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This study investigated the impact of virtual exchange on disrupting dangerous narratives about the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region among pre-service elementary teachers in the Midwestern region of the United States. The virtual exchange program provided direct interaction with teacher candidates in Morocco. Analysis of pre- and post-exchange memos revealed a significant shift from negative narratives to positive, generalized perceptions of the MENA region. While the shift towards positive generalizations represents progress, it also emphasizes the need for nuanced understanding and ongoing engagement. After participating in the exchange, pre-service teachers also communicated a strong desire to teach about the world and its people. This study highlights the possibilities of virtual exchange as a tool for preparing future educators who have been influenced by post-9/11 educational and media narratives. It advocates for the integration of virtual exchange as a mainstream approach to foster teaching for global understanding among teacher candidates.

This paper uses the Mincerian approach in an experimental way to examine the impact of education on household incomes (not labor earnings) of all workers (not just employees) across 162 countries. Our results are broadly similar to the conventionally estimated rates of return to education after allowing for the fact that earnings are only a part of total household incomes. We then apply the results to the case of Arab countries and find that our experimental approach can promisingly be used for the study of the impact of education not just on individual earnings of employees but also on total household incomes of all workers and more broadly on the economy and the labor market.

Purpose: Artificial intelligence (AI) is constantly evolving and is poised to significantly transform the world, affecting nearly every sector and aspect of society. As AI continues to evolve, it is expected to create a more dynamic, efficient and personalized education system, supporting lifelong learning and adapting to the needs and pace of each student. In this research, we focus on testing the model of AI acceptance in higher education (HE) through human interaction-based factors including attitudes, competencies and openness to experience. Perceived benefits were our expectation to enhance AI acceptance in HE. Design/methodology/approach: To test the model, we collected data from Arab HE institutions by spreading an online questionnaire. The sample consisted of 1,152 of teaching staff and students in Arab region, which were selected randomly. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to determine the interrelated dependence of relationships among variables. Furthermore, processing analysis was conducted to ensure the reliability and validity of questionnaires, multicollinearity and factor loading, in which the items were tested one more time to ensure their validity after translation into Arab language. Findings: Results reveal that adopted attitude, digital competency and openness to experience have positive and significant relationship with both perceived benefits and AI acceptance in HE in the Arab region. The results also demonstrate the indirect impact of digital factors on AI acceptance in existence of perceived benefits, which was important in the validation of the model. Originality/value: The research contributes to AI acceptance theory and research by providing evidence of AI acceptance in the Arab region. As generative AI applications continue to expand and change, the way we accept and interact with them will be different. This model could be adopted by authorities to facilitate the acceptance of AI in Arab HE institutions.

Students from economically disadvantaged nations (EDN) face significant challenges in accessing high-quality education and securing global internships due to inadequate resources, funding, and infrastructure. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the potential of online platforms for providing accessible, remote education and internship opportunities, aligning with UNESCO's sustainability education objectives. Using the SWOT analysis tool within the context of the experiential learning-driven integrated reflective cycle model (IRC), the research compares onsite and online internship types in higher education to identify areas where interventions can be applied to enhance the online internship experience. The study analyzed 42 interns, both on-site (OSIs) and online (ONIs), to evaluate the constructs of 'experience,' 'action,' 'preparation,' and 'theory". The findings suggest that OSIs have weaknesses such as poor goal planning, a lack of awareness of relevance, and low communication confidence, while ONIs include a lack of exposure to teamwork and in-person experiences.

This article focuses on the relationship between elite British boarding schools and the overseas branches ('satellites') that they have established around the world. While British schools are categorised as charities, the satellites are operated as commercial ventures through subsidiaries. The UK-based schools can thus profit from the export of their 'brands', extracting capital from their satellites overseas and channelling it back to the UK. Drawing on interviews with staff of these satellite schools and on documentary analysis (including Charity Commission reports), we use the lens of racial capitalism to analyse the relationships between British elite schools and their overseas branches. We argue that through their overseas operations, British elite schools engage in extractive practices and are complicit in processes of enclosure and dispossession. These processes are premised along racialised lines and ultimately ensure that the promised 'British eliteness' remains out of reach for those who subsidise its social reproduction.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and challenges of Middle Eastern refugee mothers in using technology for language learning in regional Australian context. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a qualitative research design and used a narrative enquiry technique to understand participants' experiences of language acquisition with limited access to technology in new resettlement setting. Findings: The findings presented in this paper were derived from a qualitative investigation conducted on a sample of 21 refugee mothers from Middle Eastern countries. The research aimed to explore the role of a language education programme on their integration within the regional Australian context. Participants discussed a variety of aspects of their everyday lives within their new resettlement context while offering insights on the language education programme and its impacts on their educational progress. The theme "lack of access/use of technology in English language learning" emerged from the narratives. This paper draws on selected interview data from the participants. Originality/value: This study fills the gap in the literature on Middle Eastern refugees in regional Australia by exploring how lack/limited technology access can impact language acquisition of women from under-represented contexts.

