This study examines preservice teachers’ evaluations of mentor teachers’ competencies during the teaching practicum, with particular attention to expectation–perception discrepancies across instructional planning, professional guidance, and practicum preparation. A quantitative survey design was employed with 367 preservice teachers enrolled in the 2024–2025 academic year. Data were collected using the validated Cooperating Teacher Competency Scale. Comparative and group-based analyses were conducted to identify gaps between expected and perceived mentor competencies. Preservice teachers reported consistently high expectations across all mentoring domains, particularly in practicum preparation. However, perceived mentor performance was significantly lower, most notably in professional guidance, where limited feedback and career-oriented support were reported. While expectations varied by gender, perceptions did not differ significantly. Mentor characteristics such as experience level and educational attainment were associated with more favorable evaluations, whereas contextual variables (e.g., class size, practicum frequency) showed no significant effects. The findings reveal a systematic expectation–reality gap in mentoring practices, highlighting the need to strengthen professional guidance competencies and to differentiate mentor development according to career stage.
In the context of high school education shifting from content-based instruction to competency-based learning, authentic assessment has emerged as a crucial approach to bridging school learning activities with real-life demands. This study employs bibliometric analysis to examine 140 publications indexed in the Scopus database from 1993 to 2024, aiming to analyze publication trends, collaboration structures, and thematic directions in this field. The findings reveal a significant increase in the volume of research output over the past decade, particularly since 2017, indicating a structural consolidation of the field. Indonesia has the highest volume of publications, while the United States and Australia demonstrate stronger citation impact, highlighting an imbalance between productivity and academic influence. Collaboration networks remain fragmented, with limited international co-authorship. The three major thematic categories of the study include: alternative assessment and active learning; holistic education and character building; information technology and contemporary assessment. Rather than isolated themes, these clusters collectively indicate a conceptual shift toward understanding authentic assessment as an integrated system linking performance tasks, curriculum alignment, and technology-supported feedback. Together, these findings clarify the evolving research structure and thematic integration that currently characterize authentic assessment in secondary education.
Organic waste management is a critical component of the transition toward a green economy, which seeks to balance economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social well-being. Although organic waste can be converted into valuable products such as compost and biogas, much of it remains unmanaged, causing environmental problems. In this context, science education plays an important role in developing ecological awareness from an early age, particularly through laboratory-based activities that provide direct and meaningful learning experiences. This study examines the implementation of science practicum activities related to organic waste management in junior high schools, focusing on their frequency, clarity of guidelines, and existing constraints, while also analyzing students’ perceptions, interests, and understanding of value-added waste within a green economy framework. A quantitative descriptive survey was conducted with 1,240 students from 21 schools, and data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed through descriptive statistics. The results indicate that practicum implementation is not yet optimal: 13.23% of students reported never participating in practicum activities, 37.42% found the guidelines unclear, and 68.39% had difficulty understanding the material. The main challenges include limited time, inadequate facilities, and inconsistent guidance. Nevertheless, students showed strong interest, particularly in outdoor activities (26.8%) and computer simulations (22.9%), while most students recognized both the importance of practicum activities (62.58%) and the economic potential of waste (65.5%). These findings highlight the need for standardized practicum modules, improved facilities, and teacher training, as well as the development of contextual and technology-integrated learning approaches.
While problem-solving is a critical cognitive competency in primary education, previous reviews have largely investigated pedagogical methods in isolation. A comprehensive synthesis mapping the intellectual interconnections between these diverse methodologies is currently lacking. This study addresses that gap by conducting a science mapping analysis to identify the foundational literature, research clusters, and emerging trajectories of problem-solving research in primary education. Utilizing data from the Web of Science, 435 relevant articles were analyzed via co-citation and co-occurrence mapping in VOSviewer. The co-citation analysis revealed two foundational intellectual pillars: (1) the integration of Computational Thinking (CT) through programming and robotics, and (2) the management of cognitive load and self-regulation. Furthermore, the co-occurrence analysis identified a clear paradigm shift toward collaborative, technology-integrated pedagogies, specifically highlighting STEM/STEAM and game-based learning as emerging frontiers. These findings indicate a transition in the literature from traditional heuristic frameworks to digital-age cognitive strategies. This study provides actionable insights for researchers and curriculum developers aiming to align primary education with evidence-based, 21st-century problem-solving methodologies.
