Large language models (LLMs) have diffused rapidly into academic writing since late 2022. Using the complete population of 109,393 research articles published in PLOS ONE between 2019 and 2025, we examine population-level structural publication indicators, including full-text manuscript length, authorship team size, reference volume, and cross-linguistic collaboration, before and after 2022. PLOS ONE's multidisciplinary scope and consistent editorial framework allow cross-field comparison under uniform conditions over an extended period. Manuscript length increased substantially, with gains ranging from 14.8% among African-affiliated authors and 11.7% among Asian-affiliated authors to 5.3% among native English-speaking (NES) authors, cutting the word-count gap by 39%. More strikingly, non-native English-speaking (NNES) authors reduced both authorship team size, from 6.54 to 6.06 authors, or 7.3%, and collaboration with NES co-authors, from 17.8% to 12.2%, or 36%, while NES authors remained stable in both team size and collaboration rates. Reference counts increased modestly and uniformly across groups. These findings suggest that post-2022 tools may be reshaping not only how science is written, but who writes it together.

Background: This exploratory study investigates whether STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students’ increasing reliance on off-campus resources (e.g., online platforms, private tutors) reflects an authentic preference for autonomous learning or a compensatory response to perceived deficiencies in on-campus instruction. Methodology: Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 118 engineering and science students. A model was developed to examine the relationship between the intensity of student criticism and their declared preference for off-campus learning. Findings: The model revealed a significant negative relationship between the intensity of criticism and the preference for off-campus instruction. This suggests that for highly critical students, external resources function primarily as a compensatory mechanism for “needs frustration” rather than a preferred alternative. The results imply that these students continue to value the frontal model but find its current implementation insufficient to meet their pedagogical needs. Conclusion: These findings challenge the assumption that digital trends signify a voluntary abandonment of the classroom. Instead, reliance on external resources is positioned as a reactive, compensatory strategy. Higher education institutions should prioritize revitalizing frontal instruction through enhanced clarity and focus to reduce dependency on off-campus platforms and restore the value of the campus experience.

Aim. This study analyses the linguocultural concept pechal’/pechal’nyy (sadness/sad) in Alexander Herzen’s My Past and Thoughts, exploring its linguistic and cultural functions. It examines how pechal’ serves as a marker of emotional, intellectual, and moral depth, revealing layers of meaning in the portrayal of characters, their worldview, and 19th-century Russian mentality. Methods. The study uses quantitative and qualitative methods, including content and contextual analysis. It identifies and categorises all occurrences of pechal’ and pechal’nyy, examining their frequency, semantic roles, emotional connotations, and cultural-historical associations. It also draws on dictionary definitions, gender and referent classification, and analyses of how pechal’ is used in depicting Herzen’s circle. Results. Pechal’ appears 188 times and functions as a culturally charged emotional concept denoting sorrow, reflection, and existential awareness. It is closely linked to characters with intellectual depth, critical thought, and emotional sensitivity. The analysis shows that pechal’ is not only a personal emotion but also a cultural phenomenon embedded in Russian identity and literary tradition. It also marks Herzen’s inner circle, distinguishing genuine suffering from theatrical melancholy. Conclusions. The study identifies pechal’ as a linguocultural marker uniting emotion, intellect, and moral reflection. It functions as a culturally shaped emotional-cognitive response to the world’s imperfections, marking individuals of ethical sensitivity. Traced across characters and contexts, pechal’ serves as both a literary device and a cultural code, illustrating how emotional lexemes convey complex ideological and identity meanings in historical and literary discourse.

This study aims to explore the research engagement and perceived performance of faculty members in Israel during wartime, a context that involves heightened personal and societal stress. By examining the interplay between personal challenges, professional demands, and research productivity, the study sheds light on the resilience and coping mechanisms employed by academics facing adversity, and the effect on quality of life within the unique academic environment. The research participants comprised 140 faculty members from institutions in Israel. We utilized a mixed methods approach that combined qualitative categorization and developing a quantitative model. Findings indicate that the period of war, a time of personal, social, and national crisis, indeed hampered and slowed research activity, but when the deceleration stemmed from professional difficulties, faculty members and faculty members paradoxically engaged in more research. The research findings show that academic pressure and commitment significantly affect faculty members, with their dedication to research overcoming personal difficulties. This is crucial during potential declines in research output, such as in crises, as government funding for academic institutions is based on published research. This study enhances our understanding of the interplay between job-related stress, personal challenges, and professional productivity in academia.