Children's literature can serve as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. They are mirrors for marginalized groups to see themselves represented, windows for dominant cultures to learn about marginalized groups, and sliding glass doors to develop empathy. In this study, I examined Middle East Picture Book Award to address what books are available about Middle Eastern Muslims who experience xenophobia and Islamophobia; and identify the books that serve as mirrors-windows-sliding glass doors.

This article is a conceptual examination of tolerance and pedagogy with regard to the prevention of violence in the Arab world from a critical theory perspective. Tolerance is a socially and culturally bound system, indicating that any pedagogy of tolerance must be authentic to its context. Therefore, the value of adopting a nuanced Western pedagogy in the Arab world is limited. Consequently, a pedagogy of tolerance in the Arab world must incorporate its diverse codes of ethics and reasoning, and the dominant Arabic Islamic culture. However, politically constrained education systems have questionable abilities to help those previously colonised accept the negative impacts of colonialism and serve as an effective tool against ignorance-based intolerance and violence, especially since the tolerance agenda is largely driven by the formerly colonising countries. Thus, to reduce intolerance-based violence in the Arab world, the pedagogy of tolerance must depart from Western-based constructions and reflect the region's values.

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, Industry 4.0 stands as a monumental revolution that intertwines man and machine, reshaping the dynamics of labor and work environments. This paradigm shift demands a new outlook and necessitates a fresh set of skills and competencies to navigate the intricate web of advancements. From engineers to entrepreneurs, programmers to workers, the fourth industrial revolution mandates a versatile skillset to embrace its technological leaps. Amidst this transformation, the role of remote labs emerges as a potent platform, offering efficient and dependable means to cultivate students' expertise, thus preparing them for the dawn of the Work 4.0 era. This article delves into the story of Princess Sumaya University for Technology, shedding light on its ingenious employment of remote labs to provide students with a firsthand encounter with Industry 4.0. Furthermore, it explores innovative assessment techniques to foster virtual collaboration, social intelligence, and communication skills among students, highlighting remarkable enhancements in performance and achievements.

Background: Parents play a central role in the treatment of childhood stuttering. Addressing parental attitudes toward stuttering is helpful therapeutically. The extent to which differences in attitudes toward stuttering exist on the basis of sex, geographical region and parental status (e.g., parent of a stuttering child, parent of a nonstuttering child, nonparent) is unclear. Many studies investigating such factors have used the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) questionnaire. A large POSHA-S database has collected responses from over 20,000 people from 49 countries. Aims: The aim of this study was to use the POSHA-S database to examine the extent to which the following variables influence attitudes toward stuttering: (1) parents' sex (mothers vs. fathers); (2) geographic region (Middle East vs. Europe and North America); (3) parents' children (stuttering vs. nonstuttering); and (4) parental status (parents versus nonparents). Methods & Procedures: Data used in this study were extracted from selected, relevant studies that administered the POSHA-S to respondents. The Overall Stuttering Scores were compared on the basis of sex and parent status (i.e., mothers and fathers; nonparent women and men) and were then compared within and across the two geographical areas. Group comparisons were performed using analysis of variance followed by independent t-tests, and Cohen's d was calculated to determine effect sizes. Outcomes & Results: Statistically significant differences were observed upon the basis of geographical region. In general, male parents and nonparents tend to have more positive stuttering attitudes among the Middle Eastern samples while female parents and nonparents tend to show more positive attitudes in European and North American samples in the POSHA-S database. Effect sizes were small for all comparisons. Conclusions & Implications: The effect of geographic region and culture may predict sex-based differences among mothers' and fathers' attitudes toward stuttering; however, the clinical significance is unclear. Additional research is needed to better understand how children who stutter are affected by their parents' attitudes toward stuttering.

Purpose: Nowadays, universities increasingly consider reputation as a key component for improving quality and rankings. A positive reputation opens doors to added value and diverse opportunities. This paper aims to explore Middle Eastern higher education managers' perceptions of university reputation components. Design/methodology/approach: Given the significance of this concept in Middle Eastern universities, a descriptive phenomenological qualitative approach is adopted to identify these key components. The study includes interviews with university managers, and data are collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically. Findings: The findings reveal that, from the perspective of higher education managers, university reputation is influenced by four main components--university management and leadership, quality and performance, identity and image and social responsibility. These components are tailored to the context of Middle Eastern countries. Practical implications: Practical implications are clearly laid out in the form of four key themes for higher education managers in Middle Eastern countries to manage reputation. Originality/value: The study's outcomes can be used as a guide for university managers in developing countries to change the situation in their favor and achieve great success in the competitive condition of universities by planning and making policies in this direction. Also, the managers of higher education in the Middle Eastern countries can take advantage of the components of this study to improve the quality and quantity of their universities and take an important step towards increasing the university's reputation at the international level.

