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Incivility, a growing challenge in higher education institutions, interferes with and disrupts the learning process. This study examined faculty members' experiences of students' incivilities in institutions of higher education in Afghanistan. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 289 faculty members who were teaching in various higher education institutions across Afghanistan. Descriptive and inferential statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyze the data. The findings showed that faculty members experienced varying degrees of a wide range of incivilities in and outside the classroom, including conversing loudly in the class, interruption, and harassment. They also experienced a variety of incivilities related to assessment and grading. A small number of them experienced more serious forms of incivilities including beating, stabbing, and death threats. The findings also revealed that there were not significant differences between participants' experiences of student incivility by their gender, but there were significant differences between faculty members' experience by their level of education and years of teaching experience. The study recommends faculty members and higher education institutions take practical measures to address incivilities inside and outside the classroom in order to create a safe learning environment for faculty members and students.

The traditional perspective on education, teaching, and learning is no longer sufficient in fluid societies exposed to dramatic and rapid changes. The need for continuous educational reform is evident. However, recent paradigmatic societal shifts, extreme events, and extraordinary scientific and technological advances underscore the urgency of these changes. These developments highlight the necessity for innovation and the reduction of intergenerational gaps in educating new generations. By embracing these changes, we can create a more inclusive, adaptable, and innovative educational environment for all. While the Romanian educational system, like many traditional systems, is extensive in its spatial coverage, material resources, human resources, and the number of beneficiaries served, it also presents an opportunity for positive change. Its highly centralized, over-normative, and strictly structured nature, with a top-down control approach, has fostered systemic inertia and resistance to change. However, this also means that with the right strategies, the system can be transformed into a more dynamic and adaptable one. Effective and sustainable reforms are not just the responsibility of policymakers and educational leaders. They require initial assessments of the status quo to identify genuine needs for change and to determine possible obstacles and available resources. Real change and innovation are promoted and supported by a clear definition and understanding of the factors that generate and maintain inertia and resistance to change. Identifying and understanding these complex mechanisms at both the organizational and individual levels should precede any change plan, emphasizing the crucial role of each individual in the process. To identify individual motivations that can generate opposition or resistance to potential change requests within the educational system, we conducted a study involving 293 in-service and pre-service teachers from the Department of Educational Sciences at the West University of Timisoara. The study utilized the Resistance to Change Scale developed by Oreg (2003), a widely recognized and validated tool, which evaluates the primary factors determining resistance to change: routine seeking, emotional reaction, short-term focus, and cognitive rigidity. This scale was administered through a structured questionnaire and the data was analyzed using statistical methods. This study revealed notable variations in attitudes toward change based on gender, residency, and professional status (in-service and pre-service teachers). These findings underscore the importance of addressing both systemic and individual factors to facilitate meaningful and lasting reforms in education. By understanding and mitigating the sources of resistance, educational leaders can implement strategies such as fostering a culture of innovation, providing professional development opportunities, and involving stakeholders in decision-making, that foster a more adaptable and innovative educational environment.

The present study employs regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997) to investigate the effects of L2 speakers' chronic regulatory focus on their L2 pragmatic versus grammatical awareness. It involved the participation of 121 Chinese students, who are English language learners, at a university in the United States. Haws et al.'s (2010) questionnaire was used to examine the participants' regulatory dispositions, and a judgment task was adapted from Bardovi-Harlig and Dörnyei (1998) to assess participants' awareness of grammatical and pragmatic errors, as well as the severity of each type of error. Multiple regression results largely confirmed the predictions. Prevention regulatory focus, concerned with obligations, responsibilities, and negative outcomes, predicted L2 speakers' recognition of grammatical errors and their severity. Conversely, promotion focus, which emphasizes growth, accomplishments, and positive outcomes, positively predicted L2 speakers' perceptions of pragmatic error severity. These findings contribute to the understanding of how differences in chronic motivational orientations can lead to different L2 use patterns and characteristics.

The present study aimed to validate a 70-item Korean bilingual version of the Vocabulary Size Test (VST) using Rasch modeling. The goal was to assess the applicability of this Korean version of the VST for Korean learners of English in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context by examining validity evidence based on Messick's framework. Specifically, the study focused on the content, substantive, and external aspects of construct validity. However, the findings provided weak evidence supporting the utility of the VST as a measure of receptive vocabulary for Korean EFL learners. The test was deemed too easy and lacked the ability to effectively differentiate among varying levels of second language proficiency, with many test items exhibiting unexpected behavior. Additionally, the VST showed a weak correlation with another measure of second language proficiency. In light of these findings, the study offers specific recommendations for improving the test's validity and usefulness.

This study sought to identify how first-grade students in one Midwest state cognized hope. Using a case-study research method, the authors identify recommendations for practice that draw on the alignment between developing hope in students through school leadership. Previous research has highlighted school leadership's significant role in multiple pathways for student success. This study demonstrates that young children can cognize abstract topics such as hope and presents ways educational leaders can support student social-emotional well-being in the daily curriculum through hope education.

