This paper derives from a large research project focusing on mathematics and science assessment of student learning in three high-need, rural, and urban secondary schools in Manitoba, Canada. The study employed qualitative methods of semi-structured interviews and classroom video recordings of teaching practice experiences of 12 mathematics and science teachers, with the purpose that explore how authentic assessment forms assist effective teaching to monitor and motivate student learning achievement and growth. The results indicate that about 67% (eight out of the twelve of the participants) of the research participants practice the traditional mode of standard assessment that consists of multiple forms of questioning. The participants' rationale relates to speedy evaluations of student work, preparing feedback reports to parents and students, and objectivity of the assessment process. The other 33% (four out of twelve of the participants) of participants practice authentic assessment that concentrates on: (1) Allowing students to apply what they have learned rather than testing their ability to memorize and regurgitate concepts, (2) Allowing students to personalize their knowledge and values, (3) Encouraging group project-based learning and with the use of rubric for evaluating and monitoring, (4) Promoting deep learning to become life-long learners, (5) Recognizing, acknowledging, and validating diversity in student learning styles, interests, and aspirations, and further, authentic assessment is an excellent opportunity to apply communicative technologies such as podcasts and webinars in learning and undertaking investigations in mathematics and science learning. Furthermore, some participants asserted that authentic assessments are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and resource-demanding, aside from the limited resources and lack of training, which are some of the challenges of implementing authentic assessment. Other participants stated that all teachers must be familiar with using all assessment tools. The paper concludes that the principal plays a critical instructional leadership role in a school-wide implementation of authentic assessment.

This study compares experts' and teachers' conceptualization of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). The study participants included teachers (n=20) enrolled in a graduate mathematics education course on PCK. Participants responded to two open-ended questions: a) describe in your own words what PCK is; b) provide an example of PCK. The responses were collected, qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed, and then compared to those suggested by experts to identify and describe the similarities and differences between teachers’ and experts’ conceptualizations using the Pareto analysis. Experts’ and teachers’ PCK components ranking was analyzed using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test. Even though the results of the quantitative analysis were not significant (e.g., the observed U-value is 32 whereas the critical value of U at p < .05 is 13), the qualitative discussion on the differences between expert and teachers’ ranking suggests insightful interpretation of priorities among PCK components across the two groups.

Scaffolding dialogue is a concept in learning that refers to the support or assistance given to individuals during the dialogue process. The main objective of this research is to create a basic structure of dialogue to help and support students during the learning process in improving their algebraic reasoning skills. Algebraic reasoning is a process in which students generalize mathematical ideas from a certain set of examples, establish these generalizations through argumentative discourse, and express them in a formal and age-appropriate way. The study was designed using the grounded theory qualitative model method, which used three sequential steps: open coding, selective coding, and theoretical coding. The research was conducted on students of the mathematics education department at Universitas Islam Sultan Agung. Data collection methods include algebraic reasoning ability tests, questionnaires, and interviews. Data analysis in grounded theory is an iterative and non-linear process that requires researchers to constantly move back and forth between data collection and analysis. This process aims to produce a theory that is valid and can explain phenomena well based on empirical data obtained during research. The dialogue scaffolding strategy framework in improving students' algebraic reasoning abilities includes instructing, locating, identifying, modeling, advocating, exploring, reformulating, challenging, and evaluating.

We aimed to explore how Early Childhood (EC) preservice teachers (PSTs) choose and apply content-specific mathematics and science standards by analyzing two sets of lesson plans and two transcripts from whole class discussions from an EC mathematics and science methods course. From our analyses, we identified major themes and explanatory categories that indicated issues related to PSTs’ standards selection process. Students’ reasoning about their choices illustrated the resiliency of their beliefs about teaching and learning EC mathematics and science, and how their own observation experiences prevailed over our explicit instruction and assignment expectations. Drawing from literature related to Lortie’s (1975) Apprenticeship of Observation, we use our findings to consider ways to better appreciate and mitigate the strength of PSTs’ incoming beliefs on their readiness to plan for and implement lessons. 

This study investigated the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools into secondary school chemistry education in Zimbabwe, assessing their impact on student engagement and academic performance. Grounded in Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory and Cognitive Load Theory, the research employed a mixed-methods approach within a pragmatic framework. Quantitative data were collected through pre-test and post-test assessments and structured surveys, comparing an experimental group using AI tools with a control group employing traditional methods. Qualitative data from student and teacher interviews and classroom observations were analysed thematically. ANCOVA analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in post-test scores between the experimental and control groups, F (1, 117) = 188.86, p < .005, η² = 0.617, demonstrating a large effect size of AI integration on academic performance. Students in the experimental group exhibited a mean improvement of 20%, controlling for pre-test differences. Additionally, interaction effects between AI use and gender (F (1,115) = 0.17, p = .684) as well as prior chemistry knowledge (F (1,115) = 0.05, p = .829) were not statistically significant. Furthermore, 85% of the experimental group reported higher engagement levels, confirming AI’s role in fostering motivation and conceptual understanding. AI tools facilitated personalized learning paths, interactive simulations, and real-time feedback, optimizing cognitive efficiency and deep learning. Despite these advantages, significant challenges emerged, including limited internet access, insufficient technological resources, lack of teacher training, and curriculum integration difficulties. These barriers highlight the need for strategic investments in digital infrastructure, professional development for educators, and curriculum revisions to fully integrate AI into chemistry education. The findings underscore AI’s transformative potential in STEM education within developing nations. Addressing infrastructural and pedagogical challenges is critical to maximizing AI's impact, ensuring equitable access, and fostering long-term sustainability in educational innovation.

