Search Results for
"learning"

Purpose – This study investigates male and female teachers’ perceptions of information and communication technology (ICT) use in English teaching and the challenges they face in public secondary schools in Punjab, Pakistan. By identifying gendered differences, the study aims to provide actionable recommendations for policymakers and educators to promote equitable ICT integration and improve English teaching practices. While prior research has addressed general ICT challenges in education, few have examined the gender-specific experiences of English teachers in Pakistan’s public school context. This study offers novel, context-specific insights to inform gender-sensitive policy reforms and professional development initiatives, contributing to the broader discourse on digital equity in education. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopted a descriptive research design, using a quantitative approach to examine the attitudes and challenges of male and female teachers regarding the use of ICT in English language teaching. Descriptive research is particularly effective for observing phenomena as they naturally occur, providing insights into existing conditions and uncovering patterns and meanings (Siedlecki, 2020). While the study used a quantitative design, a few open-ended comments from participants were also reviewed descriptively to support the interpretation of statistical findings. However, these were not analyzed through formal qualitative methods. The study focused on analyzing teachers’ attitudes toward and challenges in ICT usage within their natural educational settings. A survey design was used due to its suitability for gathering data on attitudes, perceptions and challenges from a specific population. A structured questionnaire, adapted from established instruments, was reviewed by experts in education and ICT integration to ensure content validity and alignment with the study’s objectives (Tavakol and Wetzel, 2020). This study focuses on gender differences in ICT adoption, which are often overlooked in existing literature. It aims to uncover how gender-specific barriers and opportunities influence ICT usage in English teaching. Findings – The study found significant gender-based differences in attitudes toward ICT integration in English teaching. Female teachers were more likely to view ICT as a tool for fostering student engagement, interaction and dynamic learning environments. They were also more inclined to emphasize ICT’s role in enhancing language skills through personalized, student-centered approaches. In contrast, male teachers focused more on ICT’s practical benefits, such as time-saving and efficiency. Regarding challenges, both genders cited limited class time, lack of training and inadequate resources as major barriers. However, female teachers were more likely to report issues with insufficient training and technical support. These findings highlight the need for targeted professional development and resource allocation to support effective ICT use, especially for female teachers. Originality/value – This study provides valuable insights into gender-based differences in attitudes toward ICT use in English teaching in secondary schools. By examining both male and female teachers’ perceptions, it highlights the unique challenges they face, including time constraints, insufficient training and lack of resources. The findings underscore the importance of gender-sensitive policies and targeted interventions to enhance ICT integration in classrooms. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on educational technology, offering recommendations for improving professional development and institutional support to foster equitable and effective ICT use in teaching practices. © 2025 Amir Mahmood, Xiao Huang and Nadia Rehman

Purpose – Socialisation plays a significant role in education, especially for international students, as it helps them develop soft skills that are increasingly valued by employers in the global job market. Since value creation relies on the joint efforts of both the university and the student, these peer interactions play a crucial role in enhancing perceived value. Guided by Weidman’s (1989) seminal framework, this study explores the factors that influence the student’s socialisation process and examines its implications for value co-creation, as conceptualised through Vargo and Lusch’s Service-Dominant Logic. Design/methodology/approach – The post-pandemic (Covid-19) study is based on 33 in-depth interviews with international students in Australia. Findings – By focussing on the joint creation of value between students and institutions, the study highlights that employability extends beyond the mere acquisition of skills; it involves creating value through meaningful interactions, such as normative perspectives and socialisation processes, which affect students through informal and formal exchanges. Such interactions not only contribute to students’ development but also play a crucial role in building their employability confidence. The findings also highlight how socialisation contributes to understanding different personality traits among international students as they adapt to new academic and cultural environments. Originality/value – This study offers valuable insights into the co-creation of value in higher education, particularly as it relates to the socialisation experiences of international students. By integrating the concepts of socialisation and value co-creation, the research enriches existing knowledge on student engagement and development. Additionally, this study lays the groundwork for future research. © 2025 Clare D’Souza, Nkosinathi Sithole, Pam Kappelides and Tariq Halimi

Purpose – Competence, which generally refers to being able to do things in real-world contexts, has attracted the interest of educational researchers for over half a century. It spans all levels of education, diverse life and professional domains and key aspects of educational implementation – curriculum, learning, instruction and assessment. Although a considerable research domain, it has remained heavily understudied. We address this gap by mapping the main traditions of competence research to provide the first comprehensive overview for researchers, policymakers and practitioners. Design/methodology/approach – We applied direct citation network analysis (DCNA) with mapping, clustering and visualization to a robust sample of 14, 546 competence studies to identify the main traditions of competence research. We extended the analysis with term co-occurrence analysis (TCA) to gain insights into the topics that the research traditions have focused on over time. Findings – We identified four main traditions in competence research – healthcare education, general education, language and intercultural education and developmental and educational psychology – alongside emerging topics such as simulation-based learning, digital competence, intercultural communicative competence and emotions. We examine their scopes, historical development, key works and journals, major debates and research topics. Originality/value – This study presents the first comprehensive overview of competence research using state-of-the-art bibliometric methods. Our results and openly available data provide researchers, policymakers and practitioners with a structured, intuitive and visual knowledge map of competence research that supports rapid understanding of this complex domain and helps efficiently locate research-based knowledge on relevant subtopics. © 2025 Joonas Mannonen, Danial Hooshyar, Felipe Urrutia, Raija Hämäläinen, Roberto Araya and Sami Lehesvuori

