Search Results (102)

Socioscientific issues (SSIs) provide meaningful contexts for developing students’ competencies in scientific evaluation and decision-making. This study developed an SSI-based instructional unit to support primary school students in making decisions about genome-edited fish by considering risks and benefits and proposing risk mitigation. The study aimed to examine the unit’s effectiveness in improving students’ risk-related decision-making and their attitudes toward critical thinking and risk. Sixty-three fifth-grade students participated in an 18-lesson unit comprising two phases: information gathering and risk management practice. Students completed three decision-making tasks and a post-unit questionnaire on related attitudes. Written arguments were analysed using a rubric based on claims, risk knowledge, benefit knowledge, and risk mitigation. The results indicated that the unit improved the quality of students’ socioscientific arguments. By the final task, about 60% of arguments reached the highest level, demonstrating integration of risk knowledge and corresponding mitigation. However, students’ risk–benefit emphasis ratings showed that their decisions remained predominantly risk-focused, and questionnaire data revealed a persistent zero-risk mindset. These findings provide empirical evidence that an SSI-based unit incorporating risk management practice can foster primary students’ risk-related socioscientific decision-making. Further refinement is needed to shift students’ risk attitudes and support more balanced risk–benefit reasoning. Full article

Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly used in higher education, but their pedagogical role in fields like cybersecurity remains under-investigated. This research explores integrating LLMs into a university cybersecurity course using a designed pedagogical approach based on active learning, problem-based learning (PBL), and computational thinking (CT). Instead of viewing LLMs as definitive sources of knowledge, the framework sees them as cognitive tools that support reasoning, clarify ideas, and assist technical problem-solving while maintaining human judgment and verification. The study uses a qualitative, practice-based case study over three semesters. It features four activities focusing on understanding concepts, installing and configuring tools, automating procedures, and clarifying terminology, all incorporating LLM use in individual and group work. Data collection involved classroom observations, team reflections, and iterative improvements guided by action research. Results show that LLMs can provide valuable, customized support when students actively engage in refining, validating, and solving problems through iteration. LLMs are especially helpful for clarifying concepts and explaining procedures during moments of doubt or failure. Still, common issues like incomplete instructions, mismatched context, and occasional errors highlight the importance of verifying LLM outputs with trusted sources. Interestingly, these limitations often act as teaching opportunities, encouraging critical thinking crucial in cybersecurity. Ultimately, this study offers empirical evidence of human–AI collaboration in education, demonstrating how LLMs can enrich active learning. Full article

Higher education continues to encounter the challenge of redesigning writing pedagogy beyond the rapid adoption of emerging technologies. This challenge is particularly evident in English writing courses, which play a role in developing students’ writing and research skills in universities across the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools offer practical affordances for writing instruction, their growing use has also raised concerns about academic integrity, authenticity, and critical engagement. Although early discourse has focused on the risks and potential of GenAI, there remains a clear dearth of frameworks to guide instructors in designing meaningful and engaging writing assignments. This paper introduces Ai-RACE, an adaptable pedagogical framework for designing purposeful and innovative writing tasks. Grounded in classroom-based insights, principles of writing pedagogy, constructivist and multimodal learning theories, Ai-RACE conceptualises assignment design around five interconnected components: AI integration, Relevance, Authenticity, the 4Cs, and Engagement. Employing a design-focused qualitative approach, the study uses instructional practices and student reflections to examine the implementation of Ai-RACE in writing contexts. Although situated within a specific institutional context, the study offers transferable guidelines for designing writing assignments across international higher education settings. By positioning Ai-RACE as a design heuristic, the study demonstrates its potential in supporting engagement, critical thinking, writing skills and ethical use of AI, and highlights the importance of rethinking writing pedagogy and the professional development in AI- influenced contexts. Full article

