Search Results for
"learning"

One of the educational programs implemented in Indonesia is the independent learning program, or it is called as Merdeka Belajar program. The objective is to provide flexible opportunities for students to study according to their interests and abilities. Although the program has been implemented, there is no effective evaluation model to assess its process and result. This research aims to examine the structural effects of different evaluation types in measuring the effectiveness of the Merdeka Belajar program. A mixed-method approach was used with a sequential explanatory research design. The sample was taken from 167 students in higher education through cluster random sampling. Questionnaires, interviews, and documentation were used as data collection techniques. Descriptive statistics, Structural Equation Modeling, and qualitative data analysis were used to process the data. The results show that there are structural effects of the evaluation types on students’ competence. Context and input evaluations influence process evaluations, while process evaluations impact output evaluations and student achievement, with non-academic achievements serving as the more dominant indicator. The research findings contribute to the development of Stufflebeam’s CIPP evaluation model and, in practice, can be utilized to enhance the quality of Merdeka Belajar program management. © The Author(s) 2025.

With the development of the times, programming education has become increasingly important for individual development. However, for programming beginners such as primary and secondary school students, learning programming is not a simple task and requires additional learning support. Generative AI (GenAI) chatbots are effective teaching aids that can reduce the learning difficulty of programming by providing real-time guidance and personalized learning support based on students’ abilities. Therefore, it has been a trend to apply GenAI chatbots in teaching. However, technology always has two sides. Over-reliance on these chatbots may weaken students’ ability to think independently and affect their learning effectiveness. Therefore, how to rationally utilize GenAI chatbots in the classroom and improve their application effectiveness has become an important issue for both researchers and frontline teachers. Based on this, the present study proposed a learning method that integrates mind mapping with GenAI chatbots. To assess the effectiveness of this learning method and to investigate whether there are differences in the impact of various types of mind mapping-supported GenAI chatbots on students’ programming academic performance, computational thinking, and programming self-efficacy, the research team conducted a quasi-experimental study. The participants were 111 seventh-grade students at a junior high school in southeastern China. Experimental Group 1 (36 students) used a learning approach that integrated progressive mind maps with a Generative AI chatbot, Experimental Group 2 (36 students) used a learning approach that integrated self-constructed mind maps with a GenAI chatbot, and the control group (39 students) used a traditional AI chatbot-based learning approach. The results showed that participants in both experimental groups had significantly better programming learning performance as well as computational thinking than the control group, and that the learning method integrating progressive mind mapping with GenAI chatbots was more effective. © The Author(s) 2025.

With STEAM contests being effective for stimulating students’ interest in STEAM fields, it is crucial to investigate the factors influencing students’ continuance intention for STEAM contests. Previous studies have mainly concentrated on examining the relationships between continuance intention and perceived value (e.g., perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment) in a hands-on learning context, while the impacts of pragmatistic STEAM value and transformativistic value on behavioral intention have not been discussed. To bridge this gap, our research examined the associations among students’ hands-on making self-efficacy, pragmatistic STEAM value, transformativistic value, and their continuance intention for STEAM contests. A total of 203 elementary school students attending the iSTEAM PowerTech Final Contest took part in our study. Structural equation modeling was applied to evaluate the hypotheses. The findings showed that hands-on making self-efficacy exhibited a significant and positive relationship with pragmatistic STEAM value and transformativistic value. Pragmatistic STEAM value and transformativistic value can significantly and positively predict continuance intention. Furthermore, our study uncovered the mediating role of pragmatistic STEAM value and transformativistic value, suggesting that hands-on making self-efficacy can have an indirect effect on continuance intention through the mediating effect of pragmatistic STEAM value and transformativistic value. The study findings imply that hands-on making self-efficacy can enhance pragmatistic STEAM value and transformativistic value, thus fostering a strong continuance intention for STEAM contests. Finally, our findings offer insights into enhancing students’ commitment to STEAM contests. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2025.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is transforming the education sector by automating repetitive, rule-based tasks previously carried out by humans. This paper investigates the applications, benefits, challenges, and implications of RPA in education, focusing on its impact on administrative processes, student support services, and teaching methodologies. By analyzing 54 studies conducted between 2020 and 2024, this research explores how educational institutions have adopted RPA to enhance operational efficiency. Case studies reveal common success factors, including significant time savings, error reduction, and improved satisfaction for both students and staff. RPA has enabled institutions to streamline administrative workflows, optimize resource management, and offer personalized learning experiences. However, challenges such as implementation costs, data security, and the need for effective change management are also addressed. Additionally, this paper examines ethical concerns, particularly those surrounding job displacement and privacy. The findings underscore the transformative potential of RPA while highlighting the complexities of its integration into educational settings. The methodology followed PRISMA guidelines, with a systematic search of academic databases including IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Inclusion criteria focused on studies published between 2020 and 2024 that addressed RPA applications in education. Data analysis was conducted using thematic synthesis to identify key trends across the selected studies. © The Author(s) 2025.

