Students’ mastery goal orientation tends to decline over the course of compulsory school, especially after the transition to lower secondary school. According to stage-environment fit theory, secondary school is less accommodating to students' needs, interests, and abilities than primary school. In consequence, the perceived person-environment fit declines as well. It is assumed that a strong sense of classroom community in primary school can counteract a potential decline in both of these important individual aspects. Using data from the Swiss longitudinal research project WiSel (“Wirkungen der Selektion”; “Effects of Tracking”), we conducted a latent growth curve model (LGCM) to examine the correlation between the development of students' mastery goal orientation and the development of their person-environment fit during the transition from primary school to lower secondary school. Perceived classroom community was assumed to benefit from these developments. The results show that both mastery goal orientation and person-environment fit decrease during the transition to lower secondary school. A strong sense of classroom community in fifth grade leads to a smaller decline in both constructs. Implications for educational practice are discussed.

Since psychological satisfaction is influenced by the interaction between individuals and their environment, it is necessary to create a cooperative climate at the organizational level and strengthen collective innovativeness at the individual level to improve teachers' job satisfaction. Therefore, the study investigated whether collective innovativeness can be mediated by the school climate to enhance teacher job satisfaction. This study extensively examined survey data with a sample of 3,976 teachers in Shanghai through Structural Equation Modeling, obtained from Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). The findings revealed that teachers' collective innovativeness served as a significant mediator between school climate and job satisfaction. Furthermore, higher levels of collective innovativeness among teachers amplified the influence of school climate on their job satisfaction. These findings show that schools should strive to foster a collaborative school climate and provide support for teachers in implementing innovative and collaborative teaching activities with the aim of enhancing their job satisfaction. Above all, efforts are needed to support teachers' active and cooperative practice capabilities in building teacher-student relationships.

Recent research has identified factors influencing the choice of a special education career; however, it has not thoroughly examined their connection with personality traits and identity status. Thus, the present study was designed to explore how different personality traits and identity statuses correlate with the motives and perceptions associated with the choice to teach in special education. The study involved 209 pre-service special education teachers. The NEO-Five Factor Inventory was used to measure the Big 5 personality traits. The Ego Identity Process Questionnaire assessed identity commitment and exploration. The Factors Influencing Teaching Choice Scale was used to evaluate motivations and perceptions about teaching. Regarding the factors that influenced the decision to pursue a career in special education, intrinsic value, shaping children’s future, social equity, making social contributions, working with children, task demands, and job satisfaction were highly rated. Additionally, extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness, and identity statuses were identified as positive predictors for certain factors influencing the choice of a teaching career in special education. Finally, the study identified two distinct groups of students: "Identity Achievers" characterized by high positive personality traits, and identity commitment, and "Identity Explorers" characterized by lower positive personality traits and higher identity exploration. Differences were observed between the groups in their motives and perceptions concerning teaching in special education. In conclusion, this study highlights the relationships between personality, identity status, and career decision factors, offering insights into the factors that influence this critical career decision among future special educators. Directions for future research are discussed.

Digital competence entails the healthy, safe, and responsible use of digital technologies to take engage in society, to learn, work and to interact with. However, the use of digital devices is not exempt of risks. The objectives of this study were to analyze the mediating effect of fear of missing out (FoMO) on phubbing and nomophobia, and to explore the perception of the use of Internet-connected devices among 522 Spanish university students, with an average age of 27.11 years. The 80.8% are women and 68.2% study degrees related with Educational Sciences. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining bivariate correlation with structural equation modelling (SEM), and qualitative content analysis. SEM analysis revealed that FoMO had a significant effect on nomophobia and phubbing. Qualitative content analysis underlined that the time spent, problematic use, and sense of dependence were the main concerns for participants. It is emphasized that the plethora of ICT opportunities exposes individuals to risk contexts, necessitating media education to mitigate psychological and social consequences stemming from Internet risks.

