Search Results (39)

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

Climate change education (CCE) is increasingly recognized as a key lever for responding to the climate crisis, yet its implementation in schools often remains fragmented and weakly transformative. This review synthesizes international research on CCE in secondary education, focusing on four interconnected domains: students’ social representations of climate change (SRCC), curricular frameworks, teaching practices and teacher professional development, and emerging pathways towards transformative, justice-oriented CCE. A narrative review of empirical and theoretical studies reveals that students’ SRCC are generally superficial, fragmented and marked by persistent misconceptions, psychological distance and low perceived agency. Curricular frameworks tend to locate climate change mainly within natural sciences, reproduce deficit-based and behaviorist models and leave social, political and ethical dimensions underdeveloped. Teaching practices remain predominantly transmissive and science-centered, while teachers report limited training, time and institutional support, especially for addressing the affective domain and working transdisciplinarily. At the same time, the literature highlights promising directions: calls for an “emergency curriculum” and deeper curricular environmentalization, the potential of socio-scientific issues and complexity-based approaches, narrative and arts-based strategies, school gardens and community projects, and growing attention to emotions, hope and climate justice. Drawing on a narrative and integrative review of empirical and theoretical studies, the article identifies recurrent patterns and gaps in current CCE research and outlines priorities for future inquiry. The review argues that bridging the knowledge–action gap in schools requires aligning curriculum, pedagogy and teacher learning around four key principles—climate justice, collective agency, affective engagement and global perspectives—and outlines implications for policy, practice and research to support more transformative and socially just CCE. Full article

This empirical paper explores South African preservice accounting teachers’ perceptions of ICT integration in secondary schools’ accounting curriculum practices. Since 2020, curriculum practices have been characterised by disruptions to traditional teaching and learning methods, including those brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Curriculum practices in accounting were not unnoticed. These sparked discussions about pedagogical changes, academic continuity, and the future of accounting curriculum practices. The theoretical framework used to guide the research process is connectivism. The theory is about forming connections between people and technology and teaching and learning in a connectivist learning environment. Connectivism promotes a lifelong learning perspective by training teachers and students to adapt to a fast-changing environment. An interpretive paradigm underpins this qualitative research paper. The data were collected from semi-structured interviews with five preservice accounting teachers about how they navigated pedagogy while switching to digital curriculum practices. Thematic analysis was used. The findings revealed that preservice accounting teachers faced challenges in ICT integration during school-based training, including limited resources, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient hands-on training. While ICT tools enhanced learner engagement, barriers such as low digital skills and a lack of technical support hindered effective use. Participants highlighted a disconnect between theoretical training and classroom practice, prompting self-directed learning to bridge skill gaps. The study underscores the need for teacher education programs to provide practical, immersive ICT training to equip future educators for technology-driven classrooms. Full article

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools have transformed academic writing and literacy development in higher education. Students can now receive instant feedback on grammar, coherence, style, and argumentation using AI-powered writing assistants, like Grammarly, ChatGPT, and QuillBot. Moreover, these writing assistants can quickly produce completed essays and papers, leaving little else for the student to do aside from reading and perhaps editing the content. Many teachers are concerned that this erodes critical thinking skills and undermines ethical considerations since students are not performing the work themselves. This study addresses this concern by synthesizing and evaluating peer-reviewed literature on the effectiveness of AI in supporting writing pedagogy. Studies were selected based on their relevance and scholarly merit, following the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA) guidelines to ensure methodological rigor and quality. The findings reveal that although AI tools can be detrimental to the development of writing skills, they can foster self-directed learning and improvement when carefully integrated into coursework. They can facilitate enhanced writing fluency, offer personalized tutoring, and reduce the cognitive load of drafting and revising. This study also compares AI-assisted and traditional writing approaches and discusses best practices for integrating AI tools into curricula while preserving academic integrity and creativity in student writing. Full article