Children and youth from refugee backgrounds have complex language experiences owing to their journeys away from their homelands often taking them through multiple contexts. This study was motivated by a desire to better understand the language resources of students newly arrived as refugees in Australia and their embodied and contextualised experiences of their languages. Language portraits are a tool used to generate insights into language experiences. For this study, the language portrait tool was extended beyond the body to include contexts within which languages are experienced (school, home, the digital domain, other). Participants were 41 secondary students, who arrived as refugees from South Asia and the Middle East and were either enrolled in, or recent graduates of, an intensive English language programme. Findings were derived from (1) coding of languages according to embodied experience and context and (2) thematic analysis of students' transcribed discussion. Patterns across the cohort indicated that these students primarily experience their thinking as monolingual in their L1. However, the coding of sensory zones indicates that multilingualism is experienced as a multisensory flow of viewing, listening, speaking, eating and otherwise experiencing. Challenging assumptions of the home language environments of refugee students, homes appeared as multilingual domains.

Over the past three decades, various efforts have been made to develop special education policies and services in Syria. However, to guarantee the improvement of special education services and to develop sustainable national enhancements during both the emergency and reconstruction phases of the Syrian Civil War, it is necessary to continue to address the intersectional ways by which people with disabilities have been disproportionately impacted. This paper provides an update on disability and special education in Syria, including a brief account of the historical development of, impact of the civil war on, and major current challenges for the field of special education. These challenges include, but are not limited to, inadequate financial resources, a scarcity of integration programs, negative social attitudes because of a lack of knowledge, limited accessibility to services, and barriers to appropriate disability programmes. Recommendations for action are also offered. Further, we provide suggestions to improve special-education services for people with disabilities in Syria, as well as to develop sustainable national improvements for them.

Purpose: The article aims to identify the determinants of the urbanization process given the magnitude of this phenomenon and also its economic, social and environmental implications and pressure on public authorities to find viable solutions in the context of sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach: The research is based on regression analysis with urbanization growth being the dependent variable and enrollment in higher education, GDP, value added by industry and female labor force as independent variables. Findings: The main factors that favor urbanization are the increase in population, industry value-added and the female labor force. Urbanization is an objective that must be pursued differently by public authorities in developed and developing countries, given the different realities they face-population growth in developing countries, and population aging and international migration in developed countries. Research limitations/implications: The present research has limitations generated by the selection of independent variables, which is why in future directions, the research will consider the use of other indicators such as the number of graduates, exports as percent of GDP or migrations as a percentage of the total population. Given the complexity of the phenomenon of urbanization, future research will focus on groups of countries as they resulted from the clustering made by this article. Practical implications: The impact of higher education on urbanization is low, which is why the intensification of partnerships between municipal authorities and universities could be a solution that ensures not only the transfer of knowledge from academia to the public sector but also from entrepreneurs increasingly aware of the importance of promoting SDGs for urban development in the context of the challenges posed by global warming. The involvement of women in the labor market is essential for the intensification of the urbanization process. The increasing presence of women in the labor market generates an increase in the income of families, an increase in the level of education and an intensification of national and international migration. The research findings can be used by policy and decision-makers to develop appropriate urbanization and education policies and strategies. Originality/value: The existence of inhomogeneous clusters is noticeable, which demonstrates the complexity of the urbanization phenomenon that is present in all countries around the world, but under the influence of different factors such as the export of natural resources (mainly oil) or the intensification of industrial activity. Taking into account the variables used, this study stands out in the multitude of articles published in the international mainstream.

This study explored the equivalence of resilience across countries and economies that participated in PISA 2018. A total of 79 countries and economies were divided into ten sub-groups based on their socio-demographic characteristics. Analysis of the comparability of the PISA self-efficacy scale as a measure of resilience across the participating countries/economies in the study was conducted using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA). The results demonstrated that across all countries and economies, the configural invariance level, which is the lowest level of invariance, has been reached but the metric and scalar invariance levels have not been reached. Within-group results showed that all sub-groups presented a model fit for the metric level of invariance. However, only the Anglo countries were able to reach the strict invariance level. This finding indicates that the Anglo countries were more homogeneous in terms of their interpretation of self-efficacy in PISA, whereas other sub-groups were more heterogeneous. Confirming the notion of cultural affiliation of resilience, it was concluded that self-efficacy by itself might not be an adequate indicator of resilience. The current study has some recommendations for future research and how PISA can be more inclusive about the constructs it employs.

