Most educational research is conducted by external researchers and is rarely read by the people who are actually teaching the world’s children. By publishing research that emerges from authentic school settings, conducted by teachers themselves or through direct partnership with teachers, Elements will advance teacher engagement with the process of research. This approach enables teachers to generate relevant research questions and direct empirical investigations, which increases the impact of this research at the classroom level, as well as advancing scientific knowledge of student learning.
Elements is a high-quality publication venue for school-based researchers to publish scholarly research. Elements publishes empirical, theoretical, and review articles, as well as articles that use quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods, which primarily focus on the value and application of research in schools. The journal strives for a style and tone that are scholarly and precise, yet plain-spoken and direct to an audience of teachers. Information sufficient to understand and evaluate the methods of published research is included, while technical details are generally reserved for online technical appendices.
Elements is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal publishing high-quality, original research conducted by teachers, school- or district-based leaders, education researchers, and graduate students. Elements is international in focus and accepts submissions from any country. All articles, however, must be written in English. Elements is published twice a year, in April and October.
While Elements receives its funding from Avenues The World School, it exists as a wholly independent publication and does not promote Avenues’ educational programs. To ensure editorial independence and adherence to all relevant research standards, the journal has a governing board of senior independent advisors overseeing the editorial direction of the journal and ensuring the highest standards of ethical research. To improve the quality of scholarly work ultimately leading to successful publication of high-quality applied research, consulting editors provide review and feedback.
Executive Director
Edward E. Ford Foundation
Founder and Executive Director
Research Schools International
Professor and Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Linguistics, Georgetown University
Strategic Advisor
Avenues The World School
Partner
Transcend Education
Editor-in-Chief
Editor
Editor
Editor
Editor
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Assistant Professor, Elementary and Special Education
College of Education, Georgia Southern University
Assistant Professor
Department of Educational Professions, Frostburg State University
Assistant Professor, Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning
Curry School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia
Assistant Professor, Educational Administration and Planning
Department of Educational Sciences, Middle East Technical University
Educational Consultant and Advisory Board Member
The Walt Disney Company
Vice President, Elementary Literacy Instruction
Amplify
Visiting Assistant Professor
Teacher’s College, Columbia University
Associate Professor, Applied Developmental & Educational Psychology
Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College
Science Education and Assessment
McGraw-Hill (retired)
Assistant Professor, Cognitive Neuroscience
Department of Psychology, Georgetown University
Professor Emeritus
Department of Mathematics and Science Education, University of Georgia
Associate Professor, Learning Design and Technology
Department of Instructional Technology, University of Georgia
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August 20, 2021
Empathy is the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes, understand their perspective, and feel their emotions. The merits of empathy have been debated recently, and the debate largely boils down to whether empathy is helpful or harmful as an inspiration for action and whether empathy is even worth the trouble.
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February 23, 2021
When we reflect on what we want most for our children, our hearts yearn for them to be compassionate, but we struggle to describe what really enables these skills to grow. This was the goal of a recent study, which is the first paper to be published in this journal. Compassion is central to the mission of Colegio Menor, a private and bilingual (English/Spanish) school in Ecuador. They teamed up with Research Schools International, forming a research partnership to look deeply into building compassion at their school.
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Research articles present original empirical research conducted in authentic classroom settings.
Suggested length: 5000–6000 words
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Elements follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. Authors are therefore requested to submit a blinded manuscript without any author names and affiliations in the text or on the title page. Self-identifying citations and references in the article text should be avoided.
Research articles will have the following sections: title page, abstract, keywords, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, acknowledgments, reference list, appendices (if desired). Suggested length is 5000–6000 words (not including tables, figures, endnotes, or reference list). The article should contain an abstract of 150 words and 3–5 keywords.
Please include:
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Research briefs are overviews of a particular topic or an area pertaining to educational research (such as project-based learning, bilingual education, positive discipline, etc.).
Suggested length: 2500–3000 words
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The goal of a research brief is to acquaint the reader with the latest trends and research findings on the said topic. Research briefs might be subject to peer review. The expectation is that they present a balanced perspective on the topic, and that the language is clear and free from jargon. When Elements receives a research brief, the journal editors will review it for clarity, length, and grammar. Minor revisions will be returned to the author for approval. In case major revisions are needed, the editors will share a list of requested changes. Once the completed revisions have been submitted, the editorial office will contact the author with page proofs.
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Other manuscripts may include reviews of research, op-ed pieces, book reviews, or other pieces relevant to conducting and/or applying research in classrooms and schools.
Suggested length: 500–1000 words
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Elements also welcomes manuscripts such as reviews of research, op-ed pieces, or book reviews that respond to current research and trends in education. Pieces that highlight unique challenges of applying current academic research findings to dynamic learning environments will also be considered.
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