Concreteness and abstraction are key in educational research in mathematics, both when discussing the nature of mathematics in itself, but also when exploring how to learn and teach mathematics. However, while the terms "concrete" and "abstract" are often used in the field, they are not always used with the same meaning. For…

To examine the similarities and differences between two closely related yet distinct fields -- Educational Data Mining (EDM) and Learning Analytics (LA) -- this study conducted a literature review of the empirical studies published in both fields. We synthesized 492 LA and 194 EDM articles published during 2015-2019. We compared the similarities…

This literature review describes and analyses 19 peer-reviewed scholarly articles published between 2015 and 2020 that focus on the notion of the Anthropocene in early childhood education. The review is guided by two pairs of analytical concepts stemming from environmental history and the sociology of childhood. The results of the analyses are…

Purpose: The alignment between the labour market and initial vocational education and training (IVET) is placing always more importance on technical knowledge and skills, whilst metacognitive competences such as critical thinking and media literacy are increasingly neglected. In the context of IVET, this results in authors and practitioners paying…

This article provides an overview of the diverse ways in which computational thinking has been operationalised in the literature. Computational thinking has attracted much interest and debatably ranks in importance with the time-honoured literacy skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic. However, learning interventions in this subject have…

The Internet of Things is reshaping many households' digital landscape and influencing children's play and learning, especially in the form of toys that are named the Internet of Toys (IoToys). IoToys may generate a significant influence on children's growth. While increasing attention is drawn to the IoToys, confusion around their…

Recognizing learners' engagement during learning processes is important for providing personalized pedagogical support and preventing dropouts. As learning processes shift from traditional offline classrooms to distance learning, methods for automatically identifying engagement levels should be developed. This article aims to present a literature…

The idea of reflection has become more and more pervasive in higher education in recent decades, particularly -- but not only -- in teaching and learning and in the professional disciplines. But what does it mean, how has it been applied and what does it add? This article explores the history and development of the idea and assesses its place in…

This study aimed to address the question: what does "effectiveness" mean to researchers in the context of literature searching for systematic reviews? We conducted a thematic analysis of responses to an e-mail survey. Eighty-nine study authors, whose studies met inclusion in a recent review (2018), were contacted via e-mail and asked…

This paper offers a systematic review of the literature on the nature of empathy in educational research. This synthesis of the literature will reveal four salient themes that SoTL authors have used to understand the concept of empathy. The value of empathy, according to SoTL researchers, will also receive a summarized treatment in this paper.…

We examined how Learning Analytics literature represents participants from diverse societies by comparing the studies published with samples from WEIRD (Western, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) nations versus non-WEIRD nations. By analyzing the Learning Analytics studies published during 2015-2019 (N = 360), we found that most of the studies…

This chapter provides definitions and distinguishing characteristics of the various terms used in the context of hybrid education. The author also offers an overview of the recent literature on hybrid teaching and learning.

Literature reviews, and more particularly systematic reviews, are increasingly being produced and published. The past 40 years have been marked by considerable development of methodologies and methods in literature reviews. This paper aims to provide a brief historical overview of systematic reviews which will help to have a better understanding…

Vocational education and training (VET) has been facing a lot of challenges lately in the context of geostrategic forces that are shaping our world. Recent technological changes, combined with shifts in global economic power, accelerating urbanization, and demographic changes have put pressure on the VET to become more responsive to the needs of…

A central focus in science education is to foster the success of students who identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). However, representation and achievement gaps relative to the majority still exist for minoritized students at all levels of science education and beyond. We suggest that majority groups defining the definitions…