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to explore factors influencing engineering students' acceptance of the Google Classroom platform in communication skills courses to ensure more active engagement and better performance. Background: In response to the underutilization and hesitancy in adopting educational technologies, this study investigates the factors influencing engineering students' acceptance of Google Classroom in a Middle Eastern university. Despite the potential benefits of such technologies, their integration faces challenges due to cultural factors and resistance from educators and students alike. Methodology: The study utilized a Technology Acceptance Model-based questionnaire distributed via Google Forms to 140 engineering students to analyze the acceptance of Google Classroom. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling with Smart PLS, focusing on critical constructs like ease of use and perceived usefulness. Limitations due to the sample size and single-institution scope are acknowledged, which may affect the generalizability of the findings. Contribution: This study outlines practical steps for educators to enhance learning by fostering a user-friendly environment and supporting student proficiency with technology. It highlights the importance of policies encouraging educational technology adoption and urges developers to focus on user-centered features. Additionally, the study calls for collaboration among educators, policymakers, and developers to create engaging and compelling learning experiences. Findings: Findings unveil the significant impact of user satisfaction on perceived ease of use and usefulness, subsequently influencing attitudes. Furthermore, the study identifies the substantial influence of subjective norms and attitudes on intentions and the consequential impact of intentions on self-perception of academic success. Recommendations for Practitioners: The study advocates for educators to cultivate a motivating environment that fosters active engagement with the Google Classroom platform by raising students' satisfaction and positive attitudes. Recommendation for Researchers: The study encourages further investigation into the long-term effects of technology integration on students' academic performance and learning outcomes and exploration of additional variables or moderators that may influence technology acceptance in educational settings. Impact on Society: By understanding the factors influencing engineering students' acceptance of Google Classroom, educators can better integrate technology into communication skills courses, potentially improving student engagement and academic performance and preparing students for success in a technologically driven society. Future Research: Longitudinal studies tracking students' technology adoption patterns over time would also contribute to understanding the sustained impact of technology integration on educational practices and outcomes.

Digital teamwork has become prevalent and is ever since becoming part of the human work- and life-style, globally. But in comparison with face-to-face setting, virtual teams face multifold challenges. To date, scarce empirical research has examined whether team-breaking challenges are associated with limited access to peer nonverbal signals. This study examines whether access to body signals is associated with effective teamwork, and whether limited access provokes key team challenges. We also examine what social-psychological team concepts can be detected from peers' consciously or unconsciously displayed visual cues that cannot be as effectively gained without visual access. 14 dyadic teams of MBA students were examined in an online business negotiation task to reach an authentic commercial deal. Half of the teams negotiated only through voice and text, while the other half had camera access as well. Using an exploratory mixed methods analysis, we identified 12 unique team factors based on nonverbal data. We also found that teams with camera access could build mutual trust more rapidly, detect peer honesty better, and realize agreements on suggestions more accurately. Surprisingly, we also found instances where camera access became stressful and participants reported it as an additional burden. Conclusions and implications are reported at the end.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have been around for some time, but several studies highlighted different issues associated with them, including quality. The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed their second blooming, where MOOCs have seen a surge in enrollments since March 2020. This study intended to explore how this enrollment reflected on the research studies included in scientific publications, indexed by Web of Science. Specifically, the bibliometric mapping analyses of 108 studies have revealed an ongoing trend in the countries contributing to the MOOCs research, namely USA, China, UK and Spain. Additionally, MOOCs research coming from US, UK and other western countries was decreasing before the pandemic and showed a continuous dramatic reduction also during the COVID-19 pandemic. Growing attention in MOOCs research among less represented countries was also observed. Besides, most of the topics focused on by MOOCs research during the pandemic were mainly related to education and engineering.

With the changing and developing technology, numerous new systems that cannot be given up and have a great impact are becoming a part of our lives. Augmented reality (AR) is one of these systems which can be claimed as magic. AR has been gaining considerable interest in the field of education, and language learning since Pokémon Go, the most well-known AR location-based game, was launched. There has been much evidence to support the effectiveness of AR in education. The present study set out to review in detail the current research studies published in SSCI/ESCI/ERIC indexed privileged journals in the field of language education and technology within the last five years, on the topic of augmented reality in language learning. The selection of articles was made on the basis of empirical studies on the use of AR in language education. Surprisingly, only seventeen studies seem to fall into the said category in these selected, SSCI/ESCI/ERIC journals. On the grounds that there emerges a lack of such studies and complying with the nature of the present study, all these articles have been reviewed in detail, in terms of three aspects: (1) research features, such as research focus, design, data collection tools, study, and educational context; (2) the use of AR, such as theory behind AR use, and AR applications used in the studies; (3) results of the studies. The results showed that much emphasis has been on vocabulary learning, the learning effectiveness, attitudes, and motivations of language learners with scant attention given to language skills. There is a current paucity of empirical research focusing specifically on different language skills. Hence, it is desirable to examine the effects of AR on different language skills of language learners.

Deception is a misrepresentation of reality that attracted many researchers examining it from various perspectives. However, no due attention has been given to the discursive deception strategies in the work of think tanks. This study aims at exposing the deception strategies deployed in the conservative American think tanks' discourse which concern itself with the (re)production of socio-political realities. The study holds the significance of the detection and explication of argumentative and pragmatic discursive deception strategies which impose ideological hegemony and socio-political polarization of the positively presented "Self" against the negatively presented "Other." This study attempts to answer a twofold question: what are the discursive deception strategies involved in the work of think tanks, and why/how these strategies are applied? To this end, eight political texts from three think tanks were analyzed adopting an eclectic model based on van Dijk (2000) and Yule (1996). The analyzed data mainly focuses on four political themes namely (1) terrorism in Islam, (2) Russian role in the Middle East, (3) the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, (4) the U.S. policy in the Middle East. The results demonstrate the pervasiveness of discursive deception strategies in the think tanks' discourse which endeavor to communicate an ideological polarization of a positive presentation of the "Self" against a negative presentation of the "Other" and reinforce a hegemony of particular socio-political realities. Findings can be beneficial for students of (critical) discourse analysis, media, communications studies, and English for special purposes.