This study investigates the social attitudes and acceptance levels towards Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and other sexualities and gender identities, collectively referred to as LGBTQIA+, among students within the College of Education at Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology. Employing a descriptive correlational research design, the research utilized surveys and interviews to collect data from a diverse student body, analyzing their perspectives on LGBTQIA+ inclusion and the impact of educational environments on their acceptance levels. Results indicate a generally positive attitude and high acceptance of LGBTQIA+ students, with significant relationships identified between students' acceptance levels and their gender and year level, while no significant correlations were found with their course and religion. The study emphasizes the critical role of educational settings in fostering an inclusive atmosphere that supports LGBTQIA+ students, highlighting the importance of promoting understanding and acceptance to enhance the educational experience for all students. By shedding light on current attitudes and acceptance levels, this research contributes valuable insights into the efforts required to create more inclusive educational environments for LGBTQIA+ individuals. The findings are of particular relevance to educators, policymakers, and educational researchers interested in advancing LGBTQIA+ inclusion within educational settings.

Given curiosity’s fundamental role in motivation and learning and considering the widespread use of digital stories as educational tools from the preschool age, we pursued measuring preschoolers’ curiosity when interacting with digital stories. Using 129 toddlers and preschoolers as a sample, three groups (one for each class) were given different versions of the same digital story to listen to: interactive, non-interactive, and animated. Toddlers' verbal and nonverbal behaviors were utilized to quantify curiosity as a condition brought on by the app. The participants' verbal and nonverbal behaviors were recorded during the digital reading aloud. Every child's data was encoded at one-minute intervals to examine concurrent behavior, and the results were then compiled. The findings show that interactive presentation formats encourage more touching and language use but less noise production and that interaction and the creative use of hot spots in digital illustrations are key elements in piquing viewers' curiosity while contributing to the strengthening of the engagement to the activity and the cultivation of critical thinking, creativity, and imagination.

Emotional empathy, mindfulness, and subjective well-being are essential to understanding human behavior and mental health among students. However, more research is needed to investigate how these constructs interplay within academic contexts. This study explored the hierarchical relationships between emotional empathy, mindfulness, and subjective well-being. The Multidimensional Emotional Empathy Scale (MDEES), The Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS), and the Subjective Well-Being Scale (WeBs) were administered with a sample of postgraduate professional diplomas in teaching students attending Al Ain University in Abu Dhabi campus and Al Ain campus (n = 1545). The results showed that emotional empathy (positive sharing, suffering, feeling for others, and emotional contagion) positively affects physical and eudaimonic well-being. A negative correlation was found between financial and social well-being and other components of emotional empathy, such as emotional attention and responsive crying. Mindfulness significantly improves emotional empathy in components like describing, accepting without judgment, and observing. This study revealed that some components of mindfulness, such as observing and acting with awareness, decrease emotional empathy, such as suffering and feeling for others. Acting with the awareness component in mindfulness decreases positive sharing, responsive crying, and emotional contagion. Future research could explore these relationships further and examine potential cultural differences.

The wide use of the Internet of Things (IoT) in all spheres of life has led to a surge of cyberbullying among learners worldwide. That is why it cannot be denied that underlying factors, manifestations, consequences, and preventive measures of cyberbullying improve the welfare and overall mental development of students. This systematic literature review examines the causes, effects, and preventive measures of cyberbullying based on empirical studies conducted on learners in various situations. The review will focus on existing material published between 2015 and April 2024. For the inclusion and exclusion of literature, the Scopus online database was employed, along with the guidelines of the PRISMA model. Of 1004 studies, 51 were closely reviewed to determine the responses to the objectives of this study. NVIVO-12 was used for both thematic and content analysis in this study. The results show that there are 29 causes, 12 forms, 31 effects, and 41 different preventives for cyberbullying. The results of this study will not only enhance the comprehension of various concerns for parents, guardians, policymakers, educators, and governments but also provide valuable insights to researchers for addressing this issue.

