The field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction has gained recognition worldwide, particularly in non-native English-speaking countries. However, traditional teaching methods fall short of meeting the needs of today's EFL learners. In response, the Production-Oriented Approach (POA) has emerged as a new pedagogical approach to address these challenges. Despite its significant impact on EFL education, there is a lack of reviews on the POA. This study conducted a systematic review to explore the POA's effectiveness, challenges, and future trends. Using the PRISMA framework, 31 articles from reputable databases (Web of Science, Education Resources Information Center, Scopus, and Google Scholar) were analyzed, covering the years 2018 to 2023. The study's comprehensive analysis, employing Nvivo, revealed that the POA has immense potential for enhancing English learners' language skills, particularly in reading, speaking, writing, and translating. Moreover, the study highlighted the POA's positive influence on learners' affective factors, including motivation, confidence, critical thinking, and self-directed learning abilities. Nonetheless, the POA faces challenges for both teachers and learners, particularly during the transition from traditional methods and the associated increase in workload. Despite these challenges, this study unequivocally establishes the POA as an effective pedagogical approach for teaching EFL. Additionally, it identifies research gaps that must be addressed to sustain and improve EFL education in the future through further development of the POA.

Mathematical modeling offers a promising approach to improving mathematics education. This study aims to determine if the concept of metacognitive awareness in the learning process is associated with mathematical modeling. This study also considers the interaction effect of sex and academic year level on both variables. Focusing the study on preservice elementary teachers might address potential issues and targeted intervention in their preparation program concerning their ability to teach and guide young learners in modeling activities. The research sample includes 140 preservice elementary teachers at Central Luzon State University, Philippines. Data collection used an adapted metacognitive awareness inventory and a validated researcher-made mathematical modeling competency test aligned with the K-12 mathematics curriculum in the Philippines. Results revealed that the preservice elementary teachers had a high metacognitive awareness and mathematical modeling competency, ranging from 22 to 31 out of 36 points. Besides, Factorial ANOVA indicates that academic year level positively affects both variables regardless of sex, and stepwise regression analysis unveiled that information management, declarative knowledge, and planning significantly predict 41.4% of the mathematical modeling competency variance. This suggests that developing metacognitive awareness supports preservice elementary teachers in performing modeling tasks that improve their competency level in mathematics.

This study is designed to illuminate the role of four key constructs—teacher-student relationships, peer networks, satisfaction with support services, and employability trust—in shaping the social capital within universities. Utilising a sample of 1902 working students derived from the Eurostudent VII survey data, this research applies both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to validate the proposed model. The findings indicate that all four constructs demonstrate statistically significant and positive associations with university social capital. Crucially, the measures of reliability and validity are within an acceptable range, lending credibility to the findings. The teacher-student relationship was found to be the most influential factor, highlighting its crucial value in the functioning of social capital inside universities. Along with providing a framework for future studies on the ever-changing nature of social capital in universities, the results highlight the significance of cultivating an interconnected academic community, which enriches the educational organisation as a whole.

This paper explores information related to misconceptions and conceptual change during the last thirty years 1992-2022 to be used as a preliminary study in science education. This study used bibliometric analysis with the help of the Scopus database. This paper used a bibliometric analysis study with the Scopus database and the help of MS Excel, VosViewer, and Rpackage software to visualize the data obtained. The results of this research found that Indonesian researchers have contributed the most in terms of the number of documents published in Australia and the United States. Additionally, research on these two topics has decreased since 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, these findings present trends in the areas of misconceptions and conceptual change that can be used as baseline data for future research. Studies related to misconceptions will continue to develop because they cannot be separated from the inside of education, whether at any level of elementary school, middle school, or college. This is an opportunity that must be taken advantage of by institutions and policies in an effort to improve and create quality of education, teacher resources, and students.

