Conference Agenda

Welcoming Newcomers to ERC

ERC Opening Ceremony

Educational research is characterized by its embrace of diverse theories, methodological approaches, and data analysis techniques, enabling researchers to investigate a wide range of phenomena related to learning, teaching, and schooling. Large-scale surveys in education have been around since the early 20^th century, providing data about students’ academic achievement and background characteristics, along with relevant information in different contexts (e.g., family, instructional, institutional) and levels of the educational system. As data became more complex and abundant due to the emergence of computer-based tools and technologies, such as computerized assessments, virtual learning environments, and learning management systems, new approaches have been developed to extract meaningful interpretations from the evidence gathered, for instance, Learning Analytics.

Learning Analytics research aims to enhance learning by processing information about students and their contexts within the learning environment. It typically involves gathering data on factors such as login frequency and time spent on online platforms to analyze student engagement, habits, and online social interactions. Statistical techniques such as clustering and prediction are then applied to derive insights from this data. Research with large-scale assessment and survey data often focuses on testing theoretical hypotheses regarding factors associated with academic achievement or on evaluating the effectiveness of educational policies through statistical modeling techniques such as structural equation and multilevel modelling. Additionally, it addresses measurement and methodological inquiries, such as investigating the properties of survey instruments or exploring the patterns of student responses to various question types.

While opportunities to gain deeper insights into student learning have increased with the accumulation of vast amounts of information over time, concerns about privacy and ethics have also arisen. For instance, statistical algorithms applied to make predictions are biased and serve to perpetuate already existing inequalities.

In this interactive session, two researchers based in Cyprus, Michalis Michaelides and Ioulia Televantou, discuss the potential of large-scale assessment surveys and learning analytics to inform educational research and practice. They draw on real-world examples from existing studies showcasing both the strengths and limitations of the two approaches in an empirical manner. With their presentation, they aspire to spur a discussion in the audience on the extent to which these methodological frameworks can be of use for the scope of their research.

The research aims at enhancing pedagogical practices of developing professional development with science teachers through inquiry based laboratory activity approach towards sustainable science education in Malaysia. The research will further explore on possibility of collaboratively develop materials, ways of implement the teaching and learning materials and reveal the impact to participating teachers. Investigations are indeed about empowering children to apply knowledge, but it is essential that the teacher acts as a skilful mediator in the process (Gott et al.,1995). Hence the research centred on the following inquiries: 1) In what ways do participating teachers collaboratively develop, implement and evaluate the science teaching and learning materials that aligned with scientific literacy skills and sustainable issues? 2) To what extend does inquiry based laboratory activity influence science teacher’s to promote scientific literacy and sustainable issues in their classroom? The research is based on the Interconnected Model of Teacher Professional Growth proposed by Clarke and Hollingsworth (2002) that encompasses four domains of change in teachers' professional environment include the personal domain (comprising knowledge, beliefs, and attitude), the domain of practice (involving professional experi- mentation), the domain of consequence (related to student learning) and the domain of the culture of the school (related to student learning) (Willems & Bossche, 2019). The model suggests a non-linear and recursive process for teacher professional growth, capturing the dynamics among the different domains.

Topic description. The topic of my presentation is one part of my PhD thesis research on development of educational competence among university teachers in different cultural environment, which contains thematic content analysis of the regulations of Lithuanian universities and semi-structured interview which well be taken in the framework of the research. The primary stage of the research is thematic content analysis of all regulation documents about developing educational competence among universaity teachers in Lithuania.

The main research question of this presentation. HOW THE EDUCATIONAL COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM IN LITHUANIAN UNIVERSITIES COULD BE UPGRADED?

Additional (secondary) research question: what is the gap between the regulation texts and the real educational competence situation of the Lithuanian universities?

Relevance of the research. In the fast changing environment of the world educational processes the relevant concepts of the competence and educational competence are always changing (Lennon-Harmon, 2022; Enyon, Iuzzini, 2020; Carbone, 2021; Santoso, Lestari, 2019; Cebrian et al., 2020; Mahlanga, Moloto, 2022). So, despite there is a "common" theory backrounf like White (1959) and Chomsky's (1962) concepts of competence, this concept always can be updated to the current situation (Arifin, 2021). The definition of the educational competence is so flexible, that we are able to "compose" and/or interpretate this concept according to current situation: cultural, political environment, certain country, reagion or institution. This give a large potential for this research not only in Lithuanian, but also in very broad international context.

The practical relevance of the topic. Many higher education institutions (universities and colleges) of Lithuania have an absolutely formal syste, of educational competence development of the teachers/professor. Mostly it contains just a number of hours, which should be spent in specialized events. So, the practical significance of this research is to provide new model, how the educational competences system among university teachers couold be upgraded.

The high rates of depression and suicide amongst teenagers highlights the need for more preventative mental health and wellbeing measures to be in place from an earlier age. Government initiatives such as wellbeing programs and practices are being implemented into schools. There has been considerable variance in their effects, however, likely due to factors relating to implementation (Durlak, 2016).

The purpose of the proposed study is to explore how wellbeing programs are being carried out in primary schools. The aim is to highlight the opportunities and challenges that teachers have with school-based wellbeing programs and how their related practices are perceived by students. Therefore, the research questions include:

• What student/teacher/school-level factors are associated with the implementation of well-being programs in primary schools?

The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) (Cane et al., 2012) will be used as the theoretical framework for the study. The framework consists of 14 domains (1) Knowledge; (2) Skills; (3) Social/Professional Role and Identity; (4) Beliefs and Capability; (5) Optimism; (6) Beliefs about Consequences; (7) Reinforcement; (8) Intentions; (9) Goals; (10) Memory, Attention and Decision Processes; (11) Environmental Context and Resources; (12) Social Influences; (13) Emotion; and (14) Behavioural Regulation. These domains will be used alongside implementation fidelity indicators (Dane & Schneider, 1998) to understand barriers and facilitators to wellbeing program implementation.

By utilising the TDF and implementation fidelity indicators to explore teachers' and students' perspectives of wellbeing programs that have been implemented in schools, we can begin to understand what conditions are needed to increase the uptake of effective wellbeing programs and practices and explain why variance in implementation and effectiveness of programs occurs (Durlak & DuPre, 2008). A recent systematic review that was conducted to identify articles that explored teachers’ views and experiences of implementing mental health and wellbeing programs found only seven studies (Goodwin et al., 2023), two of which were conducted in Australia. Evidently, there is a need to explore this area as programs are increasingly implemented into schools. Furthermore, although behavioural interventions are often guided by theory, in practice they are often not or are only minimally (Michie & Prestwich, 2010). Similarly, studies identified in Goodwin and colleagues (2023) review lack a theoretical framework when constructing questions for teachers and analysis is often undertaken through exploration of themes that were discussed (e.g., in interviews), without attributing these themes to any framework. The authors recommend future research to adopt more robust methodological approaches. Providing a theoretical framework such as this will help to develop a better foundation for exploring and analysing teachers’ and students’ perspectives of wellbeing programs/practices.

The starting point of this study is the belief that pupils are valuable resources for research projects on inclusion in elementary schools. Thus, the objective of this research project is to let pupils` voices be heard from the beginning so that their voices will contribute to designing the research project`s focus areas. They are, after all, the experts on their own experiences and views (Alderson, 2008). This research project is about our experiences as researchers with co-creating a research project with pupils about inclusion. We want to find out with the pupils what matters to themselves when it comes to inclusion in their school life. What do they experience as inclusive or exclusive practices? What is it that really matters to them? And how can researchers co-operate with pupils to explore these questions?

A lot of research has been conducted on different aspects of inclusive education in the educational field as reflected in many different literature reviews (Nilholm, 2021). However, the research that has been conducted is mostly theoretical and does not focus on the realization of inclusive education in different settings in practice (Göransson & Nilholm 2014). What is missing is the perception of children on defining inclusion in education (Qvortrup & Qvortrup, 2018), and even more importantly how children experience inclusion in their daily lives (Mittler, 2000). As Mittler (2000) states “it is the day-to-day experiences of children in classrooms that define the quality of their participation” (p. 95). This highlights the need for a new research entry in the field of education on inclusion that is based on practical experiences, from pupil`s voices.

This is one of the reasons why some researchers have taken the step “inside” the school to investigate the concept of inclusion from the perspective of pupils. Adderley et al. (2015) highlight the importance of the pupils' perspective and that they can provide valuable insight into how teachers' practices can promote or hinder their experience of inclusion in the classroom. Messiou (2019) argues that pupils can become resources for change and the development of inclusive practices provided that they are listened to. Kleeberg-Niepage et al. (2022) describe in their study that pupils can provide important insight into success factors for inclusive practices at secondary school. In pupil-based investigations into how pupils themselves experience school, Arnesen (2020) found various examples of processes that pupils experience as including or excluding. Arnesen (2020) gained an insight into pupils' experiences both in terms of pupil-pupil relationships and teacher-pupil relationships, as well as how positive and negative cycles can be created in the social interaction at school (Arnesen, 2020). Tangen (2022) emphasizes that children are important voices in research and argues that listening to pupils' voices promotes inclusion. She suggests that a good school life can only be developed by seeing it from the pupils' own perspective (Tangen 2022). Uthus and Sivertsen (2023) have also found, through their studies in the field of practice, that teachers themselves demand a pupil-oriented perspective on inclusion.

These previously done research projects emphasize the importance of pupils' voices in research on inclusion in their school life. This project is about our experiences as researchers with using co-creating processes in the research field of inclusion and not about the empirical data that we collected. We want to focus on the co-creating process together with the pupils regarding inclusion while focusing on the following research questions:

Research questions:

1. How can researchers let pupils’ voices be heard regarding their experiences with inclusion at school?

1. How can pupils’ voices contribute to the design of a research project about inclusion in primary school?

The aim of this small-scale research is to explore whether there is an improvement teaching and learning practices resulting from the collaborative action research focused on Student Engagement in Classroom Learning, implemented in 22 SHARE schools (School Hub for Action Research in Education) in Astana city, Kazakhstan.

The SHARE project is an educational initiative, implemented since 2019 by the Astana city Department of Education in collaboration with esteemed scholars, including the Emeritus Professor of the University of Cambridge, Professor Colleen McLaughlin, a former Principal of Bottisham Village College Mrs. Kate Evans and Dr Nazipa Ayubayeva, the University of Cambridge graduate and prominent advocate for action research in Kazakhstan, who also serves as a national coordinator for the SHARE. The coordination and implementation of the SHARE are carried out by the Center for Education Modernisation along with 22 school coordinators, four of whom are the authors of this paper.

The primary goal of the SHARE is to bring about the changes into teachers’ practice, ensuring that every child benefits from the initiative. In contemporary educational settings, there exists a need to explore innovative methodologies that actively engage students in the learning process. Scholarly enquiries by Elliott (1991), Townsend (2013), Pollard (2014), and other education practitioners highlight the transformative impact of action research on the educational paradigm, fostering to enhance learning outcomes. In response to this context, Calhoun (1993) has emphasized three distinct approaches aimed at supporting teachers to improve teaching and learning practices by engaging inaction research: 1. Individual teacher research, 2. Collaborative action research, and 3. School-wide action research. Manfra's (2019) research findings suggest that collaborative action research approaches are particularly effective in empowering teachers to modify their teaching practices. Moreover, Oranga and Gisore(2023) in their research focus their attention on improving problem-solving effectiveness through comprehensive school-wide initiatives.

Hence, the SHARE, that started as a collaborative action research within and across different schools of Astana city has a significant potential to help teachers to improve teaching, enhance their own learning and share ideas and practices for other to learn from.The implementation of any small-scale action research project within the SHARE centers around four domains of change: 1) acquiring knowledge about action research methodology; 2) improving teaching and learning; 3) fostering teacher leadership; 4) establishing conditions for sustained engagement in the initiative and beyond.

As such, during the 2022-2023 academic year all 22 SHARE schools implemented a small-scale action research project about student engagement in classroom learning. During academic year teachers were guided by the core team of scholar show to implement the project, including reading about student engagement, conducting classes, filling in the protocols of class observation and video-recording lessons for the analysis and etc., in order to learn about student engagement in classroom settings. Whereas SHARE school-coordinators were guided by a national coordinator to research teachers’ perception about the four domains of SHARE. Specifically, our team consisting of a national coordinator and four school-coordinators came together to research teachers’ perception about one of the SHARE domains. That is, to learn about changes in teaching and learning practices steaming from the implementation of student engagement in classroom settings, implemented across 22 SHARE schools.

Thus, the research is intended to assist conducting a literature review about teachers’ perception of changes and contribute to better understanding of how teachers perceive the changes and improvements in their practices within SHARE initiatives.

The present paper is part of the PNRR PhD project “Teaching and learning heritage”, which responds to the need expressed in the PNRR plan to develop strategies for safeguarding cultural heritage (M1C3.1: cultural heritage for the next generation). The research project identifies heritage education with children as a possible safeguarding action, as also suggested by the 2003 UNESCO Convention.

Considering the reflections brought by Manal & Srour (2021) and Smith (2013), which underline how children are under-represented in heritage discourses and how necessary it is to rethink their relationship with heritage, the aim of the research is to get a deeper understanding of children’s perspectives of cultural heritage (in all its forms, natural, tangible and intangible), and its associated meanings, related to their everyday urban environment.

In this context, mapping urban spaces with children as a method to foster an identification and co-construction of knowledge (De Nicola et al., 2022) of cultural heritage is proposed. For considering children as social and cultural actors (Melton et al, 2014), implies involving them in safeguarding processes and bringing their voices into the – this way intergenerationally structured – heritage discourse.

To reflect on heritage education, the perspective of intangible cultural heritage is proposed. The “intangible cultural heritage” paradigm shift introduced by 2003 UNESCO Convention highlights a change from the hegemony of the cultural objects to the centrality of the subjects (Lapiccirella Zingari, 2017, p. 19). The 2005 Faro Convention also emphasises the relevance of the participation of communities, groups, and individuals in the processes of heritage making, safeguarding and education. Thus, heritage, considered as a cultural (Smith, 2006) and active process (Copeland, 2012, p. 22), is constituted by the meanings and the values that individuals attribute to it. Accordingly, heritage education “is about people” (Copeland, 2012, p.22), which means that it lies less in the acquisition of factual knowledge, but rather in the individuals’ involvement in the process of heritage making and meaning making. Furthermore, Del Gobbo et al. (2018) emphasise the importance of designing educational activities that foster the production of a plurality of narratives and interpretations by persons and communities, highlighting the dynamic and active component of cultural experiences (p.26).

Inspired by Children’s geography, the tool of mapping urban spaces, assuming the "more than representational" approach (Malatesta, 2015), allows to compose the experienced dimension (practices, meanings, values) of places with its translation into graphic form (Malatesta, 2015, p.62). In this sense, mapping no longer represents an objective physical space, but becomes the narrative of an experienced and lived place. As Barnes (2018) and Powell (2010) suggest, mapping, as a research method, allows the exploring of new narratives, not fixing meanings.

In heritage education, asking children to map their urban spaces means identifying all those elements (places, cultural practices, people) considered important. The children’s narratives of their maps will compose a collective narrative of the places, as well as of the community living in the neighborhood.

Observing cultural heritage from everyday places responds on one hand to the necessity to make this concept more accessible (Schofield, 2015), anchoring it in everyday experiences that are considered significant; on the other hand, it also allows to recognise all those 'unofficial' cultural expressions as heritage (Harrison, 2013, p. 15).

In a present marked by uncertainty, instability, and unpredictability, school system struggles to keep pace, despite calls for schools and teachers to be dynamic, open to change and to prepare pupils to face the challenges and problems of an ever-fast-changing world (European Union, 2008). The environments where we spend most of our time in the period of (trans)formation appear entrenched in an overly predetermined structure that fail to align with the dynamism of the present. This research aims to delve into jazz, conceived as a metaphor encompassing values and attitudes essential for daily life and long-term development (Santi, Zorzi, 2016). Jazz embodies a formative potential for the next generations and a trans-formative one for the teaching/learning approach and, more in general, for the idea of an inclusive, inventive, polyphonic, and explorative education. Schools frequently hinder aspects inherent to human existence that are also prevalent in jazz: improvisation in ambiguous situations, adaptation to new contexts, curiosity about the unknown, and learning from mistakes. Instead of presenting themselves as protected havens resistant to the unpredictability of the world, educational environments should be viewed as safe spaces that foster experimentation, mirroring what happens between jazz musicians during a jam session with no audience. In both contexts, focus is placed on the process unfolding in the present, requiring continuous attention (Masschelein, 2010), rather than prioritizing the product as a predetermined outcome subject to rigid evaluation criteria.

The research’s main theoretical framework is pedagojazz (Santi, 2010, 2015; Santi, Zorzi, 2016). Santi's theoretical proposal introduces values that could serve as inspiration for a novel pedagogical approach, exploring possibilities often overlooked in traditional education. Specifically, it emphasizes the significance of authentic presence, the establishment of a safe creativity environment (Weinstein, 2016) that encourages experimentation without fear of making mistakes, and the importance of maintaining an open stance toward others in the pursuit of a shared educational journey. Above all, pedagojazz places a priority on the potential of improvisation, a fundamental element of jazz music, that has undergone extensive study in various fields, including education (Cappa, Negro, 2006; Tomlinson, Germundson, 2007; Sawyer, 2011; Zorzi, 2020). It teaches that mistakes are inherent in the journey, and the real challenge lies in effectively dealing with them. Embracing mistakes is the pathway to stepping out of our comfort zones and genuinely putting ourselves on the line.

The research subject is of great topicality, which is confirmed by the support from NRRP funds for this research grant. Moreover, the project stems from a collaboration between the University of Padua and Federazione Nazionale Il Jazz Italiano. The objective is to expose jazz hallmarks by drawing insights directly from the experiences of jazz professionals to outline a teaching and learning jazzing posture that responds to the need to embrace the uncertainty of the present. Due to the collaborative nature of the project, it pursues two interconnected goals, addressing both theoretical and practical needs. Firstly, it endeavors to explore the potentially revolutionary impact of a jazzing approach in the pedagogical field: what does it mean to bring jazz to school? What does a teaching and learning jazzing posture entail? Which positive implications might it have? Secondly, the project aims to highlight the cultural heritage of jazz, recognized by UNESCO for promoting peace, dialogue, respect, eradicating discrimination, fostering gender equality, and promoting freedom of expression. The collaborative effort involves co-constructing a yet-to-be-identified tool with representatives from jazz organizations to answer the following questions: how is it possible to enhance networking among musicians engaged in the educational field? How could this step benefit the school system as a whole?

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)* and language immersion programmes have been implemented in the majority of educational systems of Europe since the 1990s (Goris et al., 2019; Renau & Mas Marti, 2018). There is a consensus in the literature that the target language (TL) development of students in CLIL and immersion settings outstrips their peers who study the language in stand-alone classes (Cammarata & Tedick, 2012; Dalton-Puffer, 2008; Genesee & Lindholm-Leary, 2013; Tedick & Lyster, 2020). However, many scholars internationally conclude that students do not reach an advanced level of competence but, rather, a “functional proficiency” (Cammarata & Tedick, 2012, p. 253). For CLIL to reach its full potential by the end of upper secondary education, a more explicit and systematic focus on language is needed in content-area classrooms (Tedick & Lyster, 2020).

There is acknowledgement that this is not an easy undertaking as this fusing of content teaching and language teaching has variously been referred to as a “stab in the dark” (Cammarata & Tedick, 2012, p. 261) and a “conundrum” (Ó Ceallaigh et al., 2018, p. 5). In many jurisdictions this situation is exacerbated by teacher readiness issues, where no specific qualification is required to teach in CLIL settings (Ó Ceallaigh et al., 2018; Tedick & Fortune, 2013).

Irish is a minority language on the island of Ireland with the English language being the first language (L1) of the vast majority of the population (Central Statistics Office, 2017). This research project focused on the lived experiences of secondary CLIL teachers as they attempt to integrate the teaching of content and the teaching of language in Irish-medium schools. The first iteration of a pedagogical tool was developed to explore CLIL teachers’ experiences, attitudes and practices (Mac Gearailt et al., 2023). This pedagogical tool, SIOF, has now been refined and it is hoped that it will be a significant development in a move to a more “systematic” pedagogy” (Genesee & Lindholm-Leary, 2013, p. 22). SIOF focuses on “language sensitive” (Marsh et al., 2001, p. 4) classroom practices that relate to Scaffolding, Input, Output and Feedback.

It adopts a socio-cognitive view of the learning process and accepts that cognition and social interaction have complementary roles in language learning (Lyster, 2007). Considering the varied and naturalistic input of CLIL settings, the work of Krashen (1982), his theory on Comprehensible Input in particular, underpins much of the scholarship on CLIL. Social interactions are fundamental to the sociocultural perspective on second language learning (Lightbown & Spada, 2013). Speaking (and writing) enables learners to control their mental processes, which facilitates the internalisation of language used in social interactions. In devising SIOF the authors drew heavily on the Counterbalanced Approach of Lyster (2007) and the CAPA model of Tedick and Lyster (2020), which focuses on contextualisation, awareness, practice and autonomy when integrating the teaching of language and content. Form-focused instruction (FFI) is the bedrock of these approaches, and of SIOF. FFI is defined as “any pedagogical effort which is used to draw the learners’ attention to language form either implicitly or explicitly” (Spada, 1997, p. 73).

* The authors view CLIL as an umbrella term for any context where an additional language is used to teach content. As such, when the authors use the term CLIL this includes immersion. For further discussion on the interrelatedness of CLIL and immersion see (Mac Gearailt et al., 2021).

The concept of “teacher leadership” is complex. The development of leadership qualities in teachers is combined with improving their autonomy and accountability at the same time. Teacher leadership, in its widest definition, is the process by which teachers, individually or collectively, influence their colleagues, principals, and other members of the school communities to improve teaching and learning practices with the aim to increased student learning and educational achievement (CCSRI, 2005, pp. 287-288). One of the characteristics of teachers with leadership qualities is their ability to foster a conducive environment for students, enabling them to realise their full potential. In general, teacher leadership is characterised by a combination of high intellectual and professional qualities and wisdom, literacy and sensitivity, proficiency in understanding the diverse psychological needs of students, and a capacity for adapting to changes. Teacher leadership promoted around the world, and Kazakhstan is no exception. For example, Qanay and Frost (2023) assert that the Teacher Leadership in Kazakhstan initiative professionality as described by Hoyle (1974), thus they can also contribute school improvements and build organisational capacity. Nevertheless, it is vital to consider that teachers actively interpret and implement teacher leadership concept based on the context and conditions (McLaughlin & Ayubayeva, 2015). Consequently, pedagogical leadership is distinctive, shaped by the objectives to be fulfilled and the prevailing context. Contemporary research widely agrees that teacher leadership qualities can be both innate and learnt. There is acknowledgment that individual can develop and enhance their leadership skills through intentional efforts and meaningful experience.

The ongoing implementation of the SHARE (School Hub for Action Research in Education) initiative across 22 Astana city schools in Kazakhstan, has demonstrated the potential for cultivating teacher leadership qualities by engaging teachers in collaborative action research (Ayubayeva & McLaughlin, 2023). Since 2019, the schools involved in the SHARE project have organised three cohorts: in the 2019-2020 academic year, the 1^st cohort comprised of 5 schools; in the 2020-2021 academic year, 2^nd cohort included 8 schools, and in the 2021-2022 academic year, 3^rd cohort consisted of 9 schools. It is worth noting that the impact of the SHARE on teacher development may vary, given that schools joined the initiative at different stages of its implementation.

In 2022-2023 academic year SHARE schools across all three cohorts were engaged in conducting action research on student engagement in classroom learning. A core team comprising of five teacher-participants from each school underwent trainings facilitated by Professor Colleen McLaughlin, Mrs Kate Evans and Dr Nazipa Ayubayeva. The trainings provided the participants with a structured algorithm, following which, each school identified the classes, a subject teacher for study, requiring video recording of her/his lesson, followed by the focus group interview with student and one-to-one interview with the teacher, whose lesson was observed, and recording a learning from the process of discussion and transcribing of the interviews. Obtaining permission from both students and their parents for video recording of a lesson was crucial to ensure compliance with the ethical standards. The process of conducting this small-scale action research revealed that while some members of a core team were active, the others were reluctant to take a responsibility.

Hence, the team of school coordinators, consisting of schools #37, #60, #62, #67, and #68, collaborated under the guidance of the national coordinator, Dr Nazipa Ayubayeva, who also served as a critical friend, to research the SHARE teacher-participants’ perception about teacher leadership. The aim of this small-scale research is to explore the effect of the SHARE initiative in fostering teacher leadership qualities among teacher-participants and beyond.

Self-efficacy has been widely established as an important construct in educational research and can be defined as the belief that own capabilities are strong enough to reach a set goal (Bandura, 1977). To date, there is extensive research on self-efficacy for student outcomes (Bartimote-Aufflick et al., 2016) and for teachers (e.g., Perera et al., 2019; Hajovsky et al., 2020). However, it has been less focus on school leaders’ self-efficacy (Fischer, 2020), which can be defined as the leaders’ belief in their own competence to induce change in their school (Fischer 2020; Tschannen-Moran & Gareis, 2004), and which proves to be a predictor of student achievement (Leithwood & Jantzi, 2008), organizational learning (Hesbol, 2019), and crisis management (Röhl et al., 2022). In particular, few findings exist on the sources and conducive factors that influence school leaders’ self-efficacy. Taking up this desideratum, the present study that is presented in the poster addressed the research question of what factors foster school leaders’ innovation-related self-efficacy.

Bandura (1977) proposed that mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasions, and physical and emotional states are antecedents of self-efficacy. The influence of these factors on self-efficacy has been widely researched and empirically proven (e.g., Pfitzner-Eden, 2016). We firstly hypothesize that mastery experience (here, perceived achievement), vicarious experience (here, mentors as role models), verbal persuasion (here, encouragement from mentors or colleagues), and emotional state (here, exhaustion) impact school leaders’ innovation-related self-efficacy (H1). Secondly, studies on factors which are included in professional training and development opportunities have indicated to influence school leaders’ self-efficacy positively (Anselmus et al., 2022; Fischer, 2020; Versland, 2016). Based on these findings, we hypothesize that also leadership-related professional development factors increase school leaders’ innovation-related self-efficacy (H2).

The issue of security in an organisation is a very important parameter for the smooth running of the organisation and its profitability. For educational organisations in particular, the issue of security is crucial as unsafe operating conditions cause dysfunction and obstacles to the educational process. The feeling of insecurity caused to students and teachers does not contribute to the smooth functioning of the school and the achievement of its objectives. The head teacher of a school and the teachers' association, as the collective governing body, play an essential role in ensuring all aspects of the safe operation of the school.

Safety in schools is divided into physical, emotional and digital (Hammond, 2020; Sergiovanni, 2000; Freiberg, 1998). In addition to the issue of safe facilities, there are also serious incidents of violence, such as shootings, kidnappings, etc., that take place in school environments (Armstrong, 2019).

Today, in the era of globalisation of knowledge and information, with the spread of digital technology and its use both for educational purposes in an organised and personalised way by every student or adult, information is accessible in many ways (Sherry, 2020).

School violence, victimization and acrimonious relationships in schools today are occurring with enough frequency to take on epidemic characteristics, and research to analyze them applies epidemiological methods. The term Epidemiology is a compound of the adverb " ep" meaning upon, the term "demos" meaning population and the term " logos" meaning the scientific analysis of the issue. "Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related conditions or events in specific populations and the application of this study to the control of health problems." (Last, 2001, p. 61). Methods of investigating factors that harm public health are appropriate for investigating factors that negatively affect the work of schools. Education researchers who adopt the methods of epidemiology are able to identify key problems that harm the educational process and school effectiveness and find solutions. "The purpose-driven teacher understands the value of seeking information about the underlying problem so that the problem can be identified and solved." (McGiboney, 2023, p. 22).

The purpose of this study is to explore the views of school principals and teachers, as members of the faculty and therefore a collective governing body, regarding safety and the creation of a healthy school climate in the school.The research aims to highlight the current issues of safety and school climate in schools, which seem to be negatively escalating, and to record the views of school management on this vital issue.The choice to interview principals and teachers on these issues is made because they are the ones who are most knowledgeable about the relevant problems and the most competent to highlight the critical parameters that will help prevent risks or improve difficult situations.The principal and teachers experience the daily life of the school internally, they are not external evaluators.For this reason, their opinions and suggestions are the most valid and useful for taking measures that will help to create safe schools, schools that all teachers and students want to belong to. Based on the above, the research questions posed are:

A) What are the safety challenges according to the views of school principals?

B) What are the factors that compromise school safety and how do they address them?

C) What policies and practices can help overcome any problems in this regard?

Researchers argue that determining one’s positionality requires one to reflect on his/her multiple identities derived from group membership, roles and responsibilities, personality and value systems, characteristics and even language use. These factors may influence the research questions, methods and the way you interpret research findings. Hence, this small-scale research aimed to explore the teacher’s positionality in conducting collaborative action research.

The issue related to our own positionality was identified when we, as teachers, engaged in collaborative action research to examine students’ engagement in classroom learning (SECL). The SECL collaborative action research project was introduced as a part of the SHARE (School Hub for Action Research in Education) initiative that our school joined in September 2023. The team consisting of five teachers, who are the authors of this paper, from Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools of Physic and Maths in Astana (NIS), participated in trainings on SECL project conducted by Emeritus Professor of the University of Cambridge Collen McLaughlin, Ex-Principal of Bottisham Village College Kate Evans and the national coordinator of SHARE in Kazakhstan, Dr Nazipa Ayubayeva. In SECL collaborative action research, teachers were tasked with conducting structured action research, including delivering a lesson, videotaping this lesson, conducting a reflective interview with a teacher and students, transcribing and making sense of collected data and organizing an in-depth discussion of the findings. Each team member was responsible for one of the processes to be undertaken in the project. In all this processes we were asked to observe the ethical considerations.

The first stage of the SECL project was concluded with a reflective discussion on the processes undertaken facilitated by the national coordinator of SHARE. Through this deep reflection and discussion, it became evident that understanding our own positionality as teachers in this project was crucial for effectively harnessing the collected data to achieve valid, transparent, and accurate results for action. Hence, a decision was made to explore the aspects of teacher positionality before digging into the data on the SECL project.

This summary part of my dissertation deals with the conflicting gender equality discourses in the recent curriculum process for Finnish basic education. From the perspective of radical democracy, the study investigates the potential of an open curriculum process to bring discursive conflicts into light. Despite the study focuses on the Finnish context, it provides a global perspective on the open and inclusive curriculum processes.

The latest Finnish curriculum process provides a compelling perspective on the curriculum drafting and to struggles related to gender equality in basic education for two significant reasons. Firstly, the curriculum process demonstrated greater openness compared to its predecessors, which offered a possibility to members of society to voice their opinion on education policies during the process. Secondly, the Finnish National Core Curriculum (FNCC) for basic education underwent revision at the same time with the amendment (1329/2014) of the Act on Equality between Women and Men (609/1986) in 2014. Following the revisions, Finnish comprehensive schools are now required to formulate equality policies, and the understanding of gender was extended from a binary concept to gender diversity. In the latest curriculum process topic of gender gained visibility when both national and local policies had to adapt revisions.

Finland is well-known for being a model country of gender equality (Edström & Brunila 2016; Lahelma, Öhrn & Weiner 2021). Because of this reputation, there is a perception that gender equality achieved state of affairs. As a result, Finnish educational policies have stressed gender-neutral discourse, taken binary essence of gender for granted and avoided challenging gendered power relations (Edström & Brunila, 2016). Thus, the amendments to the Act on Equality may raise conflicting views on gender equality within a context accustomed to gender-neutral discourses.

The study critically examines discursive construction of gender equality (see Fairclough 1992; 1995), and asks, how gender equality is discursively shaped and what kind of conflicts between discourses arise at different phases of the curriculum process, in 1) FNCC 2004 and 2014, 2) the FNCC2014 draft and feedback comments given on it and 3) school-based gender equality policies (n=140).

The study also explores the notably open curriculum process, investigating how discursive conflicts on gender equality are addressed within the process and examining the transformative potential linked to these conflicts from the standpoint of radical democracy. Previous studies on curriculum process have assessed the success of the processes from the perspectives of shared meaning making, coherence, validity, transparency and consensus (e.g. Pietarinen et al. 2016; Säily 2021). However, deliberative democracy has been criticized for instance by policy researcher Chantal Mouffe. She (2013; 2020) argues that the principles of deliberative democracy often supersede the interests and ideologies linked to political matters. Furthermore, in the deliberative model, policymaking focuses more on the outcome rather than the conflicts that emerge during negotiation. Mouffe challenges deliberative understanding of democracy with her own model of radical democracy.

Within radical democracy, ideological conflicts are viewed as essential for the politicization of issues and for exposing the underlying power dynamics. Mouffe argues that consensus solutions do not eliminate power relations. Alongside with these notions made by Mouffe, feminist policy researchers (Lombardo et al., 2009; Prügl, 2011; Rönnblom, 2017) have emphasised the need of politicisation of gender. Then gender is to be articulated in terms of conflicting interests and as a matter of power relations (Rönnblom, 2017, p. 162; Elomäki & Ylöstalo 2021).

The study adopts a critical perspective on the tradition of deliberative democracy within Finnish curriculum studies. It assesses the capacity of radical democracy to effectively handle discursive conflicts and address the social power relations in the curriculum process.

As a young teacher and a graduate of Kazakh National Women's Teacher Training University, I have returned to pursue further studies as a PhD student. My personal journey has sparked my interest in mentoring, particularly in the context of formal and informal mentoring programmes. Mentoring is a crucial aspect of professional development, particularly for novice teachers who require support and guidance as they show the complexities of the classroom.

