Search Results (1,757)

The sustainable development of teaching expertise in research-intensive universities remains a critical global challenge. This study investigates the distinctive characteristics of expert teachers—exemplary faculty in research universities—addressing their developmental trajectories and motivational mechanisms within prevailing incentive systems that prioritize research productivity over pedagogical excellence. Employing grounded theory methodology, we conducted iterative coding of 20,000-word interview transcripts from 13 teaching-awarded professors at Chinese “Double First-Class” universities. Key findings reveal the following: (1) Compared to the original K-12 expert teacher model, university-level teaching experts exhibit distinctive disciplinary mastery—characterized by systematic knowledge structuring and cross-disciplinary integration capabilities. (2) Their developmental trajectory transcends linear expertise acquisition, instead manifesting as a problem-solving continuum across four nonlinear phases: career initiation, dilemma adaptation, theoretical consciousness, and leadership expansion. (3) Sustainable teaching excellence relies fundamentally on teachers’ professional passion, sustained through a virtuous cycle of high-quality instructional engagement and external validation (including positive student feedback, institutional recognition, and peer collaboration). Universities must establish comprehensive support systems—including (a) fostering a supportive and flexible learning atmosphere, (b) reforming evaluation mechanisms, and (c) facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration through teaching development communities—to institutionalize this developmental ecosystem. Full article

Physics concepts are considered an essential component of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and fundamental for economic and technological development in the world. However, there can be student academic underperformance, such as the school environment, learning media and infrastructure, student interest and emotions, as well as social and economic development factors in communities. These problems are even more acute in rural areas of developing countries, where poverty is high and teachers often lack the necessary technological skills. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a low-cost STEM tool focused on motivation in learning, in terms of five variables of interest in physics in rural areas, as well as the durability of the tools used to learn 12 physics concepts. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with the participation of 78 high school students, with an average age of 15.82 years, in a rural area of Guerrero, Mexico. The results showed that using the STEM tool significantly increased students’ interest in learning methodology, active participation, and attitude towards physics, facilitating the teacher’s work. In addition, the 3D construction kit used in the experimentation, besides being low-cost, proved to be affordable and durable, making it ideal for use in rural areas. Full article

Advances in neuroscience have improved the understanding of cognitive, emotional, and social processes involved in learning. Simultaneously, technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and gamification are transforming educational practices. However, their integration into formal education remains limited and often misapplied. This study aims to evaluate the impact of technology-supported neuroeducational models on student learning and well-being. A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, the Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and LILACS, including open-access studies published between 2020 and 2025. Selection and methodological assessment followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Out of 386 identified articles, 22 met the inclusion criteria. Most studies showed that neuroeducational interventions incorporating interactive and adaptive technologies enhanced academic performance, intrinsic motivation, emotional self-regulation, and psychological well-being in various educational contexts. Technology-supported neuroeducational models are effective in fostering both cognitive and emotional development. The findings support integrating neuroscience and educational technology into teaching practices and teacher training, promoting personalized, inclusive, and evidence-based education. Full article

The ongoing secular changes in human movement development means that an assessment of primitive reflexes is now required not only in disabled but also in neurotypical children. This study had three aims: (1) presenting the TASHUN test battery as suitable for the assessment of primitive reflex activity in normal children and child athletes; (2) analyzing reflex characteristics of neurotypical children; (3) verifying validity and reliability of tests. Spearman’s rank correlation and ROC analysis were used for validation. Intraclass Correlation Coefficient and RM ANOVA analyzed reliability. The test on 242 schoolgirls has demonstrated that retained primitive reflexes are present in almost every individual (84.7–95.7%). Correlations showed strong positive association, with all values exceeding 0.8, and ROC analysis demonstrated excellent predictive strength (AUC values over 0.9). Interobserver reliability showed excellent agreement (ICC values above 0.9). No significant offset was present among the scoring by evaluators. Therefore, testing for primitive reflexes is necessary in neurotypical children in order to obtain a realistic image about the physiology of reflexes and their role in motor development. Our screening could be useful for practicing sport professionals, researchers and academics, to identify deficiencies, to further explore reflexes and to train future PE teachers and trainers. Full article

