Search Results for
"education"

This study investigated the mediation mechanisms underlying the internal evolution of high-order thinking skills (HOTSs) among 132 seventh-grade students in China, focusing on the hierarchical relationships between specific HOTSs (S-HOTSs: evidence-based reasoning, model construction, systematic thinking and critical discussion skills) and complex HOTSs (C-HOTSs: critical-thinking and problem-solving skills). Using a longitudinal design with formative and summative assessments, the study employed single and chain mediation models to analyze HOTSs development during a 9-session biological science course on photosynthesis, respiration and the food chain. The results revealed that S-HOTS indirectly promote C–HOTS through sequential mediation pathways, with stronger effects from chain mediators compared to direct effects. Notably, model construction and systematic thinking skills emerged as pivotal mediators, bridging early-developing HOTSs and later-developing HOTSs. These findings highlighted the importance of stepwise instructional strategies aligned with hierarchical skill evolution, offering empirical insights for designing curricula that foster the development of HOTSs in science education. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd

The rapid development of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) across several sectors underscores the need for a systematic tool to evaluate AI competence. Current digital literacy frameworks lack AI-specific competencies, resulting in inconsistencies in the assessment of AI competence. This study aims to establish a standardized assessment framework for Generative AI competence by identifying key skill factors and empirically validating a structured evaluation tool called the Generative AI Competence Scale (GenAIComp). The proposed GenAIComp has five essential factors: Information and Data Literacy, Communication and Collaboration, Digital Content Creation, Safety and Ethics, and Problem-Solving. A quantitative approach was employed, incorporating expert validation, pilot testing, and extensive empirical evaluation involving 1000 participants, principally university students. The factor analysis confirmed a robust 5-factor structure with strong psychometric properties. The final model demonstrated excellent fit indices, confirming its reliability and validity in assessing Generative AI competence across the five key factors. Research demonstrates that educational background considerably impacts AI competence, with individuals from technical disciplines showing a greater aptitude for problem-solving and content generation. Gender-based disparities were noted, with males achieving marginally higher scores in several factors, but with minimal effect sizes. Correlation analysis indicated that perceived AI expertise and frequency of AI utilization significantly influenced competence, especially in data literacy and problem-solving, and exhibited less correlation with ethical awareness. GenAIComp provides a reliable tool for assessing AI competence, helping educators, industry experts, and policymakers to design AI training programs and integrate AI literacy into curricula and thereby AI technology advancement in society. Future research should explore its applicability across cultures and include performance-based assessments to enhance AI competence. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd

Conventional teaching methods often emphasize teacher-centered activities, limiting opportunities for students to develop professional and transferable skills. This disconnection between academic knowledge and workplace readiness highlights the need for innovative approaches to education. This study explores the integration of computational thinking (CT) into project-based learning (PjBL) as a means of enhancing student learning outcomes, particularly in online learning environments. A quasi-experimental design was adopted to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy. The study involved two groups of university students: an experimental group (24 students) exposed to CT-integrated PjBL and a control group (23 students) taught using conventional PjBL method. Results demonstrated that CT-integrated PjBL significantly enhanced students’ knowledge construction and affective-domain learning objectives, including motivation, attitude, and self-efficacy, compared to the conventional approach. These findings underscore the potential of combining CT with PjBL to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. The study offers valuable insights and practical implications for educators, researchers, and course designers, advocating for the adoption of innovative teaching strategies that foster holistic skill development and better prepare students for professional challenges. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd

This study presents the development and evaluation of Sasirangan Verse, a culturally responsive digital learning tool that integrates local wisdom into biology education. Drawing on the rich cultural heritage of Sasirangan cloth from South Kalimantan, the tool links traditional motifs and natural dyes with core biological concepts, such as biodiversity, morphology, and classification. This integration aims to foster scientific understanding while cultivating students' appreciation for local culture. The development process followed the ADDIE model (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate), ensuring a systematic and iterative approach to content creation and refinement. Validation was conducted through expert assessments involving biologists, media designers, and linguists, alongside Likert-scale questionnaires distributed to 50 biology teachers and 100 senior high school students. The tool achieved high validity across content, language, and instructional design, with Content Validity Index (CVI) scores of = 0.90 and Item Objective Congruence (IOC) scores exceeding 0.80. Practicality tests revealed positive reception from both teachers and students, with inclusive usability across gender, age, and academic backgrounds. The effectiveness of Sasirangan Verse was measured through pretest and posttest assessments, which showed a significant increase in students' cognitive learning outcomes-from an average pretest score of 41.27 to a posttest score of 68.96. The resulting Cohen's d value of 3.45 indicates a very large effect size, demonstrating the tool's substantial educational impact. Beyond improving academic achievement, Sasirangan Verse enhanced student engagement, scientific literacy, and cultural identity through its interactive and contextually meaningful design. The results underscore the transformative potential of integrating digital technologies with indigenous knowledge in science education. Future research should explore expanding the tool's accessibility and incorporating advanced features such as augmented reality to further enrich the learning experience and ensure scalability across diverse educational settings. © (c) 2025 The Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Gender equity has been a critical issue in global discussions around education, economic participation, and workforce development, particularly in male-dominated fields such as Technical and Vocational education and Training. This study examines the influence of self-efficacy and social justice awareness on gender equity and female participation in Technical Vocational education and Training (TVET) in Nigeria. The study used a descriptive survey design, gathering data from 250 female participants in technical colleges and higher education institutions in Lagos, Nigeria. Structured questionnaires measuring self-efficacy, social justice dimensions (distributive, participatory, and recognition justice), and female participation were administered. Data analysis included confirmatory factor analyses to validate the constructs and assess their relationships using AMOS SPSS v.23. The results show that self-efficacy, distributive justice, and participatory justice positively and significantly influence gender equity and female participation in TVET, highlighting the importance of these factors in empowering women in technical education. However, recognition justice did not significantly impact female participation, suggesting that acknowledgment alone may not address systemic barriers. The study concludes that fostering self-efficacy and implementing social justice principles within TVET institutions are essential for promoting gender equity. These findings support policies and practices that empower female students and enhance inclusive learning environments. The research provides actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and institutions, suggesting that initiatives in TVET should include gender-sensitive teaching, equitable resource distribution, and inclusive decision-making processes to support gender equity. © 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

This study aims to identify research trends in critical thinking skill frameworks and instructional designs that contribute to enhancing the critical thinking abilities of biology students in higher education. This systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA (2020) guidelines, incorporating bibliometric analysis to explore the application of critical thinking skills in biology programs in higher education. The PICOS strategy framework was employed to assess the eligibility of systematically identified articles from the Scopus database. The results Bibliometric analysis via Biblioshiny software revealed that out of 199 identified articles, 11 met the inclusion criteria for further analysis. The key findings reaffirm that critical thinking skills are an essential component of biology education. However, there is variation in definitions and approaches depending on the framework adopted in each study. These findings suggest that while there is no universally standardized conceptualization of critical thinking skills in biology education, they remain an integral part of higher-order cognitive abilities. Overall, innovative learning models such as inquiry-based learning (IBL), problem-based Learning (PBL), and the reading, questioning, and answering (RQA) model, along with the integration of digital technologies such as digital mind mapping and localized instructional videos demonstrate significant contributions to enhancing critical thinking skills. © 2026, Malque Publishing. All rights reserved.

