Student engagement is a multidimensional construct critical for academic success in higher education, yet most measurement instruments were developed in Western contexts and lack validation for non-Western settings, particularly regarding agentic engagement. This study adapted and validated a multidimensional student engagement instrument for Mongolian university students using a four-phase explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. The initial 38-item instrument combined Lam et al.'s (2014) Student Engagement Scale and Reeve and Tseng's (2011) Agentic Engagement Scale. Following translation, exploratory factor analysis (EFA; N = 216) identified 16 problematic items. Targeted cognitive interviews (N = 9) traced these item failures to contextual ambiguity, cultural inappropriateness, and construct reconceptualization. Evidence-based item revision was followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; N = 275) with an independent sample. CFA supported a 20-item, four-factor model with excellent fit (χ²(163) = 247.89, p < .001; CFI = .968; TLI = .962; RMSEA = .043; SRMR = .057), strong reliability (subscale α = .839–.877; total α = .918), and adequate convergent and discriminant validity. Notably, agentic engagement emerged as a psychometrically sound and empirically distinct dimension despite Mongolia's traditionally teacher-centered pedagogical culture, challenging deficit-oriented assumptions about student agency in non-Western contexts. The relatively independent nature of behavioral engagement suggests that attendance-based participation may be normatively driven rather than reflective of deeper cognitive or affective involvement. The validated scale addresses a critical measurement gap in Mongolian higher education and offers a replicable mixed-methods validation framework applicable to other non-Western, resource-limited contexts.
As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms higher education, balancing academic integrity with learner autonomy has become essential for responsible technological engagement. Despite increasing AI adoption in academic settings, gaps remain in understanding how different stakeholder groups perceive the ethical use of AI and what factors influence their support for institutional technology policies. This study addresses these gaps by examining university stakeholders’ perceptions of ethical AI integration in higher education. A descriptive-comparative quantitative design and cross-sectional survey were used to collect data from educators and students across six campus sites in one of the largest university systems in the Philippines. The study aimed to determine (a) respondents’ demographic profiles, (b) their perceptions of the ethical use of AI, and (c) whether significant differences existed in these perceptions when demographic variables were considered. Results showed that faculty members generally maintained a neutral stance toward AI integration (M = 3.03; SD = 0.66), while students expressed stronger agreement with positive statements about AI use (M = 3.53; SD = 0.63). Both groups identified Potential Risk Management as the top priority and disagreed that AI could replace educators, while also acknowledging its potential to create unfair advantages. Significant differences in agreement with AI policy were observed across age, role, and campus affiliation. The study summarizes its findings in an “Arc Model,” which highlights the need for collective action to promote responsible AI use while maintaining ethical and academic integrity standards.
Formative assessment literacy is crucial for effective language instruction; however, its relationship with teachers’ reflective practice remains underexplored, particularly within the Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. To address this empirical gap, the present study investigated the differences in formative assessment literacy and actual classroom implementation between high- and low-reflective Iranian EFL instructors. Using an extreme-groups comparative design, 60 teachers (comprising 30 high-reflective and 30 low-reflective individuals) selected from an initial cohort of 200 educators using the Reflective Teaching Questionnaire. Data were systematically gathered utilizing the Teacher Formative Assessment Literacy Scale, the Teacher Formative Assessment Practice Scale, and a researcher-developed classroom observation checklist with established reliability. Quantitative analyses revealed that high-reflective teachers demonstrated significantly greater formative assessment literacy compared to their low-reflective counterparts. Furthermore, both self-reported data and independent classroom observations confirmed that the high-reflective group exhibited substantially stronger formative assessment implementation. Ultimately, the findings demonstrate a clear association between reflective teaching and enhanced formative assessment competence, underscoring the importance of continuous reflective practice for strengthening formative assessment in EFL classrooms.
Computer-based assessments produce extensive data that offer insight into student outcomes and how they perform tasks. However, scientific thinking studies tend to use a variable-centered approach that focuses on test scores while neglecting student efforts. This study adopted a person-centered approach to investigate scientific thinking during assessments. The sample was 200 seventh- to ninth-grade students (aged 13–14) in Kenya. A computer-based test battery was administered that included scientific reasoning, deductive reasoning, and control of variables tests. Four distinct effort profiles were identified through latent profile analysis and the Bolck–Croon–Hagenaars method: highly engaged, moderately engaged, selectively engaged in control of variables only, and selectively engaged in reasoning only. High-engaged students generally exhibited higher performance. Furthermore, effort patterns differed between tasks, with some students maintaining a stable effort level and others adjusting in response to task demands. These findings highlight a substantial heterogeneity among learners, underscoring the value of process data and person-centered approaches to inform more responsive science education.
