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This paper presents an explorative holistic analysis of digitally-constructed gamification processes in mathematics education. The main aim of this study is to identify the key issues, intentions and trends by examining peer-reviewed publications using a combination of social network analysis (SNA), computerized lexical analysis and content analysis. Research findings indicate that there is a growing trend in gamification in mathematics education (GIME) research. GIME is mostly employed in primary school level. It was also found that, numbers is the most gamified math topic. Another research finding reveals that the researchers mostly use gamification to improve mathematical problem-solving, math achievement and math performance apart from the motivation and engagement. According to SNA findings, the most strategic terms in GIME research are as follows; geometry, fractions, mobile-learning, gender-studies, human-computer interaction, intelligent tutoring systems and tangible user-interfaces. GIME research is mostly influenced by USA and Brazil hence, the developing countries have an increasing interest in GIME research. Finally, findings on general research discourse implies that the general discourse among the sampled papers is positive. The findings obtained in this study may be useful to improve mathematics education by mapping a research agenda for researchers and educators with the exploration of potentials of GIME research.

A conceptual model on OER adoption is presented, as the substantive theoretical synthesis of a Grounded Theory study, whose purpose was to identify which factors influence the adoption of OER among teachers in Latin American universities. Main theoretical-methodological bases are rooted and analised, in comparison with the traditional approach identified in the most recent literature. From a double "emic" perspective on agency and structure, the faculty and the university institution, the resultant conceptual model includes four categories influencing the adoption of OER among professors in Latin American universities: 1) Construction of Teacher Professional Identity; 2) Practices and Transformations in the Curriculum; 3) Creation, Use and Opening of Digital Educational Resources; and 4) Social Representations about Repositories of OER. Properties and dimensions of each category are presented and described. The critical conceptual model may be adopted by researchers from all regions who seek to unveil and decolonise the hidden curriculum of OER.

Prompted by William Newell's 2013 call for the Association of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) to consider whether to rethink its mission in light of other organizations' interests, this article begins by reflecting on similarities and differences among five of the founding organizations of a recently formed Global Alliance for Inter- and Transdisciplinarity. In chronological order of their own founding dates they are AIS, the Network of Transdisciplinary Research, the Integration and Implementation Sciences network, the International Network for the Science of Team Science, and the Center for Interdisciplinarity at Michigan State University. Descriptions of the five in Part I account for their emergence, communication venues, keywords of representation, website features, and prominent outputs. Given the centrality of integration in both inter- and trans-disciplinarity, it also describes their stances on this prominent topic. Part II reflects on implications of the current heterogeneity of the core concepts, focusing initially on generalizations including distinctions between Zurich and Nicolescuian approaches to transdisciplinarity followed by the premise of distinct Franco and U.S. traditions of the field of nanomedicine. It then draws further insights from case studies of institutionalizing interdisciplinarity across Europe, Russia and the South Caucuses, Africa, Latin and North America, Australia, and Asia. After commenting on signs of change in AIS, discussion turns to historical precedents for prioritizing problem solving, followed by future horizons for both inter- and trans-disciplinarity with emphasis on implications of their heterogeneity and overlaps with other prominent concepts such as Convergence and Mode 2 Knowledge Production. The closing section presents final reflections for answering Newell's challenge for AIS members to consider expanding its definition of interdisciplinary studies and conception of integrative process in light of other organizations' interests.

The current stage of society development is very closely related to the digitalization of all spheres of public life without exception. Education in this regard should become the starting point or the basis for the competent and conscious application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, neural networks, and other cyber-physical systems based on AI, as well as robots and robotics objects. Digitalization in education is promoted by economic, social and structural prerequisites. The introduction of these technologies provides new opportunities to improve the educational process, but at the same time the application of these technologies faces some risks, the identification of negative consequences of which is delayed. The aim of the article is to provide the ways for the development of legal regulation of AI, robots and robotics objects in education. The study considers the experience of different countries in the implementation of AI technologies in the educational process, provides the opinions of international UNESCO experts, Russian and foreign researchers. According to the results of the research, three main directions of the relationship between the development of AI technologies and education are identified: 1) training with the help of AI technologies; 2) scientific and practical research of AI and its technologies; 3) training qualified specialists to work with AI in the process of obtaining secondary and higher education. The factors that hinder the implementation of these technologies, as well as the risks of negative consequences of their use in the form of violations of the students' rights are revealed. Findings and proposals for each of the identified areas are formulated.