Individuals with developmental disabilities often experience physical and mental chronic conditions from early childhood, which can negatively affect their education, employment, and social participation without appropriate interventions. These impairments frequently limit the acquisition of essential daily living skills, including personal hygiene skills. This study examined a multicomponent intervention package—comprising video prompting, step-by-step instruction based on task analysis, systematic error correction, and reinforcement—to support the acquisition of handwashing skills for two adolescents with developmental disabilities (Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability) and toothbrushing skills for one adolescent. A nonconcurrent multiple-baseline design across participants and skills was employed, including baseline, intervention, maintenance, and generalization phases. The intervention was conducted over eight weeks. The results indicated low and stable baseline performance for both participants, followed by a systematic increase in performance after the introduction of the intervention, reaching accuracy levels between 80% and 91%. Participants demonstrated meaningful improvements in hygiene skill performance following intervention. These gains were maintained over time and generalized to new settings, although a few task steps continued to require prompting. Furthermore, teachers and parents rated the intervention as highly feasible, practical, and useful for supporting hygiene skills, while students reported enjoyment, perceived improvement, and willingness to participate again. Overall, the findings suggest that structured, evidence-based instructional approaches may support increased functional participation in essential daily living skills, particularly when complete independence may not be attainable for all individuals. Full article

This study reports findings from a nationwide replication and the second randomized controlled trial (RCT) of Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI), a linguistically responsive framework for teaching writing to deaf students. A total of 50 teachers and their 294 students in grades 3–6 were randomly assigned to either SIWI or business-as-usual (BAU) instruction. Writing outcomes were assessed with trait-based rubrics and the Structured Analysis of Written Language (SAWL) in two genres (recount and information report), along with the Woodcock–Johnson IV broad written language composite and genre-specific motivation surveys administered at the beginning and end of the school year. Students receiving SIWI outperformed peers in the BAU group on writing traits across both genres, with effect sizes ranging from moderately large (d = 0.70) for informational reports to very large (d = 1.11) for recounts. On the SAWL, SIWI students demonstrated significantly greater gains in grammatical clarity on recount writing, as measured by the word efficiency ratio, with a moderate effect size (d = 0.64), although this effect was not observed for information reports. Students in the treatment group also reported significantly higher motivation for both genres. Unlike the prior RCT, no statistically significant differences emerged on the broad written language measure (d = 0.27). This may reflect spurious findings in the previous study or limitations in this study caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, the effect size observed suggests some practical importance that warrants further investigation. Findings provide robust evidence that SIWI positively impacts deaf elementary students’ writing development and motivation, particularly for recount genres, while underscoring the importance of replication for understanding the generalizability of intervention effects. Full article

Training in bovine reproduction requires not only technical proficiency but also ethical responsibility and adherence to animal-welfare standards. Traditional instruction relies heavily on repeated practice in abattoir-collected specimens and live cattle, raising concerns about stress, variability, logistical constraints, and student anxiety. Simulation-based education (SBE) has therefore emerged as a pedagogically robust and ethically sound complement to clinical teaching, enabling learners to acquire psychomotor and cognitive skills in structured, low-risk environments. This scoping review synthesizes current evidence on validated simulators used to train bovine reproductive procedures, with particular emphasis on artificial insemination, transrectal palpation, and pregnancy diagnosis. Following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, a comprehensive search of three international databases identified 13 eligible studies that described simulator typologies, validation approaches, implementation strategies, and educational outcomes. Simulators ranged from low-cost handmade models to high-fidelity haptic and hybrid systems, each offering distinct advantages across diverse instructional contexts. Evidence consistently showed that simulator-based training improves anatomical orientation, technical performance, procedural efficiency, and learner confidence, while reducing anxiety and the need for novice practice on live cattle. However, validation standards remain inconsistent, long-term transfer to clinical practice is poorly documented, and most commercial models inadequately represent Bos indicus anatomy, limiting global applicability. Simulation can substantially strengthen competency-based animal and veterinary curricula and advance the 3Rs by replacing or refining early live-animal procedures. To fully realize this potential, future efforts should prioritize rigorous validation, greater anatomical representativeness, and improved accessibility through modular, low-cost designs. Simulation-based training thus represents both an educational innovation and an ethical imperative in modern veterinary practice. Full article

