This research focuses on examining the preparedness of future primary school teachers to recognize and support students with dyscalculia, as well as analyzing the suitability of mathematics textbooks within the context of inclusive education. Dyscalculia, as a specific learning difficulty in mathematics, often remains undetected within the educational system, despite curricular documents emphasizing the need for individualized approaches and support for students with learning challenges. The aim was to explore how future pre-service primary school teachers perceive their own competencies for working with this group of learners, the extent to which content related to dyscalculia is included in higher education curricula, and how well mathematics textbooks are adapted for students with learning difficulties. The methodological approach combined both quantitative and qualitative procedures. A survey was conducted among final-year students enrolled in pre-service primary school teachers education program, curriculum syllabi were analyzed, as well as mathematics textbooks for lower primary grades. The results show that students express a positive attitude toward inclusion but report insufficient knowledge and experience in the area of mathematical learning difficulties. Curricula generally do not include specific content related to dyscalculia, and the textbooks fail to offer systematic and diverse forms of support for students with difficulties. The findings indicate the need to strengthen pre-service primary school teachers’ professional competencies through targeted education, better integration of theory and practice, and the development of educational materials tailored to the diverse needs of learners. The effective implementation of inclusive education goals requires systemic changes within the educational system to ensure equal access to quality mathematics education for all students.

This review article examines the ideas and analyses put forth by Josip Slisko in his 2026 book on matchstick puzzles, which provide a basis for projecting them onto domains of study such as math cognition with implications for math education. The book is a truly significant one bridging these two domains, showing how an apparently simple puzzle form enfolds deep mathematical ideas and principles that, when fleshed out, put on display what fundamental mathematics is all about. Above all else, Slisko’s book has specific important implications for math education, which will be highlighted in this review article.

This study investigates the impact of experimental demonstrations on the academic achievement, conceptual understanding, and attitudes toward science of third-grade students, with a focus on alternative energy topics. Conducted in an Arab-community middle school in Northern Israel, the research involved 120 students, divided equally into an experimental group (n = 60) and a control group (n = 60). The experimental group received instruction through hands-on demonstrations related to solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal energy, while the control group was taught using traditional methods. Employing a mixed-methods design, data were collected through academic tests, attitudinal questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that students in the experimental group achieved significantly higher post-intervention scores (mean [M] = 82.62, standard deviation [SD] = 12.93) compared to the control group (M = 71.28, SD = 15.06), with a statistically significant difference (t [118] = -2.58, p < .01). Additionally, the experimental group demonstrated a significantly greater understanding of alternative energy concepts (M = 3.27, SD = 0.42) than the control group (M = 2.82, SD = 0.53), (t [58] = -3.42, p < .001). Attitudinal measures also favored the experimental group (M = 3.34, SD = 0.44) over the control group (M = 3.09, SD = 0.64), with a significant difference (t [118] = -2.12, p < .05). These results advocate for integrating demonstration-based teaching to enhance science education outcomes, particularly in sustainability topics.

This study investigated middle school students’ perceptions of mobile augmented reality (MAR)-supported instruction in the <i>solar system</i> unit. Designed as a qualitative case study, the research involved 22 sixth-grade students who completed pre- and post-implementation opinion forms. Data were analyzed through inductive content analysis, supported by expert validation and intercoder reliability procedures. Findings indicated that students expected MAR to enhance visualization, motivation, and enjoyment in learning. Following the four-week instructional process, most of these expectations (86%) were fulfilled. Students reported that MAR facilitated a clearer understanding of planetary features and fostered active participation, while a small number expressed negative views due to challenges in technology use and group-based activities. These findings align with previous research emphasizing MAR’s cognitive and affective benefits, while also highlighting implementation challenges such as technical constraints and classroom management issues. Overall, the study demonstrates that MAR can enrich science education by integrating conceptual learning with engagement and motivation. Situated within the framework of the 2018 and 2024 Turkish science curricula, the findings illustrate how MAR aligns with national priorities for digital transformation while revealing infrastructural constraints in real classroom contexts. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on augmented reality in education by presenting both the opportunities and limitations of MAR integration and by offering practical insights into educators and researchers seeking to embed emerging technologies into science instruction.

Teachers use personal pedagogical content knowledge to filter instructional approaches when teaching topics such as force concepts. Understanding teachers’ approaches when teaching is important because it provides a window into teachers’ knowledge base. This interpretive, qualitative multiple-case study aims to understand three physics teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge by examining their approaches to teaching force concepts. Data were collected through classroom observations, analysis of lesson plan books and post-observation interviews revealed that the teachers explained concepts with illustrations; described experiments and made demonstrations and teacher-dominated whole-class discussions. Although teachers’ lesson plans didn’t reveal pedagogical approaches, they demonstrated knowledge of science curriculum; how students understand science including instructional and assessment strategies. These findings imply that teachers’ lack of reflection-on practice may result in low-quality instruction and low students’ performance. It was concluded that teaching experience mediates teachers’ knowledge of relevant examples, questions to ask and activities to do.

