Search Results (276)

This study examined pre-service elementary school teachers’ perceptions of a semester-long professional learning programme in Iran, focusing on perceived shifts in their concerns, drawing on the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) as the theoretical framework. Adopting a CBAM-informed, directed (deductive–inductive) qualitative content analysis of the written reflections of 30 pre-service teachers across two provinces, the study traced perceived shifts in participants’ concerns throughout their professional learning journey. Consistent with CBAM’s developmental stages, the analysis of participants’ reflections suggested a perceived transition from self-focused concerns to concerns about teaching effectiveness. This shift—from self-oriented concerns toward task- and effectiveness-oriented concerns—aligns with the model’s prediction that individuals move through self, task, and effectiveness concerns as they adopt new practices. The findings also suggest that this progression is associated with the development of professional identity, personal beliefs, and the capacity for lifelong learning. Although the training process placed many participants in unfamiliar contexts, it provided valuable experiences that encouraged active engagement in curriculum design. Despite facing uncertainty and challenges, participants developed the psychological readiness to continue their professional journey. Because the study is based on self-reported written reflections rather than classroom observation, teaching performance, or pupil outcomes, the findings are presented as perceived shifts in pre-service teachers’ reflections, concerns, and professional readiness, rather than as demonstrated impact on attitudes, practices, or teaching outcomes. Overall, these findings underscore the relevance of CBAM for understanding and informing the design of professional development for pre-service teachers. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector. However, AEC education remains rooted within traditional disciplinary boundaries and a technology-centric training model, creating a widening mismatch between graduates’ capabilities and the cognitive, collaborative, and interdisciplinary demands of AI-enabled practice. Situated within the Chinese higher education context, this study bridges this gap through a multi-stakeholder survey (n = 352) noting perspectives from academia, industry and research. One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD test were used to examine differences across stakeholder groups and disciplines, while a Bayesian Network was developed to model competency pathways, simulate intervention scenarios and identify key leverage points for curriculum reform. The analysis reveals that meaningful AI integration requires a reconstruction of competency, rather than the mere addition of standalone technical or software courses; it calls for fundamental changes in professional formation, curricula and pedagogy. Four core competencies emerged from the data: professional expertise, systems thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration and AI-enabled problem-solving. Bayesian Network simulations further indicated that curriculum expansion alone improved AI knowledge acquisition by 39.6%, but yielded only modest gains in practical skills (13.9%) and application competencies (4.5%). By contrast, integrated interventions that combined teacher development, university–industry collaboration and project-based practice produced substantial improvements in AI application competencies (37.9%), employment adaptability (29.3%) and industry satisfaction (14.1%). These divergent findings highlight the necessity of coordinated educational interventions to reconcile stakeholder expectations and foster AI-oriented competency development. Based on this evidence, the study proposes a competency-oriented framework and a phased curriculum transformation pathway, providing an empirical foundation for AI-driven curriculum reform and competency reconstruction in AEC education. Full article

Teacher adoption of virtual reality (VR) in education appears constrained despite the technology’s potential as an immersive multimodal learning environment. This cross-sectional online survey, based on convenience and snowball sampling, examined adoption perceptions among 408 Romanian teachers from primary, secondary, and tertiary levels using an integrated Technology Acceptance Model and Theory of Planned Behavior framework. Seven constructs were measured on five-point Likert scales and analyzed through internal consistency indices, confirmatory factor analysis, HTMT discriminant validity assessment, structural equation modeling, Spearman correlations, nonparametric group comparisons, supplementary manifest-score regression, and descriptive thematic coding of open-ended responses. The seven-factor CFA model showed acceptable fit (CFI = 0.945, TLI = 0.936, RMSEA = 0.068), and composite reliability and AVE supported convergent validity across all constructs. However, HTMT indicated limited discriminant validity between attitude toward using VR and attitude toward the behavior of adopting VR (HTMT = 0.928). In the SEM model, perceived usefulness showed the largest standardized association with attitude toward using VR, while behavioral intention was mainly associated with attitudinal evaluations and subjective norm; perceived behavioral control showed a weaker standardized path. All scales showed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s $\alpha =0.81$–0.95), and construct means exceeded the scale midpoint (range: 3.45–4.03), indicating generally positive but differentiated perceptions. Supplementary manifest-score regression was consistent with the SEM results: the unified attitude factor showed the strongest statistical association with behavioral intention, followed by subjective norm and perceived behavioral control. Descriptive thematic coding of open-ended responses identified training, infrastructure, equipment access, curriculum-aligned content, cost, technical support, and time as recurrent perceived conditions associated with self-reported VR adoption intentions. The findings suggest that educational VR adoption should be interpreted through self-reported human factors and perceived implementation conditions, including perceived control, access to immersive equipment, practical training, and institutional support. Full article

