This study investigates the impact of external variables, technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) self-efficacy, and facilitating conditions on teacher adoption of online teaching technology during the COVID-19 pandemic. It employs explanatory research to characterize the effect of external variables on the variables of the technology acceptance model. 240 high school teachers filled out Google Forms survey questionnaires for six research variables and analyzed by the SmartPLS program. The result indicates that attitude and perceived usefulness significantly and positively influence behavioral intention. Perceived usefulness and ease of use have a strong positive effect on attitude. Furthermore, perceived ease of use has a considerable effect on perceived usefulness. Perceived usefulness and ease of use are not significantly influenced by external variables. Facilitating conditions significantly positively affect behavioral intention, whereas TPACK self-efficacy negatively affects behavioral intention.

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.

Today's college students relate directly to the information through which they learn. They are the ones who detect the information they need, search and evaluate it, and also use it to develop academic projects. Information literacy programs have increased in universities to support the development of these skills to students. The aim of this study was to provide an instrument that allows the measurement of information competency in higher level students and generate evidence of its validity and reliability. The Information Management Brief Inventory (IMBS) was developed, which consisted of 16 Likert type items. IMBS was applied to a sample of 1,937 students from a public university in northern Mexico. For the evaluation of the construct validity and identification of the factor grouping of the items, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was carried out. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was carried out to explore the goodness of fit of the model. It was found that the 16 items were grouped into three factors: information management, access to information and information ethics. The psychometric properties of IMBS were adequate.

Publishing research is crucial and is of utmost significance. However, it is a daunting task for most researchers, especially if one is a beginner with very limited experience. The generalizability of much of the previously published research was limited to the negative aspects of the publishing process rather than the whole circumstances they had to face. Therefore, this article sought to explore the experiences of preservice teachers as novice researchers in publishing their research outputs in a research journal. This study employed a qualitative-phenomenological approach. Five major themes emerged from the interview with eight purposively selected former preservice teachers who had first-time encounters in publishing that the research investigates. These themes were encapsulated through the acronym “FLAME,” namely: (a) facing personal circumstances, (b) leveraging positive dispositions, (c) acknowledging dependency on research promoter, (d) meeting publishing standards, and (e) encountering poor physical and mental well-being. This article concludes that the journal publishing process is a multidimensional and enriching experience, providing the full spectrum of positive and negative experiences for novice researchers. This paper highlighted some implications that can be used as a guide to support novice researchers in the publication process.

The ability to think creatively has a vital role in the development of preschool children. This research provides a comprehensive review of innovative approaches and strategies for developing creative thinking in preschool children based on current trends and methodologies used in educational settings. This research shows three significant areas: (a) creative thinking skills in preschool children, (b) factors influencing creative thinking skills in depth, and (c) innovative strategies and approaches to stimulate creative thinking abilities in preschool children. This research uses a literature study method assisted by the publish perish application to find reference sources related to creative thinking abilities in preschool children. Studies show that creative thinking abilities in preschool children enable them to find innovative solutions, help them adapt to challenges, foster self-confidence and courage, and enrich their experience and knowledge of the world around them. Meanwhile, preschool children's creative thinking abilities are influenced by collaboration from the external environment (parents, teachers, and society); providing support and examples for children to develop and stimulate their creative thinking skills is very important.

This research attempts to map the trend of research related to differentiated instruction (DI). The research was conducted in May 2023 by researching research articles in the Scopus database. The search data from Scopus used title, abstract, and keyword searches. Research articles were analyzed descriptively based on year of publication, journal name, affiliation, country, and researcher name. The article database from Scopus was analyzed through VOSviewer and RStudio software so that a bibliometric map could be depicted in research related to DI. Based on the Scopus analysis results, it showed that publications of articles related to DI had increased from 2011 to 2021, although it decreased in 2016. The journal with the largest contributor to the publication of research articles related to DI was the Teaching and Teacher Education Journal. Vrije Universitiet Brusel was the university with the most published articles on DI. The country that contributed the most to the research articles related to DI was the United States. Struyven was the most productive scholar related to DI. Through network visualization, it was revealed that the evolution map of research related to DI was divided into five clusters.

Teaching is a demanding and complex exercise, exposed to the direct or immediate resolution of multiple problematic situations, whether pedagogical, relational, or socio-affective. The teacher's personal resources are often insufficient to cope with the profession's demands. The research reports that there is a gap between research and educational practice. Hence, the objective of this research was to analyze the criteria used by early childhood educators to attribute validity to the written sources of information that guide their pedagogical decisions. The present study follows a qualitative research methodology. The sample for this study was non-probabilistic and consisted of 18 early childhood educators who participated through semi-structured interviews and discussion groups. The data obtained were analyzed by inductive categorization using NVivo 14. The findings revealed that the validity criteria assigned by the educators about the sources of information related to theoretical aspects is mainly attributed to the texts and authors they know, while those referring to practical aspects are attributed to their own experiences or the other educators at the same level. The results showed that specific information and obtaining it in the shortest possible time were the criteria that determined the use of information sources.