The increasingly widespread use of Large Language Models (LLMs) in education creates opportunities for further investigation into epistemic reasoning abilities, particularly the characteristics of mental models. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the mental models of LLMs, specifically the AI models DeepSeek and ChatGPT. The technologies were also compared to students in relation to the phenomena of floating, suspending, and sinking using descriptive-quantitative and a partial descriptive analysis. This study was conducted in a descriptive-quantitative design employing a cross-sectional comparative design. The quantitative analysis compares test scores across all subject groups, while the descriptive analysis is used to characterize students’ and AIs’ mental models. The study subjects consisted of 709 students and 120 chats for two AI models as respondents. Each AI was treated as comprising 60 respondents, with the item–test pair regarded as a distinct, independent chat instance. Based on the data analysis, mental models of students were predominantly categorized as initial, with only a limited decline following an increase in educational level. This decline was accompanied by a similarly limited increase in the proportion of scientific mental models, showing a modest influence of curricular interventions experienced by the students. The AI models exhibited higher proportions of scientific categories, but the mental models showed inconsistency when contexts changed, and the underlying aspects remained the same. Therefore, the reasoning was not classified as global coherence. The students and the AI models exhibited misapplications of density-based reasoning and Archimedes’ principle in several cases or phenomena presented in the test. The results showed that students and AI models have limitations in their mental models.
This study aims to analyze the factors that influence accounting students’ intention and actual behavior regarding the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) for learning, using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) 3 framework. The respondents of the study were 256 accounting and accounting education students in Semarang City, Indonesia. The data collection technique was a questionnaire distributed via WhatsApp groups. Data was analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results show that students’ intention to use AI is driven by performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and habit, while price value, hedonic motivation, personal innovativeness, ICT experience, and competence are insignificant. Actual AI use is mainly influenced by facilitating conditions and habits, with no mediating role of intention for personal innovativeness, ICT experience, or ICT competence. This study extends UTAUT 3 by showing that AI adoption in accounting education is more strongly shaped by contextual and habitual factors than by individual innovativeness or ICT competence.
University students' ability to identify deepfakes and AI-generated content has become educationally relevant, yet the mechanisms through which AI literacy translates into detection competence are not well understood outside North American and European contexts. This study investigated those mechanisms in a sample of 7,259 undergraduate students from 18 Peruvian universities using a mediation and moderation model. PROCESS Model 4 and Model 58 were applied with bias-corrected bootstrapping (5,000 resamples). AI literacy had a significant direct effect on deepfake identification ability (β = 0.524, p < .001). Deepfake awareness (indirect effect = 0.140, 95% CI [0.113, 0.168]) and verification strategies (indirect effect = 0.075, 95% CI [0.056, 0.095]) both mediated this relationship significantly. Prior AI exposure strengthened detection performance, while high digital media consumption without critical training weakened it (β = −0.089, p < .001). The model accounted for 51.0% of the variance in identification ability. AI literacy alone does not produce reliable detection competence; structured training in synthetic content awareness and active verification habits is required, and these findings carry direct implications for curriculum design in Peruvian and broader Latin American higher education.
Despite the central role of music teacher educators in preparing future teachers, little is known about how they conceptualize and enact the transmission of musical culture in schools. To address this, the present study draws on the development of the academic discipline of didactics in continental Europe, which provides a framework for theorizing the multifaceted task of music teacher educators. It contributes to the field of disciplinary didactics in music by offering detailed analyses of interviews and descriptions of how teacher educators conceive of their task in institutions specialized for this purpose. The thematic analyses allow for an overview of core didactic phenomena that characterize the professional work of music teacher educators. The participants share a common understanding of song leading as a key practice, and they report on strategies for activities and tools to transpose musical content into teachable and learnable forms for schools. Their reports on how they conceive of and organize the social practice of songs and teaching song leading offer insights into the dynamics of the ternary didactic system consisting of teachers, subject matter, and students. The findings invite reflection on central didactic phenomena and concepts in the transmission of music in schools. The resulting conceptual framework with subject-specific vocabulary contributes to the further development of music didactics as an academic discipline and practice.
