ABSTRACT We examine the effects of maternal exposure to the Taliban rule (1996–2001) on children’s education in Afghanistan. We exploit two sources of variation: geographic variation in the control of provinces by the Taliban, and the age of women during that time. Using the 2015 Afghanistan Demographic and Health Survey, we find that 15 years after the regime, children of mothers who were in their primary schooling years during the Taliban had 20% lower school attendance and 14% fewer years of schooling. The primary driver is the Taliban’s ban on women’s education, which curtailed mothers’ schooling.

ABSTRACT While some research reports positive experiences in mainstream education for autistic students, other work documents substantial difficulties. Despite growing attention, their experiences in mainstream settings remain insufficiently understood. This study explores retrospective schooling experiences of autistic adults in Malta to inform inclusive practice. We aimed to identify challenges during compulsory education and highlight supports that facilitated learning. Five participants completed semi-structured Zoom interviews. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis with resulting superordinate and subordinate themes. Findings show that, alongside moments of joy in learning and genuine care, negative experiences such as sensory overwhelm, bullying and social exclusion had a lasting impact. Differences were frequently misread as misbehaviour, leading to reprimands and reduced access to support. School spaces triggered sensory overload with social fallout. Participation relied on labour-intensive masking, including scripted performance and tone monitoring. Over time, self-understanding enabled personalised supports that reduced strain. The study underscores the need for neurodiversity affirming environments, greater autism awareness in schools, and targeted teacher learning that recognise and nurture autistic students’ strengths and needs in Maltese mainstream classrooms and wider educational systems.

ABSTRACT Despite policy commitments to inclusive and student-centered education, public primary schooling in Bangladesh remains shaped by centralized curricula, examination pressures, and deficit-oriented views. In this educational framework, the focus is on students’ deficits rather than their strengths. Guided by the funds of knowledge (FoK) framework, this qualitative study explores how primary school teachers identify students’ home- and community-based knowledge, how they perceive it, and how they view the potential of FoK-informed pedagogy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 government primary school teachers from rural and urban schools across four districts, and data were analyzed thematically. Findings show that students bring diverse FoK, including caregiving, cooking, agricultural work, craftsmanship, creative and performing arts, and physical skills developed through everyday family and community participation. Teachers primarily learned about these resources through classroom discussion, observation, limited home visits, and mothers’ assemblies. Although teachers viewed FoK as highly beneficial for enhancing engagement, confidence, and learning, its classroom enactment was constrained by rigid curricula, exam-oriented accountability, time pressures, and deficit-oriented institutional practices. The study highlights a gap between teachers’ recognition of students’ strengths and their pedagogical use, shaped largely by structural and policy conditions.

We analyze the effects of attendance early childhood education and care (ECEC) on on-track grade progression during the first years of primary schooling. We use a subsidized expansion of the ECEC program as a natural experiment to establish a causal relationship. The results show that students in municipalities that applied for subsidies have a lower probability of grade repetition. These effects are particularly pronounced for boys and children with a migration background.

ABSTRACT In England, the persistent underachievement of white working-class students – predominantly boys – has been documented for over two decades. From entry into nursery aged three, white working-class boys underperform compared to their better off peers; this gap grows throughout primary and secondary schooling continues beyond age 18 in lower participation and completion rates in higher education, with long-term consequences for employment and financial security. Successive governments have introduced multiple policies, practices and interventions at all stages of education to address this so-called ‘attainment gap.’ However, their impact has been negligible and the Covid-19 pandemic has further exacerbated exiting inequalities. This article critiques policies and practices in English schooling which frame white working-class boys as deficient or ‘other.’ Drawing primarily on a review of existing literature, it argues that current approaches rest on an over-simplified understanding of educational underachievement and reveal a lack of political will to engage seriously with the complex, intersecting factors that shape disadvantage. A case study from one English primary school is presented to illustrate the nuanced realities of white working-class boys' underachievement. The article concludes by emphasising the urgent need for more critical, research-informed and intellectually robust policy and practice responses.

