Abstract This study analysed the knowledge and perceptions of students, professors and coordinators regarding Ethnozootechny in Animal Science education in Brazil. A quantitative, descriptive‐exploratory study was conducted using a structured questionnaire applied to 316 participants from Animal Science courses across all five regions of the country. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, inferential tests (Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney) and hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward's method), complemented by principal component analysis. Two distinct groups were identified, representing 87% and 13% of the sample, respectively. More than 70% of respondents in both groups reported no prior knowledge of Ethnozootechny. However, statistically significant differences were observed in perceptions of its importance for inclusion in Course Pedagogical Projects, with greater agreement in the majority group, as well as in the perceived potential contribution of Ethnozootechny to professional training and in interest in research and teaching in the area. The results indicate that, despite limited familiarity with the concept, there is considerable openness toward incorporating Ethnozootechny as a strategy for epistemological and curricular expansion in Animal Science education. These findings suggest that flexible and progressive curricular approaches, such as elective disciplines, transversal interdisciplinary content and extension‐based initiatives, may represent viable pathways for integrating ethnoscientific perspectives into higher education, contributing to the development of professionals better prepared to engage with the sociocultural and environmental dimensions of animal production.
Competency-based medical education (CBME) requires learners to demonstrate communication as observable professional practice rather than theoretical knowledge. Immersive virtual reality (VR) simulation provides authentic opportunities to rehearse challenging clinical conversations, while generative artificial intelligence (AI) offers new possibilities for communication training. This correspondence argues that AI should function as a bounded reflective scaffold rather than as a substitute for live communicative performance. AI can support preparation and post-simulation reflection by helping learners explore alternative responses, clarify reasoning and strengthen reflective practice. However, during simulated or assessed encounters, communication should remain entirely learner-enacted to preserve the validity of entrustment decisions. Positioning AI outside the live interaction maintains professional agency, ensures assessment is based on observable human performance and protects the integrity of competency-based progression. Establishing clear curricular boundaries allows educators to integrate AI into communication training while preserving the educational purposes of CBME and sustaining accountable professional practice.
Abstract The application of mathematics to address sustainability issues across various aspects of human activity is essential. However, many students face challenges in using mathematics technology programs such as GeoGebra, Cabri Géomètre and Geometric Scratchpad. This study highlights the importance of integrating sustainable development technology standards into middle‐stage mathematics curricula. It seeks to answer the question: ‘How can sustainable technology development be achieved in mathematics curricula?’ It introduces mathematical problems that address environmental, social and economic challenges through technology to promote the concept of green mathematics. To achieve this aim, the researcher examined the mathematics curricula of the three middle‐stage grades during the 2022–2023 academic year. A comprehensive list of 168 sustainable technology requirements was developed: 62 in seven units of the first grade, 54 in ten units of the second grade and 52 in ten units of the third grade. A survey was conducted to find out the opinions of teachers about integrating the requirements of technological sustainability into the mathematics curriculum for the preparatory stage, and another survey regarding the opinions of teachers about the application of technological sustainability in the mathematics curriculum. In this application, realistic, tangible mathematical problems and activities that address sustainability problems were integrated into the lessons and solved using technology. Students were encouraged to analyse real data by having them present the estimating energy consumption of school lights and proposing energy‐saving alternatives project.
Abstract Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) challenges writing curricula because final texts alone no longer show how student work was produced, revised and justified. This exploratory classroom‐based study examined whether course‐level procedures for handling GenAI‐related writing concerns were associated with students' writing‐process transparency. In an elective academic writing course at a university in China, four intact classes were allocated within instructor strata to procedural governance, emphasising explanation, student response and correctability or techno‐deterrence governance, centred on detector‐threshold warning and routine follow‐up. Students submitted a minimum evidence package comprising outlines, drafts, revision traces and literature‐search records. Procedural governance was associated with higher end‐of‐term writing‐process transparency than techno‐deterrence governance (Hedges' g = 0.48), with the clearest difference in revision traces ( g = 0.50). It was also associated with higher perceived procedural justice ( g = 0.59) and lower false‐accusation anxiety ( g = −0.41). The findings suggest that process transparency is governance‐sensitive: it depends not only on what evidence students are asked to submit, but also on how that evidence is reviewed.
