Frontiers in Educational Practice and Research
Frontiers in Educational Practice and Research is an international, peer-reviewed journal that publishes high-quality research focused on improving educational practices. It covers a wide range of topics including teaching methods, educational technology, curriculum development, assessment, and educational leadership. The journal bridges research and practice by emphasizing evidence-based approaches and real-world applications. It encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and promotes inclusive education, aiming to contribute to the global evolution of educational theory and practice.
From Behavioral Assessment to Cognitive Attribution: Explainable AI-Enabled Reform in Electrical Machines Laboratory Instruction
Laboratory courses in electrical machines have long been constrained by unidimensional process assessment, ambiguous attribution of learning difficulties, and the absence of personalized feedback. This study proposes an intelligent teaching evaluation and feedback framework grounded in explainable AI. The framework first constructs a multidimensional set of explicit features spanning cognitive foundations, affective attitudes, and operational behaviors. A differentiable causal discovery algorithm then extracts latent causal relationships from these explicit features that influence experiment completion. Finally, the TabNet attentive interpretable model builds a personalized prediction and attribution model for learning performance. This mechanism shifts laboratory evaluation from an outcome-oriented paradigm toward cognitive attribution, offering a computational pathway to address the diagnostic blind spot wherein traditional evaluation identifies surface problems but fails to trace their cognitive origins. The framework can inform the transition from experience-driven teaching evaluation to data-driven cognitive attribution in core electrical engineering laboratory courses.
Copyright (c) 2026 Wenxue Xie, Jia Hu, Qingkan Zhang, Ziwei Wu, Tingyu Li, Shaojun Zhang, Xiyang Xue (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Beyond Prompting: Biological Memory, Cognitive Offloading, and Human Expertise in the Age of GenAI
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is driving unprecedented changes in higher education by enabling students to outsource complex cognitive tasks, including writing, summarisation, reasoning, and problem-solving. While these technologies offer accessibility, personalisation, and educational support, they raise concerns regarding cognitive offloading, eroding biological memory, and development of human expertise. This paper argues that prompting AI systems should not be conflated with learning because expertise depends upon durable internal cognitive structures developed through encoding, retrieval, schema formation, and critical reflective reasoning over time. Drawing upon cognitive psychology, educational neuroscience, and contemporary AI research, the paper introduces the concept of biological memory as the foundation of independent professional judgment and adaptive expertise. Excessive reliance on GenAI may without careful management contribute to cognitive debt, reduced neural engagement and cognitive decline. The paper proposes brain-aligned approaches to curriculum, assessment, AI literacy, and educational design that position AI as a scaffold for cognition rather than a substitute for it.
Copyright (c) 2026 Meena Jha, Stephen Colbran, Ken Purnell (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Beyond Pattern Recognition: Rethinking Graph Comprehension Through Data Provenance
The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in generating and processing data visualizations challenges traditional understandings of graph comprehension and visual literacy. Existing models primarily emphasize pattern recognition and the interpretation of graphical representations but often overlook reflection on the provenance of the underlying data. This perspective argues that, although pattern recognition is a necessary prerequisite, it is not sufficient for critical graph comprehension. We propose a conceptual extension of visual literacy that explicitly integrates reflection on data provenance as a core competence. This includes critical consideration of data origin, collection, processing, quality, bias, and AI-mediated influences on data generation and visualization. A preliminary analytical framework is introduced to distinguish data provenance reflection from related constructs such as statistical literacy, contextual knowledge, and critical thinking. The paper further discusses implications for research and higher education, arguing that educational interventions should foster learners' ability to critically evaluate not only what visualizations show but also how they are produced. Finally, a research agenda is outlined that calls for the theoretical refinement of data provenance reflection, the development of competence models, and the validation of assessment instruments to support its integration into future conceptualizations of visual literacy.
