Search Results (229)

This study examined pre-service elementary school teachers’ perceptions of a semester-long professional learning programme in Iran, focusing on perceived shifts in their concerns, drawing on the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) as the theoretical framework. Adopting a CBAM-informed, directed (deductive–inductive) qualitative content analysis of the written reflections of 30 pre-service teachers across two provinces, the study traced perceived shifts in participants’ concerns throughout their professional learning journey. Consistent with CBAM’s developmental stages, the analysis of participants’ reflections suggested a perceived transition from self-focused concerns to concerns about teaching effectiveness. This shift—from self-oriented concerns toward task- and effectiveness-oriented concerns—aligns with the model’s prediction that individuals move through self, task, and effectiveness concerns as they adopt new practices. The findings also suggest that this progression is associated with the development of professional identity, personal beliefs, and the capacity for lifelong learning. Although the training process placed many participants in unfamiliar contexts, it provided valuable experiences that encouraged active engagement in curriculum design. Despite facing uncertainty and challenges, participants developed the psychological readiness to continue their professional journey. Because the study is based on self-reported written reflections rather than classroom observation, teaching performance, or pupil outcomes, the findings are presented as perceived shifts in pre-service teachers’ reflections, concerns, and professional readiness, rather than as demonstrated impact on attitudes, practices, or teaching outcomes. Overall, these findings underscore the relevance of CBAM for understanding and informing the design of professional development for pre-service teachers. Full article

The increasing demand for technology-supported instructional solutions has created opportunities to develop learning systems that integrate curriculum alignment, instructional design, and learner-centered interaction within a unified educational framework. This study presents the design and validation of a Technology-Aided Interactive Mathematics Learning Framework that functions as an instructional support system for Grade 3 subtraction involving three- to four-digit numbers with and without regrouping. The proposed framework adopts the Four-D (4D) instructional development model as its system development methodology and incorporates structured content organization, interactive learning components, and curriculum-driven instructional configuration. A mixed-method developmental research approach was employed involving fourteen participants, including twelve Grade 3 teachers and two master teachers from public elementary schools in Alcantara, Romblon, Philippines. A needs assessment identified subtraction with regrouping as the highest-priority instructional challenge. The resulting instructional system was evaluated using the Department of Education Evaluation Rating Sheet for Print Resources and achieved an overall Very Satisfactory rating across content integrity, interface organization, presentation, instructional architecture, and information accuracy. Qualitative analysis further demonstrated that the framework supports curriculum alignment, contextual adaptability, learner engagement, and reusable instructional deployment while identifying opportunities for improving inclusivity and interface presentation. The findings demonstrate that the proposed technology-aided instructional framework provides a practical, scalable, and sustainable learning support configuration that can serve as a foundation for future intelligent educational systems, adaptive learning platforms, and digital instructional environments. Full article

Digital ecosystems, misinformation exposure, mental-health vulnerability and unequal access to care create distinctive challenges for young people. Although youth participation in health governance is increasingly advocated internationally, structured evidence from youth deliberative processes remains limited in Portugal. This study synthesises priorities expressed in two Portuguese deliberative initiatives coordinated by the Sociedade Portuguesa de Literacia em Saúde: the Mini-Assemblies of Health 2022–2023, with particular attention to the 3rd Mini-Assembly on Fighting Health Misinformation, and the Youth Health Choices Forum 2024. Both processes used a structured nominal-group logic to support idea generation, clarification, recording and prioritisation. The analysis used low-inference cross-session thematic aggregation to preserve propositional integrity and remain close to participants’ formulations. Five priority domains were identified: digital health communication and information credibility; curriculum-integrated and peer-mediated health literacy; low-friction mental-health access and stigma reduction; equity and functional service accessibility and governance, accountability and youth participation. Participant quotations are retained, in translated form, to preserve youth voice and to show how recommendations emerged from concrete deliberative formulations. The findings suggest that nominal group technique (NGT)-based youth deliberation can generate operational recommendations for policy and practice, including credibility mechanisms for digital health information, school-based health-literacy integration, autonomy-preserving access routes for mental-health support, and permanent youth participation structures. The findings support recognising young people not only as vulnerable recipients of health information but also as interpreters of digital health ecosystems and contributors to the design of more responsive health governance. Full article

