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.

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.

The field of education greatly benefits from inclusive education, which is praised for acknowledging and valuing student diversity and individual needs. Kosovo, as a newly independent country, went through major reforms, particularly in the realm of education, which is marked, among others, by initiatives that anticipate fostering and promoting inclusive education. Initiatives and programs throughout the country were designed and initiated to promote and advocate for inclusivity in the education system. To foster inclusivity, assistants for students with special educational needs were introduced to enable students with special needs to be part of regular education. Thus, in this study, the experiences of assistants for students with special educational needs in Kosovo are explored. This study employed semi-structured interviews to collect data and utilized thematic analysis to identify key themes and topics. The participants in the study included nine assistants for students with special education needs, reflecting diverse perspectives and experiences in the field of inclusive education. The following themes and topics were identified as the main findings of this study: (a) joy, excitement, and pride with the work; (b) individualized education plan (IPE); (c) lack of resources and guidelines; (d) (lack of) cooperation with parents and families; (e) united in unity: the power of collegial support; and f) promoting and advocating for inclusive education.

One of the ways to enhance and improve the quality of learning delivery is through the use of technology, particularly the Internet, which facilitates faster and easier access to information. This research aims to explore the degree to which factors such as digital literacy, metacognitive awareness, meaningful learning, habits of using smartphones, and personal learning competence are related to one another. Both the relationship between metacognitive awareness and personal learning competence, as well as the relationship between smartphone habits and personal learning competence, are moderated by a moderating variable known as the fear of missing out. Fear of missing out is a moderating variable. Structural equation modeling, specifically partial least squares, was employed to analyze data from 597 engineering students. SmartPLS version 4 was the tool used for this analysis. The study found that the moderating variable, fear of missing out, significantly impacts metacognitive awareness, learning personal competence, and smartphone habits, making it a crucial factor to investigate. This result is significant because it is a variable that influences the learning that students go through for their education and because it is an extremely important thing to investigate.

It is unclear how social networks can be utilized in educational settings. An exploratory study was conducted to examine the differences between university students in Mexico and Spain in terms of their perceptions of knowledge and utilization of networks in the university environment. An overall sample of 378 students was collected from two public universities, one in Mexico and one in Spain. This study utilized descriptive statistics as part of a contingency analysis, X² with correction was used for the analysis of differences, Mann-Whitney U for the analysis of independence, Mantel-Haenszel test for association degree, Cramer's V for strength of association, Spearman's correlation coefficient for correlations. According to the results, the use of social networks is clearly related to country of origin, but not to gender. It seems that Instagram is a platform widely used by both Mexican and Spanish students, but it is not used in educational environments. Therefore, the use of social networks in higher education contexts differs by country, as does the knowledge of social bookmarking and the distribution of content to share information and resources.

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.

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 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 concept of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) is presented as a framework that guides how to effectively integrate technologies in the educational environment. Through this model, we investigate the ethical implications related to the use of digital tools in teaching, and we outline the necessary knowledge that educators should have to address these issues of ethics and technology in the classroom. We assess the professional, ethical knowledge of pre-service teachers regarding their use of technologies using a descriptive and exploratory mixed-methods approach. The data for this research come from a Likert-scale questionnaire administered to 616 teacher-training students in Spain, as well as from personal interviews with 411 of them. From these data, we identify four of the eight dimensions of ethical knowledge: professional, ethical knowledge, ethics in the use of technologies, pedagogy for their integration in the classroom, and the use of content specific to the disciplines of pre-service teachers. The results obtained indicate that the preparation of educators with professional, ethical knowledge in training is insufficient, which highlights the need to address this issue in the post-pandemic context of the 21st century. Among the difficulties detected, it should be noted that this study is limited to a European university and a sample chosen for convenience, so it would be advisable to extend the study to other European universities.

