In the literature, there is not enough evidence specifically regarding the contribution of ChatGPT to the English education of primary school students. This calls for further studies empirically demonstrating the effectiveness of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in language learning in primary school settings. This sort of study is also useful in providing implications for effectively integrating these novel tools into school settings. Therefore, this study focuses on the impact of ChatGPT on the English reading and writing skills of elementary school students. This study explores the impact of using ChatGPT as a pen pal on young learners' reading and writing skills in English courses and their attitudes towards language learning. Conducted with 55 elementary school students, the study employed a quasi-experimental design. The experimental group interacted with ChatGPT weekly to practice their reading and writing skills, while the control group followed traditional teaching methods. Pre-tests and post-tests were administered to assess students' progress in reading and writing, along with an attitude scale to measure changes in their perception of the English course. The results showed that both groups significantly improved their reading and writing skills, but no significant difference was observed between the groups. Although ChatGPT proved to be an engaging tool, its impact was comparable to traditional methods. This study highlights the potential of AI-driven tools like ChatGPT in supporting language learning, suggesting further research is needed to explore its long-term effects.
Curriculum literacy is a core professional competence that enables pre-service teachers to interpret curricula accurately and translate curricular objectives into effective instructional practices. In digitally mediated learning environments, this competence may also support the purposeful use of digital technologies. This study examined the mediating role of digital literacy in the relationship between pre-service teachers’ curriculum literacy and their competence in designing instruction in digital environments. Using a relational survey design, data were collected from 314 fourth-year pre-service teachers enrolled at two state universities in Türkiye. The Curriculum Literacy Scale, Digital Literacy Scale, and Competence Scale for Designing Instruction in Digital Environments were used as data collection instruments. Structural equation modelling was conducted using the robust maximum likelihood estimator, and indirect effects were tested through bootstrapping with 2,000 samples. The findings showed that curriculum literacy significantly predicted competence in designing instruction in digital environments and digital literacy. Digital literacy also significantly mediated the relationship between curriculum literacy and digital instructional design competence (β = .261, 95% CI [.188, .355]). Gender and GPA did not significantly predict digital instructional design competence. Overall, the findings indicate that curriculum literacy contributes to pre-service teachers’ competence in designing digitally supported instruction both directly and indirectly through digital literacy. Teacher education programmes should therefore integrate curriculum literacy and digital literacy in a coordinated manner to strengthen pre-service teachers’ capacity to design curriculum-aligned digital learning environments.
The Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) framework conceptualizes specialized content knowledge (SCK) through the dimensions of justification, explanation, and representation. Drawing on this framework, this study investigates secondary school mathematics teachers’ specialized content knowledge in the teaching of first-order equations with one unknown and identifies the instructional responsibilities associated with this topic. Designed as a qualitative case study, the research was conducted with three secondary school mathematics teachers. Data were collected through an equation knowledge test for teaching, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations conducted during the instruction of first-order equations and were analyzed using analytical rubrics aligned with the three dimensions of SCK. The findings indicate that although teachers demonstrated procedural fluency in solving equations, their justifications and explanations frequently lacked conceptual depth. Teachers encountered difficulties when responding to students’ questions about the relational meaning of the equality sign, the interpretation of variables, and the equivalence of different solution strategies. With respect to representation, teachers relied predominantly on symbolic forms, with limited integration of verbal explanations and visual models to support conceptual understanding. The study specifies topic-specific instructional responsibilities embedded in specialized content knowledge for first-order equations and offers a structured analytical perspective to inform future research and the design of teacher education programs in algebra instruction.
This study examined the mediating roles of self-efficacy and psychological resilience in the effect of hope on career anxiety among vocational high school students. The study was conducted using a quantitative, cross-sectional, and correlational design. The study group consisted of 440 students enrolled in various vocational high schools. Data were collected using the Dispositional Hope Scale, the Self-Efficacy for Children Scale, the Child and Youth Resilience Measure, and the Career Anxiety Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis, regression-based serial multiple mediation analysis, and bootstrap resampling. Correlation findings indicated that hope was significantly and positively associated with self-efficacy and psychological resilience and significantly and negatively associated with career anxiety. The mediation analysis revealed that hope had a significant total effect on career anxiety. However, when self-efficacy and psychological resilience were included in the model, hope’s direct effect on career anxiety was found to be non-significant. In contrast, hope’s total indirect effect on career anxiety remained significant. The findings indicated that the effect of hope on career anxiety was significantly mediated through self-efficacy, psychological resilience, and a serial indirect pathway involving both constructs. In conclusion, hope does not function as a standalone predictor that directly reduces career anxiety; rather, it operates as a higher-order psychological resource that exerts its influence through self-efficacy and psychological resilience. These findings suggest that hope, self-efficacy, and psychological resilience should be addressed together in school-based interventions aimed at reducing career anxiety among vocational high school students.
Video-enabled feedback is increasingly integrated into technology-enhanced learning environments, offering rich opportunities for interaction aligned with evolving digital communication practices. However, its adoption is highly sensitive to psychological determinants such as trust, perceived risk, and perceived usefulness. This study explores how these constructs influence learners’ acceptance of video-enabled feedback, conceptualized here as a strategic service design intervention. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design was employed over a 10-week intervention. Data were collected from 88 high school students assigned to an experimental group (video feedback) and a control group (text feedback). The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed that exposure to video feedback significantly increased trust and perceived usefulness while decreasing perceived risk. Furthermore, perceived usefulness and trust strongly predicted student satisfaction, which in turn served as a central mediator driving both continuance intention and the willingness to invest in personalized learning (WIPL). Perceived risk, conversely, negatively affected trust and satisfaction. The study also highlights the moderating roles of individual differences: virtual risk sensitivity amplified the effects of risk perceptions, whereas creative thinking and self-regulation strengthened the impact of perceived usefulness on satisfaction. These results demonstrate that the acceptance of digital educational tools depends critically on mitigating psychological barriers. By integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM) with a trust-risk framework, this research offers practical implications for EdTech developers to design trustworthy, user-centered systems that foster sustainable user engagement and revenue models.