This study presents the first systematic analysis of strategic adaptation patterns among Ukrainian higher education institutions (HEIs) during the ongoing war, based on responses from 135 institutional experts with an exceptional completion rate of 97.21%. Employing a three-phase mixed-methods analytical framework, we analyzed survey data collected between 2024 and 2025 to identify institutional response patterns and strategic priorities during active conflict. Our analysis reveals seven distinct institutional clusters with exceptional statistical separation (silhouette coefficient = 0.955), indicating highly differentiated strategic approaches rather than uniform crisis responses. Text mining of 15 open-ended questions using Ukrainian natural language processing identified three dominant thematic priorities: infrastructure development (298 mentions), educational excellence (276 mentions), and societal engagement (211 mentions). Experience level emerged as the primary predictor of strategic choices, explaining 55.8% of feature importance in digital transformation adoption. The convergence of quantitative clustering and qualitative thematic analysis validates a multi-dimensional crisis response framework. These findings challenge assumptions of monolithic institutional responses to crisis, revealing instead a complex landscape of differentiated strategies shaped primarily by institutional experience and professional maturity. The results have significant implications for post-war recovery policies, suggesting that one-size-fits-all approaches will be insufficient and that differentiated support mechanisms tailored to distinct institutional clusters are essential for effective reconstruction of Ukrainian higher education.
The didactic use of digital technologies in higher education often fails to achieve its intended impact because their effectiveness depends on how technologies are implemented. This systematic review seeks to identify the most common didactic models adopted by higher education teachers in digital education and to assess their associated benefits and challenges. After screening, a total of 19 studies were included. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework predominated with 10 studies, followed by constructivist models with 2 studies, while seven alternative approaches, including Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation), didactical tetrahedron and others, were represented by a single study each.The adoption of these didactic frameworks benefits teachers by enabling them to tailor instruction to diverse technological tools and student needs, support student-centred learning environments, enhance engagement and assessment processes, promote reflective teaching practices, and foster interdisciplinary connections. However, identified challenges include inadequate institutional support, disparities in digital competence, the need for reliable assessment tools, and difficulties in maintaining student motivation in fully online settings.We found that heterogeneity in model definitions and study contexts limited comparability across studies. TPACK remains the dominant digital didactic framework, but underexplored models offer complementary insights into technology-enhanced learning. We advise that future research should explore context-specific adaptations and also hybrid approaches as well.
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has become increasingly significant in business and economics disciplines due to their focus on production, consumption, and economic policy. However, integration of sustainability into these curricula in universities remains uneven, especially in contexts like South Africa, where socio-political and economic challenges intersect with environmental concerns. This paper explores how faculty in South African universities understand, experience, and embed sustainability in business and economics teaching. Drawing on interviews with faculty from three institutions, we investigate definitions of sustainability, perceived barriers and opportunities, pedagogical strategies, and contextual influences. Findings reveal that sustainability is often viewed as peripheral, with understandings rooted primarily in economic concerns, complicated by limited student awareness, resource constraints, and lack of curriculum guidance. While some faculty demonstrate personal commitment to sustainability, their efforts are largely unsupported by institutional or governmental frameworks. The socio-economic context of South Africa, including poverty, corruption, and post-apartheid inequalities, shapes how sustainability is understood and prioritised, leading to tensions between economic development and environmental protection. Decolonisation and Africanisation efforts further challenge dominant western sustainability narratives. The study highlights the disconnect between international sustainability agendas and local realities, underscoring the need for contextually appropriate ESD approaches in business and economics. It offers original insight into how faculty negotiate complex educational, political, and cultural landscapes to embed sustainability in teaching, and contributes to the emerging body of literature on ESD in African higher education. Findings have implications for policy, curriculum development, and faculty support both within South Africa and other emerging economies.
Board games have been examined in the context of mathematics education from various perspectives. Neuroscience considerations imply that board games can serve as a tool for improving the mathematical thinking of students in a sensitive period of brain development between the ages of 12 and 24. This suggests that secondary school can be an optimal environment for implementing board games to foster mathematical skills.In this study, we investigate the potential benefits of the implementation of board games in the regular, obligatory mathematics classroom work. The participants were 10th-grade students (N = 170) from four schools. The experimental group (N = 79) spent one of their four weekly mathematics lessons playing with commercial board games, having 9 board game sessions altogether during the intervention. Meanwhile, the control group (N = 91) continued with traditional mathematics lessons. Both groups completed pre- and post-tests on logical and geometrical skills, as well as uniform topic tests on the material covered during the experiment.Our results show that the experimental group performed at least as well on the logical tests as the control group did, while outperforming them on the topic tests. In terms of geometrical skills, students in the experimental group demonstrated significant improvement in 3 of the 4 schools, while members of the control group did not show improvement. The rate of improvement varied among schools. Based on these findings, incorporating appropriate board games into mathematics lessons can enhance students' mathematical skills. However, further research is needed to explore this topic more deeply.