While artificial intelligence (AI) integration in education has attracted considerable attention, research examining its impact on student motivation remains limited. This study investigates the relationship between AI use for learning purposes and learning motivation among 207 Israeli middle and high school students. Data were collected using two self-report instruments: a questionnaire measuring AI use frequency and perceived educational value, and a learning motivation questionnaire based on self-determination theory. Pearson correlations, descriptive statistics, and group comparisons examined associations between variables and differences across school levels and gender. Findings revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between AI use for learning and students’ learning motivation, with students reporting higher AI use demonstrating greater learning motivation. This association was significantly stronger among middle school students compared to high school students, while no gender differences emerged. Despite limitations including moderate internal reliability of the motivation scale, convenience sampling, and the correlational design preventing causal inferences, results suggest AI-supported learning environments may be particularly effective for fostering motivation during early adolescence. The directionality of the relationship remains unclear—whether AI use enhances motivation or motivated students are more inclined to adopt AI tools. These findings contribute to emerging literature on AI in education by highlighting motivational implications and emphasizing the need for developmentally sensitive AI integration. Future research should employ longitudinal and experimental designs to clarify causal mechanisms.

Capstone projects in undergraduate engineering education are widely regarded as a central bridge between academic learning and professional practice, enabling students to integrate disciplinary knowledge, design processes, teamwork, and problem-solving skills in a project-based learning experience. This study examines how 131 engineering graduates and practicing engineers retrospectively evaluate capstone supervision and its contribution to industry readiness. Correlation analysis and multiple regression were used to examine relationships between the supervisor’s approach, perceived industry preparation, supervision satisfaction, and capstone project quality. Regression models including supervisor’s approach and perceived industry preparation explained substantial variance in both supervision satisfaction (R2 = 0.75) and project quality (R2 = 0.78). Follow-up analyses identified connection to engineering work as the strongest retained predictor of supervision satisfaction (β = 0.34), and cognitive factors as the strongest retained dimension associated with project quality (β = 0.52). However, 60.3% of graduates perceived the capstone project as making little or no contribution to finding engineering employment, suggesting a gap between this intended bridging role and its perceived value after graduation. These findings highlight the need to strengthen the connection between supervision practices and professional engineering work and contribute a graduate-based perspective to capstone project evaluation in engineering education.

Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) have emerged as crucial change agents in preparing faculty to integrate employment-relevant skills into higher education, yet limited research examines how these centers operate in resource-constrained contexts. This study investigates how CTLs in Israeli higher education prepare faculty to teach employment skills and what insights this experience offers for understanding effective strategies in similar contexts. Using an embedded single-case study design, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 31 CTL directors (77.5% response rate) across universities, academic colleges, and education colleges, supplemented by document analysis. Our findings reveal three distinct implementation approaches: embedded integration (47% of centers), industry partnership (32%), and competency framework (21%) models. Despite operating with limited formal authority and resources, Israeli CTLs demonstrate “networked legitimacy”, achieving institutional influence through strategic relationship-building rather than hierarchical position. University-based CTLs emphasize cognitive-analytical skills but show lower implementation rates (29%), while college-based CTLs demonstrate higher implementation levels (57%) with stronger workplace connections. The study extends institutional entrepreneurship theory by explaining how resource-constrained organizations drive change without formal authority. These findings offer actionable frameworks for CTL directors, demonstrating that embedded integration can achieve high faculty engagement without separate program infrastructure, while industry partnerships enhance workplace relevance. The research contributes to understanding how educational institutions can enhance graduate employability through strategic faculty development, with implications for workforce-responsive higher education policy development globally.

Armed conflict poses severe challenges to early childhood education systems and places exceptional psychological and emotional demands on early childhood educators (ECE). The present study examines the relationship between professional identity and burnout among ECEs during wartime, while integrating unique war-related job demands, children’s behavior, occupational perception, social support, and psychological capital, within a comprehensive theoretical model. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources and Conservation of Resources frameworks, mix method research conducted among 181 ECEs in Israel during the ongoing war. Caregiving demands during wartime, perceived effects of the war on children’s behavior, and the perceived impact of the war on occupational meaning were measured using validated and newly developed instruments.Structural equation modeling revealed that the overall model demonstrated acceptable fit. While the direct effect of professional identity on burnout was not significant, occupational perception during wartime significantly moderated this relationship, such that a stronger sense of meaning and mission enhanced the protective role of professional identity. In addition, social support buffered the relationship between caregiving demands and burnout. Psychological capital was positively associated with key resources but did not directly moderate burnout relationships. Qualitative findings further emphasized meaning at work as the dominant theme in educators’ wartime experience. The results highlight the complex resource–demand dynamics shaping burnout during armed conflict and underscore the central role of occupational meaning and social support. Implications for theory, practice, and emergency preparedness training in early childhood education are discussed.

