Abstract Books of the Global Conference on Innovations in Education
The Global Conference on Innovations in Education (EDUGLOBALCONF) presents carefully peer-reviewed research presented at the annual Education conference organized by Proud Pen. This collection captures original work across the field of Education, spanning theoretical frameworks to applied studies. Each volume serves as a reference for ongoing research and study in the discipline.
School Climate Assemblies: An Innovative Approach to Promote Sustainability Competences and Community Action
Youngsters’ participation in decision-making processes is essential to address current complex global challenges that manifest at local and regional levels, such as the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and desertification. This paper presents the EDU4CLIM project, which focuses on implementing school climate assemblies to engage and empower young people in climate change challenges towards promoting more sustainable, equitable and socially just societies. In this collaborative and deliberative democratic process students critically reflect, deliberate, make decisions and seek to find and propose solutions to promote local and regional sustainability, providing them with inclusive spaces to engage meaningfully in climate decision-making processes. This project has been piloted in 15 secondary schools in the province of Tarragona (Spain). The assemblies are structured in three stages of learning, deliberation and decision-making, with the support of a group of facilitators who guide participants throughout the process, ensuring that all opinions and voices are heard. In this paper we present the implementation process followed and the main results in relation to the influence of school climate assemblies in the development of sustainability competences among students and explore the impact that the school climate assemblies and a final sustainability fair, involving all students and schools, had at an individual, community and social levels.
Copyright (c) 2026 Abstract Books of the Global Conference on Innovations in Education
English for Specific Purposes in Adult and Professional Learning Contexts: A Social and Intercultural Perspective
This paper offers a bibliographic and conceptual discussion of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in adult and professional learning contexts, with particular emphasis on its social and intercultural dimensions. Within adult education, ESP is often approached primarily as an instrumental response to labour market demands, focusing on communicative efficiency and employability. However, such approaches tend to underplay the ways in which adult learners engage with English as a socially embedded practice shaped by cultural expectations, institutional norms, and unequal access to linguistic resources. Drawing on selected literature from adult education, applied linguistics, and intercultural education, the paper conceptualizes ESP as a site where language learning intersects with professional identity formation and intercultural negotiation. Attention is given to adult learners operating in fields such as business, tourism, and social sciences, where English frequently functions as a marker of professional legitimacy as well as a medium of cross-cultural interaction. From a social-theoretical perspective, language is discussed as a form of cultural and symbolic resource whose value is contingent upon specific educational and professional contexts. The paper reviews how dominant models of intercultural competence in ESP tend to prioritize adaptability and functional communication, while paying less attention to issues of power, recognition, and social positioning experienced by adult learners. By bringing together insights from adult education theory and social approaches to language, the paper aims to clarify the relevance of interculturality for understanding adult ESP learning beyond purely technical frameworks, in ways that are sensitive to learners’ intercultural trajectories and social realities.
VR EU Hoteliers Project: Immersive virtual reality for higher education in hospitality and tourism
The European VR EU Hoteliers project (Erasmus+ KA220-HED), developed by a consortium of five universities in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia and Spain, seeks to innovate higher education in hospitality and tourism by creating an immersive virtual reality (VR) hotel model. The project's main objectives are to enhance the digital competence of students and teachers, eliminate barriers to accessing real facilities, enhance practical skills, and encourage inter-university and intercultural collaboration within compatible European programmes. The VR model comprises three key scenarios — a bar and restaurant, a professional kitchen, and hotel rooms — accompanied by educational modules with learning objectives, a bibliography, question banks, and discussion and reflection activities. The design, development and initial testing of these resources has been completed to date, and the pilot phase is currently underway at the partner universities. The Spanish pilot involved 25 students and 3 teachers, and the results show high overall satisfaction (M=4.45/5). Noteworthy aspects include the collaboration and inclusion fostered by the VR model, the development of professional skills and active problem-solving. VR is perceived as an effective addition to traditional teaching methods, providing safe access to realistic equipment and experiential learning. However, technical challenges (e.g. stability and interactivity) and areas for improvement (e.g. NPCs, gamification and contextual realism) were also identified within the model. Nevertheless, the project validates the use of immersive VR as a transformative tool in university tourism training. It recommends hybrid session designs, technical improvements and longitudinal evaluation to enable its use in other teaching programmes.
Cultural Differences in Creativity:Comparing Western and Japanese Approaches to Innovation in Education
Innovation has become increasingly important in education, accompanied by growing attention to the cultivation of creativity. In innovation theory, Schumpeter's concept of "creative destruction" has played a foundational role, and scholars such as Mokyr, Aghion, and Howitt have contributed to theoretical frameworks explaining innovation-driven economic growth. However, creativity concepts in such theories may not be universally applicable across cultural contexts. In 2022, OECD's PISA introduced an assessment of Creative Thinking; however, Japan did not participate, possibly reflecting cultural differences in how creativity is conceptualized and evaluated in education. This study examines Western and Japanese conceptions of creativity through comparative literature review. Western creativity, represented by Schumpeter's radical innovation and Thiel's "zero to one" (0→1) concept, prioritizes originality and creating new value through additive processes. In contrast, Japanese creativity reflects "subtractive aesthetics" observed in haiku, Zen gardens, and Zen philosophy, where essence is extracted by eliminating excess—a "one hundred to one" (100→1) approach. The findings suggest Western additive creativity versus Japanese subtractive creativity. While sharing common elements, they differ significantly in cultural foundations, indicating creativity in innovation is not culturally uniform. This has important implications for education, suggesting culturally responsive pedagogical approaches and international assessments acknowledging diverse conceptualizations are essential for fostering creativity in globally interconnected contexts.
