Educ. Sci., Volume 13, Issue 7 (July 2023) – 132 articles

Mechanisms are part of the high school curriculum in many countries. Although research shows that university students struggle with mechanistic reasoning, very little is known about learning mechanisms in high school. Understanding the cognitive resources that high school students intuitively activate is critical to fostering meaningful learning. A readily available tool for modeling dynamic processes are stop-motion animations (SMAs). In this study, 55 high school students were asked to create SMAs of their intuitive ideas of nucleophilic substitution reactions. In a second step, the students evaluated two pre-made SMAs modeling the textbook-based stepwise (S_N1) and concerted (S_N2) mechanisms. Within the student-generated SMAs, S_N1- and S_N2-like mechanisms were equally distributed; after viewing the textbook-style animations, most students rated an S_N2 mechanism as more likely. However, no group modeled both types of mechanisms or reasoned that both mechanisms were possible. Students used diverse chemical concepts as well as plausibility in their reasoning. However, simultaneous movement of atoms, conformational changes, and the idea of competing and boundary mechanisms do not seem intuitive. In conclusion, SMAs were found to be an appropriate tool for activating, analyzing, and discussing students’ resources “on the fly”, and these ideas can serve as a starting point for promoting productive mechanistic reasoning. Full article

Becoming a student, i.e., learning a set of new skills and lifestyles is an inevitable task for young people joining higher education (HE). Using Perrenoud’s (1995) conceptualization of the student’s role as a theoretical framework, this paper intends to reflect on the construction of students’ identities and its repercussions on their academic success through analysis of the discourse between HE students. How students try to intertwine their personal lives with the demands of their new roles as higher education students is also discussed. Qualitative data analysis was conducted using semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 30 engineering students. Our analysis of the results confirmed that attending HE can indeed be conceptualized as the exercise of a “craft”. This craft could be taught in different ways, with more or less success, in the light of the construction of one’s own social identity with more focus on either their role as student or their role as a young person. The results allow for the emergence of a conceptual framework which, crossing the investment in their social role as students with academic success, brings out distinctive dimensions: “Live to Study”, “Study to Live”, “Study without living” and “Live without study”. These dimensions provide four major student profiles that can advise the management of higher education institutions to strategically take actions to promote not only student success, but also the pedagogic efficiency of their educational programs. Full article

Based on the current research trends and academic applications, which suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and enhanced through education and training, this academic project coded and analyzed the emotional patterns of 46 undergraduate students who attended an 18-week academic course on emotional management. A paired-sample t-test showed a significant increase from pre-course to post-course emotional intelligence scores, suggesting the importance of designing an academic course in formal educational settings. Analysis of students’ emotions journals indicated a total of 18 negative emotions, with the emotion of irritability occurring most frequently, followed by anger and anxiety. Loneliness, impatience, and guilt were some of the least felt negative emotions. The triggers for the arousal of negative emotions spanned family matters, interpersonal relations, academics, and communication skills, among others. The majority of the students used cognitive-behavioral and family systems theories in understanding and analyzing their emotional patterns. Students used various strategies to deal with the negative emotions, including developing communication skills, talking with family and friends, better time management, improving self-efficacy, cultivating a positive attitude, engaging in physical activities, etc. These results are discussed in this paper and the possible implications for practical purposes and further research are suggested. Full article

The subject of Graphic Expression, which is mandatory in the first year of engineering studies, showed poor academic results in recent years. This study analyzes the relationship and predictive capacity of various variables that previous research highlighted as relevant: prior academic preparedness, educational itinerary followed, mental rotation skills, videogame usage, as well as the gender and age of the students. A total of 161 first-year engineering students from a technical university in southern Europe participated in the study. Their spatial rotation skills were evaluated using the MRT-A, gathering information about the rest of the relevant variables and obtaining their academic results at the end of the course. The predictive capacity of the variables on academic performance was determined through linear regression techniques (grade in the subject, on a 0–10 scale) and logistic regression (pass/fail). All variables are significantly related to academic results in the expected direction, except for videogame usage and gender. No significant differences in spatial skills were found between genders, although differences were observed in videogame usage. The best predictors of performance are prior preparation and the educational itinerary followed. The results are discussed considering previous research, highlighting measures to improve results in Graphic Expression, with emphasis on training in spatial skills. Full article