As the English language spreads worldwide, debate has intensified over introducing it early in multilingual school systems. In the Arab world, this question is especially sensitive because Arabic is closely linked to cultural and religious identity, and early English policies may shift the language balance in primary education. This review synthesizes 31 peer-reviewed studies on childhood English learning and early English teaching practices, addressing key aspects of age of acquisition, bilingual outcomes, and language maintenance or identity. Using transparent search and selection reporting, we examined studies published between 2000 and 2025. Findings cluster around four themes: age of acquisition, mother-tongue maintenance and identity, teacher preparation and pedagogy, and social outcomes. The evidence from the review shows that earlier exposure can support pronunciation, fluency, and metalinguistic awareness, but the strength and direction of these gains depend primarily on program quality and bilingual model design. Additive approaches that maintain and value Arabic literacy while providing rich, high-quality English input are often associated with better learning outcomes than subtractive arrangements that reduce Arabic use. However, effects vary by context and implementation quality. Where Arabic is reduced without adequate support, learners may face risks such as weaker first-language development and heightened identity-related strain. However, these outcomes are not inevitable and are moderated by factors such as teacher preparation, instructional design, and school–home language support. We propose a balanced early-English design that builds progressive English proficiency while maintaining continuous Arabic-medium literacy, supported by targeted teacher professional development, family and community engagement, and continuous Arabic-medium literacy. The review concludes with policy and practice implications for curriculum designers, school leaders, and decision-makers, and calls for longitudinal, classroom-based research on identity trajectories and English-medium instruction in Arab primary education. Full article

The study aims to establish a comprehensive framework aligning institutional governance, pedagogical theories, and teaching practice for the sustainable adoption of AI-facilitated digital representatives of human instructors in higher education videos within universities. The study employs a systemic qualitative approach and grounded theory principles to analyze administrative/legal documents and academic publications. The methodology includes source searching and screening, automated text analysis using the Lexalytics tool, clustering and thematic interpretation of the findings, and a subsequent discussion of the emerging perspectives. Following the analysis of international/supranational/national regulations, the findings reveal a significant regulatory gap for humans’ digital representatives in educational videos and suggest a governance baseline for tailored institutional guidelines that address data protection, copyright, and ethical compliance. Theoretically, the study synthesizes evidence-informed educational theories and concepts to form a robust theoretical foundation for using humans’ digital representatives in higher education instructional videos and identifies constructivism, student-centered personalized learning, multimodal multimedia-based learning principles, smart and flipped classrooms, and post-digital relations pedagogy as crucial foundational concepts. The findings suggest a thematic taxonomy that outlines diverse digital representative types, their varying efficiency based on knowledge and course type, and university community attitudes highlighting benefits and challenges. The overall contribution of this research lies in an integrated interdisciplinary framework—including the legal context, pedagogical theory, and promising practices—that guides the responsible use of digital human representatives in higher education videos. Full article

This narrative review synthesizes conceptual frameworks, empirical evidence, and pedagogical approaches that support the integration of systems thinking into sustainability education across K–12 and higher education. Publications were purposively selected based on conceptual significance, empirical rigor, pedagogical relevance, and contextual diversity, with searches conducted across Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, and Google Scholar. The analysis identified several recurring instructional patterns, as follows: the use of feedback-loop reasoning to connect scientific and social systems; the role of conceptual modeling and visual representations; and the value of inquiry-based, project-based, and socio-scientific issue frameworks in promoting systems-oriented understanding. Across educational levels, the review highlights consistent evidence that systems thinking can be taught effectively when learning activities scaffold students’ construction of system models, encourage interdisciplinary reasoning, and explicitly address dynamic processes such as accumulation, time delays, and unintended consequences. Case examples from K–12 and teacher education illustrate how visual modeling, simulations, and carefully designed task structures foster deeper understanding of socio-ecological interactions. The review also identifies key implications for curriculum design, teacher professional development, and assessment, emphasizing the need for sustained integration rather than one-time activities. Overall, this synthesis demonstrates that systems thinking is a foundational competency for sustainability education and provides educators with practical frameworks, strategies, and examples for meaningful classroom implementation. The findings underscore the importance of aligning pedagogical design, curricular structures, and assessment practices to cultivate students’ ability to reason about complex systems. Full article