The rapid advancement of science, engineering, and technology, driven by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, has heightened the demand for a highly skilled workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Integrated STEM education has emerged as a key driver of educational innovation in Vietnam, spanning both general and higher education. The competence of university lecturers in delivering integrated STEM education, a newly recognized pedagogical and professional skill set, is crucial to the success of STEM education at the tertiary level. As with general pedagogical competence, the development of an integrated STEM education competence framework is essential for enhancing this capability among university lecturers. However, there remains a lack of theoretical foundation and best practices tailored to the Vietnamese higher education context. This study aims to develop a framework for integrated STEM education competence specifically for university lecturers through document analysis and survey research. Multivariate statistical techniques, including exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Cronbach’s alpha, and Pearson correlation, were applied to analyze data collected from 205 lecturers across nine public universities in Vietnam. The integrated STEM education competence framework for Vietnamese university lecturers consists of three component competencies and 23 items: designing and implementing integrated STEM education (15 items), assessing integrated STEM learning outcomes (4 items), and demonstrating positive attitudes toward integrated STEM education (4 items). The framework was found to be both reliable and valid, with strong positive correlations among the three component competencies. This study also outlines limitations and provides recommendations for future research.

This study aimed to optimize critical thinking by empowering reflective and impulsive students' collaboration, communication, and information literacy skills through information literacy-oriented e-books in STEM-integrated problem-based learning (PBL). The research method used was a descriptive explorative approach. The study subjects consisted of five reflective students and five impulsive students. The measurement of cognitive style used the Matching Familiar Figure Test (MFFT) instrument. Collaboration skills were assessed through observation sheets, critical thinking and communication skills were assessed through student worksheets based on problem-solving tasks, and information literacy was assessed through a questionnaire. The study found that reflective students excelled in critical thinking and information literacy, while impulsive students demonstrated superior collaboration skills. As for communication skills, reflective and impulsive students have different advantages for each indicator of communication skills. This study can conclude that implementing information literacy-oriented e-books through STEM-integrated PBL can optimize reflective and impulsive students' critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and information literacy skills. The implication of this study is the importance of integrating 21st century skills holistically in learning practices, especially in the digital era, to prepare the younger generation to face the challenges of the 21st century.

University dropout is a multidimensional and multicausal problem that affects every university around the world. The aim of this article is to conduct a bibliometric review of the scientific literature on the main factors that influence university dropouts in scientific publications between 2018 and 2022. The methodology is based on systematic searches using the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases. We analysed 417 and 498 articles, respectively, applying inclusion/exclusion criteria. The main factors of university dropout were identified: problems in the academic and social world of students, student stress, health reasons, the role of teachers, and changes in the education system. Among the countries with the highest scientific output, Spain stands out, along with the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and China. This would provide a more complete view of the historical evolution and multifactorial causes of this educational phenomenon.

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.

This study aims to design, produce, and validate an information collection instrument to evaluate the opinions of teachers at non-university educational levels on the quality of training in artificial intelligence (AI) applied to education. The questionnaire was structured around five key dimensions: (a) knowledge and previous experience in AI, (b) perception of the benefits and applications of AI in education, (c) AI training, and (d) expectations of the courses and (e) impact on teaching practice. Validation was performed through expert judgment, which ensured the internal validity and reliability of the instrument. Statistical analyses, which included measures of central tendency, dispersion, and internal consistency, yielded a Cronbach's alpha of .953, indicating excellent reliability. The findings reveal a generally positive attitude towards AI in education, emphasizing its potential to personalize learning and improve academic outcomes. However, significant variability in teachers' training experiences underscores the need for more standardized training programs. The validated questionnaire emerges as a reliable tool for future research on teachers' perceptions of AI in educational contexts. From a practical perspective, the validated questionnaire provides a structured framework for assessing teacher training programs in AI, offering valuable insights for improving educational policies and program design. It enables a deeper exploration of educational AI, a field still in its early stages of research and implementation. This tool supports the development of targeted training initiatives, fostering more effective integration of AI into educational 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.

