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Purpose: Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) apps such as Duolingo have great potential for promoting learners' motivation to learn a second language (L2). However, little research has investigated how this motivational impact takes place. Additionally, despite the flexibility of mobile learning, most existing studies are conducted in classroom settings, with less attention paid to out-of-school technology usage. Design/Approach/Methods: To address these gaps, we present a model based on self-determination theory and propose the idea of "motivational transfer" to explain the psychological mechanism underpinning the impact of technology. To examine the model, we conducted a case study with 20 Year 8 Chinese junior school students who used Duolingo to learn English as a foreign language (EFL) after school for 6 weeks. Findings: Questionnaire and group interview data support our hypothesized mechanism--learners' activity-specific intrinsic motivation (IM) for using Duolingo and their underlying psychological need for autonomy and competence can be transferred to a more general level, thereby enhancing learners' global IM for L2. Originality/Value: The proposed theoretical model expands our understanding of how digital technology stimulates learners' L2 motivation; it can help L2 educators design better technological affordances to promote learners' motivation both in and outside the classroom.

This study examined the dynamic between perceived authoritarian parenting style (PAPS), and subjective wellbeing (SWB) among purposively recruited 423 college students in China. Expectancy value beliefs (EVB), fear of failure (FOF), and competitiveness were taken as mediators. The data were analyzed using Bootstrap method of 5000 sample and 95% confidence interval. The results revealed a significant negative total effect of PAPS on SWB. Additionally, two indirect paths were found to be significant: the mediation of FOF (Path 2) and the serial mediation of FOF and competitiveness (Path 6). These findings suggest that the perception of authoritarian parenting style is a negative predictor of students' happiness, and that FOF and competitiveness played important mediating roles in this relationship. These findings have important implications for educators, parents, and policymakers who aim to promote positive academic and personal outcomes for college students. The results suggest the need for interventions that address the negative impact of PAPS on students' wellbeing, and the importance of fostering positive beliefs about the value of education and academic achievement, as well as reducing FOF and promoting healthy competition.

This paper employs a mixed research methodology, integrating a questionnaire survey and sample interviews, to assess the current state of digital competence and identify the factors influencing it among international Chinese pre-service teachers. Building upon the authoritative model framework, this study developed a questionnaire on the digital competence of international Chinese pre-service teachers and collected data from 100 master candidates of international Chinese language education from leading domestic universities in China. Upon analysis of the data, it was determined that the digital competence of international Chinese pre-service teachers is currently satisfactory overall, although there is a notable discrepancy in development. In particular, competences related to digital teaching, research, and pedagogical innovation are less developed. The training experience of international Chinese pre-service teachers has a significant correlation with their digital competence. However, the experience of international Chinese teaching does not have a significant effect on their digital competence, nor does it have a significant effect on their digital teaching competence or digital pedagogical innovation competence. This study identifies the reasons for this and proposes to refine the training system for digital competence, develop and optimize shared digital resource repositories, and enhance the capacity for innovation in pedagogical practice.

Purpose: This study provides an overview of the changes and developments of the sociology of education in China as it enters the new era as well as its future outlook. Design/Approach/Methods: This study combed and analyzed research in the field of the sociology of education in China during the period from 2012 to 2022 on three issues--educational fairness, rural education, and educational reform--to clarify the field's research characteristics and trends. Findings: In the new era, scholarship on the sociology of education has shifted to focus on achieving high-quality education, modernization, and digitization as new avenues for promoting educational fairness, rural education, and educational reform. As a result, research on the sociology of education in China has employed broader perspectives, adopted a more reflexive approach toward research objects, and embraced more humanistic values. Originality/Value: This study compiles research on the sociology of education in China in the new era and identifies that the field is moving toward a highly integrative approach. The findings provide useful references for learning and understanding the sociology of education in China.

Purpose: With the evolving demands of the global and Chinese economies, cultivating critical thinking and creativity has become imperative for social and economic development. However, contemporary educational practices have not kept pace with this essential need. This study examines the effects of project-based learning and project-based flipped classrooms on critical thinking and creativity in higher vocational colleges. Moreover, this research delves into the disparity and comparative analysis between the two approaches. Methodology: A between-group quasi-experimental study was designed. Data were collected from 120 respondents from one higher vocational college in Shanxi District using cluster sampling. The Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking test and District creativity test were used to collect data for further analysis. Data were analysed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and paired-sample t-test. Paired sample t-tests are employed to test the effects of two teaching methods, while ANCOVA is used to compare the discrepancy between the two methods. With the combination of paired sample t-test and ANCOVA, the more effective teaching method can be determined. Findings: The results indicated that project-based learning and flipped classrooms significantly affected critical thinking and creativity. Besides, the project-based flipped classrooms had a larger effect on critical thinking and creativity, proving to be a more effective teaching approach to transform the present curriculum pedagogy. Significance: This study theoretically integrates class activities into higher-order thinking skills and guides teachers and educators to cultivate talents in higher vocational education.