Given the increasing number of learners in massive open online courses (MOOCs), students' self-directed learning (SDL) skills are necessary for their success. The purpose of this study was to explore learners' motivation for enrolling in MOOCs and their SDL strategies, as well as instructional elements that support SDL from learners' perspectives. This qualitative study adopted a phenomenological research design. The data source was semi-structured interviews with 15 learners from three MOOCs. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The researchers found that the motivation for enrolling in MOOCs included intrinsic motivation (e.g., curiosity, improving personal knowledge, and personal interest) and extrinsic motivation (e.g., supporting formal education and career development). The learning strategies used by MOOC learners were task strategies, self-monitoring, and self-management strategies. The task strategies included taking notes, reading texts or subtitles, watching videos, and conducting further research. The self-monitoring strategies included self-assessment, self-reflection, progress indicators, final projects, and authentic tasks. Learners' self-management strategies (e.g., time management and resource management) varied depending on their diverse motivations. In addition, the instructional elements that support SDL were self-assessment and discussion forums, instructor feedback, flexibility, clearly stated learning goals, the authenticity of the content, and small learning units. The implications of the study are discussed in the paper.

The recent pandemic has forced the educational sector to unwillingly reform its strategies by compelling it to embrace technology as the savior of the educational process. COVID-19 has adversely affected this sector by forcing a halt to all face-to-face learning in educational institutes, which led to dependence solely on online education and adopting strategies fit solely to distant learning. Thus, this paper has focused on the English language learning strategies adopted during COVID-19. Moreover, this research aims to provide the latest information about online teaching strategies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic by English language instructors in Asia, especially in Middle Eastern countries. This study is qualitative in nature and utilizes the systematic literature review approach. The data for this research was gathered from renowned databases to maintain reliability. The results highlighted that among many strategies, three are most important in teaching the English language during COVID-19, first is collaborative learning (i.e., breakout classes, cloud-based collaboration), the second is flipped classroom, and the final is scaffolding. In the end, the study concluded with the recommendation as the findings of this research can help policymakers and educationists in developing effective or efficient strategies for tackling tough situations or pandemics.

The use of movie-based educational interventions has been widely used in the pedagogy of psychology. Wherein most of the researchers have included full-length movies in their teaching followed by students' comments of its effectiveness; the current research was carried out to examine if or not students will be able to find relevant clips from the list of movies provided and incorporate those in their group workshops after being exposed to the theoretical knowledge in their lecture class. To gauge how the participants received it and what suggestions do they have to offer for the improvement of this innovative exercise an anonymous survey and a semi open-ended interview was used. The research was conducted in three trimesters of academic years 2018 and 2019. On analysis of the raw data, it was found that the students rated the assignment favorably and reported that movie clips helped them understand the course material better and enabled them to apply psychological concepts to real-life situations. The findings suggest that movie clips can facilitate the learning process and can prove to be an efficacious tool to validate students' learning.

International school educators hold various opinions about language acquisition. These opinions are often formed during their training and previous teaching experiences in their home countries. This quantitative cross-sectional survey-based study explored and compared the opinions of 283 English as a Foreign Language (EFL), Primary, and Secondary English teachers in international schools in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and South America. The study examined the age EFL students should begin receiving EFL teacher support and for how long. The study revealed statistically significant differences between EFL and Primary teachers concerning the age for EFL students to begin receiving support from an EFL teacher. Further revealed were significant differences between EFL and Secondary English teachers concerning the duration of EFL support. Overall, participants' opinions about the duration of EFL support are well below previously reported data, which is troubling since EFL students in English-medium international schools are learning English for academic purposes.

This study investigates the experience of the first-year implementation of an international partnership between a university in the United States and one in the Middle East. Through thematic analysis, document analysis, and participant observation as our methods, we offer a detailed description of design elements and instructional strategies used during the partnership, assessing their relevance, responsiveness, and benefits to the partner institutions and their clientele. The findings support the use of hybrid cohort models in cross-national partnerships for educational leadership and are closely aligned with the literature, however, also add specific experiences and perspectives of those directly involved. In conclusion, the study highlights that for optimal outcomes, international university partnerships require not only early planning but also mutual trust, moving beyond paternalistic, reductive, "North-South Global Perspectives" many traditional partnerships promulgate.

