The government has imposed social restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting the education sector, including the early childhood school. Distance education offers different methods from the conventional methods, as the students are expected to gain the same skills, including critical thinking skills. Therefore, teachers must provide distance learning innovations using relevant learning media, such as multimedia-based learning. This research aims to assess the efficacy of multimedia learning in early childhood distance learning. This research is a quantitative model with a quasi-experimental pretest and posttest design. The data collection technique utilized questionnaires given to 30 samples of early childhood children. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software. The results confirmed that multimedia-based learning for distance learning could develop critical thinking skills in early childhood children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study offer exploration of learning strategies to improve children’s critical thinking.

Students' academic self-concept is a concerning concept in educational research. The purpose of this research is to examine the simultaneous influence and relationship of learning motivation, democratic parenting, and peer relations with academic self-concept in students. This is a correlational research with a cluster random sampling method used to collect data from 962 students. The result showed that learning motivation, democratic parenting, and peer relations had a partial and simultaneous relationship with students' academic self-concept. Furthermore, support from guidance and counselors, homeroom teachers, and parents is essential for students to actualize and develop their character optimally and effectively.  

In the last decade, vocational education in Indonesia has experienced problems in making career decisions for students, which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this research aims to examine the role of self-efficacy and mediate digital literacy, social environment, and counselling guidance in influencing career decision-making. This is an ex-post-facto research design with data collected from a sample of 566 vocational education students in Indonesia through a questionnaire method distributed online using Google Form. The collected data was then analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM) with path analysis and bootstrap methods. The results revealed that self-efficacy plays a vital role in mediating digital literacy and guiding students in career decision-making. On the other hand, digital literacy, guidance, and counselling have a significant direct effect on self-efficacy and career decision-making. Meanwhile, the social environment only has a significant direct effect on students’ career decision-making. The real role of all elements of vocational education in strengthening self-efficacy, growing digital literacy, monitoring social environment interactions, and providing counselling guidance to students is needed to increase optimism and the quality of career decision-making in vocational education.

Character education is urgent in passing down the ethical and moral values in the cultured community life. The local cultural values are a source of ethics and moral education for elementary school students. The school keeps taking an essential role in cultivating the local values through online character education during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to analyze the effect of implementing online integrated character education and parental engagement in local cultural values cultivation outcome. The method of this study used an exploratory sequential mixed method design. Collect qualitative data using interview forms, observation, documentation, and quantitative data using questionnaires and portfolios. Qualitative data interpretation used content analysis, and inferential analysis used multiple linear regression. Results revealed that parental engagement, teachers’ performance, and online learning obstacles affect local cultural values cultivation outcome in character education partially and simultaneously for sixth-grade students in Padang City. We suggested teachers improve character education management based on local cultural values by building good synergy and collaboration between them and parents to cultivate noble character behavior among students.

In all years of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in primary mathematics education, Finland ranked in the lower places (44-61) in the dispersion index (the difference in scores between the 95th percentile and the 5th percentile), while Israel ranked in the upper places (1-3) in the same index. In the last PISA test, Israel ranked first (among the 78 participating countries) in grade differences, while Finland ranked 61st. The score for dispersion in Israel is 356 points, the highest among the countries and economic entities of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Based on these results, this comparative study between Israel and Finland was conducted to investigate the most important sociological factor in the Pisa test that influences most student achievements in mathematics in Finland and Israel, as well as the reasons for the differences in achievement between mathematics scores. The results of this study show that the differences in achievement in Israel are due to students' socio-economic status and the sector. In contrast, Finland's first sociological factor influencing student performance is socio-economic status. Nevertheless, it has a more negligible influence than in Israel. The second factor is student motivation.

The purpose of this study was to look into teachers' perceptions of code-switching functions and effects in English as a foreign language classroom. In the study, a descriptive survey design and an interview were used to investigate the functions and effects of code-switching in English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom. 46 people responded to the survey questionnaire about code-switching functions and their impact in the classroom. Seven teachers participated in the group interview. The interview findings revealed six functions and four effects of code-switching. According to the survey findings, the majority of teachers supported the use of code-switching in their classrooms because it served a useful purpose in the process of teaching and learning English. The findings also revealed that teachers believed code-switching provided a clear purpose and had a positive impact on instruction and language development in EFL classrooms by creating a sociable environment. It was also demonstrated that code-switching to teachers was effective in EFL classrooms and played an important role in English learning and teaching. The implications of the findings for EFL teachers and language learning settings were discussed.