To address a projected workforce gap in microelectronics, numerous companies and universities are introducing programs that bring authentic, industry-focused practices into K-12 education. Integrated STEM has emerged as an innovative approach to address the urgent push to improve STEM education. Teachers, often trained in a single discipline, are tasked with supplementing their existing curriculum to achieve this interdisciplinary approach. To better understand, we examined the conceptions and considerations of K-12 teachers who were engaged in an industry-led I-STEM professional development and were given supplemental curriculum materials. Teachers were provided with a high-quality, integrated STEM supplemental curriculum, given time to engage with it, and asked how they would use it in their classrooms. This qualitative study sought to understand the factors teachers consider when implementing integrated STEM curriculum supplementation. We found that the primary factors teachers consider during the initial stages of integrated STEM curriculum supplementation are: (1) the curriculum’s potential to enhance students’ knowledge and students’ skill development, (2) the quality of curriculum attributes, and (3) the necessary adaptations for integration into their classroom instruction. Furthermore, teachers rarely mentioned applications across STEM disciplines, which means that meaningful I-STEM PD should be grounded in integrated frameworks that explicitly guide the desired integration and use the curriculum supplement to apply knowledge and practices from other disciplines. Our findings underscore the need to explore how meaningful I-STEM professional development can be designed and delivered using levels of I-STEM integration as a framework. Full article

This study investigates physical education (PE) teachers’ perceptions of including students with physical disabilities in mainstream PE settings (i.e., general education environments serving both typically developing students and those with disabilities) in Saudi Arabia. A qualitative research design was adopted to examine the current perspectives of PE teachers, addressing context-specific interpretations of inclusion and the conditions that influence its implementation in mainstream schools. Data were collected using individual semi-structured interviews conducted with PE teachers (n = 8) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The interview protocol consisted of 18 open-ended questions distributed across five domains: (1) teachers’ perceptions and professional preparedness, (2) institutional policies, facilities, and curriculum adaptations, (3) experiences with students with PD and peer interactions, (4) parental and socio-cultural influences on inclusive PE, and (5) teachers’ recommendations for strengthening inclusive PE. Thematic analysis of the individual semi-structured interviews suggests that Saudi Arabian PE teachers generally support inclusive education and acknowledge its benefits for students with disabilities, particularly in fostering social participation and equitable access to learning. Importantly, these outcomes do not appear to be substantially influenced by teacher sex; rather, they seem to be systemic features of the broader Saudi Arabian educational environment. The present study contributes to the growing literature on inclusive physical education by examining the current perspective of physical educators and identifying how professional training, awareness of inclusive policies, and school-level conditions influence their capacity to implement inclusive PE practices. Full article

In the current Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) sector, the demand for a skilled workforce capable of responding to rapidly changing needs is increasing. However, academic programs are struggling to keep up with this transformation. The integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools into design studios and the objective evaluation of the pedagogical outcomes of this process are not yet fully clear. This study develops a pedagogical evaluation framework to integrate professional BIM competencies into architectural design studio curricula. This framework aims to measure student competency development and guide the restructuring of academic programs for BIM-supported education. A mixed methodology was adopted in the research; utilizing a combination of purposive and convenience sampling techniques, the studio performances, submission processes, and survey data of 409 students studying in architecture and interior architecture departments over a four-year period were analyzed longitudinally using the developed measurement-evaluation model. The proposed framework serves to pedagogically grade students’ in-studio performance and to measure acquired competencies with structured criteria. The qualitative data obtained from the surveys were analyzed through thematic and content analysis. The research revealed that students possessed limited technical skills in BIM projects and experienced deficiencies in collaboration and data management. Furthermore, it determined that instructors’ lack of knowledge regarding integrating BIM into the curriculum negatively impacted students’ learning processes. This study recommended enhancing teacher training for BIM-supported education, improving collaboration and coordination skills, and aligning the curriculum with professional requirements. The findings provide a framework that not only better prepares students for professional life but also helps bridge the gap between education and industry. Through this framework, students’ competencies can be measured at the pedagogical level. Full article

Activity-based learning (ABL), as a student-centered approach, has gained significant attention for improving student achievement in mathematics worldwide. However, its practical use in different mathematics classrooms remains less explored. This review examines empirical evidence on how teachers’ pedagogical skills affect students’ learning outcomes in mathematics classrooms. A systematic literature review was conducted, focusing on peer-reviewed original studies published in academic journals. Two prominent databases, Scopus and Web of Science (WOS), were used to investigate various aspects of ABL, including teachers’ ability to effectively implement ABL, challenges they face, its impact on students’ math learning outcomes, and how ABL influences students’ understanding, engagement, and academic achievement. The findings highlight that teachers’ pedagogical skills are crucial for successful ABL implementation in middle and high school mathematics classes. Additionally, effective ABL use depends on several other factors, such as teachers’ professional development and training, available resources, infrastructure, technological tools, school culture, curriculum, and leadership. The results suggest that ABL has the potential to improve students’ learning, engagement, and academic performance in mathematics when implemented effectively. The study recommends that educators, school leaders, and policymakers consider local conditions and professional factors when adopting ABL strategies. Full article