This study aims to investigate the impact of a virtual reality (VR) laboratory on senior high school students’ creative self-beliefs and academic achievement. This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest, posttest, non-equivalent comparison group design. A total of seventy-two 11th-grade students (51 females and 21 males), aged 15–17 years, from a public high school in Jakarta, Indonesia, during the 2023–2024 academic year, were selected as the sample. Two intact classes were chosen as the sample using convenience sampling. The control group was taught using experimental videos, while the experimental group was instructed using a VR laboratory, both addressing the topic of chemical equilibrium. The creative self-beliefs scale and the academic achievement test were employed to collect the data. The pretest and posttest data were analyzed using ANCOVA and Quade’s ANCOVA tests. The findings demonstrated that, after controlling for initial differences, students in the experimental group achieved statistically significant gains in both creative self-beliefs and academic achievement compared with those in the control group. These findings suggest that creative self-beliefs and learning achievement can be enhanced by implementing VR laboratories as an innovative approach to support teaching and learning. Based on these findings, it is recommended that teachers use a VR laboratory to improve students’ learning outcomes in chemistry.
Understanding geometric figures requires the coordination of visualisation, construction, and reasoning processes. While Duval’s framework of geometrical figure apprehension (GFA) has been widely discussed, limited research has examined how it can be operationalised in teacher professional development and systematically assessed in students’ learning. This study investigates the effects of a teacher professional development programme grounded in Duval’s GFA and introduces a newly developed assessment instrument designed to measure students’ coordination of apprehension types. A quasi-experimental design was employed with 88 seventh-grade students and four teachers from Croatian primary schools. Data were collected through pre- and post-testing using an eight-task instrument and analysed with non-parametric statistical methods. Results show statistically significant improvements in the experimental group compared to the control group, particularly in the overall coordination of perceptual, sequential, discursive, and operative apprehensions. The findings indicate that structured teacher support and targeted task design positively influence students’ geometric reasoning. The study contributes by demonstrating how Duval’s theoretical framework can be operationalised in classroom practice and by providing a validated instrument for assessing geometrical figure apprehension in school geometry.
Artificial Intelligence Literacy (AIL) has become a significant aspect of present education, yet its development among students remains varied despite the fast-growing integration of AI technologies in higher education. Previous researches have explored the various factors enabling technology adoption, but few have worked on examining AIL using a behavioral framework such as the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). This gap provides a blind spot in understanding the influence of attitudes, social pressures, and perceived control collectively in shaping the readiness of students to co-learn with AI. Hence, the present study used TPB to analyze the levels of endorsement of AI using the TPB constructs and AIL. This study examined each construct of TPB and showed consistently high mean scores, indicating strong student endorsement for AI integration and generally high levels of AIL. The results also validate TPB by highlighting how personal and social factors—including culturally rooted internal agency values influence the development of AIL. This study underscores the significance of designing self-directed, flexible, and inquiry-based curricula that integrate AI and foster co-learning engagements responsive to the needs of the Filipino college students.
Although recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of Eco-Schools (Eco), limited empirical evidence has supported how this program influences environmental knowledge and attitudes. This study aimed to confirm the quantitative findings from previous studies and further explore students’ learning experiences to provide a more in-depth understanding. Thus, a mixed-methods study with the sequential explanatory design was applied, integrating qualitative insights following quantitative comparisons between Eco and Non-Eco students. In the quantitative phase, 354 students were randomly taken from the grade 9 student population in Eco-Schools and non-eco schools. Quantitative findings showed that students in Eco-Schools had significantly higher environmental knowledge and attitudes’ scores compared to those in non-eco schools (p < .05). A positive correlation between environmental knowledge and attitudes was also observed in all schools (p < .05). In the qualitative phase, eight volunteer students in Eco were purposively selected to participate in a focus group discussion. Qualitative findings revealed that interdisciplinary approach, direct experiences through environmental actions, and social interactions within school and community contexts were the key strategies in Eco programs, enhancing environmental knowledge and attitudes. This study has highlighted the crucial role of eco-practices such as sustainable agricultural activities in the Thai context. These findings have suggested that experiential learning, action competence, and social cognitive theory serve as theoretical foundations for designing effective environmental practices in education.