Promoting learner autonomy in language learning through enhanced use of technology
This poster presents findings from a case study on pedagogical transitions towards learner autonomy in Maltese language teaching. This poster examines the use of digital technologies to promote learner autonomy in the language classroom. Grounded in learner-centred and sociocultural perspectives on language learning, the study explores how technology-mediated tasks can support learners in taking greater responsibility for their learning processes. The intervention integrated digital tools designed to facilitate self-paced learning (such as use of QR codes), reflection (through self and peer assessment practices), and independent practice within a structured instructional framework (use of Ozobots). Data were collected through classroom observations, learner artefacts, and student feedback. The findings suggest that purposeful use of technology can enhance learner engagement, encourage self-regulation, and support autonomous learning behaviours, particularly when tasks are aligned with clear learning outcomes. Tools used during the lesson observations were designed for this study. The case study highlights the importance of pedagogical intentionality in the design and implementation of digital tools and offers practical implications for language educators seeking to foster autonomy through technology-enhanced learning environments.
Linking University and Community:An Innovative Teaching Approach to Transform Learning in Community Health Nursing
Community health nursing plays a key role in health promotion and disease prevention; however, it is often perceived by undergraduate nursing students as less attractive than other clinical fields. This teaching innovation project aimed to bridge the gap between university education and real community nursing practice through an active, immersive, and experiencebased learning model. The project was implemented within the Nursing Degree at the University of La Rioja and combined project-based learning and service-learning approaches, simulated community clinical scenarios, mentoring by practicing community nurses, and patient narratives. A transversal emphasis was placed on health promotion from a holistic and psychosocial perspective, integrating psychological understanding of health-related behaviors. Activities were organized into progressive learning stages addressing community orientation, group health education, community action, and professional specialization. The project received very positive feedback from students, who reported increased motivation, engagement, and a more realistic and meaningful understanding of the role of community nurses. Evaluation tools included rubrics, learning portfolios, and satisfaction questionnaires, which indicated improvements in competency acquisition and vocational interest in community health nursing. The results suggest that experiential and community-linked teaching strategies enhance learning quality, strengthen university–community partnerships, and contribute to the development of transferable competencies relevant to professional practice. This model offers a replicable framework for innovation in undergraduate health education.
The Current State of Digital Educational Planning Practices in Public Schools in the State of Kuwait from the Perspective of Intermediate School Department Heads
This study aimed to identify the current state of digital educational planning practices in public schools in the State of Kuwait from the perspective of department heads at the intermediate stage. The study adopted a descriptive correlational methodology. To achieve this objective, a questionnaire was used as the study instrument, consisting of one axis with 20 items. It was administered to an available sample (n = 200) drawn from a total population of 6,785 department heads in public schools. The study concluded with several findings, most notably that the perceptions of the sample members—department heads in public education in the State of Kuwait—regarding the reality of digital educational planning practices and their domains were generally at a moderate level. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences were found among the overall mean scores attributable to the variables of gender, years of service, educational stage, or educational district. The study recommended providing periodic training courses for teachers and department heads to enable them to use digital tools and employ them effectively in educational planning. It also called for the design of a unified national digital platform to facilitate communication, planning, assessment, decision-making and data management among educational administrations and schools.
From Early Warning Signs to Institutional Action: An Innovative Teaching Method to Address Gender-Related Violence in Universities
Within the framework of projects 16-2ACT-23 and YOU.TH, funded by the Spanish Women’s Institute and the European Commission, this study presents an innovative teaching methodology designed for higher education classrooms with the aim of promoting sensitive responses among university students to cases of gender-related violence (GRV). The methodology is based on the use of four videos which depict a GRV situation unfolding within a university context. The scenes follow a temporal sequence that moves from early warning signs to institutional responses. The first scene examines early signs of emotional distress within an ambiguous situation in a public university setting, encouraging consideration of bystanders’ roles and the factors that enable or hinder intervention and support-seeking. The second scene revisits the events leading up to the initial situation by presenting the viewpoints of the victim, the aggressor, associated peers, and witnesses, allowing analysis of how violence becomes normalized. The third scene addresses close interpersonal relationships through an exchange between the victim and a trusted peer, fostering reflection on effective support and common emotional and cognitive obstacles when offering help. The fourth scene focuses on institutional responses by simulating a faculty-level meeting in which participants take on the roles of academic staff and authorities, facilitating critical discussion of institutional silence, reputational concerns, power relations, and responsibility. Through the combined use of audiovisual materials, debate, and role-playing, the methodology seeks to foster empathy toward victims, critical self-reflection on myths and negative attitudes surrounding GRV, a sense of responsibility, and self-efficacy to intervene.
