The current understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as an alteration of neurodevelopment requires deepening in the causes that originate it. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the presence of ASD in subjects aged 2-22 years and some related biological factors (sex/gender, age, and body mass index). A quasi-experimental study, with a cross-sectional retrospective design, was conducted on 209 subjects (n = 111 with ASD and n = 98 neurotypical) who were applied to the GARS-2 test in three areas: communication, social interaction, and stereotyped behaviours between 2016-2021. The risk factors identified are related to early age (OR = 2.27, 95% CI = 1.30-3.96), being male (OR = 2.67, 95% CI = 1.41-4.68) and having underweight (OR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.09-3.80). Differences in stereotyped behaviours (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.05-1.14), functional communication (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.08-1.17) and social interaction (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.08-1.15), were found, being at risk as soon as scores related to ASD diagnosis. In sum, rigorous and multidimensional understanding analysis among specialists regarding people with ASD allows to evaluate the development of the set of alterations and key variables to provide support and assistance to their quality of life.

Mathematical confidence and critical thinking are essential in preparing preservice teachers. Thus, this study explored the perceived confidence and critical thinking levels in mathematics of elementary and secondary preservice teachers. A descriptive-correlational-comparative research design was employed, with a sample of 107 randomly selected preservice teachers enrolled in the Bachelor in Elementary and Secondary Education programs of a state university in West Philippines. The study used arithmetic mean, standard deviation, Spearman’s rank-order correlation, and independent samples t-test to analyze and draw conclusions from the data. The findings revealed that the preservice teachers have high confidence and critical thinking skills. Their program significantly correlates with their perceived critical thinking and confidence level. Besides, the preservice teachers’ confidence levels and perceived critical thinking skills significantly correlate. Further analysis found significant confidence and critical thinking differences favoring the secondary over the elementary preservice teachers. These findings provide insights that would benefit mathematics educators in providing priority programs to enhance the preparation of future math teachers.

The teaching of speaking in English as a foreign language (EFL) classes in the Province of Aceh did not rely on the suggested techniques and methods. This teacher-designed technique, which was mainly textbook-based, has left an unpleasant learning experience among students. Therefore, we conducted a quantitative research study to experiment with how students responded to contextual teaching and learning (CTL) to see the effect of transitioning from a teacher-established method to a systematically planned learning approach and compare how students progressed over time. The experiment was carried out by teachers who had received assistance in preparing the lesson and practicing the lesson plan. The six-meeting experiment was conducted in 11 small classes, with a total sample of 132 students. The student improvement after the first four meetings (cycle 1) was compared using inferential statistical analyses with that after eight meetings (cycle 2). The results show that the student’s achievement significantly improved in the first cycle and continued to improve, although at a lower rate, in the second cycle. This result suggests that CTL can be used to transition from a traditional teaching method to a more established method in EFL teaching. Therefore, teachers need help planning their teaching and practicing how to implement the teaching plan accurately.

21st-century learning requires teachers and students to integrate literacy skills, scientific literacy, mathematics, reading, writing, and technology in the learning process. Students must have initiative, discipline, responsibility, confidence, motivation for independent learning, and the ability to think critically about the problems presented. This study aims to determine students' autonomous knowledge and critical thinking abilities (CTA) using mobile learning technology (MLT). This research is a quantitative study involving 83 students from four junior high schools in the city of Mataram. The data collection for independent learning and students' CTA was carried out by giving tests and non-tests to students. The test conducted was a written test in the form of a description of 10 questions covering indicators of CTA. The non-test was conducted by giving a student learning independence questionnaire with as many as 15 statements, including five indicators of learning independence. This quantitative research data analysis uses the Rash modeling application with the help of Ministep software. The analysis results show that the learning independence of male and female students in the four junior high schools obtained a percentage of 77.38% in the “good” category. Each indicator of learning independence accepts a percentage above 70%, which is in the excellent category. Meanwhile, the CTA of male and female students from the four junior high schools obtained 75.28% in the “good” category. Each indicator of CTA also gets a percentage of more than 70%, meaning that each indicator is in a good category.

Industry 4.0 has affected various aspects of life, including the organization of higher education. In the current era, higher education is required to transform themselves from using the conventional way of administration to the digitalized one. The said transformation also includes the services provided and management carried out by the organizations. The objective of this study is to measure the understudied mediation of digital innovation in the effect of the nexus of digital leadership and digital literacy on the performance of higher education. This quantitative research was conducted by distributing questionnaires to 234 faculty members of four higher education institutions in Malang City, Indonesia. Partial Least Squares – Structural Equation Modeling was applied to analyze the data. This study finds that digital leadership significantly affects the higher education performance and conclusively predicts digital innovation. As hypothesized, digital literacy has a significant effect on the higher education performance and digital innovation, and digital innovation plays a substantial role in the higher education performance. In addition, digital innovation mediates the influence of digital leadership and digital literacy on the higher education performance.

