Analytical thinking is crucial for developing problem-solving, decision-making, and higher-order thinking skills. Many researchers have consistently developed learning management models to enhance students' analytical thinking, resulting in extensive knowledge but lacking clear systematic summaries. This study aims to: (a) explore the effect sizes and research characteristics influencing students' analytical thinking, and (b) compare the effect sizes of learning management models after adjusting for propensity score matching. In exploring 131 graduate research papers published between 2002 and 2021, the research utilized forms for recording research characteristics and questionnaires for assessing research quality for data collection. Effect sizes were calculated using Glass's method, while data analysis employed random effects, fixed effects, and regression meta-analysis methods. The findings indicate that (a) research on learning management models significantly impacts students' analytical thinking at a high level (d̅ = 1.428). Seven research characteristics, including year of publication, field of research, level, duration per plan, learning management process, measurement and evaluation, and research quality, statistically influence students' analytical thinking, and (b) after propensity score matching, learning through techniques such as KWL, KWL-plus, Six Thinking Hats, 4MAT, and Mind Mapping had the highest influence on students' analytical thinking. Recommendations for developing students' analytical thinking involve creating a learning management process that fosters understanding, systematic practical training, expanding thinking through collaborative exchanges, and assessments using learning materials and tests to stimulate increased analytical thinking.

eTwinning is a community of European schools that promotes networking and transnational collaboration projects. Therefore, as part of the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) initiative, we decided to explore how the research projects on scientific topics familiarize pre-service primary school teachers with eTwinning. 251 pre-service primary school teachers from Spain, Iceland, and Slovenia designed and carried out joint research projects on scientific topics. The aim was to gain insight into their self-assessment of their knowledge of the platform, the limitations of working with it, and their responses. An electronic questionnaire was used as the main instrument for data collection. It turned out that the pre-service teachers enjoyed this international collaboration, but also found it challenging. By the end of the projects, they were familiar with the eTwinning platform, although the least engaged prospective teachers recognized that they needed strong support and considered the platform a non-intuitive environment. Overall, they were willing to use the platform with pupils in the future, which is in line with the aim of the ITE initiative.

This comprehensive systematic review delves into the increasing prevalence of integrating chatbots into language education. The general objective is to assess the current landscape of knowledge regarding chatbot utilisation and its influence on three crucial elements: students' skills, attitudes, and emotions. Additionally, the review seeks to scrutinise the advantages linked to incorporating chatbots in foreign language teaching, exploring their potential benefits while considering limitations and potential negative impacts on specific skills or user experiences. Consequently, this research offers valuable insights into the application of chatbots in foreign language education, shedding light on their potential advantages and areas that warrant further exploration and enhancement. The integration of chatbots in language learning, despite certain limitations, generally yields positive outcomes and enhances educational results in students' skills. Its characteristics can also influence a language learner's attitude, impacting factors such as motivation, interest, autonomy in learning, and engagement or even their sense of fun. Additionally, chatbots prove to be helpful in creating emotionally positive learning environments and can contribute to boosting students' self-esteem and self-confidence.

In the realm of education, particularly in the domain of second language acquisition, understanding the intricate interplay between emotions and learning processes is a challenging endeavor. This research aims to explore the importance of studying anxiety-related emotions in the learning and teaching of English as a foreign language by conducting a study based on a quantitative methodology. To that end, a 33-item instrument was given to a total of 231 (n=231) university students who learn and use English in class in diverse degrees in the social and health sciences. The results obtained shed light on the negative emotions that students report during their English classes, such as fear, shame, nervousness, or feelings of judgement. However, not all the emotions are negative, since students also feel relaxed and interested. This study offers a new perspective on this topic since it compares different disciplines, underscoring the need to detect trends in different areas and therefore tailor pedagogy to different student profiles and degree programs.

This article describes a methodology and a didactic innovation in higher education that employs Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) across four universities in the fields of sociology, psychology, social education and economics in order to explore the phenomenon of economic violence. The COIL activities were developed by four teachers in the second semester of 2022. The students explored the social and cultural origins of economic violence and the daily exposure to economic inequality in the domestic sphere, while also studying the prevention and responses offered by anti-violence centers from both organizational and social perspectives. The most novel aspect of COIL projects is the research approach to the topic (gender violence) and the students' participation in extracurricular activities, namely presenting the results of their research developed during their academic subjects after the course, at international events. In this study, we describe the projects and the assessment of this part of the research, analyzing the perceptions of the Italian and Spanish students who participated in the dissemination activity. The students' perceptions were recorded through a semi-structured questionnaire utilizing Likert scales and open-ended questions, which included their self-assessments of their knowledge before and after participating in the project, the impact on their development of competences and skills, and their satisfaction with the whole experience. Students acquired a great deal of knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon being studied through COIL methodology and connected these extracurricular activities to a clear improvement in their transversal skills.

