Integrating digital games into classrooms requires teachers to have specific technological and pedagogical competencies. This study aimed to address the gap in adapting and validating the TPACK-G Questionnaire to assess pre-service teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) related to game-based learning in Turkey. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a robust four-factor structure, with acceptable model fit and strong internal consistency. Measurement invariance analysis confirmed that the questionnaire measured the same latent constructs across male and female pre-service teachers, supporting its use with diverse groups. An ANOVA test examined group differences in attitudes towards digital games and TPACK-G, with pre-service teachers categorised into medium, high and very high groups with significant differences (p < 0.05), suggesting that attitudes towards games influence game-based pedagogical knowledge. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the 13-item TPACK-G is a valid and reliable tool for assessing pre-service teachers' game-related knowledge and readiness to integrate digital games into teaching.
This study explored the behavioural intention of university students in Malaysia to use multisensory digital learning applications encompassing vision, audition, kinaesthesis, olfaction, gustation and thermoception. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) technology anxiety has a direct and negative effect on usability, and (2) consumer novelty seeking has a direct and positive effect on usability. The study is guided by the UTAUT model (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology). Data were collected from 242 university students through a structured questionnaire and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results indicate that hypothesis 1 was rejected, suggesting that technology anxiety does not significantly affect usability. Hypothesis 2 was accepted, confirming that students with higher consumer novelty seeking are more likely to perceive augmented value. The findings contribute to understanding user behaviour and offer insights for enhancing multisensory educational tools in higher education.
Blended learning, combining face-to-face instruction with online components through a learning management system, has gained increasing attention in higher education, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic. It enhances student - teacher interaction and supports students' academic achievement, self-directed learning. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 1007 students and 65 lecturers at pedagogical universities in Vietnam through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews; quantitative data were analysed using SPSS 20.0 and qualitative data thematically. Findings reveal that blended learning is increasingly adopted and perceived as effective when teaching is learner centred, from goal setting to assessment. Effectiveness is further enhanced when (1) lecturers actively engage in both online and offline teaching, (2) students display a positive attitude towards the subject and the lecturer, and (3) technology acceptance contributes indirectly to learning outcomes. Differences in perception between lecturers and students were noted. To improve implementation, institutions should consider providing additional support through teaching assistants.
This study investigated whether ICT-focused professional development workshops delivered through professional learning communities (PLCs) improved Ghanaian K-12 teachers' digital competencies and intention to use technology. Sixty-seven in-service teachers completed surveys covering five domains: device and software operations, information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation and safety. Results showed statistically significant gains across all domains, except for one item in information and data literacy. Effect sizes ranged from small to moderately large, suggesting meaningful practical improvement. Teachers reported stronger skills in using digital tools, evaluating information, creating digital resources, collaborating online and practising safe, responsible technology use. The workshops also increased teachers' willingness to integrate digital tools into classroom practice. No significant gender differences were found, but the less experienced reported higher post-training scores in communication and collaboration and safety. The findings support PLC-based ICT training as an effective, context-sensitive approach to strengthening teachers' digital readiness.
COVID-19 lockdowns forced schools into extended periods of remote teaching, reshaping how teachers engaged with pedagogy and students in online contexts. The authors explore the experiences of three primary school teachers in Victorian government schools in Australia, analysed through the lens of the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model, including the nine Practice Principles and ten High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS). Data were drawn from graduate teacher presentations to pre-service teachers and follow-up interviews. Findings suggest that while teachers relied on explicit teaching, goal setting and structured lessons, opportunities for student collaboration, agency and deep learning were limited. Departmental directives and the prescriptive use of HITS were experienced as reducing teacher autonomy and shifting pedagogy to repetitive, teacher-centred practices. The article concludes with recommendations for teacher education, professional learning and classroom practice. These include strengthening digital fluency, supporting teacher autonomy and rebalancing socio-constructivist approaches to counterbalance prescriptive routines.
The design of escape rooms was integrated into a language teacher education programme in Taiwan. This study employed both qualitative (digital escape room projects, reflections) and quantitative (self-, peer- and learners' evaluations) data to explore 41 Taiwanese English majors' technological, pedagogical and content knowledge construction on designing digital escape rooms. This study reached the following major findings. Firstly, the digital escape room projects were theme based and mainly consisted of word and dialogue exercises. Secondly, participants, their peers and learners regarded the digital escape room projects as effective in motivating learners to learn English and develop problem-solving skills. Thirdly, the digital escape room projects fostered participants' construction of content knowledge in English words and dialogue, their pedagogical knowledge in contextualised language instruction and competency-based instruction, and their technological knowledge in terms of Google Forms and other tools.