Teacher recognition programs are related to faculty development and quality assurance policies in higher education institutions. They are implemented to acknowledge and value teaching work, disseminate good practices, and improve the quality of learning processes. However, the available literature on teacher recognition programs in higher education appears to be fragmented and heterogeneous, which poses an obstacle to systematically identifying aspects that are relevant to the teacher recognition process. In this context, the main objective of this scoping review protocol is to identify the available scholarly literature on teacher recognition programs in higher education institutions, taking into account their selection criteria, the types of incentives provided, and the reported outcomes. The review follows the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and adheres to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A systematic search will be conducted in selected databases—Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, LILACS, SciELO, Google, CORE, BASE, and GreyNet—and complemented by the reference lists of the selected documents in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and French. Descriptive statistical analysis and thematic analysis will be conducted. The findings will be organized and mapped both narratively and visually using tables, charts, flow diagrams, and summaries. The scoping review will describe the search process and its results, the selection of studies, the synthesis process, and the findings. The planned review will examine teacher recognition programs in universities and their contributions, as well as to explore potential practical implications. This protocol was registered on Open Science Framework. The registry number is osf.io/yuv26.
Executive functions (EF)—working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility and planning—constitute the cognitive infrastructure of mathematical learning. Motivated by recent international assessments in which many Latin-American pupils scored below basic numeracy standards; this systematic review examines how EF relate to mathematics performance in primary school. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we searched six major databases, screened 1,490 records and retained 37 empirical studies published between 2009 and 2025. Methodological quality was appraised using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale, with 78 % of studies were rated high quality.Across longitudinal and cross-sectional research, studies consistently reported small-to-moderate associations between EF and mathematical performance. Visuospatial and verbal-numeric working memory showed the strongest relationships, while inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility contributed to problem-solving and strategy use. Socio-economic disadvantage was commonly linked to weaker EF development and lower mathematics outcomes, whereas bilingual experience appeared to confer advantages via enhanced inhibition and flexibility. Intervention studies integrating EF-focused activities into math instruction reported improvements in arithmetic fluency, attention control and strategy switching, consistent with near transfer, understood here as improvements in skills closely related to the specifically trained EF component.By integrating recent studies published in English and Spanish, applying uniform quality criteria, and incorporating both correlational and intervention research, this review refines the current understanding of how EF support mathematical learning. Findings highlight the potential of embedding EF-supportive practices into everyday numeracy instruction, particularly in socioeconomically vulnerable contexts.
Deliberative democracy theories emphasise the importance of communicative engagement in civic opinion formation. Therefore, civic education should enable students with the skills to participate in deliberative processes, fostering argumentation literacy understood as both a linguistic and a political competence. This study examines how a teaching unit designed to promote transactive dialogue among 8th and 9th-grade (ISCED 2) students influences the quality of classroom debates. The unit combined a modified version of Gronostay’s argumentation training, teacher-designed thematic input, and a structured fishbowl debate format. Conducted during the 2022–2023 school year, the study involved four experienced teachers and their respective classes. Despite identical training and debate structures, the quality of student debates varied substantially across classrooms. All discussions began with one-sided arguments, but some evolved into extended critical and responsive exchanges, reflecting a higher level of transactive dialogue. This variation may be attributed to differences in the thematic input provided by each teacher, suggesting that the nature of didactic scaffolding merits further investigation.
This qualitative research examines the pedagogical and linguistic challenges faced by non-native speakers of the target dialect in teaching Turkish to learners of different Turkish dialects, such as Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Turkmen and Azerbaijani. The study was designed with a phenomenological approach; data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 30 instructors working at a university in Kazakhstan. The findings show that linguistic proximity between dialects facilitates vocabulary learning and oral communication; however, misleading similarities such as “false equivalence” lead to ambiguities and conceptual errors. Phonetic and grammatical differences create significant difficulties, especially in listening and writing skills. Instructors’ perception of inadequacy in the target dialect causes them to prefer textbook-dependent and controlled teaching practices. The strategies developed by the instructors are grouped under four main themes: inter-dialect transfer, structured guidance, realistic goal setting and conservatism in the use of materials. While common language roots support teaching, structural and phonological differences necessitate learner-centered and flexible approaches. This study offers original contributions to the literature by focusing on the role of non-native instructors in intra-dialect teaching contexts. It highlights the importance of pedagogical flexibility, cultural sensitivity and comparative language strategies. Accordingly, the study seeks to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the linguistic and pedagogical difficulties and conveniences encountered by non-native instructors? (2) Which dialects are found most difficult in terms of language features? (3) Which language skills are most challenging? (4) What are the instructors’ self-efficacy perceptions? (5) What strategies do they employ?