This study investigates the effects of the organizational management practice of indirect goal-based control on self-determined participation, learning motivations, unpaid overtime, and dropout intentions among apprentices. Two key theses are examined: the instrumentalization thesis posits that promoting self-determination and intrinsic motivation are merely means to achieve organizational ends, while the self-undermining thesis suggests that apprentices may undermine their own autonomy and intrinsic motivation by engaging in practices such as working unpaid overtime, which ultimately hinders organizational efficiency. The empirical analysis is based on data from a nationwide study conducted in Germany involving over 700 apprentices. Findings indicate that self-determined participation significantly mediates the relationship between indirect control and unpaid work performance. Furthermore, apprenticeship-related interest amplifies both the relationship between indirect control and controlled motivation and the relationship between indirect control and unpaid overtime. Additionally, indirect control is positively associated with apprentices’ dropout intentions, both directly and through mediating variables. Finally, ethical and practical implications of the instrumentalization and self-undermining theses for vocational training are outlined. © The Author(s) 2025.

Over the last decades, research into vocational identity in vocational education and training has in-creased. This increase has led to several conceptualizations of vocational identity and findings of the influences on vocational identity development. In this scoping review we explore how researchers in the field of vocational education and training conceptualize vocational identity and what factors or circumstances have been reported as influential on vocational identity development. We searched four data-bases and found 48 eligible articles for thematic analysis. Based on our thematic analysis, we find that researchers conceptualize vocational identity from three perspectives: Vocational identity as stable and psychological, as dynamic and social or as career related. We argue that each of these positions are symbolic of essentialist, social constructivist and career theoretical conceptualizations respectively. On the subject of factors or circumstances that influence vocational identity we find five themes of factors or circumstances that influence vocational identity development in vocational students: Narratives shaping the perceptions of vocational education and training, the different materialities that are part of vocation-al education and training, work communities, learning or production activities as part of their apprenticeship, the unique characteristics of vocational education and training and the personal characteristics of vocational students. Based on the review, we call for clarity in the conceptualizations of vocational identity to ensure its analytical value, when reporting on influences on vocational identity development. © The Author(s) 2025.

Reports suggest that revolutionary instructional approaches are required to effectively cultivate essential competencies in students as automation takes over traditional accounting education. Collaborative project-based learning (CPjBL) serves as an alternative educational approach that helps develop essential accounting competencies. Nonetheless, its shortcomings in execution continue to be debated. Consequently, the computational thinking (CT) concept is proposed to facilitate the implementation of CPjBL. This research seeks to investigate the integration of the CT concept into CPjBL among undergraduate accounting students, focusing on educational attainment, such as engagement and achievement. A mixed-methods approach was utilized, incorporating a quantitative quasi-experimental design and qualitative semi-structured interviews. The control group comprised 23 students, while the experimental group included 24 students. The control group engaged in conventional CPjBL, whereas the experimental group participated in CT-enhanced CPjBL. All individuals are enrolled in the undergraduate accounting program at an Indonesian private university. Data were collected using a questionnaire and student scores. The results indicate that CT-enhanced CPBL demonstrated a more favorable effect on fostering student educational attainment compared to conventional CPjBL. The outcomes of this research may advance theories and practices related to the recent investigation of CT utilization as a paradigm within CPjBL, benefiting educators and educational institutions. © 2025