School dropout intention and reduced academic achievement are two crucial indicators of school dropout risk. Past studies have shown that school performance plays a mediating role in the models explaining dropout intentions. School burnout and test anxiety have been identified as predictors of both academic performance and school dropout. However, their combined effects on the intention to leave school have not yet been investigated. We aimed to address this gap by exploring the predictors of school dropout intention in a sample of 205 French secondary school students. Structural equation modelling analyses have revealed the specific facets of school burnout (devaluation) and test anxiety (cognitive interference) that explained the school dropout intentions and academic performance. Grade Point Average (GPA) was a mediator of the effects of these variables on the intention to drop out of school. The findings highlight the need to acknowledge assessments as a school stress factor that could contribute to health problems and intentions to drop out of school.

The world is looking forward to advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, with significant research underway regarding the application of AI in education. This study analyzed publications on the potential of AI in secondary schools, focusing on its bibliometric aspects. Data from the Scopus database revealed 1,764 publications from 2019 to 2024. The analysis showed a steady annual growth in publications in this area. China and the USA were the leaders in the number of publications. Xiaoyue Wang was the most prolific researcher, having authored 71 AI-related articles. Yueying Li, Xiaoxu Chen, Yanzhu Zhang, and Yi Liu contributed to the field with 56, 55, 53, and 51 articles, respectively. The themes that emerged from 2019 to 2022 are related to media, application, study, institutions, artificial, digital, learning, factors, development, technologies, medical, automated, perception, support, and sustainability. From 2023 to 2024, the topics discussed in AI are related to students, education, perception, algorithms, digital, prediction, networks, challenges, writing, teachers, AI-powered, curriculum, century, integration, technology, and framework. The difference in research in 2019-2022 and 2023-2024 is focusing the theme's focus from the general to the specific. The co-occurrence analysis revealed that prominent keywords appeared in 3 clusters. Cluster 1 is the most popular in recent times. It deals with the application, assessment, and management of AI. Cluster 2 relates to AI relationships and models, while Cluster 3 relates to AI data sources.

Psychological capital (PsyCap) emerges as a pivotal asset for mitigating student burnout in college settings, as it bolsters their learning empowerment and engagement. However, there have been inadequate empirical studies investigating the significance of these resources in promoting engagement and empowerment, ultimately leading to a reduction in students’ burnout within the context of higher education. To bridge this gap, we examined the extent to which PsyCap predicts student burnout through its impacts on academic engagement and learner empowerment. The sample of the study was college students (N = 562) who completed a battery of self-report questionnaires measuring their PsyCap, academic engagement, learner empowerment, and student burnout. We employed hierarchical multiple regression analyses and PROCESS macro to ascertain prediction and serial mediation effects. The results substantiated the hypotheses that PsyCap positively related to learner empowerment and academic engagement while negatively associated with student burnout. Further, students with higher levels of learner empowerment and engagement reported lower levels of burnout in their academic studies. The mediational results also revealed that engagement and learner empowerment acted as significant serial mediators between PsyCap and student burnout. The study’s findings underscore the critical significance of PsyCap within higher education, particularly in nurturing learner empowerment, and engagement, thereby reducing student burnout.

This complex personality trait serves as the main topic of our paper due to the increasing prevalence of perfectionism as well as the rising demands from educational organizations. Our paper can fill a research gap by examining its definitions, models, components, and influencing elements (personality, gender, and immediate environment) in addition to the role of perfectionism in secondary and tertiary education. We assume that perfectionism in higher education is based on its development at secondary school, and it is becoming more intense in time. In 2023 the authors conducted a survey among Hungarian university students to determine the degree to which the participants pursue perfectionism in their professional and personal lives. The questionnaire finally resulted in 550 responses. The findings of our research suggest that women tend to be more perfectionist, but the picture is differently deemed by individuals than by their immediate surroundings. Another noteworthy result revealed that personal perfectionism also depends on the people with whom those who consider themselves perfectionists live. Our SEM model also showed that perfectionism is stronger throughout university studies and that it might be descended from secondary school perfectionism. Personality traits do affect perfectionism at school, which intensifies in higher education after graduating from secondary school.