This study explores how a pre-service mathematics teacher mobilizes specialized knowledge while teaching three geometric concepts: similarity, homothety, and Thales’ theorem. Drawing on the mathematics teachers’ specialized Knowledge model and Duval’s (1995) theory of registers of semiotic representation, the study examines how knowledge domains are enacted through multiple representations. Data were collected from three consecutive lessons during the teacher’s practicum in a socioeconomically disadvantaged and traditionally structured classroom. Findings indicate that the pre-service teacher evidenced representational fluency and procedural clarity, particularly in the use of diagrams and gestures to convey proportional reasoning. However, conceptual generalizations and formative engagement with students’ thinking remained limited. The study underscores the importance of teacher education programs in explicitly linking representational practices with epistemic goals and student reasoning, especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged contexts where systemic constraints often restrict opportunities. This research contributes to ongoing discussions on pre-service teacher development and the pedagogical demands of geometry instruction in authentic classroom settings.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into science education has accelerated in recent years, raising urgent questions about its role in supporting inquiry-based pedagogies. This study employs a bibliometric methodology to map global research trends, subject areas, geographical distribution and conceptual structures at the intersection of AI and inquiry-based learning. A Scopus query retrieved 26,283 documents, which were analyzed through descriptive statistics and science mapping. Findings reveal a sharp rise in publications since 2017, with notable peaks in 2024 and 2025, reflecting the rapid mainstreaming of AI in science education. Subject area analysis indicates that while research is anchored in the social sciences and computer science, it has progressively diversified to encompass psychology, mathematics, engineering and medicine. Geographically, the USA, China, and the UK dominate output, but growing contributions from Indonesia, India and Malaysia highlight increasing global engagement. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified five thematic clusters: technological foundations, pedagogical applications, human and social dimensions, learner engagement, and classroom practice. By providing a large-scale bibliometric analysis of research at the intersection of AI and inquiry-based science education, this study establishes a foundation for future scholarship while underscoring unresolved challenges surrounding equity, ethics and collaboration. The findings also provide evidence to inform policy initiatives, teacher training programs and equitable investment in AI-enhanced science education.

Education for sustainable development (ESD) involves addressing complex problems that require the development of mathematical abilities and general competencies. In the context of secondary mathematics teachers training, this challenge should be supported by a holistic process that considers theoretical frameworks on sustainability from a mathematics education perspective. In this work, we analyze and adapt general ESD through a particular approach from mathematics education. Key characteristics relevant to the development of mathematics teaching activities are identified and proposed. Then we present experimental results in a teacher training course, identifying the sustainability competencies that emerge and their relationship with mathematical abilities. The findings highlight the importance of generating more activities that reinforce the anticipatory competency in pre-service teachers for future sustainability scenarios.

This quantitative study examined the impact of teachers’ self-reported use of instructional practices for conceptual understanding, teaching experience, and parental education on eighth-grade students’ science achievement scores in Australia, England, Japan, South Africa, and the United States, using data from TIMSS 2015 and TIMSS 2019. The data were subjected to descriptive statistical analyses and multiple regression modeling to investigate the extent to which teachers’ use of conceptual understanding practices, teaching experience, and parental education affects students’ science achievement. The findings revealed that teaching for conceptual understanding practices did not always contribute to improved students’ science achievement scores. However, teachers’ teaching experience and parental education could have a positive effect on students’ science achievement scores. The findings also showed that science teachers’ teaching for conceptual understanding practices weakly accounted for differences in students’ science achievement scores in the five countries, although a large percentage of teachers self-reported using conceptual understanding practices in their classrooms. The authors posit that such practices are beneficial for students’ achievement in science and STEM and that establishing a universal characterization of “teaching for conceptual understanding” would enhance the conduction of cross-national studies.

This study presents the design and validation of the P-MATHEX questionnaire, an instrument aimed at assessing preservice primary teachers’ perceptions regarding pedagogical knowledge in mathematics and experimental science education. Initially, a questionnaire comprising 50 Likert-scale items and 10 demographic questions was developed and subjected to a cognitive pre-test with 50 preservice teachers from a Spanish university. The instrument was then validated using a larger training sample of 264 participants. Psychometric validation involved exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis, item discrimination indices, and internal consistency reliability assessed by McDonald’s omega coefficient. EFA results identified five distinct factors: teacher training improvement, methodological shortcomings, applied teaching methods, trial-and-error approach, and student problem-solving difficulties. The revised questionnaire was further validated with an additional sample of 166 preservice teachers. Results confirmed excellent internal consistency (global ω = 0.95) and robust factorial structure (CFI = 0.986; TLI = 0.985; RMSEA = 0.061). The P-MATHEX questionnaire effectively highlighted preservice teachers’ perceived strengths in practical teaching methods and identified areas requiring further training, particularly inclusive education practices and integration of information and communication technologies skills. This validated instrument provides educators and policymakers a reliable and actionable tool to evaluate and enhance teacher education programmes in mathematics and experimental sciences, ultimately aiming to improve pedagogical practices in primary education classrooms.