Abarkan, A., & BenYakhlef, M. (2022). Learning game development: Java shooter. Education and Information Technologies, 27(4), 5789–5809. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10856-x
Learning to code is far from an easy task, it is a promising approach that underscores the use of the video game culture of students to motivate them to invest their time in the practice of programming. The students in this discipline are often discouraged by the amount of information to remember and the complex and constraining syntaxes. Moreover, the computer environment they use daily has little relation to that proposed for learning programming and they do not immediately perceive the links between the two universes. In this article we have proposed a tool which aims to help learners in the one of the different programming language; it’s a learning game called Java shooter to promote learning java programming with high motivation rate. This game will allow learners to understand the lessons learned with a kind of interesting motivation. The development of this game idea is carried out using the IMIE model for the creation of learning games, this model is characterized by its clarity, and simplicity of adaptation which give the hand to the teacher to integrate himself in the process of creation in most of the stages of learning, in order to ensure a better pedagogical playful adaptation, whose goal is to integrate this new technology into the education system. Overall, the teachers greatly appreciated the design of the “Java Shooter” which is based on the chosen model in several steps. Analysis of the empirical results shows that most learners have accepted this tool to strengthen the classical teaching materials of Java programming.
Acharya, K. P. (2025). Reorienting pedagogical approaches through entrepreneurship: learning science through mushroom farming in the public schools in Nepal. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 20(1), 99–113. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-024-10243-1
The study explores the students’ engagement in the school garden through mushroom farming resulting in reorienting science pedagogy. It particularly reconnoiters the interconnection between entrepreneurship skills through mushroom farming and the pedagogy for the basic-level public schools of Nepal. Also, the study explores the science pedagogical approaches to contextualized teaching and learning for sustainable education for a new good life. A qualitative research approach was employed. Purposive sampling was used to select the schools. The qualitative data were collected through 18 in-depth interviews, nine focus group discussions, and reflective journals, and were analyzed using the Atlas-ti software. The participants were students from grades five to eight, science teachers, and parents from the 18 sampled community schools lpin Nepal. The findings of the study show that the public schools’ students, parents, and teachers engaged actively in mushroom farming in the school; connected activities with the science curriculum, and enjoyed learning by earning. The contribution of this study chiefly lies in making a good life for economically poor parents by transmitting knowledge of mushroom farming from community schools. Based on the study, it is recommended that the Ministry of Education, Nepal Government should formulate policies regarding entrepreneurship culture in the school to reorient science pedagogy by connecting local culture.
Acosta-Enriquez, B. G., Arbulú Ballesteros, M. A., Arbulu Perez Vargas, C. G., Orellana Ulloa, M. N., Gutiérrez Ulloa, C. R., Pizarro Romero, J. M., Gutiérrez Jaramillo, N. D., Cuenca Orellana, H. U., Ayala Anzoátegui, D. X., & López Roca, C. (2024). Knowledge, attitudes, and perceived Ethics regarding the use of ChatGPT among generation Z university students. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-024-00157-4
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been integrated into higher education (HE), offering numerous benefits and transforming teaching and learning. Since its launch, ChatGPT has become the most popular learning model among Generation Z college students in HE. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, concerns, attitudes, and ethics of using ChatGPT among Generation Z college students in HE in Peru. An online survey was administered to 201 HE students with prior experience using the ChatGPT for academic activities. Two of the six proposed hypotheses were confirmed: Perceived Ethics (B = 0.856) and Student Concerns (B = 0.802). The findings suggest that HE students’ knowledge and positive attitudes toward ChatGPT do not guarantee its effective adoption and use. It is important to investigate how attitudes of optimism, skepticism, or apathy toward AI develop and how these attitudes influence the intention to use technologies such as the ChatGPT in HE settings. The dependence on ChatGPT raises ethical concerns that must be addressed with responsible use programs in HE. No sex or age differences were found in the relationship between the use of ChatGPTs and perceived ethics among HE students. However, further studies with diverse HE samples are needed to determine this relationship. To promote the ethical use of the ChatGPT in HE, institutions must develop comprehensive training programs, guidelines, and policies that address issues such as academic integrity, privacy, and misinformation. These initiatives should aim to educate students and university teachers on the responsible use of ChatGPT and other AI-based tools, fostering a culture of ethical adoption of AI to leverage its benefits and mitigate its potential risks, such as a lack of academic integrity.
Adel, S. M. R., & Atai-Tabār, M. (2025). Examining Iranian EFL students’ attitudes and learning environment perceptions regarding reality pedagogy. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 24(3), 455–473. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-025-09399-6
This study explored EFL students’ attitudes and perceptions toward their learning environment in the framework of reality pedagogy as reported by Emdin (Reality pedagogy: Hip hop culture and the urban science classroom. Science education from people for people, Routledge, New York, 2009) across three English language learning contexts in Iran (public high schools, private language schools, and universities) and gender. To this end, a sample of 224 EFL students were selected based on convenience sampling. Learning Environment and Students Attitudes Questionnaire (QuALESA, Sirrakos and Fraser (Learn Environ Res 20:153–174, 2017)) was adopted to identify differences (if any) across the contexts. The collected data were analyzed using ANOVA and correlations. The results of ANOVA demonstrated significant cross-contextual differences. EFL students had positive perceptions of their learning environment in private language schools and universities that became less positive in public high schools. Furthermore, positive and statistically significant (p <.01) associations emerged between learning environment factors important to reality pedagogy and students’ attitudes. These findings provide important information about how reality pedagogy might improve students’ attitudes toward English language classes and whether reality pedagogy environments are related to their attitudes.
Ahn, J., J. Flores, O., D. Welton, A., & Hackmann, D. G. (2025). Challenges in sustaining professional learning communities focused on equity. Journal of Educational Change, 26(1), 57–87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-024-09511-2
Despite the benefits of improving teaching and learning that research evidences, professional learning communities (PLCs) can be challenging to sustain for a sufficient period of time to become deeply engrained within the school’s culture and accepted by teachers as organizational norms. As PLCs strive to achieve a system-level reform and promote educators’ reflective dialogues and shared experiences, they have strong potential to achieve positive changes in teacher perspectives and teaching practices focused on equity. Despite this potential, only a small number of studies have explored the potential of PLCs being used as vehicles to advance equity, and challenges educators can experience in translating PLCs’ collaborative culture into advancing equity are under-researched. Therefore, employing Hord’s (1997) attributes of PLCs as our conceptual framework, we conducted this study to understand how a middle school in the U.S. Midwest sustained its PLC to be deeply permeated in and accepted by the staff as a prevailing organizational culture. This study also aims to identify equity-related challenges educators experienced in the process. Data analysis identified school leaders’ support for staff sense-making of the PLC and the promotion of security and vulnerability as the essential mindset for shared practice and innovation. We also found that issues around educational equity relevant to educator race, English Learners, and inclusive practices for students with special needs were limited and indeed need further development. Implications for school leadership practice and future research are provided in the discussion.
Aizenman, J., King, C., Kling, T., Kober, G., Ramsey, L., Solomon, J., Waratuke, S., & Womack, C. (2025). A Liberal Arts Curriculum that Situates Science While Promoting STEM Graduation. Science and Education, 34(3), 1681–1701. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-024-00532-0
We describe an intentionally designed, cross-disciplinary curriculum that promotes a broad humanistic understanding of the process of science, and how this curriculum supported graduation in science and mathematics. Combining the expertise of philosophers, sociologists, and social psychologists with that of scientists, this cross-disciplinary curriculum worked to help students understand the value-laden decisions and cultural influences on the practice of science, and how to navigate the culture of science to find a meaningful role in their chosen discipline. The curriculum described dually promoted a broader understanding of the contexts of science, mathematics, and engineering fields and increased motivation, leading to better trained science students who were more likely to graduate with science, mathematics, and engineering degrees.
Al Azmeh, Z., & Dillabough, J. A. (2024). Authorial Power, Authoritarianism, and Exiled Intellectuals: Syria and Turkey. International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society, 37(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10767-023-09455-0
How does a crisis of the state and its ‘emergency politics’ lead to a crisis of the intellectual, or what does it mean to be an intellectual in our contemporary conjuncture beyond Western clichés and the universalistic bias of their declinist arguments? In responding to these questions, we draw upon data collected from Turkish and Syrian academics living in exile to argue that the critical commitments exiled intellectuals presume are under threat as rising authoritarianisms take hold globally and advanced neo-liberal practices tighten their grip on universities. The promise of Said’s figuration of the ‘intellectual in exile’ and its political potential is also under threat as displaced scholars navigate democratic backsliding and structural precarity in the contemporary university and in the nation-states to which they have found themselves tied, eroding even further the conceptual idea of the critical intellectual and the potential power of the ‘post-colonial intellectual’. In our research, this crisis of the intellectual is recounted by exilics paradoxically in both the autocratic and the ‘nominally democratic’ higher education (HE) context where in some cases the very idea of the intellectual can represent, at least in part, a banal political figuration epitomised in what Nancy Fraser refers to as progressive neo-liberalism. This is largely so because both authoritarian and nominally democratic states, whilst different in political charge, are simultaneously invoking ‘states of emergency’ and culture wars that are eroding their own intellectual constituencies’ ability to disturb existing institutional norms and the taken for granted problems that emerge in everyday HE practices.
Ali, S. S., & Hawk, N. A. (2024). Examining cultural background as context and in-service teachers’ perception of TPACK: A mixed-method study. Education and Information Technologies, 29(3), 3547–3570. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11939-7
To provide a diverse perspective of in-service teachers’ TPACK (Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge) and how TPACK is reflected in culturally diverse classrooms, this study examines the influences of teachers’ knowledge and understanding of their student’s home culture and background on their construction of TPACK. In this study, using both survey-based data and qualitative interview data, we use a sequential explanatory mixed-method design to provide a more robust understanding of this phenomenon. First, we use quantitative analysis examining descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients, and one-way ANOVA analysis, and then we analyze qualitative findings to identify key themes among selected teacher participants. The findings indicated a significant relationship between in-service teachers’ TPACK and their knowledge of students regardless of their teaching experience or gender. However, during interviews participants identified difficulties in effectively integrating TPACK domains of knowledge in a meaningful framework that could help them to design their technology-based activities by considering students’ learning needs and the affordance of technologies. Implications of this study suggest that technology integration and student cultural background are intertwined and teachers should be cognizant of these relationships in the course and lesson design. The study also provides further support for examining the context, such as cultural background, within the TPACK framework.
Allen, R. M., & McLaren, P. (2022). Protecting the University as a Physical Place in the Age of Postdigitization. Postdigital Science and Education, 4(2), 373–393. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-021-00276-y
Covid-19 forced higher education sectors across the world to digitize the entire university experience online. There are now calls for universities to continue chasing continued and further digitization, often from for-profit businesses and those in Silicon Valley who have been promising to disrupt the sector for decades. We argue that the pandemic has illustrated how crucial universities are to their local communities, and efforts should be made to emphasize their physical place and space. The destruction of American cities in favor of auto-centric suburbs provides a parallel for the possible future of higher education. The Cult of Efficiency mindset and accountability models that dominated neoliberal discourse offered the impetus for highway construction through city centers, often razing Black neighborhoods and ruining communities and culture along the way. The calls for the full digitization of universities echo this same possible destruction for the sector. This is not a Luddite warning to reject all digitization, instead, it is a rejection of the hyper-capitalization of higher education and the disruption promised by for-profit businesses, along with a reminder that the sector should be a local public good.
Alzen, J. L., Buell, J. Y., Edwards, K., Griesemer, C. D., Zhang, Y., Passmore, C., Penuel, W. R., & Reiser, B. J. (2025). Developing Science Classroom Expectations That Encourage Risk-Taking for Learning Science Together. Science Education, 109(6), 1716–1732. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21990
Reform-oriented science classrooms encourage environments in which students engage in a collective enterprise of making sense of their science ideas together. Teachers who strive for these sorts of environments support students in collaboratively constructing and answering their own questions about phenomena and making sense of competing ideas together. However, to engage with one another productively, students must ask questions, share incomplete thoughts, and comment on each other’s ideas, all of which can be seen as risky and unfamiliar behavior that may result in feelings of uncertainty or other negative classroom consequences. We conduct an explanatory case study using student and teacher interviews, teacher surveys, and classroom video collected over 2 years to investigate how one teacher used classroom norms to establish and maintain a culture in which students appeared committed to taking risks to improve their collective knowledge-building. We found that norms were one practical tool the teacher used to encourage students to take risks and that also seemed helpful for negotiating individual and group uncertainty. Norms were also tools the teacher used to ensure that she and her students had similar expectations for classroom engagement. This study practically addresses some key challenges teachers face in enacting reform-oriented science teaching and offers suggestions for how continued research regarding norms and uncertainty can continue to further science reform efforts.
Anciones Anguita, K., & Checa Romero, M. (2025). Making Money on OnlyFans? A Study on the Promotion of Erotic Content Platforms on Social Media and their Influence on Adolescents. Sexuality and Culture, 29(6), 2727–2751. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10389-2
The sexualization of digital culture has raised concerns about its impact on adolescents’ psychosocial development, especially in relation to gender dynamics, self-image, and opportunities for empowerment. However, there is a notable gap in studies on how adolescents perceive and interact with sexual content creation platforms. This study explores how OnlyFans’ social media promotion influences young people, presenting erotic content creation as an accessible and empowering source of income, especially for females. Drawing on sociocultural theories, it investigates how repeated exposure to sexualized media and the promotion of such platforms contributes to the internalization of gender norms and the commodification of intimacy. A qualitative focus group design was used with 164 high school students, aged 12–16 years, from both urban and rural areas in Guadalajara, Spain. A reflexive thematic analysis was applied, addressing three key aspects: (i) knowledge of the platform, (ii) media overexposure and (iii) consumption of sexual content. The results indicate that adolescents are aware of and access OnlyFans, despite being minors. In addition, they perceive the platform as an attractive professional alternative, especially for girls who meet the canons of beauty. Some participants justified their interest by appealing to sexual agency and economic benefits, minimizing risks such as cyberbullying or exploitation. The normalization of sexual objectification and commodification of intimacy reinforce sexist attitudes and perpetuate gender inequality. This study highlights the need for comprehensive digital education, increased regulation and family strategies to promote healthy attitudes towards sexuality.
Anthonysamy, L., Sugendran, P., Wei, L. O., & Hoon, T. S. (2024). An improved metacognitive competency framework to inculcate analytical thinking among university students. Education and Information Technologies, 29(17), 22475–22497. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12678-z
Enhancing students’ analytical thinking skills holds great promise for bolstering a nation’s economic growth, fostering a dynamic learning culture, and nurturing human capital development. It is especially critical in today’s rapidly changing landscape, where the demand for skilled, adaptable graduates is high. Achieving and sustaining these skills hinges on individuals’ awareness of their own thinking processes. Thus, this study aims to investigate the relationship between metacognitive knowledge and analytical thinking among university students in Malaysia. Besides, it assesses the impact of metacognitive regulation and control on analytical thinking. Data was gathered by administering web-based questionnaires to students enrolled in two public universities and two private universities situated in Malaysia’s central region. Employing convenience sampling, a total of 184 respondents participated in the survey, responding to 5-point Likert scale questionnaires designed to gauge metacognition (both knowledge and regulation) and analytical thinking. The data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), a technique chosen for its suitability to handle complex relationships within the study variables. PLS-SEM, coupled with the bootstrapping method, was employed to ensure a robust examination of the interactions among metacognitive factors and analytical thinking. The use of the bootstrapping method enhances the reliability of the results by generating multiple resamples and assessing the stability and significance of the model parameters. The results revealed a significant relationship (p < 0.01) between metacognitive knowledge and analytical thinking, with knowledge of persons and knowledge of strategies proving to be influential in enhancing analytical thinking abilities with the correlation coefficients (R-values) of 3.528 and 3.815, respectively. In terms of metacognitive regulation, this study identified a noteworthy positive impact, highlighting the role of metacognitive regulation and control in bolstering analytical thinking with an R-value of 2.985. These findings have far-reaching implications for educators, offering valuable guidance on empowering university students to become more self-reliant and efficient learners by imparting skills in planning, monitoring, and self-assessment of their learning processes for improved academic performance within the university environment. This, in turn, has the p…
Arantes, J. A. (2022). The ‘Postdigital Teacher Identities’ Praxis: a Discussion Paper. Postdigital Science and Education, 4(2), 447–466. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-021-00271-3
The introduction of digital platforms in K-12 Education has seen the identity of the teacher shift with the roles of technology in teaching and learning. Commercial Platforms, Learning Designers, and Employers are increasingly using data collected in the classroom to profile teachers via measurable outcomes. These algorithmically measured outcomes embed new identities for the teacher in classrooms. As a result, ubiquitous learning moves away from how commercial platforms may be used to support learning outcomes, and toward how teacher data is used to support the development of algorithmically measured outcomes. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, three lenses to explore the changing identity of the teacher are presented via a theoretical discussion paper: a Learning Analytics lens, a Media and Communications lens, and an Educational lens. Underpinned by Postdigital theory, the lenses are used to introduce a postdigital teacher identities praxis that explores the role of technologies in educational systems. Acknowledging and celebrating that these lenses are valid in specific contexts, in this paper, I argue that postdigital teacher identities is indeed a liberating praxis. It is by recognizing the implications of technologies in education associated with re-conceptualized forms of teacher identity that we may explore human values and technology more deeply.
Axell, C., & Berg, A. (2024). “You give a little bit more love to animals than to robots”: primary pupils’ conceptions of ‘programming’ and programmable artefacts. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 34(2), 505–530. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-023-09838-6
Although digital technology is an important part of young people’s lives, previous research implies that they have a limited understanding of what programming is and its connection to the digital devices they encounter every day. In order to create conditions for meaningful teaching in and about programming in technology education, more knowledge about younger students’ pre-understanding and experiences is needed. In the light of this, the aim of this case study was to explore young pupils’ descriptions of the concept ‘programming’, in connection with being introduced to programming as a teaching content in technology education. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with 16 children in year 1 (7-year-olds) in a primary school in Sweden. In their descriptions of ‘programming’ as an activity, the pupils mainly used technological descriptions—a theory of artificial mind perspective. However, when they talked about the objects with which they associated programming, psychological descriptions—a theory of mind perspective—were more clearly present. Then, a less pronounced distinction between humans and machines was made. Anthropomorphic references were used, such as when the pupils referenced children’s culture such as movies and television programs. However, the term ‘programming’ was difficult for many of the pupils to grasp. They also had difficulty in finding a function for programming, as well as explanations and arguments for why they learn programming in school. The results of this study indicate that these 7-year-old pupils perceive ‘programming’ as something complex. This at the same time as they describe how programmed and programmed artefacts (including AI devices) are highly present in their everyday lives, in their leisure environments, and in school. This mirrors how technology has become an ‘intelligent’ and active agent, rather than a mere tool in their lives—an aspect that teachers may forget to take advantage of.
Bahack, H., & Addi-Raccah, A. (2022). PhD first-generation and continuing generation students’ academic experience and strengths. Higher Education, 84(4), 909–925. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-021-00806-4
This study identifies the factors that help doctoral students cope with difficulties in their studies, based on social reproduction theory and the anti-deficit approach. A thematic analysis of 23 semi-structured interviews of doctoral students at six universities revealed that first-generation and continuing generation doctoral students had to overcome challenges, and each group represented unique experiences. Continuing generation students reported facing emotional difficulties, and relied on parents’ support and cultural capital. First-generation doctoral students described their academic path as an obstacle course, including academic and economic barriers and cultural difficulties, as well as culture shock, otherness, and ambivalent reactions from their families. This group mainly relied on personal resources as aspirational capital and grit. We argue that personal resources may play a significant role in social mobility of disadvantaged groups. Greater awareness to non-cognitive resources and in-program holistic support including social and psychological support may contribute to higher education equitable opportunities.
Baker, L., Labuschagne, P., Katende, J., Kariv, J., Weitbrecht, J., & Aloui, K. (2022). Mathematical competitions in Africa: their prevalence and relevance to students and teachers. ZDM - Mathematics Education, 54(5), 1027–1042. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-022-01347-5
Mathematical competitions feature in most developed countries as a part of the secondary school experience, but to a lesser extent in developing countries. In this paper we investigate how widespread these competitions are in Africa, both historically as well as currently, focussing both on national Olympiads and on the participation of African countries in competitions beyond their borders, such as the continent-wide Pan African Mathematical Olympiad and the global International Mathematical Olympiad. Since we could not find a consolidated source of information on African competitions, we include many details and links, hoping that this paper will serve as a valuable starting point for future investigators. Next, we present some survey findings on the attitudes towards and experiences of mathematical competitions, both from the perspective of teachers in secondary schools as well as from secondary school students, and whether these experiences have served to improve or degrade their perceptions of mathematics in general. Among other results, we find that teachers view their students’ participation in mathematics competitions as being important, with the biggest barrier to participation being that there are not enough competitions at appropriate levels available, and that students enjoy mathematics competitions and are more likely to pursue a STEM career because of them. Finally, we present some suggestions on how this research may be taken further, and on how the state of mathematical competition culture in Africa may be improved.
Balarabe, K. (2022). The Legal Status and Perceptions of Sexual Rights Among Some Selected Stakeholders in Nigeria. Sexuality and Culture, 26(3), 1090–1114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09933-7
Despite its recognition as a human right under international law, sexual right is one of the most contested rights in patriarchal and complex societies where cultural and religious values interweave with the legal system. In Nigeria, some stakeholders opposed recognising the right due to its inconsistency with the dominant cultural and religious values. The steep opposition culminated in adopting the Same-sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act. Through structured interviews, literature and content review, this article investigates the legal status of sexual rights in Nigeria, sexuality education and probes some selected stakeholders’ perceptions of the concept to ascertain whether the opposition was based on a complete understanding. The findings reveal the existence of laws both in support of and those against sexual rights realisation; the impact of cultural taboos on sexuality education; the limited perception of the sexual rights concept by the respondents in the study; and that not all components of sexual rights are inconsistent with the dominant cultural and religious beliefs and values.
Balta, N., Japashov, N., Mansurova, A., Tzafilkou, K., Oliveira, A. W., & Lathrop, R. (2023). Middle- and secondary-school students’ STEM career interest and its relationship to gender, grades, and family size in Kazakhstan. Science Education, 107(2), 401–426. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21776
Despite pervasive educational efforts, student interest in STEM careers continues to decline in many countries. The present study seeks to better understand this phenomenon by examining how internal factors (gender) and external factors (school grades, grade level, family size) relate to Kazakh students’ STEM career interests. To this end, a newly developed instrument (STEM Career Interest Survey) based on social cognitive career theory was used to assess interest in STEM careers among middle- and secondary students in Kazakhstan. The survey was completed by a sample of 396 Kazakh students in grades 7 to 12. Our statistical analyses revealed that (1) female students were generally less interested in STEM careers than male students; (2) students with higher grades in physics classes were significantly more interested in STEM careers than low-performing students; (3) students at higher grade levels were generally more interested in STEM careers than those in lower grade levels; (4) the number of siblings was positively associated with student interest in mathematics careers; and, (5) family support and role models were significantly correlated with student STEM career interest. Our findings suggest that student development of interest in STEM careers constitutes an epigenetic phenomenon that involves complex interactions between internal factors (e.g., self-efficacy) and external factors (e.g., gender stereotypes). Based on this, it is argued that the promotion of student interest in STEM careers is a multifaceted problem whose resolution requires, among other things, dispelling stereotypes in students’ sociocultural context through systematic renegotiation of traditional gender-technology relations characteristic of a country’s culture.
Barber, S. (2025). From silence to academic engagement: How refugee children with disabilities access learning through inclusive ‘artful’ schools in Canada. British Educational Research Journal, 51(4), 1789–1819. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.4148
Many newcomer children spend a ‘silent year’ in elementary school classrooms while they adjust to a new culture and language. This often delays inclusion in learning and forming friendships with peers. For refugee children with disabilities (RCDs) this phase may last for 3 years or more, impacting their mental health and sense of belonging, and potentially worsening issues they carry from experiences of war and violence. This paper suggests that these barriers might be overcome through capitalising on strategies that circumvent spoken language by relying on the universal language of art. While making art, children naturally explore their identities, decide how they will present themselves to others, find meaning in a healing narrative and safely process bad memories. The main goal of the study was to uncover hidden ‘knowledge of self and others’ through an arts-based research approach. Five arts education and art therapy methods with 49 children (aged 7–9) were implemented and evaluated, including self-portraits, emoji games, read-aloud story books, paper-bag puppets and digital stories. Findings reveal that over time, students undergo noticeable changes in their cognitive and affective understandings with exposure to art, and improve their language ability, self-esteem and well-being. An unexpected outcome was how the arts may scaffold RCDs into academic learning earlier than expected. Examples of student art are included in Appendix A.
Bayoulou, S., Ngangue, P., Kaboré, S. S., Nteungue, B. A. K., Pafadnam, Y., Yopa, D. S., & Kiki, G. M. (2025). Unseen Struggles: Barriers to Care for Gender-Based Violence Survivors in Forced Displacement in Kaya, Burkina Faso. Sexuality and Culture, 29(6), 2907–2922. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10399-0
Gender-based violence (GBV) remains one of the most widespread issues globally, with serious consequences for health and human rights, particularly for women and girls. In 2022, more than 108 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, with 76% living in low- and middle-income countries a situation that significantly increases the risks of GBV. In the Centre-North region of Burkina Faso, where nearly two million people are displaced, services for GBV survivors remain underutilized and insufficiently studied. In 2023, 2,789 cases of GBV were reported in the region, including 11% involving sexual violence though the actual numbers are likely much higher due to widespread underreporting. This study uses a qualitative phenomenological approach to examine barriers to GBV service access among internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kaya. Data were collected from 28 care providers through interviews, observation, and document review, with thematic analysis conducted using NVivo 12. Findings identify socio-cultural, institutional, and financial barriers to access. Survivors face the fear of stigmatization, self-blame, and lack of GBV awareness, often remaining silent to avoid social judgment, retaliation, or loss of family stability. Institutional challenges include shortages of trained professionals, inadequate confidentiality, poor intersectoral collaboration, and inaccessible services. Additionally, financial constraints limit care access, with critical services incurring prohibitive costs despite international subsidies. The study recommends the establishment of integrated service structures, such as One-Stop Centers, to improve accessibility, enhance care quality, and strengthen coordination. It also calls for targeted actions, including provider training, community education, and policies eliminating out-of-pocket costs for survivors, to ensure equitable, survivor-centered care in humanitarian settings.
Beckmeyer, J. J., & Kline, G. C. (2025). Positive and Negative Experiences in Adolescent Romantic Partnerships: Implications for Well-Being. Sexuality and Culture, 29(1), 22–37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10278-0
Prior studies have examined the main effects of positive and negative interactions with romantic partners on adolescent well-being, but few studies have tested if positive interactions can buffer the adverse effects of negative interactions on well-being. Data in the present study were from 101 adolescents with romantic partners who participated in a cross-sectional study of parent-adolescent relationships. Adolescents reported on the positive and negative interactions with their romantic partners and indicators of positive youth development, internalizing, externalizing, and loneliness. Overall, positive interactions were associated with the greater positive youth development while negative interactions were associated with greater internalizing, externalizing, and loneliness. There were no significant interaction effects between positive and negative interactions for any of the aspects of adolescent well-being. Thus, aspects of these adolescents’ PYD appears to benefit from greater positive interactions, while negative interactions appear to be associated with greater internalizing, externalizing and loneliness. Relationship education for adolescents may help promote more positive romantic partnerships. Relationship educators can help adolescents learn to manage romantic expectations, learn to distinguish between conflicts that should be resolved and those that may warrant breaking up, and helping adolescents build break up skills so they can minimize time spent in conflictual partnerships.
Ben-Uri, I., Melfi, G., Arcidiacono, F., & Bova, A. (2022). Work-family conflict and facilitation among teachers in Israel and Switzerland. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 37(3), 729–744. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-021-00562-0
In this paper, we examine the attitudes toward integrating work and family in a sample of 247 teachers in Switzerland and Israel. More particularly, we focus on the national context’s role in mediating the relations between professional and private spheres. The data were collected by a questionnaire implemented and administered in the two countries. The analysis reveals differences between Israeli and Swiss teachers regarding the importance of attribution to life roles and their attitudes toward conflict and facilitation. Findings suggest new insights into the consideration of cultural elements in shaping the teachers’ attitudes toward the integration of family and work.
Benson, L., & Enstroem, R. (2023). A model for preventing academic misconduct: evidence from a large-scale intervention. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-023-00147-y
It is well known that students intentionally and unintentionally commit academic misconduct, but how can universities prevent academic misconduct and foster a culture of academic integrity? Based on a literature synthesis, an actionable Model for Preventing Academic Misconduct is presented. The model’s basic premise is that students’ voluntary participation in individual courses or academic integrity modules will have far less impact on preventing academic misconduct than required faculty or university-wide programming in core courses. In validating the model, the steps taken by the School of Business at a Canadian university to prevent academic misconduct are examined. Two online tutorials were created and implemented as required modules in the School of Business introductory core courses. Actual academic misconduct incidents recorded by the University from 2016 to 2021, a three-year pre-intervention period and a two-year post-intervention period partly covering the COVID-19 outbreak, are used to gauge the model’s effectiveness in preventing academic misconduct. The findings are discussed through a Social Learning Theory lens: the high-level implementation gives rise to a culture of academic integrity propelled by the establishment of common knowledge.
Bice, H., & Tang, H. (2022). Teachers’ beliefs and practices of technology integration at a school for students with dyslexia: A mixed methods study. Education and Information Technologies, 27(7), 10179–10205. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11044-1
The amount of technology available in schools has increased steadily over the past two decades, but higher-level uses have not followed, and many teachers continue to struggle integrating technology in their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to describe teachers’ beliefs about technology in the classroom and identify whether their beliefs are reflected in practices of integrating technology at a small, private school for students with dyslexia. A convergent mixed methods action research study was conducted to understand how teachers’ beliefs may be affecting technology integration at the school. Quantitative data was collected through a survey administered to all 55 teachers at the school to describe how technology was being used throughout the school. From this sample, six participants were selected for three rounds of follow-up interviews and observations. Quantitative data revealed more teacher-centered beliefs and practices of teachers at the school. Qualitative findings showed teachers with more student-centered beliefs integrated technology more in their classrooms. Findings also revealed the school culture influenced teachers’ beliefs about the role of technology. Implications are provided on offering professional development adapted to teachers’ levels of technology integration.
Bini, G., Bikner-Ahsbahs, A., & Robutti, O. (2023). “How to meme it”: reverse engineering the creative process of mathematical Internet memes. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 112(1), 141–174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-022-10173-1
Mathematical Internet memes are examples of how the creative thrust characterising the Web 2.0 environment reaches the field of mathematics, translating mathematical statements into a new digital form endowed with an epistemic potential that is capable of initiating a process of mathematical argumentation. The research presented in this paper aims to shed light on the creative process of mathematical memes, contributing to building a body of knowledge on mathematical memes that, prospectively, could enable educators to profit from these objects in their teaching. Theoretically, this is based on a widened concept of creativity that focuses on the connection linking digital culture with mathematics, and on distinguishing and merging three perspectives to disclose the meanings of mathematical memes. Methodologically, the process of mathematical memes’ creation is investigated through a reverse engineering approach on a dataset of about 2100 items collected in a 3-year-long ethnographic observation within online communities. The result is a heuristic action model of the creation process, that is validated by creating two new mathematical Internet memes that are shared online within the observed communities to explore if they retain the mathematical and epistemic characteristics of Web-found ones.
Boahene, D., Reitz, E., & Endendijk, J. J. (2022). Stereotyping Yourself: Are Adolescents’ Stereotypes About the Sexual Double Standard Related to Their Own Sexual Behaviors? Sexuality and Culture, 26(4), 1235–1258. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09940-8
The sexual double standard (SDS), which prescribes that boys should be sexually active and dominant, and girls should be sexually reactive and submissive, is still present in today’s society. To gain insight into the role the SDS plays in adolescents’ sexual behavior, this study investigated how the SDS-stereotypes of Dutch adolescents (aged 16–20, N = 566, 58% girls) were related to their sexual experience, intention to have sex in the coming year, and sexy online self-presentation. This study also examined whether these associations were different for boys and girls. Data were collected through an online survey that adolescents completed at school. Hierarchical linear regression analyses showed that for both boys and girls, having more SDS-stereotypes was associated with a higher level of sexual experience. In adolescents who did not have sexual intercourse yet, only for boys, more SDS-stereotypes were related to having a higher intention to have sex in the coming year. Furthermore, only for girls, more SDS-stereotypes were related to less sexy online self-presentation. The results indicated that SDS-stereotypes were associated with adolescents’ sexual behaviors. As a next step, experimental and longitudinal research is necessary to inform whether and how sex education programs can focus on educating adolescents on the SDS.
Bolarinwa, O. A., Aliu, M., Arthur-Holmes, F., Aboagye, R. G., Seidu, A. A., Ahinkorah, B. O., & Ameyaw, E. K. (2023). Age of Sexual Debut and Modern Contraceptive Use Among Women of Reproductive Age in South Africa. Sexuality and Culture, 27(3), 995–1009. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-022-10051-1
Despite the increasing use of modern contraceptives worldwide, its use remains low in sub-Saharan Africa, and this has been attributed to demographic and socio-economic factors. The association between early sexual debut and the propensity to use modern contraceptives remains unexplored in South Africa. Thus, this study examines the association between the age of sexual debut and modern contraceptive use among women of reproductive age in South Africa. We used secondary dataset from the most recent South Africa Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2016. For the purpose of the study, only sexually active women of reproductive age (15–49) with complete responses on all the variables of interest (N = 7505) were included. We used a multivariable binary logistic regression analysis to examine the association between age at sexual debut and modern contraceptive use. The regression analysis results were presented using crude odds ratio (cOR) and adjusted odds ratio (aOR) at a 95% confidence interval (CI). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The prevalence of modern contraceptive use among women of reproductive age who had a sexual debut at age 16 and above was 54.67%. Women who initiated sex at age 16 and above [aOR = 1.29; 95%CI = 1.03–1.60] were more likely to use modern contraceptives compared to those who initiated sex before age 16. Among the selected co-variates, women who were residing in the Free State Province [aOR = 0.68; 95%CI = 0.50–0.91] and Limpopo Province [aOR = 0.66; 95%CI = 0.49–0.90] were less likely to use modern contraceptives compared to those who resided in Western Cape Province. Women with 4 or more children [aOR = 2.80; 95% CI = 2.01–3.74], those with no desire for more children [aOR = 1.34; 95%CI = 1.15–1.56], those who were exposed to media [aOR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.14–1.68], and those with secondary or above educational level [aOR = 1.68; 95%CI = 1.12–2.51] were more likely to use modern contraceptives compared to their counterparts with no child, those who wanted more children, those not exposed to mass media, and those with no education, respectively. To enhance the use of modern contraceptives among women of reproductive age in South Africa, behavioural communication change interventions such as in-school campaigns that will discourage early sexual debut should be promoted since in-school campaigns can reach wider coverage within a short period Early exposure to mass media should be encouraged among women in South A…
Bose, C. (2024). “People are desperate for intimacy”: ‘Intimacy Urgencies’ and ‘Doing Trust’—How do Grindr users Respond to Risks of Violence in Contemporary India? Sexuality and Culture, 28(3), 1255–1275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10178-9
This article is situated within larger research on crime and queer intimate economy in contemporary India. Specifically, the article focuses on how users of popular queer dating applications like Grindr manage their anxieties about risk while seeking intimacy through the application. Participants in this study acknowledged that it is their inability to manage and discipline ‘intimacy urgencies’ that causes a lapse in their judgement, and expose them to risk. Consequently, users devise their own rituals, processes and routines to ‘do trust’, and secure a safe environment for sexual intimacy, devoid of violence and abuse. However, the technological affordances that Grindr provides users to ‘do trust’ entail seeking social, educational, economic and cultural legibility and sameness. For example, users ‘trust’ those who link their allied social media profiles like Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook profiles to their Grindr profile. This article examines how users with limited ‘digital capital’ that legitimise participation in neoliberal forms of consumerism, pop culture and professionalism are perceived as being unsafe. ‘Doing Trust’ on Grindr in contemporary India is a way to seek ‘sameness’, a familiarity that is felt and known through caste and class habitus and privilege.
Bossér, U. (2024). Transformation of School Science Practices to Promote Functional Scientific Literacy. Research in Science Education, 54(2), 265–281. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-023-10138-1
The incorporation of socioscientific issues into science teaching to promote students’ scientific literacy may require that science teachers reconsider and transform their teaching practices. This study examines the knowledge and considerations involved when two teachers incorporated socioscientific issues into their teaching, with the aim of understanding conditions for developing teaching to promote functional scientific literacy. Data consisted of written records of teaching, field notes of classroom observations and transcripts of meetings between the teachers and a researcher, generated during a year-long professional development project. Data were analysed through the framework of didactics that understands teaching as framed by societal conditions, curricula, teaching traditions and teacher and student knowledge and intentions. The results show that the incorporation of socioscientific issues enabled student engagement with scientific content, the practice of evidence-based reasoning and the consideration of values and norms. The teachers strove to seize upon student questions in teaching, and the results show that this may require strategies to raise questions among students, as well as profound science content knowledge on the part of teachers. Moreover, the results indicate that tensions arose between students’ instrumental views of teaching and learning and the teachers’ promotion of an exploratory classroom culture. The teachers had to support student adaption to the new requirements, and in this process, mutual trust and clear expectations were considered important. Implications for teachers’ professional development in relation to the incorporation of socioscientific issues in science education are discussed.
Brady, C., & Jung, H. (2022). Modeling presentations: toward an assessment of emerging classroom cultures of modeling. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 109(2), 237–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-021-10056-x
Though there is an extensive research literature on understanding and assessing individual modeling competencies, less attention has been given to characterizing the social context of the classroom in which modeling occurs. Yet a classroom’s culture of modeling—its negotiated system of beliefs and values about the nature of modeling and what constitutes a complete, satisfactory solution to a modeling problem—has a shaping influence on its members’ participation in modeling activities. Devising a means of assessing classroom modeling cultures is thus a crucial task for both research and praxis. In this article, we present an approach to operationally defining and assessing classroom modeling cultures, which is (a) based in quantitative analyses of discourse during whole-class presentations of modeling solutions, and (b) grounded in research in individual modeling competencies. We show how our assessment distinguishes the classroom modeling cultures of different classrooms and how it captures shifts over time in the modeling culture of a given classroom. Finally, we accompany our quantitative results with interpretive analyses of presentation discourse, to triangulate and to attribute meaning to the patterns our assessment detects. Our primary data sources include video recorded presentation and Q&A sessions for three modeling activities in each of two US middle school (Grades 5–8) classrooms. Our assessment approach is a significant contribution because it operationalizes the construct of a classroom’s modeling culture, in terms that highlight potential connections with the research literature of individual modeling competencies. It therefore invites modeling research that coordinates learning and development across individual and social levels.
Breen, S. M., Olson, T. H., Gonzales, L. D., & Griffin, K. A. (2025). Barriers to Change: A Collective Case Study of Four Universities’ Efforts to Advance Faculty Diversity and Inclusion. Innovative Higher Education, 50(2), 513–539. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-024-09742-4
This collective case study documents four research universities’ efforts to advance faculty diversity and inclusion on their campuses. Informed by the campus racial climate framework, our research team offers identifies two broad categories of barriers, including structural barriers and active barriers. Structural barriers included institutional history, organizational silos, and a sedimented culture of decentralization whereas active barriers revolved around activist, governing bodies, skeptical faculty, and administrators and faculty refusal to engage in diversity efforts at all. We conclude by discussing the unique implications of each type of barrier and the utility of distinguishing between structural and active barriers. Finally, we consider how our findings connect to, complicate, and extend the established literature on organizational change and the campus racial climate framework.
Brown, C., & Luzmore, R. (2025). An educated society is an ideas-informed society: A proposed theoretical framework for effective ideas engagement. British Educational Research Journal, 51(2), 969–989. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.4110
The term ‘ideas-informed society’ describes democracies in which citizens believe in the value of staying well-informed and up-to-date with current affairs. They also put these beliefs into action: critically engaging with new ideas and perspectives, delving into scientific discoveries or emerging technologies and exploring aspects of history and culture. Likewise, they stay abreast of political, economic and health-related events, new products, new forms of media and so on. While ideas engagement can, in theory, lead to citizens becoming better informed, better able to engage in effective decision-making and better able to understand the world around them, these benefits do not reach everybody. Likewise, in the ideas ecosystem generally, we can often see ‘dark’ ideas winning through: resulting in less optimal outcomes for both citizens and nations. While interest in the notion of the ideas-informed society is burgeoning, we argue that, if future research is to be effectively positioned to support meaningful ideas engagement, what is now required is a theoretical frame to guide this research moving forward. We use this paper to argue for such a framework based on three principal elements: (1) whether individuals possess a prospective mindset, enabling them to value ideas engagement, as well as become more likely to commit to behaviours concomitant with ideas that have optimal and wide-reaching outcomes; (2) the features of individuals’ social networks, and how these impact on citizens’ access to ideas and the nature of their ideas engagement; and (3) individuals’ levels of education and the extent to which the education people receive allows them to engage with ideas critically. As well as setting out the case for our proposed framework, we conclude by proposing future research to enable us to further specify and verify this framework as well as develop instruments to test it nationally and internationally.
Brynjolson, N. (2022). Ripple Effects: New Frameworks for Learning in Postcommodity’s Sound Art. Postdigital Science and Education (Netherlands), Part F3828, 247–260. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97262-2_13
This essay focuses on the art collective Postcommodity and examines several of the group’s site-specific public art projects involving sound. These works demonstrate key aspects of postdigital aesthetics through their investigation of networked infrastructures, algorithms, and big data in contemporary culture, and are created through collaborative, dialogical processes that propose ‘new frameworks for learning’. Many of Postcommodity’s projects can be considered in relation to Paulo Freire’s theories on popular education and ecopedagogy, through their critique of settler colonialism and their interest in experimenting with prefigurative action. Like other forms of ecopedagogy, these projects confront the extractive nature of capitalism and ask questions about the impact of climate change and the creation of sustainable communities. Postcommodity has described their approach to making these projects as emerging through a ‘shared Indigenous lens and voice’—a description that conveys the dual importance of the visual and the sonic in their work. Analyzing their sound art highlights productive alliances between postdigital practices, ecopedagogy, and decolonial aesthetics, and invites questions about how small-scale actions ripple outwards and produce larger transformations.
Bui, H. P. (2024). Contextualizing synchronous online EFL classroom assessment: A face saving perspective. Education and Information Technologies, 29(18), 24941–24961. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12849-y
Although classroom assessment is well documented to cultivate learning and assist learners in achieving their goals and objectives, little is known about online classroom assessment practices in Asian EFL contexts. This study explored Vietnamese EFL teachers’ synchronous online classroom assessment practices from a face-saving perspective. Its aims were twofold: (1) to explore how Vietnamese EFL teachers assess students regarding the face-saving culture and (2) investigate students’ beliefs about the teachers’ assessment practices. Data were collected from 18 recordings of online classes, semi-structured interviews with six teachers and twenty students, and a questionnaire administered to 224 students. The results show that the students generally preferred private and anonymous feedback, as their weaknesses were not disclosed to their classmates. To protect the students’ face, the teachers divided students into small groups to conduct assessment and give feedback or they privately provided feedback to individual students. This does not mean Vietnamese students were likely to reject feedback, but they wanted to avoid causing conflicts among classmates. The results suggest contextualizing classroom assessment to suit the learning culture of Vietnam.
Burgess, C., Fricker, A., & Weuffen, S. (2023). Lessons to learn, discourses to change, relationships to build: How Decolonising Race Theory can articulate the interface between school leadership and Aboriginal students’ schooling experiences. Australian Educational Researcher, 50(1), 111–129. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-022-00546-z
When conversations about Aboriginal student educational success emerge, they are usually focussed on the high levels of underachievement and disengagement. School leadership is seen as critical to contributing to student outcomes. For Aboriginal students, creating inclusive learning environments that support culture and identity, and building trusting relationships with families and community members are also critical goals. As part of the Aboriginal Voices project, this paper uses Decolonising Race Theory (Moodie, 2018) to analyse interviews with four Principals in urban, regional, and rural locations to understand their perceptions and experiences of leading Aboriginal education in schools. From the interviews, three key themes emerged: leading culture, identity and school–community relationships, leading curriculum, pedagogy and teacher development, and leading student participation and achievement. Decolonising Race Theory (Moodie, 2018) is applied as an analytical tool to view these themes through a critical Indigenous lens to understand the Principals’ discourses around Aboriginal student experiences at school and their role in improving outcomes. This revealed contradictory positionings within and between Principal comments, from blaming students and their families for their underachievement, to implementing cultural programmes to build confidence to become self-determining adults. This data provides new ways of thinking through discourses about Aboriginal students and their families, communities, schools, teachers and Principals, and challenges some of the ‘regimes of truth’ that position these groups in particular ways.
Campbell, H. A., & Jones, G. (2022). When the Church Embraced a Posthuman Future: How Pastoral Negotiations with Technology During the Covid-19 Pandemic Resulted in an Implicit Acceptance of Posthumanism. Postdigital Science and Education (Netherlands), Part F3829, 201–216. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09405-7_12
Our chapter draws on evidence from a research study exploring pastors’ views of technology during the global Covid-19 pandemic. It explores the ways leaders framed their engagement with technology, which points towards larger shifts occurring within contemporary culture about popular views and language concerning technology. These discursive moves surfaced through investigating how church leaders talked about digital media as they transitioned from offline to online modes of worship services during the pandemic. We suggest that some common perceptions of digital media identified may point towards religious groups beginning to, or inadvertently accepting core, or grounding premises of a posthuman future, as discussed in the work of David Roden.
Candela, P. P., Gumbo, M. T., & Mapotse, T. A. (2022). Adaptation of the Attitude Behavioural Scale section of a PATT instrument for the Omani context. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 32(3), 1605–1627. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-021-09665-7
This study is about the adaptation of the Attitude Behavioural Scale (ABS) section of a Pupils’ Attitudes Towards Technology (PATT) instrument for the Omani context. This study is a mixed methods research design and it consists of three phases. Phase 1 of the study is reported in this article. Phase 1 started with the selection of the PATT-USA as a model to adapt, design and validate the Technology Attitude Bilingual Scale-Arabic/English (TABS) (see Annexure 1). Particular individuals we selected to critique the TABS by using a purposive sampling technique because these individuals belonged to a particular group of competent professionals. The panel of experts’ aim was to establish trustworthiness of the instrument. Their evaluation was on the appropriateness of both languages, particularly that the TABS did not contain any cultural and linguistic errors that could offend the Arab culture. This panel consisted of 4 bilingual and Arab culture experts. The ABS was adapted and translated from English to Arabic. The TABS instrument consisted of an open-ended question (qualitative), demographic information, technology attitudes and language choice. The validation process was replicated from similar studies. Results show that 38 items were corrected. 27 items were classified as minor corrections, namely one to two words were corrected. 11 items were classified as major corrections, namely three to six words were corrected. These corrections are described in Annexure 2. The panel of experts’ final judgement reported that the TABS was a reliable instrument to reveal Omani students’ attitudes towards technology.
Casey, J. (2024). An auto-ethnographic approach to academic integrity: experiences through the lens as a student, design teacher and academic integrity officer. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-024-00173-4
This research aimed to share a personal voice, through a reflexive narrative process, of how the author’s experiences as a student, design teacher and academic integrity officer influenced the conceiving and implementation of a student designed university academic integrity campaign. An auto-ethnographic methodology was utilized to share stories, expressing thoughts, feelings, and attitudes, as new knowledge for other universities seeking to engage in academic integrity initiatives. Self-reflective journaling provided key words and phrases that were identified as data and then coded using three Saldaña coding methods (Emotion, In Vivo and Initial). Three key themes emerged: empathy, education, and positive change. It is evident in the key findings that these three themes play a vital role for academic integrity awareness in enabling student engagement, deep learning, redirection of student mindsets, and second chances. These reflections shared a process for fostering behavioural change at student and university levels through academic integrity promotion. This campaign and exhibition were heralded as an example to follow for universities by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) of Australia.
Castanelli, D. J., Molloy, E., & Bearman, M. (2025). The stigma of underperformance in assessment and remediation. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 30(3), 815–830. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-024-10382-8
The stigma of underperformance is widely acknowledged but seldom explored. ‘Failure to fail’ is a perennial problem in health professions education, and learner remediation continues to tax supervisors. In this study, we draw on Goffman’s seminal work on stigma to explore supervisors’ accounts of judging performance and managing remediation in specialty anesthesia training in Australia and New Zealand. In doing so, we focus on what Goffman calls a “stigma theory” to explain the supervisors’ reported practices. We performed a secondary analysis of nineteen interviews originally gathered using purposive sampling to explore how assessment decisions were made. We conducted a theory-informed thematic analysis of the supervisors’ accounts to identify signifiers of stigma and underlying structures and beliefs. From both deductive and inductive analysis, we developed themes that demonstrate how the stigma of underperformance influences and is induced by supervisors’ reticence to discuss underperformance, their desire to conceal remediation, and their differential treatment of trainees. We also found that accounts of trainees ‘lacking insight’ resembled stigma-induced stereotyping. We argue from our data that our cultural expectations of perfectionism propagate a stigma that undermines our efforts to remediate underperformance and that our remediation practices inadvertently induce stigma. We suggest that a multifaceted approach using both individual and collective action is necessary to change both culture and practice and encourage the normalisation of remediation.
Çataloluk, A., & Eroğlu, V. (2025). The Relationship Between Genital Self-Image and the Quality of Sexual Life in Married Turkish Women. Sexuality and Culture, 29(1), 191–209. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10277-1
In recent years, there are studies in the literature showing that genital self-image and sexuality-related issues are related. Genital self-image and women’s perceptions of sexuality vary in different cultures and societies. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between genital self-image and the quality of sexual life of married Turkish women. We conducted a descriptive and correlational study between June 15, 2023 and August 15, 2023, with 232 married women. The data were collected online using the Personal Information Form, The Female Genital Self‑Image Scale (FGSIS), and the Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire-Female (SQLQ-F). Data analysis was performed through parametric tests, correlation and regression analysis. The mean scores of FGSIS and SQLQ-F were found to be 18.68 ± 4.19 and 75.11 ± 23.32, respectively. In the correlation analysis, a positive moderate-level significant relationship was determined between the total FGSIS score and the total SQLQ-F score (p < 0.001). A statistically significant difference was identified between the mean score of the FGSIS and women’s and their husband’s educational status, employment status of both women and husbands, delivery status, type of marriage, and self-perception of weight (p < 0.05). A statistically significant difference was detected between the mean score of the SQLQ-F and women’s and their husband’s educational status, income-expenditure level, delivery status, type of marriage, and self-perception of weight (p < 0.05). The genital self-image of the women is positive, and their sexual quality of life is good. It has been determined that as women’s genital self-image increases, their quality of sexual life also increases. It is recommended that health professionals also evaluate genital self-image in their attempts to improve women’s sexual life quality.
Catto, R. (2024). Creationism and climate skepticism: power and public understandings of science in America. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 19(1), 15–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-023-10208-w
This FORUM article is written in response to ‘Evolutionary Stasis: creationism, evolution and climate change in the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum’ by Jenna Scaramanga and Michael J. Reiss published in CSSE in 2023. Starting from a sociological rather than pedagogical standpoint, the article aims to situate Accelerated Christian Education’s curriculum in relation to evolution and climate change in its broader context. This broader context comprises a national situation of Culture Wars where views on science and religion are politically polarized and morally inflected. Creationism and climate change denial/skepticism occur together and connect to right-wing politics. Climate change denial also clearly connects to corporate interests. Struggles for political, economic, ideological, and epistemic power all pertain. Reference is then made to recently collected focus group data to illustrate how non-creationist publics may also define science narrowly and inaccurately and yet still support it. The influence of evolution and climate change denialists must not be overstated. However, the harm of inaccurate, pseudoscientific education also requires examination. Nothing less than the Earth’s future is at stake, and education is a key battlefield. Science educators have an important role to play, working with patience, empathy, and awareness.
Chakraborty, D., & Kidman, G. (2022). Inquiry Process Skills in Primary Science Textbooks: Authors and Publishers’ Intentions. Research in Science Education, 52(5), 1419–1433. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-021-09996-4
Textbooks play a significant role in education around the world. Although several studies have reported that textbook-led teaching and learning suggests a teacher-centred content approach, textbook use is prevalent in the teaching and learning culture of Bangladesh. The redeveloped primary science textbooks of Bangladesh now promote the teaching of a student-centred inquiry-based approach. This study explored the inquiry process skills promoted by the primary science textbooks and the voice of textbook professionals (authors and publishers)—their intentions behind the pattern of promotion of the inquiry process skills. A qualitative content analysis of three primary science textbooks was accompanied by interviews with textbook professionals. Results showed that the inquiry process skills of observing, recording data, and communicating results received the highest emphasis in and across the textbooks. Textbook professionals valued students’ scientific understanding of their world through the development of their inquiry process skills, and showed adaptive expertise, to varying degrees, as they designed the three textbooks. The students’ context, cognitive development, and learning processes were found to be key considerations in the design features of the textbooks.
Chang, T. S. (2024). The evolutionary course of mathematics literary writings: A case study. Asia Pacific Education Review, 25(4), 1141–1159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-024-09969-y
Attention to the disconnection between culture and mathematics has been addressed then and now (Wilder (in: Graves et al., Proceedings of the international congress of mathematicians, American Mathematical Society, 1950; Liu in Taiwan Journal of Mathematics Education, 8:79–88, 2021b). Recently, studies, workshops, and contests about an approach to relating culture and mathematics, such as incorporating mathematics history or mathematics writings in class, have emerged. However, although the effectiveness of such an approach was proved, employing it as instruction was still significantly ignored, not to mention the approach to creating mathematics literary writings—the goal that the Mathematics-Literature Contest aimed to achieve. Additionally, no empirical studies have systematically assessed the contest, especially from the cultural perspective. Through teachers’ and students’ perceptions, this qualitative case study aims to examine the impact of mathematics literary writings on the development of mathematics teaching/learning and the mathematics culture represented in the contest. Ten teachers and 20 students were interviewed. Data were analyzed by following Yin’s five phases (2016). The study visualizes an evolutionary model of the contest, signifying the development of mathematics culture simultaneously. Results demonstrated that the contest caused teachers and students, who constituted the internal force, to consolidate the mathematics culture, which was enriched by the external force—to reinterpret the connection between mathematics as well as culture and the reform of general education. The developed mathematics culture included elements other than mathematics, such as the Chinese writings and their interactions with mathematics and life experiences. The findings hold implications for mathematics and general education: An interdisciplinary curriculum design can help cultivate teachers’ and students’ intellectual acumen; higher education communities worldwide must follow the trend.
Chang, T. S., Kerdsomboon, C., & Haynes, A. M. D. (2023). Social Interpersonal Relationship Attitudes Toward Cisgender and Transgender Peers Among Cisgender Heterosexual University Students in Taiwan. Sexuality and Culture, 27(5), 1757–1776. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10088-w
The purpose of this study was to investigate cisgender heterosexual university students’ social interpersonal relationship attitudes toward transgender peers, in comparison to attitudes toward cisgender peers, within the Taiwan context. Statistical analysis compared attitudinal differences based on students’ gender and the gender identity of the example. Out of a return of 1071 surveys, 828 students (376 male and 452 female) indicated they were cisgender heterosexual; their responses were used for this study. The Social Interpersonal Relationship Scale, comprised of the dimensions: friendship acceptance, love recognition, and sympathy of justice, was used to measure participants’ attitudes toward cisgender, transgender men, and transgender women peers. The results demonstrated that cisgender heterosexual university students’ attitudes toward peers were dependent on both students’ gender and the gender identity of the target. Female students reported more positive attitudes toward transgender peers than male students. Male students reported the highest acceptance score for cisgender peers and the lowest acceptance score for transgender women peers across all three dimensions. Female students’ attitudes toward cisgender and transgender peers varied in each dimension of social interpersonal relationship. The implications of these findings for future studies and educational practices are discussed.
