining a competitive edge in the global economy and prosperity). Despite STEM education and industries’ diversity outreach efforts, STEM is beset by socioeconomic, gender and racial inequity. Addressing these issues points to the need for going beyond the narrow instrumental and competitive economic goals of STEM to embed it in the more encompassing social and environmental goals of education. The real challenge to STEM education is not merely preparing students for STEM jobs, but promoting in them their higher-order abilities as critical consumers, creative and ethically astute citizens to address the global crises impacting social and environmental wellbeing.

This symposium brings together researchers from four diverse contexts to present their research findings about the nature of support in STEM teaching and teacher education that can help educators adopt and teach to the broader goals of sustainable development that renders STEM education that is inclusive and socially just.

Presentation 1 uses word test to explore the challenges posed by STEM instructional language of English in South Africa to students speaking other languages and its implications for making STEM education more democratically accessible.

Presentation 2 identifies the problems of accessibility to quality STEM teacher preparation in the Czech curriculum context using discursive and content analysis.

Presentation 3, set in the US, employs narrative inquiry to demonstrate how science as inquiry, culturally responsive pedagogy and multi-faceted mentoring merge to create more socially just STEM education.

Presentation 4 from India, illustrates how STEAM can broaden the base of STEM education to achieve sustainable development for all using the Vygotskian Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) framework.

The study analyzes how diversity is addressed in early childhood education curricula in Brazil, Chile, and Colombia, investigating how the official documents of these countries deal with issues of social justice and inclusion in educational practices. The research is based on theoretical frameworks from the sociology of childhood and curricular justice, focusing on the intersection of social markers. The research employed document analysis. The documents were read, and software was used to identify the presence and frequency of terms related to diversity. The corresponding excerpts were interpreted and compared among the three countries. In Brazil, the concept of cultural plurality is highlighted. In Chile, diversity is more associated with inclusive education. In Colombia, diversity is approached within the context of human rights and integral development. In all the documents, diversity is associated with positive values such as pluralism and inclusion, but it is treated superficially, omitting conflicts and power relations that structure differences. The term is used to promote a pacifying discourse without critically addressing the implications of these differences in childhood development and educational practices. The research contributes to the strand of equitable teaching by exposing the need for a more critical and inclusive approach to diversity in curricula. It demonstrates how curricular texts are influenced by the neoliberal perspective of diversity, limiting the development of curricula that empower different identities. Although they address diversity, the documents overlook the complexity and underlying social dynamics of childhoods, limiting the recognition of differences and the development of critical pedagogical practices. It concludes that the concept of diversity can be used both to legitimize curricular reforms and to disregard deeper and more structural inequalities.

Context: Effective communication between schools and families is crucial for supporting children’s educational experiences and fostering strong relationships with parents. As children enter preschool, parents quickly realize that they will be expected to engage in communication with the school. However, some families are more challenging to reach due to their unique life context. Research underscores the need for schools to tailor their communication strategies to fit the diverse contexts of families. Such tailored communication should consider the specific needs and expectations of each family, enhancing the understanding of roles and responsibilities to support students’ educational success and accommodating the economic, social, cultural, and linguistic diversity of families.

Research Aim: This exploratory qualitative study aims to document the strategies used by preschool teachers to adapt their communication to the diverse life contexts of families.

Theoretical Framework: We will analyze our data using Graham-Clay’s (2005) theoretical framework on effective communication, which outlines six key strategies.

Methods: Seven preschool teachers were interviewed in a group setting to discuss the challenges they face with families considered hard to reach and the strategies they use to adapt their communication. The material was coded using Nvivo software following Braun and Clarke’s six-step method (2019).

Findings: Our findings reveal several strategies employed by teachers to improve communication with hard-to-reach parents, as well as ongoing barriers. Our analysis highlights the need for structural solutions at the school level to address the needs of these parents.

Relevance to the Conference Theme: This presentation aligns with the conference theme by exploring practices aimed at engaging sub-groups of parents who may be less connected to the school, with a focus on equity.

