To celebrate International Day of Education on 24 January we’ve put together a collection of five articles from across our journals showcasing innovative approaches to research in childhood and adult education.  

An investigation to determine how the introduction of outdoor education supports learning in Key Stage One | Emily Hooson 

This study focuses upon the effectiveness of outdoor education on primary school pupils in Key Stage One; regarding their engagement and behaviour. In addition to this, this study will consider to pedagogical strategies that are adopted by the teacher during the delivery of outdoor lessons. Mixed methods of qualitative data collection were employed to evaluate the aim of this research. Read more.

Building in room to fail: Learning through play in an undergraduate course | Hannah Gascho Rempel

True learning happens when we try new things - when we practice something, see how it goes, and then try it again. Pedagogical practices that encourage metacognition and active reflection are built on this premise. But these practices take time, and university instructors are pressured to cover as much content as possible in a term. Read more.

Exploring teachers’ perspectives on primary school homework | Amy-Leigh Simpson

This research aims to explore teachers’ perspectives on primary school homework, a topic that is highly contested, yet considerably under-researched in England. It seeks to present an insight into how teachers assign primary school homework, and which factors impact upon their decisions in this area. Read more.

Compassionate Play: why playful teaching is a prescription for good mental health (for you and your students) | Julia Reeve

This article explores the softer side of play, considering the affordances of teaching at the reflective and contemplative end of the playful learning spectrum.  Inspired by both contemplative and compassionate pedagogies plus practice-based enquiry, it argues for the positive impact that playful learning can have on student and staff mental health. Read more.

To what extent do game design factors impact children’s engagement on digital education games? | Sidra Akram

This study explores the extent to which game design features impact children’s engagement with digital education games (DEGs). Research has highlighted that the topic of digital game-based learning (DGBL) is becoming increasingly complex, with benefits such as the acquisition of 21st century skills as central to its implementation. Read more.

Journal of Play in Adulthood Fields: Journal of Huddersfield Student Research collection DayofEducation journals education