The use of digital technology to support teaching and learning in schools has been rising for years, but in March 2020, it became the only option when the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in the closure of almost all educational institutions worldwide. This article reports on a survey of secondary school leaders (n = 72) in Ireland, conducted three months after the closures. Leaders’ beliefs about technology, digital practices before the pandemic and responses to the emergency are considered. The findings suggest that leaders are positively disposed towards technology, and that, prior to the crisis, approaches to digital learning were aligned with some best practice recommendations. Although schools endeavoured to continue provision during the closures, challenges were reported, particularly in rural schools and those serving disadvantaged cohorts. Leaders perceived teachers’ ‘digital competence’ as an area in need of development, and noted that the pandemic may have provided an impetus for this.

Minecraft is a popular digital game‐based learning (DGBL) tool used in learning environments around the world. With increasing emphasis on evidence‐informed practice and policymaking in educational systems, this paper systematically reviews the evidence base behind the use of Minecraft in improving academic, cognitive, motivational‐affective and social outcomes. We searched seven databases and other secondary sources up until February 2024. Pre‐post intervention studies that evaluated the use of Minecraft (randomised, non‐randomised and single‐group studies) in children, adolescents and young adults were included. Twenty‐nine studies satisfied our inclusion criteria. Studies primarily investigated Minecraft as a tool to improve cognitive ( n = 7) and academic ( n = 16) outcomes. Studies reported positive effects on spatial thinking ( n = 2), creativity ( n = 3), critical thinking ( n = 1), mathematics ( n = 5), science ( n = 4) and language ( n = 2). However, all studies included in this review had a medium or high risk of bias. Therefore, while Minecraft demonstrates good potential in improving these outcomes, effects need to be replicated in more rigorous studies. Suggestions for future research are discussed. This review provides timely evidence for educators, school leaders and policymakers regarding the use of DGBL with Minecraft.

We conducted a small pilot study examining the opinions of school teachers across five Welsh primary schools on the possibility of introducing grand challenges (such as antibacterial resistance), and concepts to help solve such challenges (such as the use of living maggots to help treat infected wounds) to pupils at a young age. Our questionnaire-based study found that most teachers felt that this was indeed possible, with the majority feeling that pupils in Years 5 and 6 would be the most relevant and best years in which to introduce these concepts. With regards to introducing maggots to children as being positive and beneficial creatures, almost 50% of teachers felt that squeamishness may be present in children of all years, but that disgust and dislike of maggots would exist to a greater degree in older children. Our exploratory results suggest that with further research, this important biological concept could be introduced in the curriculum of primary schools, when perhaps less engrained negative perceptions, and more educated awareness of the positive benefits of using maggots as a treatment for wound infections may be achievable.

Education specialists are strongly advocating the use of collaborative teaching (co-teaching) approaches to facilitate the inclusion of pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in mainstream settings. The current study analysed the impact of co-teaching on the numeracy attainment of students in two, mixed-gender Irish primary classes (N = 45; 4th Class: 9–10 years old) where there was a high incidence of SEN (e.g. autism, specific learning difficulties etc.,). After participating in co-taught numeracy classes for seven months, a standardised Mathematics test was administered. These scores were compared to the pupils’ scores from the previous year when co-teaching was not the primary mode of instruction. A significant increase in pupils’ overall standardised test scores was noted (p = .002). Scores for pupils with SEN in relation to numeracy (n = 12) also experienced a significant increase (p = .032) as did the scores for pupils without SEN (n = 30; p = 0.23). Based on these preliminary results, co-teaching appears to be an effective mode of instruction for meeting the needs of pupils with, and without, SEN in mainstream settings

Evidence suggests that the quality of teachers’ instructional practices can be improved when these are informed by relevant assessment data. Drawing on a sample of 1,300 primary school teachers in Ireland, this study examined the extent to which teachers use standardized test results for instructional purposes as well as the role of several factors in predicting this use. Specifically, the study analyzed data from a cross-sectional survey that gathered information about teachers’ use of, experiences with, and attitudes toward assessment data from standardized tests. After taking other teacher and school characteristics into consideration, the analysis revealed that teachers with more positive attitudes toward standardized tests and those who were often engaged in some form of professional development on standardized testing tended to use assessment data to inform their teaching more frequently. Based on the findings, policy and practice implications are discussed.