The relationship of Native American populations with education is complicated by a cultural battle between traditional indigenous values and assimilation into the hegemonic Caucasian society in the United States, with music education being central to these movements. An analysis of literature traces the historical progression of education policy impacting indigenous communities, alongside recent literature advocating for reforms to the educational policies in indigenous schools to address the cultural needs of students. However, recent literature lacks in addressing aspects of reform to music education practices in indigenous communities, and resources have been developed that may be inauthentic to the cultural needs of native students. This study’s purpose was to explore current teaching practices utilized by K-12 music educators in Native American communities and discusses how traditional indigenous music-making could be effectively incorporated into the standardized American music education curriculum. A secondary purpose of this study was to understand how the experiences of K-12 music educators teaching in indigenous communities may better inform equitable teaching practices when instructing culturally diverse populations. Participants were interviewed and asked a series of ten questions regarding their experiences instructing indigenous students. Based on experiences, participants discussed the implications of integrating indigenous cultural music-making into the American music education curriculum, currently based on the Western European model. The implications of this study benefit music educators by better informing equitable teaching practices when working with Native American student populations.

As part of the actions of the Federal University of Ceara’s PIBID (Program of Introduction to Teaching), developed in partnership with the Federal Institute of Ceará, Fortaleza campus, we drew up a survey form with the intention of understanding the students' interests in order to create activities focused on the study of the English as a foreign language. We identified that the students revealed a preference for learning through audiovisual media. Thus, one of the projects proposed to the students was the Cinema Club, which consisted of activities developed based on movie scenes, promoting teaching, learning and exploring pragmatics in the study of English as foreign language in the classroom. With a theoretical foundation based on the article Pragmática: a cultura no ensino de línguas, by Elena Godoi (2005) and the concepts discussed in the book "Teaching by Principles", by Douglas Brown (2015) and the BNCC (2018) - National Common Curriculum Basis -, this work analyzes how the use of movies in the classroom can be an alternative teaching material for working on aspects of language and culture, highlighting alternatives for teaching syntactic, semantic and pragmatic dimensions of a foreign language. For this study, we analyzed the lesson plans, the materials produced during the club and the scholars' reflective diaries. Among the results, we realized that the use of audiovisual productions was effective in teaching aspects of descriptive linguistics, as well as pragmatic overviews in a dynamic and multifunctional way. In addition, the materials used in the project were movies known and liked by the students, promoting an accessible learning process of English as a foreign language and Its cultural aspects to the students of a public high school in Brazil’s northeast.

Despite the mutual benefits of collaboration and inclusion between mainstream schools and supplementary schools (Bhatt et al., 2004), their relationship remains a contentious area (Maylor et al., 2013), promoting their cooperation and inclusion continues to face many practical difficulties (Ainscow, 2020; Nwulu, 2015). This study uses the Communities of Practice (CoP) theory (Wenger, 1998), viewing mainstream schools and supplementary schools as integral parts of a larger community, with the shared goal of student development, and takes a Chinese supplementary school in Scotland as a case study. Data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with the leaders and teachers at this Chinese supplementary school, as well as through participant observation. The results of the thematic analysis echoed existing research, revealing the cooperation between mainstream schools and supplementary schools are limited and not deep enough; Additionally, it was found that the supplementary school in the case study was not keen on cooperating with the mainstream school. This may be related to the fact that the supplementary school in study has a long history. The community school leaders prefer independent development, and the teachers have their own primary jobs, making it difficult for them to have the additional time and energy to establish connections with mainstream school teachers. Even though the possibility for mutual inclusion and collaboration exists, there are still many practical challenges, and the CoP theory offers a potential solution for addressing this issue.

Scottish education policy has a clear focus on improving the academic attainment of learners undertaking externally assessed qualifications in the final three years of secondary school (S4-S6). These qualifications are delivered in specific subject areas in state-funded schools at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher level (SCQF Levels 5-7, respectively). The challenge for teachers is to develop classroom practice that raises attainment within this specific context and promotes social justice by providing all learners with opportunities to achieve. However, there is a distinct lack of research that attends to how teachers can raise attainment, specifically, in Scottish senior phase qualifications. In attempting to address this gap, this poster will share the findings of a practitioner enquiry into effective approaches to raising attainment in these qualifications, with a focus on Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies (RMPS).

