Abstract Books of the International Conference on Innovative Teaching and Education
The Abstract Books of the International Conference on Innovative Teaching and Education (ITECONF) presents carefully peer-reviewed research presented at the annual Teaching and Education conference organized by Proud Pen. This collection captures original work across the field of Teaching and Education, spanning theoretical frameworks to applied studies. Each volume serves as a reference for ongoing research and study in the discipline.
Perception Gaps as Managerial Signals in School Governance: Evidence from a Six-Actor Survey
School governance is increasingly understood as a participatory, multi-actor process, yet many institutional analyses still focus primarily on formal leadership structures and decision-making procedures. This study addresses this limitation by examining perception gaps among key educational stakeholders as diagnostic signals for school management and institutional development. The research is based on doctoral fieldwork conducted in the Romanian pre-university education system. Data were collected through a structured survey administered to six actor groups involved in school life: principals, teachers, auxiliary and non-teaching staff, students, parents, and community actors. The analysis uses descriptive and comparative methods to examine perceptions of participation, communication, transparency, accountability, collaboration, school climate, and institutional quality. The findings indicate that governance is perceived unevenly across actor groups, with relevant gaps between formal expectations and lived institutional experience. These differences suggest that perception gaps can function as managerial signals, helping school leaders identify areas where participation, communication, and stakeholder involvement require targeted improvement. The study contributes to educational management research by proposing a six-actor diagnostic perspective for analyzing school governance and institutional quality.
Copyright (c) 2026 Abstract Books of the International Conference on Innovative Teaching and Education
The Transition to Active Learning: Students’ Adaptation to a Flipped Classroom, Just-in-Time Teaching, and Gamification Experience in a First-Year Psychology Course
The combination of Flipped Classroom (FC) and Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) represents a promising approach to promoting more active and self-directed learning. The aim of this study was to examine student participation, the use of artificial intelligence (AI), and students’ perceptions of an educational experience based on FC, JiTT, and gamification in an undergraduate Personality Psychology course. The intervention was implemented with 89 enrolled students. Evaluation was conducted through a voluntary questionnaire completed by 47 students (81% female; mean age = 20.7 years, SD = 6.3), assessing participation, AI use, satisfaction, and qualitative feedback. Overall, 94% of students reported having no previous experience with innovative teaching methodologies. Average attendance at face-to-face sessions was 72%, while completion of the pre-class study materials and readiness assurance quizzes reached 77%. Instructional resources (M = 4.19/5), Kahoot! (M = 3.89/5), and educational technology (M = 3.88/5) received the highest ratings. AI was primarily used to facilitate conceptual understanding, resolve questions, and expand information. Qualitative analysis identified pre-class preparation, autonomous learning, in-class activities, and gamification as the main strengths of the experience, although some students expressed a preference for more traditional teaching approaches. The findings suggest that the combination of FC, JiTT, and gamification is well accepted by first-year university students. However, students limited prior exposure to innovative teaching methods highlights the importance of introducing these approaches progressively. Future research should explore the quality of student engagement beyond traditional indicators such as attendance and completion of learning activities.
The Relationship Between Adolescents' Perceived School Climate and Different Leadership Styles
School climate is the important element of students' educational, social, and psychological development. It does not only consist of the teaching-learning process but also covers the overall development of the adolescents. The school principals’ leadership styles shape a school climate. The current study investigates the student’s perception of the psychological dimensions of school climate and its association with different leadership styles such as transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire in Pakistan. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed in this study. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the sample. The school climate questionnaire SCQ and multifactor leadership questionnaire MLQ were used in this regard. Descriptive statistics and inferential analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between different psychological dimensions of school climate and the leadership styles. The findings revealed that students' responses were fairly consistent, suggesting a high degree of agreement among students about their psychological school climate experiences. The results also revealed that the laissez-faire leadership demonstrates a weak positive relationship with student deviant behavior, a substantial negative relationship with student well-being, and a strong positive relationship with subjective unsafety, while both the transformational and transactional leadership styles demonstrate no statistically significant relationship with student deviant behavior, a significant positive relationship with student well-being, and exhibit a significant negative relationship with subjective unsafety, respectively. The study highlights the importance of effective school leadership in promoting psychological dimensions of school climate among adolescents.