Faculty members’ beliefs in their ability to conduct research and publish research outputs are expected to impact research productivity directly. Thus, the study described the research self-efficacy and productivity among faculty members, their research self-efficacy influence on productivity, and their challenges in research writing and publication. The study utilized a mixed-method sequential explanatory research design, with 36 and nine faculty member-participants for the quantitative and qualitative study. For the quantitative study, the faculty members’ research self-efficacy was ascertained using a validated questionnaire, and their research productivity was determined through a researcher-made survey instrument. Meanwhile, the qualitative study focused on the faculty members’ research writing and publication challenges, which were gathered through focus group discussions. Results showed average research self-efficacy and low research productivity among faculty members. Research self-efficacy significantly predicted research productivity regarding refereed and indexed publications, paper presentations, and bibliometrics. Further, themed findings showed that the faculty members encountered challenges such as a lack of research exposure, time constraints, lack of institutional support, and publication pressure. The study may serve as an inference for higher education institutions in designing faculty development plans and in-service training programs to capacitate its members.

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.

With the current rate of technological advancements, higher education institutions around the world are increasingly adopting a wide variety of technology-related approaches to instruction. One of the teaching strategies used on digital platforms that has been successfully and widely adopted in higher education institutions is blended learning (BL). The objective of this investigation is to provide a comprehensive examination of the research efforts on BL in the context of higher education (HE) over the past 20 years, including the rise in publications, the most cited scientific journals and sources, and the upcoming research topics. This paper uses bibliometric analysis with a dataset of 651 documents from Scopus data, including 638 authors from 95 countries published in 271 journal sources. The results of the study show that the top three countries for BL research in higher education are the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia; the authors with the highest citation indexes are D. R. Garrison and B. Means, and the top two publishing sources are Education and Information Technologies and Internet and Higher Education. Based on the analysis, the main trends detected are (a) student participation and environment, (b) educational technology instructional innovation, (c) effective instructional strategies within the parameters of the COVID-19 pandemic, (d) effectiveness of evaluation in BL environments and (e) BL with Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Learning Management System (LMS) in HE. These findings offer meaningful insights to early career researchers who consult the publications and research lists above, as well as to policy makers who develop suitable BL in HE policies.

In an era where diversity and digitalization significantly influence higher education, understanding and adapting to various learning preferences is crucial. This study comprehensively analyzes 394 scholarly articles from 1984 to 2022 using bibliometric methods, providing a dynamic overview of the research patterns in learning styles within higher education. We identified four stages of development during this period: 1984–1995 (Low-interest), 1996–2005 (Early development), 2006–2018 (Development), and 2019–2022 (Intensification). Our analysis highlights that the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia were the top three leading publishers of research on learning styles in higher education. The results reveal three main topics of publications: educational technology, learning environments, and subject behaviors. This research not only identifies emerging research topics but also underscores the importance of adapting instructional strategies to diverse learning styles to enhance educational outcomes in higher education.

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 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.

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 evaluates the impact of an educational intervention strategy – Project-Based Learning (PBL) – designed to enhance university students' knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their integration into academic curricula, and their relevance for future professional and personal applications. The research is motivated by the recognised importance of the SDGs in education and the current limited integration and understanding within higher education settings. The study applied a pre-test and post-test experimental design used, involving 199 first-year students from the University of Cordoba (Spain), enrolled in Primary and Early Childhood Education programmes. The intervention comprised PBL activities aimed at increasing knowledge and perceptions of the SDGs. Data were collected using a questionnaire assessing three dimensions: knowledge of the SDGs, the importance of their inclusion in the curriculum, and the perceived relevance of applying SDG principles in professional and personal contexts. The findings indicate that the intervention strategy effectively improved, albeit partially, students' understanding and perception of the SDGs. There was a significant improvement in students' knowledge. However, regarding the perceived importance of integrating the SDGs into their curriculum and the relevance of the SDGs for their future professional and personal lives, no effects were observed. These results underscore the partial efficacy of PBL in promoting sustainability competences and global citizenship among students, suggesting the need to explore other pedagogical methodologies for greater effectiveness. The study advocates the integration of SDGs into higher education curricula to better prepare students for future challenges, emphasising the need for further research to explore the long-term impacts and broader applicability of such educational intervention.

This paper presents the results of an action research conducted in a kindergarten in Sarajevo Canton. The participants were four female kindergarten educators who collaborated with two university professors who took the role of research leaders and moderators of reflective meetings. The action research was conceived as a model of professional development for preschool teachers in the Reggio pedagogy field, aiming to develop the skill of documenting pedagogical observation and the competence of implementing reflective practice (RP below the text) based on the Reggio principles. Data were collected on two levels: the educators documented their educational practice (photos, transcripts, videos, etc.), which was the basic material for analysis at collaborative reflective meetings, and all of it was documented by the research leaders. The data were analyzed simultaneously during the research (to decide on further action) and finally at the end of the research. The results of the research indicate that the action research raised awareness of the elements of traditional educational practice and developed the skills of pedagogical documentation management and the skill of implementing RP. Considering the limited time period for the realization of the research (14 months), significant but not optimal results were achieved, and there is still room for further progress in terms of improving the skills of keeping records and the capacity of RP implementation. It is necessary to systematically provide support for the professional development of educators through the development of reflective learning communities in kindergartens instead of the one-off and lecture-based forms that are offered.