(1) Background: In preparing the next generation of teachers, teacher educators are key actors in fostering diversity-responsive education. However, evidence-informed professional development initiatives (PDIs) are needed to raise teacher educators’ awareness and increase their diversity-responsive practices. This study provides insight into the design of a PDI that addresses this need. (2) Methods: After consulting the educational literature to define PDI objectives and general design principles, a participatory design process was initiated at two teacher education institutions to create a tailored PDI. Therefore, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a key policy-maker of each institution (n = 2) and with all participating teacher educators (n = 19). (3) Results: The participatory design process resulted in (1) the identification of both institutional contexts and participant groups’ needs and (2) the subsequent design of a PDI to support teacher educators’ diversity-responsive practices. Particularly, a three-phased PDI was designed, of which the overall and context-tailored design choices are discussed. (4) Conclusions: This contextualised PDI is a unique and concrete contribution to the teacher educator literature. Moreover, three new design principles are proposed for teacher educator PDIs in general. This article might inspire policy-makers and teacher educators to design their own PDIs to foster responsiveness to diversity. Full article

Central to culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) is the notion that we sustain what we love by decentering the white gaze. Elevating CSP and the five core social-emotional learning competencies, we honed in on how Black and Brown girls developed knowledge and skills to manage their emotions, achieve goals, show empathy, and maintain healthy relationships within the context of a single-gender summer STEM program. These opportunities to engage in critical conversations to learn, unlearn, and relearn, while showing up as their full and authentic selves, are not often afforded in traditional STEM classes. This paper focuses on dialogue and interactions amongst four program participants—Samira, Rita, Brandy, and Joy. Critical discourse analysis was employed to challenge the dominance and reproduction of discourses by examining social contexts and systemic structures that they addressed in conversation. Findings revealed the importance of cultivating trusting and intentional learning spaces for Black and Brown girls to engage in open dialogue and critique oppressive discourses. It also displayed the significance of leaning into difficult conversations and pluralism to help adolescent girls realize the complexities of culture while also promoting joy and social-emotional development. Creating spaces that affirm Black and Brown girls matter; their contributions and work that they do matter. Full article

This paper shares findings of a qualitative study on professional learning with in-service teachers during COVID-19. From 2020–2023, the authors facilitated comprehensive literacy professional learning with in-service teachers from 40 schools in the Midwest U.S. Our work aimed to center teachers as experts and be responsive to teachers’ social, emotional, and professional needs. Drawing on framework for adaptability, we analyzed formative assessments, interview transcripts, and written reflections to understand teachers’ perspectives on professional learning and their praxis during COVID-19. Data revealed that participants perceived an increased need for professional learning on differentiation and focus on growth and joy. Against the backdrop of a neoliberal fixation on teacher accountability that increases stress among teachers on top of a traumatic global pandemic, we attempted to center teachers as experts and attend to teachers’ socioemotional needs by offering flexible pathways with online options and offering in-person sessions for cultivating community. Future research on teacher education for in-service teachers can provide greater insight into teacher perceptions of their professional learning needs post/COVID-19, as well as how we center teachers as knowledgeable professionals in order to challenge hierarchical power structures and deficit discourses in ways that promote their professional, social, and emotional wellbeing. Full article

The population of students who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing (d/Dhh) with a disability have unique educational needs. Various terms have been used to describe this population, including “deaf plus”, “deaf with additional disabilities”, and most recently, “deaf with disabilities (DWD)”. Currently, there is no agreement on the percentage of DWD students in PreK-21 settings but is considered to comprise at least 40–50%. An individual who is DWD has a hearing loss and one or more disabilities, including (but not limited to) visual impairment or blindness, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual or developmental disabilities, specific learning disabilities, health impairments, etc. The critical consideration is that the interaction between hearing loss and the disability(ies) is not simply additive but rather multiplicative, impacting communication, cognition, social development, and behavior. Furthermore, the presence of hearing loss may decrease accurate identification of other disabilities and vice versa. Although the incidence of students who are DWD is quite high, there is inadequate research as these students are often excluded from studies focused on children who are d/Dhh. This article explores what we currently know about DWD students, and the knowledge and skills needed by teachers in the 21st century to meet the needs of these students and their families. Full article

