Repurposed materials in early childhood mathematics refer to manipulatives made from recyclable or reusable items that, in this study, were co-created by children in the classroom with teacher facilitation to support developmentally appropriate, hands-on numeracy learning. This study investigates the pedagogical value of integrating student-generated repurposed manipulatives into kindergarten mathematics instruction in a government school in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Using a mixed-method design, the research examined growth in key emergent numeracy competencies, verbal counting, one-to-one correspondence, number identification, numeral comparison, and number combinations among children aged 4–5. Participants included 62 KG-1 and 70 KG-2 students and 12 mathematics teachers. Quantitative evidence was generated through pre- and post-assessments to determine learning gains following implementation. To capture the affective and behavioural dimensions of learning, attitude measures were triangulated with classroom observations and analysis of student artefacts produced during learning-centre activities. Teachers’ perceptions of feasibility, instructional impact, and sustainability alignment were explored through interviews. The findings indicate statistically significant improvements in children’s emerging mathematical performance, alongside increased engagement, creativity, and problem-solving behaviours during interactive tasks. Teachers perceived the approach as strengthening mathematical participation while meaningfully advancing sustainability practices within early years settings. This study contributes evidence that child-authored, repurposed learning resources can function as both a numeracy intervention and a sustainability-oriented pedagogy, with implications for scalable professional development for teachers supporting high-quality implementation in early childhood classrooms.

Teacher wellbeing has become a growing concern in educational research and policy, particularly in light of increasing professional demands and the heightened emotional pressures experienced by teachers in recent years. The Teaching to Be (T2Be) project was developed to address this challenge by translating research on teacher wellbeing into an innovative professional development programme combining reflective learning and gamification. The programme includes an Online Wellbeing Course (OWC) centred on a serious game designed to foster teachers’ socio-emotional competences and promote sustainable professional wellbeing.

This contribution presents findings from two complementary studies examining teachers’ experiences with the programme and its effectiveness. Study 1 explored teachers’ perceptions of the OWC through focus group interviews conducted with participants who completed the intervention. Thematic analysis highlighted several perceived benefits, including increased emotional awareness, stronger self-care practices, improved empathy and communication with students and colleagues, and greater reflective capacity when dealing with challenging classroom situations. Participants reported that the serious game format facilitated engagement and allowed them to experiment with emotionally complex scenarios in a safe and reflective environment. Study 2 quantitatively evaluated the effectiveness of the intervention using a quasi-experimental pretest/posttest design involving a large sample of Italian teachers assigned to either an intervention group or a waiting-list control group. Results showed significant improvements in teachers’ socio-emotional competence and self-efficacy, together with a significant reduction in perceived stress among participants who completed the OWC. Mediation analyses indicated that increased self-efficacy played a key role in explaining the reduction in stress levels.

Overall, the findings provide mixed-methods evidence supporting the potential of gamified professional development programmes to enhance teachers’ psychological resources and wellbeing, offering promising implications for teacher training and whole-school approaches to wellbeing.

This study aims to examine the attitudes of Arab teachers in the country toward facts and myths about the brain, based on variables such as age, professional seniority, educational specialization, gender, school stage, and the teacher’s role in school. It emphasizes their understanding of brain function and its impact on teaching improvement. The study employed a descriptive-analytical approach using a questionnaire consisting of 76 items, addressing various aspects such as teachers’ perceptions of facts and myths, brain performance, the role of the brain in learning difficulties and disorders, the relationship between brain regions and education, brain characteristics, and topics such as brain efficiency and the connection between brain disorders and learning difficulties. The questionnaire was randomly distributed among the study sample of 939 teachers from various specializations. The results revealed a high prevalence of brain-related myths among teachers, with a significant portion adopting misconceptions regarding brain functions and their influence on learning. These included auditory or visual learning, as well as the notion that the brain operates in a strictly divided manner between the right and left hemispheres. No statistically significant differences were found based on age, seniority, specialization, gender, or a teacher's role in school. The study recommends organizing workshops and training courses for teachers to correct misconceptions and enhance their understanding of neuroeducation. It also suggests incorporating these topics into teacher preparation programs and encourages further research to apply knowledge about the brain to improve teaching practices.

This study investigates the impact of a structured pre-service assessment training programme on the assessment literacy of polytechnic educators in Singapore. The training intervention, delivered as part of the Certificate in Teaching and Learning for Polytechnic Educators (CTLPE), comprised 18 hours of interactive tutorials over 6 months, covering Assessment Fundamentals, Feedback for Learning, Assessment Methods and Strategies, and Performance Assessments. These modules addressed critical competencies including assessment design aligned with intended learning outcomes, rubric development, formative and summative assessment implementation, and ethical assessment practices.

Using a mixed-methods research design, the study evaluated 58 pre-service educators from multiple disciplinary backgrounds through pre- and post-training surveys adapted from the Scale of Teacher Assessment Practices (STAP). The survey measured five domains of assessment literacy: selection and development of assessment methods, administering and scoring assessments, using assessment results for instructional decisions, ethical use of assessment, and communication of results to stakeholders.