This study examines how school music teachers are represented in English-language television series and considers implications for professional identity, pedagogy and recruitment. Drawing on a novel, systematically coded database of 36 on-screen music educators from 28 television series from 1952 to 2026, quantitative description maps demographic attributes (age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status), narrative role (minor, major, protagonist), genre and institutional context. Our findings show music teachers are most often supporting characters, typically mid-career, male and predominantly white, with comedy—especially ensemble school comedy—dominating portrayals. Qualitative interpretation demonstrates persistent teacher archetypes and pedagogical tropes: the failed performer turned teacher, the inspirational mentor who singles out a talented student, and blurred teacher–student boundaries. These portrayals routinely privilege spectacle and rapid transformation over sequenced curriculum, assessment and routine labour, risking the creation of distorted public expectations about what music teaching entails. This article situates these findings within contemporary concerns about teacher shortages and declining occupational status in English-language contexts, arguing that mediated images may influence career choice, teacher retention and societal attitudes. Methodological advances include expanded time and geographic contexts of studied texts and detailed coding. The paper concludes by calling for reception and experimental studies to test causal effects on aspiring teachers and to inform teacher education curricula. Full article

Divergent thinking is a key educational skill associated with cognitive and pre-literacy abilities. However, the limited research conducted with preschool populations makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions and to inform curriculum changes at early ages. This study aimed to (1) examine sex and school grade differences in divergent thinking at this stage, and (2) analyze the explanatory power of creative variables for preliteracy skills in second-cycle preschool students. A total of 80 children aged 3 to 5 years (M = 4.44; SD = 0.57) participated in this study. They completed an ad hoc figurative drawing test based on widely used instruments created for older age groups. More specifically, this test assessed fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.89). Additionally, the AEI-R battery was administered to evaluate cognitive and pre-literacy skills. Multivariate analyses revealed only limited sex-related differences in divergent thinking variables, while no statistically significant differences emerged by grade level. Furthermore, hierarchical regression analysis indicated that creative elaboration offered incremental explanatory power, contributing uniquely and significantly to the variance in pre-literacy skills. Overall, these findings suggest associations between specific dimensions of divergent thinking and cognitive and pre-literacy variables in early childhood. Full article

Background/Objective: The Behavioral and Mental Wellness in Indigenous Communities (BMWIC) education program was created to address mental health (MH) resource gaps in the Fort Belknap Community (FBC). Designed to enhance MH literacy, task-shifting capacity, and MH care coordination skills, the FBC partnered with Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (JHSON) to co-develop a culturally aligned MH training program. This protocol outlines the development of the BMWIC curriculum. Methods: Steps 1–5 of the 6-step Collaborative Participatory Adaptation Model (CPAM) guided the development of the BMWIC, including collaboration, review of evidence-based models, cultural adaptation of materials, and the creation of a robust evaluation plan to be conducted. Four courses were ultimately developed on: historical trauma, culturally informed MH screening and care, risk and protective factors and health-related Tribal, state and federal legal jurisdiction in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Discussion: The BMWIC development process serves as a prime example of translating community priorities into an educational intervention through a combination of best practices in health science education with Indigenous ways of knowing (IWK). Targeted training and task shifting, such as through the BMWIC, may have the potential to expand MH-related knowledge and strengthen the capacity of community health systems to identify psychological and behavioral concerns early, coordinate care more effectively, and improve access to MH care and resources at the community level. Conclusions: This protocol may be useful for academic-community partnerships creating culturally informed educational programs across disciplines and specialties in service to Indigenous communities. The next steps will involve piloting and evaluating the curriculum and collaborating with healthcare organizations to determine sustainable pathways for scaling the BMWIC where it is most needed. Full article

