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Chinese students studying abroad have been increasing rapidly in the past decades and become a significant financial contribution to receiving countries. Accordingly, understanding their enrollment choice is essential to facilitate college marketing and admission strategies. Though the decision process is believed to be different from domestic students, empirical analysis of Chinese students' enrollment choices is still lacking. This paper fills the void by examining the influential factors of Chinese students' enrollment choice with novel student-level data. We find that in addition to factors domestic students typically consider, such as financial aid and academic quality, Chinese students particularly emphasize college ranking, reputation, and location in their decision process. Furthermore, unlike domestic students who usually prefer colleges with proximity to home, Chinese students' location preference is linked to job prosperity. We also find that the impact of the factors varies for students from different regions of China, which can be attributable to uneven economic development within the country.

Studies found that the mastery of Level-4 Science Process Skills (L4SPS) among secondary school students is still relatively weak. Thus, the purpose of this research was to determine the effects of 5E Inquiry-based Learning and Group Investigation (I5E-GI) model on the five constructs of L4SPS, namely Identifying Manipulated, Responding, and Constant Variables, Forming Hypotheses, Making Observations, Making Inferences, and Defining Operationally. A teaching and learning (TL) module was developed to guide teachers in implementing the I5E-GI method for the five L4SPS constructs. The L4SPS Test Instrument was constructed to measure the level of L4SPS mastery at the end of intervention. The quasi-experimental research design was conducted on 180 Form Four students taking Core Science subjects. A total of three groups were assigned, namely i) 5E Inquiry-based Learning and Group Investigation method (I5E-GI, n = 60), ii) 5E Inquiry-based Learning method (5E, n= 60), and iii) Traditional Learning (TR, n = 60) in an urban secondary school in Sarawak, Malaysia. Data were analyzed using the inferential statistical tests of MANOVA, MANCOVA, ANCOVA, and effect size. The results showed that there was a statistically significant effect across the three groups of TL methods. There is a statistically significant effect of the I5E-GI method compared to the 5E and TR methods on the five L4SPS constructs. As for the effect size, the I5E-GI method provides a more significant effect size than the 5E and TR learning methods. Overall, the findings prove that the I5E-GI method has positive implications for the mastery of L4SPS among Form Four students.

This study explores "non-native" English teacher identity development, and identity in practice in a multilingual international school in Thailand. Guided by the teacher's personal interpretative framework (Kelchtermans, 1993) and identity-in-practice theory (Varghese et al., 2005), the study employed a narrative inquiry design using life story interviews, classroom observations, and shadowing technique for the data collection. The three "non-native" English teacher participants were purposefully selected. The data were analyzed by using the inductive coding method (Saldaña, 2009), consisting of three analysis steps: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The data revealed that teacher identity development was characterized by solid confidence in their "non-native" status and their teaching abilities as English teachers due to professional qualifications, proficiency in English, and teaching experiences. However, it was revealed that their "non-native" status were affected by external factors (parents and colleagues), weakening their self-esteem and job motivation. This study emphasizes the importance of English proficiency level and qualifications in building confidence among non-native English teachers. Additionally, a supportive socio-cultural environment inside the school is key to support their positive identity and maintain their confidence.

This study investigated the relationship between language attrition, cultural identity, and sociocultural factors in four international schools in Azerbaijan. Two distinct student groups, one undergoing English education since preschool (Group 1) and another transitioning to English after primary school (Group 2), were examined to discern the connection between language attrition, cultural identity, and sociocultural factors. The research explored acculturation strategies concerning loss of proficiency in the first language (L1) and bicultural identity and formulated hypotheses to assess the connection between education level and language loss and the influence of attrition on cultural identity shift. Employing a comprehensive mixed-methods approach, the research utilized native language proficiency tests and e-surveys for quantitative analysis, while focus group interviews and thematic analysis investigated qualitative aspects. The e-survey uncovered factors influencing L1 attrition, with Group 1 exhibiting lower native language proficiency, suggesting an impact of second language (L2) exposure. Regression analysis revealed that language skills, English communication preferences, and thinking in English predicted lower proficiency in L1, while the duration of L2 exposure played a pivotal role in shaping cultural identity. Focus group interviews demonstrated a subtle narrative of cultural shift and assimilation within the international school context. The theoretical framework and thematic analysis provided a comprehensive understanding of the acculturation experiences of international school students, emphasizing the concept of culture attrition influenced by diverse factors.

This study explores the potential of a new perspective on research into the impact of higher education on students' civic engagement. We propose shifting from viewing engagement as the key dependent variable to two "fundamental constituents": political interest and agency. Both constituents have been presented as either static or determined entirely by factors external to education, such as maturation, but also as dynamic and affected by various aspects of the educational experience in higher education. Furthermore, as analyses of these effects based on sample means do not account sufficiently for the intersectionality of background variables that define the student experience, we propose that data are explored through cluster analysis. Employing this type of analysis, a case study conducted at a small international liberal arts college in the Netherlands showed four distinctly different patterns in the development of both constituents of civic engagement. Based on further data obtained from the same sample, we offer suggestions for specific foci in further research about the impact of higher education on the development of civic engagement.