The quality of teaching and learning within religious educational institutions remains an underexplored dimension of educational research, particularly in the context of Buddhist monastic primary schooling in Southeast Asia. This study investigates the effectiveness of Buddhist education at Wat Prey Speu Buddhist Primary School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with particular emphasis on its role in fostering moral development, implementing transformational educational models, and advancing the influence of spiritual advisors on novice monks' holistic formation. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed, integrating quantitative survey data collected from 141 participants, selected through the Slovin formula from a total population of 220, with qualitative data derived from semi-structured interviews, student focus groups, and classroom observations. Multiple regression analysis identified the school environment as the strongest predictor of moral development (R² = .822), followed by teachers' dual roles (R² = .451) and curricular integration of Buddhist principles (R² = .115). Qualitative findings further confirmed that the monastic environment functions as an immersive pedagogical space in which Buddhist values are actively practiced rather than passively received. The study concludes that Wat Prey Speu represents a replicable model of values-based holistic education and recommends that the Cambodian Ministry of Education consider integrating its foundational principles into the national educational framework.

Introduction: Life histories provide insight into the type of PE students experienced throughout their primary and secondary schooling. Objective: The aim of this study is to analyse the characteristics of recent Physical Education (PE) and the potential changes it has undergone over the past twenty years. Methodology: Life histories were employed as the data collection method, and the sample consisted of 34 second‑year students enrolled in the Primary Education Teaching Degree. Results: The findings reveal two differentiated patterns. In Primary Education, PE was characterised by content focused on motor play and basic physical skills, alongside a certain variety of lesson structures. Assessment tended to prioritise effort and attitude, and for part of the sample it was considered their favourite subject. In Secondary Education, however, physical‑training models predominated, with sport as the central content, directive teaching methodologies, and traditional assessment approaches based on fitness testing; theoretical lessons and written examinations were also common. Discussion and conclusions: The comparative analysis indicates that several aspects of PE appear to have changed substantially over the past two decades, including the increased prestige of the subject in Primary Education, the emergence of learning‑oriented lesson structures, and the normalisation of theoretical content in Secondary Education. Conversely, other features have changed little, such as the persistence of traditional assessment and grading practices and the continued dominance of sport‑based content.

This study aims to design, develop, implement, and evaluate a collaborative Home–School Partnership model to enhance children's foundational competencies during the transition from early childhood education to primary school in Gorontalo Province, Indonesia. Employing a research and development approach within the ADDIE framework (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation), data were collected from parents of Grade I and II students across several elementary schools using questionnaires, observations, interviews, and focus group discussions. Model effectiveness was assessed through a pretest–posttest experimental design measuring changes in parental understanding and engagement. Results demonstrate high expert validity (91.72%) and strong practicality (93.14%) during small-group and large-group trials. Effectiveness evaluation revealed significant improvements in parental understanding, with posttest scores ranging from 79.70 to 84.20. Parents reported increased awareness of children's socio-emotional development, communication skills, independence, and positive learning attitudes beyond academic preparation. The study concludes that the Home–School Partnership model effectively strengthens parent–teacher collaboration and supports holistic child development during the transition to primary education. The novelty lies in its systematic development and validation of a structured partnership model specifically contextualized to the Indonesian educational landscape, addressing the critical yet underexplored transition period between early childhood and primary schooling. Practically, the model offers a replicable framework that can be integrated into school programs to foster sustainable home–school partnerships. This study contributes to educational literature by providing empirical evidence that structured family-school collaboration significantly enhances parental engagement and foundational competency development during a pivotal stage in children's educational trajectories.