Transformational Leadership and TVET Integration: Promoting Technical and Vocational Education and Training Across Jamaican Secondary School Curricula
This study examines the role of transformational leadership in promoting the integration of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) across Jamaican secondary school curricula. The study is grounded in the view that effective school leadership is essential for expanding equitable access to TVET and preparing students with the technical, entrepreneurial, and employability skills required in a rapidly evolving labour market. As Jamaica continues to prioritize workforce development, innovation, and economic resilience, the inclusion of TVET within mainstream secondary education remains a national priority. A qualitative research design was employed using semi-structured interviews and a review of current literature. Perspectives shared by participants were systematically analysed through thematic content analysis. Following the coding process, four key themes emerged and were organized according to the research questions guiding the study. These themes focused on leadership influence, curriculum integration, barriers to implementation, and the perceived benefits of TVET participation. The findings revealed that although progress has been made in expanding TVET opportunities across Jamaican secondary schools, access remains uneven, and not all schools offer a full range of technical and vocational programmes. The results showed that students who participate in TVET programmes are better positioned for entrepreneurship, employment, and further training after secondary school. The study also found that wider exposure to TVET contributes positively to national productivity, economic growth, and social mobility. In addition, participation in TVET helps students become more adaptable, marketable, and globally competitive in an era shaped by digital transformation and changing workforce demands. The study concludes that transformational leadership is a key driver of successful TVET integration and recommends stronger leadership development, improved teacher capacity, and sustained policy support to ensure that all Jamaican secondary school students benefit from high-quality TVET opportunities.
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
Applying a Lexical Didact Procedure to enhance Learners’ Lexical Knowledge
Most foreign language teachers are aware of the relevance that lexis plays for learners to communicate effectively with others in the target language. However, there is no consensus as to how lexis can be taught and learned systematically. What is agreed upon is that L2 learners require a lot of exposure inside and outside the classroom to develop robust lexical knowledge. It is known there is a significant difference between L1 and L2 lexis learning, where the learning rate for the latter is much slower and uneven and where the use opportunities are scarcer. In addition, there are not so many models, sequences or procedures available to learn and teach lexis. Regarding this, I designed a Lexical Didactic Procedure (LDP) as my doctoral proposal to teach and learn EFL lexis systematically. By applying this in class, we can ensure that our learners master most of their lexical items taught, aiding them to memorize and retain them longer in the long-term memory. During my presentation, the participants will get acquainted with the lexical tenets of this procedure: lexical item selection, the Four Strands Approach (2012) considering the nine aspects of lexical knowledge, assessment-for-learning activities and ending with the quiz/test.
Copyright (c) 2025 Abstract Books of the International Conference on Innovative Teaching and Education
Creative Competition as an Approach to Developing Digital Educational Practices and Its Impact on Students’ Motivation and Academic Achievement
This paper presents an innovative educational initiative based on organizing a competition for distinguished technological teaching practices with the aim of enhancing the integration of technology in teaching and learning processes. The initiative sought to motivate teachers to innovate, exchange successful digital teaching experiences, and implement modern technological strategies that support active learning and improve student engagement and academic achievemen the initiative invited teachers to present creative digital educational practices implemented in their classrooms using various technological tools and applications. A special professional sharing event was organized in which participating teachers demonstrated implementation methods, digital resources used, and the impact of these practices on students’ learning outcomes and classroom interaction. Outstanding practices were recognized and rewarded, creating a positive competitive environment that encouraged teachers to continuously improve their professional performance and adopt innovative digital teaching methods. The results of the initiative revealed a noticeable increase in teachers’ participation and interest in integrating educational technology into classroom practices. The initiative also contributed to spreading a culture of innovation, collaboration, and professional knowledge sharing among teachers. Furthermore, the implementation of digital educational practices positively affected students’ motivation, classroom participation, and academic achievement. The paper concludes that creative competitions can serve as an effective approach for promoting digital transformation in education and supporting sustainable professional development for teachers.
Mandatory vs. Optional: How Course Integration Drives Student Engagement with Virtual Laboratory Simulations
Virtual lab simulations can enhance both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation by making learning more engaging and relevant. As part of the Microbiology course in the Bachelor of Biomedicine study program, students were given access to two pre-lab simulations and four optional post-instruction simulations to identify factors influencing completion rates. While the pre-lab simulations had high completion rates, the optional post-lecture simulations, linked to workforce relevance, were not prioritized. Only 17% of the 144 students who completed the first pre-lab simulation also completed the first optional simulation, and just 4% completed the last optional simulation. Despite low completion rates for optional simulations, feedback indicates a positive attitude towards simulations: 88% of the respondents completely or partially agreed that pre-lab simulations improved learning, with 89% agreeing that simulations provided higher learning outcomes compared to traditional lectures, and 83% would recommend the simulations to other students. To boost completion rates, students suggested setting specific times for completion (38%), introducing mandatory requirements (52%) and offering shorter simulations (28%). Our findings suggest that integrating simulations into laboratory exercises or plenary sessions, or making them mandatory, could enhance student engagement and completion. Shorter simulations, joint walkthroughs and peer interaction are additional strategies to improve completion rates.
