International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education

Elementary Learners’ Emotions, Emotion Regulation, and Enjoyment During Asynchronous Online Learning

Min Hui Leow — 2025-04-25

This study aimed to investigate elementary learners’ emotions, emotion regulation, and enjoyment as they experienced asynchronous online learning in the post-pandemic context. Gross’s (2006) Process Model of Emotion Regulation was used to investigate the interrelationships between these three components, resulting in theoretical and practical advancement in the field of study. A total of 14 Malaysian elementary learners participated in this study. Data were collected through interviews and observations. Thematic analysis revealed two primary domains of emotion regulation that affect learners’ enjoyment of asynchronous online learning: situational control and cognition/internal control. The analysis also identified both positive and negative activating emotions as significant components that optimise elementary learners’ enjoyment. It is also critical to confront negative deactivating emotions promptly to prevent learners’ enjoyment from being impeded. Regarding the interrelationships between emotions, emotion regulation and enjoyment, learners’ enjoyment is increased or retained when emotions are effectively regulated; emotions take the lead when emotion regulation is lacking or ineffective, which in turn impacts the rise or fall in enjoyment. The findings’ implications provide instructors with encouragement to thoughtfully plan online learning that takes elementary learners’ optimal emotional and enjoyment fulfilment into account, utilising emotion regulation as a mediator.

Russian Mathematics İn Norwegian Classrooms Challenges in Implementing Zankov’s Didactic-Methodological System in Primary Mathematics Education in Norway

Gregorios Daniel Schevig Brogstad — 2025-04-25

Developmental Education in Mathematics (DEM) according to Zankov’s model, or “Russian mathematics”, has been in use in Norway since 2009 in an increasing number of schools (about 100 elementary schools in 2024). There has been relatively little research into the implementation of this teaching method in a Norwegian context. In this article we review the fundamental elements and characteristics of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximate Development (ZPD) and the didactic principles and methodology in Zankov’s system. We also discuss some challenges concerning the implementation of Zankov’s didactic system in Norwegian primary schools and some possible explanations.

The Effect of Writing Operation Scenarios on Higher-Order Thinking Skills

Murat Başar — 2025-04-25

The purpose of this study is to reveal the effect of writing scenarios for solved mathematical operations on students' higher-order thinking skills in mathematics lessons. In the research, since quantitative data will be collected first and then qualitative data, it was thought that the study was suitable for the explanatory sequential mixed design. The study group consisted of 90 students studying in the third grade and 9 teachers working in the third grades where the study was conducted. In the study, the opinions of the teachers and 18 students who participated in the activity were taken regarding the activity. As a result of the study, it was determined that students' writing scenarios had an effect on their higher-order skills. Both teachers and students stated that the activity contributed to students' higher-order thinking skills. In addition, it was observed that the study contributed to students' love of mathematics, writing skills, and higher-order thinking skills.

The Relationship Between Cognitive Flexibility and Mathematical Literacy: Insights from Indonesian Elementary Students

Sri Rahayungsih — 2025-04-25

This study explores the relationship between mathematical literacy and cognitive flexibility in solving complex problems among elementary school students (aged 9-10, n=78). A mixed methods approach revealed that students with higher literacy and flexibility performed better. Interestingly, students with high flexibility but lower literacy struggled with concepts, while high literacy and low flexibility students were rigid in their approach. Despite these findings, all students showed potential for development with teacher support, highlighting the importance of understanding cognitive abilities in math literacy education.

How Do Teacher Leaders Interact with Teachers? A Qualitative Analysis from a Professional Development Program

Nihal Yurtseven — 2025-04-25

This study aims to examine the processes experienced during the interaction between teacher leaders and their peers. Applying the grounded theory, we present a theoretical model that describes this interactive process in a months-long professional development (PD) program designed for teachers. As a part of the PD program, a total of 150 teachers were tasked with preparing lesson plans in accordance with the principles of Understanding by Design (UbD) and seven teacher leaders, trained and appointed by the researchers, were assigned to guide them. The findings yielded five categories; orientation, improvement, collaboration, communication, and feelings, and a main category, facilitation.

Leadership Style in Education: Advantages and Challenges

Apostolos Katsikas — 2025-04-25

This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the various leadership models applied in the education sector, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. The models of administrative/managerial, instructional, transformational, distributed, transactional, ethical, contingent and participative leadership are presented, focusing on their contribution to improving the functioning of school organizations. The research highlights that no single model alone can meet the ever-changing needs of school settings and suggests a synthetic approach to leadership that combines the strengths of different models to create a flexible and adaptive leadership style. Integrating managerial and transformational practices, fostering collaboration through distributed and participatory leadership, and maintaining ethical integrity are critical factors in the success of educational organizations. This research contributes to providing a comprehensive comparative analysis of existing leadership approaches in education, bridging the research gap by formulating a theoretical framework that can guide the practical application of leadership in educational settings, enhancing the effectiveness and adaptability of school units to contemporary challenges.