Abstract This article explores the use of digital storytelling. It focuses specifically on short, narrative-based videos shared via social media. These videos are examined as a way of strengthening home-based transition practices. The transition considered is children’s move from early childhood education to the first year of primary schooling in New Zealand. Framed within a relational view of transition as co-constructed between families, teachers, and children and informed by Schatzki’s (2022) theory of practice, the article outlines the design decisions involved in creating responsive and accessible video content to inform and support everyday parent–child interactions. This includes the ‘ Patrick Stories’, a video series the author developed as teacher–researcher in response to family feedback. The videos, starring Patrick, a five-year-old starting school, address social and practical challenges families considered their children may need to navigate. The stories were sequenced using Maslow’s (1987) framework. Ongoing parent feedback informed development of additional content. Shared through a closed Facebook group, the digital stories served as a flexible, home-based resource for families. The video design and sharing process highlighted the potential of digital storytelling as a responsive, co-constructed approach supporting a relational interpretation of transition, offering an accessible, low-cost approach to teachers and researchers.

Escalating environmental challenges have underscored the need to cultivate environmental awareness from primary schooling, yet classroom instruction often offers limited authentic engagement with local ecological problems. This systematic review synthesizes recent empirical evidence (2020-2025) on the effectiveness of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in strengthening primary students' environmental knowledge, attitudes, and pro-environmental behaviors, and identifies enabling and constraining conditions for its implementation. Searches of Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and SAGE returned more than 200 records, which were screened to identify 7 empirical studies for synthesis. Across these studies, PBL consistently improved environmental outcomes in cognitive, affective, and behavioral domains, with several reports showing statistically significant pre-post or group differences and moderate-to-very-strong positive associations between PBL participation and indicators of environmental awareness (r = 0.52-0.96). Successful implementation was supported by school leadership and an enabling culture, teacher preparedness and collaboration, and curricular flexibility, whereas limited instructional time, resource constraints, and insufficient teacher readiness were recurring barriers. Overall, PBL is an effective approach to strengthening environmental awareness in primary education when it is institutionally supported and adapted to local contexts.

ABSTRACT This paper examines the relationship between school segregation, academic selection, and educational performance in post-conflict Northern Ireland. While integrated education has been promoted as a mechanism for reconciliation since the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, limited attention has been paid to how institutional structures shape system-wide inequality and attainment. Using aggregated school-level data for 2018–2019 and 2022–2023, the study applies a segregation index to measure religious separation across all major school types and analyses GCSE performance while controlling for socio-economic disadvantage and special educational needs. The findings show that Northern Ireland’s education system remains highly segregated by religion, with little evidence that segregation self-corrects between primary and post-primary schooling. Integrated schools are consistently the least segregated but face performance challenges within a selective, two-tier system. After controlling for disadvantage, Catholic Maintained secondary schools outperform both Integrated and Controlled secondary schools, while no significant differences emerge between Catholic and Protestant grammar schools. The analysis demonstrates that segregation and academic selection operate jointly to reproduce inequality, constraining the growth of integrated education despite strong legislative and normative support. The paper contributes a system-level perspective to debates on education, inequality, and peacebuilding in divided societies.

Nigeria follows a 6-3-3-4 education system, comprising six years of primary schooling, three years of junior secondary education, three years of senior secondary education, and approximately four years of university or other tertiary education. This paper focuses on the teaching–learning processes within the 3-3 secondary education system, highlighting the persistence of traditional, teacher-centred methods and the limited engagement with the alternative pedagogical approach proposed by Paulo Freire, the renowned Brazilian educator and philosopher. The study further examines the challenges associated with adopting Freire’s problem-posing and dialogic pedagogy at the secondary school level in Bayelsa State, reflecting broader systemic issues in secondary education across Nigeria, including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. Through a review of existing literature and interviews with selected secondary school teachers, several barriers were identified: lapses in school administration, constraints in curriculum implementation, insufficient time to cover extensive syllabi, large class sizes, pressures from internal and external examinations, teacher-related factors, deficiencies in pre-service teacher training, and limited access to professional development opportunities. The paper recommends that the government and relevant educational stakeholders address these challenges to facilitate the adoption of Freirean pedagogy, thereby enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in Bayelsa State and across Nigeria.