Copyright (c) 2025 Abstract Books of the Global Conference on Innovations in Education
The Influence of Nutrition Education on Preschool Children
Adequate and balanced nutrition have a crucial role in supporting children’s health and the life quality. This research study was designed in an experimental nature to investigate the impact of an activity-based nutrition education on the perceptions of five-year-old children related to healthy and unhealthy foods. The participants were five years old and attending five different classrooms in the same preschool on the north coast of Türkiye. A total of 111 children participated, of whom 62 were in the experimental group and 49 were in the control group. Nutrition education was provided by means of a picture book and its following activities in the experimental group. The activities were implemented as a part of the classroom routine, and all the children in the classrooms volunteered to participate in the study. As a post-test, data were collected by means of the adapted Healthy Food Knowledge Activity. In order to explore differences in nutrition-related perceptions between experimental and control group, independent sample t-tests were carried out. As a result, it was found that there is a statistically significant difference in the mean scores between the experimental and control group in favor of the experimental one. Moreover, an independent sample t-test was also conducted on experimental group children’s healthy food perception scores with respect to the gender, and a statistically significant difference was reached in the mean scores in favor of the girls. As a result, nutrition education was suggested for contributing to preschool children’s awareness of healthy and unhealthy foods.
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence Utilization on the School Decision-Making Process from the Perspectives of Public-School Principals in the State of Kuwait
This study examined the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) utilization on the school decision-making process from the perspectives of public school principals in the State of Kuwait using a quantitative descriptive research design. Data were collected from a sample of 96 principals through a validated questionnaire covering domains related to AI applications and school decision-making. The findings indicated that the overall level of AI utilization in schools was low, and that AI dimensions explained only a small proportion of variance in school decision-making (1.1%). Nevertheless, positive effects were observed when AI tools were effectively employed, particularly in enhancing the quality of decisions, followed by decision-making effectiveness. No statistically significant differences were found in participants’ perceptions based on educational district or years of service. The study concludes that AI represents a promising instrument for improving school decision-making if technological infrastructure is strengthened and principals’ competencies in using AI systems are developed. Accordingly, the study recommends expanding professional training programs in AI technologies and data analysis and developing integrated digital systems to support evidence-based school decision-making.
Expanding Equitable Access to Higher Education: Lessons from U.S. and Global Early College Pathways
Early college pathways, including dual enrollment, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate programs, have gained global prominence as strategies to expand access to higher education, improve college readiness, reduce time to degree, and lower student costs. While early college pathways are widely studied, much of the existing literature focuses on participation and outcomes at the secondary school level. Less attention has been paid to how these programs are designed and implemented within higher education institutions, or to how cross-national differences in postsecondary systems shape equity and persistence outcomes. This paper conceptualizes early college pathways as a structural bridge between secondary and postsecondary education and argues that access alone is insufficient without intentional design, alignment, and student support. Drawing on national longitudinal data from the United States, the analysis shows that participation in dual enrollment is associated with improved college persistence from the first through third year, with effects varying by rurality and socioeconomic status. These findings position persistence as a key equity indicator, revealing how early access mechanisms can produce uneven benefits under different structural conditions. The paper then situates early college pathways within a comparative international context, examining models in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Rather than offering an exhaustive comparison, it identifies transferable design principles related to affordability, institutional coordination, academic alignment, and student support, and concludes with policy-relevant recommendations for equitable pathway design.
Developing the Capstone Project in Multidisciplinary Groups through ChallengeBased Learning Focused on the Sustainable Development Goals
This paper describes an educational experience based on Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) applied to the development of capstone projects in multidisciplinary student teams aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Implemented as a pilot project at the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, the initiative involved collaboration between students, faculty, and local municipalities to address real societal challenges related to sustainable cities. Through a structured CBL process, students developed context-based solutions while strengthening transversal competencies such as teamwork, problem-solving, and social responsibility. The results indicate high levels of participant satisfaction and highlight the potential of CBL to integrate sustainability and real-world challenges into capstone projects in higher education.
