The current qualitative study examined the teacher–student interaction and its influence on children’s working memory in primary schools in Belgium and the Netherlands. Eighteen primary school teachers participated in semi-structured interviews focusing on strategies employed to support students with working memory difficulties. The study offered a comprehensive overview of the strategies, categorised into instructional support, classroom organisation, and emotional support (based on the Teaching Through Interactions framework) that teachers use when dealing with working memory-related difficulties. Additionally, it provided unique insights into teachers’ underlying beliefs and rationales about the effectiveness of these strategies. Lastly, factors influencing the use and efficacy of these strategies (based on the Multilevel Supply–Use model) were explored. By integrating teachers’ voices and experiences, this research provides a unique opportunity to bridge theory and practice, and enrich the current understanding and interpretation of the teacher–student interaction and its implications for improving working memory performance in primary school students. Overall, the holistic approach, taking into account both direct and indirect approaches, offered a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted challenges faced by students with working memory difficulties and the diverse strategies teachers can employ to address them, which can further inform classroom practices, professional development, and policy-making.

Career education in secondary schools plays a pivotal role in supporting students as they navigate the complex decision-making process involved in the transition to higher education. However, the evidence base regarding the effectiveness of career education is limited and fragmented, with a distinct lack of clarity regarding the underlying mechanisms. This study aimed to identify the best practices and underlying mechanisms of career education within Dutch secondary education. Based on focus group interviews with stakeholders with diverse interests and positions (N = 25), we identified five categories of best practice activities alongside a framework consisting of ten mediators, eight moderators, a meta-moderator, and four contextual factors. This framework, while reinforcing some previous identified mechanisms, brings new elements into focus, distinguishing additional mechanisms and their categorisation as mediators, moderators, and contextual factors. These findings may serve as a foundational framework for future research and can support schools in enhancing their career education curricula. It is crucial that career education activities align with the students’ current capacities and potential for growth, ensuring that these programs are responsive to students’ developmental stages and their zone of proximal development.