Socioeconomic status (SES) in childhood strongly predicts mathematics achievement both in early years and later life. Children from low SES families often begin school behind their peers in areas such as early literacy and mathematics, and these disadvantages tend to persist over time. Technology-supported mathematics education is considered a promising way to address this gap. This study investigates the effect of tablet-supported mathematics activities on the early mathematics skills of 5-6-year-old children from low SES backgrounds. A pre-test/post-test control group quasi-experimental design was used. Participants were children aged 60-77 months (mean = 68) attending public kindergartens. The TEMA-3 Early Mathematics Ability Test was used for assessment, and activities were created using Wordwall.net. Findings show that tablet-supported mathematics activities significantly improve early mathematics skills in low SES children, suggesting they are an effective tool for reducing socioeconomic disparities in early mathematics development.
Learning adaptive skills is crucial for children with autism, yet it poses challenges. Traditional video modelling and emerging technology-aided interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in teaching individuals with autism. With rapid technological advancements, new intervention approaches are continually emerging in special education. This study compares two innovative approaches, technology-enhanced video-self-modelling (iVSM) and a webcam-based video game, to assess their efficacy in teaching hand-washing steps to preschoolers with autism in inclusive educational settings. Employing a single-case research design that integrates alternating treatment design and multiple-baseline design across three participants, the findings indicate that both approaches were effective, with minimal disparity. However, one participant showed a preference for iVSM. Implications for practice and future research directions are discussed.
This study aimed to explore how philosophy of technology assumptions (PoTAs) influence school principals' technology leadership. The research was conducted using a grounded theory design, involving 19 public high school principals (18 male, 1 female) from a large southeastern province in T & uuml;rkiye. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, supported by memo writing throughout the process. The analysis followed a constant comparative method, framed by an analytical lens focused on principals' thinking, decision-making and actions. Findings revealed two dominant PoTAs: technological determinism and technological instrumentalism. Principals with deterministic views emphasised the inevitability of technological change and the need for adaptation, while instrumentalist principals approached technology as a controllable tool, highlighting its usefulness, practicality and ethical implications. Despite adopting distinct philosophical positions, principals demonstrated overlapping perspectives and shared concerns, arriving at similar conclusions through different lines of reasoning. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of how philosophical stances shape technology leadership.
This study examines the relationship between Eritrea's education policy and in-service teachers' ICT use, attitudes and the future of ICT integration in classrooms. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research combines surveys (n = 141) and semi-structured interviews with teachers from Asmara under a professional development programme. Findings reveal a disconnect between policy mandates and classroom practices, with teachers primarily using ICT as a productivity tool for traditional instruction rather than student-centred learning. Despite positive attitudes towards ICT's potential, challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, limited training and insufficient policy awareness hinder effective implementation. The study highlights systemic barriers, including resource shortages and curriculum misalignment, which contribute to low ICT adoption. Regression analysis indicates a positive correlation between teachers' ICT use and policy impact, suggesting that frequent users perceive policies more favourably. Recommendations emphasise targeted professional development, infrastructure investment and participatory policy design to align ICT initiatives with classroom realities.
Digital technologies are often framed as drivers of innovation in higher education, yet their role in peace education within post-conflict contexts remains underexamined. In settings marked by surveillance, political sensitivity and inequality, technology integration raises issues of access, agency and purpose. This study contributes to educational technology and peacebuilding scholarship by examining how faculty in Sri Lankan universities use digital tools to support reconciliation-oriented civic learning. Using a multi-sited qualitative case study across conflict-affected provinces, the research analyses interviews and documents. Thematic analysis identifies three pedagogical approaches: reflective digital practices enabling private critical engagement; virtual heritage reconciliation using mobile and visual tools to examine contested histories; and critical media literacy fostering civic agency through student-led media production. Guided by the Digital Peacebuilding Framework, findings show faculty repurpose everyday platforms to navigate infrastructural constraints and ideological control, positioning digital pedagogy as justice-oriented, context-responsive peace practice with relevance beyond Sri Lanka.
Rapid changes in technological development and the move towards inclusive education increase the need for effective training and professional development for special education teachers who teach children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). Authentic experiences such as simulations and video-based learning were found to be effective in promoting high-quality teaching practice. This study examined the perceived contribution of simulations and video-based learning to in-service and preservice special education teachers who learned collaboratively in a professional learning community (PLC). Data were collected from 98 participants in four PLC groups, using a mixed-methods approach. Analysis of interviews (36), focus groups (46) and written reflections (355) yielded three main themes: professional contribution, personal contribution and challenges arising. Furthermore, significant differences were found between in-service and preservice teachers. The study findings highlight the implications of using video-based learning and simulations for teacher education and professional development in the context of teaching children with NDD.