Students with mathematics learning disabilities often have difficulties in adding whole numbers. Such difficulties are evident in both response time and accuracy, but the relationship between accuracy and response time requires further consideration, especially in the context of technology-based interventions and assessments. In this article, we apply a novel approach using the drift-diffusion model to examine potential trade-offs and find balanced performance points that account for both accuracy and response time, using data from an efficacy trial of a mathematics technology gaming intervention for first-grade students with or at risk for learning disabilities. Results indicate that accuracy tends to increase as response time decreases, but only to a certain point. Practical implications include that educators should consider both accuracy and response time to intensify and individualize their instruction and take student background (i.e., gender, special education status, and English language status) into account. We suggest that developing technology-based mathematics interventions and assessments requires careful design and configuration to balance accuracy and response time, thereby enabling adaptive performance thresholds for better understanding and supporting student learning in early mathematical fluency. Full article

The widespread application of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI) is transforming educational practices and driving pedagogical innovation. While cultivating higher-order thinking (HOT) represents a central educational goal, its achievement remains an ongoing challenge. Current evidence regarding the impact of Gen-AI on HOT is relatively fragmented, lacking systematic integration, particularly in the analysis of moderating variables. To address this gap, a meta-analysis approach was employed, integrating data from 29 experimental and quasi-experimental studies to quantitatively assess the overall impact of Gen-AI on learners’ HOT and to examine potential moderating factors. The analysis revealed that Gen-AI exerts a moderate positive effect on HOT, with the most significant improvement observed in problem-solving abilities, followed by critical thinking, while its effect on creativity is relatively limited. Moderation analyses further indicated that the impact of Gen-AI is significantly influenced by experimental duration and learners’ self-regulated learning (SRL) abilities: effects were strongest when interventions lasted 8–16 weeks, and learners with higher SRL capacities benefited more substantially. Based on the research findings, this study proposed that Gen-AI should be systematically integrated as a targeted instructional tool to foster HOT. Medium- to long-term interventions (8–16 weeks) are recommended to enhance learners’ problem-solving and critical thinking abilities. At the same time, effective approaches should also be explored to promote creative thinking through Gen-AI within existing pedagogical frameworks. Furthermore, individual learner differences should be accounted for by adopting dynamic and personalized scaffolding strategies to foster SRL, thereby maximizing the educational potential of Gen-AI in cultivating innovative talents. Full article

Objectively evaluating STEM education projects is essential for ensuring fairness, consistency, and evidence-based instructional decisions. Recent interest in data-informed approaches highlights the use of standardized frameworks, rubric-based assessment, and computational techniques to support more transparent evaluation practices. This systematic review examines how machine learning (ML) techniques—within the broader field of Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED)—contribute to the evaluation of STEM projects. Following Kitchenham’s guidelines and PRISMA 2020, searches were conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and IEEE Xplore, resulting in 39 studies published between 2020 and 2025. The findings show that current STEM frameworks emphasize disciplinary integration, inquiry, creativity, and collaboration, while rubrics operationalize these principles through measurable criteria. ML techniques have been applied to classification, prediction, and multidimensional analysis; however, these computational approaches remain largely independent from established frameworks and rubric structures. Existing ML models demonstrate feasibility for modeling evaluative indicators but do not yet integrate pedagogical constructs within automated assessment pipelines. By synthesizing evidence across frameworks, rubrics, and ML techniques, this review clarifies the methodological landscape and identifies opportunities to advance scalable, transparent, and pedagogically aligned evaluation practices. The results provide a conceptual foundation for future work aimed at developing integrative and trustworthy ML-supported evaluation systems in STEM education. Full article

This study reviews 33 meta-analyses and systematic reviews on Computational Thinking (CT), focusing on research quality, intervention effectiveness, and content. Quality assessment of included studies was conducted using the AMSTAR 2 tool. The meta-analysis achieved an average score of 10.9 (a total of 16 points), while systematic reviews scored an average of 6.1 (a total of 11 points). The 15 meta-analyses showed diverse intervention strategies. Project-based learning, text-based programming, and game-based learning demonstrate more pronounced effects in terms of effect size and practical outcomes. Curricular integration, robotics programming, and unplugged strategies offered additional value in certain contexts. Gender and disciplinary background were stable moderators, while grade level and educational stage had more conditional effects. Intervention duration, sample size, instructional tools, and assessment methods were also significant moderators in several studies. The 18 systematic reviews used a five-layer framework based on ecological systems theory, covering educational context (microsystem), tools and strategies (mesosystem), social support (exosystem), macro-level characteristics (macrosystem), and CT development (chronosystem). Future research should focus on standardizing meta-analyses, unifying effect size indicators, and strengthening longitudinal studies with cognitive network analysis. Additionally, systematic reviews should improve evidence credibility by integrating textual synthesis and data-driven reasoning to reduce redundancy and homogeneity. Full article