Enhancing student engagement yields a multitude of benefits for students. It not only improves their satisfaction but also increases their motivation, enriches their learning experience, reduces their sense of isolation and ultimately enhances their academic performance. However, Chinese students in transnational education are known for being silent in the classroom. With overwhelming and consistent research findings in the pedagogical literature that participation in class discussion and asking questions are crucial activities that cultivate independent learning skills and develop the ability to apply knowledge, how to get Chinese students to speak up in class has clearly become an issue of concern to educators. Informed by the UK professional standards framework (UKPSF) and underpinned by Brookfield's four lenses model, this action research examined and confirmed the positive effect of using both personal-related and course content-related icebreaker questions at the beginning of the class to increase Chinese students' engagement. It also identified different effects these two types of questions might have on students' engagement and the potential concerns associated.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate that project-based learning results in learners to be intrinsically motivated when learning History. Three methods were implemented in this study, namely role playing, poster-making and mixed projects (i.e., role playing and poster-making). To further enhance the understanding of intrinsic motivation, the three basic psychological needs, autonomy, relatedness and competence were implemented during all three methods of project-based learning. Adopted from the Self-Determination Theory's intrinsic motivation, a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was developed and administered to sixty-eight Years 9 to 10 secondary school students from an international school at Sungai Buloh, Malaysia. Results from this study indicated that role playing was the preferred method of learning compared to the other two methods, and that project-based learning has been useful and effective in the acquisition of historical thinking skills. The findings also indicated the participants were receptive to implementation of project-based learning into their curriculum as a teaching tool for it proves to be beneficial in knowledge gain and memory retention, as well as intrinsically motivating them to perform better. The key finding of this study proves that project-based learning has contributed to students forming intrinsic motivation when it comes to learning History.

This article investigates temporality in the everyday lives of 9-year-old children of international professionals in Finland. The children's transnational mobility causes ruptures and discontinuities in their position within various timescapes. The institutional timescapes of schools in different countries appear to be somewhat incompatible, which can be challenging for these mobile children, especially if their sojourns are temporary. At the same time, the timescapes of the Finnish school system provide children with particular agency beyond the school setting, since school days are relatively short. Children also view differing timescapes differently depending on the length of their stay in the country. The article shows how past, present and future timescapes, and potential ruptures within these, become entangled when mobile professionals' children negotiate their position and agency within various timescapes.

This article reports on an ethnographically-informed case study of a Canadian university that is experiencing growth and systems change through three initiatives: internationalization, intercultural education, and Indigenization. The article describes the goals of internationalization and "interculturalization" (a term coined at the university) at the site of the case study. The study then examines points of convergence and tensions between internationalization and interculturalization and emerging Indigenization initiatives. The work draws upon conceptualizations of "imaginaries" in higher education, and identifies that plural imaginaries exist within a single institution, creating opportunities for convergence but also over--reach by particular actors. We conclude that imaginaries are a useful conceptual tool for understanding the broad-based goals of higher education and identifying their varied rationales and also for understanding intra-institutional dynamics.

The number of international schools hit the 6,000-mark in 2012, and the 13,000-mark in 2022. In spite of continuous growth and diversity of provision, paradoxically some literature continues to paint a largely negative sociological imagination, associating the arena with micro-politics, high turnover, and increasing precarity. At the same time, the social reality of working in the arena remains under-reported and under-theorised. The largest number of international schools are now in China, where two-thirds are of the 'non-traditional' type. Our paper focuses on the experiences of two expatriate teachers in that relatively new field. In order to address the questions of 'how do teachers cope?', and 'what strategies do they adopt?', our paper delves into the under-reported social reality of 'cliques'. By adopting a 'positive sociology' lens of inquiry, we begin to address the role that cliques-formation might have in dealing with precarity and insecurity, especially that of 'friendship precarity' caused by constant transitions and short-term contracts. It can be seen that cliques offer a natural, quick, and practical solution to addressing precarity, helping over time to create resilience, and should not be viewed solely within a negative sociological imagination.

International schools exist in almost every country of the world, and international school educators come from a variety of countries, often teaching students from cultural and linguistic backgrounds different from their own. This article reports on a study that examined English-speaking educator beliefs about their Arabic-speaking students in a bilingual, international elementary school in the Middle East Near Africa region. Using mixed methods, the study also explored English language educators' culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy. Educators expressed high levels of self-efficacy in using culturally responsive teaching practices, but were unsure how to bridge the differences between home and school cultures. Additionally, educators expressed deficit beliefs about their students. These beliefs framed students as victims of their own culture, held back from academic success by home cultural practices, beliefs, and norms. Results suggest educators at the school may not be prepared to facilitate students' negotiation of identities, bridging home and school languages and cultures, due to deficit beliefs about students' home culture that lower educator expectations and students' opportunities to learn. The article concludes with discussion of the effects of these educator beliefs on students and ways in which international school leaders and policy makers may productively address them.

