Search Results (93)

This paper examines the relation between transversal skills, economic education, and financial literacy in modern education. A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2022 methodology, resulting in the selection and analysis of 49 peer-reviewed articles from Scopus and Web of Science. The paper explores theoretical considerations, pedagogical strategies, and the possibility of integrating these fields into educational practice. It identifies three specific points of research interest: firstly, to identify trends in the integration of transversal competencies into economic education; secondly, to assess how transversal skills impact the development of financial literacy; and thirdly, to create recommendations for educational programs and teaching methods. The results highlight that transversal skills—particularly critical thinking, collaboration, being digitally literate, and problem-solving—play an indispensable role in both learning economics and building financial literacy. While students of economic education gain insight into issues such as resource management, market mechanisms, and labor economics, financial literacy provides them with knowledge on personal finance issues, sustainability, and informed decision-making. An original aspect of the research is the attempt to merge transversal skills with economic education and financial literacy within a single framework. The results also indicate future directions of educational reform and point to ways to enhance students’ financial well-being and entrepreneurial capacity. Full article

Digital transformation demands schools to act as learning organizations in order to rethink and reform their structures and practices. Using a mixed-methods design (quantitative analysis of code co-occurrences within 60 semi-structured group interviews and qualitative structural content analysis), the study examines how teachers who act as promoters for digital transformation facilitate organizational learning (OL) processes and how these processes can be described. While five OL processes emerge (collective sense making, knowledge creation and transfer, evaluation and feedback, experimentation and piloting, and external cooperation and knowledge import), each process is mainly shaped by a distinct promoter activity. Findings reveal that school-wide systematic structural conditions for OL processes, for instance formal evaluation and scheduled collaboration time for the whole teaching staff, are scarce, leaving many learning processes informal and project-based. The study concludes that sustainable digital transformation requires schools to institutionalize adequate structural conditions for OL activities and to empower promoters through both top-down mandates and bottom-up support, ensuring all OL processes become habituated routines. Full article

(1) Background: Education serves as a catalyst for social transformation toward sustainability, yet limited empirical evidence exists regarding primary education’s contribution to regional sustainable development, particularly in island contexts facing unique environmental and economic pressures. This study examined primary education teachers’ perceptions, practices, and challenges in implementing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Zakynthos, Greece. (2) Methods: A triangulated quantitative approach surveyed a representative sample of 105 primary education teachers from the Zakynthos Primary Education Directorate using a 28-item structured questionnaire assessing ESD knowledge, teaching practices, barriers, and improvement strategies. Teacher questionnaire data were triangulated with KEPEA (Center for Environmental Education and Sustainability) program documentation (103 programs, 2020–2025) and school implementation records from 75 participating schools. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U tests, Kruskal–Wallis tests, and Spearman correlations. (3) Results: Most teachers (65.7%) reported adequate knowledge of sustainable development concepts, with 75.3% incorporating ESD into teaching practice often or very often. Triangulation revealed convergent findings: environmental sustainability dominated teacher perceptions (67.3%) and KEPEA programming (78.4%), while economic sustainability received limited attention (18.1%). Female teachers demonstrated significantly higher ESD knowledge (U = 892.5, p < 0.05, r = 0.34). The majority (98.1%) considered ESD integration important, yet only 48.5% felt adequately prepared to teach sustainability topics. A notable attitude-action gap emerged: while 86.6% valued community partnerships, only 47.6% engaged frequently, and KEPEA documented 33.7% of formal collaborations. Primary barriers included insufficient curriculum time (61.9%) and limited resources (51.4%). Teachers identified training programs (71.4%) and access to educational materials (71.4%) as priority interventions. (4) Conclusions: Primary education teachers in Zakynthos demonstrate strong commitment to ESD but face structural barriers limiting implementation effectiveness. The environmental-economic imbalance suggests a need for professional development, integrating economic sustainability concepts through place-based approaches relevant to the island’s tourism-dependent economy. The attitude-action gap in partnerships indicates structural rather than attitudinal barriers requiring policy intervention. Findings support targeted teacher training, curriculum reform, and strengthened school-community collaboration to enhance ESD’s contribution to regional sustainable development. Full article