In this article, we present a study that examined the effects of visual art activities on the realization of aspects of empowerment in a blind ninth-grade elementary school female student with minimal residual vision. We focused on three key aspects: well-being, positive self-image, and empowerment of strengths and weaknesses. In addition to the student, her mother and a personal assistant who accompanies the student during each activity in art class participated in the study. Based on initial interviews with all three participants, we developed ten visual art activities that address at least one of the listed aspects in different ways. Based on interviews, rating scales, observations and analysis of the visual art solutions, we found that visual art activities have a significant impact on improving a person's well-being, helping to strengthen a good self-image, reinforcing strong areas and developing weaker ones. In the future, we could broaden the range of psychological aspects that could be influenced by artistic activities, and we would also obtain more interesting and reliable results if more people with different special needs were included in the research.

Considering the importance of the results of national and international standardized tests, which are a benchmark for measuring educational quality, the objective of this research was to model strategies to improve the results of the evaluations, specifically the Saber 11 standardized tests. These tests are applied to students who finish their Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Bogotá, Colombia. To achieve this objective, we employed the Systems Dynamics methodology for a comprehensive analysis, which is a tool that allows for the analysis and projecting of the behavior of different systems, in which anticipation by means of modeling results over time is required. The modeling was conducted in two stages: First, a causal loop diagram and a stock-and-flow diagram that linked 45 variables were designed, showing the underlying physical structure of the system. Then, five groups of alternative simulations were conducted over a time frame of six years: Reference mode, student self-efficacy rate, management rate, teaching competencies rate, and educational policy. An increase in results was observed in each scenario. The combined activity of educational stakeholders is a notably effective strategy to achieve significant improvements. The data used for these simulations came from a six-year period of standardized test results in Bogotá. This period was selected to capture both recent trends and long-term outcomes, ensuring that the model reflects current educational conditions while allowing for meaningful trend analysis.

The sense of belonging is a human need that educational systems must foster to achieve student success. In the school setting, this feeling strengthens the bond between members of the institution and motivates families to become more involved with the school, improving the overall school climate. Teachers play a crucial role in promoting this sense of belonging by influencing the connection between families and the educational community. This study aims to understand how teachers from different contexts, one Colombian and the other Spanish, promote families' sense of belonging to the school. To this end, an evaluative, comparative, quantitative, and non-experimental study was conducted using a validated questionnaire applied to a significant sample in both contexts. The results show that, for teachers in both contexts, it is very important for families to feel satisfied with the education their children receive, which is why they strive to build trust in the teaching staff. The sense of belonging is more strongly promoted by teachers in charter schools and those with more years of experience in schools in the Spanish context. In the Colombian context, women are the ones who most actively promote it, thereby perpetuating gender roles. There is a need to provide specific training for teachers to help them develop this capacity in families, as well as to conduct further research to explore the differences that may influence the promotion of a sense of belonging.

The education of gifted students is often characterized by high expectations, ambitious goals, and significant effort invested in learning. Their experiences of success and failure are shaped by a variety of factors, including personal, family, school, cultural, and social influences. This article examines how gifted students perceive and experience their own successes and failures, as well as how these experiences are perceived and responded to by their peers. Using qualitative methods, the study involved semi-structured interviews with thirty gifted students from seventh to ninth grades across ten elementary schools in Slovenia. The findings indicate that gifted students experience a range of emotions in response to success, from satisfaction to anxiety, while their reactions to failure often involve frustration and self-criticism. Peer responses to their success and failure vary significantly, ranging from supportive encouragement to jealousy and social exclusion. These findings highlight the complex interpersonal dynamics at play within school environments. Understanding and addressing these dynamics is crucial for creating inclusive, supportive, and stimulating learning environments that nurture both the academic and social-emotional well-being of gifted students.