The aim of this paper is to reflect on the changing relationship between Catholic education and the State in the eighty years that have elapsed since the passing of the 1944 ‘Butler’ Education Act. The 1944 Education Act proved to be a transformational landmark in the development of Catholic education in this country. Whilst in many other countries in the world Catholic education is provided by independent fee-paying schools, in England it has benefited from support and funding provided by the government. The legislation consolidated the relationship between Church and State that had been established with the introduction of compulsory education in 1870. However, integrated within the national educational system, Catholic schools are also subject to political currents that can pose challenges. When I began teaching in a Catholic secondary school in the mid-1970s, compulsory education was framed within the legislation set out in the 1944 Education Act. However, the post-war consensus that informed that legislation was swept away in the wake of the passing of the 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA). This latter development marked a watershed in schooling in England and Wales. Whilst extending greater autonomy to schools through Local Management of Schools (LMS) and Grant Maintained (GM) status, central government designed and regulated education for all maintained schools through a National Curriculum and it intervened more rigorously in their management by scrutinising their performance through the establishment of regular Ofsted inspections. Arguably, the introduction of Grant Maintained schools contributed to ‘a survival of the fittest approach’, which challenged concerns for the common good. Moreover, with the passing of the 2010 Academies Act, it became possible for all maintained schools in England and Wales to convert to academies and multi-academy trusts (MATs) by direct agreement with the Secretary of State for Education. Within the Catholic sector, where the bishop has traditionally been primarily responsible for the regulation of education provided by Catholic schools across his diocese, the question of academisation has provoked divisions of opinion about the governance of Catholic schools. Drawing on a reflection on my own experience as a teacher and leader in Catholic secondary education, the paper examines opportunities and challenges that have faced Catholic education in this country over the past eighty years and considers implications for its future. Autobiographical narrative is a method of research located within the qualitative field of enquiry. Whilst its subjective and introspective nature has been open to question, it provides a researcher with the opportunity to examine personal experience to provide illuminative insight. Full article

Indoor air quality (IAQ) education can support sustainability education by linking environmental health literacy, school environmental quality, and daily exposure mitigation behaviors. However, comparative evidence on short-term IAQ knowledge change across diverse educational contexts remains limited. In this study, we conducted a pre-test/post-test program evaluation examining immediate IAQ knowledge change among 1408 students (Grades 5–10) in Sri Lanka (n = 395), Nepal (n = 300), Malaysia (n = 314), Indonesia (n = 200), and Guangxi, China (n = 199). The primary outcome was knowledge score gain (post minus pre, 0–100 scale). We used paired t-tests with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and Cohen’s dz, ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis tests for regional heterogeneity, BH-adjusted Welch pairwise tests, OLS gain models, and sensitivity analyses for post-test zero records. The overall mean score increased from 47.37 to 56.62 (gain +9.25, 95% CI 7.58 to 10.92; p = 2.30 × 10⁻²⁶; dz = 0.289). Gains differed substantially by region: Nepal +22.25, Indonesia +15.93, Sri Lanka +5.39, Malaysia +5.36, and Guangxi (China) −3.27 (p = 0.081). Region-level heterogeneity was significant (ANOVA F = 26.55, p = 2.98 × 10⁻²¹, eta2 = 0.070; Kruskal–Wallis H = 84.95, p = 1.56 × 10⁻¹⁷). Baseline score was the strongest predictor of gain (beta = −0.686, p < 0.001; model R² = 0.256). Excluding post = 0 with pre > 0 records increased the overall gain to +12.93, while the Guangxi result remained negative. The findings can serve as short-term program-evaluation evidence suggesting that IAQ sustainability education requires baseline-informed and context-sensitive curriculum adaptation, while future studies should include comparison groups, delayed post-tests, behavioral outcomes, and stronger implementation-fidelity measures. Full article

Objectives: Inadequate access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) continues to drive infectious diseases, malnutrition, and educational disparities, particularly among vulnerable populations. This systematic review examined WASH intervention strategies implemented in Malaysia between 2014 and 2025, focusing on shifts in hygiene-related knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP), health outcomes, infrastructure improvements, and implementation challenges. Methods: A comprehensive search across five databases (Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) identified twelve eligible studies targeting schools, healthcare settings, and rural or Indigenous communities. Results: Education-based interventions predominated (n = 10), often employing participatory and theory-driven approaches grounded in the Health Belief Model or Information–Motivation–Behavioural Skills framework. Evidence revealed significant improvements in KAP, particularly when digital, gamified, or storytelling elements were integrated. Community-led and caregiver-inclusive models demonstrated greater behavioural adoption and retention. Thematic analysis identified several implementation challenges, which include (i) sole reliance on self-reported outcomes with limited use of objective indicators, (ii) short intervention durations (<2 months) that limit long-term impact, and (iii) lack of policy and curriculum integration. Conclusions: Findings underscore the need for culturally tailored, longitudinal, and system-embedded interventions that combine behavioural theory with infrastructure investment. Integrating WASH initiatives into Malaysia’s health and education frameworks could advance Sustainable Development Goal 6, ensuring scalable and equitable improvements in hygiene literacy, community resilience, and public health outcomes. Full article