Environmental Education in a Petro-State: Kuwait’s School Leaders’ Perspectives
Kuwait occupies a paradoxical position as a climate-vulnerable nation heavily dependent on oil exports. While national policies increasingly emphasize sustainability, school leaders must navigate the contradiction of promoting environmental responsibility within a fossil-fuel economy. This study investigates how Kuwaiti public secondary school principals understand and enact Environmental Education (EE) amidst rapid, top-down curriculum reforms and ministerial instability. Drawing on Godfrey et al.’s (2025) "Four Pillars" and Verhelst et al.’s (2021) "ESD-Effective School Organization" frameworks, this research employs a qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews. Anticipated findings suggest that principals currently function as "managers of confusion," prioritizing administrative compliance over deep socio-ecological purpose due to conflicting economic narratives and insufficient training. The study expects to reveal that leaders experience significant tension between national economic identity and global climate mandates, often defaulting to "petropedagogies" that avoid systemic critique. The discussion argues that without context-sensitive professional development, EE remains a shallow add-on rather than a transformative practice. By identifying how leaders can "bridge ideologies" in a centralized system, this research fills a critical gap in the literature on state-led "regimes of obstruction." Ultimately, the study aims to inform policy to cultivate leaders capable of fostering genuine sustainability in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
Computational Thinking & AestheticArtistic-Engagement through tinkering: A case study in first grade of primary school
This paper addresses Computational Thinking (CT) and introduces Aesthetic-ArtisticEngagement (AAE) by depicting intersections through an interdisciplinary approach in STEAM-Education in first grade of primary school. CT mostly refers to cognitive abilities, whereas AAE encompasses sensual-experimental action, pictorial thinking and artistic self-expression. Recent studies in STEAM-education have underscored the significance of artistic competencies across the educational spectrum. In this regard, the CT sub-skill of pattern recognition and the AAE sub-skill pattern creation are promising and discussed in this text. The case study's research questions focus on identifying the operators and competencies of CT and AAE by introducing Brunner's unifying EIS principle in terms of different modes of knowledge representation (enactive - pictorial -symbolic). Within a storytelling context, pupils perceived themselves as game developers, applied artistic techniques, and were encouraged to express themselves. The instructor involved posed guiding questions and paraphrased pupils´ findings. By arranging different materials and objects according to their characteristics, the pupils proceeded to design a classification system, leading to the design of different patterns and other concepts found in CT and AAE. In terms of imagination and curiosity, the affective level played a crucial role in the process of experimentation as evidenced by the pupils' self-crafted game elements, the suspense they created in the game, and their use of artistic methods and techniques to produce artefacts. Thus, the case study attempts to demonstrate the interplay between artistic and logical thinking in STEAM education by depicting their joint contribution to learning through innovative teaching formats.
Enhancing Conceptual Understanding and Analytical Skills in Optical Communications Education
The rapid evolution and increasing system complexity of modern optical communication technologies place substantial demands on postgraduate engineering education, particularly at the MSc level, where students are expected to develop strong analytical, modelling, and system-level understanding. Traditional lecture-centred teaching approaches are often insufficient to support these advanced learning outcomes. In response, this paper presents a redesigned MSc-level optical communication module that adopts a simulation-integrated, research-oriented pedagogical framework. The proposed approach combines rigorous theoretical instruction with structured simulation-based laboratories and open-ended analytical tasks. A unified simulation platform serves as the core learning environment, allowing MSc students to model and analyse key aspects of optical communication systems, including fibre impairments, receiver design, modulation formats, and end-to-end system performance. This framework enables students to explore complex parameter interactions with a level of depth, flexibility, and reproducibility that closely reflects contemporary research and industrial practice. In addition, the module is explicitly designed to expose MSc students to emerging research topics, such as intelligence-assisted optical communication and advanced signal processing techniques, thereby bridging the gap between taught coursework and current research frontiers. The effectiveness of the pedagogical redesign is assessed through a combination of quantitative academic performance indicators and qualitative student feedback. The results show marked improvements in students’ conceptual depth, independent problem-solving ability, and confidence in engaging with advanced topics including coherent detection and intelligent signal processing. Overall, the study demonstrates that a simulation-integrated, research-led teaching approach is particularly effective for MSc-level optical communications education, better equipping graduates with the skills required for doctoral research and high-level engineering roles in next-generation optical networks.
What Reading Gains Really Mean: Vocabulary Growth Through Digital Reading While Listening in L2 Contexts
This study re-examines reading growth data from two earlier studies conducted in Turkey (2019) and Hungary (2020). Both involved Grades 2–8 English foreign language learners who received regular classroom instruction supplemented by digital books with audio narration. While the original evaluations reported reading-level gains, this secondary analysis addresses a key question: What do those gains represent in practical, linguistic terms—particularly in vocabulary development? In both studies, students read authentic native-speaker texts selected through pre-test-based recommendations (ATOS or Lexile), with audio narration. Despite limited reading time—averaging just six hours per student—learners showed notable growth: +70 Scaled Score points on STAR Reading (~0.6–0.7 GE) and +37L Lexile, suggesting strong learning impact for the time invested. To interpret these gains more meaningfully, findings were reviewed through the lens of vocabulary acquisition research linking reading progress to estimated word learning. Based on established correlations between reading progress and word learning, students are estimated to have acquired approximately 250–500 new word families. While the initial design emphasized comprehensible input through matched text difficulty and audio support, additional gains may have been reinforced by interleaved text exposure and distributed reading—both consistent with learning science principles. These results emerged from conventional classrooms, with digital reading added as a supplemental resource. By translating reading-level gains into estimated vocabulary growth, this study offers educators a practical lens for interpreting digital reading outcomes—particularly the potential of reading while listening to support vocabulary development among lower-proficiency second-language learners.
