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This paper is an outcome of using GeoGebra in Nepal's grade ten math curriculum (CDC, 2015). Based on a teaching experiment as one of the research methodologies (Dahal, 2019; Dahal et al., 2019; Dahal et al., 2022a), this paper provides students with active learning environments and the possibility of integrating GeoGebra as an ICT application by documenting the experiences, assessment procedures, emotions, and behaviors, as well as the learning process of eighteen secondary level students (ten boys and eight girls). In this regard, GeoGebra is a computer and online-based application that teaches geometry, algebra, and statistics. GeoGebra's features could help students visualize abstract geometric concepts quickly, correctly, and effectively (Tamam & Dasari, 2021, Dahal et al., 2022a). Theoretically grounded on social constructivism, this paper informs that GeoGebra helps students recall and understand circle terminology, encourages engaged learning through group work, and promotes meaningful learning, conceptual learning, learner-centered teaching, and student motivation. The benefits of using GeoGebra to teach and learn the circle concepts are demonstrated in the experimental classes and reported in this paper. Students become more active builders of the mathematical knowledge of the circle while teaching/learning the concepts of the circle using GeoGebra. It is a crucial ICT tool for supporting innovative approaches to teaching and learning mathematics in the twenty-first century.

This study used a self-and peer-assessment activity in Moodle, a learning management system, to investigate the self-and peer-assessment abilities of student-teachers. To enhance self- and peer-assessment in some author-taught courses, students submitted online texts graded by their peers using a grading scale determined by course facilitators as a rubric or aspects approved by course facilitators. This study aimed to design and investigate self-, and peer-assessment activities among 18 students (10 boys and 8 girls) enrolled in one of Kathmandu University Schools of Education's MPhil/Ph.D. program in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) in Nepal in 2021. The objective was to identify the most effective strategies for involving student-teachers in the learning and assessment processes using self- and peer-assessment as a learning and assessment tool using action research as a research methodology. This study followed the procedures of planning, intervening, evaluating effectiveness, and sharing learning processes within the action research framework. In order to achieve the research objectives, this article discussed some of the Workshop activity's key strengths and applications within cognitive and constructivist theoretical frameworks, among others. The article concluded by outlining the key advantages of self-and peer assessment in increasing student engagement and improving higher-order skills. These are analytical, and evaluation skills developed through the process of grading self- and peer submissions on a variety of criteria (aspects). The findings show that students are responsible for learning, have metacognitive skills, and use a dialogical, shared teaching and learning model. For higher education, it is a useful tool for self-and peer- assessment.

Designed to explore effective pedagogical uses of the Workshop activity tool, which is native to Moodle learning management system, the study reported in this article was an action research. Using the standard steps of planning, intervening, assessing effectiveness, and information sharing, the study sought to identify the best ways to engage students in the process of learning and peer assessment by using Workshop as a learning and assessment tool. After identifying some challenges against students learning during the submission and peer review process, this article highlights some key strengths of the Workshop activity application, based on our study. Then it discusses the application's key affordances for conducting peer and self-assessment, for enhanced engagement in learning, and for the development of higher-order skills such as analysis and evaluation. We conclude by noting that effective use of the tool demands teachers' careful attention to issues such as time provided, peer allocation, and students' skills for effective tool use.

