Search Results (120)

This article presents a case of strategic and participatory institutional innovation in higher education, focused on developing teacher digital competence (TDC) as a key enabler of sustainable digital transformation. In response to the post-pandemic challenges faced by the National University of Cuyo (UNCuyo), a large and multi-campus public university in Argentina, the European CUTE methodology was adapted and implemented to align professional development with institutional planning. Grounded in the DigCompEdu framework, this action-oriented process moved beyond individual initiatives to create a coordinated, multi-level strategy involving educators, department leaders, and university authorities. Through a research-based design that included context analysis, participatory diagnosis, and co-designed interventions, the project built a shared understanding of digital teaching needs and institutional readiness. The implementation highlights how locally adapted frameworks, collaborative structures, and iterative decision-making can drive meaningful change across a complex university system. This case contributes to the international conversation on how higher education institutions can operationalize innovation at scale by investing in teacher competence, inclusive processes, and strategic alignment. Lessons learned from this experience are relevant for universities seeking to build institutional capacity for digital transformation in diverse educational contexts with potential downstream benefits for student learning and inclusion. Full article

Teacher education faces persistent challenges, including limited access to authentic field experiences and a disconnect between theoretical instruction and classroom practice. While virtual reality (VR) simulations offer an alternative, most are constrained by inflexible design and lack scalability, failing to mirror the complexity of real teaching environments. This study introduces TeacherGen@i, a generative AI (GenAI)-enhanced VR simulation designed to provide pre-service teachers with immersive, adaptive teaching practice through realistic GenAI agents. Using an explanatory case study with a mixed-methods approach, the study examines the simulation’s usability, design challenges, and instructional utility within a university-based teacher preparation course. Data sources included usability surveys and reflective journals, analyzed through thematic coding and computational linguistic analysis using LIWC. Findings suggest that TeacherGen@i facilitates meaningful development of teaching competencies such as instructional decision-making, classroom communication, and student engagement, while also identifying notable design limitations related to cognitive load, user interface design, and instructional scaffolding. This exploratory research offers preliminary insights into the integration of generative AI in teacher simulations and its potential to support responsive and scalable simulation-based learning environments. Full article

The present study explores the use of Instagram as an innovative strategy in the teaching–learning process in the context of animal reproduction topics. In the current era, with digital technology and social media transforming how information is accessed and consumed, it is essential for teachers to adapt and harness the potential of these tools for educational purposes. This article delves into the need for teachers to stay updated with current trends and the importance of promoting digital competences among teachers. This research aims to provide insights into the benefits of integrating social media into the educational landscape. Students of Veterinary Science degrees, Master’s degrees in Equine Sport Medicine as well as vocational education and training (VET) were involved in this study. An Instagram account named “UCOREPRO” was created for educational use, and it was openly available to all users. Instagram usage metrics were consistently tracked. A voluntary survey comprising 35 questions was conducted to collect feedback regarding the educational use of smartphone technology, social media habits and the UCOREPRO Instagram account. The integration of Instagram as an educational tool was positively received by veterinary students. Survey data revealed that 92.3% of respondents found the content engaging, with 79.5% reporting improved understanding of the subject and 71.8% acquiring new knowledge. Students suggested improvements such as more frequent posting and inclusion of academic incentives. Concerns about privacy and digital distraction were present but did not outweigh the perceived benefits. The use of short videos and microlearning strategies proved particularly effective in capturing students’ attention. Overall, Instagram was found to be a promising platform to enhance motivation, engagement, and informal learning in veterinary education, provided that thoughtful integration and clear educational objectives are maintained. In general, students expressed positive opinions about the initiative, and suggested some ways in which it could be improved as an educational tool. Full article

