Levinsky College of Education

The cultivation of interpersonal communicative skills represents one of the pivotal objectives within contemporary pedagogical paradigms. This research developed, tested, and evaluated three extracurricular education programs aimed at developing communicative action skills in Sunday school students against the landscape of integrated secular and religious education. The empirical base included 302 students aged 8 to 16 years (M = 11.80; SD = 2.41). They were distributed into age groups: 8–10 years (n = 104; M = 9.1; SD = 0.6), 11–13 years (n = 118; M = 12.0; SD = 0.8), and 14–16 years (n = 80; M = 15.0; SD = 0.8). The experiment also featured 74 Sunday school teachers (M = 41.2; SD = 7.1), of whom 13 were clergy (M = 42.5; SD = 6.8). The methodology involved questionnaires, observation, semi-structured interviews, content analysis of essays, and expert assessment of group interaction. Three extracurricular programs were implemented by age groups. They exploited project forms, role-playing games, and academic events, as well as such digital platforms as Moodle, Sferum, and Nextcloud. The participants demonstrated a high level of communicative actions, which increased from 14.8% to 31.7%. The proportion of students with poorly developed communicative skills decreased from 58.0% to 22.5%. The students also improved their speech activity and empathy. While clarifying the terminology related to communicative skills, competences, and actions, the authors developed a diagnostic system of criteria and indicators adapted to the conditions of extracurricular religious education. The programs can be realized in Sunday schools as a tool for the targeted formation of communicative skills.

The future of innovation and economic growth depends on our ability to nurture the next generation of scientists. The global shortage of qualified STEM (Science, Technology, engineering, Mathematics) teachers has led many countries to expedite the transition of subject-matter experts from industry and academia into teaching roles. These second-career science student teachers typically participate in accelerated training programs designed to address urgent shortages. This study addresses a gap in the literature regarding effective pedagogical interventions for career-changing professionals in STEM fields, focusing on the experience and transformation of second-career science student teachers. This qualitative case study explores how a Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) course fosters the development of pedagogical competences via developing an instructional unit collaboratively, among five second-career science student teachers enrolled in an accelerated teacher education program. Drawing on data collected through instructors’ field notes, iterative work-in-progress lesson drafts, and reflective final papers, the study employs qualitative content analysis to trace changes in participants’ instructional approaches and professional identity. Findings reveal that engagement with the CBL framework promoted a significant shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered instruction, as participants increasingly integrated collaborative learning, inquiry-based activities, and reflective practices into their lesson planning and classroom teaching. The iterative nature of CBL, which emphasizes real-world problem-solving and structured opportunities for reflection and peer feedback, was instrumental in supporting participants’ adaptive expertise and confidence as novice teachers. Moreover, the course experience contributed to the emergence of a professional teaching identity, with participants reporting greater self-efficacy, a stronger sense of belonging to the teaching community, and increased motivation to persist in the profession. The results underscore the potential of integrating CBL and learning sciences principles into accelerated teacher preparation programs to enhance both cognitive and affective dimensions of teacher development.

Israeli higher education institutes are challenged by the growing number of ultra-orthodox students. This requires coping with novel aspects unfamiliar to participants, as students and as teachers in the education system, utilizing online learning as a lever for empowering this marginalized population. The aim of the proposed research was to explore perceptions of ultra-orthodox students studying in B.Ed. programs within a secular college of education towards online courses. Data included transcriptions from 68 narratives of interviews, which were analyzed using a mixed-methods approach, which helped us achieve an in-depth understanding of the difficulties and challenges of these higher education students. Altogether, five themes were identified, namely: technical challenges, ethical/religious challenges, academic challenges, engagement challenges, and aspects of availability. Statements referring to academic challenges and engagement challenges were the most frequent. The number of positive and negative statements was balanced. Also, distinct patterns of responses were identified for married vs. single ultra-orthodox women. Findings demonstrate the complexity of utilizing online learning among ultra-orthodox B.Ed. students, in a twofold manner: personally and community-wise. The study may shed light on online learning in additional marginal communities worldwide that are traditional in nature, and that may benefit from online courses.

The global emphasis on interdisciplinary teaching continues to shape educational discourse, promoting meaningful and valuable learning experiences. This study examines the interdisciplinary curricular process led by a group of second-career teacher trainees and explores its role in shaping their emerging professional identities. The research focuses on eight high-achieving individuals transitioning to teaching as a second career through a STEM-focused (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) teacher preparation program. Employing a qualitative case study methodology, the study reveals a curricular process characterized by confusion and conflict as second-career teacher trainees navigate interdisciplinary integration. The findings highlight a planning process driven by conceptual and epistemic deliberations at both inter- and intra-disciplinary levels, with a predominant focus on disciplinary considerations over pedagogical aspects. The study further identifies key tensions that challenged participants’ perceptions, emotional responses, and instructional practices, offering a nuanced perspective on the complexities of interdisciplinary teaching. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of professional identity formation among second-career teachers in STEM education.