Global climate change has emerged as a critical challenge for human society in the 21st century. As hubs of population and economic activity, urban and rural areas are increasingly exposed to complex and compounded disaster risks. To systematically evaluate the role of educational intervention in climate adaptability capacity building, this study employs a case study approach, focusing on the “Climate Change Adaptation Education and Teaching Alliance Program” launched in Taiwan in 2014. Through a comprehensive analysis of its institutional structure, curriculum, alliance network, and practical activities, the study explores the effectiveness of educational innovation in cultivating climate resilience talent. The study found that the program, through interdisciplinary collaboration and a practice-oriented teaching model, successfully integrated climate adaptability content into 57 courses, training a total of 2487 students. Project-based learning (PBL) and workshops significantly improved students’ systems thinking and practical abilities, and many of its findings were adopted by local governments. Based on these empirical results, the study proposes that urban and rural planning education should be promoted in the following ways: first, updating teaching materials to reflect regional climate characteristics and local needs; second, enhancing curriculum design by introducing core courses such as climate-resilient planning and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration; third, enriching hands-on learning through real project cases and participatory workshops; and fourth, deepening integration between education and practice by establishing multi-stakeholder partnerships supported by dedicated funding and digital platforms. Through such an innovative educational framework, we can prepare a new generation of professionals capable of supporting global sustainable development in the face of climate change. This study provides a replicable model of practice for education policymakers worldwide, particularly in promoting the integration of climate resilience education in developing countries, which can help accelerate the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG11) and foster interdisciplinary collaboration to address the global climate crisis. Full article

Under the background of “Emerging Engineering Education”, promoting reform in the practical teaching of Agricultural Hydraulic Engineering is a crucial task for cultivating water conservancy professionals with sustainability competencies in the new era. This study addresses current issues in the practical education of Agricultural Hydraulic Engineering, including fragmented practical content, disjointed tiered training, superficial teaching models, and simplified assessment methods. Guided by the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) concept and incorporating sustainability education principles, and integrating the distinctive features and course orientation of the university’s programme, this study implements a multidimensional practical teaching reform characterized by “three level–four integration–five dimension–three objective” framework in Agricultural Hydraulic Engineering. This reform has achieved significant outcomes: teaching quality has been notably enhanced, with students demonstrating substantially improved practical and innovative capabilities, earning over ten national and provincial competition awards in the past two years. Faculty teaching research capabilities have strengthened, resulting in multiple provincial-level teaching reform projects and top-tier course approvals. The proportion of courses achieving a satisfactory level of target attainment stands at 66.7% of the total practical courses. Graduate and employer satisfaction rates reached 96.2% and 100%, respectively. The results demonstrate the strong applicability and effectiveness of this multidimensional practical teaching model in fostering talent equipped for sustainable water conservancy development, providing an important reference for practical teaching reforms in agricultural universities during the new era. Full article

Background: Pathology education requires innovative experimental teaching approaches to enhance clinical competency. This study evaluated the integration of special staining techniques into pathology curricula to improve diagnostic confidence and practical skills. Methods: The reform involved 227 medical students, incorporating acid-fast, PAS, GMS, Congo red, and other special stains into laboratory sessions. Diagnostic confidence was surveyed, and theoretical and practical exam scores were compared with 180 students from a previous grade. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism 7.0. Results: Practical exam scores significantly improved (86.0 ± 17.2 vs. 82.2 ± 18.9, p < 0.001), while theoretical scores remained unchanged. Diagnostic confidence strongly correlated with morphological recognition, particularly for acid-fast and fungal stains. Student feedback noted challenges such as staining artifacts. Conclusion: Integrating special staining enhances practical skills and diagnostic confidence, effectively bridging basic and clinical training. Expanding such modules is recommended to advance competency-based medical education. Full article

This study examines the evolution and main trends in the number of students, teaching staff and graduates in Romania’s pre-university education system over the period 1990–2024 (and 1990–2023 for graduates), employing ARIMA models to generate forecasts up to the year 2027. The research is grounded in the premise of profound structural transformations within the Romanian educational system, driven by demographic decline, external migration, recurrent reforms, and shifts in resource allocation. The descriptive analysis highlights a pronounced downward trend for all three variables (students, teaching staff and graduates), reflecting the continuous reduction in the school-age population and the restructuring of the educational network. The statistical tests employed, such as Shapiro–Wilk, Augmented Dickey–Fuller, Durbin–Watson, Breusch–Godfrey and ARCH, validate the selected optimal ARIMA models: ARIMA(1,1,1) for teaching staff, ARIMA(4,1,3) for students, and ARIMA(3,1,5) for graduates. The forecasting results indicate that this declining trend is expected to persist through 2027: the number of teaching staff is estimated to decrease to approximately 178,700 individuals, the number of students is estimated to decrease to around 2.78 million, and the number of graduates is projected to fall until 2026, followed by a potential slight stabilization in 2027. The Spearman correlation analysis indicates strong associations among all variables, suggesting that their dynamics are predominantly shaped by demographic and migratory factors. Granger causality analysis shows that changes in birth rates lead to rapid adjustments in teaching staff within 2–3 years. No significant short-term causality is found for the number of students or graduates, though demographic effects appear after 5–6 years for students, indicating long-term impacts on the school population. This study underscores the importance of econometric methods in informing educational policy, particularly in the context of the marked contraction of the school-age population. It also highlights the need for strategic planning regarding human resources in education, per-student funding, the reorganization of the school network, and curriculum adaptation. Full article