This paper presents a qualitative case study of how the Mechanical Engineering Diploma programme at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) systematically aligned its curriculum with both national and international graduate attribute (GA) standards. The study examines the intentional integration of GAs across all 3 years of the programme in line with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) framework and the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) accords for engineering education. Drawing on curriculum documents, review feedback and aggregated student performance data, the paper explores how Outcome-Based Education (OBE) and constructive alignment principles underpin curriculum design, teaching strategies and assessment practices. Key institutional mechanisms, including GA mapping matrices, sub-minimum assessment policies, and evidence-based moderation processes, are analysed to show how CPUT ensures that every graduate attains competence in all twelve prescribed attributes. Findings indicate a high level of GA attainment among students, supported by continuous quality improvement cycles informed by stakeholder feedback and external accreditation evaluations. The study identifies challenges in assessing professional attributes consistently and managing the associated administrative workload. It also highlights adaptive strategies, including workplace-integrated learning, rubric refinement and reflective assessment, that help strengthen these attributes while preserving assurance standards. By providing a detailed account of the implementation and impact of GA-based education in a resource-constrained context, this study offers valuable insights for engineering programmes aiming to enhance curriculum relevance, meet accreditation standards and prepare graduates for global professional environments. Notably, enforcing GA sub-minima can initially depress first-attempt pass rates but preserves assurance of competence; structured reassessment subsequently restores completion rates without diluting standards. This case contributes practical guidance for GA-aligned continuous improvement in resource-constrained engineering programmes.
Interconnected environmental challenges-ranging from climate change to resource depletion and pollution-have repositioned education from the mere transmission of knowledge towards cultivating the capacity for responsible action. In this context, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), given its close ties to the world of work and technology, stands at the forefront of the transition to a green economy. Yet, in many TVET programmes, sustainability remains confined to broad recommendations or additive content and is not translated into a coherent, assessable curriculum architecture. Accordingly, this study aimed to design and validate a green curriculum model for TVET, elevating sustainability to a guiding criterion for the design and evaluation of curricular elements. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. In the qualitative phase, a research synthesis approach was used to examine scholarly literature, comparative studies and national and international policy and upstream documents. This process identified key components and operational indicators of a green curriculum and informed the development of an initial conceptual model. In the quantitative phase, the model was empirically validated using a questionnaire comprising 10 components and 47 items, administered to 242 TVET instructors and experts selected through stratified sampling. Data were analysed using first- and second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in AMOS. Results indicated that all items had significant factor loadings above 0.60, and the second-order CFA confirmed the ten-component structure of the model (curriculum rationale, learning objectives, content, teaching methods, teacher role, learning activities, assessment, learning space and environment, learning time and educational resources). Fit indices further demonstrate satisfactory model-data alignment and robust structural validity. The proposed model translates sustainability from general prescriptions into the language of curriculum design and organizes it as an integrated network of interrelated, criterion-based and indicator-driven elements. Consequently, greening shifts from the periphery of content to the core of educational decision-making. Through this configuration, green skills move beyond abstract definitions and become tangible in explicit learning outcomes, authentic workshop-based experiences and observable, measurable performance assessments. Overall, the model offers a context-sensitive and assessable framework for revising skill-based programmes and provides a robust scientific basis for educational policymaking, instructor capacity building and the strengthening of assessment mechanisms in pursuit of sustainable development in TVET.