During the last 20 years, the teaching of writing has grown worldwide as a dynamic field of international academic practice and research, as attested to by the emergence of disciplinary societies, conferences, and publications. This paper builds on common nodes that have shaped the original contributions to Latin America's university-level teaching of and research on writing. The authors report on the particularities of university systems in the region, as teaching and researching writing are situated and respond to institutional needs and opportunities. They also explore the central role of language and discourse studies in the disciplinary development of the field and outline the current state of scholarship with particular attention to the production of writing knowledge and theory.

This study investigated the measurement invariance of school and teacher Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) readiness among 57 countries that participated in the Program in International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 assessment. School and teacher ICT readiness scale is 11-item scale with two subfactors: school ICT readiness and teacher ICT readiness subscales (Bozkus, "International Online Journal of Education and Teaching," 8(3), 1560-1579, 2021). With the novel alignment optimization method, we revealed that the school ICT readiness subscale was invariant for unbiased country comparisons but overall noninvariance was identified for the teacher ICT readiness subscale. Additionally, the rank of the school ICT readiness factor means indicated that Singapore, Sweden, B-S-J-Z (regions of China), United Arab Emirates and United States were among the top league, while countries like Indonesia, Poland, Ireland in between, and Japan, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Brazil ranked comparatively the lowest. Measures of school location, school type and class size further confirmed the validity of the school ICT readiness subscale. It was expected that the study would enhance our understanding of school and teacher ICT readiness across countries with the application of an alternative alignment optimization approach in examining ICT related scales.

Digital technology and literacy can heighten the transformation of teaching and learning in higher education institutions (HEIs). This study uncovers the extent to which "digital technologies" have been used to advance the teaching and learning process in HEIs, and the barriers and bottlenecks to why it may not have been effectively implemented across the HEIs. The study used nine selected countries in Latin America (LATAM) based on the main focus of the educators, commercial, and financial investors; to show the level of impact/implications of computer technologies on the teaching and learning processes. We applied a two-step (mixed) methodology (through a quantitative and qualitative lens) for the research investigation, using data collected from survey we administered to faculty members in HEIs across the different countries in LATAM. In turn, we implemented a Text Mining technique (sentiment and emotional valence analysis) to analyze opinions (textual data) given by the participants to help determine challenges and obstacles to using the digital technologies for teaching and learning in the region. Quantitatively, we applied a Kruskal-Wallis H-test to analyze the collected multiple choice and ranked items in the questionnaire in order to identify prominent factors that consummately influence the reach, barriers, and bottlenecks, and where the differences may lie across the different LATAM countries. The results show that the users upheld the emphasis on lack of training, infrastructures and resources, access to internet and digital platforms, as the main challenges to the teaching--learning process. The study also empirically discussed and shed light on critical factors the HEIs, particularly in LATAM, should resolve and adopt in support of the decision-making strategies, operational policies and governance, financial investments, and policymaking, at a time when "digital technologies" have become an inevitable and indispensable part of education and learning.

This article presents a review of the literature about e-learning experiences in tertiary education over the past 20 years, since the 2000s. At this point, an increasing use of web-based technologies started to affect the spread of e-learning. The methodological approach used in the study was quantitative. The main results showed that the development of information technology and the spread of Internet applications in the field of education drove a significant increase in the number of publications in the period 2016-2020. Approximately 50% of the total number of documents analysed were published during this period, more than 100 documents per year. The main research themes in the last 20 years showed four different periods, with leading and emergent themes in each. Our study also suggests that the recent phase of e-learning may be extended in future towards a reframed concept, so-called hybrid learning.