This qualitative study investigates the strategies employed by Vietnamese tertiary-level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers to promote learner autonomy (LA) and enhance cultural awareness. This research provides a deeper understanding of EFL teaching practices in this setting, conducted in the context of Vietnam’s evolving educational landscape, where English proficiency and cultural competence are increasingly prioritized. The study utilized semi-structured interviews with nine EFL teachers from two different Vietnamese tertiary institutions, representing various career stages: novice, mid-career, and near-end career. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data, revealing a range of strategies encompassing collaborative learning, technology integration, personalized feedback, real-life scenarios and role-play, reflective learning practices, local culture incorporation, contextualized language instruction, critical thinking, and cultural analysis, student-centered environments, interdisciplinary approaches, language skills for intercultural communication, and authentic material use. Findings highlight the multifaceted nature of language teaching, emphasizing not just linguistic competence but also cultural understanding and LA. These strategies are crucial in a globalized world where intercultural communication is a key skill. The study suggests the need for continuous professional development and policy support for diverse and holistic teaching practices. It offers practical insights for EFL educators, particularly in similar socio-cultural contexts, on integrating various strategies to enhance language skills and cultural awareness.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This study aims to develop and validate a green behavior instrument based on local potential using structural equation modeling (SEM) with smart partial least squares (SmartPLS). The instrument consists of 40 statements covering five main indicators: environmental maintenance, waste reduction, saving natural resources, sustainable mobility and consumption, and community education. This study addresses a gap in existing research by creating a context-specific tool for assessing green behavior, incorporating local cultural and ecological factors. While prior studies emphasize global sustainability principles, they often overlook the significance of local practices and values, which are essential for effective environmental education. By integrating local potential, this instrument bridges global sustainability goals with regional contexts, enabling meaningful and practical student engagement. The instrument was validated through content validity testing, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and construct validity and reliability testing using SEM with SmartPLS. The results indicate strong content validity, with content validity index (CVI) values ranging from .80 to .90. After analysis, 34 valid items were retained from the initial 40. This study contributes to the literature by developing an instrument that aligns with global sustainability goals while integrating local cultural practices and ecological contexts. It offers insights into how local knowledge enhances sustainability education, providing a holistic framework for assessing green behavior across diverse regions.

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 explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) integration on students' educational experiences. It investigates student perceptions of AI across various academic aspects, such as module outlines, learning outcomes, curriculum design, instructional activities, assessments, and feedback mechanisms. It evaluates the impact of AI on students' learning experiences, critical thinking, self-assessment, cognitive development, and academic integrity. This research used a structured survey distributed to 300 students through Microsoft Forms 365, yet the response rate was 29.67%. A structured survey and thematic analysis were employed to gather insights from 89 students. Thematic analysis is a qualitative method for identifying and analysing patterns or themes within data, providing insights into key ideas and trends. The limited response rate may be attributed to learners' cultural backgrounds, as not all students are interested in research or familiar with AI tools. The survey questions are about AI integration in different academic areas. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns and themes within the data. Benefits such as enhanced critical thinking, timely feedback, and personalised learning experiences are prevalent. AI tools like Turnitin supported academic integrity, and platforms like ChatGPT and Grammarly were particularly valued for their utility in academic tasks. The study acknowledges limitations linked to the small sample size and a focus on undergraduate learners only. The findings suggest that AI can significantly improve educational experiences. AI provides tailored support and promotes ethical practices. This study recommends continued and expanded use of AI technologies in education while addressing potential implementation challenges.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized higher education. The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence in education (AIED) tools has significantly transformed educational management, specifically in self-directed learning (SDL). This study examines the factors influencing Indonesian higher education students' intention to adopt AIED tools for self-directed learning using a combination of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with additional theories. A total of 322 university students from diverse academic backgrounds participated in the structured survey. This study utilized machine learning it was Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to analyze nine factors, including attitude (AT), subjective norms (SN), perceived behavioral control (PBC), optimism (OP), user innovativeness (UI), perceived usefulness (PUF), facilitating conditions (FC), perception towards ai (PTA), and intention (IT) with a total of 41 items in the questionnaire. The model demonstrated high predictive accuracy, with SN emerging as the most significant factor to IT, followed by AT, PBC, PUF, FC, OP, and PTA. User innovativeness was the least influential factor due to the lowest accuracy. This study provides actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and technology developers by highlighting the critical roles of social influence, supportive infrastructure, and student beliefs in shaping AIED adoption for self-directed learning (SDL). This research not only fills an important gap in the literature but also offers a roadmap for designing inclusive, student-centered AI learning environments that empower learners and support the future of SDL in digital education.

Integrating generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in education has gained significant attention, particularly in flexible learning environments (FLE). This study investigates how students’ voluntary adoption of GenAI influences their perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEU), learning engagement (LE), and student-teacher interaction (STI). This study employed a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, using data from 480 students across multiple academic levels. The findings confirm that voluntary GenAI adoption significantly enhances PU and PEU, reinforcing established technology acceptance models (TAM). However, PU did not directly impact LE at the latent level—an unexpected finding that underscores students’ engagement’s complex and multidimensional nature in AI-enriched settings. Conversely, PEU positively influenced LE, which in turn significantly predicted STI. These findings suggest that usability, rather than perceived utility alone, drives deeper engagement and interaction in autonomous learning contexts. This research advances existing knowledge of GenAI adoption by proposing a structural model that integrates voluntary use, learner engagement, and teacher presence. Future research should incorporate variables such as digital literacy, self-regulation, and trust and apply longitudinal approaches to better understand the evolving role of GenAI inequitable, human-centered education.

The proliferating field of writing education increasingly intersects with technological innovations, particularly generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) resources. Despite extensive research on automated writing evaluation systems, no empirical investigation has been reported so far on GenAI’s potential in cultivating intermedial writing skills within first language contexts. The present study explored the impact of ChatGPT as a writing assistant on university literature students’ intermedial writing proficiency. Employing a quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group, researchers examined 52 undergraduate students’ essay writings over a 12-week intervention. Participants in the treatment group harnessed the conversational agent for iterative essay refinement, while the reference group followed traditional writing processes. Utilizing a comprehensive four-dimensional assessment rubric, researchers analyzed essays in terms of relevance, integration, specificity, and balance of intermedial references. Quantitative analyses revealed significant improvements in the AI-assisted group, particularly in relevance and insight facets. The findings add to the research on technology-empowered writing learning.