Search Results (1,302)

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education offers novel opportunities to enhance critical thinking while also posing challenges to independent cognitive development. In particular, Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HCAI) in education aims to enhance human experience by providing a supportive and collaborative learning environment. Rather than replacing the educator, HCAI serves as a tool that empowers both students and teachers, fostering critical thinking and autonomy in learning. This study investigates the potential for AI to become a collaborative partner that assists learning and enriches academic engagement. The research was conducted during the 2024–2025 winter semester within the Pedagogical and Teaching Sufficiency Program offered by the Audio and Visual Arts Department, Ionian University, Corfu, Greece. The research employs a hybrid ethnographic methodology that blends digital interactions—where students use AI tools to create artistic representations—with physical classroom engagement. Data was collected through student projects, reflective journals, and questionnaires, revealing that structured dialog with AI not only facilitates deeper critical inquiry and analytical reasoning but also induces a state of flow, characterized by intense focus and heightened creativity. The findings highlight a dialectic between individual agency and collaborative co-agency, demonstrating that while automated AI responses may diminish active cognitive engagement, meaningful interactions can transform AI into an intellectual partner that enriches the learning experience. These insights suggest promising directions for future pedagogical strategies that balance digital innovation with traditional teaching methods, ultimately enhancing the overall quality of education. Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of integrating reflective practices and adaptive frameworks to support evolving student needs, ensuring a sustainable model. Full article

This study investigates the effectiveness of contact and online biology teaching by assessing student performance and gathering perceptions from students, teachers, and parents. Conducted in autumn 2021 with 3035 students, 124 biology teachers, and 719 parents, this study combined post-instruction assessments of student performance in knowledge reproduction and conceptual understanding with questionnaires examining perceptions of contact and online biology teaching effectiveness across students, teachers, and parents. To investigate how various teaching-related factors influence perceived understanding of biological content, we applied a CHAID-based decision tree model to questionnaire responses from students, teachers, and parents. Results indicated that students value engaging, flexible instruction, sufficient time to complete tasks and support for independent thinking. Teachers emphasized their satisfaction with teaching and efforts to support student understanding. In contact lessons, students preferred problem-solving, teacher guidance, and a stimulating environment. In online learning, they preferred low-stress, interesting lessons with room for independent work. Parents emphasized satisfaction with their child’s learning and the importance of a focused, stimulating environment. This comparative analysis highlights the need for student-centered, research-based biology teaching in both formats, supported by teachers and delivered in a motivating environment. The results offer practical insights for improving biology instruction in different teaching modalities. Full article

This study investigates the evolving pedagogical strategies and professional identity development of two novice college English teachers in China through a semester-long classroom-based inquiry. Drawing on Norris’s Multimodal (Inter)action Analysis (MIA), it analyzes 270 min of video-recorded lessons across three instructional stages, supported by visual transcripts and pitch-intensity spectrograms. The analysis reveals each teacher’s transformation from textbook-reliant instruction to student-centered pedagogy, facilitated by multimodal strategies such as gaze, vocal pitch, gesture, and head movement. These shifts unfold across the following three evolving identity configurations: compliance, experimentation, and dialogic enactment. Rather than following a linear path, identity development is shown as a negotiated process shaped by institutional demands and classroom interactional realities. By foregrounding the multimodal enactment of self in a non-Western educational context, this study offers insights into how novice EFL teachers navigate tensions between traditional discourse norms and reform-driven pedagogical expectations, contributing to broader understandings of identity formation in global higher education. Full article

Background: Thailand is rapidly transitioning into an aging society, creating an intergenerational caregiving gap that strains existing support systems. Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of “Young Care,” a community-based intervention designed to enhance youth knowledge, attitudes, and caregiving practices (KAP) toward older adults. Methods: A two-day structured training was conducted in Maha Sarakham Province in 2023 using a pre-post mixed-methods design. Middle and high school students participated in lectures, multimedia sessions, and experiential learning activities related to caregiving. Quantitative data were collected using validated KAP questionnaires, while qualitative insights were obtained from focus group discussions involving students, older persons, caregivers, and local leaders. Results: Post-intervention analysis revealed significant improvements in knowledge and attitudes (p < 0.001), accompanied by increased empathy, caregiving initiative, and a sense of moral responsibility among participants. Conclusions: The initiative fostered formal partnerships among schools, local governments, healthcare providers, and universities through memoranda of understanding. These collaborations enabled budgetary support and outreach to out-of-school youth, positioning “Young Care” as a scalable, youth-centered strategy to address Thailand’s long-term care challenges. Full article