Mentoring is a process that defines the relationship between mentor and mentee. Mentoring can take many forms, ranging from formal programmes to informal relationships that develop spontaneously between colleagues. The literature on mentoring is vast and varied, with empirical studies exploring the benefits and challenges of different mentoring approaches. As a young teacher, I have experienced the benefits of mentoring first-hand. I have been fortunate to have mentors who have provided me with guidance and support as I face classroom challenges. However, I have also encountered the limitations of mentoring, particularly regarding access to resources and the challenges of mentoring programmes.

Formal mentoring requires a short-term (one-year) formal programme (Inzer & Crawford, 2005). The mentors are usually assigned and protégés (mentees) are strongly encouraged to participate in this programme (Cotton, Ragins, & Miller, 2000). An informal programme, on the other hand, is defined as a natural process where the mentor and mentee are in a good relationship that contains personal and professional respect. The relationship is usually long-term.

However, in comparing formal and informal mentoring, Boyle and Boice (1998) found that participants of the formal mentoring programme reported high levels of satisfaction, considering better planning, organisation, systematic feedback, and the huge involvement of mentees in school activities. As discussed by the other researcher, Mathias (2005), teachers who just started their career, have a greater appreciation for the formal mentorship component. Furthermore, he follows that formal mentorship provided them with more in-depth support for professional growth, with the help of outside experts, invited to support the unique requirements of each department.

On the other hand, according to the study of Inzer and Crawford (2005), informal organisational mentoring is more advantageous than formal mentoring. They argue that more career development activities, such as coaching, giving difficult jobs, or raising mentees’ experience and reflectiveness, were performed by informal mentors. Positive psychosocial behaviours like counselling, social interaction assistance, role modelling, and friendship-granting were more frequently performed by informal mentors. Due to the ease of relating to one another, informal mentoring ties grow. As the mentee may seek to imitate the mentor's traits, and the mentor may recognise themselves in the mentee.

Consequently, informal mentoring is considered one of the most effective and useful strategies for mentees’ development, as it lasts longer and is based on both mentor and mentee satisfaction. It takes place in a relationship that both teachers voluntarily form, where friendship comes first, followed by education and career.

Although informal mentors excel in career development, they fail to acknowledge the structured programmes that formal mentoring might provide for skill enhancement. Moreover, emphasising how simple it is to establish ties in informal mentoring may have the possibility of prejudice or the absence of systematic supervision in these kinds of relationships, resulting in the mentor and mentee choice being based more on personal preferences than on objective standards of professional growth.

Therefore, the paper aims to provide a further review of the literature by comparing formal and informal mentoring programmes by highlighting the benefits and critiques that each type of programme faces.

The review addresses the following research questions:

1. What are the benefits and challenges of formal and informal mentoring?

Introduction, Research Objective, and Context:

Previous research (Vanlommel et al., 2017; Jager et al, 2021) indicates that when tailoring their education to differences in the classroom, teachers make instructional decisions based on various sources of information. Studies indicate (Educational Inspectorate, 2023; Van Casteren et al.. 2017) that teachers find adapting to differences challenging, as they make a significant number of decisions throughout the day (approximately 1500) (Mockler, 2022). This aligns with research indicating that differentiation is a complex process requiring knowledge and skills to systematically and consciously utilize these information sources to shape education (Van Geel et al., 2019). Additionally, research (Urhahne & Wijnia, 2021; Payne, 2008; İnan-Kaya & Rubie-Davies, 2022 ) suggests that urban environments exhibit a high degree of diversity in classes, contributing to the complexity teachers face when tailoring their education to differences. To gain a deeper understanding of teachers' pedagogical reasoning regarding dealing with differences among students, this qualitative research was conducted to analyze the thoughts of teachers in the Haaglanden region in more detail. Specific attention is given to the role of the student in this process, and potential differences between schools regarding the student population are explored.

Theoretical Framework:

Pedagogical reasoning (Loughran, 2019) refers to the thoughtful thought process underlying teachers' informed professional practice . It involves teachers' ability to make thoughtful and informed decisions about teaching their students. When the level of diversity in the classroom is higher, it means greater complexity for the teacher to tailor education to all students.

The use of information and data by teachers plays a crucial role in pedagogical reasoning (Keuning et al, 2017; Loibl et al., 2020, Park & Datnow, 2017). Teachers must effectively collect and analyze information to align their teaching practices with their students. When dealing with diversity, especially concerning students' backgrounds (Denessen, 2017), there are risks associated with the use of information and data . These risks can vary, and it is important for teachers to be aware of them to ensure a just and inclusive educational environment. Giving the student a voice in education can contribute to this (Hudson-Glynn, 2019).

Research Questions:

• How do teachers reason with their knowledge of their students to adapt their teaching to them?

• How do teachers involve students with different backgrounds in differentiation?

Scientific and Practical Significance of the Content Contribution:

By gaining a better understanding of what teachers do, teachers can be better supported in adaptive teaching to ultimately provide education to all their students, meeting all their educational needs while considering the socio-cultural background of the student or the school's location. This subject concerns all teachers, teacher-educators and educational researchers, not just in the Dutch context but it is internationally relevant to all educational professionals.

The overall aim of the ComeMINT research project is to design, implement and evaluate an adaptive, digitized teacher training course, available to pre-service and in-service teachers, to explore the potential of digital incremental scaffolds in biology education.

Teachers are often challenged when faced with individual learning needs, particularly in science education. The complex nature of biology education enhances the demands - particularly when considering the challenge of problem-solving tasks during experimentation (Stiller & Wilde, 2021). It has been shown that the complexity of such problem-solving tasks often leads to student overload (Schmidt-Weigand et al., 2008). These challenges for students are particularly strong in heterogeneous learning groups that include students with different levels of prior knowledge (Kalyuga, 2013). Previous studies argue that students with a lack of prior knowledge of content and methods struggle with problem solving tasks compared to students with a higher level of prior knowledge (Bekel-Kastrup et al., 2020). The perceived complexity of the task and the level of prior knowledge seem to play an important role when considering students' learning progress. These different preconditions are often not considered in lesson planning. One way to consider students' preconditions is to implement (digital) incremental scaffolds. The potential of these scaffolds is often underestimated, although the positive effect of adaptable instructions can be beneficial for low-performing learners (Großmann & Wilde, 2019; Kalyuga, 2013) as well as students with high prior knowledge (Stäudel et al., 2007). Incremental scaffolds mediate between instruction and independent learning by considering students' prior knowledge (Franke-Braun et al., 2008; Hänze et al., 2010; Schmidt-Weigand et al., 2008). Therefore, scaffolding tools can meet different learning needs and reduce students' cognitive load (Arnold et al., 2017). Incremental scaffolds consist of structured prompts and worked examples that allow students to receive as much help as they individually need to solve problems (Schmidt-Weigand et al., 2008). This concept is not only useful for students who need additional help to solve a scientific problem but can also stimulate the learning process for more advanced students by creating a challenging learning situation, especially in biology classes (Großmann & Wilde, 2019). When it comes to reducing barriers and improving inclusion in biology education, digital learning tools might prove helpful (Stinken-Rösner et al., 2021). The integration of digital tools enables access to biology education for students with individual needs and facilitates the integration of assistive tools into biology lessons and experiments (Abels & Stinken-Rösner 2022). Furthermore, the use of incremental scaffolds could support scientific thinking (Arnold et al., 2017) as well as conceptual and procedural knowledge (Stiller & Wilde, 2021).

The underlying research question revolves around the perceived behavioral orientation towards digital and heterogeneous sensitive teaching and the extent to which participation in our training influences the intention to implement the training content into the own lesson planning. A prerequisite for the implementation of digital scaffolding methods in the curriculum of biology teachers is curiosity about new technologies. Therefore, a pilot study will be conducted with pre-service biology teachers to investigate their readiness to integrate digital tools into their future teaching, as well as their prior knowledge of the available tools and their purpose of implementation through a questionnaire. As an intervention, these pre-service teachers will participate in a seminar to learn about inclusive technological applications and to generate their own teaching materials. A change in knowledge about suitable technologies and perceived readiness of conducting digitally enhanced biology lessons will be evaluated through pre- and post-questionnaires.

Introduction

The purpose of this small-scale study is to study a perceived effectiveness of Action Research methodology and tools by teachers in the context of the Student Engagement project conducted by the SHARE community schools.

The SHARE (schools hub for action research in education) is a community of 25schools located in Astana, Kazakhstan. The Share community was established in 2019 for collaborative study and implementation of the Action Research methodology to enhance teachers' pedagogical practices in classroom.

In 2023 the Share schools collaboratively conducted “Student engagement” project. This practice-led research was aimed to study student engagement in the classroom and included the following:

1. Data collection:

• Students survey
• Videotaping a lesson and then watching it with students and teachers
• Focus groups with cross-discipline teachers on how they engage students
• Focus groups with students attended the videotaped lesson

1. Data analysis

• Data transcribing
• Data coding and interpretation

1. Action plan

• Action plan collaborating
• Action plan implementing
• Observation and assessment of changes

Leaders of the SHARE community have developed the methodology of the 'Student Engagement' project. Throughout 2023, they supported project participants through in-service trainings and consultations. Additionally, the leaders provided participants with ready-made tools for project implementation, such as:

• survey,
• instruction for conducting the project,
• instructions for video recording and focus groups,
• an example of transcript and interpretation
• etc.

Each participating school independently utilized the knowledge and tools acquired from the leaders in their own school. Therefore, the project management processes and outcomes varied significantly, influenced by a wide range of factors such as:

• teachers' understanding of the Action Research methodology,
• teachers' assimilation and perception of the 'Student Engagement' concepts,
• each school's context and the specific choices of participating teacher-researchers and classes,
• character of collaboration among teachers in a separate school.

The factors influenced the focus and activity of teachers in applying tools. The current study aims to explore teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the Action Research methodology and tools, using the 'Student Engagement' project as an example.

The research questions:

• Do teachers consider the Action Research methodology effective for improving classroom practice?
• Based on the results of the Student Engagement project, which Action research tools teachers perceive as most effective and why?

Through an examination of these specific research questions, the research team also plans to better understand the context and factors influencing teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the Action Research methodology overall.

The aim of the study is to find out how beginning teachers experience the reality of education and how it changes the teacher's professional identity.

Research objectives:

1. To conceptualise the notions of neoliberalism, new public management, knowledge society, social reproduction and constructivism in the context of novice teachers experiences in the 21st century.

2. To investigate how the concepts described in the theory are manifested in the experiences of beginning teachers and how they affect the teachers' professional identity.

3. To investigate the pedagogical development and beliefs of novice teachers over a period of two years.

4. To determine what factors influence similar choices - to stay working in public educational institutions, to move to the private sector or to leave the teaching profession.

Research on the "reality shock" of beginning teachers (Veenman, 1984, Feiman-Nemser, 2001, Flores and Day, 2006, Tynjälä and Heikkinen, 2011, Morrison, 2013, etc.) proves the uniqueness of a teacher's professional beginning in terms of workload and responsibilities. Since it changes little over time, the novice teacher experiences the culture of the organization (and the field of all the educational system that affects him) quite thoroughly and intensively from the very beginning (it is not for nothing that the concept of "shock" is used).

The "reality shock" of beginning teachers, the change in beliefs, pedagogical attitudes and practice have been extensively studied in the second half of the twentieth century (Lortie, 1975 (2020), Corcoran, 1981, Veenman, 1984, etc.) It was found that the beginning teacher's beliefs are formed while she/he is still a student and these beliefs are usually teacher-oriented, based on behaviouristic ideas, which rely on response reinforcement, punishments, and rewards. Later, in the years of study, the acquired more progressive knowledge and attitudes diminish again when they find themselves in the real reality of education - they return to their pre-study beliefs. Because at the end of 20th century, in pedagogy, a constructivist approach has become very widespread, which claims that learning is an active process of knowledge construction, researchers assume that the experience of modern novice teachers has already changed, so previously conducted research loses its relevance (Voss and Kunter, 2020). However, already in the 21st century, studies conducted abroad still show that in the second and third years of teaching, teachers' beliefs migrate to the side of traditional didactics (Flores and Day, 2006, Hong, 2010, Voss and Kunter, 2020, etc.), but similar empirical studies conducted in Lithuania could not be found.

The theoretical part will aim to delve into the resistance of traditional education to more progressive education methods, its significance for student achievement in Lithuania, in connection with the concepts of poverty pedagogy and critical pedagogy (Tyack and Tobin, 1994, Mayer, 1996, Mayer, 2004, Haberman, 2010, etc.)

A wide range of influences affects teachers’ everyday life: politics, institutional traditions, culture, norms, etc. Teachers' inner beliefs and instructions dictated by reformers often do not match (Lasky, 2005, Ponomarenko, 2022). In the research conducted by the author of this project, the testimonies of the teachers of the "Renkuosi mokyti!" project revealed unacceptable aspects of education for them: prevalence of fabrications (documents do not correspond to reality), chasing results, heavy workload, etc. (Lebedytė-Mečionienė, 2022). With the help of the postmodern direction of thought and its theorists: Lyotard, Foucault, Bourdieu, Baudrillard, Bauman, etc. it will be aimed to further deepen and analyse the processes in education by connecting them with the results of empirical research by foreign and Lithuanian scientists (Ball, Želvys, Vaitekaitis, Duoblienė, Ponomarenko, Tumlovskaja, etc.)

Previously, extensive research has delved into service-learning and related methods, offering students the opportunity to not only grasp subject matter but also develop methodological and social skills through real-world interaction (Salam et al., 2019). In this poster presentation, we aim to examine service learning more closely. Specifically, we have crafted a service-learning experience, structured as a one-semester university course, for teacher education students with the objective of bolstering research skills and dispositions.

At the beginning of the course, in-service teachers share real classroom challenges with pre-service students. These challenges may vary from developing more effective and less time-consuming marking procedures (Froehlich et al., 2021) to experimenting with game designs to enhance OneHealth education (Hobusch et al., 2024). Throughout the semester, students work in groups, alongside the teacher, volunteering subject-matter experts, and the course facilitator, to develop research-based solutions to the challenges presented. At the end of the semester, the research projects culminate in the presentation of solutions to in-service teachers, providing them with a valuable service.

A student-centred, active and experimental teaching approach is recognized as effective in the development of research methods (Nind & Katramadou, 2023). And as social interactions are considered crucial to human learning (Eraut, 2007), our aim is to explore the effectiveness of service-learning in developing research skills and dispositions, and to identify the most significant learning interactions for students in this process.

When discussing learning interactions, the focus is on the interactions between students, in-service teachers and experts, including course facilitators. Additionally, content interactions are also considered, as students are exposed to the school challenges presented by the in-service teachers and supported by learning materials at each stage of the research cycle.

To achieve this goal, we have established an international longitudinal mixed-methods study, utilizing students’ reflections and questionnaire responses from various countries.

- Objective -

As part of the 3rd year of my doctoral research in Contemporary Studies, at the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Coimbra, I am currently undertaking the experimental phase of a transdisciplinary exploration that looks into Arts and Design as a Ludic Space, where players are more keen for adventures and prone to collaborate.

My main objective is to acknowledge CREATIVE EMANCIPATION as an irreplaceable complement to academic learning and therefore present across every field of culture.

In this regard, my research aims to demonstrate that collaboration can be fun, and therefore by losing the need for total control of our lives, we may be able to gain autonomy and collective power over our territory, not by making games serious, but by engaging in play that is never completely predetermined, but genuinely elicited by the search to enjoy each other.

- Main Research Question -

How can Game Design spark/inspire collective action for playfully coordinated political deliberation of everyday life?

- Conceptual Framework -

The games we play entail our first experience of political education, as they require us to assume roles, experiment power, manage conflicts and make decisions within the limited a playscape (Farnè).

By interacting through games, what Fröbel called gifts, Vygotsky pivots, and Winnicott transitional objects, an educational experience is turned into self-learning practices as players learn what they need, at their own pace (Farnè).

Similarly to carnival, festivals and parties, games are arenas for cultural exchange and can be studied as evidence of material culture. The processes used to build each copy reveal the technological dexterity, material availability, visual references and cultural concerns of players and designers. Play is conceived as a spontaneous and attractive attitude, granting games with a fleeting flexibility to spread, transporting their elements across cultures, while keeping their main characteristics together (Spanos).

Since nobody can be forced to play, games allows players to relate to their environment by engaging into open-ended unconventional interactions, looking at complex issues and building low-fidelity representations of what they find relevant (Huizinga, Piaget, Vigotsky, Farné).

It is also true that play has a perverse side, when for example, players are no longer aware they are being played (Flusser, Flanagan). As manipulation, abuse and welfare tactics may seem to be justified, game designers, teachers and ultimately every authority with the privilege of crafting others' experiences are responsible for their wellbeing and must act accordingly to their needs and expectations, promoting opennes to diversity, mutual respect and care among players.

Play as a Pedagogy can be thought of as an enthusiastic system, where people cooperate with one another, in order to assure positive interdependence, preparing players to become responsible for their own path, attentive to their own motivations and to those of their peers.

Overview

Home Economics education employs a multifaceted, interdisciplinary approach seeking to empower students with the skills to cultivate reflective, critical decision-making abilities they require to deal with practical perennial problems. It has been defined by the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) as a curriculum area that “facilitates students to discover and further develop their own resources and capabilities to be used in their personal life, by directing their professional decisions and actions or preparing them for life” (IFHE Position Statement - Home Economics in the 21st Century, 2008). Initial teacher education institutions and educators have a significant role to play devising curricula that address the complexity and uncertainty of our current times. They must integrate contemporary global challenges into the curriculum to prepare teachers for dynamic classroom discussions and practical problem-solving. Teachers need to be trained to be adaptable and resilient, equipping them with strategies to handle unexpected changes and stressors. There is a need to ensure that teachers are proficient with digital tools and teaching methodologies which are essential in a technology-driven educational landscape.

Teachers need to be prepared to create inclusive environments that respect and accommodate diverse cultural backgrounds and learning needs while also in them the importance of lifelong learning, enabling them to stay updated with the latest educational trends and practices.

This study will examine how historical socio-economic changes and technological advancements have influenced the evolution of Home Economics education in Europe, and what are the projected future trends and challenges for this field in a global context. In times of social and economic uncertainty, teaching essential life skills through Home Economics education is critical. Educators must be equipped to support students' ability to critically consider possible actions for solutions that serve the well-being of people and the planet.

Research Questions

• How have socioeconomic factors and trends throughout history influenced the development and transformation of Home Economics education in Europe?
• How do current socio-political and economic challenges impact Home Economics education differently across various European countries?
• In the context of mass migration, how is European identity being shaped within Home Economics education in different European nations?
• What varied strategies are Home Economics initial teacher education institutions and educators employing in different European countries to adapt to contemporary and future societal challenges?

Objectives

The objective is to explore and compare how Home Economics initial teacher education in various European countries- Finland, Ireland and Estonia have adapted to socio-political and economic challenges, the role it plays in shaping European identity amidst mass migration, and the strategies educators use to prepare for contemporary and future societal changes. This research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the differences and similarities in Home Economics education across Europe, offering insights into best practices and future directions for the field.

Theoretical Framework

This research will use a multidisciplinary approach and explore the historical context of challenges and their influence on educational research and practice. It will also examine the role of educationalists in responding to these societal changes and conceptualising their roles in the changing landscape. The aim is to understand the impact of current societal challenges on Home Economics education and to explore ways it can evolve to address these issues.

Educational Sociology: Examining how societal factors, including economic and political dynamics, influence educational systems and pedagogical approaches in Home Economics in Europe.

Comparative Education: Focuses on analysing and comparing Home Economics education across different European countries, providing insights into how diverse socio-political contexts shape educational practices.

Cultural Studies: Investigating the role of Home Economics in shaping and reflecting European identities, especially in the context of increased cultural diversity due to migration.

This research focuses on nuanced expressions of vulnerability within climate activist groups on social media and their impact on political protest. In recent years, the climate movement has grown significantly, both in Europe and around the globe. Especially the movement „Fridays for Future“ has gained momentum since 2018 and youth resistance has since become a global phenomenon. In their protests, activists frame their political demands around an injustice resulting from previous generations actions (Eide & Kunelius, 2021; Spaiser et al., 2022) , rendering them vulnerable to imminent climate catastrophes. Vulnerability based on a neglect of care from preceding generations (King, 2010) therefore acts as one of the main narratives in activist articulations. According to Butler (2016), vulnerability is conceptualized as an ontological, relational category that is impossible to overcome in general terms but whose distribution should be equalized where possible. It is thus often the basis of political activism that demands political action based on an injust and avoidable exposure to vulnerability (ibid.). In terms of climate activism, the relational character exceeds interpersonal relations and contains the dependence on environmental surroundings. It remains an ambivalent attribution, as the explication of vulnerability is on the one hand often re-configured as „heroic“ (Safaian, 2022), whereas declaring vulnerability over a specific (sub)group can on the other hand be conzeptualized as an expression of hegemonic power (Govrin, 2022; Manzo, 2010).

The climate movement in Europe and the so-called Global North has been publicly criticised as a group of wealthy youth, primarily bound by shared privilege, thus depoliticizing the protests (von Zabern & Tulloch, 2021) - although there is conflicting empirical data regarding this argument (della Porta & Portos, 2021). Nonetheless, statistical evidence indicates that activists are well-educated (Sommer et al. 2019) and in a global perspective, disproportianaley less vulnerable to climate change than respective youth in the „majority world“ (Crawford et al., 2023). Notwithstanding, the acknowledgment and effective communication of vulnerability, both within specific activist groups and as a global ecological concern, remain crucial for crafting affective narratives, especially in the realm of social media networks (Papacharissi, 2016) that are crucial in connecting disparate events to a global movement (Bouliane et al., 2020). The complex position that European activists navigate, oscillating between victimhood and directly profiting from global injustice systems (Malafaia, 2022), necessitates a comprehensive analysis that avoids merely responsibilizing climate activists. Therefore, the question of group constitution that is on the one hand based on a global political injustice (in which children and youth have been argued to shape the „climate precariat“ as proposed by Holmberg & Alvinius, 2021) and yet acknowledges global differences along intersectional vulnerabilities (Crenshaw, 2010; Yuval-Davis, 2010) remains crucial.

This research adopts a qualitative approach, intending to empirically examine the negotiation and affective depiction of vulnerability in public articulations of climate protest on social media platforms. While existing research has delved into climate activism, particularly on digital platforms (Neumayer & Rossi, 2018; Belotti et al., 2022), this study aims to contribute by systematically analyzing depictions and attributions of vulnerability within the activism, and its intricate interplay with privilege within the European context. The poster emphasizes the need for a nuanced understanding that recognizes the relational structure of vulnerability (Butler, 2016) and the resulting political imperative for care (Bond et al., 2020). Main research ocjective for the poster presentation is to answer the question (RQ1) How do climate activists articulate and negotiate vulnerability on social media platforms and how do these articulations shape their political activism in the context of the European climate movement?

Teaching in today’s dynamic landscape is marked by complexity (Parsons, 2012). With evolving curricula, emerging organisational systems, and escalating demands for continuous adaptation, educators are compelled to constantly assess their professional growth in the realms of learning, teaching, and knowledge (Hammond & Bransford, 2007). Consequently, adaptive expertise has become fundamental to effective teaching (Hatano & Iganaki, 1988; Vogt & Rogalla, 2009). Pedagogical adaptivity entails tailoring lesson assignments to match learners' cognitive levels, facilitating their progression within their zone of proximal development (König et al., 2020), achieved through preplanned or spontaneous adjustments (Beltramo, 2017).

Adaptive teachers are exemplary in their teaching (Soslau, 2012) and possess pedagogical content knowledge that is flexible and creatively employed in instruction (Hattie, 2012). Within this construct teachers use a range of cognitive, motivational strategies, and identity components to adapt their practice (Crawford et al., 2005). However, classrooms present unpredictable landscapes, with students from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, as well as varying proficiencies, interests, and abilities (Parsons et al., 2018). Adaptive experts prioritise the impact of their methods on these students, seeking new skills and knowledge when their routines prove ineffective (Timperley, 2011), thereby selecting innovative strategies to accommodate diverse contexts (Vagle, 2016). Consequently, pedagogical adaptability is an ongoing, contextual, and multifaceted process (ibid.).

During periods of change, external factors like curricular reform can disrupt a teacher’s pedagogical adaptivity. In such swiftly evolving environments, adaptivity—characterised by flexibility, reflexivity, and innovation—is pivotal for navigating change (Tan et al., 2017).

The scholarly literature suggests that a teacher's disposition is fundamental to their pedagogical adaptivity. The capacity for effective and thoughtful adaptivity is closely intertwined with teachers' beliefs, vision, sense of belonging, and identity (Fairbanks et al., 2010). Fairbanks et al. (2010) delineate a thoughtful adaptive teacher as one possessing both declarative and procedural knowledge, as well as conditional knowledge. They comprehend not only the what and how of teaching but also possess a profound understanding of the most efficacious instructional approaches tailored to the intricate needs of their students (Ankrum et al., 2020; König et al., 2020). When teachers possess a clear awareness of their beliefs, a guiding vision for their practice, a sense of belonging, and can envision identities for both themselves and their students, they are more likely to exhibit thoughtful adaptivity and thereby become more effective educators (Fairbanks et al., 2010).

Through this lens this study adopts an interpretive epistemological stance to investigate the impact of curricular reform at the lower secondary level in Ireland on teachers' vision, beliefs, sense of belonging, and identity, and consequently, how this affects their agentic capacity to use pedagogical adaptivity within a classroom. The research specifically focuses on in-service teachers working within immersive Irish language contexts across the Republic of Ireland. The objective is to explore the pedagogical adaptivity of these teachers, examining their characteristics and assessing how intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence their ability to address the diverse needs of their students during periods of change.

Strong expectations are associated with education in terms of preparing the next generation for social and technological change. Globally, curriculum documents are therefore being reviewed/revised (or developed where they have not yet existed) at the national level. In previous decades, however, curriculum changes were investigated mainly at the school level. My goal is to contribute to knowledge about the meso curriculum making (meso level) and its research reflection – for definition of site of activities in curriculum making see Priestley et al. (2021, p. 13).

The Czech curriculum for primary education and lower secondary education is currently being reviewed, too. In my doctoral research I analyse this process using case study conducted on the meso curriculum making. In continental Europe (as well as in the Czech republic) there is typical to have commissions (or committees) selected by the state which are reviewing national curriculum (Sivesind & Westbury, 2016).

We want to determine causal processes in physics (science education is divided into physics, chemistry and biology in the Czech Republic) subject curriculum committee because these processes appear to be under‑theorized (Dvořák, 2023). That is why we think about our case study “as the opportunity to shed empirical light on some theoretical concepts or principles” (Yin, 2018, p. 38).

Main research question of case study is “How is the process of curriculum review at the meso level in the Czech Republic carried out?”. Some possible theoretical frameworks have been already identified. The theoretical framework is based on curriculum making, which changes the understanding from ‘level’ (e. g. school or teacher) to ‘social practices‘ (e. g. production of resources) (Priestley et al., 2021). Other models describing the process of curriculum making/reviewing include Curriculum Design Coherence Model (Rata, 2021) or Modelling of Curriculum (Hajerová Műllerová & Slavík, 2020). The question arises whether and how are these models being applied.

To expand already found theories and models I have conducted a literature review. In this review I am going to looking for curriculum theories or models used on meso level in reviewing science education (ISCED levels 1–3). My goal is to continue in a work of my colleagues from Charles University in Prague (Žák & Kolář, 2018). They found in primary studies very strong criticism of traditional approach to curriculum. On the other hand, they also identified innovative approaches (e. g. Active Physics) as a reaction on traditional approach.

The main research question of the literature review is “How is the processes of curriculum reviews for primary and secondary science education at the meso level being researched or described recently?”. More specific research questions focus on 1) terminology used to describe processes; 2) theoretical frameworks of researchers; 3) research study designs. According to number of founded studies I will restrict these questions by more criteria.

The theory and theoretical propositions in case studies can be helpful in defining the appropriate research design and data to be collected. Therefore, this literature review aims to find theoretical as well as methodological aspects of studies on curriculum reviews. Based on these findings I can better develop propositions (“qualitative hypotheses”) to be examined through the case study. At the same time, I want to contribute to discovering the terminology related to curriculum reviewing/making, which appears to be inconsistent.

The adoption of Active Methodologies (AM) in higher education is strongly recommended for preparing students to live and work in the 21st century (Michael, 2006). In this sense, the European University Association (2019) indicates that promoting active learning in universities is fundamental, given the role of these institutions in training critical, creative and collaborative citizens and professionals, capable of contributing to a complex and ever-changing world. Active learning should therefore be part of universities' strategies to fulfil their social mission and promote education geared towards sustainable development. In addition, various studies have shown that student-centred teaching approaches are more effective than passive, teacher-centred teaching approaches (Freeman et al., 2014; Hsieh, 2013; Michael, 2006).

Active learning consists of involving students in activities that encourage them to reflect on ideas and how they are applied when speaking, listening, writing, reading and/or reflecting (Hsieh, 2013; Michael, 2006). It also implies students being consciously involved in the process of constructing, testing and refining their mental models while dealing with problems, challenges or concepts in a particular discipline (Freeman et al., 2014; Michael, 2006). From this perspective, teachers are charged with acting as facilitators or mediators of learning and students present a participatory and central role in the pedagogical process.

This understanding has led universities to invest in the development of learning environments that support the adoption of Active Methodologies. In this sense, Flexible Learning Spaces (FLS) have emerged, i.e. innovative environments intentionally designed to promote the implementation of AM and collaborative pedagogical approaches (Van Horne & Murniati, 2016). Corroborating this definition, the authors Li et al. (2019) understand these spaces to be physical classrooms geared towards the development of active learning processes, in combination with advanced forms of educational technology and flexible furniture, to provide personalised and dialogical learning experiences.

This situation makes the implementation of FLS widely indicated and considered as one of the main trends in technological strategies to be adopted in higher education currently (European University Association, 2019). This orientation has led several Portuguese universities to invest in FLS in recent years. Given this scenario, there is a need to train university teachers to work in these spaces. This is because the structuring of Flexible Learning Spaces alone is not enough to guarantee the implementation of pedagogical practices centred on students' active learning. The teaching and learning process needs to be explicitly geared towards taking advantage of the pedagogical potential of the space (Becker et al., 2018). Furthermore, different studies have reported barriers faced by professors in the use of FLS, which may have an impact on their choice to continue using transmissive teaching methods or even choose not to adopt this type of space in their work (MacLeod et al., 2018; Van Horne & Murniati, 2016; Wetzel & Farrow, 2023).

The aim of this research is therefore to develop, implement and evaluate a training model for higher education teachers that promotes the critical and reflective adoption of Active Methodologies in Flexible Learning Spaces. To this end, the first phase of the research sought to identify and systematise the training principles that should guide this model, based on the following research questions:

Q1. What assumptions should guide the training of higher education teachers to adopt Active Methodologies in their classes?

Q2. When specifically considering the implementation of Active Methodologies in Flexible Learning Spaces, what premises should guide the training processes for higher education teachers in these spaces?

The paper is part of national and international studies aimed at defining and assessing digital competencies, with particular attention to those of students at different school levels.

Digital competencies are at the top of the European political agenda, aiming to improve them for digital transformation. The European Skills Agenda 2020 promotes digital competencies and supports the goals of the Digital Education Action Plan for the development of a high-performance digital education system. The Digital Compass and the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan set targets to reach at least 80% of the population with basic digital skills and 20 million specialists in information and communication technologies by 2030. In Italy, the current legislation (National Plan for Recovery and Resilience) provides for the country to equip itself with a system of certification of digital competencies from 2025.

It is therefore necessary to define what is meant by digital skills and to measure them. In this perspective, INVALSI, the Italian National Institute for the Evaluation of the Education and Training System, is launching the DIGCOMP.MIS project to define a prototype model to attest digital competencies, applicable for spring 2025; reference are students of secondary II second grade but with the prospect of observing the evolution of digital skills from the end of secondary first grade to the end of secondary second grade.

The framework assumed by INVALSI and by this paper is DIGCOMP 2.2. (Digital Competence Framework for Citizens) developed by the European Commission to describe and assess the digital skills of citizens aged 16 and over.

From 2013 to today, DIGCOMP has found application in the context of employment, education, training, and lifelong learning; it has been adopted at the European level to build the Digital Skills Indicator and to monitor the Digital Economy and Society Index.

Specifically, this project deals with the definition of the levels of digital competence and the adequacy thresholds corresponding to the different school grades.

In large-scale educational surveys, the variables considered consist of skills, knowledge, or skills possessed at a stage of the school career or in a given age group, constructs not directly observable, but defined based on a theoretical reference framework and operationalized to administer standardized tests.

An outcome in terms of numerical score, however, is not directly informative of what students with a given score know and can do concerning the investigated domain; this is a limit for those interested in interpreting the results of a survey and obtaining information for interventions or teaching practices.

The attribution of an explicitly described level allows students, families, and teachers to have significant feedback, which can be integrated by the students into their perception of competence and useful for teachers teaching. Many national and international surveys combine a score result with a description of the corresponding level; similarly, INVALSI does.

The aim of the project will therefore be to define the type of target levels and their identification.

The paper aims to give an account of the first phase of the project, particularly the analysis of scientific literature and models tested or in use in other European contexts that allow linking of the elaboration of the model to the most authoritative and updated studies of national and international research; This, together with the reference to the DIGCOMP framework, allows the proposed model to be modular also given future comparative developments of digital competences surveys.

Social-emotional competences are crucial for children’s development, especially in middle childhood. Numerous frameworks describe social-emotional competences (Soto et al., 2019), often focus on the acquisition of social-emotional skills: i.e., social-emotional learning (SEL). SEL aims to enhance five interrelated individual competences: self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making (CASEL, 2024). Promoting SEL not only helps to prevent behavioral disorders but also positively influences other areas, such as prosocial behavior, well-being, and academic skills (Durlak et al., 2022).

