In South Africa, the issue of learning to read is an area of concern. While studies have focused on reading problems in the Foundation Phase, little is known about this issue in full-service schools. In light of this, the aim of this study was to explore how Grade 3 teachers supported learners who experienced reading problems in full-service…

Primary school students with both giftedness and learning disabilities (SGLD) in inclusive educational settings may not always receive a differentiated curriculum. Differentiation in all-level classrooms is necessary for consistently meeting the needs of SGLD. There is insufficient research on teachers' knowledge of SGLD and differentiation in…

In this quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study we examined the effects of differentiated instruction (DI) in within-class ability groupings of 246 Montenegrin fourth-graders and their ability to solve algebraic equations. We assessed 2 parallel student groups at equal achievement levels to compare DI, in which teaching and work modes were…

To make it easier for students to learn the contents of physics and increase their motivation to learn, physics teachers need to apply different teaching strategies. With this study we aimed to examine the impact of the modified Know-Want-Learn (mKWL) strategy in physics teaching on elementary school students' metacognition. The pedagogical…

Children in sub-Saharan African countries face higher exposure to gender-based violence (GBV) compared to their counterparts in other world regions (United Nations Children's Fund [UNICEF], 2014). When GBV occurs in schools, it severely endangers access to education. Using the third round of data of the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for…

In the research reported on here we explored educators' experiences of learners' social functioning in middle childhood in a South African context. Educators are important socialisation agents for learners in middle childhood, and we reasoned that they could offer valuable information to identify those key social skills and competencies that…

With the study reported on here we set about to reveal the effects of mental games on third graders' reading comprehension skills in Turkish classes. The study group comprised 71 students, 35 of whom were included in the experimental group, and 36 in the control group. The experimental group played simple to difficult mental games selected by the…

Grade retention is the practice of holding back learners who have failed to meet specific promotional requirements as stipulated by policy, in the same grade. The main objective of the research reported on here was to determine Foundation Phase (Grades 1-3) learners' experiences and perceptions of grade retention. The theoretical framework used…

In this article we present the level of knowledge and literacy held by the parents of primary school students regarding internet safety (online safety, digital safety) in the context of digital literacy (DL) in terms of both technical skills and knowledge. The study reported on here was conducted in Poland, and was commissioned by the Ministry of…

In this article, we draw on data from focus group discussions to examine the ways in which some young boys in a South African township primary school construct and negotiate hegemonic masculinity through bullying, and other forms of violence, within the school. Deviating from the simplistic victim-bully binary, we draw from critical masculinity…

Efforts to diagnose students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) have increased in recent years in Turkey. However, the limited number of assessment tools used to identify students with SLD is one of the most important concerns in this area, since 8 out of 10 students with SLD have difficulty in reading, which affects other academic areas.…

A recently published interview-based test, known by its partly German acronym, MARKO-D SA, is introduced in this article by way of a narrative of its development through various cycles of research. The 48-item test, in 4 South African languages, captures number concept development of children in the 6 to 8-year age group. The authors present their…

The study reported on here contributes to the growing body of knowledge on the use of standard setting methods for improving the reporting and utility value of assessment results in South Africa as well as for addressing the conceptual shortcomings of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) reporting framework. Using data from the…

Despite numerous attempts by the Free State Department of Education to train primary school principals on how to design and implement school policies, numerous schools do not implement school policies satisfactorily. In this article we examine the implementation of school policies in township primary schools in the Free State province, South…

Development and dissemination of innovative pedagogies continues to be one of the challenges of the 21st century. The visible deficiencies in the educational field have highlighted the need for other types of pedagogies that promote complete student development. Gardner's theory about multiple intelligences (MIs) has great potential that has not…