Strengthening Pancasila values in the digital era requires contextual learning strategies that motivate students to think critically and act ethically in digital spaces. This study aims to examine the design and implementation of gamification, the deep learning approach, and their impact on digital citizenship competency in Pancasila Education learning. The research subjects were fourth- and fifth-grade elementary school students selected through purposive sampling techniques. Data collection techniques included observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis used an interactive model through three stages: data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that: (1) Gamification in Pancasila values learning creates an enjoyable learning atmosphere with the active involvement of teachers as facilitators; (2) The deep learning approach strengthens students’ critical understanding of Pancasila values in real life; and (3) Learning positively impacts digital citizenship competencies, including students’ ethics, participation, and digital awareness. The conclusion of this study indicates that the integration of gamification and a deep learning approach contributes to shaping Pancasila-oriented character and meaningfully enhances the digital skills of elementary school students.
A revolutionary technology impacting the field of science, engineering, and education is Quantum computing. Quantum Computing in education is a discipline regarding its application to teaching and learning. The focus of the paper is a bibliometric analysis of academic literature on quantum computing in education to identify the intellectual structure thereof, patterns of growth, and future research perspectives. It is based on the Scopus database as a primary source of data. It covers 104 relevant publications published during 2011-2025. They were sorted and analyzed with the help of Bibliometrix package and its Biblioshiny interface in R to show the annual trends of publications. The findings indicate that quantum computing education is becoming of academic interest, and the number of research materials is growing rapidly since 2020. The highly interdisciplinary nature, with engineering, computer science, physics, and social sciences, respectively, playing the dominant role. There is a transition towards more basic quantum concepts into applied educational concepts, such as curriculum development, engineering education, teaching practices, and student learning. The paper has an important implication for researchers, teachers, and policy formulators. It also outlines the direction of future research that can be used to advance the sustainable development of quantum computing education.
Essential skills, including collaboration, environmental awareness, and digital literacy, are central to 21st-century learning. However, science education often lacks the systematic integration of innovative technologies and sustainability-oriented approaches. This study systematically reviews empirical research on the integration of augmented reality (AR) and education for sustainable development (ESD) aimed at enhancing these competencies. Following the PRISMA framework, 21 Scopus-indexed articles published between 2015 and 2025 were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The findings indicate a substantial increase in publications after 2020, with Indonesia and Spain as leading contributors. Most studies were situated in science education and computer science, employing quasi-experimental and research-and-development methodologies. While all studies addressed Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 (quality education), several also targeted SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production) and SDG 13 (climate action). Reported outcomes include improvements in conceptual understanding, learning motivation, and environmental awareness. Collaborative skills and transformative learning, defined as shifts in learners’ perspectives and behaviors through reflective practice, remain relatively underexplored. This review underscores the need for interdisciplinary research that integrates AR with social, ethical, and human-centered approaches, offering insights for innovative instructional design in science and sustainability education.
This research aims to assess EFL learners’ acceptance of employing ChatGPT in their academic writing classes. The research adopted the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as the theoretical framework to assess the learners’ perceptions of using ChatGPT in academic writing. As ChatGPT becomes more common in educational settings, little empirical research has examined how EFL learners view and adopt it for academic writing, especially when analyzed using the Technology Acceptance Model. The researchers distributed an online survey that consisted of items adapted from previous research. The researchers used SPSS to analyze the data collected from a sample consisting of 106 EFL learners. The analysis revealed a positive association between the learners’ experience with ChatGPT and their positive perception of its effectiveness in their writing. Additionally, findings showed that EFL learners who perceived ChatGPT as a useful tool and easy to use are likely to have positive attitudes towards it. Investigating EFL learners’ adoption of ChatGPT in academic writing and their attitudes towards it is an addition to the literature. The research highlighted some limitations and provided recommendations for future research.