This study examines the gaps between scientific–technological (STEM) education in Israel’s Druze and Jewish sectors, with a focus on the challenges affecting the achievements of junior high school students. The methodology included 25 in-depth interviews with STEM teachers in the Druze sector and an analysis of comparative data. The findings indicate disparities stemming from insufficient resources, deficient infrastructure, and cultural challenges. Hence, an intervention model was formed, which included professional development for teachers, upgrading the infrastructure, sociocultural support, and encouraging community engagement. This study emphasizes the importance of focused interventions and continuous support for reducing disparities and improving the quality of education.

The governance of teaching enhancement in higher education is a complex endeavor, often characterized by a disconnect between national policy and institutional practice. Moving beyond traditional regulator-institution models, this study explores the dynamic triadic relationship between a national regulatory body, institutional Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs), and a voluntary national professional forum. Based on a sequential mixed-methods case study of the Israeli higher education system, this paper develops and proposes the Regulatory-Institutional Teaching Enhancement (RITE) framework. This analytical model conceptualizes the governance arena through four interconnected dimensions: Perception Dynamics, Interaction Mechanisms, Influence Pathways, and Resource Relationships. The findings demonstrate that policy implementation is not a linear process but a negotiated outcome shaped by the mediating role of the intermediary forum, which builds trust and circulates social, symbolic, and informational capital. The RITE framework offers a new tool for scholars to analyze and compare governance models internationally and provides policymakers with a more nuanced understanding of the ecosystem required to foster teaching excellence.

IntroductionIn the last decade, mindfulness-based programs have been assimilated among educational staff to cultivate socio-emotional skills and mental resilience. Most mindfulness programs use generic international models, omitting explicit acknowledgement of cultural and ethnic differences. Recent research highlights the importance of considering participants’ identities and diverse cultural and religious needs. The first aim of the current study is to explore whether mindfulness affects psychological well-being among Orthodox Jewish teachers. Additionally, the study examined the relationship between mindfulness as a personality trait and psychological well-being and resilience among Orthodox Jewish teachers. The second aim is to examine whether there is a tension in practicing mindfulness among participants who are Orthodox educators, and whether there is a need for cultural adaptations for religious populations to increase the effectiveness of the program.MethodsThe participants in this pioneer study were Orthodox teachers and principals from state religious schools who participated in the mindfulness program. The questionnaires were distributed among Orthodox teachers to characterize the group on several measures related to psychological well-being and resilience, as well as on measures of religiosity, to clarify whether there is an association between deep-rooted religious foundations and perceived mental resilience.ResultsThe research findings indicate that trait mindfulness and mindfulness training are related to increased psychological well-being and resilience. Trait mindfulness was significantly negatively associated with perceived stress. The study also showed that ultra-Orthodox teachers reported a higher sense of stress than did national religious teachers.DiscussionIt is evident from the current study that mindfulness qualities may support resilience and psychological well-being among Orthodox educators, whereupon it is important to nurture these qualities among them via mindfulness-based professional development. Moreover, it is evident from the study that to increase the efficacy of these programs, it is necessary to be aware of the participants’ ethnic, religious, and cultural features.

During the Covid pandemic, academic institutions were compelled to abruptly embrace e-teaching, as they were elsewhere as well. This pioneer study intends to examine the challenges of e-teaching and its shortcomings as perceived by students.The research findings indicate the need for a thorough discussion that should and must be conducted among leaders of higher education and academic institutions concerning the new and effective designation of lecturers in academia, the distinction between the virtual and the substantive in teaching, learning, and student evaluation, and the challenges and ways of dealing with the new reality.