A Systematic Literature Review of Literacy Development of K-2 Black Boys

Julie M. Smith — 2025-04-25

Systemic barriers often prevent young Black boys from full development of their potential, including in the area of literacy. This systematic literature review seeks to better understand the landscape of literacy development of Black boys in kindergarten, first, and second grades by answering the question: What does previous research indicate about how the U.S. education ecosystem fails K-2nd grade Black boy’s language arts interests and abilities?

We used the Khan framework for this review. Searching three academic databases and an expert consultation yielded 46 relevant works, which were analyzed for their framing (i.e., asset- or deficit-based), focal areas, and findings. We identified seven themes across this body of work: literacy skills assessment, the impact of the use of Black English, inclusive and culturally relevant curricula, interventions and pedagogical approaches, professional development, student engagement, the research agenda. Our findings support an asset-based approach that emphasizes the abilities of young Black boys to flourish academically when appropriate support is provided.

What Do Future Primary School Teachers Know about Conscious Consumption and How Do They Behave?

Ayşegül Oğuz Namdar — 2025-04-25

Unconscious consumption of resources by individuals leads to many economic, social and environmental problems. Therefore, conscious consumerism and consumer education are criticallly important to develop knowledge and skills to make informed and rational choices that take into account social values and goals. In this context, the research was conducted as a descriptive case study to assess the awareness of pre-service school teachers towards the concept of 'conscious consumer'. The study was conducted with a cohort of 60 pre-service teacher enrolled as second-year students in primary education programs. The results show that the participants have insufficient knowledge about the conscious consumer. Their conceptualisations are primarily manifested through limited and superficial patterns of behaviour. Their practical behaviour related to conscious consumer in everyday life appears to be limited. In addition, the definitions and behaviours articulated by the participants are largely consistent with the principles of rational consumption. Importantly, almost all the pre-service teachers did not demonstrate behaviours associated with ethical and socially responsible consumption in their daily lives, suggesting a lack of prioritisation of these dimensions.

Development of Social-Emotional Skills among Prospective Elementary School Teachers in The Process of Teaching Disciplines of Professional Training Cycle

Svitlana Barda — 2025-04-25

The article studies the effectiveness of the use of interactive techniques and technologies in the development of social-emotional skills of future teachers of elementary school in the process of teaching disciplines of the professional training cycle. The study aimed to determine the influence of certain elements of educational programs on the development of key social-emotional skills. Standardised questionnaires such as the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, Emotion Regulation Scale, and Social Competencies Questionnaire, as well as statistical methods, in particular, t-test and correlation analysis, were used in the study. The results demonstrated a significant increase in the level of social-emotional skills of students after passing the course of disciplines of the professional cycle. In particular, empathy increased from 3.45 to 4.05 points, while the ability in emotion regulation increased from 3.25 to 4.00 points. Role plays and group discussions showed the highest effectiveness, in particular in the improvement of communicative skills, where the level increased from 3.30 to 4.10 points. The practical significance of the study is in the possibility of its results use for the improvement of educational programs oriented on the development of social-emotional competencies of future teachers. Further study perspectives include the analysis of the long-term influence of interactive technologies on the development of social-emotional skills in teachers’ professional activity.

Unlocking Potential: The Impact of Structured Digital Lessons and Self-Assessment Strategies on Mathematics Achievement and Motivation among School Students in the UAE

Farah Khaled — 2025-04-25

This empirical study investigates the impact of structured digital lessons integrated with success criteria-based self-assessment strategies on sixth-grade students’ achievement and motivation in mathematics. The study is situated within the context of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), aligning with the "We the UAE 2031" vision that emphasizes innovation, learner autonomy, and academic excellence. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was adopted, involving 120 students from AlKhair Public School in Al Ain. Two classes (n = 60) received instruction through structured digital lessons embedded with success criteria and self-assessment strategies, while the remaining two classes (n = 60) were taught using traditional instructional methods without targeted self-assessment components. All students completed mathematics achievement and motivation measures before and after the intervention. The findings indicate that students in the experimental group demonstrated notable improvements in both academic performance and motivational dimensions such as self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and task engagement, compared to their peers in the control group. The study concludes by highlighting the pedagogical significance of integrating success criteria-based self-assessment within digital instructional models and suggests practical implications for classroom practice and educational policy in the UAE. Directions for future research are discussed, including the expansion of this approach across different subjects and educational settings.