As the demands for a global workforce continue to evolve, there is more emphasis on equipping learners with academic knowledge and innovative and creative skills essential for success in different professional environments. This study delves into the intricate landscape of intensive training programs in a South African higher institution, exploring the impact on skill acquisition and development among students. The study employed a hybrid of experimental methods and a cross-sectional survey design to capture a holistic understanding of the experiences and outcomes of the intensive training initiative. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire to identify how students’ self-efficacy and individual entrepreneurial orientation were influenced, employing a handy, convenient sampling. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) examined variables to explain variation in the seven latent constructs. The findings revealed numerous differences in the effects of theoretical learning and that students had a high degree of entrepreneurial self-efficacy without taking part in intensive entrepreneurship training. The findings hold the potential to inform policy decisions, institutional strategies, and curriculum design, ultimately fostering a more responsive and adaptive higher education system in South Africa. As the nation strives for socio-economic growth and global competitiveness, understanding the dynamics of intensive training and skill development becomes paramount in shaping the future of the workforce. The study recommends the study model in higher institutions’ curricula for entrepreneurship training and development in theory and practice. © The Author(s) 2025.

People increasingly use videos on the Web for learning, be it for daily tasks in formal or informal educational settings. To enhance this type of learning, scientists are continuously conducting experiments, proposing guidelines, analyzing data, and researching artificial intelligence methods for tool development. In this comprehensive review, we analyze 257 articles (using PRISMA guidelines) on video-based learning from a technological perspective for the period from 2016 to 2021. One of the aims is to identify video characteristics that support learning as explored by previous research. Based on our analysis, we suggest a taxonomy that organizes the video characteristics and contextual aspects into eight categories: (1) audio features, (2) visual features, (3) textual features, (4) instructor behavior, (5) learners’ activities (play, pause, etc.), (6) interactive features (quizzes, etc.), (7) production style, and (8) instructional design. Also, we identify four representative methodological approaches: (1) tool support of video-based learning, (2) controlled experiments, (3) data analysis studies, and (4) design guidelines for learning videos. We find that the most explored characteristics are textual features followed by visual features, learners’ activities, and interactive features. Tools that aid learning through videos frequently utilize text from transcripts, video frames, and images. The learner’s activity is heavily explored through log files in data analysis studies, and interactive features are frequently scrutinized in controlled experiments. As further contributions, we contrast research findings on how video characteristics affect learning effectiveness, report on tasks and technologies used to develop tools, and summarize design guideline trends to produce learning videos. Our findings provide actionable insights for the design of intelligent educational systems that better support video-based learning. © The Author(s) 2025.

Second career teachers (SCT) are key role models in vocational education (VE) because they prepare students for the vocational practice they were part of, and they bring up-to-date vocational knowledge and skills into VE schools. Therefore, the early leaving of SCTs in VE is a problem, adding to the worldwide teacher shortages. Induction programs have been developed to support starting teachers to grow into their new profession and to diminish high attrition rates. However, it is argued that current induction programs fail to support SCTs adequately. For instance, induction programs rarely adapt to SCTs' various needs, such as recognizing and integrating previously developed competencies and specific backgrounds. Furthermore, SCTs’ induction programs in the specific context of VE are largely understudied. This study explores the experiences of SCTs in VE during their induction programs regarding four themes identified in research on SCTs in other education sectors: 1) professional identity development, 2) learning processes, 3) tailor-made coaching, and 4) co-creation of induction programs. Eleven SCTs from eight Dutch VE schools were interviewed. The data show a rich variation of SCTs’ experiences. For example, they experienced the opportunity to develop their professional identity as teachers while preserving and including their former identity as practitioners of the vocation they teach for. Yet, only a few SCTs experienced co-creation of the induction program, which seems to have a positive impact. The insights of this study offer an understanding of what SCTs in VE go through and what might support them during their induction. © The Author(s) 2025.