The article investigates the impact of assessment data analysis on promoting deeper learning in Canadian high schools, specifically focusing on teachers’ flexibility in data-driven evaluation. The research contributes to the discourse on assessment practices by emphasizing the importance of authentic assessments, competency-based learning, and grading methodologies. Selected high school teachers drawn into this further study formed a fraction of the initial set of participants. Classroom practices of assessments concentrate on: (a) Freedom to facilitate deeper learning in instructing, assessing, and sustaining interest. The others are: (b) Teacher’s emphasis on competency-based (standard-based) learning to make learning appealing to students in educational spaces, and (c) Testing, collecting test score data, analyzing, and reporting students grades to present parents and school districts/boards with accurate progressive data reflective of diversity in learning. In this qualitative focus group case-study discussion, participants indicated time expended in performing critical analysis of data to grade students is burdensome, but the joy of such practice far outweighs the inherent difficulties, knowing that student success is founded on flexibility, freedom in decision-making, and being reflective as educators.

Comparison of mathematics textbooks between Indonesia and Singapore is one way to assess the educational process. This article provides insight into how mathematical concepts are taught and applied in problem-solving in each country. The study provides knowledge about how mathematical concepts are constructed by teachers and students and implemented in problem-solving between countries. This study aims to compare task designs in high school mathematics textbooks between Indonesia and Singapore based on the type of task, technique, technology, and theory used, with a focus on cubes and cuboids. The comparative analysis of the two books uses praxeological theory, the main construction of Didactic Anthropology Theory, with reference to epistemological model (REM) model analysis. The research results show that there are differences in the approaches, methods, and habits used in task design in the two countries. The techniques, technology and theories found in the two task designs show that Indonesian mathematics textbooks use more verification and drawing up conclusions which are influenced by perceptual techniques. Meanwhile, the task of designing Singapore's mathematics textbooks involves more direct investigations into forming students' knowledge through physical and operational techniques. The techniques, technology, and theories used in both designs influence the number of learning obstacles. Epistemological constraints occur in Indonesian textbooks and only a few in Singapore textbooks. These findings provide insight into how to build mathematical knowledge for students through good assignment design based on a country's educational character.

Research consistently highlights the importance of promoting creativity in curricula worldwide and within school settings. However, teachers often fail to recognize mathematical creativity (mainly described and evaluated through fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration) and are usually ill-prepared to enhance it in their students. Few studies have incorporated educational programs focused on mathematical creativity, showing positive results in enriching participants' knowledge and perception of creativity. Nevertheless, participants' teaching practices were not observed, leading to uncertainty about whether these participants could integrate opportunities for students’ development of mathematical creativity in their lessons. In this qualitative study, we attempt to bridge this gap by observing teachers' practices before and after an intervention focused on mathematical creativity. Seven in-service primary school Greek teachers participated in the study. Their teaching practices were examined through classroom observation, using an observation protocol, before and after their voluntary participation in an educational program aimed at enriching their knowledge of mathematical creativity and their ability to cultivate it in the classroom. Observational data were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results showed that prior to the intervention, participants sparsely employed creativity-fostering approaches in their teaching. However, after the intervention, they significantly increased the time spent on creativity-provoking tasks, utilizing various creativity-promoting approaches and primarily focusing on developing fluency, flexibility, and generating new knowledge. Nevertheless, they did not significantly develop their skills in originality and elaboration, indicating the need for further support in cultivating these aspects of creativity. Future implications for professional teacher training and mathematics textbook writing are discussed.

The infusion of indigenous knowledge in academic subjects is often problematic due to personal perceptions or little experience with indigenous knowledge in a teaching and learning environment. The aim of the research was to indicate the experiences of pre-service teachers when infusing indigenous knowledge via storytelling in Physical Science. This article reports on the personal experience(s) of pre-service teachers in training at a higher education institution where indigenous knowledge was infused into the teaching and learning of Physical Sciences. The implementation of Ethnophysics as a teaching strategy, storytelling as a teaching technique, contextualised - and project-based learning as teaching methods and approaches and reflection on experiences when implementing participatory action learning and action research indicated a transformative way to embrace indigenous knowledge in the teaching and learning of Physical Science. Stories, related to the concept of heat in physical science were collected by the pre-service teachers from trusted adult members in their local communities. The pre-service teachers analysed the stories and reported their interpretation of scientific and indigenous knowledge in the stories. Inductive, thematic analysis was used to interpret pre-service teacher reflection on the experience and the Cultural Historical Activity Theory was used to indicate an overview and the connection between different elements of the research. The participating pre-service teachers indicated that storytelling, as a teaching technique, adds value to how they interpret concepts in Physical Science related to their unique culture. The pre-service teachers gained research skills regarding qualitative research and showed the ability to identify the contribution of both scientific and indigenous knowledge.

This study explores how mentor teachers in specialized teaching areas, particularly chemistry, interact in an Online Professional Development (OPD) program. The Mentor Teacher Professional Development (MeT-PD) program was designed to improve mentoring practices by creating opportunities for collaborative learning through various online activities, such as Individual Response (IR), Interactive Individual Response (IIR), Small Group Discussions (SGD), and Large Group Discussions (LGD). Using a qualitative case study approach, the research analyzed data collected from Zoom recordings and Nearpod activity logs. The findings indicate that while LGDs were useful for interactions between facilitators and learners, they were not as effective in fostering interaction among learners themselves, mainly due to the cognitive demands and how these discussions were structured. On the other hand, SGDs seemed to foster stronger participant interaction, probably because the smaller group settings led to more valuable exchanges. These findings highlight the need of thoughtful planning of OPD activities, with particular focus on group size management and selection of suitable discussion formats to improve both interaction and learning outcomes.