This study presents a bibliometric analysis of research on role-playing games (RPGs) as pedagogical tools for enhancing English as a Second Language (ESL) learning in higher education. Using the Web of Science database, 201 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2015 and 2024 were analysed to map publication trends, intellectual structures, and emerging research themes. Bibliometric techniques, including performance analysis, bibliographic coupling, and keyword co-occurrence analysis, were conducted using VOSviewer. The findings reveal a steady growth in publications and citations, indicating increasing scholarly interest in RPG-based learning. Performance analysis identifies leading journals, institutions, and countries contributing to the field, with strong research output from Asia, Europe, and North America. Bibliographic coupling uncovers four dominant research clusters: (a) RPGs for cognitive, emotional, and professional skill development; (b) gamification, classroom management, and narrative learning; (c) student motivation and engagement in game-based environments; and (d) technology-enhanced RPGs incorporating augmented reality, Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs), and intelligent tutoring systems. Keyword co-occurrence analysis highlights recurring themes such as gamification, motivation, performance, and higher education, reflecting the dual role of RPGs as both technological innovations and pedagogical strategies. Overall, the results demonstrate that RPGs are increasingly recognised as student-centred instructional tools that support language acquisition, engagement, collaboration, and socio-emotional development among ESL undergraduates. The study provides empirical insights into curriculum design, instructional innovation, and educational technology integration, advancing inclusive, high-quality higher education in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education).
International debates on inclusive education frequently rely on segregation-based indicators to evaluate educational systems. However, such measures may not fully capture how specialized provision is organized within diverse institutional contexts. This study examines the relationship between pupil population density and enrollment patterns in special needs schools and classes across Japan’s 47 prefectures. Using administrative data from 2007 and 2023, the study employs prefectural-level quantitative analyses, including correlation tests and paired-samples comparisons, to identify regional patterns. The results reveal a strong proportional relationship between pupil population density and the distribution of special needs schools, whereas enrollment rates in special needs classes show no systematic association with population density. Both forms of enrollment increased significantly over time, with special needs classes expanding more rapidly and exhibiting greater regional variation. These findings suggest that commonly used segregation-based indicators should be interpreted with caution, as they may not fully reflect the structural complexity of inclusive education systems. Rather than providing definitive judgments about inclusion, the study highlights the importance of considering demographic and institutional contexts when evaluating educational placement patterns. By introducing pupil-based population density as an analytical lens, this research contributes to ongoing discussions on inclusive education indicators and offers a critical empirical perspective from Japan.
This study examines the impact of short-term European mobility on adult learners within the Erasmus+ Programme, addressing a research gap as existing literature has predominantly focused on students and youth. The purpose of this study is to systematically explore the range of learning outcomes experienced by participants in mobility activities in adult education. An exploratory qualitative research design was employed, using problem-centred interviews and qualitative content analysis. The sample consisted of 24 adult learners from Austria, Germany, Latvia, and Slovenia. The findings reveal a broad spectrum of outcomes. Across all cases, mobility strongly fostered intercultural learning, social connections, wellbeing, independent living skills, and communication in multilingual contexts. In contrast, outcomes related to environmental awareness and vocational skills varied depending on the thematic focus of the mobility activity and participants’ individual backgrounds. The study provides an empirically grounded overview of the potential impact areas of Erasmus+ mobility for adults and highlights its transformative role in fostering lifelong learning. These findings contribute to a better understanding of adult learning processes in international mobility contexts and offer implications for the design of future Erasmus+ programmes.
This study aims to enhance early childhood mathematics learning independence by developing artificial intelligence (AI)-based learning media at Santa Maria Kindergarten, Surabaya. Mathematics is a fundamental skill that can be used to solve problems in everyday life, so it needs to be taught from an early age. However, some find it difficult, so technology, particularly AI, is needed in early childhood education, particularly for mathematics learning. The research method used is the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation (ADDIE) development model. The research subjects consisted of 41 children in group B. Based on the results of the pretest and posttest conducted, the average increase of 12.78% indicates that the AI-based learning approach is effective in strengthening the concept of independent learning. These results indicate that the use of AI-based media is effective in improving early childhood learning independence and understanding of basic mathematical concepts. This media provides an adaptive learning environment that provides immediate feedback and adjusts challenges to suit the child's abilities.