Over the past two decades, rising concerns about teacher stress and professional sustainability have fueled the development of instruments assessing teacher resilience. This review aims to map the existing resilience assessment tools specifically designed for educators, evaluating their theoretical frameworks, psychometric soundness, and contextual relevance. Twelve instruments were analyzed through an extensive literature review of peer-reviewed studies published over the past twenty years, including general, preservice, EFL, and teacher-specific scales for special education. Findings reveal a progression from early instruments emphasizing intrapersonal traits to current tools incorporating ecological and contextual dimensions. While several scales demonstrate satisfactory reliability and cross-cultural applicability, many still suffer from conceptual limitations, insufficient cultural adaptation, or marginal psychometric robustness. This review concludes that despite significant advances, future research must prioritize culturally grounded frameworks, broader subgroup validation, and advanced psychometric methodologies to ensure accurate, inclusive, and practical assessments of teacher resilience across diverse educational settings. Full article

Introduction: Burnout syndrome, long described as an “occupational phenomenon”, now affects 15–20% of the general workforce and more than 50% of clinicians, teachers, social-care staff and first responders. Its precise nosological standing remains disputed. We conducted a mechanistic review of electroencephalography (EEG) studies to determine whether burnout is accompanied by reproducible brain-function alterations that justify disease-level classification. Methods: Following PRISMA-adapted guidelines, two independent reviewers searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and reference lists (January 1980–May 2025) using combinations of “burnout,” “EEG”, “electroencephalography” and “event-related potential.” Only English-language clinical investigations were eligible. Eighteen studies (n = 2194 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Data were synthesised across three domains: resting-state spectra/connectivity, event-related potentials (ERPs) and longitudinal change. Results: Resting EEG consistently showed (i) a 0.4–0.6 Hz slowing of individual-alpha frequency, (ii) 20–35% global alpha-power reduction and (iii) fragmentation of high-alpha (11–13 Hz) fronto-parietal coherence, with stage- and sex-dependent modulation. ERP paradigms revealed a distinctive “alarm-heavy/evaluation-poor” profile; enlarged N2 and ERN components signalled hyper-reactive conflict and error detection, whereas P3b, Pe, reward-P3 and late CNV amplitudes were attenuated by 25–50%, indicating depleted evaluative and preparatory resources. Feedback processing showed intact or heightened FRN but blunted FRP, and affective tasks demonstrated threat-biassed P3a latency shifts alongside dampened VPP/EPN to positive cues. These alterations persisted in longitudinal cohorts yet normalised after recovery, supporting trait-plus-state dynamics. The electrophysiological fingerprint differed from major depression (no frontal-alpha asymmetry, opposite connectivity pattern). Conclusions: Across paradigms, burnout exhibits a coherent neurophysiological signature comparable in magnitude to established psychiatric disorders, refuting its current classification as a non-disease. Objective EEG markers can complement symptom scales for earlier diagnosis, treatment monitoring and public-health surveillance. Recognising burnout as a clinical disorder—and funding prevention and care accordingly—is medically justified and economically imperative. Full article

Anxiety is a significant mental health concern in universities worldwide. This study examines the structure of anxiety symptoms and their relationship with contextual stressors among pre-service English teachers. The sample included 269 students enrolled in a Teaching English as a Foreign Language program at a public university in Manabí, Ecuador. Data were collected using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and a custom-designed questionnaire identifying anxiety triggers. Results showed that while most students reported normal or mild anxiety levels, a considerable portion exhibited moderate to severe symptoms. Cluster analysis revealed three emotional profiles, with the high-anxiety group strongly associated with stressors such as economic hardship and job insecurity. Academic pressure and financial instability emerged as the strongest predictors of anxiety. These findings highlight the urgent need to develop and evaluate targeted psycho-educational strategies to prevent and reduce anxiety within teacher training programs in higher education. Full article