Research fronts are dynamic, knowledge-driven clusters of scholarly activity that emerge in response to pressing problems and/or groundbreaking discoveries. Clarivate Analytics provided a valuable tool based on Citation Productivity and Trajectory (CPT) indicator, which successfully identified particularly hot research fronts on a global scale. To enhance the accuracy and comprehensiveness of identifying both active and emerging research trends, this study develops an extended Clarivate formulation incorporating a novel Impact Factor (IF) metric. The refined approach incorporates growth rates, publication productivity, and the average publication gap between published and citing publications. This method is applied to exploring key research fronts in the digital education ecosystem using bibliometric data from the Scopus database in the period of 2019-2023. The results reveal that artificial intelligence and online learning are the most prominent and influential fields, with virtual reality, blockchain, hybrid learning, and digital literacy representing fast-growing areas. By analyzing both quantitative and qualitative aspects, this work informs key stakeholders about the evolving priorities and trends in the digital educational landscape.

 This study examines the research trends of Design Thinking (DT) in education during the period 2014–2024 through a systematic literature review. This study aims to analyze annual publication patterns, implementation across educational levels, research methodologies, authorship distribution, geographical spread, journal type distribution, and key themes from highly-cited publications in DT education research. The results show a significant increase in publications, especially in 2023–2024, reflecting growing academic interest in DT as an innovative approach to developing 21st-century skills. Qualitative research methods dominate, with most studies involving collaborative authorship. DT application was initially focused on higher education but expanded in secondary education while remaining limited in primary education. Asia leads in research contribution, while Africa shows lower output. Publications are distributed across educational, design-focused, and interdisciplinary journals. These findings underscore the importance of cross-disciplinary and global collaboration to accelerate DT adoption equitably. This study recommends strengthening educator training, developing holistic evaluation methods, and expanding quantitative research for more inclusive DT implementation.

With the introduction of the new curriculum, primary school Croatian fine arts teachers faced many challenges. The fundamental problem, the lack of school lessons, is highlighted by the challenges of implementing problem and project work and integrating technology into the teaching process. Therefore, it is important to organise activities where pupils use modern tools and media for high-quality educational purposes. The animation was chosen as a fine arts technique that can fulfil these requirements. Qualitative action research was conducted in city Split in the school year 2023/2024. The 5th and 8th grade pupils (125) and their fine arts teachers (3) participated in the research. A total of 75.23% of respondents were positive about the occasional introduction of technology into fine arts classes. After completing the fine arts project, 77.98% of pupils stated that they now have the knowledge and skills to create an animation themselves, while 77% of pupils consider their digital stories to be interesting and original. All three fine arts teachers cite a lack of continuity due to the small number of lessons as a shortcoming. The results point to poor material conditions: overheating of old projectors, low-quality tablets, poor internet connection and lack of power sockets. The research has shown that there are discrepancies between the prescribed theoretical requirements for learning outcomes and the possibilities for their practical realisation. As a result, teachers need to take a keen interest and receive additional training to ensure that the projects designed are in line with the requirements of the curriculum.

This study addresses global concerns surrounding elementary students' science performance following the COVID-19, as a result of international tests such as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) highlight the ongoing challenges that urge the exploration of innovative educational approaches to improve science learning. This research employed gamification-assisted instruction and explored its impact on enhancing the understanding of science concepts and attitudes toward science class among fourth graders. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design and included an experimental group (ExG) that was taught using a gamification strategy and a control group (CoG) that was taught using a traditional method with a sample of 38 female elementary students from a public school in Jordan. Data were gathered using valid and reliable tools: the developed scientific concepts test and the Attitude Towards Science class measures. The ANCOVA analysis revealed that gamification significantly improves the acquisition of scientific concepts (η2=.208) and boosts a positive attitude toward science classes among elementary students (η2=.626). These findings encourage decision-makers to incorporate gamification into science teaching practices and methods.

This article provides a comprehensive guide to conducting and documenting systematic reviews (SRs) in educational research. While SRs are increasingly recognized for their value in synthesizing and evaluating literature on specific research questions or topics, there remains a notable scarcity of research-based papers that guide their development within the field of education. Systematic reviews, distinguished from traditional literature reviews by their standardized processes—including systematic searching, selection, and critical appraisal of relevant studies—offer a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of the research landscape by integrating findings from multiple sources. This paper underscores the importance of adhering to established methodologies and guidelines to ensure the quality and reliability of SRs. Essential elements discussed include defining research questions, developing search strategies, applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, and synthesizing results. The paper also highlights the role of frameworks such as the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) in enhancing transparency and methodological rigor. By following this structured approach, researchers can produce systematic reviews that provide valuable insights into educational practices and policies, thereby supporting evidence-based decision-making and advancing the field of education.