To assess these competences and measure the effectiveness of SEL interventions, accurate assessment instruments are needed, for both research and educational purposes (McKnown et al., 2017; Soto et al., 2019). These instruments should identify risks to social-emotional well-being and then ease the search for appropriate interventions supporting each child’s individual development (Denham et al., 2016). Especially concerning children during their early school years, developing and/or improving assessment tools in the area of social-emotional competences is essential (e.g., Abrahams et al., 2019; Halle & Darling-Churchill, 2015).

Addressing this need for accurate assessments for children (Soto et al., 2019), we developed a screening to assess social-emotional skills. In addition to the dimensions proposed in the CASEL model, we also considered four subdomains that were identified by Halle and Darling-Churchill (2016) as frequently being part of social-emotional assessments: social competence, emotional competence, behavior problems, and self-regulation. Based on these models and proposed sub-competences, we developed a digital screening taking into consideration Emotion Recognition, Prosocial Behavior, Emotion Regulation, and Social Situations. As our target group is children at an early stage of schooling (6 to 8 years), we used a digital approach via tablets and provided all questions and instructions as audios and in a written form. This enabled children to work at their own pace using headphones. Another advantage of the digital assessment is a higher motivation of the children (Blumenthal & Blumenthal, 2020).

For measuring Prosocial Behavior and Emotion Regulation, we used a 5-point Likert scale with the word-based response format rating ‘never’ to ‘very often’ to achieve better scale properties and more differentiated results than with the traditional yes-no format (Mellor & Moore, 2014). The subtest Social Situations is a situational judgement test (SJT), consisting of descriptions of challenging school scenarios (e.g., someone laughing at the child) supported by a graphical representation. The test offers four different behavioral options describing reactions in the scenario. Children rate these options on a 5-point Likert scale referring to whether or not they would react like proposed in the option. The scale is anchored in “certainly would” and “certainly would not” react like this, as used by Murano et al. (2020). This subtest requires social-cognitive information processing (Crick & Dodge, 1994), and SJT is a promising approach assessing social skills (Soto et al., 2019). The subtest Emotion Recognition is a performance measurement, therefore, very robust against attempts of faking good (Abrahams et al., 2019). Pictures of facial expressions (produced with the support of artificial intelligence) representing emotions are presented and children choose the fitting emotion out of five options.

Currently, we are piloting this assessment tool in two pilot studies with second graders. First, using a participatory approach, we ask children how they liked the screening and where they experienced challenges. The collected feedback is then used to adapt the instrument before implementing it with a larger group. Our presentation will focus on the following two research questions:

• Is the assessment user-friendly and intuitive for Grade 2 students in individual and group settings?
• Do the items of the introduced screening meet criteria like difficulty and discriminatory power?
• Does the proposed structure fit the findings in the factor analyses?

Problem solving and collaboration are crucial components of the 21^st century skills and the combined ‘collaborative problem solving’ has received remarkable academic attention and been integrated into major educational frameworks such as PISA 2015 (van Laar et al. 2020; Scoular et al. 2020). While frameworks such as PISA focus on students' strategies for surmounting difficulties, academics also argue that struggling with a problem can have a unique learning potential, through reflecting on what the problem consists of (e.g., Schön 1987). A noteworthy contribution to this tradition is Manu Kapur and his notion of productive failure. Herein Kapur emphasizes that spending time on open-ended, non-scaffolded problems allows students to discuss the limits of a problem, which he found supported students’ long-term learning (Kapur 2008). In this paper, I am investigating the circumstances in artefact-based group work that facilitate or hinder students’ engagement in meaningful problem-solving conversations.

For understanding students’ discussions during problem-solving challenges, I am interested in whether students are comparing and contrasting different solutions, in so-called exploratory talk (Littleton and Mercer 2013). Several articles suggest that the use of tools and artefacts is important for how group members can work together (Knight and Littleton 2015; Wegerif 1996). The distribution of access to instruments or digital artefacts is co-constructing how individuals can take part in their groups, as exemplified in the use of all-participating-at-once at interactive tabletops vs the turn-taking when groups are collaborating around a single ipad (Fleck, Vasalou, and Stasinou 2021). As the artefacts can restrict access to task-relevant information, it influences the need for information-sharing within the group, whether that be vocal or physical through turn-taking. This focus emphasizes the importance of the body and the near-material sphere for understanding how collaboration happens around (digital) tools in education (Gourlay 2021; Davidsen and Ryberg 2017).

Exploratory talk thus shows promise as an effective learning strategy but places demands on group communication to establish a shared understanding. With a lack of common ground (Stahl 2011), groups might turn to either advance their own ideas without discussing them (dispositional talk), or just accept others’ ideas without having any basis to challenge them on (cumulative talk) (Littleton and Mercer 2013). By investigating relevant situations where student groups face problems, this project seeks to identify mechanisms that affect the exploratory talk in group work. This is in line with a ~30 years old discussion on the sequence of sharing tools and artefacts (Wegerif 1996). This article is based on the following research question:

How is group-members’ engagement with the artefacts affecting the orchestration of the work, the establishment of common ground and their exploratory talk?

To address this question, I observe student groups at an activity center, in which 8^th graders participate in a one-day science lab. The work in this article is part of a bigger project, which through combining ethnography and sensors, badges, and cameras will investigate in what situations groups remain courageous and curious in science despite encountering challenges (Bjerre-Nielsen and Glavind 2022). While important in its own right, this ethnographic investigation is also serving to ground our analysis, and to help pinpoint indicators for a quantitative ethnographic layer of the project (Shaffer 2017). While language has been highlighted as the primary modality to investigate exploratory talk through (Littleton and Mercer 2013), my focus is on how artefacts are part of co-creating the group work centers the physical use and showing, and the access to the resources (Fleck et al. 2009; Fleck, Vasalou, and Stasinou 2021; Davidsen and Ryberg 2017).

This research project is associated with a Ph.D. investigation, which aims to develop (design, implement, and evaluate the impact) a didact resource based on comics for science communication and science education (science comics), related to the Health Education field. The context of action and investigation is a non-formal education environment – a science center based in Portugal – and the target audience is composed of children from the first years of schooling.

The methodology is based on the Research and Development (R&D) ideas, combining principles of qualitative research (Creswell, 2012) with the process of Design Thinking (DT) for Educators (Riverdale & IDEO, 2012).

The research question is “How to communicate science to children, using comics, in order to foster learning?".

To answer this research question, three specific objectives were defined:

1. Understand how the characteristics of comics can be used to communicate scientific content and what competencies can be developed in this process.
2. Develop (design, implement, and evaluate the impact) the didact resource based on comics, through activities implemented in a non-formal educational context.
3. Co-create, with the education and communication experts involved in this process, a framework to develop didact resources based on comics for science communication and education (science comics).

In the field of science communication and science education, comics emerge as a powerful mediator tool, fostering engaging and effective learning experiences. In this context, we can use the term science comics, i.e. the “comics which have as one of their main aims to communicate science or to educate the reader about some non-fictional, scientific concept or theme” (Tatalovic, 2009, p.4). Previous studies (omitted for blind review) concluded that comics are an interesting resource for science communication and education since they have the potential to explain concepts that are difficult to visualize (such as abstract scientific concepts) and, as a didactic resource, it is important to be combined with a didactic strategy adapted to the learning objectives, the target audience, and the educational context.

Many authors have been studying science communication and science education simultaneously (Baram-Tsabari & Osborne, 2015; Lewenstein, 2015; McKinnon & Vos, 2015) to comprehend the relationship between both. They are distinct disciplinary areas but may share some characteristics, such as similar goals, strategies, and learning contexts. It is important to comprehend the relationship between science communication and science education to understand how comics can contribute to achieving the expected results of both disciplinary areas.

One of the main goals is to promote scientific literacy, and it is important to develop this competency in children since the first years of schooling, to develop critical citizens who can make informed decisions based on science. According to McKinnon and Vos (2015), “Each definition of scientific literacy incorporates common elements: principally an understanding of scientific concepts and the nature of science, interest in science and an ability to find and evaluate information in order to make decisions about science-based issues” (p. 301)

Nowadays, non-formal science education contexts have an important role in promoting scientific literacy in society. According to Rodrigues (2016), non-formal education is an important ally of formal education and even informal education, as a lifelong learning strategy. Schools are no longer seen as the only space for learning and other educational contexts have gained importance to ensure the scientific culture of society.

The promotion of scientific literacy is associated with the development of competencies, considering that “the concept of competency implies more than just the acquisition of knowledge and skills; it involves the mobilization of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to meet complex demands” (OECD, 2018).

This paper is a methodological discussion regarding doing Poetic Transcription jointly with the research participants to create data. Within the frame of a larger research project centred on Early Career Academics experiences of teaching in Higher Education, learning for their role and learning to teach, this paper explores the conversations had with all 11 UK participants regarding the use of Joint Poetic Transcription to produce the data for the research project.

Early Career Academics (ECAs) often step into Higher Education Institution (HEI) teaching roles without the necessary pedagogical know-how (Emmioğlu, et al., 2017; Salimzadeh et al., 2017), adding to their already extensive list of challenges (Hollywood et al., 2020; Nästesjö, 2020). This situation raises questions about how academics in higher education navigate their experiences of teaching. The main project behind this paper aims to illuminate the learning journey of ECAs experiencing teaching in a UK University. On top of that, it advocates for Art-based Research via Poetic Transcription to research and reflect on this process, as it has gained some attention for researching experiences (Sánchez, 2023).

Art-based research understands research as a dynamic interplay among various elements and actors and acknowledges the role of methods in not just describing but actively shaping our understanding of reality (Law, 2004). Thus, research becomes a creative craft, itself producing an experience (Clough, 2009). For the main project, Art-based Research was deemed good to provide answers to its questions, using poetry as a means of expression that offers rich, complex avenues to create meaning (Leggo, 2018). Thus, within the broad research field of Poetic Inquiry, Poetic Transcription was selected as the appropriate approach (Faulkner, 2019; Vincent, 2018; Glesne, 1997). Typically, it involves interviewing participants, transcribing the conversations, and creating poems based on these transcripts (Loads et al., 2019; Burdick, 2011). For the project, and following the constructed, relational and collective understanding of both research and experience (Sánchez, 2023), participant collaboration was added to the process, thus creating Joint Poetic Transcription.

Recognizing research as a creative craft, Joint Poetic Transcription involves participant collaboration in creating poems as data. This collaborative poetic process surpasses the prior by actively involving participants in the creation of poetry: they became co-creators of the poems by crafting the poem alongside the research team. In a nutshell, the transcription is shared, and both produce meaning together through poetry. Parts of the transcript verbatim are intertwined with arising ideas, woven into poems using poetic license. As a joint constructive process, this approach seeks to redefine research as an experiential, participatory and productive journey.

This transformative, participatory process redefines research as experiential and productive, and thus some challenges arise. Specifically responding to the literature regarding the quality of this methodology, this paper argues that engaging participants in crafting poems would offer a unique avenue for learning from their experiences and thus provide a way to argue for the value of said method.

Specifically in Poetic Inquiry, some emphasize the importance of engaging with the craft itself as a marker of quality, like in Leavy's focus on authenticity and resonance (2017). Faulkner's proposed criteria for assessing quality involve methodological, artistic, and technical elements, encompassing rigor, impact, and the development of craft within the research process (Faulkner, 2016).

In this paper, one of the signs of quality suggested by Faulkner (2016) is explored: Participant Response. The aim of the present paper is to explore the merits and quality of the method directly with the participants. Through Participant Response, a way of evaluating if the methodology was well executed in its transformative and learning character could be provided.

‘School choice fever’, or the over-heated competition for school choice, has become one of the most pressing concerns of Chinese society. Parents rush to get their children into top schools to give them an edge on a series of entrance examinations. The huge school choice fees and high-priced school district housing turned school choice-making into a game of power and money, which adds a heavy burden on the low- or middle-income families (Wu, 2013). Such fervent competition is believed to have corrupted the educational system and reproduced the social class inequalities (e.g., Liu and Apple, 2016; Zhou et al., 2020). In recent years, the school choice fever has spread from large and medium- sized cities to counties and rural areas of China, where quality educational resources are in striking shortage compared to urban areas. Though school choice is vital for rural families, previous research suggests many of them cannot choose the school they desired due to the restrictions of policies and their lack of economic, social resources.

Bourdieu's theory has been widely applied to school choice research across various context, offering a theoretical framework for understanding the differential school-choosing experiences undergone by families with different SES, the perceptions of school choice policy by parents, and the link between school choice and social reproduction (Ball & Gewirtz, 1997; Khalil & Kelly, 2020; Yoon, 2020). Applying Bourdieu's theory to China's school choice situation is especially relevant given the increasing demand for educational opportunities and the imbalanced distribution of educational resources, which particularly hinders lower socioeconomic status families from meeting their educational needs.

Though Bourdieu’s theory has been widely applied in school choice studies across the world, previous analysis is mainly focused on the middle class and urban contexts, lacking explanations for the motivations of, and strategies used by rural parents, who are generally in lower socioeconomic status in China (Lu & Chen, 2004). Researching the school choice of disadvantaged groups is crucial for understanding the reproduction of social inequalities and protecting the rights of education for marginalised children.Therefore, this ethnographic research aims to fill the gap by investigating Chinese rural families’ school choice. The research aspires to answer the following questions:

• How do rural families articulate their motivations, experiences, and decision-making processes regarding school choice?
• Are there any difference in making school choice among rural families of different socio-economic status?
• What types of support do rural families find beneficial in making school choice decisions?

This study addresses socially-induced inequalities in educational attainment, highlighting how higher education and associated life opportunities are not equally accessible to all societal groups. Parental freedom in educational decision-making plays a crucial role in determining their children’s educational outcomes. These decisions are influenced by educational aspirations, which are strongly correlated with the actual educational achievements of children. In Germany's highly stratified education system, research has underscored the immense importance of parental aspirations during the transition from primary to secondary schools, with early selection processes impacting variously across social classes. While numerous studies, predominantly quantitative, have shown a strong correlation between parental education and aspirations, with a historical focus on the father's occupational status, recent interest has shifted towards exploring the impact of maternal education on educational inequalities. This shift is partly due to mothers – despite egalitarian role models in Germany – still assuming the majority of caregiving and educational responsibilities, but it is also closely linked to social advancements in women's rights to education and employment. Therefore, this study focuses on maternal educational aspirations for their children during the transition to secondary education. An additional crucial factor is the family's migration background. Germany, faced with multiple migration waves, serves as a pertinent context for this study. There are significant educational inequalities between migrants and natives and the European Union plays a pivotal role due to its legal provisions and agreements in migration and free movement. Two EU decisions are particularly relevant for this study: first, the freedom of movement for workers, enabling EU citizens to work and live in other EU countries without needing work or residence permits. According to Eurostat data, 10.2 million EU citizens of working age (3.9%) live in a member state other than that of their nationality, a significant increase from 2.4% in 2009. Second, EU programs fostering education and research mobility, enhancing the diversity of residence rights and conditions for mothers in Germany, thus creating a heterogeneous group of migrant women. Considering migrant experiences is therefore essential in researching educational inequalities and informing targeted educational policies beyond Germany. While the influence of parental educational aspirations on children's actual educational attainment is undisputed, the processes and mechanisms underlying this connection remain unclear. Of high interest is how these aspirations are successfully implemented and why some social groups are better at translating high aspirations into reality than others. This study investigates maternal biographies to holistically capture and qualitatively locate maternal educational aspirations. The study's theoretical framework follows two key implications: rational decision-making and implicit capital transmission. Rational choice approaches center on the idea that individuals consciously make decisions to maximize their utilities, as proposed by G. S. Becker, and invest in human capital to promote long-term household economic success. However, migrants often face lower educational levels, work experience, and language barriers, suggesting a lower human capital as a plausible explanation for disparities between immigrant and native populations. Extending monetary approaches, Pierre Bourdieu's concept of capitals considers various resources, including economic, social, and cultural capital. Bourdieu highlights a crucial oversight in economic theories: the transmission of capital within families and social groups, arguing that cultural capital, encompassing knowledge, skills, and cultural competence, is acquired and passed down within the family through informal processes such as social interactions, upbringing, and cultural practices. In the context of the diverse socioeconomic and migration backgrounds of the mothers in the present study, this theoretical combination establishes a framework for analyzing the interplay between individual choices and societal structures offering significant explanatory potential.

Research background

Parents take the central part in all spheres of their children’s lives, including education. Historically, parents were the ones who educated their offspring or chose the governors for them. In the beginning of 20th century, with the expansion of formal education, however, schools became the primary places to cultivate knowledge and develop skills (Scully, Barbour, & Roberts-King, 2015). Since then, family-school collaboration underwent dramatic changes (Epstein & Sanders, 2002). Initially, there was a clear cut between the roles families and school performed: schools aimed at developing basic literacy, calculation, and sciences, whereas parents taught their children culture, moral and religion (Hill & Taylor, 2004). Today’s curriculum has further expanded to incorporate many aspects which were traditionally considered as a family responsibility to foster, leaving the majority of parents uninvolved (Scully et al., 2015).

Most commonly, parental involvement is identified as a critical factor to accelerate students’ academic achievements. A substantial body of research confirms the relationship between parental involvement and academic achievement (Castro et al., 2015; Hill & Tyson, 2009; Jeynes, 2012); however, the results vary greatly from low-moderate positive to negative and non-existent (Mattingly, Prislin, McKenzie, Rodriguez, & Kayzar, 2002; McNeal, 2001). The consistent positive effects of parental involvement, according to Borgonovi and Montt (2012), are most commonly noted in the US and the UK, where it has been most thoroughly researched. Parental engagement has also been investigated in such varied cultural contexts as Mexico, Korea, Egypt, Iceland, Greece, Hong Kong-China, Italy, New Zealand, Germany, and the Netherlands. However, empirical research on parental involvement in Central Asia is rather limited.

Research problem

OECD report on Parental Involvement in Selected Countries and Economies participating in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) states that parental involvement might be successfully used as a mean to ease financial pressure on the education budget through minimizing the number of students who fail to complete the annual academic program and need additional subsidizing from the government to repeat the year (Borgonovi & Montt, 2012). Parental involvement is also reported to increase the level of the school completion rate, which is pivotal for children’s future economic success, especially for those coming from low-income families (Barnard, 2004).

Parental involvement is beneficial to practically every group of stakeholders involved in education. Sung (2010), however, claims that effectiveness of parental involvement interventions is closely related to the cultural context it is taking place. A considerable number of countries and policies worldwide have acknowledged the value of parental involvement and committed to launching intervention programs (Domina, 2005), whereas engaging parents in education is still an unexplored terrain in Kazakhstani context. It is yet to be found out what the parental involvement beliefs and practices in Kazakhstan are, which factors affect parents’ choice to become involved in their child’s schooling and what the relationships between parental involvement and academic achievement are.

Aim of the study

The study aims to investigate how the concept of parental involvement is understood and practiced in Kazakhstani context as well as to determine the factors which affect the degree of parental engagement.

Research questions:

1. How is the concept of parental involvement understood by Kazakhstani parents in elementary school?

2. Which types of parental involvement are typically practiced in elementary schools in Kazakhstan?

3. What are the factors which affect the degree of parental involvement in these settings?

4. What is the relationship between parental involvement and students' academic achievement in elementary school in Kazakhstan?

The present work, which is part of a larger doctoral dissertation project, stems from a series of questions regarding the reality of the Italian Primary School experienced by the researcher herself in the dual role of teacher and parent. The critical issues related to the participation of families in school life as well as the apparent lack of incisiveness of the Primary School in making a difference for those children who come from poor educational backgrounds, raised a number of questions about the underlying motivations behind the two phenomena and a possible correlation between the school-family co-responsibility variable and the fight against educational poverty in the Primary School. The main questions that have emerged are:

What are the beliefs, motivations, preconceptions, and emotions that shape the relationality of teachers and parents?

Through building a meaningful school-family dialogue in primary school, is it possible to trigger virtuous mechanisms to counter educational poverty?

A traditional literature review and empirical research were conducted to answer the research questions.

In this regard, after the literature review of publications related to both educational poverty and school-family educational co-responsibility, this study attempts to suggest a possible way forward that puts back at the center: dialogue, openness to the other's point of view, the generative resources of families (Amadini 2013, 2018, 2019; Maia, 2022) as well as the capabilities of each person (Sen, 1990, 2014; Nussbaum, 2006, 2011, 2014) as necessary and no longer procrastinable premises for concrete projects and actions that counter educational poverty, at school. A major source of theoretical inspiration for this work is the Reggio Children Approach (Edwards, Gandini, Forman, 2017), which makes family and community participation a foundation of its pedagogical thinking and educational action in the 0-11 range.

The complexity of the new social and family contexts, the recent pandemic and a widespread crisis of values represent, in general, a challenge for school worldwide. In Italy, the Primary school, in particular, due to a kind of its intrinsic conformation, shows, with some evidence, how complex it is for the actors involved in the educational process to be able to enter into relationships and create positive synergies and shared planning (Dusi, 2009, 2011, 2019, 2022; Epstein, 2018; Pati, 2011, 2019).

In this paper, through empirical research, we investigate school-family co-responsibility and its possible role in combating educational poverty by collecting the voices of parents, by collecting parents and teachers voices through online questionnaires and focus groups and by involving them in a shared micro-projectuality to be realized at school.

Different non-formal educational institutions in Germany provide afternoon activities, school holiday programs or extracurricular activities in schools that revolve around the usage of digital technologies such as 3D-printing, basic coding with microcomputers, gaming or photography/image editing. “DILABoration”, a joint German research project, aims at identifying conditions under which such non-formal educational arrangements create opportunities for participation and education specifically for marginalised youth. Drawing on the approach as well as the data from “DILABoration”, this dissertation project focuses on the question how processes of subject positioning and subjectivation unfold via addressing practices within these educational arrangements and in relation to digitality.

Following the increase of digital media use in recent years, new specific forms of culture, interaction and expression have emerged, pointing to a “culture of digitality” (Stalder 2016, 12-13). Digital technologies have become relevant for processes of subjectivation and orientation (Jörissen / Marotzki 2009). However, specific forms of subjectivity are considered legitimate or illegitimate within a discourse on digitality (Allert et al. 2017, 223, 13). In accordance with this, research has pointed to the social reproduction of inequalities via digital media access (first-level digital inequality) and digital media use (second level digital inequality; Hargittai 2002), based on existing levels of social and cultural and economic capital (Rudolph 2019; Iske / Kutscher 2020).

Therefore, marginalized youth require opportunities to appropriate practices of digital media use in ways that are valuable within their everyday lives. Non-formal educational arrangements may be specifically valuable in creating these opportunities (Fujii et al. 2021). Here, non-formal educational arrangements are understood as organisationally framed educational contexts outside of formal education, characterised by voluntary participation, lower levels of standardisation and lack of relevance to formal educational certification (Rohlfs 2012, 37).

Within formal educational contexts, conservative structures of educational practices have been shown to persist despite the inclusion of technological innovations (Thiersch / Wolf 2021). This emphasises the question, whether contingencies related to the involvement of digital technologies in educational practices unfold more easily or differently in less standardised, non-formal contexts. Moreover, marginalised youth may be enabled to appropriate digital media practices in ways that relate to their everyday lives within these contexts, if respective supportive structures are provided (Fujii et al., 2021). At the same time, normative ideas of ‘legitimate’ and ‘illegitimate’ media use are inscribed all social interactions in a digitalised society and are reproduced in non-formal educational contexts as well. This may further increase marginalisation if not reflected upon appropriately (ibid. 43; Dawson 2014).

The integration of digitization in classrooms is reshaping teaching and learning methods, presenting new opportunities and challenges. Digital technologies offer the potential to expand the classroom's boundaries and connect it with the outside world (Gerholz, Ciolek & Wagner 2020). However, alongside these benefits, challenges arise, such as the increased and simultaneous use of media by contemporary students, leading to reduced attention and performance (Qian & Li 2017; Bolkan & Griffin 2017). The accessibility of digital tools like smartphones and tablets tempts students to engage in non-class-related activities during lessons (Kay, Benzimra & Li 2017). A study found that Generation Z students spend 19.4% of their school day on off-task mobile use, disrupting learning (McCoy, 2020). Teachers often resort to measures like deactivating Wi-Fi, blocking websites, or using monitoring apps, but these can hinder participation and motivation. Such tactics also limit the potential of digital educational technologies, making them counterproductive. Cell phone bans and digital monitoring are not effective. Instead, efforts should focus on enhancing active participation and learning engagement to prevent off-task behaviour (Flanigan et al., 2023). Previous studies have investigated off-task behaviour of learners in various educational contexts to identify factors that contribute to digital distraction. A comprehensive literature review was undertaken to encapsulate the diverse findings in this domain, culminating in the formulation of a cohesive model. The identified factors coalesce into three principal categories, each delineating distinct perspectives on the observed phenomenon. Primarily, the model underscores the significance of teaching quality dimensions, including the establishment of a conducive classroom climate and proficient classroom management. Empirical evidence attests that considerations of these quality dimensions yield enhanced learning outcomes on multiple instances (Praetorius et al. 2020; Kounin 1970; Qian & Li 2017; Kay, Benzimra & Li 2017). The maximization of effective learning time is intricately linked to the mitigation of unproductive learning time, typified by the aforementioned off-task behaviors (Fried 2008). To investigate off-task behaviour, it is also useful to consider the learner's perspective. The teacher should take into account individual learning prerequisites when designing lessons, along with planning methods and social forms. These prerequisites comprise of students' self-efficacy, motivation, and emotional states during learning (Pekrun 2006). Such factors emerge as predictive indicators for less off-task behaviour (Flanigan et al. 2023). In addition, the instructional design of the classroom can extend the amount of time spent on the task. Collaborative and interactive work phases can foster active engagement with the learning content (Kay, Benzimra & Li 2017). Furthermore, the quality of the integration of digital technologies is of great importance in achieving meaningful utilization. If digital technologies are used only as a replacement for traditional media, there is often no identifiable added value. However, increased integration has shown positive outcomes in terms of technology acceptance and motivation to learn (Gerholz, Ciolek & Wagner 2020. Therefore, it can be argued that purposeful use of technology in the classroom can lead to fewer off-task activities (Kay & Lauricella 2011). Preventing off-task behaviour in a sustainable manner requires successful consideration of instructional design features, students' learning prerequisites, and teaching quality dimensions. It is important to note that these three lenses, which combine the different causes of off-task behaviour, should not be considered separately, as they are characterized by overlaps and interactions.

The key research questions for exploring digital off-task behaviours of students during class in several subjects are therefore as follows:

1. which factors lead to digital off-task behaviour of students in lessons at vocational schools with digital educational technologies?

2. which instructional design patterns can prevent off-task behaviour of students in lessons at vocational schools with digital educational technologies?

This paper uses China’s education policy to explore the concept of temporality which is a relatively new and under-theorized conception in the field of education policy (Lingard, 2021). Drawing upon historical sociology, this paper aims to contribute to the field by investigating the temporal construct of China’s policy discourse on ‘education modernization’. Temporality highlights the messy entanglement of times which enables policy analysts to reflect on the main theme of this conference “how the past endeavor, current realities, and future hopes” are intertwined together, exerting a profound impact on education policymaking. Temporality provides a critical approach to deconstructing the problem, context, and history that are assumed and constructed by a policy. Regarding the temporal dimension, “education modernization”, a dominant discourse in China's education policy landscape, is an intriguing combination of discourse to examine. The strategic vision plan titled: China Education Modernization 2035 puts “education modernization” as the key word for China’s future education, while the discourse has a strong link with the historical memory of twentieth-century China, embracing the struggles associated with resisting colonialism and building an independent modern nation-state. Modernization thus becomes a temporal discourse where multiple temporalities are conflated; the past and the future of the nation converge in this discourse at present. This temporal dimension of the education modernization policy discourse underscores a need to go back to the history of China’s education modernization to find some answers to the following questions: What are the assumptions and presuppositions of this temporal construct, the ‘modernization’ discourse? What are the relationships between the history and the present that are mobilized by this discourse? This paper critically examines the history of rural education modernization to shed light on the current education modernization policy, identifying two temporal threads: the rural as a problem and the rural as a modernization plan. It reveals how the discourse acts as a governing technique that mobilizes history to construct a mission for the nation, thereby providing historical legitimacy for the party-state and its policy. However, the government is trapped in the underlying homogenous narrative of modernization because the hegemonic thinking of modernization marginalizes potential empowering voices, such as those of the rural. The case of China demonstrates how the past and ongoing agenda of modernization, and the deep-rooted belief in it, has a profound and enduring impact on education policy. It showcases how modernization constitutes and constructs a sophisticated temporal construct that underpins education policy. The process of unpacking history to analyze current policy highlights an innovative dimension (temporality) and method (historical sociology) for education policy analysis. The findings illustrate not only how the current unequal situation of the marginalized voices is normalized by the modernization agenda, but also how the current marginalized voices, such as the rural, can be an empowering force that enables an empowering lens in the metro-centric world.

The ECER 2024 call for proposals states that ‘Social, political, and economic problems have significant impacts on education and educational research.’ Accordingly, there is a need to investigate who has the power in education, and who can come to terms with present challenges and provide hope for the future. The truth is in all probability that there is a range of powerful actors in education.

In this paper middle managers in local education administrations constitute key actors. The chief education officer delegates assignments, and power, to the middle managers. What is delegated may be regulated in writing or an oral agreement between the chief education officer and the middle manager. Institutional structure and relationships are believed to be important factors to expand or limit the acquisition of power. How the local education administration is organised, what the middle manager mandate entails and the extent of autonomy available generate diverse powers. Given their position in their respective organisations, in between the chief education officers and head teachers, we can assume that middle managers possess power, but what kind of power requires more research. Departing from the concept of power the paper aims to answer the research question ‘What kind of power do middle managers in local education administrations exercise?’

There is a general understanding that bureaucratic power is located at the highest point of a hierarchy. Peters et al. (2016) however maintain that significant power resources reside with those further down the hierarchy as they are equipped with expertise and knowledge. In Sweden, the local governments, and in particular local education administrations, play a vital role in the governance of education. Furthermore, local self-governance is pronounced. Local governments differ considerably in terms of size, demography and resources, this fact, coupled with the freedom to independently decide on ways of organising generates unique local administrations. There is not one single way that local governments make use of middle managers. What is known is that school leaders have increased in numbers in both local education administrations and at the school level because of larger school units and due to more leadership duties and strengthened administrative control (Ärlestig & Leo 2023). Today many Swedish local education administrations house middle managers and have one, or several, layers of middle managers between the chief education officer and head teachers. There are different middle managers, here school form managers and school area managers are in focus.

There are different ways to understand power. The research question will be answered utilising the concepts power over, power to and power with (cf. Högberg 2007, Pansardi & Bindi 2021, Pansardi 2012). The first refers to power over other human beings while the second concerns the power to do things generally, and the third refers to how a group can work jointly to reach shared outcomes or goals (Pansardi & Bindi 2021, Pansardi 2012). Moreover, the paper centres on both hard and soft powers. While hard power includes financial power and the ability to employ and make employees redundant soft power takes account of attracting others to move in a certain direction. Hard power is about coercion whereas soft power is about incentives (Nye 2010).

Getting to Know EERA and Making the Most of the Emerging Researchers' Conference and ECER - A Special Edition for EERA's 30th Anniversary

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This presentation shares the findings of a critical constructivist grounded theory study carried out in Higher Education (HE) in Ireland on the assumptions present in the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Assumptions are significant because they represent the driving forces or motivations operating in each context. It is argued that understanding what assumptions are present will bring more transparent, equitable procedures and ultimately will support the delivery of RPL provision (Friesen, 2011; Hamer, 2016, Travers, 2017). Assumptions describe what is expected in each situation, and we act accordingly in response to these underlying assumptions. RPL provides for the identification, assessment, and validation of non-formal and informal learning which in turn allows for access to HE and/or for credits within programmes. RPL is a key component of the broader lifelong learning remit of Higher Education Institutions (HEI). RPL provides for the acknowledgement of learning gained through work, volunteering and life and in doing so RPL supports everyone across the lifespan where individuals choose to return to HE to support their career or for reskilling or upskilling.

This research took a grounded theory approach and followed Charmaz (2006), for the data analysis of 82 semi-structured interviews which were carried out between 2014 and 2016, first with RPL Mentors, then Assessors and finally with Candidates for RPL. The theoretical framework employed for this research adapted Van Kleef’s (2007) model of RPL by following Schein’s (2004) organisational culture model which had explicitly positioned assumptions at the deepest level of culture below espoused values. There were three rounds of coding in the data analysis. The second stage of coding foregrounded two major themes, and these were treated as conceptual categories; assumptions about what is possible through RPL and, assumptions about what is required for RPL. Thus, the findings show that two sets of interrelated assumptions exist in RPL.

This presentation will explore these major findings and the differences in expression between the participants will be explicated. Upholding the academic standards was assumed by all the participants although it was really emphasised by the assessors of RPL. Similarly, the assumption that protocols and procedures were in place was important to RPL mentors and assessors, yet it was not mentioned by the candidates for RPL at all. Instead, the candidates assumed that RPL frees up time, and they also assumed that it meant not repeating learning, and that RPL provided for acknowledgement for their prior learning. All three sets of participants assumed that RPL allows access to the HE system, and that it was a rigorous process. Candidates and RPL mentors assumed that evidence is key, while candidates and assessors assumed that RPL facilitates progression.

This research concludes that the interrelated assumptions that were expressed provides empirical evidence of the conditional nature of our expectations about RPL. Assumptions drive our expectations and the distinct roles of each of the participants whether assessor, RPL mentor or candidate for RPL was clearly apparent in the ways that the assumptions were expressed. For the assessors, although it was important to all, the academic standards were sacrosanct and operating safely within the parameters of policy and procedure was essential. Despite these assumptions, the candidates openly expressed their motivations for engaging with RPL and so distinctly different assumptions were named, such as the assumptions that RPL helps to free up time and that RPL means they do not have to repeat what is known already. This research concludes that the participants respect the inter-dependent nature of what is at stake; that RPL only works to provide access and/or credits for prior learning if the standards are upheld.