This poster will highlight the motivations for the practitioner enquiry including for learners, colleagues and for creating equitable experiences in the senior phase. It will share the pedagogical and assessment strategies used to provide quality, inclusive learning and teaching. Via analysis of qualitative and quantitative data such as learner reflections, observations and Scottish Qualification Authority attainment statistics, it will offer an evaluation of raising attainment strategies and will share what was learned about improving pedagogy and assessment practice.

This poster aligns with the conference’s theme as it shares how these strategies can reduce the disparity in outcomes between learners with and without additional support for learning needs. In addition, it attends to the conference’s focus on the characteristics of quality teaching by sharing strategies that have been consistently demonstrated to secure learners high-levels of attainment across a three year period.

Equity and inclusion imply being "seen" from multiple perspectives. Emotional labor and identity construction have become new areas of concern in promoting the development of Chinese rural teachers in the new era. These are not only the important dimensions that constitute the current difficulties in the professional life and professional development of rural teachers, but also the critical breakthroughs to solve the hidden problem of "body is there but heart is not" in rural teachers' turnover and to promote the equity and development of rural education in China. Therefore, from the perspective of positioning theory, this study explores what kind of emotional labor rural teachers are engaged in under different positions, and what impact the emotional labor experience has on the identity construction of rural teachers. This study adopts qualitative research methods to collect data through semi-structured interviews and document collection, and summarizes and analyzes the emotional discourse expression and emotional management status of 10 rural teachers. It finds that negative emotional labor, primarily characterized by passive surface acting; positive emotional labor, primarily characterized by active deep acting; and avoiding emotional labor, primarily characterized by natural performance, constitute the subtypes of emotional labor among rural teachers. The tension between external emotional rules and internal emotional experiences in emotional labor becomes an opportunity for rural teachers to further negotiate meaning and construct their identities, promoting moral positioning to recognize "who teachers are", interactive positioning to understand "myself as a teacher", and reflexive positioning to perceive "myself as an individual". Exploring the relationship between emotional labor and identity construction reveals that emotion, as the "glue of identity", is conducive to highlighting teachers' subjective agency and the value of emotion, and promoting the realization of practical goals such as caring for the development of rural teachers and enhancing identity recognition.

Research Objective: To contribute to racial literacy through Education for Ethnic and Racial Relations in the training of Physical Education teachers.

Theoretical Framework: The study emphasizes the importance of antiracist education and curricular policies in addressing inequalities, drawing on decolonial perspectives from authors such as Ailton Krenak, Antônio Bispo dos Santos, Conceição Evaristo, Djamila Ribeiro, Nilma Lino Gomes, Lélia Gonzales, and Paulo Freire.

Methods: This research employs a theoretical and documentary approach with a qualitative methodology.

Findings: At the Federal University of Pampa (Unipampa) in Brazil, the training of Physical Education teachers serves as a platform to combat discrimination, prejudice, and social injustices. The study identified antiracist practices embedded in the teaching plans across all curricular components of the Physical Education degree program. It also highlighted projects within teacher qualification initiatives, such as the Pedagogical Residency Program and the Institutional Program for Teaching Initiation Scholarships (PIBID), as key spaces for fostering a humanizing and emancipatory education. Furthermore, the Center for Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous Studies Mãe Fausta (NEABI) plays a vital role in promoting racial literacy and implementing the National Curricular Guidelines aligned with Laws No. 10,639/2003 and No. 11,645/2008, which seek to dismantle societal structures rooted in racism and inequality.

Relevance: This proposal aligns with the conference's focus on equity and inclusion in teacher education, illustrating how antiracist training experiences, supported by public policies that promote citizenship and emancipation, can help address and overcome ethnic-racial and social inequalities in Brazil.

Research Objective: To understand the importance of gender discussions in schools, within documents and curricular policies, for a more just, inclusive, and equitable education.

Theoretical Framework: To reflect on the role of education and curricular policies in combating conservative and traditional teaching practices that reinforce stereotypes, domination, and discrimination, the research draws on authors from sociology and critical philosophy, such as Heleieth Saffioti, Angela Davis, bell hooks, and Silvia Federici.

Methods: Theoretical and documentary research with a qualitative approach.