Background/Objectives. Social and Emotional Education (SEE) interventions during early childhood have shown considerable promise in enhancing children’s emotion understanding, social competence, and behavioural adjustments. However, few studies have examined their long-term impact, especially across the preschool-to-primary school transition. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a manualized SEE program, Timmy’s Trip to Planet Earth, in promoting emotional, behavioural, and social functioning over time. Methods. A quasi-experimental longitudinal design was adopted with pre- and post-test assessments conducted approximately 18 months apart. Participants were 89 typically developing children (aged 59–71 months), assigned to an experimental group (n = 45) or a waiting-list group (n = 44). The program combined teacher training, classroom-based lessons, home activities, and teachers’ ongoing implementation support. The effectiveness of the program was measured via the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation (SCBE-30). Results. Significant Time × Group interactions were observed for the TEC External and Mental components, indicating greater improvements in emotion recognition and mental state understanding in the intervention group. The SDQ revealed significant reductions in conduct problems and increased prosocial behaviours. In the SCBE-30, a significant interaction effect was found for social competence, with the intervention group showing greater improvement over time compared to the control group. Conclusions. The findings suggest that SEE programs can produce meaningful and lasting improvements in children’s emotional and social skills across key educational transitions. Teacher training and family involvement likely played a critical role in supporting the program’s sustained impact. Full article

Inclusive education emphasizes the right of all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to access equitable learning opportunities in mainstream classrooms. This study presents the implementation and evaluation of a school-based intervention within the BATTIE (Bottleneck Analysis and Teacher Trainings for Inclusive Education) project in Greece, aiming to enhance inclusion through differentiated instruction (DI) and a whole school approach. The intervention was conducted across 26 schools and involved 116 educators and 130 students with SEND. A qualitative methodology was employed, utilizing structured classroom observations, field notes, and semi-structured interviews with teachers. The data were thematically analyzed using NVivo 11. Findings indicated notable improvements in student engagement, academic participation, and classroom collaboration, especially among students with SEND. Teachers reported enhanced professional confidence, better understanding of inclusive strategies, and improved collaboration with special education staff. However, limitations in interdisciplinary cooperation—particularly with school psychologists—were identified. This study concludes that sustained professional development, school-wide collaboration, and differentiated instruction are essential for fostering inclusive practices. It underscores the potential of structured, whole school interventions to improve learning environments for diverse student populations and provides insights for educational policy and practice reform. Full article

Semi-supervised object detection (SSOD) in remote sensing is challenged by the accumulation of pseudo-label errors in complex scenes with dense objects and high intra-class variability. While teacher–student frameworks enable learning from unlabeled data, erroneous pseudo-labels such as false positives and missed detections can be reinforced over time, which degrades model performance. To address this issue, we propose the Error-Mitigation Teacher (EMT), a unified framework designed to suppress error propagation during SSOD training. EMT consists of three lightweight modules. First, the Adaptive Pseudo-Label Filtering (APLF) module removes noisy pseudo boxes via a second-stage RCNN and adjusts class-specific thresholds through dynamic confidence filtering. Second, the Confidence-Based Loss Reweighting (CBLR) module reweights training loss by evaluating the teacher model’s ability to reconstruct its own pseudo-labels, using the resulting loss as an indicator of label reliability. Third, the Enhanced Supervised Learning (ESL) module improves class-level balance by adjusting supervised loss weights according to pseudo-label statistics. EMT demonstrates consistent performance gains over representative state-of-the-art SSOD methods on DOTA, DIOR, and SSDD datasets. Notably, EMT achieves a 2.9% absolute mAP₅₀ improvement on DIOR using only 10% of labeled data, without incurring additional inference cost. These results highlight EMT’s effectiveness in improving SSOD for remote sensing. Full article