Exploring University Academics’ Awareness and Application of Knowles’ Adult Principles
The relevance and application of Knowles’ Adult Learning Theory in the context of a medical university in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Knowles' adult learning theory remains highly influential in higher education because it emphasizes learner autonomy, experience, relevance, and practical application. Research supports many of these principles, and they continue to shape effective teaching practices. However, contemporary scholars generally view andragogy as a useful framework rather than a complete or universally applicable theory, and it is often integrated with other learning theories to address its limitations. This research study aims to explore this concept and staff awareness of adult learning principles to evaluate the extent to which these principles are reflected in existing professional development practices. This study investigates a plethora of literature on adult learning, professional development, and andragogical approaches in medical and higher education. Hence, to complement the literature review, a survey was conducted among academic, clinical, and professional staff to assess their knowledge of adult learning concepts and their perceptions of professional development activities within the institution. Considering professional development, the implementation of effective professional development (PD) strategies is critical for fostering continuous growth and improving performance within academic and healthcare settings. This study sheds light on the relevance of applying the principles of ALT in PD for academics in higher education. This research examines how adult learning theories could help shape the design of PD programs and enhance staff engagement, retention, and clinical outcomes. The study includes qualitative and quantitative evidence, providing insights into the effectiveness of ALT in promoting professional growth among teaching faculty and clinicians in a medical context in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Results suggest that ALT professional development is required and useful in enhancing higher education teaching and learning.
From Feedback to Partnership: Enhancing Student Voice in Higher Education Quality Processes
Student participation is increasingly recognized as a key component of quality assurance and institutional development in higher education. Nevertheless, student involvement often remains confined to consultation mechanisms, satisfaction surveys, and formal representation structures, limiting its potential contribution to educational improvement. This paper explores how student voice can evolve from a consultative function into a more active form of partnership that supports quality enhancement and institutional learning. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of policy documents, quality assurance frameworks, and international literature, the study examines the Italian higher education experience and discusses it in relation to participatory approaches developed within European peer-review practices. The analysis focuses on the conditions that enable meaningful student engagement in quality processes, moving beyond representation towards shared responsibility for improvement. Findings suggest that effective participation depends less on the existence of formal representative bodies than on the quality of engagement mechanisms that connect students to decision-making and institutional learning. Access to evidence, targeted training, continuity of participation, transparent feedback mechanisms, and visible follow-up actions emerge as key factors in transforming student voice into a driver of educational quality. The paper argues that higher education institutions can strengthen innovation, inclusion, and continuous improvement by adopting more collaborative and partnership-based approaches to student participation. In this perspective, student voice becomes not only a source of feedback but also a strategic resource for enhancing educational quality and fostering a stronger culture of institutional learning.
Beyond Dropout: Innovation and Support in Early Childhood Teacher Education
Reducing dropout in distance higher education remains a major challenge, particularly during students’ first year, when academic integration, self-regulation, and perceived support are especially critical. This communication presents the progress of two consecutive Teaching Innovation Projects developed at the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED, Spain) in the first-year course Learning and Development in Childhood, within the Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. The initiative aims to enhance student engagement, persistence, and academic success through a technology-mediated support model grounded in educational psychology, self-regulated learning, motivation, and transactional distance theory. The intervention combines motivational videos featuring academic staff, tutors, and successful students with an interactive study calendar and automated reminders integrated into the virtual learning environment. The first project phase focused on identifying factors associated with dropout and designing audiovisual and organisational resources. The second phase, currently in progress, implements these resources and evaluates their impact through a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative indicators include participation, assessment completion, and academic performance, while qualitative evidence is collected from student comments, tutor observations, and virtual forum activity. Preliminary qualitative feedback suggests that the videos help humanise the online learning experience, reduce feelings of isolation, and foster a stronger sense of academic belonging. Automated reminders also appear to support planning and study organisation. The project offers a transferable model for strengthening student support, emotional engagement, and persistence in distance teacher education.
Beyond Technology: The Application of the Guiding questions Framework in Medical Education
In recent years, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and other digital technologies have been widely adopted in medical education and have been proven toeffectively enhance learning outcomes. However, the associated equipment and technoloes are often expensive and difficult to obtain, and some teaching scenarios are constrained by a shortage of professional instructors, posing challenges for equipment operation and impementation. Such limitations make it more difficult for rural areas and underserved populations to access relevant learning resources, leading to an uneven distribution of educational rources. Therefore, this study designed a medical education curriculum based on the guiding qustions teaching framework to explore its impact on learners. A total of 28 learners participated in the course, and their critical thinking tendencies, learning satisfacton, and cognitive load were assessed via questionnaires. The results indicated that after undergoing guiding questions teaching framework, learners demonstrated significant positive improvements in critical thinking tendencies, learning satisfaction, and cognitive load. ese findings suggest that the guiding questions teaching framework effectively promotes active thking, enhances learning engagement, and improves the overall learning experience. Mo importantly, this study further demonstrates that high-quality learning outcomes do not necessarily depend entirely on expensive equipment or advanced technology. Through appropriate instructional design and guiding questions strategies, it is equally possible to effectively improve learning quality and achieve positive educational outcomes. Therefore, this study provides a teaching model that is cost-effective, accessible, and scalable for educational practice in resource-limited environments, while also offering new perspectives on issues related to educational innovation and educational equity.