Qualitative researchers can benefit from using generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), such as different versions of ChatGPT--GPT-3.5 or GPT-4, Google Bard--now renamed as a Gemini, and Bing Chat--now renamed as a Copilot, in their studies. The scientific community has used artificial intelligence (AI) tools in various ways. However, using GenAI has generated concerns regarding potential research unreliability, bias, and unethical outcomes in GenAIgenerated research results. Considering these concerns, the purpose of this commentary is to review the current use of GenAI in qualitative research, including its strengths, limitations, and ethical dilemmas from the perspective of critical appraisal from South Asia, Nepal. I explore the controversy surrounding the proper acknowledgment of GenAI or AI use in qualitative studies and how GenAI can support or challenge qualitative studies. First, I discuss what qualitative researchers need to know about GenAI in their research. Second, I examine how GenAI can be a valuable tool in qualitative research as a co-author, a conversational platform, and a research assistant for enhancing and hindering qualitative studies. Third, I address the ethical issues of using GenAI in qualitative studies. Fourth, I share my perspectives on the future of GenAI in qualitative research. I would like to recognize and record the utilization of GenAI and/or AI alongside my cognitive and evaluative abilities in constructing this critical appraisal. I offer ethical guidance on when and how to appropriately recognize the use of GenAI in qualitative studies. Finally, I offer some remarks on the implications of using GenAI in qualitative studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper discusses experiences from school-based needs assessment within a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project aimed at facilitating quality education in public schools of rural Nepal. Being often a first stage in the process of research-action, Participatory Needs Assessment (PNA) offers space for community members' perceptions and attitudes toward their collective needs. In this light, this paper takes evidence from the first and the second authors' Ph.D. experiences, under the supervision of the third and the fourth authors to initiate PNA of a school. Also, incorporating the reflections from the fifth author as a critical friend, it observes the political, epistemological, ethical, and methodological challenges of doing such assessments; the challenges of involving all the stakeholders in identifying problems, and the transformative possibilities the approach inherently brings within it. On the whole, the paper reflects how, despite manifold conflicting interests of the multi-group stakeholders, relational ontology(ies) emerged in the cyclical and spiral process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the practice of mathematics teaching and learning in the semester system in Nepal. Three teachers and six students of Master of Education from the Faculty of Education, Tribhuvan University (TU) were selected purposively for the interview. In addition, 21 students were also selected for focused group discussion (FGD), and classroom observation and FGD were used to collect information from the participants in the study. Thematic analysis is used in the study. It is concluded that the semester system at TU, Central Department of Education, particularly in mathematics, has a radical shift in pedagogical practices. There is the provision of supportive internal and external evaluation systems to promote multiple skills and knowledge in mathematics or the holistic development of learners. The assessments were to encourage and motivate the students in learning. The study supported to enhance the weakness of teaching-learning activities in the semester system. It is the supportive document for effective teaching-learning in the semester system for Nepal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to develop a reliable, practical, and efficient process for developing online and distance courses. The study aims to develop e-learning online and distance education courses. ICT and e-Research course development processes have shown significant learning opportunities and outcomes. A substitute for raising these opportunities is the need for innovative research in education while implementing online and distance modes of learning and teaching. Subscribing research and development research methodology, the study aims to produce e-learning instructional materials using a three-stage development model. The course, along with the learning strategy, the learning tools, the assessment tools, and other components, are designed and developed using the Plomp model, a development research model. The research participants were forty-two 2021 Winter Batch MPhil in Educational Studies students and nine lecturers at Nepal Open University (NOU), Nepal. The descriptive analysis uses data analysis to explain the online course's validity, applicability, and effectiveness. Experimental research design was developed using the one-group pre-test posttest design methodology. The most important results are results of preliminary analysis, validity: average material validation is 0.885; average media validation is 0.885 and practicality: more than 71% (very practical). This article proposes a more comprehensive framework to design, develop, and implement online and distance courses in e-learning systems in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In resorts, service quality refers to the overall level of guest satisfaction during their stay. This includes a variety of factors, such as the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff, the cleanliness and condition of the rooms and common areas, the availability of amenities and activities, the efficiency of check-in and check-out procedures, and the resort's overall atmosphere. To address above gap, this study aims to develop contextual service quality (SERVQUAL) instrument for resorts to obtain the consensus benchmark to measure the service quality of Nepali tourist standard resorts. The SERVQUQL is a measuring tool of service quality of different organizational settings, more importantly, in the hospitality and service sector. Therefore, to contextualize and align to SERVQUAL, the Modified Delphi Technique (MDT) was used to develop this instrument based on SERVQUAL theory. The instrument development was performed among 10 anonymous experts and stakeholders who have experience, knowledge, and expertise in the area of the hospitality and leisure industries. The findings identified that one more key construct is essential to realize the service quality of the tourist standard resorts. To carry out the mutual consensus among the experts and stakeholders, the interquartile range (IQR) value was taken from three points Likert scale to conduct the MDT from the second stage until the mutual consensus of experts and stakeholders. The IQR value was taken from each set of questions which was evaluated by the exports to obtain a consensus benchmark on the contextualized SERVQUQL construct and items. The data were presented using Microsoft Excel. In the final stage, 29 question statements out of 31 were found to have a high consensus benchmark among the experts and stakeholders. Therefore, 29 items from six constructs were accepted and included in the actual questionnaire to measure the service quality of Nepali tourist standard resorts. Our findings contribute to the SERVQUAL theory, practice, and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the primary goals of schools is to improve the students' learning performance. Considering the factors associated to students' indigeneity contributing to their learning performances, this study explored the learning performances of 'indigenous' (Janajati) students in Nepali private secondary schools. Grounded in Bourdieu's (1986) cultural capital theory, the investigation employed a two-staged mixed-methods research process. In the first phase, longitudinal data (grade XII exam results) of 770 students between 2015 and 2019 at a case study school in Kathmandu were obtained and analysed. The quantitative results yielded from the descriptive analyses revealed that Janajati students, namely the Tamang, Magar, Gurung, Rai, and Limbu students included in the study, had a lower academic performance as compared to their non-Janajati counterparts. These results are consonant with overall national patterns in Nepal. In an attempt to explain these differences, a sequential qualitative study was undertaken through indepth interviews with five participants (three students and two teachers affiliated to the case study school from the same indigenous groups). For analytical purposes, factors influencing students' performance were grouped into home-related and school-related themes. The study showed that home-related factors were more prevalent than the school-related factors in the students with lower learning performances. While family economic backgrounds and parental education also had a role to play, cultural factors (such as relative lack of predisposition towards education and aspiration for different occupations) were the most important factors influencing lower learning performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of GeoGebra in teaching geometric transformations was investigated in this study. GeoGebra is a math software available in over 100 plus languages, both online and offline. GeoGebra is a useful application to improve and enrich mathematics teaching and learning by allowing students to visualize mathematical concepts, which is extremely useful for mathematical experiments and discoveries at all educational levels, from elementary school to university. The theoretical referents used in this article are cognitive learning theory and Vygotsky's social learning theory. Twenty students (twelve boys and eight girls) in grade IX from a private school in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, were taught mathematics using a variety of specific instances of transformation highlighted in this study, including reflection, rotation, translation, and dilation. This research used a qualitative research method called a teaching experiment to examine the use of GeoGebra in eleven episodes. Students were aided in visualizing abstract concepts of change by using relevant images, photos, and animations of GeoGebra-created objects. The findings of a classroom experiment are GeoGebra is an easy-to-use application, GeoGebra allows for discovery learning, GeoGebra encourages collaborative learning, and GeoGebra to visualize geometric transformations. Likewise, GeoGebra aids in the teaching and comprehension of abstract transformation concepts. These findings show how students can develop into active knowledge builders when GeoGebra is used in mathematics classes. They also communicate with one another, keep track of the change process, and respect their instructors' authority in such classes. It is an important instructional tool that supports the educational system's transition from a teacher-centered to a learner-centered approach by complementing the traditional lecture method of teaching mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]