Focus and Scope

Aims

Emerging Issues in Elementary Education Studies (EIEES) is an international scholarly journal dedicated to advancing critical, interdisciplinary, and context-sensitive understanding of emerging challenges and transformations in elementary education. The journal examines how educational practices, institutions, policies, and learning environments respond to changing social conditions, technological developments, cultural dynamics, and evolving understandings of equity and human development.

EIEES aims to foster theoretically informed and methodologically rigorous research that moves beyond descriptions of classroom practices to explain educational change, interrogate established assumptions, evaluate the consequences of educational innovations, and generate insights relevant to diverse educational contexts. The journal welcomes scholarship that connects empirical evidence with broader conceptual, institutional, and societal questions, contributing both to the advancement of educational theory and to the improvement of elementary education.

Scope

EIEES welcomes scholarship addressing emerging issues in elementary education. Its scope includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:

1Educational Change, Policy, and Governance
Educational reform, curriculum transitions, school leadership, institutional capacity, teacher policy, educational accountability, and the implementation and consequences of policy changes in elementary education.
2Digital Transformation and Emerging Technologies
Artificial intelligence in education, digital learning ecosystems, data-informed teaching, educational technology governance, digital literacy, algorithmic bias, data privacy, and the pedagogical and ethical implications of technological change.
3Equity, Inclusion, and Educational Justice
Inclusive education, disability and accessibility, gender and socioeconomic inequalities, linguistic and cultural diversity, rural and underserved communities, and the structural conditions shaping equitable participation and learning opportunities.
4Teacher Professionalism and Changing Educational Work
Teacher agency, professional identity, teacher learning, pedagogical adaptation, workload, professional well-being, and the changing roles and responsibilities of elementary school educators.
5Learning, Development, and Emerging Pedagogical Challenges
Changes in children’s learning experiences, foundational literacy and numeracy, self-regulated learning, student engagement, assessment practices, socio-emotional development, and the relationship between classroom processes and wider educational conditions.
6Childhood, Society, and Educational Futures
The intersections of elementary education with family and community life, migration, cultural change, environmental and sustainability challenges, children’s rights, social participation, and the future of childhood and schooling.
7Comparative, Interdisciplinary, and Context-Sensitive Research
Cross-national and cross-cultural studies, comparative education, interdisciplinary investigations, and research examining how educational innovations and policies operate across different institutional, cultural, and socioeconomic contexts.

Types of manuscript

Original empirical research Qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods studies with a clear research contribution.
Conceptual papers Theoretically grounded arguments that advance understanding of elementary education.
Systematic reviews Reviews reported in line with PRISMA 2020, synthesising evidence on an emerging issue.
Critical analyses Evidence-informed analyses of policies, practices, or developments in elementary education.

Editorial orientation

EIEES particularly values manuscripts that:

  • identify significant educational problems;
  • offer clear theoretical or conceptual positioning;
  • employ transparent and appropriate methods; and
  • demonstrate a meaningful contribution beyond the immediate study setting.

Research situated in a single school, classroom, or national context is welcome when it provides analytically developed findings that inform wider debates, challenge existing explanations, or offer transferable insights.

Outside our priorities. Manuscripts that only introduce a new teaching medium, report short-term learning gains, or describe a localised classroom intervention without a clear research contribution are not prioritised.

How manuscripts are evaluated

Originality A new question, perspective, or finding for the field.
Scholarly rigour Clear theory, appropriate and transparent methods, and sound analysis.
Relevance Fit with the aims and scope above.
Contribution Potential to inform international discussions of elementary education.

Before submitting, read the Author Guidelines and the Peer Review Process.