The need for early comprehension of scientific concepts in elementary school students is crucial. However, studies have indicated that some students lack a fundamental understanding of such concepts, highlighting the importance of effective teaching methods to improve scientific literacy at an early age. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the ability of Project-Based Learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM-PjBL) to improve students' scientific literacy, knowledge, and application of foundational scientific principles. A quasi-experimental methodology was employed, involving 22 female and 26 male fourth-grade elementary school students as participants. The study administered a Scientific Literacy Test (SLT) treatment to the students, followed by unpaired and paired t-tests to examine the impact of the STEAM-PjBL model on their scientific literacy skills. The results showed that STEAM-PjBL improved students' scientific literacy skills significantly more than traditional instruction. The experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-test, indicating the effectiveness of STEAM-PjBL. Therefore, the study recommends the adoption of the STEAM-PjBL model by elementary school teachers to improve students' understanding of fundamental scientific concepts.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has affected the educational sector globally. One of the impacts of this outbreak is observed in the implementation of digital learning, which involves problems such as poor internet connection and a lack of information technology facilities. However, university youth could be seen as resilient if they could keep up with good academic performance despite going through various challenges of digital learning. Thus, this research would like to explore the resilience of university youth while undergoing the challenges of digital learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research adopted a qualitative approach, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was used, where five respondents among the University Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) youth with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.50 and above were selected in this research. The research found that the challenges faced by the majority of the respondents during digital learning were the non-conducive learning environment and the poor internet connection. In addition, findings also found two protective factors that helped the respondents be resilient, identified as the internal factor (i.e., self-concept and cultural sensitivity) and the external factor (i.e., parents' support and positive peer relationships). The research findings showed that the university youth also need support and help from various parties alongside their own efforts in academics in order to face any kinds of risky situations and grow as resilient youth.

Digital technologies in all forms have become ubiquitous in our media-rich, modern information society, but the connection between their use and information literacy is not always clear. This paper examines the impact of daily use of digital technologies on the reading and information literacy skills of 15-year-old students in Slovenia, based on data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 study. The study examines PISA 2018 variables related to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), as well as a reading task involving the use of ICT. The sample consists of 2612 Slovenian students with a gender distribution of 50.8% girls and 49.2% boys. The study explores students' experiences, enjoyment, self-efficacy, autonomy, and independence in using ICT and learning about its use and identifies two groups of students: one group that is curious and another that is cautious. The results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) show that the constructs of enjoyment, self-efficacy, learning, autonomy, and independence are highly/strongly correlated but have a low/insignificant impact on information literacy skills.

The objective of this study is to create a tool for evaluating teachers’ effectiveness in boarding schools. Planning and preparation stages, instrument testing, and measurements were used in this study to implement research on the creation of the Mardapi model instrument. In order to generate instrument items, the planning and preparation stage tasks included a literature assessment of teacher performance appraisal manuals. Data were gathered utilizing documentation approaches, and descriptive and qualitative analysis was performed. Six specialists validated the built instruments, which were subsequently put through limited testing at two boarding schools and extensive trials at nine boarding schools in Surakarta residency area. The Aiken formula was used to examine the expert’s evaluation data, and confirmatory factor analysis was used to analyze the test results. The results of this study indicate that the instrument for assessing teacher performance in boarding schools meets the validity criteria. This is indicated by the existence of loading factor values ranging from .51 to .72 (>.4) and t-sign values ranging from 4.75 to 9.25 (>1.96) and meeting the requirements of a fit model since Chi-square = 1307.95 < 2524 (2*df), p-value = .17956 (>.05), and RSMEA value = .014 (<.08). The instrument items are reliable assessment packages, and this is shown by the reliability value of omega .967 > .70. Because there is a guarantee of validity and reliability, the test can be used to further assess teacher performance in boarding schools.

This study aimed to determine Indonesian students’ perspectives on digital citizenship skills. Digital literacy is one of the most important needs in the community and the school environment. As educational institutions, universities are expected to integrate and develop an IT-based learning environment to help students develop digital skills. This study used social media and knowledge of rights and responsibilities in cyberspace to examine university students' digital-based skills. A descriptive method with a qualitative approach was also used to describe the perspectives of students about their rights and responsibilities. Participants included 12 students from state universities in Jakarta and Lampung. Data was collected through interviews and 90-minute focus group discussions (FGD). The results showed that the top three considerations that emphasized ethics in cyberspace were maintaining privacy, not spreading fake news, and respecting the Internet community. In this context, individuals must uphold their rights and responsibilities in the virtual world, and university students are expected to apply digital ethics appropriately.