A documentary review was conducted on the production and publication of research papers on studying the variable Digital Transformation, Education and COVID-19. The bibliometric analysis proposed in this document aims to know the main characteristics of the volume of publications registered in the Scopus database from 2020 to 2022, achieving the identification of 464 publications in total. The information provided by this platform was organized using tables and figures, categorizing the information by Year of Publication, Country of Origin, Area of Knowledge and Type of Publication. Once these characteristics were described, the position of different authors regarding the proposed topic was referenced through qualitative analysis. Among the main findings of this research, it is found that Spain, with 49 publications, was the country with the highest global production. The area of knowledge that made the most significant contribution to the construction of bibliographic material related to the study of Digital Transformation, Education and COVID-19 was the area of Social Sciences with 253 published documents, and the type of publication that was most used during the period mentioned above was the journal article, representing 54% of the total scientific production.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused unique challenges to international students. Student Affairs and Services (SAS) across the higher education sector played a key role in supporting students and institutions during the pandemic. This article reports the findings of an exploratory survey with SAS practitioners from around the globe on the ways in which SAS responded to the pandemic and sought to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on students, in general, and international students specifically. The results demonstrate that international students were among the primary groups of students impacted by the pandemic. Specific challenges identified include mental well-being, inability to return home, financial hardships, fear, and uncertainty. Discrimination of certain groups was also noted. SAS intervened to assist international students in navigating these challenges across world regions, including services declared essential for international student support. Finally, financial implications and the future of international student support are explored.

Drawing on communities of practice and social cognitive learning theories, this paper explores language teachers' beliefs, knowledge and practices concerning the provision of high-quality education to learners with specific learning difficulties in various educational settings around the world. The data sample for this paper comprises qualitative data (videorecorded interviews and teaching resources) collected from six teachers working across various educational settings (primary, secondary, college and university) across several geographical areas (Europe, Middle East, and Southeast Asia). Thematic analysis was adopted to analyse the data. The findings suggest that teachers continue to experience challenges in educating learners with specific learning difficulties regardless of the educational setting. Limited opportunities for receiving specialised training in this area have been identified by several teachers as one of the key factors affecting the quality of their practice. The change in the mode of instruction from face-to-face to online was not always reported as negatively affecting the quality of educational provision to learners with specific learning difficulties. Technology-assisted online lesson delivery was seen as being advantageous to learners with some types of learning difficulties. Findings from this paper can be useful to teacher-practitioners and teacher-educators who are interested in improving the quality of language education for learners with specific learning difficulties.

The study discussed in this paper is a systematic literature review related to the role of dual language programme (DLP) in mathematics education which has been published within the last 5 years. This study was conducted to identify the distribution of DLP studies in terms of year of publication, the study context covered in previous studies, the context of study areas used, focus and trends of past studies, research methods used in previous studies and the role of language in school mathematics education. This review study followed the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA) to analyze articles from Scopus and Web of Science. The findings of the study indicate that research trends in the implementation of the DLP on mathematics education for secondary school students showed an increase from 2017 to 2019. Most DLP-related articles are widely developed in the United States and Germany. The findings indicate that previous studies are more interested in studying the implementation of DLP in rural areas. Past studies have also preferred to use the design of either a qualitative study or a quantitative study to be implemented. Questionnaires, tests and interviews are among the research instruments that are often used for a study.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruption to education around the world. As education systems gradually return to normal, there is a push to understand effects of the disruption. A major impact on students is "learning loss", in which attainment and progress may have fallen behind expected levels. Various efforts have been made to quantify learning loss, but to better understand it, further work, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, is required. Here, we sought to record teachers' views on how far behind (or ahead) their students were compared to a "typical" year, and to gather their opinions about what had been lost (or gained). To do this, we surveyed teachers in schools that work with Cambridge CEM. We received over 400 responses, spread across 38 countries and 198 schools, thus giving a broad sample of experiences. A majority of respondents felt their students were behind expectations. 1-2 months behind was the most common estimate, but some respondents made much larger estimates of loss, while a sizeable minority thought that their students were on track or even ahead of expectations. Descriptions of the areas of loss indicated that fundamental literacy and numeracy skills had been affected, as had practical skills and general study skills. Responses also described variable impacts, both within and between groups of students. Effects of COVID-related disruption on education are ongoing and may be felt for some time still to come. By exploring the nature and extent of learning loss in students, it is hoped that it will be possible to better understand, and hopefully mitigate, these longer-term impacts.

Inclusive education is a learning system where learners with various disabilities learn in an environment with equitable educational opportunities alongside non-disabled peers. The theoretical framework forming the foundation of this paper is disability studies which include the social model of disability, which pushes back against the medical model of disability. Inclusive education is important because it promotes friendship among learners, develops individual strengths, and promotes equity in access to educational opportunities. The need for equity in Middle Eastern schools began in the late 1950s. Several laws have been enacted to increase the access of children with disabilities to education. Inclusive education practices are hampered by teachers' attitudes, shortage of resources, and social stigma. For any development in promoting inclusive education, individuals, families, community groups, businesses, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) must create a supportive environment. Inclusive education paves the way for equity in access to education. Lastly, the practical strategies towards developing successful inclusive education supports in the Middle East include incorporating universal design for learning, redesigning teacher education programs, implementing IEPs, and using assistive technology.

