Given the limited empirical research applying theory-driven evaluation to curriculum reform, this study employed Chen's change model, incorporating perspectives from implementation science, to evaluate Taiwan's national curriculum program. The change model was formulated by integrating formal and stakeholder theories. Data from a survey of 624 upper secondary school teachers across regions were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings indicated that leading curriculum development was the most crucial leadership action for achieving reform objectives at the school level. Teacher collaboration served as a key mediator beyond its direct effects. The results suggest that teachers collaborate and learn more effectively when schools provide substantial professional support and guidance through curriculum leadership. This study contributes to understanding the strategies school leaders can use to support reform implementation. Additionally, it highlights the feasibility and value of theory-driven evaluation in assessing national curriculum reform efforts.
In 2022, we argued that replication is relevant to qualitative research. In this manuscript, we update and clarify that idea to make three more specific claims about replication in qualitative research: (1) it is possible, (2) it can be relevant, and (3) it can be useful. We provide practical examples and draw attention to two areas we believe need continued consideration: when to conduct a replication and jingle-jangle problems. We conclude that quantitative tools should not automatically be assumed to apply to qualitative research or forced upon qualitative researchers. However, this should not be conflated with the more extreme position - one we disagree with - that methods from quantitative research, including replication, should never be applied to qualitative research.
This study investigates the psychometric structure and school-level associations between cognitive abilities of teachers and students. Using a cross-sectional quantitative design, we administered a PISA-based cognitive assessment tool measuring reading, mathematics, science literacy, and global competence to 5,391 eighth-grade students and 2,385 teachers from 84 schools in a Russian region. Bifactor modeling, measurement invariance testing, and plausible values methodology were employed. Results indicate that teachers exhibit significantly higher general cognitive ability (g) and domain-specific skills, while students showed higher global competence. School-level correlations were near-zero, with a weak positive association only between mathematics teachers' and students' g-factors. Teachers' cognitive profiles were more dominated by g, supporting the age dedifferentiation hypothesis. These findings imply that pre-service teacher education should incorporate a substantial general cognitive component alongside subject-specific training, and that curricula should integrate contemporary, globally relevant tasks that capitalize on adolescents' strength in global competence.
Student learning activities in the learning process focus on students as the main actors. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the influence of learning activities, interest and motivation in learning physics. Survey data were collected from 124 students by filling out a questionnaire instrument. Data were processed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) assisted by AMOS software version 22.0. The results show that physics learning activities and physics learning interests have a direct and significant effect on students' physics learning achievement. Students' physics learning activities have a direct and significant impact on students' physics learning achievement. Students' interest in physics does not directly influence their motivation to learn physics. Students' motivation to study physics does not directly influence their physics learning achievements. Thus, physics learning activities can improve student achievement. Meanwhile, the teacher needs to address interest in learning and learning motivation to impact physics learning achievement positively.
Studies on assessment for STEM learning practices have reported several forms of meaningful assessment, however, few systematic reviews have evaluated assessment trends in K-12 context. Hence, in this study, assessment practices in K-12 STEM education were systematically reviewed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. A total of 56 empirical research articles published between 2013 and 2025 on the Web of Science were carefully selected. Notable trends were observed in the research context, educational grade levels, course subjects, assessment methods and objectives, research methods, sample size, findings, and future research directions reported in the included studies. Reported assessment methods included surveys, questionnaires, examinations, and peer-based, authentic, and game-based assessments. Overall, the findings offer insights for K-12 STEM educators regarding the development of appropriate assessment methods tailored to the unique requirements of each STEM field.
This study aims to understand whether reforms in the mathematics curriculum and standardized tests targeting fostering students' mathematical proficiency have contributed to students' mathematical abilities and thinking skills. We collected data from 849 middle school students via mathematics tests consisting of items with different mathematical proficiency levels. We attempted to learn about students' typical performance by using supply-type items. We found that the majority of students were able to solve simple, routine problems but failed to solve problems that entailed making connections between mathematical concepts and facts or the use of reasoning skills. Repeated measures analysis showed significant differences in favour of lower-level proficiency items. Although the development of students' mathematical thinking skills is highlighted in official documents and reports, the findings revealed that there is still a long way to go to achieve this goal, as supported by the results of national and international standardized tests.
