This chapter outlines the theoretical and practical processes of teaching arts integrated curriculum through a transformational learning framework (Mezinow, 2009). A key aim is to highlight how relational knowledge built through dialogic meaning making strategies in visual art provides an approach to curriculum design where students can interrogate their standpoint. We outline pedagogical approaches under the banner of creative and body-based learning (CBL) that focus on transformational learning underpinned by standpoint theory and illustrated by vignettes of three visual art strategies.

The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the centrality of children and young people in the learning process and identify educational approaches that emphasise the importance of ‘learner voice’. Opening avenues for consultation, participation and collaboration with learners in the design of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment can be significant in enhancing their engagement, achievement and wellbeing. That is, attention to the humanistic, agentic and cognitive attributes of learners, understanding their culture and lifeworlds, empowering learners to exercise agency and valuing their knowledge and skills contributes to the co-creation of meaningful learning experiences (Morrison et al., 2019; Price et al., 2020).

Covariance-based SEM (CB-SEM) has become one of the most prominent statistical analysis techniques in understanding latent phenomena such as students and teachers’ perceptions, attitudes, or intentions and their influence on learning or teaching outcomes. This chapter introduces an alternative technique for SEM, variance-based partial least squares SEM (PLS-SEM), which has multiple advantages over CB-SEM in several situations commonly encountered in social sciences research. A case study in the English Medium Instruction (EMI) context is also demonstrated as an example to facilitate comprehension of the method. The chapter concludes with a discussion of potential applications for other EMI-related contexts and lines of inquiry.

For thousands of years Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people nurtured their young, allowing natural skills to develop. Education using the powers of observation and listening was the most important process used with information being delivered to the child when they were ready to receive it. Most times this information was delivered by several members of the community. Prominent Australian Aboriginal scholar Kaye Price (2012) affirms that ‘right from the beginning there was a specialised education and for each child there was a teacher, a mentor and a peer with whom to learn … who ensured that history and the essentials of life were taught’ (p. 4). Aboriginal society was based on an egalitarian system that was holistic and emphasised belonging, spirituality, and relatedness. Learning was viewed as a natural holistic process where education was centred on the land and children learned alongside adults (Martin, 2005). The traditional epistemological system that maintained Aboriginal Nations in Australia for millennia was disrupted upon colonisation in 1788 resulting in discrimination towards Aboriginal culture and traditions (Morgan, 2019).

While there are many different interpretations of critical pedagogy (Wink, 2011), at its heart is a genuine connection with learner lives and lifeworlds. In an era of increased standardisation, and calls for ‘back to basics’ education, critical pedagogy engages both learners and educators in working together as powerful creators of knowledge. In the process, the constructed nature of knowledge is made explicit (Lankshear, 1997). Learners whose ‘virtual schoolbags’ (Thomson, 2002), which are the rich knowledge and experience gained through social and cultural lifeworlds, are typically not invited into the classroom and therefore risk a life of disengagement from formal schooling. It is these learners who are most clearly poised to benefit from a critical pedagogic approach.

This chapter introduces you to a relational approach to citizenship education, one that is grounded in how educators can and do engage children in coming together to interact with and learn from others in their communities. In this chapter, we are interested in a broad understanding of citizenship education, one which might be better understood as education for citizenship. While commonly understood as either a ‘status’ or a ‘practice’, this chapter argues that citizenship, above all else, concerns relationships. Recognising this fact requires us as educators to consider how civic relationships have been and are (often problematically) framed and how relational pedagogies can recognise and draw upon learners’ existing civic dispositions, might develop those civic dispositions further, and can build civically responsive educational settings. The chapter will provide a critical overview of relevant existing research on citizenship education before developing key features, including key pedagogical features, of a relational approach to citizenship education.

This chapter presents a synthesis of two key constructs: nature-based approaches and experiential learning. The first part of this chapter presents an overview of nature-based approaches. Research perspectives are presented to outline the importance of natural spaces in nurturing children and young people’s wellbeing, connection with nature, development of ecological awareness and holistic engagement with learning. Experiential learning theory is defined and described to examine the transformational potential of learning experienced outdoors. The interactive relationship and theoretical perspectives underlying experiential approaches are presented.

The second part of this chapter presents discussion on nature-based programs such as Forest Schools, Bush Kinders and Schools, and Nature/Environmental Kindergartens and Schools. Case studies will provide authentic contexts to highlight key aspects of intentional practice that enhance experiential learning and inquiry in nature-based settings. Finally, a synthesis of enabling practice is presented to further consider specific pedagogical implications underlying nature based approaches.

Despite the enduring popularity of path analysis, there has been limited research in the context of English Medium of Instruction (EMI) to illustrate established theories. Moreover, researchers have yet to incorporate statistical data to refine the theoretical models and better elucidate the causal relationships between various factors that potentially influence students’ academic achievement. To fill this gap, this study aims to develop and analyze a well-fitted model that could account for contingent links between variables that directly and indirectly affect EMI students’ academic achievement in science. Drawing on survey data from eight EMI secondary schools in Hong Kong, the current study identified interplayed roles of students’ English proficiency, language use in science classroom, self-perceived English difficulty in the science classroom, and self-concept on science learning on science achievement by using path analysis – one of the structural equation modeling (SEM) models, which is also illustrated in Chapter 5 of the book.

English Medium Instruction (EMI) research has highlighted the transition from secondary schools to EMI higher education as a critical stage that shapes students’ learning behaviors and perceptions. However, longitudinal studies that draw on a quantitative design to outline students’ patterns of academic development during the transition period are scarce. While investigating students’ language-related academic difficulties, previous research has predominantly treated students as a unitary cohort without exploring the disparities that may arise from individual difference variables. This chapter reports an empirical case study that adopts a longitudinal quantitative design to identify patterns of change in students’ perceptions of lecture listening difficulties during their first semester transitioning into an EMI university in China. The study also explores variations in these patterns that are associated with students’ English listening proficiency upon entry. Key methodological procedures for designing and implementing the study will be introduced, while along with sharing suggestions for handling the typical challenges of attrition and missing data in longitudinal quantitative research. The chapter concludes with methodological implications of the study for EMI research, and offers suggestions for future research based on a critical reflection of the study’s limitations.