This study aims to explore whether the creativity of university students in Higher Vocational Education in China can enhance their creative performance through autonomous motivation. The theoretical foundation of this study is interactionist model of creativity, the study employs structural equation modeling for analysis and validation. A survey assessing creativity, creative performance, and autonomous motivation was administered to students from higher vocational schools in China, yielding a valid sample of 392. The overall model results indicate that the creativity of vocational college students has a significant positive impact on creative performance, creativity positively predicted autonomous motivation, which enhanced creative performance. The autonomous motivation partially mediates the relationship between creativity and creative performance. The findings recommend that higher vocational institutions initiate creative activities to foster students' creativity and continuously bolster their autonomous motivation, thus enhancing the creative performance of future technical and skilled professionals -- vocational college students.

This study focuses on the evolution and literacy transmission of the Suona ensemble in Southwest Shandong Province, China, which encompasses a rich tapestry of traditional and modern educational methods spanning familial inheritance, master-apprentice relationships, selfstudy, and formal training schools. Drawing on interviews with key informants and historical analysis, this study delves into the intricate web of practices that have shaped the evolution and preservation of Suona music over the centuries. From the oral traditions of family transmission to the structured curriculum of training schools, each method has played a vital role in sustaining this cherished cultural heritage and facilitating literacy transmission in music education. Despite facing challenges such as limited access to formal education and the scarcity of written scores, Suona artists have demonstrated remarkable resilience, adapting to societal changes while maintaining the essence of their craft. As economic growth and cultural shifts reshape rural communities, the demand for Suona ensemble music continues to grow, prompting innovations in teaching and learning methods. Through a blend of tradition and innovation, Suona ensemble music remains a vibrant and enduring expression of Chinese folk culture, enriching the lives of both practitioners and audiences alike.

Objective: This study examined children's representations of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as well as their pandemic experiences against the backdrop of the world having transitioned to normalcy. Design: Mixed-methods approach encompassing both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Setting: Two middle schools in Hefei city in mid-eastern China. Method: Data were collected using a qualitative task which elicited children's drawings, commentaries, answers to questions related to their pandemic experiences, followed by small-group interviews. Content analysis and emergent coding techniques were employed to analyse the data, the extracted themes of which were then quantified to reveal their incidence and distribution. Results: Analysis of the multimodal data set revealed children not only depicted viral morphology but also evoked emotions. The pandemic had brought about changes in children's lives, marked by a shift towards more academic activities, rest and relaxation and screen time. These changes also raised psychological, physical and social development concerns warranting mitigation. Multifaceted sources were identified as contributing to children's unhappiness, including restricted social interactions, educational challenges, emotional and psychological issues. Notably, children reported enhanced pre- to post-pandemic hygiene and sanitisation practices. Unsubstantiated beliefs relating to processes of recovery suggest the need for clearer communication in this regard. Conclusion: The study highlights the necessity for health education to support children in physical and psychological coping during a pandemic and build their resilience against future epidemics. Actively listening to children's account of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, and their pandemic experiences paves the way for making health education initiatives more relatable and attuned to their needs.

School choice policy in China aims to achieve educational equity by limiting school choice. Synchronous Admission Reform (SAR hereafter) is a recent school choice reform in China, which continues to limit parents' autonomy and strengthen the equal distribution of school resources. This study explores Chinese middle-class parents' (n = 21) justice claims in SAR. The findings suggest parents' three distributive justice claims, including situational principles of distribution, institutional partiality in distribution, and entrepreneurship representative of distribution. Each claim contains contradictory interpretations of education equity. While parents admire SAR's egalitarian promise, they recognize the present unbalanced school development and engage in a meritocratic way of hoarding opportunities. Despite their complaints over SAR's institutional partiality, they acknowledge SAR's political representation. Instead of participating in policy networks, parents adopt an entrepreneurial way of non-compliance. Parents' contradictory discourse is shaped by an interplay of policy discourse, school gaps, and parents' agency in a competitive and high-stakes education environment. Our analysis offers a micro-psychosocial lens for policymakers and practitioners to understand educational equity in everyday discourses.

Job burnout can lead to serious mental health problems and damage physical health, so it is meaningful to explore the predictors of job burnout. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between resilience, self-regulation and job burnout of parents of deaf and hard-of-hearing children in mainland China. A questionnaire on resilience, self-regulation and job burnout was conducted for 416 parents of children with deaf and hard of hearing, and the data were analyzed using mplus. The results show that resilience can reduce job burnout, and self-regulation regulates the relationship between resilience and job burnout. This study focuses on the relationship between resilience, self-regulation and job burnout of parents of deaf and hard-of-hearing children in mainland China, and expands the research field of resilience and job burnout. The limitation and influence of this study are also discussed.

The purpose of this study is to explore the realization of users' information rights (IRs) in the smart service of university libraries. Based on the LibQUAL model, principal component analysis (PCA) is used to measure the quality of smart services in university libraries. The contribution weight of various services to the realization of IRs is calculated by analytic hierarchy process (AHP), then the degree of IR realization is obtained. Users have the highest right to express information, the lowest right to equality, and other rights tend to be moderate. Suggestions to improve the realization of IRs are put forward at the end.