This study examines changes from baseline to midline in ICT competency indicators during an ICT teacher training intervention in Cambodian lower secondary education. The intervention aligned with SDG 4.4.1 and included pre-service and in-service teachers from four Regional Teacher Training Centers and 20 pilot schools, along with Grade 8 students. Teachers completed a self-assessment and an objective ICT knowledge test covering 11 SDG 4.4.1 domains. Students completed objective assessments. Teacher competency pass counts increased from baseline to midline. The largest changes appeared in information verification and programming, while foundational domains changed less. Pre-service teachers had higher objective knowledge scores at midline. A nonparametric check showed the same direction. No significant differences were detected across the four provinces. The findings provide evidence from program monitoring that an ODA intervention combining curriculum reform, textbook development, ICT laboratory deployment, and sustained teacher training was associated with changes in teacher ICT competency. Full article

Despite the widespread adoption of educational technologies, a critical gap remains in Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools that are both pedagogically grounded and responsive to the practical needs of teachers and students. This study examines the use of the Scaffolding Cognitive Artificial Intelligence (SCAI) chatbot to support students’ pre-class preparation and classroom engagement in secondary-school physics. The SCAI chatbot was designed by applying scaffolding theory and aligning chatbot interactions with the educational curriculum, with the aim of providing adaptive explanations, formative questioning, and teacher-facing preparation analytics. A Design Science Research (DSR) approach with a mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were collected through pre-class preparation tests, while system-generated log data captured student interaction patterns. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with both teachers and students. The findings suggest that SCAI-supported preparation was associated with higher student preparation and more active engagement when compared with textbook-based preparation. Interview and log data further indicated that the chatbot helped simplify difficult concepts, support students’ confidence, and provide teachers with useful information about students’ progress before classroom instruction. However, because the study was conducted in a limited educational context and the intervention combined AI-supported interaction, scaffolding, flipped preparation, and teacher analytics, the findings should be interpreted as exploratory evidence of a meaningful association rather than definitive proof of causation. Overall, the study contributes to understanding how a scaffolding-based GenAI chatbot can support pre-class preparation and teacher-informed instructional planning. Full article

Background/Objectives: The dental profession is undergoing significant transformation driven by societal changes, technological advancements, evolving patient expectations, and increased attention to sustainability. These developments challenge traditional notions of dental competence and highlight the need for educational frameworks that support adaptability and longitudinal professional development. The aim of this study was to develop a contextually grounded competence framework for undergraduate dental education through an iterative, multi-method process informed by key educational stakeholders. Methods: A multi-method approach was used, combining a preparatory phase (literature review, interviews) with a development phase (drafting and workshops) that was revisited in response to feedback, followed by iterative voting rounds that prompted further minor revisions. A deductive exploratory mapping analysis aligned the emerging framework with existing intended learning outcomes across the curriculum. Results: The multi-method process produced descriptions of a framework that deliberately integrates roles, skills, and attributes to capture key dimensions of professional competence in dentistry. The framework includes six domains: ‘Evidence-informed’, ‘Decision-maker’, ‘Communicator’, ‘Acting with professional conduct’, ‘Health ambassador’, and ‘Collaborator and leader’. Across voting rounds, the domains were generally rated between ‘neutral’ and ‘very important’, with each round prompting minor revisions. Mapping suggested alignment between the overarching framework and the detailed curriculum. Conclusions: This study presents the outcome of a structured, exploratory multi-method process to develop a locally relevant competence framework, integrated into a dental education. The participatory design supported clarity and relevance. While sharing similarities with existing frameworks, the new framework also includes differences. The term ‘professional conduct’ was preferred rather than ‘professionalism’, and the domains ‘collaborator and leader’ and ‘decision-maker’ were identified as relevant according to employer expectations. Although the work was based locally at one dental school, the approach may be transferable to similar contexts. Full article

