Search Results (3,117)

Parental involvement is widely recognized as a key component of effective schooling, particularly in educational environments that emphasize community, developmental continuity, and holistic pedagogy. Alternative education models such as Waldorf schools have expanded internationally, yet empirical evidence on how parents perceive and structure their experiences within these institutions remains limited. This study investigates parental perceptions of Waldorf education in Hungary through a nationwide questionnaire survey of 585 parents whose children attend Waldorf schools. To explore the latent structure of parental evaluations, Exploratory Factor Analysis was conducted, followed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis to test the stability of the resulting model. The analyses identified four coherent dimensions of parental experience: Trust and Pedagogy, Community and Engagement, Perceived Long-Term Educational Prosperity, and Information and Transparency. Additional analyses examined how these dimensions vary according to institutional characteristics, parental participation in school community activities, and intentions regarding long-term enrollment. The results indicate that pedagogical trust constitutes a relatively stable evaluative dimension across institutions, while perceptions related to community engagement, long-term educational prospects, and transparency are more strongly associated with institutional maturity. Parents who intend to remain in Waldorf education until the completion of upper secondary schooling report consistently higher evaluations across all dimensions. By empirically identifying the structure of parental experiences in a European alternative education context, the study contributes to research on parental engagement, school choice, and the institutional cultures of alternative schooling. Full article

This study investigated the effects of computer-assisted writing on the written language production of secondary school students with Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD), particularly dyslexia. Writing is a complex cognitive process requiring the coordination of spelling, lexical retrieval, syntactic organization, transcription, and revision, areas in which students with SLD often experience persistent difficulties. The study compared handwritten and computer-based texts produced by 40 students with SLD and 20 students without learning difficulties using a counterbalanced design, with an interval of approximately two weeks between the two writing sessions. In the handwriting condition, students used printed reference materials, whereas in the computer-based condition they had access to general-purpose digital tools, including spell-checkers, electronic dictionaries, online resources, and word-processing software. Written texts were evaluated using the Spelling Accuracy Index and holistic scores assigned by independent raters. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests (Mann–Whitney U and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests). The findings revealed statistically significant improvements in favor of computer-based writing for both groups, with particularly strong gains among students with SLD. Computer-written texts demonstrated higher spelling accuracy and received higher evaluation scores, indicating improved performance in the assessed writing outcomes. The findings suggest that computer-assisted writing may support written language production in secondary school students with SLD, particularly in relation to spelling accuracy and overall text evaluation, and may offer a useful avenue for more inclusive writing instruction. Full article

Online asynchronous learning offers considerable flexibility but frequently faces challenges in sustaining engagement, interactivity, and inclusivity across diverse learner populations. This study introduces the OPTIMAL framework—an Online, Pedagogy- and Technology-Integrated, Microcurricula Approach for interactive and inclusive Learning—synthesising universal design for learning, active learning, and constructive alignment with technology integration frameworks (TPACK and PICRAT), operationalised through a microcurricula-as-a-service architecture. A three-year longitudinal case study (2022/23 to 2024/25) examined the application of the framework to a data literacy and analytics module serving over 5000 students across more than 15 programs and five faculties at Dublin City University. The module design constructively aligned learning outcomes, content, and technology at three levels to support multiple learning pathways, formative assessment, and transdisciplinary engagement, deliberately fostering transformative uses of technology in a fully asynchronous environment. Mixed-methods evaluation—combining learning analytics, surveys (n = 1743), and qualitative feedback—demonstrated sustained positive outcomes across all three years, including 95–99% completion rates, consistently high satisfaction, and longitudinal gains in engagement and pass rates. These findings demonstrate how the deliberate integration of pedagogical theory, technological frameworks, and modular curriculum architecture can deliver scalable, inclusive, and high-engagement online education, offering both a transferable, evidence-based model for educators and curriculum designers and longitudinal empirical validation for researchers. Full article

This qualitative study investigates the challenges teachers face when teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) to deaf (in this article, deaf (lower case) refers to the audiological condition of hearing loss, whereas Deaf (capitalized) is used to denote individuals who identify as members of the Deaf community and share a common sign language and distinct cultural values) and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students in German schools for the Deaf. The study is situated within a structural–theoretical professionalization framework, which focuses on the relationship between institutional conditions, teacher education structures, and professional action. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 teachers of DHH students and the data were examined using qualitative content analysis. The findings reveal five central areas of challenge: (1) heterogeneity of the student body; (2) limited time (for preparing and adapting materials); (3) restricted subject-matter and sign-language competence, including missing links between EFL didactics and Deaf education in teacher training; (4) uncertainties surrounding the language design of EFL instruction, particularly the role of American Sign Language (ASL), German Sign Language (DGS), and written English; and (5) the lack of consistent, accessible exam formats and standards. Teachers report substantial insecurity due to the absence of coherent concepts, policy frameworks, and specialized training pathways, which fosters divergent classroom practices and tensions within teaching staff. The results highlight an urgent need for systematic integration of Deaf education, sign language training, and EFL pedagogy in teacher education, as well as for evidence-based guidelines on language classroom practice and assessment for DHH learners. Full article