This study aims to examine the relationship among motivation for joining an educational leadership training programme (MOT), perceived skills (PS), and perceived changes in transformational leadership (PCTFL) in educational leadership training. The study drew on survey data from 761 participants who were associated with a leadership development programme under an EU-China cooperation project. The conceptual model was tested by structural equation modelling (SEM) by the Mplus programme. MOT and PCTFL were measured, respectively, by second-order factor structure assessments due to their multi-dimensional nature. The findings of the study suggest that motivation positively influences perceived changes in transformational leadership, and this relationship is positively mediated by perceived skills as learning gains in educational leadership training. The study provides novel empirical evidence on motivation that leads to transformational leadership changes in leadership training programmes. Policymakers and other key stakeholders can use these findings to gain a deeper understanding of the success of projects and encourage academic members to participate in leadership training programmes to improve transformational leadership.

This study contributes to the substantial body of studies on the relationships between family socioeconomic status (SES), gender inequality, and higher education selection. It does so by 1) examining the association between SES and gender inequality in higher education, and 2) comparing changes in socioeconomic and gender inequality before and after the 1999 higher education expansion using eight waves of China General Social Survey (CGSS) data (2008-2018), which comprised a total sample of 57,067. The results of this study revealed that gender inequality in higher education selection in China is driven by SES, and that higher education expansion in China has not reduced socioeconomic and gender inequality in terms of higher education selection. The established inequality persists for low SES students, especially low SES females. This study not only underscores the importance of SES and gender but also expands the conceptual validity of SES (effects of SES on gender inequality) in higher education selection.

While studies on teacher written feedback and automated writing evaluation (AWE) feedback have proliferated in recent decades, little attention has been paid to how AWE-teacher integrated feedback would influence students' engagement and their writing performance in second language (L2) writing. Against this backdrop, a quasi-experimental design was adopted to address this important gap. In our study, an intervention was implemented in two classes of English major sophomores in China, with a treatment group receiving AWE-teacher integrated feedback and a comparison group receiving teacher feedback. Data were collected from multiple sources over a 13-week semester to explore the Chinese EFL learners' engagement with the integrated feedback and their writing performance. Results showed that the students in the treatment group engaged with feedback more profoundly in behavior and cognition than those in the comparison group while both groups demonstrated similar affective engagement. Furthermore, compared with the comparison group, the treatment group improved their writing performance in content, organization, vocabulary, and language use significantly. Important implications are also discussed.

Reverse education, where younger individuals teach older adults, has gained prominence but lacks comprehensive understanding regarding its dynamics and impacts. This study addresses this gap by exploring the cognitive processes of older adult learners who view young university students as their teachers. Through semi-structured interviews with 12 older adults learning to use smartphones, we identify and analyse 3 critical stages of their cognitive journey: pre-teaching, teaching interaction, and learning reflection. In the pre-teaching stage, older adults accept young students as teachers primarily due to the perceived authority of the educational institution. During the teaching interaction stage, they recognize the value of the younger generation's teaching abilities and emotional support. In the learning reflection stage, older adults emphasize the quality of their learning experience and personal growth when evaluating young students as teachers. Our findings provide a nuanced understanding of why older adult learners embrace reverse education, highlighting the importance of teaching competencies and emotional engagement. These insights have significant implications for enhancing reverse education practices and the professional development of educators in senior university settings.

This article provides a review of previous studies that have examined the effects of orthography on establishing contrastive phonological representations in second language acquisition and presents results from an original study on Mandarin speakers' production of English stops investigating how the presence of orthography affects the production of phonological categories that involve allophony. English voiceless stops are canonically represented as aspirated [p[superscript h], t[superscript h], k[superscript h]] in word-initial/stressed onset positions but are realized as unaspirated [p, t, k] following /s/ and in unstressed, non-initial onset positions. The results of our imitation experiment showed that Mandarin speakers failed to correctly imitate the unaspirated allophones when presented with written input, and this orthographic effect was stronger with nonwords than with real words. These results are best explained by an orthography effect mediated by phonological awareness and prior linguistic experience.

Although previous research has provided some insights into the effects of block-based and text-based programming modalities, there is a dearth of a detailed, multi-dimensional analysis of the transition process from different introductory programming modalities to professional programming learning. This study employed a quasi-experimental design to address this gap, involving 64 secondary school students in two groups. For the beginning five weeks, the first group used an introductory block-based programming environment, while the second group used an introductory text-based programming environment. Then, both groups transitioned to professional text-based programming for the subsequent eight weeks. The results showed that participants who transitioned from introductory text-based programming to professional text-based programming (1) significantly outperformed in computational thinking skills; (2) had more code-writing and debugging behaviors and fewer irrelevant behaviors, and (3) had more interactions with the instructor. No significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding enjoyment, confidence, and interest in programming. Drawing on these findings, this study proposes pedagogical implications that could facilitate the adoption of programming modalities within the broader context of STEM education.