In academic studies, some course assignments take the form of presentations. The art of presentation involves conveying messages and one of the methods is by delivering presentations, either face-to-face, synchronously, and/or asynchronously. Presentations require analyzing a topic, processing an article, analyzing ideas, dilemmas, lesson plans, etc. This study examines the benefits and shortcomings of slideshow presentations as a means for learning and as an assessment tool, as perceived by students. The study included 66 respondents, undergraduate students in a department of education at an Israeli university. The study combined qualitative and quantitative tools. From the research findings it is evident that the students perceive the benefits of slideshow presentations as improving learning capabilities, as well as enhancing learning and the student’s personal development. Another benefit emerging from the findings is that students see presentations as a means not only for presenting their knowledge to the lecturer but rather also for conveying information to their peers. Namely, the presentation has meaning both on the academic level and on the collaborative level. This benefit is perceived by the students as very important in the current era, where the collaborative dimension is receiving extensive place and emphasis in processes of teaching, learning, and assessment, as well as constituting part of students’ learning outcomes. Creating a supportive learning community that generates a social-academic climate and boosts one’s sense of efficacy and resilience in an era of change is meaningful and will remain with them in their future jobs as well. Concerning the difficulties experienced by students, they noted that slideshow presentations give rise to stage fright, a finding that tops the list of human fears. At the same time, the students noted as benefit the fact that facing an audience is an important skill that should be mastered, where through use of presentations they can attempt to overcome their inner difficulties and develop. The research findings shed light on the use of slideshow presentations as a tool and as a means for supporting learning and assessment. These findings may contribute to improving students’ learning processes and to assessing their scholastic and personal development. For this purpose, however, it is necessary to train students to experience the preparation of effective presentations and to present to an audience, as well as to develop a culture that entails a collaborative-learning climate suitable for an era of digital innovation. Delivering presentations and speaking to an audience are essential skills in the modern workplace. Students will find themselves in professional situations that require them to present information, usually via slideshows and by conveying messages to an audience of listeners or viewers. It is possible to learn how to present to an audience and to acquire presentation skills, and there are even ways of successfully dealing with fear and enhancing confidence in such situations. Good strategies and techniques will grant the necessary training and tools to prepare and deliver presentations in an efficient and relevant manner.

Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) function as pivotal change agents in higher education, yet their transformative role remains empirically underexamined. This study investigates how CTLs function as transformation agents in Israeli higher education, examining their strategic approaches, resistance mitigation strategies, and sustainable implementation methodologies. Through qualitative analysis of data from 45 participants, including 31 current CTL directors representing diverse institutional types (research universities, academic colleges, education colleges, and private institutions), the research reveals complex change management paradigms that challenge conventional organizational change theories. The study introduces the CTL Change Implementation Framework (CCLIF), integrating environmental forces, institutional context, and implementation phases. This empirically validated framework demonstrates how CTLs orchestrate institutional transformation through 'middle-out' change processes despite lacking formal authority. Our findings reveal distinct patterns of strategic positioning, cultural navigation, and sustainability mechanisms across institutional types, with successful CTLs developing 'networked legitimacy' through relationships spanning organizational hierarchies. The framework explains how CTLs effectively balance top-down strategic directives with bottom-up faculty engagement while adapting implementation approaches to institutional context. The findings advance theoretical conceptualizations of change management in academic settings while offering evidence-based implementation strategies for higher education transformation in resource-constrained environments.

Aim. This research aims to examine, through a questionnaire using visual and verbal free associations, whether the Holocaust, the war in Ukraine, and the war in Israel are perceived as distinct, unique events or if they merge with other military conflicts in students’ perceptions worldwide. Methods. A total of 82 students from Ukraine, Israel, and Poland participated in this study. The methodology combined visual and verbal free association tasks, where students responded to a series of photographs depicting the Holocaust, the war in Ukraine, and other conflicts. Demographic data such as academic discipline and cultural background were collected to analyse their influence on students’ perceptions. Results. The Holocaust is largely perceived as a unique and unparalleled historical event, particularly by students from Israel and Poland, who associate it with themes such as inhumanity, grief, and fear. In contrast, some students view more contemporary conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine and the war in Israel, through a comparative lens, often linking them to broader global conflicts. Ukrainian students tend to see the war in Ukraine as a unique event, while Israeli students show a similar perspective regarding the war in Israel, associating it with themes of chaos, struggle, and survival. Conclusions. This study highlights the significance of the Holocaust in shaping collective historical memory and emphasises the role of educational and cultural backgrounds in these perceptions. The findings underscore the importance of educational strategies that maintain the distinct historical significance of the Holocaust while fostering empathy and critical thinking, offering valuable insights for educators and policymakers.