This study examines three dimensions of Text-to-Speech (TTS) use - listening time, frequency, and sequence. Using response and log data from 28,090 students on a Grade 8 mathematics item from the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress, we estimated relationships between TTS use and accuracy with logistic regressions and Random Forest partial-dependence plots. TTS use was most common among lower-proficiency students. Among Below Basic students, listening to the problem statement was associated with higher accuracy, though benefits diminished beyond 25 seconds. Among Basic students, frequent toggling was negatively associated with accuracy, whereas among Proficient and Advanced students, no consistent relationship emerged. Overall, TTS appears to support access when used purposefully, while inefficient use may hinder performance. Although limited to one item and observational data, the findings suggest practical design and instructional strategies for promoting equitable access.
This study examines the effects of school-family collaboration on educational outcomes, identifies structural and relational barriers, and proposes contextually relevant solutions. Using a phenomenological design within an interpretivist paradigm, data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal that teacher-parent interactions are often strained due to misunderstandings, mismatched expectations, and communication gaps. Key barriers include socioeconomic disadvantage, limited access, time constraints, parents' educational levels, and negative attitudes toward schooling. Strong collaboration, however, is associated with improved student achievement, teacher motivation, parental involvement, and school climate, while weak collaboration undermines performance, institutional goals, and teacher morale. The study concludes that school-family collaboration must be strengthened through contextual, systematic, and inclusive strategies. It recommends developing culturally responsive participation models, flexible engagement practices, and sustainable interventions that enhance access and promote school belonging.
This study examines how student agency is conceptualized and configured within South Korea's competency-based curriculum (CBC). Using qualitative document analysis of ten national and metropolitan policy texts (2022-2025), it analyzes how agency is positioned and authorized in policy discourse. A four-dimensional framework - student voice, structured choice, co-design, and learner-driven practice - is applied. Findings reveal a gap between learner-centered rhetoric and institutional specification. Student voice is largely consultative, co-design remains weakly specified, and structured choice operates as bounded autonomy shaped by institutional constraints. Learner-driven practice is endorsed but largely enacted through teacher- and school-led structures. The study suggests that in centralized systems, student agency risks remaining symbolic unless it is institutionally specified through defined participation points, scoped authority, and principled boundaries.
The 2010s saw significant reform in ICT and computing education. ICT was written off as an irrelevant vocational subject, and effectively "scrapped." Introduced in its place was the national curriculum computing programmes of study (Computing), with an emphasis on computer science. This blanket reform meant that secondary school "ICT" subject teachers were immediately required to teach "Computing." This study's findings demonstrate that ICT teachers felt unsupported throughout the reform process. Teachers have been unable to reconcile the identity of "Teacher of Computing" with their professional situations and have left teaching. This loss of teachers should be viewed as an "educational loss" of expertise and diversity in the computing classroom. It is recommended that teachers are given support to allow a reconnection with their previous "successful" professional identities. Good teachers should not be lost because of the rushed implementation of national reforms.
Despite a myriad of studies on language learning strategies (LLS), most of them explored LLS used by English learners with general or various language proficiency. To fill this gap, the current study adopts a systematic literature review (SLR) approach to explore LLS employed by successful English learners. This study analysed research articles published from 2000 to 2023 in journals in the field of social sciences. The findings indicated that outstanding English learners tend to choose metacognitive strategies other than other LLS classification. Furthermore, this SLR study showed that most research on LLS revealed a tendency to sample students in higher education contexts. Therefore, future studies should address this gap by exploring LLS used by good language learners from various contexts. Methodologically, a majority of those previous studies have been conducted using exclusively quantitative methods. Thus future research should fill this gap by conducting more mixed-method studies.
High dropout rate is a serious problem at universities all over the world. To study factors of students' dropout we analyzed data about students who enrolled for bachelor study at one Czech university in five subsequent academic years 2013/14-2017/18. Using decision trees and logistic regression we created several classification models to predict who will finish the study successfully and who will not. Analyzing data collected on a semester basis, we found that the most important variable for all five years is the percentage of lost credits in the most recent semester. We also assess the stability and robustness of the classification models by testing them on data about students who enrolled in the subsequent years. Here, we found that the decision trees are more stable and robust than logistic regression models.
