Purpose – This study aims to evaluate and validate a higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) test instrument for buffer solution concepts using the generalized partial credit model (GPCM). While HOTS is critical in chemistry, there is a lack of specialized instruments validated against modern psychometric theories to accurately assess students’ analytical and evaluative abilities with regard to buffer solutions. Methodology – A quantitative research approach was employed. The instrument used was a test instrument with an 8-item polytomous instrument. It was administered to 288 high school students in Bengkulu City, Indonesia. Data were analyzed using an item response theory (IRT) - GPCM to estimate item parameters (discrimination and difficulty) and test information function. Findings – The results confirmed that 7 out of 8 items exhibited good fit to the GPCM. These items cover a wide range of difficulty levels, effectively distinguishing between students with varying abilities in HOTS. The test provided maximum information at slightly above-average abilities (θ ≈ 0.49), and remained across the low to high ability range, making it a precise tool for mapping a wide variation in student abilities in HOTS, although less than optimal for truly extreme abilities. Novelty – This study bridges modern psychometrics and chemistry pedagogy by utilizing the GPCM to map student cognitive load during multi-step buffer solution reasoning. Unlike previous assessments limited to a standard ability range, the instrument used crossed the cognitive threshold and offered teachers a high-precision assessment tool. Significance – The study contributes to the field of chemistry education by providing a psychometrically sound instrument for diagnosing HOTS. Unlike traditional classical test theory, the application of the GPCM allows teachers to identify specific conceptual gaps in student reasoning regarding buffer solutions, enabling more targeted instructional interventions.
Purpose – The growing problem of ecological crisis and persistent environmental degradation highlight the need for learning approaches that foster students’ ecoliteracy. This study examines the development of student ecoliteracy following the implementation of a web-based interactive multimedia platform based on transformative ecopedagogy in history learning. It explores the learning process through which historical understanding develops into ecological awareness and action-oriented thinking. Methodology – A mixed-methods explanatory design was employed, involving 144 high school students from four public high schools in Soloraya, Indonesia. The quantitative phase utilized a one-group pretest–posttest pre-experimental design to examine changes in students’ ecoliteracy following the implementation of a web-based interactive multimedia platform in history learning. Quantitative data were analyzed using paired sample t-tests to assess differences between pretest and posttest scores. The magnitude of improvement was measured using normalized gain (N-Gain), while Cohen’s d was calculated to determine the standardized magnitude of change. Qualitative data were collected through classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with seven purposively selected students, and analyzed using thematic analysis to explain the quantitative findings. Findings – The quantitative results indicated a statistically significant increase in students’ ecoliteracy scores following the implementation (p < .001). Students achieved a mean post-test score of 84.20, with an overall high normalized gain (N-Gain = 0.73). The standardized magnitude of change was very large (Cohen’s d = 2.79). Qualitative findings identified a learning progression in which students developed ecoliteracy through successive stages of problem recognition, historical meaning-making, critical reflection, and action-oriented thinking. This progression explains why students demonstrated stronger gains in ecological knowledge, environmental awareness, and human–environment interaction in the application of ecological concepts, suggesting that ecological action develops through a gradual process of cognitive transformation rather than from information acquisition alone. Novelty – This study identifies and explains a pedagogical mechanism through which students develop ecoliteracy, progressing from problem recognition and historical meaning-making to critical reflection and action-oriented thinking. Rather than focusing primarily on the development or effectiveness of a digital learning product, the study positions transformative ecopedagogy learning as a process-oriented pedagogical framework that connects historical meaning-making with ecological awareness, critical reflection, and action-oriented thinking. Significance – The instructional mechanism identified in this study positions transformative ecopedagogy learning as a pedagogical framework for designing history learning that systematically transforms historical understanding into ecological awareness and action-oriented thinking. The framework emphasizes the learning process rather than the development or effectiveness of a specific digital technology or local context. However, its applicability across diverse historical topics, environmental issues, and educational settings requires further investigation.
