ABSTRACT Background Research demonstrates increasingly low levels of writing motivation among primary school children. This is concerning given the central role of writing in children’s learning and educational outcomes. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) posits that motivation is underpinned by a need for autonomy, competency and relatedness (Ryan and Deci 2000); this study focuses on the competency element of SDT, providing in-depth insights into how classroom practices shape children’s perceptions of themselves as writers. Purpose The study aimed to understand children’s perceptions of writing competency, including the factors influencing these perceptions, and the influence of classroom practices. It posed the following research questions: 1) What factors influence children’s perceptions of their writing competency? and 2) How do school-based practices influence children’s perceptions of their writing competency? Method Individual semi-structured interviews were carried out with 24 children aged 9–11 (12 boys; 12 girls) from three culturally and linguistically diverse primary schools in England, UK. The children had varied levels of writing motivation and skill. Following data collection, an inductive thematic analysis was undertaken. Findings Children’s perceptions of competency were themed in relation to academic, personal and social competency. Academic competency reflected perceptions of technical accuracy and academic success, while personal competency reflected feelings of enjoyment, immersion, expression, perseverance, pride, and personal growth. Meanwhile, positive feedback from others, reader interest and collaborative writing strengthened positive feelings of social competency. Conclusion The study provides novel insights into the multifaceted and complex nature of children’s writing motivation, illustrating how academic, personal and social factors influence their perceptions of competency. Teaching approaches which simultaneously attend to these different dimensions are arguably essential to help develop children’s positive perceptions of themselves as writers.

ABSTRACT Background Democratic student participation is widely recognised as important in building a fairer society and fostering critical citizenship. However, despite several robust theoretical frameworks outlining the characteristics of high-level participation, a gap remains between understandings of theory and practice. In many educational settings, symbolic or passive practices still predominate, often due to a lack of empirical models illustrating how to implement student participation well in daily school life. Purpose To address this gap, this ethnographic case study focuses on one state-funded school in the Basque country, recognised for its democratic practices. Objectives are twofold: to present a successful case model, and to analyse how genuine student participation is fostered in this school, thereby identifying useful aspects for educational improvement. The article describes in detail how these factors are articulated and applied in the school’s daily practice. Method The research adopted a qualitative ethnographic case study design. Data were gathered through 24 participant observations, analysis of 21 school documents, and group discussions with a teaching team (1 group) and with former students across several generations of the school’s history (28 groups). Findings The analysis revealed three interlinked dimensions essential for fostering real participation: 1) a renovated teacher perspective, which regards students as active subjects with rights and capabilities; 2) a participative, emergent curriculum based on global (non-subject-specific) projects chosen and led by students; and 3) a flexible organisational model with high levels of coordination, subordinated to students’ needs and project requirements. Conclusion Achieving high-level participation requires a holistic transformation of school culture. By aligning teacher beliefs, curricular design, and organisational structures, student participation and sense of belonging can be fostered. These findings offer a practical framework which may be helpful for educational centres seeking to operationalise democratic theory in their everyday practice.

ABSTRACT Background Although evidence is widely valued in education, differing standards of what counts as acceptable, or valid, evidence have become a major barrier to tackling deep-rooted systemic challenges. The past decade has seen concerted efforts to build consensus and a unified definition, to guide better decision-making, evidence implementation and investment in education. Purpose This study examined the factors that influence educational leaders’ perspectives about evidence generation and application, with the aim of deepening understanding of how these perspectives are formed and impact evidence-informed decision-making. Research questions were: 1) How do educational leaders perceive valid evidence? 2) Which challenges do they perceive in applying it to practice? and 3) What role could evidence self-assessment tools play in supporting evidence applications? Method The study adopted a qualitative research design, with analysis drawing on data from remote interviews with 15 leaders of educational not-for-profit organisations across 10 countries engaged in advanced evidence-based practice. Findings Participants’ definitions of evidence fell into three categories: a hierarchical approach, prioritising randomised controlled trials (RCTs); a pluralistic approach, valuing different types of evidence depending on context; and a multidimensional approach, integrating both the above, but difficult to operationalise in practice. All participants acknowledged the systemic governance challenges of evidence generation and application, noting that evidence was shaped by socio-political and funding agendas beyond their control. Findings are discussed in the context of an evidence paradox, where educational leaders aim for a holistic understanding, but find this pursuit threatened by systemic factors that favour evidence generation and application according to one of the three definitions. Conclusion Resolving the evidence paradox requires a mind-shift among decision-makers and commissioners. This is likely to involve re-positioning systems as learning systems that pivot based on mistakes and adapt based on iterative learning.