Findings: The school is not an institution isolated from society; on the contrary, it is part of it and, therefore, permeated by conservatism, violence, and prejudices, such as racial, class, and gender inequalities. Remaining silent on these issues does not solve social problems; on the contrary, the lack of debate contributes to the reproduction of inequalities and discrimination. In Brazil, the Supreme Federal Court ruled that prohibiting discussions on gender and sexuality in schools is unconstitutional, making it the State’s duty to address these topics in an effort to prevent violence against girls, women, and the LGBTI population, to inform and protect children and adolescents from sexual harassment and abusive relationships, and to combat discrimination and misinformation. Therefore, the school must ensure debate and reflection on the prejudices that plague society, aiming to transform reality.

Relevance to the Conference theme and specific track: Reflecting on and proposing teaching practices that address gender issues in schools, documents, and curricular policies is essential for ensuring an emancipatory, equal, and socially referenced education that envisions a fairer and less unequal world. Thus, this research proposal aligns with the conference theme, particularly the sub-theme research on equitable teaching practices, making it both relevant and necessary.

The aim of this project is to improve standards in Scottish primary and secondary education by producing a toolkit that uses data from the National Improvement Framework Interactive Evidence Report to evaluate school performance. While the NIF Interactive Evidence Report generates data on each key driver of improvement, it lacks an aggregated analysis necessary to drive substantive changes in the ways in which the educational system operates.

The model of efficiency can aggregate all the key drivers and priorities together to create individualised results for each school and the local education authority. The model will automatically find areas of best practice and areas for improvement. We will interview school managers to understand how the Framework is integrated into school practices and use a questionnaire to understand teachers’ perceptions of the Framework. Both sources of information gathered will be used to inform an educational improvement index. To prevent cross-comparisons or league table type rankings, our results will be accessible through a Power BI toolkit, which will include a user-friendly individualised and anonymised dashboard for identifying areas of best practice and potential areas for improvement. The ASG clusters might wish to explore a school-helping-school arrangements to share best practices and improve target areas. This could be achieved through a series of Continuous Professional Development workshops tailored for the users, and reports disseminated to educational stakeholders.

A combination of this data and stakeholder engagement will provide policymakers with new evidence to guide schools in improving performance, impacting all local schools and improving attainment and performance outcomes within Scottish education. For policymakers, DEA provides a robust tool for evaluating the impact of educational policies and funding decisions. By understanding which schools use resources most efficiently, policymakers can replicate these models on a broader scale, driving system-wide improvements.

Research aim:

This study explores the role of school leadership in developing school-family partnership, focusing on the perspectives of parents and school leaders in Saudi Arabia. It investigates the role of head teachers in elementary boys' schools in Dammam City in fostering these partnerships and addresses challenges faced in both national and international contexts.

Theoretical framework:

The study is grounded in theories of collaborative engagement and educational leadership, highlighting the role of school leadership in coordinating efforts and setting a unified vision for effective school-family partnerships. It also considers the socio-cultural dynamics influencing these partnerships in the Saudi Arabian context.

Methods:

A qualitative methodology was employed, involving semi-structured individual interviews with nine head teachers and four focus group discussions with 14 fathers in Dammam City, Eastern Region, Saudi Arabia. Inductive thematic analysis was used to examine the data, identifying key themes related to the challenges and successes of school-family partnerships.

Findings:

The findings reveal that both families and school leaders recognise the value of school-family partnerships for enhancing children's educational experiences. However, head teachers face challenges such as limited authority, high centralisation of the education system, and insufficient training in fostering these partnerships. Meanwhile, fathers encounter obstacles including time constraints, lack of home-teaching experience, and work commitments.

Relevance to the conference theme and specific strand:

This study is relevant to the conference themes of "Promoting equity and inclusion through effective partnerships with schools" and "Characteristics of quality teaching." It offers insights into the challenges and opportunities of school-family partnerships, emphasising the importance of tailored strategies to enhance these partnerships and the crucial role of school leadership. The findings contribute to ongoing discussions on equitable and inclusive education practices, aligning with global efforts to strengthen school-community relations.