Gender mainstreaming in social work education requires moving beyond policy commitments to ensure that gender perspectives are meaningfully integrated into teaching and learning. This study examines how gender-responsive pedagogy is implemented in a Spanish public university and how these practices relate to students’ self-efficacy for gender-sensitive social work. A sample of 166 undergraduate students completed validated measures of gender-responsive teaching, self-efficacy, and institutional climate. The instruments demonstrated strong psychometric performance. Results indicate that while gender-related content is incorporated into curricula, practice-oriented and participatory pedagogies are less consistently used. Students reported high confidence in gender knowledge and attitudes but lower confidence in applied skills. Teaching methods, rather than content coverage, showed the strongest associations with self-efficacy. Institutional reforms at the degree and course levels were positively linked to teaching practices and student outcomes, whereas governance-level changes showed weaker associations. These findings highlight the importance of aligning institutional commitments with pedagogical innovation to advance gender equality in social work education. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study examined how maker-based physical education (PE) lessons, co-designed within a Professional Learning Community (PLC), expanded student participation and supported teacher professional growth. Focus was placed on engaging sport-marginalized students, often excluded due to ability, motivation, or social background. Methods: This qualitative single-case study examined a PE-focused professional learning community (PLC) that collaboratively designed maker-based PE lesson prototypes and partially implemented them in regular PE classes. Data included PLC documents, lesson plans, classroom observations, student work, and semi-structured teacher interviews, and were analyzed using inductive category analysis. Results: Three lesson types emerged: (1) physical data measurement and analysis, (2) performance feedback, and (3) play- and game-based formats. These diversified participation by promoting student roles beyond performers, such as creators and analysts. Sport-marginalized students took on new roles as creators and analysts and, at the same time, showed increased engagement in physical activities and more active participation in lessons as performers. Teachers shifted from skill-focused instruction to reflective, practice-based teaching. The PLC enabled sustained innovation and collective growth. Conclusions: Maker-based PE offers a low-cost, adaptable model for inclusive curriculum reform that promotes creativity, wellbeing, and participation. Future studies should explore its long-term impact, broader implementation, and strategies to support ongoing PLC-based innovation. Full article

In recent years, research into the optimization of teaching reform for computer-aided mapping has continuously advanced in China. It plays a vital role in the development of urban forestry-related curricula and the cultivation of urban forestry professionals in higher education institutions. However, current research into the teaching reform of computer-aided mapping within the urban forestry domain remains insufficient. To address this, the study employs CiteSpace to conduct a visualization analysis of existing literature samples from journals, systematically integrating research trends and cutting-edge knowledge. The results indicate that relevant research perspectives primarily focus on teaching methods and theories, teaching reform and improvement, and teaching application and practice of computer-aided mapping. Furthermore, the study proposes future prospects for existing computer-aided mapping courses within urban forestry disciplines in China. In future higher education teaching, the urban forestry discipline can draw upon existing computer-aided mapping teaching methods, theories, innovative reforms, and practical applications. Emphasis should be placed on conducting more research in areas such as building multi-party academic collaboration, comprehensively utilizing diverse teaching methods, and expanding theories from multiple perspectives. This will facilitate the systematic and scientific development of computer-aided mapping curricula within the urban forestry discipline. Full article

This study examines how large-scale school infrastructure reforms shape teaching practice, using Australia’s Building the Education Revolution (BER) initiative as a case example. Guided by Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), the research explores how redesigned learning environments act as mediating tools that influence pedagogy, collaboration, and teacher wellbeing. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, combining survey data from 34 teachers with focus group interviews involving 13 participants in a redeveloped Victorian Primary School, Australia. Quantitative results showed that 70.5% of teachers reported changes in their teaching practices directly linked to the new infrastructure, with 100% affirming that they had enhanced collaboration opportunities. Qualitative findings revealed that features such as breakout rooms, shared learning zones, and transparent sightlines enabled differentiated instruction, co-teaching, and improved supervision, while also fostering professional pride and collegial support. Contradictions emerged around automated lighting systems, limited display space, and partial teacher consultation during the design process. CHAT analysis demonstrated how physical spaces interact with rules, community, and division of labour within the school activity system, producing both enabling conditions and systemic tensions. The study underscores the need for infrastructure planning to be pedagogically informed, inclusive of teacher voice, and designed to support adaptive, collaborative, and inclusive teaching practices. Full article