The 21st century marks a world where scientific, humanistic, technological, and societal issues are integrated. The complexity caused by the reciprocal effects among technology, engineering, cultural, and social values raises new ethical problems. This study addresses recent increased attention to the relationship between ethical awareness and engineering identity factors. Participants in this study were 246 undergraduate engineering students enrolled in a research university located in the northeast U.S. Bivariate correlation and ordinary least squares regression were conducted. Bivariate correlations showed that ethical awareness was positively correlated to engineering interest, engineering recognition, and engineering performance/competence, which are the three factors of engineering identity. The OLS regression showed the r2 value for the computed regression equation indicated that there was a non-zero relationship between the set of all independent variables (engineering identity factors, gender, ethnicity, years in school, and first-generation status) and the dependent (ethical awareness) and that the final set of independent variables accounted for approximately 22% of the variation in the dependent variable, Ethical Awareness. Undergraduate engineering education is a key to ensuring engineers will uphold the ethical values of the profession. This study contributes to the practical value of engineering ethics awareness by affirming that engineering identity is sound and should be applied in practice.

Although research on ethnomathematics has been widely carried out, there is still little empirical evidence reporting the mapping and trends of ethnomathematical research in Scopus-indexed journals. The purpose of writing this article is to map trends in ethnomathematical research in Scopus-indexed journals in the range from 1986 to 2022. The fundamental tenet of ethnomathematics is to study, appreciate, and exclusively take into account the application of mathematics by ethnic groups. In other words, in understanding mathematics to look attractive, it is necessary to make a connection between everyday life and the realm of abstract mathematics. Scopus is a resource for further research, identifying scientific uniqueness and gaps. This study uses bibliometric analysis methods using VOSviewer, article searches using Publish or Perish (version 8), and SEforRA applications. Bibliometric research provides a reliable and impartial way to gauge the contribution of an article to knowledge advancement and is a tool that is often used to analyze trends and performance on certain subjects. These findings reveal an increasing trend in ethnomathematical research and identify some topics or keywords that could form the basis for additional studies. In conclusion, for future studies, bibliometric analysis will provide information and knowledge about the evolution of ethnomathematical research.

Certain demographics of students may prefer certain modalities, and certain demographics may achieve higher mean grades in some teaching modalities than others. This study used student-section data from five years of all the undergraduate courses at Kennesaw State University (KSU) from 2015 to 2019. This data set with individual student course outcomes included full student demographics and course types, including previous university grade point average (GPA), sex, age, ethnicity, course department, modality, etc. The study only used data from those instructors who taught hybrid sections, as well as in-person and online sections, to avoid the effect of instructor bias. Previous research found that instructors who taught hybrid sections gave higher grades for their online and F2F sections compared to those instructors who had not taught hybrid sections. The results showed that that hybrid-teaching instructors gave higher mean course grades for their hybrid sections than their online or F2F sections and higher mean course grades than non-hybrid teaching instructors in all modalities. This effect held for all demographics.

Writing is a complex activity. If a child’s preparation for writing, which begins to develop in the preschool years, is poor, this can inhibit writing and cause problems. Because children are expected to know how to hold a pencil correctly, how to sit correctly while writing, and how to prepare and adjust the writing surface without planning, this study seeks to determine how first graders are prepared for writing in terms of selected biomechanical and ergonomic factors at the beginning of the school year. The goal was to determine whether there are any differences between students according to sex and handedness and if there is any connection between basic pre-writing skills and the ergonomic suitability of furniture (table and chair size). An empirical study was conducted involving 246 first graders from randomly selected public primary schools in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and fifteen of their female teachers. The results of the research showed that inadequate furniture size affects how students sit and that there are statistically significant differences between the positions of the writing surface for right-handers and left-handers. The research did not show a correlation between posture and pencil grip, but it is very likely that it would have been demonstrated in a larger sample. No sex differences were found between pencil grip, writing surface position, and posture; no connection between handedness, pencil grip, and posture; no connection between pencil grip, poor posture, and writing surface position; and no connection between posture and ergonomically appropriate school desks and chairs.