This study explores the integration of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) in secondary-level chemistry education, focusing on its impact on student engagement and learning outcomes. Specifically, the study aims to identify research trends, contributors, institutions, and prominent themes in this field. A bibliometric analysis was conducted on 53 research articles indexed in the Dimensions database from 2020 to 2024, and data visualization was performed using the VOSviewer tool. The results revealed a significant increase in publications, peaking at 23 in 2024, indicating a growing interest in STEAM methodologies. Notably, Greek authors demonstrated substantial influence, achieving a high citation count of 132 from only two publications, while Indonesia contributed the highest number of documents with 20 publications and 62 citations. Influential journals such as Applied Sciences and Sustainability were identified, alongside trending themes including augmented reality, gamification, and project-based learning. The findings highlight challenges such as students' negative perceptions of chemistry, limited teacher preparation, and the necessity for effective teaching strategies. This study concludes that interdisciplinary approaches foster critical thinking and creativity among students, ultimately preparing them for modern educational demands. Suggestions include strengthening teacher training, encouraging international collaboration, and adopting innovative pedagogical models. The study is limited to the Dimensions database and the 2020–2024 publication period, which may not capture all global research on STEAM integration. © 2025, FoundAE (Foundation of Advanced Education). All rights reserved.

The modern industry requires graduates who are not only theoretically competent but also possess technical skills, problem-solving talents, and job preparedness. However, a large gap still exists between classroom learning and industry requirements. This study examines the practicality and effectiveness of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM)-based Project-Based learning (PjBL) approach for helping students improve their skills in fabrication and manufacturing technology and prepare for jobs in the industry. The study involved 64 students, 10 lecturers, and 10 industry practitioners in the Diploma III Mechanical Engineering Program at Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia. The research was conducted using the Research and Development (R&D) method based on the Borg and Gall model, which Puslitjaknov simplified into six stages: data collection, planning, initial product development, preliminary field testing, product revision, and main field testing. The data analysis prioritized practicality, efficacy, and industry preparedness. The STEAM-PjBL approach dramatically improved students’ technical competencies, capacity for problem solving, design innovation, communication, teamwork, and project management skills—all of which are important in the manufacturing industry. The pretest findings revealed no significant difference between the control and experimental groups (p-value = 0.91), indicating equivalent starting positions. However, the posttest results showed a substantial improvement in the experimental group (p-value = 0.00), indicating that the model successfully enhanced learning outcomes. Thus, including STEAM-PjBL in the curriculum is a viable method for closing the gap between higher education and industry demands. © 2025 by the authors.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning in Cybersecurity: A Comprehensive Guide to Improving Cybersecurity Protocol is a comprehensive exploration of the intersection between cutting-edge technology and cybersecurity practices. This book offers readers an in-depth understanding of how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are reshaping the cybersecurity landscape. It begins with foundational concepts, explaining AI and ML's principles and their transformative potential within various sectors, particularly cybersecurity. This book uniquely combines theoretical insights and practical applications, making it an essential resource for graduate students and cybersecurity professionals eager to expand their knowledge and skills. The book's uniqueness lies in its detailed analysis of how AI and ML can predict and counteract emerging threats in real time, shifting the paradigm from reactive to proactive cybersecurity measures. By delving into a wide range of topics, such as AI-powered Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS) and Endpoint Security, the author provides case studies and examples from sectors like finance and healthcare. This hands-on approach not only illustrates successful implementations but also highlights potential challenges, offering balanced perspectives and strategies to overcome hurdles. The inclusion of ethical considerations around AI usage in cybersecurity further distinguishes it as a forward-thinking guide. As cyber threats continue to evolve, the need for advanced AI and ML methodologies becomes increasingly critical. This book addresses this urgency by equipping readers with contemporary knowledge and tools necessary to leverage these technologies effectively. The discussion of future trends, such as AI-powered quantum security and necessary policy implications, ensures that readers are well-prepared to navigate the complexities of cybersecurity in the coming decades. Ultimately, it serves as both an educational textbook for students and a practical guide for cyber practitioners, offering a roadmap for implementing AI-driven cybersecurity solutions that enhance threat detection, response, and prevention. © 2025 Richard Young, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