University development must be based on the exercise of solid planning with a defined direction, with timely monitoring and evaluation of the achievements obtained and challenges to be addressed that allow for continuous improvement. Link to the productive projects of the Innovation Agenda of the South-Southeast Region in Ibero-America to meet the demands of the social context. Through educational research, it will allow us to highlight cultural roots and define non-profit ethical positions related to the development of social innovation to operationalize the promise of leaving no one behind (Cabrera-Hernández, 2021; Natarén and Reyes, 2022; UN Sustainable Development Group, 2023).

Action research in liberating education recognizes that human beings are conditioned, due to lifelong learning, reflected in the coherence between discourse and practice. On the one hand, there is the humanistic vision, supported by philosophers. and intellectuals at UNESCO (2020), that advocates a hermeneutic approach focused on the integral development of people. On the other hand, we find the utilitarian vision, supported by economists from the OECD (2010) and the World Bank (Ferreyra et al., 2021), which leans towards a more instrumental approach based on individual competencies for a world of work. .

Our study identifies the processes of transfer of knowledge and values, located in educational practice, from the problematization of the contents, the analysis of reality, confrontation of the student through critical dialogue, and teaching the student to think critically about the contents, by which are designed two educational programs that address the social utility of knowledge. This dimension allows measuring the capacity to fulfill the function or social role expected of science and the production of knowledge to promote tertiary education in the Ibero-American region. (Cruz, 2020).

Through the social usefulness of knowledge, it is necessary to ask how it should be approached from the didactic situation, so the questions are established: ¿What is the purpose of scientific knowledge and for whom is it beneficial? What relationships are promoted between teachers and students according to the various interpretations of the usefulness of knowledge? Who plays a role in defining the social utility of knowledge for social justice? Allowing us to structure the analysis of our study. It is recognized that scientific knowledge has the “capacity” to become a “resource or asset” for social agents who do not belong to the scientific field but carry out the work of teacher-researchers in emerging, possible, preliminary or transitory educational contexts.

In particular, understanding what this concept implies in our research is related to the dimensions of social appropriation of knowledge, competencies, culture, environmental uncertainty and strategies (ASCCCIE) as a resource for educational management in action research processes: theoretical, methodological and practical (Elliot, 1993; Mertler, 2021). Answer: ¿What are the challenges of action research in sciences and arts in the ASCCIE educational context for the development of higher education in the south-southeast region of Mexico?

Through the Critical Theory of Education, the historical-social character of higher education examines the relationship between the educational system and the structure of society through the intervention of university educational practice, understanding technological aspects, ideologies, educational objectives and responsibility. pedagogical, whose evaluation is in relation to practice (Horkheimer, 2000). The framework allows improving management and educational practice in Latin America through the application of the phenomenological-hermeneutic methodology in the educational experience of the university classroom, appealing to philosophical traditions (Van Mannen, 2003), fostering critical awareness and respect for individuality, and allowing the legitimacy of the teacher in the educational field for scientific research with the use of qualitative methods for educational emancipation (Denzin & Lincoln, 2018; Denzin et al., 2023).

Research Question Outline

In an era marked by complex global challenges, from climate change to health crises, the imperative for innovative and collaborative solutions is paramount. This urgency foregrounds the role of interdisciplinarity within European Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), positing it not merely as an academic ideal but as a crucial framework for addressing the multifaceted problems of our time. However, the gap between the theoretical valorization of interdisciplinarity and its practical application in Higher Education remains a significant barrier.

My doctoral research endeavors to bridge this chasm by exploring the question I would like to raise in Ignite Talk: How can European HEIs effectively actualize interdisciplinarity, transforming it from a conceptual ideal into a sustainable, practice-oriented approach that fosters collaboration across disciplines to address the pressing challenges of our age?

Theoretical Framework

Grounded in the postmodern paradigm, this research underscores the fluid, pluralistic nature of knowledge and reality, challenging the rigid boundaries that have traditionally defined academic disciplines. Central to this inquiry is the theory of social constructivism, which posits that knowledge is co-constructed through social interactions and cultural contexts. This perspective is pivotal for understanding interdisciplinarity, as it highlights the importance of cultural, institutional, and political factors in shaping interdisciplinary practices.

Social constructivism also emphasizes the role of dialogue and collaboration in the construction of knowledge, suggesting that a true interdisciplinary approach requires not just the blending of disciplines but the creation of new, co-constructed understandings that transcend individual disciplinary perspectives.

Inspiration and Implication

My doctoral research is driven by the conviction that interdisciplinarity holds the key to addressing the complex challenges of our time. By redefining interdisciplinarity within a post-disciplinary context, this study aims to propose actionable strategies for its effective implementation in HEIs, thereby enhancing academic collaboration and fostering a more inclusive, innovative educational environment.

The findings of my research will not only shed light on the barriers to effective interdisciplinarity but also provide a roadmap for HEIs to navigate these challenges, fostering a culture of collaboration that transcends disciplinary boundaries. In doing so, this study will inspire a reimagining of higher education, one that embraces the uncertainty of our age as an opportunity for innovation, collaboration, and transformative learning.

Why Ignite Talk?

I believe in vocalizing the ideas. I believe in giving the voice to the unheard or silenced ones. I will share compelling data from focus groups among HE actors in Lithuania, offering a nuanced conceptualization of interdisciplinarity and drawing attention to its post-disciplinary future. Through this exploration, we will ignite a conversation about the power relations,potential of interdisciplinarity to not only advance academic knowledge but also to equip learners and educators with the tools to collaboratively address the pressing global challenges of our time, fostering a sense of hope and resilience for the future of Higher Education.

This study seeks to contribute to the emerging post-positivist discourse in translation studies by challenging currently prevalent approaches towards translator competence development from a post-structuralist complex systems perspective. If translation studies curricula of higher education institutions (HEIs) were focused on a broader development of the mindset necessary for the reality-yet-to-come, instead of the development of predefined sets of translator skills and capabilities, then future translators would be better equipped for contexts characterised as a VUCA world (Bennis and Nanus 2003) – the world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. However, currently, translator education is based on translator competence models that are linear, structured and mainly focused on know-how rather than on knowledge (Hébrard 2013) due to various factors: they are grounded on constructivist theories, translator education is market-orientated, technologies evolve faster than our theories, and HEIs are slow in change.

Among diverse professional landscapes, translators are an indicative example of competence development as subject to the technological advancement and overall future uncertainty. Firstly, translation, both as a discipline and a profession, has a long history of being subject to the implications of technological developments and this dates back to the Georgetown-IBM experiment in 1954 aimed at machine translation (MT) research. Secondly, handling uncertainty is an inherent part of translators’ work (i.e., navigating the challenges to produce accurate and contextually appropriate translations), thus, competence development for uncertain professional working environments is at the core of translator competence. And yet, due to the prevalence of neural MT and LLM-based technologies, many graduates need to upskill already right after they have completed their studies. Therefore, the underlying research question raised in this study is how future uncertainty could be incorporated into translator education. To address that, this study aims to re-conceptualise the notion of translator competence based on the post-structuralist complex systems approach by defining competence development as a complex system.

What has the theoretical background of complex systems theories to offer to the European educational domain? Competence development in the European Higher Education Area has occupied the focus of many international debates on curricula, assessment and education in general (European Commission 2019, OECD 2017). Throughout Europe, the focus on competence assessment has been shifting from mere measurement of pre-defined sets of skills to the evaluation of much more complex abilities that are ingrained in real-world contexts (Koeppen et al. 2008). As major educational domains keep moving beyond the long-standing linear, hierarchical and top-down attitudes towards learning and teaching, the understanding of the new dynamics of education can benefit from complexity-informed approach (Biesta 2020), which is increasingly more apparent across many disciplines and professions (Byrne and Callaghan 2014).

Concequently, this complexity-informed standpoint also reflects an ontological turn that is underway in the current paradigm of translator education and HE in general. It calls for viewing students “as persons, not merely knowers” (Barnett 2004), or in a post-modern sense, insists upon a shift from what learners develop or acquire to who they become (Dall‘Alba and Barnacle 2007). As the understanding of what kind of knowledge and competencies are necessary for daily life and employment is rapidly changing (The World Economic forum 2020), and the focus is shifted towards the unpredictability of what learners may need to be able to do in the future (Markauskaite et al. 2022), translator education is expected to undertake a transformative role first and foremost by equipping future translators with the disposition to reflect on becoming and being a translator in this era of digital technologies and rapid change rather than focusing on the mere acquisition of translation skills and capabilities.

Being able to learn independently is indispensable for successfully organizing your time at university. Individual learners are influenced by the teaching practices in higher education, which are often primarily shaped by university lecturers. However, ideas about the design and requirements of self-study often remain vague for this group (Gerber, 2023). One way to address this challenge is to familiarize lecturers with different conceptual understandings and design dimensions of self-study, particularly in light of the fact that the German-speaking scientific discourse on concepts of self-study has so far been largely independent of the rich theoretical and empirical work on related concepts such as self-directed, self-regulated, and self-organized learning (e.g. Dyrna, 2021). Thematizing own ideas and concepts of self-study, especially from an international comparative perspective, seems to open up new opportunities to contribute to the further development of self-study in the European Higher Education Area. Such thematization and reflection were undertaken with lecturers from Germany and Ukraine as part of three workshops on higher education didactics.

Based on the theoretical assumption that metaphors, in particular, have an influence on thinking, speaking, and action (Lakoff & Johnson, 2003), the hypothesis can be derived that the metaphors used by university lecturers to describe self-study reflect their ideas of academic teaching and learning and have an impact on their didactic activities. Lakoff and Johnson (2003) propose that our "unreflected everyday actions [Author's translation.]" and our "everyday language [Author's translation.]" are largely structured by metaphorical concepts. In the following, a metaphor is understood as a transfer of meaning "from one area to another" (Schmitt, 2017, p. 39). A "metaphorical concept" is a bundling of corresponding individual metaphorical phrases and formulations (Schmitt, 2017). Rau and Kosubski (2019) view metaphors in learning and educational contexts as having the potential to express individual and collective ideas about specific topics linguistically and to make them accessible for reflection because they "bundle specific individual or cultural patterns of thought, perception, feeling, and action [Author's translation.]" (Schmitt, 2017, p. 52). The reconstruction of metaphorical concepts opens up opportunities for reflection regarding the linguistic means of one's own didactic expressiveness as well as the everyday language of certain target groups (Rau & Kosubski, 2019). The potential of metaphors as tools for reflection is being discussed and examined, particularly in the English- and German-speaking debate in higher education didactics (e.g. Ekoç-Özçelik 2022; Scharlau, 2020; Bager-Elsborg & Greve 2019; Wegner & Nückles, 2013; Visser-Wijnveen et al., 2009).

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the perceptions and beliefs of university lecturers regarding the concept of self-study through the use of metaphors. In pursuit of this overarching goal, the research addresses the following questions:

• Which metaphors do university lecturers employ to depict self-study?
• How do university teachers conceptualize their role as educators in the context of self-study with respect to the chosen metaphors?
• What disparities exist in the metaphors and interpretations between teachers in Ukraine and Germany?

By the the age of Uncertainty I understand the knot of recently experienced: economic crises, global warming, pandemics, technological development, wars, and mass migrations. All these contribute to the necessity of posing the question on the aim of education again.

My research question is: how do adults, who are directly responsible for children’s development, (i.e. parents and teachers), understand the aim of preschool education and their role in it? What values, attitudes and competences they find fundamental in that regard, and how they define them.

I place special emphasis on preschool education. Evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that experiences from birth through age 5 are critical to children’s development (Wechsler, 2016). At the same time, preschool children are unknowingly thrown into education and these are adults who are responsible for delivering the best possible raising up conditions.

On one hand, research indicates important elements of high-quality early childhood education programs. These include, among others:

• early learning standards and curricula that address the whole child, are developmentally appropriate, and are effectively implemented, assessments that consider children’s academic;

• social-emotional, and physical progress and contribute to instructional and program planning well-prepared teachers who provide engaging interactions and classroom environments that support learning;

• meaningful family engagement.

These high-quality building blocks should be the foundation of any early childhood education system (Wechsler, 2016).

On the other hand, there is a gap between academic research and the way that preschool education is organised and provided in different countries.

Also, the growing consensus that preschool quality matters greatly for children’s outcomes focuses mainly on school entry readiness and academic achievement over the subsequent four years (Newman, 2022).

Various schools that are providing early childhood education have been found exceeding their limits and putting unnecessary pressure and academic burden on pre-schoolers by stressing on formal teaching of reading, writing and number work. These practices appear to have encouraged parents to subject children in the age-group of 3-6 years to the pressure of formal education.

It is very important for both parents and teachers to understand that they have a valuable contribution to make towards development of children at early years without burdening the young mind.

My expected outcome is to unveil parents’ and teachers' Subjective Concepts of Meanings of aims of preschool education.

Capturing the differences and similarities in the subjective perception of reality can be used to redefine the role of the preschool teachers, refresh curriculum and teaching methods.

Outcomes need to be compiled with the current interdisciplinary research and core curricilum which indicates the purpose of preschool education, the preventive and educational tasks of a preschool education setting and the results of the tasks achieved by children at the end of preschool education

In language courses, a near-standard variant and pronunciation is often used, whereas in everyday life in the everyday environment of learners, different variants of the majority language (in this case German) must be heard and decoded, whereby phoneme perception and differentiation play an essential role not only for the initial acquisition of German, but also for linguistic interaction in later phases, so that decoding problems on the part of speakers and listeners can be reduced.
Methods such as "before, during and after listening" are used in lessons (Field 2008:30), but these say nothing about the actual decoding ability of the participants, instead focussing on the typical "questions about the text" and rather testing general (prior) knowledge or global understanding.
It is forgotten that the context is only useful if the listeners can already decode precisely everything that has been said up to that point (cf. Field 2008: 136).
It is important to practise phoneme perception, i.e. decoding, with the participants right from the start so that the correct understanding of the individual sounds and thus the entire utterance is achieved.
The importance of reliable phonological representation for the phonological processing of L2 input provides a basis for the other skills that follow in the acquisition process; listening comprehension is closely linked to speaking and also plays an important role in the later acquisition of reading skills (cf. Boada & Pennington 2006)
However, it is not only the ability to decode when listening that is important, but first and foremost the connection between perception and production: what is not heard cannot be reproduced (Dieling 1994).
The aim is to investigate how (and whether) the phonemes of German (in the dialect-standard continuum) can be perceived (unaltered) or not, depending on the language(s) of origin of the participants.
In addition, the sounds of the participants' languages of origin should be analysed in order to investigate whether German phonemes that are also known to them in a similar form from their languages of origin can also be decoded and differentiated more precisely.
This would enable a more differentiated view of the sound perception of German, which would also allow the linguistic approaches to German to be taken into account.
It is expected that, in addition to general approaches to the sound perception of German that are given for learners of different first languages, it will also be possible to describe indications of learning success with regard to the perception of German phonemes or learning obstacles in this area that are related to the first languages.
It is assumed that if phonemes are already known from the learner's language inventory and occur in the language to be learnt, they are more likely to be perceived and articulated correctly.

People on the move frequently spend months or even years in the condition of “waiting” (Conlon 2011) in so-called “transit countries” on the periphery of Europe, such as Serbia and Bulgaria (Panayotova & Petrova 2020; Galijas 2019; Lukic 2016; Kogovsek Salamon 2016). This happens mostly due to political aspirations to limit immigration from Africa and the Middle East, the totality of which can be conceptualised as „geopolitical whiteness“ (Rexhepi 2023).The Balkans, which have historically been crucial to European bordering processes along ethnic and religious lines, are still an important site for border-making and identity-construction in the present day (ibid.: 7). These processes have sharpened following the most recent forced migration movement from Ukraine (Açit 2022). Arguably, one of the most fortified borders runs right through the heart of the Balkan peninsula, demarcating the inside and the outside of the European Union. This reality results in highly different legal frameworks regarding migration. Regulations such as the Dublin Regulation[1], which apply in Bulgaria but not in Serbia, lead to different reception conditions and different strategies employed by forced migrants. These in turn impact aims, requirements and provisions regarding language education programmes.

It has been established that civil society actors are crucial for adaptation processes of forced migrants (Galera et al. 2018; Spencer & Delvino 2018; Stock 2017; Van Dyk, Dauling & Haubner 2015), and states rely on civil society to provide necessary services (Tietje et al. 2021; Lorey 2012). This is even more pronounced in transit countries (Norman 2019: 43). In Serbia and Bulgaria there are currently no public programmes for language education as part of public migration policy, as opposed to most EU states at the core of Europe (Simpson & Whiteside 2015). Instead, adult education programmes are facultative and offered exclusively by civil society organisations. Due to historical developments and the aforementioned geopolitical positions the civil society organisations working in the field of forced migration vary widely between Serbia and Bulgaria. In Serbia the landscape is comprised mostly by local NGOs, many of which are rooted in the humanitarian crisis following the Yugoslav wars in the 90s, while in Bulgaria global NGOs such as Caritas or the Red Cross are most relevant. This project explores how ideologies about language(s) are governing discursive practices in spaces of civil society organised adult language education courses and how they can affect participants’. Specifically, the project combines a micro-analysis of communicative practices in different language classrooms (see: Heller 2015; Kern et al. 2015) with extensive analysis of interview data generated in conversation with teachers, learners and programme managers. In accordance with the principles of critical ethnography (Madison 2005), the aim is to map the language related rules and norms in the classroom, as well as the (self-)positioning of participants within the community of practice. Exploring Bourdieu’s sociolinguistic concepts of (il-)legitimate speech (see e.g.: Bourdieu 2017) and more recent perspectives on “raciolinguistic ideology” (like Rosa & Flores 2015) and “linguicism” (Dirim 2010), the project aspires to show discursive practices reinforcing and/or contesting linguistic stigmatization and racialised perceptions of the self and others.

[1] Council Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013, Official Journal of the European Union L180/31

Argumentative writing is a critical genre that involves justifying and supporting a position on an issue or topic with reliable evidence. They aim to persuade the audience by providing logical reasons for a belief or idea. Studies have shown that students often struggle to write rebuttal paragraphs and maintain an academic tone while developing their argumentative essays (Ozfidan& Mitchell, 2020).

Marzano's teaching strategies are known to have a significant impact on student learning, especially when they are well organised, systematically applied and properly assessed in class (Akdeniz, 2016; Marzano, 2003).

Marzano's nine strategies include setting goals and providing feedback, reinforcing effort and providing recognition, cooperative learning, homework and exercises, questions, hints and advance organisers, summaries and notes, recognising similarities and differences, creating and testing hypotheses, and using non-linguistic representations (Marzano et al., 2007).

These strategies, based on research on effective teaching, have been widely studied in the United States, but not in the Kazakh context, particularly in the area of teaching argumentative writing. This study aims to fill this gap and potentially extend the application of Marzano’s strategies to other educational contexts.

This study aims to assess the effectiveness of Marzano's instructional strategies in enhancing the writing skills of students in 11th grade English and 8th grade Kazakh language courses. By focusing on argumentative essay writing, the research seeks to understand how these strategies can improve students' writing abilities in different language contexts.

Objectives:

1. To evaluate the improvement in argumentative essay writing skills in English and Kazakh language classes after applying Marzano's instructional strategies.
2. To identify the challenges faced by students of varying proficiency levels (A, B, and C) in writing argumentative essays in both languages.
3. To assess changes in students' perceptions and difficulties regarding argumentative essay writing before and after the intervention

Within higher education, it is acknowledged that a sense of belonging is paramount to student engagement which ultimately impacts student success (Thomas, 2012; Kahu et. al. 2022). More recently, the concept of ‘mattering’ (Flett, 2018; Gravett, 2021) as an aspect of belonging has come to the fore, focusing on students’ sense of personal value to staff and peers rather than simply a sense of fitting in with a group. Diminished sense of ‘belonging’ has been linked to poorer academic outcomes for racially minoritized students than for white students in the UK (HEFCE, 2015; Millward, 2021). In addition, post-92 universities seek to provide a transformational learning experience to enable social mobility and increase access, participation and success amongst minoritized, marginalised and non-traditional students, but what exactly does it mean to belong and transform, and how do racially minoritized students make-meaning of these concepts in their learning context?

This study focuses on the lived experiences of racially minoritized undergraduate students within a post-92 Business School in the south-east of England. Exploring the immediate and extended environment of students’ lived experiences through their own photographs and metaphorical interpretations of these, factors which hinder or enable a sense of belonging and/ or transforming are examined and discussed.

Employing an arts-based methodology with reference to decolonising methodologies (Tuhiwai Smith, 2012) and Critical Race Theory, the study uses photo-elicitation and collage as methods to access deeper reflections on experience and situations which may go unnoticed or be dismissed (Hughes & Giles, 2010), thereby ‘making the invisible visible’ (Samatar et. al., 2021 p4). Through the creation of metaphors, and participants’ own interpretations of these, whiteness and patterns of oppression and resistance are identified using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun and Clark, 2006 & 2022; Terry and Hayfield, 2020).

Whilst the research is contextually situated and conducted in the year post-Covid, the findings will have relevance to all universities looking beyond the headline statistics on ethnicity degree awarding gaps and drop-out rates to understand the lived experiences of students othered as ‘non-white’ in European higher education systems.

European policy has made efforts to extend education and care resources and accessibility to Gypsies, Roma and Travellers. However, there is still seemingly low engagement with education and care services from the GRT population, this may be due to fundamental underlying problems that need systematic research to identify. Despite attempts by European policy to solve the lack of educational engagement and poor educational trajectories, 50% of GRT children in Europe do not complete primary education, and 25% complete secondary education (Council of Europe, 2020). The GRT population make up the most predominant ethnic minority group in Europe. There is a lack of conciseness to census data on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller population figures possibly due to their nomadic lifestyle, a non-representational choice of ethnicity to choose from, or distrust in reporting ethnicity at all in fear of discrimination (Rutigliano, 2020). Despite difficulties in census attainment across Europe, it is estimated more than 10-12 million individuals identify with being a part of the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller population (European Commission, 2020). This community has endured undeniable intergenerational trauma in the form of discrimination, racism, exclusion and unequal access to educational and care resources. Travellers and Roma people across Europe have historically been reported to have lower levels of attainment with higher levels of school absenteeism and school withdrawal. The European Union Agency of Fundamental Rights reports 36 % of GRT individuals have difficulty reading the national language of their country while nearly half (43 %) have difficulty writing it. Barriers that oppress and discourage GRT from engaging within education in the first place, such as lack of representation and bullying due to cultural differences must be addressed in order to understand how policy can be informed more accurately to improve uptake of education and care resources.

An important dimension of this systematic review is the emphasis on early childhood education and care engagement and uptake within the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller population. A family and child's early experience or past experience within an education system can set the tone on how willing the family is to engage with resources and opportunities presented. This systematic review will focus specifically on early childhood engagement within the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community across Europe. The first 3 years of life are an especially sensitive period of time for brain development. After birth a young child's brain rapidly produces synaptic connections based experiences of their external environment. A young child's brain reaches approximately 1,000 trillian synaptic connections by about age 3 which is double of what is present in an adult's brain (Halfon et al., 2001). This stage of early development presents a window of opportunity for expansive brain growth and lifelong foundational development. Care settings such as preschool and community settings along with family home life all possess points of interaction for the child's brain structure to produce and build skills in cognitive, social, attention and self regulation (Yoshikawa et al., 2013). Evidence points to a positive impact in young children, especially minorities, in engaging with quality early childcare services. Early childhood education can increase lifelong educational success rates along with narrowing poverty and equity gaps (Wilder et al., 2008). Yet the GRT participation rate in early childhood education is nearly half that of the majority mainstream population (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2016). Analyses conducted in this review will potentially be able to pinpoint recurring themes across GRT accounts that may be responsible for facilitators or barriers of engagement that can in turn inform policy and practice at the European level within early childhood education and care.

This paper presents empirical insights into the mechanisms that drive inequalities in young people’s educational trajectories in Austria. My research interest focuses on the transition patterns of immigrant youth (first and second generation) into and through upper secondary education. The empirical analysis is based on longitudinal register data covering a full cohort of students in the Austrian education system. These data allow for a fine-grained analysis of differences within the heterogeneous group of immigrant youth while paying attention to the context in which educational transitions are made. The following research questions are addressed: First, I explore how immigrant youth’s pathways into and through upper secondary educational tracks differ from those of their native peers, between girls and boys, and by country of origin. Second, I investigate the extent to which individual, school-level, and regional context variables can explain these differences in transition patterns.

Austria is an example of a highly stratified education system where students are tracked into different educational pathways at a young age. Adolescents who reach the end of lower secondary education (typically at the age of fourteen) may either pursue general education or enter upper secondary vocational education and training (VET). Moreover, the VET sector comprises different options of fully school-based versus dual (apprenticeship) options leading to different levels of qualifications. In this context, moving from lower into upper secondary education marks a decisive transition for young people’s educational outcomes and future employment prospects. The high level of differentiation as well as the important role of VET make the Austrian education system a particularly interesting case for analysis.

Conceptually, I rely on sociological theories of inequality in education and (immigrant) youth’s educational choices. Building on Boudon’s (1974) well-established distinction between primary and secondary effects of social origin, immigrant youth are assumed to attain lower average educational achievements than their native peers due to a lower socioeconomic status (SES) and additional barriers such as language skills (Diehl et al. 2016). At the same time, an immigrant background has been consistently associated with comparatively high educational aspirations (Kao & Tienda 1995; Rudolphi & Salikutluk 2021) manifested in ambitious educational choices (Dollmann 2021). Beyond the individual level, contextual factors such as school composition (Perry 2012) and regional opportunity structures (Becker et al. 2020) are also considered important determinants of young people’s educational opportunities and attainments.

Based on a full cohort of students and the comprehensive information provided through administrative data, my analyses contribute to the existing literature in several ways. For the transition into upper secondary education, previous studies consistently show that young immigrants are overall more likely to enter academic tracks and less likely to enter VET than their native peers, once prior achievements are accounted for (Glauser & Becker 2023; Jonsson & Rudolphi 2011; Tjaden & Hunkler 2017). However, the extent to which so-called ‘ethnic choice effects’ differ along dimensions such as gender, country of origin, or SES has not been conclusively explored. Furthermore, there is a gap in understanding how and why immigrant youth’s transition patterns vary depending on the context in which decisions to pursue different educational options are made. Finally, recent evidence suggests that immigrant youth’s ambitious choices do not necessarily translate into favourable outcomes, but are also accompanied by higher dropout rates at the upper secondary level (Birkelund 2020; Dollmann et al. 2023; Ferrara 2023). Covering a period of seven years, the analytical strategy applied in this paper gathers new empirical evidence on how immigrant youth’s educational pathways develop beyond the point of entry into upper secondary education.

The positive effects of parental involvement on students’ academic results are widely accepted by researchers worldwide. Over the last fifty years, psychologists and sociologists have paid close attention to the role of parents’ expectations in influencing children’s scholastic achievement. They have generally been determined to be crucial for children’s academic progress; however, due to the lack of comprehensive information on the vitality of expectations, academic performance tends to decline (Wilder, 2014).

Various research suggests that students with high expectations from their parents tend to fare better academically and perform higher on standardized tests than students with relatively modest prospects from their parents. It has previously been observed by Wilder (2014) that parental expectations, among other influences, had the greatest effect on children's scholastic achievement.

A Korean study revealed that, inversely, when opposed to parental participation, expectations had a relatively minor influence on a student’s self-efficacy (You et al., 2015). In addition, Gordon and Cui (2012) indicate that academic success in young adulthood was substantially correlated with adolescent gender, age, parental education, and family structure. These covariates are not accounted for in most studies, which limits their applicability.

According to Yamamoto and Holloway (2010), despite the vast research work that has been done on parental expectations, the majority has concentrated on European American, middle-class families, and the studies have typically neglected to account for the role of race or ethnicity in shaping the variables. This study also revealed that different ethnic groups do not have parental expectations as their predictor of a student’s grades, contrasting with other research. As such, it is indicated that not enough research has been done on various racial groups, with none of the research being conducted in a Kazakhstani context.

This research is being conducted to determine the difference in the GPA between students who have relatively high parental expectations and those who do not. The study aims to find a correlation between the variables collected through a survey, as well as to indicate how different social factors alter the results, specifically for adolescents in one NIS of Astana. It will also cover the effect of different types of expectations and the highest achieved results.

MRQ: To what extent do parental expectations affect the academic performance of 11th-grade students?

SQ1: How do factors such as a student’s gender, nationality, and parents’ education level impact parental expectations?

SQ2: Parents have expectations regarding their child’s highest level of education, as well as the student’s grades. Which type of parental expectations affects GPA the most?

SQ3: What is the optimal level of expectations required to maximize academic achievement?

This study will contribute to the educational research field of Kazakhstan. Furthermore, given the major influence of parental expectations on students’ academic success, exploring this topic is essential to ascertain the correlation between the variables in a local context. This will not only provide comprehensive information for parents to adequately set prospects for their children but also affect the academic achievement in the student’s future education and career.

Feedback Methods Used in the Teaching of Biology in International High Schools in the Czech Republic

Onyedika Emmanuel Okpala

Faculty of Education, Charles University, Magdaleny Rettigove 4, 116 39 Praha 1, Czech Republic.

Emails: nuelwinner@gmail.com

Despite the positive improvements reported in the Czech education system over the years, such as the increase of 16 percentage points between TALIS 2013 and TALIS 2018 in teacher engagement in professional development related to student assessment, evidence shows that improvement-focused teacher assessment still needs to be developed. For example, in 2015, only 34% of students were in schools where principals reported that student assessments were used to identify aspects of instruction that could be improved; this is lower than the OECD average of 59%. In addition, in the Programme for International Student Assessment 2018, students in the Czech Republic perceived teacher feedback on their learning to be among the lowest in the OECD, with index teacher feedback of -0.24 compared to an OECD average of 0.01[1]. Assessment can be defined as activities undertaken by teachers and their students, providing information that can be used as feedback to modify teaching and learning [2]. Effective feedback as a form of formative assessment encourages students to learn by enabling them to understand their strengths and weaknesses, leading to an improved outcome [3]. Evidence shows that participating in different formative assessment practices results in remarkable achievement in educational outcomes [4]. The main aim of this study is to investigate the feedback methods teachers use in teaching biology in Czech International schools. The study is theoretically informed by the work of sociologist John Meyer’s new institutionalism theory, published in 1977, and the Personal Practice Assessment Theory [5,6 ]. Qualitative research and multiple case studies will be used to investigate the teachers’ feedback methods. Four biology teachers will be recruited across four international schools in Prague, Czech Republic, with five student focus groups from each school. Primary data sources will include in-class observations, background or post-observation and student focus group interviews, while secondary data sources will include information from written assessments and the curriculum or syllabus for the course. All interviews (semi-structured) will be audio-recorded and later transcribed for further analysis. The data analysis approach will involve open, deductive coding. Software such as MAXQDA, which is used for qualitative data analysis, will be adopted for the coding. Triangulation of results, a qualitative research approach to evaluate the validity of research findings by the convergence of information generated from diverse sources, will be carried out. At the same time, the influence of bias and ethical issues will also be considered. The potential findings from this study will create the opportunity to discover the most frequent and best feedback method preferred by students in teaching biology and help modify or explore the theories and methods of feedback in teaching biology in high school.

Dissertation aims.

(1) To investigate the similarities and disparities in feedback methods used by biology teachers in the selected international schools in Prague, Czech Republic.

(2) To investigate the nature and frequency of feedback among teachers and schools from a biology perspective.

(3) To understand potential contextual elements or factors (internal and external) that may facilitate or create a barrier towards assessment by teachers.

Research questions (RQs)

RQ1 What are the similarities and disparities in feedback methods used by teachers within and across schools?

RQ2 What are students’ perceptions towards feedback?

RQ3 How do contextual elements (internal and external factors) hinder or facilitate teachers' feedback practice?

The integration of action research into the teacher appraisal system in Kazakhstan emphasizes the pivotal roles of teachers as “teacher-researchers” and “master teachers”. In 2019, the initiation of the SHARE (School Hub for action Research in Education) by the Mayor of Astana city provided teachers from 22 Astana schools with opportunities to actively engage in action research. The collaborative effort involved coordination with Professor Colleen McLaughlin, Kate Evans, and Dr Nazipa Ayubayeva. The Astana Department of Education Center for Education Modernization played a key role in coordinating and overseeing the project.

The main aim of this initiative is to engage teachers in action research in school settings. Embracing the perspectives by Stenhouse and Elliott (1983, 1991) the initiative recognizes teachers as knowledge generators, acquiring insights through self-directed research in collaboration with critical friends within the school community. Thus, teachers together with students are the primary audience for teachers engaged in action research. The process requires teachers to approach their work with honesty, open-mindedness, and a critical mindset. This involves a commitment to openly examining their own practices as well as those of their colleagues. The overarching goal in mind is to enhance teaching and learning for students through a continuous and reflective improvement process. Emphasizing teachers as initiators in this process is crucial for academic and professional growth. British educators Stenhouse (1981, 1983, 1988) and Rudduck (1988) stress daily research for teachers, stating curriculum study is their prerogative. Implementing change involves learning processes, challenging beliefs, and attitudes (Altrichter, 2005). Mills (2012) emphasizes teachers as decision-makers in research, creating conditions for their investigations. Mills' hypothesis asserts that if teachers, students, and administrators don't think independently about their actions, schools won't improve.