Background: Nurses need strong English language skills to access knowledge and promote evidence-based practice. Podcast production is a promising pedagogical strategy to improve language skills. However, the effects of podcast production on nursing students’ perceived English reading proficiency and the most effective production instructional approaches remain unreported. Aim: To examine the impacts of podcast production on undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions of English reading skills and compare the effectiveness of two podcast production teaching methods. Design: A quasi-experimental study. Methods: 78 third-year nursing students in Northern Thailand were divided into an experimental group (n = 39) and a control group (n = 39). The experimental group received specific guidelines for podcast production, while the control group used a non-guided method. Outcomes included students’ perceptions of their English reading skills and the experimental group’s attitudes toward podcast production guidelines. Results: Pre-test scores for perceived English reading skills were similar between groups (t = −1.029, p = 0.307). ANCOVA revealed that after controlling for pre-test scores, the control group reported significantly higher adjusted post-test scores than the experimental group (F = 5.001, p = 0.028). Students in the experimental group expressed positive attitudes toward the podcast production guidelines. Conclusions: Both podcast production approaches were effective; however, the less-guided approach showed greater improvement in students’ perceptions of their English reading skills. This approach may encourage student autonomy, creativity and deeper engagement. Podcast production emerges as a valuable student-centred learning strategy to improve perceptions of language skills, but finding a balance between support and independence during instruction seems important to maximise its potential benefits. Full article

Background/Objectives: To address the inconsistent provision of specialist physical education (PE) in primary schools, this study investigated the comparative efficacy of distinct team teaching configurations. The objective was to compare these instructional models’ impact on students’ basic motor competencies (MC) and self-reported physical literacy (PL). Methods: This cluster-randomized trial involved N = 266 students (grades 1–4) in Slovakia, assigned to one of five instructional models (PE teacher; GT+PET; PET+AT; GT+C; and GT+AT). The five-month intervention included two 45 min PE lessons weekly. Given the cluster design and non-normal data, the Wilcoxon singed-rank test and Kruskal–Wallis H-test were applied to assess the differences, and Cohen’s r was applied to determine effect size. Results: Comparative analysis showed no significant differences across teaching models for Self-Movement (p = 0.544), Object-Movement (p = 0.138), or PL (p = 0.219). Significant within-group MC gains were found in 4 teaching models, yet the practical effect size was generally weak to moderate (r ranging from 0.21 to 0.69). The strongest practical improvement was observed in the AT+PET Self-Movement group (r = 0.69). In contrast, the GT+PET configuration achieved no significant MC gain. For PL, only the AT+PET and GT+PET models showed significantly positive but moderate changes (r = 0.32 and 0.37). Conversely, the GT+C model resulted in a moderately significant decline in PL (Δ = −9.16, r = 0.43). A positive but practically weak correlation emerged between the MC subscales and PL (ρ ranging from 0.135 to 0.238, p < 0.05), with the highest limited association for Catching (ρ = 0.377, p < 0.01). The frequency of organized out-of-school physical activity was positively correlated with MC subscales (ρ = 0.195–0.282, p < 0.01) but not significantly correlated with PL. Conclusions: No single teaching model proved superior for improving overall motor competence or self-perceived physical literacy. While most effective configurations yielded moderate practical gains, the GT+C model presents a key paradox: while effective for objective skills, it proved detrimental to self-perceived physical literacy. These findings lead to explicit policy and implementation recommendations focused on strengthening collaborative instruction. Policymakers should consider strategies to support the integration of specialist PE teachers (PETs), such as establishing co-teaching as a recommended practice and allocating dedicated resources for funding and collaborative planning time to leverage the specialized knowledge they bring. Furthermore, schools are encouraged to focus on the effective implementation of PET-involved team teaching approaches (e.g., AT+PET and GT+PET). These models are not only effective but also support the co-professionalization of the generalist teacher, which is essential for ensuring that high-quality, evidence-based PE practices are consistently embedded. Full article