Despite undeniable advances in research on language learning strategies in the last several decades, empirical investigations of actions and thoughts that learners engage in to better understand and use grammar structures in different contexts, or grammar learning strategies (GLS), remain scarce. Moreover, there is a paucity of studies examining the effects of pedagogical interventions in this area, both with respect to the use of different types of GLS and the mastery of grammar structures in terms of explicit and implicit (automatized) knowledge. There is also no empirical evidence concerning the mediating role of individual difference (ID) factors in this respect. The paper outlines a study currently in progress that seeks to address all of these gaps. The first part is devoted to a brief overview of key issues related to the definition and classification of GLS as well as a synthesis of available research in this area. This is followed by a description of an intervention-based research project which explores the effects of strategies-based instruction (SBI) targeting GLS by English majors in Poland, also taking into account the moderating impact of selected ID variables. In particular, the methodology of the study is presented and the envisaged contributions of the intervention are considered.

Students' seating selection is a significant physical variable that has implications for both teachers and students. These seating preferences have been linked to students' personalities, motivation, and academic performance. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the cultural influences on these preferences. In this exploratory qualitative study, we aim to investigate the cultural factors that influence the seating choices of undergraduate students. The study participants were recruited using purposive sampling. Face-to-face interviews and scenario simulation surveys were utilized to collect data, which was analyzed using thematic analysis. The study's findings suggest that seating preferences are largely a function of individual differences and personal preferences, which often stem from personal and cultural factors. These factors are discussed under five primary themes: course academic value, gaining positive experiences, avoiding negative experiences, modesty and humility, and social belonging. These findings have implications for teaching and learning and for instructors, especially those from foreign cultures.

The ability to construct scientific explanations is a vital goal of learning science at all levels. Students from different backgrounds are likely to have this ability differently. This research aimed to assess Thai grade 10 students' ability to construct scientific explanations, examine differences based on learning achievement, attitude toward science, and school size, and find correlations among these variables. The study included 231 students from Phetchaburi province, Thailand, with 77.5% showing moderate ability levels. The research identified significant differences in students' ability levels based on their learning achievement, attitude toward science, and school size. The levels of students' ability correlated with their learning achievement, attitude toward science, and school size. In addition, students with high learning achievement, and positive attitudes, and who attended larger schools tended to have higher ability levels. However, there was no significant relationship between the levels of students' attitudes toward science and school size. These findings highlight the importance of considering individual differences and backgrounds when teaching science, particularly in terms of learning achievement, attitude toward science, and school size.

Purpose: This study aims to develop a teaching model of the Malay language for non-native and foreign speakers in schools. Implementing this model can assist educators in teaching the Malay language to students who do not use it as their first language in everyday use. Methodology: This study used a qualitative approach to develop teaching models for non-native and foreign Malay speakers. Interviews were conducted with 27 teachers and 23 stakeholders who are experts in teaching the Malay language, especially in teaching non-native speakers. A prototype model was developed thematically as a result of interviews using ATLAS.ti 22. Further, the prototype model was used by ten teachers from primary, secondary, and international schools in their teaching. Findings: This study has succeeded in developing a model for teaching the Malay language to non-native speakers and foreigners that includes five elements: teaching strategies, individual differences, input, social, and motivation. This model strongly emphasises instruction involving interaction, communication, and bilateral relations as a medium for students' language acquisition and meaningful input. Verbal interaction between teachers and students can stimulate and improve students' language skills in learning Malay. Significance: This model can help teachers teach the Malay language to non-native speakers and foreigners with a greater focus on achieving learning objectives. This model is expected to expand the usage, cultivate interest, and facilitate teaching the Malay language in educational institutions.

This practice report describes a 12-week stand-alone course designed to address the challenges university students face in foreign language classes. Adopting principles of transformative language learning, course content, activities and resources were designed and implemented to dispel myths and preconceptions regarding language instruction, promote self-directed, independent learning, and raise awareness of the cognitive and socio-emotional processes involved in language learning. Students' feedback indicate that the course had a significant impact on their perceptions of adult language learning, their capacity to reflect on their use of strategies, and the importance of developing a plan to continue applying these new understandings in their academic pursuits. The course fostered a shift in students' perspective, from viewing themselves as passive recipients of 'language injections', to becoming self-directed, motivated, and independent learners.

In this study I examine the academic self-concept (ASC) of students who changed from vocational to academic tracking at the transition to upper secondary education in Germany. I ask (1) how their ASC differs to the ASC of their established peers in academic tracking, and (2) how their ASC is affected by the change in the learning environment. Using a subsample of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS; N = 4109), findings show that newcomers to academic tracking have a stronger ASC than their peers. However, social differences between the social milieu of origin and the one prevailing at school significantly reduce the ASC. These differences are interpreted as being social-habitual and tested via socioeconomic status, cultural capital, and parental solidarity expectations at the school level. Results differ according to immigrant origin; immigrant newcomers to academic tracking have higher ASC than their established peers, and context effects are more influential. I complement previous research by using a quantitative approach to test the theoretical mechanisms of a qualitative research perspective on upward mobility.