Copyright (c) 2026 Christiane Lieb, Wolfgang Mueller, Carola Pickhardt (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Toward a Curricular Reform Reimagining the Mechanical Design Foundation for Biomedical Engineering Education
This paper systematically explores directions for curriculum reform. It addresses two core issues: the disconnect between the "Fundamentals of Mechanical Design" course and BME students' professional needs, and the curriculum's tendency to be broad but shallow. First, it analyzes the conflict between the highly interdisciplinary nature of the discipline and limited instructional hours, revealing the current status characterized by content oversimplification, a disconnect between learning and application, and insufficient student motivation. Accordingly, a specific scheme for reconstructing the curriculum based on a "problem-oriented" approach is proposed. By integrating four interdisciplinary modules—Rehabilitation Engineering, Biomechanics, Sports Biomechanics, and Human Factors Engineering—the scheme deeply combines traditional mechanical principles with the practice of medical device design. The paper further discusses the pedagogical paradigm shift from "tool-oriented" to "problem-oriented" represented by this reform, and objectively analyzes the practical challenges regarding faculty, resources, and evaluation systems, as well as the potential impact on the disciplinary ecosystem. In conclusion, it is noted that this reform constitutes a systemic reconstruction of the curriculum system. It aims to cultivate interdisciplinary engineering talents capable of solving complex clinical problems, holding significant value for aligning with national strategic demands and promoting the specialized development of the major.
Copyright (c) 2026 Minghui Wang, Shiqin Feng, Hongliu Yu (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Research on the Teaching Reform of the "Human-Machine Collaboration-R-A-R" Model in the Biomedical Detection Technology Course under the Background of New Engineering
New Engineering construction places strong emphasis on keeping course content updated in step with industrial technologies, engineering practice, and the cultivation of interdisciplinary competencies. The Biomedical Detection Technology course is characterized by pronounced interdisciplinarity, rapid knowledge renewal, and high demands on experimental resources. Traditional lecture-based teaching is prone to problems such as outdated content, insufficient student engagement, and difficulty in transferring theory to real-world scenarios [1-3]. In light of the actual teaching conditions of this course, this paper proposes a "human-machine collaboration-R-A-R" teaching reform scheme: classroom organization is restructured through the three-stage reporting model of Review-Analyze-Reflect; layered note-taking with blue and red pens is used to promote students' reprocessing of AI-generated content; and maker projects together with AI error-correction tasks are used to enhance students' practical ability and critical thinking. This article discusses the scheme design, implementation process, evaluation system, and expected outcomes. Research shows that this scheme can strengthen students' knowledge integration, engineering expression, and active learning ability under conditions of limited class hours and resources, providing an operational reference for the reform of biomedical engineering courses.
Copyright (c) 2026 Minghui Wang, Minghao Chen, Hongliu Yu (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Practice-Oriented Teaching Reform Model for Orthopaedic Instrumentation Education
The Orthopaedic Instrumentation course, as a representative interdisciplinary subject integrating medicine and engineering, plays a pivotal bridging role between engineering competence cultivation and clinical application understanding. In response to existing challenges—including outdated course content, insufficient integration of theory and practice, and a single-dimensional assessment system—this study adopts engineering competency development as its core orientation and constructs a three-dimensional collaborative reform framework encompassing content restructuring, practice enhancement, and diversified evaluation. The reform was systematically implemented across two consecutive teaching cycles. By incorporating cutting-edge technological modules, establishing a tiered practical training system, and developing a comprehensive process-oriented assessment mechanism, the proposed reform facilitates the integration of theoretical instruction and engineering practice. Empirical observations indicate that course performance, excellence rate, and student satisfaction all showed noticeable improvement after the reform. Moreover, students exhibited enhanced engineering analytical capability and interdisciplinary problem-solving competence. This study provides a transferable structural paradigm for optimizing professional curricula within the context of medical–engineering integration.
Rehumanizing Reintegration: Intensive Case Management Effectively Supporting Community Re-Entry Post Incarceration in Canada
This article examines the effectiveness of intensive case management (ICM) as a rehumanizing framework for supporting racialized individuals transitioning from incarceration to community re-entry in Canada. The study focuses on the Prosper program delivered by the community organization Amadeusz (learn more at https://amadeusz.ca/home), which provides culturally responsive, relationship-centered supports for individuals facing firearm-related charges. Guided by Critical Race Theory and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies, two focus groups with six racialized female caseworkers were conducted alongside examining archival interviews and program evaluation data. Thematic analysis identified three interconnected dimensions of effective reintegration practice: (1) building trust through relational accountability, (2) integrating culturally sustaining and trauma-informed care into services provided, and (3) navigating systemic barriers through advocacy and cross-sector collaborations. Quantitative program outcomes from 2018 to 2022 indicate that approximately 64% of 57 Prosper program participants did not re-offend, while qualitative findings highlight the importance of sustained relationships and culturally grounded care in facilitating stability and self-efficacy among participants. The findings contribute to filling in the research gap by highlighting the critical role of community-based organizations as intermediaries between marginalized populations and institutional systems, offering reforms for policy and practice for reimagining more effective reintegration frameworks in Canada and beyond.