Academic motivation and achievement are central to student success in applied STEM, engineering, and technical and vocational education and training (TVET); however, despite extensive research, the evidence remains fragmented across theoretical traditions, educational levels, and disciplinary settings. This structured narrative review synthesizes research on the factors shaping academic motivation, achievement, and career readiness in these contexts. A literature search was conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and PsycINFO for studies published between 2010 and 2025. A total of 58 studies met the inclusion criteria from an initial pool of 2184 records. Guided by self-determination theory, achievement goal theory, social cognitive career theory, and expectancy–value theory, this review identifies self-efficacy, perceived competence, task value, intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, goal orientation, metacognitive skills, teacher and peer support, curriculum relevance, and industry-aligned learning opportunities as key factors associated with student engagement, achievement, and career-related development. The synthesis shows that these factors operate through an integrated motivational core linking motivational regulation, self-belief, task value, and goal orientation. The findings suggest that student success is shaped by the interaction between individual beliefs, social support, instructional conditions, and perceived links between learning and future professional pathways. Practical implications are discussed for designing student-centered, career-relevant, and motivation-supportive learning environments in engineering and TVET. Full article

This study examines changes from baseline to midline in ICT competency indicators during an ICT teacher training intervention in Cambodian lower secondary education. The intervention aligned with SDG 4.4.1 and included pre-service and in-service teachers from four Regional Teacher Training Centers and 20 pilot schools, along with Grade 8 students. Teachers completed a self-assessment and an objective ICT knowledge test covering 11 SDG 4.4.1 domains. Students completed objective assessments. Teacher competency pass counts increased from baseline to midline. The largest changes appeared in information verification and programming, while foundational domains changed less. Pre-service teachers had higher objective knowledge scores at midline. A nonparametric check showed the same direction. No significant differences were detected across the four provinces. The findings provide evidence from program monitoring that an ODA intervention combining curriculum reform, textbook development, ICT laboratory deployment, and sustained teacher training was associated with changes in teacher ICT competency. Full article

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) resources and robotics tools in education is considered vital for interdisciplinary fields to enhance the quality of the teaching and learning process. It also helps transform assessment techniques and revolutionize the whole pedagogical setting of science teacher education, in particular, AI and robotics integration in the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects’ courses at the primary level. In this study, a scoping review was conducted involving seventeen peer-reviewed research papers published from 2021 to 2025. Efforts are being made to find the current perceptions and practices of preservice teachers (PSTs) at the primary level (Years 1–6; ages 6–12 in the Australian context) regarding the use of AI and robotics resources, for example, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), foundational robotics and AI-driven robotics in teaching STEM subjects. Findings indicate that there was a significant gap in primary PSTs’ perspectives regarding their pedagogical practices to integrate STEM. As such, this influences future teachers’ knowledge, understanding, AI acceptance, and attitude toward the integration of smart AI and robotics resources in STEM classrooms. Policymakers and teachers’ education providers should align advanced technological AI resources and robotics applications with STEM curriculum guidelines and preservice teachers’ professional training programs within primary school education. Full article

This study investigates the readiness of future teachers in Romania to meet the requirements of inclusive education, with a specific focus on curricular deficits and student teachers’ perceptions of competence. Respecting the right to education for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) is a central policy commitment. Yet, the capacity of initial teacher education (ITE) programs to operationalize this mandate remains uncertain. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, the research combines a systematic documentary analysis of national regulations and psycho-pedagogical curricula (Orders No. 4139/2022 and 4524/2020; Law No. 199/2023) with a survey of 327 student teachers across eight universities. Systematic Content Analysis, based on a three-level depth protocol, reveals a structural curricular deficit: Level 1 outcomes (theoretical awareness of SEN and inclusion) appear in approximately 40% of compulsory subjects, whereas Level 2 outcomes (operational competence, such as designing adapted lessons or differentiated assessments) are almost completely absent from the mandatory core and are confined to electives. Survey results mirror this gap: although 81% of respondents anticipate working with pupils with SEN, 29.9% feel poorly or very poorly prepared, 25.5% report a lack of basic knowledge of SEN, and only 14.6% report high confidence in designing adapted activities. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) shows that training level has a statistically significant but small effect on technical inclusive skills (p = 0.043; η²_p = 0.013), while inclusive attitudes are mainly associated with age. The study concludes with a roadmap for reforming ITE through mandatory SEN-focused practicum placements and transversal integration of inclusive pedagogy. Full article

