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Microorganisms are ubiquitous in nature and are central to human, animal, environmental, and planetary health. They play a particularly important role in the food chain and the production of high-quality, safe, and health-promoting foods, especially fermented foods. This important role is not always apparent to members of the public. Here, we describe Kefir4All, a citizen science project designed to provide the general public with an opportunity to expand their awareness, knowledge, and practical skills relating to microbiology, introduced through the medium of producing fermented food, i.e., milk kefir or water kefir. During the course of Kefir4All, 123 citizen scientists, from second-level school and non-school settings, participated in a study to track changes in the microbial composition of kefirs, by performing and recording details of milk kefir or water kefir fermentations they performed in their homes or schools over the21-week project. At the start of the study, the citizen scientists were provided with milk or water kefir grains to initiate the fermentations. Both types of kefir grain are semi-solid, gelatinous-like substances, composed of exopolysaccharides and proteins, containing a symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast. The experimental component of the project was complemented by a number of education and outreach events, including career talks and a site visit to our research center (Kefir Day). At the end of the study, a report was provided to each citizen scientist, in which individualized results of their fermenting activities were detailed. A number of approaches were taken to obtain feedback and other insights from the citizen scientists. Evaluations took place before and after theKefir4All project to gauge the citizen scientist's self-reported awareness, knowledge, and interest in microbiology and fermented foods. Further insights into the level of citizen science participation were gained through assessing the number of samples returned for analysis and the level of participation of the citizen scientists throughout the project. Notably, the survey results revealed a self-reported, increased interest in, and general knowledge of, science among the Kefir4All citizen scientists after undertaking the project and a willingness to take part in further citizen science projects. Ultimately, Kefir4Allrepresents an example of the successful integration of citizen science into existing education and research systems.

Concerns with educational quality have led to the implementation of external school evaluation (ESE), based on the premise that these processes can provide valuable information about schools and, consequently, create conditions for improvement. Improvement is based on the feedback, commonly in the form of an evaluation report, resulting from evaluations, describing the reality of each school, and providing clues and guidance for action and progress. Nonetheless, ESE still has a relatively weak impact on overall school improvement. With this in mind, this paper focuses on the potential of evaluation reports to promote improvement, aiming to answer the question: What kind of feedback on school self-evaluation (SSE) does ESE provide to schools? Focusing on the Portuguese case, the paper analyses the feedback regarding school self-evaluation provided in evaluation reports from the northern region of Portugal. The study concludes that the feedback provided in the reports is mainly descriptive and generic, referencing issues that apply to all schools rather than targeting issues specific to each school. This leads to the hypothesis that the vagueness of ESE feedback can explain the limited contribution external evaluations make towards SSE improvement in particular, and school improvement overall. The example of Portugal and self-evaluation can help bring to light where ESE processes are underperforming and require investment to achieve their goals.

Students attracted to quantitative disciplines of study can be reluctant to devote much attention to the critical task of communicating, and previous research (Hostager, 2018) has identified statistically significant differences in learning approaches by major among undergraduate business students. This paper presents results of learning assurance for writing skills (direct measures) even when the course content relates to the highly quantitative topics of data analytics and finance. The approach combines various pedagogical methods in an undergraduate, writing-intensive setting: traditional testing in an iterative framework, "flipped classroom" intensive work using spreadsheet software, repeated submission of brief papers incorporating analytical finance work, and student research presentations (including at an undergraduate research conference). We present quantitative and qualitative data demonstrating assurance of learning for evaluation purposes, including the recently announced (2020) competency-based Assurance of Learning standards from the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). To assess the robustness of our findings, we also report results using alternate learning resources (old and new) and delivery methods (in-person, hybrid, fully online), taking advantage of the pandemic natural experiment. We found that learning progress was assured in each context for hybrid and fully online delivery; however, learning was not as monotonic as for fully in-person implementation.

