Education delivers systematic instruction so effective learning acquisition may take place. It molds students into holistic well-being to contribute to various industries; hence, relevant competencies are developed. Strengthening education significantly encompasses the production of formfitting and distinct instructional materials to invite a sequential way of presenting quality instruction. This research is focused on knowing the effectiveness of the modules developed in Human Resource Management for Filipino business students. Specifically, it is developmental research and utilizes a pretest and post-test control group design. Numerical data were supported by phenomenological interviews, strengthening the study's results. It involved 80 college students classified as the experimental and control group. Moreover, the interview includes 10 participants. Findings reveal that utilizing the modules realized the increase in performance of the experimental group due to their exposure to the materials. However, one of the pitfalls has been revealed in utilizing self-directed learning material; thus, academic performance will only improve if students are organized to set their own goals and learning pace. Using outcomes-based instructional materials leads to substantiating learning, effectively enticing learners' interest. It maximizes students' motivation and participation since topics are well-planned and designed comprehensively. The materials are an essential tool in inviting the enthusiasm of business students to engage in learning. These are valuable means to encourage independent learning without sacrificing the competencies to be learned and applied by the learners.

Research on conceptual understanding is one of the first steps in designing materials to improve learning. Literature reports that students have difficulties analyzing and describing phenomena in electric circuits. This report contributes to students' conceptual difficulties regarding simple electrical circuits by systematically analyzing an open conceptual test answered by 531 first-year engineering students. We found students' reasoning that has not yet been reported in the literature as misconceptions or difficulties. To deepen our understanding of students' difficulties, we chose five students by convenience to interview. We present evidence that there are two main contributions to the taxonomy in this study: the Series Circuit Misconception, which is when students convey that the current through bulbs is the same because they are in series, using that as a mnemonic ignoring any change in the circuit; and the Inverse Parallel Circuit Misconception, that is when students mention that the resistance of the circuit decreases when disconnecting bulbs in parallel, neither are reported in the literature. The results of this study have implications for physics education research in electric circuits and educational practice in the classroom.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has been successfully implemented in many countries around the world, including Vietnam. Admittedly, it appears that Vietnamese teachers are encountering several obstacles and challenges as they adopt STEM education in their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to use the Delphi method to figure out the obstacles and challenges that teachers in six northern mountainous provinces of Vietnam encounter when teaching STEM education. As per research findings, teachers confront 11 obstacles and challenges when integrating STEM education in their classrooms, including: Teacher competency, time consumption in lesson planning and guiding students to produce STEM products, teachers' beliefs regarding STEM education, inflexible programs, insufficient facilities, examination pressures, lack of timely rewards and encouragement for effective teachers, teachers’ self-funding teaching STEM, students’ competence, students’ cultural, economic and social background, and disagreements from student’s parents. These findings assist administrators and teachers in developing future strategies for successfully implementing STEM education in Vietnam.

An earlier study found that assistive technology based on mobile applications significantly improved how social skills were taught to and learned by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children. Nevertheless, the content of the existing mobile applications is inadequate for capturing the diversity of Malaysian culture, making it unacceptable for local use. Considering cultural norms is a factor in developing social skills in ASD children. It is therefore necessary to develop new assistive technology based on mobile applications that consider Malaysian cultural norms.  As a result, the Multimedia Interactive Social Skills Module (MISSM) application was created based on the Addie Model, which offers a systematic process for assisting in developing successful instructional material by fusing instructional theory with learning theory. The MISSM application is based on Malaysia's current social skills curriculum, which helps ASD children become socially competent. Hopefully, it will help them develop better social skills and achieve academically. Finally, local culture-sensitive material for assistive technology based on mobile applications would support Malaysia's adoption of a technology-based teaching and learning strategy and contribute to a better understanding of social skills.

Creativity and information literacy are skills necessary for students for task completion in the learning process. One of the tasks assigned to students in learning is to write drafts of scientific articles. Furthermore, teachers must pay attention to cognitive styles in the learning process. This study aimed to describe students' creativity in writing drafts of scientific papers based on information literacy concerning reflective and impulsive cognitive styles. This research was exploratory qualitative research to explain the creativity of reflective and impulsive students in writing scientific article drafts based on information literacy. The research subjects comprised two students for each reflective and impulsive cognitive style. The cognitive style was measured using the Matching Familiar Figure Test instrument. Students' creativity was measured using a test with fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration indicators. The results indicated that reflective students were highly creative in writing drafts of scientific articles. Meanwhile, impulsive students were relatively creative in the same activity. In conclusion, students possessing the reflective cognitive style are more creative than students following the impulsive cognitive style in writing drafts of scientific articles based on information literacy. We recommend that writing articles based on information literacy is required to increase HOTs (Higher Order Thinking Skills).

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.

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.

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 investigated pre-service biology teachers' (PSBTs’) technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) development. A TPACK-based technology integration course (TPACK-BTIC) was implemented. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach. A TPACK survey questionnaire and interview schedule were used to collect data from 50 PSBTs. The quantitative data were analysed by computing means, standard deviations, and dependent samples t-tests, while qualitative data were analysed using deductive thematic analysis based on the TPACK domains. Findings indicate that the intervention positively affected PSBTs’ TPACK development with significant improvements in technological knowledge (TK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), technological content knowledge (TCK) and overall technological pedagogical content knowledge domains. In contrast, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and pedagogical knowledge domains showed no statistically significant improvements. PSBTs’ engagement in microteaching lesson study, reflection on using technology, and collaboratively designing lesson plans improved PSBTs’ TPACK domains. The study recommends that teacher training institutions consider implementing content-based technology integration courses that engage pre-service teachers in microteaching lesson study, reflecting on technology use and collaborative designing of curriculum materials that involve using technology to support their TPACK development.