Hence, for the community of action researchers to sustain, it requires a recognition that the research teachers can thrive in an intellectually secure environment conducive to their work within the research domain (Samaras, 1950). The international literature highlights the importance of creating equitable conditions for teachers to voluntarily participate in action research. This involves clearly outlining intentions at the outset and maintaining transparency throughout the process, thereby enhancing the likelihood of realizing anticipated outcomes. Furthermore, it emphasizes the promotion of a teacher-driven process, empowering educators to take an active and leading role in shaping the trajectory of action research initiatives.

In the academic year 2022-2023, 22 SHARE schools conducted action research with a focus on student engagement in classroom learning. The action research was organized around the four key action research concepts: exploring how the action research methodology help teacher to learn about their own practices, investigating whether teachers engaged in action research foster teacher leadership qualities fostered, examining if there are observable changes in teaching and learning resulting from teachers’ engagement in action research, and finally, examining whether conducive conditions were established to facilitate active engagement in action research in participating schools.

Our team, representing three school-gymnasiums #74, #75, and #91, was assigned to explore conditions established for conducting action research on student engagement in classroom learning during the 2022-2023 academic year. Hence, the aim of this small-scale research is to provide insights into the conditions created by schools, teachers and community for the successful implementation of action research in the context.

Dual apprenticeship integrates classroom and work-based learning (WBL), promoting both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Proponents, such as Beer and Meethan (2007), highlight its strategic advantage in customising skills training for industry demands and reducing youth unemployment. However, Guile and Okumoto (2007) highlight the importance of preventing employers from designing 'restrictive' skills content. In contrast, a lifelong skills approach favours transferable skills. Lassnigg (2011) calls for a balance between specific and broader educational goals. Capsada-Munsech and Valiente (2020) emphasise the necessity of both technical and ‘soft’ skills for successful employment and social integration.

Central to the dual model is the assumption that WBL in competitive sectors confers an advantage in the labour market, aligning with Human Capital Theory (HCT) as championed by Becker (1962). HCT underscores education's role in developing individuals' skills and competencies to augment their "capital," an intangible asset of social and economic value, motivating individuals to enhance their capital for improved labour market positioning and increased earnings. A rationale for extending dual apprenticeship into earlier education levels emerges based on the perceived value of capital accumulation and the positive relationship between education, skills development, and labour market outcomes. Under this premise, participation in secondary-level dual apprenticeship allows individuals to build capital earlier, acquire practical skills, and gain industry-specific knowledge from a younger age, enhancing future employability and facilitating a more seamless transition into the labour market.

Aggregate evidence suggests initial gains for vocational education and training (VET) graduates in terms of employability and earnings (Chankseliani and Anuar, 2019), but these advantages fade once university graduates enter the workforce (Brunello and Rocco, 2017). Low-level analyses reveal tracking mechanisms, formal or cultural, which amplify impacts of background factors such as gender and prior academic performance, exacerbating educational inequalities (Simon and Clarke, 2016; Smith, 2010).

When the model moves to lower schooling levels, increased demand for WBL placements may give already privileged individuals an advantage, especially when employers hold the right to select apprentices since they may not be held to the same equality, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility standards as education bodies (Smith et. al., 2021).

My study focuses on Foundation Apprenticeships (FA) in Scotland. I assess who benefits most or least from apprenticeship, taking contextual factors into account. This inquiry tests HCT assumptions about capital accumulation and socioeconomic outcomes. Research questions (RQ1-RQ3) explore post-FA outcomes, socioeconomic variations, and sectoral differences, and compare with other (post)secondary options, addressing the impact of dual training on younger apprentices.

Several factors make the case of FA noteworthy. First, FA coexists with more vocationally oriented Modern Apprenticeships (MA), providing youth with a choice between more academic or workplace-oriented apprenticeship options. FA participants remain in school as students, while MA participants are classified as workers. Second, FA facilitates pathways into higher education, as its qualifications are recognised by Scottish universities. However, differences in the acceptance of sector-specific FA qualifications vary by educational institution.

My study raises questions aimed at assessing the effectiveness of dual apprenticeship in building capital and tests HCT assumptions associating capital accumulation with socioeconomic outcomes by controlling for individual characteristics. I ask:

1. How do post-FA employment and education outcomes vary across socioeconomic groups?

2. Are there sectoral differences?

3. How do these outcomes compare to those related to other education options?

RQ1 explores variations in post-FA employment rates, income levels, and destinations across gender, region, and socioeconomic status. RQ2 addresses potential sectoral differences, acknowledging that different industries may exhibit varying outcomes related to FA participation. RQ3 directly compares the outcomes of FA with those of other (post)secondary options, e.g., apprenticeships at International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) levels four and five.

This paper aims to understand how inequalities manifest in classrooms in India and interact with learning processes. It will focus on the pedagogic practices utilised by teachers in the classroom, specifically the classification and framing rules of knowledge and pedagogy, to understand the relations of power and control lying within the classrooms. This paper is based on an ethnographic study conducted in the government schools of Delhi which aimed at understanding the role of the social identity- the intersection of caste, class, religious, and gender identity- of the learner in mediating the teaching-learning practices and relations in the classroom to facilitate the learning process.

Several studies and assessment surveys worldwide have indicated a link between socio-economic background of students and their schooling experiences. PISA analysis has highlighted the gaps in learning outcomes between students from advantaged and disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Even within schools in India, disparities in learning outcomes are indicated by the poor performance of students from marginalised caste/class groups in arithmetic and language skills. Often poor performance is concentrated in rural or government-run schools. This is furthered by a stratified schooling system wherein students from marginalised castes and the working class attend the majority of the government-run (public) schools, while the most (more expensive) private schools are attended majorly by the middle and upper class/castes. Theories of social class reproduction have been used to analyse schools as sites for the recreation and solidifying of inequalities by embodying the dominant culture or middle-class habitus, developing skills compatible with hierarchical positions, and as a state apparatus for exercising control and hegemony. Studies have indicated the existence of prejudices and discrimination in the schooling experiences of students from marginalised groups but there is limited research that examines the impact of socio-economic differences directly on learning processes especially in the urban context.

This paper uses Basil Bernstein’s theoretical framework that analyses the dialectical relationship of structural inequalities and agency by looking at the relations of power and control at the macro (knowledge production) and also micro (recontextualization) level of the classroom where inequalities can be negotiated or legitimised. Although the conceptualisation originates from a European context, Bernstein provides a comprehensive framework to understand the learning processes in a classroom where the intersection of structural inequalities permeate in light of the gaps in learning outcomes between advantaged and disadvantaged students. This paper theoretically engages with Bernstein and tries to expand the framework beyond social class to include the intersection of identities of caste, religion, class, and gender.

Bernstein explains the pedagogic code of schools as an elaborated code which is transmitted through variations in classification degree ("organisational" elements of pedagogy or “degree of boundary maintenance” of contents) and framing of knowledge (interactional elements of knowledge or degree of control over selection, pacing, and organisation) at the level of instructional discourse and regulative discourse. These shape the power and control relations between teachers, students, knowledge structures, etc. Bernstein argues that although schools reward students with the orientation that enables them to access the context-independent knowledge structures of the school, it is also needed to enable an environment that recognises the identity of working-class students and does not hold a deficit view of marginalised people.

By following this line of inquiry, the paper tries to address the overarching research question: what pedagogic practices (including what knowledge [classification] and how it is transmitted [framing]) are used by the teachers to recontextualize knowledge in the classroom?

In Hungary, after the change of regime in 1990, a number of educational policy changes affected primary schools, which also had a major impact on students' opportunities for further education. These changes in the education system are strongly influenced by both social and economic factors (Andl, 2015, 2020; Halász, 2001), which in the case of Hungarian schools can be mainly seen in the processes of centralisation and decentralisation (Kozma, 2014). In the 1990s, subsidies to local governments played an important role in the life of educational institutions, as they led to a significant increase in the number of schools (Andl, 2015; Imre, 1997). However, the decade was also characterised by segregation in education policy, which mainly affected Roma pupils (Forray, 2009; Forray & Pálmainé Orsós, 2010), and was also contributed to by the right of parents to choose their schools (Havas et al, 2001). This was changed by the integration efforts of the early 2000s, which were also reflected in the school scene. The Integration Pedagogical System (IPS) was established within this framework, providing significant support to the institutions participating in the programme for almost a decade. By 2012, it had been implemented in 2.000 public education institutions and had reached more than 100.000 pupils (Híves, 2016). The „Széll Kálmán Plan”, introduced in 2010, reflects the drive to centralise education: „the state must return to the world of education. The quality of education should not depend on the situation and ad hoc decisions of local governments, the state can bring uniform order in this area” (Széll Kálmán Plan, 2010 cited in Györgyi, 2019, p. 214).

In my research, I will mainly examine the impact of these interventions through the example of an institution that has innovated a lot in the space of thirty years, but is now under threat of closure due to a drastic reduction in the number of students. This institution is one of the participants in the career guidance mentoring programme in which I am involved as a junior researcher. The child-centred pedagogical work in the school and the dedication of the teachers struck me when I was doing input research for this research and development programme. It was then that I began to wonder how, despite its positive values, the survival of the school was threatened.

The research work falls within the framework of the educational poverty phenomenon, which, thanks to the contributions of studies and research, as well as a legislative path incentivized – also – by advocacy efforts from the Third Sector (Save the Children, 2014), has become central in recent years in scientific and political discourse, entering the realm of public policy agendas.

The notion of poverty in the educational context emerged in the social sciences discourse in the late 1990s to draw attention to the multidimensionality of the poverty phenomenon (Anand & Sen, 1997), not entirely reducible to purely economic aspects.

Over the past two decades, there has been extensive discourse in the literature regarding the significance of measuring and analyzing educational poverty (Allmendinger & Leibfried, 2003; Lohmann & Ferger, 2014). It has been emphasized that the impact of educational deprivation is subtle, creating a gap during a vulnerable period that proves challenging to overcome later in life (Battilocchi, 2020). An initial disadvantage can result in a crystallization of the same across different generations and transform cultural factors into hereditary elements, in a vicious circle of poverty.

Numerous international and national organizations have directed attention to poverty and educational challenges, with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development addressing these issues (United Nations General Assembly, 2015). Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1 emphasizes the need to eradicate poverty in all its forms, while SDG 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education, promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. Moreover, many European strategies and recommendations have focused on addressing issues related to poverty and education, starting with the Lisbon Strategy (European Council, 2000).

In this context, accurate measures of educational poverty are crucial for designing effective policy interventions, and local data play a vital role in tailoring actions to specific communities. A review of the scientific literature reveals that the dimensions and measures of educational poverty are not fully developed. In fact, despite numerous studies on the subject (Agasisti et al., 2021; Botezat, 2016), there is still a lack of shared theorization of this notion to date. Educational poverty is understood as a polysemic concept with broad semantic boundaries, multidimensional, and depicted by a poly-perspective characterization. It can be described as a world of deprivation and exclusion that pertains to various forms of educational deprivation, impeding the full development of human potential.

Building on this perspective, this research aims to investigate the phenomenon of educational poverty among minors from migrant backgrounds, who «are particularly exposed to educational poverty due to more challenging family and economic conditions, bureaucratic obstacles, inequalities in accessing high school tracks, and early school dropout» (IDOS Research and Study Center & Institute of Political Studies S. Pio V, 2021, p. 98).

In particular, the investigation is guided by the following research question: 1) What differences can be identified between minors with and without a migratory background regarding the phenomenon of educational poverty? 2) What are the characteristics of the phenomenon of educational poverty among minors from migrant backgrounds? 3) How do some of the most relevant factors, such as socio-economic background, gender, and type of migratory background, influence the educational poverty of minors from migrant backgrounds?

There is an abundance of studies showing that even when educational selection processes are “meritocratically” set up (e.g. standardised, based on achievement), a student’s socioeconomic background still influences the track or stream a student is allocated to (Mijs, 2016, p.18). Yet, there are few studies (e.g. Spruyt, 2015) looking at the way in which people perceive the fairness of educational opportunities. Access to educational opportunities can be conceptualised as “fairness capital”, made out of dimensions related to both societal and personal circumstances (Thomas, 2021).

This article investigates the way in which people educated in different types of educational systems perceive the fairness of educational opportunities in their countries. Thus, this research addresses the following question: How do people with different education levels from Germany and Romania perceive the fairness of educational opportunities in their countries?

Using data from round 9 of the European Social Survey, I look at perceptions of fairness regarding educational opportunities in Germany and Romania. Romania and Germany were selected because they belong to different educational regimes (Dumas et al., 2013). In Germany, there is a relatively strong link between educational qualifications and labour market positions (Allmendinger, 1989), although there are also large social background effects on track allocation in secondary school (Skopek & Leopold, 2020). Inequality has increased in Germany since the beginning of the 2000s, which has been accompanied by a rising share of affluent individuals who believe their society is unfair (Sachweh and Sthamer, 2019). Romania is a post-socialist country that has recently experienced growing levels of inequality, currently being one of the most unequal countries in the EU in terms of income disparities (Precupetu, 2013).

This article explores individuals’ perceptions about the fairness of opportunities for everyone in their country to assess the level of legitimacy attributed to educational systems in Germany and Romania. Moreover, the paper investigates how individuals perceive their own opportunities relative to others in their country, with the aim to infer the satisfaction levels of individuals with different education levels regarding their relative chances to gain the education level sought.

Empirically, research is inconclusive on how education level affects perceptions of meritocracy (Duru-Bellat & Tenret, 2012). Therefore, Mijs (2016) warns that the approach to studying meritocratic beliefs in terms of (universal) human psychology is rather narrow. Instead, he suggests that researchers should explore how different institutional configurations contribute to shaping individuals’ perceptions of meritocracy. Research by Lavrijsen and Nicaise (2016) suggests that opinions about the fairness of opportunities differ significantly between countries. Cross-national variation in perceptions of fairness might be explained by differences in the structure of opportunities in different countries, and the visibility of unfair (dis)advantages.

The visibility of educational privilege could be influenced by the forms of capital that constitute educational privilege. Bourdieu and Passeron (1977) argue that privilege is mostly noticed in its crudest forms, as help with schoolwork, but the essential part of cultural capital is passed on more discretely. Their work talks about the visibility of privilege to external observers, but does not touch on individuals’ awareness of their own privilege. This paper will look at people’s perceptions of their own privilege, as well as the extent to which they evaluate opportunities for other people in their countries as fair.

In order to identify barriers that stand in the way of a fair distribution of educational opportunities, this paper focuses on the opinions of elite students from Germany and Romania. Based on semi-structured interviews, this paper will further answer the question: How do elite students from Germany and Romania conceptualise educational privilege and the barriers to fairly rewarding talent and effort in their countries?

The following paper uses an autoethnographic method to investigate current teacher practice in schools. It narrativises my experience as a high school teacher and illuminates the fragmentary and diminishing spaces for teacher- produced professionalism in education.

The work of teachers in schools has suffered from “the rise of top-down prescription of both the content and form of education” (Biesta, 2020a, p. 72) restricting our professional autonomy - our daily practices defined by measurement of externally-imposed outcomes. The impact of technicist measurement regimes has led to a degradation of the important role of teachers, catalysing a crisis in attracting people to teaching, and misguided descriptions of ‘teacher burnout’ (Santoro, 2019). I discuss Ball’s description of “exteriorisation” (Ball, 2003, p. 226, see Lyotard, 1984 : 4) to external pressures, resulting in a palpable intensification in teachers’ working lives. The intention of this paper is to exemplify and interrogate the daily work of teachers and draw attention to the concomitant problem of retaining teachers in our ‘profession’ (in Australia our professions remains defined by others through externally-imposed standards). I draw on three decades of work as a practising English teacher in secondary schools in New South Wales, Australia to explore the paradigm that reduces individual teacher judgement and professionalism and encourages a sense of ‘demoralisation’ (Santoro, 2019) about my/our work.

Common narratives exist of ‘teachers do a wonderful job’, but… ‘they also need to prepare students for an unknown future, improve standardised testing results, focus on student-centred learning, teach online for ‘asynchronous learning’, teach to demonstrate ‘competency’ in achieving outcomes, track student data for school improvement…’. The list goes on and on, highlighting a confusing and disturbing melange of disparate and externally-imposed purposes.

In this paper, I tell a story about the tensions between externally-imposed factors and teacher professionalism and artistry. ‘Artistry’ should be endemic to teaching practice and involves making situational, pedagogical decisions in response to uncertain or unexpected moments in the classroom. This differs substantially to the current discourse of teacher ‘competency’ or ‘proficiency’, which reduces teacher artistry/practice to the fulfilment and measurement of outcomes and often stifles artistry/creativity in drawing out ‘subjectifying’ experiences. I draw on Gert Biesta’s writing, as his work focuses on the rediscovering the importance of teaching, particularly in the subjectification domain of educational purpose. Subjectification relates to the “subjectivity or subject-ness of those we educate”, (Biesta, 2013, p. 4) becoming “subjects of action and responsibility”, (Biesta, 2013, p.18), which orientates them towards questions about problems in relation to freedom and emancipation. The other purposes of education, qualification and socialisation, (Biesta, 2013), are overly emphasised in current schooling systems in Australia and other parts of the Anglosphere and the Global North, resulting in a reduction in the importance of teacher virtuosity (Biesta, 2103) and teacher-led professional action. Teaching in the subjectification domain requires freedom in teacher practice to maintain the integrity of education as an educational field, not one colonised by multiple external incursions.

Schools should be places of ‘freedom’ for students, providing ‘free time’ and the “space to leave their own known environment, rise above themselves and renew (and thus change in unpredictable ways) the world” (Masschelein & Simons, 2013, p. 9-10). Without this ‘renewal’, Biesta (2013) argues that education and democracy are at risk.

My paper highlights the extent to which teacher professionalism has been hindered as our practices are inflected by discourses of accountability and performativity, the antithesis to Biesta’s ideas about education. Referring to Biesta’s more recent work, I further consider how I navigate the contemporary classroom and varied school systems and attempt to maintain a sense of purpose in my work.

The following is my proposal for a PhD research project. I am looking to present this project in hopes of receiving feedback on my research design.

While universities increasingly aim to address the contemporary crises faced by society, it is critical educators who contextualize such crises as structural and help students engage with these structures. The demand for critical education is more pressing than ever, yet the struggles such educators face in the classroom are often unaddressed. To teach a course on capitalism, white-supremacy and patriarchy means to create both personal and interpersonal tensions in your classroom. Students arguing with each other, students arguing with the lecturer, frustration, expectation, disappointment and sometimes even anger are par for the course of critical education. The point is not that ‘regular’ education does not encounter its own set of tensions, such as neoliberal policy forcing the instrumentalization of higher education, but that critical educators experience an added set of tensions that revolve around their course content and pedagogy. While such tensions are highly visible, sometimes even making the news, they are rarely conceptualized as something structural, as something which educational programs need to account for.

One explanation for such tensions in critical education revolves around the politicization of ‘critical’ topics. The topics addressed by critical educators are politically contentious topics, racism, feminism, the climate crisis, which means there will be divisions and disagreements along people’s political alignment. This explanation covers some of the difficulties critical educators face, allegations of ‘wokeness’ or students who expect certain conclusions from you. However, this explanation fails to explain why these topics become political and therefore fails to explain a range of other tensions encountered in critical education. Another explanation for the tensions in critical education says that critical education arouses anger and other emotions that can derail the classroom (Zembylas, 2007; Harlap, 2014). For example, a student might take offense to the course content and their discontent becomes a stumbling block to continue class. A flaw of this explanation is that it is too broad. Any classroom tension can be classified as related to emotions and it remains unclear why critical education would arouse more emotions than ‘regular’ education. While these explanations are not exhaustive, the struggles facing critical education remain obscure and therefore difficult if not impossible for universities to take account of.

The central questions for my research proposal would then be: how can educational scientists conceptualize the particular struggles facing critical education? What even are the tensions experienced by critical educators? Lastly, how are these tensions related to the structures addressed by critical educators?

Theoretically, to investigate the tensions critical educators experience in university classrooms the project will lean on three concepts. First, I will use Paulo Freire’s understanding of critical education and specifically his concept of ‘the oppressor in us’, second Max Van Manen’s concept of ‘critical reflection’ as the goal for critical education, and third Baxter’s conceptualization of tensions as dialectical and other scholar’s application of dialectical tensions to the classroom setting.

Historically, school mathematics has been viewed as a complex and abstract subject with little relevance to daily life (Ernest, 2016). Eccles (1983) found that student negativity towards mathematics increases over time, mirroring a decline in self-belief and motivation. Eccles et al. (1993) subsequently investigated the causes of declining motivation, and found that getting older was not the primary driver; rather the decline was influenced by teachers exhibiting more control over students as they advanced through grades, restricting student decision-making and conveying lower expectations in students’ ability.

In their seminal report, Kilpatrick et al. (2001) identified five interconnected components that are necessary to learn mathematics successfully. One of these components is productive disposition, essentially a combination of self-efficacy and perceived usefulness for mathematics (Kilpatrick et al., 2001). Both self-efficacy and seeing that mathematics demonstrates utility (useful for future goals) are considered vital for motivation (Gafoor & Kurukkan, 2015).

For this study, Eccles & Wigfield’s (2020) Situated Expectancy-Value Theory will be used as a theoretical framework. The framework indicates primarily that expectancies and values drive future performance. Eccles (1983) found that motivation is boosted when students value the tasks that they are engaging with. Task values are a function of attainment values (Importance of succeeding), intrinsic values (Enjoyment), utility values (help with forthcoming goals) and cost(Eccles & Wigfield, 2020). In their framework, Eccles & Wigfield (2020) indicate that utility value is the most ‘malleable’ of task values. Utility value interventions have shown promise in improving student effort generally (Hulleman et al., 2008), but also specifically within mathematics (Liebendörfer & Schukajlow, 2020). However, despite evidence that utility value interventions positively impact student motivation, many teachers are unaware of its relevance (Hulleman & Barron, 2013).

While utility value interventions may improve motivation, what one person might see as useful another may not; it is important to remain cognisant of the fact that utility values are individual, and can be influenced by cultural differences. It is therefore worthwhile considering the potential of culturally responsive teaching as a method of enhancing students’ perceived utility values towards mathematics. Hunter et al. (2016) noted student reactions to culturally relevant interventions, citing comments such as “When the problems are about us you can see that maths is real and it’s useful……not just something random you do at school”. This demonstrates that relating mathematics to familiar contexts can impact utility value. Lowrie (2004) also highlights the benefits of using artefacts to make mathematical tasks more realistic, which may lead to students seeing increased utility value in mathematics.

Another approach that has been noted as supporting students to understand the relevance of more abstract mathematical concepts is mathematical modelling (Liebendörfer & Schukajlow, 2020). With mathematical modelling there is no definite answer; students take real-life scenarios, mathematise them, identify variables, make assumptions, generate initial solutions before iteratively reviewing the process (Sahin et al., 2019). By engaging with the process of modelling, students can reflect and generate further examples themselves. Regular Mathematical modelling tasks can enable students to encounter numerous concepts routinely in a variety of contexts, benefitting productive disposition and indeed all five components of mathematical proficiency (Kilpatrick et al., 2001).

The goal of this research is to draw together mathematical modelling and culturally responsive teaching in an approach to mathematics teaching that aims increase students’ perceived utility values, productive disposition and motivation, ultimately contributing to successful learning of mathematics. The overarching research question is: What impact does incorporating culturally relevant mathematical modelling tasks have on students’ utility value for mathematics?

Educational assessment studies show that students have difficulties in mathematics, particularly in problem solving. This could be a difficulty in at least one of the four phases (Polya, 1945), namely: understanding the problem, making a plan, carrying out the plan, and looking back. Other studies have also examined the different ways in which students cope with such difficulties. Problem solving is a fundamental skill, both now and in the future. Researchers have long been concerned with its development, and its relevance remains undiminished. The academic study of problem solving emerged in the second half of the 20th century. In the 1970s and 1980s, it focused primarily on elucidating the nature of mathematical problems, students' approaches to solving them, and the salient aspects of problem solving that warrant investigation (Schoenfeld, 1985). More recently, scholarly attention has shifted to educators' perspectives on problem solving and strategies for its improvement (Boaler, 2002; Schoenfeld, 2010, 2014; Stein et al., 2008).

In this study, we have investigated the multifaceted domain of problem solving, with a particular focus on the strategies employed in solving mathematical word problems. Van der Schoot et al. (2009) investigated the factors that differentiate successful and less successful problem solvers in their approach to word problems, highlighting in particular the impact of consistency and markedness. Recognised as a fundamental tool for assessing students' practical application of mathematical knowledge, mathematical word problems are often presented in text form rather than using purely mathematical symbols (Daroczy et al., 2015). In solving these problems, as highlighted by Verschaffel et al. (2000), the solver is required to use mathematical operations on known or inferred numerical values from the problem statement to arrive at a solution. This process, according to Kang et al. (2023), can serve as an indicator of the problem solver's abstract reasoning ability. Recently, the scholarly focus has shifted to exploring educators' perspectives on problem solving and coping strategies to improve it (Boaler, 2002; Schoenfeld, 2010, 2014; Stein et al., 2008). Significantly, not every mathematical word problem is sufficiently challenging for students, highlighting the need for exposure to truly complex tasks that promote mathematical sense making (Marcus & Fey, 2003; NCTM, 1991; van de Walle, 2003). Word problems are a particularly difficult type of problem for mathematics students (Verschaffel et al., 2020). Jacobson (2023) defines dyscalculia as a term for specific learning disabilities that affect a child's ability to do arithmetic and number. The estimated prevalence is 5-7% in primary school children. Mathematics covers a wide range of areas: arithmetic, problem solving, geometry, algebra, probability and statistics. Solving mathematical problems requires students to mobilise a range of skills related to number sense, symbol decoding, memory, visuospatial skills, logic, etc., and may lead to difficulties in any one or a combination of these skills (Karagiannakis et al., 2014). Even if these students have not been diagnosed with a mathematical disorder, they need systematic support to learn mathematics because, according to a study by Nelson and Powel (2017), they are likely to continue to experience mathematical difficulties in the future. This paper aims to construct a model for overcoming mathematics learning difficulties by taking into account the congruent abilities required for problem solving, based on Feuerstein's (2015) mediated learning method and Karagiannakis et al.'s (2014) mathematics learning difficulties.

How to develop skills and motivation to learn mathematics?

I speak from the perspective of Polish experiences in developing maths education. I refer to transmissive teaching in accordance with the curriculum culture. I do this with hope this might be interesting for an international audience as the beyond Polish specificity this case pertains to a more universal validity. The results my research show the importance of individualization of teaching and the role of building a sense of self-competence and mathematical self-confidence. At school, mathematics education is often based only on providing students with knowledge and implementing the core curriculum. According to Małgorzata Żytko (2013), the National Survey of Third-Grade Skills [Ogólnopolskie Badanie Umiejętności Trzecioklasistów, OBUT] suggested that the main aim of education is the implementation of the core curriculum, not the development of children and meeting their individual educational needs. Anna Brzezińska (1986) similarly stated that the teaching and communication style in the teaching-learning process should be "child-oriented" and not "core curriculum-oriented". She said that you should talk to the child and organize situations in which the student actively participates, investigates and tries to solve problems on his own. In turn, Edyta Gruszczyk-Kolczyńska (2011) proved that primary school reduces mathematical abilities. She showed that more than 50% preschoolers have mathematical abilities such as ease of learning mathematics, great cognitive curiosity, creativity, accuracy and independence in solving mathematical tasks. In the group of first-graders, only 12,5% students has outstanding talents. Gruszczyk-Kolczyńska noticed that after eight months of school, children are less creative, less courageous and have a lower sense of meaning in learning than in kindergarten. Therefore, the priority of my research was to focus on the developing the skills and motivation to learn mathematics of students with different levels of competence and meeting individual educational needs of each student. The basic questions that guided the research were: how to work on individualised strategies of teaching mathematics being a schoolteacher, so that each student makes progress in learning mathematics? What is the importance of strengthening a child's self-confidence and motivation in learning mathematics? What teaching methods and forms of work will be best for each student? I did the research among eight-grade primary school students. There were 21 students in this group. The research lasted from September 2022 to February 2023. The study group were students from Ukraine, students with dyslexia, selective auditory processing disorders and hyperactivity. I created an original program. It considered the individualization of teaching mathematics. I used a scaffolding strategy and various methods and forms of work (e.g. tutoring, project method, problem-based learning, using tasks with different levels of difficulty) and adapted the subject matter to the cognitive capacity of each student.

The shortage of mathematics teachers has raised several concerns in education systems around the world. One pressing issue involves addressing the vacancies in classrooms, often leading to the emergence of the out-of-field (OOF) teaching phenomenon. This phenomenon entails teaching a subject without a background in the subject or preparation for teaching it. Part of the literature have focused on the impact of teacher qualifications on students’ academic performance. There are studies that reveal disadvantages for students taught by OOF teachers (Porsch & Whannell, 2019). In subjects with cumulative content, such as mathematics, the complexity of which escalates across grade levels, the significance of teachers' qualifications becomes notably pronounced (Hobbs & Törner, 2019). Other strand of literature focus on the consequences for teachers. Challenges in competence and the additional workload associated with OOF teaching are often connected to job dissatisfaction and emotional challenges, including stress, anxiety, and burnout (Buenacosa & Petalla, 2022).

Consequently, different policies have emerged to address the issue of OOF mathematics teaching. Focusing on the English former Teacher Subject Specialism Training (TSST) programme and the Australian (NSW) Mathematics Retraining program, this study was guided by the question: how is the phenomenon of OOF mathematics teaching constructed in these two policies? Remembering that policies are designed by people makes us reflect on the assumptions that were made about the phenomenon, and which were left out

In 2023, the media has echoed the phenomenon, highlighting that 12% mathematics lessons are taught by someone without a mathematics degree in England, while in Australia 33% of secondary maths teachers were OOF (Carey & Caroll., 2023; Weale, 2023). England and Australia share historical ties, but they also exhibit distinctive educational systems shaped by unique cultural, policy, and contextual factors. This paper shedding light on the nuanced ways each case problematizes and therefore acts upon the same phenomenon. This paper has two objectives. On the one hand, to identify, through the analysis of two international cases, the assumptions regarding the phenomenon of OOF teaching. On the other hand, to compare the representations given to the phenomenon in England and NSW.

Traditionally in policy analysis, there has been a conventional belief that policy documents are rational and objective reactions to pre-established and fixed social problems (Bacchi, 2009; Ball, 1993). Therefore, analysts often inquire “what is this policy doing to fix the identified problem?” (Bacchi, 2009). Bacchi argues that these texts, by outlining necessary changes, incorporate implicit representations of the issue or problem they intend to address. Moreover, she contends that such policy documents may inadvertently contribute to defining and spreading the very issues they seek to solve.

Title: Unveiling Educational Needs: A Narrative Inquiry into Kazakh Adult Returnees from China.

The role of adult education as a means of adaptation of citizens to changing society is crucial. One of the communities which tend to be in demand of adaptation and smooth integration into broader society in Kazakhstan are ethnic Kazakh returnees. Returnees from the regions beyond the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) charachtarized by distinctive political regimes and socio-cultural features and writing systems that differ from Central Asian countries have drawn significant scholarly interest which stemmed from various factors which include returnees experience related to adaptation and integration issues in Kazakhstan. This research focuses particularly on adult returnees who come from China and who constitute the second biggest share of returnees among Kazakh diasporas in the world. Various disciplines have sliced the returnee experiences and issues from their perspectives. In particular, the scholarly discourse on China Kazakh returnees in Kazakhstan revolve around historical, legal, economic and political, socio-cultural aspects of the repatriation and adaptation and integration issues. There has been a limited scholarly investigation into the role of education as both a contributing factor to addressing issues among adult returnees and a mitigating factor in the context of integration. While the legal and regulatory framework for migration has been established and continues to evolve in the country, it is important to highlight returnees’ ongoing integrative challenges. Literature states that lifelong policy predominantly caters for local residents, which raises the concern about its inclusivity. Recognizing the broader challenges related to adaptation and integration, this exploratory study aims to explore educational needs of Kazakhstani adult returnees from China from returnee perspectives. The overarching question of this study is what educational needs do adult returnees have to aid in their successful adjustment and assimilation? This study explores educational needs of adult returnees through Bourdieu's concepts of ‘habitus’ ‘field’, ‘doxa’, and the Third Space Theory by (Bhabha, 1994) and Intersectionality Theory by (Crenshaw, 1991). The study used an eclectic theoretical framework as individually the mentioned theories provide fragmented picture and cannot individually help me in understanding educational needs of returnees therfore I cinsider them within the Third Space theory by Bhabha (1994); it is a suitable lens through which I can tap into the complex process of in-betweenness that is cultural hybridity and identity formation experienced by the returnees. As this theory is defined as ‘third space’ where the fusion and convergence of the individual’s prior socio-cultural experiences and new socio-cultural context occur (Bhabha, 1994). I will witness how the returnees’ hybrid identities are constructed, how they negotiate their dual or multiple cultural affiliations and how the negotiation and hybrid identity impact returnees’ educational needs and what educational resources they seek . Through this theory I acknowledges that their needs are not just shaped by straightforward factors like language proficiency or job skills but are intricately linked to their personal histories, societal structures, cultural norms, and evolving identities. In essence, Third Space theory offers a comprehensive lens through which the multi-layered experiences of returnees can be understood and addressed in terms of education. This research can contribute to knowledge by bridging the current gap in the existing body of knowledge on the subject matter, thereby facilitating understanding of the Kazakhstani context bound educational experience of adult returnees and their educational needs in the context of local and global migrant education.

This research is aimed at studying the transit trajectory of students’ progress to higher education after achieving vocational qualification. In the Russian educational context, vocational education means graduating from a community college. Community college graduates may be motivated by a variety of reasons when choosing a transit pathway.