Copyright (c) 2026 Sheena Blake Brown, Ardavan Eizadirad (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Artificial Intelligence as a “Knowledgeable Other” in Forest School Practice
Forest School, a learner-centred outdoor education approach rooted in constructivist pedagogy, emphasises child-initiated, autonomous play, environmental engagement, and facilitative adult roles to support holistic development. Despite its increasing adoption in the UK and internationally, Forest School practice often faces tension with mainstream educational pressures prioritising measurable outcomes, risking drift from its foundational principles. This paper explores a novel intersection of Forest School pedagogy and artificial intelligence (AI), investigating whether AI can function as a ‘more knowledgeable other’ or MKO (Vygotsky, 1934 in Luria et al., 1978) to support practitioner reflection in assessing how close their practice is aligned with Forest School Association principles.. Drawing on two empirically rich case studies, Mackinder (2024) and Mart & Waite (2023), selected through a systematic and purposive literature review, this paper employed thematic analysis to extract key patterns in child-led play, environmental affordances, adult facilitation, and social interaction. Cross-case comparison revealed strong conceptual and methodological alignment across datasets, highlighting consistent emphases on learner agency, adaptable spaces, scaffolding, narrative construction, and risk-mediated learning. AI-assisted analysis was then applied to evaluate these practices against Forest School Association (FSA) principles, conceptualising AI not as an assessor but as a reflective interlocutor capable of prompting insight, supporting interpretive dialogue, and extending professional reflexivity. Findings suggest that AI can act as a cognitive scaffold for practitioners, offering timely, theoretically informed feedback while preserving the facilitative, emergent, and learner-centred ethos of Forest School.
Copyright (c) 2026 Samuel Clarke (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring Digital Legacy Planning Among Older Adults: A Proposed Study Through Diffusion of Innovations
Digital legacy planning refers to the intentional organization and management of digital assets and digital identity in anticipation of incapacity or death. Despite the growing volume and personal significance of digital materials, engagement in digital legacy planning remains limited, particularly among older adults. This article presents a conceptual and methodological foundation for a proposed quantitative study examining factors that shape older adults’ behavioral intention to engage in digital legacy planning, conceptualized as a preventive innovation and a socially embedded process situated within postdigital adult life. Guided by Diffusion of Innovations theory, Moore and Benbasat’s Perceived Characteristics of Innovation framework, and insights from adult development and intergenerational learning, the paper outlines a cross-sectional survey design. The proposed study introduces a partially standardized collaborative prototype of digital legacy planning through a brief informational video to anchor participants’ understanding of the innovation and involves an online questionnaire administered to adults aged 60 and older residing in an age-restricted community in central Texas. The instrument adapts validated measures of perceived relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability, and extends the framework by incorporating two social influence constructs: explicit encouragement and perceived social value. Behavioral intention to engage in digital legacy planning is specified as the dependent variable, with planned analyses including descriptive statistics, reliability assessment, and multiple linear regression. The proposed design is intended to clarify whether digital legacy planning functions as a preventive innovation among older adults and to identify key perceptual and relational factors shaping intention. By articulating a theoretically grounded and educationally informed study design, the paper aims to inform future empirical research and the development of adult education and communication interventions that support socially meaningful digital legacy planning.
