Oral narrative ability is essential for children's language development and long- term well-being. Its development is influenced by multiple family-related factors, including maternal emotional expression and attachment security. This study examined the relationship between maternal positive emotional expression and preschoolers' oral narrative ability, and investigated the mediating role of secure attachment. A cross-sectional quantitative design was used. A total of 400 mother-child dyads with children aged 5-6 years were selected from kindergartens in eastern China using multistage sampling. Maternal positive emotional expression, secure attachment, and children's oral narrative ability were assessed using the Self-Expressiveness in the Family Questionnaire-Short Form (SEFQ-SF), the Attachment Q-Sort Questionnaire (AQSQ), and the picture book Frog, Where Are You?, respectively. Data were analysed using correlation analysis and structural equation modelling with SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 23.0. Maternal positive emotional expression was positively associated with children's oral narrative ability and secure attachment. Secure attachment was also positively related to oral narrative ability and significantly mediated the relationship between maternal positive emotional expression and children's oral narrative ability (beta = 0.420, 95% CI [0.357, 0.482]).
Given that digital language testing is increasingly embedded in university assessment systems, this review examines how technological, psychological, and contextual factors jointly shape students' engagement, performance, and score interpretability. An expanded PRISMA 2020 search identified 1,878 records and retained 105 studies for synthesis. Although many studies interpret adoption through acceptance frameworks, the synthesis indicates that determinants extend beyond perceived convenience. Across the literature, determinants cluster into learner resources (digital literacy, technology-related self-efficacy, affect regulation); familiarity as a quality-dependent moderator; platform constraints and learner needs (diagnostic feedback, stability, accessibility); facilitating conditions (infrastructure, training, support services); and result demonstrability (transparent reporting and actionable feedback). Institutional support showed a strong positive effect on satisfaction, with an effect size of beta = 0.458, p < .01. Additionally, institutional support functioned as a mediator between perceived usefulness (beta = 0.366) and perceived ease of use (beta = 0.198). In a university sample using a generative language assistant, usefulness (beta = 0.644) had a stronger positive impact on user attitudes than ease of use (beta = 0.301), while the model accounted for 81.1 per cent of the variation in user attitudes. Given that construct-irrelevant digital demands can depress performance, an anxiety-focused survey (N = 100) reported widespread worry about technical failures and heightened anxiety during online assessment. Overall, the findings indicate that platform design, preparation, and reporting should be equity-sensitive so that scores reflect language ability rather than digital access. Future research should determine how these clusters jointly predict achievement and the interpretation of scores across contexts.
Student teachers often teach the way they learnt, yet evidence about how they prefer to learn and how those preferences are shaped by context remains limited in Global South settings. This study examines learning preferences among South African and Mauritian student teachers (STs) to move beyond binary cognitivist-constructivist framings and towards empirically grounded profiles that can inform programme design. Using data from 63 STEM STs (43 South African, 20 Mauritian) collected through a 15-item Likert-type questionnaire, we conducted principal component analysis (PCA) with parallel analysis (PA), exploratory factor analysis (EFA; principal axis factoring, varimax rotation), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Regression-based factor scores with Welch t-tests were used for group comparisons. These analyses revealed a dominant applied/practical-inquiry-technology orientation and a smaller integrative versus disciplinary continuum, supporting a profile-based account of learning preferences rather than a simple dichotomy. A marked country difference emerged on the applied/practical factor, with South African STs scoring statistically significantly higher than Mauritians (Cohen's d = 6.44, p < .001), while no statistically significant sex differences were found on either dimension. The discussion situates these patterns within systemic conditions that shape what STs can feasibly enact. Implications centre on design-for-enactment in teacher education: normalise high-intensity active learning and inquiry as routine; sequence interdisciplinarity from disciplinary clarity into cross-subject problem framing; and align assessment, mentoring, and practicum so that the pedagogies espoused in university are resourced and rewarded in school. Future research should track the migration of preferred methods into practiced routines, test context-aware measurement invariance, and pursue design-based partnerships that adapt ambitious STEM pedagogy for large, multilingual, exam-heavy classrooms.
This study explored how deans' transformational leadership relates to foreign language teachers' organisational commitment in universities in Hunan Province, China. Using a quantitative survey design, 451 teachers were surveyed with standardised scales intended to assess transformational leadership and organisational commitment. Descriptive findings revealed that both the deans' transformational leadership and teachers' organisational commitment were rated at a moderate level. Pearson analysis established a statistically significant and substantial positive correlation between the two variables, indicating that the greater the perceptions of transformational leadership, the greater the organisational commitment. These results confirm the need to improve transformational and leadership practices among academic deans, especially in their ability to inspire teachers, build professionally supportive environments, and promote positive organisational climates. Despite the constraints associated with its cross-sectional design and self-reported data, the study provides important insights into leadership development in the context of Chinese higher education. To further validate and extend the findings, it is proposed to employ longitudinal methods, larger samples, and multisource data in future research.