Studies have shown that socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP) is a critical predictor of depression. However, few studies have explored the mechanisms underlying the effects of SPP on depression in Chinese adolescents. Accordingly, the current study aims to explore the relationship between SPP and depression among Chinese adolescents, including the mediating roles of academic pressure, and the moderating role of hope. A total of 3,510 Chinese adolescents in high school (15.56 ± 1.14 years old) participated in the current research by responding to questionnaires on completing measures of SPP, academic pressure, hope and depression. After controlling for gender and age, the results showed that SPP significantly and positively predicted depression, and that academic pressure mediated the link between SPP and depression. In addition, the mediating effect was moderated by hope. Compared with those with high levels of hope, academic pressure had a weaker positive predictive effect on depression than in those with low levels of hope. These findings deepen the explanation of depression formation mechanisms from a personality perspective and have important theoretical and practical implications for the prevention and intervention of adolescent depression.

In the realm of online learning, social media is emerging as an indispensable tool for student learning. While social media offers benefits for students, it is important to acknowledge that it can also exert adverse effects on them. Drawing inspiration from stress dynamics, coping models, and existing social media literature, our study delves into the ways in which technical stressors (specifically, techno-invasion and techno-overload) and social stressors (encompassing the sense of belonging, social interaction, and social support) give rise to psychological stress among students who excessively depend on social media for learning. This heightened stress subsequently leads to feelings of exhaustion and perceived irreplaceability, ultimately impacting their behavioral outcomes, notably academic performance. The model was tested using survey data collected from a sample of 249 university students in China. From the perspective of technical and social systems, this study presents that excessive usage of social media has the potential to impact the students' academic performance by contributing to their exhaustion and perceived irreplaceability.

Augmented reality (AR) technology can enhance picture book reading experience. The present study aimed to explore the influence of reading AR picture books on primary school students' reading comprehension, story retelling, and reading motivation. Eighty second graders, who were from two classes at a rural primary school in a coastal city in East China, were recruited through convenience sampling to participate in this quasi-experimental study. The two classes were randomly assigned to be either the experimental group (AR picture book reading) or control group (print picture book reading), and both groups read three traditional Chinese picture books during reading classes throughout three weeks. T-test analyses revealed that, before the study began, the two groups did not have significant differences in reading comprehension, story retelling, or reading motivation. However, after the three weeks of instructional intervention, the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in all three aspects. Furthermore, MANCOVA analysis showed that reading AR picture books was more effective in boosting participants' performance on implicit questions during the reading comprehension tests. They also performed significantly higher on story retelling tests, especially when it came to story structures regarding settings and plots. In addition, AR picture book reading was more conducive to improving participants' level of attention and confidence in reading. This work adds to the ongoing endeavors in incorporating AR picture books into classroom settings, and will inform future development of original Chinese picture books with AR technology.

Urbanization, vocational education, and industry in China have been influenced by policy and economic changes. This article outlines potential solutions for the integrated development of urbanization, vocational education, and industry in China. By integrating the development ideas of the triple helix model based on international related research literature, this article proposes a development model for China's industry-education city integration. Taking the Liuzhou rail transit industry-education city as an example, this article adopts a comprehensive and sustainable development approach, including urban management, industry-education integration, and industry innovation and entrepreneurship, centered around the characteristics of urbanization, vocational education, and industry. The development of China's industry-education city through the triple helix model has brought about innovations in education, industry, urban form, policy, technology, and social culture, which can help China's urbanization, vocational education, and industry achieve spiral development.

The cultivation of innovative ability is an important part of China's current long-term education planning and innovative development-driven strategy, as well as an important issue of university teaching reform. The cultivation of innovative ability of dance professionals in colleges and universities is a problem of great concern for dance majors in terms of innovative teaching and new curriculum reform. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between innovative self-efficacy and innovative ability of dance majors, as well as the gender differences between the two. Through a questionnaire survey of dance majors in 6 universities in central China, 565 valid questionnaires were collected, and the relationship between variables was tested by difference analysis and Structural Equation Model model. The research results show that there are significant differences between genders in terms of innovative self-efficacy and innovative ability of dance majors; the innovative self-efficacy of dance majors has a positive impact on their innovative ability.

While negative associations between behavioral inhibition/shyness and social competence are well established for children from Western cultures, the directions of these associations have been inconsistent for Chinese children, partly due to the ongoing social-cultural changes in China. Drawing from three samples of young Chinese children (born between 2009 and 2019), we aim at examining how inhibition/shyness predicts cooperative behaviors and prosocial behaviors throughout early childhood. In Study 1 (N = 700, children aged between 36 and 72 months), mother-reported inhibition/shyness was negatively associated with mother-reported cooperative and prosocial behaviors during the preschool years. In Study 2 (N = 251, at 6, 15, 25, and 37 months of children's ages), mother-reported inhibition/shyness in infancy was negatively associated with mother-reported cooperative behaviors but was not related to observed cooperative behaviors at the early preschool age. Infancy inhibition/shyness was negatively associated with mother-reported and observed prosocial behaviors. In Study 3 (N = 95, at 14, 25, 38, and 60 months of children's ages), the inhibition/shyness trait, assessed by both observation and maternal report, did not predict any indicators of cooperative behaviors. Early childhood inhibition/shyness, however, still predicted fewer observed and mother-reported prosocial behaviors. On balance, our research supports a negative association between early inhibition/shyness and later prosocial behaviors. The mixed findings concerning cooperative behaviors are interpreted in light of sociopolitical changes in China during the past two decades.