This article documents, describes and discusses the dynamics of an international school located in south Delhi, India. It discusses the means and ways via which the international school designs and delivers its curricular and pedagogic content that tend to shape and reinforce an element of 'internationalism' among its pupils. The international school form of education primarily embeds teaching and learning processes within the domain of the school as well as outside of it. While the school places enormous emphasis on the concept of 'global' or at times even 'international' to promote and brand itself, it is deeply rooted to the local and national conditions and cultures as well. This aspect of inter-mixing the global with the local and national is strongly emphasized by the school, whose stakeholders believe that the true spirit of internationalism lies in becoming 'glocal' and not simply global. The school as well as parents want their students and children to possess a holistic understanding of the world, and not an exclusive one. Thereby, it can be argued that there is a transition from the much-hyped era of globalisation to one of 'glocalisation'. Thus, this system of schooling is critically analysed through this article, which centrally argues that the school functions in a manner that enables students' global compatibility of body and mind, and aims to lend them a competitive edge in the global education and job market.

This paper explores the thesis of de-globalisation in relation to international education. Through interrogating accounts of international school leadership during the COVID-19 crisis, the tension between international expectations and localised realities is charted, with four central tenets of internationalism undermined by the pandemic experience. It is argued that the COVID-19 crisis, ostensibly a single global event, resulted in the fractalisation of international education; the conceptualisation of unified internationalism was undermined by the inherently localised material effects of the pandemic. In place of an internationalism that is unified, transcendent, inclusive and connected, international school leaders' accounts of leading through the pandemic focused on their sense that their schools were fractured, rooted, privileged and isolated. It is suggested that this international crisis demonstrates the precarious nature of the respatialising of the global that is intrinsic to international schooling.

This paper aims to explain the unsuccessful relationship between the awareness of prominent international education brands and enrollment intention. A serial mediation model encompassing perceived congruity and brand attitude was developed and was tested using the Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique involving 132 respondents. The results revealed that the brand awareness must be subsequently perceived as internally congruent with the prospective students' self-image in terms of resource sufficiency before developing enrollment intention by forming the desired brand attitude. The originality of this study is that it could be the first to discuss the international universities landscape in Indonesia. In addition, the proposed model could be a plausible framework for explaining the intention to accept not only international education brands but also other brands of goods and services, hence benefiting both educational and consumer research. This paper includes generalizability as its limitation with suggestions to undertake the broader scope of studies.

Given that school leadership styles are linked to educational outcomes, this study attempted to identify perceived leadership styles of school leaders in two types of schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE): (a) international special education schools, which serve exclusively students with disabilities and (b) international general education schools, which serve primarily typically developing students. By utilizing primarily quantitative methods with supplementary qualitative analysis, this study also explored the influence of teacher demographic variables on perceptions of leadership styles. Results indicated a difference in perceptions of transformational and transactional leadership by school type based on teacher education level, as well as a difference in perceptions of passive-avoidant leadership by school type based on total years of experience with the school leader. Results also indicated a difference in leadership perceptions based on teacher nationality (consistent with the notions of collectivist and individualist cultures), total years of experience, and total years of experience in the current position. This study contributes to the knowledge base regarding the influence of teacher demographic variables on leadership perceptions while providing practical recommendations for school leaders and researchers, including professional development, school policy development, and conceptualizing culture as an expanded demographic variable of interest.

This paper reports on the study of private theories of Science, Technology, Engineering and Technology ("STEM") teachers and their learning design practices at International Schools in Hong Kong. The literature emphasises that teachers are the key to successfully implementing STEM education. However, most are unprepared and ill-equipped for the task of preparing students for a sound STEM education. Teachers' thinking is critical for their learning design, decision-making and implementation of STEM. This decision-making is underpinned by a set of private theories. Using the methodology of a qualitative multi-case study, this research focuses on five participants teaching STEM in International Schools in Hong Kong. The private theories of the cases were identified and observed for any change with the use of a learning design model for STEM education. The learning design is introduced using a novel methodology of intervention. An observable change occurs in the majority of cases after the intervention, however certain private theories remained an obstacle to the effective implementation of STEM education. To overcome the remaining private theories in effective implementation of STEM education, the study proposes a novel framework incorporating both learning design and collaboration to mediate teachers' thinking in the context of STEM learning design.

With business relations and international travel on the rise between China and English-speaking countries, the need for English teachers in China has also increased. One method of teaching English in China occurs through summer English camps. The research presented here examines the teacher, camp coordinator, student, and parent experience with a three-week summer English camp for kindergarten through grade eight students hosted by an international school in China. The objective of the study is to describe the lived experiences from the perspective of the various partners to examine whether the curriculum adequately meets their needs, whether children are improving their English skills, and whether the teachers are sufficiently prepared for their experiences. Findings suggest that all participants indicate a high level of satisfaction with the summer camp, especially the importance of relationships in English language learning. Some of the expressed concerns lead to recommendations for improvements. In this study, the practice of the summer English camp is linked to the current English as an additional language research, making this research relevant to a broad international audience. Not only are summer English camps in high demand in China, but in other countries around the world as well.