University students may encounter situations where they perform poorly in a course and contemplate dropping out. This intention to drop out of a course manifests not only in thoughts or ideas but also in a cognitive self-evaluation of their performance and skills, enabling them to reflect on the possibility of dropping out. In this sense, there is a shortage of instruments that evaluate the intention to drop out of a course, so the aim was to develop and validate the Course Dropout Intention Scale (CDIS). Data from two samples (N1 = 198; N2 = 675) were used; the first was for the EFA, and the second was for the CFA, GRM, and SEM. The one-factor model was derived from the EFA and confirmed in the second sample, exhibiting appropriate goodness-of-fit indices. Similarly, the GRM obtained adequate fit indices; all items discriminated adequately, and the difficulty parameter had a monotonic increase. The SEM model of the effect of satisfaction with studies on the CDIS showed a negative and statistically significant effect. Thus, it was demonstrated that the CDIS is a robust instrument in its psychometric properties and empirical evidence with other variables.

Reflective practices have been recognized as a predictor of professional development because they favor teaching changes that improve the students’ learning. The expressions reflection, practice, and reflective professionals are very present in training programs, but with a diversity of meanings and interpretations. The concept of reflection is linked to professional development and teaching identity. The goal of training reflective teachers is shared on an international level, however, the educational conditions that favor a positive attitude toward reflection have not been sufficiently researched. This article aims to describe the obstacles to a positive attitude toward reflection in pedagogy students according to their teachers. This study is qualitative with an interpretive approach for which an instrumental case study was conducted with 15 university teachers in six Chilean regions.  The results show that both inter-institutional conditions negatively affect attitudes, as well as the lack of models of reflective practice, insufficient teaching, the way teacher reflection is evaluated, and the barriers to reflective practice in schools. The results indicate the need to intentionally teach pedagogical reflection practices and help to recognize its benefits for teaching.

Online learning has become increasingly popular, making the learning process more attractive. One of the most popular learning media is artificial intelligence (AI). However, students do not accept this technology at all. Therefore, this study examined the factors influencing accounting students' acceptance of AI in learning. The survey was conducted with 147 higher-education students who use AI as a learning medium. The data were analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0 with the partial least square approach. The results showed that perceived usefulness influenced behavioral intention to use and satisfaction. However, perceived ease of use was only significant for satisfaction. Similarly, perceived confidence must be consistent with intention. Although it may influence perceived usefulness, other constructs, such as AI quality and personal innovativeness, can increase students' perceptions of the benefits and convenience of adopting AI in learning. Thus, this study contributes to the development of the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the information systems success model and is helpful to scholars, especially in applying AI in learning. They need to pay attention to the quality of AI, such as the accuracy of the information produced. Thus, the need to control the information from the AI only serves as a reference without requiring you to trust it completely.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between teacher professional development, quality of lecture design, student engagement, teacher technical skills, pedagogical content knowledge and teacher satisfaction in using Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Powered Facilitator for designing lectures. The study used a non-random sample technique, and 208 participants answered a survey via Google Form after one semester, using a 5-point Likert scale to rate their responses. The structural equation model was used to analyze the data, and six factors were included in the study. The study confirmed hypotheses that teacher professional development, quality of lecture design, student engagement, and pedagogical content knowledge have a positive effect on teacher satisfaction. However, the study also revealed that teacher technical skills have a negative effect on teacher satisfaction, and pedagogical content knowledge has no significant effect. The proposed conceptual model explained 55.7% of the variance in teacher satisfaction Theoretical and practical implications were also discussed. These findings provide insights into the factors that contribute to teacher satisfaction in utilizing AI-Powered Facilitator for designing lectures and could inform the development of effective teacher training programs.

This study sought to investigate the current state of innovative teaching research and identify emerging themes and trends in the field from 2013 to 2023. The Scopus database was searched for the term “innovative teaching,” resulting in 1005 documents. After manual screening, 903 articles were exported in the BibTeX format for further processing in Bibliometrix using three bibliometric analysis types: network analysis, science mapping, and performance analysis. Performance analysis revealed bursts in publication output in 2015 and 2021, with a moderate boost in 2018. Ten top-cited journal papers were identified. The citation rates were low between 2019 and 2021, but there has been an upturn since 2022. The top keywords included simulation and nursing education, and there was a shift in research topics from broad educational concepts to more specific approaches, such as e-learning. Innovative teaching has been predominantly investigated in higher education, particularly in nursing education, with themes like “teaching/learning strategies” suggesting an emphasis on enhancing teaching practices not just through technology infusion. This study can aid educators and researchers in staying current with innovative teaching developments and inform their teaching practices.