The main thrust of the study was to explore the third-year English student’s sentiments on the application of the artificial intelligence (AI)-integrated paraphrasing tools. Specifically, it aimed to investigate the benefits and drawbacks brought by AI paraphrasing tools towards the writing skills of the students. The investigation utilized a semi-structured interviews with an open-ended questionnaire using an audio-video recorder. The data gathered were interpreted using the Thematic Analysis of Braun and Clarke. The study was carried out at one of the campuses of a state university located at Candijay, Bohol, Philippines. Using the Purposive sampling technique, twelve (12) respondents provided information on the research endeavor. The findings revealed that students had a positive opinion of AI-integrated paraphrase tools: they saw them as helpful resources that significantly improve their academic writing process; it includes plagiarism reduction, efficiency, and timesaving, and aids in rephrasing text. The findings also revealed the risks and issues of using AI-integrated paraphrasing tools, such as Prone to plagiarism, automated suggestions dependency, and loss of original meaning and context. With that, the students showed how they deal with those risks and issues, including as responsible users and thorough editing and reviewing. In accordance with the study, students are encouraged not to rely excessively on AI-integrated paraphrase tools, even though they can improve their writing abilities. This research emphasizes that students play a pivotal role in ensuring the appropriateness of texts generated by AI-integrated paraphrasing tools by mastering the art of proper paraphrasing.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a twelve-week Inquiry-Based Science (IBS) program on enhancing science process skills and scientific knowledge among preschool children in Morocco. Conducted in a quasi-experimental setting, it involved 105 children (M = 60.46 months, SD = 4.32), with 37 in the IBS group and 68 in the control group. The program utilized the 5Es instructional model and the Engineering Design Process (EDP) to engage children in active, hands-on learning experiences. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the IBS group achieved substantial improvements in both science process skills and scientific knowledge relative to the control group, with between-group effect sizes (Cohen’s d) ranging from 1.02 and 2.31. These findings highlight the significant impact of structured inquiry-based approaches in early childhood education. The study underscores the need for integrating such methods into the preschool curriculum to foster scientific understanding and skills from a young age, thereby better preparing Moroccan children for future academic and professional challenges. The results advocate for educational stakeholders to consider adopting inquiry-based learning frameworks to enhance the overall quality of early childhood education in Morocco.

This pilot study is part of a larger “Decolonization of Digital Learning Spaces” project, which aims to develop research tools for communities that are remote and/or excluded geographically, politically, economically, socially, culturally, and linguistically. The project’s ultimate goal is to work alongside these communities to design their own digital learning tools, networks, and online educational environments by accessing and leveraging their knowledge and skills. Testing the single-criterion card sorting method is the first step toward this goal. Card sorting is an easy, enjoyable, and cost-effective method for data collection and analysis, particularly for researchers working in remote areas with limited access to electricity or the Internet. The pilot explored single-criterion card sorting as a method to elicit knowledge from two diverse cultural and linguistic groups engaged in learning activities within their communities. These groups were from a Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community in Canada (engaged in a bow-making workshop) and a rural Kabyle community in Algeria (engaged in a traditional cooking lesson). Despite low participant numbers, distinct patterns emerged, indicating the method's effectiveness. The results, though anticipated, were non-random, demonstrating the potential of card sorting in producing patterns indicative of how individuals and/or communities categorize their world(s). Kabyle sortings focused on ingredients, highlighting older individuals as teachers passing along knowledge, while the DHH sortings emphasized face-to-face contact and hand movements in communication. The findings, though modest, established relationships, provided insights into the research context and offered logistical understanding, paving the way for further work with DHH and Kabyle communities towards the design of digital learning spaces.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has changed human lives in myriad ways and one of its impacts has been the significant transition to distance learning that has occurred at all levels of education around the world. In this emerging system, teachers and parents have proved ill-equipped for the sudden changes involved, and a number of critical difficulties and issues pertaining to increased parental involvement have been exposed. Parents have been called upon to engage more effectively with the education of their children and to support them in various types and levels of distance learning. Parents have always formed a critical link between children and schools; however, alongside teachers, they have recently been required to assume new and unfamiliar roles and responsibilities, working together within an online educational environment. This study investigates the extent to which the transition to distance learning has affected the partnership between schools and families of students with disabilities. A qualitative research approach has been adopted, using semi-structured interviews with special education teachers. The findings are predominantly positive, with teachers believing that distance learning creates opportunities for developing stronger connections between schools and families, enabling more personalised communication, greater capacity and confidence within families, as well as opportunities for enhancing connections with the wider community.