Chappell, K. (2024). Creating Spaces for Ruptions and Provocations. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3864, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-52973-3_1
This chapter lays the ground for how ethical, care-ful (Haraway, When species meet. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 2008) educational futures might emerge through creative ruptions and how, individually and collectively, the authors are working with Facer’s (Literacy 53, 2019, p. 12) argument that:it is possible to begin to create educational spaces in which the surplus potential of the past, present and future are visible, in which new ideas are generated, in which the experience of living in complex material and planetary systems that decentre the human can be acknowledged.The chapter introduces the ways in which authors create meaningful and productive ruptions—disturbances or commotions—in practice and research thinking, in response to the anthropocentric challenges that we all, human and other-than-human, now face. It will draw the reader into diverse ruptive and provocative approaches that create spaces for emergent futures including the decolonial, new materialist and feminist. These operate creatively through a posthuman lens (e.g. Barad, Meeting the universe halfway: Quantum physics and the entanglement of matter and meaning. Duke University Press, 2007; Burnard, The power of pluralising creativities: A posthumanist perspective. Brill-I-Sense Publishers, 2024, in production; Harris & Holman Jones, Qualitative Inquiry, 28(5), 522–530, 2022) and create an ethico-ontological stance for thinking and doing in relation to educational futures. The chapter culminates by describing the three core sections, Creating spaces for ruptions, Dialoguing and Resistings, which exemplify the key themes of the book and expand on their significance to educational futures. it is possible to begin to create educational spaces in which the surplus potential of the past, present and future are visible, in which new ideas are generated, in which the experience of living in complex material and planetary systems that decentre the human can be acknowledged.
Chappell, K., & Hetherington, L. (2024). Creative pedagogies in digital STEAM practices: natural, technological and cultural entanglements for powerful learning and activism. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 19(1), 77–116. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-023-10200-4
This paper delves deeply into the creative pedagogies which support cutting edge digital STEAM practice across primary and secondary school settings. It contextualises the research within current STEAM agendas including transdisciplinarity, and STEAM and technology and goes on to offer insight from the novel context of ocean learning to develop and extend a theorisation of creative pedagogies as entwining both creative teaching and teaching for creativity as embodied, democratic, dialogic and material processes. Intra-action between theory, praxis, nature, culture, the digital and humans enables an emergent perspective about changing the dynamics of power to develop ocean or environmental learning and related activism. Derived from research into an ocean education project, which aimed to develop students’ ocean literacy through the combined educative principles of creative pedagogies and digital technologies (Augmented and Virtual Realities), the research draws on data from six projects across primary and secondary school settings in Denmark, Spain and England. It used a ‘diffractive’ analytic technique, inspired by new materialist theory, to explore the messy mixtures of natural, cultural and technological environments that were being learned through. This involved the development of four material-dialogic assemblages each including diffractive switches. Each is presented first through a ‘piece’ which demonstrates each assemblage’s connection to the core question, followed by ‘ripples’, which briefly articulate the new learning and questions arising from that assemblage. The four assemblages cover the irresistibility of making kin, the relationships between lively bodies and virtual environments, the importance of spacetimematter in environmental edu-activism and trajectories between transience, stability and dialogic space. The paper leaves the reader/engager with a selection of prompts to highlight the research’s contribution to current STEAM agendas related to changing power dynamics, and to provoke reader/engagers’ own practices. These can include new pedagogies and activisms, as well as theoretical developments to the combined educative principles of creative pedagogies and digital technologies within STEAM education.
Charteris, J., Smardon, D., & Kemmis, S. (2024). Collaborating and distributing leading: mosaics of leading practices. Australian Educational Researcher, 51(5), 2209–2229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-024-00690-8
A mosaic approach to leading practices leverages collaboration and makes it possible to renew the social fabric of a school. In this article, the authors use the notion of a ‘mosaic of leading practices’ to unsettle top-down, hierarchical, positional conceptions of leadership that focus on participants. The latter invites questions about participants’ responsibilities for leadership; the former invites questions about what leaders do (their practices) in and for an organisation. We report on research conducted with Aotearoa New Zealand school leaders that explored perceptions of leading practices that support or constrain communities of learning. Drawing on interviews with leaders and teachers who were working to build Communities of Learning |Kāhui Ako (CoL) in their schools and across school communities, the article re-imagines sites of collaboration by viewing them through the lens of practices, not just participants. A theoretical framework is proposed to illustrate mosaics of leading. Patterns of leadership and the concepts of connective enactment and collective accomplishment highlight different degrees of educator collaboration. The article re-imagines sites of collaboration as a means to foster a grassroots approach to culture and community building, rather than as a means for the delivery of school improvement alone.
Chaves, F., & Carvalheira, A. (2025). Correlates of Female Genital Self-Image Among Portuguese Young Women. Sexuality and Culture, 29(6), 2707–2726. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10388-3
Female genital self-image (FGSI) is a significant factor in women’s sexual health, behavior, and satisfaction. This study examined the relationships between FGSI, sexual double standard adherence, female genital anatomy knowledge, and the frequency of masturbation and orgasm in Portuguese women. A sample of 604 women (Mage = 28) completed surveys, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. The study found that the average FGSI score was high (M = 27.9; SD = 5.60; [7–35]). Higher orgasm frequency with a partner (β = 0.32, p <.001) and greater masturbation frequency in the past year (β = 0.18, p <.001) were positively associated with a more favorable FGSI. Conversely, adherence to the sexual double standard (β = – 0.23, p <.001) was linked to a more negative FGSI. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing sociocultural factors influencing FGSI in clinical and educational settings to challenge stigmatizing attitudes about female genitalia. While the study provides valuable insights into FGSI among Portuguese women, its cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported data limit its generalizability. Overall, the results highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve FGSI, promoting women’s psychological and sexual well-being.
Chen, C. C. (2024). Practice of leadership competencies by a principal: case study of a public experimental school in Taiwan. Asia Pacific Education Review, 25(1), 159–170. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-022-09813-1
Experimental education in Taiwan developed rapidly since the promulgation of the Three Acts Governing Experimental Education in 2014, after which public experimental schools were established in response to local educational needs. The majority of restructuring cases have involved small rural schools faced with high drop-out rates and staff retrenchment plus merger (SRM). Indigenous schools also initiated experimental education by introducing teaching modules on cultural responses to develop ethnic education that better reflects local culture. In metropolitan areas, experimental schools were established through restructuring for educational innovation or for coping with the pressure of competition from neighboring schools. The number of experimental schools and enrolled students has increased yearly, which reveals the expectations of parents about diversified education and their right to make educational choices. The school selected for this study is an elementary school in a metropolitan area that experienced an SRM crisis and was restructured as a public experimental school in 2019. The study examined the methods through which the principal transformed leadership competencies to leadership strategies. The school overcame the competition and SRM crises and even achieved full-capacity enrollment in Taipei city. Information was collected from the relevant literature and through interviews with the principal, a head of department, teachers, a parent, and an administrative official of the Bureau of Education. The study analyzed the leadership competencies and corresponding strategies of the principal and the future prospects of the school. The findings provided principals of experimental schools with a basis for sustained improvement in leadership competencies and recommendations for the future development of school affairs.
Chen, C., & Du, X. (2022). Teaching and Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language Through Intercultural Online Collaborative Projects. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 31(2), 123–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-020-00543-9
This study explores project-based online intercultural collaborative learning for non-native beginners’ CFL learning (Chinese as a Foreign Language) in Denmark. Adopting a quasi-experimental design, two parallel classes were involved in the study wherein the same learning contents and project-based learning was used in both. An additional element of collaborative online learning with Chinese students facilitated to only the experimental class. The study empirically adopted a sequential mixed-method design, including quantitive data from knowledge test and project product assessment and qualitative data from the communicative records and semi-structured interviews. While results reported no difference regarding knowledge test outcomes between the two classes, and both classes performed well in their project work, experimental class students performed better than the control class in project outcomes. The results indicate that the PBL method has a positive effect on CFL beginners. While the online intercultural collaborative elements may not make a difference for the knowledge learning aspect, it supports the students’ deep understanding of the target culture theory and a micro-setting life experiences, which may support the CFL learning at a beginning level. Suggestions are provided based on identified challenges regarding how to better support project-based online intercultural collaborative learning, including balancing group work and individual support for CFL beginners, more time allocation to support team dynamics, and better use of technological tools.
Chen, H. C., Lin, M. C., & Chang, C. Y. (2025). Exploring Diverse Views of Taiwanese Christians on Teaching Evolution from the Perspective of Worldviews. Science and Education, 34(3), 1433–1460. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-023-00493-w
Multicultural science education advocates that science education should pay attention to the uniqueness of students from different backgrounds. In developing instructional strategies, educators should respect students’ differences according to their culture. However, In Taiwan, while Darwin’s theory of evolution is taught in high school biology, little attention is given to the challenges Christian students may encounter in understanding an evolutionary worldview. The relationship between evolutionary and creationist worldviews has been a contentious issue, and motivating Christian students to learn about evolution in science classes presents a significant pedagogical challenge. This article is an exploratory study that investigates the diverse views of Taiwanese Christians on teaching evolutionary biology, contextualized within Taiwanese society and culture from the lens of worldview theory. The participants were Taiwanese Christians who have consistently participated in Lord’s table meetings for over three years and have learned evolutionary theory. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining quantitative questionnaires and qualitative individual interviews. From 684 valid questionnaires and 52 in-depth interviews, the study found that 66.2% of participants support the inclusion of evolutionary theory, creation theory, and intelligent design theory in the classroom. The rationale behind this viewpoint is multifaceted. Firstly, all three theories are critical and reasonable. When students understand these three different theories, they can enrich their knowledge and compare the similarities, differences, and authenticity of the theories, thereby cultivating a scientific spirit and the ability to think independently. This process helps them gradually construct their own viewpoints and learn to respect and embrace different viewpoints. These Christians also realize that human intelligence is limited and that neither science nor evolutionary theory can fully explain the world. Therefore, people should humbly explore different theories in their quest for the light of truth. The findings offer valuable insights into the instructional design of evolutionary biology education, especially in multicultural contexts.
Cheng, M., Chen, L., & Yuen, A. H. K. (2022). Exploring the use of technology among newly arrived children in Hong Kong: from an e-sports and cultural capital perspective. Educational Technology Research and Development, 70(5), 1931–1949. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10130-y
Based on Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory, our study examined the engagement of newly arrived children (NAC) with ICT and e-sports both at home and in school in the context of Hong Kong. Our in-depth case study of a Hong Kong secondary school revealed that the selected NAC typically came from disadvantaged school and immigrant family backgrounds. They had limited access to technology and little parental mediation at home. The results also showed that as these NAC excessively used ICT at home for multiplayer online games, they became active e-sports players with good ICT skills. These students created an e-sports culture in the school, which was supported by their teachers and the principal. Contrary to their parents’ conservative and negative attitude towards a career in e-sports or the ICT industry, the principal and teachers viewed e-sports as an alternative way for their students to accumulate capital and provide them with opportunities for upward social mobility. The findings demonstrate the importance of education in bridging the digital divide of NAC and helping them accumulate the digital dimension of cultural capital.
Childers, G., Governor, D., Greer, K., & James, V. (2024). Science Fiction Fan Conventions as Places to Communicate Science. Research in Science Education, 54(2), 149–166. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-023-10130-9
Science fiction conventions are places where the convergence of science fiction and science is discussed within diverse communities. Many of these science fiction conventions offer programming focused on science, often described as science tracks, for science experts to share their experiences, expertise, scientific findings, and applications related to current research in connection to science fiction with the public. Framing the study within a socio-cultural context, this study surveyed experts’ (n = 19) perceived beliefs of science communication at science fiction conventions. Experts cited accessibility and promoting scientific curiosity as the greatest benefits and identified misconceptions or misinterpretation by the audience as challenges. Overall, experts agreed that communicating science is important and science fiction has a great impact on science. Because of the public access to experts, it is important to highlight the potential influence science fiction conventions may have on science communication via socio-cultural experiences and contexts within popular culture.
Childers, G., Hite, R., Cruz, J., Ataide Pinheiro, W., Greer, K., Noble, S., & Whitworth, C. (2024). Historically underrepresented and marginalized science fiction convention attendees’ life experiences related to science and science fiction. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 19(4), 727–751. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-024-10234-2
Many science fiction conventions host interactive sessions and activities related to science fiction, fantasy, and popular culture media for the public. Specialized sessions known as science tracks are spaces where science professionals and conference attendees discuss and question the science embedded within science fiction fandoms. The present study focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) identity formation among science track attendees identifying with an underrepresented group in STEM. As such, six science fiction convention attendees were interviewed to explore their life histories, interests in science, STEM, and science fiction, to illuminate factors that influenced their STEM identity development, broadening insight into free-choice, adult, STEM learning environments. Narrative inquiry captured and examined participants’ stories utilizing subsequent inductive and deductive coding to explore attributes of STEM identity. Findings suggest sampled attendees had rich and varied stories regarding their STEM identity formation over their lifespan; common threads of childhood experiences and recognition from others, such as friends, family members, and other science fiction convention attendees, shaped their interest and identities. Attendees noted the science tracks were safe places to participate in questioning and communication with science experts regarding their science fiction fandom interest. Yet, their interest in science or STEM, from these experiences highlight the lack of access to quality STEM programming and mentors perceived to be similar to themselves. Overall, science fiction conventions can provide STEM programming that is accessible and welcoming to a diverse community connecting the public’s interest in science fiction fandoms to science.
Chiswa, N., & Mutongoza, B. H. (2025). Going Nowhere Fast? A Review of Literature on Barriers to Queer Inclusion in South African Universities. Sexuality and Culture, 29(1), 62–73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10284-2
Higher education institutions are often considered inclusive institutions where difference and diversity are respected and celebrated. However, the experiences of queer persons have revealed that there is still a long way to go in achieving truly inclusive campuses. In the case of South Africa, regardless of the significant strides made in acknowledging diversity, there remains a considerable gap in implementing the appropriate policies and recommended best practices to address this gap. This study explored the challenges of attaining queer inclusion in South African higher education institutions. Using a literature review methodology, data was collected from research databases such as Google Scholar, Directory of Open Access Journals, and ResearchGate using keyword searches. The criteria for inclusion comprised a timeline (published between 2014 and 2023), the accreditation of the publisher by the Department of Higher Education, and methodological rigour. The studies’ findings were then analysed and grouped according to thematic patterns that emerged. Our analysis revealed that queer inclusion in South African higher education is being hindered by hostile campus environments, policy deficiencies, coerced invisibility of queer persons, and issues of socialisation. We therefore concluded that despite the promise of universities as spaces accepting of diversity, these problems collectively contribute to an environment where queer persons face significant challenges to their academic, social, and personal development. The study thus recommended, among other things, comprehensive anti-discrimination policy formulation and enforcement and significant investment into creating safe and supportive campuses through diversity training, resource centres, and inclusive curriculum development.
Choi, Y. H., Theobald, E. J., & Eddy, S. L. (2025). Conceptualization and Enactment of Equity in Active Learning: STEM Instructors’ Perspectives. Journal for STEM Education Research, 8(4), 585–615. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41979-025-00153-4
Minoritized students’ experiences in undergraduate introductory STEM courses impact whether they continue on as STEM majors. Instructors can have a major influence on these students’ experiences. Some instructors employ active learning to address the needs of minoritized students, but active learning is not inherently inclusive. We examined the relationship between active learning and inclusive teaching through interviews with 14 experienced STEM instructors employing active learning in their teaching. We analyzed the interviews and arrived at four composite narratives showcasing the following four approaches to equity: increasing opportunity and access by supplementing what students may lack; increasing opportunity and access by claiming instructor responsibility; emphasizing increased achievement, representations, and identification with STEM; and expanding what constitutes STEM while seeing STEM as a part of justice movements. Through composite narratives, we describe how instructors’ personal background and work context influenced their equity approaches. We found active learning and inclusive teaching can work in concert in several ways, yet instructors also reported being inadequately supported to enact their equity conceptualizations. Departmental and institutional training and support, as well as shifts in STEM disciplinary culture, are necessary for instructors to effectively and consistently offer active learning that address the needs of minoritized students.
Choi, Y., Hyun, S. H., & Lee, S. (2025). The (mis)understood image of the Korean students: how do high-achieving college students navigate their college experiences? Asia Pacific Education Review, 26(1), 61–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-023-09878-6
In higher education research, it is critical to identify and explore factors, experiences, and institutional environments influencing students’ academic performance and success. Korean students have the international image as higher achievers and a model minority in their academic performance, and several studies have explained that the characteristics of Confucian heritage culture widely influence students’ passive learning approach in Korea and other regions of Asia. While previous research on high-achieving Korean students in higher education highlighted the narrow side of learning strategies inside the classroom, this study explored how high-achieving college students navigate their college experience inside and outside of the campus in a top elite Korean university by applying a convergent parallel mixed-method approach. In the quantitative analysis results, there were statistically significant differences between the high-GPA group and middle- and low-GPA groups. The high-achieving college students not only focused more on research and academic activities but also put more academic effort into their college courses, connected learning experiences, and applied knowledge in various disciplines. Furthermore, in the qualitative analysis findings, the high-achieving students were deeply academic oriented in navigating college experiences. They were not only mobilizing knowledge resources and spaces but also maximizing individual viability to accomplish goals. These findings expanded our perspectives on understanding the college experiences of high-achieving students in-depth and explained the process of how a student who entered a university as a knowledge receiver becomes an independent knowledge agent through college experiences.
Ciavaldini-Cartaut, S., Métral, J. F., Olry, P., Guidoni-Stoltz, D., & Gagneur, C. A. (2024). Artificial Intelligence in Professional and Vocational Training. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3866, 145–155. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-55272-4_11
This chapter explores challenges linked to AI integration in professional training, emphasising the need to question the learning analytics generated during activities involving humans or living entities. The intersection of initial and ongoing training poses a design challenge: making AI tools acceptable for both training and the workplace. This chapter critically examines the nature and quality of the initial data and learning analytics using educational data mining through three case studies of adaptive learning environments. The first case study addresses the challenges of modelling Comté cheese manufacturing. The second case study describes Silva Numerica, a digital forest simulator, exploring how AI, as a learning tool, can contribute to realistic modelling while addressing didactic obstacles. The third case delves into AI’s role in automotive mechanics training, emphasising the need for visibility in cognitive inference processes. The chapter concludes by addressing data reliability concerns in AI systems and proposing education and training strategies to overcome such challenges.
Clarke, T. (2023). Do scores ‘define’ us? Adolescents’ experiences of wellbeing as ‘welldoing’ at school in England. Review of Education, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3393
Research exploring the educational relevance of wellbeing only tentatively confronts the ‘tension’ of expecting educators to nurture pupils’ wellbeing while school effectiveness is evaluated by metrics of academic performance. Complete wellbeing includes hedonia (feeling) and eudaimonia (doing) well. Accordingly, school ‘happiness agendas’ overlook the latter, despite psychologists suggesting eudaimonia (‘welldoing’) is foundational for wellbeing, particularly in adolescence. Rooted in Aristotlean ideas of ‘living and doing well’, philosophers underline eudaimonia’s educational significance. However, high-stakes testing undermines eudaimonia, with England’s performativity culture representing a barrier. Recently scholars have called for ‘stronger evidence’ documenting links between adolescent mental illness and academic pressures. The present study therefore explored 18 adolescents’ (14–15 years’ old) lived experiences of wellbeing in one English state school. Although existing studies document adolescents’ conceptualisations of ‘wellbeing’, adolescents’ lived experiences, particularly of eudaimonia and specifically in school, are comparatively absent. Interviews adopting a phenomenological approach therefore investigated (1) how adolescents experience wellbeing, and (2) what ‘doing well’ at school means to adolescents. Adolescents’ welldoing experiences did not resemble eudaimonia, which involves individuals connecting with personal purpose through cultivation of their unique abilities. Instead, welldoing at school was instrumentalised as obtaining good grades. Although hedonia was reflected in adolescents’ experiences, hedonia was intrinsically connected to welldoing, with mental health attributed to achieving ‘good’ or ‘bad’ grades, respectively. Recommendations include the need for wholescale integration of wellbeing into education in England, which requires (1) overhauling educational aims to focus on supporting individual flourishing as opposed to academic standards, and (2) de-emphasising harmful performativity culture.
Cleland, J., & MacLeod, A. (2022). Disruption in the space–time continuum: why digital ethnography matters. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 27(3), 877–892. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-022-10101-1
There is increasing interest in the use of ethnography as a qualitative research approach to explore, in depth, issues of culture in health professions education (HPE). Our specific focus in this article is incorporating the digital into ethnography. Digital technologies are pervasively and increasingly shaping the way we interact, behave, think, and communicate as health professions educators and learners. Understanding the contemporary culture(s) of HPE thus means paying attention to what goes on in digital spaces. In this paper, we critically consider some of the potential issues when the field of ethnography exists outside the space time continuum, including the need to engage with theory in research about technology and digital spaces in HPE. After a very brief review of the few HPE studies that have used digital ethnography, we scrutinize what can be gained when ethnography encompasses the digital world, particularly in relation to untangling sociomaterial aspects of HPE. We chart the shifts inherent in conducting ethnographic research within the digital landscape, specifically those related to research field, the role of the researcher and ethical issues. We then use two examples to illustrate possible HPE research questions and potential strategies for using digital ethnography to answer those questions: using digital tools in the conduct of an ethnographic study and how to conduct an ethnography of a digital space. We conclude that acknowledging the pervasiveness of technologies in the design, delivery and experiences of HPE opens up new research questions which can be addressed by embracing the digital in ethnography.
Çoğaltay, N., & Boz, A. (2023). Influence of school leadership on collective teacher efficacy: a cross-cultural meta-analysis. Asia Pacific Education Review, 24(3), 331–351. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-022-09754-9
The existing literature provides compelling evidence on the effect of school leadership on the collective efficacy of teachers, which is highly correlated with teaching–learning outcomes. However, the results of studies that examined the relationship between these variables have not reached a consensus. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to determine the extent to which school leadership influences collective teacher efficacy through a meta-analysis. The study identified 47 research articles with a total of 25,645 respondents. The results suggest a large-level effect of school leadership behaviors on collective teacher efficacy. Moreover, three variables; leadership style, country culture, and school level, moderate the effect of school leadership on collective teacher efficacy. Especially, the impact of instructional leadership is stronger than those of transformational and other types of leadership. In addition, the magnitude impact of school leadership on collectivist culture is larger than that of individualistic culture. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the main effect size of school leadership on teacher collective efficacy in high schools is greater than those in other school levels. Lastly, the paper presents the implications and limitations of this study as well as recommendations for future research.
Condon, L., Koljonen, T., Remillard, J. T., Krzywacki, H., & Van Steenbrugge, H. (2023). Navigating multiple languages and meanings in cross-cultural research on teachers’ resource use. ZDM - Mathematics Education, 55(3), 565–577. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-022-01466-z
Cross-cultural research covering multiple languages and cultures involves negotiating conceptual and linguistic challenges. This paper focuses on how researchers working across cultural and linguistic boundaries navigate the research process and negotiate a common understanding of the constructs under study. Working towards intersubjectivity within a cross-cultural research team is essential, as it deepens understanding of one another’s contexts and our own. We analyze our own research process, as a cross-cultural team studying elementary school teachers’ use of print and digital instructional resources in Finland, Flanders, Sweden, and the U.S. Recorded team conversations served as data to help us explore the way language and culture are intertwined and how these relationships surface when developing research instruments and conducting analysis of the interviews, in which language became a focal point. Challenges emerged particularly within three research aims, namely, naming and describing teaching practices, understanding teachers’ relationships with mathematics resources, and defining digital resources in a cross-cultural survey. Our systematic analysis of instances of conceptual and linguistic inequivalence prompted the team to make language explicit and revealed that these instances varied in several ways that had implications for how and whether they might be bridged. Thus, this paper contributes to understanding the methodological impact of using a shared language, acknowledging that researchers’ lexicons about mathematics teaching are closely linked to their own cultural knowledge and experience. Therefore, working explicitly across language and culture towards mutual understanding is a necessity and a way to reinforce the validity of research outcomes.
Corcelles-Seuba, M., Sala-Bars, I., Soler, M., & Duran, D. (2024). Impact of reciprocal peer observation on teacher collaboration perceptions. British Educational Research Journal, 50(3), 981–1001. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3958
This study aims to assess the effectiveness of reciprocal peer observation (RPO) as a form of professional collaboration among teachers in enhancing their perceptions of teacher collaboration within a school setting. The Teacher Collaboration Perceptions Questionnaire (TCPQ) was specifically designed and validated for this purpose, using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The study employed a longitudinal observational design, with 400 teachers in a pre/post-test study. The impact of RPO was examined on three dimensions related to professional collaboration: collaborative school culture, collective agency and teachers’ attitudes towards collaboration. The results revealed that participants’ perceptions of collaboration improved significantly after the implementation of RPO. The study confirms the utility of RPO as a professional collaborative practice that can foster changes in teachers’ perceptions of the collaborative school culture, teachers’ sense of collective agency and teachers’ preference for collaboration over individual work. The study concludes with a discussion of its educational implications.
Cornwell, M., & Shaw, S. C. K. (2024). Applying to medical school with undiagnosed dyslexia: a collaborative autoethnography. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 29(2), 443–463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-023-10258-3
Recent statistics found the prevalence of dyslexia in UK medical schools to be 7%, sitting below the national prevalence of 10%. The factors contributing to this discrepancy are currently unknown, but may result from an interplay of individual and systemic barriers to entering medicine. This collaborative, analytic autoethnography aimed to use the experiences of ‘Meg’, a fourth-year medical student who was diagnosed as dyslexic whilst at medical school, to explore how the lack of a diagnosis during the admissions process may have impacted her journey into medicine. The data were collected using reflective writing and an interview before conducting a thematic analysis. Our analysis resulted in the construction of two meta-themes, relating to the negative emotional impact of not having a diagnosis and feelings of inferiority. Seven themes were also constructed. Some explored how Meg’s personal experience of undiagnosed dyslexia acted as a barrier to entering medicine. Others explored the impact of external factors, such as socio-economic background and the provision of support, on an individual’s chance of successfully applying to medical school. Finally, we explored the inadvertent impact undiagnosed (and unrecognised) dyslexia had on Meg’s life course, including how medicine-specific aptitude tests, such as the BMAT and UKCAT, may have contributed to this. These results provide a unique window into the culture of applying to medical school as an undiagnosed dyslexic person, whilst discussing the need for medical schools to consider how their admissions processes may inadvertently disadvantage undiagnosed dyslexic applicants.
Couto, L., Hust, S. J. T., Rodgers, K. B., Kang, S., & Li, J. (2022). A Content Analysis of Music Lyrics Exploring the Co-Occurrence of Violence, Sexual Content, and Degrading Terms Toward Women. Sexuality and Culture, 26(6), 1965–1980. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-022-09978-2
Music media are often studied for its content, specifically sex and violence. However, few studies have approached music media to investigate the overlap of this content, especially considering the current music streaming landscape. Our study explores the co-occurrence of violence, sexual content, and degrading terms toward women in music lyrics. In this content analysis, five coders coded lyrics of 781 stanzas of songs in the Hot 100 Billboard chart throughout 2017 for these three categories. We found that the most common category was sexual content (n = 222, 28.4%), followed by degrading terms toward women (n = 71, 9%), and violence (n = 55, 7%). Additionally, we conducted chi-square and odds ratio analyses, finding that the co-occurrence of violence and sexual content, violence and degrading terms toward women were all significant, while the co-occurrence of sexual content and degrading terms toward women was common but not significant. These results are concerning considering the heavy consumption of popular music among youth and young adults and the potential influence of such exposure. The findings imply that media literacy education may be beneficial for adolescents to recognize and question the gender stereotypic portrayals in music media.
Crickmay, U., & Welsh, C. (2024). Sensing in Liminal Spaces: Words, Music and Dementia. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3864, 155–180. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-52973-3_7
This chapter offers insight into a project which provokes alternative educational futures and imaginative ways of facing current challenging issues, in this case dementia, through adopting an approach which values emergence, creativity and care-ful responses. In our co-writing and making, we reflect on an improvisatory musical practice involving people with dementia, their family, carers and a team of professional musicians and facilitators, working together with voices, instruments, words and images. We consider this practice, melding the human, the sonic and the material, in dialogue with posthuman theory which we weave together with music, words and images creatively generated by the group and the authors in recent workshops both in person and online. Through a series of ‘diffractions’ of our data, we consider how those living with dementia may help us to focus on learning as a response-able encounter, a co-creative emergence in a liminal space that opens towards the unforeseeable future. There are a series of field recordings that accompany this text: you will find links to them next to headings and subheadings; we invite you to listen to them as you read.
Cruz, R. V. (2022). The Role of Sex Guilt as a Mediating Variable in the Association of Relationship and Sexual Satisfaction: An Intersectional Approach. Sexuality and Culture, 26(2), 616–639. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09912-y
This study aimed to determine the role of sex guilt as a mediating variable in the association between relationship and sexual satisfaction in the Filipino culture. Sex guilt is the generalized expectancy for self-mediated punishment for violating, or for the anticipation of violating, proper sexual conduct. Using intersectionality as a lens, this study imposed a mediation model on four categories: (1) Unmarried Filipino Women; (2) Married Filipino Women; (3) Unmarried Filipino Men; (4) Married Filipino Men. Secondary analysis of data from 630 Filipino participants completing an online questionnaire of sexual behaviors was done. Results showed that sex guilt has no significant associations with relationship and sexual satisfaction in both Married Filipino Women and Unmarried Filipino Men. However, sex guilt exhibited a significant indirect effect in the link between relationship and sexual satisfaction in both Unmarried Filipino Women and Married Filipino Men. Results of this study could aid in finding a culturally grounded definition of sexual satisfaction, implementation of sexual health programs, education, and addressing needs of married couples in marital and relationship therapy in the country.
Cruz, R. V., & Militante, K. (2022). To Give or To Receive? Oral Sexual Activities as Predictor of Sexual Satisfaction in Filipino Men and Women. Sexuality and Culture, 26(4), 1477–1489. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-022-09954-w
Oral sex is a usual part of heterosexual relationships. However, research is limited on how oral sexual activities are related to an individual’s sexual satisfaction. Using Sexual Script Theory, this study aimed to look at oral sex, and how giving versus receiving oral sex is related to sexual satisfaction in Filipino men and in Filipino women. In addition, it also sought to determine if there is a significant difference in the frequency of giving and receiving oral sex in Filipino men and in Filipino women. Data were collected from self-reported questionnaire of sexual activities of one hundred fifty heterosexual Filipino men and one hundred fifty heterosexual Filipino women. T-test analyses revealed that Filipino men reported to perform more oral sex on their partners compared to being recipients of fellatio. Similarly, Filipino women reported to engage in fellatio more often than participating in cunnilingus. Moreover, the results of multiple regression showed that between receiving and giving, performing cunnilingus predicted sexual satisfaction in Filipino men, while performing fellatio predicted sexual satisfaction in Filipino women, which suggests that Filipino men and women both associate giving oral sex with their inherent sexual satisfaction. Findings of this study could help in enriching the understanding of sexual satisfaction in Filipino individuals as well as aid in the implementation of sexual health policies and sex and relationship education in the country.
Cui, L., & Burford, J. (2025). Institutional Heteronormativity, Hegemonic Masculinity, and Soft Resistance: Gay Academics’ Experiences in Chinese Academia. Sexuality and Culture, 29(5), 2206–2226. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10364-x
Drawing on semi-structured interview data, this article examines how gay academics in China negotiate academic workplaces suffused with institutional heteronormativity and restrictive gender norms. It highlights gay academics’ accounts of leadership and institutional practices, revealing how heteronormativity and hegemonic masculinity are institutionalised within higher education institutions. This study finds that Chinese higher education institutions sustain and reinforce sexual and gender norms in three ways: (1) by promoting and privileging heterosexual marriage, (2) by censoring queerness, and (3) by stigmatising and punishing non-normative masculinities. Within these repressive workplace settings, gay academics describe a scene of powerlessness where avenues for resistance appear to be slim. Nonetheless, gay academics identify small moments where rigid workplace norms may be countered, locating forms of ‘soft’ resistance possible within their conditions of account. By taking seriously these soft forms of agency, this article contributes to queer debates that push on the limits of recognisability of queer resistance itself.
Cummins, A. (2025). Making Freedom: Narrative Techniques in Amina Luqman-Dawson’s Historical Novel Freewater. Children’s Literature in Education, 56(2), 273–289. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-025-09620-3
In Freewater (2022) by Amina Luqman-Dawson, alternating narrative perspectives enable the reader to experience characters’ thoughts and actions for making freedom in the maroon community of Freewater in the Great Dismal Swamp. This multivoiced historical novel with nine focalizing narrators in third person point of view advances children’s literature through literary innovation and social criticism. Freewater can be categorized as a “freedom narrative,” in the terminology of Karen Michele Chandler (2024) in Tending to the Past: Selfhood and Culture in Children’s Narratives about Slavery and Freedom, denoting middle grade historical fiction depicting African American characters asserting agency and freedom as they collectively resist enslavement and dehumanization. In Freewater, which earned the Coretta Scott King Author Award and the Newbery Medal in 2023, the destabilizing use of multiple narrators is part of the counter-storytelling provided by this freedom narrative.
D’Urso, G., Chavez, D. V., Strohmeier, D., & Trach, J. (2023). The Role of Morality and Religiosity in Ethnic and Homophobic Prejudice Among Teachers. Sexuality and Culture, 27(4), 1403–1418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10069-z
The role of moral disengagement strategies and religiosity related to ethnic and homophobic prejudice were investigated in a sample of 550 Italian secondary school teachers (76.4% female, age range: 20–70; M = 46.18) who completed the teachers’ attitudes towards the representation of homosexuality in film and television scale; the Italian version of the moral disengagement scale; the subtle and blatant prejudice scales; and three items to evaluate their religiosity. Evidence suggests that moral disengagement processes matter for subtle ethnic prejudice, but not for blatant ethnic prejudice or homophobic prejudice. Results based on a structural equation model show that teachers who are more prone to use moral disengagement mechanisms have higher levels of subtle ethnic prejudice, while teachers who are older and more religious have higher levels of homophobic prejudice. The results of a multiple group structural equation model showed that high versus low levels of religiosity among teachers did not moderate the strength of these associations. Theoretical and educational implications are discussed.
Dalene, K. M. (2022). Promoting access to decent work: career counselors’ experiences with career construction counseling. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 22(3), 603–622. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-022-09524-4
This article is based on career counselors’ experiences with how career construction counseling (CCC) can benefit clients, and the results are discussed according to the psychological perspective of decent work in the psychology of working theory (PWT). The article argues that CCC can promote access to decent work by creating inward and outward meaning making, which refer to internal anchoring promoting the will to change. Hence, CCC’s focus on the individual, together with contextualization, is considered a strength regardless of culture. Additionally, the article suggests that career counselors may affect whether CCC ultimately promotes access to decent work.
Dalgliesh, B. (2025). An autoethnography of internationalisation: ethical dilemmas in Japanese academe. Higher Education, 89(3), 775–790. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01246-6
Via an autoethnography of internationalisation, the article highlights the ethical dilemmas transnational scholars face when universities fail to denationalise their organisational culture. Section one explains the pertinence and pitfalls of autoethnography — writing oneself into existence over against a context experienced as domination — for grasping the ethical quandaries of transnational scholars in a Japanese national university (JNU). As section two shows, the persistence of ethno-national working practices in JNUs precludes both the equal treatment of transnational scholars and the recognition of their difference. Specifically, the discussion documents two mechanisms of marginalisation at the JNU in question, Tōdai (University of Tokyo): section three links the rejection of ethno-national diversity to absolutisation, viz. the generalisation of prejudice by gatekeepers in order to stigmatise transnational scholars as unfit for organisational life; and section four contends gatekeepers defend their territorialised academic culture through normalisation, which is underpinned by academic inbreeding that produces a hermitic community of sameness blind to its ethno-national prejudices. The article concludes with the ethical gymnastics of transnational scholars situated in universities that solicit their multiplicity without renovating their ethno-national culture. It also reflects upon the limited leverage of autoethnography beyond the Anglosphere, notably in a JNU organisational environment that does not recognise the strop of agency with structure. Finally, the article suggests Japan would be better off promoting a cultural form of internationalisation rather than following a commercial iteration with neo-colonial costs.
Dan, Q., & Bai, B. (2025). Classroom relationships and self-regulated learning strategy use among EFL students: the mediating role of emotions. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 40(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-025-01021-w
This study aimed to understand the relations between English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ classroom relationships, emotions, and self-regulated learning (SRL) strategy use. Data was collected via a questionnaire completed by 436 4-5th graders in Mainland China. Results of structural equation modelling (SEM) revealed that both teacher-student relationships and peer relationships contributed to students’ SRL strategy use. In addition, some of these associations were fully mediated by emotions, and some were not. Specifically, both teacher-student relationships and peer relationships were related to students’ emotions (i.e., enjoyment, hope, boredom, empathy, and gratitude) and in turn contributed to their use of SRL strategies (i.e., using prior knowledge and monitoring). However, both teacher-student relationships and peer relationships were directly related to students’ use of SRL strategies (i.e., contextual regulation and evaluation), without the mediation of emotions. Although it was found that the predictive power of teacher-student relationships was more substantial than peer relationships in emotions and SRL strategy use, both types of classroom relationships demonstrated unique and significant functions. Implications for constructing a caring and supportive classroom culture and enhancing EFL students’ SRL strategy use are discussed.
Daneshfar, S., & Moharami, M. (2025). Iranian English language policy and learner’s identity formation: a reflective study. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 24(3), 347–360. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-024-09388-1
Teaching English as a foreign language is a common feature in the curriculum of many countries. In Iran, students formally learn English from Grade Seven but can take private classes much earlier. Iran implemented sweeping reforms in 2013 that banned primary school children from learning English, to protect them from “Western cultural hegemony.” Despite this, English still holds a broad appeal, as it has been part of Iranian life since the 1960s. This study highlights the persistent importance of English in Iranian education despite political resistance. In this paper, the authors use a self-reflective narrative approach to reflect on their learning and teaching experiences, illustrating a better view on language education in Iran. This review provided the authors with a deeper understanding of the influence of English on their daily practices. Findings highlight that political demands for changing foreign language policy have ignored people’s perspectives. Therefore, this study suggests that understanding and integrating English culture is crucial for language learning and enhancing intercultural communication skills among Iranian students. English is a need for Iranian students providing them with a successful future.
Debs, L., Gray, C. M., & Asunda, P. A. (2023). Students’ perceptions and reasoning patterns about the ethics of emerging technology. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 33(1), 143–163. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-021-09719-w
Discussions around the unethical use of emerging technology have become increasingly common in our society. Despite previous research acknowledging the importance of including societal-level discussions in engineering and technology undergraduate curricula, there is a lack of research around college students’ understanding of and engagement with the ethics of new and emerging technology. In this qualitative study, we present the results from 17 interviews with students from a range of engineering and technology fields, describing how they reason as both designers and consumers of new technology. Our goal is to characterize students’ patterns of reasoning about the ethics of new technology, and, in this paper, we describe how this reasoning is argued from multiple stakeholder perspectives (corporations, government, professionals, users and society). Our findings indicate privacy, security and balance of power as the most relevant ethical issues to respondents, and that participants consider several stakeholders in their reasoning, often shifting among multiple perspectives. Furthermore, interviewed students often concluded their reasoning by either resigning themselves to the pervasiveness of technology or by pushing the liability concerns to one stakeholder while diminishing the responsibility of others. In each case, respondents frequently avoided entering societal-level discussions related to ethical issues of emerging technology. Our results offer relevant insights that can facilitate further work related to the research and teaching of ethics to college students, as well as suggest areas for future research particularly building upon participants’ feelings of resignation in relation to unethical use of new technology.
DeFeo, D. J., Gerken, S., Mason, L., & Tran, T. C. (2024). Involuntary Online Learners: Engaging Online Students Who Preferred F2F Science Classes During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 33(3), 383–399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-023-10090-9
In this descriptive analysis, we consider the experiences of students who prefer face-to-face (F2F) classes but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had no alternative other than taking their introductory biology class online during the 2020–2021 academic year. We conducted focus group interviews with 12 college students who enrolled in an asynchronous online introductory biology course for non-majors. We interpret their experiences through the theoretical framing of student engagement, which generally centers students as the directors of their learning experiences. However, when reflecting on their online, technologically mediated experience, our participants regarded their instructors as the hub or convener of their interactions with content, technology, and other learners. We explore the implications of these findings for engaging other students who may find themselves involuntarily online, and make recommendations for pedagogy and communication around the culture of online learning.
Demetrio, G. R., Jacobina, U. P., & Barão, K. R. (2023). The Impact of Life Philosophy and Major Field of Study on Brazilian Students’ Knowledge of Biological Evolution. Science and Education, 32(1), 19–36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-021-00286-z
Evolutionary theory (ET) is the unifying theory of Life Sciences, but it is largely misunderstood and the target of dispute in many countries, mainly because of conflicts with religious beliefs. Brazil is a country with a culture that is deeply rooted belief in God. In this paper, we report a study in Brazil where we applied a 12-question questionnaire to understand the relationship among the major field of study and the self-declared religious and philosophical context on the knowledge of evolutionary theory by Brazilian freshmen. We answer the following questions: (1) Is there a difference in ET comprehension according to the major field of study? (2) Are religious and philosophical contexts related to the comprehension of ET? (3) Are major field of study and religious/philosophical contexts together related to the comprehension of ET by Brazilian freshmen? A total of 153 freshmen students answered our questionnaire. Students from the Biological Sciences fared better than students from most other major field of study but were equal to students of Humanities. The philosophical perception of life had a major correlation with their knowledge about evolution, with self-declared atheists and agnostics showing better performance than religious students. There were no clear trends in the interaction of major field of study and philosophy of life. We discuss these results in the light of the rising ideological activism in Brazilian society since philosophy of life was the main driver of evolutionary theory perception. We highlight the importance of scientists and teachers in reassuring the role of science and scientific knowledge in modern societies.
Derrick, G. E., Robson, J., Oancea, A., Xu, X., & Stan, M. R. (2025). The gravity of the status quo: the response of research governance to system-level shocks. Higher Education, 90(1), 89–108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01309-8
Using interviews with global research stakeholders, this research explores how stakeholders within research-system-level research governance organisations conceptualised, responded to, and reasoned the realities of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they positioned procedural changes to their governance mechanisms. Given that system shocks present critical challenges to established practices and embedded institutional norms, we use neo-institutional theory as a heuristic device to examine the relationship between the exogenous shock of COVID-19, trajectories of institutional norms and cultures, and the role institutional stakeholders play in managing responses. Across all the research systems studied (with particular focus on the UK, Australia, Norway, New Zealand, Hong Kong SAR, and Italy), participants were concerned about how the shock provided by COVID-19 had both revealed and entrenched deep inequalities inherent in their research systems and globally. There were tensions in how participants centralised the concept of the ‘normal’ as part of a process of recovery permeating all system-level responses, often with a sense of wistful affection for pre-pandemic structures, modes of operation, and embedded norms. Aspirations for short-, medium,- and long-term plans for research change echoed a dependency on returning to ‘normal’ and an inevitable pull of the norms of the pre-pandemic status quo. Despite the desire to ‘build back better’, the pull of institutional norms and the gravitational force of the status quo appeared too strong for meaningful change in recovering research systems.
DeWitt, D., Chan, S. F., & Loban, R. (2022). Virtual reality for developing intercultural communication competence in Mandarin as a Foreign language. Educational Technology Research and Development, 70(2), 615–638. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-021-10074-9
Intercultural communicative competence (ICC) is the ability to interact and communicate appropriately with people from different cultures. The lack of ICC among non-native speakers has resulted in misunderstandings during interactions. Although Malaysia is a multicultural country, there has not been much emphasis in developing ICC in the curriculum. Students in higher education institutions have low levels of ICC. This is also true among students taking Mandarin as a Foreign Language (MFL) in Malaysian polytechnics. Virtual reality (VR) can engage students in the cognitive and affective domains. There is a potential for using VR to improve students’ ICC, particularly when students are engaged in producing their own immersive VR environments. Hence, a quasi-experimental research was designed to determine whether utilizing and developing VR environments related to Chinese culture could improve the level of ICC among students. The participants were 31 students enrolled in a MFL course at a polytechnic. The findings indicated a significant increase in the measures of ICC after the implementation and was verified from student feedback through surveys and interviews. VR has the potential for improving ICC levels as it could be used to develop positive attitudes towards another culture. Further studies could be done to investigate whether VR could be used to develop ICC and engage other Malaysian students. ICC is important and needed for cross-cultural collaborations and interactions to promote respect and compassion for other cultures in a community.
Dillon, A., Riley, P., Filardi, N., Franklin, A., Horwood, M., McMullan, J., Craven, R. G., & Schellekens, M. (2024). What are the success factors for schools in remote Indigenous communities? British Educational Research Journal, 50(3), 944–963. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3962
Indigenous Australian students generally attain poorer educational outcomes compared to non-Indigenous students. However, some remote schools are challenging the status quo by providing schooling experiences where Indigenous students thrive. Using an Indigenous research paradigm and a comparative case study methodology, we conducted interviews with stakeholders from two different remote community schools where students were predominantly Indigenous. Recognising the limitations of assessing student success solely on westernised concepts of success, we adopted a strengths-based approach. Using thematic analysis, qualitative data were analysed to yield themes that were sorted using a model of Indigenous wellbeing comprising five dimensions (academic, cultural, physical, psychological and social wellbeing). Responses from stakeholders (teachers, community leaders and students) show that success can be achieved when local culture is respected and incorporated into the curriculum by dedicated staff who maintain open communication with community. While both schools shared a largely common approach to Indigenous education, a hallmark was their responsiveness to local needs.
Dodman, S. L., DeMulder, E. K., View, J. L., Stribling, S. M., & Brusseau, R. (2023). “I knew it was a problem before, but did I really?”: Engaging teachers in data use for equity. Journal of Educational Change, 24(4), 995–1023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-022-09477-z
In current contexts of education, educators are tasked with using data, most often without any critical preparation to do so. In this way, data are presented as objective measures of student progress and participation in school without consideration of the systemic and structural influences on that progress and participation. This article reports on a proposed framework for preparing educators to engage in critical data-driven decision making as an engine of disrupting classroom and school-based systemic inequity through data use. We argue that if educators are to use data in ways that acknowledge the inequities of schooling and act in ways to trigger change, we must prepare them to engage with data differently. The framework we describe, data use for equity, integrates data and equity literacies in this service. We use case study to report on the outcomes of a professional development project guided by this conceptual framework of data use for equity. Participants engaged in professional development that utilized a School and Classroom Equity Audit as a triggering data event and explicitly attended to the relationship of culture and education. Findings demonstrated that professional development in data use for equity enhanced participants’ sense of agency, perceptions of equity and data, and perceived multicultural capacities. Findings also demonstrated that while participants made progress in strengthening their data and equity literacies on almost all indicators through the yearlong professional development, developing data use for equity must be an ongoing effort.
Doerr, K., & Bruun, J. (2024). “On Mars, we will speak Arabic”: Negotiating identity in upper secondary physics in Denmark. Science Education, 108(6), 1698–1724. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21898
Seeking to make upper secondary school physics more relevant and engaging, an online collaborative learning curriculum was designed. Each of the curriculum’s lessons was structured as a goal-based scenario about human scientists on Mars. Video and audio data from the curriculum’s implementation in Denmark was collected. This study utilized the theoretical lenses intersectionality, repertoires of practice, and epistemic agency. The use of comics as an analytical tool provided a novel and accessible way to depict the complex dynamics within the physics classroom. It allowed for a multimodal representation of the data and enabled a nuanced examination of the students’ interactions. Findings suggest that interactions were shaped by the students’ identities and these dynamics shaped their repertoires of practice. Moreover, the interactions had a profound impact on students’ epistemic agency in physics. Collaborative learning with a goal-based scenario can include and empower diverse gender, racial, and language identities. It can also, however, work to disempower and exclude when the hegemonically white and masculine culture of physics is left unproblematized. This leads to the conclusion that if reform-based science education is untethered from a critical stance on socioscientific issues, students and teachers may reproduce social problems as much as they also may challenge them.
Dong, J., Lee, S., Wang, C. hsuan, & Shannon, D. M. (2023). Impact on social capital and learning engagement due to social media usage among the international students in the U.S. Education and Information Technologies, 28(7), 8027–8050. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11520-8
International students who pursue their academic goals in United States are prone to difficulties when attempting to build social resources and adjust to the new culture. Social media is a practical means of connection due to its ease of use and accessibility. Previous research has indicated contradictory effects of social media use on academic engagement. In addition to the direct effect, this research examined social media use influences on international students’ learning engagement by mediating social capital and cultural adjustment. A total of 209 international students completed a web-based survey distributed via e-mail and social media between November 2021 and May 2022. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Model. Results showed that only purposely using social media to collaborate with learning counterparts or materials directly improves international students’ learning engagement. Other uses of social media (e.g., expanding new resources, solidifying close relationships) have no significant direct effects. Nonetheless, they are essential to improving levels of learning engagement via the mediation of bridging capital (social resources attributed to expanding relationships) and students’ cultural adjustment in the U.S. International students’ bonding capital (social resources available through trustworthy relationships) and home cultural retention showed little direct or indirect effects on learning engagement. This study recognizes the importance of social resources and cultural adjustment for international students. Also, this study provides valuable information to educators and administrators, as there is a need to identify the underlying mechanisms to contribute feasible learning intervention approaches and alleviate negative effects for international students.
Döring, A. K., Jones, E., Oeschger, T. P., & Makarova, E. (2024). Giving voice to educators: Primary school teachers explain how they promote values to their pupils. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 39(4), 3607–3631. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-024-00885-8
Values are the trans-situational goals guiding human attitudes and behavior (Schwartz, 1992). As early socialization agents, teachers have a responsibility to promote democratic values of citizenship to create an inclusive, fair, and sustainable society, necessary for individual and collective well-being (OECD, 2019). By facilitating social and cognitive development through social interactions, the school setting helps spark curiosity, leading to reflection and adaptation. Across the curriculum, teachers use strategies like imitation, modelling, priming, and discussion to help children make sense of the world (Makarova et al., 2024; Oeschger et al., 2022). Yet little empirical evidence exists to support how teachers achieve this. The present study gives voice to educators through the personal experiences of ten UK primary school teachers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, lasting between 50 and 90 min. Data was analyzed in two stages: First, a deductive structuring content analysis identified how values of self-transcendence versus self-enhancement and openness to change versus conservation, as defined in Schwartz’s (1992) model, were reflected in the interview data. Second, an inductive thematic analysis yielded the following themes: mechanisms of value transmission; implicit vs explicit instruction of values; values that are most difficult to teach; value transmission through taught lessons; the role of collective worship and cultural days; opportunities for value transmission in the wider school environment; and the role that a school culture and ethos play in the transmission of values. This study supports the view that values are promoted through a variety of methods and across all areas of the school environment.
dos Santos Barbosa da Silva, M., & Kasseboehmer, A. C. (2023). Comparative analysis of chemistry teaching in city center and suburban public schools in Brazil: how school reputation and social profile influence chemistry teaching and high school students’ performance in science. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 18(3), 985–1019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-023-10192-1
In this paper, we present our study into how teaching practices in chemistry are socially stratified under the center–suburban divide in a medium-sized city, located in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The paper mainly draws upon the Bourdieusian-inspired concepts of institutional habitus and symbolic capital to examine how institutional discourses and norms are embodied and implemented by chemistry teachers in their pedagogical practices, and the way in which this affects the distribution of chemistry knowledge in the classroom. This study is a comparative ethnographic-based investigation which employs multiple qualitative methods to investigate chemistry classes in two public schools in Brazil. The schools were selected based on their achievements in large-scale assessment tests and socioeconomic composition. Based on the results obtained from the analysis of four months of observational data of chemistry classes, school routines, 12 focus groups composed of high school students, and four semi-structured interviews conducted with teachers and staff, we argue that chemistry teaching is partially influenced by two interrelated dimensions of the school’s institutional habitus—the schools’ reputation and their students’ social profile. Students in different schools tend to have unequal opportunities for learning and identification with chemistry. For instance, in the suburban school, students are seen as having learning deficiencies and are given deficit explanations on scientific concepts during classes, while the students from the school in the city center are taught under a pervasive culture centered around academic achievements, intense competition and individuality. The aforementioned factors largely shape chemistry teaching in the two public schools investigated. We conclude by presenting our final considerations on how educational institutions play an influential role in shaping chemistry teaching practices.
Dotzel, S., Bonefeld, M., & Karst, K. (2022). Students’ attitudes towards performance heterogeneity and their relation to contextual factors. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 37(1), 101–121. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-021-00544-2
Previous studies examining attitudes towards performance heterogeneity have focused on attitudes among teachers. However, positive attitudes towards the school environment are also assumed to be conducive for students. The aim of this paper is to examine students’ attitudes towards performance heterogeneity with a sample of 784 5th-grade students. Based on the three-component theory of attitudes (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993), we investigated whether students’ attitudes towards performance heterogeneity are positive or negative. Furthermore, we analyzed contextual relations, focusing on whether students’ attitudes are linked to performance heterogeneity in the classroom and to a teachers’ behavior to manage performance heterogeneity. Descriptive statistics show that students’ attitudes towards performance heterogeneity are rather positive. Multi-level structural equation models reveal that contextual rather than individual characteristics relate to students’ attitudes towards performance heterogeneity. Accordingly, students in heterogeneous classes show a more positive attitude towards performance heterogeneity than students in less heterogeneous classes. In addition, a teachers’ capability of professionally managing heterogeneity is positively associated with students’ attitudes towards performance heterogeneity. Accordingly, students’ show more positive attitudes if teachers implement rules, effectively manage disruptions, orient themselves towards temporal reference norms, cultivate a positive error culture, and differentiate instruction in the classroom. We will discuss our results and consider implications for psychological aspects of education and learning.
Dreher, A., Wang, T. Y., Feltes, P., Hsieh, F. J., & Lindmeier, A. (2024). High-quality use of representations in the mathematics classroom – a matter of the cultural perspective? ZDM - Mathematics Education, 56(5), 965–980. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-024-01597-5
The teacher’s use of representations is a crucial aspect of instructional quality in mathematics education, given their pivotal role in facilitating mathematics learning. However, in our international research community, perspectives on what constitutes high-quality use of representations may vary. This cross-cultural study aims to explore whether the perspectives from Western literature, emphasizing the importance of explicit connections between symbolic and graphic representations, can be extended legitimately to the East Asian context. Using a situated approach, the study elicited norms of high-quality representation use from researchers in Germany and Taiwan. A total of 31 mathematics education professors from both countries evaluated the use of representations in three secondary mathematics classroom situations presented as text vignettes. The vignettes, designed by the German research team, each depicted a situation where from their perspective, a norm of high-quality representation use, specifically the explicit connection between symbolic and graphic representations, was violated. Qualitative analysis of the researchers’ responses revealed that in each situation, at least half of the German researchers expected explicit connections between representations. Conversely, the majority of Taiwanese researchers only expected such connections in one situation, particularly when the graphic representation served as an independent learning objective rather than solely aiding conceptual understanding. These findings indicate easily unnoticed culture-specific differences regarding how a common aspect of instructional quality is expected to unfold in teaching.
Ebeling, S., & Gebhard, U. (2022). Ideas, hopes, and fears: what young adults think about genome editing, nature, and society. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 17(3), 745–764. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-022-10102-x
Gene technologies are developing at a high speed. Yet, the understandings and ethical conceptions about these developments are not sufficiently scrutinized and reflected. Our qualitative analysis examines everyday myths of younger generations about genome editing; these contribute to a complex fabric of rationally and intuitively justified opinions on genome editing. We argue that current thought patterns and social ways of thinking co-constitute the everyday myths. On the basis of group discussions with teenagers and students about genome editing, we reconstruct their topical views of humanity, the world, science and technology, value orientations, fears, hopes, and desires that are connected to genome editing. Our focus is on everyday myths about health and nature (particularly the nature–culture dichotomy) as well as their implications for social developments in the times of genome editing. Among these developments feared by the young generations are first and foremost conceptions regarding population density, environmental destruction, family relationships, normalization processes, and nature as a fundamental normative authority. The juveniles and students also reflect abstract ideals, e.g., perfection and health, within their contexts, and demystify these ideals.
Edwards, J., Rehman, U. S., Bedi-Padda, T., & Byers, E. S. (2024). Key Themes in Community Participants’ Definitions of Sexual Consent and Their Association with Sexual Consent Attitudes and Behaviours. Sexuality and Culture, 28(5), 2012–2041. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10215-1
Sexual consent, or the communication of willingness to participate in sex, is crucial in all sexual interactions. Whereas educators and researchers emphasize an ideal of consent (i.e., “affirmative” consent), lay practices of consent rarely conform to this ideal. In this mixed-methods online study (N = 231), we investigated participants’ spontaneous conceptualizations of consent, gender differences in sexual consent conceptualizations, and relations of those conceptualizations to measures of sexual consent attitudes and behaviours. There was considerable variation in the complexity of participants’ definitions, which reflected seven core behavioural themes. Certain themes (e.g., articulation of boundaries, consent as a process) aligned with affirmative consent attitudes, but others (e.g., consent as internal desire, lack of coercion) did not. The results suggest that participants have a sophisticated spontaneous understanding of consent, with specific areas that differ from the affirmative consent view. Further, the results suggest some aspects of affirmative consent may not be relevant to all audiences. We discuss the implications of these findings for engaging audiences in sexual consent educational initiatives.