From Compliance to Understanding: Flexible Pedagogical Practices in Foreign Language Classrooms
In normal classroom settings, students are often able to perform academic work correctly but do not know how to explain the thinking that went behind it. Repeated observations of classroom interactions over time showed that finishing tasks often hid the fact that students did not have many chances to explain their thoughts, back up their choices, or think about what they understood from the very beginning of an activity to its final outcome. This repeated pattern made teachers wonder how classroom routines affect what counts as proof of learning. This study is based on a limited, classroom-oriented qualitative investigation conducted within an elementary school setting in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. The study did not exclusively concentrate on students’ performance; instead, it examined how various instructional choices affected students’ ability and capacity to articulate their reasoning during content-specific lessons. In this context, instruction took place in a foreign language, which made opportunities for students to explain and justify their thinking particularly relevant. Using ideas from formative assessment and inclusive teaching (Black & Wiliam, 1998; CAST, 2018), classroom routines were slowly adjusted to give students more freedom in how they participated, showed what they understood, and explained, in their own words, the processes they developed. Data were collected through ongoing classroom observations, samples of student work, and teacher reflective notes gathered across multiple instructional cycles. Changes did not occur immediately; instead, they emerged gradually over time. Students began to offer longer explanations, participate more actively in discussions, and revisit their ideas after receiving feedback. These shifts suggested that the ways learning was being constructed and communicated in the classroom were beginning to change (Hattie & Timperley, 2007). These observations indicate that flexible pedagogical approaches can facilitate more meaningful demonstrations of learning by fostering opportunities for explanation, dialogue, and reflection. The study emphasizes the need to reevaluate classroom expectations in order to prioritize comprehension over mere task completion in the educational process.
Educating Desire and Virtue: Alasdair MacIntyre, Narrative Formation, and the Limits of Contemporary Character Education
Contemporary educational discourse increasingly emphasizes character education as a response to perceived moral and civic deficits among students. Yet despite widespread adoption, such initiatives frequently struggle with conceptual coherence, implementation, and assessment. Drawing on Alasdair MacIntyre’s moral philosophy—particularly his culminating work Ethics in the Conflicts of Modernity—this paper argues that these difficulties stem from a deeper philosophical problem: contemporary character education is typically grounded in an expressivist moral framework that lacks an intelligible account of desire, virtue, and moral formation. MacIntyre’s critique of modern moral culture highlights how moral language, when detached from shared practices and narrative traditions, devolves into expressions of preference or managerial technique. In contrast, MacIntyre understands education as the formation of desire through participation in socially embodied practices oriented toward internal goods and sustained within tradition-constituted communities. Using the International Baccalaureate’s Learner Profile and Approaches to Learning as a representative case, this paper illustrates how even philosophically ambitious character education frameworks risk incoherence when virtues are abstracted from the practices that give them meaning. The paper concludes by proposing a MacIntyrean reorientation of character education grounded in narrative unity, practice-based virtue formation, and the education of desire as a philosophically robust alternative to expressivist models of moral education.
Hyperactive Education: Negotiating ADHD as an Undiagnosed Middle Eastern Female Student
This autoethnographic study explores the lived experience of growing up and studying with undiagnosed ADHD as a Middle Eastern woman within cultural, familial, and academic systems that rendered neurodivergence invisible. Drawing on reflective journals, memory work, and narrative analysis, the research situates personal experience within broader structures of gendered expectations, cultural norms, and ableist educational environments. While ADHD is commonly framed through Western, male-centred diagnostic criteria, this study highlights how women, particularly those from ethnic minority and collectivist backgrounds, mask symptoms through perfectionism, compliance, and emotional labour. This masking, sustained over years, leads to burnout, identity fragmentation, and internalised shame. The narrative reveals how cultural expectations of daughterhood, obedience, and academic excellence intensified these pressures, making ADHD appear as moral failure rather than neurological difference. Using feminist theory, habitus (Bourdieu), and intersectionality (Crenshaw) as analytical frames, the study demonstrates how the interplay of gender, culture, and neurodivergence shapes academic performance, mental health, and self-perception. The paper argues that institutions and families often misinterpret ADHD-related behaviours, reinforcing stigma and delaying diagnosis. By bringing the personal into dialogue with the political, this research challenges dominant narratives around ADHD and offers insight into the invisible labour performed by neurodivergent women navigating conflicting cultural and educational demands. Ultimately, the study aims to broaden understandings of ADHD, highlight underrepresented voices, and advocate for culturally responsive support for women whose struggles remain unheard.