Surface electromyography (sEMG) signals are important for assessing muscle activity, neuromuscular behavior, and movement stability. sEMG signals are widely used in athlete performance monitoring and human–machine interface applications. However, existing methods have limitations in classification, accuracy and generalization across users. In this study, a real-world dataset was generated from 30 professional wrestlers using an 8-channel system based on 10 physical movements and technical elements. Nine time-domain and energy features, mean absolute value (MAV), integrated EMG (IEMG), root mean square (RMS), simple square integral (SSI), fourth power (4POW), wavelength (WL), difference absolute standard deviation (DASDV), variance (VAR), and average amplitude change (AAC), were systematically evaluated separately and in combination. Five classifiers were compared: Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), k-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), and Neural Networks (NNs). The models were evaluated for accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and F1-score. The generalization ability was analyzed through cross-subject (24/6) and cross-session validation protocols. The nine feature combinations achieved the highest classification accuracy of 97.8% with the RF algorithm. The proposed approach can serve as a practical basis for real-time muscle activity monitoring, movement classification, and rehabilitation systems. Full article

Internationally, there are increased pressures for primary schools to meet academic curriculum outcomes primarily driven by performance metrics and targets. Sitting alongside this context are competing concerns for the decline in children’s play opportunities to bolster their overall health and wellbeing. Adopting play-based pedagogies in primary schools can infuse more play into children’s lives whilst meeting curriculum outcomes. Despite the perceived importance of play during childhood, play-based pedagogies are still mostly positioned as legitimate pedagogical approaches in prior to school settings. Given this landscape, this research seeks to understand contemporary educational research of play-based pedagogies in primary schools by conducting a scoping review. Through presenting a narrative account of the literature, and synthesising these ideas into broader themes, the research identified that there remains international interest in play-based pedagogies in the primary years of school but despite this, questions surrounding its legitimacy remain. This review and subsequent discussion surface potential next steps including a recommendation to increase empirical research on the adoption of play-based pedagogies in schools with consideration of using a ’Mosaic approach’ to data collection, as well as research focusing on the active and intentional role of the teacher. Lastly, as a way forward, the research brings to light the potential of creating a ‘space’ for the merging of two knowledge systems from two often siloed approaches to education—early childhood and primary—to create a new pathway. Such a pathway has potential to support continuity of learning, student engagement, children’s health, and wellbeing. Full article

The widespread adoption of generative artificial intelligence in higher education has intensified debates around assessment, authorship, and academic integrity. This paper argues that such debates obscure a more fundamental pedagogical shift, namely, the decoupling of assessment performance from cognitive engagement. Historically, assessment functioned not only as a measure of learning, but also as a structural mechanism that implicitly enforced cognitive engagement. With the advent of GenAI, learners can increasingly produce assessment outputs without necessarily engaging in the cognitive processes traditionally associated with learning. As a result, cognitive engagement has shifted from being a pedagogical necessity to an intentional learner choice. This paper conceptualises this shift as the cognitive engagement gap, wherein successful assessment completion no longer reliably indicates learning or epistemic development. Through a theory-informed conceptual analysis, the paper examines how GenAI reconfigures learning processes, challenges the validity of assessment as a proxy for learning, and exposes long-standing assumptions embedded in assessment-centred pedagogies. In response, the paper proposes a Cognitive Engagement-Centred Assessment (CECA) framework, offering principled guidance for designing assessment that foregrounds cognitive processes, metacognition, and learning assurance in AI-mediated environments. The paper concludes by positioning GenAI not as a threat to assessment, but as a catalyst for more intentional, transparent, and learning-centred pedagogical design. Full article

Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCIs) have increasingly been explored as tools for monitoring and modulating cognitive processes relevant to learning. However, their application to learning disorders, and especially to mathematical learning difficulties such as dyscalculia and ageometria, remains conceptually promising but empirically underdeveloped. The present study offers a scoping review with structured narrative synthesis of recent empirical research on BCI-based interventions in learning disorder populations, with particular attention paid to their possible translational relevance for mathematical learning. Following PRISMA-ScR principles and a Population–Concept–Context framework, studies published between 2020 and 2025 were identified through database searches in Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and PubMed. A total of 30 studies met the inclusion criteria. All eligible studies focused on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), while no eligible BCI intervention studies were found for dyscalculia or ageometria. The reviewed literature was dominated by EEG-based neurofeedback interventions. To move beyond descriptive summary, the included studies were organized using a structured analytical framework based on intervention modality, primary cognitive target, methodological robustness, and translational proximity to mathematical learning disorders. Across the evidence base, the most consistent findings concerned attention regulation and executive function outcomes, whereas academic and mathematics-related outcomes were sparse and methodologically less developed. Although several studies suggested improvements in domain-general cognitive mechanisms relevant to mathematical learning, the absence of direct evidence in dyscalculia and ageometria prevents confirmatory conclusions. The review therefore identifies both the promise and the limits of current BCI applications in learning disorder contexts and argues that future research should prioritize theory-driven, disorder-specific trials targeting numeracy, visuospatial reasoning, and executive processes in mathematical learning disabilities. Although current findings suggest promising cognitive and educational potential, these technologies are not yet ready for routine implementation in standard classroom environments without further validation, teacher training, ethical safeguards, and cost-effective deployment models. Full article

Background/Objectives: Digital obesity therapy requires exercise therapists with adequate digital competences, yet training opportunities remain limited. This study provides the first application of the DigCompThExO questionnaire to assess exercise therapists’ digital competences and their predictors in obesity therapy, addressing digital sovereignty as an educational outcome and informing future training programs. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey assessed self-perceived digital competences among German-speaking exercise therapists in obesity care using the validated DigCompThExO questionnaire (14 items). Descriptive and regression analyses examined personal (age, gender, qualification) and contextual (type of therapy, therapeutic targets) predictors of overall digital competence, with correction for multiple testing. Results: Of 203 therapists (mean age 33.3 ± 5.9 years), ‘Teaching Strategies’ yielded the highest scores, ‘Selection Criteria’ the lowest. Regression analysis (n = 202) accounted for a substantial proportion of variance in overall digital competence (R² = 0.801, adjusted R² = 0.790, p < 0.001), with the digitally pursued therapeutic target body awareness emerging as significant predictor (B = 0.18, p_FDR = 0.003). Conclusions: This study provides initial insights into the digital competence profiles of exercise therapists in obesity therapy. In exploratory analysis, the therapeutic target of digitally fostering body awareness was the only predictor that remained significant after correction. The findings suggest that targeted education in data protection, media reflection, and the communication of exercise-related therapeutic targets may be relevant to support digital competence development. Full article

This study examines how integrating Creative Problem Solving (CPS) and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) within animation storytelling education can foster sustainability-related competencies in higher education. A twelve-week mixed-methods action research design was implemented in a “Storytelling and Scriptwriting” course at a university of technology in northern Taiwan (N = 60). The intervention design combined a CPS-aligned instructional sequence, six scaffolded assignments (including a text-to-image resemiotization task), pre–post CPS cognition and affect scales, CPS-dimensioned assignment self-assessments, reflective journals, and expert evaluations of final story prototypes using the Consensual Assessment Technique. Quantitative results showed significant gains in students’ CPS-related narrative cognition and affective resilience (p < 0.001), as well as consistently high self-reported engagement across CPS dimensions for all assignments, particularly for the text-to-image and personal narrative tasks. Expert ratings indicated high levels of originality, narrative coherence, emotional impact, and social relevance in final prototypes, while qualitative data highlighted reduced “blank page” anxiety, greater willingness to revise, and more collaborative, systems-oriented narrative reasoning. The findings suggest that a CPS- and GenAI-supported teaching model can function as a cognitive bridge for heterogeneous cohorts, positioning GenAI as a conditional amplifier embedded within a reflective CPS framework and helping to translate abstract sustainability-related competencies—such as anticipatory, normative, strategic, and interpersonal competencies—into concrete creative media practices. Full article

The inception of Jamaica’s education system was built based on European settler colonial ideologies and White supremacist logic. Almost two centuries after the abolition of slavery and over six decades after independence from British rule, colonial vestiges pervade Jamaican education policy and practice, resulting in the continued marginalisation of Black students from low-income backgrounds. Despite the commissioning of multiple reports on the state of the education system, these racist and classist injustices persist. In this article, we examine social justice issues at the nexus of national education policy and school leadership practice in Jamaican public schools based on our reflexive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with two Jamaican education policymakers, five education researchers and four public school leaders, alongside Jamaica’s National Student Dress and Grooming Policy Guidelines 2018. Our findings highlight a hierarchical relationship among stakeholder groups in the creation and implementation of Jamaican education policy. Our findings also highlight four themes suggesting that this results from deeply ingrained valorisation of Eurocentric values in policy design that leads to heightened tensions between the Ministry of Education and Youth (MOEY) and school administrators at the level of policy implementation, distraction of school staff from teaching and learning, and disproportionate exclusion of Black students from low-income backgrounds. Implications from our study are the need for stronger cohesion among education policy stakeholders, the incorporation of social justice in teacher and leader preparation and the integration of critical pedagogies at all levels of the Jamaican education system. Full article