Ehrich, J., & Woodcock, S. (2024). What’s colour got to do with it? A psychometric assessment of Peggy McIntosh’s white privilege. British Educational Research Journal, 50(5), 2198–2215. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.4018
Peggy McIntosh’s (White privilege and male privilege: A personal account of coming to see correspondences through work in women’s studies, Working Paper 189, Wellesley Center for Research on Women, 1988) list of 50 racial privileges, which purportedly benefit persons of white skin colour, has had enormous impact on social science research and educational curriculum and pedagogy. Surprisingly, to date, no attempt has been made to empirically explore the validity and reliability of her list of racial privileges. To address this issue, we conducted a psychometric analysis on McIntosh’s list of racial privileges with 204 adult Australian university students. Using a combination of factor analyses and Rasch modelling on McIntosh’s list of racial privileges we identified a 27-item multidimensional scale consisting of three well-functioning and reliable subscales (i.e. a 15-item Racial Representation, a six-item Social Interaction and a six-item Culture and Politics subscale). Moreover, the derived multi-dimensional white privilege instrument was found to have good criterion validity in that persons’ experiences of racism significantly predicted white privilege (i.e. the more racism experienced the less white privilege experienced and vice versa). Finally, analysis of variance comparisons indicated that persons with white skin colour had significantly more white privilege than persons with black skin colour and Asians, while Asians had more white privilege than persons with black skin colour. Overall, this study presents evidence of a psychometrically valid and reliable 27-item multi-dimensional white privilege instrument and lends empirical support to the theoretical underpinnings of McIntosh’s contentions.
Escaño, C., & Mañero, J. (2022). Postdigital Intercreative Pedagogies: Ecopedagogical Practices for the Commons. Postdigital Science and Education (Netherlands), Part F3828, 231–246. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97262-2_12
This chapter explores intercreativity as a concept and strategy in contemporary collective knowledge production. The chapter is situated in a postdigital context where technology and nature encounter each other in a symbiotic relationship, and in a posthumanist perspective to relationships between subject, collectivity, and context. Intercreativity is an ecopedagogical process of production of ideas that benefits the development of knowledge commons. The chapter presents two examples of intercreative praxis: ‘Free culture from education. Pedagogical strategies, remixes and resources that favour the development of free culture’ and ‘Quadraginta’. The examples outline intercreativity as a space for experimentation where theory dialogues with practice, helps reflection on possible paths of action, and enriches educational contexts. Intercreativity is a crucial aspect of ecopedagogy, because it breaks the chains of individualistic neoliberal logic which reproduces the current social order and offers a way to imagine, and act towards, a better future.
Fernández, L., Alvarez-Cueva, P., & Masanet, M. J. (2025). From Sexting to Sexpreading: Trivialization of Digital Violence, Gender Differences and Collective Responsibilities. Sexuality and Culture, 29(3), 1121–1153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10316-5
This article starts from a pedagogical disambiguation around sexting elaborated from the socio-educational cooperatives edPAC and CANDELA. This nuanced definition understands sexting as the practice of voluntarily and consensually sharing intimate and sexual content through different platforms and devices. In contrast, sexpreading is understood as the practice of disseminating sexual content without consent. We conducted short-term ethnographic research with adolescents in Barcelona with the objective of understanding how they perceive sexting and sexpreading based on their own experiences and social context. The research was carried out in three education centers in Barcelona and its metropolitan area and involved 59 diverse young people from 14 to 18 years old with different gender identifications. Our results point to three main dimensions: 1) the trivialization of violence and the creation of men spaces; 2) the gender differences involved in practicing sexting and preventing sexpreading; and 3) the consequences of sexpreading experienced by young people, including roles of intermediaries and responsibilities associated with them. We provide empirical and ethnographical support for the idea that merging sexting and sexpreading is problematic, especially for educational interventions, as it can detrimentally generalize issues and negatively impact adolescent sexualities, in particular those of girls and women. We believe that it is very important to incorporate discussions about sexting and sexpreading practices into educational contexts and to consider the high degree of media skills young women already have for a pedagogy of sexting and a community intervention against sexpreading.
Fimi, D. (2024). Gnomes, Gnature, and the “Gnifty Gnomobile”: Elemental Spirits, Deforestation and Energy Systems in Transition in Upton Sinclair’s The Gnomobile. Children’s Literature in Education, 55(2), 329–342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-022-09507-7
Upton Sinclair’s only children’s book, The Gnomobile: A Gnice Gnew Gnarrative with Gnonsense, but Gnothing Gnaughty (1936), follows the adventures of a 12-year-old girl, Elizabeth, her young uncle Rodney, and their encounter with the last two Gnomes (Bobo, and his grandfather Glogo) of the Californian redwoods. The Gnomes and their kin are victims of the lumber business and deforestation which, ironically, is the source of the wealth of Rodney and Elizabeth’s family. The four set off in Rodney’s car, now dubbed the “Gnomobile”, in a quest to locate any other surviving Gnome communities in remaining forests across the entire country. This fast-paced novel brings together elements of “little people” folklore, children’s environmental writing, and Sinclair’s signature critique of capitalism and celebrity culture. But at the same time, the story revels in the pleasures of technological progress, relies on the affordances of speed and efficiency of the automobile, and seems to portray the desirability (as well as inevitability) of the exuberance of technological “progress”, not only in human culture, but in Gnomish social evolution too. This article approaches The Gnomobile from the perspectives of energy humanities and environmental studies, while also suggesting thematic parallels between The Gnomobile and Sinclair’s much better-known realist novel Oil! (1927).
Flegar, Ž. (2023). Mediating Girl Power: A Cognitive Approach to Enola Holmes on Page and Screen. Children’s Literature in Education, 54(4), 585–600. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-022-09506-8
Children’s mystery and detective fiction has often reflected cultural and societal changes, introducing the concept of “girl power” as early as the first half of the twentieth century. This article compares the “girl sleuth” narrative in Nancy Springer’s The Case of the Missing Marquess (2006) and the “super-sleuth” schema in the film adaptation Enola Holmes (2020). Relying on cognitive criticism, the analysis focuses on the conceptual properties of mystery and detective narratives as well as the strategies of detection employed by the girl sleuth to distinguish between the synchronous/inclusive models of empowerment found in children’s mysteries and the transient/exclusive ones in super-sleuth action-adventure adaptations. As a modern retelling of Sherlock Holmes mysteries, the Enola Holmes story transforms the central schema in the great detective script by depicting the neo-Victorian girl sleuth’s transgression into the public sphere and the attainment of the feminine ideal of girl power. However, in popular media culture, the synchronous models of empowerment are often replaced by transient models, which are characterized by hyper-transgressions, the objectification of knowledge and cognition, and the affective engagement of viewers. Accordingly, the super-sleuth schema is the product of media discourses of empowerment and hyper-textual practices that often forgo the integration of body, mind and context found in mystery and detective stories. By embodying the contemporary treatment of knowledge and power as ephemerally shared commodities, the super-sleuth does not let the viewer into the game to the same degree as the girl sleuth does, providing a less empowering experience for its intended audience.
Flint, T. K., & Adams, M. S. (2024). Of Ladles and Laptops: Exploring Preschool Children’s Digital Play. Early Childhood Education Journal, 52(6), 1001–1010. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01485-9
In order to create and foster learning spaces that build upon children’s knowledge and experiences, we must respect and value their ways of knowing and being, including their play. Accordingly, this study highlights the ways that young children (re)imagined spaces, materials, and identities through their digital play in an analog (containing no physical, digital-based toys/materials) preschool classroom. This qualitative study utilized a framework of children’s play as murmuration (a transmodal assemblage), to analyze and discuss the children’s various digital play engagements. Three main themes were identified within/across these engagements, including the ways the children: (re)imagined the digital, drew from popular digital culture and media to make connections and construct meaning, and composed digital identities. Insights highlight the ways the children set aside perceived rules for materials, objects, spaces, and identities and created space for critically (re)envisioned ideas, concepts, realities, and futures to emerge. We encourage educators to continue to create and foster classroom spaces that value and build upon children’s playful ways of knowing, being, and becoming in the digital world.
Flores, G. M., Bañuelos, M., & Harris, P. R. (2024). “What Are You Doing Here?”: Examining Minoritized Undergraduate Student Experiences in STEM at a Minority Serving Institution. Journal for STEM Education Research, 7(2), 181–204. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41979-023-00103-y
Prior research has demonstrated that women and racial minority undergraduate students experience stereotype threat in unwelcoming STEM classrooms in predominantly White institutions. Drawing from focus group and journal entry data with Latinx and African American undergraduate students (N = 52) majoring in a STEM field at an institution that holds both Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and AANAPISI designations in Southern California, we find that Latinx and Black undergraduate students narrate exclusion from faculty and peers in four main ways: (1) exclusionary STEM classroom culture fomented by faculty, (2) study group stereotype threat, (3) nuances in Black student undergraduate experiences, and (4) unaddressed gendered discrimination. We find that Latinx and African American undergraduates enrolled at a minority serving institution highlight that STEM faculty foment stereotype threat in their classroom culture, which trickles down to students and negatively impacts their ability to develop the necessary social capital networks with both faculty and peers to succeed.
Foster, A. M., & Hayes, C. (2024). Dreamcatchers, Water Protectors, and the Question of Authenticity: Supporting Teachers in Choosing and Using Indigenous Children’s Literature. Early Childhood Education Journal, 52(7), 1405–1412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01509-4
Many early childhood teachers seek to promote diversity in their classrooms throughthe use of multicultural children’s literature. While these efforts are well-intentioned,teachers may not be fully aware of the issues of culture potentially hidden within suchbooks, nor may they have support in considering the authenticity of the texts they use.While these issues are pervasive within books representing all cultural groups, recentresearch by Indigenous scholars has highlighted the concerns and implications withinIndigenous children’s literature. This article is grounded within Indigenous ways ofknowing to provide a helpful tool for supporting teachers as they seek to curateauthentic Indigenous children’s literature for classrooms. Resources presented withininclude a 3-step guide to choosing and using such books and a list of Indigenous titlesrecommended by members of Indigenous communities.
Fry, K. (2025). Classroom data science: data and dataing for making sense of multivariate plant growth. ZDM - Mathematics Education, 57(1), 75–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-025-01655-6
What is considered data and how it is communicated publicly is rapidly changing. Participation in society involves multiple opportunities to engage with complex statistical concepts in media, in personal health, and regarding climate change. Children also are engaging with evolving data types in social media interactions and in educational contexts where they are the data. Yet little time is spent in classrooms supporting children to explore and make their own data decisions about various data types. This study investigates the role that fourth graders’ use of graphing conventions played in supporting their conceptual development of: non-traditional data and dataing during one lesson. The author hopes to contribute a new perspective in conceptualising dataing as enculturating statistical practices around data that involves multiple features, to communicate key information, involving tools for engaging with statistics to communicate a story. In this case study, a video clip presented an entrance point in exploring multivariate data (multiple variables). Video observation and student graphs revealed insights into children’s data and dataing experiences and processes involved with multivariate data, supported by a classroom culture that valued statistical processes as a creative and meaningful, story-telling endeavour. When students were tasked with representing plant growth using a graph, displays included a wide range of variables such as patterns of leaf growth and qualitative stages of plant growth. Engaging with multivariate data in exploratory ways supported students in this study to play with graphing conventions, establishing local mathematical practices involving non-traditional data.
Füllgrabe, D., & Smith, D. S. (2023). “Monogamy? In this Economy?”: Stigma and Resilience in Consensual Non-Monogamous Relationships. Sexuality and Culture, 27(5), 1955–1976. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10099-7
Monogamous marriage, sometimes called “the bedrock of society,” still carries an apparent “halo” of moral superiority as a relationship structure. In contrast, consensual non-monogamous (CNM) configurations are stigmatized. Research indicates a connection between stigma, stress, and negative health outcomes, despite CNM comparing favorably with monogamy. The present study uses interviews to explore minority stress and resilience among individuals in CNM relationships. Participants experienced structural stigma as erasure, and interpersonal stigma as erasure and educational/emotional work. They also describe complex enmeshment between their relationship minority status and other aspects of their sexual and gender identities. Strategic disclosure and concealment were important management tools. Furthermore, managing individual (internalized) stigma was described as unlearning mononormative bias and surrounding oneself with supportive peers/allies. The strongest motivator for perseverance was the steadfast conviction that the advantages of CNM outweighed the challenges.
Furman, C. E. (2023). An Ethos of Wander Time: Staying with the Trouble to Make Sense During Crises. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 42(1), 17–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-022-09859-z
Amidst a steady clamor about “learning loss” during the pandemic, a minority of educators have cautioned we must, in the words of Donna Haraway, “stay with the trouble,” giving children space to grieve, explore, and make sense of a new reality. In this paper I interrogate what it means to stay with trouble and specifically call for what I refer to as wander time to stay with trouble in schools. With the phrase wander time, I reference the 40 years the Ancient Israelites spent wandering the desert after they left Egypt as slaves and before they founded a nation in Israel. Taking a phenomenological approach, I then illustrate the practical implications and the potential of wander time through a study of my then preschool-age son’s yearlong self-directed and adult supported multimedia exploration of Transformers (vehicles in popular culture that transform into robots with human-like personalities). I document how through this exploration, my son articulated fears, stayed with, and made sense of troubles. I close by analyzing the pedagogy of wander time to suggest practical implications for schools.
Furman, C. E., & Traugh, C. E. (2022). To Ask Questions of the Universe: Confronting Habitus for Racial Equity with Descriptive Inquiry. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 41(3), 307–323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-022-09816-w
This paper is premised on the understanding that racism is deeply and widely entrenched in our culture and the ethical claim that we operate within complex networks of habituated practices. Within this framework, we ask how do we disrupt these calcified, complex, and racist ways of being? Specifically, we explore how teachers are habituated into particular ways of seeing and acting. We argue generally that conscious cultivation can promote greater equity and specifically that changing teacher talk is a necessary part of this cultivation if racist norms are to be disrupted and replaced with more equitable ways of seeing in schools. In making this argument, we draw on a practice, Descriptive Inquiry, to cultivate more equitable talk and describe how it led to changes in four urban public schools.
Gabel, M., & Dreyfus, T. (2024). The Flow of a Proof - Capturing the Elusive Whole. International Journal of Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, 10(2), 408–434. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40753-023-00215-1
We propose the ‘flow of a proof’ as a construct that relates to the balance lecturers achieve in their presentation between the proof as a whole and its different parts, taking into account various aspects (informal, contextual) of proof classroom presentation. We conducted expert interviews in which we presented two different proofs of the same theorem to five experienced tertiary level mathematics lecturers and asked them to reflect on features of these proofs and of proofs in general, and on their considerations and practices when teaching proofs. The lecturers related to a rich collection of proof features and pedagogical considerations. Our findings demonstrate the subjectivity of lecturers’ considerations as well as tensions they experience between striving towards mathematical accuracy and adjusting the proof presentation to their students; these tensions influence the flow of the proof, which is an outcome of the choices that the lecturers make. We discuss our findings in light of existing literature about mathematicians’ pedagogical considerations and the existence of a shared pedagogical culture.
Gaitanidis, I., & Shao-Kobayashi, S. (2022). Polarized agents of internationalization: an autoethnography of migrant faculty at a Japanese University. Higher Education, 83(1), 19–33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00582-7
In recent years, government policies that target the rapid internationalization of Japanese higher education have provided new career opportunities especially for scholars with experience of studying and teaching abroad. This autoethnographic paper draws on such “migrant” faculty’s engagement in formal curriculum development to illustrate their active negotiations within the micro-level processes of internationalization of a Japanese University. More specifically, the analysis focuses first on the enactment of agencies to negotiate diverse understandings of “culture” and “discipline” in the process of building a “Japanese Studies” curriculum. The paper then draws on those negotiations to show how those agencies were transformative; namely how they impacted on and challenged the framing and the practice of the official framework of “Japanese Studies” at University X. This study aims, therefore, to shed light on the ways individual migrant faculty members of diverse backgrounds, may constructively contribute to internationalization processes of higher education when such faculty’s active interactions are carefully looked at and sought for, beyond established and often imagined cultural, disciplinary, and institutional boundaries.
Galili, I. (2025). The Concept of Weight as Reflecting the Epistemological Changes in Physics. Science and Education, 34(6), 3885–3914. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-024-00588-y
The goal of this study was to elicit and juxtapose the account of the concept of weight in history vis a vis physics education. The results reveal the problem of consistency in the currently employed teaching materials. The weight concept is very old and remains ubiquitous in science. Its history reflects the maturation of scientific methodology. The latter implied three periods of its development: old, classical, and modern. The “old” weight designated heaviness, or gravity, of bodies and the quantity of matter, both measured through weighing by balance. The “old” weight served as the basis for trade and technology. “Old” weight split in the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century into mass and gravitational force that explained the weight of massive objects—weight was identified with gravitational force. The third period followed the scientific revolution of the twentieth century. Classical Mechanics adopted the equivalence principle and included the accelerated observers. This implied redefinition of weight by the operational definition as the result of weighing. Thus, weight was distinguished from the gravitational force. All three periods reflect the change of physics methodology. In education, physics textbooks are currently divided between the contradictory accounts of the second and third periods of weight history. The weight concept is often confused by students who show numerous related misconceptions. Facing this complexity, we argue for using weight teaching as a tool for promoting the modern perspective of knowledge construction in physics, its epistemology, that is, revealing the nature of science, the need for a reliable operational definition alongside a theoretical one, to the students. The teaching in accordance with the discipline-culture paradigm emphasizes the discursive nature of science, reveals the conceptual dialogue, and suggests its presentation in science/physics classes.
Galili, I., & Goren, E. (2023). Summary Lecture as a Delay Organizer of Cultural Content Knowledge: The Case of Classical Mechanics. Science and Education, 32(3), 737–786. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-022-00348-w
Regular disciplinary instruction of introductory physics at high school often misses a holistic perspective of the subject matter, its structure, and hierarchy. We have considered the domain of classical mechanics as taught at school and provided such a perspective in the form of a summative lecture which frames content in the triadic structure (nucleus-body-periphery)—discipline-culture. To facilitate this approach, we have reviewed the history of mechanics, revealed its origin in the fusion of the theory of motion in natural philosophy with the theory of work devices—mechanics. We discussed a summary lecture after an introductory course in mechanics. We argued for this teaching which promotes cultural content knowledge of classical mechanics stimulates learning about essential aspects of nature of science and scientific knowledge. Furthermore, we report on the experimental lecture which presented mechanics structured as a discipline-culture. The nucleus of mechanics, Newton’s laws of motion, contrasted by conceptual alternatives, emphasized mechanics as a fundamental theory of physics. The students and preservice teachers of our sample reacted positively to the new perspective, expressed engagement and interest. The assessment revealed the beneficial impact of the discipline-culture paradigm even if applied as a short conceptual summary. Beyond the new perspective and affective impact, the lecture served as a delay organizer of students’ knowledge, upgrading it to the cultural content knowledge. Besides knowledge improvement, we were evident to students’ curiosity, both ontological and epistemic.
Galli, E., Symonds, J., & D’Urso, G. (2025). The Migrant Feminism: A Qualitative Study on Cape Verdean Women in Italy. Sexuality and Culture, 29(5), 2520–2535. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10381-w
This study explores the migratory experiences of 15 Cape Verdean women in Italy, aiming to analyze how migration has shaped their self-perception, personal emancipation, and relationship with the host society. We adopt a qualitative interpretative phenomenological approach to explore the gendered experiences of Cape Verdean migrant women in Italy. Through a qualitative analysis of interviews, key themes emerge, including the importance of education, the challenges posed by intersectional discrimination (based on gender and race), and the value of multiculturalism and intercultural dialogue. The narratives reveal a strong connection to their culture of origin, coupled with the ability to adapt and engage with the Italian context, constructing a new identity rooted in autonomy and resilience. The participants also highlight the crucial role of female solidarity networks as tools for support and integration. This study underscores the need for inclusive policies that recognize skills and promote the full participation of migrant women in social and professional life, contributing to greater social cohesion. Cape Verdean women emerge not only as protagonists of complex migratory paths but also as agents of change who challenge stereotypes and foster models of planetary citizenship based on universal values of justice and equality.
Gao, F. (2023). Does desegregation matter? A comparative study of school-based social capital for university-bound minority students in segregated and desegregated school contexts of Hong Kong. British Educational Research Journal, 49(5), 968–986. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3877
Despite national policies, de facto school segregation for racial/ethnic minority students in the West and East has continued to deepen. In Hong Kong, the segregated school system was abolished in 2013, while from 2004 reformed School Places Allocation Systems encouraged minority students to choose mainstream primary and secondary schools. However, de facto ethnicity-based school segregation continues to prevail. Most minority students in the mainstream system are stuck in low-status schools where they face discrimination and institutional exclusion. This has led many of them to retreat to a limited number of schools that have traditionally catered for minority communities. Such segregation calls forth scholarly attention to the paradoxical correlation between the physical mixing of diverse students and equality of educational opportunity, especially equal access to post-secondary education (PSE)—a key for minority youth to function in the competitive labour market. This study employed the theory of school-based social capital (SBSC) and compared the ways in which PSE-relevant institutional resources and support were rationalised and enacted by staff in de facto segregated and desegregated school contexts. Case studies of two secondary schools lead us to argue that desegregation is only effective when institutional structure, culture and agents empower minority students through access to instrumental resources and support for the pursuit of PSE. The findings confound the desegregation policy and call for structural/institutional interventions to ensure instrumental SBSC is accessible to PSE-bound minority students in all schools, and thus increase the effectiveness of school desegregation.
Garcez, A., Silva, R., & Franco, M. (2022). Digital transformation shaping structural pillars for academic entrepreneurship: A framework proposal and research agenda. Education and Information Technologies, 27(1), 1159–1182. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10638-5
Digital technology always accelerates change, altering organisations culturally, socially and technically. These modifications are known as “digital transformation” (DT). On a much greater scale than DT, the world was changed in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic, which re-organised society in the way of thinking, acting, producing, consuming and creating new business. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) were no different, since these institutions had to make changes to the student–lecturer interaction; teaching–learning, where DT had a relevant role, above all in academic entrepreneurship. Therefore, this study aims to propose a framework showing the structural pillars of the link between digital transformation (DT) and academic entrepreneurship (AC) (DT-AC Framework). This framework identifies the new patterns, methods, skills and other discoveries in aspects such as management, information systems and culture sciences. The intention is not to analyse how the COVID-19 pandemic imposed global structural changes, but because of it, lecturers and students found their DT accelerated and intensified, and so it is necessary to investigate the pillars supporting academic entrepreneurship. The results show that DT was already emerging as a basic element of academic entrepreneurship before the pandemic, but the process has speeded up. This bibliometric study indicates the structural pillars that support entrepreneurship following the Covid19 pandemic, as created from DT in universities, providing an extensive systematic review that indicates the cause and effect of the academic entrepreneurship process.
Gazit, M., & Perry-Hazan, L. (2023). The road (not) taken: Principals’ perceptions of at-risk pupils’ participation in collective decision-making. British Educational Research Journal, 49(3), 538–554. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3855
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child anchors children’s right to participate in decision-making. This right refers to decisions at the individual level as well as collective decisions taken by a group of children. Various studies have indicated that youth from disadvantaged backgrounds face high barriers to participation in collective decision-making and thus have fewer opportunities to enjoy the educational and developmental benefits of such participation. This study explored school principals’ perceptions of at-risk youths’ participation in collective decision-making in schools. Specifically, it analysed differences between the perceptions of principals who had established participatory frameworks and those who had not. The research design drew on interviews with 18 principals who manage high schools for at-risk youth in Israel. All interviewed principals acknowledged the potential cultural mismatch between the dominant models of pupil councils and the culture of at-risk youth. Principals who had established participatory frameworks viewed participation as a gradual process, trusting their pupils’ capacity to attain higher levels of participation even if participatory activities did not come as ‘second nature’ to them. However, principals who did not institute such frameworks viewed their pupils’ participation as an ‘all-or-nothing’ enterprise, inappropriate for at-risk youth. Fulfilling participation rights in schools for at-risk youth requires efforts to adapt the participatory capital to the pupils’ background. The principals’ perceptions of the participation process and of their pupils were intertwined with their willingness to engage in such adaptations and take the less-travelled road of participatory practices in schools for at-risk youth.
Gerrard, J., & Proctor, H. (2022). Activist women, schooling and the rise of grassroots Christian conservatism. Australian Educational Researcher, 49(5), 879–895. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-021-00461-9
This paper argues for the need to better understand the role of mothers and schooling in shaping modern conservative cultural politics. Arguing that 1970s–1980s was a critical period for anti-progressive politics surrounding schooling, the paper examines the activism of Australian Christian morals campaigner Rona Joyner. Joyner’s successful provocation of a 1978 governmental ban on social science curriculum materials was a signal event in an international Anglophone reaction against what she and others theorised as dangerously permissive forces in public culture. Pitting ‘Christian’ parental authority against ‘humanist’ state overreach in relation to the upbringing of children, Joyner created a detailed vision of the cultural-moral corruption of schools and other social institutions. This paper demonstrates how Joyner represented her labour as a project of both public motherhood and grassroots community activism, and how activist women like Joyner were foundational to the growth of a new contemporary grassroots conservatism expressed as a popular politics of ‘the people’ against the state.
Giles-Kaye, A., Quach, J., Oberklaid, F., O’Connor, M., Darling, S., Dawson, G., & Connolly, A. S. (2023). Supporting children’s mental health in primary schools: a qualitative exploration of educator perspectives. Australian Educational Researcher, 50(5), 1281–1301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-022-00558-9
Schools are often seen as a key setting for the provision of mental health support for children. This study aimed to explore the professional perspectives of primary school educators in Victoria, Australia, regarding how schools can support the mental health of their students. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 17 primary school educators, from four schools. Thematic analysis was used to generate themes from the data. This study indicates that educators report significant concerns about the complexities of their role and their capacity to support children’s mental health due to a lack of resources, overwhelming demands, and inadequate training. Educators highlighted the importance of partnership and communication with families and of a school culture that prioritises mental health. This study provides insights into external factors that can undermine effective support of children’s mental health within primary schools and indicates a need for a more integrated approach to supporting children’s mental health across education and healthcare.
Gillon, K. E., Allan, E. J., Beatty, C. C., Salinas, C., & Kerschner, D. J. (2025). Troubling Rigor: Exploring Intersections of Campus Hazing and White Supremacy. Innovative Higher Education, 50(2), 439–460. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-024-09737-1
Hazing, a type of abusive behavior that can harm students and undermine university missions, has implications that extend beyond those individuals, groups, and communities directly involved. Our investigation drew on critical whiteness studies (CWS) to explore intersections of hazing and white supremacy. Campus hazing climate interviews (n = 345) at 12 higher education institutions in the United States comprised the dataset for qualitative analysis. Rigor and its sub-themes of measurement, competitiveness, proving worthiness, and suffering show how whiteness is reinscribed at the intersection of campus culture and hazing climate.
Gleasure, S., Devine, D., Martinez Sainz, G., Sloan, S., Crean, M., Moore, B., & Symonds, J. (2025). “This is Where the Care Can Step Up”: A Typology of Nurturing Pedagogies in Primary Schools Serving Low-Income Communities During COVID-19 Closures. Early Childhood Education Journal, 53(3), 809–819. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01636-6
All schools possess a duty of care towards their students. However, this duty of care falls unevenly across schools, with those serving low-income communities often responding to the material and psychological effects of poverty as a priority. This duty of care for such schools was placed into stark relief during the period of COVID-19 school closures, when structural inequalities in society became particularly pronounced. Previous research has drawn distinctions between different forms of caring enacted in schools serving low-income communities. These range from practices centred on children’s academic learning to those more concerned with children’s welfare and well-being—which, for the purposes of this paper, we term as academic nurturing and affective nurturing respectively. Others recognise the need for schools in low-income communities to perform a dual role and engage in both forms of nurturing simultaneously—which we term as critical nurturing. This paper presents findings based on case studies from three designated disadvantaged primary schools in Ireland during pandemic-related closures. It draws on interviews from the Children’s School Lives longitudinal study with the teachers, principals, and families of four Junior Infant children (typically aged four to five years). Our findings suggest a typology of nurturing pedagogies, with academic and affective nurturing emphasised to varying degrees across our three schools during this period. Narratives from interviewees also demonstrate the central role of school culture and leadership in achieving critical nurturing, with significant social justice implications for the education of children in schools serving low-income communities.
Gray, J., Cartmill, C., & Whitehead, C. (2024). Playing well with others: lessons from theatre for the health professions about collaboration, creativity and community. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 29(5), 1611–1630. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-024-10314-6
Despite collaboration among different professions being recognized as fundamentally important to contemporary and future healthcare practice, the concept is woefully undertheorized. This has implications for how health professions educators might best introduce students to interprofessional collaboration and support their transition into interprofessional, collaborative workplaces. To address this, we engage in a conceptual analysis of published collaborative, interprofessional practices and conceptual understandings in theatre, as a highly collaborative art form and industry, to advance thinking in the health professions, specifically to inform interprofessional education. Our analysis advances a conceptualization of collaboration that takes place within a work culture of creativity and community, that includes four modes of collaboration, or the ways theatre practitioners collaborate, by: (1) paying attention to and traversing roles and hierarchies; (2) engaging in reciprocal listening and challenging of others; (3) developing trust and communication, and; (4) navigating uncertainty, risk and failure. We conclude by inviting those working in the health professions to consider what might be gleaned from our conceptualization, where the embodied and human-centred aspects of working together are attended to alongside structural and organizational aspects.
Green, D. S., & Goldstein, A. L. (2025). “It Is Not a Choice; It Is Just a Journey”: Romantic Relationships in Emerging Adulthood. Sexuality and Culture, 29(6), 2655–2687. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10386-5
Emerging adults face significant psychological transitions and challenges to well-being particularly in the context of romantic relationships. While research on emerging adulthood has advanced, there is limited information on the romantic relationships of emerging adults from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. The study focuses on the Caribbean, specifically Jamaica, where cultural norms and values, influenced by sociocultural dynamics, play a crucial role in shaping close relationships. Jamaica’s unique sociocultural dynamics include issues of identity, mental health, and familial relationships, influenced by a history of slavery, religiosity, community parenting, and many women-headed households. The study aims to understand how these cultural factors shape romantic relationships among emerging adults in Jamaica. Data were collected from 37 emerging adults through semi-structured in-depth individual interviews and focus group discussions. Thematic analysis revealed seven themes related to how emerging adults navigate romantic relationships: relationship entry, relationship continuation, relationship challenges, external influences on relationships, relationship type, termination of relationship, and personal and relationship transitions. The findings highlight the importance of understanding diversity in romantic relationships among emerging adults to develop effective educational programs. These programs should be guided by insights into how cultural factors shape interpersonal dynamics and individual development. The implications for community action, educational programs, and social policies are also discussed.
Greenfield, P. M. (2023). Social Change and Creativity Change: How Creative Products and the Nature of Creativity Differ in Subsistence Ecologies with High Mortality and Commercial Ecologies with Low Mortality. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3860, 315–361. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28206-5_13
Greenfield’s theory of social change, cultural evolution, and human development provides a framework for understanding how and when creative activities are used for community identity and survival, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, how and when they are used for individual expression. For both the creation of textiles among the Zinacantec Maya and the creation of pottery in Ethiopia, we have shown that innovation is not a valued form of creativity in subsistence village settings where residents learn at home from their families rather than at school from their teachers. In contrast, when the ecology shifts towards a commercial ecology, whether this happens within a community (Zinacantec Maya in Chiapas, Mexico) or through immigration (Ethiopian Jewish immigrants to Israel), the shift leads to the creation of products that are innovative, diverse, and expressive of individual thoughts and ideas. Creativity as innovation is a cultural adaptation to a commercial ecology in which formal education takes center stage. In conclusion, our findings show that the definition of human creativity is not fixed but shifts over the generations to adapt to changing ecological circumstances.
Greer, K. M., Cary, K. M., Lester, J. N., & Jozkowski, K. N. (2025). The Persistence of Sexual Scripts and Compromised Sexual Agency: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Songs “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and “Blurred Lines.” Sexuality and Culture, 29(6), 2861–2884. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10396-3
Given the lack of formal sexuality education in the United States, adolescents often rely on media, such as music, for information about sexual behavior, including sexual consent. However, popular music lyrics may perpetuate expectations for sexual behavior and consent communication that reflect unequal power between men and women, as well as sexual coercion. In this study, we used critical discourse analysis to examine the lyrics of two popular songs that have sparked public discussion of sexual consent and sexual coercion, “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and “Blurred Lines.” Grounded in sexual socialization and sexual script theory, we identified three recurring patterns within both songs, including: (1) Traditional Sexual Scripts, (2) Gendered Societal Expectations, and (3) Consent Miscommunication. Guided by our findings, we provide suggestions for educators to combat messages of traditional gendered norms, rape myths, and sexual coercion within music lyrics and incorporate media literacy into sexuality education.
Grilli, S., Petruccelli, I., Langher, V., Ricci, M. E., Galasso, S., Lucania, L., Pagano, A. M., Ganucci Cancellieri, U., Onorati, S., & D’Urso, G. (2025). Evaluating Violent Recidivism: A Qualitative Study on Sex Offenders. Sexuality and Culture, 29(2), 761–781. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10296-y
The literature highlights a complex array of risk factors associated with violent recidivism of sexual offenders. This study aimed to examine the risk of future violence among eight sex offenders within a detention facility in southern Italy. This was achieved through an exploration of various cognitive, emotional, and social factors, with the aim of identifying strategies for risk prevention and offering tailored recommendations for the management of violent recidivism risk. Evaluations involved evaluative-psychological interviews, review of psychological reports from their prison observation period, court documents, and comprehensive analysis of each subject’s psychosocial functioning and history of violent behaviour. Factors such as delinquent culture, family poverty, lack of parental figures, and conflicted family relationships were identified as influential in the life histories of these individuals. Additionally, early involvement in criminal activities, unstable emotional bonds, and deficiencies in education and relationships were seen as contributing factors to sexually deviant behaviour, including coercion and physical violence.
Guanio-Uluru, L. (2023). Analysing Plant Representation in Children’s Literature: The Phyto-Analysis Map. Children’s Literature in Education, 54(2), 149–167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-021-09469-2
Recent biological research (Trewavas, 2003; Mancuso & Viola, 2013; Gagliano, 2018) has (re)demonstrated the variety and complexity of the adaptive behaviour of plants. In parallel with these findings, and in acknowledgement of the important role played by plants in the biosphere and climate of the planet, the representation of plants in philosophy, arts and literature has become an object of study within the environmental humanities. In response to the rapidly developing field of critical plant studies, the representation of plants in literatures for children and young adults are now accumulating. Even as the number of studies is increasing, there is as yet no cohesive framework for the analysis of plant representation in children’s literature. This article addresses this gap. Inspired by the Nature-in-Culture Matrix, an analytical figure that provides an overarching schema for ecocritical analysis of children’s texts and cultures (see Goga et al., 2018), this article presents an analytical framework for plant-oriented analysis, the Phyto-Analysis Map. This map has been developed with reference to central concepts from the field of critical plant studies, and its usefulness is elucidated through literary examples. Developed with children’s fiction in mind, the map also has potential application with children’s non-fiction, which often employs fictional textual techniques.
Gundlach, H. A. D. (2025). What really influences teacher attrition, migration, and retention? Australian Educational Researcher, 52(5), 3079–3099. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-025-00842-4
Past research on teacher shortages due to turnover has not adequately distinguished between teachers leaving the profession (attrition) and moving between schools (migration), hindering the identification of tailored retention strategies for schools and/or the profession. This study, part of a comprehensive project including a systematic review, meta-analysis, and empirical investigation, surveyed 930 current and former K-12 teachers in Victoria, Australia. It explored their reasons for quitting, migrating, or remaining in the profession. Thematic analysis revealed that career factors and school characteristics primarily drive migration, whereas personal life stages and role compatibility influence attrition. Factors supporting retention include personal choice, job compatibility, and positive relationships with students and colleagues. Migration often stems from a quest for professional advancement and dissatisfaction with school culture. Conversely, attrition is predominantly driven by job dissatisfaction and burnout. The findings suggest that while migration can yield positive outcomes for departing teachers, some teachers may feel compelled to stay due to factors like poor employability, fear of change, or personal obligations. Importantly, the study captured voluntary and involuntary career decisions, with the latter often overlooked previously. This research underscores the need for tailored strategies that acknowledge and address both voluntary and involuntary aspects of teacher turnover.
Gundogan, S. (2023). The Relationship of COVID-19 Student Stress with School Burnout, Depression and Subjective Well-Being: Adaptation of the COVID-19 Student Stress Scale into Turkish. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 32(2), 165–176. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-021-00641-2
COVID-19 has caused psychological problems in all age groups since it emerged from the first day. One of the most important groups has been affected negatively during the COVID-19 pandemic process are university students. One of the negative situations caused by the pandemic process in university students is student stress caused by COVID-19. To assess stress situations in Italian culture, the COVID-19 student stress scale (CSS-S) has been developed. In this context, the aim of this study was to adapt the CSS-S into Turkish. Another aim of the study was to investigate the direct and indirect relationships of COVID-19 student stress with school burnout, depression and subjective well-being. The participants of the study were 485 Turkish university students. The values obtained with the confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the factor structure of CSS-S is satisfying (χ2/df = 2.99, AGFI =.95, TLI =.93, CFI =.96, IFI =.96, REMSEA =.06, SRMR =.04). Moreover, it was found that school burnout has a mediating role in the relationship between COVID-19 student stress and depression and subjective well-being (χstructure of CSS-S is satisfying/df = 2.41, AGFI =.87, TLI =.91, CFI =.91, IFI =.91, REMSEA =.05, SRMR =.05). These findings imply that psychosocial intervention studies to reduce COVID-19 student stress can reduce students’ school burnout and depression. It also implies that these psychosocial intervention studies can have a positive impact on students’ subjective well-being.
Gunnoo, A., & Powell, C. (2023). The Association Between Pornography Consumption and Perceived Realism in Adolescents: A Meta-analysis. Sexuality and Culture, 27(5), 1880–1893. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10095-x
Pornography is more accessible than ever before, which raises questions concerning its influence on adolescent sexual behaviours. Recent research has identified perceived realism of pornography—the extent to which an individual perceives pornographic content as being congruent with reality—to be a potentially significant individual difference variable in this domain. However, the strength of this relationship remains uncertain. Focus is placed on this association for adolescents as sexual curiosity and maturing sexual scripts may be more readily influenced by pornography. The present study addressed this association through a meta-analysis. Database searches identified k = 5 studies (N = 3846) from various countries with relevant associations.The meta-analysis indicated a significant, moderate, and positive relationship between frequency of pornography consumption and perceived realism (r =.39) which was not moderated by the sex of participants. Given these findings, future research may assess behavioural and attitudinal changes associated with pornography use. Findings could also inform novel approaches to sexual education that prioritise recontextualising programs in the context of technology and explore the role of digital sexual socialisation of adolescents.
Gupta, S., Khanna, P., & Soni, U. (2023). Analyzing the interaction of critical success factor for TQM implementation- A grey-DEMATEL approach. Operations Management Research, 16(3), 1619–1640. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12063-023-00367-y
In an organization, successful implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) brings lot of benefits in terms of quality improvement, customer satisfaction, profit, and market share. It also assists businesses to improve in terms of performance, reducing rework in the process, and reduction in overall costs associated with poor quality (e.g. replacement, warranty, late deliveries, rework and scrap.).However, in practice many enterprises fail to adopt and implement TQM besides having known its benefits and advantages into the organization. Consequently, there is essential requirement for a further systematic and deeper assessment of the various TQM factors for its successful implementation. By considering this research gap in the context of Indian industry, an exhaustive and planned work was carried out to meet this requirement. Several factors influencing the implementation of TQM were decided by consulting industrial and academic experts. From the available responses, an attempt was made to uncover the causal relationships among the identified critical success factors (CSF’s) and categorize them into cause-and-effect groups. In the present work, Grey Set Theory has been integrated with DEMATEL (Decision making Trial and Evaluation Method). Further, the integrated grey based DEMATEL approach was applied to reveal the interrelation among the identified critical success factor. The results indicate that among the identified 15 CSF’s for the successful TQM implementation in Indian SMES industries ‘Top management commitment (CSF1)’, ‘Training and education (CSF6)’,’ Human resource management (CSF3)’ and’Information system (CSF11) are topmost influential cause group factor. Whereas ‘Process management (CSF4)’, ‘Customer focus (CSF5)’, ‘Supply development (CSF7)’ and’ Product and service design (CSF13)’ are the prominent influenced group factors. Analysis outcomes suggest that ‘Top management commitment’ is at the core of the efforts to maintain quality culture throughout the process. Furthermore, implication to theory and practices has been discussed, implication to theory will significantly contribute to existing literature and implication to practice will work as a guideline for practicing mangers and industrial experts. At last, managers and quality engineers will get insight of how to develop efficient quality culture throughout organization by successful implementation of TQM.
Guzmán-Valenzuela, C. (2025). Navigating public goods: Chilean public universities and their transformative role in Latin America. Higher Education, 89(1), 147–165. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01298-8
This paper explores the complex relationship between higher education and the concept of public goods in Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, with a particular focus on Chile. Through an extensive literature review, the study examines the evolving meanings of public, public/common/global goods in Spanish culture in the context of higher education, highlighting the region’s unique historical and socio-political challenges. Using an interpretive methodology, the research captures the perceptions of 55 academics from two public universities in Chile. The findings reveal a multifaceted view of the role of public universities, intertwined with notions of public goods and global public goods. Despite the challenges posed by privatisation and market forces, the unwavering commitment of these institutions to the production of public goods and to social responsibility and societal transformation stands out. The research highlights the role of universities as local problem solvers and global change agents. It concludes that while Chilean public universities face market dynamics, government policies and fiscal constraints, their commitment to societal development remains resolute.
Hackbart, M., Merz, S., Graf, N., & Timmermanns, S. (2024). The Relationship Between Minority Stress, Resources, and Health Among German Gay and Bisexual Men. Sexuality and Culture, 28(6), 2581–2607. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10244-w
The health and wellbeing of queer people, including gay and bisexual men, are worse than those of endosex, cisgender, and heterosexual individuals on average. The minority stress model states that stress resulting from experiencing discrimination (distal minority stress) as well as feared discrimination and internalized stigma (proximal minority stress) is responsible for poorer health and wellbeing in marginalized groups. There are international studies supporting Meyer’s model, but only few studies focus on Germany. We analyzed the data for endosex-cisgender gay and bisexual men (N = 6404, N = 2278 sample without missing data) from the “How are you?”-study. To test the assumptions of the minority stress model, path analyses were performed. For differences between bisexual and gay men, t-tests and multigroup analyses were calculated. Our findings show that gay and bisexual men in Germany experience low stigmas (enacted stigma, felt stigma, and internalized stigma), that still relates to health (subjective health, physical health, and mental health), mostly with small effect sizes. Furthermore, differences in levels of enacted stigma, internalized stigma, and the relationship between wellbeing and health among gay and bisexual men were identified. Of the four resources that we examined (social embeddedness, community connectedness, educational level, and income), social embeddedness was shown to be the most important for health. The results are discussed in relation to differences between gay and bisexual men and in relation to anti-discrimination as a strategy for health promotion.
Hager, T., Moreno, A., & Gillis, R. (2025). Breaking the brick wall of silence: witnessing sexual misconduct in academia. Higher Education, 90(4), 941–956. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01359-y
Research on sexual misconduct in academia has increased during the last decade, yet most studies ignore social gender and academic power relations. Sexual misconduct does not only harm its primary victims but also leaves its impact on those who bear witness to the damage and on the entire academic community. Basing our research on an online survey of anonymized testimonies provided by members of the academic community, our research aims to draw a more accurate picture of sexual violence in the Israeli academia. We discover that silencing sexual misconduct is an important obstacle for changing the culture of harm. We have identified four silencing mechanisms: victims’ shame and fear, institutional confidentiality, victim blaming, and intimidation and sabotage. These enable the academic community to ignore the injustice. We argue that witnessing is the most effective community response, enabling its members to struggle collectively against this harmful silencing and to humanize the academia.
Hagiopol, C., & Leru, P. M. (2025). Scientific Truth in a Post-Truth Era: A Review*. Science and Education, 34(5), 2923–2956. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-024-00527-x
The evolution from the classical, non-institutionalized philosopher to the contemporary, professional scientist is reviewed. The rapid increase in the number of scientists and publications post-1950 occurred alongside the backdrop of an educational crisis and challenges in evaluating scientific work’s quality. This analysis delves into the robustness of scientific truth across both hard and soft sciences. Difficulties in grasping and implementing the reproducibility of experimental data strategies have led to weakened empirical evidence and a fragile scientific truth. The emergence of intensified competitiveness, heightened publication pressures, and the context of a post-truth society have fostered an environment encouraging significant scientific misconduct. The tiny elite of exemplary scientists struggles to uplift the quality of scientific work and eliminate scientific misconduct. Instances of fraud cast a shadow over the realms of science and technology, despite their pivotal roles in driving the economy and shaping contemporary culture. Safeguarding the principles bequeathed by classical scientists necessitates enhancements in peer review mechanisms and the comprehensive training of young scientists. This approach aims to ensure the transfer of scientific truth in a consolidated form to future generations.
Haire, F. S., & Hoy, A. (2025). Marital Aspirations among Sexual Minority Young Adults: Exploring Attitudinal and Sociodemographic Associations. Sexuality and Culture, 29(3), 1448–1470. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10330-7
Although general-population studies indicate that most young adults in the US want to marry someday and regard getting married as a major life goal, research has yet to examine the marital aspirations of sexual minority young adults, which is a significant oversight given the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage. To address this, we describe the marital aspirations of a non-random sample of 257 sexual minority young adults (18–35) who completed an online survey in 2021. Furthermore, we examine whether our respondents’ marital aspirations differ based on (a) their attitudes toward marriage, including whether they see marriage as heteronormative, whether they approve of marital non-monogamy, and whether they see marriage as a lifelong commitment, and (b) their sociodemographic characteristics, including their education, race/ethnicity, gender, religion, and parents’ marital status. Although most respondents report wanting to marry, most do not see marriage as a major life goal, and few say that they would be disappointed if they never married. Our analyses also show that respondents who have more critical or queer attitudes toward marriage generally report lower marital aspirations. Finally, our analyses reveal complex associations between respondents’ sociodemographic characteristics and their marital aspirations, including several that are inconsistent with those reported in general-population studies.
Halabi, R. (2023). Palestinian students in an Israeli-Hebrew University: obstacles and challenges. Higher Education, 86(3), 661–673. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00920-x
This study examines the status and integration of Palestinians from East Jerusalem studying at the Hebrew University. The research question focuses on how these students feel within the university walls and how they perceive attitudes towards them by lecturers, administrative staff, and fellow students. The study is based on qualitative research methodology conducted through in-depth interviews. The findings reflect a dire reality in which Palestinian students experience feelings of isolation and even alienation. They experience their period of study as being difficult and unpleasant, one that they must simply endure if they wish to obtain their desired degree. The students’ initial experience is one of a culture shock, entering into an unfamiliar space, and struggling with a foreign language. In addition to this initial shock, the dominant experience that they describe is one of exclusion and being ignored. This experience is particularly difficult during their first year of studies, with the language barrier being the most difficult obstacle. On the other hand, the participants also describe the campus as being a place of shelter, as opposed to the hostile and threatening outside world. While this may sound paradoxical, it reflects their complex reality. The students report that once they enter the campus, they feel protected, unlike other spaces in the public sphere where they are subject to harassment by the police and Jewish extremists.
Halawa, S., Hsu, Y. S., & Zhang, W. X. (2024). Inquiry Activity Design from Singaporean and Indonesian Physics Textbooks. Science and Education, 33(3), 581–607. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-022-00396-2
The purpose of this study was to explore instructional designs for promoting inquiry practices in secondary school textbooks. Three criteria were employed to select the textbooks: (1) approved by the Ministry of Education in Singapore and the Ministry of Education and Culture in Indonesia, (2) used in secondary schools, and (3) included content and practices based on the current curriculum. Based on these criteria, six science textbooks from Singapore and three from Indonesia were selected for further coding in the dimensions of learning goals of inquiry skills, nature of scientific inquiry, and inquiry types. The results showed that more activities in both the Singaporean and Indonesian textbooks focus on observing and interpreting skills. However, few activities in the textbooks from either country provide an opportunity for students to engage nature of scientific inquiry. In addition, more activities in the Singaporean textbooks were designed as guided inquiry than those in the Indonesian textbooks. Finally, it is suggested that inquiry activities in textbooks should be revised to include nature of scientific inquiry, and more textbook analysis studies are needed to reveal characteristics of inquiry activities in textbooks for different subjects.
Hamer, L., & Ross, W. (2024). Forms of Knowing: Emotion, Creativity and Play in Learning. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3957, 45–75. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-73393-2_3
This chapter uses the example of play to draw out the complex relationship between emotions, creativity and learning. Taking a critical stance on the underlying systems of education that place value on easily compartmentalised forms of knowledge, we will explore how developing forms of knowing based on the relations between people can support creativity and learning. We argue that play and playfulness demonstrate the mutuality of creativity, emotion and relational forms of knowing in learning at all ages and should be recognised as politically important. We conclude by suggesting that laying the foundations for creativity can contribute to developing learners as emotionally astute individuals and community members, able to empathetically relate to themselves, others and the world around them.
Hannan, M. Q., Konyk, K., Hartnett, S., & Keruskin, T. (2024). Situated technology infusion in a school district: how systems and structures mediate the process. Educational Technology Research and Development, 72(2), 819–844. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-023-10297-y
This study explores educational technology infusion in the U.S. school district context. We used a complex systems perspective to understand the interactions between the classroom (micro), building (meso), and organization (macro) system levels of a school district, offering insight into how and why certain permutations of tools, content, and practices are effective and impactful. We used comparative case study methods to understand (a) patterns in teachers’ implementation of digital technologies in early elementary classrooms and (b) the organizational system that influences those patterns in one small school district serving a mixed suburban/rural community. Data were collected over 12 months, and included: elementary classroom observations, interviews with principals and district leaders, and student performance data. Our findings trace activities within and connections across levels of a district organization undergoing technology infusion. We found that district administration established human-centered leadership practices to facilitate instructional technology integration and principals maintained this leadership ethos in variable ways. Teachers leveraged technology for personalization and collaborative learning, and used robust classroom management routines to anchor complex instruction with young children. The findings highlight key considerations for system leaders, technologists, and policymakers; in particular, establishing a professional culture that offers widespread support for instructional experimentation.
Hayes, S. (2023). Positionality in Postdigital Research: The Power to Effect Change. Postdigital Science and Education (Netherlands), Part F3832, 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35411-3_1
Conducting postdigital research opens up an endless range of diverse topics and possible methodological approaches. This is a strength and a barrier to furthering powerful, disruptive opportunities for concrete forms of political change that the idea of the postdigital offers. As a messy, universal concept, the postdigital remains open to diverse, cultural interpretations of what to research, and how to research it, an inclusive space where all may contribute to postdigital dialogue. Yet to effect meaningful change our collaborative, edgeless, community also requires concrete examples of studies, that are in dialogue with the diverse, postdigital positionalities of each researcher. By postdigital positionality, I refer to a personal stance and critically reflexive conviction by each individual to meaningfully engage with their own identity, values and potential bias, as they conduct postdigital research within a neoliberal, data-driven, digitally unequal society, where culture wars rage. Following an exploration of the individual nature of postdigital research through positionality, the political economic structure that surrounds postdigital research is considered alongside the potential role of postdigital decoloniality research. A model of personal and community postdigital positionality is presented, with attention in particular to where the language of postdigital positionality engages with the language of postdigital community.
Healy-Cullen, S., Taylor, J. E., Ross, K., & Morison, T. (2022). Youth Encounters with Internet Pornography: A Survey of Youth, Caregiver, and Educator Perspectives. Sexuality and Culture, 26(2), 491–513. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09904-y
Despite international inquiry regarding young people’s encounters with Internet pornography (IP), there is a lack of knowledge about how their caregivers (parents or guardians) and educators perceive these encounters in comparison to young people. Such knowledge is critical to understanding the synergies and discrepancies that might exist between these key stakeholder groups (youth, caregivers and educators) and across genders, to subsequently inform how to best support youth in navigating IP. To this end, the present study describes youth (16–18-year olds) encounters with IP, as well as caregiver and educator perceptions of these encounters. An online survey was completed by 256 youth and 217 caregivers and educators recruited from nine schools with an existing investment in sexuality education in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Similar to global trends, this group of young New Zealanders were familiar with IP and patterns of encounters were gendered. However, there were varied understandings between stakeholder groups and across genders as to why and how these encounters occur. Understanding the ways youth encounter IP—and exploring how caregivers and educators perceive these encounters—serves as a springboard for future research that considers the broader socio-cultural context within which these perspectives are constructed.
Heinecken, D. (2024). “I Can Tell You Have ‘Special Understanding’”: Young Science Fiction Readers and Alexander Key’s The Forgotten Door. Children’s Literature in Education, 55(3), 399–415. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-023-09548-6
Despite the influence of Alexander Key’s novels on children’s culture of the sixties and seventies, his work as a science fiction writer has not been widely considered by children’s literature scholars. This study moves beyond ideological and structural examinations of children’s SF to analyze the responses of real child readers to Key’s novel, The Forgotten Door. Utilizing children’s letters housed at the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection alongside reviews from adult readers posted on Amazon, it traces how the novel encourages readers to think more critically about issues such as discrimination, violence, animal welfare, and their own behavior. At the same time, it shows how children understand the book as speaking to their own experiences and concerns and the sense of kinship they share with Key. Their responses demonstrate how science fiction novels like The Forgotten Door can serve as a point of connection between adults and child readers.
Heinrich, W. F., Smith, M. C., Shea, H. D., & King, E. A. (2022). Goldilocks Learning Outcomes: Addressing Organizational Barriers and Relevance. Innovative Higher Education, 47(1), 113–133. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-021-09567-5
This article describes the case of a team of scholar practitioners working to recognize student learning via a campus-wide co-curricular record project at a large, public, highly-decentralized university. The case was influenced by two key tensions at the university: an inconsistent usage of learning outcomes campus-wide and lack of experience with learning outcomes among individual educators. The team was committed to centering a learning outcomes paradigm for the co-curricular record to benefit students, unlock valuable institutional data, align with student affairs best practices, and promote a culture shift towards assessing co-curricular learning. When confronted with the required learning outcomes portion of the co-curricular record, stakeholders experienced a range of barriers to participation, bringing the project to a temporary halt. The team drew on organizational change and scholar practitioner approaches, to make strategic design, implementation, and training choices to address the learning outcomes barriers that stalled the project. By matching strategies to barriers the team created conditions that reactivated the co-curricular record project, made learning outcomes more usable and relevant for individuals and units, and contributed to a burgeoning campus-wide assessment culture. Though this case concerns a specific campus, the barriers, strategies, and benefits of using learning outcomes described here are applicable to readers with a range of roles and change priorities.
Hodedatov, S., Avidov-Ungar, O., & Hayak, M. (2024). The integration of digital games in elementary schools: The principals’ point of view. Education and Information Technologies, 29(14), 18003–18021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12568-4
The goal of the current study was to examine the perceptions of elementary school principals regarding the value of integrating digital games in teaching and learning and the steps they take to promote this initiative. The study was conducted using a qualitative-narrative methodology to analyze data retrieved through semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with 18 school principals. The findings demonstrated that the school principals had a positive attitude toward the integration of digital games in teaching although they are not experts in this field. They described several steps they take to promote digital games integration in teaching: (1) systemwide strategic steps, which include formulating a vision and mission; promoting teachers’ professional development; and resource allocation; (2) individual-initiatives, which include modeling; empowering teachers; and creating a leadership group among the teachers. These steps are perceived as creating “islands of innovation,” which are meant to infiltrate into the organizational culture of the school, so as to become integral and sustainable practices. These findings may help create new official policies for integrating digital games at school, thus instilling a change in the school culture. The study underscores the important role of school principals as agents of change in this context.