Oral tradition stories hold a vital place in language education, offering rich repositories of linguistic, cultural, and historical knowledge. In the Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL) context, their inclusion provides dynamic opportunities to explore diversity, foster critical and creative thinking, and challenge dominant epistemologies. Despite their pedagogical potential, these narratives remain largely absent from formal curricula, with most SFL textbooks still privileging canonical works, particularly those from the Latin American Boom or European literary texts. This article aims to provide practical guidance for SFL instructors on designing effective, culturally responsive materials for the teaching of vocabulary. Drawing on a methodological framework for material design and a cognitive approach to vocabulary learning, I present original pedagogical material based on a Colombian oral tradition story about the witches of La Jagua (Huila, Colombia) to inspire educators to integrate oral tradition stories into their classrooms. As argued throughout, oral narratives not only support vocabulary acquisition and intercultural competence but also offer students meaningful engagement with the values, worldviews, and linguistic diversity that shape Colombian culture. This approach redefines language teaching through a more descriptive, contextualized, and culturally grounded lens, equipping learners with pragmatic, communicative, and intercultural skills essential for the 21st century. My goal with this article is to advocate for teacher agency in material creation, emphasizing that educators are uniquely positioned to design pedagogical resources that reflect their own cultural realities and local knowledge and to adapt them meaningfully to their students’ needs. 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

ICT tools are fundamental for promoting educational inclusion, as they allow for flexible teaching practices adapted to the diversity of students. Their appropriate integration into teaching makes it easier to respond to different paces, styles, and needs, promoting the active and meaningful participation of all learners. However, this inclusive potential is only fulfilled if equitable access to and use of ICT is guaranteed, both at school and at home. This qualitative study explores the digital divide in its three main dimensions: access to technology, digital skills, and the meaningful use of ICT in educational settings. Through focus groups and semi-structured interviews, the study gathers the perceptions of different members of the educational community. The sample consists of 89 participants, including teachers, students, families, and school administrators from the Communities of Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha. The results reveal a common concern about inequalities in ICT access and use, related to economic, geographical, and educational factors. These findings emphasise the need for targeted public policies to bridge digital gaps and highlight the importance of promoting digital competence across the entire educational community to achieve true educational inclusion. Full article

The accelerated transformations in the education system marked by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) require a rethinking of pedagogical approaches. The VUCA environment requires a new educational management system in line with new technological trends in order to respond effectively to all the internal and external factors that may affect the quality of teaching. A particularly important course of action is updating teaching methods by combining traditional teaching methods with new interactive methods that promote the introduction of certain digital applications during the teaching of new topics. In this sense, the quantitative research carried out in the present study among second-year students from the psycho-pedagogical program organized by the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania, has highlighted the fact that innovative teaching methods are more effective, contributing to the development of personality and communication skills among pupils and students. Also, the results obtained after applying the Mann–Whitney test showed that there is a significant difference between students involved in different educational activities and those who do not have contact with the educational environment in terms of perceiving the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of the educational environment. At the same time, in the context of the VUCA world, in order to ensure the effectiveness of the teaching–learning process, teachers need to develop new skills such as stress management, adaptability, creativity, technological skills, and time management. Addressing the specific competencies that teachers need to acquire in order to improve their teaching and to respond effectively to the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity in education, this study contributes to the creation of a sustainable education system, which is able to cope with all transformations (technological, legislative, socio-economic, etc.). The article is based on the results obtained in the postdoctoral research conducted at the end of 2024. Full article

Teacher education plays a key role in promoting inclusion and educational equity, especially in contexts characterised by increasing socio-cultural diversity and technological advancement. In this framework, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and digital technologies are presented as complementary and innovative strategies to create accessible, flexible, and motivating learning environments for all students. The study analysed the impact of UDL-focused learning activities and integrated Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). A comparative tool was applied before and after the intervention to measure the level of knowledge, perception, and digital competence of prospective teachers. Statistical analyses were carried out to evaluate the changes obtained. Findings reveal significant improvements in knowledge about UDL, as well as positive perceptions of ICT as a resource for inclusion. Participants demonstrated a greater understanding of UDL principles and strengthened their digital competences to design educational proposals adapted to diversity. The research confirms the value of integrating UDL and ICT in teacher training, fostering inclusive educational practices. It highlights the need to strengthen training programmes that respond to the current challenges of the education system. Full article