This study explores the relationship between language competence and intercultural communicative competence (ICC) among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners through a mixed-methods approach. A sample of 196 Chinese EFL learners was divided into three proficiency groups (low, intermediate, and high), with data collected through Likert-scale questionnaires and semi-structured interviews involving 16 participants. Quantitative analysis revealed that higher language proficiency is linked to improved overall ICC scores and its specific dimensions. The Kruskal-Wallis H test confirmed significant differences in overall ICC, attitude, and skill across proficiency levels, with attitude showing the strongest effect. Spearman's correlation analysis demonstrated small but significant positive correlations between English proficiency and overall ICC, attitude, and skill. Qualitative findings further enriched the quantitative results, emphasizing the foundational and catalytic role of language competence in enhancing ICC and its dimensions. However, participants acknowledged that language competence alone is insufficient for fully successful intercultural interactions. This study expands Byram’s model by offering detailed insights into the intricate relationship between language competence and various ICC dimensions. The study recommends that to fully cultivate ICC, it is essential to integrate the development of language competence into instructional practices.

This article investigates the adoption, simplification, and usage recommendations of the Indonesian Index of Learning Style Short Form (ILS-SF). The aim is to refine the initial Indonesian ILS, compare the suitability between engineering/non-engineering and high school/university, and assess their learning styles. The participants were 678 students (413 females), with an average age of 19.4±1.92 years. The methods used in this study were adopting the existing Indonesian version of ILS, simplifying–reducing the number of items, empirical verification (validity and reliability), and Indonesia data assessment. The results show that the original ILS could be simplified without sacrificing the quality of the model. On the contrary, validity and reliability measures have increased. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) supports a reduction from 44 to 15 items. It confirms the validity with favorable indices such as CFI (0.972), TLI (0.966), RMSEA (0.021), SRMR (0.049), and GFI (0.999)—Active-Reflective Cronbach's alpha at 0.507, Sensing-Intuitive at 0.590, and Visual-Verbal at 0.553. Indonesian ILS-SF is faster, simpler, more suitable for engineering than non-engineering, and more ideal for undergraduate than high school students. The analysis revealed that sensory (40.2%), active (18%), and visual (10.2%) preferences dominate among Indonesian students. This study highlights assessment tools tailored to diverse educational contexts.

The process e-portfolio is a type of e-portfolio that helps students construct knowledge and familiarise themselves with their learning process through self-and peer assessment. Lecturers and students experienced difficulties when using the e-portfolio because Mahara 2019 was not updated. This qualitative research study proposes how lecturers should design e-portfolios for learning through formative assessment activities. Interpretivism was the researcher's standpoint, aiming to interpret how the study participants used e-portfolios for teaching and learning through formative assessment activities. This exploratory case study used semi-structured interviews and an e-portfolio checklist for data collection. It explored the use of the e-portfolio for formative assessment through the experiences of ten purposefully sampled lecturers. The findings suggest that an e-portfolio facilitates teaching and learning in open distance e-learning because it enables online delivery of the content and administering of assessments that afford students' learning of the module content through completing formative assessment activities. The e-portfolio facilitates co-teaching and co-learning because students become knowledge creators and active users instead of passive learners. This study recommends the use of process e-portfolios to facilitate assessment and learning in open-distance e-learning institutions.

The objective of this study is to analyze secondary school students' conceptual understanding of integer addition and subtraction. To achieve this, a test based on the multidimensional assessment approach Skills, Properties, Uses, and Representations (SPUR) was administered to 34 secondary school students selected through convenience sampling at a secondary school in Puebla, Mexico. The study employs a qualitative research methodology at a descriptive depth level. The analysis of student responses utilized basic descriptive statistics and the qualitative content analysis technique. Significant differences were found in the accuracy levels across the SPUR dimensions: skills (51.8%), properties (41.9%), uses (60.8%), and representations (20.6%). Students with a solid conceptual understanding of integer addition and subtraction demonstrated high accuracy levels in at least three dimensions. The main difficulties identified were the use of the negative sign and challenges in adding two negative integers. The SPUR approach is a viable alternative for multidimensionally analyzing and assessing conceptual understanding of integer addition and subtraction.