In some types of reinforcement schedules, a reinforcer is presented or given to the child and interacted with continuously while a target behavior is occurring. Previous researchers have used this type of reinforcement as an assessment tool and to study basic reinforcement processes. However, little research has explored how to effectively use these schedules to reinforce socially important responses in applied settings. The current study analyzed the implementation of synchronous reinforcement in a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants. Several interventionists implemented synchronous reinforcement with four children with autism across a variety of responses and reinforcers. The results indicated that delivering social, audio/visual, and tangible stimuli on a synchronous schedule resulted in increased durations of targeted (e.g., social skills and motor skills) and nontargeted (e.g., approach, social bids, and speed) measures across all children. Recommendations regarding reinforcer and response selection in implementing synchronous schedules in applied settings are provided. Full article

Parental engagement is of interest to teachers, school leaders, researchers, and policy makers as a key driver of pupil outcomes. Existing evidence suggests that parental engagement with learning in the home is most effective, but English schools often prioritise school-based events. However, the move to home-learning due to COVID-19 required parents and teachers to play different roles in relation to learning and in relation to each other. Little is known about how this has affected teachers’ perceptions of parental engagement. This mixed-methods, longitudinal case study examined whether teachers’ perceptions of parental engagement changed during COVID-19. Data was gathered from teachers at one large English primary school using interviews (n = 9) and questionnaires (n = 16). Data from before and after the school closures was compared. Teachers reported that parental engagement had become increasingly digital, flexible, and wellbeing-focussed during the school closures. However, teachers were pessimistic about the likelihood of retaining any benefits and their future plans remained focussed on school-based parental engagement events. Whilst school closures resulted in a temporary positive shift towards partnerships and family-centric parental engagement, teachers now need time and training to embed these changes. Without this, some of the potential benefits of the home-learning period may be lost. Full article

Concerns about university students’ mental wellbeing have been rising and various studies have attempted to unpick the factors that could impact their wellbeing. This focus group study explored the impact that virtual learning environments (VLEs) may have on undergraduate students’ mental wellbeing. Forty-four undergraduate students from on-campus courses at three UK universities participated in 12 focus groups in 2020. Using reflexive thematic analysis with an inductive approach, three themes were generated: (1) lecturer VLE-use supports or undermines students’ mental wellbeing; (2) access to the VLE affects students’ productivity, academic performance, and mental wellbeing; and (3) students’ mindset towards the VLE impacts their studies and mental wellbeing. The dominant pattern across the data set was that the way lecturers used the VLE impacted students’ motivation, ability to think clearly about their studies, and could provoke strong emotions. We discuss how the mechanisms described in self-determination theory and the technology acceptance model might explain how the VLE could impact student mental wellbeing. Full article

As the autism community continues to grow, it is increasingly important to evaluate strategies to teach workplace-related skills to the members of this community. One of these skills is self-advocacy, defined by Test et al. as consisting of four components: self-knowledge, knowledge of rights, communication, and leadership. This study aimed to address the second component of this definition, knowledge of rights. Three autistic adults learned information about key terms from the Americans with Disabilities Act. Participants practiced identifying legal rights related to discrimination and inability to provide certain accommodations in a series of short text scenarios, using instructor-modeled rehearsal of similar scenarios as the independent variable. Results show that each participant entered the study with an existing level of knowledge and ability to interpret the rights of various scenarios (30–60% correct during baseline) and that training resulted in small improvements (a 20–40% increase) in accurate scenario interpretation. Future research should include additional techniques, such as role play, to enhance performance accuracy and examine long-term retention and generalization of the skills acquired. Social validity feedback suggests that the training used in this study was acceptable to participants and may be amenable to future studies. Full article

People engage in learning in various settings and environments. This involves learning in a formal learning environment like a classroom and less formal environments such as museums and online. Interest is one of the key motivational theories and plays an important role in learning, as it can not only initiate and propel individuals to pursue an area of knowledge but also motivate them to maintain this pursuit in the long term. There has been a lack of research in the field of the design of learning spaces to support student-initiated knowledge generation. Coupled with the emerging area of neuroscience and education, this paper aims to synthesise neuroscience research with aspects of learning design to facilitate learning and interest development within a high school learning context. The Task, Environment and Knowledge Creation (TEK) design principles are proposed. Implications of the design principles are discussed. Full article