Although the mental health and well-being of teachers have been examined extensively, fewer studies have focused on teachers in basic education, particularly at the primary and secondary levels in Latin America. This study examines stressors that affected the mental health and well-being of Colombian teachers during the crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the coping mechanisms they used to address the problems they faced. Qualitative data were collected through focus groups with 36 Colombian teachers working in primary and secondary schools. The results underscore the substantial impact of pre-existing structural and social inequalities on Colombian teachers’ mental health and well-being, particularly in contexts of heightened vulnerability. Furthermore, the presence of complex relationships, idealised perceptions of their role, and personal factors contributed to a decline in their well-being. The results also indicate that teachers navigated the multifaceted challenges of the pandemic through coping mechanisms spanning familial, institutional, and intrapersonal domains that were often deeply personal. The findings underscore the necessity of implementing sustainable and ongoing policies that prioritize primary and secondary teachers' mental health and well-being.
Early academic tracking, in which students are placed into different classes or tracks based on academic ability, has been shown to reproduce social inequalities and shape long-term educational opportunities. Although the effectiveness of tracking has been widely studied, less is known about how future teachers recall and interpret their own tracking experiences, who may unintentionally perpetuate inequalities they themselves have possibly experienced. This study investigated retrospective perceptions of full-curriculum tracking experiences to explore issues related to educational equity. A content analysis of 93 questionnaire responses from pre-service primary teachers enrolled in non-academic bachelor’s degree programmes in the Netherlands revealed positive socio-affective, cognitive, and relational perceptions, along with negative perceptions regarding (academic) self-concept and identity. Trends across three retrospective moments were also identified and categorised as consistently positive, consistently negative, and mixed perceptions. Most respondents reported mixed perceptions, suggesting that tracking experiences are highly individualised and shaped by a combination of interrelated factors. These findings highlight the need for teacher education programmes to encourage critical reflection on tracking and its implications for educational equity.
Purpose: In Bangladesh, there is a high prevalence of harsh child discipline among children. Previous literature has shown a strong relationship between cognitive development and harsh parental discipline. This study examines the link between harsh disciplinary methods and children’s educational outcomes. Objectives: This study examines whether harsh child discipline significantly affects children’s literacy and numeracy while controlling for mediating and moderating variables. Methodology: The study utilizes data from the MICS 2019 survey in Bangladesh. The survey included eight variables representing the harsh child discipline the mother applies to the child. These variables and polychoric principal component analysis are employed to construct a Harsh Child Discipline Index (HCDI). Five indicators related to children’s numeracy and literacy levels were included. Negative Binomial regression was used to estimate how harsh child discipline impacts children’s numeracy and literacy levels, controlling for socio-economic variables. Findings: The findings demonstrate that, after controlling for mediating and moderating variables, increasing HCDI decreases the numeracy and literacy level of the child. The HCDI increased mistakes in reading and recognizing numbers by 20.3% (P value < 0.0010), 8.1% (P value < 0.0010) for comparing between numbers, 4.4% (P value < 0.0010) for finding the following number in the sequence, 22.6% (P value < 0.0010) in reading words, and 15.5% (P value < 0.0010) in answering reading comprehension questions. Conclusion: This study provides meaningful empirical evidence that harsh child discipline has a detrimental impact on children’s educational outcomes, underscoring the crucial role of nonviolent and supportive parenting in fostering better child development.
High-quality professional experience, guided by expert mentor teachers, is critical to the successful transition and long-term retention of pre-service teachers in the profession. Effective mentor teacher written feedback is central to this process, supporting pre-service teachers to meet course requirements and become profession ready. However, in the post-pandemic context, marked by teacher shortages, many final-year pre-service teachers have not received quality written feedback that meaningfully supports their professional growth. This study aimed to understand the significance of written feedback in supporting high-quality professional experience placements, with a focus on the written feedback provided by the mentor teachers in the final professional experience written report template. A research-informed framework was conceptualised to evaluate and critique the feedback opportunities presented by these written report templates. The analysis revealed a need for redesigning the written report templates to encourage mentor teachers to provide targeted, meaningful, research-informed feedback.