This study aims to examine the association between family financial stress and bullying victimization by incorporating peer and teacher-student relationships into a moderated mediation model. Based on a sample of 40,772 children from the International Survey of Children's Well-Being, results posit that the link between family financial stress and bullying victimization is mediated by peer relationship, and this mediation is further moderated by teacher-student relationship. Specifically, the direct effect of family financial stress on bullying victimization decreases as the quality of teacher-student relationship increases. Moreover, the effect of peer relationship on bullying victimization is also moderated by teacher-student relationship, with the effect being weaker for children reporting high levels of teacher-student relationship. This study contributes to current understanding of the mediation and moderation through which family economic conditions are linked with bullying victimization. Implications for practice and directions for future research are also discussed.

Objective: To gather research evidence on the association between diet and depression and anxiety among college students. Methods: Systematic searches were performed in CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases to identify potentially relevant articles published between January 2000 and September 2020. Data were extracted from 21 selected studies. Results: Most of the cross-sectional studies found a positive association between diet and depression and anxiety; however, a few studies found inconsistent results. Moreover, several interventional studies demonstrated that a healthy diet (including consumption of fruit and vegetables) improved depression in the intervention group. Conclusions: The methodological limitations of cross-sectional studies to explain causality and the limited number of prospective interventional studies point to a pressing need to conduct more prospective, longitudinal, and randomized controlled trials to generalize the causal associations between diet and depression and anxiety. Further research is needed to investigate the biological mechanisms of nutrients' actions on anxiety and depression.

To ensure the widespread dissemination of information and to foster interaction and dialogue with users, higher education institutions need to develop an active profile on the social networks. This paper analyses the influence of universities' posting strategy on their followers' engagement (reaction, virality and conversation) by measuring the level of activity and type of presence on their social networks. A content analysis was conducted to analyse 90,000 posts by 70 universities from Europe, the United States and Latin America on their institutional profiles on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. The universities' posting activity on their social media is moderate (with an overall mean of 7.04 posts per day), but the interaction rate is very low (0.237), far below the recommended levels of engagement. Notably, increased activity by universities on social networks does not lead to greater engagement but points to an inverse relationship between the two. Our findings also indicate that university-created content (UCC) achieves a higher level of engagement ([x-bar] = 169.41) than university-shared content (USC) ([x-bar] = 126.18). This study explores the effect of universities' posting strategy dimensions on their follower's interaction.

Over 8 million children under the age of 14 live with a disability in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. These children are often denied educational opportunities and related services that have the potential to enhance their quality of life. In this qualitative study, we conducted a secondary analysis of interviews with eight parents of individuals with disabilities living in the Republic of Panama. The aim of this study was to examine the parental perceptions of disability, communication supports afforded to individuals with disabilities, and enablers and barriers families face when raising, educating, and finding services for their children. Four general themes emerged from the analysis of the transcript: child characteristics, child communication, sources of support, and barriers to inclusion. Implications and possible solutions are discussed.

Much research has been made in recent years on the effect of over and under education on earnings. In this paper, I examine the validity of the assumption that the return to over (under) education is independent of the level of education. I use data from the PIAAC survey to estimate the return to education. The findings show that while this assumption might be valid for the return to under-education, it seems to be wrong for estimating the return to over-education. I offer an alternative model where the return to over-education or under-education is not linear and depends on the level of education.

The purpose of the research is to theorise about the determinants of academic reputation and the moderating effects of aspiration performance in Latin-American universities present in three of the most important rankings in the world: The Times Higher Education, QS World University Rankings, Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). To achieve the research purpose, a time series panel is performed. Our general model trying to evaluate the effect of aspirational performance 15 on the relationship between Faculty quality (Research and Teaching) and Academic Reputation in Latin American Countries was specified. The database considered in the research includes the universities classified in the Times Higher Education ranking (THE), QS World University Rankings (QS), and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) from 20 2011 to 2022. Concerning the results, it was possible to verify that the ranking of performance in research and the ranking of performance in quality does not have a significant relationship with academic reputation. While ranking performance in quality and research according to the category of countries, a positive and robust impact was observed. 25 Similarly, it was found that the regions' moderating effect on the relationship between quality and research and its impact on the academic reputation of higher education institutions. As a general conclusion of the article, it is possible to show that regional dynamics of the location of university institutions define the strategy from which the institution's 30 performance is improved. Therefore, the importance of the influence of environmental actors on performance is identified.