Abstract The quality of primary education is closely linked to the instructional competence of teachers, particularly in the domain of early language learning. Although teacher education programs are designed to prepare educators for classroom responsibilities, many primary school teachers struggle to apply theoretical knowledge effectively when teaching English. This paper explores the divergence between formal teacher preparation and the lived realities of primary English classrooms in India. It highlights key areas of concern such as inadequate preparation for early literacy instruction, limited exposure to multilingual teaching environments, insufficient practice in communicative methodologies, and weak induction and mentoring systems. The paper contends that effective preparation for primary English teaching must extend beyond theoretical coursework toward immersive, context-sensitive, and reflective professional models. It proposes practical measures including expanded school-based training, structured mentorship, locally relevant pedagogy modules, and collaborative professional learning structures. Closing the divide between preparation and practice is crucial for strengthening foundational literacy and enhancing early educational outcomes. Keywords: primary schooling, English language teaching, foundational literacy, teacher development, multilingual education, professional learning

Writing is an essential skill for students' academic, personal, and social development, and learning to write is mediated by the experiences in the family setting. The present study was conducted during the 2024-2025 academic year. This study analyses the home writing practices of primary school students, their perceptions of family support, and their attitudes toward writing, along with the relationships between these variables throughout students' primary education. A total of 917 children in their 1st-6th years of primary education participated (468 boys and 449 girls). They attended eight different Spanish primary schools. Data were collected using a set of questions created for the study that focused on children's day-to-day writing practices at home and the "Writing Attitude Scale." The results show that the most common home writing practices were associated with functional and academic tasks, while expressive practices were less common. This pattern was the same throughout primary schooling, although there were some significant variations by school year. There was a significant progression in the use of digital devices for writing as students advanced in primary school, as well as a fall in family support for writing tasks, particularly in the later years. Nonetheless, students' affective responses toward writing were stable and mostly positive. Positive correlations were found between the frequency of home writing practices, family support (particularly from mothers), and students' favorable attitudes toward writing. These findings underscore the importance of the family environment as a key mediating agent in the development of writing skills, and the need to promote active, motivating family involvement throughout primary education.

The National Education Policy 2020 constitutes one of the most comprehensive reforms in India’s educational history and introduces a transformative reconceptualization of multilingualism within higher education. While earlier educational frameworks recognized India’s linguistic plurality, the implementation of multilingual approaches remained largely restricted to primary and secondary schooling. Higher education institutions continued to function predominantly through English-medium instruction, inadvertently marginalizing large segments of learners educated in regional or vernacular languages. NEP-2020 challenges this entrenched model by advocating flexibility in the medium of instruction, encouraging bilingual and regional language programmes, integrating language credits within degree structures, and promoting translation and digital technologies for knowledge dissemination. This study investigates how such policy provisions influence curriculum development, programme architecture, and student experiences in higher education. Drawing upon policy analysis, theoretical perspectives, institutional practices, and illustrative data visualizations, the paper demonstrates that multilingual curriculum frameworks enhance comprehension, improve participation, foster equity, and strengthen cultural identity. At the same time, challenges relating to faculty preparedness, material development, and institutional capacity require systematic planning. The study proposes a comprehensive and scalable model for multilingual curriculum design and argues that multilingual higher education represents not merely a linguistic reform but a broader democratization of knowledge production and access. By embedding multilingualism within academic structures, Indian universities can create inclusive and globally relevant educational ecosystems that respond to the diverse realities of their learners.