Hogan, A., Gerrard, J., & Di Gregorio, E. (2023). Philanthropy, marketing disadvantage and the enterprising public school. Australian Educational Researcher, 50(3), 763–780. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-022-00524-5
Disadvantage in schooling is often constructed as a crisis in need of fixing. Global policy reforms tend to emphasise that solutions for disadvantage often lie beyond the capacity of the state, necessitating private/philanthropic intervention. This paper seeks to contribute to this line of analysis by investigating the rise of philanthropy in Australian public schooling. Our analysis focuses on the intermediary organisation, Schools Plus, which works to connect donors to disadvantaged public schools. Through qualitative content analysis and stakeholder interviews we demonstrate how philanthropy has come to be seen as a solution to the complex problem of disadvantage, or more specifically in this case, the perceived inadequacies of public education provision. The consequence of this, we suggest, is the changing of responsibility for addressing disadvantage from government to individual schools that have been able to establish an entrepreneurial culture to market their disadvantage.
Hogan, E., & Bae, C. (2025). Bridging Student Funds of Knowledge With Science Discourse: An Examination of the Organizational Context That Shaped Teachers’ Sense of Agency for Instructional Change. Science Education, 109(4), 1090–1113. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21941
This study, which is part of the special issue on Teacher Learning and Practice in Organizational Contexts, investigated the ways in which urban middle school science teachers’ organizational contexts influenced their ability to identify and leverage minoritized students’ funds of knowledge (FoK) to facilitate equitable science learning through hybrid discourse. Ten science teachers received professional development from an external, university partner and ongoing professional learning as part of lesson study. We used a multiple case study methodology and applied the Instructional Capacity Framework and the concept of teacher agency to analyze lesson study artifacts (classroom videos, lesson plans, and TeachFX reports) and interviews where teachers described their perspectives on organizational barriers and facilitators to the implementation of hybrid discourse. Findings demonstrate how individual, organizational, and external factors interacted to produce differences in teams’ approaches to hybrid discourse and the individual and collective agency they held for engaging in this work. To all teams, teacher agency was needed to challenge organizational culture and schooling norms that historically did not value minoritized students’ FoK or opportunities to construct scientific understandings. External policies, especially high-stakes tests, reified this culture, which was, in turn, internalized by teachers and students as actors within the organization. These interacted with teachers’ dispositions (e.g., critical reflexivity and perspectives on the value of students’ FoK) as well as capacities within their organization generated via lesson study to influence the degree to which teachers exerted agency to implement hybrid discourse. We close by discussing implications for future teacher learning experiences aligned to equitable science instruction.
Høibo, I. H., Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, P., & Groth, C. (2025). Teachers’ pedagogical beliefs in Norwegian school makerspaces. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 35(2), 611–628. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-024-09919-0
In Norway, makerspaces are emerging as new educational contexts across all school levels. This trend is multifaceted as it is inspired by the global maker movement and supported by local initiatives as well as a national policy to create more opportunities to teach digital competencies. The makerspace concept facilitates this in a concrete and innovative way. Although the maker movement is established, the pedagogical foundations of maker activities in educational settings are still being developed. As the movement meets competent teachers and existing learning cultures, there is the potential to create new pedagogical knowledge and educational practices. This study explored teachers’ values and beliefs regarding maker-centered learning in Norwegian schools through qualitative semi-structured interviews with maker teachers from 18 schools. The results indicate that makerspaces in Norwegian schools are initiated and driven by teachers’ interests in the maker movement, which resonates with their learning beliefs. The individuals in question are mostly natural-science teachers inspired by other makers. The learning culture in Norwegian schools, and that found in the maker movement, coincide in many areas. However, there are some compatibility challenges, such as facilitating open-ended learning processes and initiating learning frameworks that allow students to act and learn based on their motivations and ideas. With guidance from the latest curricula, teachers are encouraged to teach toward learning goals, which have been traditionally achieved with structured and predefined activities. In this goal-directed environment, maker teachers struggle to find room for iterative processes, play, and productive failures.
Holmes, E. J., Healey, L. V., Babchishin, K. M., & Thorne, E. (2025). Consensual and Unsolicited Sexting are Not Completely Distinct Behaviors. Sexuality and Culture, 29(3), 1388–1407. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10327-2
Most research investigating sexting does not differentiate between consensual and unsolicited sexting (i.e., sending a sext without prior consent from the recipient). This study compared the correlates of consensual and unsolicited sexting in a convenience sample of 2828 predominantly North American adults aged 18–30 from the community. Results indicated that being a woman, identifying as LGBPA+, having more positive perceptions of sexting, and having a more extensive sexual history (e.g., more sexual partners) were related to both consensual and unsolicited sexting. Holding more positive perceptions of sexting was the strongest correlate for both consensual and unsolicited sexting. Sexual history had a stronger effect on consensual sexting than unsolicited sexting. Factors associated with other nonconsensual sexual behaviors (e.g., antisociality) were not differentially related to unsolicited sexting, suggesting a distinct etiology for unsolicited sexting compared to other nonconsensual sexual behaviors. Based on these findings, we suggest that media campaigns aimed at correcting misperceptions about unsolicited sexting (e.g., that it is harmless) may be effective in reducing its prevalence.
Hong, M., Chen, T., & Jia, Y. (2024). A case study on a novel cross-sectoral complementary merger in China: from the perspectives of leadership. Asia Pacific Education Review, 25(2), 527–540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-024-09935-8
Acting as a governmental tool to enhance competitiveness and integrate research and education by merging a local university and a provincial academy of sciences, this case study provides an example of a novel cross-sectoral complementary merger in higher education in China. Through a qualitative analysis of its three-stage process and the factors influencing its preliminary positive outcomes from the university leadership perspective, this study examines a unique higher education merger, emphasizing the effects of cultural issues and leadership. This study adds an interesting example to the growing literature on higher education mergers and offers suggestions for future research and practice.
Hsu, H. T., & Chao, W. N. (2024). Acceptance of mobile-assisted engineering vocabulary learning by military students. Education and Information Technologies, 29(2), 2413–2435. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11932-0
Military culture involving, for example, a lack of autonomy and hierarchical structure, has hindered Taiwanese military students’ English learning and increased the difficulty to obtaining learning materials. In particular, English for specific purposes (ESP) vocabulary learning is difficult for military students when English is used as a medium of instruction. Mobile technology can be adopted to assist such students in learning ESP vocabulary. However, studies on this topic are limited. Therefore, the present study investigated military students’ acceptance of mobile-assisted engineering vocabulary learning. We recruited 45 military students to complete a 4-week mobile-assisted engineering vocabulary learning task using Quizlet. A questionnaire was administered, and their responses were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results revealed that system characteristics positively influenced the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of Quizlet. Perceived usefulness positively influenced behavioural intention through attitude towards use. However, perceived ease of use did not significantly influence perceived usefulness or attitude towards use because of the limited convenience of studying at the military base. App developers and teachers should consider military students when designing apps and make design choices to maximise the ease of use of their apps outside of the classroom. The present study provides insight into mobile-assisted ESP vocabulary learning.
Huang, X., & Fan, B. (2024). The Association Between Campus Climate and the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ College Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sexuality and Culture, 28(4), 1904–1959. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10200-8
Exploring the relationship between campus climate and the mental health of LGBTQ+ college students is essential, given their unique contextual vulnerabilities. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to explore comprehensively the campus climate and to synthesize the varied findings from existing literature, focusing on both significant and non-significant correlations between campus climate and mental health. A thorough literature search was conducted in the PubMed and Web of Science databases until November 15, 2022, adhering to the pre-registered protocol (PROSPERO CRD42023388504). Our comprehensive literature review includes 24 research articles, offering an insightful overview of the current literature and mapping out the varied definitions of campus climate employed in these studies. We identified four dimensions of campus climate: individual and interpersonal, community and educational, institutional and structural, and cultural and societal. The meta-analysis, incorporating data from eight studies with a total of 3035 LGBTQ+ college students (mean ages ranging from 20.54 to 24 years), reveals significant positive correlations between a discriminatory campus climate and elevated levels of stress (pooled r = 0.337; 95% CI 0.223–0.451) and anxiety (pooled r = 0.197; 95% CI 0.147–0.247). It also indicates a significant positive correlation between a discriminatory campus climate and depression (pooled r = 0.267; 95% CI 0.06–0.474). However, our analysis did not find a significant correlation between a perceived inclusivity climate and depression. This study advocates a more comprehensive investigation of the relationship between different dimensions of campus climate and the mental health of LGBTQ+ college students. It also highlights the urgent need for universities to strengthen inclusion and support mechanisms for these students.
Hutchings, Q. R., & Morgan, D. L. (2024). Our Students…Our Campus…Their Community: Analyzing Institutional Civic Engagement Websites. Innovative Higher Education, 49(1), 25–48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-023-09662-9
Literature suggests that institutional efforts to cultivate civic engagement may have developmental importance on an institution’s mission, values, and culture. This study seeks to detail how anchor and place-based justice network institutions digitally engage with their communities through a website content analysis and using Ostrander’s civic engagement framework and Kimball and Thomas’ place-building theory. Findings from this study illuminated the contrasting and overlapping strategies anchor, and place-based justice network websites address advancing civic engagement. Through our analysis, we offer an innovative theoretical and practical institutional civic and community engagement website approach for strengthening institutional websites called Digital Place-Based Theory for Social Justice. This study will help scholars and practitioners explore the relationship between sustainable partnerships with local communities and post-secondary institutional responses to ever-evolving justice concerns.
Hyun, S., Li, L. W., McWayne, C. M., & Cheung, K. (2022). Incorporating Emic Perspectives in Defining Social Competence: Validation of Parental Assessment of Peer Play Interactions at Home for Low-Income Chinese-Heritage Children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50(2), 185–195. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01144-3
Despite the rapid growth of the Chinese immigrant population in the United States, little is known about the social behaviors of Chinese-heritage, preschool-aged children. Among existing studies, most use White (often middle-income) parents as the normative group without considering how individuals of Chinese heritage (or individuals from other ethnic groups) might manifest culture-specific beliefs in their support of children’s social behaviors. To address the lack of culturally-relevant measures designed for the Chinese population, this study examined the construct validity of parental assessment of children’s peer play at home using the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scales-Parent Version (PIPPS-P). Construct validity was examined via exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, as well as through the use of a Chinese immigrant parent panel. Primary caregivers (N = 423) of preschool-aged children from predominantly low-income backgrounds were recruited from two northeastern cities. Results supported the existence of three distinct peer play dimensions. Results also provided culturally-nuanced information regarding items of the PIPPS-P for this Chinese immigrant combined sample. Correlational analyses further supported the construct validity of the PIPPS-P, with children’s play behaviors showing relations with emotion regulation and psychological adjustment variables. Both quantitative and panel findings suggested the need for future research to examine Chinese-heritage caregivers’ perspectives towards children’s play, particularly children’s disconnected play, and underscored the importance of having culturally and linguistically appropriate measures of children’s social behavior, adding to the call for engaging emic perspectives to inform research and practice.
Iaaly, A., Daou, P., Nakad, M., & Abboud, R. J. (2025). E-assessment and e-proctoring implementation during coronavirus pandemic: A participatory study using socio-technical systems theory. Education and Information Technologies, 30(5), 6583–6616. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-13078-z
This paper reports on a participatory case study investigating the total shift to an electronic assessment and electronic proctoring modality in a traditional higher education academic institution in Lebanon due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It describes the novel real-time electronic assessment and proctoring system developed by the University of Balamand. The system uses advanced technology to monitor the students’ environment, their computer screens and identify their geographical location. The University understudy is unique as it never practised e-assessment nor e-proctoring before and is economically disadvantaged due to the severe economic crisis in Lebanon. The study used the socio-technical system theory to explore the implementation of e-assessment and e-proctoring, seeing the university as a complex dynamic of interrelated technical and social elements. The Socio-technical System theory made it possible to have a holistic view of the abrupt changes caused by the implementation of e-assessment and how it affected the task, structure, actor, and technology. The study found that the implementation of the e-assessment and the e-proctoring system changed the working practices of faculty members, the behaviour of students, and the working culture at the university. Top management support and commitment, resource allocation, technological infrastructure, technical support, champions as change agents, continuous hands-on training, faculty member proper proctoring, and the exam design typology were critical factors for the successful implementation of e-assessment and e-proctoring in times of abrupt change. This study has made significant theoretical contributions to the e-assessment research stream as it demonstrated the appropriateness of utilizing the socio-technical theory for studying the e-assessment implementation.
Innis, R. E. (2023). Deepening the Dimensions of Dialogism: Conceptual Linkages. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3857, 141–155. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11760-2_8
“Where there is monologism, there is no creativity.” This central claim from the introduction, with which I am in full accord, links the three wide-ranging chapters (2, 3, 6) toward which my remarks are directed. The authors present and utilize a wide range of conceptual tools to establish the counterthesis and its range of import: creativity is an essentially dialogical phenomenon. Creativity, the authors hold, arises within and is continually nurtured by reciprocating processes of social and materio-cultural interactions of various sorts. These interactions take place in contexts of different scales, ranging from the familial and domestic to the wide and complex forms of educational, political, technological, and economic organizations. Looked at from the point of view of the open and conceptually broad-based cultural psychology represented by the authors, these are contexts of meaning-seeking and meaning-making that make up the semiosphere or open ambient of human beings as distinctively symbolic animals (von Uexküll, 2010, Lotman, 1990, Langer 1982, 1974, 1967). We ‘realize’ ourselves by developing our symbolic, affective, and practical powers of coping with, and accomodating ourselves to, the flux of individual and social experience and the massive rhythmic dynamics of nature. The theoretical and conceptual, as well as aesthetic, themes of these chapters, grounded in a wide range of supporting sources, are engaged and complemented in this chapter by judicious advertence to further exemplifications, as well as implications, of the dimensions of creativity on individual, social-institutional, and political levels.
Irwin, R., & White, T. H. (2022). Technē and Indigenous Exosomatic Memory: Heidegger, Stiegler, and Cutting the Gordian Knot of Modernity. Postdigital Science and Education (Netherlands), Part F3827, 77–95. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95006-4_5
Heidegger noticed that modern technology has alienated people from ecological sensitivity, and consumerism shapes the mode of understanding of all things in the modern world. Ultimately, this has produced a new era of climate change, plastic rubbish, and unprecedented levels of extinctions, now called the Anthropocene. Exosomatic memory has gone through various stages, from the stone age, through writing, and now to the use of information technologies. Exosomatic memory is where things in the surrounding milieu trigger understanding of the way the world works. Heidegger argues that people are ‘thrown’ into an ‘always already’ existent ‘world’ of meaning. Technology shapes our phenomenological experience. Leroi-Gourhan argues technology creates a screen through which we understand everything in our surroundings. Stiegler takes note of Leroi-Gourhan to explore an evolution of exosomatic memory and Heidegger to consider how technology shapes epistemology and phenomenology; from the early cave paintings of the Palaeolithic to the smart device of contemporary late modernity. Philosophy of language helps to understand these stages in exosomatic memory. Accelerating technologies increase entropy and accelerates the Anthropocene. Stiegler, Leroi-Gourhan, and Heidegger all remain trapped in the modern enframing of thought but Indigenous exosomatic memory helps to strike through the Gordian knot and reinscribe the concept of technology from artificial artefact to encompass ecology as agents that are integrated with humanity in a web of kin relations. Ecological technē breaks the impasse of ‘progress’ in the Anthropocene, shifting the ethos of culture from a reified hierarchy that prioritised a particularly modern humanity, and shifts the orientation from alienation back to an ecologically integrated basis for action and change.
Jeong, S., & Park, H. (2024). Can school cultivate active global citizens? Exploring school and student factors related to students’ global citizenship in the Republic of Korea. Asia Pacific Education Review, 25(4), 1129–1140. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-024-09961-6
The purpose of this study was to investigate the school-related factors that influence students’ global citizenship. To explore both student-level and school-level factors that influence students’ global citizenship, we applied a hierarchical linear model using PISA 2018 data from Korea. The results showed that factors related to teacher’s GCED practices and school climate can play an important role in fostering students’ global citizenship. Based on these findings, we suggest that a whole-school approach is needed to promote the inclusion of GCED-related topics in various school curricula and to integrate GCED values into the overall school culture to enhance students’ global citizenship.
Jin, M., & Moran, M. J. (2023). Preschoolers’ Cooperative Problem-Solving During Play in Chinese and U.S. Classrooms. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51(3), 503–513. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01323-4
This study investigated children’s cooperative problem solving (CPS) behaviors during play in classrooms and associated influencing factors (school, age, and gender) in a Chinese kindergarten and U.S. early learning center. Four- and five-year-old participants (n = 39) were from one Chinese kindergarten and one U.S. center. They were video recorded during free play in the classrooms. The video footage (n = 2340 min) was coded using the coding system adapted from Ramani’s work (Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 58:159–190, 2012), and a two-way MANOVA and multiple regression were conducted. The results indicated significant school and age differences in terms of children’s CPS-related behaviors; in addition, school predicted the children’s frequency of coordinate behavior, and age predicted the children’s use of physical demonstration, explanation, and imitation.
Jóelsdóttir, L. B., & Andrews, P. (2024). Danish third, sixth and eighth grade students’ strategy adaptivity, strategy flexibility and accuracy when solving multidigit arithmetic tasks. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 39(3), 2363–2382. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-023-00786-2
In this paper, the multidigit arithmetic-related strategy adaptivity, strategy flexibility and solution accuracy of Danish compulsory school students is examined. Participants, 749 grade three, 731 grade six and 818 grade eight, were drawn from twenty demographically different schools. Drawing on a tri-phase assessment tool, each student completed a series of tasks designed to elicit shortcut strategies. First, students solved each task by means of their preferred strategy; those using shortcut strategies were construed as adaptive for that task. Second, students solved the same tasks by means of whatever alternative strategies they had available; those offering at least two strategies were construed as flexible for that task. Third, for each task, students were asked to indicate which of their strategies they believed was optimal. Across all grades, students were more flexible than adaptive. Overall, sixth graders exhibited higher levels of flexibility than third graders and marginally lower levels than eighth graders. Sixth graders exhibited higher levels of adaptivity than those in either grade three or grade eight. Students’ accuracy, which improved with maturation, was influenced positively by both adaptivity and flexibility, with flexibility having the greatest influence in grade three and adaptivity in grade six. The findings raise further questions concerning, inter alia, culture’s influence on students’ strategy choices and the interaction of adaptivity, flexibility and maturity on accuracy.
Johansson, A., Nyström, A. S., Gonsalves, A. J., & Danielsson, A. T. (2023). Performing legitimate choice narratives in physics: possibilities for under-represented physics students. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 18(4), 1255–1283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-023-10201-3
Higher education physics has long been a field with a disproportionately skewed representation in terms of gender, class, and ethnicity. Responding to this challenge, this study explores the trajectories of “unexpected” (i.e., demographically under-represented) students into higher education physics. Based on timeline-guided life-history interviews with 21 students enrolled in university physics programs across Sweden, the students’ accounts of their trajectories into physics are analyzed as choice narratives. The analysis explores what ingredients are used to tell a legitimate story of physics participation, in relation to dominant discourses in physics culture, and wider social and political discourses. Results indicate that students narrate their choice as based on motivations of physics being a prestigious and challenging subject, of a deep interest in and a natural ability for physics, as well as a wish to use physics for contributing to the world. While most of these affiliations to physics has been documented in earlier research, the study shows how they are negotiated in relation to social locations such as gender, class and migration history, and used to perform an authentic and legitimate choice narrative in the interview situation. Furthermore, the study reports and discusses the possibility of conceiving the role of physics in students’ lives as something beyond a “pure”, intellectually challenging, and “prestigious” subject. In contrast, and with implications for widening participation, the stories of “unexpected” physics students indicate that physics can be reconceived as socially and altruistically oriented.
Jones, K. M. L., VanScoy, A., Harding, A., & Martin, A. (2025). Changing student privacy responsibilities and governance needs: Views from faculty, instructional designers, and academic librarians. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 37(1), 327–345. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-023-09395-w
To explore various stakeholders’ understanding of student privacy and how protections for it are enacted on their campus, we conducted interviews with 27 faculty, instructional designers, and academic librarians at Very High Research Activity universities across the United States. Although there were no interview questions concerning the pandemic, participants noted an increase in awareness of student privacy issues as a result of moving instruction, instructional design, and library services into a completely online environment. Findings show diverse, complex student privacy landscapes on American campuses. Most participants did not perceive themselves as having agency in student privacy decisions on their campuses suggesting that these faculty, instructional designers, and academic librarians can improve communication among themselves and work together. More broadly, the findings suggest that governance structures could be improved to develop a more inclusive culture of student privacy.
Kaliszewska-Henczel, M. (2025). Children’s Thoughts on Wonder in Fairy Tales. Children’s Literature in Education, 56(2), 349–364. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-023-09570-8
Fairy tales are a means to introduce the Polish language and social education exercises in Polish kindergartens and schools (early childhood literature education). In their methodological proposals, authors of school handbooks use fairy tales as a medium for teaching moral values. The Goldfish is an example of such an approach (Fałdzińska and Rączyńska, 2017). This article presents the thoughts of children aged six to nine (Polish kindergarten and primary school years one to three) constructed around the fairy tale in question, which, on the one hand, can be understood as a cautionary lesson about the importance of remaining satisfied with one’s station (Tatar 2014), and on the other serves as a meta-tale, exposing a rule of the genre’s poetics (Somoff, 2019). Assuming the role of observer-as-participant, intent on providing interpretations, the author of this study aims to identify children’s categories of wonder occurring in Aleksandr Afanasyev’s The Goldfish (Afanasyev, 1984). It was observed that children reflect on the rules of wonder in fairy tales (as culture-specific texts) and derive social meanings significant from the viewpoint of fairy tale categories. As such, they were not only limited to the lesson of condemning greed, which is often assigned to The Goldfish.
Kanazawa, S. (2022). Unrestricted Sociosexuality Decreases Women’s (but not Men’s) Homophobia. Sexuality and Culture, 26(4), 1422–1431. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-022-09951-z
A recent evolutionary theory of female sexual fluidity suggests that women do not have sexual orientations in the same sense that men do, and instead women’s apparent sexual orientation is a function of their sociosexual orientation. Among other things, the theory predicts that women’s unrestricted sociosexual orientation decreases their negative attitude toward same-sex behavior, whereas men’s unrestricted sociosexual orientation increases it. An analysis of the General Social Surveys data shows that, net of age, education, race, religion, religiosity, political attitude, intelligence, urbanicity and region of residence, and survey year, sociosexually unrestricted women are less likely to believe homosexual relationships are always morally wrong, while sociosexuality was not associated with homophobia among men. The study provides further evidence for the evolutionary theory of female sexual fluidity.
Kaplan, M., Lazter, Y., & Gewirtz-Meydan, A. (2025). Caught Between Two Worlds: The Association Between Moral Disapproval of Prohibited Sexual Behaviors and Sexual Shame Among Jewish Religious Adolescents. Sexuality and Culture, 29(6), 2923–2944. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10400-w
Religious adolescents often face a conflict between sexual development and religious values. In this study we examined the relationship between moral disapproval, sexual shame, and religiosity among 1050 Orthodox Jewish adolescents aged 16–18, recruited online. We explored how moral disapproval of various prohibited sexual behaviors—pornography use, viewing non-pornographic sexual content, masturbation, and sexual or romantic touch (same or opposite sex)—related to sexual shame and how religiosity influenced this dynamic. We assessed religiosity, moral disapproval, and sexual shame via questionnaires. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regression with multiple imputations for missing data. Moral disapproval was highest for pornography use, followed by viewing non-pornographic sexual content, masturbation, and sexual or romantic touch. Higher religiosity correlated with greater moral disapproval across behaviors. Notably, higher religiosity was associated with less sexual shame when controlling for gender and moral disapproval. However, moral disapproval regarding masturbation and viewing non-pornographic content moderated this relationship, indicating a nuanced interaction. Findings suggest that Orthodox Jewish adolescents morally disapprove of various sexual-related behaviors and have high levels of sexual shame, especially toward behaviors condemned by their religion. Addressing moral disapproval through clinical and educational interventions can help adolescents reconcile their sexual experiences with their religious values. Future research should examine these dynamics across diverse religious and cultural groups.
Kausar, N., Mumtaz, S., & Shoaib, M. (2024). Lived Experiences of Individuals with Gender Dysphoria: A Qualitative Analysis. Sexuality and Culture, 28(2), 692–709. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10140-9
Despite the traditional trends in gender classification, people are suffering from a condition known as Gender Dysphoria (GD) in Asian countries generally and in Pakistan particularly. The study was intended to explore how young individuals with gender dysphoria define and interpret their gender identity. Through the purposive sampling technique, eleven young individuals (19–30 years) with GD were recruited from three cities in Pakistan; Gujrat, Jhelum, and Lahore. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken, and theme analysis was used to examine the data. The study findings revealed that participants utilized the internet as an information source to explore and learn about their gender. They had the chance to investigate, discover, validate, and embrace their genders through talking with others both inside and outside the transgender community. The influence of gender confusion and bodily pain on their emotional well-being may be worsened or lessened depending on how others respond and support them. Participants believed that the stigma and prejudice towards persons with GD were fueled by a lack of knowledge, awareness, and education. As a result, there was a desire to protest and initiate social action to decrease the stigma and improve the quality of life of individuals with gender dysphoria.
Kganetso, L. M., Qiao, X., & Block, M. K. (2023). Adding the Tswana in Botswana: Writing Culturally Sustaining Informational Texts. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51(2), 271–286. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01298-8
Culture(s) and lived experience are vital considerations in meaningful learning opportunities for young children. Informational texts are used in daily life and play an important role in schooling, but they are scarcely found and used in classrooms across much of Botswana. Classroom writing experiences tend to differ greatly from children’s everyday experiences, particularly in Botswana’s public schools. The purpose of this study was to examine two genres of culturally sustaining informational texts (informative/explanatory and procedural) written by Standard 2 students in Botswana. Writing samples were collected from 22 children both before and after participation in a unit focused on authentic literacy events using culturally sustaining texts. Content analyses focused on the genre features used within the texts. Writing samples were examined individually for use of genre attributes and for any change in attributes between pre- and post-assessments. Findings indicate that children included more features specific to each genre after participating in the unit. Additionally, many students composed their texts entirely in Setswana or codemeshed using Setswana and English in the post-assessment despite the primary language of instruction being English. This exploratory study could inform practice and research related to young children’s use and creation of informational texts while attending to culture(s) and lived experience.
Kickett-Tucker, C., Coffin, J., Dodd, J., & Karangaroa, S. (2025). Culturally respectful foundations of Noongar school educators’ ways of working. Australian Educational Researcher, 52(5), 3143–3165. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-025-00846-0
The Moombaki study team’s key objective is improving the well-being and educational success of Aboriginal children by fostering a deeper connection to their culture, land, and family. The current WA Department of Education Cultural Standards Framework (2015) is outdated and has not resulted in sustainable and audited meaningful changes to ways of working with Aboriginal children and their families. Our findings show that AIEOs provide valuable insights into the practices and values that may be more effective in meeting the needs of Aboriginal children. This article discusses the importance for national and state policy and frameworks to reflect Aboriginal ways of working in schools. Our findings from yarning circles with Aboriginal Indigenous Education Officers (AIEOs) interrogate the values informing and driving Noongar ways of working. Noongar cultural protocols exemplify Noongar ways of working. These protocols are guided by values that shape rules and practices rooted in a rich history passed down through generations of culture and customs. The analysis of the Moombaki yarning circles with AIEOs whose voices are central, revealed they upheld Aboriginal ways of working by emphasising four concentric circles of Aboriginal worldview: connections to kin, country, customs, and culture. Central to these ways of working is the value of trust, which meanders through and strengthens the practices of connection, sharing, and the central focus on children and family.
Kim, H., & Han, T. I. (2024). “What Kind of Person Do You Want to Become?”: Analyzing Young Children’s Drawings on Gender Ideals. Early Childhood Education Journal, 52(2), 357–371. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01437-9
This study explores South Korean kindergarteners’ drawings on gender ideals in order to understand how they perceive the ideal man and woman with respect to gender. The data were collected based on drawings and interviews of 189 children aged 5–6 years in South Korea. The researchers identified themes using qualitative content analysis. Overall, the results showed that South Korean kindergarteners exhibited gender-stereotyped perceptions of occupations, appearances, roles/values, and visual features in their human figure drawings. Gender ideals were also influenced by pop culture. Additionally, this study found that some children possess gender ideals that are gender-neutral and prosocial rather than stereotypical. The significance of this study lies in gaining deeper understanding of young children’s gender development and in providing approaches for early childhood educators to promote views of gender diversity.
Kim, J. (2024). Examining how perceptions of ready children and diversity shape a teacher’s use of the funds of knowledge approach. Asia Pacific Education Review, 25(4), 851–869. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-023-09839-z
This study examined how and to what extent a prekindergarten teacher’s perceptions of ready children and diversity—which are influenced by broader societal culture—influence their abilities and ways of incorporating children’s funds of knowledge into their practice. The methodology used was based on a descriptive case study of a teacher, Linda, who participated in a two-year professional development (PD) program that focused on using funds of knowledge in culturally and developmentally responsive early mathematics pedagogy. How Linda incorporated children’s funds of knowledge when teaching mathematics was closely linked with her notions of the prototypical ready children and her essentialized understanding of culture and diversity. Findings suggest the importance of asset-oriented perspectives of each child and family and attention to cultural practices when learning funds of knowledge to raise teachers’ sensitivity toward and use of children’s funds of knowledge to enrich children’s learning.
Kim, Y., Song, I., & Miyoshi, N. (2024). International academics in national research institutes in Korea and Japan: contributions, reasons for migration, and challenges. Asia Pacific Education Review, 25(4), 993–1007. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-024-09925-w
This study aims to explore and compare the experiences of international academics in government-funded research institutes in Korea and Japan and focuses on their integration through primary roles and contributions, reasons to stay, and the challenges they face in their academic and daily lives. Although international academics are critical human resources in academia, their experiences in northeast Asian research institutes, instead of universities, require thorough investigation. Additionally, policy initiatives and projects in these countries tend to emphasize international academics in universities instead of those in research institutes. The study conducted semi-structured interviews between October 2020 and July 2021 with 15 international academics from government-funded research institutes in Korea and Japan. We intend to illuminate their experiences outside of universities and demonstrate that a clear academic role, a (relatively) horizontal organizational culture, and systemic support are the major reasons for their decision to stay and integrate. We also highlight the challenges they face in relation to policy, language, and family issues. International academics help create an internationalized work environment, although they frequently struggle to bridge domestic and international academia. All interviewees were male academics working in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields; thus, further studies are required to explore the experiences of female international academics and those working in other areas and to compare between the academic cultures of universities and research institutes in Korea and Japan.
Kiragu, A., Jean Simon, D., Kacou, E., & Joseph, F. (2022). Intimate Partner Physical Violence During Pregnancy in Kenya: Prevalence and Risk Factors. Sexuality and Culture, 26(4), 1259–1273. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09941-7
Physical abuse during pregnancy has been linked to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of intimate partner physical violence (physical IPV) during pregnancy in Kenya and assess its associated sociodemographic factors. Secondary data analysis was performed on cross-sectional Kenya Demographic and Health Survey data conducted in 2014. The sample size for this study was 3193 women of reproductive age (15–49 years) who completed the domestic violence module, after excluding missing values and applying the weight factor. Descriptive analysis was carried out and a ReLogit model was used to assess the relationship between physical IPV during pregnancy and sociodemographic characteristics. About six percent of women reported physical IPV during pregnancy. The study finds that the probability of physical IPV during pregnancy is higher among young women aged < 25 years (ME = 0.035; 95% CI 0.0124–0.0631) with a primary education level (ME = 0.011; 95% CI 0.0005–0.0218) who have five children or more (ME = 0.048, 95% CI 0.0271–0.0739) and whose partner was an alcoholic (ME = 0.064, 95% CI 0.0457–0.0847) and/or exhibited coercive control (ME = 0.037, 95% CI 0.0241–0.0512). Even though quantitative research is crucial in determining factors that influence physical IPV during pregnancy, there is a need for qualitative inquiries into women’s experiences of physical IPV as well as related negative pregnancy outcomes in Kenya.
Kirkpatrick, S. M. M., Emeno, K., & Vettor, S. (2025). Consent and Sexual Assault in Heterosexual Versus Same-Sex Sexual Encounters. Sexuality and Culture, 29(4), 1690–1712. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10341-4
Consent is a vital component of all sexual encounters, and when absent, can result in the perpetration of harmful sexual behaviours (e.g., sexual assault). Ideally, the concepts of consent and sexual assault are applied appropriately to all persons, irrespective of personal characteristics. However, this may not be the case. The objective of this study was to examine whether public perceptions of consent and sexual assault differ based on participant gender and rape myth acceptance, as well as the sexual orientation of the individuals in various sexual encounter vignettes. The results of this study suggest that, generally, the public can accurately identify sexual consent and sexual assault. Little evidence to suggest that these concepts are perceived differently in heterosexual versus homosexual encounters was found. However, male participants with high rape myth acceptance perceived obvious and ambiguous non-consensual scenarios as significantly more consensual and less representative of a sexual assault. Implications of the study findings are discussed in terms of their applications to Canadian law and sexual education and directions for future research.
Kitto, S., Fantaye, A. W., Liu, J., Lochnan, H., Hendry, P., Whiting, S., Wiesenfeld, L., & Cleland, J. (2025). Teaching excellence, the hidden curriculum and complexity: an international comparative case study of two medical schools. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 30(5), 1567–1598. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-025-10411-0
The perception held by clinical teachers of health professionals that their teaching efforts are under-valued by their education institutions persists despite intensive research and subsequent interventions to address this global problem. The purpose of this multi-site study is to examine how clinical teaching activities are organised, in order to reveal if there are underlying systemic factors that may contribute to this wicked problem. This study employed a cross-comparative case study design of one Singaporean and one Canadian medical school. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with organisational leaders (n = 23) who manage clinical teaching activities and/or have insights on their local assessment, support and recognition systems. Public records were also collected from each site (n = 24). A theory-driven content analysis using a complexity science interpretation of the concept of the Hidden Curriculum was conducted with both sets of data. The two sites were at different stages of maturation in respect of clinical teaching evaluation and feedback, support, and recognition and reward systems. Despite this, the interviews identified shared structure, process and culture-oriented challenges: low prioritisation of teaching, faculty demotivation and dissatisfaction across both research sites. Our findings suggest that a continued focus on structure and process-oriented reforms to elicit change is insufficient. Instead, further examination of site-specific, multiple intersecting academic and clinical cultures is needed. Future efforts to improve the value and drive the pursuit of teaching excellence will require multi-faceted structure, process and culture change approaches. We argue that Hafferty and Castellani’s (The hidden curriculum: A theory of medical education, Routledge, 2009) re-conceptualisation of hidden curriculum through a complexity science lens should be used as a heuristic device to address future research and reform in local medical education contexts.
Kolstø, S. D., Paulsen, V. H. P., & Mestad, I. (2024). Critical thinking in the making: students’ critical thinking practices in a multifaceted SSI project. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 19(4), 499–530. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-024-10217-3
Students’ critical thinking is often researched using quantitative tests designed to measure critical thinking. In contrast, this study qualitatively analyses group and whole-class dialogues in an interdisciplinary SSI project by focusing on students’ critical thinking practices. As such, the study provides an in-depth example of an immersion approach to teaching critical thinking in an SSI classroom. The SSI project, called the Climate project, lasted 18 lessons and involved an 8th-grade mixed-ability class in a suburb on the west coast of Norway. The data consist of field notes, full-class video recordings and audio recordings of student talk in groups. Based on an interactive ethnographic perspective, patterns in the data were identified using open coding informed by conceptualizations of critical thinking followed by identification and holistic analysis of episodes characteristic of the critical thinking practices in the classroom. The study offers insight into the characteristics of young students’ critical thinking in dialogic settings. The students’ interpretations, analyses, evaluations, and inferences are based on a mix of knowledge and guesswork. The analysis reveals that the two teachers involved challenged students to, for example, interpret and evaluate information, make inferences, and to suggest alternative views. Explicit teaching of critical thinking was limited. The study demonstrates that it is possible, by employing appropriate teaching strategies, to support students across all levels of abilities in actively participating in critical thinking. Additionally, it shows how specific student centered teaching strategies and students’ responses to these strategies contribute to a classroom culture permeated with critical thinking practices.
König, S., Stang-Rabrig, J., Hannover, B., Zander, L., & McElvany, N. (2023). Stereotype threat in learning situations? An investigation among language minority students. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 38(2), 841–864. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-022-00618-9
Stereotype threat (ST) is a potential explanation for inequalities in language competencies observed between students from different language backgrounds. Language competencies are an important prerequisite for educational success, wherefore the significance for investigation arises. While ST effects on achievement are empirically well documented, little is known about whether ST also impairs learning. Thus, we investigated vocabulary learning in language minority elementary school students, also searching for potential moderators. In a pre-post design, 240 fourth-grade students in Germany who were on average 10 years old (MAge = 9.92, SD = 0.64; 49.8% female) were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions: implicit ST, explicit ST without threat removal before posttest, explicit ST with threat removal before posttest, and a control group. Results showed that learning difficult vocabulary from reading two narrative texts was unaffected by ST. Neither students’ identification with their culture of residence and culture of origin nor stereotyped domain of reading were moderators. The findings are discussed with regard to content and methodological aspects such that a motivation effect might have undermined a possible ST effect. Implications for future research include examining the question at what age children become susceptible to ST and whether students have internalized negative stereotypes about their own group, which could increase the likelihood of ST effects occurring.
Kosar Altinyelken, H., Akhtar, Y., & Selim, N. (2022). Navigating Contradictory Narratives on Sexuality Between the School and the Mosque in Four Muslim Communities in the Netherlands. Sexuality and Culture, 26(2), 595–615. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09911-z
This qualitative study seeks to examine the sexuality-related values and norms that Muslim youth are taught and socialised into at non-formal Islamic education settings, compares these with values and norms conveyed at secondary schools, and then identifies the ways in which Muslim youth navigate these distinct messages and competing pressures around this subject. The data are based on 62 semi-structured in-depth interviews with young adults and secondary school students from four Muslim communities in the Netherlands (Turkish, Moroccan, Pakistani and Egyptian). The study reveals that explicit messaging as well as institutional practices in mosques convey a specific narrative about proper conduct between the sexes that prohibits sexual conduct before marriage, and in some cases, even any form of touching or socialising. This collides with the institutional practices and educational content in mainstream secondary schools, which are co-educational and provide sexuality education. Three strands of attitudinal choices young Muslims make are identified: opting for chastity, re-negotiating the norm, and embracing romantic entanglements, all having different ramifications for the wellbeing and relationships of these young people.
Koutromanos, G., Koukopoulos, D., Koukopoulos, Z., & Mouzakis, C. (2023). Cultural heritage content development and dissemination through a participatory platform: lessons learned from in-service teachers’ perception. Education and Information Technologies, 28(3), 3513–3536. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11336-6
The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ perceptions and patterns of their activities on a participatory platform for cultural heritage content creation and dissemination. Using a convenience sample of participants, eight in-service teachers enrolled in a postgraduate program were invited to the study. Qualitative research methods were used, including (a) interviews with in-service teachers, (b) focus group discussions with two randomly selected teachers, the instructor of the course and an ICT expert as a digital content evaluator, and (c) observation of teachers’ activities patterns on the participatory Culture Gate platform. The results of this study highlight, as well as encourage discussion on how teachers can learn through online collaboration and also aims to identify factors connected with teachers’ professional development within a pedagogic framework.
Kua, J., Teo, W., & Lim, W. S. (2022). Learning experiences of adaptive experts: a reflexive thematic analysis. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 27(5), 1345–1359. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-022-10166-y
Whilst adaptive experts have well-researched beliefs and attitudes towards learning, what is unclear are the interactions that occur within the learning environment that constitute their learning experiences. The practice of geriatric medicine emphasises the interdisciplinary care of complex frail older adults. Our study sets out to understand the learning experiences of adaptive experts in geriatric medicine by examining how interactions at the intra-personal, inter-personal and organisational levels contributed to the development of adaptive expertise. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study through semi-structured interviews of 16 geriatricians experts from a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Data were analyzed via reflexive thematic analysis. The core essence of the learning experiences was described as a journey of ‘knowing when we do not know’, which was characterised by three themes: (i) Anchoring ethos of person-centric care where the experts drew upon their values to develop a holistic view of the patient beyond the medical domain, (ii) Enabling stance of being curious where their curiosity and openness to learning was nurtured through the practice of reflection, and with the benefit of time as a commodity and for development of expertise, and (iii) Scaffolding organisational culture of inquiry where an environment that is supportive of learning is built on the culture of psychological safety and the culture of mentoring. Taken together, our study highlighted the importance of interactions at the intra-personal, inter-personal and organisational levels in the learning experiences of adaptive experts.
Kuhn, C., & Raffaghelli, J. E. (2023). ‘Something Important is Going on With Data’: Educators’ Search for Political Agency to Act as Professionals in Complex Datafied Contexts. Postdigital Science and Education (Netherlands), Part F3831, 53–77. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31875-7_4
Starting from the position that ‘something important is going on with data’, the role of each educators’ political agency to act within complex datafied contexts is explored. After first examining broader efforts to make sense of data, and its processing and use in social science research, the HDI elements of agency, legibility and negotiability are discussed as complementary to a critical approach to data literacy. We add to this dialogue with other educators and experts in different fields, while validating the design of an open educational resource (OER) DataPraxis, which is a website with content and analytical tools that supports educators’ pedagogical activity to cultivate and foster critical data literacies. Analysis of our conversations with these colleagues brings to light diverse efforts to develop the political agency that educators envision. Participants’ discourses shape a half-weaved tapestry with entanglements that require further attention, critical debate and collective interdisciplinary work in our collective effort to grasp the inherent complexity of the datafied present and future. The chapter thus unveils the potential of individuals’ reflexive engagement with talks, content, resources, and lively discussion through DataPraxis as a mediator between each individual’s political agency and the current data culture in which we find ourselves.
Kumari, N., & Ram, R. (2025). Socio-Economic and Demographic Determinants of Polygynous Marriages in India: Multilevel Analysis of Nationally Representative Survey, 2019-21. Sexuality and Culture, 29(3), 1174–1192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10318-3
This study examines the determinants of polygynous marriage in districts across India, utilising cross-sectional data from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), conducted between 2019 and 2021. A binary and multilevel logistic regression model was employed to identify predictors of polygyny. While the findings indicate a decline in the prevalence of polygynous marriages over time, the practice remains significantly prevalent in certain regions, particularly in Mizoram, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. The analysis reveals that the prevalence of polygyny is higher among women age-group 25–34 and 35–49, those with no formal education or only primary-level education, and those engaged in consanguineous marriages. Furthermore, women belonging to the Muslim religion, Scheduled tribes, and the poorest wealth quintiles, as well as those residing in rural areas, are disproportionately affected. Individual- and community-level factors were identified as significant predictors of polygyny. Despite being prohibited under the Indian Penal Code—with exceptions for Muslim communities—polygyny persists across various regions of India. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address this issue, particularly through enhancing educational access and raising awareness within marginalised and vulnerable communities.
Kuru Gönen, S. İ., & Zeybek, G. (2022). Using QR code enhanced authentic texts in EFL extensive reading: a qualitative study on student perceptions. Education and Information Technologies, 27(2), 2039–2057. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10695-w
Increased use of recent technological devices by language learners at all ages and various levels stimulates the integration of the latest technological devices into the language learning process. Considering the numerous advantages of augmented reality (AR) in creating a supportive learning environment, this study aimed at investigating the use of quick response codes, as an AR feature, during extensive reading. 28 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students enrolled in a British culture course at a Turkish university participated in the study. For the purpose of the study, QR code enhanced authentic reading texts were designed to aid learners in the comprehension of culture-specific terms that were difficult to be understood with a dictionary definition. Participants reflected on each QR code implementation, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with randomly selected students. The results of qualitative analysis through open-axial and selective coding procedure revealed three main themes related to QR code enhancement while reading culturally loaded reading texts: the advantages of using QR codes in extensive reading, criticism on the content of QR codes, and technical problems in using QR codes. The findings underline the potential of integrating AR technology such as the QR codes into language education for more effective learning opportunities and highlight the importance of providing access to technology in order to help all students benefit from the ubiquitous nature of technology.
Kuzmina-Merlino, I. (2024). Managers’ readiness toward digital business transformation: the role of the universities. Entrepreneurship Education, 7(2), 173–185. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41959-024-00116-7
Digital transformation refers to an organization’s or company’s shift to digital management techniques, which alter organizational behavior and corporate culture and need the introduction of new digital management tools. By the opinion of the author, the gap between present management education that based on the traditional schemes of organizations, cultures are constrained in vertical silos, and the needs of the new digital ecosystems, mainly horizontal, clients’ needs-driven, internationally, and interculturally integrated, is growing and should be rapidly changed. Digital transformation is changing the way how organizations interact with customers, suppliers, and partners. The article presents the author’s viewpoint on the interpretation and analysis of the approaches used in the field of business management education. Preparation of a new generation of leaders requires restructuring of business management education, considering the growing importance of information technologies and implementation of integrated and multidisciplinary approaches to management education and training programs. In this context, the author proposes a conceptual approach to the designing of a university curriculum in the field of business management education and training, which is aimed at meeting the needs of modern managers in knowledge and competencies toward the process of digital transformation.
Kwon, J., & Son, E. (2025). Fostering collaboration and professionalism: insights from a korean kindergarten teacher learning community. Asia Pacific Education Review, 26(4), 985–996. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-025-10050-5
This study investigates how the interplay between teachers and Korean kindergarten culture shapes a teacher learning community. Data were collected through group interviews, in-depth individual interviews, and participant observations, allowing for a rich exploration of both collective and individual perspectives. The data were analyzed iteratively, with a focus on the cultural and relational dynamics embedded within the teaching learning community. The findings underscore the critical role of emotional support, constructive dialogue, and balanced relationships within a community operating in a predominantly female, traditionally hierarchical culture. The study also highlights the essential leadership roles of lead teachers, demonstrating how humility and a balance between collectivism and individualism foster trust, align shared goals, and support collaborative growth. Furthermore, the study explores the dual aspects of Korean collectivist culture, emphasizing its role in promoting equitable education for children and addressing parental pressure, while paradoxically limiting teachers’ autonomy in decision-making. This dynamic is particularly evident in curriculum alignment, where teachers of the same age group collaborate to ensure cohesive educational practices. This analysis provides valuable insights into the processes that foster effective communication, collegial relationships, and a balanced sense of autonomy among teachers. These findings also offer practical implications for enhancing professional growth, leadership development, and collaboration within TLCs in culturally similar contexts.
Kyriakakis, S., & Goddard-Durant, S. K. (2022). Surviving While Female in Barbados: An Examination of Entry Factors into Sex Work. Sexuality and Culture, 26(3), 951–973. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09926-6
This phenomenological, grounded theory study, with a sample of 30 cisgender women engaged in sex work in Barbados, examines entry into transactional sex work. Conditions of chronic childhood poverty were found to precipitate family instability and childhood sexual abuse, which lead to early entry into sexual relationships with older men and low educational attainment. A context in which a highly gendered labor market severely disadvantages women with limited education, and where it is normative for adolescent girls to engage in sexual relationships with older men to meet economic needs, leaves sex work as one of few accessible and reliable employment options. These findings further theoretical understanding of entry into sex work.
Larsen, E., Salton, Y., Fanshawe, M., Gaunt, L., Ryan, L., Findlay, Y., & Albion, P. (2024). Early career researchers’ collective advocacy work within an Australian university context. Australian Educational Researcher, 51(1), 275–296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-022-00604-6
Global pressure on universities to compete for research rankings has escalated research expectations and intensified a performativity culture for early career researchers (ECRs). However, there are limited examples in the literature of ECRs advocating for their career and research trajectories. In response to this issue, ECRs in one Australian regional university initiated the Teacher Education ECR Action and Advocacy Group (TEECRAA). This research, reported in this paper, aimed to understand how TEECRAA contributed to the career and research trajectories of these ECRs and their advocacy regarding ECR-specific policy in their higher education context. Framed by tenets of policy network theory and policy communities, this study draws on documents developed by the TEECRAA group using content and thematic analysis to investigate their activities and experiences. Findings highlighted that ECRs were able to set research and career goals, prioritise opportunities for professional learning, create resources to support their research profiles, and develop a network of support. ECRs also increased their contributions to policy and practice by engaging in strategic action that promotes ECR visibility and advocates for their needs. This contribution, however, requires the development of a network-like interaction between ECRs and university leaders with a commitment from the university to work in partnership with ECRs for mutual benefit.
Lau, Y. Y., & Cheung, L. M. E. (2024). Faculty perceptions on managerial changes in a sub-degree institution in Hong Kong. Asia Pacific Education Review, 25(4), 897–909. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-023-09845-1
Sub-degree education is one of the key higher education sectors in Hong Kong. With the effect of managerialism, tertiary institutions tend to transition from a collegial toward a managerial model, and have shifted from teaching-intensive institutions to research-intensive ones. In this study, two key research questions are addressed: to what degree can managerialism influence organisational change? To what degree and how will an exogenous force generate organisational development? To answer the research questions, we present a case study at “Hong Kong College” via 15 face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with the administrative staff, academic staff, department head, and a visiting scholar. The key research findings identified the difficulties or obstacles experienced in carrying out research or scholarly activities, the long-term impacts on the workplace of staff and sub-degree institutions changing from teaching to research, the advantages of the staff and institutions regarding their working areas in the process of new research directions, and the driving forces for enriching a research culture in sub-degree institutions. Academic and managerial implications are also provided in the paper.
Lee, J. T. (2023). Romanticizing decolonization and Asian epistemology: reflections on identity and space. Asia Pacific Education Review, 24(2), 187–197. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-023-09835-3
Recent calls for the decolonization of the academy demand recognition for diverse canons of knowledge. Asia’s economic ascent also imparts rising confidence among Asian scholars and institutions to promote indigenous knowledge. While these global calls for emancipation are invigorating, decolonial scholarship is prone to sterile theorization, historical fixity, and an overt romanticization of the Global South. Drawing on my lived experiences as an Asian academic, I reflect on decolonization and Asian epistemology from five different spaces in my life: (1) Northern Europe, (2) Toronto, (3) Southeast Asia, (4) Kazakhstan and (5) the United Kingdom. I analyze these spaces by using the concepts of intellectual captivity and decolonization from Syed Hussein Alatas and Kuan-Hsing Chen. Specifically, the tendency for decolonization movements to descend into nationalism, nativism, and civilizationalism provides provocative insights on epistemic justice (Chen, 2010). I demonstrate how epistemology as practice can reveal a colonial mindset even among academics who engage in social justice discourse and international work. I also highlight examples of indigenous knowledge that reinforce inequality based on race, gender, sexual orientation and religion. As more individuals with hybrid identities (race, culture, and nationality) enter academe and pursue careers that require international mobility, it is imperative that decolonization moves beyond reductive categories of identity that reproduce stereotypes. I conclude with reflections on the role of comparative and international education research in decolonization movements.
Lee, K. M., Khoshnevisan, F., & Sharifi, S. (2023). Students from humanities and human sciences are basically the same aren’t they? Cultural factors affecting entrepreneurship in Iran. Entrepreneurship Education, 6(2), 205–227. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41959-023-00094-2
In a third-generation university, concepts of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, help link the university with industry and society. These concepts, however, have not been uniformly distributed across all university disciplines. This paper, reviews the characteristics of a third-generation university, focusing on the capabilities of the humanities faculties to address the challenges and barriers of entrepreneurship. Identification of these notions is important for the development of the humanities in academic entrepreneurship. This research was conducted among 80 Iranian humanities entrepreneurs, using the Hofstede Model of National Culture and Entrepreneurial Tendency and Action questionnaires as data collection tools. Entrepreneurial tendency among those in the human sciences disciplines was greater than those in the humanities. Short-term orientation was only influential in the humanities group. However, individualism–collectivism and short-term orientation were influential to entrepreneurial tendency in both disciplines. While the power distance (high) was influential to entrepreneurial tendency in the humanities. The findings of this study showed significant entrepreneurial tendency differences between students from the humanities and human sciences. The findings also show that entrepreneurial tendency in the humanities is mostly influenced by cultural factors. This research has provided invaluable knowledge of the entrepreneurial differences from a cultural perspective in the third-generation university.
Lee, Y. J. (2025). Will You Marry Us? Protestant Pastors’ Stances on Same-Sex Marriage. Sexuality and Culture, 29(6), 3029–3044. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10406-4
There is a great divide among different Protestant Christian denominations in their views on homosexuality and same-sex relationships, with more conservative denominations disapproving same-sex marriage. Still, it is not clear to what extent individual pastors’ stances on the issue mirror the official position of their church. This study examines the willingness to officiate a same-sex wedding ceremony among Protestant pastors whose church does not allow for a same-sex wedding to take place in the building, on the condition that their religious group allows it. The analysis shows that, after controlling for institutional and community contexts, pastors’ educational attainment, race, and party identification predict their willingness to perform a wedding for same-sex couples. The findings suggest that individual pastors’ life experience and social identity, as well as their theological backgrounds, form their perspectives on same-sex marriage. These findings can offer guidance for people seeking a more inclusive church community.
Leistner, C. E., Briggs, L., Lippmann, M., & Lawlor, N. (2024). Reasons for and for not Engaging in Masturbation Among College Students in the United States. Sexuality and Culture, 28(3), 929–949. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10156-1
College students represent a unique population in terms of reasons for engaging and not engaging in masturbation given that they may have more expansive ideas about masturbation while also (for some) being limited in experience engaging in masturbation. Survey data were collected from 531 college students at a Western university in the United States. Lifetime masturbation, masturbation frequency, reasons for engaging in masturbation (or not engaging in masturbation), and body satisfaction were examined. Results indicated that only women (n = 55; 12%) and one transgender/gender non-conforming student reported never engaging in masturbation. Eighteen reasons for engaging in masturbation were identified with women reporting more nuanced reasons for engaging in masturbation. The most cited reason for engaging in masturbation was for “pleasure.” Results indicated that citing pleasure as a reason for masturbation was associated with more frequency of masturbation for women (not for men). Seven reasons for not engaging in masturbation were identified (by women). Results also indicated significant differences in masturbation frequency between men and women. However, no differences were observed in body satisfaction between women that had ever masturbated and those that had not and there were no significant correlations between body satisfaction and masturbation frequency. Findings have implications of sexuality education among college students and sex research on masturbation behaviors.
Lemon, N., & Turner, K. (2024). Unravelling the wellbeing needs of Australian teachers: a qualitative inquiry. Australian Educational Researcher, 51(5), 2161–2181. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-023-00687-9
The declining wellbeing of Australian teachers is a longstanding problem, with much attention on retention, stress, burnout, and poor resourcing and conditions that impact wellbeing. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has further illuminated these challenges. This qualitative study aimed to explore Australian teachers’ perceptions of their wellbeing needs with a focus on asking the questions that are often not asked—what is working, what are we learning, and how can we move forward to support teacher wellbeing? The voices of teachers revealed findings that support a much-needed shift in teacher wellbeing rhetoric in Australia. We illuminate five key areas that influence teacher and sector perceptions of wellbeing: (1) school leadership, (2) professional development, (3) workload and work-life balance, (4) relationships, and (5) stress, positive emotions, and accomplishment. These findings contribute to the need for a change in how teacher wellbeing is approached and highlight the possible implications of what is working, needs, barriers, and insights for preservice teacher education and professional development of teachers.
Lepage, A., & Collin, S. (2024). Preserving Teacher and Student Agency: Insights from a Literature Review. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3866, 17–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-55272-4_2
This chapter is a comprehensive literature review that explores the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on education and its implications for human agency. It begins by highlighting the potential advantages of incorporating AI in education, such as intelligent tutoring, learning assessment, and dropout prevention. The chapter then raises important questions regarding the roles of teachers and students in an AI-driven education system, contemplating whether AI can replace or enhance the capabilities of human educators. These inquiries initiate a discussion on the ethical considerations surrounding the deployment of AI in education. To provide necessary context, the chapter offers definitions of AI in education and introduces two theoretical frameworks: the technician system theory and the concept of agency. The technician system theory suggests that as AI systems become more sophisticated, there is a risk of neglecting the complexity of teaching techniques and the expertise of human educators. The concept of agency is then presented as a means to comprehend and position human activity in relation to AI systems. The chapter explores agency from both the computer science and social science perspectives, emphasising the autonomy and decision-making abilities of both AI systems and individuals. With the focus on identifying AI applications that may limit teacher and student agency, the findings reveal that the integration of AI systems in education can lead to power imbalances and reduce the decision-making authority of teachers, shifting expertise to programmers and system designers. Likewise, student agency can be compromised by AI systems, particularly in task assignment and gamification. Ultimately, this chapter underscores the significance of preserving human agency in the context of AI in education. It advocates for the design and implementation of AI-based tools that enhance agency rather than restrict it. The findings of the literature review shed light on the ethical implications and challenges associated with maintaining agency in the era of AI in education.