Research Aim:

This research sought to investigate the hidden inequity of rurality in the context of a small rural secondary school in Scotland, using situational analysis as a tool to examine key factors contributing to inequality.

Theoretical Framework:

Given my position as Headteacher of the school to be examined, it was crucial to acknowledge my position and experience and their influence in the research. By adopting an auto ethnographical approach, the study was conducted whilst acknowledging my own positionality in the process. As Wall (2006) states this positionality allows for a high degree of personalisation drawing on an individuals’ experience to understand an issue.

This self-directed lens of study enabled for a factual in-context analysis to understand the wider issues of how measures to combat inequity can perpetuate inequity.

Methods:

Situational analysis can be used to problematise and understand the complexity within unique contexts.

Given the multifaceted and complex issues facing the school an approach to situational analysis was needed that allowed for problematisation of all factors impacting inequity. The Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Legal and Environmental (PESTLE) model (CIPD, 2024) of situational analysis provided such a framework.

The resultant situational analysis presented a number of significant areas for further focus and discussion.

Findings:

The study highlighted the many interlinked and often cyclical issues facing a small rural secondary school, including systemic and structural factors and how measures used to remove inequality are often not applicable to the rural context, resulting in challenges for school leadership.

Relevance to the Conference theme and specific Strand:

This study highlights that curriculum design is a challenge in the rural sector where economies of scale cannot be achieved and constraints often result in equitable offer for learners, thus necessitating in schools needing to develop partnerships to bridge the gap in provision.

In February 2024, a media education workshop was conducted for technological higher education teachers at a Brazilian state institution. On that occasion, media education was defined as a process that involves media literacy - planning, objectives, strategies and evaluation - to develop media competence, starting from an understanding of what the media is and its interests to problems relating to contemporary mediatization (Pires; Pimenta, 2024). The EcoCine extension project, developed by the University of Sorocaba, was the starting point for discussing environmental aspects, using short films as sensitizing agents. In the workshop, the dynamics and objectives of EcoCine were presented. This was followed by a presentation of the dimensions of this competence (language, technology, interaction processes, production and dissemination, ideology and values, aesthetics). Afterwards, the short film The Turning Point by Steve Cutts was shown. The video generated discussions about the importance of the media in social sensitization and overconsumption. The teachers were asked about the definition of media and invited to reflect on the influence of corporations behind media content. Participants showed interest in media education and its pedagogical practices, recognizing the importance of developing a critical view of the media. The workshop encouraged reflection on environmental impact and the influence of the media on the construction of narratives, enabling teachers to understand their role as mediators in reading and reflecting on media content. In addition, the training articulated the themes of equity and inclusion, which can contribute to training educators who are sensitive to the impact of the media on society, corroborating the construction of equitable and inclusive practices. For the teacher, understanding the personal relationship with the media implies recognizing its impact on raising awareness of environmental issues such as consumption, and the commercial, economic, political and legal interests behind media corporations.

The professional learning and development of teacher educators has received increasing attention the past decade (e.g., Bates et al., 2012; Goodwin & Kosnik, 2013; Ping et al., 2018). This paper draws upon this emerging literature base to propose an ecological framework for teacher educator development. In 1979, Urie Bronfenbrenner first offered his ecological systems theory. According to this theory, which focuses on human’s development, there exists a set of individual and contextual influences on one’s development and these factors operate at multiple, nested levels.

In the field of education, the ecological systems framework has most commonly been used in early childhood education research to understand the development of young children. However, teacher education researchers have used the framework to study aspects of the professional practice of teacher educators. For example, Buchanan (2020) offered an analytical framework that investigated those who supervise and mentor teacher candidates.

In our framework, the teacher educator sits at the center. The microsystems that influence teacher educator development include their relational experiences with family and peers and experiences in teacher training. The mesosystem includes the workplace, both PK-12 school settings as well as departments within higher education institutions. The exosystem includes school and local/state/provincial boards of education and their policies as well as media portrayals of educators and professors. The macrosystem includes national legislation regarding teacher training, and societal beliefs, attitudes, and social norms toward teaching, teacher education, and universities. Finally, the chronosystem includes the contextualized history of schooling and teacher education, and the teacher educator’s development over time.