Innovative Teaching Strategies in Geriatric Health Education for Older Adults: A Pilot Study
Purpose: As the global population continues to age, effective geriatric health education has become increasingly important for promoting healthy aging and preventing chronic diseases. However, age-related cognitive decline and limited digital literacy may pose challenges to older adults’ learning. Therefore, this pilot study investigated the effectiveness of innovative teaching strategies in geriatric health education for older adults by integrating interactive learning activities and an interactive response system within the technological pedagogical content knowledge framework. Methods: A one-group design was adopted. Eleven older adults enrolled in a university-based lifelong learning program in Taiwan participated in the study. Learning effectiveness, learning motivation, and technology acceptance were assessed using validated questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Participants showed significant improvements in learning effectiveness following the intervention (p = 0.003). Learning motivation also increased significantly (p = 0.026), particularly in the dimensions of tension-pressure and perceived competence, while technology acceptance improved significantly (p = 0.003). These findings suggest that innovative teaching strategies integrating interactive teaching and an interactive response system within the technological pedagogical content knowledge framework can effectively enhance learning effectiveness, motivation, and technology acceptance among older adults. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that the innovative teaching methods developed for health education programs targeting older adults offer significant advantages, helping to promote healthy aging and raise awareness of preventive health care among older adults. Further studies with larger samples are needed to confirm these findings and evaluate their long-term effects.
Supporting The Development of Social and Emotional Skills in Children Aged 4 To 5: The Contribution of a Program Based on Play and Interactive Stories
This study presents findings from a doctoral research project examining the effects of a play- and interactive story–based program on the development of social-emotional skills in preschool children. The program, Léon and his friends (Dubé, 2010), was translated and adapted to the Moroccan context and aims to foster ten key competencies. Using a quasi-experimental design, the study involved 194 children aged 4 to 5 years and eight educators from six preschools. Data were collected using the Social-Emotional Assessment Measure (Squires et al., 2014), administered before and after the intervention, as well as program evaluation forms designed to assess children’s progress, educator engagement, and parental involvement. The results indicate a significant improvement in children’s social-emotional skills, particularly in emotion regulation, sharing, and problem-solving abilities. However, parental involvement remained limited, highlighting constraints related to the program’s modes of parent engagement.
Multimodal Mastery: Elevating Student Engagement in Advanced Academic Writing with Interactive Portfolios
In today's digital landscape, traditional text-centric research writing often limits students' ability to engage deeply with complex ideas and communicate effectively across modalities. This presentation details an innovative pedagogical intervention implemented in ENG 204 (Advanced Academic Writing) at the American University of Sharjah during the 2024-2025 academic year. The project introduced an Interactive Multimodal Portfolio System via the bulb online platform, augmenting standard essays with digital artifacts including infographics for research proposals, reflective blogs on learning processes, and multimodal research essays. Employing a mixed-methods case study approach with 90 multilingual undergraduates, data were collected mid-course onward through post-semester surveys with retrospective self-assessments, rubric-evaluated portfolio artifacts, student reflections, focus groups, and engagement observations. Qualitative insights reveal heightened motivation, stronger material connections, and the portfolios' utility as professional showcases, though challenges like technical barriers were addressed through phased training and templates. Rooted in multiliteracies theory, the study highlights multimodal portfolios' potential to bridge academic writing with real-world digital demands, offering practical strategies for educators in multilingual contexts to foster critical thinking and engagement. Implications for curriculum innovation and further research on longitudinal outcomes will be explored.
Improving Assessment Clarity and Student Revision Behaviour through the Exam Scope Transparency Framework
Students in higher education often struggle to determine the scope and depth of knowledge required for assessments. This uncertainty can lead to inefficient revision strategies, excessive memorisation, and increased cognitive load. This study evaluates the Exam Scope Transparency Framework (ESTF), a structured teaching intervention designed to improve assessment clarity and support more effective student learning. The ESTF translates lecture content into structured Exam Scope Summaries that explicitly define core concepts, essential terminology, and the expected depth of understanding required for assessment. By making assessment expectations more transparent, the framework aims to guide students in prioritising key material and organising their revision more efficiently. A cross-sectional evaluation following implementation indicates strong student engagement, with over 80% of students reporting regular use of the summaries. Approximately 91% reported improved understanding of key concepts, while around 83% indicated clearer expectations regarding the level of knowledge required for assessment. In addition, 87% agreed that the summaries supported more focused revision, and 83% reported improved management of the information volume required for the study. Importantly, over 78% indicated that the summaries influenced how they organised their revision. These findings suggest that structured clarification of assessment expectations may support more efficient revision strategies and reduce perceived cognitive load. The ESTF represents a practical, scalable approach to enhancing student learning and assessment design in higher education.