Digital transformation of higher education institutions (HEIs) is of paramount importance in today’s technology-driven world. However, there are numerous barriers that hinder the successful implementation of digital transformation initiatives in HEIs. In this article, we identify and classify these barriers based on a systematic literature review. The findings reveal twenty distinct barriers that inhibit digital transformation in higher education. These were then organised into six broad categories, namely environmental, strategic, organisational, technological, people-related and cultural. The study provides a comprehensive understanding of the barriers faced, facilitating the development of effective strategies and interventions. Our analysis provides valuable information for higher education institutions, policy makers and stakeholders involved in digital transformation initiatives. Full article

Social media brought new opportunities not only for entertainment and marketing but also for knowledge sharing and learning. This research attempted to examine the effectiveness of social media as an educational tool and its impact on knowledge sharing among college and university students. The study used social cognitive and connective theories to develop a model that examines the influence of personal motivations (such as reputation) and social networking features (such as file sharing and student engagement) on information sharing. The study concluded that social media can promote knowledge sharing and can increase student motivation and performance. The findings suggest that social networking is a valuable method of information dissemination and can be used to encourage student engagement. The article also provides implications, restrictions, and future research directions for using social media in education. This study provides valuable insights for educators and institutions looking to incorporate social media into their teaching and learning strategies. Full article

The authors describe the combination of a mixed-reality simulation program and a teacher observation software tool to gather and analyze both comments and data in a teacher preparation program. Current research on this simulation experience for teachers to practice their craft, called TLE TeachLivE, is presented, along with the general and specific uses of this mixed-reality simulator. The authors also describe a recently developed teacher observation web-based app called SeeMeTeach that provides a platform for evidence-based teacher observations both within the simulator and in real classroom settings. The authors provide a description of how the pair of tools work in concert to identify strengths and weaknesses of teacher–student discourse, student engagement in lessons, and classroom management. The synergetic use of these tools provides a low-risk opportunity to practice teaching while maximizing data gathering for optimizing feedback and coaching based on evidence. In merging TLE TeachLive and SeeMeTeach, our work examined the following research questions using a mixed-methods research design: (1) How can the teacher observation tool aid teacher educators in identifying and collecting data during a teacher observation regarding key and discrete factors in teacher–student interactions and student engagement when attempting to improve teaching effectiveness? And (2) Does the TLE TeachLivE simulation produce a realism that offers potential for a wide enough variation in the display of teaching skills so that teaching fingerprints emerge? Full article

Although the Guatemalan population is made up of 53% Indigenous peoples, there is a certain belief according to which Indigenous peoples are still currently associated with underdevelopment, inferiority, submission, and exploitation, causing the belief that, for many, being Mayan is not synonymous with identity, but with poverty, neglect, and inferiority. Through a biographical–naturalist study, we delve into how Guatemalan teachers experienced not only their Mayan being, but also how the construction of their identity was gestated in schools. After carrying out the data analysis process, we underline and describe how the Mayan culture, worldview, and language still constitutes a difficulty and an obstacle to the construction of the personal identity of Indigenous peoples in Guatemala. We describe the experience lived in monolingual and monoethnic schools in which not only is the Mayan culture not recognized, but the use of the language and its expression are prohibited. We review the repercussions that the actions of the political agendas have on the key of recognition, highlighting how, beyond the legislative indications, it is the involvement and personal actions of teachers that is making it possible to make known and recognize the Mayan culture. Full article