In order to fully address the tensions that operate in society and shape both policies and practices in schools, we must utilize developmental frameworks, such as the one we are proposing, that attend to the complex interaction of factors across contexts and time.

Code-switching is a common phenomenon that is generally observed in multilingual communities across the globe. A critical look at code-switching literature reveals that mostly code-switching has been studied in classrooms in learning and teaching contexts. In contrast, code-switching outside the classroom in settings such as café, hostels, and so on has been the least explored. The current research investigated the reasons for code-switching in the interactive practices of students and their perceptions regarding the same outside the classroom settings. This paper is the study of the common practice that prevails in the Universities of Sialkot that bilinguals mix two languages when they speak in different classroom situations. In Pakistani classrooms where Multilingual is in abundance i.e. they can speak two or more two languages at the same time, code-switching or language combination is very common. The teachers of Sialkot switch from one language to another consciously or unconsciously while teaching English in the classrooms. This phenomenon has not been explored in Sialkot’s teaching context. In Sialkot, private educational institutes do not encourage code-switching whereas the public or government institutes use it frequently. The crux of this research is to investigate and identify the importance of code-switching by considering its users. The survey research method and survey questionnaire will be used to get exact data from teachers and students. We will try to highlight the functions and importance of code-switching in foreign language classrooms in Sialkot and will explore why this trend is emerging in Sialkot.

The development of the conceptual and theoretical proposition of holomotricity (Souza & Sanches Neto, 2024) recognized human bodily practices as energy flows and conceived the Be-Movement as a manifestation of universal totality based on African ontology (Olodumare). The innovative concept undertaken aligned with the concepts of holomovement — participatory thought (Bohm, 2008), and spirituality (Krishnamurti & Bohm, 1995). Despite the recognition of the conceptual relevance for the constitution of this proposition, the predominance of Asian postulates used in the approximation of these concepts with holistic approaches to address universal unity must be highlighted. This fact reinforces an occidental model of knowledge construction, also present in the academic-scientific field, which perpetuates traces of social injustice. In African philosophies and traditional Afro-descendant cultures, the human being is an integral being, mind, spirit, soul and physical body are an integral part of vital energy connected with the environment. African societies understand that a person is only a person provided he or she is a member of the community, family, and clan with ancestors, plants, and animals (Mbiti, 1969), unifying external and internal times. Thus, this research seeks to re-elevate Be-Movement by performing a rupture to occidental values or views retreat to the ancestry of African-based religions, rectifying the hegemonic use of Asian perspectives. The collaborative task here is to understand the knowledge of African religions regarding the cyclical view of time and life as the paradigm basis for the interconnection between Be-Movement, ancestral spirits, and the cosmos, recognizing the presence of ancestral spirits in all aspects of life. The re-elevation of this wisdom is essential to reconnect human consciousness with ancestral knowledge to contribute to human harmony and balance. The reconnection with the universal flow can then occur through Be-Movement, conscious of the ancestry by African-based religions regarding life, spirituality, and the cosmos.

Teacher educators are challenged to provide quality learning experiences for future teachers within a rapidly shifting technological landscape. Newly embraced online teaching platforms, emerging technologies, and artificial intelligence forge new frontiers yet spawn dilemmas and opportunities for innovation. What are the characteristics of quality teaching with technology? Decades of self-study research of teacher education practice and pedagogy exist and stem from fields of reflective practice, action research, and practitioner research (Pithouse-Morgan, 2022). The purpose of this self study is to explore my own use of technology to support teaching and learning in a graduate ESOL teacher education program. My primary research question is: In what ways have I integrated technology over the span of 12 years in a course that includes Non-Native Speakers of English? My secondary question is: in what ways is my teaching presence influenced by technology? I used the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition (SAMR) Model (Puentedura, 2013) of technology integration and the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knoweldge (TPACK) Model (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) to evaluate my use of technology and pedagogical choices in one specific graduate course taught over a 12-year time span. Presence Theory (Lowenthal & Parscal, 2008) comprised of instructor connections to self, students, and subject matter (Pawan, 2016) further informs this study to explore the ways presence was established in a complex teaching dynamic characterized by: integration of both distance and on-campus sections, enrollment of native English speakers and non-native English speakers, and teaching certification requirements for some and not for others. Data analysis of course syllabi, course Canvas platforms, and assignments will shed light on the level and kind of technology use and integration and make connections between these levels, beliefs about technology, learning, and teaching, and growth in presence over time.