Pause, Rewind, Repeat: Podcasts as A Dynamic and Versatile Learning Tool
This paper investigates the various ways in which a podcast can be employed as an effective pedagogical tool. Much of the literature in this area considers both the potential benefits and challenges of using podcasts in the context of using a podcast for student learning. This paper examines the way in which podcasts can also be used as student learning, considering student generated content, storytelling, and audience engagement. Focusing on an employability podcast called Legal Directions as an example, this paper scrutinizes its transformation from a podcast listened to by students to a podcast created by students. Over a period of 18 months the project-leader collaborated with five groups of students, observing their interactions and performance as they hosted episodes of this podcast. Through this observational approach, the project-leader was able to reflect on the students' collaborative processes, communication, and problem-solving strategies. It became clear that by utilizing podcasts in this way, students not only develop their organizational, communication and entrepreneurial skills but also increase their confidence in connecting with employers and disseminating knowledge to other students. The Legal Directions project has been used as a template to assist other departments within the University of Liverpool in developing pedagogical tools to support students in improving their employability skills.
AI Misalignment in Language Learning: Investigating Conflicts Between Automated Feedback and Pedagogical Intentions
With the rapid growth of AI in foreign language teaching, automated feedback systems are considered an invaluable means of providing immediate and individualised feedback. However, little attention has been paid to the situations where AI-generated feedback diverges from the teacher's pedagogical intentions. This study examines the phenomenon of pedagogical misalignment, where accuracy-driven automated corrections hinder teachers from developing communicative fluency, interactional competence, or task-based language performance. Drawing on a mixed set of classroom data collected over six weeks, comprising lesson observations, teacher interviews, and screen-capture recordings from pre-intermediate and intermediate English classes, the study reveals recurring patterns of misalignment that disrupted instructional flow, produced learner uncertainty, and occasionally challenged teachers' authority. Findings reveal that AI tools frequently emphasised minor errors, suggested corrections which didn't correspond with the task objectives and interrupted learners during fluency-oriented activities. The article outlines how teachers responded to these tensions, including clarifying AI feedback for learners, modifying task procedures, and explicitly guiding students in interpreting automated corrections. This study presents a pedagogical alignment model specifying when AI-generated feedback should be applied, adapted through teacher mediation, or intentionally limited. Overall, the results demonstrate that purposeful and context-sensitive integration of AI feedback supports more coherent communicative pedagogy while protecting learner agency in AI-enhanced classrooms.
Students’ Reflections on their use of Open AI in Business and Professional Writing
Educators are embracing and encouraging university students to use OpenAI to complete their writing and research assignments, as long as they use it ethically by following instructors’ guidelines and providing due credit according to academic writing conventions. Writing instructors are also quickly adapting to the use of OpenAI to enhance their pedagogy and assessment and to make their teaching more accessible and targeted. However, opinions are still divided on what really “ethical” use of generative AI in writing classes means. While some writing instructors opine that AI is here to stay and denying students from using the technology will be detrimental to their educational accomplishments in the age of artificial intelligence, others prohibit the use of any kind of technology in the writing classes as they think this is detrimental to the development of the craft of writing, which is the main objective of the writing classes, and impacts their creativity and critical thinking. University students, on the other hand, cannot imagine completing their assignments without using AI as they do in every other aspect of their life. It is also interesting to note that while students demand free use of OpenAI to complete their written tasks, they do not appreciate professors using the same technology to provide feedback and assess their writing. This paper aims to report students’ perspectives on their use of OpenAI in the Business and Professional Writing classes and the issues concerning originality and creativity, as well as issues of plagiarism and academic integrity. A content analysis of students’ written reflections on their use of generative AI in completing their group writing project in a Sino-American collaborative university reveals that students are appreciative of instructors’ openness to the use of generative AI in writing assignments but are aware of the pitfalls of using AI unethically to complete their assignments. Their views can help instructors to adapt a more nuanced approach to the use of generative AI in writing classes.
Pedagogical Content Knowledge of National Secondary Schools Teachers inTeaching the Literature Component of the Malay Language
The study aimed to investigate the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of Malay language teachers in the teaching and learning of the Literature Component (LC) in national secondary schools. The main aspects being studied covered content knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge, specific pedagogical knowledge, and contextual knowledge. This quantitative study involved two districts in Sabah State, and 123 Malay Language teachers were selected through a purposeful random sampling method. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between content knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge, specific pedagogical knowledge, and context knowledge of the language teachers. Besides that, the study indicated a significant difference between the language teachers’ general pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge levels based on their age groups. Hence, it could be concluded that this study elucidated the importance of Malay Language teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in the teaching and learning of the Literature Component (LC) in national secondary schools that should be emphasized by the related parties to guarantee the teaching qualities in long-term.