Classroom management is an essential yet frequently under-practiced competency in undergraduate teacher education, with important implications for sustainable teacher preparation. This study investigated whether pre-service teachers who feel more capable of managing classrooms also engage more deeply with simulation-based training. Fifty-seven Korean pre-service teachers (15 men, 42 women), all undergraduate students enrolled in a secondary teacher education program at a college of education, completed a five-item classroom-management-efficacy scale, then experienced a 15 min branching simulation that required choosing recognition, punishment, or aggression strategies in response to a disrespectful virtual student. Interest was assessed immediately afterwards with a 24-item instrument covering the four phases of the interest-development model (triggered situational, maintained situational, emerging individual, and well-developed individual). A post-test comparative design and MANOVA revealed that efficacy level had a significant multivariate effect on overall interest (Wilks Λ = 0.78, p = 0.029, partial η² = 0.12). Scheffe contrasts showed that high-efficacy participants outscored their low-efficacy peers on maintained situational and emerging individual interest, p < 0.05, and surpassed the middle-efficacy group in three of the four phases. Repeated measures ANOVA confirmed a general decline from situational to individual interest across all groups (F (3, 52) = 9.23, p < 0.01), underscoring the difficulty of converting short-term curiosity into lasting commitment. These findings position classroom-management efficacy as a key moderator of engagement and support the use of adaptive simulations as sustainable tools for teacher education. By tailoring challenge levels and feedback to participants’ efficacy, guided simulations can foster deeper engagement and promote individualized growth—helping build resilient and well-prepared educators. Full article

The implementation of new curricula presents significant challenges for teachers and necessitates the adaptation of their professional competencies. This study examines how the digital skills of Swiss teachers differ during and after the implementation of the Media and Information Literacy (MIL) modular curriculum. To achieve this, two independent samples totaling 617 teachers were surveyed at different stages of the reform. The analysis employed a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to identify differences in the four facets of MIL competence between the samples. The results indicate that MIL competencies did not improve uniformly. While no significant differences were found in the facets of ‘ICT knowledge and application’ and ‘media education knowledge and application’, significant differences were observed in the facets of ‘specialized didactics MIL’ and ‘interdisciplinary pedagogical and didactic knowledge’. The latter facet showed higher values after the reform, likely due to increased exposure to further training measures. These findings illustrate that teachers’ competencies can develop differently throughout a reform process, highlighting the importance of targeted professional development programs. The study provides valuable empirical findings for educational research and offers practical implications for the design of future reform processes. Full article

In the context of the transformation of the modern higher education system, the supra-professional competencies (soft skills) necessary for future specialists in the humanitarian field, in particular, social educators, are of particular importance. The present study is aimed at studying the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) as a method of forming key soft skills among students of the educational program “Social Pedagogy” of the L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. The theoretical part of the study includes an overview of international and domestic scientific discourse on flexible skills and a problem-oriented approach. In the empirical part, the methods of pedagogical experimentation, questionnaires, self-assessment of competencies, and quantitative analysis of the dynamics of soft skill development during the semester were applied. The results indicate a positive correlation between the intensity of students’ participation in PBL practices and the level of development of skills such as critical thinking, teamwork, communicative competence, and time management. The study also identified institutional and methodological barriers to the implementation of PBL in Kazakhstan’s educational practice, including the lack of trained facilitators and the lack of adapted cases. Based on the data obtained, a model of a localized PBL strategy integrated into the training of social educators is proposed. The research contributes to the development of the methodological culture of teacher education and opens up prospects for creating a sustainable system of soft skills formation in universities in Kazakhstan. Full article

In response to challenges around student engagement and teacher technological proficiency, this paper looks at the impact of gamification on students’ mathematical resilience whilst monitoring their mathematical anxiety plus investigating teachers’ experiences, willingness, and professional development ambitions to utilise gamified instructional tools in the mathematics classroom. Drawing on strategies to motivate students, the aim of this paper is to unbundle gamification in enacting curriculum change and the role of teacher professional development in using the pedagogical approach in mathematics in Ireland. Ireland is currently experiencing second-level curriculum reforms that are placing particular emphasis on digital competence and technological fluency from both teachers and students. With teachers highlighting the gap in educators’ pedagogical skills for the smooth roll out of recent curriculum reform due to the lack of knowledge and competency in technological teaching strategies, this study is both relevant and timely. Games have been used in multiple industries aiming to motivate participants and increase engagement on a particular matter. However, the term “gamification” has been coined by Pelling as the use of games in a non-gaming context. Current students are very technologically savvy due to the exposure of software applications from a young age and the integration of technological appliances in all walks of life. Traditional teaching and learning strategies are potentially seen as monotonous and somewhat boring to today’s students. Utilising game-based design such as leaderboards, points, and badges encourages motivation and enhances engagement of students. With this in mind, and the rate of change in mathematics curricula globally in recent years, there is a significant emphasis on the necessity of professional development initiatives to adapt at the same rate. Full article