Copyright (c) 2026 Sergio Carvajal-Leoni (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Teacher Professional Development for Effective Incorporation of Augmented Reality Utilizing TPACK, Assessment as Learning, Pace Differentiation, and Dialogic Coaching
This research explored a professional development program for high school teachers to support matching pedagogy to technology and content. The specific use case was the integration of augmented reality into classrooms to support differentiated instruction, coaching, and enhance student comprehension of abstract ideas. A qualitative approach was employed, combining classroom observations to gather data on teachers’ experiences of using augmented reality with semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that while teachers saw great potential for augmented reality as an immersive and interactive learning medium, they also foresaw difficulties in aligning the technology with pedagogical and content objectives without support. Major conclusions drawn from the study highlight the importance of professional development that not only covers technological affordances, but also mentors’ teachers in analyzing how various pedagogical approaches and technologies may interact with specific content knowledge. It was also noted that designing professional development in such a way as to allow teachers to experience learning in the role of students was effective for the learning goals. Finally, reflections regarding technology and the future of education included hopes for a more personalized learning experience and concern that factors like comparisons between students could have negative repercussions, especially as AR is enhanced with artificial intelligence. The significance of this research lies in its contribution to understanding the role of tailored professional development in equipping teachers to effectively incorporate emerging technologies into their teaching strategies, ultimately aiming to foster more dynamic and inclusive educational environments.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ken Dong, Russell Hazard (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Connecting Local Realities to Global Goals by Exploring Students’ Perceptions of the Quality of Higher Education in Uganda
This descriptive study explored the perceptions of higher education quality among students in Uganda. This paper connects insights to the strategic framework for the transformation of Africa (Agenda 2063) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Agenda 2030) with a focus on Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). Drawing on semi-structured interviews (n = 19) and online survey data (n = 70), the study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach. It examined how students perceive higher education quality in relation to SDG 4 dimensions (e.g., equity, teaching and learning environments and support). The mixed-method study revealed four key themes, namely resilience, contradictions in perceptions, strengths, and inequalities in Uganda’s higher education quality. The participants demonstrated remarkable resilience in navigating challenges despite systemic constraints. While institutions like the host higher education institution (HEI), where the research study was conducted, were perceived as spaces of autonomy, gaps in pedagogical quality, curriculum relevance and equity indicate a disconnect between policy aspirations and lived realities. We advocate for more responsive, student-prioritizing strategies for achieving the global goals and aligning higher education outcomes with the attainment of market-driven employability skills required for success in the 21st-century workplace, since students are the future.
Copyright (c) 2026 Sunet Grobler, Gerhard Hillmer, Lester Sigauke, Matthijs van de Wetering, Tobias Messerschmidt (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Applying Social Identity Leadership Theory to Explore Students’ Engagement and Motivation in Dance
Dance is increasingly popular, with learners enrolling in dance classes to engage with diverse dance styles and acquire corresponding skills. However, as with any form of Physical Activity (PA), engagement in dance learning is influenced by a range of factors, including the leadership offered by teachers and coaches. Finally, it is important to see how this form of activity can be most effectively developed in non-Western societies. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to apply Social Identity Leadership Theory (SIL) to explore Kuwaiti students’ engagement in dance, as reflected in the perceived influence of their teachers. Data were collected from 230 Kuwaiti school students using a modified form of the Identity Leadership Inventory–Youth (ILI-Y). Analyses revealed a positive impact of SIL principles on students’ motivation to continue dancing, suggesting that students are more engaged when teachers foster a strong group identity, promote unity, and create an inclusive, supportive environment.
Copyright (c) 2026 Athari Alshemmari, Dave Collins, Wendy Timmons (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Early Intervention for Special Needs Children in Malaysia: A Forward-Looking Perspective Inspired by the ANIS Selangor Initiative
Early intervention plays a crucial role in supporting the development, educational, and social outcomes of children with disabilities. In Malaysia, despite strong policy commitments to inclusive education, significant gaps continue to exist specifically in early identification, access to services, and system-wide coordination. The prominent challenges include inconsistent screening practices, reliance on privatised and specialist-led models, unequal access between urban and rural regions, and limited data infrastructures to monitor developmental outcomes. Learning from lessons on emerging state-wide initiatives such as ANIS Selangor, this Perspective paper outlines a forward-looking agenda for strengthening Malaysia’s early intervention ecosystem. Five strategic actions are proposed: (1) implementing universal developmental screening from ages two to six; (2) establishing hybrid service delivery that integrates competency-based centres, telehealth, and mobile outreach; (3) developing a tiered workforce through competency-based micro-credentials; (4) creating a national early intervention registry with equity dashboards; and (5) adopting sustainable co-financing models that combine federal-state partnerships with diversified funding streams. These proposals are in line with global evidence and WHO Nurturing Care Framework while responding to Malaysia’s unique socio-cultural and infrastructural context. Advancing these reforms can transform early intervention from fragmented provision into a coherent, equitable, and future-ready system that strengthens national progress toward SDG 4 Quality Education and inclusive early childhood development.
Danial Al-Rashid Bin Haron Aminar Rashid
Copyright (c) 2025 Danial Al-Rashid Bin Haron Aminar Rashid, Astri Yulia, Nurul Ain Ismail (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Does the integration of AI-driven robotics into mathematics education serve as a form of reterritorialization of an educator's professional identity?