The purpose of this study was to: 1) study the components and indicators of being quality organization of Phrapariyattidhamma School, General Education Department, in the Northeast, and 2) evaluate the suitability of the components and indicators of being quality organization of Phrapariyattidhamma School, General Education Department, in the Northeast. The phases were divided into 2: 1) studying documents and related works on the components of being quality organization and synthesize received data of components of being quality organization with 7 experts, and 2) evaluating the suitability of components and indicators of being quality organization employing suitability test verified by the experts on question details. The data analysis was by computer program using Rating Scale, Average, and Standard Deviation. The findings of the study were found that the components and indicators of being quality organization Phrapariyattidhamma School, General Education Department, in the Northeast contained 5 components and 43 indicators: 1) 9 indicators of quality learners, 2) 8 indicators of professional teachers, 3) 9 indicators of high-performance school, 4) 5 indicators of strategic management, 5) 8 indicators of community cooperation and the results of the overall evaluation of the components and indicators were at a higher level.

The aim of this research was to study the current level of preschool teachers' partnership competence in the aspect of interacting in the teaching staff. During the research, questionnaires and statistical methods of analysis were conducted. The results of the study show that 82% of the respondents describe the psychological climate in the team as moderately favourable, 6% note its high level, 9% feel low favourableness, and 3% see it as unfavourable. The conducted research revealed a positive moderate correlation between the partnership competence level and the psychological climate level in the team of preschool teachers. Therefore, a positive psychological climate, characterized by mutual understanding, support and openness, contributes to creating a favorable environment for partnership interaction. When teachers feel comfortable and supported in the team, they are more inclined to work together, share experiences and provide mutual support. The area of further research is to identify the relationship between the professional development of teachers and their partnership competence, as well as to study the impact of distance learning on partnership interaction between teachers and ways of its development in the digital environment.

Agriculture is one of the supports for national food needs, so it must continue to be preserved. Unfortunately, nowadays, the sustainability of agriculture is increasingly worrying. Many young people are no longer interested in becoming farmers or working in the agricultural sector. A solution like this must be immediately sought so that regeneration is maintained. This research aimed to develop teaching materials with agricultural insight to introduce of agriculture in primary school students in Indonesia. The research used the research and development (R&D) method. Development was carried out using the Borg and Gall model, including: research and informing collecting, planning, preliminary development, and preliminary field testing and main product revision. The research results indicated that: i) the teaching material that was successfully developed was in the form of a textbook entitled "I love agriculture". This book contains ten materials on agricultural, and ii) the test results showed that the agricultural-oriented teaching materials are of good quality. From the product eligibility test involving material experts and media experts, the average assessment score was 86.25%, while the average assessment score from students reached 85.25%. This research implied that students could get to know and love agriculture through learning activities at school.

The notion of what constitutes a high-quality work-integrated learning experience has received increasing attention in the literature, particularly over the past decade. To date, the definitions of high-quality work-integrated learning have been broad and there remains a need to understand how elements of quality can be operationalized, particularly in niche settings. This paper describes an approach to developing a high-quality work-integrated learning program drawn from the experiences of a team of tertiary academics in the field of rural health. The design approach and quality assurance methods of a rural work-integrated learning program are discussed, including some of the preliminary outcomes. This paper demonstrates the complicated and complex nature of designing work-integrated learning programs in rural health environments. It is intended that this work will provide guidance to others seeking to create similar programs in rural contexts.

The research aimed to examine the components of effective academic administration involving collaborative participation from parents and the local community in small-sized schools under the authority of the Basic Education Commission. The study employed a mixed-method research approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, divided into two phases. Phase 1: Examine the components of academic administration by synthesizing documents and related studies. Phase 2: Conduct interviews and verify the effectiveness of academic administration. The information providers consisted of 7 highly qualified individuals in the field of educational administration. The selection method was purposive sampling. The tools utilized included interview and assessment forms. Statistical analysis involved mean, standard deviation, and content analysis. The research findings indicated that the effective collaborative components of academic administration involving parents and communities in small-sized schools consisted of three main components: 1) The workload and scope of academic administration in small-sized schools, comprising 10 aspects, 2) Effective academic administration, consisting of 4 aspects, and 3) Collaborative management processes, involving 4 steps. The assessment results demonstrated a high level of suitability for the effective collaborative components of academic administration involving parents and communities in small-sized schools, both at the individual component level and overall. The component with the highest level was the development of an internal quality assurance system within the educational institution, including measurement, assessment, and comparison of learning outcomes. Conversely, the component with the lowest level was the development of learning resources.