This study examines the impact of digital tools on fraction comprehension among 5th-grade students with learning difficulties in mathematics. It assesses the effectiveness of three teaching methods: educational software, video tutorials, and their combination. The research involved 252 students from 8 state-funded elementary schools, employing a quantitative experimental design with pre- and post-test assessments. Grounded in Constructivist Learning Theory and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), this research explored how technology can enhance mathematical understanding. Results indicated that the combined method achieved the highest improvement (58%, p < .001, Cohen’s d = 3.03), significantly outperforming educational software alone (33%, p = .015, Cohen’s d = 2.52) and video tutorials alone (7%, p = .987, Cohen’s d = 0.14). These findings highlight the substantial benefits of integrating diverse digital tools to effectively support mathematics learning among students facing additional educational challenges.

In primary and middle schools in China, banzhuren is the teacher responsible for managing and overseeing a specific class of students. The lower job satisfaction of banzhurens has been a longstanding issue. This study employs a quantitative method to investigate the impact of banzhurens' self-efficacy and burnout on their job satisfaction. A total of 624 primary school banzhurens from G City (in Henan province, China) participated in an online survey assessing their perceived job satisfaction, self-efficacy, and burnout. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling analysis. The results revealed that (a) banzhurens' burnout negatively influenced their self-efficacy and job satisfaction; (b) banzhurens' job satisfaction was positively influenced by self-efficacy; (c) banzhurens' self-efficacy could mediate the adverse effects of burnout on job satisfaction. Therefore, we suggest that banzhurens' job satisfaction can be enhanced by increasing their self-efficacy, particularly in terms of communication with leaders, and by reducing their burnout.

There are studies in the learning management literature examining the measure of system usage, but few explore how users apply the software tools to achieve specific work tasks, which in turn leads to perceived benefits. In the context of distance education, this study focuses on how Learning Management Systems (LMS) are fully used by faculty for their instructional needs. It extends existing research on LMS adoption by investigating how faculty members or instructors use the LMS tools for effective class teaching to achieve educational outcomes. Four usage patterns were identified: communication, content management, assessment, and class management. A model is presented to examine how these usage patterns interplay to achieve the perceived benefits. Data were collected from 544 instructors using LMS, such as Blackboard Learn, etc. Structural equation modeling using LISREL was employed to assess the research model. The results suggest that the usage for communication, content, and assessment activities positively impacts the usage for class management. In turn, the usage for class management influences the net benefits perceived by the instructors, and the usage for content also impacts perceived net benefits directly. These results provide practical guidelines for LMS developers’ design improvements and institutions’ policies, such as training instructors to fully utilize LMS features to achieve the maximum benefits of distance education.

Student dropouts led to a squandering of the education budget. The education system and society are significantly affected, particularly in terms of potential development. To ensure vocational students graduate and secure satisfactory employment in line with the field of study. Implementing a comprehensive system that encompasses promoting, supporting, preventing, and resolving various student issues is essential. This system includes close, meticulous care and support, timely and appropriate interventions, enhancement of life skills, guidance, and holistic student development. This research found that the risk factors in the teaching and learning process account for 90.78 percent of the reasons scholarship students drop out of the education system; there are instances of absenteeism, inappropriate behavior, and a dislike for the teacher and the subject they are teaching. Additionally, the care and support system for vocational students at risk of dropping out consists of four components: Component 1: living care; Component 2: dropout protection; Component 3: counseling and advising; and Component 4: transfer to support. The empirical evaluation of the care and support system for students concluded that the overall assessment was highly suitable. The information should be utilized for planning and policymaking in educational institutions.