Previous studies have confirmed that money scarcity can impede individuals' cognitive control; however, it remains unclear how this effect occurs. This study created a virtual shopping game that can vividly simulate individuals' shopping-related thought processes in daily life to systematically investigate how money scarcity influences cognitive control. Participants were randomly assigned to either a money scarcity group or a money rich group and were asked to perform a virtual shopping game, an emotion test, and a cognitive control task. In the first two experiments, the participants were asked to perform a space compatibility task (Experiment 1) or a face task (Experiment 2) after completing the virtual shopping task, in which they indicated whether they would purchase the probe commodity. The results showed that (1) the response times of the money scarcity group in both the space compatibility task and the face task were markedly lower than those of the money rich group, and (2) the cognitive flexibility and interference suppression of the money rich group were greater than those of the money scarcity group; however, there was no obvious difference in response inhibition. Experiment 3 embedded the space compatibility task within the virtual shopping task. The response times of the money scarcity group were still markedly slower than those of the money rich group. Thus, money scarcity impedes individuals' cognitive control, primarily by weakening their cognitive flexibility and interference suppression.

This paper aims to report on Chinese college students' emotions in English as a foreign language (EFL) speaking classrooms, including the trajectory of their emotions, and their perceived impacts of these emotions on their performances in class. Through conducting a case study among 12 Chinese college students and qualitatively analyzing the reflections and interview data collected over a semester, the present research, adopting the Positive Psychology perspective, reveals diverse emotions experienced by students in their EFL speaking classrooms. The emotions students felt were both complex and dynamic throughout the semester, and were found to interact with the changing internal and external factors, displaying a transition from the mixed emotions of excitement and anxiety to lower-intensity emotions (i.e., relaxation and boredom), and finally becoming inter-individually varied. As for the impacts of students' emotions, students believed that both positive and negative emotions were associated with their performances in class. The present study suggests that much attention should be paid to EFL college students' emotions in speaking classrooms both by themselves and by their teachers, and provides some possible sources of their emotions. In order to enhance students' psychological well-being and achieve better teaching effects, this study also recommends pedagogical practices that boost positive emotions and reduce negative emotions to be incorporated into EFL speaking classes.

This study examines perceptions of the benefits and barriers to study abroad amongst undergraduate students studying at the Soltis Center for Research and Education in Costa Rica, in 2018 and 2019. A total of 49 students representing five different study abroad programs from three institutions participated in the study. Cost, personal obligations, and timing of the program were identified by all respondents as the most important barriers to student participation in a study abroad program. Results of a Q-sort suggests that perceived benefits varied by academic year of the student and their experience with study abroad, and other high impact learning experiences. Upper-year students, as well as those with previous travel experience, viewed study abroad as an opportunity to develop career-relevant skills, while lower-year students and those with less travel experience perceived broadening horizons and personal growth as the most important benefits. The transition in perceived benefits can be used to effectively structure study abroad within the undergraduate curriculum to maximize benefits for student learning.

Teaching management has undergone a paradigm shift in the 21st century, from content-based to competency-based. The changing pedagogical landscape has posed a significant challenge to Islamic schools since many still adhere to traditional content-based instruction. To eliminate learning barriers and embrace modern education, this qualitative study investigated teaching management strategies for Islamic Education and key challenges that teachers encountered in cultivating global citizenship for learners. Data were collected from interviews focus group discussion and teaching observations with twelve school administrators and twelve Islamic education teachers, who were purposively selected from twelve schools in southern Thailand. Qualitative content analysis with data organization and classification identified that the schools employed six teaching management strategies to maneuver Islamic Education: emphasizing individual differences, integrating information and communication technology, associating off-class experiences, bridging localness with internationalness, integrating Science, and considering modern evaluation. Furthermore, the results revealed that the attitudes of the Islamic-education teachers were largely attached to conventional teaching styles, relied on subject matters that are less relevant to the needs of the global society, and developmental processes remained significantly ambiguous. Hence, these three challenges were found to be the prime obstructing factors of teaching capacities and adaptability that hindered educational cultivation for 21stcentury global citizenship. This study proposes new instructional models for private Islamic schools to transform their teaching toward 21st-century education.