It has been widely accepted that developmental dyslexia (DD) exhibits deficits in reading and spelling. However, the role of phonology and semantics in reading and spelling in dyslexia has not been systematically investigated. In Experiment 1, 45 Chinese children with DD and 43 age-matched controls read two tests with Chinese characters. One test controlled character's familiarity and regularity, and the other test controlled character's phonological consistency and semantic transparency. In Experiment 2, 43 Chinese children with DD and 41 controls spelled a sublist of characters in the two tests in Experiment 1. Our results support two main facts. Firstly, typically developing Chinese children can utilize more lexical or semantic information in reading characters when phonetic regularity or consistency in characters are absent, but Chinese children with DD cannot, indicating an impairment in the division of labor between phonology and semantics in reading in Chinese DD. Secondly, the division of labor between phonology and semantics in spelling have different patterns in Chinese DD compared with controls. Controls utilize semantics as a compensation for the absence of phonetic regularity or consistency when spelling characters, while children with DD do not, indicating an impairment in the division of labor between phonology and semantics in spelling in Chinese DD. The research supports the triangle model and provides empirical evidence for the division of labor between phonology and semantics in reading and spelling in Chinese children with and without reading disabilities.

In the current era where computational literacy holds significant relevance, a growing number of schools across the globe have placed emphasis on K-12 programming education. This field of education primarily comprises two distinct modalities--the block-based programming modality (BPM) and the text-based programming modality (TPM). Previous research may not have provided a complete understanding of the differences between these two modalities as it did not take into account both the learning process and learning outcomes. This study aimed to compare secondary students' programming behaviors, computational thinking skills, and attitudes toward programming between the two modalities through a quasi-experimental design in a Chinese secondary school. The findings showed that (1) learners in TPM encountered more syntactical errors and spent more time between two clicks of debugging, while learners in BPM had more code-changing behaviors by adjusting programming blocks, made more attempts of debugging, and had more irrelevant behaviors; (2) learners in BPM achieved a higher level of computational thinking skills; (3) learners in both modalities experienced a slight decrease in confidence and enjoyment, while learners in BPM had higher interest levels in programming. (4) Code Changer, Minimal Debugger, Maximal Debugger, Distracted Coder and Average Coder were identified through students' programming behavior in the two programming modalities, and differences in their CT skills and attitudinal data were revealed. Lastly, pedagogical implications based on the findings are also discussed.

Background: Students' music self-concept and music emotions are becoming prominent topics within the area of music education. Aims, Samples and Methods: The majority of previous research on self-concept and music emotions has examined the two constructs independently and focused on gender differences in externalizing behaviours in music learning, but has neglected the internal interactions between individual music self-concept and music emotions. Network analysis is a promising method for visually examining music self-concept and music emotions as part of a network of interactions to identify core features and interrelationships among nodes in the network. In this study, 515 students majoring in music from a Chinese university were recruited. Results: The results showed that high music self-concept and boredom were the common features at the core of the network for both men and women college students. The boredom exhibited by women differed from that of men in that men's boredom was directed at the entire music course, while boredom in women manifested as daydreaming and boredom with learning materials. Conclusions: This study is the first to explore gender differences in the music self-concept and music emotions from a holistic perspective. The findings could help music teachers gain insight into the complex system of music self-concept and music emotions. Music teachers could capture the respective features of men and women to design individualized teaching strategies.

This study investigates Chinese international students' acculturation strategies and pragmatic intentions to address identity conflicts in Hong Kong study experiences through a developmental lens. We treat conflicts and stressors as indicators of active commitments and the process of engagement as strategic, goal-oriented, intentional investments to become better selves. Undergraduates (N = 95) enrolled in a Hong Kong university participated: 85 completed a Cultural Practices Questionnaire about daily activities; 10 completed semi-structured interviews on their acculturation strategies, identity conflicts, and justifications. Mixed method data analysis highlighted strategies rooted in goals, choices, consistency, and commitment. Several pragmatic intentions were also identified. Participants considered academic study, language learning, club activities, communicating with friends, volunteering, and interacting with diverse people as fundamental active commitments. An alternative definition of "integration strategy" is proposed to better capture students' transcultural choices and decolonize the view that students are expected to conform to the host culture.

Critical thinking represents one of the most absolutely vital talents for every individual, both in the workplace and in their personal lives. Critical thinking has become a primary concern for all educational institution students in recent decades, particularly Chinese undergraduates. The intention of this study was to investigate the needs analysis of Chinese international college undergraduates' perceptions of critical thinking skills incorporated into a cross-cultural communication course, as well as their expectations of critical thinking skills instructional coursework throughout the cross-cultural communication context. Throughout this mixed-methods investigation, 78 Chinese international college students volunteered to complete a critical thinking disposition inventory (CTDI) as the primary research instrument, in addition to a semi-structured interview. The research uncovered that Chinese international undergraduates exhibited unclear notions of critical thinking abilities. As a byproduct of China's education system, the majority of Chinese international college undergraduates were flooded with dismissive attitudes toward critical thinking abilities. In order to control their academic advancement in a more critical and analytical fashion, Chinese students expressed a pressing need for critical thinking skills to be included in their cross-cultural communication course.