Massive Open Online Course (MOOCs) has helped develop the education sector since the COVID-19 pandemic, though it causes low retention. This study used a systematic literature review method to analyze the factors affecting the retention level of MOOCs participants in developing countries and worldwide. A total of 89 publications in the Scopus journal during 2015-2021 and 26 published in developing countries were examined. The results showed that the factors affecting the retention level of MOOCs' participants include perceived ease of use, usefulness, social influence, and self-efficacy. However, motivation was an insignificant factor in developing countries despite being significant worldwide. Infrastructure was an internal factor for the retention level among participants, though this study can be further expanded using better methods.

This inquiry into narrative explores the often-silenced migration narratives of three refugee students from Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq. It is centered around two particular wonderings based in a critical literacy framework. First, what tenets of critical literacy seem most prominent in the narratives of refugee students from the Middle East? Second, what critical understanding of their migration experience do refugee students bring to the classroom? The conceptualized framework is understood as "The Centrality of Experience in Critical Literacy," wherein experience is central and valuable. This study applies the framework using stories as the source from which to better understand how individuals make sense of their worlds. Through a five-phase analysis, which included: free coding, literature derived coding, analysis of time and sequence, narrative pattern coding, and analysis of language, I find rich understandings of 1) the political, non-neutral nature of the world, 2) a fight for access to knowledge, and 3) a hope for envisioned future possibilities as the students seek belonging, refuge, and dreams, reclaiming the power of their own narratives. This inquiry into narrative additionally contributes the three stories and two audio recordings as a cultural data set, which can be used in the classroom.

The recent expansion of virtual exchange (VE) in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing advance of technology has resulted in considerably larger numbers of VE participants for those in certain areas and contexts, yet not all would-be participants have been so fortunate. In some regions and in various contexts, challenges in VE implementation have resulted in disadvantaged populations in terms of underrepresentation and marginalization in global VE networks. To illuminate such challenges, a mixed-method approach was utilized in the current study, beginning with a global survey to elucidate reasons for underrepresentation in terms of political, governmental, institutional, administrative, technological, pedagogical, cultural and personal challenges. Thereafter, semi-structured interviews with instructors, administrators, and educational decision makers were conducted to gain further insights. Although VE is now well established as an impactful mode of studying abroad, various region-specific challenges remain. We conclude with recommendations on how to overcome the challenges especially in those underrepresented regions and populations.

This study aims to analyze cyberbullying research in Turkey through bibliometric analysis. To this end, the study dealt with six research questions which included the most frequently used keywords and co-occurrences of these keywords, Turkey's collaboration with other countries, the frequency distribution of articles and citations by year, the most cited articles, the most productive journals, and authors. The bibliometric data were limited to the Web of Science (WoS) database. The first search yielded a total of 3974 publications. However, excluding the publications which did not comply with the aim of the study resulted in 105 articles to be analyzed. The findings suggested that there were 268 keywords used at least once. The keywords occurring at least five times other than "cyberbullying" were "cyber victimization," "adolescent," "bullying," "reliability," "validity," and "internet addiction.". Turkey had at least one collaboration with 21 countries. The top five countries with at least two collaborations were England, the U.S.A., Australia, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Germany. The most productive year was 2021. The most cited article was published in 2010, and the most influential journal was "Education and Science." It was also revealed that the fifteen most productive authors had 57 publications. Considering the increasing interaction among people in virtual environments, cyberbullying research which has a nearly quarter-century history, should take more attention from Turkish scholars. Additionally, a gap was observed in the literature regarding studies conducted on parents. Thus, further studies may attempt to fill this gap.

The present study aimed to cover a holistic viewpoint toward assessment and its features. It discussed the problems in this area during the dominance of COVID-19. This study sought to present some notes on the current online assessment strategies used by the institutions. It measured the effects of the implemented techniques on the nature and purposes of assessment. The issue of cheating was also discussed briefly as the most crucial disadvantage of online measurements, which makes a gap between learners' knowledge, performance, and authentic learning capabilities in virtual platforms. Meanwhile, a short survey was distributed among teachers of the Middle East. It was revealed that assessment lost its main features and objectives during the dominance of COVID-19. Moreover, it was noticed that academic integrity is still deficient despite the highest levels of precautionary actions taken by the teachers and institutions in online platforms.

The quality of the research can be measured by a set of standards and indicators that focus on the idea of research originality, the depth of discussion, the literature analysis techniques, and the quality of research instruments. This research aims to evaluate the quality of Arab journals of special education (AJSEs). Five AJSEs were evaluated, all specializing in special education in the Arab world. The AJSEs were issued in Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. A checklist of 20 indicators was developed and applied to these journals. Results revealed that 5 indicators were highly met, 11 indicators were moderately met, and 4 indicators were low met in AJSEs. The results also indicated a difference in the quality indicators achievability (QIA) according to the journal's name. The QIA in International Journal for Talent Development, and Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation was considerable. While, the QIA of the Saudi Journal of Special Education and Arab Journal of Disability and Talent Sciences was moderate, and it was low in Journal of Special Education.