Participation in sports extends beyond individual health and well-being; it also encompasses the creation of inclusive and socially just sporting environments. However, within South African tertiary institutions, sports activities often perpetuate social injustices for students with non-normative gender expressions. These activities are rooted in (hetero)cisnormative values and ideologies, posing challenges for students who reject institutional gender norms and prevailing cultural norms while participating in tertiary sports. Addressing this issue is essential to align with the Constitution's principles of equality and inclusion. This article explores students' experiences with non-normative gender identities in their participation in sports across three South African tertiary institutions. Three self-identified transgender students were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. This phenomenological study employs a poetic inquiry approach to gather data. To analyse the data collected, Michel Foucault's governmentality theory was used to comprehend participants' experiences. This framework offers unique insights into the exclusionary practices participants face when attempting to engage in sport activities at their respective tertiary institutions. Qualitative content analysis was employed to analyse the raw data, yielding two primary themes, namely: (1) the presence of governmentality in tertiary sport activities, and (2) the impact of sport-related exclusion for students with non-conforming bodies. The study's findings highlight that sports officials in tertiary institutions often act as gatekeepers, depriving gender-diverse individuals of their human rights. To challenge cisnormativity within tertiary institutions, it is imperative to address the misalignment between policies, the Constitution, and the participants' experiences.
This study examines the change in teachers' discourse patterns and communication approaches during an environmental education programme, which is based on an interdisciplinary approach. This study is important because it offers a different perspective for researchers studying environmental education and encourages the exploration of alternative approaches to developing teachers' discourse and communication practices. The study was conducted with four teachers working in the same school and employed a qualitative action research design. The research lasted for a total of 15 weeks. The environmental education programme covering the 12 weeks of the research was structured by considering the interdisciplinary approach, experiential learning cycle model and cognitive apprenticeship approaches. The research data comprised video recordings and classroom observation notes. Discourse analysis was used to determine classroom discourse patterns and communicative approaches. It was found that all of the teachers mostly used the triadic discourse pattern and the interactive-authoritative approach as a communication approach.
Over the last two decades, self-directed learning (SDL) has evolved from a concept in adult education to a fundamental guiding perspective in shaping education. Knowles' influential research established SDL as the basis of andragogy, emphasising the learner's and teacher's self-directed roles in planning, implementing, and evaluating learning. Tough expanded SDL scholarship through empirical investigation of how adults pursue independent learning, demonstrating its prevalence. Guglielmino developed the Self- Directed Learning Readiness Scale, providing a tool for conducting SDL in both empirical research and educational practice. Candy provided a theoretical synthesis of SDL in lifelong learning, calling for its inclusion in education. Building on this work, Brockett and Hiemstra developed a model of personal responsibility orientation (PRO), focusing on how learner self-direction interacts with contextual support, and later elaborated the person-process- context (PPC) model as an evolution of their earlier PRO model as a more comprehensive framework. These contributions have established SDL as a fundamental principle of modern learner-centred education, influencing curriculum design and pedagogical innovation. SDL encourages metacognitive techniques that enable learners to manage their educational processes, thereby incorporating goal formulation and progress assessment. Using instructional approaches that encourage autonomy and critical thinking, teachers promote lifelong SDL. This study explores how teachers experience and implement strategies to promote SDL, using a qualitative research design with pre- and post-face-to-face interviews. Findings highlight the importance of ongoing professional development, reflective teaching practice, and learning environments that nurture self-directedness in both learners and teachers. Adopting SDL as a personal and pedagogical practice positions teachers as facilitators of critical and creative thinking-skills essential for learner success in an evolving educational landscape.
Developments in the 21st century include the widespread use of educational applications and artificial intelligence. While students quickly adapt to these changes, supervisors may take longer to adjust, thereby increasing the likelihood that students will engage in unethical artificial intelligence use without their supervisors' awareness. This study identified the methods supervisors use to detect unethical use of artificial intelligence in master's dissertations at Institution X and how they address it. The study utilised a qualitative approach, gathering data from 14 participants, comprising seven master's level supervisors and seven supervisees enrolled in a master's programme. Thematic data analysis revealed that some supervisors were aware that students may not have authored their submissions, but they were unable to identify the legitimate authors. Furthermore, some supervisors were unaware whether their students had used artificial intelligence and had relied on their gut feeling to detect its use in their students' submissions. Some students used artificial intelligence applications without fully understanding how they work, which resulted in limited learning. The findings of this study inform the use of artificial intelligence and the formulation of policy in higher education institutions. This study recommends that both students and supervisors be trained in the use of artificial intelligence and that institutions develop policies to regulate its broader use, including machine learning.