The rising prominence of entrepreneurship education (EE) for management students reflects its potential to cultivate entrepreneurial intentions, innovation, and socio-economic development in the future. However, despite increasing academic interest, the existing research in this field is limited and dispersed. This study conducted a systematic literature review of 82 peer-reviewed journal articles sourced from Scopus and the Web of Science (1995–2025). Using TCM and ADO frameworks, this study provides insights into the intellectual structure, conceptual evolution, and dominant themes of EE among management students. Findings show a focus on individual-level outcomes, such as entrepreneurial intention and self-efficacy, while long-term and behavioural outcomes are underexplored. Most studies have adopted psychological theories and quantitative methods, with limited interdisciplinary or qualitative approaches. Geographically, research is skewed towards high-income Anglophone nations, leaving significant contextual gaps. This review synthesizes the field and proposes directions for theoretical diversification, context inclusion, and mixed-methods longitudinal studies. It reframes EE not only as a pedagogical intervention, but also as a strategic tool for individual empowerment, institutional innovation, and inclusive development. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd

Critical thinking (CT) is widely recognized to be among the most essential skills for university graduates to successfully compete in the 21st century global economy; yet, much obscurity remains regarding its practical role in higher education. In fact, there is a need for an accepted educational plan with pedagogical guidelines that university instructors can lean on for integrating CT into subject instruction. Accordingly, this study aimed to identify the instructional design components recommended by instructors and students for promoting CT in higher education academic courses. The study involved ten higher education instructors and 342 undergraduate students in science and engineering. In order to address the research goal, the study followed the grounded theory approach in which the data was analyzed from a qualitative perspective. The data was collected through two research tools: semi-structured interviews and an online survey. The current study identified eight instructional design components for promoting CT. These components include four pedagogical practices: explicit teaching of CT, integration of digital tools, collaborative learning and constructing questions , as well as four modes of engagement: critical engagement with information, comparing approaches to problem-solving, guided inquiry and experimentation and raising doubts and evaluating credibility . The study introduces an adaptive model incorporating CT-enhanced pedagogical practices, for policymakers and instructional designers, to foster CT in science and engineering courses. © © 2025. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

This study introduces a multi-semester framework for Vocational Software Development education (VSDE) that incorporates Agile practices—specifically Scrum, Lean Startup, and Extreme Programming—into a Project-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum. Conducted at an Indonesian polytechnic with 51 students across six courses, the framework was evaluated using a mixed-methods case study that combined qualitative data (such as interviews and reflections) with quantitative indicators (including Net Promoter Score [NPS], Minimum Viable Product (MVP) delivery, and sprint completion rates). The findings demonstrated a systematic improvement, with the median NPS increasing from 20.0 in Sprint 1 to 56.9 in Sprint 5, and six out of seven teams showing progress (Friedman χ2(4) = 11.38, p = 0.023). Survey results indicated gains of 1.5–2.0 points in Agile competencies, while student reflections highlighted a greater sense of ownership and more adaptive delivery processes. Overall, the results indicate that the iterative adoption of Agile practices can enhance both product quality and professional readiness. This study presents a replicable model and provides practical guidance for curriculum design, stakeholder engagement, and scaling Agile pedagogy across diverse institutional contexts. © 2025 The Authors

Recent initiatives in the construction industry highlight the importance of technical skills training and gender diversity for the industry's growth and development. Despite efforts to improve training, gaps remain in gender diversity and its impact on technical skills training, particularly among craft professionals. This study examines the perceptions of craft professionals regarding (1) types of training received, (2) types of certifications held, (3) benefits and barriers of technical skills training, and (4) job-searching factors. The study collected and analyzed 1,457 responses from craft professionals using a survey questionnaire and snowball sampling. Results revealed that female craft professionals prefer formal classroom training, evidenced by their acquisition of the National Center for Construction education and Research (NCCER) and other third-party training certifications/licenses. Males and females also differ in their perceptions of the benefits and barriers of technical skills training, which employers and training providers can integrate or eliminate to create an inclusive workplace and training engagement. Furthermore, "challenging work assignment"was the most important factor female craft professionals prioritized during job searches. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing new insights into designing technical skills training programs that cater to diverse preferences, promoting an inclusive workplace, and enhancing project outcomes. © 2025 American Society of Civil Engineers.