Critical thinking (CT) is one of the most important 21st-century skills that employers believe will grow in prominence. However, many higher education (HE) graduates often lack it. This is also true for graduates in computer science (CS) and related disciplines, who need CT to drive social and organizational digitalization. There are a number of strategies for teaching CT. However, there is no evidence regarding how to effectively teach CT in CS. To address this gap, this study proposes an educational approach that aims to promote CT to the students of CS and related disciplines. An educational experiment using this approach was conducted in two modules with similar content. The written reflections of 11 students on their development in CT and the quantitative data of students’ self-assessments of their CT skills and dispositions before (N = 20) and after (N = 11) the experiment were analyzed. Priority was given to the qualitative data. The results of this study support the hypothesis that the proposed approach has a positive impact on the development of students’ perceived CT skills. They also show that this approach stimulates and promotes students’ ability to transfer CT to other tasks and domains and to other contexts and situations. However, the positive development of students’ CT dispositions could not be demonstrated in this study, which can be explained by the short duration of this intervention. Full article

This paper presents a comprehensive systematic review of personalized learning software systems. All the systems under review are designed to aid educational stakeholders by personalizing one or more facets of the learning process. This is achieved by exploring and analyzing the common architectural attributes among personalized learning software systems. A literature-driven taxonomy is recognized and built to categorize and analyze the reviewed literature. Relevant papers are filtered to produce a final set of full systems to be reviewed and analyzed. In this meta-review, a set of 72 selected personalized learning software systems have been reviewed and categorized based on the proposed personalized learning taxonomy. The proposed taxonomy outlines the three main architectural components of any personalized learning software system: learning environment, learner model, and content. It further defines the different realizations and attributions of each component. Surveyed systems have been analyzed under the proposed taxonomy according to their architectural components, usage, strengths, and weaknesses. Then, the role of these systems in the development of the field of personalized learning systems is discussed. This review sheds light on the field’s current challenges that need to be resolved in the upcoming years. Full article

This research analyzes the results of an entrepreneurship education program focused on knowledge and attitudes in 1036 students of secondary education, high school, and vocational training, differentiated into two groups, control and experimental. It analyzes the outcomes after incorporating entrepreneurship content into the school curriculum and participating in a program of entrepreneurial potential, which develops creativity, leadership, personal control, achievement motivation, and problem-solving. Non-parametric statistics were used to assess the influence of the acquisition of entrepreneurial knowledge on the gender, age, school ownership, and socio-educational level of the parents. This study shows that students with a positive attitude towards entrepreneurship improve their entrepreneurial knowledge and that the impact is more significant if they participate in the specific program. The results are not significant for the variables gender, school type, and parents’ level of education, but they are significant for age and school level. The effectiveness of including content on entrepreneurship in the curriculum and the specific program is ratified. It is proposed to reinforce education in entrepreneurial knowledge that strengthens the students’ identity and future entrepreneurial intention. Full article

Although African American educators strive to ameliorate racist and/or sexist barriers to learners’ science engagement in U.S. education, examples of applications of culturally relevant science instruments to measure African American learners’ engagement in science are hard to find in the literature. Inaccurate perceptions about student engagement in science education continue to exist, including assumptions about the prevalence and effects of low socioeconomic status, limited content knowledge, and a lack of interest or motivation of African American learners compared to white learners. Most exemplars of student engagement in science focus on the cognitive, behavioral, and social mores of white, male, cisgender, middle-class learners and their reactions to teacher pedagogy. This article reports on a qualitative study of three African American female and male secondary science educators’ narratives of “engagement” in science amongst systemic inequities in the northeastern and southeastern U.S. regions. To better understand African American learners’ science engagement, I combined socially transformative science curriculum approaches for African American students using five types of mastery with the concepts of culturally relevant science pedagogy as the facilitator of racial equity. A critical-arts-based research methodology was used to craft participants’ autobiographical data and drawings into a literary métissage of the participants’ experiences, memories, and culturally relevant pedagogical strategies. Themes included: (1) teachers’ recognition that their interest and positionality impacted their engagement in science; (2) their understanding of how identifying as scientists informed their career choices and modes of participation; and (3) their observations about how mentoring and vision influenced students’ attitudes about engaging in science. The major finding was that critical incidents that teachers experienced when they were students in K-20 schools influenced how they became engaged in science and constructed their culturally relevant practices as science educators. The implications of this finding for pre-service and teacher leadership development for equitable teaching and learning will be discussed, and recommendations for using culturally relevant science practices and navigating power dynamics will be provided. Full article