ABSTRACT Background Early childhood education (ECE) plays a vital role in supporting children’s holistic development, well-being, and learning. In recent years, attention has turned to ECE centre leaders, whose role is critical for ensuring the quality of ECE. The well-being of ECE leaders is essential for their own professional sustainability and for the well-being and development of children, yet research on this topic is underdeveloped. Purpose The aim of this study was to explore future work-related well-being as described by Finnish ECE centre leaders, identifying the factors that contributed to their experiences and examining contrasts between positive and negative scenarios. Envisioning different future scenarios helps us to better understand changes that might lead to well-being outcomes. Method Data were collected using the Method of Empathy-Based Stories (MEBS) from ECE centre leaders attending an in-service training programme in early 2024. The dataset comprised 97 narratives. Participants were asked to imagine what changes had taken place in ECE and its management that had affected future well-being at work. Narratives were analysed thematically to identify recurring themes and contrasts between positive and negative stories. Findings Four themes were identified in the stories: Available ECE resource and their allocation; Technology; Multilingualism; and ECE management structures. Additionally, interactions between different levels (society, municipality, organisation, and ECE centre), were interwoven into the themes and identified as a key factor supporting leaders’ work-related well-being. When communication and consultation occurred across levels, leaders felt heard and able to influence decision-making regarding ECE centre operations. Conclusion This study contributes to research on work-related well-being in the ECE sector, providing insights into the factors and structures that may support the well-being of leaders in the future. Methodologically, it offers new perspectives on exploring leaders’ holistic well-being. Theoretically, it enhances understanding of the dynamic and holistic nature of work-related well-being.

ABSTRACT Background Across several countries, recent educational reforms have introduced quasi-markets in educational services, which promote parental choice. Israel’s specialised public education schools (SPESs) embody this trend by incorporating practices typically associated with private education into a public framework. While expanding parental choice, SPESs have sparked tensions regarding equitable access to education. Purpose This study analysed Israel’s SPES policies from 1985 to 2022, with the aim of examining how these policies balanced the values of parental choice and educational equity. It posed the following research questions: 1) What is the interaction between promoting SPES policies in Israel, the drive towards increasing choice and the need to strive for equity? and 2) To what extent is there agreement among the different voices of policy actors regarding SPESs in Israel? Method The research employed a qualitative design based on an integrative model synthesising Schmidt’s (2006) interpretive value-critical policy analysis with Brighouse et al.'s (2018) equity evaluation approach. Data sources included 37 policy documents and semi-structured interviews with five senior government officials. Data were analysed thematically. Findings The study demonstrates a shift of educational policymaking in Israel from centralised government control to parent – local authority coalitions, leading to the institutionalisation of SPESs, which have reshaped governance power dynamics. There was a dissonance between the declared goal of promoting equity and SPESs’ selective recruitment practices, which typically favoured students from privileged backgrounds. Despite intentions to diversify quality school options, the SPES model has exposed and, in some cases reinforced, structural inequities in school accessibility. Conclusion The findings suggest that policymakers could enhance school choice policy by reconciling public education with SPESs and adapting the model to better serve the general population. This would maximise equity while maintaining excellence and addressing individual student needs. Future comparative research could examine how education systems internationally respond to the inherent tension between parental autonomy and the commitment to social equity.

ABSTRACT Background Despite growing interest in the leadership of school development, its ethical dimension is often overlooked. Previous research has highlighted the ethical challenges that school leaders encounter in complex leadership situations. However, there is limited knowledge about how these obstacles are navigated in practice, particularly in collaborative leadership settings. There is also a clear gap in empirical insight regarding how ethical reasoning is practically applied and supported in school leadership programmes. Purpose The research reported in this paper investigated the ethical challenges that school leaders encountered in school development, and how ethical reasoning was used to improve the awareness and clarity of their decision-making. It focused on how one group of Norwegian school leaders, participating in a National Principal Training (NPT) programme at one Norwegian university, navigated ethical challenges in their schools’ development. Method The participants were 71 school leaders who participated in coaching groups as part of the NPT programme. Data were collected from their individual preparation papers, written before their final coaching session, in which they reflected on how ethical reasoning influenced their decision-making. The data were analysed qualitatively using content analysis. Findings School leaders faced numerous challenges in leading school development. These were categorised across five ethical perspectives (justice, critique, care, profession and personal moral integrity) depending on the nature of the challenge. The main obstacles they faced were resistance from teachers in implementing new practices and handling relational issues. Conclusion Applying different ethical perspectives enabled the school leaders to deepen their understanding of the challenges they faced and to consider a broader range of possible actions, enriching their decision-making processes. Based on the study’s findings, other school leadership programmes may wish to consider incorporating ethical reasoning, introducing a framework of ethical perspectives to enhance school leaders’ decision-making and their personal moral integrity.

ABSTRACT Background Collaborative problem-solving (CPS) is an impactful and important pedagogy in mathematics classrooms, but it is rarely used, particularly in the primary classroom. Both collaboration and problem solving have been recognised as crucial twenty-first century skills; CPS is a pedagogy which can potentially contribute to the development of both. Purpose The study reported in this paper sought to address a notable gap in existing research – the use of CPS in primary mathematics classrooms. Focusing on a single school case study in New South Wales, Australia, it traced the journey of one team of mathematics teachers as they implemented CPS pedagogy. Drawing on the teachers’ reflections following participation in two targeted professional learning sessions, the study explored the role of proactive action research and reflective practice in supporting teachers to implement CPS. Method The study explored how the teachers reflected on their CPS implementation using two frameworks: proactive action research and reflective practice. The teachers were asked to use a cyclical process of reflection and action and to record their impressions in reflective diaries. Their data was analysed by the authors to understand their pedagogical decision-making. Findings The data highlights the many pedagogical decisions teachers articulated through ongoing reflection which supported their students’ learning. These included enhancements in teacher confidence, guiding pedagogical decision-making, and fostering inclusive, student-centred learning. Teachers developed deeper insights into student needs while adapting their roles to facilitate group regulation and collaborative engagement. Conclusion This study shows how teachers and researchers can reflect on, learn from, and use action research to better understand the implementation of a new pedagogy. The participating teachers developed in confidence and pedagogical expertise as they implemented through a proactive action research approach. They embraced and reflected on this new pedagogy and experimented with management strategies and facilitation approaches, to build student inclusivity.