It is understood that teachers' beliefs exist within complex systems, yet there is limited empirical research on such systems. This study investigated systems of teachers' pedagogical beliefs (e.g., teaching, curriculum, learning), motivational beliefs (e.g., self-efficacy, personal responsibility, goal orientation), and beliefs about students. Integrated clusters of teacher beliefs were identified within five higher-order factors. One cluster included motivations to teach based on social contribution, mastery goals, and focus on deep learning and relational teaching. Another cluster connected fixed attitudes about self and learners, personal utility motivations, and pedagogical beliefs focused on surface-level knowledge and transmission-type approaches to teaching, in addition to lower expectations for learners. Other clusters of beliefs related to intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy, assessment beliefs, and teacher sense of personal responsibility. Findings provide new insights into the structure of teacher belief systems and illustrate opportunities to strengthen empirically supported understandings of the complex constructs of teacher belief systems.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic and growing recognition of the integration of technology-mediated processes and resources in teaching and learning, there has been an increased adoption of blended learning in higher education institutions (HEI). However, there have been impeding factors that affect the adoption of this educational paradigm. This study employs mixed-methods research and an explanatory sequential design to offer a nuanced understanding of BL adoption. The study draws upon a homogenous population, encompassing educators from one public HEI in Ghana. Quantitative data from a Likert-scale survey and a sample of 71 randomly selected educators' enabled the examination of their views on factors that affect BL adoption. Statistical analyses employed principal component analysis with Varimax rotation and Kaiser Normalization, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and descriptive statistics. The qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with 10 educators and thematic analysis to gain an understanding of how participants experienced the support for blended teaching. Results revealed that the lack of a policy framework for BL use at the institutional level, poor leadership style, limited professional training on BL, and insufficient internet connectivity impede the adoption of BL in higher education. The study concludes by highlighting the implications of the findings for theory, policy, and practice.
Social accountability directs educational efforts toward developing a responsible workforce that meets community health needs. This study assessed processes and content in the surgical technology laboratory at Tabriz Nursing Faculty based on an accountability model (Responsibility, Responsiveness, Accountability) and designed a new model. A Delphi panel consisting of 15 experts rated 12 survey statements on a four-point Likert scale. The mean scores and Content Validity Index (CVI) were calculated, with a consensus defined as CVI above 79%. The Accountability 3A model includes three stages: Awareness (needs assessments, situation analysis, strategic and operational planning), Action (planning, capacity building, innovative methods), and Achievement (impact evaluation, reflective criticism, and evidence provision). Feedback over multiple Delphi rounds confirmed consensus, as the average score of all checklist components exceeded 3, with a CVI of 80% or above. Thus, the Accountability 3A model can serve as a valid guide for planning clinical education.
Many educational studies have examined the relationships between school science literacy achievement and various school-level factors, including school resources, teacher quality, and class size. The primary purpose of the current study was to investigate the predictive ability of student-, teacher-, and principal-reported variables for school science literacy achievement using a machine learning approach. Using data from 238 US schools collected by the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment, we examined the relative importance of 48 predictors in predicting school science literacy achievement. The machine learning algorithm identified ten relatively important predictors of school science literacy outcomes. Of the ten predictors, seven were reported by the students. We discussed the results concerning implications for school leaders in setting program priorities.
It is important to have the support of an expert mentor when experimenting with different teaching methods. Three instructors within the scope of the project were given mentoring training by three experts. In this training process, collaborative, modeling and game-based teaching methods were preferred for each mentor-mentee pairing, respectively. According to the results of the study, while mentors found themselves competent as a result of their self-assessment before the implementation, they stated that they would have a positive, constructive and educational attitude in the mentoring process, that they would guide and support their mentees while training them, and that they would make a fair evaluation. In addition, mentors and mentees stated that the teaching process was conducted in a positive, warm and constructive way, that it helped them develop in their vision and professional fields, and that their performance improved at the end of the process.