“Capability” is an important conceptual tool for addressing educational inequity (EI). This paper analyzes the existing limitations of developing educational equity in China from the human capital perspective and proposes the human capability approach as a way to improve it. This paper begins by a policy review on China’s education equity measures, revealing a troubling emphasis on resources allocation and a “top-down” governance. In response, we propose an actionable research approach as a means to improve multi-stakeholder collaboration in educational equity reform and to further the development of student capabilities. The study also presents a case study to illustrate the process of using “capability” and actionable research methods to promote educational equity, demonstrating the necessity and effectiveness. We also note that education inequality is a delicate and complicated topic that requires joint, flexible and innovative efforts. Full article

In this study, we analyze the perspectives of early childhood educators working in various teaching sectors on inclusion in preschool education, following the publication of Decree-Law no. 54/2018, as of 6 July, at a time when learning and inclusion support measures are being extended to all children and the SARS-CoV-19 (COVID-19) pandemic prevails in Portugal and worldwide. Based on a mixed methodological approach and the application of a questionnaire survey of 250 early childhood educators, we reflect on the implementation of the legal framework, involvement of the multidisciplinary learning and inclusion support team (EMAEI), teacher training, pedagogical/collaborative work, and mobilized support for preschool education children. The results obtained indicate quality and effectiveness in the pedagogical plan, and collaborative work between teachers and specialist technicians, although higher education in the field of inclusive education does not seem to provide professionals with the necessary and in-depth knowledge on the subject. They also indicate that, alongside dissatisfaction with the insufficient support provided to preschool education children, the relevant diploma is not fully applied, with doubts still remaining about its application. Full article

Entrepreneurship education has much potential to act as the main driver for society, which promotes well-being, economic sustainability, and solving global wicked challenges, such as climate change. Thus, education strategies and political programs emphasize that entrepreneurship education or strengthening entrepreneurs’ activities should occur through the educational system. However, entrepreneurship education has its roots in adult education or teaching older students. In addition, the field reflects a business orientation, making it difficult for the theme to be integrated into education for young children. In this paper, we study “How has entrepreneurship education been studied in the preschool context?”. This study utilizes a semi-structural literature review which was conducted in the fall of 2022. This approach allows for a better understanding of complex areas within a given research topic, such as studying entrepreneurship education in the context of preschool education. Eleven peer-reviewed studies were included in the analysis. The articles were coded deductively and inductively using a concept-centric approach. The results show the potential of entrepreneurship education to be utilized more in educating young children if we want to develop societies more ambitiously. In general, more research is needed in the field. Furthermore, there is a need to study what happens in entrepreneurship education preschool interventions and what results can be achieved. Our research can also contribute to preparing educational strategies and developing curricula, providing ideas to early childhood educators. Full article

Teacher preparation is dependent on a clinical model of instruction where students apprentice with licensed teachers to gain experience in a classroom. It is not always easy to create these opportunities in schools that are local to the university, especially with a large middle-level program. This qualitative study examines how using lesson study in an early clinical experience can create high-quality experiences and develop innovative thinking around lesson design. This research answers the following questions: (1) What events do the preservice teachers identify as memorable in their interactions with students, peers, and teachers during a clinical experience that uses the lesson study model? (2) How does the lesson study model influence preservice teachers’ thinking about teaching? The results from the study suggest that a lesson study model is a viable option for middle-level teacher preparation programs. While it solves some practical issues, such as a lack of quality clinical experiences, it also creates an experience where students feel supported, scaffolded, and engaged. Full article

Individuals’ understandings of autism vary significantly, with multiple factors influencing their conceptions of autism. Varying conceptions between teachers and students in inclusive school settings may lead to diminished educational experiences for both groups. Our research was focused on exploring the influences on teachers’ and autistic students’ conceptions or misconceptions of autism. We were also interested in whether more implicit influences, including the commodification of autism, influence teachers’ and autistic students’ conceptions of autism. To ensure the research respected the needs of the young autistic participants, the purposes and processes involved in the research design were presented to a group of autistic adults for feedback and recommendations. Therefore, this paper presents two distinct aspects of the research: the outcomes of engagement with autistic adults in the design phase of the research and the outcomes of engaging with the research participants, six teachers, and four autistic adolescents. The qualitative research involved semi-structured interviews and photo-elicitation responses. A key starting question encouraged the participants to share a feeling, memory, or image on hearing the word autism, and following an exploration of their responses, they were invited to select a photo from those presented that reminded them of an aspect of autism. The autistic adults contributed to the selection of the final twelve black-and-white images used in the photo-elicitation process. The adults were asked to select those they felt most closely represented their conceptions of autism. Of interest, only one photo was chosen in common by all research participants, but their explanations for choosing the image varied. Responses to other selected photos are also shared to highlight the varied conceptions of autism generated by the teachers and autistic students and the explicit and implicit influences on their conceptions. The influence of lived experiences and the commodification of autism were evident in the participants’ responses. Full article