The integration of AI tools in education is reshaping how students view and interact with their learning experiences. As AI usage continues to grow, it becomes increasingly important to understand how students' perceptions of AI technology impact their academic performance and learning behaviours. To investigate these effects, we conducted a correlational study with a sample of 44 students to examine the relationship between students' perceptions of ChatGPT’s utility—focusing on usage frequency, perceived usefulness, accuracy, reliability, and time efficiency—and key academic outcomes, including content mastery, confidence in knowledge, and grade improvement. Additionally, we explored how these perceptions influence student behaviours, such as reliance on ChatGPT, procrastination tendencies, and the potential risk of plagiarism. The canonical correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between students' perceptions of ChatGPT's utility and their academic outcomes. Students who viewed ChatGPT as reliable and efficient tended to report higher grades, improved understanding of the material, and greater confidence in their knowledge. Furthermore, the bivariate correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between dependency on ChatGPT and procrastination (r = 0.546, p < .001), indicating that a higher reliance on AI tools may contribute to increased procrastination. No statistically significant association was identified between ChatGPT dependency and the risk of plagiarism. Future research should prioritize the development of strategies that promote the effective use of AI while minimizing the risk of over-reliance. Such efforts can enhance academic integrity and support independent learning. Educators play a critical role in this process by guiding students to balance the advantages of AI with the cultivation of critical thinking skills and adherence to ethical academic practices.

This study examines how work well-being is addressed in Finnish leadership education programs. The data consist of 91 publicly available course descriptions from Finnish leadership education programs in 2023, including those for master’s degrees from universities of applied sciences, traditional university-level leadership programs, and specialist vocational qualifications in leadership and business management. The study uses content analysis to examine the role of work well-being in leadership training. The results indicate that work well-being is often linked to organizational performance and treated as a tool for achieving economic goals, with less emphasis on the inherent value of employee well-being. This instrumental approach is prevalent across the different types of leadership training programs, including those found in the universities of applied sciences, traditional universities, and programs for specialist vocational qualifications in leadership and business management. The study also finds that leadership training programs often emphasize self-leadership and personal development, which can perpetuate a culture of individual responsibility for well-being and may lead to superficial leadership practices. The study concludes that Finnish leadership educators should prioritize holistic approaches to work well-being in leadership training, emphasizing its intrinsic value alongside its role in organizational performance, while researchers could explore methods to integrate and evaluate these balanced perspectives in diverse educational contexts.

This article deals with the European Union's educational policies during the Covid-19 pandemic when several cracks and vulnerabilities in its Member States' education systems were exposed across the European Union (EU). In this sense, and with this exceptional period as a reference, we propose to research whether the Community's educational policies reflect a reinforcement of the commitment to education as one of the pillars of European integration. Other studies have not yet addressed the possible impact of this exceptional period on the design of European educational policies as integration mechanisms. Namely, whether there would be a pause in the integration process or, on the contrary, its strengthening and, if so, in what respect. For this research objective, several documents from the most important European institutions were examined. Its results allow us to verify the intention to renew education as an essential element of European integration and as an instrument to promote the EU as an economically stable and socially integrated community.

Mindfulness, recognized as a protective factor against learning burnout in higher education, has garnered considerable attention, yet its underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. This study examined the relationship between mindfulness, regulatory emotional self-efficacy, and learning burnout. Data from 461 Chinese university students were collected using a correlational design and cluster sampling method, employing the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, University Student Learning Burnout Scale, and Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale. Hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results showed that Participants exhibited above-average mindfulness (M=3.090), learning burnout (M=3.278), and regulatory emotional self-efficacy (M=3.417). Results revealed that mindfulness is directly and negatively related to learning burnout (β=-0.679, t = 28.657, p < .001). Regulatory emotional self-efficacy (β = -0.357, t = 8.592, p < .001) was significantly and negatively related to learning burnout. Mindfulness was significantly and positively related to regulatory emotional self-efficacy (β = 0.638, t = 24.306, p < .001), and regulatory emotional self-efficacy (R2: from .461 to .537) partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and learning burnout. Besides, the Importance-Performance Matrix Analysis revealed that managing negative emotions significantly contributes to learning burnout but performs poorly, whereas non-reacting demonstrates both the lowest contribution and performance. Findings suggest that mindfulness indirectly alleviates learning burnout through regulatory emotional self-efficacy, providing evidence-based insights for targeted mindfulness interventions in higher education.