Abstract Research has consistently placed early school readiness as a significant predictor of academic performance across primary schooling. Less is known about the effects of school readiness on academic performance in the high school years. This prospective cohort study aims to examine the association between school readiness at age 5–6 years and academic performance at age 14–15 years. The present study used data from the Baby Cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children ( n = 1,161), linked to data from the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), a measure of teacher-reported school readiness at Year 1, and the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), a standardised measure of academic performance at Year 9. School readiness domains measuring physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and communication skills were compared to NAPLAN domains on reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and numeracy. School readiness was found to be associated with academic performance, even after adjustment for a range of child and family characteristics. Cognitive skills at school entry were found to be the most consistently associated with numeracy performance in high school, OR = 9.08, 95% CI [3.93, 20.98], followed by social competency and spelling skills, OR = 3.68, 95% CI [1.95, 6.94]. A holistic understanding of the role of school readiness in later academic performance may aid in understanding whether policies directed at reducing poor academic achievement should focus on the preschool years to support the development of school readiness as a long-term preventive approach.

Considering the time children spend in schools and the impact this time has on their present and future lives, developing a better understanding of their school experiences is crucial for those interested in childhoods and children. Such understanding requires methodologies that respect children’s evolving capacities and rights, while addressing the methodological challenges arising from their marginalised position. This paper introduces ‘A School Day,’ a board game for participatory play-based research co-created with children that was used to explore children’s experiences of primary school while in Second Class (7-8 years old) in Ireland. The board game is one of the participatory methods employed in the Children’s School Lives study (CSL), a mixed-method dual-cohort longitudinal study of primary schooling in Ireland, tracking over 4,000 primary school children across 184 schools, with an in-depth qualitative case study analysis carried out in 12 schools. This paper describes the co-creation process of the game as a rights-based method for data collection and uses the evidence of its implementation to argue for the recognition of play as a valuable methodological approach in classroom-based educational research. The approach offers accessible and active opportunities for children to share ‘insider knowledge’ and articulate perspectives on sensitive and complex issues –countering more passive data collection methods, through the ‘universal language’ of play. In this paper, we simultaneously critically reflect on the power imbalances inherent in adult–child relations and the school context, emphasising the importance of reflexivity in employing play as a research tool. By detailing the co-creation, piloting, and implementation processes of the board game, this paper highlights both the methodological possibilities and ethical challenges of playful research. It demonstrates how play can foster meaningful participation, inclusion, and respect for children’s rights and capabilities in qualitative educational research.

Background: The World Health Organization and the Australian physical activity guidelines, in line with contemporary research, recommend regular muscle-strengthening activities for optimal muscular fitness in children and adolescents. However, the extent to which muscle-strengthening or muscular fitness receives curricular emphasis is unknown in Australia. Objectives: To examine to what extent the Australian Health and Physical Education Curriculum, Foundation to Year 10 (AHPEC; F–10) addresses and/or promotes muscular fitness. Methods: This study involved a mixed-methods content analysis of the AHPEC F–10 using: (i) conceptual analysis to identify muscular fitness-related terms; and (ii) relational analysis to examine alignment between muscular fitness content and curriculum rationale/aims. A search of national and international physical activity guidelines and school-based muscular fitness intervention literature generated a keyword set to guide abstraction from the AHPEC. Curriculum aim, rationale, level descriptions, achievement standards and content were coded to determine the extent to which muscular fitness was embedded. Intercoder reliability was established via consensus meetings. Muscular fitness content coverage was quantified as the proportion of directly aligned muscular fitness relevant content points per stage and aggregated primary (F–6), secondary (7–10), and F–10 scores. Results: A review of 32 national and one international physical activity guidelines identified 88 muscular fitness activities in total, with some activities appearing in multiple guidelines; 53.1% of national guidelines did not provide explicit muscular fitness examples, and where examples existed, they emphasised accessible modes (e.g., climbing, bodyweight tasks, jumping, and lifting). Additionally, analysis of school-based muscular fitness intervention literature identified 22 distinct muscular fitness activities to guide abstraction. Muscular fitness was absent in the AHPEC rationale and aims, was largely inferred in primary years level description and achievement standards and became more explicit in secondary achievement standards. Direct alignment of content with muscular fitness was non-existent or low across stages of learning (Foundation = 0%, Stage 1 = 0%, Stage 2 = 6.1%, Stage 3 = 9.1%, Stage 4 = 8.6%, Stage 5 = 8.8%). Overall, muscular fitness content coverage averaged 3.8% in primary, 8.7% in secondary, and 5.4% across F–10. Conclusions: The AHPEC treats muscular fitness as a low priority in primary schooling and a minor content area in secondary, yielding developmental messaging that is less aligned with contemporary evidence and physical activity guidelines.