Quantitative analysis revealed statistically significant improvements across all five domains, with effect sizes ranging from medium to large (Cohen's d = 0.61 to 0.96). The most substantial gains occurred in assessment administration and scoring (d = 0.96, large effect), where participants reporting certainty or high certainty increased from 20% to 60%. Assessment development and selection showed marked improvement (d = 0.72, medium-large effect), with confident participants rising from 22% to 61.3%. Mean scores increased significantly across all components: Component 1 (+0.63), Component 2 (+0.85), Component 3 (+0.59), Component 4 (+0.64), and Component 5 (+0.57), with all medians shifting from "moderately certain" to "certain" post-training. Qualitative findings revealed enhanced understanding of assessment principles, increased confidence in rubric design, and intentions to improve assessment practices through better alignment with learning outcomes.

The study demonstrates that structured pre-service training can meaningfully enhance assessment literacy among polytechnic educators. The findings support expanding practical application components, integrating technology tools, and establishing post-training support, including communities of practice and assessment clinics to sustain and further develop assessment competencies in practice-oriented tertiary education contexts.

The need to achieve better education through science is not a new idea in Aotearoa New Zealand. During several curriculum changes between 1993 and 2007, and more recently in 2025, teachers have not been sufficiently supported by the Ministry of Education in how to implement these changes. The Education and Training Act 2020 requires all classroom teachers to demonstrate how they are culturally responsive in their planning and teaching. Schools and their teachers are to embed, as reasonably as possible, te reo me ngā tikanga, te ao, and Mātauranga Māori (te reo Māori = the Māori language, tikanga = the ways of being Māori, te ao = the Māori worldview, Mātauranga Māori = the Maori knowledge systems). In addition, the governing body that registers teachers and renews teaching certificates in New Zealand, the Teaching Council, requires teachers to demonstrate year-on-year how they are working to be more culturally responsive in their teaching practice, as they demonstrate a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the treaty signed in 1840 between the Crown and the Māori). This presentation will report on how teachers and preservice teachers in an Initial Teacher Education programme are being supported to implement more culturally responsive and sustaining teaching in their classroom practice. Specifically, it will report on how to meaningfully and non-tokenistically weave together both science curriculum and Mātauranga Māori (Indigenous knowledge).

The aim of this study is to explore the factors that contribute to educational stakeholders' resistance to pedagogical and policy changes in rural schools in the Bojanala District, South Africa. In this qualitative study, fifteen volunteers comprising five members of the School Governing Body (SGB), five members of the School Management Team (SMT), and five Grade 12 learners were purposively sampled to participate in this study to share their lived experience concerning the phenomenon under investigation. The findings revealed various factors contributing to resistance to pedagogical and policy changes among educational stakeholders in rural schools. These factors included lack of understanding and awareness, cultural and traditional beliefs, socioeconomic challenges, and attitudinal and psychological barriers. In relation to the study at hand, Lewin’s Change Model was adopted, and actors, context, and opportunities were organized to examine the factors facilitating resistance to change among major stakeholders in rural schools in Bojanala District. The study showed that the quality of teaching is being affected with regard to limited implementation of curriculum innovations, learner disengagement and low motivation, and erosion of school culture and morale. To mitigate resistance, the study advocates for a multi-tiered integration strategy: establishing transparent stakeholder communication frameworks to align policy with local realities; institutionalizing sustained, context-specific professional development; and fostering transformational leadership capable of modelling pedagogical shifts within the unique socio-economic constraints of rural environments.

The language classroom in the 21st century extends beyond language skills and components, like grammar, vocabulary, reading, speaking and listening. Students are required to acquire essential competencies deemed crucial in the 21^st century, which mainly include creative thinking, collaboration, and communication. Hence, fostering the development of these skills should be an integral component of education at all levels. This study seeks to address teachers' perceptions, practices, and challenges regarding the infusion of creative thinking skills in teaching English. The study employs an exploratory design to clarify the exact nature of the problem to be solved. Furthermore, the data are mainly qualitative as the aim of this study demands a qualitative inquiry. A qualitative survey questionnaire is used in order to assess thoughts, opinions, and experiences of the participants. A total of 82 Moroccan English language teachers from various educational levels are recruited to participate in this study. Thematic analysis is used to identify, analyse and report the occurrence of themes in the data collected from the field. The findings highlight both the opportunities and challenges faced by Moroccan EFL teachers in integrating creative thinking skills into their instructions, such as limited resources, rigid curriculum requirements, and large class sizes which hinder their efforts to integrate creative thinking skills into the classroom effectively. To this end, this study contributes to the broader discourse on language education by shedding light on the specific context of Moroccan EFL classrooms.