In recent years, curriculum integration has been highlighted in international education policy as a response to global societal issues. Drawing on documents and teacher interviews, this study investigates how curriculum integration is conceptualized in education policy and national curriculum and how this aligns with teachers' understandings and experiences. The study focuses on the most recent national curriculum in Norway, the Knowledge Promotion Reform 2020, which introduced three integrated curriculum topics designed to permeate school practices. The theoretical framework draws on Deng's (2010) domains of curriculum reform and Drake and Burns' (2004) approaches to curriculum integration. Analysis reveals conceptual differences between policy and curriculum. Further, the teachers aim for higher degrees of integration than what is required in the national curriculum. Finally, the study finds that teachers experience several obstacles to integrated teaching, including a lack of formal structures for collaboration across subjects as well as subject-specific goals and assessment systems.
This study investigates middle school mathematics teachers' curricular noticing skills for the integration of tools and technology within the context of a skill-based curriculum. We focus on the cognitive processes that underlie teachers' curricular noticing of mathematical tools. The data were acquired via semi-structured interviews and written materials. Through a qualitative exploratory study involving six in-service teachers, we identified three distinct interpretative and responsive positions: (1) advanced, in which teachers align with the curriculum's intent by employing tools as epistemic instruments for mathematical construction; (2) developing, in which teachers exhibit an inverted workflow- emphasizing the measurement of established rules rather than their development; and (3) limited, in which the dynamic nature of technology is either disregarded or regarded as merely decorative. The findings contribute to the existing literature by emphasizing the inverted workflow as a significant barrier to the implementation of reforms, suggesting that curricular responsiveness is constrained not merely by content knowledge but also by teachers' epistemological understanding of tool use in geometry. Therefore, the findings suggest that professional development might focus on deepening teachers' comprehension of the curriculum's expectations, which could help ensure their instruction aligns more closely with the curriculum.
Concept maps provide an effective visual framework for medical students to organise and integrate complex information, thereby enhancing comprehension and long-term retention. Similarly, Small Group Discussions (SGDs) promote active learning through interaction, reflection and collaborative problem-solving. Although both methods are individually effective, there is limited evidence on their combined impact on medical students' performance. To evaluate the association between the Integrated Concept Map-Small Group Discussion (ICM-SGD) technique and academic performance among medical students compared with traditional PowerPoint-based lectures. This study was conducted at Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, where the ICM-SGD technique was implemented for first-year (2021 batch) and second-year (2020 batch) MBBS students. Their academic performance was compared with that of previous cohorts taught using conventional methods. Combined final examination scores across core subjects were analysed using independent-samples t-tests, and Cohen's d effect sizes were calculated to determine the magnitude of improvement. Students taught using the ICM-SGD technique demonstrated significantly higher mean examination scores across all subjects compared with traditional lecture cohorts (p < 0.001), with moderate to large effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.51-1.62). The ICM-SGD technique was associated with significantly higher academic performance compared with traditional lecture-based instruction. These findings support the potential value of integrating concept mapping and structured discussion within medical education, while further multi-centre studies are warranted to confirm broader competency outcomes.
This study offers guidance for teacher educators and practicum mentors on integrating critical reflection into undergraduate English-language teacher-education programmes to strengthen pre-service teachers' reflective competence, based on insights gained in a study conducted in Kazakhstan. Using a social theoretical lens, it examines professional learning through reflective practice, defines reflective competence and discusses when, how and why reflection is necessary. The article recommends embedding reflective practice into undergraduate English-language teacher-education curricula using a structured model that promotes reflection before, during, after and beyond lessons and practical activities to be used with the model to help pre-service teachers learn to reflect effectively, preparing them for reflective experiences during school-based teaching internships and future teaching careers. A pre-implementation qualitative evaluation of the model's pedagogical value, contextual suitability and feasibility is then reported. The model was trialled in Kazakhstan, and the data were analysed using thematic coding. The results reveal that the model demonstrates strong pedagogical value and suitability for the Kazakhstani context. In addition to being perceived as clear, understandable and logical, it encourages ongoing reflection on four distinct stages of the teaching process. The 'reflection beyond lessons' stage additionally enables pre-service teachers to connect teaching with the sociocultural context in which it is situated, and to reflect on ethical, moral or political aspects of their pedagogical practice. The article ends with implications for English-language teacher educators, practicum mentors and pre-service teachers.