COVID-19 has substantially affected the majority of work capabilities. Higher education is responsible for preparing graduates for employment and well-rounded individuals with varied talents. This study determined the acquired attributes of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) graduates and whether it is anchored to the required attributes by the industry. Descriptive and comparative research designs of the quantitative research method were used in this study. This study had two sets of participants. Data on acquired attributes were gathered from the BSIT graduates from 2017-2020 of the Private Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Santiago City, Philippines, who are presently employed. At the same time, required graduate attributes were provided by the representatives from the industry partners of the Private HEI. A total of 45 BSIT graduates and 26 companies participated in the study. Data were collected using a modified questionnaire through online surveys and drop and collect method. Through confirmatory factor analysis, mean scores, t-tests, and ANOVA, rankings, findings revealed the six-factor result, which tallies the latent variables used for this study. BSIT graduates confirmed that they acquired the necessary attributes to be competitive in the IT industry according to the prescribed attributes for BSIT graduates. The Graduates and the Industry agreed that Modern tool usage and resiliency are essential in these challenging times in the workplace. According to the findings, graduates' university-acquired skills and competencies considerably increased their opportunities in national and global markets and sectors, making them timely and relevant during COVID-19 and beyond.

The primary goal of this study was to explore the effectiveness of Quizizz in enhancing students' motivation, interest, and achievement in physics. This study was conducted at the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST) – Gabaldon campus during the second semester of the academic year 2021-2022. This study used both a descriptive and a quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design. The descriptive design was used to describe the student's motivation and interest in learning waves and optics before and after the intervention of Quizizz. The quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was used to determine the effectiveness of Quizizz in increasing students' motivation, interest, and achievement in physics. The study included 20 students pursuing a bachelor's degree in secondary education with a major in science. According to the findings, before the intervention of Quizizz, students agreed that they are motivated and interested in learning physics, and their performance was average. Following the intervention, students unanimously agreed that they are more motivated and interested in learning physics, and their scores in a specific unit increased. According to the t-test, the intervention of Quizizz significantly increases student motivation, interest, and achievement in physics. It demonstrates that using Quizizz in physics instruction improved students' motivation, interest, and achievement in physics.

The decline in student character is the result of low student learning outcomes. The common student learning outcomes are influenced by several factors, and one of them is teacher-centered, monotonous learning model. For this reason, it is deemed necessary to conduct research that aims to determine the effect of project-based assessment on values clarification technique (VCT) learning on improving students’ learning outcomes by controlling the family environment. This study uses a 2x2 factorial experimental design. The sample was selected through multistage random sampling with 120 students. The two-way ANCOVA data analysis technique was used to analyze the data. The findings obtained after controlling the family environment are: 1) civics learning outcomes from the group of students who used value clarification techniques are higher than those using conventional learning models and 2) civics learning outcomes from the group of students who were given project-based assessments are higher than the group who are given conventional assessments. Thus, it can be recommended that civics education teachers used appropriate VCT and project-based assessments to improve learning outcomes.

The delivery of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning to improve an individual’s competence and future career interests has become a critical scientific undertaking for teachers and researchers alike. A plethora of research has proposed various hands-on robotics activities built on constructivist theories, thereby facilitating the development of knowledge based on reality for scientific and non-scientific stakeholders. Robotics may become an essential focus point within technology provision, which is an essential underlying characteristic for the seminal development of computational thinking (CT). However, despite the potential benefit of CT in developing an individual’s problem-solving skills, strategies for improving this ability through hands-on robotics activities largely remain underexplored. This paper highlights the constructs drawn from hands-on robotics activities in a STEM workshop designed for pre-service teacher students. The qualitative research design involved eight participants to investigate the responses of pre-service teachers to a hands-on robotics activity intended to provide STEM material. The research findings emphasise the correlations between the CT principles and STEM learning phases and underscore the roles played by educational robotics to enhance previous literature on learning experience.