Initial teacher education programs are the primary means through which student teachers gain teaching apprenticeship, amass core teaching knowledge, and build skills that prepare them to become effective teachers who are ready to combat the realities and challenges of the classroom. The current study examines the level of content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and the self-efficacy of language and foundational literacy instruction among the language teacher educators at teacher training colleges (TTCs) in Malawi. This research further explored the teacher educators’ perceptions of CK and PCK, and how their understanding of the Initial Primary Teacher Education curriculum shapes their teaching practices in foundational learning and language. Lastly, we explore the associations between CK, PCK, self-efficacy, and teacher educators’ characteristics. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, we analyzed data from 60 language teacher educators from 10 TTCs in Malawi. The findings revealed that the teacher educators’ level of CK and PCK was low, but they had high self-efficacy in their ability to teach the component skills of literacy to the student teachers. Of the teacher educators’ characteristics, only continuous professional development was positively correlated with their self-efficacy. The teacher educators’ CK and PCK are shaped by the TTC curriculum, their primary school teaching experiences, and the national education policies and guidelines they implement. Gaps in the curriculum and external constraints hinder them from effectively training student teachers in foundational literacy pedagogies. The findings provide pedagogical and policy directions for stakeholders to improve the quality of preservice education in low–middle-income contexts. Full article

Amid the ongoing digital transformation of higher education, increasing attention has been paid to the impact of digital technologies on teaching quality—particularly in physical education settings that require high levels of interaction and physical engagement. This study examined 1158 university students across China using a cross-sectional design, integrating interpretable machine learning models with structural equation modeling to systematically assess how the frequency of use of seven common digital technologies influences teaching quality in physical education classes. The study also investigated the mediating roles of perceived teacher support and academic self-efficacy. Nine machine learning models and logistic regression analyses were conducted to predict teaching quality, employing feature permutation importance and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to evaluate the relative contribution of each digital tool. Results identified multimedia courseware, e-textbooks, and question banks as the most influential predictors of teaching quality. The SHAP analysis further revealed that management software, educational websites, and multimedia materials had significant positive effects and exhibited synergistic interactions in improving teaching outcomes. Structural equation modeling showed that digital technology use had a significant direct positive effect on teaching quality (B = 0.347, p < 0.001). Moreover, perceived teacher support and academic self-efficacy not only served as independent mediators (95% CI = [0.146, 0.226], p < 0.001; 95% CI = [0.024, 0.063], p < 0.001) but also functioned as a chain mediating effect (95% CI = [0.036, 0.083], p < 0.001). This study is the first to integrate interpretable machine learning with structural modeling to elucidate the mechanisms through which digital technologies influence teaching quality in university-level physical education. The findings underscore the critical mediating roles of teacher support and student self-efficacy, providing both theoretical contributions and practical implications for enhancing digital pedagogy in higher education. Full article

There is an increasing number of multilingual children attending early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings around the world. Early childhood teachers play a crucial role in supporting these multilingual young children. As teachers’ teaching practices are directed by their beliefs, it is significant to understand early childhood teachers’ beliefs about multilingualism in the existing literature in order to better support multilingual children. From 14 studies, this review categorised three main themes of early childhood teachers’ beliefs about multilingualism: multilingualism as a problem, multilingualism as a right, and concerns about multilingualism as a resource. Two studies examined factors associated with the variation in teachers’ beliefs. The findings of this review summarised various perspectives of teachers’ misconceptions and negative beliefs about multilingualism, although a small number of studies reported teachers’ positive beliefs about multilingualism in ECEC. This review addresses early childhood teachers’ knowledge gaps in child language development and multilingual pedagogies. In addition, this review identifies several research gaps for future studies. For example, more studies conducted in non-Western contexts and studies on teachers’ beliefs about supporting multilingual infants and toddlers are much needed. This review also contributes to informing future directions for professional development to empower early childhood teachers to support multilingualism. Full article