ABSTRACT Background The events of 7 October 2023 and the subsequent war have reignited historical consciousness in Israel, blurring the lines between past and present in both public discourse and educational settings. These developments pose significant challenges for history educators as emotionally charged narratives and historical motifs resurface in classrooms. Objective This article examines the impact of these events on historical education and explores how the pervasive use of historical motifs can be harnessed to foster critical historical thinking, with special emphasis on training teachers to navigate this complex landscape. Methods Drawing on H.G. Gadamer’s theory of historical understanding and Dominick LaCapra’s work on trauma and history, the article introduces the concept of ‘layering’ historical consciousness—a reflective process that helps teachers and students differentiate between personal, communal, and collective memories. Results and Conclusion This approach enables students to navigate emotional responses and conflicting layers of historical understanding while promoting a reasoned, dialogic engagement with history. The article offers a framework for educators to address contemporary trauma and cultivate critical, reflective historical education in times of crisis.

As blended learning (BL) is becoming a new normal in the context of higher education, there is a growing need to attune pedagogies to this context. As reflective blogs were found to be supportive of pre-service student teachers’ (PSTs’) as well as teacher educators’ (TEs’) professional development, the current study aimed to explore PSTs’ and TEs’ perceptions regarding the potential of integrating blogs into the BL modality. Applying a qualitative approach, analyses of 528 PSTs’ blog posts, transcriptions of two focus groups with 11 PSTs, and 3 TEs’ reflections and discussion transcripts yielded four themes that related to both the PSTs’ and the TEs’ perspectives regarding the integration of blogs into BL: (1) keeping sequential learning, (2) supporting self-directed learning, (3) keeping a sense of a learning community, and (4) increasing motivation and critical thinking. Nevertheless, both the PSTs and TEs described unique roles for blogging in BL. The TEs indicated that blogs support a sense of control, reveal misconceptions, and model teaching, while the PSTs indicated that blogs increase or decrease self-confidence during BL. The implications pertain to the contribution of blogging in BL, as well as to the four pedagogical principles of effective BL design: (a) continuity in learning, (b) fostering autonomous learning, (c) building a learning community, and (d) reflectivity and professional development.

Abstract The core of mathematics is problem solving. Understanding that the range of problems is wide, both within mathematics and in so-called real-world mathematics, led to the understanding that the teaching space also is large and involves different domains of contents and competencies: mathematics, linguistics, world knowledge, and students’ abilities. These elements affect the students’ expertise in solving and posing mathematical problems, and those engaged in mathematics instruction should take them into account. SEMT symposia reflect the changes in researchover the years. This chapter does not aim to present all the research in the field, not even all the works (over 120) in SEMT but highlights key ideas and directions that have evolved. It starts with the most basic problems and their assumptions and elaborate on them within today’s problem-solving space: problems, non-routine problems, research problems with or without the use of technology, and the opportunity for developing creativity.

This paper explores the use of cameras and video recordings in educational contexts, employing the concepts of Panopticon, Synopticon, and Omniopticon as analytical frameworks. After discussing these three concepts as different models of power, we analyse how they encompass a range of distinctive approaches to leveraging cameras in educational contexts to gain power and control. We demonstrate this argument by analysing three cases of camera utilization within educational systems: CCTVs as monitoring and surveillance tools, webcams as devices for synchronous online learning and online testing, and the use of video recordings for producing short educational video clips embedded in MOOCs and social media. The analysis suggests that employing cameras and video recordings in the educational sector carries implications that extend beyond mere safety concerns or pedagogical perceptions. Utilizing these technologies in a Panopticon, Synopticon, and Omniopticon manner reshapes power relations within the educational system and act as a mechanism for gaining power within the system.

ABSTRACT The aim of the study encompasses three primary objectives: (1) To examine the capability of children of varying ages to reproduce increasingly complex rhythms through hand-clapping and drumming; (2) To explore the ability of children of different ages to notate increasingly complex rhythms; and (3) To investigate the impact of age on children's invented rhythmic notations and their artistic ability to draw a person using the Draw-A-Person (DAP) Test. The participants comprised 42 children aged between 2.6 and 11.6 years old. Individual one-hour sessions were conducted in participants’ homes. Each session was divided into three parts: playing three rhythms of increasing complexity and length, inventing notations to represent each rhythm, and completing the DAP test. The study found age effects on all measures tested: rhythm reproduction competency, rhythm notations, and person depiction. The novelty of this study lies in its unique research in-situ setting and the administration of both graphic and audio-graphic tasks. The findings have implications for rhythm education, music literacy, and in-situ research in music education. They underscore the significance of adopting a multi-modal approach in music education to enhance music skills and foster artistic expression in children.