School physical education (PE) has often relied on linear progressions in which teachers demonstrate, pupils practise prescribed techniques, and achievement is judged through visible reproduction of preferred movement forms. Non-linear pedagogy (NLP) and the constraints-led approach (CLA) offer an alternative ecological-dynamics rationale for supporting pupils’ integral development, including motor competence, adaptable movement capability, and dispositions for lifelong physical activity and physical literacy. However, existing review work has not sufficiently explained why principled NLP/CLA designs remain unevenly enacted across ordinary school PE systems. We conducted a theory-informed interpretive synthesis drawing on critical interpretive synthesis and thematic synthesis. A structured English-language search of ERIC, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and Google Scholar (2010–2025) was combined with title-and-abstract screening, full-text assessment, backward and forward citation chaining, and purposive retention of foundational or Singapore-context records, and reporting was strengthened through PRISMA-like transparency aids adapted to interpretive synthesis. The final coded corpus comprised 36 included sources: 9 empirical studies, 3 reviews, 9 conceptual or practitioner texts, 6 theoretical or critical sources, 4 review-method papers, and 5 Singapore policy, context, or professional-learning documents used as an illustrative policy lens. Through iterative coding, descriptive theme development, and analytical integration, we identified six coherence domains shaping enactment: teacher beliefs and knowledge; curriculum and lesson structure; assessment and accountability; systemic and resource constraints; professional development ecosystems; and stakeholder and cultural factors. These domains informed a Systemic Coherence Framework spanning micro, meso, and macro levels. The synthesis suggests that assessment coherence may be a high-leverage condition because it links curriculum legitimacy, reporting, and teacher defensibility, but its comparative influence across domains remains a hypothesis for future empirical testing. The framework is offered as an analytic heuristic rather than a prescriptive model and is intended to help researchers, teacher educators, school leaders, and policy actors diagnose where curriculum intent, assessment language, professional learning, and organisational routines support or inhibit ecologically informed practice. Full article

The teaching and assessment of veterinary professionalism are essential components of veterinary degree curricula. The content of veterinary professionalism education programs has been informed by multiple stakeholders including educators, practitioners, and regulatory bodies. Since student perceptions also represent a powerful force in shaping the curriculum, the aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of final-year veterinary students on professionalism teaching and learning within their veterinary program. A mixed-methods study was conducted across three veterinary schools (Massey University–New Zealand; Murdoch University–Australia; University of Nottingham–United Kingdom). An online survey captured final-year veterinary students’ opinions on professionalism teaching and the suitability of their current professionalism curricula. Subsequent focus groups explored perceptions in greater depth. Of 81 survey respondents, 66% perceived professionalism instruction to be essential, 79% agreed that their current professionalism instruction included appropriate content, and 58% perceived the instruction to represent adequate preparation for interaction with clients and professional colleagues. Only 39% of respondents, however, agreed that professionalism teaching was well integrated into the rest of the program. Three themes were identified following thematic analysis of the transcripts from the 11 focus groups conducted: ‘the challenges associated with teaching and assessing professionalism’, ‘the influence of clinical teaching faculty on student professionalism development’, and ‘the importance of adopting effective teaching methods to teach professionalism’. Findings from both studies showed that students placed the greatest value on learning and assessing professionalism within an authentic clinical context, while also appreciating interactive teaching formats and group work. Educators should, therefore, consider integration, authenticity, and interactive delivery as they continue to develop their veterinary professionalism curricula. Full article

Inclusive education is a cornerstone of the South African educational policy; however, effectively supporting learners with specific learning disorders remains a significant challenge, particularly within specialized school settings. This study explored the strategies and experiences of teacher-carers in promoting social support for learners with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD/Dyspraxia) in Johannesburg. Guided by an interpretivist paradigm, the researcher employed a qualitative study design, conducting semi-structured interviews with twelve teachers. Thematic analysis revealed that educators fostered inclusivity and social competence through individualized, learner-centred approaches, peer-mediated activities, and the creation of structured social learning opportunities. However, the findings also identified significant barriers, including a profound lack of teacher knowledge about Dyspraxia, insufficient training, and an absence of systemic support and awareness campaigns. These issues often led to misdiagnosis, feelings of teacher inadequacy, and ad hoc support strategies. The findings highlight that adequate support for learners with Dyspraxia depends not only on individual teacher dedication but also on structured professional development and institutional backing. The study recommends implementing continuous teacher training, adapting the curriculum, and launching nationwide awareness initiatives to better equip educators and foster inclusive learning environments. This study offers context-specific insights that can inform inclusive education practices in similar resource-constrained environments. Full article