The Role of University Administration in Developing Leadership Skills among Kuwait University Students
The aim of the current study is to identify the role of university administration in developing young student leadership at Kuwait University, as well as to examine the differences in the sample's responses based on the variables (academic year). To achieve the study's objectives, the researchers used the descriptive survey method through a questionnaire applied to a sample of (357) male and female students, selected using simple random sampling. The study found that the role of university administration in developing student leadership Skills at Kuwait University was at a moderate level. The results also showed statistically significant differences in the sample's responses based on the academic year variable, favouring first-year students. The study recommended the adoption of a comprehensive policy for managing student leadership talent that includes recruitment, training, and empowerment, while aligning it with the university’s strategic plans to support innovation and sustainable participation.
Reassessing Foundational Teacher Education in Mongolia: Student Satisfaction, Challenges, And Learning Outcomes
This study examines the quality of foundation courses in teacher education at the Mongolian National University of Education by analyzing the perceptions and experiences of undergraduate students. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining an online survey of 230 students across seven faculties with focus group discussions. The survey demonstrated strong reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .848) and examined domains including course content, teaching methodology, assessment, learning environment, institutional support, and professional practicum. The findings show that 69.9% of students expressed overall satisfaction with foundation courses, particularly noting the relevance of core subjects to their future profession. However, several challenges have emerged. Students reported overlapping course content, limited access to up-to-date learning resources, and assignments perceived as less practical. While instructors were valued for their subject knowledge, concerns included inconsistent teaching approaches, limited individualized feedback, and fairness in assessment. Institutional support—especially library resources, study spaces, and digital infrastructure—was rated as the weakest dimension, with more than half of the students dissatisfied. In contrast, professional practicum experiences were evaluated positively, although gaps in coordination with schools persisted.
Encouraging Parental Involvement Through Collaborative Educational Policy and Leadership
The purpose of this presentation is to analyze how collaborative educational policy and leadership practices can enhance parental involvement in children’s learning, particularly within culturally and socioeconomically diverse school settings. As schools increasingly recognize that families are essential partners in student success, understanding the impact of policy frameworks and leadership actions becomes crucial. This study aims to examine the conditions, strategies, and leadership approaches that promote collaboration between parents and schools. Using a mixed-methods research design, the study combines policy analysis, semi-structured interviews with district and school leaders, focus groups with parents and teachers, and observations of family engagement initiatives across three K–12 districts. Policy analysis was utilized to determine formal expectations and resource allocations related to parental involvement, and qualitative data showed how these policies were interpreted and implemented in reality. Crosscase thematic analysis revealed that collaborative leadership, characterized by shared decisionmaking, plays a critical role in transforming policy directives into parent-centered engagement practices. Results identify three key elements that strengthen meaningful parental involvement: equitable, coherent policy expectations; trust-building, culturally responsive leadership; and structured opportunities for parents to support learning at home and participate in school decision-making. The study also points to persistent obstacles, including limited time, insufficient training, and inconsistent implementation, and offers practical strategies to address these challenges and enhance family-school collaboration. The presentation provides researchbased recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars who aim to strengthen family-school partnerships through coordinated policy and leadership efforts.
Reimagining Higher Education: A Personalised Experiential Learning Model for 21st Century Curriculum Innovation
Higher education institutions worldwide are reimagining curriculum design to meet the demands of rapidly evolving workforce and societal needs. Responding to the World Economic Forum's Education 4.0 Framework and Malaysia's Ministry of Higher Education EXCEL (Experiential Learning and Competency-Based Education Landscape) framework, this paper presents an innovative approach to curriculum development and delivery through Personalised Experiential Learning (POISE). This paper examines the implementation of a groundbreaking academic programme at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) – the Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies (SmSn Citra) – which revolutionizes traditional curriculum structures by empowering students to design their own learning pathways. The programme enables students to select courses from any higher education institutions, as well as collaborate with local and global organizations and industries, creating a truly personalised and student-driven educational experience. Through this dynamic, fluid, and organic curriculum model, students exercise autonomy over their learning modes, customizing their educational journey according to individual needs, aspirations, and career goals. This paper contributes to ongoing discourse on curriculum innovation by demonstrating how higher education can shift from standardized, institution-centred models to flexible, learner-centred ecosystems that cultivate lifelong learners, innovative entrepreneurs, and transformative change-makers prepared for the complexities of the 21st century.