Li, H., Ieong, M. U., Wong, K. L. L., Zhu, J., & Chen, C. C. (2025). University students’ concepts of nation in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau: Patriotism or nationalism? Higher Education, 89(2), 553–569. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01235-9
This study investigated the concepts of nation among university students in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. The findings revealed a lack of consistent patterns among university students’ perceptions of patriotism and nationalism across these regions. Ideological differences were observed, with students in Mainland China and Hong Kong representing the extremes of collectivism and individualism, respectively. Students in Hong Kong demonstrated a blended perspective of nationalism and patriotism rooted in localism, while students in Mainland China clearly distinguished between nationalism and patriotism within culture localism. Students in Macau exhibited perspectives that fit somewhere between those of their counterparts in Hong Kong and Mainland China. Hong Kong has encountered unique challenges in implementing patriotic education, while Mainland China and Macau have implemented it effectively. As a result, Macau has achieved better integration with Mainland China than Hong Kong in the postcolonial era. However, the key educational stakeholders in these societies must reassess their policies on preparing youths for the complex world and recognise their desire for authenticity and external recognition.
Li, Q., Liu, Q., & Chen, Y. (2023). Prospective Teachers’ Acceptance of virtual reality technology: a mixed study in Rural China. Education and Information Technologies, 28(3), 3217–3248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11219-w
Virtual Reality (VR) is increasingly being viewed as one of the most effective and efficient instructional tools in educational settings. The successful implementation of this innovative instructional technology presupposes teachers’ acceptance and diffusion. And prospective teachers, as the teacher talent pool, their beliefs and acceptance of VR determine if and how they use it in the future classroom. However, little is known about their attitudes and adoptions. As such, the main goal of the present study is to investigate the behaviour and intentions of prospective teachers to use VR in class. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) was used as an evaluative framework for the study. A pre-post design was used to collect perspectives before and after using VR through questionnaires (N = 58) and semi-structured interviews (N = 44). The findings indicated that following intervention, preservice teachers’ behavioural intention, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, and price value were improved significantly; and that price value had a significant effect on behavioural intention. Meanwhile, barriers to implementing VR into future educational practises, such as the digital divide and culture reasons, were observed. Limitations and implications are also discussed.
Li, R. (2022). Chinese folk music: Study and dissemination through online learning courses. Education and Information Technologies, 27(7), 8997–9013. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11003-w
The use of online learning courses can have a positive effect in the context of the study and dissemination of Chinese folk music. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of an innovative teaching model of massive open online courses to assess the possibility of changes in the approaches to the study of Chinese folk music in higher education. The study used Massive Open Online Courses and a survey of respondents. The study, which took place from January to July within the framework of the 2020–2021 academic year, involved second-year students from four educational institutions of the People’s Republic of China: Zhengzhou Sias College, China Conservatory of Music, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Fujian Normal University. A total of 419 people participated in the experiment. Comparison of the academic performance in folk music in the two groups of students suggests that the use of online courses in the context of teaching Chinese folk music is effective. The difference is 12.1% compared to the control group. The students noted that working on MOOC platforms helped them better master performance skills. The respondents also appreciated the fact that online courses with developed curricula can be an effective means of popularizing Chinese culture. This study has both practical and scientific value as it demonstrates the effectiveness of the impact of distance learning courses in the context of studying Chinese folk music. The results can be implemented in the development of training programs, the scope of application includes higher educational institutions.
Lim, C. W., Liew, K. Y., Lim, S. H., Cheema, M. S., Sulaiman, P. S., Harith, H. H., Saidi, H. I., & Tham, C. L. (2024). Acquisition of aseptic techniques using virtual reality: a randomized trial on performance, emotion and experience. Education and Information Technologies, 29(16), 22313–22340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12696-x
The aseptic technique is essential for minimizing contamination in cell and tissue culture. However, biomedical science undergraduates in Universiti Putra Malaysia face challenges in acquiring hands-on learning experience on proper aseptic techniques due to inadequate facilities, which decreases learning interest and efficiency. To address this, an in-house virtual reality (VR) mobile application, AsepticTech VR, was developed to simulate a cell and tissue culture facility for practicing aseptic techniques. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of AsepticTech VR as a teaching and learning tool. Forty-one biomedical undergraduates were randomly assigned into test and control groups. Both groups attended a pre-test to evaluate the pre-intervention learning performances. Then, only test group participants were given access to AsepticTech VR, while both groups attended traditional lectures and practical sessions for a week. After one week, all participants took a post-test to evaluate their post-intervention learning performances. Additionally, test group participants also completed the modified Differential Emotions Scale (mDES) questionnaire to assess their emotions associated with using AsepticTech VR, and Web-Based Learning Tool (WBLT) questionnaire to assess their learning experience. The results showed that the test group participants had better learning performance improvements in the cognitive (p < 0.05) and psychomotor domain (p < 0.01) compared to the control group but did not differ in their affective domain. Moreover, the test group demonstrated stronger positive emotions compared to negative emotions (p < 0.001) and had positive learning experience with AsepticTech VR. This indicates that AsepticTech VR is an effective teaching and learning tool for cell and tissue culture aseptic techniques.
Lima, N. W., Heidemann, L. A., & Garik, P. (2025). Why Teachers (Do Not) Integrate History of Science into Physics Courses: An Exploration. Science and Education, 34(5), 3233–3268. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-024-00571-7
Research has been pointing out for decades that the use of History of Science (HoS) in Physics Education has a positive impact on cognitive, metacognitive, and emotional aspects. Also, it has been proposed as a possible path for promoting a political and decolonial turn in science education. However, literature also points out that this approach still seems to be insufficiently disseminated in schools, specifically (but not only) in Brazil. In this study, we conducted research based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to determine the main factors and beliefs that can enhance or avoid the integration of HoS into physics classes and the weights of different obstacles to teachers’ intention. With this information, we can plan future actions that have a greater chance of concrete implementation in the classroom. To accomplish this, in the first stage, we conducted five semi-structured interviews with high school Brazilian teachers, which served as the basis for the development of a questionnaire that was then answered by 74 Brazilian teachers. Based on the results, we conclude that the main factor predicting the intention to use HoS in physics classes is teachers’ attitude toward HoS in Education (teachers’ attitude is more important than having time or having good didactic materials). More specifically, the most important isolated factor is the belief that HoS can help students achieve good results in standardized tests that grant access to higher education, followed by the belief that HoS helps students make sense of scientific concepts. This result poses an important tension between specialists’ orientations and physics teaching culture, which is problematized along the text. A detailed discussion of other factors and possible actions that can be developed to contribute effectively to physics education is presented.
Lippmann, M., Lawlor, N., & Leistner, C. E. (2023). Learning on OnlyFans: User Perspectives on Knowledge and Skills Acquired on the Platform. Sexuality and Culture, 27(4), 1203–1223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-022-10060-0
OnlyFans is a digital patronage platform on which over two million content creators produce sexually explicit content for more than 130 million users. Increased Internet access and innovative technologies that enhance sexuality via connections and knowledge are changing the ways people navigate their sexual lives. OnlyFans is unique due to its position between digital sex work and social media and its high degree of cultural assimilation. We explored with a mixed-method approach how OnlyFans users perceive the effects of their OnlyFans use on their sexual learning and sexual lives. A diverse sample of 425 OnlyFans users participated in our online survey. The quantitative results revealed that participants reported mostly positive influences of OnlyFans on their sexual lives, and that they learned new things in terms of sexual practices, sexual preferences, relationships, and sexual health. Participants also reported that they tried new things, including toy use, sexual identity exploration, sexual and relationship practices, and gender identity exploration. Thematic analysis for the qualitative question revealed increases in declarative/conceptual and procedural knowledge in terms of sexual improvements/expansion; improvements in relationships; self-improvement/expansion; skill acquisition; connecting with others through OnlyFans; and value-related learning outcomes. These results provide insight into the ways users engage with OnlyFans for sexual learning, exploration, and expansion at individual and partner-levels. Findings have implications for sex education and research and practice in digital spaces.
Liu, C., Wang, Y., Evans, M., & Correia, A. P. (2024). Critical antecedents of mobile learning acceptance and moderation effects: A meta-analysis on technology acceptance model. Education and Information Technologies, 29(15), 20351–20382. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12645-8
Mobile learning has gained significant recognition for its beneficial effects on learning across various dimensions. Nonetheless, ensuring consistent learner acceptance of mobile learning remains a critical factor to address. This meta-analysis study is the first comprehensive examination of critical antecedents impacting learners’ perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of mobile learning within the Technology Acceptance Model. This study undertook a comprehensive analysis of prior research conducted in both English and Chinese languages during the last 22 years. The aim was to build the Integrated Mobile Learning Acceptance Model utilizing a one-stage meta-analysis structural equation model. Five major antecedents of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were identified, and the moderating effects of education level, region, and culture were revealed. The resulting model provides a cohesive framework for understanding the factors that influence learners’ intention to use mobile learning across various contexts. At the same time, the results of the study contribute to the advancement of theory in mobile learning acceptance and have practical implications for the design and evaluation of mobile learning.
Liu, J., Dai, Q., & Chen, J. (2025). Factors affecting teachers’ use of digital resources for teaching mathematical cultures: An extended UTAUT-2 model. Education and Information Technologies, 30(6), 7659–7688. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-13105-z
Technology integration into education is a significant development that has facilitated using digital resources in teaching mathematical culture (TMC). Despite the potential benefits, there are currently limited reports on factors influencing teachers’ use of these resources for instructional purposes. Therefore, this study aims to determine the influence of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) on teachers’ behavioral intention and usage behavior towards digital resources in TMC. The study procedures were carried out based on the revised Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT-2) model. A quantitative analysis and an online survey were conducted with 418 mathematics teachers from three provinces in central and western China. The data obtained were then analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results showed that (1) performance expectancy, social influence, hedonic motivation, and habit significantly influenced teachers’ behavioral intention to use digital resources, and (2) behavioral intention as a mediator significantly promoted usage behavior with facilitating conditions, habit, and TPACK having similar effects. These results have managerial and practical implications for scholars, teachers, school principals, and policy-makers who advocate for integrating digital resources in educational contexts.
Liu, W. C. (2024). Singapore’s approach to developing teachers: a foray into international teaching assistantship. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 23(2), 175–200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-021-09301-0
International teaching experiences, even if short-termed, are great opportunities for student teachers to challenge their assumptions and scrutinise their beliefs, to discover different ways of approaching teaching and learning, and to better understand their own education system through a global education lens. They offer student teachers the context to develop their teaching competencies and serve as the milieu to crystallise their teacher identity and build a more global mental schema of teaching. This exploratory study examines how the National Institute of Education, Singapore, strived to broaden student teachers’ perspective by providing them with the opportunity to do their teaching assistantship overseas. Specifically, the inquiry question of the study was to find out what student teachers learned during their international teaching assistantship. To answer the inquiry question, reflective journals of 13 student teachers who participated in 5-week international teaching assistantship in Denmark (n = 5), Sweden (n = 4) and the United States of America (US) (n = 4) were analysed. Thematic analysis was used to identify, analyse, and report themes that emerged from the qualitative data. The themes were coded as “connection to a wider world (sub-themes: culture awareness, alternative viewpoints, global education lens)”, “observations of the school (sub-themes: class size and composition, learning assessment, technology integration)”, “professional growth (sub-themes: teacher as facilitator, understanding class profile, classroom management practices)”, and “personal growth (sub-themes: overcoming personal limitations, greater flexibility and willingness to change)”. Despite the student teachers in Denmark and Sweden facing language barrier challenges, the results indicate that all the student teachers benefited immensely from the experience. They developed broader perspectives of societies and education, made important observations of the schools, and grew professionally and personally. They noted that although there were differences in the different education systems, there were similarities in the role of teacher as facilitator, as well as curriculum goals and pedagogical approaches. They had greater appreciation of their roles as teachers and the importance of knowing their students. They overcame personal limitations and became more flexible and open to changes. The article concludes with suggestions on how to improve such experiences to enhance …
Liyanage, I., & Walker, T. (2023). English teachers’ identity-agency and curriculum reform policies in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 22(3), 427–441. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-023-09343-6
Teachers receive increasing attention as change agents within education reform policy discourses positioning their professionalism, identity, and agency as critical to implementation of reforms. However, identities either claimed by teachers or assigned by reform policies involve serious (re)negotiations on the part of teachers as they make practicality judgements in contexts changed by reforms. Using a temporal perspective of language teacher agency and dialogic conceptions of teacher identity, we explore a group of English teachers’ (re)negotiation of claimed and assigned identities in attempts to transform traditional educational culture through implementation of the New English Syllabus of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The agency of teachers was clear in unfolding dialogic negotiation of tensions between a reform-driven identity of the effective English teacher, identities assigned by other interested groups and the community, teachers’ individual claimed identities, and the possibilities of projected imagined identities. We conclude that when curriculum reform policies disrupt cultural and structural settings of the work of English teachers, temporal dimensions of dialogic (re)negotiation of professional identities play a pivotal role in reform enactment, and that policy makers must acknowledge and respond to these processes of (re)negotiation of teachers’ professional identities.
Lo Presti, A., De Rosa, A., & Zaharie, M. (2022). The route to employability: a longitudinal study on a sample of Italian job seekers. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 22(1), 227–246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-021-09482-3
This study aimed to examine the main predictors of employability, building on a recent conceptual model on employability developed by Lo Presti and Pluviano (Organ Psychol Rev 6(2): 192–211, 2016). Survey based data were collected from a sample of 263 Italian job-seekers through a longitudinal study. The results revealed that employability was more strongly determined by personal dispositions than by external factors, such as life circumstances and that the variables with the most impact were proactive personality, core self-evaluations, and educational level, rather than employability culture, family employability support, and previous work experience. The paper reveals an understanding of the relative importance of antecedents that determine employability.
Lock, G., & Sikk, J. (2022). Accident and Serendipity in Music Composition, Improvisation and Performance Art. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3855, 191–219. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84478-3_8
The chapter analyses ‘fault’ fault(accidentaccident, errorerror, failurefailure) and serendipity in the contexts of three kinds of music-related practice: compositioncomposition, improvisation and performance artperformance art. These categories vary along the axis of consciousnessconsciousness-of-errorerror as such. The tensional field between satisfaction and dissatisfaction with its potential trajectories is described in the ‘faultfault’ to serendipity progression model (FSPM). We explain underlying cognitive mechanisms, philosophical and pedagogical understandings in educational context. Improvisationimprovisation takes place in the ‘now-moment’ and establishes itself as a relating process between the performerperformer and the context. The serendipitous attitude is described as a state where accidentsaccident and surprisessurprise inspire a performer to reconfigure one’s relation to the performance situation and adapt quickly to changes in order to gain and create new possibilitiespossibility, musical rearrangements, experiences and knowledge.
Lou, Y. (2025). A study on the social integration of international secondary students in Canadian high schools. British Educational Research Journal, 51(3), 1498–1520. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.4135
Research on the international secondary students (ISS) is scarce compared with the proliferating literature on their tertiary counterparts. This paper focuses on social integration experiences of ISS from diverse ethnic backgrounds, the undergirding macro-, meso-, and micro-mechanisms, and the supports needed for their successful integration. It draws on a subset of data from a longitudinal qualitative study through an interdisciplinary conceptual framework. This study employs multiple case study designs with critical intercultural hermeneutics as an interpretive approach. Research methods involve (a) serial interviews with six ISS that spanned the 2022–2023 school year; (b) in-depth interviews with their parents, homestays, teachers, and agents; (c) online observations of the students’ virtual communities; (d) documents; and (e) research journals. It uncovers three mechanisms undergirding ISS’ social integration challenges: lack of ethnic proximity, a departmentalised classroom system and capital defence. This study suggests that stakeholders and researchers of ISS must obviate deficit-oriented and assimilationist perspectives, which attribute social integration challenges solely to ISS’ limited knowledge of mainstream culture and language. Instead, a paradigm shift is necessary to redefine the criteria for successful social integration as harmonious interaction with students from diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds, encompassing both culturally dominant and minority groups, with educators playing a central role in fostering this integration.
Luo, H., & Li, W. C. (2025). Are They Ready for Sustainability? A Study of the Environmental Attitudes of Early Childhood In-Service Teachers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 53(7), 2641–2654. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01775-w
In recent years, early childhood education for sustainability has received increasing attention. However, research on early childhood teachers in relation to this issue remains marginalized. Teachers’ environmental attitudes support children’s nature play and are strongly associated with sustainability. According to previous studies, environmental knowledge is important to pro-environmental attitudes. This article used a quantitative survey to explore the environmental attitudes of 832 early childhood in-service teachers and determined the relationship between their environmental knowledge and attitudes. The Two Major Environmental Values (2-MEV) scale was adopted to examine the environmental attitudes of the participants, including conservation and utilization. The outcomes showed that the participants had a more positive attitude toward environmental conservation and a less positive attitude toward environmental utilization. Although their environmental knowledge was relatively low, it significantly predicted their environmental attitudes toward both conservation and utilization, but the impacts were minimal. The 2-MEV scale cannot fully resolve controversies regarding the relationship between teachers’ environmental knowledge and attitudes. More attention should be given to other aspects of teachers’ jobs, such as job satisfaction and culture.
Man-Keung, S. (2022). The role of M (mathematical worlds) in HPM (history and pedagogy of Mathematics) and in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). ZDM - Mathematics Education, 54(7), 1643–1655. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-022-01375-1
It is commonly known that the letter M in the two acronyms HPM and STEM stands for mathematics, and it is natural to regard mathematics as playing a significant role in science education. However, it seems that appropriate attention is not usually accorded to the role of M in the area of STEM where mathematics tends to be marginalized. In fact, throughout history one witnesses STEM at work so that the discussion of HPM and STEM in parallel will be beneficial to both. In both the historical and pedagogical aspects, it may be worthwhile to note that history of mathematics affords some means to mirror several different mathematical worlds in the context of HPM in a pluralistic way in order to offer a fuller view of the subject. In this paper I examine this issue through sampling many examples gleaned from the history of mathematics, particularly the role of M in the world of science and technology.
Mangion, M. (2024). Creativity as a Skill for Lifelong Learning and How to Nurture it in the Workplace. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3957, 301–329. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-73393-2_12
In past research, a considerable effort was devoted to exploring the links between creativity and education within settings where younger students were concerned. From a lifelong learning perspective, there appears to be scope for exploration in the realm of adult education, more specifically by focusing on workplace learning. This chapter explores how situated learning in the workplace could provide areas where instances of creative education may be approached to create lifelong learning opportunities in these settings. Specifically, this will be considered by looking at workplace learning from a sociocultural perspective where actors, affordances, and audiences interact to transform artifacts through changing actions. The chapter will also delve into aspects of connected learning where the interactions between interests, relationships, and opportunities will be explored in the light of a typology of factors that may influence how situated learning is transferred to the workplace. The chapter goes on to explore how opportunities for deep learning may be created by actively seeking to transfer learning that is created in-situ. Through deep learning, opportunities for a creative and dynamic workplace may be created. The chapter concludes by considering a few ways in which these hubs of creative activity could be grown and nurtured.
Marques, A. S., Braga, A. F., Brito, Â., & Arantes, J. (2024). “Do I Really Need To Ask?”: Relationship Between Pornography and Sexual Consent. Sexuality and Culture, 28(5), 2246–2267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10228-w
The main objective of this study was to understand the relationship between pornography consumption and attitudes toward sexual consent. The study included 1329 adults who answered a sociodemographic questionnaire, questions about pornography consumption, Paraphilic Pornography Consumption Scale, Sexual Consent Scale, and questions about the use of verbal and non-verbal sexual consent behaviors. The results indicate that participants who don’t watch pornography have more positive attitudes towards sexual consent and those that watch pornography every day tend to feel more uncomfortable asking or giving sexual consent. Additionally, there were no gender differences in the way of giving or asking for sexual consent. Our findings acknowledge that pornography has an impact in the attitudes and behaviors of sexual consent, which reinforces the importance of mentioning its impact in sexual education classes. Sexual consent education is a fundamental part of sexual education, and in a digital world where pornography is just a click away, we need to further explore how this relationship can negatively impact people’s sexual experiences.
Marshall, S. L., & Salter, A. O. (2022). Moving beyond the boilerplate: Reflections on equity-centered reviewing for granting organizations. Science Education, 106(5), 1264–1282. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21718
This essay centers on the voices of leading scholars in science and STEM education on how equity can and should be centered in reviewing proposals for granting organizations. As the decisions made as a result of the reviewing process significantly impact the future directions of the field, we recognize the urgency in considering how equity is considered in this process. Through their experiences, four researchers offer the science and STEM community a call to action. The scholars interviewed highlighted that equitable reviewing and funding research and professional development will require changes within the science education and STEM funding ecosystem. Three overarching themes include (1) changing the ideologies and culture of science and STEM education research funding will require centering the needs of the communities being served; (2) institutions and granting organizations should adopt equity-focused and holistic rubrics and models; and 3) we each have an individual responsibility to employ equity during the review process. Thus, this essay has the potential to both inspire and provide explicit examples of how we can all center equity as we strive to transform the future of science and STEM education.
Martínez-Fernández, M. C., García-Fernández, R., Granado-Soto, M., Martín-Vázquez, C., Bermejo-Martínez, D., & Liébana-Presa, C. (2025). Porn Use and Sexting in Health Science Students: A Transversal Descriptive Study. Sexuality and Culture, 29(3), 1154–1171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10317-4
Pornography consumption among young people through smart devices, along with the practice of sexting, is on the rise. However, it is not known exactly how these variables relate to the sexual education received by this population. This study analyses pornography consumption patterns and the relationship between pornography, sexting, and affective-sexual education in Health Sciences university students. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional, and analytical study was carried out with data collected from 311 students from the Faculty of Health Sciences of a regional campus of a Spanish public university. The following questionnaires were collected through an online platform: Survey on pornography consumption among university students and Sexting Behaviour Scale. The average age of the first contact with pornography is 14.5 years old. Men are greater pornography consumers than women, and this consumption occurs online with the purpose of stimulating masturbation. Sexting is a practice carried out by the majority of those surveyed, with women receiving most of this type of messages and men being the main senders. Although more than half of the sample had received affective-sexual education, it was found to be deficient, as it did not meet the desired expectations. There is a noticeable relationship between the male gender and pornography consumption, with men being the largest consumers. People who consume pornography more frequently also show greater use of sexting. In view of these data, it is very relevant to implement and evaluate comprehensive sexuality education programs adapted to the needs of the population.
Marzocchi, A. S., & Soto, R. C. (2023). From the Front lines of active learning: Lessons learned from those who are trying. International Journal of Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, 9(2), 524–555. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40753-022-00176-x
Active learning is becoming more widely accepted in mathematics as a superior teaching method for student learning and, as a result, faculty are increasingly convinced of the benefits. Our study was designed to close a research gap by determining how to support mathematics faculty in transforming their instruction to active learning. We investigated actual challenges of faculty during the transition to more active pedagogy, then researched and tested solutions to reported challenges. To do so, we executed a participant observation study of six diverse faculty members from a mathematics department and followed typological analysis techniques of focus group and interview transcripts. Participants’ challenges include overcoming a dominant culture of teaching through lecture in the mathematics community, combatting a tendency to default to lecture, and acquiring specific skills and confidence to implement active learning. We suggest that specific characteristics of a robust department-wide professional development program could provide solutions to many challenges faced by faculty. This paper reports on the challenges for faculty, alongside proposed solutions through purposefully defined faculty professional development.
Mashoko, D. (2022). Indigenous artefacts and physics curriculum: teaching science as a cultural way of knowing. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 17(3), 863–874. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-021-10085-1
This article considers science teaching and learning as may be understood through the integration of indigenous artefacts into physics curriculum in Zimbabwean schools. It comments significance of and elaborates on the issues raised in Nadaraj Govender and Edson Mudzamiri’s paper entitled: Incorporating indigenous artefacts in developing an integrated indigenous-pedagogical model in high school physics curriculum: views of elders, teachers and learners. At the outset, I examine the study’s conceptualisation of the terms indigenous knowledge (IK) and school science. Then, I offer an alternative view on the findings in light of the ubuntu theoretical framework, as used in other studies. The article foregrounds theoretical and methodological arguments put forward by Govender and Mudzamiri for the incorporation of IK artefacts with physics education in schools. After that, I analyse the applicability of the article’s proposed integrated indigenous physics pedagogical model in the school curriculum. The paper ends with the contention that school science should be taught as a cultural way of knowing rather mere facts divorced from learners’ culture.
Matusevych, T., Romero, M., & Strutynska, O. (2024). Citizenship, Censorship, and Democracy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3866, 57–71. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-55272-4_5
This chapter delves into the ethical dilemmas that arise from the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) into the field of education. It emphasises the importance of media literacy, AI literacy, and critical use of digital technologies in order to combat information conflicts, political manipulation, and AI inequality, among other issues. Potential threats to citizenship, such as AI censorship and disinformation, are examined in this chapter. Discourse is devoted to the dangers of deepfake technology as it pertains to the dissemination of false information and the manipulation of public sentiment; the significance of comprehending AI fundamentals and enforcing ethical standards is underscored. Notwithstanding the potential hazards, this chapter acknowledges the prospective advantages of AI in the field of education, which encompass gamification and adaptive learning paths. The text culminates by emphasising the significance of AI acculturation in enabling individuals to comprehend the ethical intricacies and arrive at well-informed judgements regarding the impact of AI on democracy, education, and citizenship.
McGuire, S. N., Folkerts, R., Meadan, H., Adams, N. B., Lee, J. D., & Kaza, M. (2022). Cross Cultural Caregiver Perceptions of Challenging Behaviors and Responses. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50(8), 1343–1354. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01264-4
The ways caregivers perceive and respond to challenging behavior (CB) could depend, in part, on their cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Yet, limited research is available on the definitions, perceptions, and response strategies of CB across cultural groups, particularly among caregivers of young children with disabilities. In this exploratory multimethod study, data were collected from four diverse caregiver groups (i.e., Black, Korean American, Mexican American, and White) with young children with disabilities to understand (a) what behaviors they considered challenging and (b) how they responded to those behaviors. Data revealed similarities and differences in the types of behaviors reported and indicated caregivers rely on preplanned consequence strategies and unplanned responses.
Mekonnen, B. D., & Wubneh, C. A. (2022). Sexual Violence Against Female Students in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sexuality and Culture, 26(2), 776–791. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09899-6
Many adolescents are initiated to sex with force or coercion that can lead to a wide variety of serious sexual and reproductive health consequences. The prevalence of sexual violence among female students as reported from many fragmented studies in Ethiopia has not been systematized. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of sexual violence among female students in Ethiopia. Accordingly, articles were identified through a comprehensive search of databases in PubMed/MEDLINE, HINARI, EMBASE, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library. As a result, thirteen studies were included in this meta-analysis. The data were extracted using a standardized data extraction form. The data were imported into STATA Version 11 for analysis. Heterogeneity among reported prevalence was assessed by Forest plot, Cochran’s Q test, and I2 test. A random-effects model was calculated to estimate the pooled prevalence of sexual violence. The pooled prevalence of lifetime sexual violence against female students in Ethiopia was 48.93% (95% CI 37.61, 60.25). Subgroup analysis revealed that the highest prevalence of sexual violence against female students was observed in the Oromia region (60.23%). Higher sexual violence prevalence was found among university students with a pooled prevalence of 53.76%. This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that nearly half of female students in Ethiopia experienced sexual violence. Thus, the findings of this study suggest the need to develop prevention strategies, effective interventions, and programs to reduce violence against female students in Ethiopian educational institutions.
Melzi, G., McWayne, C., & Ochoa, W. (2022). Family Engagement and Latine Children’s Early Narrative Skills. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50(1), 83–95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01132-7
The present study examined the concurrent relations between culture-specific dimensions of family engagement for low-income, Pan-Latine families and children’s narrative ability, a critical predictor of reading success. One hundred seventy-five children and their caregivers were recruited from seven Head Start centers in a large city in the northeastern region of the US. Family engagement was assessed through a culturally grounded instrument (McWayne et al. 2013; McWayne and Melzi 2014) that measures parental behavior along one school-based and three home-based engagement dimensions. Children’s spontaneous narrative productions were elicited through two tasks: a picture-elicited and a conversational narrative task. Findings showed that family engagement dimensions were differentially related to important aspects of children’s narrative production, even after accounting for child and parent demographic characteristics. Specifically, families’ efforts to provide stimulating experiences for their children beyond “the basics” (i.e., Supplemental Education) were significantly related to children’s ability to tell longer narratives during the picture-elicited narrative task. In addition, parents’ active school-based engagement (i.e., School Participation) was significantly associated with children’s ability to narrate independently in the conversational narrative task.
Mengzhen, L., Borsje, T., Pangburn, D., Yoshida, K., Berezina, E., & Benjamin, J. (2025). Romantic Relationships in Japan: A Lens for Social Policy Recommendation. Sexuality and Culture, 29(5), 2470–2489. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10379-4
The current trends in mating show a concerning shift, with young people increasingly choosing singlehood over long-term commitment or starting families, which could lead to demographic challenges. However, addressing these problems requires understanding how people define relationships. This study explores the social representations of short-term and long-term romantic relationships to inform social policy. A survey of 112 participants (44.6% male, mean age 23.27) was conducted. As this is a qualitative research study, this sample size is sufficient to provide an exploration of the topic. The findings revealed that: (i) “love” is central to both relationship types, (ii) “sex” is more important in short-term relationships, (iii) short-term relationships emphasize “fun” and “passion,” while long-term ones prioritize “trust,” “marriage,” and “stability,” and (iv) “marriage” is universally valued, but “family” is less significant. Based on these findings, six social policies are proposed to improve relationship education, support diverse dynamics, and address gender disparities and economic stability within long-term relationships.
Mensah, E., Aboh, R., & Nsebot, U. (2022). When Sugar is no Longer Sweet: The Discourse of Regret in Sugar Relationships Among Female Youth in Nigeria. Sexuality and Culture, 26(4), 1380–1402. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-022-09948-8
The exchange of money and gifts for sexual services between older male patrons and younger female actors is a prevalent social practice which has its concomitant challenges and tales of woes. This article explores the discourse of regret in sugar or transactional relationships from the nuanced narratives and experiences of female youth in Calabar metropolis, Cross River State, South-eastern Nigeria. The study gains insights from the psychological theory of regret which describes regret as an aspect of social emotion that expresses dissatisfaction as a proof of one’s conviction of a past mistake. Drawing on ethnographic qualitative data sourced from semi-structured interviews and informal conversations with twenty female and ten male participants who have respectively been practitioners and patrons of transactional sex in the past five years, the study identifies failed promises, concurrent sexual partnership, sexual exploitation, dominance, and health challenges as predominant themes that emerge in female participants’ discourses of regret in sugar relationships. Based on our sampled population, we conclude that sugar relationships are exploitative engagements, and recommend intervention priorities like sexuality education and employment creation for young women to empower them economically and reduce their dependence on men.
Mierwald, M., Lehmann, T., & Brauch, N. (2022). Writing about the past: the impact of different authentic instructional material on students’ argument writing in history. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 37(1), 163–184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-021-00541-5
Recent research has repeatedly raised the question of how the authenticity of learning material affects learning outcomes. This question is particularly important for history education: researchers continue to debate whether teachers should use historians’ authentic working material (e.g., multiple primary sources and historical accounts) or less and inauthentic material which has been revised for different and potentially didactical reasons (e.g., material from historical culture and history textbooks). We conducted a quasi-experimental study to examine whether authentic material promotes the quality of students’ written historical arguments. Eleventh- and 12th-grade students (N = 161) were given instructional materials representing different degrees of domain-specific authenticity in three experimental conditions: the authentic condition (print documents: primary sources and historical accounts), the less authentic condition (audio documents: written original documents spoken by actors), and the inauthentic condition (a history textbook: chapters based on original documents) to work with. They were further instructed to answer a historical question in an argument-writing task using the material at hand. We assessed the quality of the students’ written historical arguments based on a coding scheme and by rating the texts, and measured students’ perception of domain-specific authenticity. The results indicate that the historical arguments of students in the authentic experimental condition were of higher quality than in both other conditions. However, there were also differences in how students experienced and worked with the given materials. We discuss these findings with regard to the authenticity of the instructional material and its presentation format, in multiple documents or a single document, in the context of history education.
Mihai, A. I., Dailey-Hebert, A. L., & Beausaert, S. (2025). Understanding the complexity of centers for teaching and learning: introducing a four-dimensional model. Higher Education, 90(6), 1693–1712. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-025-01399-y
Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) are gaining visibility in the higher education landscape as key actors that support universities in providing high-quality education and fostering a culture that values teaching and learning. While existing research on CTLs typically focuses on evaluation, impact, or institutionally context-specific work, we sought to unearth a framework that could be universally applied to understanding CTL work and functionality. Following data collection and 25 interviews with CTL Directors from higher education institutions across the USA, we created an integrative approach that brings together organizational, behavioral, and relational perspectives. The four dimensions—governance, identity, social capital, and activities—enable us to investigate CTLs from various angles and at different levels, providing valuable clues for understanding CTL performance and challenges. This integrative model can also be used as a framework to inform CTL design decisions.
Milgate, W., Copley, J., & Hill, J. (2024). Failing professional practice placements in allied health: What do we understand about the student experience? A scoping review. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 29(1), 301–327. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-023-10243-w
Professional practice placements are an essential component of allied health and nursing programs. Whilst most students pass these placements, a small percentage of students will fail or be at risk of failing. Supporting students undergoing a failing experience is a time critical, time consuming, emotional and resource-heavy task which is often undertaken by key university staff and impacts all stakeholders. Whilst several studies have provided insight into this experience from the educator and/or university perspective, this scoping review aimed to identify the students’ experience of failing or nearly failing a professional practice experience. Following Arskey and O’Malley’s framework for scoping reviews, 24 papers were included in this review. This review generated six themes including the reasons for failure, how failure looks and feels, how supports, service and strategies influence the student experience of failure, the importance of communication, relationships and organisational culture, the impact infrastructure and policies have, and the consequences of failure. The outcomes of this scoping review highlighted three key characteristics of the research to date: (a) the student voice is still largely missing; (b) the student perspective is distinctly different to that of other stakeholders; and (c) the interventions used appear not to be student-informed or student-led. Better understanding this experience from the student’s perspective could create a more sustainable practice education environment by designing and implementing more effective supports, services or strategies that reduce the overall impact a failing experience has on students and key stakeholders.
Misiaszek, G. W., Epstein-HaLevi, D. Y., Reindl, S., & Jolly, T. L. (2022). Ecopedagogy Disrupting Postdigital Divides of (Neo)Coloniality, (Eco)Racism, and Anthropocentricism: A Case Study. Postdigital Science and Education (Netherlands), Part F3828, 121–145. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97262-2_7
Looking at the growth of social media and ourselves being affected/absorbed by it, especially by digital monopolies, it becomes apparent that focusing on teaching critical media literacies is increasingly essential for socio-environmental justice and planetary sustainability and must continuously evolve along with technological ‘developments’. In this chapter we discuss the needs, possibilities, and challenges of teaching ecopedagogical literacies reinvented from Freirean pedagogies to critically read technologies through lenses of postdigitalism, media culture theories, globalizations, (de)coloniality, (eco)racism, (eco)feminism, queer theories, and Southern/Indigenous epistemologies, among others. After discussing oppressive and dominant divides, we argue that educators must teach through diverse models of ecopedagogies for praxis to disrupt unjust and unsustainable divides that other us from one another and from the rest of Nature. Through a case study of a higher education ecopedagogical course in which students created a mass literacy campaign to disrupt these divides, we discuss first-hand the key ecopedagogical needs, challenges and possibilities for disrupting and sometimes bridging socio-environmental divides. We conclude by arguing that understanding of and fighting for justice and sustainability (within and beyond the anthroposphere) must occur both inside and outside of digital spaces.
Mitra, R., Singh, P., & Mitra, N. (2025). Myths About Rape Victims in India: Understanding the Stigma and Misconceptions. Sexuality and Culture, 29(5), 2303–2327. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10368-7
Rape myths have been present in India throughout history and have been used to justify the violence and atrocities against women. The authors of this study worked with rape victims as part of a law enforcement project and witnessed rape myths during the trial and sentencing of the victims. The paper describes the different rape myths and their origin from a feminist theological perspective. The rape myths were gathered from listening to family members, judges, police officers, attorneys, medical practitioners, neighbours, media representatives, and rape survivors. The study employed a three-phase methodology starting with a literature review of rape myths, followed by a survey with a purposive sample of 221 stakeholders comprising 91 females (41.18%) and 130 males (58.82%). The final phase consisted of an additional literature review aimed at validating the source of myths identified through the survey. The analysis revealed 10 major themes, and 43 sub-themes, categorizing them into various thematic areas. The myths were categorized according to different thematic areas like—marriage myths, victim blaming myths, dignity and honour myths, rape dynamics myth, socio-cultural myths, healing and recovery myths, dehumanization myth, evidentiary myths, geographical, spatial, and temporal myths, and religion-related myths. The findings extend to understanding the deep-rooted socio-cultural and religious origins of rape myths in India through the lens of feminist theology. The study concludes with suggestions for further research and how the understanding of these rape myths can be used for their eradication at social, cultural, legal, policy, educational, psychological, and religious levels.
Mohamadi Zenouzagh, Z. (2022). The effect of professional teaching videos induction and online focused group discussion on the development of teacher competences. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 21(3), 465–488. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-022-09318-z
This study investigated the effect of video-based teaching practice followed by focused group discussion via electronic collaborative discussion forum (ECDF) on the development of teacher competences. The trend of change on teacher competences of 30 Iranian English as foreign language teachers was traced before and after treatment on quantitative and qualitative measures. First, a newly designed and validated teacher assessment questionnaire named Teacher Balanced Score Card (TBSC) was used to quantitatively account for the developments of teacher competences including clinical, critical, technical and personal from teacher, student and administrative perspectives. In quantitative measure, supervisors’ real classroom non-participant observations and theme elicitation through log analysis of ECDF according to a predetermined data coding schemata helped documenting evidences for teacher competence development on TBSC measure in pretest/posttest design. Multivariate analysis of variance results indicated that there were significant changes in technical and clinical competences. The theme elicitation in log analysis of ECDF implies that the required infrastructure for incorporation of technology, culture cultivation of its use, its role in establishing non-threatening supportive platform for teacher evaluation and its potential in teacher reflection, change initiation and management should be revisited at high levels of policy making and local levels.
Mohammadzadeh, Z., Khakbazan, Z., Rad, M., & Farnam, F. (2022). Sexual health and intimacy in women with and without Dyspareunia. Sexuality and Culture, 26(6), 2057–2069. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-022-09984-4
Despite growing studies on dyspareunia, there is still disagreement on the relation between dyspareunia and sexual health, especially with intimacy. This study compares the sexual satisfaction, function, distress, and marital intimacy between dyspareunia sufferers (D) and Pain-free (P.F.) women. A cross-sectional study in premenopausal women with self-reported dyspareunia (n = 167) and P.F. control women (n = 231) was conducted by online survey and face-to-face sampling in Iran between December 2020 and May 2021. Data were collected using a demographic checklist, self-reported dyspareunia, the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction (GMSEX), the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-6), the Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (FSDS-R), and the Marital Intimacy Scale (M.I.S.). In the D group, sexual satisfaction (P = 0.002) and sexual function (p < 0.001) were lower in all dimensions, whereas sexual distress (p < 0.001) was higher compared to the P.F. women. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in intimacy. Sexual pain was associated with younger age (OR = 0.84, P = 0.02), a lower education level (OR = 0.63, P = 0.01), more use medicines (OR = 31.46, P = 0.01), duration of pain (OR = 1.34, P = 0.01), and lower sexual satisfaction (OR = 0.95, P = 0.05). The only factor influencing intimacy was higher sexual satisfaction (OR = 0.59, p < 0.001). The study indicated that dyspareunia negatively impacted sexual satisfaction and function and caused sexual distress. However, it did not reduce intimacy. In this study, the only factor related to intimacy and the only modifiable factor related to sexual pain was sexual satisfaction. Cultural-based interventions for promoting sexual pleasure can lead to better coping with dyspareunia.
Mokwena, S., & Otieno, M. (2025). Barriers to Support-Seeking Among African Male Survivors of Sexual Trauma. Sexuality and Culture, 29(4), 1953–1970. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10357-w
The experiences of African male survivors of sexual trauma reveal significant cultural, societal, and systemic barriers to disclosure and healing. Transcripts from online mental health support groups facilitated in Zimbabwe through the SIDINL Newsletters expose challenges faced by participants, young men aged 20 to 30. Survivors detailed the impact of societal pressures, including some rigid masculinity norms and stigma, alongside isolation and limited access to tailored resources. Key themes emerged through qualitative thematic analysis, such as reluctance to define experiences as sexual violence due to cultural stigmas, fears of emasculation, and systemic neglect. Despite these obstacles, some culturally sensitive, trauma-informed support systems showed transformative potential. Online groups offered safe spaces for survivors to share their stories and validate emotions, with useful cross-cultural exchanges between local and international psychotherapists enriching the recovery process. Addressing these challenges requires policies that ensure anonymity, improve accessibility, and incorporate culturally informed approaches. Recommendations include targeted education to challenge stereotypes, trauma-informed professional training, and inclusive frameworks to address the unique needs of male survivors of sexual violence in Africa.
Molina, A., Shlezinger, K., & Cahill, H. (2023). Asking for a friend: seeking teacher help for the homophobic harassment of a peer. Australian Educational Researcher, 50(2), 481–501. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-021-00492-2
Homophobic name-calling is one of the most common forms of gender-based violence that occurs among young people at school. Yet students are reluctant to seek teacher help when homophobic bullying occurs. We investigated what enables bystanders to seek help from teachers when they witness the homophobic harassment of a peer who may be unwilling to seek help for themselves. Respondents were a sample of 2119 secondary students from 11 Australian schools. Data analysed using generalised mixed linear modelling demonstrated that student connectedness to teachers at the individual and school level were the strongest predictors of the likelihood of reporting the homophobic harassment of a peer. Findings suggest that above and beyond the effects of student relationships with teachers, a culture of teacher care at the school level is crucial in enabling students who witness homophobic bullying to seek teacher help.
Monteira, S. F., Jiménez-Aleixandre, M. P., & Martins, I. (2024). Cultural semiotic resources in young children’s science drawings. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 19(2–3), 295–315. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-024-10214-6
This study aims to explore the meanings communicated by young children with visual cultural semiotic resources available in the science classroom. It is a case study in an Early Childhood Education classroom of 23 children (3–4 years old) and their teacher, all engaged in a long-term science project about snails. We focus on the analysis of two series of drawings of snails made by children a month apart, examined through two complementary lenses: comparative content and social semiotics. The findings show that, during their first year of formal schooling, children acquired a range of semiotic resources to communicate to others, which are part of their classroom culture, rather than explicitly taught. Children used these resources to construct sophisticated meanings through their science drawings, highlighting what they considered important and accounting for different modalities and categories. These results point to the importance of supporting drawing tasks in early years, as well as providing opportunities for discussing and interpreting representations. A methodological contribution of this research regards the combination of two complementary foci in the analysis of children’s drawings that allows for a nuanced examination of their learning and abilities for meaning making.
Moore, A. (2024). Representations of Testimonial Smothering and Critical Witnessing of Rape Victim–Survivors in Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak Fanfiction. Children’s Literature in Education, 55(2), 162–178. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-022-09516-6
This paper examines how young adult (YA) literature-inspired fanfiction can be a space where responses to victim-survivors of sexual violence and rape culture are creatively and critically explored. More specifically, employing a feminist critical discourse analysis, this project zeroes in on fanfiction from Fanfiction.net (FFN) and Archive of Our Own (AO3) that is inspired by the award winning, popular, and widely-taught YA trauma novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. It investigates how authors expand on and reimagine the ways in which the victim-survivor protagonist, Melinda, is treated by her family and friends in the aftermath of sexual trauma. This project represents a piece of a larger feminist qualitative study examining how storied resistances against rape culture are being enacted online through YA fanfiction that reimagines trauma experiences. A significant finding from the work discussed here is how across the Speak fandom, fanfiction authors largely add complexity, extending or revising the testimonial smothering that Melinda experiences in the original text or by enriching and (re)producing new experiences of critical witnessing. As such, this research offers enhanced understanding about how largely adolescent creators respond, reimagine, and even resist rape culture through creative literacy practices.
Müller, J., Dreyer, A., Archer, E., & Couper, I. (2025). Exploring poems of intersectionality in the disorientation of interprofessional learning. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 30(5), 1599–1620. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-025-10428-5
Exploring students’ interprofessional education experiences highlights the occurrence of hierarchy as a barrier to collaborative practice. Individuals are however influenced by the multiple social identities of themselves and others and not just professional hierarchy. Intersectionality offers a useful lens through which to understand the complex influences of students’ learning experiences. Using poetic inquiry, this paper explores the influence of intersectionality on health professional students’ interprofessional learning experiences on two rural training platforms in South Africa. Sixteen individual interviews with final-year undergraduate students from five different healthcare professions were conducted in 2022. An inductive narrative analysis of the data was undertaken and represented using ‘found poems’. Reflexive analysis of the data presented in poems was conducted with student participants, co-authors, and an independent qualitative researcher. Themes related to the intersection of language and ethnicity, religion and profession, culture and profession as well as professional discipline and being a student were extracted from the data. Participants demonstrated disorienting learning experiences in both the clinical and social context. Using intersectionality as a lens, we have gained insight into the sometimes-disorienting influence of students’ intersecting social identities during interprofessional learning on two rural training platforms. A nuanced understanding of how multiple social identities intersect to influence experiences could help educators mitigate student and educator biases and understand structural power dynamics in training environments. Transformative learning may be a way to introduce intersectionality into both interprofessional education and health professions education in general.
Nag Chowdhuri, M. (2022). Exploring modes of engagement within reform-oriented primary mathematics textbooks in India. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 110(2), 331–351. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-021-10135-z
In India, a curriculum reform inspired by critical perspectives has sought to transform primary mathematics teaching and learning. It is aimed at strengthening socio-cultural-political connections between school mathematics and students’ life experiences, thereby challenging traditional textbook culture. At the same time, this initiative has retained the textbook as a vehicle of reform while seeking to subvert many of its established conventions. Guided by Remillard’s idea of modes of engagement, this paper analyses the innovative Math-Magic textbooks associated with the Indian National Curriculum Framework. It investigates how these textbooks represent and communicate the framework ideas, focusing on key curricular elements and on the teacher as reader. Analysing the ‘voice’ and ‘structure’ of the textbooks as well as the ‘contexts’ used, it is revealed that they use a radically unique voice to introduce school mathematics while also attempting to use authentic and socially relevant contexts within their tasks. However, they have limited structural support to communicate these ideas clearly to the teacher-reader. The paper has implications for studying reformed textbooks in primary school mathematics in the Global South, where they remain the main teaching resource for teachers. Further, by focusing on ‘context’, the notion of modes of engagement within textbooks is extended through socio-cultural perspectives.
Natanel, K. (2024). Steps Toward a Decolonial Feminist Ecology. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3864, 267–290. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-52973-3_12
This chapter explores how embodied ecological practices might stretch the space/time of teaching and learning in Higher Education, (re-)orienting students and teachers toward justice and solidarity. Inspired by Raja Shehadeh’s Palestinian Walks (2008) and recent initiatives by BIPOC and LGBTQ+ organisers to increase access to the land, we draw on experiences of facilitating encounters with the natural world in a Higher Education institution based in Devon, southwest England. While our journey begins with a walk designed to provide a break from the weight of study, unexpected ruptures open us to new modes of teaching and learning, connecting to each other and the land, and working toward material and epistemic decolonisation. Step by step, our story reveals how emergent educational futures might nourish political organising and extend the horizon/s of our work. By moving together through local woods, lanes and fields, we connect settler colonialism in Palestine/Israel with the (present-day) coloniality of Britain—in ways that insist on our accountability and action. Moving, breathing and sensing invite new forms of encounter and collectivity, which ground us in a broader ethic of care and sense of shared struggle. These ties, we suggest, are the roots of a decolonial feminist ecology.
Navarro-Mantas, L., & Sáez-Lumbreras, A. (2025). Sexuality Construction, Pornography, and Gender Violence: A Qualitative Study with Spanish Adolescents. Sexuality and Culture, 29(3), 1339–1387. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10326-3
Sexuality is a central aspect of human beings, and adolescence is a crucial period of transition from childhood to adulthood where sexual awakening occurs. As a critical aspect of life, adolescents should have quality sexual education to guide them through this transition. However, currently, educational institutions often lack structured and standardized sexual education programs that go beyond medicalized models focused on sexual and reproductive health and contraceptive use. A qualitative design using in-depth interviews with an ethnographic perspective to obtain detailed information considering the context. The Venegas model on sexual-affective education was referenced. This model identifies four significant areas: gender, sexuality, love/affection, and body. A qualitative design based on in-depth interviews was chosen to obtain detailed information about the issues mentioned. Forty semi-structured interviews were conducted with adolescents aged 13 to 20 in two groups: students of compulsory secondary education and vocational training. Results showed boys tend to prioritize physical aspects of sexuality, such as masturbation and intercourse, whereas girls tend to focus more on emotional connections and concern about contraception. Pornography, patriarchal cultural patterns, sexism, and traditional gender roles shaped these initial experiences. Meanings and practices were revealed to be conditioned by a sexist model of attraction, body dissatisfaction, and learning through pornography, which was related to experiences of normalized control and sexual violence in relationships. Some positive advancements resulting from feminist achievements were also discovered, such as understanding the value of consent, empathy, and the appreciation of alternative models of masculinity by some girls. These results highlight the importance of developing sexual education programs from a psychosocial and feminist perspective. Such programs should aim to transform cultural norms and attitudes surrounding sexuality, promoting agency and healthier and more equitable relationships among adolescents.
Ndasi, D. M., Adusei-Asante, K., Van Ha, A. V., Grobbelaar, M., & Nunfam, V. F. (2025). Evaluation of the Sources of Sexual Knowledge and Information among Men in Kenya. Sexuality and Culture, 29(1), 210–231. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10279-z
Sources of sexual knowledge and information among men have impact on quality of their sexual literacy and decision making. Sexual knowledge impacts on sexual attitudes, which underpin sexual behaviours and in turn impacts the sexual health outcomes of men. A cross-sectional quantitative survey was used to assess the sources of sexual knowledge and information among 484 Kenyan adult men aged 18–54. Data analysis was performed with STATA-16. Results showed that 79% of men learned about sex from school-based sex education, 75% and 72% from peers and mass media respectively while healthcare professionals (35%) and parents (28%) had the lowest influence on sexual knowledge and information. Understanding men’s sources of sexual knowledge and information that informs their sexual decision making can influence sexuality education planning and sexological practice policies targeted to out of school youths and older men. Hence, appraising formal peer educator’s knowledge could provide transformative sexual and reproductive health support services to men.
Ndasi, D. M., Nunfam, V. F., Adusei-Asante, K., Grobbelaar, M., & Van Ha, A. V. (2025). Sources of Sexual Knowledge and Information, and Sexual Attitudes of Men: A Narrative Synthesis of the Literature. Sexuality and Culture, 29(1), 452–493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10265-5
This study sought to synthesise evidence on the sources of sexual knowledge and information and relationship with sexual attitudes of cis men. From a review of existing literature, five categories were obtained from 11 studies and grouped into three syntheses: (1) sources of sexual knowledge and information, (2) sexual attitudes and (3) the relationship between sources of sexual knowledge and information and sexual attitudes. Sex research relation to sexual knowledge and attitudes of cis men is scant across the globe. Men desire reliable sexual information despite peers and online media being more readily available with consequences for sexual attitudes that impact on sexuality of men. We posit that research, sex education, sexological practice and policy intervention are necessary to avail knowledge that provides reliable sexual knowledge and information to men for safe sexual decision making.
Negash, S., Roberson, P. N. E., & Tadros, E. (2022). The Sexual Experiences of Heterosexual Men at Post-Incarceration: Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behaviors. Sexuality and Culture, 26(3), 878–894. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09922-w
An examination of the sexual attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors post-incarceration was conducted in the current study. Further, factors linked to sexual health (i.e., age, race, education, length imprisoned), as well as pornography consumption, and infidelity, were examined. Data were collected from 100 heterosexual men released from incarceration in the last 36 months. The prevalence of risky sexual behaviors and correlations among all sexual behavior, attitude, and knowledge items were analyzed. A series of multivariate regression models examined the moderating effect of certain demographic factors between condom use and STI/HIV testing. The most notable results revealed that a vast majority of participants engaged in inconsistent condom use during vaginal (77%), oral (92%), and anal (71%) sex. Most participants (70%) tested for STIs infrequently after engaging in unprotected sex. Consistent with this, most participants lacked knowledge about STIs, as demonstrated by the fact that, on average, they answered 37% of questions assessing knowledge on STIs correctly. Research about individuals’ sexual health risks post-incarceration commonly focuses on those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS despite most men being HIV-seronegative post-incarceration. Empirical research that directly assesses men’s sexual attitudes, knowledge and behaviors post-incarceration more generally is warranted and, therefore, the current study’s primary objective. Further, little but existing literature contends that a lack of sexual health knowledge and education are closely linked to safe sex practices post-incarceration. The current study examined these relationships further.
Nehez, J., Blossing, U., Gyllander Torkildsen, L., Lander, R., & Olin, A. (2022). Middle leaders translating knowledge about improvement: Making change in the school and preschool organisation. Journal of Educational Change, 23(3), 315–341. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-021-09418-2
This article deepens the knowledge of middle leaders’ impact on school improvement and organisation development. More precisely, it focuses on how middle leaders from comprehensive schools and preschools translated improvement strategies and tools from a municipal course on leading school improvement into their own organisations. It is based on interviews with middle leaders, teachers, and principals at two schools and two preschools. Translation theory is used as a theoretical frame. The findings show that the middle leaders translated improvement strategies based on local needs, and for several reasons: for clarification and reduction of roles and improvement areas; structuring improvement work; engaging and involving colleagues in school improvement; and developing a professional culture. When taking the role of translators, the middle leaders became central to progressing the developmental elements of local school organisations. The study recommends investing to provide middle leaders with improvement strategies and an understanding of translation theory to enable translations that aid the development of school organisations.
Nemati-Vakilabad, R., Dolatabadi, P., Hassanzadeh, R., Bozorgzad, P., & Ajri-Khameslou, M. (2024). Iranian Nurses’ Attitudes toward Transgender People: A Descriptive-Analytical Study. Sexuality and Culture, 28(6), 2470–2483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10237-9
Transgender people often encounter stigma, discrimination, and inappropriate encounters in health systems. The purpose of this study was to determine the attitude of Iranian nurses toward transgender people. This is an analytical-descriptive study conducted in Iran. 393 Iranian nurses entered the study using the convenience sampling method. The attitudes toward transgender Individuals Scale was used to survey nurses’ attitudes towards transgender people. Data was collected from 2021 to 2022. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS-14 software. A significance level of 0.05 was considered. The average score of the nurses’ attitude in this study was 68.92 ± 11.69. The results showed a significant relationship between participants’ attitudes and gender (P <.001), marital status (P <.001), education (P =.018), ward of occupation (P <.001), and having experience caring for transgender individuals (P =.004). The variables of gender, marital status, education, and having experience caring for transgender individuals predicted 0.158 of the total variances of attitudes toward transgender patients. According to the results of this study, the attitude of nurses who have cared for transgender individuals was positive. However, there is a need to increase cultural competencies and adequate education to provide the necessary care for sexual minorities.
Ng, P. T. (2025). Learning in an era of uncertainty in Singapore: diversity, lifelong learning, inspiration and paradigm shift. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 24(1), 121–127. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-023-09348-1
This is an era of uncertainty, during which adaptability is a key capability to survival and future success. What has Singapore done to develop an education system that facilitates its young to learn in such an era? Firstly, Singapore enhances the adaptive capacity of its education system by increasing its diversity. In particular, it is developing more educational pathways, areas of learning and types of schools. Secondly, Singapore emphasizes lifelong learning. In particular, Singapore will be focusing on providing more learning opportunities for working adults and enhancing support for mid-career reskilling. In these educational changes, Singapore has been addressing both hardware (changing policies) and software (addressing culture), in order to develop an education system that can facilitate learners to learn in an era of uncertainty. What will help Singapore in further developing such a system? This paper suggests two software “upgrades”, namely “inspiration by design” and “readiness for paradigm shift”. Firstly, instead of a paradigm of competence, Singapore adopts a paradigm of inspiration. In this paradigm, the aim is for students to find their inspiration to learn, and such inspiration is provided through a systemic approach. This is “inspiration by design”. Secondly, Singapore nurtures the spirit of readiness for paradigm shifts in education. An example of a paradigm shift is to be ready for the advent of artificial intelligence in education. Such readiness is about reflecting on fundamentals so that the use of artificial intelligence enhances the development of real human intelligence.