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is transforming higher education in terms of pedagogy, student involvement, and academic management. This systematic literature review examines 30 peer-reviewed articles published from 2019 to 2025, adhering to PRISMA 2020 and Kitchenham’s methodologies. Descriptive and thematic analyses highlight five opportunities: (a) tailored and adaptive education; (b) deliberate fostering of critical thinking; (c) enhanced accessibility for varied learners; (d) teaching innovation via multimodal content development and feedback; and (e) collaborative methods that regard AI as a co-teacher. Four ongoing challenge categories also surface: (a) risks to academic integrity; (b) excessive dependence on GenAI that may hinder learner independence; (c) inconsistent faculty preparedness and change-management abilities; and (d) differences in infrastructure and policy both regionally and globally. Intersecting ethical issues, such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, transparency, and accountability, highlight the necessity for governance that aligns with institutional risk and reflects societal values. Analyzing the recent literature, this systematic review offers four contributions: (a) a recommendation model for responsible GenAI implementation in higher education institutions; (b) a framework for sustainable integration of GenAI; (c) a highlight of the future research recommendations; and (d) an integrated policy and pedagogical recommendations roadmap. These models emphasize the integration of AI literacy, ethical considerations, and critical thinking goals into educational programs. The review advocates for a strategic, stakeholder-focused approach to implementation that enhances rather than replaces human instruction, thus connecting GenAI’s educational potential with ethical, context-aware avenues for institutional transformation. Full article

Teacher attrition, particularly in early career stages, undermines sustainable education. Developing teachers’ sense of agency and well-being is therefore critical, especially for second-career teachers who bring valuable prior knowledge and professional experience. This study explored how narrative pedagogy combined with agency-focused instruction supports second-career students’ professional development. Using qualitative methodology, we analyzed reflective compositions written by 12 special education students in a year-long course. Three main themes emerged: First, narrative approaches enabled students to develop their personal and professional identities. Second, participants experienced the approach as creating relational safety, a psychologically secure environment supporting authentic sharing and collaborative learning. Third, participants envisioned implementing agency processes with their future students while acknowledging systemic challenges. These insights underscore the potential contribution of incorporating narrative and agency-based approaches into teacher education. Such approaches may strengthen resilience and well-being as students transition into practice, thereby supporting reduced attrition and advancement of sustainable education goals. Full article

Background/Objectives: Scaffolding plays a vital role in sustaining collaborative discourse and shifting attention. However, current research lacks a detailed understanding of how scaffold use affects participants’ discussions at the neural level. This paper investigates whether epistemic scaffold types (Design-mode and Belief-mode) influence participants’ collaborative discourse and subsequently modulate N400 event-related potential amplitude during sentence processing. Methods: Participants in two experimental conditions engaged in an online discussion using scaffolds either representing Design-mode (My theory) or Belief-mode (I agree/I disagree). Participants then individually completed a stimulus-based decision-making task involving sentences representing the two modes. Pre- and post-surveys assessed changes in participants’ attitudes across the study. Machine learning models were used to examine participants’ discourse patterns while event-related potential (ERP) analyses of the N400 component assessed neural responses during the decision-making task. Results: Machine learning analyses indicated differences between the two scaffold modes, while ERP analyses revealed a modest N400 amplitude difference between the two modes, during the 380–430 ms time window. Conclusions: Findings suggest that epistemic scaffolding can influence collaborative discourse and neural processing, offering implications for the design of scaffolded learning for researchers and practitioners. Full article

This study addresses a two-dimensional anomalous solute transport process within a two-zone fractal porous medium. A mathematical formulation is developed to characterise transport phenomena in a non-homogeneous porous domain. The medium consists of two interacting regions: one containing mobile fluid and the other containing immobile fluid, between which mass transfer occurs. In the mobile-fluid region, solute transport is governed by the convection–diffusion equation. In contrast, the immobile-fluid region is described using a first-order kinetic model. The problem of solute injection through a designated boundary point is formulated and numerically implemented. The effects of anomalous transport behaviour on solute migration and filtration characteristics are examined. The study further evaluates the pressure field, filtration velocity distribution, and solute concentration in both zones. Full article