Copyright (c) 2025 Abstract books of the International Conference on Innovative Teaching and Education
Effects of Life and Social Responsibility, Success and Mental Tranquility on University Students’ Behavior
Fo Guang Cai Gen Tan is one of the significant works by Master Hsing Yun that inherits and develops the philosophy of Humanistic Buddhism. This study focused on the effects of the values advocated by Fo Guang Cai Gen Tan on individuals’ daily behaviors, with an emphasis on investigating the influence of Life and Social Responsibility (diligence and harmony in life, moral aspiration and vigilance, law of natural causality) as well as Success and Mental Tranquility (path to success and progress, principles of conduct and interaction, guidelines for moral and development) on daily behavior of university students. Employing an empirical research methodology, the study conducted a questionnaire survey on 64 students who were selected by using a convenience sampling method. The results indicated that both Life and Social Responsibility and Success and Mental Tranquility have significant correlations with daily behaviors. Moreover, the path to success and progress, moral aspiration and vigilance, and diligence and harmony in life have significant positive direct effects on individual behaviors, while the effects of other variables are not significant. These findings revealed the specific mechanisms through which certain values in Fo Guang Cai Gen Tan influence individual behaviors, providing empirical evidence for understanding the practical significance of Buddhist thought in modern society.
Class Attendance versus Mathematics Pass Rate at a Higher Learning Institution
Ever since COVID-19 class attendance has become a problem in some higher learning institutions. This study investigates the relationship between class attendance and academic performance in Mathematics 2 at a South African university. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used for this research.Literature on class attendance and Mathematics pass rate were also reviewed. Attendance records and final examination results were utilized to collect data for the research. Registers for 2 groups comprising of 190 mathematics students were marked every day during Mathematics lectures for 2 months in the second semester. After writing the final examinations, the marks were recorded and analysed according to class attendance. SPSS, descriptive statistics was utilized to analyse the attendance and the examination results. Inferential statistics was utilized to test the hypothesis at a significant level of 0, 05. The results suggested that there was a significant positive correlation between attendance percentage and examination marks, suggesting that higher attendance was associated with better marks.This study will inform the university to identify the students at risk in their academic performance due to poor class attendance and hence implement the necessary interventions.
Contextualized Educational Experiences in Initial Teacher Education
Designing and validating contextualized educational experiences in pre-service teacher education is fundamental because it allows future teachers to: 1) better understand how to apply pedagogical knowledge in real situations, 2) respond with their proposals to the particularities of the classroom, by promoting more relevant teaching, and 3) interact with teachers to develop a more critical and reflective perspective on concrete educational issues, proposing creative and adapted solutions. Within this framework, in the undergraduate courses on Rural Education and the Didactics of Social Thinking at the Faculty of Education, a teaching method was proposed based on the design and validation of educational experiences in two school contexts: a rural school with multigrade classrooms in the region of Ica, and a semi-urban school in the region of Lima. In the diagnostic stage, specialized sources about the school’s contexts were reviewed, and data collection instruments were designed: interview guides for the principal and teaching staff, as well as observation guides for class sessions, which were applied during field visits. In the creation stage, the proposals were designed considering the connection between curricular knowledge—that is, the content proposed by the curricular areas—and the local knowledge and needs of the population, gathered during the diagnostic activities. In the validation stage, the proposals were shared with the teachers of the visited schools, receiving relevant feedback.
Empowered For Success: An Intensive Academic Skills Transition Program in Australia
The EmpowerED University Preparation Program (Griffith University, Australia) launched in 2024 as an innovative pathway to university for students who were unable to access undergraduate degrees through traditional pathways. A free, comprehensive, preparatory program, EmpowerED is underpinned by two key frameworks: Transition Pedagogy (Kift, 2009) and Five Senses of Success (Lizzio, 2006). Recognising the diverse backgrounds and aspirations of students, the curriculum is designed to scaffold academic and professional literacies, ensuring that learning activities are authentic, inclusive, and aligned with students’ future goals. Additionally, support is embedded within the curriculum to foster student belonging, engagement, and success. EmpowerED comprises 4 core courses (subjects) and 2 elective courses. The Core courses are: University Preparation; Learning Strategies for Success; Academic Communication; and Maths Essentials. Students then choose two electives: Science Fundamentals; Innovation, Creativity, and Leadership; or Career Pathways. On successful completion of the program, students are granted guaranteed entry into their preferred undergraduate degree program at Griffith University, plus they may gain credit towards their degree. In 2024, the initial program attracted 65 students of whom 51% were 'first in family'; 25% were from low socio-economic backgrounds; 19% were students with a disability; and 5% were First People/Indigenous students. Forty percent successfully completed EmpowerED and transitioned into undergraduate programs including Education, Business, Social Work and Psychology. In 2025, the program has increased to over 600 students of whom 50% are 'first in family'; 28% come from low socio-economic backgrounds; and 15% are students with disabilities. Recommendations from the Program for learning and teaching practices are outlined.