As blended learning (BL) is becoming a new normal in the context of higher education, there is a growing need to attune pedagogies to this context. As reflective blogs were found to be supportive of pre-service student teachers’ (PSTs’) as well as teacher educators’ (TEs’) professional development, the current study aimed to explore PSTs’ and TEs’ perceptions regarding the potential of integrating blogs into the BL modality. Applying a qualitative approach, analyses of 528 PSTs’ blog posts, transcriptions of two focus groups with 11 PSTs, and 3 TEs’ reflections and discussion transcripts yielded four themes that related to both the PSTs’ and the TEs’ perspectives regarding the integration of blogs into BL: (1) keeping sequential learning, (2) supporting self-directed learning, (3) keeping a sense of a learning community, and (4) increasing motivation and critical thinking. Nevertheless, both the PSTs and TEs described unique roles for blogging in BL. The TEs indicated that blogs support a sense of control, reveal misconceptions, and model teaching, while the PSTs indicated that blogs increase or decrease self-confidence during BL. The implications pertain to the contribution of blogging in BL, as well as to the four pedagogical principles of effective BL design: (a) continuity in learning, (b) fostering autonomous learning, (c) building a learning community, and (d) reflectivity and professional development. Full article

The learning environment created by the physical education teacher, through the teaching model employed, can significantly influence students’ engagement during lessons. Therefore, this study aimed to compare tactical-technical learning and students’ self-perceptions of life skills between TGfU and direct instruction. The sample consisted of 67 students, aged between 13 and 15 years, enrolled in the ninth grade of a municipal public school, and the research design involved an intervention consisting of 18 sessions, each lasting 60 min. The results revealed no significant differences between the teaching models regarding tactical-technical variables (p > 0.05). However, concerning life skills, the TGfU/HVs group demonstrated higher mean teamwork scores than the Traditional group (p = 0.008). On the other hand, the Traditional and Control groups achieved higher mean scores for goal setting skills than the TGfU/HVs group (p = 0.001 for both cases). These findings highlight that the organization of sports practice, despite variations in teaching models, fosters students’ self-perceptions of life skills, underscoring the necessity of further research to deepen the understanding of game-based pedagogies in school physical education. It is also imperative to reflect on implementing additional pedagogical practices in schools that align with institutional objectives and actively promote student learning. Full article

The growing interest in innovative pedagogies within education for sustainable development (ESD) calls for a renewed set of pedagogical practices. In responding to this challenge, this article draws on backcasting, a future studies method, to support education for ESD competencies among youths. It presents the design, trial, and results of one intervention designed to test the method in the context of secondary education, employing design thinking as an overarching methodology. Using a qualitative descriptive-interpretative approach with a thematic analysis to examine empirical data obtained from participants’ perspectives, we present their future visions, how much they were involved in the intervention, what they liked the most and the least, their perceived purpose, ease and adequacy in duration. Our findings show that youths embrace active methodologies such as backcasting. Since the method was new to them, participants experienced difficulties when logically chaining the steps necessary to achieve a desired future from the present state. Nonetheless, the skills underpinning backcasting are relevant to sustainable development, as they involve considering our actions regarding medium- and long-term impacts. In the end, we propose backcasting as a poignant method in the context of secondary education that can promote the development of hypothetical and critical thinking skills central to ESD competencies. While offering a theoretical discussion, a workshop protocol, and future directions for pedagogical practice and investigation, our results apply to researchers, sustainability education professionals, and teachers alike. Full article

In the post-COVID-19 era, education requires teachers to engage learners across diverse learning environments (at school or other formal institutions, at home, outdoors, or in virtual environments) using innovative learning strategies. To meet these challenges, teachers must upskill their creativity and strengthen their pedagogical digital competencies and knowledge management skills. This study introduces the innovative teacher training and support (TTS-IPCD) model to enhance teachers’ creativity and pedagogical digital competencies. This research involved a sample of 350 teachers from 75 primary and secondary schools over a four-year period. Teachers’ creativity was measured using the Kirton Adaption–Innovation Inventory (KAI), assessing key metrics such as problem-solving flexibility, openness to change, and inclination toward novel approaches. Quantitative analysis was conducted using an independent samples t-test to evaluate teacher creativity changes. The results indicated that the TTS-IPCD model enhanced teacher creativity in the direction of a stronger propensity toward innovative behaviors, including embracing diversity and change in their work, solving problems through novel approaches, and adopting a holistic perspective rather than strictly adhering to established routines. Furthermore, the TTS-IPCD model improved teamwork and collaboration, contributing to the development of more adaptive and innovative learning environments. These findings highlight the importance of continuous professional development of teachers focused on creative pedagogy and digital competencies to equip teachers for the evolving educational landscape. Full article