Work-based learning (WBL) is an important tool for enhancing students' employability skills in vocational education and training. Many studies have underlined the importance of a variable of WBL, self-efficacy, and vocational identity in developing vocational students' employability skills. Nonetheless, the research is limited and examined separately. Therefore, this study investigates how WBL, self-efficacy, and vocational identity influence employability skills and how self-efficacy moderates between WBL and employability skills. Four hundred and three state university students in Yogyakarta were involved in the data collection. This study used structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis to test its hypothesis. The results of the study revealed that the implementation of WBL did not have a direct effect on employability skills; however, self-efficacy was able to moderate the relationship between WBL and employability skills. However, WBL directly influences vocational identity, which in turn directly influences employability skills, while self-efficacy also directly influences employability skills. This research has important implications for improving learning that can improve students' self-efficacy skills in an effort to build students' employability skills in vocational education and training.

This study investigates the ideological orientations of teachers and the potential transformation of these orientations over 14 weeks, focusing specifically on their conceptualizations of educational ideologies within conservative and liberal frameworks. The research employs an inventory-based assessment to capture participants’ ideological stances. Initial findings revealed participants’ tendency to associate ideological labels with political dualities, reflecting simplified views on educational ideologies. Throughout the study’s second phase, participants engaged in critical reading assignments and reflective discussions designed to expand their awareness and understanding of various educational ideological paradigms. Findings indicate a notable shift in ideological positioning, primarily driven by exposure to foundational texts and structured reflection sessions. In the final phase, participants re-took the initial inventory, allowing for a direct comparison of ideological stances. The comparative analysis demonstrated subtle yet significant shifts, particularly regarding participants’ views on the interrelations between educational ideology, social equity, and the intellectual demands of modern pedagogy. This study underscores the transformative potential of immersive engagement with diverse ideological perspectives, highlighting the need for professional development models that prioritize reflective dialogue and critical exploration of ideological content.

This article aims to answer the research question: How do 5th grade students experience the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to create a comic strip describing the survival struggle between the Myna and the Lesser Kestrel? This study utilized a case-study approach to examine the advantages and challenges experienced by 5th grade students using AI tools to create a comic strip about the Lesser Kestrel's survival struggle. Data were collected through qualitative methods, including student reflections, drawings, and analyses of the comic strips they created. Additionally, a questionnaire was used to assess students' attitudes towards the four components of 21st century skills: Creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. The study indicates that the development of 21st century skills among students requires a collaborative effort involving both parents and teachers. It is not sufficient to rely solely on technological tools; there must be intermediary processes and support from teachers, who are obliged to adjust their teaching methods. Additionally, a teaching approach that supports the creation of a future citizen with a humanistic outlook and awareness of the complexity of life, is essential. This approach develops students' environmental citizenship, which is also an important 21st century skill. This involves integrating ethical, inclusive, and holistic perspectives to address complex problems, such as the survival struggle between the Lesser Kestrel and Myna.

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 examines the impact of Project-Based Learning (PjBL) on developing metacognitive skills among preservice science teachers (PSTs) in Northeast Thailand. A sample of 143 PSTs, including first-year students in General Biology 1, second-year students in General Physics 1, and third-year students in Basic Organic Chemistry, participated in an 18-week programme. The study aimed to assess changes in metacognitive skills before and after PjBL implementation, evaluate differences among academic years, and identify predictors of skill development. The methodology included a six-hour orientation workshop and a collaborative, project-based curriculum. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed, with the item-objective congruence index (IOC) for content validity, paired samples t-tests for pre- and post-intervention comparisons, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to examine differences across academic years. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify significant predictors of metacognitive skill development. Results showed significant improvements in metacognitive skills post-PjBL, with substantial enhancements across all subjects. ANOVA indicated significant differences among academic years, with third-year students demonstrating the highest metacognitive skill levels. Multiple regression analysis identified participation in PjBL and academic level as significant predictors of metacognitive skill development. These findings highlight the effectiveness of PjBL in enhancing metacognitive skills and underscore the importance of active learning and reflective practices in teacher education programmes. This study provides valuable insights into the impact of PjBL on PSTs' professional growth and instructional efficacy, preparing them for modern classroom challenges.