Reimagining Technical Assessments: What Educators Need in the Age of LLMs
The rapid growth of Large Language Models (LLMs) is reshaping how technical skills are taught, practiced and evaluated in the current era. Educators can now use LLMs by automating the creation of diverse, context-aligned technical assessments, while learners get immediate and customized feedback. These capabilities also introduce new challenges, such as (i) exhaustion of API tokens or incurring high costs when relying on cloud-based LLMs to create large-scale technical assessments, and (ii) academic integrity in assessments where reasoning, efficiency and problem-solving under pressure are essential. Building on these opportunities and limitations, local LLMs (self-hosted models) provide a new class of pedagogically aligned assessment mechanisms that integrate generative AI while preserving fairness. By adopting platforms that use local LLMs, educators can effectively generate domain-specific questions, enforce integrity controls, personalize difficulty levels and operate securely without relying on external cloud services. These platforms enable educators to self-host technical assessments, enforce integrity measures such as full-screen mode and copy-paste restriction and automatically evaluate student submissions using predefined answers or multiple programming languages. They also support seamless integration into classrooms, coding laboratories, competitions and hiring pipelines, lowering infrastructure barriers for organizations operating in resource-constrained environments. As generative AI moves toward locally deployable LLMs, these capabilities become even more accessible and secure, offering organizations greater control over data and reduced operational cost. Local LLMs empower educators to generate domain-specific questions, simulate authentic industry challenges and personalize assessment difficulty without dependence on cloud-based services. Together, e-learning, generative AI and local LLMs provide a new shift toward adaptive, integrity-preserving and student-centered technical education. These platforms highlight the future direction of assessment, where AI amplifies pedagogical intent while ensuring that learning remains authentic, equitable and skill-driven.
ChatGPT-Enhanced Educational Board Game: Evaluating Learning Effectiveness and Human-AI Interaction in Elementary Entomology
With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), educational tools and instructional methodologies increasingly overcome traditional limitations. Integrating AI into educational board games creates interactive human–AI learning environments with the potential to promote adaptive learning experiences. However, empirical evidence remains limited on whether AI assistance effectively enhances motivation and learning outcomes. This study developed an AI chatbot integrated into a board game created by our team, specifically designed to enhance elementary students’ domain knowledge of insect ecology and conservation. The chatbot, implemented using ChatGPT 4.0, guided players through three interaction phases—Description, Judgement, and Scoring—via text or voice. We aimed to foster autonomous learning behaviors and evaluate impacts on motivation and achievement. A one‐group pretest–posttest experimental design was employed, using knowledge assessments and the ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction) motivation scale to measure gains among fourth‐ and fifth‐grade students. Forty‐seven students participated in a 160-minute session, with each grade group playing under identical AI‐enhanced conditions. Both grades demonstrated significant learning gains, with fourth graders showing the largest improvement. Pre- and post-intervention ARCS scores also rose significantly across both age groups, indicating that the AI chatbot effectively boosted learning motivation. Our AI-enhanced board game shows promise for improving learning outcomes and motivation among elementary students. The quality of human–AI interaction may depend on factors such as language comprehension and gameplay fluency. Future designs will refine age-appropriate interactions—adding graphical prompts and simplifying question phrasing—to enhance fluency and immersion in AI-enhanced learning environments.
Enhancing Vocabulary Engagement through Quizlet: A Preliminary Study in Japanese Higher Education
This presentation reports part of an ongoing study examining how gamified vocabulary learning using Quizlet fosters engagement among Japanese EFL university students. Fifty-six first-year students participated in a semester-long English communication course that integrated Quizlet’s Live: Individuals and Blast modes for weekly vocabulary practice. A mixed-methods design, combining quantitative survey data with qualitative text-mining analysis, was employed to explore learners’ perceptions, engagement patterns, and contextual factors influencing sustained motivation. Findings indicate that most learners perceived Quizlet as enjoyable, user-friendly, and effective for vocabulary learning. Competition and repetition were identified as key motivational elements. While Live: Individuals supported self-paced autonomy and accuracy, Blast provided excitement and time-pressured competition. Although Quizlet enhanced in-class engagement, long-term independent use remained limited due to exam-oriented habits and reliance on teacher direction. The study highlights that autonomy-supportive gamification, combined with pedagogical scaffolding and reflective analytics, can enhance learner engagement and self-regulated learning in higher education EFL contexts.
Mathematics for Change: Enriching Mathematics Education through Global Challenges and the Sustainable Development Goals
Mathematics for Change is an innovative digital platform that enriches, rather than replaces, the existing mathematics curriculum by connecting it to real global challenges and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Designed by a mathematics educator, it provides ready-to-use, data-driven lessons that help teachers integrate sustainability topics into their classroom practice with no extra preparation required. Each lesson combines authentic datasets, guided inquiry, and AI-assisted assessments to make mathematics meaningful, engaging, and socially relevant. Students explore mathematical concepts while analysing issues such as water access, overfishing, and renewable energy. Teachers can easily share their screen, guide discussion, and receive automated feedback on student performance. The project has already been tested with schools in Italy and the United States, showing strong student engagement and teacher satisfaction. Starting in January 2026, Mathematics for Change will expand its pilot phase to new schools worldwide, which are currently being selected. By linking mathematics education to real-world issues, Mathematics for Change empowers both educators and learners to see mathematics as a tool for understanding and shaping a sustainable future. The presentation will showcase the project’s pedagogical framework, early pilot results, and future directions for scaling an innovative, globally relevant model of mathematics education. Website: www.mathematicsforchange.com
Epistemic Agency in Technology-Mediated Task-Based Language Teaching: A Cross-Cultural Study of Teachers in Mainland China and England
This paper derives from a doctoral study that interrogates how university English teachers in Mainland China and England enact epistemic agency within technology-mediated task-based language teaching (TMTBLT). This study employs a micro-ethnographic design, integrating participant observation, interviews, and reflective field notes, to elucidate how teachers make knowledge-based judgements within the context of national digitalization and educational reform agendas. The Epistemic Framework Theory (EFT) provides an analytical framework for tracing how teachers' professional values, epistemological stances, and pedagogical strategies are negotiated within institutional and cultural structures. Research findings reveal not a binary opposition between a “collectivist East” and an “individualistic West”, but rather epistemic hybridization and contextual negotiation: Chinese language teachers are reshaping moral and collectivist traditions by adapting to digital governance and global competence agendas, while English teachers navigate the marketisation and internationalization of higher education. Their pedagogical logic increasingly hinges on three imperatives: accommodating diverse international student cohorts, demonstrating institutional value, and balancing academic integrity with service-oriented expectations. This dynamic reveal that teacher development functions not merely as a cultural manifestation, but increasingly as a knowledge negotiation mediated by political and economic forces within globalized education. By reconceptualizing knowledge agency as situated within an intersecting field of cultural, ethical and market logics, this paper challenges universalist interpretations of teacher agency. It calls for the establishment of a more reflective, decolonized understanding of teacher professionalism across linguistic contexts.