The main objective of this research was to study the effects of instructional management models and nominal variables on the development of students’ creative thinking. The researchers used the research synthesis of 400 studies on the development of students' creative thinking by a meta-analysis of research according to Cohen. The meta-analysis results revealed that the average effect size of the instructional management model (d = 3.43; [3.10, 3.17]) was positive and had a very high effect size with statistical significance. The most significant influence on the creative thinking development model was creative development theory (d = 4.217; [3.32, 5.11]). In addition, effect sizes varied with the attribute variables of the research, particularly the attribute variable of the research on instruction with the highest effect consisted of research with the focus on language, at the primary level, applied Torrance's creativity theory, designed between one to six lesson plans. Moreover, there was less than one hour per plan, the instructional period including the experiment conducted more than 31 hours and there were four weeks of instruction. In addition, there were six steps for instruction, there had quiz as an assessment tool, number of exams varied between 30 and 39 questions, and knowledge sheets were used as instructional materials. In the context of the meta-analysis, the findings indicated that the teachers should apply creative development theory in developing the students’ creative thinking for more effective instructional management.

This study aimed to investigate the impacts of enrolling in the creative teaching module in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education from high school students’ perspectives. This study applied a case study and qualitative research approach involving 26 Grade 11 students and 31 Grade 8 students. The creative teaching-STEM (CT-STEM) module, which comprised various activities related to energy literacy in real-world situations for the community’s well-being, involved outdoor STEM education activities with the assistance of two science teachers. The CT-STEM module was developed based on the directed creative process model by applying four creative teaching strategies: (i) constructivism learning, (ii) discovery inquiry, (iii) problem-based learning, and (iv) project-based learning. The theme of these out-of-classroom activities is sustainability education, focusing on energy sustainability. The results showed that the planned approaches could positively impact and build students’ creativity and create an exciting learning experience. Furthermore, the findings from the open-ended questionnaire instrument, observations, and analysis of the worksheets have shown enhancements in five themes: the development of problem-solving skills with an emphasis on the element of sustainability education, high-level thinking skills, active learning skills, communication skills, and humanity skills. The students also showed an increased interest in STEM as they learned using the CT-STEM module.

The role of preschool teachers in supporting children’s language development is unquestionably substantial. To ensure the quality of preschool teachers’ performance in this specific task, various assessing instruments have been developed and justified in recent years. This study joins such efforts by investigating a new scale based on the “Framework for assessing preschool teacher competence in promoting children’s language development” proposed by a previous research. The scale’s psychometric properties are examined with a sample of 685 Vietnamese preschool teachers. The results supported the four-factor model suggested by the original authors and confirmed its reliability and validity. Finally, further usages of the scale are discussed.

The pandemic case has shifted away from face-to-face teaching to online blended learning. This phenomenon certainly causes various problems in the world of education. The online blended learning is good when applied with good internet connections and complete facilities. However, it differs from Indonesian coastal students who do not have supporting facilities. Therefore, this research aims to analyze the experience and readiness of Indonesian coastal students. It determines the facilities of the process using qualitative research with a phenomenological approach. Purposive sampling was used to collect data from 25 students living in coastal areas in Aceh, Indonesia. Furthermore, in-depth interviews were used to obtain instruments and techniques for data collection, observations, field notes, and audio-visuals. Data analysis was carried out qualitatively by reducing, displaying, drawing conclusions, and verifying data. The data processing was conducted using NVivo 12 plus software. The kappa coefficient is used to check the accuracy of the data since there was no bias during coding. The analysis results show that Indonesian coastal students are not ready to conduct the online blended learning process. Furthermore, it is recommended that future research focus on coastal students’ development. A Hypothetical Learning Trajectory design should be created to assist in independent learning and lessen their readiness.

COVID-19 and the expansion of distance learning pose new challenges to the educational system. Soft skills are imperative in this context, for children's effective and adaptive learning. The following study aims to discover teachers' representations by identifying their common conceptual framework of soft skills in primary school. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers. The teachers' comments helped identify and define a framework of soft skills that would help children learn effectively. The results illustrate that the lack of practice of soft skills activities depends on the teachers' perceptions of the importance of their role in transmitting disciplinary knowledge. The study concluded that the lack of a clear and shared vision of soft skills influences the representations and practice of teachers.

The COVID-19 outbreak in the Philippines forced schools to close. Many Filipino students were stranded in their dormitories and boarding houses due to government-imposed lockdowns. As the study's impetus, the researchers explored the phenomenon of stranded students during a pandemic. A transcendental phenomenological inquiry was conducted in Northern Mindanao, Philippines, to disclose the experiences of six stranded students. Stranded students' lifeworld throughout the lockdown was documented through phenomenological interviews. The phenomenological reduction technique was used to transcribe and analyze the data. Provisional codes were used to classify critical statements into themes for the initial analysis of the interview data. The research revealed the themes of (a) groping in the dark, (b) journeying towards the light, and (c) welcoming the breaking dawn. The various stages of reality in the life of the stranded students are shown in these topics. They relate the story of how their confinement experience taught them to be resilient, which covers resilience as a process. The paper discusses numerous pedagogical implications of the phenomenon.