Purpose – This study examined how learning strategies and professional development orientations were associated with self-reported GPA and perceived 21st-century skills among teacher education students. It also investigated how latent groups and students’ accounts explained differences between these outcomes. Methodology – A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design combined hierarchical regression, latent class analysis, and latent profile analysis of data from 464 students. Interviews were conducted with 12 respondents who volunteered to participate in this aspect of the study. The interview data were analysed through inductively oriented two-cycle coding and then integrated with the quantitative findings. Findings – Predictors explained substantially more variance in perceived skills than in the GPA. Elaboration and monitoring, as well as voluntary major, choice predicted the GPA; study habits, elaboration and monitoring, motivation, and initiating professional development activities predicted perceived skills, although the professional development block added no significant variance. Perceived skills increased across low, moderate, and high strategy profiles, whereas the GPA was lower only in the low-profile category. Five themes contextualised these patterns, namely instructional fit and meaning-making; strategic repertoire, calibration, and assessment fit; regulation breakdowns under load; identity, professional growth, and success criteria; and perceived transfer of 21st-century skills. Novelty – Participant-linked integration showed that the reported engagement had different meanings across outcomes, while individual accounts revealed contextual variation and counterexamples within latent groups. ICAP informed interpretation without treating profiles as direct measures of its modes. Significance – Grades, perceived skills, and engagement profiles provide complementary rather than interchangeable evidence; profiles may be most useful as starting points for inquiry rather than as fixed learner labels.
Purpose – Teachers’ digital competence plays an important role in technology-enhanced learning. This study explores how Project-Based Learning (PjBL) develops digital competence among EFL pre-service teachers of an Islamic university and examines their perceptions. Methodology – This qualitative case study involved 80 EFL pre-service teachers at an Islamic state university in East Java Province, Indonesia. Data was collected through observations of three microteaching sessions, document analysis, and semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using Yin's (2011) five-phase analytic cycle, focusing on compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding. Findings – PjBL fosters pre-service teachers’ digital competence by enabling them to design, implement, and evaluate technology-enhanced learning in authentic teaching contexts. It also develops technical digital skills, pedagogical decision-making, reflective practice, collaboration, and higher-order thinking skills. The pre-service teachers perceived the PjBL approach as increasing their confidence, motivation, and professional identity as future teachers. Novelty – While previous studies focused on general higher education contexts, this study contributes to the growing body of research on digital competence by applying the DigCompEdu framework to examine how Project-Based Learning supports pre-service teachers’ competence development in Islamic higher education. It highlights how PjBL fosters the development of key DigCompEdu dimensions. Significance – The findings provide practical insights for teacher education programs in designing technology-integrated learning and provide insights for improving technology integration strategies in culturally and faith-based higher education contexts.
Purpose – This study conducts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to examine how Augmented Reality (AR) contributes to student performance, with particular attention to engagement, cognitive skills, and academic achievement across different educational contexts. While interest in AR has increased, the evidence remains fragmented, and its impacts on learning outcomes require clearer synthesis. Methodology – To achieve this, we performed a comprehensive search of scholarly articles using reputable databases like Web of Science (WoS) as well as Scopus, concentrating on studies published between 2020 and 2024. The study followed the PRISMA framework. A total of 30 articles were examined, and the final primary data was assessed. Findings – The review indicates that AR consistently enhances student engagement and motivation, strengthens cognitive development and problem-solving skills, and provides interactive support for special and inclusive education. However, the impact of AR on academic achievement is mixed, with some studies showing measurable gains while others report only indirect benefits. Significance – The findings suggest that AR can enrich learning when integrated purposefully into teaching strategies, particularly in STEM and healthcare education. Nonetheless, long-term impacts remain underexplored, underscoring the need for longitudinal studies and teacher training to maximize its effectiveness. Originality/Value – This review contributes by mapping AR applications across primary, secondary, and higher education, synthesizing evidence of their effects on student performance, and clarifying conditions under which AR can be most effective for meaningful learning outcomes.