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.

Momentum-impulse requires critical thinking skills, and teaching should be encouraging for students. Critical thinking skills can be fostered through inquiry-based learning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, familiar learning media were used for students. Therefore, it is necessary to develop creative learning media. This developmental research aimed to create a momentum-impulse e-book based on inquiry supported by infographics (MIB -In-graph) to enhance students' critical thinking skills. The developmental model was a 4D model with field testing, i.e., a pretest-posttest control group design with three classes. Descriptive analysis showed that MIB-In-graph, an Android application, received a good average rating in content, worksheets, and forms. Students’ responses were very positive. Mixed design ANOVA showed that the mean score of students’ critical thinking skills increased significantly from the pretest to the posttest in each class and students’ critical thinking skills in the experimental class was more salient than control class 1 and control class 2. The highest difference in mean scores was in the experimental class. The differences were influenced by various factors such as learning approaches, media use, pictures, and collaboration.

This qualitative study examines the experiences of pre-service high school biology teachers in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, focusing on the challenges and transformative learning experiences encountered during their school-based internship. It aims to explore the dichotomy between specialized biology knowledge and practical applicability in high school teaching and uncover the significance of fostering student engagement through innovative strategies and the role of mentor teachers in guiding pre-service teachers. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from pre-service biology teachers who completed a school-based internship in the Mekong Delta. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the interview data. The study highlights the challenges of bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and classroom practice, emphasizing the importance of innovative teaching strategies for student engagement. It recognizes the role of mentor teachers in guiding and enhancing the skills of pre-service teachers in creating effective learning environments. Findings suggest the need for curriculum reforms that balance specialized biology knowledge and practical pedagogical skills. The study emphasizes the importance of experiential learning through teaching apprenticeships to better prepare pre-service teachers for their professional journey.

This study investigated the extent to which demographic variables, principal support and teacher self-efficacy contribute to the collective teacher efficacy. In the study, a non-probability purposive sample was used, which included 761 teachers working in compulsory primary schools in all parts of the Republic of Croatia. The first part of the administered online questionnaire provided data on sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents, while in the second part, the following scales were used: The Principal Support Scale, The Teacher Sense of Teacher Efficacy Scale and The Collective Teacher Efficacy Scale. The results of the performed regression analyses show that: 1) the demographic variables - workplace, promotion to a higher rank and principal support have a predictive value in explaining teachers’ self-efficacy; 2) an average number of students per class, promotion to a higher rank, principal support, teacher engagement and teaching strategies have a predictive value in explaining collective teacher efficacy. The findings of this study will be discussed in terms of their potential impact and future research.

Critical thinking is a skill that enables individuals to keep pace with changes and enhances crucial competencies for contemporary competitiveness. Many researchers have studied learning management approaches to develop students' critical thinking, resulting in a substantial body of knowledge but lacking clear systematic summaries. The researchers aimed to (a) examine the effect sizes and research characteristics influencing students' critical thinking, and (b) compare the effect sizes of learning management approaches after adjusting with propensity score matching from 108 graduate research published between 2002 and 2021. Data were collected using research characteristics recording forms and research quality assessment questionnaires. Effect sizes were calculated using Glass's method and analyzed through random effect, fixed effect, and regression meta-analysis. Findings revealed that (a) research on developing learning management approaches influences students' critical thinking at a high level (d ̅ = 1.669), with nine research characteristics, including the field of publication, courses, total duration, teacher learning process, learning media, measurement and evaluation, research design, research statistics, and research quality, statistically significantly influencing students' critical thinking, and (b) after adjustment, inquiry-based learning significantly influences students' critical thinking. Recommendations for developing students' critical thinking include learning activities that encourage problem exploration, expanding thinking through collaborative analysis, and applying diverse media and activity sheets tailored to context suitability.
 

Mathematics test items in International Large-Scale Assessments (ILSAs) such as the Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) are nested in contexts defined in their assessment framework (e.g., the Personal, Occupational, Societal, and Scientific contexts in PISA). This study followed the item-writing activities of four tertiary mathematics instructors in the Philippines as they constructed context-based mathematics items. They were tasked to write four items each, following a set of specifications for PISA content and context categories. The data consisted of transcripts from the focus-group discussion which was conducted days after the task. The transcripts were then analyzed using thematic analysis. The results of this study showed that the phenomenon of item-writing in the context of writing PISA-like mathematics items had two themes: the phases of item-writing and the dimensions of item-writing. Findings showed that the respondents struggled to find realistic contexts and that they engaged in a problem-solving task likened to solving a puzzle as they attempted to satisfy the content, context, and process categories in the table of specifications (TOS). This study contributes to filling in the research gap on item-writing activities, particularly those of mathematics teachers in the Philippines- a country whose recent mathematical performance in the PISA 2018, TIMSS 2019, and PISA 2022 was nothing short of dismal.