The introduction of English language teaching (ELT) at the preschool level has been widely discussed by researchers. While most agree with ELT at preschool level, considerable issues are faced in learning a second, third, or foreign language. Therefore, this systematic review discusses the issues preschool teachers face in implementing ELT and their beliefs on how ELT should be applied to young children. Using three renowned databases, namely Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), and Educational Resources Information Centre (ERIC), 34 articles were extracted out of 85 articles, from 2012 to 2022, with exclusion and inclusion criteria taken into consideration. The findings of this study showcased eight main issues faced by preschool teachers in implementing ELT: English language proficiency, pedagogical skills, teacher perception, curriculum, teaching resources, training, socio-cultural, and classroom environment. In terms of preschool teachers' beliefs about ELT, there are four main issues: Bilingual education, children's characteristics, curriculum alteration, and teachers’ experience. Generally, these findings will guide teachers, responsible authorities, and researchers to acquire an overview of the actual issues that occur in the implementation of ELT in preschools as well as the appropriate measures to overcome them, starting from the preschool teachers' beliefs.

Speech therapy uses a combination of approaches to assess speech and language, including analysis of spontaneous speech, use of standardized scales and assessment by the child’s parents and/or preschool teachers. In this paper, we present the Teddy Talk Test. Using a sample of sixteen children aged 4 to 5 years, we examined whether the test provided representative data on child language development. The parent questionnaire included information on the parents’ education, the parents’ native language, the child’s gender and the language the parents speak with their child. It was found that the Teddy Talk Test has the characteristics of screening tests for speech and language: it is time-efficient, it covers receptive and expressive language tasks, and it allows for rapid assessment of speech and language in large numbers of children. However, since the Teddy Talk Test has not yet been evaluated, we do not know its value regarding sensitivity, specificity and predictive validity.

The study aimed to explore the self-directed learning readiness model and its relationship with various factors such as emotional intelligence, transformational parenting, need-supportive teaching style, and self-efficacy as potential mediators. The research was conducted with 415 junior high school students in Surabaya, Indonesia. To ensure the reliability and validity of the instruments used in the study, confirmatory factor analysis was performed. The loading factor values of all the items in the instruments were found to be greater than .50 indicating a satisfactory level of validity. Additionally, the reliability coefficient of all the instruments exceeded .90 demonstrating good internal consistency. Analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM) demonstrated that the theoretical model of self-directed learning readiness was consistent with empirical conditions because it meets the standard value of goodness of fit. Furthermore, through the indirect effect tests, it was discovered that need-supportive teaching style, emotional intelligence, and transformational parenting significantly influenced self-directed learning readiness, with self-efficacy acting as a mediator. Among the factors examined, self-efficacy was found to have the greatest impact in explaining readiness for self-directed learning readiness.

Flipped learning (FL) is one of the recent pedagogical models that seeks to promote student agency and hone 21st century skills for lifelong learning through its emphasis on collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and autonomy. However, only some physical education (PE) classes globally have adopted this method and researched its effectiveness. Thus, this qualitative study discovered how the SPRING online FL model helped enhance the 21st century skills of college PE students. From the students’ responses in the questionnaire and the teacher-researchers observation notes, it was revealed that FL aids in the students’ 21st century skills as it allows the students to collaborate and improve their social skills; analyze people, tasks, and situations to create an output that is not only ingenuous and entertaining but beneficial to all; and study and master the skills independently at their own pace. Future studies can explore testing the SPRING model's effectiveness in younger students and other learning contexts.

Changes and challenges in the highly dynamic world of education require postgraduate students to manage their learning well and create something from their creative thinking according to the needs of the field. One of them is the activity of students in developing integrated natural science teaching materials is very necessary because learning at the primary level still uses integrated or thematic learning. Furthermore, students also need to be encouraged to be adaptive to these challenges by empowering their independence in learning. The ability to manage learning and creativity to create something new is highly prioritized for college graduates to contribute generously to their environment. This study aims to describe the empowerment of self-regulated learning and student creativity in developing natural science teaching materials in collaboration through community-based project learning. This study used a quasi-experimental design with a single-subject design type. The instruments used to retrieve data are creativity assessment rubrics and self-regulated learning questionnaires. The conclusion is that students are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated to fulfill the given tasks. Learning is essential for increasing competence, and learning strategies have been adjusted to the material's complexity or the difficulty level of the studied content. The aspect of student creativity in developing Integrated Science teaching materials shows the existence of change from stage one to the next and good categories.