Background/purpose. Educational inequality in Indonesia’s remote regions is intensified by a shortage of culturally relevant multilingual resources and insufficient teacher training. Students whose first language differs from Bahasa Indonesia face barriers in literacy acquisition, leading to persistent learning gaps. This study was conducted to design and evaluate multilingual children’s literature supported by a flipbook application, with the primary purpose of improving literacy outcomes and ensuring practical usability in isolated school settings. Materials/methods. The research employed a design-based research (DBR) framework, involving iterative cycles of design, implementation, and evaluation. The flipbook-supported literature was implemented with Grade VII students across three junior high schools in Toraja. The number of participants in the study are 68 students and 3 teachers who teach Indonesian subjects. Effectiveness was measured through student post-tests, while practicality was assessed using structured questionnaires capturing students’ perceptions of usability and accessibility. Results. Instrument validity was confirmed using the Pearson Product-Moment correlation, and paired sample t-tests indicated a significant improvement in student literacy skills (mean pre-test = 68.41, post-test = 86.89; t(67) = –25.744, p = 0.000). Observations and interviews revealed that teacher facilitation, prior exposure to digital tools, classroom management, and access to technological resources influenced the practical usability and effectiveness of the Flipbook. Differences in socioeconomic background and school facilities affected students’ access to digital learning, prompting teachers to employ adaptive strategies such as printed materials, group work, and locally adapted media to maintain engagement. Conclusion. The findings demonstrate that Flipbook-supported multilingual digital materials are practical, effective, and adaptable in remote contexts, though minor usability improvements could enhance outcomes. This study is limited to three schools and selected Toraja folktales, suggesting future research should broaden the sample and cultural content to improve generalizability and long-term literacy development.
Background/purpose. As English for Specific Purposes (ESP) programs expand across Vietnamese higher education, evaluating their effectiveness becomes crucial for improving learner outcomes and aligning instruction with professional demands. This study aims to evaluate the perceived effectiveness, strengths, and limitations of an ESP program at a multidisciplinary university in Vietnam, focusing on curriculum content, teaching practices, materials, assessment, and learner support. Materials/methods. A mixed-methods approach was employed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the ESP program. Quantitative data were collected via a student questionnaire (n = 1463) that measured perceptions of content relevance, skill development, teaching methods, assessment, and support. Qualitative data included classroom observations, document analysis (e.g., syllabi and LMS content), and semi-structured interviews with eight lecturers and four focus group discussions of 41 students. Data were triangulated to identify converging themes and discrepancies across sources. Results. Quantitative results showed generally positive student perceptions of the program, particularly regarding teaching methods, feedback, and perceived necessity. However, areas such as confidence in applying language in professional settings and the alignment of assessment tasks with workplace demands suggested room for improvement. Qualitative findings revealed challenges, including generic course content, insufficient time for productive skills, inconsistent use of digital tools, and varied assessment practices. Conclusion. This study highlights the importance of aligning ESP programs with learner needs and professional contexts. Findings call for more discipline-specific materials, expanded speaking/writing practice, enhanced digital integration, and stronger assessment guidance. A learner-centered evaluation approach is essential for continuous improvement of the ESP program.
Background/purpose. Embedding animated, interactive e-books into early childhood instruction in the Arab world creates new opportunities to increase engagement and cognition. This research explores how design, animation, and pedagogical matching influence the educational experience of young students in Jordan, creating a localised design framework that enhances learning outcomes and user experience. Materials/methods. The study adopted an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with educational designers from the Ministry of Education and the National Centre for Curriculum Development in Jordan, complemented by expert evaluations of animated e-books. Quantitative data were obtained from a teacher survey examining perceptions of engagement, usability, and pedagogical impact. Instrument reliability was verified through pilot testing and descriptive analysis. Results. Results showed that participants judged animated e-books as very useful and pedagogically efficacious, having a positive impact on vocabulary learning, conceptual understanding, and learner engagement. However, participants also mentioned insufficient institutional reinforcement and inadequate preparatory training for teachers to exploit such tools efficiently. These findings both emphasize the promise and the pitfalls of adopting animated e-books in formal instruction in the Arabic language. Conclusion. Animated, interactive digital books are an enriching resource for advanced-grade students learning Arabic. Their sustainability is also contingent on design premises, cultural norms, teacher in-services, and administrative backing. The proposed framework renders learner-centered, pedagogically consistent pedagogy central to making both the integration of technology and pedagogic richness in early learning of the Arabic language possible.