Latin American universities have been subject to old and new forms of colonialism that act concurrently. Old forms of colonialism are based on a matrix of race and labour divisions that universities have inherited, reproduced, and reinforced. New forms of colonialism are attaching to global forces that promote a world class university model based on prestige, competition and international rankings. By means of both a bibliometric and a thematic analysis, this paper examines scholarly work on colonialism and internationalisation in Latin American universities and suggests that Latin American universities have developed both local and global-oriented mechanisms so as to deal with old and new forms of colonialism. Both mechanisms take place within universities although one is oriented to local actions, while the second has a more reflective nature. It is argued that both mechanisms are part of what has been called 'border thinking', that is collective and contesting narratives and actions that aim to dissolve colonial forces in the periphery. Although Latin American universities have been proactive in developing concrete initiatives to cope with older local forms of colonialism, a further task remains of promoting and instituting initiatives that confront the newer and global forms of academic colonialism.

This article draws on the epistemologies of the South, namely decolonial theory, to point to the analytical and interpretive limitations of northern theories of globalisation. It gestures toward decolonial globalisation studies to provide an alternative reading of global justice movements, including university student movements in Latin America. Moreover, it maintains that situating university student movements geopolitically provides a valuable way out of the theoretical limitations of critical globalisation studies informed by northern perspectives. By adopting a geopolitical perspective, decolonial globalisation studies unsettles and provincialises the central myth of modernity, which portrays the emergence of modern institutions and globalisation as endogenous European and Anglo-American phenomena subsequently diffused to the Global South. Finally, this article addresses the need for decolonial globalisation studies to ground its theorisation in alternative sites of knowledge production.

The world faces complex and entangled environmental, health and social problems that can only be effectively grappled with if the research sector harnesses the knowledges and understandings of diverse cultures. Research education is a key site where more democratic and equitable processes of knowledge creation can take place. Drawing on de Sousa Santos' argument for epistemic justice, this article discusses research education as embedded in global knowledge relations, through introducing the concept "histories of knowledges." This concept interrogates the multiple sets of epistemic relations regarding the history of knowledge, the history of science, knowledge movements, and knowledge hierarchies and conditions. Data were collected through surveys, interviews and workshop observations with research candidates and supervisors from Australia, Africa, Asia and Latin America. Findings show that participants demonstrated boundary-crossing awareness of potential knowledge inclusion and creation in non-linear, multilingual and transcultural ways and from perspectives of the Global South. Extending de Sousa Santos' concept of "ecologies of knowledges," we apply the conceptual dynamics of histories of knowledges to propose a micro-, meso- and macro-historical approach to research education that centres around reconceptualisation of epistemic relations and repositioning of research candidates and supervisors.

Writers of this article share their seminal work of creating the Latin American Region (LAC) as part of the United States NASPA-Student Affairs Administration in the Higher Education Association's Global Division. Webinars, exchanges, conferences, some research initiatives, and a new student affairs administration minor as part of a higher education master's degree are beginning to shape the work of student affairs in South America.

Education spending has increased significantly in Latin America, but less is known about how resources are distributed. Using original data, this study measures the inequality in per-pupil spending between regions with different levels of socioeconomic status within Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. We find that Brazil has the widest funding gap due to inequalities in local revenues between high- and low-socioeconomic-status regions. However, the country's funding gap has narrowed over time. School funding in Colombia has become more regressive, but its gap is half the size of the gap in Brazil. The distribution of school funding in Peru has changed from being regressive to progressive. Education spending in Chile and in Ecuador is consistently progressive. However, while the progressiveness of funding in Ecuador is driven by transfers targeted at disadvantaged rural areas, the funding formulas in Chile address socioeconomic inequalities beyond the rural-urban gap.