Firstly, the educational path of «community college – university» can be considered as a widespread channel of social mobility. From the point of view of rational action theory, the researchers agree that the most socially and economically disadvantaged social groups choose vocational education (Alexandrov, Tenisheva, & Savelyev, 2015; Konstantinovskiy & Popova, 2018). At the same time, due to the transit trajectory, the path to higher education and social mobility upon graduation is not blocked for such students. Since Russian community college graduates can enter higher education without passing the Unified State Examination (USE), this path is called "bypass maneuver" (Adamovich, 2022).

Second, according to the theory of human capital, higher education contributes to the accumulation of the general human capital (Becker, 1962). This can be a significant incentive to increase the potential return on education. Various studies in Russia repeatedly showcase the positive impact of higher education and work experience on the success of entering the labour market (Dudyrev, Romanova, & Travkin, 2020; Roshchin & Rudakov, 2017).

And thirdly, in terms of the signal theory, by obtaining a higher level of education such as a bachelor’s degree after a vocational qualification, the candidates signal to the employer that they are productive and deserve a higher salary (Spence, 1973). Thus, community college graduates can enroll in higher education in order to provide a signal to the employer of their productivity and, as a result, grounds for potential wage increases.

Education and career trajectories are a common subject of both sociological and economic research. Sociological research is aimed at identifying the reasons for the choice of a particular educational path, and economic studies — its results. Sociologists, for example, often study educational routes based on the theory of rational action (Breen & Goldthorpe, 1997) and relative risk aversion (Breen & van de Werfhorst, 2014).

Economic studies, in turn, examine the results of an educational route. According to the theory of the human capital (Becker, 1962), students who have progressed from community college to university acquire human capital and become more promising candidates in the labor market. It can be assumed that investment in transit educational trajectory, in the long term, will bring higher income and protection from precarious employment (Maltseva & Rosenfeld, 2022).

The progression of college graduates to higher education is actively discussed by researchers in Russia (Yastrebov, Kosyakova & Kurakin, D., 2018). However, studying predictors associated with the Russian young people entering the transit trajectory remains scarce. In addition, the career trajectories of such students have not yet been covered by empirical research.

The purpose of this study is to identify factors related to the choice of transit education trajectory (socio-economic status (SES), academic achievement, personal characteristics). In addition, this study examines the relationship between the «transit» educational trajectory and the salaries of its graduates. In this research, a transit educational route is classified into two types — completed transit (entering university immediately after community college graduation) and postponed transit (entering university some time after community college graduation).

This research study answers the following questions:

1. What is the likelihood of obtaining higher education by the age of 25 (entering the transitory trajectory) among those who have received vocational qualification, depending on their SES and academic abilities?

2. Does this educational trajectory result in higher wages for its graduates?

This paper will draw upon the first two years of my doctoral studies in order to address an overarching question: how can caring communities be co-created in our schools?

In the context of global conflicts, polarisation of political beliefs, rising inequalities and the climate crisis, learning to live together well and collaborate are arguably the ethical imperatives of our times (Booth, 2018; Samanani, 2022; IEA, 2022). School environments hold the potential to be sites of relational learning, in which both staff and students can learn experientially about coexistence, and how we might collaborate to address common issues. Dewey conceptualises the school environment as a ‘miniature community’: a participatory space, in which we can learn through processes of co-construction and reflecting upon our interactions (1941). As well as a co-learning space, the school community also holds the potential to be an invaluable source of social, emotional and wellbeing support (The Children’s Society, 2023).

Yet the extent to which our education systems are preparing young people to grapple, collaboratively, with the challenges we are facing, and enabling schools to support the social and emotional needs of those within their care, can be called into question by urgent calls to transform education globally in light of the climate crisis, and situated reports of alienation and unhappiness in English state secondary schools (e.g. Higham, 2021; Tannock, 2021; UNESCO, 2021; The Children's Society, 2023; McPherson et al., 2023; Haraway, 1988). In the face of these international and national challenges, this paper draws upon the concepts of care, agency and community to theoretically and empirically consider the role of school communities today.

This paper explores the potential for participation, support and connection at school through the lens of care: a broad and expansive concept that connects how we relate to each other and the world around us (Dobson and Higham, paper in progress). The theoretical framework for this paper also draws upon the literature review from the first year of my doctoral study, in which I brought together literature on care and agency to theorise an agential ethic of care, elevating our capacity to act together in care in education (references include: Tronto, 1993; Owis, 2022; Noddings, 1984; Higham and De Vynck, 2019).

In order to address the central question of how we might co-create caring communities in our schools, this paper will present initial findings from my Economic and Social Research Council-funded doctoral research, which explores: how care and community are lived and experienced in state secondary schools in England at present; barriers to and opportunities for co-creating caring communities in our schools; and emergent possibilities from care and community-centred collaborative research in schools. This field work will provide a situated example of knowing with staff and students in the English context – yet the findings hold international implications, in light of the global challenges we face (Haraway, 1988).

Current societies are characterized by their complexity and globalization, as they must face different global challenges that manifest themselves on a local and regional scale, such as the climate crisis and economic and social inequalities. In order to understand these situations, it is essential to learn how to adapt to these constant changes that seem to become more accentuated over time. Knowledge of these phenomena can help us to understand our attitudes and behaviors in the environment, to contribute so as to benefit it with favorable actions and change those that can harm it. Sustainability competencies are understood as the combination of cognitive skills, practical abilities, and ethical values and attitudes that empower individuals and communities to contribute to sustainability (Bianchi et al., 2022; Brundiers et al). The European Framework of Sustainability competences GreenComp was recently published in order to promote and enrich educational programs so that students develop habits, processes and attitudes in favor of sustainability and public health (Bianchi et al, 2022).

This research aims, on the one hand, to inform about the diversity of competences that have been assessed and plenty of instruments that have been designed, validated and applied to measure these competencies in school context and, in the other hand, to communicate about the role of climate school assemblies in the sustainability competencies students’ achievement (EDUCLIMAD project). The EDUCLIMAD project aims to implement school assemblies for the climate as an innovative, democratic and collaborative methodology to learn, deliberate, make informed decisions and search for solutions in a critical and committed way, to deal with climate change and promote sustainability at a local and regional level. Therefore, the school climate assemblies are considered as an innovative, democratic and collaborative methodology to learn, deliberate, make informed decisions and seek solutions in a critical and committed manner to address climate change and promote local and regional sustainability, as well as to achieve the competences in sustainability, established in the European GreenComp framework (Bianchi et al, 2022).

The main research questions guiding this doctoral research are: 1) What are the different sustainability competencies’ assessment approaches and tools used in Secondary Education? 2)How can effective assessment tools be designed to measure students' sustainability competencies?; 3) What is the influence of school climate assemblies in the development of sustainability competencies amongst students?. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted related to sustainability competencies’ assessment in secondary education. The evaluation resources used in the different investigations are interviews, discussion groups, workshops, drawings and pre and post questionnaires, being the latter the most used to evaluate sustainability competencies among students. These results also reflect the current state of evaluation and offer interesting implications for educators, teachers and researchers working on the development and acquisition of sustainability competencies in secondary education. Moreover, provides detailed information on the influence of climate assemblies on sustainability competencies’ assessment among students through a pre- and post-test instrument related on sustainability behaviors and contextualized situations related to the sustainability competences proposed by the European GreenComp framework (2022). To sum up, this research addresses the challenge of designing competence-based Education for Sustainability, where clear pedagogical and assessment strategies must be defined, tested and documented on how learners develop these competencies to contribute to a collective sustainable social transformation of our societies, specifically focusing on educational context.

In France and within the European Union, representative democracies are in crisis due to the rise of abstention and the erosion of public confidence in the institutions. The COVID health crisis and the social distancing measures have contributed to the deterioration of physical interactions in social life. Researches on civic engagement and political participation in educational sciences and psychology tell us what engagement is, what representations individuals or institutions have of civic rights and duties (Civic Knowledge Framework, 2023). Beyond these researches, how can research contribute to positive social transformation? What challenges awaits the researcher wanting to use research as a transformative channel? Grounded in a multidisciplinary approach, the research evoked in this paper seeks to accompany changes in posture, both among elected officials and citizens, at a municipal level to recreate a participatory culture and repair frayed local social bonds. It is a qualitative longitudinal research and we have been invited into this municipality via the mayor and some of the elected representatives to follow a local experimentation on a new participation project. This is a local policy set by the elected council to involve citizens in collective projects for the municipality. Using institutional analysis (Lourau, 1970), psychosociological studies on group, crisis and the collective imaginary (Guist-Desprairies, 2009), and certain studies in political science (Amnå&Ekman, 2014), we have designed a framework to accompany a participatory council made of volunteer citizens and elected officials, and we try to help them understand and overcome conflicts and contradictions to recreate a participatory culture. The theoretical framework is based on the institutional socio-clinical approach that “aims to think together about the singular futures of subjects (their practices, their subjectivities) and institutional and political transformations.” (Monceau, 2013).

It is necessary to say that I have been following the participative council since December 2022 and a lot of steps have been taken. At the beginning of the participation project, the municipality paid a service provider to apply a new method of scientific mediation inspired by the work of Bruno Latour. The citizens gathered for the workshops. A part of those citizens became members of the participative council that emerged from the first period of the participation project.

The pandemic experience has solidified the knowledge of how crucial it is to periodically pursue additional education and possess soft skills, as well as being able to adjust to changing circumstances (WEF, 2020; Deloitte, 2020).

The basic concept of human capital is typically used to frame discussions about involvement in continuing education, which is meant to accumulate this form of capital and so to give profits to its owner (Korshunov, Shirkova, Gorbunova, 2023). Therefore, researchers in continuing education concentrate on adult education providers and the demographics of those who take advantage of these opportunities (Korshunov, Gaponova, Gaponova, 2019). They also study the effects of additional professional training on salary (Travkin., 2014), job satisfaction (Karmaeva, Zakharov, 2021), and the smoothness of the education and employment transition (Du Bois-Reymond, Blasco, 2003; Machin, McNally, 2007).

However, taking into account the process of creating one's own educational trajectory is overlooked. For example, education can be used to "upgrade" a current position (either on one's own initiative or at the request of an employer), but it can also be used as a means of sidestepping to occupy a different position within the labor market's structure (Kosyakova, Y., & Bills, D. B., 2021). It turns out that the cross-sectional approach does not allow us to see structural changes: from whatever sector of work people are obliged to retrain and where they are heading, which path and level of education is more self-sufficient, or, conversely, demands (or stimulates) continued education.

Research examining education systems and the communities they serve seeks to understand the past endeavours, current realities, and future hopes for inclusive education worldwide (Lyons et al., 2016; Van Mieghem et al., 2020; Yada et al.,2022). The United Nations has recognised the need for inclusive and equitable education opportunities for all (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 1994; United Nations, 2006). Most recently, in Transforming our World Agenda for Sustainable Development (United Nations General Assembly, 2015), the United Nations outlined 17 sustainable development goals for people, planet and prosperity. Goal four identifies inclusive education as necessary to meet the target for a sustainable and resilient world. Additionally, the vision of the European Agency Statistics on Inclusive Education (EASIE) states that “All learners of any age are provided with meaningful, high-quality educational opportunities in their local community, alongside their friends and peers.” (European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, 2024). The Agency’s position statement – second edition (European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, 2022) emphasises the importance of all ‘education actors’ to widen their understanding of inclusive education by including the voices of learners, increasing the capacity of schools and learners, developing partnerships with stakeholders, and by increasing societal awareness of the impact of segregation and social isolation. Understanding school leader’s experiences and perspectives across regions, therefore, is key to evaluating the past, assessing the present and identifying future goals for inclusive education in Europe and internationally.

This presentation investigates school leaders’ perspectives about the factors they identify as influential to their school staff’s collective efficacy for inclusive practices. While collective teacher efficacy is broadly acknowledged as an important factor contributing to school performance outcomes (Bandura, 1997; Donohoo et al., 2020; Goddard, 2001), collective teacher efficacy for inclusive education, is a less measured construct in the field of education (Lyons et al., 2016; Sharma et al., 2023). To date, a limited amount of research suggests that collective teacher efficacy is an important contributing factor in the delivery of inclusive practices across a school (Chong & Ong, 2016; Lyons et al., 2016; Sharma et al., 2023). In this presentation, the views of school leaders from Melbourne Australia will be shared. More specifically, in this research, their perspectives about the collective efficacy of their staff as they navigate their school’s inclusive journey were examined. The specific research questions that guided this study were.

1. What factors do school principals identify as the facilitators in enhancing collective efficacy and commitment to inclusive education in their school?

2. What factors do school principals identify as the barriers to enhancing collective efficacy and commitment to inclusive education in their school?

Individuals with disabilities are entitled to be recognized as experts in their own experiences, therefore they can be considered as the most appropriate research participants to provide reliable information regarding these experiences. Converging to their educational past, these experiences are of utmost importance, as they can reveal oppressive structures within school and society. Considering their descriptions and understandings of their educational past, not only are their voices emancipated, but at the same time proposals are being promoted that may lead to more inclusive educational settings (Vlachou & Papananou, 2015).

In this context, the aim of the research was to explore and reveal the quality of education of women with Deafblindness and the challenges they experienced throughout their school years. Through this study, awareness of Deafblindness as a distinct disability is clearly raised (WFDB, 2018). At the same time, the voice of this doubly marginalized group (both women and disabled) is emancipated, as feminist literature suggests that adult women with disabilities remain largely disregarded in the disability rights movement (Evans, 2019; Ferri & Gregg 1998). Qualitative research was conducted as it was well suited to explore the main research question (Flick, 2018), namely of how these women define and make sense of their school experiences. The main research tool was semi-structured interviews, which were conducted individually with each participant. The participants, who were chosen purposively, were two adult women with acquired Deafblindness, who received their education in Australia but then moved to Cyprus.

Thematic analysis of research data revealed that although the two women were in a mainstream school, alongside their peers, they were not meaningfully included in their school environment. Segregation was clearly evident, as Deaf students had to attend a different class. Moreover, the two participants were included in the so-called classroom of the Deaf, although they were Deafblind, and joined the classroom of hearing students only in certain subjects, such as physical education, art, and carpentry. The main challenge they both experienced was the rejection, not only of hearing students, but also of their Deaf classmates, as they had not fully accepted them due to their intersectionality (Zavos, 2021). Moreover, given that they migrated from Cyprus to South Australia and later on, moved back to Cyprus, they were also discriminated at because of their origin. It therefore becomes evident that this doubly marginalized group of women, actually became multi marginalized because of their gender, their Deafblindness, as well as their origin.

Through this study, it is revealed that different forms of oppression overlap to create complex forms of discrimination. Therefore, the importance of this study, which is still in progress and will evolve to include other doubly marginalized women as participants, lies in that it reveals the complex nature of intersectionality, as used in gender studies. This is, in our opinion, a crucial aspect that needs to be pointed at in multi-country research networks.

Finally, even though the participants of this study graduated from school four decades ago, segregation of children with disabilities is still practiced in schools. It is clear that there is a need to implement inclusive education in order to create diverse classrooms, fostering respect and acceptance. We hold that it is only through the study of the complex nature of segregation, that we can aim to develop a more inclusive society.

Inclusive education is a universal pedagogical trend, covering a broad range of research areas such as race, ethnicity, gender, culture, language, religion, and ability. An inclusive system concerns the rights, social justice, and equity within education for all, especially the marginalised groups (UNICEF, 2023). The idea of inclusive education in Lithuania is fairly new with its current focus being the official structural shift from a multi-track system to an inclusive one starting in the beginning of 2024. This implies moving away from the language of learners with developmental disorders to learners with special educational needs (SEN). With changing demographics such as a vastly increasing number of returned immigrant and refugee pupils, inclusion in learning settings requires more versatile skills and expertise based on a profound understanding of the ideology of inclusion (Määttä, Äärelä, and Uusiautti, 2018).

Yet, teachers have continued to report ongoing support of segregationist ideas (Ališauskas and Šimkienė, 2013); implementation difficulties in differentiating teaching methods, feeling a lack of readiness to foster student socialisation and dialogue with parents, and experiencing a gap in multiprofessional collaboration (Lakkala et al., 2019).Contextual urgency lies in the changing demographics of the student body and impacts resulting to the urgency to reconsider diversity and inclusion beyond SEN in Lithuanian schools, and how current teacher training prepares future teachers for this.

Here, the practical theory of inclusive teachers requires the ability to recognise and reflect on the factors that support or hinder the inclusion of all students (cf. Shani and Hebel, 2016), both the obvious and the hidden.This is especially true in the context of educational reforms in Lithuania since its re-independence in 1990- which has heavily impacted (initial) teacher training curriculum, especially while moving towards competencies-based education (Rutkienė and Ponomarenko, 2019). As the new teachers' competence frameworks look to refocus on teachers' didactical competencies (individual learning needs, differentiation of teaching instruction, and teachers' self-reflection) and general competencies (i.e. professional communication skills, cultural competence)- beyond merely subject-focused competencies. How teacher educators comprehend inclusion and diversity in education- within the new requirements- significantly influences their teaching and modelling of these principles to the prospective teachers.

Personalised learning, learner profiles, and diverse learning styles are integral to delivering inclusive education. Tailoring instruction to meet individual needs through personalised learning strategies enhances student engagement and achievement, essential for inclusive education (Tomlinson, 1999). Recognising and catering to various learning styles, such as visual, auditory, or kinaesthetic, ensures that instruction resonates with each student, thereby supporting inclusive practices (Fleming & Mills, 1992). In essence, combining personalised learning approaches, an understanding of diverse learning styles, and detailed learner profiles are key to developing an inclusive educational system that caters to the unique needs of every student (Kaminskiene & Khetsuriani, 2019). Comprehensive learner profiles, which include cognitive abilities, interests, and socio-cultural backgrounds, aid educators in creating effective and inclusive learning environments (Hattie, 2009). These profiles are crucial in inclusive classrooms, where the diversity of learning needs is more pronounced (Florian & Black-Hawkins, 2011). The integration of technology also plays a significant role in personalising learning, offering tools to address varied learning needs and styles, pivotal in today's digital age (Prensky, 2001).

Responding to this, this study investigates how a prominent Lithuanian teacher training university is incorporating personalised learning practices and differentiated instruction within the broader framework of inclusive education. It focuses on understanding teacher training faculty members' strategies in preparing educators to meet the diverse learning profiles, styles, and needs of students. The main research question is: How is inclusive education being understood, addressed and approached in teacher training programmes in Lithuania?

Overview of Research Questions, Objectives, and Theoretical Framework:

Existing research suggests that anxiety can emerge in children as young as five years old, yet the exploration of childhood anxiety is limited due to its discreet manifestations. Aligned with the conference theme 'Education in an Age of Uncertainty: Memory and Hope for the Future,' this study emphasises every child's right to timely support within their natural environment. Building on a recent systematic literature review (Choy et al., under review) on effective interventions for anxiety in children aged 2-12 years, including those with co-morbid autism spectrum condition (ASC), we developed an innovative program integrating collaborative play and evidence-based strategies. The primary aim of the 14 to 33-week fieldwork was to examine methods for reducing anxiety in children, with and without ASC, and assess potential enhancements in social skills and executive functions. Additionally, the study aims to explore the role of the broader school environment in supporting children experiencing anxiety, whether it be generalized or social anxiety. The investigation also explored the short-, medium-, and long-term implications associated with anxiety events, encompassing psychological, emotional, behavioural, and social dimensions. The key research questions guiding the study were:

1. Did the implementation of a 14 to 33-week "build-to-play" approach lead to reduced anxiety, as reported by teachers, parents, and researcher-conducted observations among a sample of 12 children (aged 4-6 years) experiencing anxiety (n = 9) or anxiety and ASC (n = 3)?

2. Did a whole class approach to educating children about anxiety, utilising 'bibliotherapy' within the classrooms of the 12 children, result in a better understanding of anxiety, coping mechanisms, and assisting others in managing anxiety?

3. Throughout the fieldwork, what co-constructed strategies were identified through interviews (n = 12) with parents (N = 11 single, 1 dyads) and teachers that supported the reduction of anxiety?

Theoretical Background

The theoretical framework includes four foundational theories essential for shaping the methodology and research design. These theories not only establish a theoretical framework but also direct the application of crucial methodological tools, such as data triangulation and the utilisation of multiple informants, ensuring a thorough interpretation of results. To commence, this paper presents theories concerning the comprehensive development of a child, encompassing dimensions of physical, emotional, cognitive, social, language, and communication. Building upon this foundational understanding, the subsequent section concentrates on situating a child within a broader contextual framework. Following this, an in-depth exploration of Bronfenbrenner's ecological model (1979, 1989) unfolds, presenting both the original model's micro, meso, exo, macro, chrono systems and the person-process-context-time framework.

Subsequently, the Universal Design (UD) framework unfolds, strategically adopted from the study's inception to ensure inclusivity. Specifically, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (Rose & Meyer, 2002) is elucidated, underscoring its role in promoting inclusion from the project's inception.

Following this, the developmental-transactional model (Rubin et al., 2009) is presented, examining the nuanced development of anxiety and the identification of associated risk factors.

Finally, the Empathising-Systemising Theory (Baron-Cohen, 2009) is explored to elucidate the strength-based paradigm for children with anxiety conditions and Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC), providing valuable insights to inform interventions for this distinctive population. In summary, this paper not only synthesises and contextualises these four theories but also underscores their direct application in the prevention and early intervention strategies within the scope of our ongoing study. This integrative approach emphasizes the pivotal role these theories play in shaping the practical facets of the research, ensuring a comprehensive and nuanced exploration of anxiety in children.

Abstract

From a young age, disabled people experience oppression and exclusion in their school environment, due to barriers set by society and the educational system (Waldschmidt et al., 2017). Converging to individuals on the autism spectrum, literature indicates that their voice is often absent from disability discourse (Febriantini, Fitriati & Oktaviani, 2021). Moreover, women (with or without disabilities) also experience social exclusion and oppression (Mamas et al., 2021), which indicates that a disabled woman is subject to double oppression.

The aim of this research is to explore and reveal the quality of education of autistic women in Cyprus, giving emphasis to the challenges and oppression they experienced throughout their school years. The main researcher of this study is an empowered disabled woman herself, therefore the ideological stance from which this research was approached is related to valuing the participants’ descriptions and understandings; we hold that this can lead to their empowerment and perhaps even the ignition of further activism in the disability rights movement. Indeed, a basic underpinning of the evolving field of Disability Studies in Education, is that understandings of the experiences of education for people with disabilities is central, both for developing critiques of the ableist structures in educational settings, as well as suggestions of how education might be otherwise (Slee, Corcoran & Best, 2021).

The main research tool for this qualitative research was semi-structured interviews. Qualitative research was conducted as it was well suited to explore the main research questions, namely of how these women describe and give meaning to their experiences of school life and what suggestions they recommend to future or current teachers for developing more inclusive educational settings. The participants, who were chosen purposively, were two adult women on the autism spectrum, one with verbal and the other with non-verbal communication skills. The research is still in progress and will evolve to include other disabled women.

Through thematic analysis of research data (Miles, Huberman & Saldaña, 2014), four main conclusions emerged. The first conclusion is related to the women’s negative experiences in the school environment and the discrimination they have faced, especially from their teachers. The second is related to their passive participation in the school community. This is quite concerning, as the participants, now in their early twenties, have only recently graduated from school, which points to the fact that there is an ongoing discrimination within the Cypriot educational system. Indeed, relevant local research points to this (Mamas, 2013). Many teachers, due to lack of knowledge on issues related to disability and inclusion, wrongly consider that they include their students in the learning process, when in fact they are simply observed to spatially place them in the general classroom (Majoko, 2019).

The third conclusion is related to the different ways each participant makes sense and defines terms such as special education and inclusion. Results indicate that this may be related both to their school experiences, as well as to their field of graduate studies, as one of the participants studies Psychology, whereas the other Primary Education. Within these two fields of study, there seems to be a different balance of students’ involvement with the medical model and/or the social model of disability.

Lastly, the fourth conclusion relates to what is, in our opinion, a crucial aspect that needs to be discussed in depth within international conferences, namely the complex nature of intersectionality, as used in gender studies. Indeed, results of this research indicate the development of multiple identities/oppressions within school settings, beyond being disabled, which in turn points to the fact that different forms of oppression overlap, to create complex forms of discrimination.

In 2017, the Norwegian teacher education program for primary and lower secondary teachers underwent a transformation, transitioning from a four-year program to a master's degree program. By the spring of 2022, the inaugural cohort of primary and lower secondary teachers graduated, equipped with newly earned master's degrees in teaching.

Norway's official framework for primary and lower secondary teacher education, as outlined by the Ministry of Education and Research (2016a and 2016b), explicitly emphasizes the necessity for teacher education programs to exhibit both high academic quality and coherence. This coherence, although not exclusively, extends to the integration of learning activities conducted on campus and practical experiences, with the latter also referring to organized practicums for teacher education students. However, it is acknowledged that practical experience encompasses various activities beyond structured practicums.

According to the official framework, a teacher education student is required to undergo no less than 110 days of practicum, distributed over the five years of their academic studies. Furthermore, the framework underscores the importance of establishing a close relationship between academic institutions and the professional field represented by practicum schools.

Despite the explicit description of the relationship between theory represented by the teacher education institutions and practice, here represented by the practicum schools, in the official framework, there remains a perceived gap or lack of coherence. Munthe et al., (2020) characterize the nexus between theory and practice in teacher education as a context where diverse arenas converge to support the comprehensive knowledge and competence development of teacher students. The lack of such cohesion is not a novel issue within teacher education, evident in both Norwegian and international contexts (ibid). The perceived situation becomes explicit in for example Canrinus et al., (2017) where teacher students report on a gap between theory and practice, and in Thorsen (2019) where it is highlighted a lack of consensus between school-based and university-based educators when they collaborate during teacher students' practicum.

During practicums, school-based and university-based teacher educators often collaborate in supporting, mentoring, and evaluating teacher students, forming a formalized partnership. In this partnership, both parties contribute their expertise to facilitate the learning of teacher education students, creating a synergy that enhances the learning environment beyond individual capabilities (Lillejord & Børte, 2014). However, there is a potential risk that a lack of coherence in this partnership may widen the gap between the university and schools rather than narrowing it. Considering the perception of the gap between theory and practice as well as the evolving specialized direction of teacher education, there is a keen interest in examining how school-based and university-based teacher educators perceive the competencies essential for future teachers. Our research question is “How do school-based and university-based teacher educators perceive the competencies future teachers require, and are there any discernible tensions in these perceptions?” And we are curious whether this is a place where they agree or disagree with one another, and if so on what.

As mentioned earlier, we want to know how different groups see the skills needed for future teachers. We expect to find tensions, but we do not necessarily know much about what these tensions consist of. A deeper understanding of the present situation will help us focus on improving cooperation between the different parties in this partnership. The goal is to contribute to bridging the gap between theory and practice in teacher education. As we see it, a way to get there is to strengthen the relationship between academic institutions and the professional field represented by practicum schools.

Introduction, Research Objective, and Context:

Handling differences in the classroom is complex for teachers. Both internationally and specifically in the Dutch context, the emphasis on adapting to differences among students in education is strongly emphasized, by both the Ministry of Education (Van Casteren et al., 2017) and the annual reports of the Education Inspectorate. This research aims to gain a better understanding of how teachers use various sources of information about the student and their development and whether teachers actively involve their students in dealing with differences in the classroom. By gaining a better understanding of the teacher's pedagogical reasoning, this can contribute to teacher education regarding handling differences in the classroom.

Theoretical Framework:

How teachers respond to diversity by deciding about the education of their students has been described by Richard Snow (1997) as an ‘awesome balancing act’ in which teachers continuously need to make decisions about when and how (or not) to adapt to the characteristics and needs of their students (Parsons et. al, 2018). Responding to what a student needs requires knowledge and skills to do this properly (Corno, 2008; Keuning et al., 2021). This is a complex process and there is little research available that specifically draws attention to what practicing teachers actually do to address student differences (Corno, 2008; Loibl et al., 2020) and on the basis of which information they make decisions for their educational actions (Gasse & Acker, 2023; Park & Datnow, 2017). The internal cognitive process of adaptive teaching and differentiated instruction can be perceived as a process of pedagogical reasoning. Loughran (2019) describes pedagogical reasoning as 'the thinking that underpins informed professional practice'. Based on information sources, teachers make decisions to differentiate. Differentiated education implies a proactive alignment of instruction and activities (Denessen, 2017). Additionally, teachers use adaptive education based on diagnostics of affective, cognitive, motivational, and socio-cultural variables of students. It is therefore essential for teachers to carefully collect and analyze the knowledge they acquire about students. Adaptive education can be shaped from different perspectives, one being curriculum-focused and contextual, requiring teachers to have diagnostic skills (Van Geel et al., 2019) and an understanding of the student as an individual to establish effective alignment between the student and the curriculum. Another perspective is student-focused, exploring the extent to which the student is a co-owner of the learning process.

Research Questions:

• What information sources do teachers use to reason about differentiation decisions?

• How do teachers reason with their knowledge of students to adapt their teaching to their students?

Peer observation is observing fellow teachers’ lessons or being observed by them with the purpose of professional growth. It is believed to be an effective tool for both training future teachers (Engin & Priest, 2014) and supporting experienced teachers’ professional development (O’Leary, 2014; Wragg, 2002). If used effectively, peer observation can become “a valuable tool for improving the quality of teaching” (Wragg, 2002, p. VIII).

Nevertheless, despite its positive impact on teacher professional development, peer observation might still cause negative attitudes and resistance among teachers due to several reasons such as negative feedback that teachers might receive after being observed (Dos Santos, 2016) or poor organization of this process at school (Engin & Priest, 2014; Gosling, 2002). Engin and Priest (2014) state that “teachers who have experienced such contexts may not see the learning value of peer observation” (p. 2). Although peer observation is an important part of teaching practice in many schools around the world including Kazakhstan, it is often imposed on teachers (Gosling, 2002), which is another reason why they do not view it as a tool for professional growth. Therefore, studying teachers’ perceptions of this process and their experiences in peer observation can help better organize this process at schools and make it a valuable tool for continuous development.

This study aims to investigate school teachers' perceptions regarding peer observation and their experiences of peer observation at one school in South Kazakhstan. To achieve this purpose, the study analyses teachers' viewpoints on peer observation, both from the perspective of observing their colleagues and being observed themselves. Furthermore, it delves into an examination of their experiences and practices in the context of peer observation, as well as the impact of these experiences on their professional development.

The following research questions were identified to guide this study:

1. What are the schoolteachers’ perceptions of peer observation?

2. What are their experiences in peer observation?

3. How does peer observation affect teachers’ professional development?

Teacher professional development should happen in collaboration with others and be ongoing (Darling-Hammond & Richardson, 2009; Garet et al., 2006). Bandura’s social learning theory and the professional learning community offered by Darling-Hammond and Richardson (2009) as a new paradigm might help to explain this need for collaboration and the importance of consistent teacher learning. These theories also support the importance of peer observation for teacher professional development.

Nowadays, a dignified condition of social existence presupposes good navigation skills: surviving the elusive liquidity of contemporary times and spaces (Bauman, 2013) means learning to sway in the flow, that is to enjoy the experience in an optimal way, being absorbed and at the same time intact inside the intensity of that moment. What Csíkszentmihályi (2013) defines as a "state of grace".

The flowing movement takes on the nuances of a practice of freedom and, at the same time, of democratic liberation, since it allows the individual to experience an intrinsic involvement with life, attributing to it a personal choice and meaning. Consequently, faced with this condition, educational institutions are invested with a new, but eternal, political responsibility: educating for freedom, social justice, equity (Freire, 1994; Nussbaum, 1997, 2002). Education thus assumes the role of valorisation of personal agency, life aspirations and human potentials (ONU, 2006).

Within this context, however, resides a paradox: contemporary changes leads to ambitions for progress that are often unsustainable for the promotion of an adequate quality of life; a capitalistic individualization in which the citizen perceives him/herself only and in this solitude, oppressed because detached from any inter-personal belonging (Rosales, Frangioni & Marroccoli, 2019).

The same loneliness and lack of belonging complained by more and more university students, whose educational system seems to be frozen within a performative perspective of competence and academic success, far away from the generative perspective of individual capability and fulfillment (Volstad et al., 2020). Higher Education is asked to shift its gaze from welfare to well-being, to re-think educational processes capable of overcoming the freedom-solitude paradox, rediscovering how the apparent antinomies are actually accomplices constructs, equally significant for co-building a democratic reality. Then, how to deal with this urgent need?

One possibility has been suggested by Nussbaum (1997), according to whom a fundamental tool for the cultivation of society corresponds to "narrative imagination", that is, the ability to interpret one’s own history and empathize with that of others, imagining better life scenarios for each, for all.

According to this perspective, self-narratives are interpretative keys of personal aspirations on the ancient εὐδαιμονία (eudaimonia), in the sense of flourishing life (D'Olimpio, 2022), as well as a starting point for designing enabling and accessible contexts that suits everyone's functioning.

Considering this framework, our research aims to answer the following questions: which are the opportunities of flourishing currently offered by University, according to students’ self-narratives? Which are the ideal opportunities aspired by the students? Which common flourishing dimensions emerge from students’ narratives? And, in which ways can self-narratives support students’ personal flourishing within the University contexts?

Thus, through a combinated narrative-appreciative inquiry on students’ flourishing and the transcendent essence of their personal story as community core living (Huber, Caine, Huber and Steeves, 2013), students are welcomed in a democratic space of sharing ideas and ideals. Meanwhile, they participate in expressing a common culture of flourishing through meaningful connections among their own identity and others’ narratives (Wise & Barney, 2021).

Hence, my research purposes are: (re)discovering the flourishing perspective from undergraduate students’ voices and from their autobiographical narratives, questioning together with them the ways in which such narratives can prove to be a positive pedagogical-didactic support; inquiring students' well-being aspirations by enhancing practices of self-narration through appreciation; transforming students' narrative-appreciative journey into a common manifest of flourishing, in the form of an Open Educational Resource (OER) shareable with the representatives of the whole university students, in order to make this topic a more open and collective discussion, because living well in education regards any of us, as all of us.