In today’s fast-changing world, the higher education system must evolve to enhance the quality of learning and teaching. Fulfilling the role of a university is a major challenge. Universities must implement strategies that place the student at the center of their concerns; so, these strategies must be designed for and by the student. However, the high university dropout rate is one of the current problems faced by many universities. This suggests that there are some issues that hinder the learning process. Several studies have highlighted the advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in providing explorative and predictive analyses that explain why students are dropping out, with the aim of improving the quality of teaching and providing an integrated learning environment. This paper proposes a framework that predicts student dropout rates using machine learning techniques, based on data collected from various sources. Data collection was carried out between 2022 and 2024. We used a quantitative analysis method employed through a questionnaire distributed to 120 students (aged 18–26) from open access faculties of a Moroccan public university to identify the factors leading to an increase in university dropout rates. We discuss the impact of selected variables, and the findings show that several factors are related to university dropout rates, such as social background, psychological and health problems, insufficient motivation of professors, limited perspective on educational programs, changes in language and teaching methodologies, absenteeism, student attitude, and a lack of interaction between professors and students. Full article

This study explores how to support Turkish–American secondary school students to co-develop covariational reasoning (CR) and representational fluency (RF) in solving contextually based quadratic function tasks in an after-school community center learning setting. We conducted a teaching experiment (n = 8) at a community center. Ongoing and retrospective analyses of classroom interaction and video transcripts revealed a culturally inclusive mathematics learning environment framework with several intertwined components: co-developing CR and RF and community-based practices. This study provides evidence that students coordinate symbolic, tabular, and graphical representations, which not only deepen their understanding of how quantities change in relation to one another but also enable them to interpret and construct representations in increasingly flexible ways. This reciprocal process of co-developing CR and RF allowed students to recognize and express quantitative relationships as meaningful functional relationships, demonstrating a dynamic interplay between reasoning about change and fluency across representations. This study situates learning within culturally inclusive learning environments and acknowledges the reflexive positionality of the teacher–researcher in relation to students. We highlight how shared community-based practices can enhance mathematics teaching and learning. Full article

Despite the increasing number of studies indicating that generative artificial intelligence is conducive to cultivating college students’ critical thinking skills, research on the impact of college students’ use of generative artificial intelligence on their critical thinking skills in an open learning environment is still scarce. This study aims to investigate whether the use of generative artificial intelligence by college students in an open learning environment can effectively enhance their critical thinking skills. The study is centered around the following questions: Does the use of generative artificial intelligence in an open learning environment enhance college students’ critical thinking skills (what)? What is the mechanism by which the use of generative artificial intelligence affects college students’ critical thinking (how)? From the perspective of self-regulated learning theory and learning motivation theory, what are the reasons for the impact of generative artificial intelligence on college students’ critical thinking skills (why)? To this end, the study employs questionnaires and interviews to collect data. The questionnaire data are subjected to descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, multiple stepwise regression analysis, and mediation effect analysis. Based on the analysis of interview materials and survey questionnaire data, the study reveals the impacts and mechanisms of college students’ use of generative artificial intelligence tools on their critical thinking skills. The findings of the study are as follows. First, the frequency of artificial intelligence use is unrelated to critical thinking skills, but using it for reflective thinking helps to develop critical thinking skills. Second, students with strong self-regulated learning skills are more likely to use generative artificial intelligence for reflective thinking and achieve better development in critical thinking skills. Third, students with strong intrinsic learning motivation are more likely to use generative artificial intelligence for reflective thinking and achieve better development in critical thinking skills. Consequently, the article analyzes the reasons from the perspectives of self-regulated learning theory and learning motivation theory and offers insights into how to properly use generative artificial intelligence to promote the development of critical thinking skills from the perspectives of higher education institutions, college teachers, and college students. Full article

This paper shows that artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming college curricula by enabling data-driven personalization, which enhances student outcomes and better aligns educational programs with evolving workforce demands. Specifically, predictive analytics, machine learning algorithms, and natural language processing were applied here, grounded in constructivist learning theory and Human–Computer Interaction principles, to evaluate student performance and identify at-risk students to propose personalized learning pathways. Results indicated that the AI-based curriculum achieved much higher course completion rates (89.72%) as well as retention (91.44%) and dropout rates (4.98%) compared to the traditional model. Sentiment analysis of learner feedback showed a more positive learning experience, while regression and ANOVA analyses proved the impact of AI on enhancing academic performance to be real. Therefore, the learning content delivery for each student was continuously improved based on individual learner characteristics and industry trends by AI-enabled recommender systems and adaptive learning models. Its advantages notwithstanding, the study emphasizes the need to address ethical concerns, ensure data privacy safeguards, and mitigate algorithmic bias before an equitable outcome can be claimed. These findings can inform institutions aspiring to adopt AI-driven models for curriculum innovation to build a more dynamic, responsive, and learner-centered educational ecosystem. Full article