Teaching Material for French Listening Comprehension at A1 Level Using Virtual Reality (VR) Based on Artificial Intelligence (AI)
This study explores the development of teaching materials for A1-level French listening skills using virtual reality (VR) technology enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI). This joint study, conducted by Universitas Negeri Jakarta and Universitas Negeri Medan, explores the development of virtual reality (VR)-based learning materials to improve A1-level French listening skills, particularly in distance learning scenarios. The research method is Research and Development (R&D) using the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) model. Data were collected through observations, interviews, and listening proficiency tests before and after the use of teaching materials. Data analysis used a mixed methods approach to measure effectiveness and user experience. TKT (Technology Readiness Level) 6 will be tested at Universitas Negeri Jakarta and Universitas Negeri Medan as an innovative solution for improving French A1 listening skills and developing language learning technology.
When Play Leads the Way: Uninstructed Play as a Catalyst for Children's Creative Learning
This study explores the potential of uninstructed play as a catalyst for creative thinking, imagination, and 21st-century skills development in young learners. Drawing on a research through design (RtD) approach, the authors developed and tested a modular playful learning system for primary school children in Jordan, including participants from refugee backgrounds. The study involved 18 six- to nine-year-old girls who engaged with the prototype in five small groups over three sessions. Data were collected through observation sheets capturing cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral indicators, such as number of creations, iterations, collaboration, storytelling, and affective engagement. Findings show that uninstructed play encouraged divergent thinking, experimentation, and peer-to-peer learning. Participants produced a wide range of designs contextualized through narratives, demonstrating creative fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. Moreover, their creations revealed traces of personal and collective experiences, including representations of war and displacement, highlighting the socio-emotional dimension of play. The findings suggest that playful, open-ended environments allow children to negotiate meaning, test hypotheses, and co-construct knowledge, hence fostering both creativity and critical consciousness. The findings also underscore the importance of inclusivity and freedom in learning environments, where the absence of prescriptive instruction potentially enables young learners to take ownership of their creative processes. Despite limitations in sample size and observation duration, this research contributes to design scholarship on play, offering practical implications for integrating playful learning systems into formal education. Future directions include comparative studies across cultural and gendered contexts and longitudinal investigations into the sustained effect of playful interventions.
The Mediating Role of Personality Traits in Shaping School Culture and Teacher’s Opinions Towards Gifted Education
Gifted students as those who demonstrate an advanced ability or potential in one or more specific areas when compared to their peers. Success in teaching a gifted student dependents largely on the ability of every teacher. This study aimed to examine the relationship between school culture, teachers’ opinions toward gifted education, the mediation effect of personality traits. Data were collected from 319 teachers (84 males and 235 females) with age range 25 to 60. The results indicated a significant positive relationship between teachers’ personality traits and school culture. And indicated a significant positive relationship between teachers’ personality traits and teachers opinions. Mediation analysis revealed that personality traits partially mediated the relationship between school culture and teachers’ opinions. These Findings highlight the nuanced influence of personality, school culture on teachers’ opinions towards gifted education offering valuable insights for policymakers and educators aiming to enhance support for gifted education in diverse educational setting.
Experiential and Reflective Learning for Sustainable Tourism Mindsets in Higher Education
The rapid expansion of higher education's role in promoting sustainable development necessitates innovative pedagogical approaches that cultivate critical thinking, ethical awareness, and practical skills among students. This action research investigates how experiential and reflective learning fosters sustainable tourism mindsets in international postgraduate students. The study was conducted within a postgraduate course on Tourism Policy, Planning, and Sustainable Management, incorporating classroom discussions, group projects, community-based learning, and reflective exercises. Thirty-one students engaged in activities such as community engagement, policy proposal projects, reflective journaling, and visual mapping. Qualitative data were collected through reflective journals, post-course surveys, and visual documentation and were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed three major outcomes: (1) a cognitive shift from perceiving tourism primarily as an economic activity to recognizing its environmental, cultural, and social impacts; (2) enhanced emotional engagement and empathy through direct community interaction; and (3) the intention to adopt sustainable practices in future careers. The research demonstrates that well-structured experiential and reflective learning environments can transform students' perceptions, foster global competencies, and embed sustainability principles in tourism education. This paper presents a pedagogical model for integrating sustainability into higher-education curricula in culturally diverse contexts, offering insights for educators and policymakers seeking to develop future-ready graduates capable of advancing sustainable tourism globally.