Speaking skills had always been the most challenging skill among the pupils in language learning. The flipped learning approach is an innovative teaching and learning pedagogy that creates better learning experiences in order to improve pupils' speaking skills. Therefore, this systematic literature review focuses on flipped learning approach in improving pupils' speaking skills. This analysis is done based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) review methodology. A total of 39 articles related to flipped learning in improving speaking skills published between 2017 to 2020 were identified from Scopus, Google Scholar and ERIC databases. Based on the results, self-regulated learning, interaction, motivation and achievement were the key themes that promotes the benefit of flipped learning to improve pupils' speaking skills. Hence, this paper is beneficial to policy makers, educators and students in utilizing flipped learning approach to improve pupils' speaking skills from various levels of education.

While numerous studies have reported the effect of school socioeconomic status (SES) on achievement, the factors that can cause this relationship are not well established. This study is, therefore, an attempt to understand school SES and students' mathematics achievement relationship by assuming that this relationship occurs through a correlation between school SES and school characteristics. Identifying these school characteristics is crucial to reduce the relation between SES and achievement for educational equity. Focusing on the 8th-grade mathematics data from Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015, this study aimed to identify school characteristics (quality of mathematics teaching at school, discipline at school, sense of school belonging, and school academic emphasis) that can mediate the relationship between school SES and students' mathematics achievement. The results of multilevel regression analyses showed that controlling school characteristics reduced the relationship between school SES and students' mathematics achievement in most of the educational systems. However, the results of multilevel multiple mediation analysis showed that the relationship between school SES and students' mathematics achievement were mediated through discipline at school, school academic emphasis, or sense of school belonging in some educational systems. In addition, the results indicated that the quality of mathematics teaching at school was not a mediator in this relationship. These results suggest the need for eliminating the effect of school SES on some school characteristics to improve equity in education.

The COVID-19 pandemic has struck many countries around the world. Most countries declared a health emergency to halt the spread of COVID-19 cases, putting all citizens on lockdown. This has caused schools to implement distance learning strategies with little or no prior experience. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the world's education system into an unstructured, emergency remote education mode. New issues arise as a result of the change from offline to online instruction, as well as achieving work-life balance. Hence this systematics review was guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) in order to identify the current research on teacher technostress. The factors that contribute to the said factor and ways of overcoming teachers' technostress during online learning would be investigated. A number of 52 related studies were accessed from Jun 2021 until September 2021 for this study. Articles published between 2019 and 2021 were sought from two leading databases which are Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus. Thus, this review systematically identifies teacher technostress and coping mechanisms during COVID-19 pandemic. It was found that several effects were caused by the technology use. In light of the result, stakeholders need to prepare a proactive way to make sure teachers are less stressed with this new norm of teaching and learning.

The question of SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) diasporic identity formation has been widely debated in area studies, ethnic studies, and the burgeoning field of Arab American Studies with scholars such as Sarah Gualtieri (2009), Nadine Naber (2012), and Neda Maghbouleh (2017) arguing that people of SWANA descent are racial minorities even though the U.S. government classifies them as white. However, these works have not adequately addressed SWANA racialization in the context of higher education following 9/11. This co-authored paper closely examines institutionalized SWANA erasure from the shared intersectional perspective of one faculty member, one graduate student, and two undergraduate students at a California State University campus in Southern California. Specifically, in this co-authored paper, we draw on our individual and collective co-organizing experiences to illustrate (a) the persistence of specific structural inequities that SWANA heritage people face in the academy, (b) the multilayered impact of these educational barriers, and (c) our wide range of ongoing activist responses to them. We say "khalas!" (enough!) to systemic oppression and argue that the ultimate antidote to institutionalized SWANA erasure is solidarity within and between marginalized subjects at every level of academia in the service of anti-racist and anti-colonial education. This co-authored paper uplifts SWANA resilience and resistance in California's most diverse public university system to shed new light on the understudied issue of how higher education perpetuates SWANA racialization.

In this paper we propose STEAM practices that would foster mathematics learning through modelling architecture while connecting to culture and history. The architectural modelling process is applied by the teachers as participants of these practices from different countries allowing a broad cultural and historical connection to mathematics education. The modelling is implemented in GeoGebra platform as it is an open-source platform to allow teachers to model on a mathematics basis. The architectural modelling process does not provide participants with steps to follow but rather allows them to explore the architectural models' components and construct them with various approaches which may foster problem solving techniques. We aim to investigate how different phases of this approach (such as motivation, modeling, and printing process) reflect on opportunities of learning in STEAM education, with a particular lens in mathematical development from open tasks. This paper will show two use cases that took place in Upper Austria and the MENA region.