How to enhance the teaching ability of green energy economics from the perspective of industry education integration and rely on digital twin technology has become a key issue in breaking through the bottleneck of higher education development research. This study used data from Chinese higher education institutions from 2010 to 2024 as samples, and verified the impact and mechanism of industry education integration on the teaching ability of green energy economics through a multi period double difference model. The results indicate that the integration of industry and education can significantly enhance the teaching ability of green energy economics; The integration of industry and education can be achieved through the development and application of effective digital teaching tools for energy economy. Its core path includes utilizing digital twins and IoT technology to optimize the construction of virtual simulation teaching scenarios, realizing dynamic simulation of complex scenarios such as the economic operation of wind and solar power plants, thereby promoting the improvement of teaching capabilities in green energy economics; The integration of industry and education can be achieved by optimizing the construction of virtual simulation teaching scenarios, relying on Python, machine learning algorithms, and blockchain technology to promote the development and application of digital teaching tools for energy economics (such as intelligent energy cost calculation systems and distributed energy trading simulation platforms), ultimately promoting the improvement of teaching capabilities in green energy economics,. Based on this, it is recommended to deepen the collaboration between schools and enterprises in technology (jointly developing digital courses and algorithm tools), optimize teaching processes (integrating big data analysis and AI policy simulation training), establish a digital tool iteration mechanism, and improve the computing resource guarantee system, in order to leverage the collaborative empowerment of industry education integration and computer technology. © 2025 Copyright held by the owner/author(s).

This study examines the role of integrating Project-Based learning (This study examines the role of integrating Project-Based learning (PjBL) and Mobile learning (ML) in enhancing Student Engagement (SE) in TVET. Using a quantitative method with an explanatory causal design, this research explores direct and indirect relationships among PjBL, ML, and SE using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Data were collected from 40 TVET students enrolled in the Electrical Motor Installation course at Universitas Negeri Padang. The findings reveal that PjBL significantly enhances SE through constructive, independent, collaborative, and contextual learning. Meanwhile, ML amplifies these benefits by providing flexibility, accessibility, and interactive platforms, effectively mediating the impact of PjBL on SE. Together, these approaches address the cognitive, behavioural, and emotional dimensions of engagement, creating a synergistic framework that aligns educational practices with the demands of a technology-driven workforce. The study underscores the importance of integrating PjBL and ML to foster autonomy, real-world relevance, and adaptability in TVET students. The practical implications of this study require educators to utilise these approaches to design dynamic learning experiences, institutions to invest in the necessary technological infrastructure and educator training, and policymakers to support such innovations through targeted policies and resources. © 2025, Penerbit UTHM. All rights reserved.

The development of 21st-century skills is crucial for Vocational Education to meet the demands of Industrial Revolution 4.0. This study addresses the gap arising from underperformance in creative thinking and declining achievement in Upper Secondary Vocational Programme (PVMA) STEM elective subjects. Rooted in Sternberg's Triarchic Theory, this research aims to identify the level of analytical, creative, and practical thinking skills among PVMA STEM students and analyse differences based on gender, STEM subjects, and socioeconomic status (SES). A quantitative research design was employed, utilising a survey instrument adapted from Yee et al. (2022). The sample consisted of 158 PVMA students randomly selected from secondary schools in Batu Pahat, Johor. This study employed descriptive and inferential analyses to examine the research data. A significant difference was found in practical thinking skills based on gender (p = 0.01). No significant differences were observed between genders in analytical or creative thinking. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in thinking skills based on STEM subjects (Analytical, p = 0.01; Creative, p = 0.02; Practical, p = 0.001). Conversely, no significant differences were found in analytical, creative, or practical thinking skills based on students’ socioeconomic status (p>0.05). In conclusion, the findings underscore the impact of gender and specific STEM subjects on cognitive skills. Although socioeconomic status did not yield significant differences, the study supports that experiential and contextual learning approaches can help bridge socioeconomic gaps. These results provide valuable insights for educators and policymakers, underscoring the importance of differentiated teaching strategies and fostering the development of equitable thinking skills among TVET students. © 2025, Penerbit UTHM. All rights reserved.

International placements in Global South contexts, marked by scarce resources, high pupil–teacher ratios and profound social inequalities, provide prospective teachers with a formative experience that transcends the strictly academic and fosters transformative learning. The purpose of this study is to examine how Spanish Education students experienced their practicum in Ghana, exploring their motivations, processes of adaptation, values, academic learning and the transferability of these experiences to their professional development. Employing a qualitative approach, five focus groups were conducted with 27 participants. From the thematic analysis of the data, two main categories emerged. On a personal and social level, students highlighted the impact of the experience on the development of empathy, resilience, cooperation, inclusion and a critical awareness of equity and social justice. On an academic and professional level, they emphasised the need to adapt methodologies, rethink assessment systems, collaborate with local teachers and families, and creatively connect university-based theory with practice in a culturally diverse context. In conclusion, the practicum in Ghana emerges as a decisive experience that fosters the construction of a critical, resilient and socially committed teacher identity, particularly attuned to North–South inequalities. © 2025, AUFOP. All rights reserved.