This scoping review highlights the intricate relationship between the social and academic dimensions of educational interventions. Spanning the subjects of mathematics, literacy and science in primary and lower secondary school (ages 5–15), the interventions actively integrate collaboration and inclusive practices to improve learning outcomes and enhance students’ social participation. The review further investigates how researchers describe, operationalise and evaluate the social and academic dimensions of socio-academic interventions, and how the two dimensions influence each other. Although the studies analysed vary greatly in terms of how they define and measure these dimensions, they consistently demonstrate that fostering strong socio-academic environments simultaneously benefits both dimensions. In addition, the dialogic interactions, physical activity and self-reflection covered in the studies exemplify how social engagement reinforces academic performance and vice versa. Despite a search yielding 557 articles, only 11 directly addressed both academic achievement and social skills and well-being, and of those 11, none closely explored how the two domains support each other. This shortfall underscores the need for more integrated research and for practices that promote students’ holistic development by connecting social and academic goals more effectively.
This article examines the gap between the theory and practice of creativity in education. While creativity is valued as a key 21st-century skill, misconceptions and lack of training hinder its implementation in schools. The study investigates how Swiss secondary school teachers perceive and apply creativity in teaching, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. It explores teachers’ understanding of creativity, existing pedagogical practices, and challenges faced. Findings reveal that while teachers acknowledge creativity’s importance and strive to integrate it, they encounter obstacles such as limited resources, time constraints, and insufficient institutional support. The study highlights the need for better training and systemic changes to enhance creativity in education.
School attendance in Somalia remains critically low and is marked by significant regional disparities, hindering national development and perpetuating cycles of poverty. This study investigates the individual, household, and geographical determinants of school attendance and maps its spatial patterns across Somalia to inform targeted interventions. Utilizing data from the 2023 Somalia Integrated Household Budget Survey (SIHBS) covering 13,329 children, this research employed multilevel logistic regression and spatial statistical techniques (Global Moran’s I, Local Moran’s I, and Getis-Ord Gi*). Results revealed profound geographical clustering of school non-attendance (Global Moran’s I = 0.597, p < .001). Significant hot spots of non-attendance were identified in southern and southwestern regions, including Bakool (76.6% non-attendance) and Shabeellaha Dhexe (87.3% non-attendance), while cold spots with better attendance were found in areas like Woqooyi Galbeed (43.1% non-attendance) and Sool (42.9% non-attendance). Multilevel models indicated that older age (attendance drops from 93.9% for 5–10 year-olds to 35.9% for 21–25 year-olds), being female (β = -0.307, p < .001), qat consumption (β = -3.422, p < .001), and working for pay (β = -1.955, p < .001) were significantly associated with lower school attendance. Conversely, literacy (β = 5.816, p < .001) was a strong positive predictor. A substantial portion of the variance in attendance was attributable to household-level differences (ICC = 52.5% in the full model). The findings underscore that school attendance in Somalia is shaped by a complex interplay of multi-level factors and exhibits stark spatial inequities. This evidence highlights the necessity for geographically targeted, context-specific policies that address both individual/household vulnerabilities and broader structural barriers to improve educational access and equity across Somalia.
Although task-based language teaching (TBLT) has long been the approach of choice for many second- and foreign-language educators, researchers have continued to examine ways to enhance student task engagement in that setting. This study employs multimodal conversation analysis (MCA) to explore one such strategy: the incorporation of an experiential narrative as a “topic-authentication” practice in TBLT classrooms. We first focus on the significance of inserting a task preliminary in the pre-task segment, followed by the use of topic authentication as a task preliminary—a practice in which the teacher shares a question, account, or narrative relevant to the topic of the task prior to initiating it. Our particular emphasis is on instructors’ provision of experiential narratives as topic authentication. By collecting 58.5 h of videotaped data from EFL classes and English-teacher training courses at Japanese universities, our objective of this study is to uncover whether topic-authenticating narratives used as task preliminaries can (a) elicit students’ interest and motivation in the task; (b) facilitate topic accessibility between students and the topic, furthering their comprehension and sparking connections to their own lives; and, (c) increase students’ focused engagement in the task. Closely analyzing the naturally-occurring, multimodal phenomena in real-life classrooms, we seek to answer if a topic-authenticating narrative can be an effective practice for task-based language classes, fostering students’ deeper and more active involvement—notably, among students who tend to participate less actively in class discussions.