Educational reforms increasingly require teachers to implement innovations, yet these efforts often remain unsustainable. Effective implementation is closely tied to continuous professional development and learning (CPDL). This study explores how a CPDL path supports the transition from current teaching practices to enhanced instructional methods that integrate a STEM innovation focused on improving students’ spatial ability—a critical cognitive skill linked to STEM success, especially in early education. While professional development (PD) can foster practices that support spatial thinking, few studies have examined how teacher learning translates into measurable student gains. This study evaluates the impact of a CPDL program that combined expert-led workshops with Lesson Study (LS), a collaborative and reflective approach. The program was tailored to 24 female STEM teachers whose profiles showed limited cognitively active learning opportunities for students. Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured changes in student performance across three spatial components: visualization, mental transformation, and orientation. Students in Grades 1–3 showed statistically significant gains (p < 0.00001), with the strongest improvement in spatial visualization. Grade 3 students made the largest relative gains, indicating developmental readiness. Findings highlight the value of stepwise preparation and leadership support in innovation implementation, offering strong empirical evidence that LS-based CPDL improves both teaching and student cognitive outcomes. Full article

Climate literacy is pivotal for preparing future leaders to address global climate challenges and build a sustainable future. Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a central role in embedding sustainability principles, particularly Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 (Climate Action), into curricula to cultivate responsible leadership. This study examines the integration of SDG 13 within the business curriculum at Delta University (UAE), assessing undergraduate students’ perceptions of climate education and how teaching methods shape sustainability leadership. Using a mixed-methods approach—a closed-ended survey and Q-methodology—the research analyzes students’ awareness, engagement, and subjective perspectives on pedagogical strategies. The results reveal a disconnect between theoretical knowledge and students’ ability to apply these principles in real-world business contexts. While students acknowledged climate action’s importance and supported active learning pedagogies (e.g., case studies, simulations), skepticism persisted about SDG 13’s applicability to business operations. The findings highlight the need for curricular reforms, aligning curricula with national sustainability strategies (e.g., UAE Net Zero 2050) to bridge theory and practice. This research advocates for HEIs to prioritize climate competencies, ensuring that graduates can address environmental challenges through actionable frameworks. By transcending symbolic commitments, HEIs can empower students to lead regionally and globally, advancing sustainability education’s role in achieving equitable, low-carbon societies. Full article

Teaching methods are pivotal to the success of educational systems, ensuring that students acquire the competencies embedded in the curriculum at every educational stage. This study presents a novel longitudinal analysis of teaching methods and their association with learning, perception, and development across Elementary, Secondary, and Post-Secondary education over the past 15 years. Using a large sample of 43,298 articles from the ERIC database, we applied correspondence analysis to reveal the temporal patterns and associations between teaching methods and educational stages. The analysis highlights a clear trend, with Active Learning emerging as a dominant methodology across all stages, reflecting a shift toward more student-centered approaches. The results underline the necessity for methodological reforms that prioritize active student engagement and participation. By offering a detailed mapping of the evolution of teaching methods, this study offers a descriptive mapping that may inform educators and policymakers to guide the implementation of more effective and adaptive educational practices, in order to achieve meaningful learning for students and a teaching practice that optimises the teaching and learning process. Full article

Against the background of China’s ecological civilization construction and sustainable development strategies, how remote sensing courses adapt to the demands of the artificial intelligence era has become an urgent issue for undergraduate education in relevant disciplines at universities. This study proposed a trinity teaching reform path of “deep learning and remote sensing, and ecological sustainability”, aiming to cultivate interdisciplinary talents with capabilities in intelligent interpretation and practical application. The study established a three-stage curriculum objective system, integrating knowledge, ability, and literacy, designed a five-dimensional linkage teaching method combining case-driven teaching, modular training, and blended learning, and conducted teaching practices using mainstream deep learning frameworks and cloud platforms. Through hierarchical teaching practice cases and multi-dimensional evaluation data, it was shown that the reform effectively enhanced the experiment group students’ abilities in deep learning applications, complex remote sensing data processing, and ecological problem-solving. The achievement values for all five evaluation indicators exceeded 80%, with the highest improvement reaching 28% compared to the control group. The results indicate that this teaching reform not only enhances learning outcomes but also provides a valuable framework and practical pathway for remote sensing education empowered by artificial intelligence and the cultivation of professional talent in future sustainable development fields. Full article