This article explores the intellectual migration patterns of Kazakhstanis who have completed their studies at foreign universities. Through a survey conducted among 1,111 graduates and interviews with 44 individuals holding master's and doctoral degrees from renowned global institutions, this study examines the factors influencing the Kazakhstanis' decisions to relocate to other countries. The findings reveal that the primary motivations for permanent migration include competitive salaries (54%), high level of socio-economic development in the destination country (52%), prospects for career advancement (38%), access to quality education and healthcare (32%), and lower levels of corruption (28%). Moreover, the research highlights that the preferred countries for highly qualified specialists from Kazakhstan are USA, Great Britain, and Canada. Logistic regression models indicate that individuals with prior work experience abroad, those who studied in the UK, and those residing in the suburban areas of Kazakhstan are more likely to move to another country for permanent residency.

Purpose: Drawing on a study of international schools in Shanghai, this study explores how external experiences and curricula are mobilized as policy tools to inspire local educational innovations and how these experiences are enacted differently by schools. Design/Approach/Methods: Based on a review of policy documents and interviews with school principals, senior management stakeholders, and teachers, this study identifies and compares the typologies of international schools in policy design and practice. Then, by deploying the network ethnography method following three key nodes, this study offers some explanations for the gaps between policy design and enactments. Findings: This study demonstrates the complex relations, interests, and struggles involved in constructing and shaping the meanings of international curricula within local education. The findings show the autonomy of policy networks and the difficulties of 'steering' them in a clear-cut way. Originality/Value: This study is one of the earliest attempts, if not the first, to experiment with the method of network ethnography in the context of China. These findings offer a nuanced account of the complex relations and "ad hocery" involved in policy learning.

A growing portion of international schools are franchised branches of schools originally founded in other countries. The first of such schools opened in 1996 and there are now almost 100 globally. Expansionist schools are primarily elite, English private schools, with concentrations of their franchises developing in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and East Asia over the past quarter of a century--particularly in mainland China over the past decade. This study explores how such schools adapt the language and focus of their marketing and, in doing so, sustain their privilege across various contexts. A qualitative textual analysis is conducted of the websites of 11 schools run by Dulwich College and Harrow School, the first brands to expand overseas and with the most extensive networks of schools today. A lens of international schools as enclosures of privilege is used to demonstrate how schools adapt themselves and their framing. The study finds the promotional focus of the schools depends not just on whether they are the founding school or a franchise, but also on their relative ages, and on their varying locations within specific sociocultural contexts. An emergent hybrid model, catering to both local and international curricula, blends the local with the global and complicates the conventional notion of the international school. Finally, the study suggests that further research is focused on the franchising of elite education, particularly as the focal point of expansion begins to shift away from the mainland Chinese boom of the past decade.

One prominent trend in international education is the growth of commercial, profit-driven international schools all around the world, delivering an international curriculum to local students. The increase in such schools is complemented by the evolution of the "international curriculum" themselves. Two of the most common curricula that are used by international schools are the focus of investigation - the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and the International Advanced-Levels (IAL). Through an analysis of the curricula history, curricula set-up, and the teaching and learning of the curricula, this paper argues that the IBDP can be seen as moving from an idealist and internationalist curriculum towards a more pragmatic and globalist curriculum, while the IAL has always been a strongly globalist curriculum. Completing the IBDP or IAL is increasingly seen simply as a pathway towards entry into an internationally recognised university.

The number of international schools has increased significantly this century, with new schools predominately situated in Asia and the Middle East. This growth has also seen a shift from not-for-profit to for-profit education, and from such schools being primarily for children of expatriates to being mainly for host nation children. New actors, such as global chains of international schools, have also entered the arena. This article explores the impact of the contemporary landscape on the professional relationship between international school principals and their governors/owners, by drawing on a study of 12 international school principals in Malaysia. There were five emergent themes from the analysis: principal autonomy; ownership support; principal accountability; principal affective dissonance and the locus of control. There were wide-ranging levels of autonomy given to principals, significant support from owners in terms of financial backing for areas of development and methods of accountability that ranged from formal to informal. Principals seemingly had affective dissonance over working in for-profit schooling and there were issues surrounding the locus of ownership. There is little research in this area, particularly in Asia and this work appears to be the sole work that includes consideration of leadership in international school chains.

School counselling is a well-established means of supporting the mental health of children. Counsellors are most effective when they collaborate with parents, so it is important that parents have a good understanding of and access to school counselling services. Despite this, little is known about parents' perceptions of counselling in Hong Kong schools. We interviewed 27 parents in Hong Kong to investigate how they perceived the counselling services provided by their children's local and international schools, and analysed the data thematically. International school parents recognised the potential of school counselling as a means of support for their children and wanted to work more closely with counsellors to a greater extent than local school parents. Parents were confused about the roles of counsellors and experienced stigma and concerns about confidentiality which inhibited them from engaging with counselling services. Our findings suggest that school principals should work with counsellors to establish and communicate roles more clearly. Greater recognition of counsellors' professionalism, and clearer role differentiation between counsellors and other mental health and educational professionals may improve parental engagement with and support for school counselling.