The integration of AI-driven robotics into mathematics education has emerged as a transformative force, reshaping traditional pedagogical practices and redefining educators' professional identities. Drawing on Deluzian theory, this article explores the concept of reterritorialization within the context of AI technology's incorporation into mathematics teaching. Through a systematic selection of 9 case studies, the article highlights the duality of educators’ professional identity (EPI) that educators experience: one that embraces innovative pedagogical methodologies and another that grapples with challenges posed by technological demands. The findings reveal that while AI-driven robotics can enhance student engagement and learning outcomes, they also impose constraints that may lead to feelings of inadequacy among educators.
Copyright (c) 2025 Samuel Clarke (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Intuitive Psychology in an AI Age: The Evolving Landscape of Child Development in the Presence of Artificial Intelligence
This article examines intuitive psychology, the subconscious ability to infer others' emotions and beliefs, its development in children, and the impact of AI. As AI becomes an "external other," children encounter new social dynamics, influencing their understanding of mental states, social cognition, and critical thinking. AI systems like chatbots and robots mimic human responses, raising concerns about distinguishing real from artificial interactions. While AI offers developmental opportunities, it also presents challenges related to empathy, digital literacy, and over-reliance. The paper proposes a comparative study of children in North Yorkshire, UK, and South East Queensland, Australia, to explore AI's effects. It highlights ethical issues, such as AI bias and evolving human-AI relationships, emphasising the importance of responsible AI integration to support children’s social and emotional growth.
Copyright (c) 2025 Samuel Clarke, Rian Roux, Huiwen Wang, Ksenija Laskova (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Effect of Metacognitive Strategy Training on Students' Speech Act Production
The identification of learning styles and the implementation of successful learning strategies have a significant impact on English teaching and learning. This study investigates the extent to which metacognitive strategy training assists EFL learners to produce speech act of request, apology, refusal and complain. To this end, two intermediate-level classes were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Experimental group received metacognitive training and control group received conventional way of teaching speech acts. The treatment lasted for 11 sessions. Each session involved the metacognitive strategy instruction followed by pragmatic problem-solving tasks. To examine the data, the Shapiro-Wilk test and multivariate analysis of variance were conducted using SPSS software. The findings indicated that metacognitive strategy training led to notable improvements in various aspects of speech act production, such as making requests, apologies, refusals, and complain in experimental group. Moreover, Metacognition is essential for enhancing speaking abilities as it involves individuals being conscious of their own thinking processes to enhance their learning.
Copyright (c) 2025 Masoud Kiani, Ali Roohani (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Commentary: Nurturing Transdisciplinary Learning for Doctoral Researchers: A Doctor of Education (EdD) Programme Perspective
This commentary contributes to ongoing discussions about transdisciplinary learning and collaboration in doctoral programmes. The commentary briefly considers recent research on transdiciplinarity in doctoral programme design before considering the example of a recent Doctor of Education (EdD) programme development process at an Asia-Pacific university. Amongst the reflections offered here are the importance of adopting an agile mind-set to programme design and development and the need to develop programme contingency planning to anticipate organisational changes in a precarious higher education environment. Insights from this project seek to open avenues for future research following similar doctoral programme development and implementation at universities globally.
Copyright (c) 2025 Timothy Fadgen, Jo Smith, Frauke Meyer (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Self-Regulated Learning as a Determinant of Student Academic Motivation and Self Efficacy
In education, the learner is central and the process through which he or she learns is paramount. To this end, various methods have be designed as to ensuring that the learner is at the best when it comes to academic performance and survival in the wider society. One of these methods is to assist students have full control of their behaviors, emotions and thoughts with view to successfully go through their learning experience and this is , what self regulated learning (SRL) is all about. This chapter therefore, takes a look at SRL as a determinant of student academic motivation and self-efficacy by extension student academic performance.