Niu, Y., Dong, Y., Zhang, J., Zhang, S., & Cao, Y. (2025). The value of athletics class with the use of virtual reality games for better communication and socialization of students. Education and Information Technologies, 30(1), 693–714. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-13206-9
This study aimed to determine the importance of socialization through sports as exemplified by athletics using interactive technologies for better socialization of students. The Small Group Socialization Scale (SGSS) was utilized for the measurement of socialization. The researchers conducted the study based on the Physical Education Department Department, [Tangshan Normal University University. One hundred 1st year students and three physical education instructors of the university took part in the study. The age of the participants was 18–20, 50% females and 50% males. The researchers divided the participants into 2 groups: experimental and control. Each of them consisted of 50 people: 25 males and 25 females. To improve socialization and evaluate the impact of innovative technologies on this process, the experimental group attended physical education classes and had additional physical education classes using virtual games. The control group attended traditional physical education classes. The results demonstrated that 25% of the control group (CG) did not want to play sports in a team, while 88% of the experimental group (EG) wanted to communicate and engage with other children in a team. Students in the experimental group, who engaged in the educational process with the involvement of virtual gaming, displayed a preference for teamwork, facilitated interpersonal communication amongst themselves, and rapidly acclimated to group dynamics. According to gender indicators, the results showed slight gender differences in the levels of socialization among male and female students. According to the results of the T-tests, the males reported higher scores in collective involvement and satisfaction with communication in a team. In the prospects of further research, there lies the development of practical recommendations regarding socialization through sports involving VR methods, which will be effectively manifested in interpersonal interactions in one’s future life.
Nogueira, V. B., Teixeira, D. G., de Lima, I. A. C. N., Moreira, M. V. C., de Oliveira, B. S. C., Pedrosa, I. M. B., de Queiroz, J. W., & Jeronimo, S. M. B. (2022). Towards an inclusive digital literacy: An experimental intervention study in a rural area of Brazil. Education and Information Technologies, 27(2), 2807–2834. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10711-z
About half of the world’s population remains without access to internet in an era of digital transformation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of implementing the use of logic and mathematics through digital literacy on a population of elementary school students in a town in Northeast Brazil. In a non-randomized experimental longitudinal intervention study, 5th-grade students were followed during one semester. They underwent observational testing during class with the use of scales to evaluate their activities in a digital environment, and they were evaluated with respect to their ability to use digital devices. A logic/math assessment was applied prior to and at the end of the course for intervention group and compared to a control group. Questionnaires were used to assess the educators’, legal guardians’ and students’ perceptions on digital habits and their respective sociodemographic features. The intervention consisted of a 16-h long course developed consisting of 8 2-h long classes which focused on digital technology, digital culture, and computational thinking. The students had a strong interest in the classes. Although some students did not have prior contact with computers, their development was outstanding. Digital literacy competencies and technology-use behavior increased throughout the semester independent of family income and use of digital devices at home. Students progressively improved their interaction with the computer (e.g. touchpad and typing skills) and their confidence in the digital environment. Students’ scores on the logic/math assessment showed significant improvement. This was not observed in the control group, demonstrating the importance of this type of intervention even with one provided by a 16-h course.
Normile, I. H. (2023). Exploring Criticality in Chinese Philosophy: Refuting Generalisations and Supporting Critical Thinking. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 42(2), 123–141. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-022-09855-3
Much of the literature exploring Chinese international student engagement with critical thinking in Western universities draws on reductive essentialisations of ‘Confucianism’ in efforts to explain cross-cultural differences. In this paper I review literature problematising these tendencies. I then shift focus from inferences about how philosophy shapes culture and individual students, toward drawing on philosophy as a ‘living’ resource for understanding and shaping the ideal of critical thinking. A cross disciplinary approach employs historical overview and philosophical interpretation within and beyond the Confucian tradition to exemplify three types of criticality common in Chinese philosophy. These are criticality within tradition, criticality of tradition, and critical integration of traditions. The result is a refutation of claims or inferences (intentional or implicit) that Chinese philosophy is not conducive to criticality. While this paper focuses on types of criticality, it also reveals a common method of criticality within Chinese philosophy, in the form of ‘creation through transmission’. This resonates with recent research calling for less confrontational and more dialogical engagement with critical processes. However, I also draw attention to examples of confrontational argumentation within Chinese philosophy, which may provide valuable resources for educators and students. Finally, I conclude careful and explicit consideration is needed regarding the types of criticality sought within Western universities to prevent educators and students from ‘speaking past’ one and other instead of ‘speaking with’ one and other in critical dialogue.
Özdemir, M., Aypay, A., Ertem, H. Y., & Gafu, G. (2025). Faculty Views on Normative Behaviors in Graduate Teaching, Research, and Mentoring. Innovative Higher Education, 50(6), 2269–2295. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-025-09813-0
Faculty members play a crucial role in shaping the ethical culture within academic institutions. Their behavior and attitudes set the tone for students and colleagues, influencing the overall moral environment of the institution. This study examines inviolable and admonitory norms in graduate teaching and mentoring within Turkish higher education (HE). Using a quantitative survey design, data were collected from 764 faculty members across 115 public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) in Türkiye. Normative behaviors were evaluated using the Graduate Teaching and Mentoring Behaviors Inventory developed by Braxton et al. (Professors behaving badly: Faculty misconduct in graduate education, 2011). Findings from descriptive and inferential statistics indicate that faculty places greater importance on inviolable norms. Additionally, participants prioritize admonitory norms related to advising and mentoring over those related to teaching. The results reveal significant differences in faculty perceptions of normative behaviors based on gender, academic title, discipline, country of Ph.D., and professional orientation, but not on administrative duty or university type. The paper concludes by offering practical implications based on these findings.
Palma-Jiménez, M., Cebrián-Robles, D., & Blanco-López, Á. (2025). Impact of Instruction Based on a Validated Learning Progression on the Argumentation Competence of Preservice Elementary Science Teachers. Science and Education, 34(1), 423–455. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-023-00468-x
Creating a culture of argumentation in the science classroom requires adequate argumentation competence among future teachers. This study analyzes the impact of instruction based on a validated learning progression on the argumentation competence of preservice elementary science teachers. The focus for the instructional module was the socioscientific issue of breastfeeding. Participants were 106 students from year 3 of a 4-year Bachelor’s in Elementary Education offered by The University of Malaga, who for the purposes of the study were divided into two groups: experimental (those who received the instructional module) and control. The impact of instruction on students’ argumentation competence was examined using a pre-test/post-test assessment tool comprising two tasks: one related to the topic of breastfeeding and which required scientific knowledge to construct or critique arguments, and another, focused on a school lunch program that did not necessitate domain-specific knowledge. Students’ responses were analyzed using rubrics that linked the assessment questions to different learning progression levels, with various performance levels being established for each question. At pretest, students in both groups achieved only intermediate or low performance levels on all the learning progression levels, with the exception of constructing a claim. Following instruction, students in the experimental group showed a significant improvement in performance in relation to all the learning progression levels analyzed, with the exception of providing a counter-critique. We believe that the instructional module and assessment tool described here could usefully be applied to other contexts of argumentation.
Pan, H. L. W., & Wiens, P. D. (2024). An Investigation of Receptivity to Curriculum Reform: Individual and Contextual Factors. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 33(1), 103–114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-023-00712-6
School practitioners’ receptivity to reform influences the success of policy implementation. In Taiwan, the Ministry of Education launched a curriculum reform in 2019. To determine how to enhance school agency for the policy, we explored the individual and contextual factors affecting receptivity to the new curriculum. With a survey design, this study recruited secondary school teachers and principals throughout Taiwan as samples. Hierarchical regression models were conducted to examine the effects of individual factors (conceptions of distributed leadership and collective learning) and organizational culture (power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and academic emphasis) on practitioners’ receptivity to curriculum reform. Both the main and interactive effects were investigated. The results indicate that respondents who positively conceived distributed leadership and collective learning were more receptive to change. Regarding the three indicators of organizational culture, we found no significant effect of power distance, while the main effect of uncertainty avoidance and the moderation effect of academic emphasis existed. Those who perceived their schools with high uncertainty avoidance levels were more resistant to reform efforts. Besides, a positive linkage between teacher conception of collective learning and affection for change was more evident in schools with less academic emphasis. Our study suggests that school reforms must be understood within the individual and school contexts. The finding about the moderation effect of academic emphasis furthermore signifies the cultural implication in Asian societies.
Park, H. S. (2022). Validation of Motivational Regulation Strategies for Korean Elementary, Middle, and High School Students. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 31(3), 269–283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-021-00558-w
This study investigates the possibility of utilizing motivational regulation strategies for elementary through high school students using a motivational regulation scale originally developed for US college students by Wolters (The 11th International Conference on Education Research. New Educational paradigm for learning and instruction, Seoul, South Korea, 2010) and Wolters and Benzon (J Exp Edu 8(2):199–221, https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973, 2013). Of primary concern were questions whether the scale would work in a very different culture and educational system and whether it could be legitimately expanded from original validation efforts for college and high school students to Korean children attending upper primary school levels. Six correlated factors were identified and corroborated across elementary, middle, and high school students using multidimensional multiple group confirmatory factor analysis. With relatively minor exceptions, this validation study indicates that the questions posed about different cultures and age groups could be answered in the affirmative: Wolters’s (The 11th International Conference on Education Research. New Educational paradigm for learning and instruction, Seoul, South Korea, 2010) and Wolters and Benzon (J Exp Edu 8(2):199–221, https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973, 2013) motivational regulation scale can be used for the three age classifications of Korean students and could be used as a tool interrogating popular motivation regulation strategies across three school levels.
Park, K., Burbank, M. D., Goldsmith, M. M., & Spikner, J. (2023). “It Will Be Hard, But It Will Be Worth the Fight”: Narratives of Preschool Teachers on Teaching for Social Justice. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51(8), 1489–1498. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01402-6
Ladson-Billings (2014) asserts educators often fail to carry out a critical form of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) by neglecting the development of sociopolitical consciousness and attending to limited understandings of “culture.” Using narrative inquiry, this study explored preschool teachers’ narratives on various factors which influenced their implementation of CRP with an emphasis on sociopolitical consciousness development by engaging young children in lessons on racism and racial justice. Our findings indicate that teachers’ beliefs and commitments, social justice driven school culture, and a flexible Montessori curriculum contributed to their implementation of CRP in order to teach for social justice.
Park, W., & Song, J. (2022). Looking back at “our science” and “our history”: an exploration of Korean preservice science teachers’ encounters with East Asian history of science. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 17(2), 355–381. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-021-10060-w
Despite the long-standing interest among science educators in using history of science in science teaching, little has been discussed around whether and how non-Western histories of science could be incorporated into science education. This study considers some opportunities and challenges of addressing East Asian history of science (EAHOS) in the science teacher education context, drawing on postcolonial science studies and global history of science. Eight undergraduate preservice science teachers (PSTs) participated in sessions on EAHOS. Our aim was to investigate the PSTs’ perceptions relating to the nature of EAHOS and its relevance to science teaching. Using interviews and reflective essays, we explore the tension coming from their dual positions as science teachers and East Asian people as they entered into the unfamiliar territory of EAHOS. When they were considering themselves specifically as science teachers, they tended to focus on the aspects of EAHOS as knowledge and concluded that it has little to do with achieving the aims of science teaching because is not part of modern science. On the contrary, when they were talking about their roles as teachers in general, they were able to come up with several educational benefits that EAHOS can offer to students, particularly in its relation to worldview and history. Additionally, several mixed feelings were expressed about the way EAHOS is often portrayed as “our” history about “our” science. Overall, the experience of exploring and discussing EAHOS provided the PSTs with an opportunity to critically reflect on science education and their responsibility as teachers in the context of broader society and culture.
Parks, M., & McKay, L. (2023). Teacher emotions and emotional labour: the significance of staffroom relationships in an Australian high school. Australian Educational Researcher, 50(3), 845–861. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-022-00529-0
A staffroom plays a number of roles, from café, through professional learning space, to independent work area. As a place of community, personal and professional relationships and camaraderie can thrive in a staffroom. Conversely, it can be a place where personal and professional relationships become fractured, resulting in a negative emotional response for the individual teacher. This qualitative case study explored the social and micropolitical factors that existed within a staffroom and played into the daily interactions and relationships of 17 Australian secondary school teachers who shared the same space. Individual interviews were conducted, focussing on emotions and emotional experiences encountered in the staffroom. This paper examines collegial relations and their impact on the emotional disposition of the individual teacher while sharing a staffroom. Thematic analysis revealed three principal factors as being in operation when participants discussed the nature of their relationships with colleagues in the staffroom: the role of emotional labour and emotional work, the sense of surveillance from visiting senior staff members, and the influence of different forms of collegiality developed with their peers. Findings emphasise the important effect of staffroom relationships on the professional and personal emotionality of a high school teacher, an underexplored area of teachers’ work.
Patil, R. B., Ingle, P. V., & Deshmukh, P. A. (2024). A Methodology for Improving the Quality of the Research Article Publications in Engineering Institutions in India: A Case Study. Innovative Higher Education, 49(4), 707–733. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-024-09703-x
Research article publication is often considered a critical indicator of academic institutions’ success and productivity. It improves the institution’s reputation, attracts talented students and faculty members, and increases the institution’s chances of receiving funding opportunities from different funding agencies. This paper provides a reliable and sustainable methodology for improving the quality and quantity of research article publications for engineering institutions in India. The various tools, techniques, and initiatives that promote research culture and improve its outcome in terms of research papers are also discussed. A case study of Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering (PCCOE), Pune, India, depicts how predictive, prescriptive, descriptive, and diagnostic data analytics approaches help to identify the barriers in the research article publications in academic institutions and provides the ways to overcome them. It also helps to set the publication targets and develop the path to perceive the targets. The outcomes and effectiveness of the case study are discussed using the papers published in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. The challenges, opportunities, and recommendations are also provided for the smooth and effective implementation of the developed methodologies.
Peng, Y., Wang, X., & Lv, Z. (2025). Adopting blended learning for teaching sport-related cultural heritage: leveraging the ‘internet plus’ model. Education and Information Technologies, 30(15), 22275–22313. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13615-4
Adopting a blended learning approach that combines multiple methods (both online and offline) to teach cultural heritage following the rapid growth of the Internet plus is the trend of the times and the future direction of development. This study explores the role of institutional support in the effectiveness of blended learning approaches within higher education institutions. Given the increasing reliance on digital technologies in educational settings, the research investigates how institutional policies, faculty development programs, and technological infrastructure contribute to student engagement, satisfaction, and academic success in blended learning environments. Data were collected from a diverse range of higher education institutions that have integrated blended learning models. The findings indicate that robust institutional support—comprising clear policies, continuous faculty training, and reliable technological infrastructure—is pivotal to enhancing the learning experience for students. Additionally, the study highlights the positive correlation between institutional support and student outcomes, emphasizing the importance of leadership and administrative involvement in fostering a culture of support for blended learning. Comparisons with previous research reveal that while technological tools and teaching methodologies are critical, the foundational support provided by institutions remains central to the successful implementation of blended learning. The study concludes with recommendations for higher education institutions to strengthen their institutional frameworks and provide targeted support to faculty and students, thus ensuring the long-term success of blended learning models. Future research directions include exploring the impact of specific technological innovations and the role of student-centered support services in further enhancing the blended learning experience.
Perrin, A. J., Calderone, E. J., & Caterson, J. (2025). Open Minds, Closed Discourse: Dynamics of Openmindedness and Speech Suppression on Campus. Innovative Higher Education, 50(6), 2145–2166. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-025-09849-2
How open-minded are college students, and to what extent does their openmindedness affect willingness to use repressive tactics to oppose ideas they object to? This study examines attitudes towards free speech and expression on a selective, private university campus, focusing on whether and when students are willing to endorse aggressive tactics to oppose viewpoints they deem objectionable. Using novel survey data from undergraduate students, we investigate students’ self-identified openmindedness compared to their willingness to endorse repressive actions such as disrupting speech or asking for the dismissal of faculty who hold viewpoints with which they disagree. While students often identified themselves as being generally open-minded and open to listening to disagreement, we found that many students also demonstrated a high willingness to use repressive techniques to silence the opinions that they disagree with. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that students with more left-leaning views (defined as more governmental support for marginalized groups and progressive positions on structural inequality) were more likely than conservative students to support such tactics. Our findings highlight the complexities of speech suppression and cancel culture on college campuses, calling for further examination of students’ motivations that drive their attitudes and behaviors in such an environment.
Placa, N., Nick, C., & Lee, J. (2024). “I Don’t Back Away from a Fight”: Examining First Year Undergraduate Latinas’ Perseverance in STEM. Journal for STEM Education Research, 7(2), 281–306. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41979-024-00120-5
Latina students have been enrolling in colleges at increasing rates but experience disproportionate levels of STEM major declaration and persistence, even at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). This qualitative study explored the first-year experiences of Latina students at a newly designated HSI to gain insights into how to serve them better as they begin their STEM coursework. Findings from semi-structured interviews suggest that while the Latinas in this study entered college with a strong interest and passion for STEM, they faced challenges during their first year due to the STEM program culture and lack of representation of Latinas in STEM. Students attributed their perseverance and sense of belonging to the social networks they developed with peers and TAs. Implications for other newly designated HSIs include formalizing peer networks, providing supports for TAs, and creating environments that better represent and highlight Latinas in STEM.
Platts, E. J., Kerner, B., Adams, N., & Archer, J. M. (2022). FEW and Far Between: Rebalancing Research and Training Priorities at the Food-Energy-Water Nexus. Science and Education, 31(5), 1383–1397. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-022-00344-0
The food-energy-water (FEW) nexus framework calls for a systems perspective on addressing complex sustainability challenges. As a sustainability science field, nexus research should in theory bring together transdisciplinary approaches drawing from a range of stakeholder knowledge and experiences. This approach would align with the competence-based training for future sustainability leaders advocated for in sustainability education literature. In practice, the field is dominated by techno-scientific approaches with superficial or peripheral attention paid to issues of social justice and community engagement. In this article, we explore how this imbalance in the literature reflects a breakdown between the ideals of sustainability training and the reality of training at the nexus and describe obstacles that may be contributing to this breakdown, including a prejudice towards the idea of “objective” science, institutional incentives, and disciplinary culture. To address these concerns, we introduce a research project focused on assessing the training of future researchers at the FEW nexus and exploring how these programs train students in particular views of what is important at the FEW nexus, such as technological solutions, stakeholder collaboration, and/or issues of equity and justice. It will also provide recommendations for creating open learning environments that are competence-based, and that incorporate multiple methods, acknowledgments of limitations, and alternate ways of knowing.
Pokorny, A., Ballen, C. J., Drake, A. G., Driessen, E. P., Fagbodun, S., Gibbens, B., Henning, J. A., McCoy, S. J., Thompson, S. K., Willis, C. G., & Lane, A. K. (2023). “Out of my control”: science undergraduates report mental health concerns and inconsistent conditions when using remote proctoring software. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-023-00141-4
Efforts to discourage academic misconduct in online learning environments frequently include the use of remote proctoring services. While these services are relatively commonplace in undergraduate science courses, there are open questions about students’ remote assessment environments and their concerns related to remote proctoring services. Using a survey distributed to 11 undergraduate science courses engaging in remote instruction at three American, public, research-focused institutions during the spring of 2021, we found that the majority of undergraduate students reported testing in suboptimal environments. Students’ concerns about remote proctoring services were closely tied to technological difficulties, fear of being wrongfully accused of cheating, and negative impacts on mental health. Our results suggest that remote proctoring services can create and perpetuate inequitable assessment environments for students, and additional research is required to understand the efficacy of their intended purpose to prevent cheating. We also advocate for continued conversations about the broader social and institutional conditions that can pressure students into cheating. While changes to academic culture are difficult, these conversations are necessary for higher education to remain relevant in an increasingly technological world.
Porter, N., & Tanabe, K. (2023). The Mimamoru Approach in Contemporary Japanese Parenting Magazines: Strategies for Disciplining Young Children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51(7), 1241–1252. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01370-x
The Japanese pedagogical strategy of mimamoru (watch and protect) has been identified by cross-culture researchers as an implicit component of early childhood education in Japan. However, little is known about the types of advice given by experts to parents regarding mimamoru. Accordingly, this study examined expert advice related to the mimamoru approach in Japanese parenting magazines from 2015 to 2019. The majority of discipline-related articles examined included discussion of the mimamoru approach for infants and toddlers in the context of dangerous child behavior, conflicts with other children, sleep problems, and daily habit building. Experts cited promotion of child autonomy and development and avoidance of over-involvement as reasons for using mimamoru. However, concerns were also raised that the mimamoru approach may increase the childrearing stress of mothers when dealing with children’s defiant behavior. The study provides an important window into the Japanese strategy of mimamoru and suggested areas of future research.
Prabowo, T. T., Sitthiworachart, J., & Sriwisathiyakun, K. (2025). Fostering student digital wellbeing through digital storytelling integrated with peer assessment. Education and Information Technologies, 30(3), 3411–3442. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12950-2
Learning activities, which blend digital storytelling with peer assessment, foster the development of crucial digital skills. They require students to engage in writing, information gathering, utilizing technology tools, synthesizing information, and providing constructive feedback on their peers’ work. This study developed and used digital storytelling integrated with peer assessment (DSIPA) to promote digital wellbeing. This study has several objectives: 1) to determine whether this integrated digital storytelling significantly improved student digital wellbeing skills compared to students who receive digital storytelling with teacher feedback (DSITF); 2) to investigate the types of peer feedback the students provided in the peer assessment activities; and 3) to explore the students’ perspectives on the learning activity with this integrated digital storytelling to promote digital wellbeing. DSIPA was implemented and evaluated; 72 Library and Information Science (LIS) students from UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Indonesia, were selected using simple random sampling. DSIPA was compared to DSITF, with each group consisting of 36 students. The developed DSIPA lesson plan was used for guiding the six-week learning activities. A digital wellbeing scale with 5-point Likert scale was used. MANOVA analysis, with a 0.05 level, revealed significant difference for digital wellbeing between DSIPA and DSITF. Students who learnt with DSIPA obtained higher scores than students who learnt with DSITF. The results of peer feedback analysis reflected a generally positive peer feedback culture, characterized by a balance of praise and constructive criticism. A thematic analysis of students’ open-ended survey responses revealed their positive perspective on the learning activity. They felt it significantly improved their digital wellbeing, along with boosting their motivation, engagement, and academic achievement. To enhance the effectiveness, developing DSIPA activities with clear objectives and structured outcomes, supported by adequate training and resources, is recommended. Actively monitoring collaborative work and implementing engaging ice-breaking activities will also promote productive learning environments.
Prehn, J., Guerzoni, M., & Graham-Blair, J. (2025). Nurturing cultural identity: creating an inclusive school environment for Indigenous youths. Australian Educational Researcher, 52(2), 1685–1705. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-024-00781-6
This article draws upon data from the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children to explore whether Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth (n = 472) feel adequately supported within their cultural identity at school, and what they believe could enhance their sense of support. The confidence of Indigenous youth in their Indigeneity within educational environments has been reported as crucial for fostering positive self-esteem, and contributes to favourable school retention and success, positive relationships with peers and staff, alongside one’s overall health and well being. Our findings indicate that a majority of the sampled Indigenous students do not report having received sufficient support from their schools towards their cultural identity. Participant-identified areas of improvement from schools in this regard include more classes and in-school activities, increased presence and recognition of culture, and greater encouragement and support. These insights are useful for informing educators, schools, and policymakers in developing educational settings that are received as valuing and nourishing Indigenous students and their cultural identity.
Puchakanit, P., & Rhein, D. (2022). Student Perceptions of Sexual Harassment in Thailand: Origins and Impact. Sexuality and Culture, 26(1), 116–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09881-2
In Thailand, the repercussions of sexual harassment are evident yet often overlooked. Legal protection is still in the development stage and the education system has not systematically incorporated sexual harassment based pedagogies within the national education agenda. Definitions and perceptions of sexual harassment vary and are often considered the byproduct of socialization and enculturation, yet gaining a better conceptualization of the subjective perception of harassment in Thailand is paramount to the development of protocols aimed at prevalence reduction. This article explores variances in Thai perceptions of sexual harassment and origins of participant knowledge of the topic. In-depth interviews were used to gain insight into this social phenomenon within the Thai context. Results indicate that the participants became aware of sexual harassment during secondary education either through media, direct observation or direct experience. Participants further distinguished varying acts of sexual harassment based on the psychological consequences of the act as opposed to the act itself. This article further discusses the influence of specific aspects of Thai culture such as conservativism, victimization and masculinity. Lastly, the authors offer an explanation for the varying conceptualizations of sexual harassment.
Purković, D., Kovačević, S., & Luttenberger, L. R. (2023). Attitudes of Croatian Pupils on the relationship of Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development with Technology and Engineering. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 33(4), 1285–1307. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-022-09779-6
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is becoming an important part of general education, based on a concept that includes three components: Environmental, Social and Economic. The sustainable development curriculum in Croatia is based on this concept, and activities in this area are mainly limited to environmental protection and ecological activities. At the same time, the technological and political context needed to take the right action and develop critical thinking and a systemic approach is lacking. In this context, a survey on pupils’ attitudes towards the relationship between technology and engineering with the themes of ecology and sustainable development was conducted to investigate the impact of this curriculum on students’ awareness. The research was conducted on a stratified sample of primary school pupils (N = 2205) from Croatia. The results show that pupils view technology as important for life and progress, but do not understand how it relates to sustainable development and environmental issues. This refers to issues of water conservation, construction of facilities, waste disposal, and understanding technology only as pollution. These results point to the need for “deeper” and transformative technology teaching that takes place in a real-world context. Only in this way can students understand the concept and meaning of sustainable development and the role and importance of technology in this context, and be educated to be responsible citizens.
Qiao, S., & Serdakova, A. (2024). The features of divergent thinking development in the framework of distance teaching students of cultural studies. Education and Information Technologies, 29(5), 5225–5241. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12013-y
The development of education directly refers to the improvement of digital technologies that contribute to new opportunities in the learning process. Based on this, the primary purpose is to examine the features of divergent thinking formation influenced by distance learning. This was accomplished using polling methods. They defined the learning format that had previously been used to teach students. The results suggested that 52% of students took a traditional learning approach since non-standard approaches to the material presentation were not previously included in the educational process. Only 12% of students studied using enhanced teaching methods due to techniques and modern technologies. The author created distance learning approaches to study Chinese culture. After four months of training, it was found that 29% of students preferred an unconventional approach because they were able to form creative thinking using interactive technologies. Combining theoretical and practical material allowed for the development of elaboration skills in 27% of students, since it was possible to apply theoretical material to develop practical skills. The learning results revealed that 91% of students earned high marks in the study of Chinese culture, with an average score of 0.83. This was due to the possibility of using creative thinking to solve the tasks. The article holds significant scientific value for researchers actively involved in the development of methodologies concerning the distance learning format.
Qimei, Z. (2022). Cultural Authenticity Within Adaptation: Two Gesar Themed Children’s Books. Children’s Literature in Education, 53(4), 411–424. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-022-09487-8
Gesar (ge sar) is a warrior-like king in the realm of Ling (gling) and the protagonist of a voluminous folkloric poem that many Tibetan bards have performed for centuries. With Gesar’s increasing fame in modern times, the orature has become a quintessential representation of Tibetan culture. This paper compares two children’s books that draw on the Gesar tradition, Tibetan Heroic Epic: Gesar Children’s Literature Collection (gling ge sar sgrung gi byis pa’i rtsom rig dpe tshogs) and Gesar Epic: Hor-Ling Battle (ge sar rgyal po’i sgrung hor gling gyul ‘gyed). The two books approach the relationship between adaptation and authenticity differently, with Tibetan Heroic Epic adhering to textual renditions of the orature, while Gesar Epic significantly transforms the ancient tradition. The latter is more accessible for children. As much as the editors of Tibetan Heroic Epic aspire to present an authentic Tibetan tradition to children, their method of literal transcription is unappealing and unsuccessful. The problem of Tibetan Heroic Epic mainly lies in a flawed understanding of cultural authenticity. Culture, when alive and thriving, is mobile and fluid. Hence, the authenticity of culture is not about keeping a tradition unchanged from the past to the future. With Gesar’s adaptation in children’s literature as an example, the author argues that cultural authenticity is not an imagined reservoir of immutability. Instead, authenticity is generated from changes made by people who know and own that particular culture.
Qu, X. X., Liu, X. N., & Yang, Z. (2023). The factors influencing balanced development of primary and secondary school teachers’ IT application ability. Education and Information Technologies, 28(8), 10555–10579. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11554-y
Facing the new demand of equitable and quality education balance, the balanced development of teachers’ IT application ability has become an important element of teachers’ balanced development at the quality level. The balanced development of teachers’ IT application ability has a two-dimensional connotation structure, that is, the development problem in the time dimension and the balance problem in spatial dimension. The study adopted quantitative and qualitative inter-evidence approach, through the establishment of the influencing factors and of the balanced development of primary and secondary school teachers’ IT application ability and its hypothesis structure model, model verification by factor analysis, and correlation analysis by multiple regression. Finally, it is found that the balanced development of regional teachers’ IT application ability was jointly influenced by five factors at the same time, and the significant degree of influence was in the order of regional policy and school system, information construction and training, self-efficacy, regional culture and application atmosphere, and skill base.
Quinlan, C. L. (2024). Framing and determining science content and standards for cultural representation of African American heritage in science content knowledge. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 19(1), 47–75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-023-10195-y
This paper is part of a larger NSF funded research project that situates the lived experiences and narratives of African Americans and Black heritage in the K-12 science curriculum. This work contributes to research on the science capital, and on positive and empowering identity construction for the African Diaspora. This study takes the position that K-12 science curricula, content, and standards do not support nor do they adequately facilitate an integrated inclusion of Black heritage, narratives, and lived experiences from a position of strength. This study uses the research literature and archives that reflect the social, cultural, and historical narratives and underpinnings of early African Americans, Africans, and Black heritage that can be used to learn science. In this research, well established frameworks vetted by scientists and science educators were used to extract from Black narratives and literature data. It is important to note that these well-respected frameworks do not specifically point to the inclusion of Black people nor do they highlight the cultural resources of African Americans or Black heritage. The Next Generation Science Standards were used to explore and explain the data. The results show that sociocultural and historical data that reflect the science experiences and the political and economic underpinnings of the African American experience and Black heritage can be used to understand the three dimensions of STEM in the Next Generation Science Standards—namely the Disciplinary Core Ideas, Nature of Science, and Crosscutting Concepts. Emergent concepts implicate adaptations of early African Americans. Implications for understandings about science that benefit all and that promote insights into the science of environmental sustainability and culture are indicated. Sample modifications and inclusions in the science standards are provided.
Radford, L., Salinas-Hernández, U., & Sacristán, A. I. (2023). A dialogue between two theoretical perspectives on languages and resource use in mathematics teaching and learning. ZDM - Mathematics Education, 55(3), 611–626. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-022-01459-y
In this paper, we turn to the notion of networking theories with the aim of contrasting two theoretical mathematics education perspectives inspired by Vygotsky’s work, namely, the Theory of Objectification and the Documentational Approach to Didactics. We are interested in comparing/contrasting these theories in accordance with the following three main questions: (a) the role that the theories ascribe to language and resources; (b) the conceptions that the theories bring forward concerning the teacher, and (c) the understandings they offer of the mathematics classroom. In the first part of the paper, some basic concepts of each perspective are presented. The second part includes some episodes from a lesson on the teaching and learning of algebra in a Grade 1 class (6–7-year-old students). The episodes serve as background to carry out, in the third part of the paper, a dialogue between proponents of the theoretical perspectives around the identified main questions. The dialogue shows some theoretical complementarities and differences and reveals, in particular, different conceptions of the teacher and the limits and possibilities that language affords in teaching–learning mathematics.
Rahimi, A. R., & Cheraghi, Z. (2024). Unifying EFL learners’ online self-regulation and online motivational self-system in MOOCs: A structural equation modeling approach. Journal of Computers in Education, 11(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40692-022-00245-9
Being renowned as the state-of-the-art of open educational movement, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have been expanded noticeably in online schooling. This study aims to unify learners’ online motivational self-system and online self-regulation in MOOC. To meet this end, 358 Iranian EFL learners from five cities in Iran were signed up on two online platforms (i.e., Edmodo and Google Classroom) and responded to two questionnaires of Online Language Learning Motivation (OLLM) and Online Self-Regulation (OSEL) developed by Zheng et al. (2018). The result of the structural equation modeling (SEM) portrayed learners with positive future images and intrinsic interest in English culture that could manage their online self-regulation. Additionally, learners who learn English for their extrinsic objectives and optimize their social obligation and expectation could manipulate their language learning behaviors in MOOC. Furthermore, learners with a low online language learning experience could positively manipulate their self-regulation the implications of the current study are taking language learners’ ideal image priority on their online achievement and encouraging them to interact with the target culture in MOOC.
Rakow, K. E., Priestley, M., Byrom, N. C., Foster, J. L. H., & Dommett, E. J. (2025). Their wellbeing affects our wellbeing: student perspectives of lecturer wellbeing and its consequences for student wellbeing. Higher Education, 90(4), 1065–1082. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01365-0
A “whole university approach” has been recommended for addressing concerns about the wellbeing of UK university lecturers and students. Previously, staff wellbeing has been explored from staff perspectives. Student wellbeing has been explored from the perspectives of both students and staff. However, little research has been conducted on student perspectives on staff wellbeing and its possible impact on students. Addressing this gap, this study explored student perceptions of their lecturers’ wellbeing and ways that it can impact on student wellbeing. Three themes were identified from the thematic analysis of 9 focus groups with 41 undergraduate students. First, students notice their lecturer wellbeing, particularly if they have the opportunity to interact with their lecturers. Second, students perceive that their lecturers’ wellbeing can be affected by university policies and practices, student behaviours, and external factors. Third, lecturer wellbeing and student wellbeing are often reciprocal, emphasising the importance of lecturer-student interactions. These findings have implications for a whole university approach, namely development of university practices that support sufficient time for constructive lecturer-student interactions, such as timetabling, allocation of administrative tasks, class size and staffing levels.
Ramachandran, A., Mouat, I. C., & Öberg, G. (2023). Incorporating equity, diversity, and inclusion in science: Lessons learned from an undergraduate seminar. Science Education, 107(1), 180–202. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21768
Questions of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the sciences have taken center stage in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement of 2020. This paper focuses on the experiences of academics engaging in such work, particularly in their roles as educators, by sharing two of the authors’ experiences introducing equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives in a first-year science course at a Canadian university. Using critical research methodologies like narrative inquiry and memory work, we look at three separate instances where complex personal, institutional and course attributes fostered, allowed, or hindered efforts to bring these initiatives into the classroom. We consider how problematic incidents and obstacles relating to the organization of content on equity, diversity, and inclusion in science cropped up during the process, how they were perceived and handled in the moment, as well as the authors’ reflections, takeaways, and lessons learned from the experience. These stories suggest that efforts to center discussions about equity, diversity, and inclusion in undergraduate science classrooms can be unpredictable and complex, particularly at the day-to-day level; this is especially the case when handling subtler microaggressions rather than clear instances of discrimination or harassment. Our study points to the importance of creating a more permanent institutional memory for initiatives that outlive those who initiated and organized them, so that they become embedded within the culture of a course or department.
Ramanathan, G., Carter, D., & Wenner, J. (2022). A Framework for Scientific Inquiry in Preschool. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50(7), 1263–1277. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01259-1
Preschool children have the capacity to engage in scientific practices and inquiry and develop understanding at a conceptual level. While engaging in inquiry with preschool students, teachers transition from being transmitters of knowledge to facilitators in the educational process as students take on an active role in this learner-centered approach. Although studies have explored how preschool students can engage in inquiry-based science, there is a dearth of research on what teachers need to do to ensure their students are engaging in meaningful, inquiry-based science. Considering the nature of preschool students’ play—curious exploration throughout the day—this study sought to review the literature on preschool scientific inquiry and report on significant themes. The purpose of this paper is to develop a research-based framework for inquiry-based science exploration in preschool settings that cuts across specific interventions, science concepts, or activities to provide teachers with strategies to build and sustain a culture of inquiry that permeates all aspects of their preschool program. To create this framework, 15 studies were analyzed, and five major themes were uncovered regarding how teachers engaged students in inquiry. With students’ curiosity, wonderings, and interests as an essential starting point, the framework outlines these five themes as teacher strategies to support scientific inquiry in preschool. These strategies, rather than implemented in isolation, blend together to assist teachers in transforming play and teacher-initiated or child-initiated activities into rigorous learning and support the creation of a culture of inquiry that is part of their classroom environment.
Ramassa, P., Avallone, F., & Quagli, A. (2024). Can “publishing game” pressures affect the research topic choice? A survey of European accounting researchers. Journal of Management and Governance, 28(2), 507–542. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10997-023-09667-8
This study explores the uninvestigated area of research agenda setting, which has considerable influence on the societal impact of accounting academia, which the paying-off mentality stemming from a “publish or perish” culture risks jeopardizing. More specifically, it investigates the research topic choice of accounting researchers to ascertain whether and how the “publishing game” pressures induced by the governance principles of new public management influence this crucial decision. Survey evidence shows that European accounting researchers choose their research topics by considering (i) explicit research requests, (ii) short-term publishing opportunities, (iii) practical and educational needs, and (iv) the intellectual needs of the academic community. In this respect, researchers seem to form a heterogeneous community that places varying importance on these factors, suggesting different effects of “publishing game” pressures. The three clusters aim at societal impact through diverse avenues, while the probability of rapid publishing seems to be the primary driver of another cluster, thus revealing a substantial risk of goal displacement. This study contributes to the debate on publishing pressures in accounting academia by complementing the contextualized reflections of previous literature with evidence documenting their effects on what (in addition to how) accounting researchers study. These findings have policy and practical implications that can help policymakers, university managers, gatekeepers of the publishing process, and our entire academic community.
Rambe, P., Mkono, M., & Meda, L. (2024). WhatsApp adoption for the honing of university students’ career management competencies: A netnograghic approach. Education and Information Technologies, 29(3), 2645–2677. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11922-2
This study employs an Afro-centric framework of Digital Unhu (i.e. digital humanism) and netnographic accounts of supervisor-supervisee interactions to investigate Mobile Instant Messaging mediated interaction as a platform for honing students’ career management competencies. While many existing studies foreground Western epistemological lenses that have limited resonance with resource-constrained African contexts, the Afro-centric Digital Unhu framework enabled a more nuanced delineation of student-supervisor interaction as it was enacted in a South African university setting. Findings demonstrated that WhatsApp-mediated interaction, framed within the African ethos of Digital Unhu, provided a dynamic and highly personal environment in which the supervisor could delicately coach students in various career related processes, namely, the negotiation of competing family and job hunt commitments, career planning, job applications and salary negotiations, resignations, and managing career frustrations. More broadly, the study demonstrates the central role of Unhu in negotiating student-supervisor interactions in the unique cultural setting, in tension to a degree with the Western philosophical thinking in which South African higher education is situated. Further, contrary to common characterisations of texting culture as a youth phenomenon, both student and supervisor were able to leverage WhatsApp to achieve career management ends.
Rasmussen, L. J. T., & Elbæk, L. (2023). Body. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3861, 23–37. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41907-2_3
This chapter argues that the analytical ‘cut’ of the body in traditional creativity research is detrimental to not only theoretical conceptualization about creativity but also our possibilities for practical action in terms of making creativity more tangible in educational and workplace settings. Expanding contemporary research on embodied creativity, the body is portrayed as a connecting entity for person and environment, and as a vehicle for the active and creative way humans can relate to and engage with situations, others, and physical tools. As a junction for personal capacities and societal forces, the body ultimately determines not only the nature of the creative process but also its means and ramifications. To pave the way for focusing more on the body in the theory, research, and practice of creativity, this chapter sketches a model of the creative body containing a tentative selection of unique movement potentials of the body (i.e., hands, legs, senses, gut, and heart). Using this everyday conception of the body to explore different theoretical perspectives of embodiment in relation to creative actions, the chapter shows that a greater focus on the body may enrich not only our understanding of creative activities but also our capacity to nurture it in educational and workplace settings.
Rawlings, V. (2024). ‘I want to make a difference’: Students co-researching school cultures of gender and sexuality. Australian Educational Researcher, 51(3), 869–888. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-024-00701-8
Research on violence in schools has been dominated by ‘bullying’ discourse and methodologies that place individualised pathos at the centre of problematic behaviours. This focus has resulted in the neglect of broader structures of power such as gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and class in the violence enacted and encountered by young people. As a result, institutional solutions to school violence have often failed to acknowledge and respond to the ways that gender and sexuality might operate in the lives of young people, instead offering simplistic strategies to reduce ubiquitous forms of ‘bullying’. Simultaneously, political discourses and research challenges further prohibit young people from contributing to targeted and critical interventions into the socio-cultural practices of gender- and sexuality-making in schools. As outsiders to these nuanced, complex, and dynamic spaces, university-based researchers often lack vocabulary and literacy, especially in relation to always-shifting meanings around gender and sexuality. In this paper, I argue for the need to actively include young people in research praxis to co-investigate school cultures of gender and sexuality using a Community-Led Research (CLR) approach. Reporting on work with ten student co-researchers that formed two groups in two schools in Australia, the paper details some of the ways that they impacted and benefitted the early phases of a three-year project, including through impacting methods, participant engagement, data analysis and the implementation of new strategies to improve school cultures of gender and sexuality. This article also illustrates some of the challenges and opportunities that CLR methodologies produce when working in less structured settings, including ethical and social challenges that emerge in iterative research praxis. Findings argue for the rights of young people to exert their hopes for their school cultures that relate to gender and sexuality, particularly through research-based empowerment. While often slower and more difficult, co-researching with young people can produce opportunities for transformation and change not only of research processes, but also of researchers and their communities.
Reis-Andersson, J. (2024). Leading the digitalisation process in K–12 schools – The school leaders’ perspective. Education and Information Technologies, 29(3), 2585–2603. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11935-x
Digital technologies have increased worldwide in the last years. In addition, the pandemic has strengthened digital technologies’ roles in education, requiring twenty-first-century skills, such as digital competence, and indicating a new normal. Digitalisation in education creates opportunities that could lead to positive effects if digital technologies are applied correctly. However, applying digital technologies can incorrectly trigger a negative development – for example, increasing workload due to nonfriendly user interfaces in software and reducing the motivation to apply digital technologies in education due to a lack of digital competence. Teachers require access to digital technologies and digital competence related to educational issues that influence equality within and among K–12 schools, thus making school leaders’ roles crucial in digitalising education. Three group interviews and a survey were used to collect the data in a network of three municipalities in Sweden. The data have been categorised and analysed with thematic analysis. The results show that school leaders describe the digitalisation process in the form of digital competence for teachers, access to hardware and software, and a shared culture. School leaders explain that clear guidelines, collaboration between teachers, and enough time enable digitalisation in education. However, the lack of support and the lack of resources constrain digitalisation in education. At the same time, school leaders do not often discuss their own digital competence. The school leaders’ roles in the digitalisation of K–12 schools are important, requiring digital competence for leading the digitalisation process.
Riley, A. D. (2025). Elder Black Women Science Teachers (Re)member: An Examination of Science Identity Formation for Curious Young Black Girls. Science Education, 109(3), 947–964. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21936
To specifically add to the literature on Black girls cultivating their science genius, Black women science teachers ‘talk back’ by sharing and developing their own narratives about being a science-curious young Black girl and how they use that experience to actualize their vision for liberatory science teaching. This international, qualitative study centers the (re)flections and pedagogical practices of five “elder” Black women science teachers who have surpassed and live within some of the confines of “science as white property.” Utilizing an Endarkened Feminist Epistemology, participants engage in the art of (re)membering by writing poems to their former young Black girl self as a result of (re)flecting on creating the educational structures they wish they had experienced. The findings and discussion indicate that access to science professionals at home or a once-in-a-lifetime scholarship gave the participants the privilege to be curious. Despite these privileges these women had to persist through the culture of science that told them they didn’t belong. Yet and still, they speak back with power and a determination to be seen and heard. This study provides implications for the curricular shifts and ideologies that honor Black girls in K-8 formal science spaces by merging liberatory teaching frameworks in science teaching and learning. Implications are also provided for professional development for Black women science teachers and other historically excluded groups, giving them space to (re)flect and to unearth their truth through reflecting on their history and collaborating with peers.
Rodney, T. K., & Lee-Johnson, Y. L. (2024). Pushing the Boundaries of White Colonial Epistemologies to Create Transformative Learning Experiences. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3957, 331–346. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-73393-2_13
We are yet again at a historical crossroads in how we understand and discuss race and conversations about the world’s colonial past. As the racist structures that exist in our society, and by extension the world, become more apparent having survived the eras and agency of the past, it is obvious that race and diverse representation are still issues that impact individuals and communities. In our ever-diverse world, race cannot be ignored. The field of creativity and creative education is no exception. As researchers and scholars, we seek to interrogate the power and role of epistemology in framing organizations, movements, and, ultimately, creative education and offer solutions of inclusion that will challenge the white epistemologies that link from our colonial past. In challenging these white epistemologies, we seek truly transformative learning experiences for all learners, including those creative learners who are nonwhite.
Romero, M., Lameras, P., & Arnab, S. (2024). Affordances for AI-Enhanced Digital Game-Based Learning. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3866, 117–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-55272-4_9
This chapter investigates the dynamic synergy between pedagogy, social dynamics, and technological developments in Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL), which is enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI). The chapter navigates through educational modifications, learner profiling challenges, social enhancements, and technical considerations, emphasising AI’s revolutionary influence. The topic expands on the critical interaction between learning analytics and machine learning, demonstrating AI’s promise for personalised and adaptable DGBL experiences. The practical ramifications of real-time feedback in AI-driven DGBL are discussed, with the goal of providing timely instruction and encouraging positive behaviours. Finally, the chapter sheds light on the collaborative evolution of AI-enhanced education, providing useful insights for educators, instructional designers, and developers in creating optimised digital learning environments.
Rose, S. M., Farhangi, S., Hospital, M., & Wood, K. (2025). Effectiveness of a Bystander Intervention Training Program to Interrupt Gender and Race Bias Among U.S and Foreign Faculty. Innovative Higher Education, 50(3), 967–995. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-024-09765-x
This study evaluates the effectiveness of a Bystander LeadershipTM Program (BLP) designed to mitigate gender and racial biases among faculty at a research university. The BLP workshop, grounded in comprehensive local research, provided faculty with practical intervention skills to address observed biases in academic settings. A quasi-experimental design was employed, involving tenured and tenure-track faculty (N = 253) from STEM and Social and Behavioral Science (SBS) departments. Participants were surveyed before and three months after the workshop (Intervention Group) or three months apart (Comparison Group), assessing five variables: notice bias, self-efficacy, perceived benefits of action, perceived risks of action, and actual intervention in bias incidents. The findings reveal that the Intervention Group exhibited significant increases in self-efficacy and actual interventions from pretest to posttest, unlike the Comparison Group, which showed no changes. Notably, foreign-born faculty initially had lower notice bias scores compared to U.S.-born faculty. Post-intervention, notice bias significantly increased among foreign-born faculty in the Intervention Group. Furthermore, a 60% faculty participation rate was identified as the threshold for perceiving departmental endorsement of inclusive practices. These results underscore the BLP’s potential to enhance faculty’s confidence and proactive engagement in addressing bias, particularly among foreign-born faculty, and highlight the importance of broad participation for fostering inclusive academic environments.
Roth, W. M. (2023). Boundaries and borderlands viewed from the perspective of a fluid ontology. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 18(2), 327–344. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-023-10176-1
A Cartesian conception of material space views each part as external to every other part: partes extra partes. Because two material things cannot occupy the same space, each of it exists in itself, separated by a boundary from everything else, including other things. This ontology is the origin of thinking the world in terms of self-identical entities, separated from everything else surrounding them. This leads to the borders or boundaries that separate each thing from what it is not. The areas near them are borderlands. Those capable of living on either side are “boundary workers” and “boundary crossers” or “wizards.” And “immutable mobiles” are things that without change are crossing boundaries and affording connections distinct parts of the social world. Although the concepts of borders and boundaries have had considerable currency in the scholarly literature, there have been alternate conceptions of the social and cultural world that have instead focused on the impossibility to have anything like pure parts (e.g., culture, language) and the pervasiveness of mixtures, hybridity, métissage, and heterogeneity. Any interest in coming to grips with the aliveness of life leads us to a fluid ontology, where the figure of thought is something alive, in movement, an event. The purpose of this article is to articulate a perspective on boundaries and borders through the lens of a fluid ontology of the social. A concrete case study from a physics classroom is used to exemplify the fact that life has the characteristic of a fluid, where there always are mixture and hybridity, and where the impending future always includes, unpredictable, novelty. The very boundaries and borders that are stable things and concepts in other theories are but the result of abstractions from a multitude of flows and counter-flows. The fluid perspective puts into question the usefulness of a range of theoretical conceptions—including “actor network,” “third space,” and “cultural appropriation”—all of which are based on an ontology of self-identical things.
Round, M. (2024). Ethos within the British boarding school: A small-scale analysis of the ‘Head’s Welcome’ as an act of legitimation. British Educational Research Journal, 50(5), 2542–2558. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.4042
The term ethos is common within schools, describing culture and ‘feel’ of the institution. Ethos is also a contested term, and one that becomes more problematic the more one tries to understand it. Because ethos is founded within philosophical, structural and geographical aspects of the community and associated power balances, it is argued here that it provides an opportunity to study one aspect of the Bordieuan field of power, more specifically doxa. This paper posits that it may be beneficial to consider the term ethos through the lens of doxa, specifically when considering elite schools, and that doing so helps to further link the research into elite English boarding school ethos and discussions surrounding power, inculcation, authority, elitism and class within such schools. An analysis of the Head’s Welcome from the websites of English independent boarding schools was undertaken, which identified both institutional and sector-wide doxa, which were used to construct descriptive pictures of legitimation.
Rukspollmuang, C. (2022). Transforming learning for sufficiency economy philosophy and sustainable development through the triangle of living learning lab. Asia Pacific Education Review, 23(4), 595–610. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-022-09804-2
With recognition to the importance of the royal initiative Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) as the guiding principle of national development and its role as a main driver to accomplish the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs), Siam University decided to repositioning our institution, education program, and learning ecosystem accordingly. It was agreed that our students needed to learn more about how to apply SEP in practice and that they need to be nurtured and educated more about sustainable development. A research team was then appointed with 2 missions (1) to investigate students’ key competencies for sustainability in the 21st Century as needed by students and instructors and (2) to design and propose a model to transform general education program and learning for SEP and sustainable development (SD). A mixed methods approach, using document research, questionnaire, and focus group discussion, was employed. Five domains and 30 characteristics were identified as key competencies for sustainability in the 21st Century. Needs assessment questionnaire was distributed to 440 students and 160 instructors and analyzed by Modified Priority Needs Index (PNI Modified). It was found that both students and instructors ranked “appreciation, understanding, and commitment to apply the principle of sustainable development (SD) and Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) in daily life and global/social issues” as first priority (PNI Modified = 0.17, 0.36), “appreciation and preservation of Thai identity and Thai culture” as second (PNI Modified = 0.15, 0.34), and “concern, awareness and understanding global/social issues, and their impacts” as third (PNI Modified = 0.14, 0.28). Results of the study were then used as a basis in designing our general education program. The Triangle of Living Learning Lab model was then proposed as a model to transform GE program and learning for SEP and SD.
Rupnow, R., & Randazzo, B. (2023). Norms of mathematical definitions: imposing constraints, permitting choice, or both? Educational Studies in Mathematics, 114(2), 297–314. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-023-10227-y
Definitions play an important role in mathematics by stipulating objects of interest to mathematicians in order to facilitate theory building. Nevertheless, limited research has examined how mathematicians approach writing definitions or the values of the mathematical community that are upheld through norms related to definition use and writing. Based on interviews with nine algebraists/category theorists, we characterize two mathematical values upheld through definitions: clarity in and for communication and freedom of choice in the use and writing of definitions. Further results highlight the norms and values related to defining that participants do and do not claim to discuss through their instruction, including a clear emphasis on precision and rigor in mathematics but limited attempts to show that definitions are created by people to serve their needs. Implications include a need for providing instructional opportunities for students to engage with more mathematical values in order to better understand what algebraists do.
Salas-Rodríguez, F., & Lara, S. (2023). Unpacking collective teacher efficacy in primary schools: student achievement and professional development. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 22(2), 193–214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-022-09326-z
Little is known about how teacher professional development helps enhance collective teacher efficacy so as to improve student performance. The present systematic review addresses two research questions, first by identifying 583 studies that may contribute pertinent information and then by performing in-depth analysis to eliminate those that did not meet our inclusion and quality criteria. After analyzing 18 studies, the results of this review confirm the impact of collective efficacy on student performance and highlight the importance of the role of principals in fostering a culture of trust and collaboration among school administrators and teaching staff.
Santinele Martino, A., Parks, J., & Babar, I. (2025). Love and Disability: Online Dating Guidance for Disabled People. Sexuality and Culture, 29(2), 963–987. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10308-x
Limited sexual education access often compels disabled individuals to seek guidance independently. This exploratory study examines the types of online relationship advice available to disabled people. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, 50 websites were selected based on their provision of specific, substantial advice tailored to disabled individuals. Findings reveal that 68% of the articles are authored by disabled individuals, with 82% offering advice applicable to people with various types of disabilities. Common themes in the advice include empowerment, effective communication, safety, selectivity, practical dating tips, support networks, humor, reimagining sex and relationships, and understanding personal preferences. These insights challenge normative sexuality and highlight how disabled individuals redefine intimacy, agency, and desirability. The findings suggest a broad range of advice is available, yet highlight opportunities to address the specific needs of disabled individuals in more nuanced ways.
Santos, J. M. (2024). Exploring the impact of organizational characteristics on research agendas across scientific fields. Higher Education, 88(3), 975–998. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-023-01155-0
An increasing culture of performativity has led to changes in the organizational landscape of academic institutions. While the impact of these changes on outputs is well documented, their impact on academics’ strategic research agendas is still an emerging topic. This study expands upon previous research on this issue and focuses on comparing these dynamics across all fields of science using a global sample of academics. We found that most of the relationships between organizational features and research agendas were mostly consistent across disciplines, with variations mainly in the strength rather than the direction of effects. The perceived access to resources, autonomy, and collegiality was the key driver in promoting ambitious, collaborative, discovery-driven, and multidisciplinary agendas. Furthermore, our findings suggest a concerning trend in research institutions: academics that are more willing to stay in their institutions and are more aligned with its demands are less inclined to pursue trailblazing agendas. Although most of these effects were universal, some field-specific dynamics are also discussed, notably in what concerns the so-called “hard” sciences. This study highlights the importance of promoting a collegial environment with a high degree of autonomy to foster discovery-driven research and underscores the potential risks of the “publish or perish” culture prevalent in academia.
Savina, E., & Fulton, C. (2024). Students’ and teachers’ emotions in the classroom: an ecological dynamic systems perspective. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 39(3), 2763–2781. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-024-00880-z
This paper synthesizes research on student and teacher emotions in the classroom through the lens of the Ecological Dynamic Systems model. It places emotions in immediate contexts in the classroom including emotionally expressive environment, learning/instruction, and relationships. The paper identifies specific antecedents of emotions within each context. It further discusses how the intersection of classroom events and teachers’ and students’ goals, beliefs, and relational experiences give rise to emotions. Emotions in the classroom further reflect the complex transactions between classroom and socio-historical contexts. The paper discusses how emotions are influenced by broad socio-cultural factors including educational policies and reforms, school demographics, and culture at large. Finally, it focuses on the role of appraisal for the emotions in the classroom and how appraisals are contextualized by students’ and teachers’ beliefs and personal experiences. Understanding the interplay of various contexts for emotions in the classroom will inform teacher preparation, designing instructional and behavioral interventions as well as educational policies and reforms.
Schmid, R., Pauli, C., & Petko, D. (2023). Examining the use of digital technology in schools with a school-wide approach to personalized learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 71(2), 367–390. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10167-z
A growing number of schools have recently been changing their culture of teaching and learning towards personalized learning. Our study investigates how schools use digital technology to facilitate and promote personalized practices. Based on the answers of a student questionnaire from 31 lower-secondary schools with a personalized learning policy in Switzerland, we selected the three cases with the most frequent use of digital technology in the classroom. Using key categories of digital technology implementation to frame the analysis, we examined the differences and similarities regarding the contribution of digital technology to fostering personalized learning. A systematization of our analyses resulted in three different types in terms of how schools integrate digital tools into their daily practices: 1. selective use of digital technology according to individual teacher preference; 2. selective use of digital technology according to individual student preference; and 3. structural use of digital technology in accordance with a school-wide strategy. The findings provide indications for future research and practice with respect to an implementation of personalized learning that takes full advantage of digital technology.