Social networks integrate adolescent daily life by configuring modes of socialisation, negotiation and self-representation through different practices that operate as subjectivation resources and condition the gender experience. The objective of this study is to explore the production of selfies and videos among adolescents from Puebla (Mexico) and Galicia (Spain) from a gender, territorial, and sociocultural perspective. A survey study was carried out using an online questionnaire designed ad hoc and applied to 6,654 adolescents (14-17 years), with different gender identities, from public secondary schools in Puebla and Galicia. The results show that the selfie is a more widespread practice among adolescents than video, with revealing differences in its production. Similarities are evident in the level of preparation and the motivations that lead to these practices. Gender differences are found in their production in terms of intentions, materialities, and body expression. The family's sociocultural level and the territory are visualised as realities that affect the production of these practices. The conclusions point to a transition of knowledge and meanings between the selfie and video and the relevance of analysing gender experience on social networks in light of the forms of power they exercise there.

The rapidly changing landscape of education necessitates that schools build the capacity to swiftly pivot to new modalities, curriculum, and operations models. Much of the onus for positively responding to these changes falls to teacher-leaders. In many schools, teacher leaders are untrained and designated by virtue of their seniority. The authors posit that differences exist in the leadership styles and behaviors of professional educators depending on their role, status, and professional learning journey. Findings from the present study affirm the existence of some of these differences and, thus, could inform future efforts to designate and train teachers for leadership roles based off of these attributes.

Snyder's hope theory depicts hope, through the frame of positive psychology, as a cognitive construct with the perceived sense of goal-directed, pathways, and agency thinking (Snyder et al., 1991). Hope levels have been measured in various countries; however, no research to date focused on Haitians. This study, conducted in Petit-Goâve, Haiti, addressed this gap by investigating hope, pathway, and agency levels derived from 135 Haitian-Kreyol adult literacy course participants. This manuscript reports scores of illiterate Haitians' hope levels utilizing Snyder's Adult Hope Dispositional Scale; the scores are explained by Snyder's hope theory taking Haitian cultural and social landscapes into account. Despite the challenging environment and illiterate conditions, Haitian participants reported just below average hope levels, average pathway levels, and low agency levels. These findings suggested this population garnered hope in their everyday lives, despite difficult obstacles.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of three different learning modes--online, blended, and face-to-face--on student course performance. Performance was measured by achievement (grades). This study compared student grades in classes taught using each of these delivery methods. This study was designed to serve as a foundation for evaluating student outcomes in open-admission courses that are components of the program for earning a Bachelor of Education degree in a multicultural educational institution.

The purpose of this research is to examine the meanings that primary school mathematics teachers attribute to the concept of "game" by using metaphorical expressions. In this study, phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used to examine the metaphorical perceptions of primary school mathematics teachers about the concept of game. The study group of the research consists of 329 primary school mathematics teachers. In order to collect the data of the research, the participants were asked the question "the game is similar to …, because…". In addition, the participants were asked to draw pictures suitable for their answers to the questions. The data obtained within the scope of the research were subjected to content analysis and Chi-square tests. When the metaphors developed by primary school mathematics teachers regarding the concept of play were examined, it was seen that most of the teachers perceived the game as "a child-specific activity (41%)". On the other hand, it has been observed that approximately one fifth of the teachers see the game as a "teaching method (18%)". In the study, it was determined that the professional seniority of the mathematics teachers had an effect on the metaphors they developed regarding the concept of game. In addition, it was observed that the level of mathematics teachers' involvement in the game in their professional lives had an effect on their development of metaphor as a teaching method.

Despite similarities between self-directed learners and successful postsecondary online learners, infrequently has self-directedness been examined in this population. Understanding the impact of self-directedness on online learner academic success and persistence may clarify the profile of a successful online student. Independent samples t-tests noted significantly lower PRO-SDLS total scores among learners that had withdrawn from an online course than among those who had not (t [184] = 2.66, p < 0.05) and significantly higher PRO-SDLS initiative scores among exclusively online learners than among residential online learners (t [187] = 2.32, p < 0.05). These findings, gathered from 189 online learners at a large, private university, may inform the development of effective online learner readiness assessments, targeted advisement strategies, and thoughtfully designed postsecondary online courses.

This research aims to examine the effect of coding education on the analytical thinking skills of gifted students. The participants are 18 students, 11 to 12 years old. An embedded experimental mixed design was used in the research. The data collection was carried out with the Analytical Thinking Skill Scale to determine the difference in the analytical thinking skills of the study group before and after the coding training; the Analytical Thinking Skill Observation Form to determine the analytical thinking skill levels during the implementation process; and the semi-structured interview form to get their opinions on the coding training. The data were analyzed with a pre-test-post-test quasi-experimental design, descriptive analysis, and content analysis. The results show that coding education developed the participants' analytical thinking skills. The difference in the analytical thinking skills of the study group was not statistically significant in terms of gender. According to the students' views on the coding education application process, there was an improvement in the sub-dimensions of sorting, classification, comparison, and evaluation in analytical thinking skills; coding education developed problem-solving and thinking skills, was useful, encouraged students to choose a profession, and was entertaining, as well as negative opinions such as being difficult, boring, and requiring a lack of time.