The aim of the research is to study how content representation (CoRe) and big ideas can be used as reflective tools for and on teaching in a didactical course for biology teacher students in Finland. CoRe was developed as a tool for capturing and documenting pedagogical content knowledge and has been used in different teacher education contexts to develop teaching skills. In this study it was introduced in a final course of a teacher education program and used by the students with the intent to increase the quality of reflection for and on teaching. CoRe was used in the lesson planning stage as well as a basis for written reflections on their teaching in classrooms. The study was conducted with a self-study approach where the researcher investigated her own teacher education practice. Empirical material was collected during spring 2024 and consisted of reflection assignments and interviews with three teacher students as primary data sources, and lesson plans as a secondary data source. Another round of data collection will be repeated in spring 2025 with a new group of students. The preliminary findings and insights are that teacher students find both CoRe and big ideas helpful when reflecting for and on teaching by helping the students structure lessons and content. It challenged the students to think deeper about how they structured the lesson and how the lesson should be conducted. Careful reflection during the planning phase also led to deeper discussions with supervisors. The study is about developing quality teacher education and quality teaching by the teacher students by combining theory with teaching activities. As the study is conducted in the researchers own practice the theme fits into the S-STEP strand.

In action research, the process of the dialectic action research spiral (Mills, 2016; Mills, 2018) is utilized to work toward an action plan for teaching and learning and features four main elements: an area of focus, data collection, data analysis and an action plan. The dialectic action research lemniscate (Levicky, 2024) refines the dialectic action research spiral as an amended process that represents an intuitive and authentic approach in navigating the complex, dynamic process between the dual roles of teacher/teacher educator and researcher/scholar when studying student learning and one’s own teaching practice.

The dialectic action research lemniscate refines the dialectic action research spiral by offering seven additional aspects of the action research process including: research questions, data impressions, research lessons, teaching intentions, teaching impressions, teaching tensions and teaching questions to the original four elements of the area of focus, data collection, data analysis and an action plan. By conjoining the original dialectic action research spiral elements with the additional aspects of the dialectic action research lemniscate, action research methods can remain rigorous while helping better support the work of teachers as researchers (Kinchloe, 2012) and clarifying process connections and expanded capacities and insights within the dual roles of teacher and researcher.

The dialectic action research lemniscate both separates yet connects the simultaneous, recursive endeavors within teaching, learning and researching. By expanding the dialectic action research spiral from four to eleven points, the dialectic action research lemniscate unifies the processes of teaching and researching through the area of focus. This reflects a change in action research methods meant to support the work of K-12 practitioners and teacher educators alike in creating, applying and refining action plans designed to better teaching and learning, but honors the rigorous process of the dialectic action research spiral by building on existing scholarship.

This study intended to investigate the effectiveness of experiential and inquiry-based learning approaches in secondary schools around Bugiri District in Eastern Uganda with a focus on whether inquiry-based teaching techniques were being used to support student learning based on evidenced experiential education as well as challenges encountered when utilizing these methods. This narrative cross-sectional survey study employed a qualitative approach using interview responses attained from key informants. Findings indicate that through an inquiry-based approach, students are urged to study the subject, ask questions, and exchange ideas rather than have the teacher dictate what they should know. In inquiry-based learning, small-group discussions, guided learning, projects, and hands-on investigation take precedence over lessons. In addition, teachers are typically better at spotting errors in students’ work than they are in their own. It is crucial to ensure students’ learning by giving them high-quality information. Some children learn best by looking at visuals, others by listening and some by reading and writing. Teachers should promote “learning by doing” and also take the lead and create a forum where students can express their opinions and experiences.

Research aim: As crucial reservoirs for fostering innovative teachers and catalysts for promoting regional educational equity in China, establishing a pre-service teacher education system with indigenous characteristics and world-class standards has emerged as a pivotal support for ensuring educational quality. This study aims to facilitate a comprehensive "scan" of normal students' cognition and behaviors towards innovation and entrepreneurship education (IEE), thereby fostering high-quality and equitable teacher resources.