Quality assurance tools are crucial in maintaining and improving higher education institutions' standards, credibility and effectiveness. They ensure standardisation, institutional credibility, competitiveness, academic rigour and research quality, enhancing the teaching and learning experience. This article aims to qualitatively analyse various quality measurement tools, such as accreditation, ranking, peer review and student-led evaluation, used in the context of higher education institutions. Various qualitative analysis tools such as content analysis, thematic analysis and grounded theory approach were analysed first. Out of this, thematic analysis was selected for the qualitative analysis as the data and analysis are from literature and expert opinion, which lack primary data. The codes for the thematic analysis were taken from previous literature. The codes have operational definitions and are categorised into Input, Process and Output themes. Code values were assigned for the quality assurance tools for each code. The code count for the various themes helped to identify the usability of various tools. The study was based on Ludwig's theme generated from the Input, Process and Output system theory. The study found that accreditation is the best tool for qualitatively and quantitatively analysing an institution. It can be an ideal tool for quality assurance for an institution. Peer review, ranking and student-led evaluation ranked next in the quality assurance tool. This study aids organisations, governmental agencies and other educational institution stakeholders to select the best method for comparing institutions during admissions, grants processing and other processes. The study adopted the qualitative analysis tool thematic analysis. Hence, the study has subjective bias and is not free from the limitation of thematic analysis. The modelling approach is directed towards prediction rather than casualty. The study has taken the literature reviews and expert opinion into account. However, structured questionnaires and unstructured interviews helped better categorise the various codes into the respective themes. The statistical analysis would have made the observation more robust. This article fulfils an identified need to analyse the ideal quality assurance tool for quality assurance and measurement for institutions. This helps institutions meet national and international accreditation standards, policy formulation, strategic planning, continuous improvement, faculty workload distribution, accountability and boosts institutional reputation.
This systematic review critically examined the affordances and implications of cognitively guided instruction (CGI) within the realm of educational practice. CGI, deeply rooted in cognitive theories of learning, represents a student-centred instructional approach that emphasises problem-solving skills and conceptual understanding over rote memorisation. By synthesising a diverse array of empirical studies, this review explores the efficacy of CGI across various educational contexts. Key findings underscore the positive impact of CGI on student learning outcomes, including enhanced mathematical proficiency, improved problem-solving abilities, and heightened engagement in the learning process. Moreover, the review highlights the importance of teacher professional development and pedagogical support in effectively implementing CGI strategies. Additionally, it identifies areas for future research, such as exploring the long-term effects of CGI on student academic achievement and investigating its applicability in culturally diverse educational settings. Overall, this comprehensive review offers valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers interested in harnessing the potential of CGI to promote meaningful learning experiences and foster academic success.
This study assesses institutions of higher education's preparedness to handle future emergencies, such as COVID-19, opportunities and challenges of adopting e-learning and teaching in higher education institutions in Botswana. A qualitative research approach and in-depth interviews were used to gain insights from heads of department and lecturers. The qualitative data collected were analysed via thematic analysis to determine the research findings (outcomes) of the study. This article reveals that higher education institutions in Botswana are ready to handle future pandemics as reflected in their policy documents and use of online teaching and learning platforms. This article provides novel insights into the efficacy and preparedness of higher education institutions to handle emergencies.
WhatsApp is extensively employed in academic settings for collaboration and information exchange; however, its potential for simultaneous academic and psychosocial support remains underexplored. This article draws from a study which investigated students' experiences with WhatsApp as an informal learning and psychosocial support tool in chemical engineering undergraduate studies. Small WhatsApp groups, facilitated by the life coach in the first year, provided psychosocial support which was deemed necessary for helping students transition from high school to university. Over four years, students continued participating in course WhatsApp groups facilitating student-student engagement, communication with lecturers, and support from a life coach if needed. Qualitative data from 10 semi-structured interviews revealed the development of a supportive community of practice which enabled collaboration, communication, and empathy among students, lecturers, and the life coach on life and academic matters. However, some students experienced negative consequences, suggesting a need for further exploration of WhatsApp's impact. This article advocates for continued research on WhatsApp's role in informal learning, self-directed learning, and psychosocial support, particularly in large class settings.