Copyright (c) 2025 Onwubiko Emmanuel Chidiadi (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
An Inquiry into Student Librarians’ Motivation for Effective Learning and Effect on their Behaviors and Performance: The Case of Public Universities
It has always been a common phenomenon to attribute poor performance of students academically solely on their efforts without putting into considerations other variables that are associated with teaching and learning. Inasmuch as the students are expected to perform the task, such can only be done in a situation whereby, the course of study is well understood by the students and it is achievable. This study therefore is an enquiry into student librarians’ motivation for effective Learning and effect on their Behaviour and Performance. A Descriptive survey design was employed for the study with a sampled population of 200 lecturers and psychologists selected through purposive sampling technique from 10 government owned universities in Southeast, Nigeria. A self-designed Likert type four point scale close-ended self-designed questionnaire, was the principle instrument used for data collection. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented in Tables and charts. The outcome of the study reveals among other things, that motivating student librarians leads to higher levels of attendance, increases their persistence and wellbeing, as well as their effort in lessons. It also enhances their cognitive processing, increases their creativity and innovation and above all brings about improve academic performance and outcomes. In line with the result, it was recommended inter-alia that lecturers in library and information science departments in these universities, and by extension all lecturers in Nigerian universities, should adopt different strategies in motivating students in the classroom or lecture hall as to enhancing learning and to support motivation to learning, library schools at all levels policies and practices emphasis should be on mastery the task rather than on relative performance and competition as well as focusing motivating student librarians on stimulation of their curiosity for learning as embedded on intrinsic motivation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Emmanuel Onwubiko (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Review of Librarians as Digital Literacy Drivers in an Age of Generative AI Surrounded by Ethical Conundrums
The invention and recorded successes in the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative-AI) has given rise to a period of new ideas, changing the way data exist, produced, put into use, broken down and applied. This technology presently is permeating virtually in all human fields of endeavor including education which is the hallmark of societal development and sustainability. The irony of it is that there are two sides to this technology, the good and the ugly and librarians being drivers of information literacy seem to be in-between the two sides to bring a balance and orderliness within the information disordered ecosystem by ensuring that users of all sort are equipped with requisite Information Literacy (IL) skills. This work therefore is a review of Generative-AI intelligence as a concept, information literacy, digital literacy and ethics as well as Generative-AI ethical challenges and risk, librarians’ role as information literacy drivers in a Digital era and librarians’ expected functions as Generative-AI literacy facilitators that will help curb ethical challenges and risk posed by Generative-AI in the global digital ecosystem.
Copyright (c) 2025 Emmanuel Chidiadi Onwubiko (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Enhancing Learner Autonomy in Iranian EFL Classrooms: Exploring Teacher Perceptions and the Impact of Reading Strategy Instruction
This study aimed to explore the role of learner autonomy (LA) in Iranian EFL high schools, focusing on both teacher perceptions and the effects of strategy-based reading instruction on students' language proficiency. The primary objectives were: (1) to examine Iranian EFL teachers’ understanding and attitudes toward learner autonomy, and (2) to assess the impact of a structured reading strategy intervention on fostering autonomy and improving reading comprehension among learners. A mixed-methods design was employed, consisting of two phases. In Phase 1 (qualitative exploratory), purposive sampling was used to select three EFL teachers and 12 student participants for semi-structured interviews. In Phase 2 (quantitative intervention), convenience sampling was used to assign 28 students to an intervention group and 30 to a comparison group. The intervention consisted of a 10-week strategy-based reading program designed to promote autonomous learning. Qualitative data from interviews were analyzed using thematic coding with NVivo, while quantitative data from reading tests (pre-, post-, and delayed) were analyzed using SPSS (version 26), applying MANOVA to evaluate performance differences over time and between groups. Findings indicated that teachers generally valued learner autonomy and supported its integration into classroom practices. Moreover, students in the intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvement and retention in reading proficiency compared to the comparison group. The study recommends integrating strategy-based instruction into EFL curricula to promote learner autonomy and enhance reading performance. However, limitations include the small sample size, the study’s restriction to one geographical context, and the short intervention duration, which may affect the generalizability of results. Future research could expand to other skills and educational levels, or adopt a longitudinal design for deeper insights.
Copyright (c) 2025 Samira Nanbedeh (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
How Effective is On-the-Job Training for Teachers in Private Schools of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia? Insights from Teachers and Directors
This study explores the perceptions of teachers and directors regarding on-the-job training and professional development programs in private schools in Addis Ababa, examining their benefits, effectiveness, and implementation challenges. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research utilized surveys for quantitative data and interviews for qualitative insights from educators. The findings indicate a generally positive perception of on-the-job training, with improvements noted in teaching skills, student engagement, and collaboration. However, challenges such as insufficient resources and time constraints hindered effective participation. While the training content was well-received, concerns regarding assessment and responsiveness to feedback were identified. This research informs Ethiopian policymakers about the effectiveness of on-the-job training for private school teachers, advocating for tailored programs and continuous professional development. By emphasizing the importance of resource allocation and stakeholder engagement, the findings aim to enhance teacher performance and improve student outcomes, while also encouraging further research into innovative training methods. Additionally, the study highlights the need for improved administrative support and feedback mechanisms to enhance training effectiveness and identifies areas for future research, particularly concerning resource allocation and time management strategies to strengthen training impacts.
Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Easaw Alemayehu Assefa (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0