Unsafe abortion is a major reproductive health challenge, causing 7.9% of global maternal deaths and 9.6% in East Africa. In Uganda, about 8% of maternal deaths result from unsafe abortions. Early sexual activity, poor access to sex education, restrictive laws and stigma push adolescents into unsafe practices. Limited safe services force many to use dangerous methods leading to severe complications and high maternal mortality. This study examined determinants and prevalence of abortion among Ugandan female adolescents using the 2022 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey dataset of 5,125 females aged 15–24 who had ever engaged in sexual activity. The dependent variable was binary (1 for ever terminated, 0 for never). Weighted data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ordinary and mixed effect logistic regression models to explore individual- and cluster-level influences. Intra-class correlation and likelihood ratio tests assessed cluster variation. Findings showed 562 adolescents had ever aborted. Those whose first sex was before age 15 were 3.44 times more likely to abort compared to those aged 20–24 while those aged 15–17 were 2.24 times more likely. Married adolescents had twice the odds compared to never married, and cohabiting adolescents were 2.44 times more likely. Compared to those with education beyond secondary, adolescents with no education, primary and secondary schooling were 5.8, 2.99 and 3.01 times more likely to abort. Regional variations accounted for 16.8% of variance, with intra-class correlation of 4.9%. Overall, 11.0% of Ugandan female adolescents reported abortion. Key determinants included age at first sex, marital status, education, contraceptive use and internet use. Region-level factors contributed 4.9% of variation highlighting the need for cluster-level interventions alongside individual approaches.

General Background: Classroom management is central to the success of learning processes, particularly in elementary education where learners undergo social, emotional, and moral development. Specific Background: Managing classroom dynamics and sustaining student engagement are complex in primary schooling because rule recognition, peer interaction, and discipline formation are still developing. Knowledge Gap: Although classroom management strategies are widely discussed, research detailing contextual obstacles in primary education remains limited and often prioritizes solution-oriented training without sufficiently examining underlying causes of management failure. Aims: This study identifies and analyzes obstacles in elementary classroom management and formulates conceptual recommendations for a conducive, productive, and sustainable learning environment. Results: Using a descriptive qualitative library research approach, the study finds that obstacles are multidimensional, stemming from teacher-related conditions (e.g., authoritarian leadership, monotonous instruction, limited knowledge, weak teacher–student rapport), student-related conditions (e.g., inconsistent behavior, low task responsibility, rule-breaking), family environment (parenting styles shaping discipline and motivation), and learning facilities (limited space, overcrowding, inadequate learning media and tools). These conditions reduce learning quality and contribute to less conducive classroom situations. Novelty: The article consolidates a contextual, factor-based mapping of primary education classroom management obstacles and aligns them with categorized handling domains (teacher authority, school authority, and issues requiring wider stakeholder involvement). Implications: Preventive, corrective, and curative actions—supported by collaboration among teachers, schools, committees, and parents—are indicated as essential pathways for addressing obstacles and guiding policy and strategy formulation in elementary education. Highlights: Obstacles originate from teacher-related conditions, learner conduct, family environment, and school facilities. These obstacles contribute to less conducive learning situations and reduced learning quality. Handling pathways include preventive action, corrective action, curative action, and coordination with school committees and parents. Keywords: Classroom Management, Elementary Education, Teacher Factors, Student Behavior, Learning Facilities