This study was carried out to determine the happiness levels of the students in the faculties of sports sciences and to compare them in terms of various variables. In this study, which was conducted to examine the happiness levels of the students of the faculty of sports sciences, the relational screening model was used. With this model, it is aimed to determine the existence and degree of changes by applying statistical tests and measuring the level of relationship between two or more variables as a result of the comparison (Karasar, 2012). The population of the research consists of students at Erzurum Technical University. The sample group consists of 174 students, 113 of whom are male and 61 are female. In the research, the "Personal Information Form" created by the researchers to determine the demographic information of the students of the faculty of sports sciences, and the "Happiness Scale", which was developed by Demirci and Eksi (2018) and consisting of 6 items, was used to determine the happiness levels. The analysis of the obtained data was made in the statistical program. In the study, frequency analysis to determine the demographic characteristics (personal information) of the participants, T-Test for independent variables to compare the happiness levels according to gender, marital status, sporting status and the type of sport they did; One-way Anova Test was applied to compare happiness levels according to age, class and place of residence. When comparing the happiness levels of the participants according to their gender and place of residence, significant differences were found between the groups (p<0.05), and no significant differences were found between the groups in the comparison made according to the status of doing sports and the type of sport (p>0.05). When the results obtained in the research were examined, it was determined that the happiness levels of female participants (X=3,53±0,80) were higher than male participants (X=3,99±0,80) and those living in the province (X=3,79±0,82) were higher than those living in the district (X=3,40±0,74). It has been determined that the happiness of the participants who do (X=3,68±0,87) and do not do (X=3,73±0,65) sports is at a similar level, and the happiness of the participants who do individual (X=3,66±0,88) and team sports (X=3,71±0,78) is at a similar level.

Professional identity has a significant impact on teachers' interpretation of their different roles and their understanding of how to perform these roles. This study aimed to explore mathematics and science teachers' perceptions of the factors influencing their teacher professional identity within three dimensions: teaching efficacy, teaching profession, and teaching context. Mathematics and science teachers (N = 395) who were teaching in grades 5 to 12 participated in the study. To address the research aims, we administered a questionnaire to gather information on the factors influencing teacher professional identity. The quantitative data on the teachers' perceptions of the factors influencing their teacher professional identity showed that the teaching efficacy dimension ranked the highest, the teaching context dimension ranked second and the teaching profession dimension third. The teachers' perceptions were largely influenced by three main factors: years of teaching experience, gender, and school location. The teachers' responses to the questionnaire's open-ended questions highlighted some issues related to the quality of the professional development programs available to teachers.

"Variability" and "fractality," two key concepts in Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST)--the former concerning changes and variations, and the latter concerning recursiveness and self-similarities--may seem contradictory at first glance. This forum piece attempts to elucidate how the two seemingly contradictory properties can be reconciled in CDST to examine second language (L2) development. To that end, this piece includes a definition and short epistemological history of each concept, accompanied by a review of some relevant studies. It concludes with two metaphors to illustrate the relationship between "variability" and "fractality," and how the two seemingly irreconcilable ideas can generate a clearer and more panoramic view of L2 development.

The aim of this study is to examine whether the structural model that Sahin and Ates (2020) put forward about the relationship among students' scientific literacy levels, logical thinking ability, cognitive styles, mental capacity, and mental rotation ability differ in terms of gender. A causal-comparative model approach was used in this study. The sample of the research was 823 seventh-grade students in the central districts of Ankara. This sample was created using the random stratified sampling method. In the study, it is seen that 64% of the variance in the scientific literacy scores of the females and 48% of the variance in the scientific literacy scores of the males are explained by the cognitively based variables. Comparing male and female students in the data analyses, the predictive effect of the mental rotation ability of female students on the logical thinking ability was not significant. In male students, when only the direct effects were examined, the effect of cognitive styles on scientific literacy was not significant. Based on the results of the study, it is thought that examining the interactions among the activities related to learning, teaching, and assessment process used in science classes, and cognitive styles will play an important role in the process of removing inequalities of opportunity arising from possible gender-cognitive style interaction in the process of raising scientifically literate individuals.

Multicontext theory offers an approach to designing learning experiences and environments that take into account varied ways of thinking and knowing, are relevant inside and outside of the classroom, and can both enrich and encompass the lives of students on and off campus (Chavez & Longerbeam, 2016; Ibarra, 2001, 2005). Educators can leverage multicontext theory by integrating high context features like community wisdom, storytelling as knowledge, and inclusiveness into a traditionally low context system of experts sharing knowledge in a linear fashion to benefit from both approaches (Chavez & Longerbeam, 2016; Weissmann et al., 2019). Examples of possible multicontext approaches are discussed, prompting readers to consider ways they can implement or may already be using multicontext teaching and learning. The classroom as a site of exposure to diversity is one of its fundamental gifts, and to make this more explicit through utilizing multicontext teaching and learning models is to enrich the learning environment, giving students more opportunities to communicate, collaborate, and learn.