Digital transformation is reshaping technical and vocational education and training (TVET), yet the behavioral processes through which students’ digital learning competence is associated with learning performance remain underexplored. Drawing on Biggs’ presage–process–product (3P) model, this cross-sectional study examined a dual-path moderated mediation model in which active and rule-based learning participation served as differentiated process pathways, while teacher–student interaction and curriculum practicality were specified as contextual moderators. Survey data were collected from 3693 students in Chinese higher vocational colleges. Hierarchical regression and bootstrapped moderated mediation analyses indicated that digital learning competence was positively associated with learning performance. Active learning participation mediated this association, whereas rule-based learning participation did not function as a stable positive mediator. At higher levels of teacher–student interaction and curriculum practicality, digital learning competence showed stronger associations with active learning participation and stronger indirect associations with learning performance. The rule-based pathway appeared more conditional and reflected an externally regulated, prescribed-task-oriented form of behavioral participation, rather than a stable process pathway associated with deep learning. These findings extend the 3P model to digital learning in higher vocational education, differentiate behavioral forms of participation, and highlight the importance of interactive and practice-oriented instructional contexts. Full article

Student approaches to learning are a key factor in determining learning outcomes in higher education, particularly in teacher education programmes where the development of reflective and autonomous professionals is essential. This study examines second-year Early Childhood Education students’ self-perceptions of their learning approaches prior to the practicum. Data were collected from 311 students across three Catalan universities using the Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F). A quantitative design was employed using a self-report questionnaire to analyse the relationship between motivation, learning strategies, and students’ tendency towards deep or surface learning approaches. The findings reveal variability in motivation and strategy use, with a tendency towards less consolidated deep learning approaches at this stage of training. Differences associated with students’ profiles, particularly age and academic pathways, were also observed, although these should be interpreted with caution. The study identifies key pedagogical factors that may support the development of deeper learning, including the design of practicum seminars that promote reflection, meaningful engagement, and alignment between theory and practice. These results suggest that structured pedagogical approaches, such as constructive alignment, can contribute to fostering reflective, autonomous, and professionally oriented learning in teacher education. By linking students’ learning profiles with curriculum and assessment design, this research contributes to current debates on sustainable teacher education and offers evidence-based guidance for strengthening practicum structures aligned with Education for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goal 4. Full article

Non-functional requirements (NFRs) are critical for ensuring software quality, yet they remain difficult to identify due to their implicit and loosely defined relationship with functional requirements (FRs). Existing research predominantly focuses on NFR classification, leaving the more practical problem of linking FRs with their corresponding NFRs largely underexplored. To bridge this gap, this research introduces Re-Distill, a framework that treats FR–NFR association as a retrieval task. It adopts a curriculum-guided, data-centric distillation strategy to improve semantic representations and capture the interdependencies between FRs and NFRs. The framework combines general semantic adaptation, domain-specific specialization, and teacher-guided hard-negative mining in a contrastive learning setting. During inference, it integrates dense and lexical retrieval with cross-encoder reranking to produce ranked NFR candidates for unseen FR queries. Experiments on an expanded FR–NFR dataset show consistent improvements throughout all training stages. The resulting model achieves a Recall@10 of 70.79%, significantly outperforming the zero-shot baseline (42.36% Recall@10). These results highlight the effectiveness of retrieval-based approaches for functional–non-functional requirement linking, providing a practical and scalable way to undertake software requirement analysis. Full article

Driven by Emerging Engineering Education and basic education reform, cultivating engineering literacy in pre-service teachers is vital for nurturing innovative talent. This qualitative multiple-case study examines current practices in nine leading Chinese normal universities, primarily through document analysis of institutional policies and curricula, supplemented by faculty interviews and a pre-service teacher survey in a subsample of institutions. Thematic analysis reveals prominent predicaments: a fragmented curriculum, monolithic training models, misaligned resources, and low student motivation. These issues stem from ambiguous conceptual positioning, weak institutional design, and a shortage of specialized faculty and platforms. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a systematic Four-in-One breakthrough framework encompassing Top-Level Design, Platform Foundation, Faculty Empowerment, and Project-Centric Cultivation. Central to this framework is a dual-track drive model, which integrates hands-on engineering practice with pedagogical application, enabling future teachers to develop engineering thinking and the competency to translate it into effective classroom teaching. While the proposed framework requires further empirical validation, this approach offers a theoretical and practical pathway for reconstructing teacher education and building a high-quality teaching workforce. Full article