This empirical study examines how chemistry teachers in lower and upper secondary schools in the Czech Republic evaluate the content of the chemistry curriculum, focussing on its perceived importance and didactic difficulty. Based on a quantitative survey (N = 146), the study provides insight into the pedagogical content knowledge of experienced teachers. Statistical methods included the chi-squared goodness-of-fit test, the chi-squared test of independence and multiple correspondence analysis. The results show that topics requiring integration with mathematics and other science subjects are perceived as particularly demanding. They also indicate that teachers consider some part of the chemistry curriculum to be unimportant yet difficult to teach (e.g., particulate structure of matter, chemical reactions and factors influencing their rate, chemistry and society, chemical equilibrium, heat changes during chemical reactions, reaction rate). These findings are discussed in relation to the development and reform of the chemistry curriculum and teacher professional development.
This scoping review examines how character education is conceptualised and enacted within humanities curricula across international contexts. While character education is widely promoted as supporting the development of ethical, civic and relational dispositions, its place within curriculum design remains contested, particularly in subjects concerned with interpretation, values and human experience. Drawing on the literature spanning curriculum policy, disciplinary pedagogy and moral education, this review synthesises evidence on how character-related aims are embedded in humanities subjects such as literature, history, philosophy and social studies. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, 806 records were screened, with 26 empirical studies and policy documents analysed in depth. The review identifies two broad patterns of curricular integration: explicit approaches, where virtues or character outcomes are formally articulated in curriculum frameworks and learning objectives, and implicit approaches, where character development is pursued through pedagogical practices, classroom dialogue and interpretive engagement with disciplinary content. Across contexts, the humanities emerge as a key site for ethical inquiry, offering opportunities for moral reasoning, perspective-taking and civic reflection, while also raising concerns about curriculum overload, teacher preparedness, assessment and the risk of ideological prescription. Rather than treating character education as a discrete programmatic intervention, the review conceptualises it as a curriculum-making activity shaped by disciplinary traditions, cultural values and policy logics. It argues that character education in the humanities is most productively understood as a reflective, dialogic and context-sensitive practice that aligns ethical formation with the core purposes of humanities education. The review concludes by identifying implications for curriculum design, teacher education and future research, highlighting the need for comparative, longitudinal and student-informed studies that attend to how character education is experienced and interpreted within diverse humanities classrooms.
This study examined the epistemic anatomy of the reform-based 9-12 chemistry curricula in T & uuml;rkiye, focusing on how learning outcomes embed opportunities for disciplinary epistemic reasoning. Using document-based qualitative content analysis, 329 learning outcomes were analysed through Epistemic Practice Demands (EPDs), encompassing 47 analytical codes, eight epistemic categories and six hierarchical levels. Findings revealed a procedurally rich but epistemically narrow curriculum. Inquiry formulation, experimental design and comparative reasoning were strongly emphasized, whereas evaluative, justificatory and model-based practices remained limited. Conceptual engagement dominated the epistemic hierarchy, while interpretive, argumentative and abstract reasoning were peripheral. In comparison with prior Turkish curriculum analyses, these results indicate continuity in curricular orientation, where previously identified cognitive concentration at conceptual and understanding levels corresponds to a deeper epistemic asymmetry privileging procedural over evaluative and theoretical practices. The study further argues that this imbalance reflects not only curricular design but also socio-institutional conditions, including standardization and assessment demands, which stabilize codifiable practices while marginalizing complex epistemic work. The findings highlight the need to integrate inquiry with justification and model-based reasoning to support students' epistemic agency, and offer a transferable framework linking cognitive and epistemic analyses of curricula.