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study is to compare the perceptions of employed people in Mexico and Colombia about managerial and leadership behavioural effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative multiple cross-case and cross-nation comparative analysis of findings obtained from the two past emic replication (Mexico and Colombia) studies was conducted. Findings: The study suggests that people within Mexican and Colombian organizations perceive "managerial and leadership behavioural effectiveness" in very similar ways. The findings support those researchers whose studies indicate that culture may not, as previously thought, play a significant role in the way managers should manage and lead their subordinates. Research limitations/implications: The authors acknowledge two main limitations related to the sample size and scope of the two compared sets of empirical source data. The number of critical incidents about perceived managerial behavioural effectiveness obtained from the two compared studies was unbalanced (318 from the Mexican study and 267 from the Colombian study). Thus, the authors suggest more indigenous replication managerial behaviour studies be carried out in both Mexico and Colombia with the objective of identifying (if possible) the existence of critical incidents that could lead to different findings. Furthermore, the authors suggest conducting replica studies focused on specific industries rather than a diverse range of organizations to test the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications: The findings of the comparative study are relevant to those human resource development professionals in international companies with operations in Mexico and/or Colombia when preparing their executives for international assignments in these Latin American countries. Originality/value: The comparative study attempts to generate new insights and better understanding within the context of "managerial and leadership behavioural effectiveness" research, which the authors hope will make a useful contribution to the existing small body of knowledge regarding similarities and differences in managerial practices across culturally diverse Latin American countries.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse through a systematic literature review the evolution of the theme of environmental social and governance (ESG) in universities, correlating variables and presenting a panorama for Latin American universities. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses a systematic literature review approach. The Web of Science database was used for data collection, and a set of keywords (Environmental, Social and Governance × Universities) and a classification method were used, resulting in 111 articles classified in the Zotero software. After classification, these publications were analysed in the VOSviewer software. Findings: The main evidence about ESG and universities shows that its relevance has been growing worldwide with an emphasis on England, the USA, Spain, followed by Brazil in fourth place regarding the number of papers published worldwide. The most representative areas identified were governance, sustainability, higher education, sustainable campus, environmental science, ecology, science and technology. The journals presenting more published papers under the topic are "International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education," "Journal of Cleaner Production and Sustainability." As for the most relevant authors, the Europeans Lozano and Leal Filho, Velasquez from Mexico and Brandli from Brazil were identified. As for institutions, the University Durham, State University System of Florida and State University of Campinas do Brazil stand out. Research limitations/implications: As the main limitation of the study is related to the sample of articles. This study is focused on the analysis of publications from the last decade, presenting only 111 results. However, this restriction in the timeline is justified as it is a new topic; this study was also limited to the use of a single database; in this sense, future research can carry out a more comprehensive review of the sustainability literature covering periods prior to a decade and an analysis in other databases. Originality/value: These results provide a basis for improving sustainability in universities and ESG in Latin America. It also allows to explore and reflect on several indicators, enabling the evaluation and planning of actions to improve competitiveness.

Purpose: Many studies have developed the corporate sustainability topic. The United Nations has implemented the 2030 Agenda and has brought "quality education" and "industry, innovation, and infrastructure" as two of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The educational processes in higher education can be focused on adding brand value and social value, and they can be promoting the social inclusion. In this sense, the purpose of this study is to answer some questions related to the corporate sustainability practices under the 2030 Agenda lenses in the Latin American higher educational scenario. After the literature review analysis, a conceptual framework was developed. Design/methodology/approach: This exploratory research study proposes an educational conceptual framework, improving the corporate sustainability under the 2030 Agenda lenses. A literature review was developed, involving the seven variables: "Latin America," "higher education," corporate social responsibility," "personal social responsibility," "corporate sustainability," "governance" and "sustainability." A matrix was developed with 25 variable combinations, connecting the seven variables. Three questions have been proposed and answered: "How much research has been developed in the Latin American higher education?" "How can the corporate social sustainability be applied in higher education?" and "Which perspectives can be considered?" Findings: The results of the literature review are presented through the number of papers found with the analysis of the year of publication and the conceptual background. A total of 524 papers were found. Of these studies, 49 addressed the Latin American panorama, 33 had a general approach and 16 promoted interactions between Latin American and European countries, as well as between regions and continents. Six topics emerged from the literature analysis: digital inclusion, internationalization, innovation, research, servitization and social inclusion. These topics are connected in the "discussion" section, and the educational conceptual framework shows the corporative perspectives on sustainability in higher education. Originality/value: This research study presents "A conceptual framework for the corporate sustainability higher education in Latin America" and it brings some discussion topics: digital inclusion, internationalization, innovation, research, servitization and social inclusion. These topics were identified through the literature analysis, and they were applied in the conceptual framework to improve the quality of education. The implications of this study are connected with the conceptual framework to promote the discussion topics. The implications involved the public and private governance spheres, third sector, as well as the professors, students and other stakeholders of higher educational institutions. These implications can represent an agent of positive change in the Latin American scenario.