This study investigated community engagement in developing the 21st-century skills of pre-service and in-service teachers in the context of four skills: communication, creative thinking, collaboration, and critical thinking. It focused specifically on the effectiveness of community engagement in promoting the 4Cs for pre- and in-service teachers and whether such effectiveness differs between pre-service and in-service teachers. This study used a sequential mixed-methods design. A quantitative survey of 160 pre-service and 80 in-service teachers in Abu Dhabi was conducted followed by purposeful qualitative interviews with 20 pre-service teachers. The instrument was adapted from an existing 21st century skills measures. Quantitative data were described using descriptive statistics and analyzed using inferential statistics. The interview transcripts were analyzed. The findings showed that in-service teachers’ performance was better than that of pre-service teachers in all four elements of 21st-century skills, with significant disparities recorded in critical thinking and collaboration, possibly because of field experience. These qualitative results show that community engagement promotes the 4Cs by allowing teachers to apply theoretical knowledge in field contexts and sharpen problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills. Nevertheless, challenges such as limited resources and time must be compensated for with better initiatives that organizations can employ to promote community engagement activities. This study suggests that using social engagement activities in teacher training is a fruitful way to address this skill gap. This provides implications for teacher preparation and the infusion of community engagement into teachers’ training to foster the 21st-century development of competencies in teachers-to-be. Full article

Low achievement in mathematics across educational levels has long been a concern for researchers. Recent evidence points to equipping teachers with skills and competencies that align with the demands of the modern, technology-rich world. This systematic review explored how technology-facilitated heutagogical practices contribute to the professional development of preservice and in-service mathematics teachers. Drawing on 21 empirical studies published between 2017 and 2024, this review identified three major findings. First, technology-enhanced heutagogical practices promote teaching skills by fostering learner autonomy, self-reflection, and professional identity development. Second, tools such as mobile apps, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), adaptive learning platforms, and collaborative digital environments support the integration of heutagogical principles. Third, implementation is challenged by limited digital access, institutional constraints, and the need for gradual adaptation to self-determined learning models. These findings prove the need for policy and institutional investment in digital infrastructure, blended learning models, and teacher support. Theoretically, this study affirms heutagogy as a relevant pedagogical approach for preparing mathematics teachers in dynamic learning contexts. There is also a need for more empirical studies to investigate scalable models for technology-driven heutagogy, especially in resource-constrained settings. Full article

This study validates a Spanish-language instrument designed to assess self-efficacy, digital competence, and anxiety in data-driven decision-making (DDDM) among pre-service teachers. Based on the 3D-MEA and the Beliefs about Basic ICT Competencies scale, the instrument was culturally adapted for Chile and Spain. A sample of 512 participants underwent exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Given the ordinal nature of the data and the assumption of non-normality, appropriate estimation methods were utilized. Results supported a well-defined four-factor structure: Interpretation and Application, Technology, Identification, and Anxiety. Factor loadings ranged from 0.678 to 0.869, and internal consistency was strong (α = 0.802–0.888). The CFA confirmed good model fit (χ² (129) = 189.25, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.985; TLI = 0.981; RMSEA = 0.041; SRMR = 0.061). Measurement invariance was established across gender and nationality, reinforcing the validity of cross-group comparisons. The study is framed within an educational context aligned with socioformative principles and sustainable education goals, which support reflective and ethical data use. This validated tool addresses the lack of culturally adapted and psychometrically validated instruments for assessing DDDM competencies in Spanish-speaking contexts, offering a culturally and linguistically relevant instrument with strong internal consistency and a well-supported factor structure. It supports the design of formative strategies in teacher education, enabling the identification of training needs and promoting evidence-based pedagogical decision-making in diverse Hispanic contexts. Future studies should test factorial invariance across additional contexts and explore longitudinal applications. Full article