The large-scale online teaching amid the pandemic triggered increasing concern over online teaching management and quality assurance. Take the theory of Total Quality Management (TQM) as guidance, a Chinese higher education institution (CHEI) built a multi-level, multi-link, and multi-dimensional teaching quality monitoring system (Online Teaching Quality Assurance Measures) with full participation, whole process, and all-round development by innovating teaching quality management and monitoring mechanism, aiming to ensure the continuous improvement of talent training quality to realize the sustainable development of application-oriented undergraduate universities with quality improvement as the core. The effectiveness of online teaching quality was demonstrated through the Questionnaire of Student Evaluation of Online Teaching Faculty and students' academic performance (GPA) before and after the implementation of Online Teaching Quality Assurance Measures, guided by the principles of Total Quality Management theory. The results indicated that Online Teaching Quality Assurance Measures have a series of positive effects on online teaching in CHEI, and systematically guide online instructors as evidenced by outstanding ratings and feedback in course evaluations and students' academic performance. This study also revealed that CHEI's online teaching is facing some challenges, especially in the effort to promote learning interaction and teaching cooperation. The study underscored the importance of continuous improvement and provided some interventions in enhancing online educational practices, aligning with TQM principles. The findings are expected to make an important contribution to the field of online teaching quality management in higher education.

Summer camps are widespread in many countries and have a long history. Their contribution to children's and young people's leisure and recreation is widely acknowledged, as is their usefulness as an educational resource. That large numbers of children and young people across Europe attend summer camps is well-known; according to Eurofound (2020), most of the twenty-seven countries analyzed record student attendance at camps, and in twelve countries (including Spain) over 50% of young people take part. However, another study carried out in the member countries of the European Union (Plantenga & Remery, 2017) stated that when the availability, use, and quality of this service was assessed, it was seen that out-of-school services lacked structure and quality. Despite being an especially important and relevant topic in political discourses and international organizations, most countries do not define the service clearly and precisely (OECD, 2011). According to Eurofound (2020), many European states centralize their planning of educational leisure at national level, including the laws and decrees that underpin how these activities are organized. But camps are implemented locally, and municipalities play a significant role in designing and providing this leisure activity, both during the year and during holiday periods. Coinciding with previous publications (Eurofound, 2007), the formula for success was to be found in public-sector support, community involvement, integration between services and spaces, and the inclusion of minorities.

Courses are the fundamental building blocks of educational programs, serving as a tangible representation of student attainment and the desired learning outcomes of the program. Despite their pivotal role in education, however, a standardized framework for the development, implementation, and enhancement of course specifications remains elusive. Given that different programs may employ varying formats with differing levels of detail, it is critical to establish a universal framework that enables instructors to adhere to quality standards at the program level. To this end, leveraging the ASEAN University Network -- Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) and Quality Matters Rubric, this study seeks to optimize course quality assurance requirements and assess lecturers' perception of these proposed guidelines. Drawing on document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and importance-level measurement, the findings of this study underscore the significance of eight criteria, comprising a total of 25 quality requirements, in ensuring course quality. These criteria include learning outcomes, structure and content, instructional approaches, learning assessment, learner support, staff, and output. Notably, these criteria align with the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle theory, thereby promoting continuous improvement in education.