National professional standards in Australia mandate ethical practice, yet research indicates a persistent gap in how these capacities are systematically cultivated within Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs. Grounded in Sanger and Osguthorpe’s (2011) Moral Work of Teaching framework, this study investigates the extent to which educators understand and enact ethical decision-making within complex contemporary moral landscapes. The research aims to move beyond a focus on static codes of conduct to explore the dynamic interplay between personal beliefs, institutional expectations, and professional judgment. Using a mixed-methods approach, this paper reports on data from a large-scale survey of 131 Australian in-service teachers, examining their personal definitions of ethics and their responses to authentic professional dilemmas.

Initial analysis reveals that these educators frequently define ethics as synonymous with professional conduct and legal compliance rather than nuanced moral reasoning. A dominant theme emerged regarding the perceived inadequacy of formal preparation; many respondents described their ethics training as "minimal," "shallow," or "thin". Instead, teachers reported that their primary ethical development occurred through first-hand experiences and challenges encountered during clinical practicums. Participants identified critical contemporary ethical dilemmas, including the misuse of generative artificial intelligence, biased assessment or grading practices, and the complexities of maintaining professional boundaries within digital and social media environments.

These findings suggest that current implicit approaches to ethics education fail to adequately prepare educators for the multifaceted demands of modern classrooms. This work advocates for a shift toward explicit pedagogical strategies, such as case-study analysis and reflective practice, to equip teachers with the "moral literacy" required to act as agents of change. By illuminating the specific nature of ethical understanding, this study provides a framework for enhancing curricula to foster principled, socially responsive educators capable of navigating complex professional landscapes.

Introduction
Teacher professional development is widely recognized as a critical driver of instructional improvement and educational reform. However, persistent gaps remain between international policy aspirations and classroom-level implementation, particularly where job-embedded professional development (JEPD) relies heavily on human-intensive coaching. Prior research has identified time constraints, administrative burden, and limited access to sustained support as key barriers to teacher growth and retention. This study introduces the S.C.A.L.E. Framework, a conceptual model designed to support scalable, AI-augmented JEPD by centering educator agency and sustainability.

Methods
This conceptual study synthesizes findings from a prior qualitative case study (N = 7) examining site-based instructional coaching with a targeted review of recent literature on generative artificial intelligence in education published between 2023 and 2025. The framework is theoretically grounded in Knowles’ Adult Learning Theory and Mezirow’s Transformational Learning Theory. Conceptual mapping aligned core principles of job-embedded learning with emerging AI-enabled workflows, aiming to address limitations of personnel-dependent professional development models.

Results
The S.C.A.L.E. Framework (Support, Contextualize, Augment, Literacy, and Evaluate) conceptually addresses sustainability challenges in teacher professional development by positioning AI as a reflective and adaptive partner rather than a standalone tool. The model illustrates how AI-supported processes may offload routine reflective and administrative tasks, allowing human mentors to focus on higher-order instructional dialogue and transformational learning experiences. Conceptual analysis suggests the framework has the potential to enhance continuity, accessibility, and consistency of professional learning across diverse contexts.

Conclusions
The S.C.A.L.E. Framework offers a theoretically grounded, future-oriented approach to reimagining job-embedded professional development. By integrating established adult learning and transformational theories with AI-enabled support structures, the model provides a scalable architecture for sustained teacher development. It contributes to ongoing discussions on leveraging artificial intelligence to support meaningful, equitable, and sustainable professional learning globally.

Intermediate Phase reading often emphasises reading aloud and comprehension tasks, which can heighten anxiety, limit participation, and reduce authentic speaking and listening opportunities. Drama reading provides a context in which these affective challenges can be addressed while simultaneously developing oral engagement. This paper reports on Cycle Two of a Participatory Action Learning and Action Research (PALAR) project, investigating how pre-service English teachers integrated listening and speaking into drama reading lessons to support learner motivation, confidence, and reduce anxiety. Drawing on Transformative Learning Theory (TLT) and Krashen's Affective filter hypothesis, the paper explores how scaffolded reading activities can transform learners’ participation and encourage reflective teaching. Cycle One focused on reflection: pre-service teachers explored their school English experiences, analysed prior teaching strategies, and reflected on their teaching practices. Cycle Two progressed to collaboratively designing strategies and implementing them during Teaching Practice. Data were collected from pre-service teachers’ lesson plans, reflective journals, and a group discussion. Thematic analysis examined how listening and speaking were incorporated, how learners responded affectively, and indications of changes in teachers’ pedagogical approaches. Findings indicate that pre-service teachers viewed drama reading as providing a scaffolded environment in which oral engagement could occur safely, supporting learner participation and confidence. They reflected that learners appeared more willing to participate, remained engaged, and seemed less anxious, while the pre-service teachers themselves reported increased confidence in facilitating listening and speaking activities and a transformation from teacher-led recitation to more dialogic, interactive approaches. Although balancing curriculum pacing with extended discussion was challenging, drama reading fostered learner motivation, confidence, and reduced anxiety. The study also highlights how reflective, collaborative practice within PALAR can help pre-service teachers support learners’ engagement and oral confidence.