In this study, we examine various aspects of BookTubers' literacy practices, regarding the personal and social factors that lead readers to devote themselves to the BookTube community, the elements that BookTubers consider as they create and publish video book reviews and the sort of literary learning this digital literacy practice entails. For this purpose, narrative interviews were conducted with six BookTubers, five of them from Latin America and one from Spain. Their answers offer insights into the motivations and unique types of learning that come together in this literary practice. A qualitative analysis of the interviews shows that affective engagement with books is a singular feature of BookTubers' understanding of reading culture and that literary video reviews are created in a complex bricolage process where resources, skills and knowledge are mobilised and develop, both aspects also being associated with the development of an online social reading identity. In addition, an ecological approach to analysing literacy and literary learning in the BookTuber culture points to the importance of framing video book reviews as a didactic resource with considerable potential to bring new learning practices to in-school literary education.

We investigated effects of tracking students into higher, more academic, and lower, less academic, school types immediately after primary school (early tracking) instead of having a comprehensive secondary school system (late tracking) on school gender segregation and gender gaps in achievement outcomes. We assumed that, in early tracking countries, girls are more frequently selected into more academic school types, which leads to more school segregation by gender and achievement advantages of girls over boys. In a differences-in-differences design, we compared secondary-school-level gender inequalities between early and late tracking countries, after controlling for primary-school-level differences. We investigated 787 country-by-year observations in 33 matches of primary- and secondary-school-level data sets from three international large-scale assessments. As expected, we found that early tracking increased the degree of school gender segregation. Not conforming to expectations, the evidence did not indicate that tracking had effects on gender gaps in achievement.

Through co-occurrence analysis of 1139 documents (1964-2018) we identified discussions about the implementation of student teaching evaluation (SET). We found that: (1) Attention to SET originated in the US in the 1970s, spreading to German-speaking countries in the mid-1990s and continuing in China and Latin America in the early 2000s. (2) SET is commonly viewed as a control tool deserving methodological improvement, while bias is debated in the US. We also found local trajectories: (3) Whereas in the US and Latin America SET is primarily seen as a management tool, German-speaking and Chinese authors reflect more on improving teaching. Chinese scholars consider SET a valid instrument for state control associated with artificial intelligence. Also, (4) SET is commonly used in medical education in the US and the German-speaking region and in physical education in China. We conclude that SET is discussed cross-nationally but affected by regional path dependencies.

This article sketches the emergence, institutionalisation and emergent issues and challenges in the scholarly field of history of education in Latin America. It argues that these processes have been closely linked with nation-building and the decisive role of national politics. The impact of national politics is herein called a 'beneficial tyranny'. This was certainly true for the first major works written in the late nineteenth century and the major waves of historiography until the slow institutionalisation of the major site of research in history of education: the study of education at universities in the 1960s as well as the institutionalisation of the field of history of education with the establishment of academic societies and specific journals in the 1990s. Yet this interpretation does not explain more recent developments in the field. By looking at recent publications in all major journals of the region for the years 2020 and 2021, new historiographical trends clearly emerge.

This paper conducts descriptive quantitative research of the player profile of a set of 808 university professors, and the player profiles that participants consider most suitable for learning when educational gamification is employed in higher education. It also studied the existence of influential variables in the chosen player profiles, including sociological (gender and age) and academic variables (area of knowledge). The results reveal that most professors are mostly explorers, followed by the socializers, and consider these player profiles as the most efficient for achieving learning objectives. There are no gaps based on sociological aspects or knowledge about gamification, but there are gaps based on area of knowledge. It is proposed that universities design training sessions for professors on educational gamification and further research on factors that influence the configuration of their player profile.