Post-secondary institutions are required to complete a variety of quality assurance activities including external program review, a process of inviting external reviewers from outside the institution to provide constructive feedback on all aspects of an academic program. While external program reviews have been completed for decades, there has been little work to ensure that meaningful change occurs as a result. Assessment of outcomes at the department level are limited and research specifically considering external academic program review as a primary quality assurance activity is scant. Each of these limitations is even more significant when considered at the institutional level. From our experience, there is minimal consideration in research or practice to ensure that external review recommendations have an impact on educational planning at the institutional level. To help address this concern, in this paper we describe an approach involving secondary research and thematic document analysis that can be leveraged to enhance institutional decision-making processes by uncovering institutional themes evident across external reviews. We suggest that our approach may be helpful for other higher education institutions striving to make sense of program review recommendations from an institutional perspective.

Due to the recent developments in the delivery of teaching-learning processes when COVID-19 hit the world with a health crisis and pandemic, it is crucial to look into the quality of courses delivered via online means or through distance education modality. This paper examines implementation and application of quality assurance (QA) landscape in Distance Education (DE). A documentary review using bibliographic inquiry is used as a methodology approach to gather relevant information to address the study questions. Previous studies on QA in DE are examined and arranged into themes using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that most of the literature on QA in DE in Africa and Asia based on the reviewed Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institutions are basically dealing with frameworks, outcomes and performance, instructional design, student services and challenges as well as parity in terms of quality with the traditional institutions. Therefore, this paper concludes that more studies are needed for QA in DE to match the post-COVID-19 trends on improving QA. This implies that there is a need to expand research on QA in DE to include areas of artificial intelligence.

Driven by competition amongst higher education institutions, increasing recognition of the benefits of international academic mobility, and the global pandemic, transnational distance education has accelerated in recent years. Despite its many advantages, quality assurance issues can pose significant obstacles to success. Using a collaborative autoethnography approach, this study aimed to conceptualize quality dimensions from the perspectives of three Greek graduate students shaped by their collective experience at an open university in Canada. The findings suggest that quality encompasses accessibility, learner-centred instructional design, social-emotional support, and applying acquired knowledge and skills in local contexts. The significance of this study further illustrates the emerging transnational distance student population and highlights their experiences to inform quality internationalization practices in higher education for all students.

The objective of this study is twofold: 1) To examine the current situations, desired conditions, and requirements for participation in quality assurance efforts of small schools under the Office of the Basic Education Commission; 2) To explore developmental guidelines for enhancing the quality assurance practices of these educational institutions. The research methodology involved: 1) surveying to assess the current situations, desired conditions, and essential requirements; and 2) investigating development guidelines embedded in the working processes of three schools with the best educational assurance practices. The sample groups included 385 persons who were school administrators and teachers. Research tools included a survey form, interview forms, and an assessment form, which was verified and approved by nine qualified individuals. Data analysis involved content validation and factor analysis. The statistics also indicated the correctness, appropriateness, feasibility, and utility of the information. The statistical techniques used in the research included basic statistics and the analysis of essential requirements. The findings of the study revealed the following: 1) The current situation of the participation in educational quality assurance efforts of the small schools was rated at a moderate level, with the highest level of the desired conditions. An area of the requirements that was rated with the highest score of development priority was active participation in quality assurance; 2) The developmental guidelines for quality assurance practices in educational institutions encompassed five domains with a total of 16 strategies. The experts' evaluation of these domains indicated a high level of accuracy, while appropriateness, feasibility, and utility were scored at the highest level.

MOOCs (massive open online courses), because of their scale and accessibility, have become a major area of interest in contemporary education. However, despite their growing popularity, the question of their quality remains a central concern, partly due to the lack of consensus on the criteria establishing such quality. This study set out to fill this gap by carrying out a systematic review of the existing literature on MOOC quality and proposing a specific quality assurance framework at a micro level. The methodology employed in this research consisted of a careful analysis of MOOC success factor's using Biggs' classification scheme, conducted over a four-year period from 2018 to 2022. The results highlighted the compelling need to consider various indicators across presage, process, and product variables when designing and evaluating MOOCs. This implied paying particular attention to pedagogical quality, both from the learner's and the teacher's point of view. The quality framework thus developed is of significant importance. It offers valuable guidance to MOOC designers, learners, and researchers, providing them with an in-depth understanding of the key elements contributing to MOOC quality and facilitating their continuous improvement. In addition, this study highlighted the need to address aspects for future research, including large-scale automated evaluation of MOOCs. By focusing on pedagogical quality, MOOCs can play a vital role in providing meaningful learning experiences, maximizing learner satisfaction, and ensuring their success as innovative educational systems adapted to the changing needs of contemporary education.