The recent irruption of ChatGPT, a powerful chatbot that uses a “Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer” language model, could revolutionize education worldwide since it can greatly affect the competence development that students need to achieve for their professional future. The aim of this work is to assess the level of knowledge of ChatGPT and the perception of its possibilities of use in education by students studying the Primary Education Degree at the University of León (Spain) from a double perspective: as students and future teachers, respectively. For this purpose, a descriptive, cross-sectional, non-experimental, and quantitative research design was carried out, with the design and elaboration of a questionnaire. The questionnaire data were statistically processed by calculating relative frequencies. The main results highlight that students have a positive perception of ChatGPT use, with potential applications in education, and do not perceive it as a threat to the deterioration of the educational system as long as the sources of the data generated by the tool are verified. In addition, as students and future teachers, they need more knowledge about the operation of ChatGPT to ensure its correct use and maintain the quality of the education system. Thus, to overcome ChatGPT irruption in education, digital literacy is crucial at all educational levels. Full article

Teaching with and about technology is part of science teachers’ 21st century skills. To foster technology-enhanced practice, teachers need to acquire both technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK on action) and positive behavioral orientations toward technology exploitation. However, it remains unclear if the gained knowledge is applied in practice (TPACK in action). Therefore, studies are required to investigate the interplay of programs promoting TPACK on action, behavioral orientations, and resulting TPACK in action. This paper presents an approach that explicitly links pre-service science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) with TPACK development in two undergraduate modules, following the transformative view of TPACK. TPACK on action and behavioral orientations are captured through a questionnaire at three points in time. Additionally, lesson plans are analyzed to evaluate the quality of technology use and cognitive engagement, approximating TPACK in action. The results show a significant increase in pre-service science teachers’ (N = 133) self-rated TPACK on action and behavioral orientations between pre- and post-test, with moderate to large effects. Moreover, the analyses of lesson plans reveal a high quality of technology exploitation in the planned lessons, indicating distinctive TPACK in action after attending the modules. This theory-based approach is supported by empirical data, and highly regarded by participants, making it a successful model for course redesign at other universities. Full article

Doctoral students need guidance from both language teachers and academic supervisors for academic publication. However, previous studies have predominantly focused on corrective feedback from language teachers. The small number of studies on supervisory feedback were mainly undertaken in English-speaking countries on theses and dissertations, and mostly examined supervisors in applied linguistics, who probably have much in common with language professionals. To fill the research gaps, we investigated the foci of the feedback from a non-English-speaking supervisor on drafts of his doctoral students’ research article intended for a top conference in computer science. The results show that the supervisor commented not only on the content but also on the requirements for research writing, the logical flow of ideas, surface-level language issues, and visual elements. The findings can inform language teachers of what supervisors may value so that language professionals can provide feedback that better caters to the needs of students in research writing. Full article

This study analyzes students’ thoughts and reflections on an activity carried out during the first day of class of management subjects which are part of technological programs. The purpose of the activity was to promote student interaction during the first session of class of these subjects, with the aim to positively influence the class climate and the students’ wellbeing. A reciprocal interview activity between the students and the team of instructors was conducted in the first session of the subjects, instead of a standard ‘one direction’ presentation of the syllabus by the instructor. Once the activities were completed, students were asked to answer a survey about the activity through qualitative and quantitative questions with a twofold research aim: (1) to analyze the effects of the activity on the students; (2) to gather feedback from the students to improve future editions of the activity. The results obtained showed a clear preference for this type of interactive technique, as opposed to the more classical approach to the first session of a subject. Full article