Integrating Virtual Reality (VR) with developing technology has become crucial in today’s schools to transform in-the-moment instruction. A change in perspective has occurred because of VR, enabling teachers to create immersive learning experiences in addition to conventional classes. This paper presents a systematic literature review with an in-depth analysis of the changing environment of immersive learning. It discusses advantages and challenges, noting results from previous researchers. VR facilitates more profound knowledge and memory of complex subjects by allowing students to collaborate with digital structures, explore virtual landscapes, and participate in simulated experiments. Developing VR gear, like thin headsets and tactile feedback mechanisms, has democratised immersive engineering learning by making it more approachable and natural for a broader range of students. This study sheds light on the revolutionary potential of immersive learning via VR integration with new technologies in real-time education by examining current trends, discussing obstacles, and an outlook on future directions using the new Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). This study used four databases: Scopus, IEEE, Springer, and Google Scholar. During the selection, 24 articles were added during the review, and 66 studies were selected. It clarifies best practices for adopting VR-enhanced learning environments through empirical analysis and case studies, and it also points out directions for future innovation and growth in the field of immersive pedagogy. Full article

This study investigates the experiences of a professional learning community (PLC) composed of six secondary math teachers enrolled in a graduate math methods course. Through the discussion of educational texts and collaborative inquiry, the teachers identified classroom challenges they aimed to address through individual action research projects. The PLC provided a supportive environment for teachers to share their processes, receive peer feedback, and collectively reflect. This study underscores the value of action research and PLCs in driving educational improvement. By engaging in structured inquiry within a collaborative setting, teachers gained insights into pedagogical issues, developed targeted incremental interventions, and contributed to the broader discourse on math education pedagogy. The collaborative PLC model facilitated reflective practice, challenged assumptions, and empowered teachers as agents of change. Implications for teacher professional development, instructional practices, and future research directions are discussed. Full article

An under-explored issue in teacher education is the active documentation of pedagogical usage after initial training and practice implementation have been completed. In this phenomenological study, the researcher contacted previous graduate students who earned a teaching-endorsement credential for working with Gifted/Talented learners to explore the application of a pedagogical method developed specifically to shift from teacher-directed to student-engaged pedagogy. Common impediments to pedagogical change are described and discussed. Participants did overcome impediments, changing their pedagogical approach from teacher-directed to student-engaged approaches over time. Each shared their particular circumstances for needing to change their teaching approach. But in all instances, student performance and outcomes drove and supported the continued expansion of the change process. Future empirical work in teacher development and in-service pedagogical change based on results is suggested to further this line of inquiry. Full article

Ninth grade on-track is predictive of high school graduation, more than race, socio-economic status, and prior achievement combined. Although initiatives characterized by an intense focus on the ninth-grade year are being increasingly implemented, research has not fully documented and tested mechanisms linked to improved outcomes. Using survey and transcript-level data and causal mediation analysis, this study tests the effects of students attending high teacher efficacy (self and collective—TSE and CTE) schools on ninth grade on-track in an urban school district in a northeast state in the United States. It further examines the extent to which ambitious instructional practices, defined as culturally relevant and transformative pedagogy, mediate the effects of TSE on ninth grade on-track and how levels of supportive school culture moderate these relationships. The findings indicate that urban ninth-graders attending schools with high TSE and CTE are more likely to be on track at the end of ninth grade. Additionally, the direct effect of students attending a school with high TSE was mediated by the level of ambitious instruction. We discuss implications for teacher education (TE) and professional development. Full article