Developing an Automated Writing Evaluation Tool for Slovene: Insights from a National Teacher Survey
We present the most important findings of an extensive study involving 1,024 teachers from primary and secondary schools in Slovenia. The study was conducted as part of the project Empirical foundations for digitally-supported development of writing skills (PROP). Its main purpose was to develop an automated writing evaluation (AWE) tool that would enable teachers in primary and secondary schools to support students in correcting their written texts in Slovene. AWE tools for English texts already exist and are well established, but no such comprehensive tool is yet available for Slovene. Their most important advantage is that they enable faster, more appropriate, and more accurate feedback to students on their written texts. On the one hand, the AWE tool includes machine identification and categorization of grammatical errors, which relieves teachers of routine corrections and gives them more time to focus on higher taxonomic goals. On the other hand, it provides a digitally designed model for giving feedback. In order to develop such a tool for reviewing students' written texts in Slovene, it was essential to get an overview of existing practices in correcting students' texts and insight into the needs of teachers in this regard. Therefore, we conducted an extensive survey among teachers of various subjects in primary and secondary schools throughout Slovenia. The results showed that teachers spend even more than 10 hours per month correcting students' written texts. It was found that Slovene language teachers and then class teachers correct students' texts and provide them with feedback more often than teachers of other subjects. Less than half of teachers monitor their students' language progress, more than 20% of high school students do not have to correct their written texts, and approximately 20% of students who do correct their texts are not checked again by their teachers. The survey also looked at teachers' experiences with correcting the written texts of students with special needs. We found that about 20% of teachers do not get any recommendations or advice from special education teachers on how to grade the writing of students with special needs. Almost a third of teachers believe that students with special needs do not write more correct texts, even if they are given extra time to write. Approximately 45% of teachers believe that the difference in the accuracy of written texts produced by students with special needs, depending on whether they write by hand or type, depends on the individual. Less than half of teachers (39.7%) believe that AWE tools are welcome, while others have reservations about their use or are undecided. A similar proportion of teachers would also use such a tool (38.6%), while other teachers would use it if it were easy to use or if they knew how to use it, or only in certain cases or in higher grades. Only 7.2% of respondents were explicitly against the use of such a tool. The survey results confirm that the development of a digital tool for correcting students' written texts is useful and necessary. It would primarily complement teachers in their correction work, rather than replace their feedback, and serve as an aid to students directly while they are writing, helping them to produce more accurate texts and develop their independence. The tool could make writing easier, especially for students with special needs. The results also show that teachers of other subjects (not just Slovenian) should be encouraged to correct students' written texts to a greater extent and made them aware of the importance of feedback in this activity. The PROP project and the survey of Slovenian teachers conducted as part of it offer the possibility of comparative research for other languages for which, like Slovene, no AWE tool currently exists.
Effects Of Two Modes of Blended Learning Strategies on Students Self-Efficacy and Achivement in The Concept of Nervous System
This study investigated the effects of two modes of blended learning strategies on students’ self-efficacy and achievement in nervous system in South Eastern Federal Universities, Nigeria. Four research questions guided the study and six null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted quasi-experimental research design. The population of the study comprised 304 first year Biology Education students (Pre-service teachers) in 2021/2022 academic session. Sample size was 182 drawn through simple random sampling of intact classes. Nervous System Achievement Test (NSAT) and Nervous System Self Efficacy Rating scale (NSSERS) were the two instruments for data collection. A reliability coefficient of 0.78 was obtained for NSAT using K-R20 and 0.91 for NSSERS using Cronbach Alpha. The students were assigned into two experimental groups of flipped classroom and flipped-jigsaw II. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested using ANCOVA at 0.05 level of significance. The results of the study show that there is no significant difference in the mean self-efficacy scores and achievement of students taught nervous system using the flipped classroom and flipped-jigsaw II. The findings also show that there is no significant influence of gender on students’ self-efficacy and achievement in nervous system. The interaction effect of teaching strategies and gender on the mean self-efficacy and achievement scores of Biology students in nervous system is not significant. The study concluded that both blended learning strategies are potent in improving students’ self-efficacy and achievement in nervous system. It was recommended among others that lecturers and teachers should adopt the Flipped classroom and Flipped-Jigsaw II in the teaching and learning of nervous system and other abstract concepts in Biology.
Elements Of Culture in Language Teaching – Textbook Analysis
The teaching of foreign languages is inseparable from the integration of the target language's culture. However, teaching culture remains a persistent challenge for language educators: What cultural content should be included, how much, and how should it be presented? The cultural distance between the learners' native culture and the target culture often influences these decisions. Traditionally, language instruction has focused on developing four core skills—listening, reading, writing, and speaking—typically in an integrated manner. Recently, a growing number of scholars and educators have emphasized the importance of a "fifth skill": cultural competence. Yet, defining culture and identifying appropriate pedagogical strategies for teaching it remains complex. Textbooks, as central tools in language instruction, adopt varying approaches to cultural content. Some align with intercultural and multicultural frameworks, as recommended by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), while others fail to reflect modern perspectives or do so inconsistently. This study compares two 7th-grade language textbooks used in Romania: one for teaching English, and the other for teaching Romanian to Hungarian minority students in Transylvania. Our analysis suggests that the English textbook demonstrates a more diverse and pedagogically sound approach to integrating cultural elements.