Defined as children’s ability to successfully obtain acceptable entries to group activities, collaborative negotiations and cooperative play for full and active participation in ECEC group activities as confident agents, social competence among children in ECEC is considered a crucial skill to construct and maintain mutual and durable friendships with peers and harmonious relationships with adults (Pakarinen et al., 2020). These relationships have been proved to be related to children’s wellbeing (Sandseter & Seland, 2018), an essential element for children’s holistic development in many ECEC curriculum frameworks (Council of European Union, 2019), including the Finnish Core Curriculum for ECEC (Finnish National Agency for Education, 2018), a Nordic welfare model with universalism, equality and equity for every child regardless of their different backgrounds (Kumpulainen, 2018). However, sparse research has been done on how young children’s social competence is related to their social-emotional wellbeing in ECEC in both directions.

Moreover, sizable research has been undertaken on the effects of ECEC arrangements on children’s development such as cognitive, languages and social emotional competence (Zachrisson & Lekhal, 2014). Nevertheless, little is known about how ECEC arrangements (weekly hours and providers) are associated with children’s social-emotional wellbeing (i.e., enjoyment and the fulfilment of their basic needs) in ECEC. In addition, the association of childcare arrangements and children’s social behaviours has been studied in different childcare systems (Averdijk et al., 2022; Huston et al., 2015), etc., with mixed results, but its moderation effects on the two-way associations between children’s social competence and social-emotional wellbeing have been scarcely researched.

Thus, this study aims to investigate the two-way associations between children’s social competence and their social-emotional wellbeing (i.e., the fulfilment of their basic needs and their enjoyment) in ECEC. Specifically, it examines whether children with higher social competence have their basic needs fulfilled and enjoy their ECEC experiences more or whether children with higher level of enjoyment and basic need fulfilment demonstrate higher prosocial and less antisocial behaviors. The current research also investigates if children’s weekly hours in ECEC and the types of ECEC providers they attend (private or public) moderate the two-way associations between children’s social competence and their social-emotional wellbeing in ECEC.

The influence of spirituality on pedagogical phenomena has been discussed in the literature for many years (e.g. Behera & Dash, 2015; Ben-Arieh et al. 2014; de Souza et al. 2009; Fisher, 2011; Pandya, 2017; Wane et al, 2011). At the same time, the importance of its investigation is supported by findings of associations between levels of spirituality and positive formation of personality, or lower levels of risky behavior or depressive symptoms among students (Dankulincova Veselska et al., 2018; Henningsgaard & Arnau, 2008; Pérez et al., 2009; Raftopoulos & Bates, 2011). Despite the growing interest in this topic abroad, less attention has been given to this issue in educational research in the Czech Republic. If it is explored, it is so far in an unsystematized form (Jirásek, 2023; Říčan, 2006; Suchánková & Matušů, 2020; Veselský et al., 2013).

To support the initiation of this research, this paper offers an overview of theoretical approaches to conceptualizing spirituality that can be applied to pedagogy. It maps key approaches to spirituality in the pedagogical context over the last forty years and highlights the possibility of applying them both in terms of research and in the formulation of educational objectives or tools for pedagogical action. In doing so, it also aims to open a discussion on how spirituality can be explored in a pedagogical context and whether it is beneficial to work with it in mainstream pedagogical practice.

Based on the literature, we identified three key theoretical approaches that work with the concept of spirituality in contexts relevant to pedagogy, namely (1) the psychology of religion, (2) philosophy and theory of education, and (3) the well-being approach. The study aim is to clarify disciplinary and transdisciplinary grounding of these theoretical approaches and their distinct and congruent aspects. Further, review based on this classification allows us to better highlight the possibilities of application of these approaches in education.

The ECER proposal will present (1) the importance of exploring spirituality from an educational science perspective, (2) a review of theoretical approaches conceptualizing spirituality applicable to pedagogy, and (3) introduce possible future steps to explore this topic further.

There is a growing global concern over the issues of promoting and sustaining mental health and well-being in education, in which the mental health implications in the classroom continue to pose a significant public challenge worldwide, affecting children, adolescents, and teachers/new teachers, with an increasing economic cost (Purser, 2022). According to recent World Health Organization estimates, between 10% and 20% of children worldwide have a diagnosable mental health problem (WHO, 2021b). There is also an upward trend in adolescents’ mental illness in many countries (Seven, et al., 2020), with approximately 20% of the world’s adolescents experiencing mental health issues (United Nationals International Children’s Emergency Fund [UNICEF] Data, 2021). Schools are often recognized in research and policy as appropriate key settings to enhance and protect children’s and adolescents’ physical and mental well-being (Lahti et al., 2023; Hattersley, 2023). Teachers, therefore, play a crucial role in effective mental health provision in schools, as they are expected to be knowledgeable in identifying children’s and adolescents’ mental health problems and intervening early to support their students (DoH, 2011; Purser, 2022).

Nevertheless, teachers consistently report that they often feel ill-prepared and lack experience and training to support children with emotional, behavioural, and social difficulties. They also feel vulnerable and psychologically distressed when meeting the mental health needs of their students in school settings (Rothi et al., 2008; Lahti et al., 2023; Nygaard et al., 2023). Meanwhile, teachers’ mental health must also be considered as their psychological well-being has been associated with students’ mental health and wellness. The teaching profession is generally recognized as an emotionally intense and stressful occupation, in which low career satisfaction, substantial workloads, and multiple role requirements all can have a deleterious effect on teachers’ mental health and place them at increased risk of common mental health disorders (Hattersley, 2023). Since teachers’ experiences of occupational stress are highly likely to be linked with their capacity to support students’ mental health, it is imperative to prepare and encourage teachers to seek guidance and support for their own mental health (Kush et al., 2021).

Insufficient attention and training are currently given to the development and provision of required competences (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) and effective methods for mental health promotion in initial teacher training programmes (ITT/ITE). Although mental health providers, such as school psychologists and school counselors, are known as experts in delivering school-based mental health services, teachers are the first line of defense in providing prevention strategies to students in need of support. Against this background, the study sets out to explore teacher educators’ and student teachers’ perspectives and experiences related to mental health training and provision in Initial Teacher Training Programmes (ITT/ITE) in China and the UK. Given that educational systems, social and cultural backgrounds, and professional qualifications differ across countries, the challenges related to promoting students' and teachers’ mental health and well-being, nevertheless, are similar.

The research design is a Delphi survey, in which it attempts to identify the threshold concepts in mental health and well-being and to provide a framework for developing a curriculum to build the knowledge and capacity of the future teacher workforce. It intends to answer the following two questions: What key knowledge and pedagogical approaches should be included in a comprehensive mental health training curriculum for Initial Teacher Training Programmes? What main competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) should student teachers acquire during the ITT/ITE programme to promote their own mental health and that of others?

Integrating media literacy into the existing school curriculum is of profound importance in order to challenge students’ critical thinking skills, creativity, and functional literacy. The aim of this paper is to explore the development of media literacy in Foreign Language classrooms by focusing on teachers’ media literacy perceptions and tensions. This research uses a qualitative approach by conducting semi- structured interviews with secondary school teachers of Kazakhstan.

Media literacy as a concept and a teaching purpose is therefore corresponding with the perception of education as a socialisation process for active involvement in a democratic society (Tyner, 2014). Media-literate teachers will have enhanced capacities to empower students with their efforts in learning autonomously and pursuing lifelong learning. In the research about maximising impact on teacher professional development, secondary school teachers are identified as the most significant factor in the learning context (Hattie, 2012). This is specifically the case for teachers of foreign languages, who have a particular interest in the international community (Korona,2020).

Teachers’ perceptions of ML

The factors influencing EFL teachers’ perceptions of media literacy are nested within four supportive factors- professional development opportunities; classroom resources and materials; administrative support; and educational context (Pederson, 2023; Yavuz-Konokman,2020). The notion of media is large and it may mean different things to different people. Earlier scholars consider media both as print and traditional media types (Scribner & Cole, 1981; Sinatra, 1986), television (Masterman,1980; Bowes et al., 1990), multimedia and visual media including static and animated pictures (Buckingham, 1993; Messaris, 1994; Kress, 2003), digital media (Hartley, 2017; Tyner, 1998), a popular culture (Quinlisk, 2003), and all technologies that spread information (Brown, 2006; Hobbs & Frost, 1998; Potter, 2010). The National Association for media literacy (2007) notes that ‘the concept of literacy (i.e. reading and writing) includes all forms of media’ (p. 3).

Challenges on promoting ML

Professional development and leadership support are important factors in moderating teachers’ challenges and increasing their in integrating media literacy into the classroom (Zhang et al., 2014). Teachers are believed to face challenges in integrating media literacy, such as lesson planning, content adaptation, navigating the social and cultural contexts of institutions, and developing content knowledge (Manfra & Holmes, 2020). The controversial nature of media topics makes developing students’ media literacy even more difficult (Robertson & Hughes, 2011). The fear of being ideologically or politically partisan or wrong and their own conformational biases may hinder teachers from implementing media literacy in the classroom (Schmeichel et al., 2018). These concerns must be addressed in teacher education institutes through designing instruments and building faculty members’ capacity.

Existing studies suggest that media literacy is a very complex term because there is no evidence for a commonly shared meaning (Potter, 2022). Some of those meanings vary from one another in minor details and some vary in a broader sense. But even small variations in meaning can cause problems when educators hold different perceptions of the same concepts. Therefore, before implementing larger-scale research in developing students’ media literacy, we must explore how teachers understand it. There are core issues in the formulation of the conceptual framework of media literacy education. We aim at identifying the attempts of teachers to formulate the definition of the key concepts such as “media”, “literacy”, and “media literacy”. With a better understanding of how teachers perceive the key concepts of media literacy, it will be possible to identify existing issues and suggest further research areas. The research was driven by the following research questions:

• How do EFL teachers of secondary schools in Kazakhstan perceive media literacy in education?

• What are the possible challenges in implementing media literacy?

My a/r/tographic inquiry explored how Greek migrant youths aged 18–24 years living in
Melbourne, Australia, used new media to communicate their identities. The methodology
combined participatory narrative inquiry with arts-based research approaches. Bakhtinian
concept heteroglossia are considered as an element of identity construction in the digital space. As the a/r/tographer (artist/researcher/teacher) leading this inquiry, I shared Greek culture, language, and migrant status with the participants.

Discussions about social media use explored how identities are performed and shaped by
users’ online communities. Artefacts created using new media captured our individual and
shared digital journeys. The inquiry was undertaken during the COVID-19 lockdown in
Melbourne in April–May 2020. Mediating the use of new media for ‘survival’ in a new
homeland, and the value of digital diasporas to enable communities of belonging, were
significant outcomes of this research.

The paper I propose will discuss this a/r/tographic inquiry undertaken during my doctoral research which was guided by the following co-designed research question developed in a participatory process in consultation with my participants: In what ways does new media usage shape the identities of Greek migrant youths, and help them find a sense of belonging?

My research makes a unique methodological contribution to creative methods using new media in the digital space, namely via its use of videoconferencing and its blending of
a/r/tography with participatory narrative inquiry. It has also been a documentation of life and research carried out in the specific context of COVID-19, as lived out by the young migrants and me.

My inquiry explored the boundaries of a/r/tographic possibilities and how identity has shifted in the context of a global pandemic. The design of my a/r/tographic inquiry allowed for an authentic exploration of the impact of new media on identity work for Greek migrant youths. Videoconferencing as a site for exploration of the self through others afforded new possibilities and meaningful ways to conduct arts-based participatory research in which life stories and artmaking happened simultaneously, albeit from different physical locations. It was here in the digital space that discussion and artmaking unfolded new openings into a rhizomatic digital world that the study participants and I created together. Creating the conditions needed for safety, care and collaboration was of paramount importance. For a/r/tographers, this relationality means an ongoing quest for understanding of all that sits in and around the research site/cite/sight (Coleman, 2019) that is timely, emergent, generative, and responsive for those involved (Nixon, 2017). For me as a/r/tographer, the research also presented an opportunity to reimagine my identity and belonging as artist, researcher, and teacher in new ways. My identities as artist, researcher, and teacher were continuously in a state of flux – of being reborn in what Deleuze describes as a state of becoming (Deleuze, 1992). My line of inquiry sought to identify where the major ‘a-ha’ moments or epiphanies about identity and belonging through new media were, and how I could show these in visual and written form.

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In the realm of participatory research, the interplay between ethics and ethical procedures often gives rise to intriguing contradictions. This workshop is dedicated to shedding light on these inconsistencies, fostering a heightened awareness of ethical complexities throughout the various stages of research, including research design, data collection, analysis, and the dissemination of findings, with a special focus on inclusive education.

A strong drive towards enhancing integrity of the research is visible in constant development of new institutional rules and procedures that must be adhered to. To this end, participants will familiarise themselves with the ethical guidelines and procedures as delineated by prominent institutional frameworks like the British Educational Research Association, the Academy of Social Sciences, and the Economic and Social Research Council.

However, we argue that in research practices, where the process and relationships take precedence and where micro-ethical dilemmas are frequently encountered, the focus should be on the professional integrity of the researcher. As Guillemin and Gillam pointed out: "There is no direct or necessary relationship between ethics committee approval of a research project and what actually happens when the research is undertaken. The committee does not have direct control over what the researcher actually does. Ultimately, responsibility falls back on the researchers themselves – they are the ones on whom the conduct of ethical research depends." (2004, p.269). Guided by this perspective, the workshop will utilise case study-driven activities to delve into the nuanced dynamics between participation and ethics.

Participants will have the opportunity to share experiences, grapple with intricate micro-ethical dilemmas, and discuss effective strategies for navigating the researcher-participant relationship, the concept of knowledge ownership, and the sensitivity of ethical rules and procedures to different cultural practices.

Diversity is an integral aspect of our increasingly interconnected world, and understanding its multifaceted dimensions is crucial for fostering inclusive and equitable communities, organizations, and institutions. This workshop seeks to shed light on innovative research methodologies, Photovoice and Active Learning, as potent tools for investigating diversity through a Participatory Action Research (PAR) lens.

Photovoice, a qualitative research technique, empowers participants to capture their experiences visually and narratively, providing an authentic platform for the expression of diverse perspectives (Wang & Burris, 1997). PhotoVoice includes critical reflections of social, political, cultural, and community factors using photographic images (Sitter, 2017; Wang, 1999). Rooted in feminist theories of inclusion and empowerment, participants determine the direction and goals of the project by taking photographs of community experiences that affect their everyday lives (Latz, 2017; Schumann et al., 2019).

Active Learning, on the other hand, engages participants in interactive, collaborative activities, fostering dialogue, self-reflection, and the exchange of diverse viewpoints (Prince, 2004).

The workshop will feature a rich tapestry of insights, experiences, and case studies, demonstrating how Photovoice and Active Learning can be seamlessly integrated into a PAR framework to address diversity comprehensively.

Key themes to be explored during the workshop include:

The transformative power of Photovoice: How visual narratives empower marginalized communities to voice their experiences and challenge existing notions of diversity (Wang, 1999).

Active Learning as a catalyst for meaningful dialogue: Strategies for designing interactive learning activities that promote critical thinking, self-awareness, and empathy in the context of diversity (Bonwell & Eison, 1991).

Active learning methods presume that the educator has high expectations of all the learners and will delegate a lot of the learning process to their learners. Active learning motivates learners to explore by giving them ownership of the learning process, empowering them and helping them see that they have a role in society.

Ethical considerations and practical challenges: Discussions on ethical considerations when working with diverse groups and addressing practical challenges in implementing these methodologies.

Thus, the workshop aims to foster a collaborative and inclusive environment where participants can exchange ideas, best practices, and insights, and inspire future research and action in the field of diversity studies. Together, we will explore how Photovoice and Active Learning, when embedded in the PAR framework, have the potential to drive positive change and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in our ever-evolving society.

It is since the time of the Sumerians (3500 BC) that the world has felt the need to pass on acquired knowledge in teaching and learning actions that have become increasingly structured and defined. A need that perhaps arose to make sense of the chaos of the outside world, to orientate, to delineate paths, and to educate the new generations so that they can make the world in which we live better. Undoubtedly the school represents, then as now, one of the pillars of the world and one of the elements that defines the quality of life in a country, and in our complex world, educational institutions are indispensable and necessary for everyone (Ingold, 2019). About quality, Elshaer (2012, p. 8) states: "Quality is a situation in which a set of intrinsic characteristics constantly satisfies the changing requirements of the organization’s customers and other stakeholders". And, if we want to relate this defining principle to the world of schools, we could say that school quality is what is achieved when the internal characteristics of the individual school under evaluation contribute to the satisfaction of the - constantly evolving - demand made on the school itself not only by students but also by society. But the picture of today's school appears dramatic. The data relating to access, attendance, and completion, as well as those relating to learning, scholastic well-being and teacher preparation, highlight numerous elements of weakness in the functioning of the world's schools. The UNESCO Statistical Institute (2022) states that 64 million children of primary school age do not attend school, most of them from marginalized groups, and of the 92% of children who start primary school, only 61% complete it (UNICEF, 2021). In addition to not being accessible to all, school also does not always teach. Even in countries with a high and medium level of economic development, the deficits in basic learning in reading, calculation and science are considerable. The results of PISA 2022, report that although about three out of four 15-year-old students demonstrate attainment of basic skills in reading and science in OECD countries, only 7% of students have attained the highest proficiency levels and only 69% of students are at least substantially proficient in mathematics (OECD, 2023).The data presented allows us to consider the needs and necessities for school intervention to improve the operations and direct the objectives in a new and changing society. Indeed, Sidorkin (2011) tells us that, at the crossroads where the world of mass education finds itself, we lack sufficient theoretical understanding to see where it can and cannot go next. Speaking about quality, the last theoretical aspect we wish to consider is the project Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations (UN, 2015), with Goal 4: to provide quality, equitable and inclusive education, and learning opportunities for all. 2030 Agenda represents a milestone in the research, as it is the document that binds the four case studies selected, whose countries are signatories to the document, and is the script on which the research tools are based. The research we intend to present, therefore, aims to identify meanings and quality perspectives for the school of the future from the analysis of data collected in four case studies, which involved pupils, teachers, heads of school and families from four primary schools in the world, in comparison with the fundamentals of goal four of the 2030 Agenda (UN, 2015); and it has attempted to the tortuous but necessary path towards achieving a quality school by outlining some perspectives on quality for the future of schools.

This literature review presented in this paper was completed to fulfill the assignment for my PhD study. As an emerging researcher I am interested in teachers’ teaching quality and how it is assessed. Therefore, I would like to present in this paper the most interesting finding I have encountered in my literature review journey. I have looked at numerous conducted research, scholarly written articles and books related to international and Kazakhstani practice of teaching quality assessment. As I am from Kazakhstan, it was in priority for me to look at its performance in teaching assessment quality and how it could be improved. However, to have wide and diverse view and to discover teaching assessment practices by leading countries in education, I have selected six countries to compare with Kazakhstan.

There is an interesting argument that the school’s quality cannot exceed its teacher’s quality (OECD, 2014). The idea of the statement could be interpreted as a teacher’s quality is crucial in fostering positive outcomes in the classroom. If a teacher’s quality is important, then how to determine whether a certain teacher is well-qualified? There are frameworks practised worldwide known as teacher appraisal, performance appraisal, and teacher evaluation. In the Kazakhstani context, it was given the name of teacher attestation by the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES, 2000). Therefore, I will use the term teacher evaluation to refer to international teacher assessment systems while teacher attestation will be used in relation to Kazakhstan’s teacher assessment system.

According to Danielson (2007), teacher evaluation serves as a foundation for assessing, improving, and maintaining the quality of teaching. The Kazakhstani teacher attestation is defined by Pak (2020) as a periodical process which takes place to identify the level of professional and qualification training of teachers to determine the level of pedagogical skills. Although both teacher evaluation and teacher attestation are generally implemented for assessment and development of teaching quality, the aims and structure may vary. For instance, countries such as Finland and Singapore are often cited for having effective teacher evaluation systems. Teachers in Finland are urged to reflect and learn continuously (Sahlberg, 2010). Professional learning communities, mentoring, and an emphasis on collaboration among teachers are all included in Singapore's model (Ong Kelly et al., 2008). Every system seeks to address the teachers' continuous growth and development.

In case of Kazakhstan, the reviewed teacher attestation was introduced and implemented in Kazakhstan in 2000 and its aim was to assess teachers' competencies, subject knowledge, and adherence to educational standards (MoES, 2000). Therefore, it was implemented to enhance the quality of education and professional development among educators. This assessment often included the review of instructional practices, student outcomes, and professional responsibilities. However, changes in the policy of teacher attestation as well as in its aim is a frequent practice in Kazakhstan. Therefore, in Kazakhstan as well as in other countries, teacher attestation and teacher evaluation systems have faced and been facing challenges.

In this context, this paper provides a systematic review and analysis of scholarly written works, policy documents, and empirical research. The evaluation systems of countries such as Finland, Canada, China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea were selected to be compared with the Kazakhstani teacher attestation. The paper is written to explore the aims of selected international teacher evaluations and Kazakhstani teacher attestation.

The systematic literature review aims to answer the following questions:

1. What are the aims of Teacher Evaluation globally and in the Kazakhstani context?

There is substantial evidence supporting the importance of education and its significant positive effect on our lives. Specifically, it leads to higher income (Card, 1999), reduced crime rates (Machin et al., 2011), and better health (Conti & Hechman, 2010), and for women, in particular, it leads to lower birth rates and higher woman autonomy (Cygan-Rehm & Maeder, 2022; The World Bank, 2022). One of the common ways to assess the quality of education in a country, albeit subject to debate, is through standardized examinations. In the international arena, Kazakhstani students score lower than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) average on international tests like the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), with an overall declining national average over time. To improve the quality of education at primary, basic, and general secondary education levels, the Ministry of Education of Kazakhstan has implemented numerous educational programs in the past decade. However, there is little to no empirical evidence to support these programs and justify the allocated budget apart from success in the low-scale pilot studies. To address this challenge, I perform a policy evaluation of a shift to per capita funding in primary and secondary education levels, piloted in 2014 in partnership with UNESCO and launched in public schools in the capital Astana in 2018 and two other largest cities in the country, Almaty and Shymkent in the following year. Using the Difference-in-Differences, Synthetic Control and the newly introduced Synthetic Difference-in-Difference estimator by Arkhangelsky and colleagues (2021), I find no statistically significant evidence of the shift to per capita funding on the share of students who score below the threshold on a United National Testing (UNT) taken by high school graduates. While there certainly are limitations due to the data’s availability, the study’s short period, and the policy’s possible lagged effects, this paper is a significant step in using empirical research to inform policymaking and evidence-based social intervention in Kazakhstan.

Since gaining independence, Kazakhstan has significantly emphasized language policies as part of the Kazakhization process (Fierman, 2006; Smagulova, 2008). The central focus has been on the development of the Kazakh language and the increase of Kazakh-medium schools. Despite this, Russian-medium schools constitute 17% of all schools, while mixed schools, incorporating Russian-medium classes, comprise 32%, indicating their relevance in the post-colonial context. International and domestic assessments reveal disparities in academic outcomes based on the medium of instruction, with Russian-medium schools significantly outperforming Kazakh language schools (Muratkyzy, 2020; OECD, 2012). This can lead parents to prefer Russian-medium schools, potentially contradicting Kazakhization policies and indirectly accentuating economic inequality which is important in creating a more culturally cohesive society. This study addresses the dearth of empirical research on parental school choice concerning the language of instruction.

Drawing on Spolsky’s (2009) language management and Kambatyrova’s (2020) language ideologies frameworks, it seeks to answer the following main research question: How do ethnic Kazakh parents make choices regarding the language of instruction for their children at primary schools? Specifically, it aims to uncover: 1) The underlying motivations and rationales driving ethnic Kazakh parents to choose a particular language of instruction for their children. 2) The existing ideologies among parents regarding languages of instruction and how these influence the overall decision-making process. 3) Other non-linguistic factors that may influence parents’ decisions regarding the language of instruction.

As practitioner-researcher working in Post-16 vocational education with 16-19 year olds and their teachers, my research aims to understand the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of literacy embedding. ‘Embedding’ is the deliberate teaching of literacy objectives as an integrated element of the vocational curriculum, and is found to produce enormous benefits for students’ vocational and skills qualification achievement when carried out effectively (Casey et al., 2006).

The last national embedding policy ended in 2011 with the discontinuation of the Skills for Life strategy (England and Wales). Since then, along with a decade of funding challenges, literacy embedding has been sidelined in favour of the 2014 GCSE English re-sit policy; GCSEs are end-of secondary school academic qualifications. The aim of this policy is to push as many students over the GCSE English pass-line as possible. This is a laudable aim, but unfortunately, there is little evidence that the policy produces literacy learning which students can transfer to their vocational subjects (Verhoeven, 2022). Vocational subject teachers comment that their students lack the literacy skills to do well in their courses, but that the teachers themselves lack the knowledge to support their students. With scant resources in post-16 education now focused on the GCSE English re-sit, embedding knowledge developed during the Skills for Life years may have been lost.

These suppositions are anecdotal – the last large-scale study into post-16 literacy embedding was conducted during the Skills for Life years in 2006 with the Casey et al. report. Skills for Life was an excellent starting point, but did not conceptualise literacy in terms of vocational epistemologies. There is compelling theoretical and empirical research which finds that subject epistemologies are directly related to text structures. Genre theory and Disciplinary literacy research, informed by Functional Linguistics, reaches this conclusion (Cope & Kalantzis, 1993; Shanahan & Shanahan, 2012; Swales, 1990; Tardy, 2011). This suggests that students should be taught explicitly how to ‘analyse’, ‘evaluate’, and ‘compare’ along with associated text and syntactical structures.

My research attempts to break new ground by using this theoretical grounding to focus on vocational subject teacher development. There are international implications; Genre and Disciplinary Literacy research is currently applied to academic subjects, particularly in the USA and Australian contexts, but not yet, as far as I know, to vocational education and training. I am attempting to understand:

1. What knowledge do vocational subject teachers need to do embedding?
2. How can teachers be supported to develop this knowledge?

In this vein, my research is informed by the teacher knowledge frameworks proposed by Shulman (1986), and developed in relation to literacy by Carney and Indrisano (2013), as well as Clarke and Hollingsworth’s model of teacher change (2002).

My research will hopefully result in a dual-framework: 1) a curricular and pedagogical toolkit for teaching vocational subject genres; 2) a ‘schedule’ of teacher genre knowledge required to embed literacy, with suggested approaches for developing this knowledge. My ultimate intention is to produce practical and theoretical findings which will support students’ literacy development in the vocational education context. This work is driven by a social justice agenda. Known as the ‘Cinderella sector’, FE is under-researched and under-resourced (Atkins & Flint, 2015). Its students tend to come from socio-economically deprived backgrounds, and are more likely to drop out of university after one year and gain a lower class degree than their academic subject counterparts (Myhill et al., 2019). This is the vocational-academic dimension of the attainment gap. My research aims to address this particular form of inequality.

In recent decades, preschools as well as schools and other higher education have been increasingly influenced by international contexts with migration flows, global political actors, and multinational companies. What this has come to mean from a cultural, historical, and educational science perspective is what we study within the interdisciplinary doctoral school Education, Learning and Globalisation, in which I am included within the framework of my doctoral position in ethnology at Södertörn University. The doctoral school has among other focus areas, one of which is intercultural and norm-critical perspectives on preschool, school, and teacher education. It is this area my study connects to by using theoretical inspiration from the political discourse theory (PDT) to seek knowledge of how norms and value conflicts in the wake of migration and global political discourses affect the interpretation and implementation of the Swedish preschool's social mission.

The purpose of the thesis is to empirically examine how the construction of the subject position of a preschool teacher takes place in preschool teacher education in relation to the norm and value conflicts, contradictions, and dissonances that may arise while practicing this position. What drives people to work in preschools and what are their initial conceptions of the preschool teacher role and the preschool mission when entering the education? How does the understanding of the social mission of future preschool teachers change during the course of the education and what are the discourses that create this change? What ambiguities and dissonances emerge between different values and norms within the preschool assignment, and what consequences does this have for future preschool teachers during their internship periods? What intercultural tensions and conflicts of norms and values arise in the encounter between divergent discourses and perceptions of the preschool mission in everyday preschool life, and how are these experienced and handled by future preschool teachers during their internship periods?

I intend to use political discourse theory as my theoretical approach, especially as developed by Chantal Mouffe (2008). Pre-school education is to a considerable extent about the fosterage of democracy, and there is a long tradition of assigning children the role of ‘political utopia bearers’; not infrequently, children are regarded as ‘promises of a better future’ (Dolk 2013:114; Hörnfeldt 2009:14). Nevertheless, preschool teacher students often have problems answering exam questions about how the preschool mission is political. In her book On the Political (Mouffe 2008), Mouffe worries about democracy in relation to our inability to think politically. The reason for this inability is our delusion that there is such a thing as consensus, based on 'common sense' and universal consensus solutions. Is the preschool mission and its values an example of such a delusion? Mouffe completely dismisses the idea that it would be possible to ever reach a complete consensus, as the notion of such is a chimera: consensus is always based on exclusionary practices. Consensus is nothing but ‘the result of a hegemonic articulation’ (Laclau och Mouffe 2001:xviii). According to Mouffe, there are always groups and individuals who do not feel included in such supposedly universal consensual solutions (Mouffe 2008).

We live in a critical ecological moment. We face unstable climates, intensifying environmental disasters, and escalating extinction rates, all of which threaten the survival of a vast array of species, including humans (Tsing et al. 2017). A significant shift in the way in which humans interact with the world is urgently needed (Taylor et al. 2020).

This paper contributes to the body of work that approaches such a shift through Environmental Education (EE), helping us to imagine ways we might learn to live sustainably. I propose that an exploration of how we understand our relationship with the world through embodied creative activities could help us consider ourselves as ‘entangled’ in the world’s interconnected and affective state of becoming - knowing that our actions and futures are constantly engaged in relation with all else. I explore ways we can apply the concepts of ‘entanglement’ and ‘relationality’ to the process of learning, suggesting that an understanding of the world through these concepts could encourage mindset shifts towards sustainability. The goal of this paper is to explore a pedagogy for an onto-epistemology of relationality, with the hope of helping schools nurture mindsets capable of learning to live sustainably in a changing climate.

A global approach is needed to face the international climate crisis and a large proportion of EE research currently stems from Europe and the Global North. Much of current EE in Western Europe is predominantly focussed on scientific knowledge transmission about climate change and conservation. It perpetuates ideas of human exceptionalism by separating human activity from ‘nature’, teaching about the environment rather than acknowledging how we live within it (Dunlop & Rushton 2022). This has resulted in inadequate pedagogic practices to address the challenges of the current environmental crisis (Taylor et al. 2020).

My research grows from the idea that there is a link between ineffective EE practices and the compartmentalised learning necessitated by Western European education systems. Secondary school learning is a very structured operation, it is characterised by the study of different subjects which require different books and often different teachers with little acknowledgment of the relationality of the experience. My suggestion is that the absence of relational learning is complicit in the justification of the exploitation and destruction of multi-species ecologies that have caused the current climate crisis. To address this, we need to diversify the epistemologies with which we engage in order to facilitate research into effective EE (Blaser and Cadena 2018). Combining EE with global ideologies of entanglement and relationality through arts-based approaches will diversify approaches to EE by helping us to explore ways of learning that enable us to understand our relationship with/in it. Understanding ourselves as entangled entities, deconstructing human exceptionalism, and resisting anthropocentric philosophies is the imagining required to live within a changing world (Haraway 2016).

This paper outlines my experience of working with a secondary school in the UK to explore ways of knowing as curricula to approach EE. I collaborate with a small group of students to creatively explore their learning experience through a series of school based workshops. We use drama and storytelling approaches (Burrows and O’Sullivan 2019) to consider their whole school experience, exploring how learning itself can be relational.

My research is framed around these lines of inquiry:

• What are the relationships of a compartmental pedagogy with the climate crisis?

• In what ways might arts-based approaches to storytelling support an understanding of entanglement through relational pedagogy?

• What is relational pedagogy and how can school learning engage with it?

• In what ways can schools facilitate beyond-anthropocentric ways of being in the world that embody an understanding of relationality?

In our interconnect world, characterized by widespread access to technology and information, it is increasingly important to understand teachers´ role in human and social development (Rodrigues & Martins, 2018). Educating people for present and future times, requires mastery of the learning competences for the 21st century (P21, 2015) and their relationship with the structured of school curricula.

One of the roles of science education is to educate citizens to be prepared to critically analyze scientific information, make informed decisions, and actively participate in civic issues related to science (Justi et al., 2022). It is essential that, since the beginning of teacher training, Science Education is presented through the cross-related perspective between Science, Technology and Society (STS) orientation (Vieira et al., 2011), specifically combining theoretical and practical teaching strategies (Rodrigues, 2011).

STEAM is an educational approach based on a student-centered methodology, with an interdisciplinary perspective between Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math areas, and focused on solving real or realistic problems (Shernoff et al., 2017). STEAM Education fosters key competencies, namely creativity, problem-solving, collaborative work, communication and others (Perignat & Katz-Buonincontro, 2019).

The development of Creativity during the learning process stands out as it is a key point in fostering existing and future problem-solving, several cognitive skills, and also revealing potential for innovation in educational, economic and social spheres (Plucker et al., 2004). Creativity can be understood as a cross-disciplinary ability to produce individual or collective ideas and strategies that are original, critical, plausible and feasible (Beghetto, 2007). Craft (2010) defends that creativity is human potential manifested in different cognitive domains, so everybody is potentially creative by nature.

In order to educate future citizens with these competencies, it is necessary to cultivate them the early years and throughout a life learning context. Clearly, it is urgent to encourage a teacher training approach that presents innovative teaching and learning methodologies (Ompok et al., 2020).