Exploring Generative Artificial Intelligence as a Real-Time Collaborator for Educators
This study explores the metacognitive benefits that emerge when preservice and inservice educators use generative AI tools as a collaborative thought partner in developing and deepening their professional expertise. Through analysis of preservice and inservice educators' AI journals and doctoral students' development of problem of practice statements, we examine how AI serves as a metacognitive scaffold—prompting reflection, revealing assumptions, and supporting iterative refinement of professional thinking. Rather than positioning AI as merely a productivity tool for instructional planning and delivery, this research illuminates how thoughtful engagement with AI can deepen educators' awareness of their own learning processes and strengthen their capacity for reflective practice in education. This presentation examines how educators leverage generative AI as a metacognitive scaffold for professional growth. Participants will gain insights into concrete examples of AI-supported reflection and learn how to intentionally design learning experiences that position AI as a thinking partner rather than merely an efficiency tool. Participants will be able to distinguish between AI as a productivity tool versus AI as a metacognitive scaffold, and recognize key features of learning designs that promote reflective practice through AI collaboration. Teacher turnover remains a persistent issue. Almost half of all new teachers leave the profession within the first five years of teaching (Maready et al., 2021). Teachers face challenging working conditions with many time demands (Jerrim & Sims, 2021). Teachers report that heavy workloads negatively impact their job satisfaction and increase the likelihood of them considering leaving the profession (Schaak et al., 2022). To prepare teachers for school contexts, education faculty might consider strategies that leverage generative AI tools as metacognitive scaffolds and thought partners (Gao et al., 2025). Although the use of AI is pervasive in other industries, its utility in supporting teachers’ job tasks has not yet taken hold in teacher education (Wu et al., 2023). Faculty skepticism may influence AI use; however, a significant reason for AI’s limited application in teacher education could be a lack of faculty training and understanding of how to integrate AI into coursework (Wu et al., 2023). Recent research indicates that metacognitive support in generative AI environments significantly enhances self-regulated learning and reduces cognitive load (Xu et al., 2025). When AI functions as a reflective partner, it provides timely, non-judgmental prompts that help educators develop metacognitive awareness (Xerri, 2025). Collaborative reflection with AI tools can enhance shared metacognition and improve academic achievement (Gao et al., 2025). This study focused on the use of AI by 24 preservice teachers in a literacy methods course at a large US university. The study’s purpose was to gain students’ perspectives on AI as a metacognitive tool and to inform future AI integration in education courses.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Case Study of a Low-Fee Private School in India
This paper employs a qualitative case study approach to explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used in lesson planning and teacher training within a Low-Fee Private (LFP) school in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. LFP schools, which serve students from economically weaker sections, often face challenges such as limited resources, untrained teachers, and inadequate professional development (Nambissan, 2020; Härmä, 2011). Guided by Van Dijk’s (2005, 2017) Digital Divide Theory, the study examines how AI tools can mitigate educational inequities by enhancing access to instructional resources and teacher capacity. The research involved 15 teachers across kindergarten, pre-primary, and elementary levels who used free AI tools such as ChatGPT, Canva, Bard, Meta, and Quillbot for lesson planning and classroom engagement. Thematic analysis (Clarke & Braun, 2017) revealed that AI significantly improved teachers’ efficiency, enabling advanced lesson preparation and more time for student interaction. Teachers also reported improved language and communication skills. However, concerns about over-reliance on AI and reduced creativity emerged, highlighting the need for balanced integration. This study contributes to understanding how AI supports teaching in resourceconstrained settings, demonstrating both its transformative potential and limitations. By situating the discussion within the framework of the digital divide, it underscores the importance of equitable access to technology, training, and opportunities for creative autonomy in advancing teacher professional development and improving educational practices in low-resource environments.