Higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) have been an integral part of the English language curriculum in the Israeli school system since 2013, when questions that needed HOTS were added to the matriculation exams in all modules. Teachers subsequently have been responsible for integrating such questions into their teaching. The study aims to…

The purpose of this study is to provide insight into short-term professionalization of teachers regarding teaching socioscientific issues (SSI). The study aimed to capture the development of science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for SSI teaching by enacting specially designed SSI curriculum materials. The study also explores…

This article presents the "Mission Paradox," shared by two public sector organizations in Israel: the police training system and the post-primary STEM education system. The "Mission Paradox" was identified in data analysis of two doctoral studies, which implemented a qualitative methodology. The study's purpose was to analyze…

Research Findings: We present 3 studies that focused on preschoolers' electronic book (e-book) reading in different contexts aimed at supporting children's early literacy. In Study 1 we researched the impact of children's age and number of independent readings on phonological awareness and word reading. We found that all age groups benefited from…

This study deals with the way in which kindergarten teachers in state religious kindergartens in Israel tell the Torah stories to children. It examines the influence of the teachers' identity, being part of the religious Zionist society, on the way in which she tells the stories. These kindergarten teachers function at a crossroads of identities.…

This is a sequel to previous theoretical papers (Gamliel, Reichental, & Eyal, 2007a, 2007b) that proposed a Model of Knowledge in Volume 33 of this journal. The study examines the effects of digital education on intergenerational empowerment and social interaction among participants in the Israeli Multigenerational Connection Program (MCP).…

This article presents a new classroom observations analysis tool (CLI-O: Class Learning Interactions--Observation tool). The CLI-O tool enables the collection of various data regarding the use of ICT tools, organization of learning, and teacher-student interactions in the lesson. Several examples demonstrating the use of CLI-O and some preliminary…

Education for sustainability (EfS) in higher education is an emerging specialisation within the general field of EfS. EfS encompasses cognitive, affective and behavioural aspects, and aims at enhancing a variety of learning outcomes in these domains and reaching students from all programmes. One of the main challenges for higher education…

This study examines how teachers actually cope with behavioural problems of included students. In order to understand the impact of individual differences on teachers' coping strategies, the authors looked at the relationship between these strategies and teachers' democratic beliefs and self-efficacy. Participants were 33 teachers in Israel, who…

This paper discusses how kindergarten children and their teachers "perform" in kindergartens and how they "account" for their actions. Reported are conclusions from a series of three studies carried out in 15 Israeli kindergartens. Data for the first two studies were collected in non-participant observations, audio-recordings,…

Although classroom learning environment variables provide useful criteria of effectiveness in curriculum evaluation, a limited number of evaluation studies employ classroom environment instruments. This article provides an example of the use of learning environment dimensions as dependent variables in instructional evaluation. (RL)

The Self Lesson Report Form (SLRF) was designed as an alternative to direct classroom observation or to commonly used questionnaires in which students and/or teachers report on general practices used in their classes. Describes the SLRF, assesses its validity/reliability, and illustrates kinds of information obtained using the SLRF in Israel…

Teachers are expected today to assess student understanding as an integral part of instruction, using a combination of various assessment methods and tools, among which are observing students solve problems in class and listening to their mathematical discussions. The aim of our study is to explore what it might mean for a teacher to hear students…

Evaluation of an elementary level science curriculum unit (MATAL) illustrates intensive evaluation. This method involves classroom observation by trained observers, formulation of course objectives, student interviews (ability tests), and lesson planning. It stresses the identification of learning difficulties which hinder attainment of course…

Describes a study of eighth graders that examined the effect of the use of a linked multiple representation software program on student conceptions of algebraic functions, including graphing techniques. Results of classroom observations and paper-and-pencil tests are discussed, and the adapted curriculum used in the experiment is described. (17…