Digital education has been catalyzing educational transition, transforming the educational views and instructional techniques while also providing opportunities for high-quality educational development. This is a subject that all nations throughout the world are concerned about. The worldwide practice of integrating digital technologies in teaching has yielded positive results. The Global Digital Education Conference, which was held in Beijing, China, in 2023, called for global collaboration on digital education development. This paper sought to illustrate the significance of digital education for educational reform and to investigate ways for digital education development in this context, using China's smart education practice as evidence.

Considering job resources of college teachers as a mediating variable, this study analyzed the relationship between job crafting and job engagement and established a model of the mechanism underlying the effects of job crafting on job engagement. This theoretical hypothesis model was empirically validated using 300 valid questionnaires completed by college teachers in Hebei Province, China, who were selected through convenience sampling. Job crafting directly affected job resources, and job resources exerted a direct effect on job engagement. However, job resources played a full mediating role in the relationship between job crafting and job engagement after it was added as a mediating variable.

Based on institutional theory, this study explores the causal relationship between teacher professional identity, perceived institutional norms, and teachers' conformity behavior in colleges and universities in Hunan Province. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 500 teachers from two universities in Hunan Province. The reliability and validity test results and structural equation modeling analysis show that the professional identity of college teachers positively affects their conformity behavior, and that perceived institutional norms partially mediate the relationship between teacher professional identity and teacher conformity behavior. The research enriches the application of institutional theory in university organization and provides an empirical basis for universities to improve teachers' conformity behavior.

This study aims to explore the impact of perceived transformational leadership on knowledge sharing behavior among university teachers in Anhui Province, China. Using a questionnaire survey method, convenient sampling was conducted among college teachers in Anhui Province. With 326 teachers as the research subjects, SPSS software was used to analyze the relationship between teachers' perception of transformational leadership and knowledge sharing behavior in the context of colleges and universities. Additionally, this study compared the impact of demographic variables such as age, teaching experience, and professional title on teachers' knowledge sharing behavior. The research results indicate that Anhui university teachers' perception of transformational leadership has a significant positive impact on knowledge sharing behavior. Moreover, there are significant differences in teachers' knowledge sharing behavior based on their age, teaching experience, and professional titles.

Physical education teachers in colleges and universities have the crucial responsibility of acting as mentors and guides for the healthy growth of students. The work engagement of these teachers affects the quality of higher education personnel training and health education. Based on the job demand-resource model, this study conducted a questionnaire survey on 500 physical education teachers in 20 colleges and universities in Hebei Province, China. The subjects were selected through convenience sampling. Out of the total, 456 valid questionnaires were recovered. The intermediary effect was tested through the AMOS model analysis and the Bootstrap method. The results revealed that the perceived organizational support of the participating physical education teachers in colleges and universities can positively affect their sense of teaching efficacy, which in turn positively affects work engagement and has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between perceived organizational support and work engagement.

Physical education teachers are the practitioners of physical education curriculum reform who work at the front line of teaching, and their innovation behavior play a crucial role in promoting the smooth implementation of physical education curriculum reform. This study uses goal orientation theory as a theoretical basis to explore the mediation effect of learning goal orientation in the influence of perceived organization support on physical education teachers' innovation behavior. A total of 402 valid questionnaires were collected from physical education teachers in 40 schools at the basic education level in China, and the relationship between the variables was tested using structural equation modeling. The findings showed that physical education teachers' perceived organizational support had a positive effect on learning goal orientation and innovation behavior. Physical education teachers' learning goal orientation significantly influenced their innovation behavior. Additionally, learning goal orientation partially mediated the relationship between perceived organizational support and innovation behavior.

Strengthening the cultivation of students' innovation ability is an urgent requirement for the construction of China's innovation system, and vocational colleges are a crucial driving force for cultivating technical innovation talents. Therefore, this study aims to explore the influence of metacognition on innovative behavior among vocational college students in Hainan, China and the differences between the behavior of boys and girls. Five vocational colleges were selected by purposive sampling. A total 600 students and 577 valid questionnaires were obtained, with 285 male and 292 female respondents. The results of the study found that the metacognition of boys and girls in vocational colleges has a positive and substantial impact on innovative behavior, and that the effect of metacognition on the innovative behavior of girls is higher than that of boys.