This paper presents a concise review of research articles focusing on Quality Assurance (QA) in Higher Education post-2019. The review encompasses various aspects such as methodologies, frameworks, challenges, and advancements in ensuring educational quality. It synthesizes findings from diverse scholarly works, highlighting emerging trends and key insights. Through this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the evolving landscape of QA in higher education, identifying critical areas for further research and policy development.

This study aims to explore university students' perception regarding an e-assessment system in terms of preference, assessment management, and the quality assurance process. A cross-sectional online survey was employed among 384 students of Nepal Open University (NOU). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used in the research. Findings indicate that the perception of students regarding preference, e-assessment management, and the quality assurance process was found to be significantly high. In particular, the perception of preference regarding digital assessment was higher than assessment management and the quality assurance process. Gender, ethnicity, and place for taking classes, have an effect on implementation. This study concludes that three attributions of preference for digital assessment, management, and quality assurance are affected by one another.

Satisfying students in higher education has proven to be a difficult task, although universities are striving to meet student needs and expectations. Private universities are trying to become more student-oriented and are seeking to understand students' perceptions of higher education facilities. This research was designed to measure the gap between students' expectations and perceptions of various aspects of private universities in Bangladesh. It uses a SERVQUAL framework and the Gaps Model of Service Quality. The population of students at private universities in Bangladesh is represented by a sample of 412 respondents from five top-tier private universities. Findings indicate that the overall service quality of private universities fails to meet student expectations. Students' perceptions are lower than their expectations in every aspect. Students expect more for acceptance of their degree, availability of on-campus jobs, maintenance of a proper study environment, and provision of prompt advising, counseling, and assistance to solve problems. The most expected SERVQUAL dimensions are assurance and empathy, while the dimension most perceived is assurance. The biggest gaps between expectation and perception lie in the dimensions of responsiveness and empathy. The article offers useful information by which to understand students' expectations, perceptions, and the gaps between them, which has several implications for university and government authorities.

This research is the scenarios of educational administration of secondary schools in Thailand during the next decade (A.D. 2022-2031) by using EDFR research techniques, The research objectives were 1) To study the current conditions and problems of educational administration of secondary schools in Thailand 2) To study the scenarios of educational administration of secondary school in Thailand during the next decade (A.D. 2022-2031). The research results can be summarized as follows: I) The current state and problems of educational administration of the secondary school in Thailand overall practice is at a high level when considering each aspect, there are practices at a high level in all 8 aspects: 1) Planning and quality assurance 2) Academic affairs 3) Student affairs 4) Human resources 5) Administrative work 6) Finance and supplies 7) Building and environment services and 8) Community work and affiliate networks. As for the educational administration problems in Thai secondary schools, the overall practice is at a low level, when considering each aspect, there is a low level of practice in all 8 aspects: 1) Planning and quality assurance 2) Academic affairs 3) Student affairs, 4) Human resources, 5) Administrative work, 6) Finance and supplies, 7) Building and environment services, and 8) Community and affiliate networks. II) The scenarios of educational administration of the secondary school in Thailand during the next decade (A.D. 2022-2031) have 49 possible trends as follows: 1) Planning and Quality assurance 7 trends 2) Academic affairs 11 trends 3) Student affairs 8 trends 4) Human resources, 9 trends, 5) Administrative, 4 trends, 6) Finance and supplies, 5 trends, 7) Building and environment services, 3 trends, and 8) Community and affiliate network 2 trends.