Background/purpose. Early childhood education (PAUD) teachers in rural Indonesia face chronic structural adversity, including severe resource scarcity and extreme financial insecurity, yet many exhibit remarkable professional commitment. This study aims to investigate this paradox by quantifying the structural challenges and exploring the underlying personal and contextual factors that foster teacher resilience and maintain long-term professional commitment in the rural PAUD setting. Materials/methods. This study employed a Sequential Explanatory Mixed Methods design. The Quantitative Phase (Phase 1) involved a survey of 274 rural PAUD teachers to quantify challenges. This was followed by a Qualitative Phase (Phase 2) involving in-depth interviews with ten (N=10) experienced teachers selected via extreme case purposive sampling, utilizing the quantitative data as a basis for selection. The data were analyzed sequentially, combining descriptive statistics with thematic analysis. Results. The quantitative analysis established the context of the financial crisis, showing that 75.19% of teachers earn less than IDR 300,000 (~USD 20) per month. This low income is often compounded by institutional policies that stop local salary payments upon the receipt of government professional allowances, alongside the widespread inadequacy of PAUD infrastructure. The qualitative thematic analysis identified that sustained professional commitment is anchored by a deep intrinsic motivation ("love for children") and a profound sense of social responsibility. Conclusion. The core finding is the identification of a Resilience Paradox: the extraordinary persistence of these teachers functions as a necessary systemic coping mechanism that is structurally relied upon by the state, arguing that this Extreme Case Resilience is evidence of structural exploitation. This study contributes to the literature by reframing teacher resilience in resource-poor contexts, urging that it not be romanticized but viewed as a vulnerability. The findings necessitate urgent policy recommendations for guaranteed teacher welfare, institutional accountability, and targeted infrastructure funding to ensure the long-term sustainability and quality of rural PAUD
Background/purpose. This study investigates how peer feedback translates into actual improvements in high school poetry analysis. It aims to connect feedback processes, feedback network structures, and final product quality by integrating process mining, social network analysis (SNA), and outcome modeling. Materials/methods. Thirty-four students (N = 34) from a high school in Semarang participated in two 90-minute sessions following the sequence: briefing – peer assessment – revision – presentation. Process mining (Optimal Matching and Partitioning Around Medoids) was used to identify workflow archetypes, while SNA examined how feedback was distributed across students. Feedback quantity and quality were linked to final task scores using ANCOVA and linear mixed models, and path analysis was used to test whether revision behavior mediated the effect of feedback on product quality. Results. Process mining revealed three workflow archetypes: Presentation-Leap, Linear-Fast, and Iterative-Revision. SNA indicated a sparse but moderately modular feedback network (density = 0.070; modularity = 0.448; Gini = 0.437; reciprocity = 7.7%). ANCOVA/LMM results showed that revision intensity was the strongest predictor of final quality, followed by weighted incoming feedback, whereas betweenness centrality contributed less. Path analysis confirmed that the effect of feedback on final quality was partially mediated by revision behavior. Conclusions. Meaningful revisions serve as a key mechanism linking peer feedback to improved performance in poetry analysis. Teachers are advised to incorporate mandatory revision checkpoints and to distribute feedback opportunities more equitably across students. The study is limited by its small sample size, single-school context, and non-random design; future research should employ multi-site or randomized designs and explore long-term learning outcomes to strengthen generalizability.