This study aims to reveal whether there are any relations between secondary school students' perceptions of scientists and the images of scientists in secondary school science textbooks. The participants of the study were 140 secondary school students from a public school. The study is based on a qualitative research methodology. Qualitative research methods were used in the research. As a data collection tools, the Draw a Scientist Test (DAST) and secondary school science textbooks were used. The drawings obtained from the students and the images of scientists in the science textbooks were analyzed in the context of the determined themes. As a result of the study, it was determined that the students generally drew the scientist as male, thoughtful, wearing a lab coat and glasses, and young, with long and curly hair. It has been observed that scientists express their working environment as people who work alone in the laboratory and library environment. It also stands out that they benefit from computers and other technological apparatus like telescopes. It was determined that the students mostly included the drawings of Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, and Albert Einstein at each grade level as famous scientists. It has been determined that the drawings made by the students were influenced by the images from the textbooks.

Researchers have studied different aspects of students' attitudes and motivation in depth. Nonetheless, research into the link between students' attitudes, motivation, characteristics and school setting will provide further insights. This study investigated the effects of students' demographics on their attitudes and motivation to English language learning through the survey of 344 students. In addition, interviews were conducted to learn more about the students' perspectives and successful strategies in light of these factors. Multiple correlations and linear regression were used to analyze the quantitative data, and thematic analysis was employed to interpret the qualitative information. The results showed that gender, age, learning experience, school locality, and management influence the way students feel about learning English (sig 0.05, R value = 0.335). Although, attitudes and motivation were not significantly related to students' school environment or learning experiences, the results indicated that the students' acquired attributes were affected by their innate attributes and socio-environmental backgrounds. Therefore, providing meaningful learning experiences, authentic materials and exposure are key to improving student attitudes and motivation.

Whether or not to teach grammar explicitly is an issue that has long been debated in the field of SLA. There seems to be a growing consensus among many researchers now in support of embedding some element of explicit instruction within a communicative curriculum. The main arguments in support of explicit instruction are threefold: two widely cited meta-analyses, the fossilization hypothesis, and meeting student expectations. However, none of these arguments are as compelling as they are sometimes made out to be. The studies included in the meta-analyses mostly evaluate explicit knowledge rather than communicative ability; forms that are candidates for fossilization tend to be communicatively redundant anyway; and student expectations stem from common practices, but should not drive them. Furthermore, this article suggests there is a critical element that has been missing from the debate on explicit instruction, namely individual differences between students. The question of whether, which, and how much grammar to teach likely depends on the interests and goals of the particular students being taught. Therefore, arguments for or against explicit instruction should always consider the context rather than seeking a one-size-fits-all best practice.

The purpose of this study was to reveal middle school students' digital literacy levels and their opinions about digital literacy. Convergent parallel design, one of the mixed-method designs, was used in the study. Quantitative part involved survey while qualitative part included casestudy model. Digital literacy scale and semi-structured interview form were used to collect the data. The participants in the quantitative part involved 367 students studying at a state middle school in Kirsehir while 12 students took part in the qualitative part. The data analysis was conducted separately, and general conclusions were drawn and combined during interpretation. Although students had high scores from the digital literacy scale, the in-depth qualitative analyses showed that they did not have adequate information about the concept of digital literacy. Moreover, the quantitative results showed that students, who used digital technologies for research purposes, had higher scores from the security dimension of digital literacy scale than the students who used digital technologies for studying. However, the qualitative results revealed that students used digital technologies most commonly for entertainment. It was found that students' digital literacy was significantly differed by their gender, grade level, book-reading duration, and internet-use duration while it did not significantly differ by their purpose of using digital technologies. Additionally, based on the qualitative results, students agreed that social studies course contributed to their digital literacy.

This paper examines college students` participation behaviors and the use of social media tools. The descriptive survey model was applied to investigate university students' participation behaviors. The data was collected through a "Participation Questionnaire" from 284 college students in Kazakhstan. The result showed that students who spend less time on social media are positively related to participatory citizenship. Moreover, students with fewer social media accounts are more likely to engage in political, volunteer, and social events than students with fewer social media accounts.