Although international school teachers have always been hired on short-term contracts (usually from two to three years in duration), there has been relatively little research examining this aspect of international schooling. Whilst short-term contracts may appear to be a positive feature of international schooling, particularly for younger teachers who are keen to be mobile, recent studies have begun to examine the short-term as a feature of precarity and the precaritisation of international schooling. This paper adds to this small but growing body of scholarship by focusing on contract non-renewal as a form of international school precarity. In order to explore this issue, this paper utilises autoethnography, drawing on the author's experiences of contract renewal in an internationalised school in Shanghai, as well as interviews with two participants. Whilst the author's experiences of precarity as a foreign teacher in China were characterised by vulnerability and discrimination, his positionality as a white, British male teacher enabled him to negotiate contract non-renewal relatively easily, something that women teachers or minority groups might be unable to do due to the differential nature of precarity. Despite being privileged, white male international school teachers must still negotiate contractual employment and diminished white-skin privilege. This paper goes some way to bringing into focus white male teachers' "precarious privilege".

In a globalised world, study and work options have become vast. The complexity of this for young people with an international upbringing can be considerable. This qualitative interview study aims to explore how different cultural experiences in childhood may influence career decision making behaviours, career preparedness and mental health in late adolescence, specifically within an international school setting. By considering the validity of these experiences, a better understanding of the psychological, social and cultural dynamics can be weighed up in order to identify suitable career guidance strategies to effectively support these young people. Using an IPA approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with four diverse international school students aged 17-18. These young people demonstrated that career decision making was influenced by their cultural experiences, with cultural identity and sense of belonging having a significant impact on their career decision making and their perceived career adaptability in readiness for entering the globalised workforce.

The global education reform movement has led to the development of quasi-markets and the promotion of business-like operation of schools with the goal of improving education for students and opportunities for teachers. While many types of schools have been influenced by marketisation, the international school market is a prime example of how such processes can be fully integrated into education. However, despite the prevalence of market reforms, little is known of their impact on educational employees. This research investigates the perspectives and experiences of teachers in compulsory-age international schools operated by large multi-national for-profit education management organisations to understand how business-like operations within a school market affect their daily work. Semi-structured interviews were used to create items to measure the business influences. Scales were then developed with Mokken Scale analysis and Rasch analysis. The two scales demonstrate distinct patterns of marketisation. The scale of direct business influences on teachers' work includes items on competition between schools, increasing admissions and improving finances, while the scale of indirect influences includes items about job insecurity, hierarchical organisational structures, fear of repercussions when voicing professional opinions, and an emphasis on evidence of learning. Notably, these quantitative patterns were consistent across many different types of schools, both for-profit, non-profit private schools and government schools. These findings demonstrate the strength of researching teachers' experiences to understand the impact of marketisation on education.

The meanings and value of the arts and their impact on students' learning have long been main areas of focus in arts education research. In Hong Kong, there are only a few studies discussing the impact of performing arts education on students' learning, which leaves a gap in the overall understanding of performing arts education. This article reports on a study of performing arts education in Hong Kong. The participants of the study are students, teachers, principals and arts groups. A total of 28 focus group interviews were conducted with participants recruited from 25 primary schools, 26 secondary schools, one international school, nine tertiary institutions, five special schools and 20 arts groups. Although this study confirms the claims made by arts educators that performing arts education can promote students' awareness of creative and critical thinking skills, change their behavior and attitudes, increase their socio-cultural awareness and benefit their all-round development, the stakeholders had different interpretations of the meaning and value of performing arts education. There appears to be a gap between arts groups and schools in the understanding of the fundamental purposes of performing arts education and the role that it should play in the school context.