ABSTRACT Background Over recent decades, school choice (the process by which parents select a school of their choosing for the child/children) has become a key component of education policy pursued in many countries, and a critical decision for many parents. While global scholarship has broadened understanding of how families engage with and experience school choice, less is known about how this choice operates in reciprocity with institutional practices, namely school admissions and selectivity procedures, particularly in non-Western contexts. Purpose This paper examines parents’ school choices in Iran – not in isolation, but in a reciprocal relationship with schools’ student choices. In this context, both parents and schools actively assess one another to decide whether the other is the right ‘fit’. The study posed two research questions: 1) How do parents think about and enact school choice in relation to schools’ selectivity? and 2) How do school personnel perceive and respond to parent’s affections, expectations, and preferences during the school choice process? Method Twenty-five in-depth interviews with parents and school personnel were conducted in Tehran, the capital of Iran, during autumn 2019. The data were analysed thematically, using the concepts of school cultural orders (instrumental and expressive), habitus, and distinction. Findings Parents’ school choice, as a complex social process, reciprocally influenced, and was influenced by, schools’ student choice. Through this reciprocity, parents and schools weighed one another up, expressed concerns and preferences, negotiated expectations, and sought an optimal ‘fit’; a dynamic that shaped the enrolment of the ‘right’ students, the composition of a particular student body, and the ongoing reproduction of both familial privileges and institutional culture. Conclusion These reciprocal mechanisms of school choice reveal that school choice is not merely about accessing educational resources but about securing boundary-making and distinction. Through practices of inclusion and exclusion, the interplay between parental and institutional decision making can contribute to the persistence of inequalities and the perpetuation of social reproduction and division.

ABSTRACT Background Vocational Education and Training (VET) is studied globally in schools, offering an alternative route to academic learning. Within a supportive school community context, students can gain industry relevant skills and vocational knowledge, supporting their transition into the adult workforce. Yet despite substantial numbers of students choosing VET subjects in schools, recruiting suitably qualified VET teachers for secondary schools is a global challenge. Purpose This paper presents the lived experience of 14 in-service and two pre-service VET schoolteachers who had gained initial teacher education (ITE) qualifications, shedding light on the many facets of their identity transformation from vocational practitioner to ITE student to qualified vocational schoolteacher. Method Participants, recruited both opportunistically and through snowball sampling, taught in 16 different secondary schools located in the Australian state of Victoria. Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with them by the third author of this article. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Findings Completing an ITE qualification had been an enlightening and empowering experience for these industry experts who had previously developed strong vocational identities. The participants believed that school students perceived them as relatable and authentic role models. Their shared lived experience was that students responded positively to their vocationally informed empathetic, respectful, patient and caring pedagogy. Conclusion The participants in this study practiced what we have identified as Vocationally Informed Relational Pedagogy (VIRP) – an approach which is invaluable in shaping sustainable, high-quality VET programmes in schools. The value of a formal teaching qualification for industry experts who wish to become schoolteachers is integral to the transformation of their professional identity.

ABSTRACT Background Inclusive education aims to integrate students with special educational needs (SEN) into mainstream classrooms. Teachers’ attitudes and emotional support practices play a crucial role in the success of this integration. Previous research indicates a strong connection between supportive teacher attitudes and the effective emotional support of SEN students. Purpose This study explores the relationship between teachers’ attitudes and the emotional support they provide to SEN students in inclusive classroom settings. It aims to examine how these attitudes influence support practices and to identify key challenges that impede effective inclusion. Method A mixed-method approach was used, combining teacher focus group interviews, and classroom observations, to collect attitudinal and behavioural data. Thirteen teachers participated in the study. Their attitudes were analysed alongside their observed support practices to assess points of alignment and divergence. Findings Most teachers expressed broadly supportive attitudes towards inclusion, which were, in the main, reflected in classroom practices that demonstrated emotional support. Observational data indicated that most of these teachers fostered a supportive classroom climate. In contrast, a small number demonstrated less supportive attitudes with inconsistency in the emotional support provided. A lack of effective professional development and limited resources emerged as common barriers to providing consistent and effective emotional support. Conclusion The study highlights the nuanced relationship between teacher attitudes and emotional support for SEN students. While supportive attitudes among most teachers contributed to more effective inclusion practices, challenges such as insufficient professional development and resource limitations undermined consistency. Although the small sample size limits generalisability, the study identifies potential areas for improvement. Further research with a broader range of methodologies is recommended.