This research aims to examine Spanish-speaking students' attainment to improve our knowledge about students at the end of secondary school in England. The sample consisted of students who completed the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in inner London Local Authority. The findings of the analysis of GCSE results by language spoken at home suggest that, overall, students who speak Spanish language do less well than other groups, and their low attainment is a key concern for policymakers and teachers. However, while this is true overall, there were wide differences in performance when broken down into European speakers and Latin American speakers. The empirical evidence suggest that European Spanish speakers do better that Latin American Spanish speakers. A number of factors were identified in the underachievement of Spanish students, including the language barrier, poverty, and pupil mobility rate. Policy implications for data collection and further research are discussed in the final section.

The article presents the results of a regional study analysing the factors that predict Latin American faculty adoption and use of geospatial technologies (GST) for teaching geography. The research involved an online survey with 337 participants from 17 countries, who answered a set of items adapted from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology on five GST -- desktop GIS, web-based GIS, remote sensing, GPS, and digital globes. The data was analysed using a structural equation modelling. The results confirmed that faculty who identified pedagogical benefits of using GST considered technologies as easy to master, and valued the opinion of people influential to them about using technologies were more likely to be motivated to use GST for teaching. In addition, faculty willing to use the GST and report adequate institutional conditions were more likely to be using the technologies for teaching. Additional statistical testing found that human geography faculty expressed an infrequent use of these technologies compared to their physical geography and geospatial technologies colleagues, who did report a more consistent use of GST. These findings suggest a divide among Latin American faculty regarding the motivation and institutional conditions to implement technologies, based on their field of expertise.

With the growing trend of globalisation and the internationalisation of higher education, China actively recruits more international students to study at Chinese universities. Notably, international doctoral students are a significant cohort in this trend. Although many studies have investigated international students' learning experiences in China, few have explored their motivations to pursue doctoral degrees in China. To fill this gap, through the push-pull model, we explored the motivation of 55 international doctoral students from three Chinese universities. The findings show that various national, institutional, and individual factors comprehensively influenced their choice to pursue doctoral studies in Chinese universities. Their experiences also reflect that China is progressively establishing a systematic mechanism to attract international doctoral students by taking advantage of economic development and Chinese academic returnees. While these advantages attract international doctoral students to study in China, Chinese universities may still play an alternative role in international doctoral education. This study contributes to international higher education and doctoral education. Implications and suggestions for future studies are discussed.

Since 2000, the Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA, has tested 15-years-olds throughout the world in reading, math, and science. Developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, and administered every three years, PISA is designed to yield evidence for governments on which education policies deliver better learning outcomes as students approach the end of secondary school. From the first cycle (2000) to the last (2018), the number of participating countries increased from 32 to 79, owing largely to the addition of many low- and middle-income countries. At this point the OECD asserted that "PISA has become the world's premier yardstick for evaluating the quality, equity and efficiency of school systems, and an influential force for education reform." And yet, according to PISA's own data, after almost two decades of testing, student outcomes have not improved overall in OECD nations or most other participating countries. Even so, PISA's failure to achieve its mission has led to some blame games. In an effort to explain the flatness of student outcomes over PISA's lifetime, the OECD asserted in a report on the 2018 test results that PISA "has helped policy makers lower the cost of political action by backing difficult decisions with evidence--but it has also raised the political cost of inaction by exposing areas where policy and practice are unsatisfactory." The OECD was essentially pointing the finger at its own members and other countries participating in PISA, accusing them of not following PISA's policy advice. This finger pointing is based on two assumptions: first and foremost, that PISA policy recommendations are sound, and second, that the evidence provided by PISA data is itself enough to reduce the political costs associated with implementing education reforms. Both assumptions are seriously flawed.

The definition of what constitutes a conflict, in terms of both time and events, has been consistently debated in the historical study of social phenomena. What has become increasingly clear, however, is that the methods used to define it are generally biased as they are highly dependent on the perceptions of the researchers who establish them. Using Mexico as a case study, we tested a data-driven method for periodizing long-term homicide trends. We found structural break analysis and Markov-switching regression modelling to be useful methods for periodizing long-term time series data of homicide rates, without an "a priori" or skewed definition. We also found that the current trend of increasing homicidal violence may prove difficult to reverse given that historical structural shifts in Mexican homicidal violence are unlikely events in the long term.

