This study examined the change in the attitudes of 70 Israeli Arab pre-service teachers for special education and their professional development resulting from combining three teaching methods (personal diaries, case studies and theoretical models) in a one-semester course. This mixed-methods study included close-ended questionnaires, open-ended questions and personal diaries. Data analyses indicated that the combination of these teaching methods significantly contributed to positive change in pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards students with special needs. It was found that keeping a diary served as a channelling factor for positive cognitive changes, emotional experiences and physical sensations, which pre-service teachers experienced throughout the course. In addition, the case study analysis contributed to acquisition of theoretical knowledge and understanding, and the development of critical thinking.

The article defines and explains quality in education, applicable to schools, both locally and globally. The article reviews major policy statements on quality education by UNESCO, UNICEF, and the OECD. By examining some of the findings on quality in education, the article addresses some of the key issues in quality teaching and students’ outcomes. The article argues that quality of teaching involves the establishment of quality in schools and engaging and motivational relationships with students in the classroom. Such environments and relationships are supportive, and inclusive, where teachers demonstrate a strong sense of self-efficacy, and beliefs in their students’ abilities to master high quality learning. Students in such classes are regularly provided with learning tasks of high intellectual quality. Finally, quality teaching helps students to develop effective critical thinking skills.

The issues of academic integrity across online and in-person assessments were addressed by analyzing student total, conceptual, and numerical performance scores in the three modes of assessment: (1) In-person assessment with proctoring; (2) Online unproctored assessment; and (3) Respondus assessment online with proctoring. It was identified that the Respondus assessment allowed achieving statistically the same assessment results as those for the In-person assessments with proctoring. It was also discovered that the online or in-person course format and proctoring a test were significantly associated with all score types. In addition, the authors recommended some improvements to academic integrity of online assessment.

Inclusive education (IE) was introduced in 2001 in South African schools. Still, its implementation in mainstream classrooms has not attained optimum potential. To highlight the shortcomings, this study explores factors preventing teachers from effectively implementing IE in a combined school. Qualitative data were collected through interviews, questionnaires, and document analysis. Thematic analysis results revealed teacher preparedness, among other factors, is impeding the effective implementation of IE in schools. Bronfenbrenner’s theory emphasised the need for collaboration to achieve systemic goals. The study recommends education authorities consider the shortcomings to strengthen teacher efficacy and student support, including endorsing school infrastructure IE compliant.

This research explores curriculum management in higher education using Bolman and Deal’s Four Frames Model. The study focuses on a private Southern California university’s curriculum management process, examining it through the structural, human resources, political, and symbolic frames. The structural frame emphasizes role clarity and formal processes, while the human resources frame highlights relationships and individual well-being. The political frame addresses conflicts and power dynamics, emphasizing checks and balances. Finally, the symbolic frame emphasizes the meaning and purpose of curriculum changes, particularly in enhancing student learning. The analysis reveals a well-structured curriculum management process that fosters relationships, manages conflicts constructively, and remains connected to the overarching purpose of improving student learning. The findings suggest that a balanced approach that considers these frames can lead to effective curriculum management in higher education institutions.

Outcomes-based teaching and learning (OBTL) has emerged as one of the useful pedagogical approaches and is widely adopted in countries such as Hong Kong and the Philippines. However, it has been observed that many classroom teachers struggle in faithfully implementing it because of the lack of a tool that would provide rich feedback regarding its implementation. Hence, the current study sought to develop and validate an instrument that will assess in-service teachers’ implementation of OBTL in the classroom. This paper describes the assessment instrument development process and results from 903 university students. Results provided strong empirical support for the six OBTL domains (i.e., learning process, instructional strategies, assessment, learning environment, classroom management, and teacher qualities). The items indicated in the assessment instrument were grounded in previous literature about OBTL, with each domain strongly correlating with each other. Implications for classroom practise and future studies are discussed.

This article presents several examples of digital technologies, such as the use of augmented reality, virtual reality, mLearning, web-based GIS, online applications, and the like, which can be used in the educational process of geography. We also present the methodologies created within the national project called IT Academy - Education for the 21st Century, which tries to achieve the educational goal through inquiry-oriented teaching and digital technologies. We discuss in more detail the methodology focused on field teaching using mLearning and digital technologies.

Curriculum is generally understood to be that which defines what should be taught and learned in an education system, and the activities and experiences related to this. Curriculum reform and development is a trend globally as nations and states, and their education departments seek to deliver future focused curricula to meet the challenges and needs presented in the 21st century. This article explores some of the definitions of curriculum and the place of knowledge in a curriculum. This sets the basis for discussing curriculum reform and development globally. This is demonstrated in the global trend of curriculum change from curricula where knowledge is seen as specific subject facts, learned through transmission by the teacher to curricula where knowledge for application and problem solving is valued, acquired through a learning process of self-regulation and collaboration. This enables the authors to identify challenges and processes in curriculum reform or development projects. The article discusses curriculum reform in many countries to improve quality of schooling and the production of human capital, has resulted in a policy shift away from content-based curricula towards outcomes-based curricula, with an inclusion of skills and values, and learner-centred pedagogies.

Prospective teachers’ attitudes towards teaching are grounded in their experiences of successes and failures as students. Thus, addressing their attitudes towards teaching before starting their profession is strategic. To this aim, this study explored Jordanian prospective kindergarten teachers’ attitudes towards the teaching profession. Furthermore, the study investigated the relative influence of participants’ self-esteem, communication skills, and interest in the teaching process on these attitudes. A total of 234 university students who were pursuing their bachelor degree in kindergarten education participated in the study. These were selected from the six universities offering bachelor programs in childhood education in Jordan. Three scales were administered through the internet to collect data from students. The results showed that the behavioral component of communication skills was significantly associated with attitudes. Neither cognitive nor emotional communication skills were significant predictors. Undergraduate curricula should aim to cultivate positive attitudes while addressing and improving negative ones. Fostering prospective teachers’ communication skills seemed to be a promising pathway to help promote positive attitudes and interest in teaching. Kindergarten education curriculum should help students improve, learn and use communication skills effectively.