Purpose: This paper investigates the interplay between consequences in restorative practices (RP) and the synergies with responsive classroom, particularly in international schools. Addressing critics who deem RP a "soft option", the study defines "restorative consequences" within the RP framework. It analyses literature and three school policies, focusing on international school needs. Emphasising the importance of accountability, the paper explores the role of logical consequences in preventing perceived permissiveness. By comparing RP and Responsive Classroom, it seeks to guide school leaders in aligning transformative change with their vision and values. This paper aims to enhance understanding, offer practical insights and address challenges in RP implementation. Design/methodology/approach: This research delves into the relationship between RP and consequences in international schools, addressing concerns about RP's perceived lack of accountability. It defines "restorative consequences" within the RP framework, examining RP integration into school policies. Through a literature review and analysis of three RP policies, the study extracts insights for international schools, emphasising the role of logical consequences in preventing perceived permissiveness. In addition, a comparative evaluation of responsive classroom and RP identifies effective models for transformative change. The research aims to empower international school leaders with informed decision-making, offering insights into challenges and strategies for effective RP implementation in alignment with institutional values. Findings: In delving into the positive discipline approach advocated by responsive classroom, it becomes evident that there exists a potential synergy between various disciplinary systems. Emphasising logical consequences as a pivotal component in school behaviour policies, it is crucial to apply them through the lens of social discipline window (SDW), specifically the "with" approach, incorporating both high levels of support and accountability. Recognizing this dynamic is essential as the authors endeavour to construct effective policies that not only align with responsive classroom values and methods but also prove practical in real-world application. Furthermore, within the international context, responsive classroom has demonstrated its ability to address the social and emotional needs of third culture kids. This revelation presents compelling grounds for the adoption of responsive classroom in international schools contemplating systemic transformations. Research limitations/implications: The study acknowledges limitations stemming from the reviewed RP policies, primarily the exceptional one derived from a large, well-supported school district, which may not be universally applicable, especially in diverse international schools. The potential for reputational damage to RP exists if policies lack comprehensive detailing and troubleshooting for varied classroom scenarios. Teacher testimonials carry significant weight, necessitating greater involvement in RP training and research. International schools face unique challenges in achieving staff "buy-in", requiring culturally responsive training to overcome Western-centric perceptions. The clash of RP with authoritarian cultures poses challenges, emphasising the need for clear values. Practical implications: While the exemplary RP policy reviewed is from a large, well-supported school district, this may not apply universally, particularly in international schools with diverse affiliations. To safeguard RP's reputation, detailed policies addressing classroom nuances are crucial. Recognising the influence of teacher testimonials and involving educators in RP training and research is pivotal. International schools face a unique challenge in ensuring staff alignment with RP, requiring culturally responsive training to dispel Western-centric perceptions. Acknowledging RP's clash with authoritarian cultures, schools must establish clear values. Drawing from educational theorists, future RP research should explicitly explore the consequences--RP relationship, enhancing the understanding of the SDW Social implications The research's social implications emphasise the need for transparent and detailed RP policies to prevent reputational damage and rejection. Recognising the influence of teacher testimonials, active involvement of educators in RP training is crucial. For international schools, culturally responsive training is vital to overcome Western-centric perceptions and ensure staff alignment. The study underscores the challenge of RP conflicting with authoritarian cultures, emphasising the importance of clear values. Furthermore, it advocates for a nuanced dialogue on the consequences--RP relationship to enhance understanding within the SDW. These implications stress context-specific and inclusive approaches for effective RP implementation in diverse educational settings. Originality/value The research offers significant originality by addressing the underdeveloped literature on the role of RP in international schools. It contributes novel insights by defining "restorative consequences" within the RP framework and examining the interplay between consequences and RP in school policies. The comparative evaluation of Responsive Classroom and RP adds a distinctive dimension, guiding international school leaders in transformative decision-making. Moreover, the study advocates for a culturally responsive approach, challenging Western-centric perceptions. This unique focus on consequences, accountability and cultural considerations positions the research as a pioneering contribution, offering valuable perspectives for effective RP implementation and policymaking in diverse educational settings.

Recent research on scaffolding has turned the spotlight on implementing scaffolding principles for more effective instruction in the classroom. This qualitative study, using observations, investigated scaffolding principles, including continuity, intersubjectivity, contextual support, handover, flow, and contingency, in content-based instruction (CBI) in an international school. To this end, nine hours of science instruction by three science teachers were video-recorded and analysed deductively based on scaffolding principles. The content analysis of observation transcripts showed that continuity, intersubjectivity, and contingency were frequently observed during interaction in science classes, whereas the teachers occasionally implemented contextual support, handover, and flow. The findings revealed that scaffolding principles were mainly related to the conceptual understanding of scientific knowledge and the control of students' frustration in performing demanding activities and understanding complicated concepts. Furthermore, the findings uncovered that scaffolding principles were focused on providing opportunities for students' engagement and genuine communication and eliciting real-life samples and experience through inquiry-based, concept-based, problem-based, and project-based teaching approaches. Most importantly, the teachers frequently employed various scaffolding principles through practical and active participation by doing experiments and projects, modelling, and using video aids for more interactive and collaborative teaching practices. These findings contribute to our understanding of scaffolding principles and teacher-student interaction in science classes.

With a long-term aim of empowering researchers everywhere to contribute to work on language development, we organized the First Truly Global /L+/ International Summer/Winter School on Language Acquisition, a free 5-day virtual school for early career researchers. In this paper, we describe the school, our experience organizing it, and lessons learned. The school had a diverse organizer team, composed of 26 researchers (17 from under represented areas: Subsaharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Central and South America); and a diverse volunteer team, with a total of 95 volunteers from 35 different countries, nearly half from under represented areas. This helped world-wide Page 5 of 5 promotion of the school, leading to 958 registrations from 88 different countries, with 300 registrants (based in 63 countries, 80% from under represented areas) selected to participate in the synchronous aspects of the event. The school employed asynchronous (pre-recorded lectures, which were close-captioned) and synchronous elements (e.g., discussions to place the recorded lectures into participants' context; networking events) across three time zones. A post-school questionnaire revealed that 99% of participants enjoyed taking part in the school. Not with standing these positive quantitative outcomes, qualitative comments suggested we fell short in several areas, including the geographic diversity among lecturers and greater customization of contents to the participants' contexts. Although much remains to be done to promote inclusivity in linguistic research, we hope our school will contribute to empowering researchers to investigate and publish on language acquisition in their home languages, to eventually result in more representative theories and empirical generalizations.