Schroeder, S. (2023). Encountering the Other: Settler Grammars, Native Protestant Ideology, and Citizenship in the American Girl Books. Children’s Literature in Education, 54(1), 55–72. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-021-09448-7
This paper explores the American Girl book series and its relation to the history of American education and the school’s role in the creation of the ideal American girl. Focused on the Kirsten Larson series of American Girl books, this paper explores how the settler grammars that characterize Kirsten’s encounters with an “Indian girl” named Singing Bird become entangled with the institution and ideologies of schooling to produce a certain vision of the American girl, both in the books. I argue that the author’s use of settler grammars to promote the Native Protestant Ideology throughout the series teaches Kirsten not only lessons about citizenship and morality, but the role schools should play in cultivating certain citizenship beliefs and traits in American schoolchildren. In particular, the books in the Kirsten series promotes the myth of the innate superiority of white immigrants and Native Protestant culture over the Indigenous peoples, cultures, and lands those immigrants colonized. Living in story, these representations and ideologies continue the ongoing work of colonization in a settler nation as American schoolchildren today continue to consume these oppressive narratives wrapped neatly under the title “American Girl.”.
Seffrin, P., & Teeple, J. (2024). Mate Choice, Exposure to Violence, Victimization, and Substance Use: A Comparison of Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Experiences. Sexuality and Culture, 28(4), 1512–1531. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10190-z
Heterosexual men and women who report more than the average number of sexual partners also report greater exposure to interpersonal violence and substance use. This relationship is less well-understood in sexual minorities (e.g., gay, lesbian, and bisexual). In the current study, data from 12,407 participants from four waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were examined. Psychological and sociological risk factors were controlled for in the analyses which included self-control, religiosity, depression, marital and cohabiting status, educational attainment, and employment. While exceptions are noted, the results overall lend support to the hypothesis that relationships with the opposite sex carry a greater risk of exposure to violence and substance use than do same-sex relationships. This was the case for heterosexual men and women, and also held true within some groups of sexual minorities. Among hetero and mostly heterosexual men, competition for women was found to be especially risky for violence perpetration, perhaps because the likely rivals would include other heterosexual men. The significant effects of same-sex partners were largely limited to women but were also significant and negative for heterosexual men’s drug use. Mostly heterosexual and bisexual individuals were found to have experienced more violence/victimization, used more drugs, and drank to the point of getting drunk more often (on average) than other sexual minorities. Controlling for psychological and sociological risk factors did not explain the effects of sexual orientation or sexual experience. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
Sergeev, D. (2025). Latina American and Caribbean Single Mothers in Anglophone Children’s Picturebooks. Children’s Literature in Education, 56(2), 225–237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-023-09562-8
Picturebooks are the primary source from which children receive initial understandings about family and motherhood. In this article, I discuss verbal and visual tools used in portraying Latina American and Caribbean single mothers in Katherine Leiner and Edel Rodriguez’s Mama Does the Mambo (2001), Monica Gunning and Elaine Pedlar’s A Shelter in Our Car (2004), Jonah Winter and Edel Rodriguez’s Sonia Sotomayor (2009) and Yuyi Morales’s Dreamers (2018). I argue that authors employ a marginalised position of Latinx American and Caribbean characters in Anglophone children’s picturebooks to portray psychologically deep images of single mothers. The illustrators adjust semiotic tools within children’s literature and develop recognizable artistic styles to amplify these issues. White American authors often use foreign cultures as assets to speak on behalf of marginalised groups, importing their own values and stereotypes. Artists and writers develop a toolkit to navigate the perspectives of outsiders and insiders, exploring meaningful topics such as homelessness, immigration, widowhood, poverty, deprivation, grief, and depression. However, authors’ creative representations conform with the existing social institutions and family values, such as a marriage, re-partnering, gendered household chores, and unproblematized relationship with children. While symbolic conventions align with stereotypical expectations, illustrators innovate in colour palettes and artistic techniques, using depictions, interactions, and language integration. Despite constraints, these fictional single mothers exude agency on behavioural, symbolic, and psychological levels.
Settles, A. M., & Osorio, A. E. (2023). Understanding cultural differences among family pods: cultural inclusion in development of entrepreneurship curricula. Entrepreneurship Education, 6(2), 125–153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41959-023-00098-y
This paper examines the impact of family culture on students’ intentions to start their own businesses by comparing two sets of students attending the same entrepreneurship program within two different cultural contexts: the US and China. Current students’ entrepreneurial intentions models do not consider the role of students’ family culture in shaping students’ career choices. This study adds the layer of family and local cultural contexts to expand the entrepreneurial intentions model identifying the elements influencing college students’ interest in entrepreneurial activities and careers. The sample includes 478 college students: 292 from the US and 186 from China. We corroborate that regardless of the cultural background of the student, perceived feasibility and desirability of entrepreneurial activities were significant predictors of entrepreneurial intentions across all students. Yet, findings also found that the relevance of perceived family support and perceived university support varies based on the student’s family’s cultural background and context. For US students, perceived family support is relevant, while perceived university support is not. In contrast, for Chinese students, the opposite is true; perceived university support is relevant, while perceived family support is not. Implications of this counter-intuitive finding are considered in the context of developing culturally adequate university programs.
Shadiev, R., Dang, C., Sintawati, W., Yi, S., & Huang, Y. M. (2023). Facilitating information literacy and intercultural competence development through the VR Tour production learning activity. Educational Technology Research and Development, 71(6), 2507–2537. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-023-10283-4
Studies that explored intercultural competence in tele collaborative projects mostly integrated their intercultural learning activities in language learning context, and other learning contexts were neglected by researchers. In the present study, we aimed to address this gap by integrating intercultural learning and information literacy learning. We established a common learning space in which students from China and Indonesia learned together to build their information literacy and intercultural competence. A learning activity was designed in which the participants took Informatics course to learn about VR Tour production. They created virtual tours about local cultural attractions, presented them to their foreign peers, and then discussed how tours of each other can be improved. We investigated whether our learning activity can facilitate information literacy about VR Tour production and intercultural competence development. Participants’ perceptions of VR Tour production technology were also explored. Mixed methods research approach was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Our results showed that the participants developed their information literacy about VR Tour production and their intercultural competence was promoted. In addition, the participants positively perceived VR Tour production technology. Based on the results, it is suggested that a common learning space can be established in which students from different countries can learn together to build up information literacy and intercultural competence. The findings of the present study can guide educators and researchers in their design of learning activities to help students develop intercultural competence and information literacy skills and use them for communication and exchange of culture-related information.
Shadiev, R., Wang, X., Chen, X., Gayevskaya, E., & Borisov, N. (2024). Research on the impact of the learning activity supported by 360-degree video and translation technologies on cross-cultural knowledge and attitudes development. Education and Information Technologies, 29(7), 7759–7791. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12143-3
Recent evidence suggests that not many studies on technology-supported cross-cultural learning considered creating authentic, immersive learning environments and addressing the language barrier in communication among representatives of different cultures which are very critical matters in the field. The present study attempted to address this gap. To this end, we designed the cross-cultural learning activity supported by 360-degree video technology and artificial intelligence-based translation tool. Eleven students from China and thirteen students from Russia participated in the activity. They used 360-degree video technology to create virtual reality (VR) cultural content which enabled authentic, immersive cross-cultural learning experiences. They also used AI-based translation technology to bridge the language barrier when communicating and exchanging culture-related information with each other in their native language. With such learning activity, we aimed to facilitate cross-cultural knowledge and attitudes of the participants. We used the convergent mixed methods design, i.e. both qualitative and quantitative data were collected, related and interpreted in response to the research questions. Personal meaning maps (PMMs) were used to measure knowledge of the students in three aspects (i.e. categories of cross-cultural knowledge, number of related and unrelated concepts, and emerged concepts) before and after the activity. We compared PMM outcomes obtained before the learning activity with those obtained after the activity using a statistical method in order to explore cross-cultural knowledge development. In addition, development in cross-cultural knowledge of the students after participating in the learning activity was explored based on the qualitative data. That is, content of 360-degree videos was analyzed and such qualitative findings were used to support the results of the statistical test. Next, cross-cultural attitudes development was explored in four aspects (i.e. interest, curiosity, openness, and respect) using interviews. Finally, participants’ perceptions of the technological support were also researched. The results showed that the cross-cultural learning activity supported by technologies were beneficial for knowledge and attitudes development. More specifically, the activity helped the students acquire cross-cultural knowledge in eight categories. The number of related concepts significantly increased whereas the number of unrelated …
Shaw, S. C. K., Hennessy, L. R., & Anderson, J. L. (2022). The learning experiences of dyslexic medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a phenomenological study. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 27(1), 107–124. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-021-10074-7
Dyslexia is a Specific Learning Difficulty that impacts on reading and writing abilities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical schools have been forced to undertake distance learning and assessment. The wider literature suggested that e-learning might pose additional challenges for dyslexic students. Here we explore their overall experiences of learning/studying during this time in a phenomenological study. Five medical students were interviewed in depth and the audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim. Transcripts then underwent an interpretive phenomenological analysis. Our results highlighted a largely positive experience, with an improved culture of togetherness, freedom and sense of control. They also revealed issues with a lack of clinical exposure, potential negative impacts on ranking positions for those with dyslexia, and possible cheating in exams. There are some surprising results—in particular the positive responses to how remote learning was delivered. These seemed to put our participants more on a par with their non-dyslexic colleagues—except in some examinations. It is our hope that medical educators may resist a return to ‘the way things have always been done’ when the pandemic has resolved, and by doing so, continue to foster this new, positive culture and paradigm shift.
Shim, S. Y., & Thompson, J. (2025). Contextual resources supporting the co-evolution of teachers’ collective inquiry and classroom practice after the grant ended. Science Education, 109(1), 266–304. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21900
We explored how various contextual resources accumulated over multiple years operated together to facilitate a team of high school teachers’ sustained and agentive learning after a 4-year research–practice partnership (RPP) grant concluded. Specifically, we examined constellations of resources that promoted the co-evolution of the teachers’ collective inquiry in the professional learning community (PLC) and classroom instruction, focused on supporting students’ scientific explanations. We qualitatively analyzed the video/audio recordings of the PLC members’ interactions in eight 75-min PLC meetings (11 h) and a full-day professional development (8 h) and classroom teaching (34 lessons) over the period of 6 months. We found that the contextual resources accumulated from the historical 4-year RPP—including a culture of collaborative inquiry, collegial relationships, structures for teacher collaboration, and expertise embedded in individuals as well as co-developed tools and practices (cultural, social, structural, and expertise resources)—were important. These resources, in combination with emerging teacher leadership (leadership resource) and timely supports, such as school leadership and district-based funding for sustaining structures for collaboration (leadership and structural resources), enabled the teachers to launch and drive their own collaborative inquiry and shift instruction after the conclusion of the grant. The harmonized contexts led the teachers to learn across the PLC and classrooms by engaging in co-evolution mechanisms—setting goals based on classroom data, reasoning about instructional practices using various representations of teaching, and experimenting on a set of common practices across classrooms. This paper is part of the special issue on Teacher Learning and Organizational Contexts.
Shousha, N. M. (2024). Breaking the Taboo: Determinants of Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes Among Egyptian Women. Sexuality and Culture, 28(3), 1170–1183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10172-1
Drawing on 32 semi structured in-depth interviews with Egyptian women, this paper discusses determinants of sexual knowledge and attitudes among premarital and married women and women’s agency in presenting sexual desires and gaining sexual knowledge in Egypt. Three main themes emerged as follows: (1) Attitudes toward being sexually educated; the findings show that most women have a positive attitude toward sexual knowledge and being sexually educated. However, there is still some embarrassment and shame associated with expressing their sexual needs or seeking more information about them. (2) Gender inequity in sexual knowledge: respondents have reported that they face social oppression and challenges when expressing their sexual desires, and there is gender inequity in obtaining knowledge about sex. Additionally, women agreed that men have the right to obtain knowledge about sex and that Egyptian society supports men in acquiring such knowledge. (3) General knowledge about sex; the internet is the most common source of information about sex. There is agreement that intimate relationships should be an enjoyable experience for both partners. Furthermore, women have stated that there are some indicators of successful sexual relationships. The current research contributes by filling a gap in the knowledge about women’s sexual education in Egypt, where empirical literature on women’s sexual knowledge in such conservative culture is lacking.
Shultz, M., Close, E., Nissen, J., & Van Dusen, B. (2024). Enacting Culturally Relevant Pedagogy when “Mathematics Has No Color”: Epistemological Contradictions. International Journal of Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, 10(2), 486–515. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40753-023-00219-x
Culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) seeks to improve equity in instruction and leverage students’ experiences by promoting academic success, cultural competence, and sociopolitical consciousness. We examine instructors’ perceptions of student identity to understand the ways undergraduate mathematics instructors are enacting or experiencing barriers to enacting CRP. Interviews with ten mathematics faculty at Hispanic-serving institutions identified two potential barriers to enacting CRP: first, instructors’ hesitance to communicate about student identity, especially with respect to race and gender; and second, instructors holding epistemologies that mathematics is culture-free. Despite these barriers, almost all interviewees implemented the academic success tenet of CRP. These barriers may prevent instruction around cultural competence and sociopolitical consciousness, which are the two tenets that most capitalize on students’ informal knowledge, identities, and cultural experiences. Changing discourse by taking more risks in conversation and inviting a more diverse range of people to the undergraduate mathematics community are potential ways to address these barriers.
Sikder, S. (2024). Studying children’s small science and early engineering learning process to help shape their cultural identity in culturally valued play-based experience. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 19(2–3), 231–255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-023-10209-9
There are no conflicts between intentional teaching and play-based learning. However, educators find it challenging to establish the pedagogical relationship between them as they struggle to conceptualise and enact their role in the play-based context. In particular, educators’ confidence level is not enough to teach science and engineering in a play-based context. However, there is an increasing demand to integrate teaching practice for STEM learning in early childhood settings. Play is a pleasure and a leading source for children’s learning and cultural maturation process as part of their social and cultural experiences, and adults’ support can enhance children’s STEM learning process in a play-based context. This paper investigates how educators’ intentional teaching plan can support children’s small science and engineering learning process in culturally valued play. A total of 50 h of video data, representing 64 children aged from 10 months to 5 years, were collected through digital video observation over a period of seven weeks in an early childhood centre in Australia. This paper uses the dialectical interactive approach to analyse a 95-min video clip of children’s (3 to 5 years of age) play in a cultural context. It is argued that educators progress their learning and confidence to teach science and engineering in play-based settings when they could choose the activity from their community culture or centre-based practice. The findings of the study provide a pedagogical model for educators, which provides a conceptual framework for STEM-based learning in a culturally valued play.
Sinclair, C. (2022). Competing Pedagogies for the Biodigital Imaginary: What Will Happen to Teachers? Postdigital Science and Education (Netherlands), Part F3827, 277–300. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95006-4_15
In the social imaginaries that impact on education at all levels, pedagogies compete for dominance. Within the associated narratives and myths, teachers range from fusty disciplinarians to creative and inspirational mavericks, or are even replaced by robots. One-to-one dialogue with an inspirational teacher has long been regarded as a pedagogical ideal, but is incompatible with democratic approaches to education, and the social imaginary looks to innovation and technology to make up the shortfall. When infiltrated by the neoliberal imaginary, the educational imaginary again foregrounds a desire for personalized learning, but provided by commercial organizations rather than teachers. The chapter reviews the workings of social imaginaries identified in academic literature, with particular attention to pedagogy and the agency of teachers and to what may be lost through the erosion of both. There are alternative imagined futures relevant to the themes of this book, both in academic theories and the wider culture, and a biodigital imaginary may be emerging. The chapter concludes with an argument for the necessary retention of teachers in our biodigital future, to navigate the tensions, contradictions and losses exposed in the analysis and to ensure that multiple pedagogies survive.
Singh, S., Gagal, S., & Chakladar, A. (2024). A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study Analyzing the Quality of YouTube Videos as a Source of Information for Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction in English and Hindi Language. Sexuality and Culture, 28(4), 1588–1602. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10194-9
This study aimed to evaluate and compare the quality of information in YouTube videos on erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment in English and Hindi language. The English and Hindi terms for erectile dysfunction treatment were searched on YouTube, and the first 100 videos were screened. Of them, 148 videos were eligible for analysis. Quality of health information was assessed using: a modified 5-item DISCERN tool; and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) for Audio/Visual Materials. The analyzed videos had cumulative views of more than 70 million. Only 8.8% of videos had DISCERN score ≥ 4 indicating good content quality. About 46% and 40% of videos presented information in an easy-to-understand and actionable manner based on PEMAT sub-scale scores ≥ 70% respectively. The three most common treatments suggested for ED were lifestyle modification-based advice (41.2%), oral Phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors (37.8%), and penile prosthetic implantation (28.4%).Herbal/ over-the-counter medicines, and specific diet/ food item(s) were more frequently suggested in Hindi videos. Whereas, intra-cavernosal injections, MUSE suppositories, and shock wave therapy were more commonly suggested in English videos. A substantial number of videos suggested treatment strategies that were not concordant with the American Urological Association guidelines. Healthcare professionals need to be mindful of this while counseling patients and advocate for the creation of more reliable and accurate online sources of information in English and other vernacular languages like Hindi.
Smith, K., Mansfield, J., & Adams, M. (2025). Learning from a dilemma: The opportunities online teaching provided for teacher growth and development. Australian Educational Researcher, 52(1), 95–113. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-024-00704-5
The global 2020 COVID-19 pandemic impacted teaching and learning in all education institutions. The unprecedented and rapid shift from classroom based to fully online teaching raised unfamiliar dilemmas for educators, requiring immediate operational and pedagogical changes to meet previously unimagined demands. This study reports how an Australian school harnessed this experience and the teacher professional learning which ensued. Online focus groups were conducted with 50 teachers. The theoretical lens of Pedagogical equilibrium was used to explain the sense of unrest, curiosity, uncertainty and perplexity evident in teachers’ responses as they began to address unfamiliar challenges. Data analysis revealed such disequilibrium provided opportunity for teachers to work together to socially construct new professional knowledge in three key areas: teacher agency, community collaboration and teacher well-being. The findings demonstrate the importance of positioning such disruptions as opportunities for teacher professional growth and strategically encouraging teachers to reflect, articulate and share their learnings. When done effectively, these processes can embody a dynamic, collaborative community culture based on respect, reciprocity and trust. Such a culture shift not only supports the construction of both individual and collective professional knowledge but also enhances teacher well-being.
Sobrinho, A. B. F., Vieira, T. C. A., de Sousa Diegues Álvares, A., & Teles, L. F. (2024). Creativity in Teaching Calculus 1 at University. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3957, 187–207. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-73393-2_8
Advances in creativity theory currently center on several pertinent areas and its role in our society, thus broadening the discussion of how creative processes take place. In this sense, we emphasize the importance of contextualizing domains of expression and understanding individual processes in social interactions shaped by cultural features. Within the university environment, the discipline Calculus 1 is considered extremely challenging, to the point of generating high rates of dropout and failure, and negatively impacting on exact science courses. This framework opens up opportunities to investigate how creativity can be exercised in search of new results for learners, staff, and training areas. Do certain Calculus 1 teachers already unknowingly present creative solutions, and are even reluctant to communicate such externally? To what extent do they reflect upon their own creative processes? Our purpose is to investigate how it is possible to employ creativity in the teaching of Calculus 1. Hence, semi-structured interviews were conducted, allowing access to the singularities of teachers in this area. Similarly, a sequence of three classes taught by two professors in the discipline were observed to examine the didactics of each one. Our findings contribute to reflections on creativity in the teaching of Calculus 1, in the exact sciences and, to some extent, in general education.
Song, M. J. (2022). Craftspeople’s new identity: The impact of digital fabrication technologies on craft practices. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 32(4), 2365–2383. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-021-09687-1
Since 2000, craft practitioners have increasingly adopted digital fabrication technologies. Simultaneously, the public’s engagement in making through various means has escalated, disrupting the makers’ ecosystem. This study explores craft practitioners’ motivation to acquire new digital skills in the context of informal learning and professional development in Hong Kong and how they perceive potential changes in the maker culture and creative industries. This study’s methods consisted of two rounds of semi-structured interviews with 18 craft practitioners as well as participant observations during a short-term workshop in which they learned the basics of digital fabrication technologies. The findings revealed that external variables, such as social influence and facilitating conditions, are as important as personal motivations for craftspeople’s acceptance of technology. Additionally, the study found that technology has not advanced sufficiently to meet craftspeople’s expectations, and understanding of traditional craft skills is essential to take advantage of these technologies. The participants envisioned that technologies would enhance productivity and creativity in their practice and that their digital craftspeople identity would thrive due to the rise of the maker culture. For more effective incorporation of technologies into craft practices, it is suggested that a new curriculum design customized for various types of craft makers be constructed and implemented.
Song, Y. (2023). “Does Chinese philosophy count as philosophy?”: decolonial awareness and practices in international English medium instruction programs. Higher Education, 85(2), 437–453. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00842-8
This qualitative study integrates key theories on epistemic decolonization from Asia, Africa, and Latin America to investigate the decolonial awareness and curriculum practices of teachers and international students in an English as a medium of instruction (EMI) program on Chinese philosophy and culture at a top-rated university in China. Content analysis of the in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 17 informants reveals that the teachers and students all demonstrated varying degrees of decolonial awareness related to the marginalized status of Chinese philosophy in Anglo–-Eurocentric disciplinary systems and adopted the following strategies to decolonialize the curriculum and foster epistemic justice in the unequal geopolitics associated with knowledge production: (1) historicizing Chinese philosophy as a modern discipline that has emerged from inter-knowledge dialogues across philosophical traditions and is still in constant tension with the complex interplay of the semi-colonial, imperial, and Cold War legacies; (2) abandoning the Anglo-Eurocentric benchmark by pluralizing the disciplinary contemporaneity, and (3) cultivating epistemic trust in Chinese through intercultural translation. Moreover, the flexible shuttling between Chinese and English in EMI classrooms and tutorial sessions helped the informants to observe the decolonial awareness that was inherent in their understanding of the discipline-specific ontology. The findings suggest the agentive potential of teachers and international students to foster epistemic justice in EMI curriculum design and implementation that counters the hegemony of English as a colonial force. Finally, implications for decoloniality-informed EMI policymaking and curriculum internationalization are discussed.
Soyoof, A., Reynolds, B. L., Neumann, M. M., & Vazquez-Calvo, B. (2025). Maternal Scaffolding of Iranian Children’s Extramural Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE): A Qualitative Study. Early Childhood Education Journal, 53(5), 1865–1881. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01675-z
Previous research has acknowledged that informal digital learning of English (IDLE) between parents and children can play an important role in children’s first and second language (L1 and L2) learning. However, most previous parent–child studies have been conducted in Western countries where English is the child’s first language. This study aimed to understand how Iranian children learn English as an L2 in a home context through mother–child home digital experiences. Five Iranian families which included six children, aged 6 to 7 years old, and their mothers were recruited as participants to explore mother–child IDLE experiences. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and observations of mother–child L2 English interactions with popular culture using Video-Stimulated Recall (VSR) methods. The overall findings revealed children are interested in popular culture (e.g., playing Lego Jurassic World as a digital game, watching Princess Mononoke as an animation, and engaging with Drawing for Kids applications in English) and their dominant Discourses at home were gaming, narration, female role-modeling, music, and artistic experiences. Moreover, the findings showed that the role of mothers as scaffolders is essential for enhancing their children’s learning at home, whether by asking questions or helping children discuss their favorite popular culture. However, maternal scaffolding can be improved by providing mothers with guidance to effectively support their children’s IDLE which can further enhance their children’s learning outcomes.
Starkey, L., Yates, A., de Roiste, M., Lundqvist, K., Ormond, A., Randal, J., & Sylvester, A. (2023). Each discipline is different: teacher capabilities for future-focussed digitally infused undergraduate programmes. Educational Technology Research and Development, 71(1), 117–136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-023-10196-2
Disciplines in Higher Education have their own interpretations of what is essential knowledge that influences what is taught, how teaching occurs, and the role of digital tools. Disciplinary culture is dynamic and evolving, informed by disciplinary research and technology improvement. During the COVID-19 pandemic, digital solutions enabled ongoing teaching when undergraduate courses could not be taught on campus, in lecture theatres, seminar rooms, laboratories, or in the field. Using digital tools and changes in teaching practices has created a context where Higher Education teachers must consider how future learning and teaching should occur. To explore this, a cross-discipline team used appreciative inquiry framed in complexity theory to examine how teaching in undergraduate programmes is changing in the digital age and implications for Higher Education teachers. The research identifies how digital technologies influence undergraduate programmes in Applied Statistics, Computer Science, Critical Indigenous Studies, Geography, and Information Systems. Analysis of the case studies identified how disciplinary culture, context, and technology combine to influence pedagogical practice and digital capabilities needed to teach in undergraduate programmes. We conclude that Higher Education teachers require capability in appropriate pedagogical practice that aligns with disciplinary culture and the technologies available.
Steffy, K., & Langfeldt, L. (2023). Research as discovery or delivery? Exploring the implications of cultural repertoires and career demands for junior economists’ research practices. Higher Education, 86(2), 317–332. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00934-5
Recently, social scientists have begun to study the implications of increasing pressures in the early academic career. Studies focusing mostly on the life sciences have shown junior scholars making research decisions based on a productivity logic to increase their chances of career success. In this paper, we extend this literature to the very different context of economics, characterized by a dominant mainstream, a clear hierarchy, and an independent/small-team approach to scholarship. Adopting a culture-in-action framework, we analyze how cultural repertoires help early career economists deal with the sometimes competing career pressures associated with working in high-status departments. Drawing from in-depth interviews with tenure-track economists in three Scandinavian countries, we find that skillful use of discovery-talk and delivery-talk helps respondents respond to the challenges they face as junior academics. Implications for research include the avoidance of, e.g., interdisciplinary work and questions of only regional importance. Furthermore, the data indicate that discovery and delivery notions partly overlap and so contribute to preserving economics as a relatively coherent and homogenous field.
Stoesz, B. M., Quesnel, M., & De Jaeger, A. E. (2023). Student perceptions of academic misconduct amongst their peers during the rapid transition to remote instruction. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-023-00136-1
The sudden move from traditional face-to-face teaching and learning to unfamiliar virtual spaces during the early weeks and months of the COVID-19 pandemic demanded many members of educational communities around the world to be flexible and teach and learn outside of their comfort zones. The abruptness of this transition contributed to instructors’ concerns about academic cheating as they could no longer assess learning and monitor student progress using their usual strategies and methods. Students also experienced disruptions to their usual ways of learning, which may have contributed to poor decision-making, including engagement in academic misconduct. The present study examined students’ beliefs about increased engagement in academic misconduct by their peers during the rapid obligatory transition to remote instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. In January 2021, a retrospective online survey was distributed to students in undergraduate courses. We focused our analyses of the responses from students at a single university in Canada. We found that beliefs of increased cheating depended upon student gender (men vs women), status (domestic vs international), year of study (Years 1/2 vs Years 3 +), and discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics vs Social Sciences and Humanities). These are important findings as they provide insight into the nature of the culture of academic integrity during a stressful and confusing period in postsecondary students’ lives.
Stopford, R. (2025). Decolonising the curriculum: common sense, threshold concepts, and epistemic injustice. Higher Education, 90(3), 861–879. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01354-3
In Onthe Affective Threshold of Power and Privilege (2023), Julie Rattray reflects on the impact of decolonising the curriculum (DtC) on threshold concept (TC) theory. In this paper, I focus on student troublesomeness in the context of DtC—troublesomeness being a key dimension in TC. I argue that such difficulty requires a bespoke analysis as it involves complex entanglements of politics, existential experiences, and epistemic difficulties. The result is twofold. First, these difficulties cannot be overcome using standard epistemic and pedagogical methods precisely because they arise out of tensions between decolonial, material, and hegemonic culture and pedagogical practices. Indeed, even where conceptual material is involved, students’ difficulty with that material cannot be properly characterised in terms of “acquisition”—the dominant model in educational theory, and TC specifically. Second, I argue that hegemonic student troublesomeness is necessary, desirable, and ongoing in these contexts. Again, this puts pressure on pedagogical commitments in TC. I mobilise my analysis through my teaching of Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí’s decolonial gender theory. I then draw upon Wittgenstein and Gramsci to elaborate the existential and political vectors of the problematics of students’ difficulty. I then draw specifically on Kristie Dotson’s work to think through these dynamics in the context of epistemic injustice. The paper concludes with practical strategies for educators to manage and embrace student troublesomeness, advocating for an approach that prioritises cultural understanding and existential reflection over traditional epistemic methods.
Su, W. (2022). Two Heads Better than One? Exploring the Co-teaching of Intercultural Competence by NES and NNS Teachers. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 31(3), 297–306. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-021-00561-1
Collaborative teaching between one native English speaking (NES) teacher and one non-native English speaking (NNS) teacher has been found to be more effective than traditional ways of lecturing in improving students’ language competence, yet its superiority in cultivating students’ intercultural competence has rarely been considered, let alone confirmed. To address this gap, this study tracks a 12 weeks’ course co-taught by an NES teacher and a local Chinese teacher (NNS) at a university in China. Based on the initiation-response-follow-up (IRF) analytical framework and after triangulating three data resources (class recordings, class observations, interview with students), it found that overall co-teaching generated extended IRF sequences with diverse speech functions. In particular, the NES and NNS adopted distinctive yet complementary roles in IRF sequences, with the NES eliciting and contributing culture evidence and the NNS developing and explaining students’ argument in culture comparison. This study suggests that intercultural co-teaching can help students progress from passive, culture-textbook-based learning to authentic, communication-process-oriented learning.
Suarez, D., & Sawatsky, A. (2025). Navigating identity dissonance: subjectification to balance socialization. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 30(2), 571–578. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-024-10356-w
One of the main goals of medical education is to facilitate the development of a professional identity. As part of this effort, trainees are exposed to the values and cultures of the profession in a process known as socialization. Learners must then negotiate incongruent aspects between their preexisting identities and nascent professional identities. Individuals from historically underrepresented ethnic groups often undergo more significant changes due to their values and culture not being as prevalent within the dominant ideology of medicine. This transformative process can lead to identity dissonance and manifest as an internal discomfort resulting from perceived contradictions between one’s existing identity and the required professional identity. Identity dissonance may be traumatic and pose a threat to the academic performance and professional integration of trainees. These detrimental effects harm the medical workforce by depriving it of a group crucial in addressing health inequities. Educators tasked with facilitating the professional development of learners must consider their implicit expectations about professionalism, explore the distinct challenges experienced by individuals from underrepresented backgrounds in their professional development, and work to develop strategies to help trainees navigate identity dissonance. Subjectification, an education philosophy that focuses on compelling individuals to explore the new possibilities and responsibilities imparted to them by their education, provides a theoretical framework to help educators guide learners through identity dissonance.
Sun, Y., & Yan, Z. (2025). Factors influencing teachers’ technology adoption in technology-rich classrooms: model development and test. Educational Technology Research and Development, 73(3), 1481–1496. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-025-10454-5
This study explores factors that influence teachers’ technology adoption in technology-rich classrooms and how they interact by integrating task technology fit into the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A proposed model was tested via 343 survey responses from Grade 1–12 teachers using structural equation modeling. The results indicated technology task fit played an essential role in teachers’ technology adoption in technology-rich classrooms. Perceived ease of use, however, did not influence teachers’ intention to use technology as previously predicted. The findings suggest that to promote technology adoption in teaching, it is important to help teachers integrate technology into their instructional design and create a supportive culture with sufficient technological support.
Syairofi, A., Mujahid, Z., Mustofa, M., Ubaidillah, M. F., & Namaziandost, E. (2023). Emancipating SLA Findings to Inform EFL Textbooks: A Look at Indonesian School English Textbooks. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 32(2), 177–188. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-022-00642-9
Much empirical research on textbook analysis has been undertaken. However, little evidence with regard to the adoption of SLA findings in the textbook analysis was reported, particularly for the Indonesian EFL textbooks. To fill this void, this study aimed at analyzing a textbook endorsed by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, “Bahasa Inggris, When English Rings a Bell” revised edition 2017 for grade VII, to reveal as to how the activities in the textbook provide learners with the opportunities that facilitate second language acquisition. We employed content analysis (Mayring, 2000) in this study. Informed by Ellis’ (2016) SLA framework and ten generalizations, the study’s findings portray that all activities receive support from SLA theory. Most activities are output-prompting, and language learning is mostly intentional. In addition, the textbook exposes learners with language input (e.g., target language skills and linguistic forms) exclusively, although they are not required to process the input further (e.g., enacting more social interaction activities). The implication of this study suggests that although second language learning input is penetrated into a textbook, the role of interactional activities in the classroom that bridges the input into practice is worth-considering. Thereby, English teachers are encouraged to innovatively and creatively design learning activities in the class.
Tai, K. W. H. (2022). Translanguaging as Inclusive Pedagogical Practices in English-Medium Instruction Science and Mathematics Classrooms for Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students. Research in Science Education, 52(3), 975–1012. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-021-10018-6
In English-medium instruction (EMI), English-as-a-second-language students will learn all/some subjects through English. Although there are a considerable number of studies which explore classroom interaction in Hong Kong (HK) secondary EMI schools, few studies have investigated EMI lessons which involve South Asian ethnic minorised students. These students share different linguistic and cultural backgrounds and they may not share a common first language with the teacher and other classmates. This study conducts a multimodal conversation analysis of science and mathematics lessons at a HK EMI secondary school, triangulated with interview data, in order to explore how the EMI teacher mobilises various resources to make discipline-specific knowledge accessible and cater for the different needs of all students in the classroom. This study argues that the process of enacting inclusive practices is a process of translanguaging which requires the EMI teacher to mobilise various available multilingual and semiotic resources and draw on what students know collectively for transcending cultural boundaries from the students’ everyday culture to cultures of school science and mathematics.
Tai, T. Y. (2025). The Role of Anxiety and Self-perceived Communicative Competence in Bilingual Subject Teachers’ Willingness to Communicate in L2. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 34(1), 65–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-024-00837-2
Bilingual teachers’ willingness to communicate (WTC) in a second or foreign language (L2) plays a crucial role in the effectiveness of bilingual education. Most research on L2 WTC has focused on L2 learners and language teachers, leaving a considerable gap regarding L2 WTC among subject teachers. This study investigated bilingual subject teachers’ WTC in English and whether or to what extent anxiety and self-perceived communication competence are associated with teachers’ WTC in English in the bilingual classroom. Three groups of bilingual subject teachers were surveyed: senior high (n = 41), junior high (n = 58), and elementary school teachers (n = 40). The results indicated that bilingual subject teachers had moderate WTC in English. All three groups’ WTC was positively correlated with communicative competence and negatively correlated with anxiety. Anxiety and self-perceived communicative competence were powerful predictors of the elementary school teachers’ WTC but were not significant predictors of the senior and junior high school teachers’ WTC. Detailed analyses of the participants’ interviews demonstrated that personal and socio-educational variables (i.e., language-related concerns and exam-driven academic culture) and contextual (i.e., students’ English proficiency, comprehension, and feedback; lack of bilingual textbooks; and subject difficulty) variables influenced the bilingual teachers’ WTC in English.
Tammeleht, A., Löfström, E., & Rodríguez-Triana, ja M. J. (2022). Facilitating development of research ethics and integrity leadership competencies. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-022-00102-3
To build a culture of integrity in a HE institution, innovative approaches are needed to enhance education of research ethics and integrity (REI). In addition to educating students, understanding is needed on how to facilitate for those who lead others. The focus is on early-career researchers (ECRs) as future REI leaders. The current study sheds light on how learning and REI leadership competencies evolve during scaffolded collaborative research ethics training for this target group. The study combines new instruments as part of holistic DBR. Data was collected from 3 groups of experienced researchers attending 3 training sessions in the form of written group reports and group discussion recordings. Qualitative deductive analysis was utilised for monitoring the learning process, scaffolding patterns, and display of REI leadership principles. Also, quantitative analysis was applied to group discussion data, displaying the nature of collaboration. Results imply that collaborative case-based role play format is effective in training future REI leaders. All groups displayed high levels of understanding. Combining ECRs and researchers with leadership experience supported knowledge building in the groups by bringing in various perspectives. Even though groups required different amounts of scaffolding, the nature was similar: maintaining goal orientation, highlighting critical features and redirecting learners. Learning analytics of collaboration indicated that the person with leadership experience was not necessarily the most active participant nor took the role of a ‘group leader’. Still, it was mostly that person who displayed leadership competencies thus supporting other group members to develop leadership aspects.
Tandilashvili, N., & Tandilashvili, A. (2022). Academics’ perception of identity (re)construction: a value conflict created by performance orientation. Journal of Management and Governance, 26(2), 389–416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10997-022-09627-8
University autonomy and performance orientation have been the central points of the French higher education modernisation reforms since the 1990s. These reforms have met with criticism and opposition from academics for introducing new values and professional norms that they argue are incompatible with the academic profession. The present research analyses the experience of French academics from three public universities of the new, performance-oriented management model. It explores academics’ perception of the effects of this evolution on their professional identity. Thirty-seven semi-structured interviews were analysed using NVivo software. The results show that the new governance model stressing managerialism with an empowered president, combined with the growing importance of performance measurement systems, has created tensions between traditional norms, values, and practices on the one hand and the objectives and culture of the emerging formal institutional structure and management on the other. The research sheds light on an important value conflict in the context of the transformation of academic identity as a result of the competitive and performance-oriented culture. This evolution has influenced (at least partially) the way academics perceive their profession and reduced the admiration they had before.
Tandiono, R., & Limijaya, A. (2025). Understanding Rater Bias in Self and Peer Assessment among University Students: A Cultural Psychology Perspective. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 34(4), 1561–1571. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-024-00967-7
Self and peer assessment in group work offers numerous benefits but is also susceptible to bias. Yet, research examining bias in self and peer assessments often overlooks cultural perspectives and predominantly favors Western contexts. This study aims to address this gap by examining how culture influences rater bias in self and peer assessments conducted in the context of group work within an Indonesian setting. This qualitative study, guided by a cultural psychology framework, uses focus group data to explore the mechanisms, causes, and implications of rater bias in assessment practices. Findings indicate that students exhibit modesty in self-assessment and leniency toward friends, driven by a need to align with expectations and preserve relationships. Students avoid confronting underperforming peers, using the assessment rubric as a discreet channel to communicate with lecturers. The study concludes with practical implications for assessment practices.
Tang, L., Ruan, N., & Zheng, G. (2025). Exploring Chinese doctoral graduates’ career choices and gender differences through the lens of rational choice theory. Higher Education, 90(4), 979–999. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01361-4
The expansion of doctoral education systems globally has spurred increased research into doctoral employment; however, there is a paucity of gender-based perspectives on the decisions of those who have entered the academic profession. This study delves into the career reflections of academics within the Chinese context, aiming to uncover gender differences in career choice of academic profession. Relying on the rational choice theory and a case study approach, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 academics (21 men and 19 women) at a prominent Chinese research university. Data analysis revealed that participants’ inclination towards an academic profession emerged from a nuanced assessment of preferential and constraining factors. Preferences were rooted in the potential for personal growth, better employment prospects within academia, societal expectations and a sense of comfort with the academic milieu. Furthermore, the discord between university research training and non-academic sector demands, coupled with the potential for disruption in personal research interests, created barriers to entering non-academic fields. Notably, this study unveils significant gender-based differences, with career prospects, societal norms, resource availability and gender biases all varying markedly between male and female academics in the context of Chinese society. The study’s findings about these gendered career considerations suggest that traditional Chinese culture may exert a profound influence on career trajectories, which calls for further investigation into how such cultural factors shape gender-specific career paths within China.
Tang, P., Lawson, G., Sun, X., & Sharples, S. (2022). Probing cultural differences in product design and consumer evaluation using repertory grid analysis. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 32(3), 1875–1894. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-021-09663-9
Culture plays an essential role in the success of product design, especially in the age of a global economy where there is a high probability of discrepancy between the designer’s intention and the consumer’s response. However, the role of culture is often challenging to identify and measure. In the current paper, we employed Repertory Grids to investigate differences in UK and Chinese participants’ evaluations of designs, which were themselves from both UK and Chinese students. The techniques of Honey’s Content Analysis and Principal Components Analysis were applied to integrate the analysis of both the collected qualitative and quantitative data. The results show that the two groups tended to focus on a similar range of design aspects (i.e. aesthetics, form/shape, usability, creativity, and functionality), but apply different criteria in evaluating such aspects.The UK and Chinese designs were found to be distinctive from each other and tended to appeal more to the people from the same cultural background. The findings reveal the interplay between culture and design and underline the importance of integrating culture into design education.
Taşkın, N., & Kokoç, M. (2025). Behavioural engagement, academic dishonesty, and performance gaps: Comparing online and paper–pencil based tests in an online learning context. Education and Information Technologies, 30(13), 18895–18919. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13514-8
This study examines the growing issue of academic dishonesty in online assessments, a challenge intensified by the expansion of digital learning platforms. Specifically, it investigates the relationship between students’ online engagement and their performance in online versus traditional paper-and-pencil tests. Employing a cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 1,022 students across various faculties at a state university. Regression analysis revealed that behavioural engagement significantly predicted performance in paper–pencil tests but not in online assessments. Moreover, students scored higher in online tests, yet the weak correlation between scores across both formats raises concerns about the validity of online assessments in accurately reflecting student learning. These findings underscore the necessity of enhancing online assessment integrity and leveraging engagement metrics to prevent academic dishonesty. The study suggests that educators, policymakers, and administrators should consider student engagement as a key factor in fostering a culture of academic honesty while supporting students’ academic performance.
Tatlı, Z., Çelenk, G., & Altınışık, D. (2023). Analysis of virtual museums in terms of design and perception of presence. Education and Information Technologies, 28(7), 8945–8973. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11561-z
In this study, it is aimed to examine and analyze virtual museums in accordance with design and perception of social presence. In this context, virtual museums that offer free access internationally were identified and accepted as documents. Document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. Each of the virtual museums examined was subjected to content analysis and divided into groups according to the characteristics they have and do not have. The sample of the study consists of 352 virtual museums. “The Virtual Museum Review Form” created by the researchers was used in order to examine the determined virtual museums. Within the scope of the study, virtual museums were analyzed under seven categories, such that type of artwork, transfer to virtual environment, presentation, transition, navigation, guidance and virtual reality support. Virtual museums are divided into eight categories according to the type of work (culture-art, history, composite, military, archeology, science/technology, industrial and natural museum). It has been determined that most of the virtual museums examined are transferred to the virtual environment as an exact copy of the museums existing in real life. Virtual museums are divided into three as 2D/3D object, pop-up and link, according to the type of information they present to their visitors. Most of the virtual museums examined offer semi-flexible, flexible or non-flexible guidance services to their visitors. As a result of the study, it is suggested that the examined virtual museums be classified under 3 sub-headings as “type of artwork”, “type of transfer to virtual environment”, and “type of presentation” according to their designs and under 4 sub-headings as “type of transition”, “type of navigation”, “guidance”, and “virtual reality support” according to their social presence perceptions.
Taylor, K. (2022). “I’ve got to put one side aside if I want to enjoy it”: Pornography, Perceived Reality, and Pornography Viewers’ Negotiated Pleasures. Sexuality and Culture, 26(4), 1215–1234. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09939-1
Questions as to how audiences view pornography have been a longstanding topic of academic research. A promising avenue of such research has investigated how pornography viewers perceive the content of pornography as ‘real’ (or not), and what such perceptions might mean. The interest of the current study is to interrogate pornography’s claims to ‘realness’ and its audiences negotiation of these variously contested claims. Analysing interview data with 30 pornography viewing men, this study investigates assumptions about what realism perceptions might look like for pornography viewers. The findings illustrate how these pornography viewers negotiate the ‘reality’ of pornography as a part of the pleasure of viewing pornography itself. Specifically, participants described perceptions of reality in complex and sometimes contradictory ways, subscribing to some aspects of reality as essential (i.e. bodily evidence of sexual pleasure) while divesting from others (i.e. contrived scenarios, fake seeming performances, some forms of violence) for their continued enjoyment. Overall the results suggest that viewers can, and must, make judgments about what is, and is not, real about pornography, and that this is an integral part of the pornography viewing experience. In turn, these findings challenge assumptions in public discourse, education, and research about how pornography viewers interact with pornography, and they reveal the central role of an ambiguous ‘realness’ at the heart of these interactions.
Tenhovirta, S., Korhonen, T., Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, P., & Hakkarainen, K. (2022). Cross-age peer tutoring in a technology-enhanced STEAM project at a lower secondary school. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 32(3), 1701–1723. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-021-09674-6
The present investigation examined cross-age peer tutoring in the context of organising a technology-enhanced STEAM project aimed at bringing elements of maker culture to a lower secondary school. We examined how 8th graders tutored 7th graders in programming skills. The participants were peer tutors (n = 15) studying in a technology-oriented class, along with their teachers (5) and the researchers (2). By interviewing the tutors, we studied skills that the tutors had experienced as being essential to overcoming the challenges encountered. To trace the tutors’ social support network and the sharing of expertise, we asked the participants to draw a personal social network map. Three key tutors were identified, whose centrality in the network was socially validated by the number of peer tutors seeking their advice. Two case studies of key tutors’ learning networks were carried out. The findings revealed that the tutors needed versatile technological, social, pedagogical, and reflective know-how in the project. It is concluded that cross-age peer tutoring provides significant support for implementing practices of making and STEAM education at school.
Thomas, C. A., Berry, R. Q., & Sebastian, R. (2024). Examining the elements of culturally relevant pedagogy captured and missed in a measure of high-quality mathematics instruction. ZDM - Mathematics Education, 56(5), 953–964. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-024-01595-7
Mathematics instruction is not race or culture neutral. For students who have been historically marginalized in mathematics classrooms, high-quality mathematics instruction, instruction that helps students build conceptual understanding, on its own might not be enough to disrupt inequities. These students might also need instruction that is culturally relevant, with teachers who demonstrate cultural competence, build critical consciousness, and support student learning. Our goal in this study was to understand which components of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) are captured and which are missed in a typical U.S. framework of high-quality mathematics instruction. To find the overlaps and gaps, we analyzed the mathematics lessons of three elementary teachers through both the lens of CRP and the Mathematics-Scan, a mathematics observation tool. We found the strongest overlap between the two frameworks in the patterns of strengths and weaknesses in the teachers’ lessons. When the teachers were delivering high-quality instruction, they were also often supporting students’ learning or showing cultural competence. When the teachers were delivering lower quality instruction, they were also often missing opportunities to enact CRP. At the same time, key elements of CRP including linguistic support for students, high expectations, critical consciousness, and nuances within cultural competence, were missed by the high-quality instruction framework. High-quality instruction was the foundation for CRP in the teachers’ classrooms, but CRP was more than just high-quality instruction. We conclude with recommendations for increasing the alignment between the frameworks and implications for international educators also grappling with equity in their own frameworks of mathematics instruction.
Thorpe, S., Dogan, J. N., Malone, N., Jester, J. K., Hargons, C. N., & Stevens-Watkins, D. (2022). Correlates of Sexual Self-Consciousness Among Black Women. Sexuality and Culture, 26(2), 707–728. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09916-8
Sexual self-consciousness, also known as spectatoring, can result in unpleasurable sexual experiences, sexual difficulties, and negative mental health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to investigate ratings and correlates of sexual self-consciousness (sexual embarrassment and sexual self-focus) among (N = 283) Black women ages 19–42 living in the South using objectification theory. Data for this study is from the quantitative phase of a larger explanatory mixed-methods study addressing pain, pleasure, and sexual anxiety among Black women. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and linear regressions were conducted. Demographic (age, education), partner, partner factors (marital status, gender of last sex partner), and sexual well-being factors (frequency of sexual pain, frequency of sexual anxiety, sexual satisfaction, history of sexual violence) were explored as correlates. Participants had higher scores on sexual embarrassment than sexual self-focus. The bivariate correlations showed that participants who reported higher sexual embarrassment were more likely to have non-male partners, be younger, report a history of sexual anxiety, more frequent sexual pain, and lower sexual satisfaction. Participants who reported higher sexual self-focus were older, coupled, had a male sex partner during last sexual encounter, and did not report a history of sexual anxiety. Implications for sex education, individual and couple sex therapy are discussed.
Thorpe, S., Malone, N., Hargons, C. N., Dogan, J. N., & Jester, J. K. (2022). The Peak of Pleasure: US Southern Black Women’s Definitions of and Feelings Toward Sexual Pleasure. Sexuality and Culture, 26(3), 1115–1131. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09934-6
Sexual pleasure has been identified as a key component of sexual health by the World Health Organization, yet only 6.5% of articles on Black women’s sexualities are sex positive. Historically in the United States (US), Black women’s sexualities have been marked by silence, encouraging Black women to refrain from discussing their sexualities, particularly the positive aspects such as sexual pleasure. The purpose of the current study was to explore definitions of and feelings toward sexual pleasure among (N = 206) Black women living in the Southern US using intimate justice and sex positive frameworks and thematic analysis. Participants identified three foundational dimensions of sexual pleasure (1) mental, (2) physical, and (3) emotional and four facilitators of peak pleasure (1) partnered interactions, (2) liberation, (3) mind-body-soul awareness, and (4) orgasm. Foundational themes and facilitators of peak pleasure are intertwined. For example, a combination of emotional, mental, and physical themes serves as the foundation of sexual pleasure. However, the facilitator themes often, but not always, included one or more emotional, mental, and physical aspects. Overall, 42.2% (n = 87) of the quotes included a combination of foundational themes, meaning two or more were reported in the same quote. Ultimately, Black women defined sexual pleasure in hedonic and eudemonic ways and had positive feelings about sexual pleasure. Implications for sexuality education and clinical practice are discussed.
Tomsic, M., & Zbaracki, M. D. (2022). It’s all about the story: Personal narratives in children’s literature about refugees. British Educational Research Journal, 48(5), 859–877. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3798
Stories are one way that experiences, ideas and culture are shared with children in educational settings. Commercially published books are the standard means in schools for sharing stories. Qualitative content analysis was carried out on 30 personal narrative-based children’s picture books. While the range of stories told in books is vast, our research focuses on refugee stories for children in light of the contemporary political and public focus on refugees and the forced movement of people around the world. Scholars have identified that books about refugees for children can be useful to explore the topic of refugees, but also caution that they can perpetuate simplistic and stereotypical understandings about forced movement in the world. In our research we examine personal narratives and propose that educators should use stories and books written and illustrated by children as a means to bring refugee children’s voices into formal educational spaces. We argue that this is a respectful approach that counters a deficit model of refugee children; it highlights refugee children’s authentic voices and stories told on their own terms. Additionally, it offers a counter-narrative to dominant refugee stories in the public sphere and presents understandings of forced migration and its legacies from children’s perspectives. We suggest that to effectively examine refugee experiences through literature, educators should use a number of texts to begin conversations in classrooms, and stories by children who have experienced forced migration should be featured.
Tran, M. N., Hogg, L., & Marshall, S. (2022). Understanding postgraduate students’ perceptions of plagiarism: a case study of Vietnamese and local students in New Zealand. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-021-00098-2
Despite increasing scholarly interest in tertiary student perceptions of plagiarism, very little is known about those held by postgraduate (PG) students, although differences between undergraduate (UG) and PG students relate to both their characteristics and the demands of their studies. Furthermore, there is a dearth of research within the context of international education, where managing plagiarism is seen as a major challenge. This paper reports on a recent online survey with 207 Vietnamese (n = 72) and local (n = 135) PG students at a New Zealand university regarding their perceptions of plagiarism. The findings showed significant differences both between and within the two groups. Perception variations arose from a range of influences and prior experiences, not just the culture in which the students were initially educated. Differences related to participants’ age, gender, academic levels, disciplines, and teaching experience. This study’s findings contribute knowledge about under-researched PG students and problematize prevalent stereotypes of international students regarding plagiarism. They generate implications for higher education institutions to accommodate international and domestic PG student needs in ways that respect their diversities in detail as individuals, not as members of a homogeneous group. Further qualitative research to explore PG student perceptions in greater depth is recommended.
Trouche, L., Adler, J., & Remillard, J. T. (2023). Conceptualizing teachers’ interactions with resources in crossing languages and cultures. ZDM - Mathematics Education, 55(3), 497–519. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-023-01488-1
This paper introduces this special issue aiming to deepen and extend research on mathematics teachers’ work, from a resource perspective, by taking language and culture into account, and exploring two questions: How are teachers’ interactions with resources interpreted and modeled across contexts? And, What challenges and insights emerge through recent efforts to engage these models in cross-cultural (and linguistic) research? The fields of resources, language and culture in mathematics education are each extensive, and we do not attempt to survey comprehensively across them. We have chosen instead to propose three approaches on resources in mathematics teachers’ work that developed somewhat contemporaneously from three different countries with differing linguistic, curricular, and social contexts, corresponding to the work of the three guest editors. The models developed through these approaches are driven by the educational, and so cultural and material conditions of the time and the location of each author, and allow us to propose preliminary answers to our two guiding questions. We then move to pull the threads from these models together, and discuss the contributions to this Special Issue. This results in more robust and nuanced responses to our questions, and in identifying two themes that emerge from research that sit at the convergence of studies of teachers’ interactions with resources, languages, and cultures: an invisibility-visibility dialectic and a local-global tension. Finally, this study leads us to consider a new region of mathematics education research.
Tualaulelei, E., & Halse, C. (2023). Why interculturalism does not always translate into action: Insights from teachers in an Australian primary school. Australian Educational Researcher, 50(3), 747–762. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-022-00523-6
For intercultural education to impact learners and, in turn, wider society, teachers must turn intercultural perspectives into actions in their professional contexts. This article examines why teachers who hold positive intercultural views might not be compelled to teach to these in their classrooms. Focusing specifically on education for culturally diverse learners, this article presents a critical ethnographic study of two teachers working in a multicultural Australian primary school. It analyses the tensions that complicate teachers’ work for intercultural education, and suggests that competent, well-intentioned teachers might be discouraged from responding pedagogically to their students’ cultural or linguistic backgrounds because of perceived constraints in the contemporary neoliberal educational environment. This prompts our recommendation that future research seek ways to open up new conditions of possibility for teachers to act on their perspectives including opportunities for increased cross-cultural engagement and dialogue.
Ulaş-Kılıç, Ö. (2024). Career transition process: a study of the Turkey and the United States. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 24(3), 681–699. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-023-09589-9
The purpose of this study is to determine the variables that affect career transition levels of Turkish and U.S. participants. For this purpose, 336 (nU.S. = 151; nTurkey = 185) participants who reported their socio-economic level as middle experiencing career transition at least for 2–3 months are included in the study. According to the Career Transition Model, hopelessness and trait anxiety affect Turkish participants’ career transition significantly, but do not have such an effect for U.S. participants. In addition to this, social support does not affect career transition of Turkish participants significantly, and this is also true for U.S. participants. Finally, the Career Transition Model does not show a significant difference based on culture.
Ünüvar Ünlüoğlu, D., & Demiray, B. (2024). Perception of Gender by University Students in Turkey. Sexuality and Culture, 28(5), 1963–1975. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10212-4
This study aims to examine students’ gender perspectives within the context of gender equality. Gender perceptions of students are typically investigated with application examples at a specific education level or within a specific field of education; however, this research will examine gender perceptions at all university education levels without a specific field and/or department restriction, and moreover, in relation to the age, residence status, and profession of the student’s parents. The survey method and random sampling were used within the research that was authorized by the ethics council of Eskişehir Technical University. In total, 374 students were reached by using the Gender Perception Scale to evaluate individuals’ gender perspectives. Of the participants, 60.16% were female and 39.84% were male. Secondly, of the participants, 31,82% had an associate’s degree, 41,18% held a bachelor’s degree, 17,11% held a master’s degree, and 9,89% held a doctorate degree. In terms of gender perception levels, the findings showed that there is a statistically significant difference between gender and education levels. Moreover, while the fathers’ professions of the students created a statistically significant difference in their gender perception, the same situation was not seen in their mothers’ professions.