Differentiation and achievement grouping are frequently implemented practices to adapt education to students' varying educational needs based on achievement level. Potential didactical and socioemotional advantages and disadvantages of these practices have been discussed in the literature. However, little is known about the perspective of students themselves. This study examined how Dutch students (N = 428) perceived differentiation and within-class homogeneous achievement grouping in primary mathematics education, with attention for potential differences between students of diverse achievement levels. Students of Grades 1, 3 and 5 completed a questionnaire about various differentiated mathematics activities and (if applicable) within-class achievement grouping. In line with the didactical perspective on differentiation, extended instruction and less difficult tasks were appreciated most by low-achieving students whereas more difficult tasks were appreciated most by high-achieving students. Students of all achievement groups had largely positive attitudes about achievement grouping and about their own achievement group. However, some differences between achievement groups were found, with less favourable results for students placed in low achievement groups. Students' responses to open-ended questions provided additional insights into the reasons behind students' evaluations of differentiation and achievement grouping. Differences between grade levels were also explored.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increase in the use of e-learning software. From the perspective of the decision-makers (school/university administration), it is crucial to understand what characteristics of the software are perceived by the users (teachers) as necessary for a task (e-learning). A popular method of determining these characteristics is a technology acceptance model. In this paper, the authors aim to understand the technology acceptance of Microsoft (MS) Teams by applying the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. The authors also analyze acceptance in two distinctive groups of teachers: schoolteachers and academic teachers, to better understand differences in e-learning software acceptance and implementation. The results show that MS Teams is a well-accepted software and the users' intention to use MS Teams in e-learning is the same regardless of the teacher's group. There are significant differences in the perception of software characteristics between different groups. The authors analyze the potential causes of these differences and suggest practical implications for improving the quality of e-learning. The intent is not to validate UTAUT as a general technology acceptance model but to understand its practical importance in explaining use behavior in e-learning.

Previous research focused on individuals' background, contexts and cognitive performance in education, work, and life. Given the increasing number of people living alone temporarily, the question arises whether the frequent use of skills, including social skills, relates to individuals' later positively self-evaluated skills and social lives. Based on an integrated framework, the current analysis aimed to disentangle these relationships with longitudinal data from Germany over three years. The target sample consisted of n = 3263 working adults. A Bayesian structural equation model included adults' frequent use of skills, self-evaluated skills, household size, close friends, and seven covariates (e.g., numeracy and literacy test scores, weekly working hours. The results suggested positive relationships between adults' frequent use of numeracy, literacy, and social skills and later self-evaluations (except literacy used on self-evaluated numeracy). Those who less frequently used social skills three years earlier were also less likely to have a larger household size than those who reporting frequently using their social skills. Adults who frequently used literacy skills three years earlier reported higher numbers of close friends than those who less frequently used literacy. The findings highlight the importance of adults' social skills and frequently used skills for self-evaluated numeracy and literacy.

Mothers of children with special needs have various difficulties, mostly as direct caregivers of the child. The level of coping with these difficulties is also related to the psychological resilience of mothers. Although there are many coping mechanisms to protect the psychological resilience of people, humor is one of them. For this purpose, it was aimed to examine the relationship between the levels of coping with humor and psychological resilience of mothers who have children with special needs. The study group of this research, which was designed according to the relational survey model, consisted of 480 mothers with children with special needs, whose educational examinations were completed by applying to various Guidance and Research Centers in Istanbul in the spring semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. In the study, Coping with Humor Scale and Brief Psychological Resilience Scale were used as data collection tools. In the study, the relationships and differences between the variables were examined through the ANOVA test, Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis. As a result of the correlation analysis, it was found that there was a positive, moderate, and significant relationship between the mothers' scores on coping with humor and psychological resilience scores. As a result of the regression analysis, it was found that the level of coping with the difficulties brought by this situation through humor predicts the psychological resilience of mothers who have children with special needs. As a result of the study, it was seen that humor is an important coping tool in increasing the psychological resilience of mothers with children with special needs, and various suggestions were made for educators and mental health professionals.

Background/purpose: This study aims at identifying differences in the level of critical thinking dispositions according to the sociodemographic (gender, age) and academic characteristics (study field) of undergraduate students in Portugal. Materials/methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study with a convenience random sample of 1017 students. Most of the participants were female (76.8%) and the average age of respondents was 21.8 ± 4.22. For data collection, we used the Critical Thinking Dispositions Scale (CTDS), consisting of 35 questions, validated for the Portuguese population. In the statistical analysis, we used the T-student, ANOVA and hierarchical multiple regression model. Results: The students showed an average positive disposition for critical thinking (the average score in the CTDS was 279.1 ± 27.1). The results demonstrated that gender, age and field of study influenced the dispositions for critical thinking. Older girls, attending courses in the field of Biomedicine were the ones with higher disposition to think critically. Conclusion: Female students generally show higher critical thinking scores dispositions regardless the study field.

Latent Class and Latent Profile Models are widely used in psychological assessment settings, especially when individual differences are suspected to be related to unobserved class memberships, such as different personality types. This paper provides an easy-to-follow introduction and application of the methodology to the data collected as part of more extensive educational research investigating social-emotional competency profiles of preservice teachers (n=184) who responded to an Emotional Awareness Questionnaire. Suspected that there would be two or more latent emotional awareness sub-groups in the sample, a series of latent profile models was estimated. The results suggested three distinct emotional awareness profiles; namely, introverted, extroverted, and less sensitive to others' emotions, with proportions of 9%, 56%, and 35%, respectively. Subsequent analyses showed that preservice teachers with higher levels of emotionality, sociability, and well-being were more likely to be in the extroverted profile. The findings suggest that nearly half of the teachers in the sample could be expected to possess the most professionally desirable teacher profile. Nonetheless, it was noted that if timely diagnostic and tailored training or intervention programs were available, at least some of the preservice teachers in the less sensitive to others' profiles, and most of the preservice teachers in the introverted profile could be helped to self-observe the way which they tend to identify and regulate their emotions.