This study examined access to extracurricular activities (ECA) in Kyrgyzstan's primary education during the Soviet and post-independence eras within the context of equal opportunities, through a comparative instrumental case study based on teachers' perspectives. A qualitative approach was adopted, involving semi-structured interviews with 28 teachers. Themes were identified via reflexive thematic analysis, resulting in seven main themes: ECA conceptualisation, types of ECA activities, inter-period comparisons, equity in access, adequacy, funding challenges and problems in ECA implementation. Findings indicate that ECA is viewed as a holistic tool supporting student development, socialisation and moral education; however, post-independence reductions in state support have exacerbated access inequalities, perpetuating social stratification. In the Soviet era, free, widespread and ideologically oriented ECAs (sports, arts, science) were state-funded with high infrastructure support (90% participation), whereas today reliance on family contributions, teacher out-of-pocket expenses and sponsors (63% urban, 37% rural participation) deepens disparities. Rural areas face pronounced issues with transportation, infrastructure deficiencies and socioeconomic factors, widening urban-rural divides. Teachers highlighted collaborative efforts through student parliaments and parental involvement mitigating gaps but criticised policy gaps and resource shortages. The study argued that ECA can enhance cultural capital accumulation and social mobility; it recommends state interventions, restored funding and public-private partnerships for equity. Filling a literature gap in post-Soviet comparisons, it offers policy suggestions in the Kyrgyz context and advises including student/parent perspectives in future research.
Recently, the Government of Ghana introduced the new K-9 curriculum, known as the Standards-Based Curriculum, in basic schools, with learner-centred teaching and learning as its central focus. However, much of the existing research has focused on teachers' self-efficacy and concerns about curriculum implementation, with relatively limited attention to teachers' beliefs. This study examined teachers' beliefs regarding the use of learner-centred teaching within the context of the new K-9 curriculum using the latent profile analysis framework. Data were collected through an online survey in which a standardised questionnaire was administered to 282 basic school teachers from participating schools. The findings identified two distinct belief profiles: one characterised by strong learner-centred orientation and another characterised by conditional learner-centred beliefs with concurrent endorsement of teacher-centred views. Further analysis using logistic regression revealed that years of teaching experience and participation in professional development significantly predict teachers' belief profiles.
This study presents a comparative analysis of 'Development Governance' and 'Development Management' curricula across selected elite international universities. It aims to identify structural patterns, pedagogical approaches, and evaluation strategies to inform curriculum design in developing countries. Utilizing a qualitative methodology based on Berliner's Neo-formal model, the research analysed 13 postgraduate programmes (Master's and Doctoral) from leading institutions in the Global North. Data were collected from official programme specifications and syllabi. The findings reveal a structural dichotomy: Master's programmes primarily function as professionalizing instruments, emphasizing technocratic skills and project management, whereas Doctoral tracks operate as academic stewardships focused on theoretical abstraction and independent research. The study also identifies a pedagogical tension between the efficiency logic of 'management' and the accountability logic of 'governance'. The results suggest that effective curriculum design in developing contexts may benefit from a hybrid approach that integrates these dimensions while remaining mindful of potential issues of epistemic dominance.
This article explores curricular justice in an age of compliance. Drawing on a recorded dialogue among six educators working across elementary, secondary, district and university contexts in Ontario, Canada, we examine how contemporary accountability regimes shape professional agency and curriculum-making. Organized around three guiding questions-whose knowledge counts, how accountability might be reclaimed and how curricular justice might be reimagined-the dialogue is treated as a methodological site of knowledge production. We argue that curricular justice cannot be achieved through compliance-oriented policy alone. Instead, it depends on relational, dialogic and professionally grounded practices that current governance structures often constrain. Participants describe how inclusion frameworks may leave inequitable curricular structures untouched, while standardization, surveillance and deprofessionalization narrow educators' capacity to respond to students and communities. We suggest that this post-curriculum condition, in which policy discourse eclipses curriculum as lived practice, is also a site of possibility. Curricular justice becomes possible when educators reclaim professional judgement, relational accountability and collective agency.