Purpose: The challenges faced by universities in China have presented opportunities to enhance the leadership of educational leaders in universities. Little has been written about the leadership styles of mid-level educational leaders in Chinese higher education (HE). The objective of this study is to provide an authentic understanding of 1) the leadership styles of mid-level educational leaders as experienced by academic members, 2) experienced contextual factors related to the leadership styles of mid-level educational leaders. Design: Qualitative research was conducted, and the perceptions of 13 academic members from nine universities in China were explored. Findings: This study revealed authoritarian leadership style was the most reported leadership style of the mid-level educational leaders, followed by transformational and transactional leadership styles. Participants suggested to minimise the adoption of authoritarian leadership style and to encourage the application of transformational leadership style. Regarding the factors that shape leadership style of mid-level educational leaders, this research supports the following factors: culture, organizational policies & administration, discipline, and incentive mechanism. Originality: We gained a deep understanding of the leadership styles of mid-level educational leaders and the contextual factors that shape the leadership styles in this study. The results can be conducive to future leadership training and to the mid-level educational leaders to create environments that facilitate the application of educational leadership practices.

This study aims to investigate the impact of integrating Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Organ System-Based Curriculum (OSBC) on medical students' academic achievement and career maturity within the context of medical education. An experimental design was employed, involving students from a medical school in China. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control group with a traditional curriculum or an experimental group receiving an integrated PBL and OSBC curriculum focused on cardiovascular system diseases. The intervention spanned four weeks. The results indicate that the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher academic achievement immediately after the intervention compared to the control group. This improvement persisted in a follow-up test conducted one month later. Career maturity also improved in the experimental group, albeit with a less sustained effect. The study underscores the potential of integrated teaching strategies in medical education for enhancing critical thinking and practical skills. However, long-term improvements in career maturity may necessitate further refinement of teaching methods. These findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on effective medical education strategies and emphasize the importance of a comprehensive approach to prepare students for academic excellence and clinical competence. Future research with larger sample sizes and consideration of additional influencing factors is recommended to gain deeper insights into the dynamics of medical education.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Jiangsu University teachers' competency and engagement on their job performance and determine whether teacher competency affects job performance through the mediating role of engagement. We constructed a theoretical model based on self-determination theory (SDT) and the job demand-resource model and validated it using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study sample comprised teachers from 8 types of undergraduate colleges and universities in Jiangsu Province, China. Three hundred and fifty-four university teachers were surveyed using the Teacher Competency Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and the Job Performance Scale. The results showed a significant positive effect of university teachers' competency on their engagement and job performance. Additionally, SEM analysis showed a partial mediation effect of engagement in the relationship between teacher competency and job performance. The findings not only enrich our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the relationship between university teachers' competency and job performance but also extend the scope of SDT and suggest practical discussions and recommendations.

Based on the concept of sustainability and the aim of addressing China?s great need for talent with green skills, a green skills scale was designed with the help of Chinese university students. Students from four institutions of higher education who had agreed to the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) participated as research subjects. With reference to the reviewed literature, a green skills scale was developed for Chinese university students. The scale was reviewed by experts and scholars and subjected to a reliability and validity analysis, and 900 students were selected to be included in the sample. The green skills of university students are divided into four dimensions: cognition of green knowledge, mastery of green skills, application of green skills, and green skills development, resulting in a total of 16 questions. The overall reliability of the scale is 0.845, the reliability of the dimensions lies between 0.813 and 0.880, the correlation coefficients between the dimensions lie between 0.185 and 0.497, and the root-mean-square values of the AVE of the corresponding coefficients are all larger than the correlation coefficients of the corresponding row and column variables, demonstrating that the green skills scale for university students has good reliability and validity.

In China, higher education increasingly emphasizes innovation and entrepreneurship, recognizing its pivotal role in enhancing college students' entrepreneurial skills. While extensive research exists on entrepreneurship education for undergraduate students in Chinese universities and vocational colleges, there is a notable gap in studies specifically addressing entrepreneurship coaching for vocational art and design students. This investigation addresses this gap by examining the development of entrepreneurship coaching indicators for vocational art and design majors through a comprehensive literature review. By employing the fuzzy Delphi method, a questionnaire survey involving 12 experts was conducted to establish entrepreneurship coaching indicators for vocational art and design majors in Guangdong, China. The findings reveal a framework comprising entrepreneurship knowledge, practical skills, entrepreneurial dispositions, and intentions, organized into 4 dimensions, 15 principal indicators, and 46 sub-indicators.

This study aimed to develop and test a University Students' Perceptions of Physical Education (PE) Scale. The study was conducted in three phases in a southwestern city in China from December 2021 to October 2022. In Phase 1, an item pool was constructed based on a literature review and semi-structured interviews. In Phase 2, expert evaluations and university student interviews were conducted to evaluate the content validity of the questionnaire. In Phase 3, a cross-sectional study was administered to university students. Composite reliability (CR) and average variance extracted (AVE) for internal consistency and test-retest reliability analyses were calculated for the stability reliability analysis. The validity evaluations included content, construct, and discriminant validity and an invariance test. The developed scale comprises 20 items covering six domains: habituated behavior in physical activity, self-efficacy in PE, attitude and experience in PE, skills and knowledge, classroom climate, and facilities, equipment and norms. Each domain's CR and AVE values exceeded 0.7 and 0.5, respectively. The statistical indices of the final model were chi-square (X[superscript 2]) = 458.227, degrees of freedom (df) = 155, Comparative Fit Index = 0.957, Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.947, standardized root mean square residual = 0.061, and root mean square error of approximation = 0.066, supporting the reliability and viability of the scale. A scientific process was adopted in constructing the University Students' Perceptions of PE Scale. High validity and reliability scores indicate the suitability of using this scale for further research.