The purpose of this project was to determine the extent to which physiotherapists affiliated to occupational health services undertake the full clinical audit cycle. A sample of convenience was used to select physiotherapists that were in attendance over two conference days. Those who verbally consented to take part were asked to complete a survey and place it in an envelope which was immediately sealed to maintain confidentiality of responses. The majority of physiotherapists undertook clinical audit practice (94%). The common frequency of clinical audits was annually (77%). Most physiotherapists did not contribute their clinical audit outcomes into any quality improvement initiatives (42%). Occupational health services should encourage physiotherapists affiliated to them to identify and link their outcomes into broader quality improvement initiatives so that the full audit cycle can be completed.

The staffing and outsourcing of the marginalised curriculum area Health and Physical Education (HPE) has been an area of growing concern, alongside rising concerns for the decline of students' health due to increased sedentary behaviour and mental health problems, yet there has been little research attention to the staffing and delivery of HPE in Australian schools. This article addresses that gap in understanding with analysis of data from a larger study examining positioning and implementation of HPE in schools. A mixed methods questionnaire was completed by 30% of government schools in New South Wales (n = 556) providing data on staffing, delivery and outsourcing arrangements. Findings suggested that specialist HPE teachers are not in-charge of teaching HPE; and the majority (67%) of schools outsource at least some HPE, with far-reaching impacts on curriculum coverage and student exclusion from lessons evident. Findings also suggested that students experience varied methods of delivery in Physical Education (PE), and Health Education (HE) lessons. Together, these findings raise questions regarding the assurance of quality and equity, with implications for future policy and practice and the health and wellbeing of school children.

Student academic representation is a staple feature in UK and international higher education. It provides a vital quality function whereby students, who are elected representatives of their programme, canvas the opinions of peers to inform quality assurance processes. In the UK, there is increasing regulatory pressure for universities and student unions to be dual owners of representation activity and much work has been done to enact this model. Nonetheless, little is known about the experiences of those serving as student representatives, despite this being a community of thousands of students across the UK, who hold an instrumental position in institutional quality assurance. We developed an instrument (SARA) to evaluate experiences of 773 active student representatives from 15 UK HE institutions. It explored key areas, including recruitment, training, working approaches and development outcomes. Data indicated low engagement in training in some key areas (e.g., representation of diverse groups and data gathering) and a narrow range of working approaches. These patterns may compromise the value of student representation both from the institutional perspective and that of individual representatives seeking to enhance their skills. Recommendations are suggested for enhancing future practice.

Quality assurance (QA) is considered a critical component in higher education institutions (HEIs) and their academic programmes in the twenty-first century. Despite significant investments to enhance QA in HEIs, contemporary research suggests that QA systems may not always meet the expectations of HEI stakeholders. The literature review suggests that differing interpretations of 'quality' in HE can impact the progress of QA and related issues. This study, therefore, aims to empirically investigate the reality of QA in HEIs, specifically how it is perceived and implemented in these institutions. Additionally, it seeks to identify challenges impacting the success of QA and propose practical solutions that may improve QA systems in HEIs. Applying a qualitative ethnographic approach, this research includes in-depth interviews with 53 participants, both participant and non-participant observations, and document analyses at three universities (two public and one private), as well as related QA agencies. The findings of this study offer a range of theoretical and practical insights. Most notably, they contribute to the existing literature on QA and HEIs by providing detailed evidence of the contentious aspects of QA and their implications, particularly regarding the understanding and implications of QA in HEIs from the perspective of relevant participants. Furthermore, the study provides QA policymakers (both external and internal), staff, and general members of HEIs with various challenges and practical solutions for enhancing awareness and engagement with QA issues. Finally, the conclusion and implications section outlines key areas for future research in different contexts of the world.