Purpose: This research paper aimed to investigate the affordances of using virtual reality (VR) in teaching culture among in-service teachers of teaching Persian to speakers of other languages (TPSOL) in Iran. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative case study, conducted at two Iranian universities, used purposeful sampling to select 34 eligible in-service Persian teachers from a pool of 73. Data collection used an open-ended questionnaire and interviews. Findings: Before the TPSOL in-service training workshop, teachers expressed their reservations regarding the use of VR to teach culture in TPSOL courses. The emerged themes were "skepticism toward effectiveness," "practicality concerns," "limited awareness of VR applications," "technological apprehension" and "prevalence of traditional teaching paradigms." During the post-workshop interview, it was discovered that the teachers' perceptions of VR in teaching culture had undergone a positive shift. The workshop generated emergent themes that reflected positive perceptions and affordances for using VR to teach culture in TPSOL, including "enhanced cultural immersion," "increased student engagement," "simulation of authentic cultural experiences," and "facilitation of interactive learning environments." Research limitations/implications: One primary limitation is the lack of prior experience with VR for teaching practices in real-world classrooms among the participants. While the study aimed to explore the potential of VR in enhancing pedagogical approaches, the absence of participants with prior exposure to VR in educational contexts may impact the generalizability of the findings to a broader population. Additionally, the study faced practical constraints, such as the unavailability of sufficient facilities in the workshop. As a result, the instructor had to project the VR cont7ent on a monitor, potentially diverging from the immersive nature of true VR experiences. These limitations offer opportunities for future research to refine methodologies and gain a more comprehensive understanding of the implications of integrating VR into teaching practices. Originality/value: Extensive research has been conducted on the effectiveness of VR in language education. However, there is a significant gap in research on TPSOL, which is considered a less commonly taught language. This study aims to address this gap by exploring the use of VR in the TPSOL through the lenses of in-service teachers. As part of a larger investigation, this qualitative inquiry focuses on the perceptions of in-service teachers about VR, with a particular emphasis on the cultural understanding of the Persian language.

This article explores the findings from a formative study focused on language and literacy development in an international school's K5 classroom in South America. The teacher's pedagogical goal was to increase the amount of English used by students related to the social context of a restaurant. The intervention involved an integrated literacy and play-based unit to introduce, reinforce, and support vocabulary development and opportunities for independent play related to the content/vocabulary. The authors analyze video recordings of the students' independent play three times a week for 6 weeks using two different theoretical and methodological approaches. The authors collected quantitative data related to English usage and codeswitching analysis, and qualitative data of students' interactions, translanguaging, and identity work. The quantitative findings reveal a significant increase in English usage during independent play. The qualitative findings explore the ways in which young bilinguals draw on all their linguistic resources and use translanguaging practices to navigate play and negotiate identity. The constraints and affordances of each approach are discussed as the authors present new theoretical contributions by utilizing codeswitching and translanguaging approaches to explore the pedagogical intervention and student identity work. This study provides implications for literacy and play-based instruction for multilingual learners.

Recent policy changes to the regulation of international schooling for Chinese nationals in China have seen restrictions on curriculum, admissions and ownership. While there is evidence of the impact of these changes at the institutional level, it is not clear how recent regulation has impacted the actors at the phenomenological level. In order to address this gap, we situate recent regulation within the concept of cosmopolitan nationalism, which highlights the interplay of local and global forces and places lived experience at the forefront of analysis. We also draw on qualitative survey and in-depth interview data with teachers from an international school in China that explored their understandings of international schooling. By analysing the teachers' understandings of international schooling, we were able to gain an insight into the impact of regulation at the level of lived experience. Overall, we found little evidence that regulation had impacted the teachers' beliefs about international schooling, suggesting either the normalisation of regulation or a lag between its implementation and internalisation. Our findings also suggested two main configurations of cosmopolitan nationalism held by the teachers. The first, which we refer to as 'cosmopolitanism with national characteristics', positions international schools as a more diverse and care-free alternative to domestic schooling. The second configuration of cosmopolitan nationalism, which we refer to as 'nationalism with cosmopolitan characteristics', positions the nation as the foundation and cosmopolitan-related aspects as peripheral.

Linguistic diversity at Czech schools has increased in the last decade, and it has become a new everyday reality. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of studies investigating lived experiences with managing multilingualism at schools. Our study examines schools as multilingual social spaces in which the visible language choice on signs reveals the language regime based on ideologies and policies. We contextualize our study according to top-down language policy, and the essential theoretical concepts such as social space or language regime are explained. The linguistic landscapes at schools (so-called schoolscapes) are analysed and interpreted to capture schools as multilingual social spaces. The focus lies on: (1) displayed languages; (2) authorship of the object: (3) location of the object. The data from schoolscaping are complemented by interviews with school principals, who are responsible for language choice decisions. The investigation took place in four schools, where multilingualism plays an essential role. The results indicate that despite the multilingual reality and the promotion of multilingualism by anchoring it in the agenda of inclusive education, language homogenization is operative in schools. Our results are relevant for exploring the linguistic environments and language regimes at schools and reveal possible explanations for linguistic homogenization.