Upadhyay, B. (2023). Stretching the border: living in complementary and contradictory spaces. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 18(2), 447–463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-023-10182-3
I approach this paper from a critical retro-reflective stance, which explores borders both physical and educational through my pedagogical experiences in a high school in India, home experiences in the geographical borderlands of Nepal and India, and my current work in Nepal and the United States. All of the anecdotes or data originate from my personal experiences that include my siblings, friends, neighbors, teachers, and students. Through these anecdotes, I attempt to show how multiple facets of border pedagogy influence what happens at the socio-psychological level and in science teaching and learning contexts. Critical retro-reflective pieces presented in this paper exemplify complex nature of complementarities and contradictories of identity, pedagogy, history, economics, culture, and experiences in classrooms, communities, and other cognitive spaces. Furthermore, what possibilities of border pedagogies and spaces exist that enhance science teaching and learning for equity and social justice. In the context of science education, there have always been struggles to find legitimate teaching and learning environments in which students are encouraged and supported to challenge dominant ways of knowing and understanding. Therefore, retro-reflective approach allows me to examine how geographical borders, in this case Nepal-India, and science classrooms as intellectual borders, present opportunities and struggles to deconstruct oppressive systems and reconstruct possibilities for socially just science learning spaces. The process of reflection aids in reexamining my own relationship to culture, language, history, and local economy with science education.
Valquaresma, A. (2024). Creativity, Agency and Meaning-Making: Unfolding Developmental Possibilities in Twenty-First-Century Learning Environments. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3957, 105–126. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-73393-2_5
In a day and age when the ability to accommodate uncertainty into one’s lifelong developmental processes has become critical to survival, creativity has garnered an indisputable place in education. Labelled as one of the critical skills of twenty-first-century education, creativity is, however, more than just a skill. It is an attribute of a socio-psychological structure that manifests itself in the continuous interaction between the self, the other and the World, capable of reconciling diverse perspectives and interpretations of the World and opening new meaning-making (and thus developmentally transformative) possibilities. In this chapter, I present a critical analysis of how creativity, as a construct, is approached in educational contexts, as well as the potential consequences for one’s psychological developmental process. Moreover, I emphasize the importance of worldmaking as a key component of educational experiences that, while embracing the uncertainty of contemporary living encourage students and teachers to collaborate in the process of combining old and new meaningful knowledge, critically positioning themselves in the face of individual and collective societal challenges. In this light, I discuss how approaching educational contexts as settings of re-constructive exploration can broaden the developmental possibilities of every person involved in the learning process, specifically by allowing them to question, explore, and actively construct their choices, with indelible consequences on their creativity, agency, and sociocognitive complexity. The psychological, pedagogical and political implications of this paradigm shift are addressed, aiming to contribute to the ongoing debate about how to cultivate creative-nurturing learning environments.
van Ewijk, A. (2025). Historical Memory, Warrior Identities and the Young Child in the Early Twentieth-Century Japanese Picture Magazine Children’s Illustrated. Children’s Literature in Education, 56(4), 553–576. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-024-09580-0
In late nineteenth-century Japan, creative and entrepreneurial minds contributed to a new cause: the creation of a sense of nation among ‘young citizens’. They found proof of the nation’s existence, and a safeguard for its continuation into the future, in martial history and a new literary genre for children. In studies on the modern cultural history of childhood in Japan, early twentieth-century children’s literature represents a more democratic, ‘child-centred’ and aesthetically focused interlude before the newfound sensibilities would be appropriated in wartime (1930–1945) propaganda. However, the best-selling and influential picture magazine Children’s Illustrated (1906–1935) aimed at the new category of yōnen, or early and beginning readers, tells a different story. Drawing upon Pierre Nora’s concept of ‘sites of memory’, this article investigates how Children’s Illustrated paints a national past for a young audience by making inventive use of warrior iconographies from early modern (1603–1868) print culture and fuses the theme with new tropes surrounding the cuteness and innate martiality of young children. It shows how experienced co-observers are invited to engage in memory acts and critically analyses how the magazine’s interpretations of history, childhood, gender, and family interact. Epitomising in the child’s embodiment of the ‘site of memory’ (the emulation of the hero in his iconic moment), the magazine equals history and young boys to combatant samurai, strongly conveying the message that fulfilment of this role as a modern soldier is at the root of society.
Van Steenbrugge, H., & Remillard, J. T. (2023). The multimodality of lesson guides and the communication of social relations. ZDM - Mathematics Education, 55(3), 579–595. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-023-01479-2
Curriculum resources such as textbooks and lesson guides communicate messages about the social relations between the teacher, students, artefacts, and the mathematics. Because of their implicit nature, these messages can be hard to surface and perhaps therefore are not frequently covered in curriculum resource analysis. Tackling this shortcoming, we examine mathematics lesson guides or the daily lesson descriptions written for elementary teachers. Drawing on multimodality and activity theory, we characterize the social relations messaged in the lesson guides in terms of two constructs: authority and distance. We present and illustrate an analytical approach to uncovering these messages in lesson guides from Sweden, USA, and Flanders. Our analytical approach enabled us to distinguish configurations of social relations that vary primarily across the three educational contexts, which strengthens our argument for viewing the configuration of social relations as a cultural script.
van Wyk, M. D., & Waghid, Z. (2023). South African pre-service teachers’ preparedness for fourth industrial revolution teaching and learning. Education and Information Technologies, 28(3), 2887–2907. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11287-y
The study’s main aim is to explore the preparedness of a sampled group of South African pre-service teachers at a Higher Education Institution (HEI) to teach adequately in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4iR) classroom. The study employed a case study research design to ascertain the level of preparedness of pre-service teachers (n = 22) to use ICT tools for 4iR teaching and learning, using participant observation and focus group interviews. The Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework guided the research study in creating themes and analysing the data collected. The findings confirm that various aspects hindered the pre-service teachers from successfully implementing ICT tools in the 4iR classroom: school culture, inadequate computer infrastructure, and the need for the teacher education curriculum to be attuned to the 4iR teaching and learning. The study has thus significant implications on policy and practice in similar educational contexts around the need to develop appropriate intervention strategies towards advancing pre-service teachers’ skills related to 4iR.
Vardanian, M. (2022). Reading the Chornobyl Catastrophe Within Ecofiction. Children’s Literature in Education, 53(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-021-09437-w
The numerous ecological catastrophes of the twentieth century caused by humans have found their way into mass culture. Among them is the Chornobyl nuclear accident that took place in Ukraine in 1986. This disaster became a subject of reflection not only in Ukrainian literature but also in world films and computer games. Along with other works on the nuclear theme in world literature, books by Ukrainian writers for children and young adults (YA) such as Leonid Daien’s Chornobyl – trava girka (Chornobyl – the Bitter Grass) or Yevhen Hutsalo’s Dity Chornobylia (Children of Chornobyl) that depict the Chornobyl accident and its consequences for Ukrainians. I explore the Chornobyl catastrophe concept in the above-mentioned books as well as in the cartoon Travel-book. Ukraine. Ghost Town and in the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. I claim that Ukrainian works on the Chornobyl theme belong to the genre of ecofiction as a warning to humanity about the negative effects of human behavior on the ecosystem, based on ecocritical theory referred to by Buell, Dwyer, and others. My position is that the Chornobyl nuclear theme in children’s literature is centered closely on the cultural memory of Ukrainians. In reference to Erll’s interpretation of cultural memory as the interplay of present and past in socio-cultural contexts, I consider cultural memory in children’s literature as a need to deal with the traumatic experience of the Chornobyl nuclear accident and ethnocide of Ukrainians in their colonial past. My analysis then focuses on the investigation of how these concepts are implemented in children’s books, films, and games, via their imagery.
Vera Cruz, G., & Sheridan, T. (2022). The Normalization of Violence during Sex among Young Mozambicans Reportedly under the Influence of Pornography. Sexuality and Culture, 26(1), 397–417. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09898-7
In sub-Saharan Africa, the increase in pornographic video consumption over the past 15 years might be shaping the sexual practices of the new generation. Using a comprehensive approach, the present study aims to first, measure the prevalence of acts of violence during sex reportedly inspired by pornography (VDSIP) among Mozambican adolescents and young adults; second, examine the consequences of these practices on the individuals involved; and third, identify the cognitive and psychosocial mechanisms by which these practices are adopted and normalized. Overall, 105 Mozambicans were interviewed. Participants’ responses were subjected to discourse content and frequency analysis. The results show that, in the 12 months preceding the interview, between 77.6% and 89.2% of male participants performed VDSIP that included inflicting physical or psychological violence on their partners. In the same period, between 8.5% and 16.8% of female participants performed VDSIP that included inflicting physical or psychological violence on their partners. Females (63.1% of them) were shown to be much more affected by the negative consequences (e.g., depression, low self-esteem, physical and psychological trauma) associated with the practice of VDSIP compared to males (17.7% of them). The main mechanisms by which these practices are adopted and normalized were reported to be imitation, reinforcement, desire for recognition, addiction, development of sexual scripts, misunderstanding about women’s sexual desire, gender inequalities, cognitive and psychosocial biases, and manipulation of the partner’ consent. This study’s findings can be used to design tailored education interventions to mitigate the negative effects of violence during sex among African adolescents and young adults.
Walan, S., & Gericke, N. (2023). Transferring makerspace activities to the classroom: a tension between two learning cultures. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 33(5), 1755–1772. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-022-09799-2
This case study aimed to investigate teachers’ reflections on the transfer of makerspace activities into classrooms. Primary and secondary STEM teachers participated in a Continuous Professional Development programme about makerspaces. Data were collected in the form of written reflections and semi-structured interviews after the teachers conducted makerspace activities in their classes. A thematic approach was used for data analysis. The results showed that teachers identified possibilities: Connections to learning objectives in STEM subjects; Motivating and engaging students; Stimulating collaboration; Stimulating creativity; and challenges: Problem of assessment; Lack of digital competence; Lack of high-tech equipment. However, the teachers did not reflect upon the cultural, ontological, and epistemological differences between makerspaces and formal schooling. Thus, we argue that it is difficult ‘to eat the cake and have it too’, i.e. to fully reconcile both the maker-culture and demands of formal schooling. Rather, we suggest three ways to connect makerspace culture with formal education.
Wan, Y. (2024). The Development of Curriculum Leadership in Teachers: A Multiple Case Study. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 33(3), 683–692. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-023-00765-7
Teacher curriculum leadership is a key driver of curriculum reform in basic education and of improvements in student literacy. The mechanisms that underlie its development therefore constitute an important area of study. This case study analyzed the developmental trajectory of three teachers who became curriculum leaders. Results showed that from the static “macro” perspective, teacher curriculum leadership was generated by developing a sense of autonomous leadership, practicing culture leadership, and achieving an implicit leadership identity. From the dynamic “micro” perspective, teacher curriculum leadership comprised a permeable process of development from lower to higher levels. The study recommends creating an environment that nurtures teacher curriculum leadership by supporting professional competence and collaboration.
Wang, K., Criado, J. R., & van Hemmen, S. F. (2024). Comparative Study of Students’ Perception and Behavioral Intention in MOOC Context: Undergraduates in China and Spain. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 33(5), 1129–1137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-023-00781-7
This paper addresses undergraduates’ perception and behavioral intention (BI) toward Massive open online courses (MOOCs). It considers the moderating effect of culture to further explore the perceptions of students with different cultures to engage in MOOCs, providing MOOC suppliers with practical suggestions. 770 undergraduates in Spain and China are involved in this study. The proposed research model incorporating the technology acceptance model and theory of planned behavior is confirmed as a desirable theoretical model. Additionally, the moderating effect of culture has been confirmed between Spanish and Chinese students. The findings show Perceived usefulness and Perceived ease of use are effective in forming attitude (ATT). Besides, ATT and subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control are confirmed as vital factors impacting BI. Regarding the moderating effect of culture, significant differences have been detected to account for their behavior.
Wang, T., & Jin, T. (2025). Parental gender role attitudes and children’s college major choices in STEM. Higher Education, 90(1), 109–129. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01313-y
Despite notable progress in narrowing the global gender gap in education, women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields remains disproportionately low. This study investigates the substantial impact of parental, particularly maternal, gender role attitudes on their children’s major choices in China. To address endogeneity concerns, this research adopts a culture-based instrumental variable approach using regional differences in exposure to Confucian culture based on parental birthplaces as instruments. The results show that mothers who hold traditional gender role attitudes significantly discourage their daughters from pursuing STEM majors, with this discouraging effect being particularly pronounced in urban areas and among vocational college students. Further analysis on the mechanisms indicates that traditional maternal gender role attitudes negatively affect daughters’ mathematical performance, self-esteem, and risk-taking, thereby limiting their inclination toward STEM fields. These findings highlight the imperative for policy interventions aimed at challenging and transforming parental stereotypes, which may serve as a crucial mechanism for reducing gender segregation in STEM education.
Watermeyer, R., Phipps, L., Lanclos, D., & Knight, C. (2024). Generative AI and the Automating of Academia. Postdigital Science and Education, 6(2), 446–466. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-023-00440-6
The neoliberal transformation of higher education in the UK and an intertwined focus on the productive efficiency and prestige value of universities has led to an epidemic of overwork and precarity among academics. Many are found to be struggling with lofty performance expectations and an insistence that all dimensions of their work consistently achieve positional gains despite ferocious competition and the omnipresent threat of failure. Working under the current audit culture present across education, academics are thus found to overwork or commit to accelerated labour as pre-emptive compensation for the habitual inclemency of peer-review and vagaries of student evaluation, in accommodating the copiousness of ‘invisible’ tasks, and in eluding the myriad crevasses of their precarious labour. The proliferation of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools and more specifically, large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, offers potential relief for academics and a means to offset intensive demands and discover more of a work-based equilibrium. Through a recent survey of n = 284 UK academics and their use of GAI, we discover, however, that the digitalisation of higher education through GAI tools no more alleviates than extends the dysfunctions of neoliberal logic and deepens academia’s malaise. Notwithstanding, we argue that the proliferating use of GAI tools by academics may be harnessed as a source of positive disruption to the industrialisation of their labour and catalyst of (re)engagement with scholarly craftsmanship.
Wator, J., Patrick, P., & Yip, S. Y. (2025). Teachers’ sense of belonging in school: a scoping review. Australian Educational Researcher, 52(6), 4269–4297. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-025-00897-3
Enhancing belonging is essential in fostering inclusive and supportive educational environments, yet research on in-service teachers’ sense of belonging remains limited. This scoping review examines the literature on the sense of belonging among primary and secondary school teachers using a mixed-method approach. The findings indicated that the enablers and barriers to teachers’ sense of belonging revolve around five themes: (1) collegial interaction, (2) collective values, (3) leadership, (4) recognition, and (5) teacher-student relationships. The enablers of teachers’ sense of belonging include strong relationships, value alignment, supportive leadership, and recognition of individual contributions. In contrast, students’ discipline problems, time pressures, collegial disconnect, lack of recognition, and unsupportive leadership hinder teachers’ sense of belonging. The findings emphasise the importance of fostering a positive school culture to support teachers’ identities and well-being. This review underscores the need for targeted interventions and policies to enhance teachers’ sense of belonging, which is critical for teacher retention and students’ educational outcomes.
Wee, S. J., Silva, E., & Leyva, C. (2025). Critical Analysis of Children’s Picturebooks on Latino Fathers and Their Daughters from a LatCrit and Intersectionality Lens. Children’s Literature in Education, 56(3), 401–416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-025-09618-x
This study examines the portrayal of Latino fathers, their daughters, and their relationships in children’s picturebooks through a LatCrit and intersectionality lens. Seven children’s picturebooks were analyzed using critical content analysis. The findings revealed that Latino fathers were depicted with diverse immigration statuses and national origins, often shown as working-class. Despite financial challenges, the fathers were consistently portrayed as warm, nurturing, and supportive, actively engaging in their daughters’ lives and fostering their imagination. The daughters, characterized as active, imaginative, and family-oriented, were depicted as gender-neutral. The portrayal of father–daughter relationships emphasized cultural values like familismo, highlighting the fathers’ involvement in nurturing and supporting their daughters despite personal and financial challenges. However, the analysis also identified persistent gender stereotypes, with fathers shown primarily in breadwinning roles and daughters in domestic settings. This suggests a need for more diverse and complex representations that challenge traditional gender roles. This study calls for authors and illustrators to depict multifaceted characters and relationships, reflecting the evolving dynamics within Latinx families and providing positive, inclusive representations for young readers.
Wegener, C. (2023). Lostness. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture, Part F3861, 111–119. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41907-2_10
It is often said that we acquire knowledge, gain insight and make new discoveries. Rarely do we hear of scientific work being discussed in terms of dropping something, letting go or getting lost. Inspired by Kvale (The social construction of validity. Qualitative Inquiry, 1(1), 19–40, 1995), the following is a practical demonstration of a research process in which everyday experiences of lostness opened up the creative interrogation of scientific concepts. The empirical material comes from a field study of elderly care which aimed to contribute to the knowledge of how innovation processes are initiated and managed and, especially, how innovation competencies can be nurtured (Wegener, Innovation—Inside out. Change and stability in social and health care education. Dissertation, Aalborg University Denmark. https://vbn.aau.dk/ws/portalfiles/portal/316411853/180913_charlotte_wegener.pdf, 2013; Driving forces of welfare innovation: Explaining interrelations between innovation and professional development. In S. Billett, D. Dymock, & S. Choy (Eds.), Supporting learning across working life: Models, processes and practices (Vol. 16, pp. 113–127). Springer. Professional and Practice-Based Learning. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29019-5_6, 2016). It illustrates my quest for an adequate methodological and theoretical vocabulary while tracing innovation in the field with the help of the theoretical concept of “knot-working”. Knot-working is defined as the combination of different kinds of knowledge to achieve new insights; in learning, creativity and innovation, knot-working is seen as a core activity (Engeström, Learning by expanding. An activity-theoretical approach to developmental research. Orienta-Konsultit Oy, 1987; Tuomi-Gröhn & Engeström, Between school and work: New perspectives on transfer and boundary-crossing. Emerald Group Publishing, 2003). Knot-working does not necessarily involve new factual knowledge. Rather, it is the act of combining knowledge in new ways, e.g., when people with different professional knowledge or organisational roles interact to identify, analyse and handle problems.
Wei, L., Gao, B., Wang, J., Jiang, C., Zhang, X., & Ping, X. (2024). Research on the Nature of Science in China’s Current High School Physics Textbooks. Science and Education, 33(6), 1467–1483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-023-00443-6
In this study, high school physics textbooks published by People’s Education Press (PEP) and Educational Science Publishing House (ESP) (a total of 6 books) in China were analyzed via a self-developed scale measuring nature of science (NOS) including three first-level indicators of scientific knowledge, scientific process, and scientific enterprise and 12 secondary indicators, and the content level, presenting position, and representation form are adopted to analyze the NOS of textbooks. First of all, the contents of the three first-level indicators are more presented in the main text, generally expressed in the form of conceptual laws and text examples. There are obvious differences between PEP and ESP textbooks in the three dimensions of scientific knowledge, scientific process, and scientific enterprise. Secondly, there are many contents of observation and inference, theories and laws, and scientific culture in the two editions of textbooks, while there are very few contents of scientific ethics. There are obvious differences between the two editions in terms of empirical basis, diversity of scientific methods, scientific spirit, and theories and laws. Third, results of longitudinal comparison showed that the growth of grades, the relevance of NOS in PEP with a gradual downward trend, while the ESP with an “inverted U” curve. The results of horizontal comparison showed that NOS in PEP of grade 10 is better than the ESP, while it is the opposite in grade 12. The content of NOS in the two editions of grade 11 textbooks is equivalent. At the same time, there are differences in the content level, presenting position and representation form between the two editions in different grades.
Williams, M., Apkarian, N., Uhing, K., Martinez, A. E., Rasmussen, C., & Smith, W. M. (2022). In the Driver’s Seat: Course Coordinators as Change Agents for Active Learning in University Precalculus to Calculus 2. International Journal of Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, 8(1), 121–148. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40753-021-00153-w
Mounting evidence of the effectiveness of active learning strategies has prompted many mathematics departments to start engaging in transformational change efforts. Change, however, especially change in instructional practice, is a challenging endeavor. Some departments are using coordination of multi-section courses as a vehicle to enact changes and have designated or hired course coordinators to oversee efforts to transform instruction via active learning. This study explores the role of coordinators as instructional change agents for active learning using data collected from five university mathematics departments, all of which are successfully sustaining such efforts. We use Shadle et al.’s drivers for change as a framework for examining data from five retrospective case studies of change. Specifically, we investigate how these speculative drivers connect to coordinators’ roles as change agents in each story. We argue that coordinators are positioned to leverage three key drivers for change: providing materials and tools, encouraging collaboration and communication, and encouraging (and providing) professional development. Coordinators must also understand the local contexts and culture in order to engage in effective processes for supporting departmental change. To conclude, we discuss implications of this research for departments seeking to transform instruction.
Wilson, R., Sellman, E., & Joseph, S. (2023). ‘Doing well’ and ‘being well’—secondary school teachers’ perspectives. British Educational Research Journal, 49(5), 987–1004. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3878
The mental health and wellbeing of young people is increasingly a concern in schools. This study explores how English secondary school teachers perceive and engage with the concept of wellbeing. By asking teachers to reflect on their practice, we can draw out their relational experience and knowledge about wellbeing in the classroom. Twenty teachers were interviewed about their practice in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and during the academic year 2020–21. Reflexive thematic analysis reveals the challenges experienced by teachers. Specifically, we find a perceived role conflict for teachers between giving care and purveying knowledge. We draw on recent policy research and the work of Nel Noddings to account for this conflict in terms of conceptualisations of teaching practice and purpose. We illustrate how an emphasis within schools on ‘doing well’ academically undermines and marginalises a more holistic sense of ‘being well’, which contributes to a set of strains on teachers personally, professionally and relationally in terms of their interactions with students and colleagues. We propose that ‘doing well’ arises out of ‘being well’, rather than the converse, and should hence be an educational policy priority. Finally, we offer implications for how wellbeing may be woven into school culture.
Witucki, A., Beane, W., Pleasants, B., Dai, P., & Rudge, D. W. (2024). An Explicit and Reflective Approach to Teaching Nature of Science in a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience. Science and Education, 33(6), 1371–1399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-023-00441-8
Involving undergraduate STEM majors in authentic research has been cited as being an imperative goal in advancing the field of science and preparing students for careers and post-graduate educational programs. An important component of authentic research that is often overlooked is student understanding of the Nature of Science (NOS) and how this relates to novel research. Previous research in these authentic settings appears to have depended upon an implicit approach to the teaching of NOS, and, not surprisingly, these studies revealed that students’ understandings only marginally improved. Research in authentic setting since indicates students develop deeper understandings of NOS in general, but struggle with more abstract concepts, such as the role of social and cultural influences as well as imagination and creativity in science. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study is to examine student understanding of these NOS concepts as they are engaged in novel research. NOS concepts were introduced using an explicit and reflective approach. Specifically, students were engaged with reflection questions, in-class discussions, historical narratives, and autobiographical stories of the instructor as they explored the NOS concepts and how these relate to scientific research. Student NOS understandings (n = 16) were measured pre/post using the SUSSI with semi-structured interviews taking place at the end of the course. The findings from the interviews revealed that students understanding of the NOS concepts improved. Students came to better understand how society and culture impact scientific research, and how imagination and creativity are used throughout the entire scientific process. Students largely cited the reflection questions and in-class discussions as contributing to their change in understanding in their responses to how their views changed. In discussing society and culture, students noted that they better understood how society impacts what and how research is conducted as well as noting instances where gender bias is still present in science today. Likewise, students indicated during the interviews how they came to understand how imagination and creativity can be found throughout the entire scientific process instead of just the stage where a research question is posed. This study shows the importance of discussing NOS using an explicit/reflective approach as it relates to authentic research in helping students develop deeper understandings.
Woranush, K., Woranush, W., Moskopp, M. L., & Grisurapong, S. (2025). Socio-cultural Context of Adolescent Sexuality of Perinatal HIV-Infected Adolescents in the Central Part of Thailand: Sexual Experience and Reproductive Health Problems. Sexuality and Culture, 29(3), 1193–1210. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10319-2
Since HIV infection in a culturally conscious Thai population leads to social stigma and peer pressure, perinatal HIV-infected adolescents (PHIVA) form an especially vulnerable minority. Little is known about the sexuality of PHIVA in Thailand. A total of 102 PHIVA aged 15–19 years were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Demographic, sexuality, and sociocultural context were acquired from face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Social indicators, including level of schooling, frequency of orphancy/foster care home and self-determination/right to privacy, showed that PHIVA are structurally disadvantaged in Thai society. More than 50% of PHIVA in this study have had romantic relationships. Around 30% of PHIVA had already experienced sexual intercourse. Regarding sexually active female PHIVA, 16% reported to be rape victims. Over 40% of the sexually active male and female PHIVA had a history of STDs with the majority of them showing no adequate coping strategy. The majority of sexually active PHIVA engaged in risky sexual behaviour with 60% reporting to stop antiretroviral therapy during sexual relationships and more than 50% not using a condom. At the same time 75% of PHIVA reported to prefer HIV-negative partners. In the female cohort, a history of 8 pregnancies under the age of 20 were observed, with almost 90% being unwanted. While two pregnancies were terminated by abortion, 3 out of the 6 born children to female PHIVA were HIV-positive. Thai PHIVA suffer from social discrimination and are particularly vulnerable in society. This study suggests that sexuality desire and emotional needs of PHIVA are no different from HIV-negative adolescents. However, they will need more support in reproductive health information and empowerment. Youth interventions and sexual education classes aiming specifically at the needs of PHIVA should be established.
Worsley, T. (2025). Black Love: a conceptual framework for Black youth within a community-based informal STEM program. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 20(3–4), 459–481. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-025-10261-7
This article presents a conceptual framework, Black Love, to support Black youth’s STEM learning in a community-based informal STEM program. The Black Love framework is emergent of Worsley’s on the ground work within the community and facilitation of STEM to Black youth as a Black woman. Black Love draws from the theoretical frameworks of politicized care and rightful presence to look at the educator–youth relationship and youth’s perspective of their presence within the STEM program. It asks the question: What does it mean to engage in informal STEM teaching and learning when the environment is undergirded in the principles of Black Love? Participatory design research is used to look at the co-constructed culture of STEM learning environments. From the data, two vignettes are presented that focus on; (1) STEM-related onto-epistemologies and (2) critical relationality focused on integration of youth voice and interest.
Wright, C., Harbison, M., Tucker-Raymond, E., Edouard, K., Meehan, S., Cameron, T., & Schafer, G. (2025). Racialized spatial imaginaries: Authoring an elementary school teacher of engineering identity. Science Education, 109(1), 157–177. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21887
Engineering education research has highlighted the importance of examining, understanding, and supporting teacher learning and identity development, particularly for those that hold marginalized identities. As part of the special issue on Teacher Learning and Organizational Contexts, this study examines the intricate relationship between powered boundaries of race, culture, and space for two Black women teachers in organizational contexts within their school district. Using a racialized spatial imaginaries framework, this research describes how two women authored identities as teachers of engineering and cultivated new engineering related spatial imaginaries for their students. The study found that ideational, material, and relational resources made available across organizational contexts contributed to teachers’ authoring identities and how they supported their students. The work illuminates how a spatial imaginaries framework can support critical investigation of teacher identity development and (re)examination of how Black students are positioned in spaces of teacher inquiry.
Wu, C. H., You, A. H., Dong, T. P., & Liu, C. H. (2024). Analysis of Factors Influencing Intention to Engage in Online Learning in Chinese Calligraphy and Their Mediation Effects. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 33(6), 1405–1419. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-024-00822-9
The utilization of online platforms for the preservation of the culture of Chinese calligraphy has become increasingly common in the digital era. We studied learners’ intention to use online calligraphy teaching websites, adopting a mixed research method including both quantitative and qualitative analyses to examine the factors that engage online calligraphy learners. In total, 227 participants from a calligraphy learning community were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling with mediation/moderation analysis. Usability and relative advantage significantly influenced the intention to use calligraphy websites. Perceived usefulness and attitude had a significant impact on usage intention. Both direct and indirect effects were observed for factors, including usability, ease of use, and relative advantage, whereas trialability and compatibility did not exhibit such effects. This study has theoretical and practical applications for scholars, practitioners, and managers in online calligraphy education in creating e-learning systems that align with learners’ preferences.
Xu, X., Thien, L. M., Lin, J., & Li, Y. (2025). Insights for improvement: how lecturers’ digital leadership drives student engagement in language learning. Education and Information Technologies, 30(15), 21105–21137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13594-6
In addition to identifying crucial areas of lecturers’ digital leadership that can be improved to enhance students’ various engagement in language learning, the goal of this study is to investigate the relationships between various dimensions of lecturers’ digital leadership and students’ behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement in language learning. Data were collected from 720 students who studied in three higher education institutions in China. Data were analyzed mainly through partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and importance-performance map analysis (IPMA). The findings revealed that Digital citizenship is the critical yet underperforming dimension of digital leadership, highlighting it as a priority for improvement. Digital age learning culture demonstrated strong performance but contributed less significantly to engagement. Systemic improvement and Excellence in professional practice exhibited minimal influence and low performance. Visionary leadership weakly and negatively influenced Cognitive and Emotional engagement with no significant effect on Behavioral engagement potentially due to misalignment with student needs or contextual challenges. This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of how different dimensions of digital leadership influence various student engagement in language learning, guiding educational stakeholders to prioritize impactful interventions.
Xu, Y. (2022). An autoethnographic narrative of the diasporic experience of a Chinese female Ph.D. returnee’s entry into the domestic academic job market during COVID-19: An ecological environment perspective. Asia Pacific Education Review, 23(2), 245–255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-021-09732-7
In this study, Chinese female Ph.D. returnees’ diasporic experience when entering into the domestic academic job market (DAJM) was examined from an ecological environment perspective. This was realized through an autoethnographic narrative of the author’s lived experience of entering the DAJM during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a recollection of the narrative recorded through E-diaries, emails, and visual media, specifically WeChat, from April 2020 to May 2021, the findings revealed that such a diasporic experience comprised diasporic emotion because of expectational pressures in the microsystem, diasporic identity conflict that originated from gender stereotypes in the mesosystem, self-reflexive diasporic consciousness of both disadvantages and advantages related to Guanxi (social networks) in the exosystem, the diasporic feeling of being exiled in the DAJM given the academic culture in relation to degree origin bias and prioritizing publications in the macrosystem, and the self-constructed diasporic mindset that experienced uncertainties and anxieties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in the chronosystem. This study facilitated a sociological exposition and understanding of the complex situation of Ph.D. returnees’ experience of entering the DAJM. It calls for a shifting of blaming the victims risk in relation to hard indicators regarding Ph.D. returnees’ competitiveness and employability in the DAJM. This has implications for both academic and recruiting practices in China. Furthermore, this study offers future overseas doctoral students and Ph.D. returnees a more practical sense of the potential mobility frictions embedded in transnational education mobility in relation to their job-seeking experience in homelands.
Yañez, A. G. B., Alonso-Fernández, C., & Fernández-Manjón, B. (2023). Systematic literature review of digital resources to educate on gender equality. Education and Information Technologies, 28(8), 10639–10664. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11574-8
Violence and discrimination against women are serious problems that affect today’s society regardless of culture or social environment. Educational and government programs addressing these gender issues are difficult to scale up, insufficient or, in some cases, nonexistent. Digital resources can contribute to address discrimination against women and different technological initiatives are being carried out around the world. Videogames and digital resources have proven their effectiveness as tools to educate, prevent and raise awareness about social problems. This article presents a systematic literature review of digital resources such as videogames, apps and simulations that address gender issues including violence and stereotypes. Throughout the review, we analyze multiple characteristics of the resources found (development tools, platforms, location, target audience) to classify the studies found. The main goal of this review is to present the status of gender-focused digital resources, their evaluation studies, including the metrics used and samples, as well as the acceptance and impact of their application. Most of the studies reviewed aimed to raise awareness about gender-based violence using serious games targeted at teenagers. For the resources evaluated, pre-post questionnaires were commonly used. However, many of the projects reviewed did not have evaluation studies or the resources were not openly available, thus limiting their massive application and their potential impact on society. We consider that our results provide a starting point to better understand the role of digital resources in raising awareness about gender issues, highlighting their current limitations, and providing recommendations for future research in gender-based digital resources.
Yang, M., Liang, M., & Lim, C. P. (2025). Facilitating Conditions and Challenges for Stakeholders’ Uptake of the Affordances of E-Portfolio Assessment at a Hong Kong University. Asia Pacific Education Review, 26(4), 1027–1039. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-025-10064-z
Existing studies have identified the key facilitating conditions for e-portfolio assessment to support students’ learning. However, these studies have to adopt a more holistic examination of challenges that stakeholders may encounter when implementing e-portfolios. By reviewing affordances of e-portfolio assessment and contextual influences on e-portfolio implementation through the ‘culture-as-garden’ metaphor, this paper examines why the facilitating conditions matter and recommends strategies for creating such conditions to enable stakeholders’ uptake of the affordances of e-portfolio assessment. Focussing on an e-portfolio assessment initiative in two undergraduate programmes, this study examines how the affordances of e-portfolios are taken up (or not taken up) to support students’ learning. Interviews with stakeholders showed how the presence (or absence) of the facilitating conditions influenced their e-portfolio implementation, and the extent to which the affordances of e-portfolio assessment were taken up by stakeholders to support student learning. The stakeholders’ narratives revealed a number of challenges that they encountered at the institutional (e.g. a top-down decision-making process of e-portfolio implementation), programme/course (e.g. insufficient teacher guidance and feedback for students), and individual (e.g. teachers’ and students’ need for technical support) levels. To address such challenges, this paper recommends six strategies for creating the facilitating conditions to assist stakeholders’ successful e-portfolio implementation. Theoretical and practical implications and future research directions are discussed.
Yang, S., Shu, D., & Yin, H. (2022). “Teaching, my passion; publishing, my pain”: unpacking academics’ professional identity tensions through the lens of emotional resilience. Higher Education, 84(2), 235–254. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-021-00765-w
In the global competition of higher education, an increasing emphasis has been placed on university research excellence. Accordingly, academics have to engage in both research and teaching activities. The multiple and fragmented identities of academics can sometimes be contested, leading to identity tensions, and impeding their professional development. This raises the issue of how, and whether at all, academics integrate their professional identities in a culture of performativity. Against this backdrop, this qualitative study explored how a specific group of Chinese academics negotiate identity tensions as teachers and researchers through an emotional resilience lens. The narrative frames and interviews with 10 college English teachers yielded four types of identity negotiation in the continuum from identity conflicts to identity integration mediated by emotional resilience, including the disheartened performer, the miserable follower, the strenuous accommodator, and the fulfilled integrator. Emotional resilience as a mediator in professional identity tensions is discussed. Our findings offer a nuanced understanding of the complexity of academics developing an integrated professional identity. Policymakers should recognize the potential of emotional resilience in integrating academic professional identities and jointly support academics to cope with their identity tensions. However, if identity tensions are too complex for academics to solve, the policymakers should consider tensions as signals that the existing institutional policies may be counterproductive and need to be revised, rather than merely calling on academics’ resilience.
Yang, X., Li, X., Deng, Z., & Kaiser, G. (2025). Obstacles to in-service Chinese high school mathematics teachers’ implementation of mathematical modelling in classrooms: an empirical investigation of teachers’ perspectives. ZDM - Mathematics Education, 57(2), 535–551. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-025-01660-9
This mixed-method study uses interviews and an online questionnaire to investigate the obstacles that hinder teachers’ implementation of mathematical modelling in everyday classrooms in China. Thirty high school mathematics teachers were interviewed, and 200 teachers completed an online questionnaire regarding their perceived obstacles. We identified six critical obstacle groups: missed opportunities to learn mathematical modelling education in professional development and/or teacher education; students’ lack of knowledge and interests; lack of examples in textbooks; lack of suitable teaching materials; non-favourable curricula tradition and school policies; and a strong traditional focus on examination culture. The obstacles identified and their relationship to and role in current in-service teachers’ practices are explored and interpreted from a sociocultural perspective considering, among other factors, the significance of central examinations in China and the historical prevalence of pure, structurally oriented mathematics in school.
Yang, X., Schwarz, B., & Leung, I. K. C. (2022). Pre-service mathematics teachers’ professional modeling competencies: a comparative study between Germany, Mainland China, and Hong Kong. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 109(2), 409–429. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-021-10064-x
Although mathematical modeling plays an important role in many curricula worldwide, significant discrepancies persist in the importance of mathematical modeling in ordinary mathematics classrooms and teacher education. This paper compares pre-service mathematics teachers’ professional mathematical modeling competencies in three different regions—Germany, Mainland China, and Hong Kong—where educational and cultural traditions differ, including the role of mathematical modeling. In total, 232 pre-service mathematics teachers from the three regions completed a modeling task covering mathematics content knowledge (MCK) of modeling and mathematical pedagogical content knowledge (MPCK) of modeling. The results show that pre-service teachers from Germany demonstrated the strongest MCK and MPCK of mathematical modeling; by contrast, pre-service mathematics teachers from Mainland China and Hong Kong demonstrated relatively weaker MCK and MPCK of mathematical modeling. MCK and MPCK of mathematical modeling were also found to be unevenly developed at different competence levels for the three regions. These differences may be attributed to the history of mathematical modeling in mathematics curricula, teacher education, and teaching culture in these three regions.
Yang, Z., Bao, D., & Shen, D. (2022). Exploring design students’ cognition and application of different levels of Chinese cultural elements. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 32(1), 645–665. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-020-09606-w
Increasing attention is being given to traditional culture-orientated product design. While Chinese design students lack a deep understanding of traditional Chinese culture and its applications, little in-depth research has investigated this issue. Thus, how educators should guide and improve their students’ cultural design in the context of current Chinese design education and practices remains unclear. This study explores these design students’ cognition and application of different levels of Chinese cultural design elements to provide new insights for improving and adapting cultural design teaching practices. This study comprised three related stages. In stage 1, we extracted three levels of 15 representative cultural design elements from Chinese culture based on cultural hierarchy theory. In stage 2, we examined the students’ cognition about different levels of cultural elements using two questionnaire surveys. In stage 3, we further compared the differences in the application of cultural elements between experts and students to explore the students’ cultural application ability. The results showed that different design students have differing cognition of Chinese culture, which can be divided into two categories: i.e., cognitive deficiency or sufficiency. Compared with experts, students lack application experience and ability in the design elements of inner ‘intangible’ and middle ‘behavioural’ levels, because of their insufficient understanding of these two cultural design levels. These findings may reveal deficiencies in Chinese design students’ cognition and application, and provide targeted cultural teaching guidance.
Yassin, M., Mansour, Y., & El Antably, A. (2025). The pecking order: a Bourdieusian look at authority in virtual peer crits. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 35(1), 233–256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-024-09891-9
Cultural capital having sway in establishing authority in educational fields, including architecture, has been prevalent in scholarly work discussing the traditional studio setup. With the growing use of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) in architectural education, some studios, their occupants, and artifacts moved to the new medium. Such change places those studios in a precarious position vis-a-vis traditional architectural pedagogy, problematizing cultural capital and authority. This research examines the relationship between cultural capital and authority, focusing on MUVE-mediated studio peer crits. It adopts a quasi-experimental approach, where twenty-four participants with varying design proficiencies in diverse peer compositions completed a timed design task. The research employs linkography for analysis and Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework for interpretation. The findings suggest that MUVEs have a transformative effect on exogenous cultural capital, potentially disrupting previously established norms and hierarchies in architectural pedagogy and creating new hierarchical models, which add nuances to the existing models in the literature. A MUVE-mediated studio has the potential to present the studio as a new exploratory ground not weighed down by pre-established notions of studio culture “habitus.”
Ying, J., Yan, F., Harrison, M. G., & Jackson, L. (2024). Humility and its cultivation in Chinese schools: an exploratory study into teachers’ perspectives. Asia Pacific Education Review, 25(5), 1215–1225. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-022-09800-6
Humility as a concept has recently received increasing scholarly attention in international scholarship. It has also been regarded as important for education traditionally in Chinese culture. However, no empirical research so far has examined Chinese people’s conceptualisations of humility in education and its cultivation in schools. Based on semi-structured interviews, this exploratory study examined urban teachers’ conceptions of humility and their experiences of cultivating humility in mainland Chinese schools. Our findings highlight the multiplicity and complexity of conceptualisations of humility and the challenges faced by the teachers in cultivating humility. The study also raises questions about the politics of practicing humility and the complex entanglements between moral values and social norms and relations, inviting more research to examine the complex implications of moral virtues that are promoted in schools and wider societies around the world. Despite their recognition of the potentially negative consequences of humility such as avoidance from competition and entailing emotional constraints, the teachers regarded humility as a predominantly positive moral concept important for learning, teaching, and teacher–student relationship. Meanwhile, they associated it with disciplinary dispositions such as being quiet, subtle, cautious, or dutiful. The teachers’ attempts to cultivate it among their students were highly contingent, however, due to various challenges, including a lack of teacher training and limited textbook contents on humility, the exam-orientedness of the Chinese education system, and the perceived individualistic dispositions of Chinese students.
Yoshimizu, A. (2023). Student-centered, “embodied inter-referencing” as antiracist and anticolonial pedagogy. Asia Pacific Education Review, 24(2), 227–237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-022-09811-3
This article reflects on an experimental pedagogical approach I developed in aJapanese literature course that examines sex, gender, and sexuality in response toinstitutional and epistemic racism that exist in university in Canada and in the specificcontext of the COVID-19 pandemic when the number of anti-Asian hate crimes rose atan enormous rate in the city where my university is situated. Building on the intellectualmovements of “Asia as method” and “diaspora as method” my project attempts tomove beyond the convention of studying Asian culture by referencing western theory,knowledge, and experience. More specifically, I developed an assignment called Peer-Engaged Embodied Reflection Journal where students discuss what they learned fromJapanese literature by referencing their own, local experiences and engage in peerinteractions in small groups. In this article, I discuss the effectiveness of mypedagogical approach based on the classroom study conducted in the fall of 2020 andthe spring of 2021, semi-structured interviews with teaching assistants (TAs), and myown teaching experience. Based on my qualitative analysis of student engagementwith the assignment as well as TAs’ and my grading experiences, I conclude thatrecentring student experience and peer engagement produces meaningful sites fordecolonial and antiracist pedagogy while teaching Japanese modern literature in aCanadian institutional context.
You, C. (2024). Who Speaks for Nature? Genre, Gender and the Eco-translation of Chinese Wild Animals. Children’s Literature in Education, 55(2), 179–197. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-022-09484-x
Wild animal stories, as a children’s literary genre, often oscillate between authentic representations of animal behaviour and various degrees of anthropomorphic projection. The study identifies how the voices of wild animals are articulated in two contrasting Chinese wild animal stories, Shixi Shen’s Hongcai (2010/2019) and Gerelchimeg Blackcrane’s Heiyan (2006/2017), and how culture-specific understandings of genre, gender and environmental education are negotiated in the published translations. Informed by Michael Cronin’s model of “eco-translation” and David Herman’s “narratology beyond the human,” it argues that the eco-translation of the source texts is mainly manifested in the reduction of sexism and sentimental anthropomorphism, problematisation of genetic descriptions and reappropriation of non-fictional texts. These strategic interventions enhance eco-translation’s potential as an anti-anthropocentric narratology, a co-authored life writing that recognises the generic ambivalence within animal storytelling practice and further speaks for nature with more conscious allocation of agency across the species lines.
Younas, M. Z. (2025). Straight as a Rainbow? Evolving Attitudes Toward Homosexuality in Pakistan. Sexuality and Culture, 29(1), 124–151. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10264-6
The debate over homosexuality continues across the globe, reflecting significant disparities in public opinion regarding the acceptability of homosexuality and laws regulating LGBTQ+ unions. The study in hand examines the shifting landscape of attitudes toward homosexuality in Pakistan, a country known for its deep-rooted cultural values and traditions. The analysis is underpinned by data sourced from the 2012 and 2018 waves of the World Values Survey. The results demonstrate a notable upswing in social tolerance, primarily driven by cohort succession and, to some extent, changes in attitudes within cohorts. Also, education, gender, age cohorts, and liberal attitudes toward divorce, prostitution, and abortion play a significant role in shaping the acceptance of homosexuality. When it comes to accepting homosexuals as neighbors, religion shows statistically insignificant impacts. However, its influence on the perceived justifiability of homosexuality is in opposite directions. This research offers constructive insights for policymakers and social organizations by highlighting regional and demographic variations in attitudes toward homosexuality. The findings can inform targeted interventions and public awareness campaigns aimed at fostering greater social acceptance and reducing stigma.
Yu, M. L., Brown, T., Hewitt, A., Cousland, R., Lyons, C., & Etherington, J. (2023). Exploring emotional and social competencies in undergraduate students: Perspectives from CALD and non-CALD students. Australian Educational Researcher, 50(3), 601–624. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-022-00507-6
With the internationalisation of higher education, students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds represent a significant proportion of the university student body in Australia. Research literature indicates that the unique cultural and linguistic challenges experienced by these students may adversely impact their academic performance and social integration in university settings. However, less is known about how the socio-emotional competencies of undergraduate CALD and non-CALD domestic English-speaking students compare. This cross-sectional quantitative study compares the emotional and social competencies in a cohort of CALD and non-CALD occupational therapy undergraduates. Data were collected at one Australian university from a group of 360 students enrolled in the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) course. Participants completed the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory– University edition (ESCI-U). Multivariate regression analyses were used to compare between CALD and non-CALD students, controlling for students’ year level of study, age, and gender. Key findings from the regression analysis included the observation of indicate that non-CALD students having significant higher scores than CALD students on all the ESCI-U socio-emotional subscales, especially the Emotional Self-control, Achievement Orientation, Empathy and Teamwork from western perspectives. No difference was found between CALD and non-CALD student on two cognitive competencies- systems thinking and pattern recognition. These findings should be interpreted with caution considering CALD students may interpret the questions differently and demonstrate the competencies in different ways. Specific emotional and social competencies that need to be strengthened in students are discussed and recommendations are made to inform the preparation of evidence-based curricula.
Yüce, E., Seitova, M., & Şentürk, B. (2024). Online Learning Self-Efficacy in Using Technology among Turkish and Kazakh EFL Teachers. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 33(4), 857–867. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-023-00784-4
Self-efficacy has contributed to foreign language education contexts profoundly. However, with recent changes, especially after the pandemic, more is needed to learn about language teachers’ self-efficacy in using technology in online education. To address this issue, the current study tried to reveal online learning self-efficacy in using technology among EFL teachers from a cross-cultural perspective involving Turkish and Kazakh teachers. The study followed a qualitative inquiry, and an open-ended questionnaire was employed. The study involved 43 EFL teachers, 21 from Türkiye and 22 from Kazakhstan. The data obtained from the open-ended questions were analysed with the help of MAXQDA software. Top-down and bottom-up strategies were utilised concurrently to form the themes and subthemes. The results indicated that Turkish and Kazakh EFL teachers shared nearly similar views regarding feelings, challenges, factors, and strategies on online learning self-efficacy in using technology in EFL courses, while they held different views regarding the influence of culture on online learning self-efficacy in using technology in EFL courses. The study concluded with a discussion of the findings to provide implications for foreign language educators.
Zhang, Q., Yin, J., & Jiang, K. (2025). Glocalization of early childhood curriculum: an ethnographic study on the integration of the Reggio Emilia approach into the Chinese Kindergarten curriculum. Asia Pacific Education Review, 26(1), 49–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-023-09851-3
In the globalized age, Chinese kindergartens are exposed to numerous western curriculum perspectives and practices. To construct a kindergarten-based curriculum (KBC), Chinese kindergartens tend to borrow western ideas. Using the Reggio Emilia approach (REA) as an example, this focused ethnographic study conducts an empirical investigation into such a borrowing process. The sample included 15 kindergartens located in seven cities in Jiangsu Province, China. Data were collected through interviews, site visit, and pedagogical documentation, and were analyzed using a combination of thematic and content analyses. The study found that the process of borrowing the REA constituted the glocalization of the kindergarten curriculum, which included four phases. Specifically, the kindergarten was attracted by a certain practice of the REA (Phase 1), decided to borrow a preferred practice of the REA (Phase 2), implemented the selected practice (Phase 3), and internalized the implemented practice (Phase 4). Instead of copying or imitating, Chinese kindergartens integrated the REA into their KBCs by experimenting, recontextualizing, and hybridizing with varying proportions. Further, the glocalization of the early childhood curriculum in China was greatly influenced by the social, political, and cultural contexts in China’s new era. In particular, the major melody of being confident in the Chinese path and culture effectively prevented any importation of a western curriculum model as a whole. Lastly, the study discussed the implications of the findings.
Zhang, Y., Yang, X., Sun, X., & Kaiser, G. (2023). The reciprocal relationship among Chinese senior secondary students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and cognitive engagement in learning mathematics: a three-wave longitudinal study. ZDM - Mathematics Education, 55(2), 399–412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-022-01465-0
In the present longitudinal study, cross-lagged path models were applied to investigate the potential reciprocal relationships between senior secondary school students’ motivation and their cognitive engagement, using data from 623 Chinese senior secondary school students across 2 years. The 623 students completed self-reported measures of motivation and engagement at three time points within 2 years. The results suggest that the participants held a mixed type of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to learn mathematics and did not hold a deep level of cognitive engagement in mathematics learning. Compared with their extrinisic motivation, their intrinsic motivation to learn mathematics was more closely related to their cognitive engagement in mathematics learning, which points to a stronger reciprocal effect between their cognitive engagement and intrinsic motivation. The findings suggest that societal and cultural factors, such as the strong examination culture and high external expectations might be influential factors affecting the reciprocal relationships among students’ motivation and cognitive engagement.
Zhong, L., Xie, Y., & Xu, L. (2023). The impact of personalization feature on students’ engagement patterns in a role-playing game: A cultural perspective. Education and Information Technologies, 28(7), 8357–8375. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11529-z
The personalization feature has been implemented in various ways in educational games but the effectiveness of personalization feature on students’ engagement was mixed in literature. Culture might be one possible reason but has been seldom explored in previous studies. This study filled in this gap by investigating the impact of the personalization feature on students’ engagement patterns through the lens of culture. Results showed that the personalization game feature could engage students by capturing and maintaining students’ attention and interest. Gender affected students’ engagement patterns via cultural differences in attitudes toward time. Additionally, when the game was personalized, students’ perceptions of student-teacher relation and group power would affect engagement patterns during gameplay and re-engagement in the future. Findings of this study demonstrated that the personalization game feature delivered via computers could be used to initiate and maintain students’ engagement. Gender needs to be considered when utilizing games to engage students. Motivational design is needed to engage less active students in the personalized gaming environment. Students’ cultural differences, such as perceptions of power distribution between students and instructors and power of group, need to be considered when designing personalized games. This study contributes to the field by explaining how gender influenced students’ engagement patterns and why nonengagement was observed in some previous studies.
Zhong, S. (2025). Translating Humor for Children in Beijia Huang’s I Want To Be Good. Children’s Literature in Education, 56(4), 635–650. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-024-09585-9
This article examines the translation of humor in《我要做好孩子》(Wo Yao Zuo Hao Hai Zi, I Want To Be Good) by Beijia Huang, first published in 1996, and translated by British sinologist Nicky Harman in 2021. The study investigates the types of humor present in the original text and the target text and the strategies employed by Harman to render these humorous elements in a way that resonates with English-speaking young readers. Utilizing the General Theory of Verbal Humor (GTVH) and the Variation Theory of Comparative Literature, this research scrutinizes the linguistic and cultural dimensions of humor translation. This article focuses on the humorous effect conveyed in translation and the translator’s balance between domestication and foreignization. Analyzing the translation of rhetorical devices and culture-specific items (CSIs), it shows that Harman selectively maintains culturally rich images familiar to the target audience while translating with substitutions or omitting others to enhance readability. The findings point to the use of Chinese humor in colloquial usage and how such elements are adapted or omitted in translation to ensure accessibility. This paper also calls for further research into humor in other types of literary genres and the reception of humor translation in children’s literature.
Zhong, Z., Feng, F., Li, J., Liu, X., Cao, Y., & Liao, Y. (2022). Making university and curricular sustainable entrepreneurship: a case study of Tsinghua University. Asia Pacific Education Review, 23(4), 559–569. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-022-09797-y
Making the university and its teachers and students alike as sustainable entrepreneurs are central endeavours in this age of sustainable development today. This paper presents an in-depth case study to examine the development of sustainable entrepreneurship of Tsinghua University of China at institutional and curricular levels. The paper first proposes an analytical model of the sustainable university as the alignment of six elements based on three interrelated propositions. The paper then applies the model to study Tsinghua’s culture of sustainability and entrepreneurship and its strategies from green university to sustainable university. Next the paper discusses five cases courses in sustainability education from diverse disciplines with shared goal to foster sustainability competence as global competence and shared pedagogies for experiential learning. The paper concludes with theoretical discussions of institutional-level sustainable entrepreneurship and also practical discussions of shared characteristics and challenges of curricular-level sustainable entrepreneurship with special references of pedagogical and digital opportunities and challenges. The paper presents findings from a self-reflective practitioner-as-researcher action research jointly conducted by the instructors of case courses. The paper used a mixed-method approach with participatory observation, interview, focus-group, survey, and curricular development experiments.
Zhu, Y., Shen, Y., & Yang, R. (2025). Transforming traditions into academic resources: a study of Chinese scholars in the humanities and social sciences. Higher Education, 89(6), 1619–1635. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01297-9
The asymmetrical global higher education and knowledge systems ordered by Euro–American hegemony have been increasingly interrogated, especially by scholars in the humanities and social sciences (HSS). With gathering awareness, growing HSS scholars from non-Western backgrounds have called for global intellectual pluriversality. Responding to such a trend, this article sheds new light on the status quo of East Asian and other non-Euro–American intellectual traditions by taking Chinese intellectual traditions as a case. Since the nineteenth century, generations of Chinese intellectuals have strived to transform their intellectual traditions into modern resources. This historical mission has been carried on by contemporary scholars and become even more complex in the current global era. By unpacking the real perceptions and recent experiences of Chinese HSS scholars, this study demonstrates that Chinese intellectual traditions deeply influence today’s knowledge production and have been transformed into three kinds of academic resources: approaches, methodologies/paradigms, and theories. However, the transformation process has never been smooth. Domestically, the great endeavours of Chinese HSS scholars are often impeded by the dominant intellectual extraversion and coercive audit culture; internationally, they feel constrained by epistemic injustice. This article proposes an empirical approach to examining and presenting intellectual traditions in the individual experiences of scholars. It reveals the high complexities of navigating through asymmetrical globalisation to achieve intellectual pluriversality.
Zhuang, Y., & Conner, A. M. (2022). Teachers’ use of rational questioning strategies to promote student participation in collective argumentation. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 111(2), 345–365. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-022-10160-6
Teachers’ questioning plays an essential role in shaping collective argumentative discourse. This paper demonstrated that rationality dimensions in teacher questions can be assessed by adapting Habermas’ three components of rationality. By coordinating Habermas’ construct with Toulmin’s model for argumentation, this paper investigated how two secondary mathematics teachers used rational questioning to support student participation in collective argumentation. This paper identified various ways in which two participating teachers used rational questioning to support student participation in argumentation via contributions of argument components. The results establish a theoretical connection between the use of rational questions and students’ contributions of components of arguments. The results indicated that not all rational questions were associated with a component of argument, and rational questions may additionally support argumentation in general for the development of a culture of rationality. The study has implications in terms of theory and professional development of teachers.
Zou, W. Q., & Chen, S. C. (2025). Teacher-Expressed Humility and Students’ Learning Motivation: The Mediating Role of Academic Self-Efficacy and the Moderating Role of Teacher Ability Trustworthiness. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 34(1), 315–326. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-024-00856-z
Humility is a traditionally esteemed virtue in Chinese culture and a desired personal quality in teachers. While previous research shows that teacher humility has a positive effect on students, there is limited empirical research on how it impacts student learning motivation. Therefore, we designed a moderated mediation model to examine how teacher humility affects college students’ learning motivation, focusing on the mediating role of academic self-efficacy and the moderating role of teacher ability trustworthiness. We used a questionnaire to survey 808 college students from the Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Henan provinces in China and utilized SPSS 19.0 and SPSS macro PROCESS for hypothesis testing. The findings suggest that teacher humility indirectly and positively influences student learning motivation by enhancing academic self-efficacy. Moreover, teacher ability trustworthiness moderates the relationship between teacher humility and academic self-efficacy, as well as the indirect effect of teacher humility on student learning motivation via academic self-efficacy. There was a more significant positive correlation between teacher humility and academic self-efficacy for students with higher than lower trust in their teachers’ abilities. Based on these outcomes, we recommend that teachers exhibit humility in their interactions with students to increase learning motivation. Teachers should also enhance their professional abilities to win students’ trust. This study also discusses limitations and directions for future research.
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