This research investigates topic-based sentiment classification in Greek educational-related data using transformer-based language models. A comparative evaluation is conducted on GreekBERT, XLM-r-Greek, mBERT, and Palobert using three original sentiment-annotated datasets representing parents of students with functional diversity, school directors, and teachers, each capturing diverse educational perspectives. The analysis examines both overall sentiment performance and topic-specific evaluations across four thematic classes: (i) Material and Technical Conditions, (ii) Educational Dimension, (iii) Psychological/Emotional Dimension, and (iv) Learning Difficulties and Emergency Remote Teaching. Results indicate that GreekBERT consistently outperforms other models, achieving the highest overall F1 score (0.91), particularly excelling in negative sentiment detection (F1 = 0.95) and showing robust performance for positive sentiment classification. The Psychological/Emotional Dimension emerged as the most reliably classified category, with GreekBERT and mBERT demonstrating notably high accuracy and F1 scores. Conversely, Learning Difficulties and Emergency Remote Teaching presented significant classification challenges, especially for Palobert. This study contributes significantly to the field of sentiment analysis with Greek-language data by introducing original annotated datasets, pioneering the application of topic-based sentiment analysis within the Greek educational context, and offering a comparative evaluation of transformer models. Additionally, it highlights the superior performance of Greek-pretrained models in capturing emotional detail, and provides empirical evidence of the negative emotional responses toward Emergency Remote Teaching. Full article

Background/Objectives: Motor creativity is a vital component of preschoolers’ growth and development. However, its underlying determinants remain largely underexplored. This study investigates the interrelationship among playful behavior, social profile, and motor creativity in preschool children, emphasizing its implications for holistic health and development. Methods: A total of 200 children and their kindergarten teachers from Greece participated in the study. The Children’s Playfulness Scale (CPS) was employed to assess the children’s playfulness, while a sociometric test was used to evaluate their social standing within peer groups. Motor creativity was measured through TCAM, a performance-based test focusing on fluency, imagination, and originality. Results: The findings revealed that the dimensions of playful behavior, particularly motor and social playfulness, significantly and positively influenced motor creativity, a core component of physical and mental health in early childhood. Conversely, certain aspects of social behavior had a negative association with imaginative capacities. Conclusions: The study underscores the critical role of movement-based playful activities in fostering children’s physical, emotional, cognitive, and social health. It highlights the need for educators to design developmentally appropriate motor play activities that cultivate creativity and social integration, promoting a balanced and health-oriented early education framework. The results contribute to educational policy and practice by reinforcing the importance of structured motor play in supporting preschoolers’ well-being and comprehensive development. 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

Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) is a widely adopted professional development tool that helps educators across the United States improve their mental health literacy. Data from a pretest/posttest evaluation of the YMHFA training delivered at five schools are used to explore whether various YMHFA outcomes differ for teachers who have and have not received previous mental health training. Specifically, the current study compares scores on confidence, knowledge, negative attitudes, and intentions to intervene prior to completing the YMHFA program (i.e., at baseline), the rate of change in each measure, and satisfaction with the training across teachers with and without previous mental health prevention training. Our findings showed that teachers with previous training scored higher on confidence, mental health knowledge, and intentions to intervene at baseline and experienced different patterns of change after completion of the YMHFA training program, compared to teachers without prior training. Negative attitudes and training satisfaction did not reveal differences across training experiences. Study findings offer important program and policy implications about teachers’ training experiences, as well as the value of implementing YMHFA as a universal training in educational settings. Full article

Based on flipped learning, digital competence, and inclusive instructional design, this study employs a mixed-method approach (quantitative and qualitative) to evaluate the pilot and involves academics from six European universities. Teacher participants co-designed and implemented flexible learning scenarios using the FLeD tool, which integrates pedagogical patterns, scaffolding strategies, and playful features. Using a mixed-methods research approach, this study collected and analyzed data from 34 teachers and indirectly over 800 students. Results revealed enhanced student engagement, self-regulated learning, and pedagogical innovation. While educators reported increased awareness of inclusive teaching and benefited from collaborative design, challenges related to tool usability, time constraints, and the implementation of inclusivity also emerged. The findings support the effectiveness of structured digital tools in promoting pedagogical transformation in online, face-to-face, and hybrid learning. This study contributes to the discussion on the digitalization of higher education by illustrating how research-informed design can enable educators to develop engaging and flexible inclusive learning environments in line with the evolving needs of learners and the opportunities presented by technology. Full article