Centers for teaching and learning (CTLs) increasingly influence teaching quality in higher education, yet their operational dynamics remain understudied in specific national contexts. This study examines the evolution of CTLs in Israeli higher education from peripheral support units to strategic institutional partners, analyzing their operations through leadership perspectives and organizational relationships. Using an interpretive phenomenological approach, the study analyzed data from semi-structured interviews with 31 CTL directors (77.5

The increasing reliance on digital technologies in higher education has significantly transformed teaching and learning practices, highlighting the distinct roles of research- and teaching-oriented faculty in digital pedagogy. Research-oriented faculty contribute to active digital learning by promoting critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaborative activities. Their use of innovative digital tools encourages intellectual curiosity and engagement but may sometimes overwhelm students with complex materials. In contrast, teaching-oriented faculty excel in structuring passive digital learning through clear and accessible content delivery, fostering knowledge acquisition. However, their emphasis on structured approaches can limit opportunities for interactive engagement. This study investigates the impact of these contrasting academic profiles on students’ learning experiences in digital environments. Using a mixed-methods approach, it explores how active and passive learning modes align with faculty strengths, shaping academic outcomes and student perceptions. Findings indicate that research-oriented faculty inspire scientific exploration and independent inquiry, while teaching-oriented faculty create supportive, accessible learning environments. Students value the strengths of both profiles but emphasize the need for a balanced approach that integrates structure with critical engagement. The study underscores the importance of professional development programs that encourage faculty to transcend traditional boundaries, equipping research-oriented faculty with pedagogical strategies and teaching-oriented faculty with interactive tools. Institutions must also adapt digital platforms to support diverse teaching styles, fostering inclusive and dynamic pedagogy. By bridging the gap between research and pedagogy, this study highlights the potential for hybrid approaches in the digital era, enabling faculty to optimize the benefits of digital learning for a diverse student body.

This study examines students’ ethical perceptions regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in academic settings, focusing on the relationship between students' engagement in unethical behaviors related AI and their expectations for ethical guidance from faculty members. It addresses the tension between institutional academic integrity policies and the practical reality shaped by students’ exposure to evolving labor market norms. A quantitative survey was conducted among 399 students from six academic institutions in Israel. The research instrument consisted of a Likert-scale questionnaire measuring perceptions of unethical behavior, the perceived impact of AI use on academic performance, and expectations for ethical instruction. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the hypothesized relationships. The findings revealed that students who reported higher levels of ethically questionable AI use also perceived improved academic performance. At the same time, they expressed a strong desire for ethical mentoring from their instructors. This paradox highlights a pragmatic approach to academic achievement, coupled with a genuine need for moral guidance within a rapidly evolving technological environment. The study has practical implications for fields such as education, the humanities, social sciences, and business—disciplines where generative AI tools are becoming increasingly prevalent. It is particularly relevant for academic policy-makers, curriculum designers, and educators seeking to promote ethical awareness and critical engagement with AI technologies in higher education. The novelty of this study lies in identifying the “ethical paradox” experienced by students—combining rule-bending behavior with a call for ethical direction. Rather than viewing this as failure or contradiction, the study frames it as an opportunity to cultivate a personal ethical compass that bridges academic values and professional readiness. This perspective offers a new pedagogical framework for fostering ethical development in the age of generative AI.

This study presents an innovative solution for evaluating university-level teaching quality using artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on key aspects such as clarity of explanation and lecture structure. Traditional student surveys, while valuable, are often subject to biases and lack the necessary granularity, creating a need for objective, scalable solutions that provide consistent results. We propose an automated framework utilizing advanced natural language processing (NLP) models to assess teaching quality based on lecture transcripts. The methodology combines AI-driven transcription, machine learning-based assessments, and correlation with institutional student evaluations to deliver reliable and reproducible measures of teaching effectiveness. The study analyzes 32 courses from 2017 to 2023, covering 1,222 hours of lecture video, and finds that AI assessments align significantly with student evaluations, particularly in terms of lecture structure and logical flow, though the alignment is weaker for clarity of explanation. These findings underscore the reliability of AI evaluations and suggest that they can serve as a complementary tool to traditional student feedback, offering objective, scalable insights into teaching quality. The study also highlights the limitations, such as reliance on transcribed text and the exclusion of non-verbal elements, indicating the need for multimodal AI models in future research. Finally, the paper suggests groundbreaking ideas for integrating AI into educational systems, with the potential to enhance teaching evaluation processes, making them more objective, accessible, and cost-effective, ultimately transforming the way teaching quality is assessed in academic institutions.