Using an integrated critical social semiotics approach, this critical discourse study examines how scientific literacy is visually represented in integrated thematic textbooks for Grade 5 and 6 primary school students under the 2013 curriculum in the Indonesian context. Guided by Xiong and Peng's intersemiotic relationship model, the findings reveal that these textbooks present essential scientific knowledge and concepts, including an understanding of the nature and processes of science and their application in everyday life. The study also finds that the textbooks offer opportunities for students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills through a scientific approach. These results accentuate the importance of equipping students with scientific literacy to help them navigate science-related situations in their daily lives.
The study explores the association between spiritual intelligence (SI) and happiness among higher education students through a scoping review guided by the PRISMA framework. The findings reveal a meaningful association between the components of SI and happiness, highlighting the potential relevance and contribution of SI to students’ happiness. SI also contributes to psychological well-being and adjustment, mental health, optimism, quality of life and academic performance, which collectively enhance students’ overall happiness. Higher education institutions may consider these findings when designing interventions to foster students’ SI and, consequently, promote their academic and overall well-being and happiness.
This qualitative study examines undergraduate students’ experiences of a learning management system (LMS) at a rural South African university and their implications for decolonizing digital pedagogy. Semi-structured interviews with 20 purposively selected students were analyzed thematically, guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, student-centered learning theory, and decolonial curriculum thought. Five themes emerged: LMS learning; material access; lecturer practice; peer networks; and language, relevance, and participation. Findings indicate that meaningful participation requires access, digital competence, purposeful pedagogy, and recognition of students’ languages and experiences, while peer support compensates for uneven institutional induction.
This study addresses the chronic theory–practice gap in teacher education by conceptualising a novel Polytechnic Teacher Education Approach. Through a systematic review of global teacher training models in Web of Science, Scopus and ERIC, the study analysed existing clinical practice frameworks. The findings reveal a distinct absence of a unified system that integrates simultaneous pedagogical production, continuous praxis and spatial faculty–school cohesion. Consequently, it concludes that polytechnic philosophy must be re-contextualised from industrial material production to intellectual pedagogical craftsmanship, thereby eliminating traditional isolated practicums. It is recommended that policymakers restructure educational faculties into integrated co-production ecosystems, requiring a radical paradigm shift in both institutional architecture and in-service mentoring to foster authentic omnilateral teacher development.
This study aims to assess the current educational inequality in Bangladesh and identify the key contributing factors to this inequality. The study reveals that although educational inequality as measured by educational Gini is declining in Bangladesh, it is still quite high. It indicates that despite substantial progress in the country's education sector, the inequality in educational attainment remains across gender, location, socioeconomic status, and age. The decomposition result reveals that among the different factors, income contributes the overall inequality most, which suggests that enhancing educational opportunities for poor people could reduce overall educational inequality. The study also finds that age is the second most important factor and that its contribution has grown over time, while gender and administrative division contribute little and the rural-urban divide makes a smaller but persistent contribution. Finally, the study suggests focusing on the educational needs of old-age people, and disadvantaged groups ensuring balanced educational opportunities.