While online learning offers a comfortable, flexible environment that promotes self-directed learning, its success depends on effective teaching practices. Grounded in self-determination theory, this study investigated how need-supportive teaching (NST) practices are related to student engagement and autonomous motivation in online settings. A multi-level analysis of 1588 secondary students revealed that after controlling for student and classroom-level factors, structure-supportive and involvement-supportive practices were directly associated with higher engagement. Furthermore, all three NST dimensions (autonomy, structure and involvement support) are significantly and positively linked to autonomous motivation, which in turn is positively linked to engagement. The findings underscore that intentional pedagogical strategies are crucial for harnessing the benefits of online learning, highlighting the importance of instructor practices that support students' psychological needs.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities were incited to adapt to the drastic transition to distance education as an effective response to an unprecedented necessity. Hence, the concern was to achieve distance educational resilience through preserving educational quality and minimising the side effects of this transition. To indicate how five high-ranked American universities, given their quintessential role worldwide, tackled this resilience, their approaches, conducts and pedagogies were examined through utilising ATLAS.ti software and reflexive thematic analysis. The findings showed achieving resilience demands not only instructors' content and pedagogical knowledge but also their context-sensitivity to the dynamics of their fields and students. This revitalised instructors' agency was shown to be constructed as a dynamic act in five macro strategies of inciting interactivity, envisioning a planned pedagogy, providing feedback and assessment, securing connectivity and grading alternatives. The study reveals that distance resilience as a construct requires sensitivity to students' educational needs.
Teachers' digital competence (TDC) is affected by personal and context-related factors. Although widely examined across educational levels, research on vocational education training (VET) remains scarce. This study aims to analyse the perceived level of TDC among basic VET teachers in the Basque Autonomous Community and to identify the main personal and contextual predictors influencing it. A quantitative study was conducted with 180 basic VET teachers. The results indicate that the perceived level of TDC among basic VET teachers is comparable to that reported in other educational contexts. Furthermore, in two dimensions of TDC the frequency of use of digital technology for teaching and learning processes was the most significant predictor, assessment-related factors and infrastructure showed a negative association with one dimension of TDC. These findings contribute to a better understanding of digital competence in VET and provide evidence to inform educational policy and teacher training programmes.
This paper examines how AI literacy is conceptualised in Swedish upper secondary school policy documents that govern a newly introduced AI subject. Drawing on Green's 3D literacy model comprising operational, cultural and critical dimensions, the authors analyse the curriculum and support materials to explore how these dimensions are represented and what this implies for teachers, teacher educators and students. The analysis shows a strong emphasis on operational literacy, some presence of cultural literacy and a limited focus on critical literacy, particularly its agentive dimension. The authors argue that this imbalance may constrain students' opportunities to critically engage with AI as a sociotechnical phenomenon and limit teachers' ability to support such engagement. The study contributes to international discussions on AI education by highlighting the need for a more holistic and critical approach to AI literacy, with implications for curriculum design, teacher preparation and educational policy.
Teacher education, reflective of the wider educational context, is becoming increasingly digitised. While digital tools have potential for developing practice, they also act on practice. This qualitative research study examined the use of a digital portfolio on a teacher education programme, applying postdigital and posthuman analytic frames to deepen understanding and identify pertinent factors. The digital portfolio was observed to be embedded in the social, cultural and material systems of its use. As a technological tool it sat in relation to the social and material classroom. It nudged practice in a new direction by fore-fronting digitally reified evidence. This subtly changed the nature of the related assessment practice. As digital technologies continue to shape education, this research provides an examination of a specific aspect of practice, identifying ways in which digital tools can act in, and on, the systems in which they are used.
The authors examine the factors that shape the continued use of Extended Reality (XR) technologies in engineering education, drawing on qualitative insights from faculty members at three Palestinian universities. Their analysis reveals seven interconnected themes influencing XR adoption: contextual conditions, social support, features of XR tools, individual dispositions, pedagogical innovation, future-oriented thinking, and overall attitudes towards technology. The findings highlight the importance of sustained professional development, dependable technical support and adequate infrastructure in enabling long-term XR integration. They also show that XR capabilities such as interactivity, visualisation and simulation strengthen instructional effectiveness and enhance student engagement. Faculty participants further stress the value of collegial collaboration, institutional backing and alignment between XR applications and learner-centred pedagogies. The study offers a nuanced understanding of how XR technologies become embedded within complex educational environments and provides actionable insights for policymakers and educational leaders aiming to expand immersive technologies in resource-limited higher education settings.