This study aims to examine the relationship between the academic achievement of primary school students and their academic grit. It also tried to determine whether the academic grit of the students affected various variables. The research is a quantitative study based on the relational screening model. The study sample consists of 400 fourth-grade students in the center of Sivas, which was determined by the proportional stratified method. Personal information form and Academic Perseverance Scale were used as data collection tools. According to the study results, a significant relationship was found between academic achievement and academic grit. This relationship was found to be significant, moderate, and positive. In addition, the study determined that academic perseverance differed significantly according to gender, father's education status, socioeconomic status, and pre-school education status. However, it was observed that academic perseverance did not differ according to the number of siblings and the mother's educational status.

The notion that digital games can be effectively employed as tools for learning and teaching has steadily been gaining traction among educational theorists and researchers, with numerous empirical studies pointing to the potential benefits of games for skill and knowledge development. However, a solid understanding of learners' attitudes and concerns regarding this relatively novel pedagogical approach is also necessary for effective implementation in formal learning contexts. It cannot be taken for granted that today's learners will accept game-based approaches simply because these learners tend to be more accustomed to advanced technologies than those of previous generations. The aim of this mixed-methods empirical study is thus to help elucidate learner beliefs and attitudes regarding digital game-based language learning with survey data collected from 112 undergraduate student participants at a large public university in Japan. The findings reveal that learners generally held positive attitudes towards DGBLL before taking part in any intervention and, after playing a cooperative digital game over six weekly sessions, reported stronger positive attitudes towards this pedagogical approach. In contrast to the results of earlier studies, gender was not found to be a statistically significant predictor of attitude towards DGBLL in this sample. However, two other demographic factors, namely information technology literacy and digital gaming experience, correlated positively with several measures of attitude. The learners considered enjoyment to be the most important advantage of using digital games for language learning. However, many also expressed doubts regarding the effectiveness of game-based language education.

This paper aims to establish if any of the following characteristics are associated with a difference in student performance during the COVID-19 pandemic: online lecture attendance, study time and performance; gender, class standing "(freshman (1st year), sophomore (2nd year), junior (3rd year)and senior (4th year))" and having one's own room. A Learning Management System was used to measure students' study times and performance on the assessments. A survey instrument was used to obtain information about their gender, class standing, whether they had their own room and their perceptions of online education. The study found a positive correlation between study times and performance, except for test 1 and its study time, and a positive relationship between academic performance and having their own room. There was also a difference noted between class standing and performance, however, there was no difference based on gender in the performance of the students.

Past research suggests that a sense of belonging to a community is developmentally important for adolescents and affects their engagement in school, especially during the transition to high school. However, little research examines the teaching practices that simultaneously foster classroom belonging and behavioral engagement to create a classroom community of engaged learners. This study investigates the association between specific teaching practices (i.e., lesson organization and structure, academic support, and student-teacher trust) related to students perceiving they are in a classroom community of engaged learners. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze survey responses of 16,137 ninth grade students in a large urban school district. Results show a positive relationship between the way a teacher organizes their classroom lessons and activities, the level of academic support, and student-teacher trust towards students perceiving they are in a community of engaged learners. These findings differ across student characteristics (e.g., race, sex, living in a high poverty neighborhood, special education status, grades). The findings suggest that teaching practices that are generally considered by educators within the profession as good instructional practices may also be key for creating a community of engaged learners.

The use of collaborative assessment as a form of summative evaluation during online learning targets Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 which aims at ensuring sustainable development in education through student assessment. Moreover, collaborative assessment is an interactive process that enables students to work together and get engaged in shared decision-making toward mutually-defined goals. This research aimed to examine the impact of online distance learning on collaborative assessment among High School students according to grade level and sex. This research will help educate learners on the value of collaboration during online distance learning, and will strengthen global citizenship. This study used a cross-sectional survey of quantitative research design with 252 high school students as participants. Significant findings revealed that both Junior and Senior high school students, as well as male and female students, agree that collaborative summative assessment during online learning helped them in the attainment of good academic performance, easier completion of tasks, enhanced communication skill, evident cooperation, and submission of quality output. Moreover, inferential analysis showed no significant difference on the impact of online distance learning on collaborative summative assessment as perceived by grade level, t(17) = 2.11, p = 0.15 and sex, t(17) = 2.11, p = 0.24. Therefore, regardless of grade level and sex, the new mode of learning platform proved to be an efficient avenue for students to work together in the achievement of a common goal despite the challenges presented by online distance learning.