Theoretical framework: Drawing upon pragmatism methodology and pivotal theories such as creativity and self-concept, the research instruments were scientifically developed through theoretical exploration and expert consultation.

Methods: Employing a mixed-methods paradigm, this study surveyed 1003 normal students from six universities across eastern, central, and western China using questionnaires and conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 normal students.

Findings: 1.Normal students exhibited an imbalanced cognition towards IEE, characterized by a "high external, low internal" disparity. 2.Motivated by "interest-utilitarian" incentives and "cooperative-competitive" approaches, four distinct participation patterns in IEE emerged among normal students. 3.School support and perceived barriers to participation significantly influenced normal students' cognition and involvement in IEE.

Relevance to the Conference theme and specific strand: This study aligns closely with the sub-theme of "Equity and Inclusion in Teacher Education." By examining the cognition and participation in IEE among mainland Chinese normal students, it underscores the significance of nurturing pre-service teachers' innovativeness, which in turn enriches student learning experiences, fosters creativity, and reinforces the role of quality teacher resources in promoting social justice and regional educational equity.

This presentation introduces strategies and conceptualizations to help teachers create physical, social, and academic space within their classrooms for students to connect to curricular content and their peers. Through the lens of Self-Determination Theory, Charlotte will provide an overview of how self-regulated learning aligns with the promotion of inclusive teaching practices across the curriculum. Erin will introduce her work with preservice teachers to outline how teaching strategies grounded in care and empathy can help educators create classrooms for genuine inclusion.

Charlotte’s views the practices associated with SRL through the lens of Self-Determination Theory. It is from this position she advocates for the use of SRL within classroom settings as a means of supporting all students to actively and meaningfully engage within academic and social tasks. Charlotte research is based within her dissertation work examining teacher candidates’ implementation of self-regulated learning practices and her ongoing interest in teacher candidates’ sense of authenticity. To this end, she draws upon multiple case studies analyzed through thematic analysis to present ways that teachers to implement self-regulated learning to create an inclusive, motivating environment within their classrooms.

Erin’s research engages notions of care ethics, radical empathy, and socially-just care to argue for the centrality of compassion as a tool for equity. Her work employs participatory action methodology combined with a normative case study approach to investigate how preservice teachers develop inclusive pedagogical strategies that lead to greater classroom equity.

Together, our research demonstrates how small changes in our pedagogical approach can have a large impact on students’ engagement with curricular content, thus ensuring a classroom that is authentically inclusive and equitable.

This presentation aligns with the overarching theme of “Quality Teaching for a more Equitable world,” and with the sub-themes of equity and inclusion in teacher education, as well as research on equitable teaching practices.

Teacher preparation in teacher education courses requests theory, principles strategies during the process of professional development; therefore, it seems necessary understand ways to improving the construction process during training courses classes target to practicum. Biology teacher training courses are expected to include sustainability and social justice as a preservice knowledge construct in university classes and internship guidelines. It is necessary investigate how support planning classes in practicum in target to these propose. The research is based on elements of constructivist Piaget’s theory to teach focused on the learning process for to be a teacher. The aim is to analyze how some elements of constructivism approach support an elaboration and are expressed in classes of my subjects in the Biology Teacher Education course and also of student teachers, being a strategy for critical thinking about social justice and sustainability. As a professor, two subjects in my responsibility named Teaching Methods contextualizing sustainability in terms of social justice, or one of these themes, depending on the class. Methodology: elements of constructivism were the background to the university classes in Biology Teacher Education course. Topics such global warming, waste generation, causes, impacts in poor population, and others were included, in addition to constructivist approach (as evolution of children thinking). Narratives and documents of planning classes was collected. Results: In classes, student teachers need to think and changes ideas for strategies to organize the class considering constructivist theory and principles, setting that the theory is not directly applied to classes or teaching methods. During the planning, student repaired plane twice by ourselves after supervisor suggestion and read all, one by one. Students teachers gave the lessons at school and then wrote narratives, which show gradations of approach to the constructivist way of thinking in classes. Traditional were present for a half of them yet.

Keynote