Teachers' conceptions of assessment are a significant indicator of teacher assessment literacy. This study contextualized pre-service teachers' conceptions of assessment in Chinese second language education. An exploratory factor analysis generated eight first-order factors and the following confirmatory factor analysis found a hierarchical model, reflecting a noticeable influence of prior learning experiences and official assessment regimes on conceptions. A follow-up latent profile analysis showed three profiles. Improvement-oriented was the most prevalent profile, but more than 40% of the participants were categorized as negative. The study substantiated the need to develop an integrative and balanced understanding of assessment in teacher education to prepare pre-service teachers for teaching in international contexts.

International trends promoting school diversity and choice have reshaped education across Europe, leading towards a multiplicity in ownership structures and varied governance configurations. More recently, this can also be seen in European countries with a long history of state-owned and governed public schools, such as in the Nordic states. The aim of this article is to explore autonomy and curriculum control in teacher's work in public and independent schools within a country context where there are long traditions of 'one public school for all'. The article draws on interviews with school leaders and teachers on a Waldorf school, an IB school, and a Norwegian public school as well as analysis of local school documents. The analysis shows that varying school contexts present both different and overlapping characteristics of curriculum control and teacher autonomy. All schools have accommodated to educational outcome governed regimes, however, teacher autonomy in the school context appears to differ. Teacher autonomy is more related to teachers' practices, not the educational outcomes required. The study shows how policies intending for the standardisation of schooling may work in conflict with policy intentions of educational diversity, provided by independent schools of different character.

Public health education is a powerful tool for improving communicable disease awareness and prevention protocols. Despite the fact that health education is crucial for the advancement of COVID-19 awareness and vaccination decisions, how a teacher approaches students to learn about health education during COVID-19 vaccination is a challenging issue. This study aimed to assess the preferences for public health education during COVID-19 vaccination intervention and compare the predictors of preferences between science and non-science university students in Bangladesh. A multi-item questionnaire was developed and an online link was conveniently sent to the encounters between 31st May, 2023 and 15th August, 2023. Binary logistic regression analysis was applied to rationalize the research objective. The pooled preference for public health education was 71.3% (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 67.7-74.3) vs. 81.5% (95% CI 79.3-84.7) between science and non-science students. Out of twelve predictors "vaccine agreement", "bio-safety behavior", and "disease awareness" were significantly associated (p < 0.01, p < 0.05) with the preference for public health education in both groups. Varied effects were also observed for some predictors: vaccine "safety" and "side effects" were significant (p < 0.05, p < 0.01) in science and non-science students, respectively. To address the conflict in decisions, non-science students significantly preferred "prevention alliance" whereas science students preferred "environmental health" issues (p < 0.05).Public health education was more preferred by non-science university students than by science students in making COVID-19 vaccine decisions. The focus of transformative public health education should be interdisciplinary, including information on communicable diseases, public health measures, and prevention alliances, as well as information about vaccines' side effects and safety.

This paper examines practitioners' experiences of global citizenship education (GCE) in an international baccalaureate (IB) international school and argues that the school's enactment of GCE constitutes an allosyncratic response. The author defines allosyncracy as the uniqueness of behaviour and temperament demonstrated by groups and individuals in relation to others of difference. Thinking with Jürgen Habermas and Elliot Eisner, the author elaborates allosyncracy and argues that the delineating and expressive properties of the concept form a useful thread for GCE advancement. This research will be of interest to those seeking to develop modes of global engagement, including global citizenship, cosmopolitan education, and international-mindedness.

Work-related temporary migration became more common recently among privileged groups of global professionals. This globally mobile middle-class cohort typically place their children in international schools. Such international schools usually teach in English, follow a different curriculum from local schools, and have a wide cultural mix. Our study provides new data on the barely documented parental involvement of this emerging cohort of the globally mobile middle classes. We examine, using Bourdieu's framework, how these parents seek to maintain their status and advance the cultural capital of their children despite their loss of nationally based class reproduction strategies. Our analysis applied a qualitative approach, using data from 28 interviews with parents from five international schools in Limassol, Cyprus. We show how variations on traditional middle class school involvement at international schools help families accumulate cultural, social, and cosmopolitan capital.

Qatar's transition from a hydrocarbon-based to a knowledge-based economy spurred the development of Education City, which houses several International Branch Campuses and one home-grown university, Hamad bin Khalifa University. Through the case study of EC, this paper seeks to improve our understanding of higher education policy borrowing and the complex process of indigenisation. Using secondary data from prior studies, it offers a discussion on the key stages and challenges in Qatar's effort to indigenise higher education and outlines areas for further research. This paper uses Phillips and Ochs four-stage Model of Policy Borrowing in Education, as a guiding conceptual model. The paper is constructed as follows: first, a discussion on international branch campuses in Education City; second, outlining the conceptual model; third, a discussion on Education City through the conceptual model; and finally, the case of the home-grown university, Hamad bin Khalifa University.