Introduction: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs), especially those from underserved communities, often face barriers to sexual and reproductive health (SRH). This pilot study evaluated the implementation of mobile health technologies to promote SRH care, including the integration of the Rapid Adolescent Prevention Screening^TM (RAAPS) and the Health-E You/Salud iTu^TM (Health-E You) app at a School-Based Health Center (SBHC) in Los Angeles using the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) framework. Methods: This multi-method pilot study included the implementation of an integrated tool with two components, the RAAPS electronic health screening tool and the Health-E You app, which delivers tailored SRH education and contraceptive decision support to patients (who were sex-assigned as female at birth) and provides an electronic summary to clinicians to better prepare them for the visit with their patient. Quantitative data on tool usage were collected directly from the back-end data storage for the apps, and qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and in-clinic observations. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify implementation barriers and facilitators. Results: Between April 2024 and June 2024, 60 unique patients (14–19 years of age) had a healthcare visit. Of these, 35.00% used the integrated RAAPS/Health-E You app, and 88.33% completed the Health-E You app only. All five clinic staff were interviewed and expressed that they valued the tools for their educational impact, noting that they enhanced SRH discussions and helped uncover sensitive information that students might not disclose face-to-face. However, the tools affected clinic workflows and caused rooming delays due to the time-intensive setup process and lack of integration with the clinic’s primary electronic medical record system. In addition, they also reported that the time to complete the screener and app within the context of a 30-min appointment limited the time available for direct patient care. Additionally, staff reported that some students struggled with the two-step process and did not complete all components of the tool. Despite these challenges, clinic staff strongly supported renewing the RAAPS license and continued use of the Health-E You app, emphasizing the platform’s potential for improving SRH care and its educational value. Conclusions: The integrated RAAPS and Health-E You app platform demonstrated educational value and improved SRH care but faced operational and technical barriers in implementing the tool. These findings emphasize the potential of such tools to address SRH disparities among vulnerable AYAs while providing a framework for future implementations in SBHCs. Full article

One of the central purposes of education at different educational levels is to contribute to the formation of critical thinking in students. There are many theoretical perspectives from which critical thinking is conceptualized, such as those centers on the development of students’ capacities and those based on competences, skills, dispositions and criteria, among others. We consider that in the school context the critical thinking perspective that should come first is the domain-specific one; consequently, we present a conceptual model for the formation of critical thinking in the context of science teaching and learning in the classroom constituted by the integration of four dimensions: languages and argumentation, metacognition, emotions, and problem solving and decision making. Our focus of reflection is epistemic cognition with the processes of epistemic sophistication, metacognitive sophistication, and metaemotional sophistication, determinants of critical thinking in relation to each of the dimensions and the relationships between them. We conclude with the proposal of a conceptual model for the development of critical thinking based on students’ epistemic cognition. Full article

This study assessed the baseline indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of secondary school classrooms in Tanzania by measuring temperature, relative humidity, noise, lighting, and indoor air quality. Objective measurements were conducted using calibrated sensors in 14 classrooms across five schools, with data collected during occupied school hours and additional noise measurements during unoccupied periods. All classrooms are naturally ventilated through operable windows and doors. The findings reveal a pattern of cumulative IEQ deficiencies: classroom temperatures frequently exceeded the recommended 20–24 °C range, reaching means as high as 30.4 °C, while relative humidity varied widely, with levels occasionally surpassing 65%. Noise levels consistently exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO)’s recommended 35 dBA threshold, with significant differences observed between occupied and unoccupied periods (p = 0.02). Light distribution was uneven, with significantly higher lux levels near windows than at classroom centers (p < 0.001), and artificial lighting was generally insufficient due to infrastructure limitations. Although CO₂ concentrations remained below the 1000 ppm threshold, indicating adequate ventilation, particulate matter levels were often elevated, with PM2.5 reaching up to 58.80 µg/m³ and PM10 up to 96.90 µg/m³, exceeding health-based guidelines. Together, these findings suggest that students are exposed to multiple environmental stressors that may impair health, comfort, and academic performance. This study provides a critical baseline for future research and context-specific interventions aimed at improving learning environments in Tanzanian schools and similar settings in East Africa. Full article