This mixed method case study examined potential influences of social agents or immediate environments on individuals’ metacognition. Via quantitative methodologies, 122 pre-service teachers’ metacognition was measured by the Turkish Metacognitive Awareness Inventory, and metacognitive components did not show any variations across majors, locations of previous studies, the highest degree of education in the family, frequently communicated friends, and regions. Regression analyses revealed that friends were a significant predictor for metacognition. Also, focus group interviews were analyzed thematically via deductive codes regarding the theory of metacognition. Findings confirmed that friends may support individual metacognition at all levels, metacognitive knowledge, regulation, and experiences through cooperation, modeling, reflections, discussions, feedback, and peer evaluation. Pre-service teachers’ engagement on the social media may also support their regulatory strategies due to models’ task performances or by their reflecting upon those performances. Teachers and family may support metacognitive knowledge, specifically career goals via expectations, anecdotes, and experiences. On the other hand, schools and the Turkish culture may impose some limitations on the youth, and they may engage in reflection and self-questioning to manoeuvre negative experiences or conflicts. Thereby, cross-national and longitudinal studies are highly suggested to explicate the social foundations of metacognition.

Multiculturalism in the school environment is challenging for all educational systems. This study examines the effect of multicultural school leadership on multicultural teacher culture and determines mediating effects of multicultural inspiration, personality, and attitude. A quantitative research approach using a cross-sectional survey was used for this study. The population and sample of this study were school principals and high school teachers in Central Java Province, Indonesia. The participants were a total of 357 individuals. Data analysis was done by structural equation modeling (SEM) using the software AMOS 24. The results show that multicultural school leadership directly influences multicultural teacher culture. This study also highlights multicultural inspiration, multicultural personality, and multicultural attitude as factors that mediate the effect of multicultural school leadership on multicultural teacher culture. This study makes a practical and theoretical contribution, especially by providing data to support the improvement of multicultural teacher culture and the importance of multicultural leadership of school leaders in influencing these factors through multicultural inspiration, personality, and attitude.

The research emphasized three main objectives: 1) to analyze the propensity score of the research effect size for developing students’ creative thinking, 2) to study the attribute variables effect of the research on the effect size of creative thinking before and after the propensity score adjustments, and 3) to compare the effect size between instructional methods to develop creative thinking before and after the propensity score adjustments. The data were obtained from 400 research studies on creative thinking development in Thailand. The research instrument for data collection included the research attribute record form. They were analyzed by calculating effect size, propensity score matching analysis, and fixed effect and random effect meta-regression analysis. The results indicated two research groups with propensity scores that develop students' creative thinking: the low effect size group of 256 research ( =1.345) and the high effect size group of 144 research ( =7.284) using 26 attribute variables of creative thinking development research. Moreover, the instructional methods with the creative activities had the highest effect size ( =3.88). After the analysis of propensity score matching, the effect of 12 research attribute variables was eliminated as follows: manufacturing research institutions, year of publication, educational institutions, curriculum, creative thinking indicators, instructional materials, types of research, research objectives, research groups, research protocols, statistics used in research, quality of research and it was found that integrated instructional model of knowledge using media and technology had the highest effect size ( =0.41).

The longitudinal changes of the average grades in four study semesters before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and distance learning are presented in the current study. 11th grade students’ (n=586; age M=17.38, SD=0.53) average grades were assessed, as well as their verbal and non-verbal reasoning abilities, and self-evaluations of problem-solving and self-management skills. The main findings of the study are: 1) There is a general pattern for the grades to increase during the four semesters from the autumn 2019 to the spring 2021; 2) The general tendency of changes in the grades is similar to various students’ groups based on their level of skills; 3) Higher level of students’ skills and cognitive abilities determined that students’ grades were higher and were more likely to increase during the “second wave of the pandemic”, compared to the middle and low-level skill groups. Results of the current study show a tendency for the average grades to increase during the pandemic and distance learning, however, there are group differences in the findings, relating the grade level to the individual level of students’ skills and abilities.