In this project, we chose to approach STEAM education through a Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) methodology. CBL aims, in a collaborative, multidisciplinary and experiential way, to identify, investigate and propose solutions to real CTS problems along the learning process (Rådberg et al., 2020).

This study has in view answering the question "What are the perceptions of pre-service teachers about creativity education?", identifying possible changes in the perception of creativity in the educational process. It was utilized scales of perception about creativity, already validated in literature, before and after the implementation of a formative proposal based on STEAM education and creativity promotion, through CBL methodology.

This communication is part of a doctoral project whose main research question is How creative thinking and teaching skills can be promoted for science primary school teaching through a STEAM approach? With specific questions to answer: i)How to develop a proposal for pre-service primary teachers initial training through a STEAM approach promoting creative thinking? ii) What are the effects of the STEAM formative proposal on developing creative thinking in pre-service primary school teachers? iii) What is the relation between the creative thinking level and developing primary school science teaching competencies?

The PhD project has the following research goals: i)To develop (design, plan, validate, implement and evaluate) a STEAM & Creativity formative proposal that promotes the creative thinking of pre-service teachers; ii) To evaluate the effects of the STEAM & Creativity formative proposal on the level of creative thinking and it´s relation to developing teaching skills; iii) To develop a set of recommendations from the research results for primary school science teacher training.

Proposal Information (590/600 words):

Empirical research has historically been shaped by the doctrine that power in research should be held by the researcher over the research participant. This approach, however, has often resulted in marginalized groups not being represented accurately, as the researcher's choices will shape the scope of what is discoverable in the work. By allowing researchers to have complete control over the research design, participants' agency is often limited, leading to results that are not truly reflective of their concerns. Reconsidering this power imbalance and exploring ways to foreground the authentic concerns of participants is growing to be a key concern in social justice research, particularly in relation to neurodiverse participants, where disrupting traditional research orthodoxies can help bridge this gap and enact emancipatory participation in social justice research.

This paper presents an examination of my PhD work and how emancipatory participation has been considered in the design to disrupt traditional research power imbalances. In the work, four dyslexic participants shared their experience of the university library using photovoice methods and member check processes. Utilising theoretical frameworks drawn from the writings of Gramsci (1971) and Friere (1970), the content of the paper will illustrate areas of good practice in the research, and postulate what could be improved in future endeavours with dyslexic participants to maximize their input in sharing their experience as part of social justice research.

As I sought to evidence the experiences of dyslexic library users, the methods were carefully considered with participant agency in mind. The definitions used to identify dyslexics are often underpinned by a deficit approach; the most ubiquitous and synonymous characteristic of dyslexics is a failure to meet expected reading and writing levels, (Rice & Brooks, 2004; Elliot & Gibbs, 2008) where these levels vary by country and language, such as the case of bilingual monolingual dyslexics who are considered dyslexic in one language but not another (Miles, 2000; Wydell & Butterworth, 1999). Consequently, it is pertinent to question how insight into the lives of this marginalized group is gained, and whether methods of inquiry are congruent to participant living experience and strengths.

I wished to foreground the participants' voices’, reducing my control over the data in the process, I crafted co-production activities through which participants and I could work together to ensure that my writing was representative of their experiences and that I had not misunderstood or impressed meaning into their stories based on my subjectivities. I kept note of my subjectivities in a methodological reflexivity journal, where I recorded a personal inventory (Gramsci, 1971) and memos (Charmaz, 2011; 2014) about my thinking, feelings, and experiences that related to the ones participants shared so that I could identify overlaps in our stories as I sought to relate to theirs without assuming I understood their experience. Traditional methods, such as structured interviews, where question sets remain inflexible to the insights gleaned from participants, do not allow for agentic input from participants or the corresponding rich data that can be accessed. The work appealed to a constructivist grounded theory methodology that allowed for the alteration of questions used in the semi-structured interview, to better reflect the discourses which arose in the data where I had not considered such aspects of library use in the study design (Charmaz, 2014). Altering the research tools (i.e., the question set) to reflect participants' insights thereby allows for an investigation into the authentic concerns of the participants and enables the investigation to take shape according to themes that are truly grounded in the richness of the data that was reflective of participants' unfolding stories.

The title of our paper is a reminder that the intersectionality of culture, race, and gender remains crucial in doctoral education. Globally, the experiences of doctoral students, their borderland crossings into new academic discourse communities and having to navigate dual roles or identities of being or becoming researchers draw considerable attention (Ref). However, a growing body of global research focuses specifically on the challenges of female doctoral students who confront the additional burden of navigating their dual role or identities as mothers and caregivers that results in increased time commitment required for study and compromises their emotional well-being or dual guilt due to a lack of family and institutional support (Breitenbach et al., 2019; Catalano & Radin, 2021; CohenMiller, 2014). This global phenomenon is also true in Uzbekistan where female doctoral students' academic success is often hindered by familial responsibilities, with a high portion getting married and becoming mothers during that time.

In the Uzbekistan higher education (HE) landscape females account for less than 30% of all doctoral students. In this context, women are not only underrepresented but also take longer to complete their doctoral education and tend to opt out of the Ph.D. programs more frequently than their male counterparts. Of particular concern was the lack of attention given to the experiences of doctoral student mothers in Uzbekistan since it carries profound implications, creating a void in women’s opportunities and hampering Uzbekistan’s economic development.

Guided by a postcolonial approach and social-constructivist paradigm, this research integrated matricentric feminist theory, Bourdieusian sociological concepts, and Lave and Wenger’s (1991) Community of Practice theory to better understand the different factors such as societal traditions, socio-cultural expectations, and their gender roles that impact the experiences of Uzbek DSMs in-depth. The preliminary results reveal that the interplay of gender, habitus, and Uzbek religious and cultural norms not only contributes to inequalities but also significantly influences the identity construction of researcher roles, particularly based on gender. For example, the data suggests that gender and family play a significant role in shaping motherscholars’ identity, which was starkly pronounced in cases of those, who were living with parents-in-law, confronting additional layers of familial and societal expectations. The participants experienced various challenges caused by having to balance the multiple roles of a mother and a doctoral student. In particular, a threat to well-being (a high level of emotional stress), and lack of family, institutional and government support were the major ones. Unwritten “hierarchical” rules inherited by the former Soviet Union, scarcity of financial support, institutional strategic policies and a free childcare policy also were key themes. gender-bias patterns were common in the narratives of Uzbek motherscholars, which can be linked to inferior and submissive role of women in the family and social hierarchies. Cultural norms dictated the participants’ interaction with men and women. Lack of spousal support was considered as norm, as the mentality and accepted social rules don’t allow men to help women in households or childcare. Fundamentally, the gendered impact of parenthood and a heavier burden falling specifically on mothers, the doctoral mothers encounter more challenges (Correl et al., 2007; Morgan et al., 2021). These findings further corroborate the policy recommendations given by these 15 doctoral student mothers from Uzbekistan to dismantle systematic barriers they face and promote equitable opportunities for them.

Finally, this research offered insights into a historically marginalized and overlooked community - the lived experiences of doctoral student mothers - amplifying their voices. Also, it contributed to a more inclusive and supportive academic environment and generate implications that can inform higher education institutions on how to better support doctoral student mothers in successfully and timely completing their doctoral programs.

Scholarship underscores the pivotal role of teacher training in maintaining standardized education, primarily institutionalized via different sorts of learning communities (i.e., professional development programs materialized via professional learning communities (PLCs), communities of practice (CoPs), action research groups) within schools, arguably to enhance curricular content, instructional practices, and student academic performance (Nawab et al., 2021; Sullivan, 2020). However, in Western-centric contexts, efforts to enhance teacher-learning communities often prioritize reforms, policymaking, and empirical studies aligning with business-sponsored agendas rooted in neoliberal market ideologies (Giroux, 2019; Darling-Hammond et al., 2005). Unfortunately, these initiatives frequently lack meaningful participation from key stakeholders, hindering teachers’ professionalism and critical skills development for transformative education, social justice, and climate change awareness (Giroux, 2021). Against this backdrop, teacher-learning communities are often operationalized as socio-political and historical learning-as-training projects, neglecting the complexities of the educational experience and its axiological commitment to social change (Macedo, 2018).

This study builds upon educational experiences in the Americas and Europe, exploring transformative possibilities in teacher-learning communities intersecting with critical pedagogies. It aims to articulate critical pedagogy's conceptualization of practical hope and radical love (Freire, 2005; Goméz, 2015; Agnello, 2016) as community-oriented axiological-educational frameworks sustaining teacher learning communities, referred to as communities of praxis. This exploration may bring forth collectively crafted counternarratives anchored in relational engagements, dialogic encounters, knowledge co-creation, eco-justice ethics, and situated practices (Flecha, 2015). According to Freire (2005), critical educational counternarratives should be grounded in practical hope and radical love. Hope serves as a fundamental aspect of our human condition and educational practice, motivating collective intervention in shaping history. Love provides sustenance for the struggle against historical determinisms, promoting possibility, solidarity, humility, and openness—goals inherent in communities of praxis.

Studies addressing practical hope and radical love as educational frameworks are virtually nonexistent (Torres Olave et al., 2023) and even more limited through the lenses of teacher-learning communities. While addressing the research question (How may communities of praxis be enacted in schools?), my study aims to collect data documenting teachers’ dialogic interactions in small-group gatherings as they may co-construct pathways to develop a community of praxis, engaging in transformative experiences and unsettling dominant curricular-pedagogical approaches and sociopolitical-educational practices.

The theoretical-conceptual framework guiding this study integrates a critical theory/pedagogy of situated learning-in-practice (Lave, 2019; Freire, 2005), a relational-axiological embodied theory of cognition-knowing (Maturana, 2012) and the pursuit of transformative and emancipatory goals (Carr & Thésée, 2020).

Situated learning, as articulated by Lave, embraces the social nature of human existence where knowing is subject to practice as a relational process of constant becoming (identity formation as a continuum) among individuals in communities of practices situated in evolving sociopolitical-educational contexts. Critical pedagogy elaborates further on the nature of situated learning, underscoring the transformative potential of learning-in-place that occurs intertwined with sociopolitical practices in the multiplicity of voices in the world, shaping one's affect, senses, emotions, and emergent subjectivities. Enactivism introduces an embodied theory of cognition-knowing to learning, asserting that cognition arises from bodily experiences within broader psychological and cultural contexts, emphasizing how individuals co-construct knowledge and inner worlds articulating axiological dimensions. Transformative and Emancipatory Education (Carr & Thésée, 2020) advocates for the encounter of multiplicities when building learning communities, offering pathways to challenging systemic barriers through alternative constructs to conventional teacher learning-as-training within Western-centric educational systems. Altogether, these theories comprise a framework for the enaction of communities of praxis that points at practical hope as a sociopolitical-educational transformative project and at radical love as praxis to struggle against educational determinisms while exploring new possibilities in the contemporary landscape.

Recent decades have shown the progressive loss of social recognition of the teaching profession (Ianes, et al., 2019; Paletta, 2020; OECD, 2023). Argentin (2018), deepening what has already been highlighted by Colombo (2017), has demonstrated how teaching can be considered a "quasi-profession" as it contains only some of the elements that caracterize occupations considered “true” professions. Moreover, in the Italian case, we are faced, on the one hand, with a totally "flat" career (Eurydice, 2021) and on the other hand with the persistence of a real "taboo" on teacher evaluation (Guerrini, 2018). These aspects, to which are added the phenomena of high feminization and ageing of the teaching staff, represent a major challenge for schools and society (Gavosto, 2022). Many studies and researches have addressed these issues but, according to the literature review conducted so far, none have systematically investigated the point of view of those directly involved.

And it is precisely this gap that we aim to bridge by answering two research questions: what is the “sentiment” of Italian teachers with respect to career, valorisation and evaluation? Under what conditions would it be possible to introduce a teacher evaluation/appraisal system in Italy as well? The research hypothesis is that there is a growing interest and openness on the part of teachers to valorisation and evaluation. However it is a process to be built according to a 'bottom-up' logic and not a 'top-down' one as hitherto (Romei, 2000). Even though, Hattie (2016) states that having more and more inspired and passionate teachers could improve learning, this cannot be realised solely by relying on ideal and/or vocational elements, but also on structural-organisational, legal-economic aspects and prospects for real professional development and careers.

First at all, in order to answer the research questions, a critical review of the literature was performed through reading and analysing about one hundred texts of various types (monographs, articles, degree-master-doctorate theses, conference proceedings, national and international surveys, regulatory provisions). They are mainly in Italian (but also in English as regards the international surveys carried out by organisations such as Eurydice and OECD), published since 2000 (the year in which school autonomy was officially introduced – Presidential Decree 275/99). A specific consideration and evaluation was paid to all those passages presenting information and data on the opinions of Italian teachers concerning research topics; This was accomplished by setting the advanced search filters with at least one of the key words and concepts such as: Career - Valuing - Evaluation - Professional development - Social and economic recognition.

As no work or research was found that gives an up-to-date, complete and rigorous representation of the issues being researched, it is necessary to supplement the research project with an experimental part using the tools of the interview, questionnaire and focus group.

Reference-group effects are well-established within educational psychology. According to the Big-Fish-Little-Pond-Effect (BFPLE) achievement-based school/class composition influences individuals’ academic self-evaluation. Controlling for individual achievement, higher group achievement is related to lower individual academic self-concept and vice versa (Fang et al., 2018).

Recently, efforts have been made to link the BFLPE to a variety of educational and occupational outcomes and to establish the long-term nature of these effects. Researchers found negative effects of average school achievement on educational/occupational aspirations (Nagengast & Marsh, 2012; Yuan & Olivos, 2023), expectations and attainment (Göllner et al., 2018; Marsh et al., 2023). In some studies, these effects have been found to persist multiple years after measuring group achievement (Göllner et al., 2018, Marsh, 1991; Marsh et al., 2023). However, research on the longevity of these effects remains scarce: Specifically, we only know of one study that examined the long-term BFLPE on aspirations (Marsh, 1991).

As aspirations have been shown to be a relevant precursor of attainment, increasing adolescents’ aspirations can have a significant positive effect on their life trajectories (Schoon & Polek, 2011). Hence, the first aim of our study is to analyse the effect of group achievement in secondary school on educational aspirations during tertiary education, i.e. two/four years later.

We decided to focus on a sample of students who start vocational education and training (VET) after school. VET students can profit strongly from an increase in their educational aspirations, as they are – compared to higher education graduates – disadvantaged in the labour market (Protsch & Solga, 2016).

Based on these considerations, we derive the following hypothesis:

H1: Holding constant for individual achievement, school average achievement in secondary school negatively affects students’ educational aspirations during VET.

Apart from that, examining a sample of VET students enables us to analyse how different reference-groups work together a) simultaneously and b) over time. While researchers acknowledge that in the school setting multiple reference-groups (e.g. classes and schools) influence educational outcomes simultaneously (Jansen et al., 2022; Yuan & Olivos, 2023; Zell & Alicke, 2009), it is unclear if this holds also true for the VET context. In the German VET system, students spend time in two separate learning contexts: VET classrooms and training firms. We suggest that both constitute relevant reference-groups. Therefore, the second aim of our study is to examine the BFLPE on educational aspirations in VET classes and training firms simultaneously. We assume the BFLPE to be stronger in VET classrooms than training firms due to the standardised nature of the school setting (Jansen et al., 2022).

H2: When controlling for individual achievement, a) VET classroom group achievement and b) VET firm group achievement negatively influence educational aspirations during VET.

H3: The BFLPE in the VET classroom is stronger than the BFLPE in the training firm.
While simultaneous reference-group effects have been researched in some detail, the effect of multiple reference-groups over time remains understudied. The recent focus on their long-term effects, however, calls for a further examination of these mechanisms. Therefore, the third aim of our study is to analyse how different reference-groups over time affect educational aspirations during VET. We believe that group achievement in secondary school still affects educational aspirations even after adding group achievement in VET classrooms and training firms as predictors. Furthermore, we argue that more recent reference-groups are more influential than less recent ones.

H4: The BFLPEs in secondary school remains after adding BFLPEs in the VET classroom and the training firm.

H5: The BFLPEs in a) the VET classrooms and b) the training firm are stronger than the BFLPE in secondary school.

What kind of process is career change? This study examines career changing in the Finnish context because it is interesting from a research point of view. Finland has a national strategy of lifelong learning and free education for all which makes it an interesting case for three reasons. First, with the help of Finnish case, we can study this phenomenon from a perspective that is not suppressed by extensive market forces but leaves more room for adults’ choices. Second, studying is flexible during all stages of life. Consequently, In Finland, career choices and the transition to adult education and training can be made at any stage of the career. The phenomenon of career change has been studied in the context of changing working life, but not from adult choices perspective. Career change here is defined as movement to a different job that is not part of a current career path. This study specially focuses to the voluntary turnover and vocational change.

In their integrated career change model, Rhodes & Doering (1983) present the determinants of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction, which lead to career change. Experiencing dissatisfaction in one’s current job influences one’s thoughts about changing jobs or careers (Carless & Arnup 2010), and it also increases the intention to search for a new career (Rhodes & Doering 1983). There is a positive correlation between satisfaction with work and satisfaction with areas of personal life outside work (Martel & Dupuis 2006). A career change is undertaken because there is an expectation that various aspects of work life will improve after this change. Hess, Jepsen, & Dries (2012) argue that for specific career concerns to be translated into career change intentions, there must be a certain degree of self-perceived ability and opportunity to make those changes (Hess et al. 2012). The individual characteristics of career changers, such as openness to experience and general self-efficacy (Carless & Arnup 2010), are also considered explanatory career-change factors. In other words, self-efficacy is a belief in one’s ability to perform across a variety of situations (Chen, Gully & Eden 2004).

It is conceivable that a career is changed because of the variating needs of the working life, but also in pursuit of employee’s own wishes. Work standards change as working life changes, atypical and precarious work becomes more typical. Developments like this has led to need for constant retraining as people engage in learning trajectories (training, work, employment etc.) throughout the life course. (Glastra et al. 2004.)

Illeris (2003) claims, that adults must constantly re-engage with education and training, and those who do not, risk social and economic marginalization (Illeris 2003). Also, previous studies of Giddens (1990) and Scanlon (2008) have shown that all situations and individuals have horizons of possibility. That is, there are always limitations on the degree to which individuals can remake themselves through the process of change. From a sociological point of view, Giddens (1990) calls the process by which adults make recurring transitions as ‘self-authoring’. The key, of the self-authoring is reflexivity where individuals consider their biographies now and in the future. They make career choices, which are based on an analysis of their life circumstances, competences, and work-life requirements. In his theory of perspective transformation, Mezirow (1991) states that adults make intentional movements to resolve grievances in their lives. They are reflective and think things through critically and ponder things from different perspectives. Moreover, they evaluate the validity of the current view of meaning and examine the validity of other perspectives. Mezirow (1991) defines that meaning perspective is the frame within which meaning making takes place.

Vocational schools in Portugal began their activities in 1989, but other forms of education influenced the impact of the creation of the current configuration to varying degrees. According to Martinho (2006), industrial education made it possible to rethink the education system in Portugal, firstly to bring the country into line with European educational standards and then to enable it to train staff who were essential to an industrial society with an impact on economic development. The industrial schools fulfilled the mission of training technical staff for the industries, also enabling the qualification of some young people who, for economic reasons, had to access the labour market without long academic training. Despite these advantages, they experienced the contradiction of being a less prestigious form of education than high school, which is why, after 25 April 1974, they were challenged and reconfigured (Alves, 2000; Pascoal, 2002; Afecto, 2022). Considering the latest study carried out by Costa, Leite & Monteiro (2023), one of the findings revealed that industrial education had a major influence on the creation of vocational schools, but in a more inclusive, better distributed, and less discriminatory way (Azevedo, 2008). Based on this background, the aim of this research is to understand the contributions that industrial education advocated and transferred to the current vocational education policy and the possible influences that this modality had during the molding of the policy to create vocational schools (Portugal, 1989). The study also aims to investigate other aspects from a historical point of view, namely issues related to the negative social image commonly associated with vocational education, and whether it has its origins in industrial schools. The main theoretical references mobilized for the study arise, as previously highlighted, from the very nature of the problem, the objectives and research questions, as well as the researcher's own epistemological positioning. The context of the investigation, in this case professional schools (PE) and vocational education in other educational institutions, was based on texts by Azevedo (2008; 2017), Doroftei (2020) and Barbosa (2023), which allowed justifying the interest of the study and understand the locus of the research as well as guide the possible theoretical framework. The analysis of this research is based on the perspective of the Whole School Approach (WSA), we use the Reference Framework of Skills for Democratic Culture, volume 3, published by the European Council (2018c), Alves & Varela (2012), Dewey (1976, 1997), Freire (1987), Rosvall & Nylund (2022) and Branco (2014). The theoretical framework defined for the analysis in the study also draws on the conceptual framework of Young (2010) and Baker et al. (2009) on issues of equality, including equity in access to education, considering this as “indispensable for the full exercise of capabilities, choices and freedoms in an information age” and for the “exercise of global citizenship”. The challenge stands out as equal access to educational paths (Lappalainen, Nylund, & Rosvall, 2019), maintenance in these respective paths and possibilities of continuity in the next path (job market; higher education; others). To what refer to Social Justice, the framework mobilises the concepts of Fraser (2002), as it links two dimensions of the social order, the dimension of distribution and the dimension of recognition, a situation reaffirmed by Sampaio & Leite (2016) when refer to teaching and learning in their democratic dimension, with the challenge being fair distribution.

Theoretical framework. Generic skills have attracted widespread interest in research. They have been conceptualized and operationalized in various ways, however, in this study generic skills are understood as a broad set of higher-order thinking skills such as communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills needed by citizens of 21st century in all professional fields (Tuononen et al., 2022). In the higher education context, generic skills have been considered as central skills for students, for example, in terms of success in both studies and working life after graduation (e.g., Tuononen et al., 2019). It has also been noted that generic skills are brought up as one of the key learning goals in various policy documents regarding higher education (Strijbos et al., 2015; Tuononen et al., 2022). Thus, assessment of higher education students’ generic skills has been increasingly emphasized internationally, for example by such organizations as the OECD (see e.g., Van Damme, 2022). In summary, it can be stated that alongside domain-specific skills higher education is expected to produce universally needed generic skills for its students.

Despite the above, several studies have found that there is remarkable variation in higher education students’ generic skills (e.g., Evens et al., 2013; Hyytinen, 2015; Ursin et al., 2021). The socioeconomic background of students has been found to be one of the factors explaining this variation among first-year undergraduate students (Kleemola et al., 2022). From the point of view of educational (in)equality, it is worth considering if socioeconomic background is reflected in learning outcomes, such as generic skills, even in higher education. However, there is still relatively little information on the topic at the level of higher education, especially regarding students at the final stage of their undergraduate studies. Previous studies on the generic skills of higher education students have often focused on first-year students (e.g., Evens et al., 2013; Kleemola, 2023; van der Zanden et al., 2019). Additionally, more research is needed on the extent to which socioeconomic background is associated with the generic skills of students in different higher education sectors. In the Finnish context, previous research has, for example, shown that there are differences in the mastery of generic skills between students from universities and universities of applied sciences (UASs). This can partly be explained by the different educational and socioeconomic backgrounds of the students representing these two higher education sectors (Ursin et al., 2021).

Objectives. Since the assumption and universal goal is that students achieve certain generic skills in higher education, it is important to investigate in more detail which factors explain the variation of generic skills between the individual students. The aim of this study is to explore associations of Finnish final-stage undergraduate students’ generic skills with their socioeconomic background. In particular, the study aims to examine the extent to which socioeconomic factors explain the differences in generic skills between students from two higher education sectors. In this study, we focus on specific three generic skills that students are expected to learn during their higher education studies: analysis and problem-solving (i.e., the ability to utilize, analyze, and evaluate the information provided and the ability to reach a conclusion), writing effectiveness (i.e., the ability to elaborate and to provide arguments that are well-constructed and logical), and writing mechanics (i.e., the ability to produce a well-structured text).

Research in higher education (HE) has become a centre of attention for the creation of new knowledge and its dissemination as well as for its effectiveness for higher education institutions (HEIs) and contribution to societal progress (Altbach, 2013). Nevertheless, in the modern world research development is seen as a complex and multifaceted process. It requires comprehensive understanding of globalisation and internationalization trends, geopolitical circumstances, national and organisational conditions including individual aspects and cultural contexts when policymakers are involved in adopting specific reforms and making transformations in HE. It is especially important for developing countries in which universities are seen traditionally as places of teaching, training, and service (Altbach, 2009). Yet with increasing competition among HEIs globally and regionalally, the emphasis on integrating research development and knowledge production at universities intensified.

In the context of Uzbekistan, national research policies play an instrumental role in shaping the research landscape of the country because HEIs are centrally controlled by the government (Ruziev & Burkhanov, 2018). Yet, over the years the HE sector witnessed the erosion of physical infrastructure and human capital because of decades of neglect and underinvestment after the country gained independence in 1991 (Ruziev & Mamasolieva, 2022). Driven by a common belief that economic growth is highly influenced by a nation’s ability to compete in the global knowledge economy (Lane, 2012), the government of Uzbekistan also started to develop research capacity of HEIs and make investments in research infrastructure with an ambitious plan of establishing an education hub in Central Asia by 2030 and creating the foundation for so-called ‘‘The Third Renaissance Initiative’’ (President Decree No. 5847, 2019). In view of these developments, this research study focuses on the government’s initiatives since 2017, a turning point in the liberalization of many sectors, including HE. These initiatives aim to enhance research productivity, stimulate innovation, and drive economic growth within the country and encourage university academics in their pursuit of research engagement and raising research productivity.

This research project aims to examine the effects of internationalization efforts in Uzbekistan, specifically regarding how academics produce research. The objective is to investigate various internationalization initiatives such as the introduction of research metrics and global rankings, international collaboration, academic mobility, and international publication, and how they influence the research landscape and orientation of HE in Uzbekistan. An important aspect of this study involves the changing boundaries of the academic work and profession in response to national research policies, including influences from the Soviet era, Western norms, and nation-building on academic practices. By exploring these aspects, the research aims to identify any shifts and tensions within the current academic environment, highlighting the challenges that need addressing to enhance research engagement at universities.

Using a qualitative research method, this study aims to gain insights into changes and continuities experienced by academics in Uzbekistan. The research addresses three main questions: 1) What are the main international trends observed in the higher education sector? 2) How are these internationalization agendas translated and adapted to the context of the strong Soviet legacy and current geopolitical tensions? 3) How do Uzbek academics experience the changing research landscape and what strategies do they adopt in planning and conducting their research and publications?

The study will utilize the sociology of quantification and Stephen Ball's (2004) performativity to expand understanding of changes and continuities in the current academic environment and to gain insights into how the quantification of performance (control by numbers) impact the behavior and practices of academics. The theoretical framework will aid in comprehending how internationalization trends are contextualized to accommodate the Soviet legacy and understand the mechanisms through which these changes occur.

This paper concerns the research results related to a case study about the implementation of inclusion of children with disabilities in Cyprus, with a focus on the issue of reasonable accommodations and specifically the provision of assistant to children with disabilities. The research under study was qualitative and for the collection of data two interviews were carried out. The participants were the mother of a child with cerebral palsy, quadriplegia and hearing loss and the child's assistant and interpreter of sign language. The aim of the research was to clarify how parents of disabled children and their assistants define and make sense of the procedures followed in the local educational system, concerning the issue of reasonable accommodation for their children. Moreover, another aim was to clarify their opinions on how these procedures affect students with disabilities and what impact they may have on their lives. The research was held within the framework of the PhD Course EPA542: "Special and Inclusive Education in Cyprus", under the supervision of Dr. Maria Iacovou, during Winter Semester 2022, at the University of Cyprus. It is still an undergoing research and it will evolve to include other parents and assistants as participants.

The Presentation titled “Teacher agency as enabler of inclusive education in Nepal” is based on the study which aims at exploring how teacher agency has been shaped and contributing as enabler of inclusive education in resource scarce environment. In order to investigate aspects of inclusive teacher agency, the model developed by (Pantić & Florian, 2015) and elaborated by (Li & Ruppar, 2021) will be used. Inclusive teacher identity, Professional competence, Inclusive professional philosophy, Autonomy and Reflexivity will frame the aspects of inclusive teacher agency. To look into factors shaping teachers agency, the ecological model incorporated by Priestley et al. (2016) will be used. Iterational, Practical-evaluative and Projective elements will provide a theoretical framework to investigate what has shaped teacher agency in mainstream school. This study will look into which envisions frames inclusive education among teachers so they can provide opportunities to students with disabilities in nearby mainstream schools. Placing this study in Nepal, the study aims to expand teacher agency shaped in a given cultural context to challenge ableism in education and to create anti ableist pedagogies(Nieminen & Pesonen, 2022).

This study is part of a PhD program on teachers’ professional role on curriculum change, in Portugal, since the Law-Decree n.º55/2018 (Ministério da Educação, 2018), and the implemented new goals for education, following the OECD (2019), UNESCO (2021), and European Union guidelines for the XXI century education. This research is an epistemological approach, focused on the development of a new agenda for education.

Today’s education goals are scored through key-competences, that students must learn until de end of compulsory school age (Ministério da Educação, 2017), measured by international systems for assessment: as PISA and TIMSS (Schleicher, 2018; Robertson, 2022; Teodoro, 2022), and other evidence-based assessment strategies (Biesta, 2017).

Teachers are called to be agents of these change (OECD, 2019), but at same time, they also must follow prescriptive methods to teach (Priestley et al. 2015). They also must have competences to deliver this new educational paradigm, acting as instructors on a learning competence, where what counts is social-economic and technological future for the XXI century (Biesta, 2022; Robertson, 2022).

Biesta (2017; 2022) and Giroux (2022) argue that the perception of teacher as instructors, following orders, doesn’t leave space for critical action. Education assumes a submiss role, working to satisfy society needs, and the will of consumerism: with students as consumers of the product of a fast-food education that, according with Biesta (2022), is based on a “learnification”, in which teachers don’t do what education should do: bring new knowledge to students.

As Biesta & Säfström (2023) and Giroux (2022) write, this concept of education goes against what is democratic public systems, subverting what Dewey (2018) said it should be the relationship between education and society: a bilateral relationship, instead of what it is now. Unilateral, with education taking orders from society, assuming students as objects (of assessment) instead of subjects, that have to learn to be in the world (Biesta, 2022).

OECD (2005) understands teachers as an important agent to fulfill the anticipator project for the future of education. Bandura´s (1997) definition for agency is an act of someone that produces an effect in society. Priestley et al. (2015) developed the Ecological Model for Teacher Agency in which they state that there are three dimensions interrelated dimensions in teacher agency: the present conditions and the past experiences influence teachers’ perceptions for their action and what they see education in the future.

Teachers are important actors in education, as Freire’s (1997) argues. They must have the autonomy to decide what’s best for their student’s knowledge growth, they must flourish their student critical consciousness (Freire, 2021).

The purpose of this study is to contribute for the development of the public democratic education, grounded on social justice values, where students are allowed to develop their comprehension of the world and themselves. Where school act on behalf of the purpose for what is grounded as a public institution, and teachers have an important role.

This study is focused on a critical analysis of the Portuguese curricular documents from the period of 2017 to 2023, analysis of the epistemological principles subjacent of this curricular change (Ministério da Educação, 2017; 2018a; 2018b), what do they understand as the student’s profile to be developed by teachers, to respond to this new professionals demands (Giroux, 2004), it´s relation with the Essential Learnings (Ministério da Educação, 2017), what should be the teachers profile for the school and students education success.

The position and role of middle leaders (MLs) in educational institutions has attracted attention from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners worldwide, as they have been proven to have the potential to make strategic contributions to institutions (Bryant, 2019). Considering that MLs occupy critical positions providing important linkages upwards, across and downwards (Grootenboer, 2018), capacity building and professional development for MLs (PD for MLs) has become an emerging research direction. Existing research shows that PD opportunities and the effective experience of MLs in practice are limited (Bassett, 2016; Bassett & Shaw, 2018). Previous research highlighted that PD for MLs prioritises practical on-the-job experience over formal leadership training (Lillejord & Børte, 2019; Lipscombe et al., 2021). Bryant (2019) also confirmed that MLs build capacity by developing professional networks and establishing partnerships with NGOs, consultants, and other universities. In other words, collaboration and interaction are effective ways to realise PD for MLs.

The concept of professional learning communities (PLCs) comes from learning organisation (Senge, 1990) and community of practice theories (Wenger, 1998). As defined by Stoll et al. (2006), PLCs are the manner in which a group of people conduct an ongoing, reflective, collaborative, inclusive, learning-oriented, growth-promoting event to share and critically interrogate their practice. Although empirical evidence from different contexts has different manifestations and interpretations of PLCs, a consensus has been reached in the academic research field around the five characteristics of PLCs, involving shared values and vision; collaborative activities; reflective professional inquiry and dialogue; collective responsibility for student learning; de-privatised practice (Stoll et al., 2006; Vescio et al., 2008). The aforementioned characteristics have been widely recognised and used in different educational contexts. However, it should be noted that such existing studies focus on the role of PLCs in teacher professional development, while research that connects PLCs with the professional development for institutional members other than teachers, such as MLs, is limited.

In China, research that connects PLCs and PD for MLs is limited. In the few existing studies, MLs along with principals have been discussed in depth as vital factors affecting the PLCs and teacher professional development (Tang et al., 2023; Zhang et al., 2022; Bryant et al., 2020). Indeed, informal learning and PLCs have great potential in realising PD for MLs (Lillejord and Børte, 2019; Lipscombe et al., 2021). In this context, this study attempts to investigate PLCs’ practices in PD for MLs based on the Chinese context, which can enrich international educators’ understanding of the match or fit between the development of PLCs and their social culture (Stoll et al., 2006).