In recent years, researchers have paid increasing attention to the embodiment of education for sustainable development (ESD) in early childhood education (ECE) policies in various countries, but there is a lack of relevant research in China. Therefore, this study adopts the ESD analytical framework to analyze some representative ECE policies in China. It was found that although these policies did not explicitly mention ESD, they contained related concepts, such as educational content covering the three domains of sustainable development, focusing on cultivating children's cooperation and problem-solving skills and advocating the principles of child-centeredness and multiple synergies. This is closely related to the theoretical foundation of China's ECE. However, there are also some deviations in the current policy. In the future, policies should be adjusted to focus on children's relationship with the multidimensional world, enrich relational thinking in curriculum development, transform children's learning styles and promote the sustainable development of ECE.

Children's language development can reflect the developmental process of children's cognition and social emotions. The present study focuses on preschool children's conversational competence and narrative competence, aiming at exploring developmental features of preschool children's pragmatic competence through analyzing data from self-built oral language corpora using the INCA-A coding system and CLAN. Results show that with respect to using pragmatic indicators, frequency increases significantly with age in the dimensions of knowledge and language. In the language dimension, frequency is highest in the middle group and in the behavior dimension, frequency gradually decreases. Results are taken to indicate that preschool children's language competence improves continually, and gradually displaces the use of behavior-assisted language. Meanwhile, children can initiate conversation or discourse narration by using knowledge and language. Based on the findings, this study analyzes the development of preschool children's pragmatic competence at different ages within the framework of perlocutionary acts. Finally, corresponding educational suggestions are suggested.

Current research on the in-class discursive realities in English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) classrooms has been mostly restricted to whole class scenarios, whereas student-student interactive discourse in task-based activities is largely ignored. This study explores peer interactions among university students in an EMI marketing course in China, specifically focusing on repair practices. The data mainly comprised transcribed recordings of 26 peer interactions during two types of tasks, i.e. topic discussions and simulations. Findings reveal that the task type plays an important role in how various trouble sources are addressed. In both task types, there is a dominance of factual repairables, which are addressed through various collaboratively constructed repair trajectories. However, the relatively informal yet concept-related topic discussions elicit more frequent repair in general and linguistic-form related repair in particular than the relatively formal but hands-on natured simulations, though the latter type of task leads to more procedural and processing-related repairs. Implications are discussed regarding the importance of raising teachers' awareness that different activities hold different language and content learning opportunities in peer interactions in EMI classes.

Objective: Attending college involves a stressful period of adaptation for many first-year college students. The aim of the current study was to better understand the relationship among maladaptive perfectionism, daily hassles, and depressive symptoms. Participants: The sample comprised 454 Chinese first-year college students. Methods: All participants completed a battery of questionnaires including the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised, the Chinese College Student Psychological Stress Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Results: Conflicts with roommates, forming the bad habits, and difficulties in learning were the top three stressful daily hassles. Maladaptive perfectionism predicts daily hassles, which in turn predicts depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Maladaptive perfectionism asserts its effects on depressive symptoms of first-year college students experiencing minor events on a daily basis. Implications for school educators and counselors and directions of future research are also discussed.

During global COVID-19 outbreak, universities in many countries were closed, and students experienced the exclusive online learning as never before. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) in the effects of university students' "technostress" caused by remote learning on three dimensions of "learning burnout," namely "emotional exhaustion, cynicism," and "academic inefficacy," and possible moderating role of "gender, ICT competence," and "course load" in the indirect effects of university students' "technostress" on their "learning burnout" mediated by IU. Altogether 801 Chinese students from 72 universities voluntarily participated in this study by filling out an online questionnaire consisting of Technostress Survey, Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey, and Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12. The participants reported relatively low "technostress, learning burnout" with a moderate level of IU during online learning. Structural equation modelling showed that: 1) "technostress" positively predicted IU, "emotional exhaustion," and "academic inefficacy;" 2) IU partially mediated the effects of "technostress" on "emotional exhaustion, cynicism," and "academic inefficacy." 3) "ICT competence" moderated the indirect effects of "technostress" on "emotional exhaustion" via IU while moderating effects of "gender" and "course load" were not found.

This study illuminates the motivation and learning experience of Chinese and European academic members who attended an educational leadership training programme. Data were collected through participants' registration forms and learning reflection reports. A qualitative content analysis research method by MAXQDA2022 is adopted in this research. The findings revealed European and Chinese participants' motivation for joining the leadership training programme and their perceived effectiveness of the training programme. Drawing from the study's findings, this research examines the components of a culturally appropriate methodology for a cross-cultural professional leadership training programme and provides insights into the interplay of factors that impact the perceived effectiveness of such a leadership training programme. Additionally, recommendations for future program design are offered.