The attitude towards ICT determines the amount of incentive for practicing with it, which may directly affect ICT literacy. So, students' attitude inter alia is one of the substantial building blocks of ICT literacy, which in turn is an important component of improved student achievement brought about by it. This paper is devoted to exploring the determinants of students' attitudes towards ICT. On recognizing the complexity of integration of ICT into education systems and unlike previous research that has largely focused on the idea that student's learning engagement can be boosted through the availability and use of ICT alone, this paper acknowledges that integrating ICT into education is a complex process and the link between supplying ICT resources and enhanced student attainment is far from straightforward. Using rich PISA 2018 survey data from N = 129,724 students in 47 countries/economies, the results from this paper indicate that girls have better attitudes towards ICT than boys; students in private schools have more interest in ICT than those in public ones; students using ICT outside of school for leisure have a higher level of interest; and students with higher levels of fear of failure are more interested in ICT.

This study explores factors influencing school adjustment in immigrant students in Catalonia, Spain. Low school adjustment levels can lead to failure or dropout, particularly among immigrant students. The research analyzes acculturation strategies, intergroup contact, perceived discrimination, and origin's impact on school adjustment. Students from African, Latin American, and European backgrounds completed a questionnaire, revealing four acculturation strategies: marginalization, assimilation to Catalan culture, integration, and assimilation to Catalan and Spanish cultures. A k-means cluster analysis identified these patterns. Linear regression highlighted intergroup contact, integration vs. marginalization, and integration vs. assimilation to Catalan culture as significant predictors. Higher intergroup contact scores correlated with improved school adjustment, while adopting integration or assimilation to Catalan culture predicted better adjustment compared to marginalization. Understanding and addressing these factors is vital for enhancing immigrant students' educational experiences and reducing the risk of academic challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a process of digitalisation of higher education that has forced a change in the habits of use of information and communication technologies (ICT) among professors. The literature analyses this impact from different perspectives, but the gender gaps that may have occurred in this regard have not been studied so far. The main purpose is to analyse the gender gap in the self-concept of digital competence of Latin American professors and the impact that the pandemic has had on the habits of use of ICT among them. For this purpose, this paper conducts quantitative research. A questionnaire designed by the authors has been answered by a sample of 1062 professors, and the responses have been statistically analysed. The results prove that the self-concept of digital competence influences males more than females in terms of their assessment of the didactic use of ICT. The pandemic has caused the frequencies of ICT use in different teaching activities to homogenise. Females have increased their use of ICT more than males--a certain correction of the digital gender gap occurs in the region after the pandemic, within faculty. The use of ICT among faculty has increased after the pandemic more among females than males, but insufficient digital competence hinders full digitalisation in both cases. It is recommended that universities develop digital training plans aimed at facilitating an egalitarian process of ICT integration.

Since its conception, the "Harry Potter" franchise has become a cultural phenomenon which transgresses national borders. As many "Potter" fans struggle with how to manage their fandom in the face of author J.K. Rowling's transphobic stance, the book series may ironically and more specifically be used to improve attitudes toward the LGBTQ + community. By using academic theory--such as Rudine Sims Bishop's concept of mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors--and specific examples of application in a classroom environment, this paper shows that the "Potter" books may be offered as powerful pedagogical tools to positively affect the attitudes of "insiders" toward "outsiders." This essay classifies LGBTQ + and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) populations as "outsiders," and non-LGBTQ + and non-BIPOC groups as "insiders," and it cites specific case study evidence in Latin America to signify the importance of this issue on a global scale.

This research-to-practice brief examines the key outcomes of eight empirical studies that focus explicitly on Latin American and/or Hispanic students during study abroad programs. The study abroad programs predominantly occurred in Central America. Critical to this brief are how heritage learners navigate Latinx cultures as Latinx or Hispanic students, qualifying one's own identity as both Latinx and as a U.S. citizen, and, in some cases, the re-examination of language ability in the context of being a heritage speaker. Seven of the eight included studies employed qualitative methodologies, indicating a need for more quantitative or mixed method approaches to foster enhanced understanding of the experiences of Latinx study abroad students.