This paper presents the development, implementation, and outcomes of the ELEVATE-US-UP (Engaging Learners through Exploration of Visionary Academic Thought and Empowerment in UnderServed and UnderPrivileged communities) teaching methodology, an equity-centered, culturally responsive pedagogical framework designed to enhance student engagement, academic performance, and science identity among underrepresented learners. This framework was piloted at Northern New Mexico College (NNMC), a Hispanic- and minority-serving rural institution. ELEVATE-US-UP reimagines science education as a dynamic, inquiry-driven, and contextually grounded process that embeds visionary scientific themes, community relevance, trauma-informed mentoring, and authentic assessment into everyday instruction. Drawing from culturally sustaining pedagogy, experiential learning, and action teaching, the methodology positions students not as passive recipients of content but as knowledge-holders and civic actors. Implemented across upper-level environmental science courses, the method produced measurable gains: class attendance rose from 67% to 93%, average final grades improved significantly, and over two-thirds of students reported a stronger science identity and a newfound confidence in their academic potential. Qualitative feedback highlighted increased perceptions of classroom inclusivity, community relevance, and instructor support. By centering on cultural context, student voice, and place-based application, the ELEVATE-US-UP framework offers a replicable and scalable model for educational transformation in underserved regions. Full article

Medical education is the paradigm of 21st century education and the current changes involve the adoption of integrative and comprehensive patient-centered teaching and learning approaches. Thus, curricular developers from George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences, and Technology of Targu Mures (G.E. Palade UMPhST of Targu Mures) have recently designed and implemented an innovative medical curriculum, as well as two valuable assessment tools for both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Thus, during the first three preclinical years, the students will benefit from an organ- and system-centered block teaching approach, while the clinical years will focus on enabling students to achieve the most important practical skills in clinical practice, based on a patient bedside teaching system. In terms of theoretical knowledge assessment, the UNiX center at G.E. Palade UMPhST of Targu Mures, a recently designed center endowed with the latest next-generation technology, enables individualized, secured multiple-choice question-based assessments of the student’s learning outcomes. Moreover, an intelligent assessment tool for practical skills was also recently implemented in our branch in Hamburg, the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (O.S.C.E). This system uses direct observations for testing the student’s practical skills regarding anamnesis, clinical exams, procedures/maneuvers, the interpretation of laboratory tests and paraclinical investigations, differential diagnosis, management plans, communication, and medical counselling. The integrative, comprehensive, patient-centered curriculum and the intelligent assessment system, implemented in G.E Palade UMPhST of Targu Mures, help define innovation in education and enable the students to benefit from a high-quality medical education. Full article

The integration of Lesson Study (LS) and Didactic Suitability Criteria (DSC) presents an innovative framework for enhancing mathematics teacher training in higher education. This study examines how LS-DSC fosters instructional refinement, professional growth, and pedagogical transformation among in-service teachers. Using a quasi-experimental mixed-methods approach, the study analyzed data from 520 mathematics educators participating in a six-month training program incorporating collaborative lesson planning, structured pedagogical assessment, and reflective teaching practices. Findings indicate significant improvements in instructional design, mathematical discourse facilitation, and adaptive teaching strategies, with post-training evaluations demonstrating a strong positive correlation (r = 0.78) between initial competency levels and learning gains. Participants reported increased confidence in implementing student-centered methodologies and sustained engagement in peer collaboration beyond the training period. The results align with prior research emphasizing the effectiveness of lesson study models and structured evaluation frameworks in teacher professionalization. This study contributes to higher education policy and practice by advocating for the institutional adoption of LS-DSC methodologies to promote evidence-based professional development. Future research should explore the long-term scalability of LS-DSC in diverse educational contexts and its impact on student learning outcomes. Full article

As diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in higher education face increasing political resistance, it is critical to understand how equity-centered institutional change is fostered, and who is transformed in the process. This study examines the intended and emergent outcomes of faculty professional development initiatives implemented through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Inclusive Excellence (HHMI IE) program. We analyzed annual institutional reports and anonymous reflections from four public universities in a regional Peer Implementation Cluster (PIC), focusing on how change occurred at individual, community, and institutional levels. Guided by Kezar’s Shared Equity Leadership (SEL) framework, our thematic analysis revealed that while initiatives were designed to improve student outcomes through inclusive pedagogy, the most profound outcome was the development of equity consciousness among faculty. Defined as a growing awareness of systemic inequities and a sustained commitment to address them, equity consciousness emerged as the most frequently coded theme across all levels of change. These findings suggest that equity-centered faculty development can serve as a catalyst for institutional transformation, not only by shifting teaching practices but also by building distributed leadership and deeper organizational engagement with equity. This effort also emphasizes that documenting emergent outcomes is essential for recognizing the holistic impact of sustained institutional change. Full article