The metaverse is rapidly reshaping our understanding of education, yet identifying the public's beliefs, emotions and sentiments towards its adoption in education remains largely uncharted empirically. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Digital Diffusion Theory (DOI), this paper aims to fill this gap using a big-data approach and machine learning to scrape comments made by social media users on recent popular posts or videos related to adopting the metaverse in education from three prominent social media platforms. The cleaning process narrowed down 11,024 comments to 4277, then analysed them using thematic, emotion and sentiment analysis techniques. The thematic analysis revealed that adopting the metaverse in education evokes a complex range of public beliefs: (1) innovative learning methods; (2) accessibility and inclusion; (3) concerns about quality and effectiveness; (4) technological challenges and the digital divide; (5) the future of work and skills; and (6) privacy and security concerns. Integrating these themes with emotion and sentiment analyses reveals a landscape of a significant portion of neutral sentiments that corroborates enthusiasm attenuated by caution. This careful consideration stresses the urgent need for a balanced approach to adopting the metaverse in education to ensure that resulting educational advancements benefit all learners equitably. As one of the first studies to offer a multidimensional view of the public's beliefs about metaverse education using big data, this research not only contributes to TAM and DOI but also provides critical insights that could inform policy, enhance educational practices and guide future scholarship in this emerging field.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses aggregate research findings across studies and populations, making them a valuable form of research evidence. Over the past decade, studies in medical education using these methods have increased by 630%. However, many manuscripts are not publication-ready due to inadequate planning and insufficient analyses. These guidelines aim to improve the clarity and comprehensiveness of reporting methodologies and outcomes, ensuring high quality and comparability. They align with existing standards like PRISMA, providing examples and best practices. Adhering to these guidelines is crucial for publication consideration in "Anatomical Sciences Education."

The aim of this study was to explore the results of and conditions for systemic large-scale school improvement. Through a multi-level analysis and a theoretical framework inspired by organization- and sensemaking-oriented theories, the study examines how a Swedish large-scale school improvement program, "Collaboration for the Best School Possible," played out in two Swedish municipalities. School actors at four organizational levels (at the National Education Agency, Local Education Authority, school leader, and teacher levels) in the two municipalities were interviewed. Because these school actors' sensemaking is linked to different aspects of the national largescale improvement program, the analysis shows a variation in the strengthening of the couplings between these organizational levels. The different nature of the couplings affected the implementation process and the results of the program. While the national large-scale program seemed to have contributed to an improvement in the schools' quality assurance systems and leadership practices, there were difficulties in maintaining general and sustainable changes in schools' instructional practices. The conclusion of the study was that, even if a national large-scale school improvement program is well designed and backed up with many resources, it must be perceived as legitimate among the local school actors at the different organizational levels. This points to the importance of managing the balance between top-down efforts and visions and local professional knowledge and experience.

Currently there is a severe lack of research on autism and Indigenous people in Canada. This scoping review explores this literature gap and assesses the same literature from an Indigenous perspective. Scoping reviews are an effective means to explore the literature in a specific area, in this case, autism and Indigenous people in Canada. We explored existing literature as it pertains to Indigenous populations and autism in Canada. To support this review, the Indigenous Quality Assessment Tool (QAT) was adapted to appraise the quality of literature. In total, there were a total of 212 articles identified of which 24 met the inclusion criteria: (1) some focus on autism, (2) a component specific to Indigenous people, and (3) specific to Canada. Of the 24 articles and reports, 15 were peer-reviewed and the rest considered grey literature. Most articles focused on program delivery with some literature using primary data (quantitative and/or qualitative). Overall, the quality of the research was appraised as poor, as determined by the QAT. Findings reaffirm the critical need for research that addresses autism in Indigenous communities within Canada and show the importance of having research done in full partnership with, or led by, Indigenous people.

Our study uses a qualitative comparative analysis method in order to assess the impact of national accreditation schemes and also other relevant features of the higher education systems of 20 OECD countries on quality of the higher education sector measured by world rankings of national higher education systems. The analysis shows that higher education systems with accreditation system focused mainly on inputs, lacking involvement of professionals in the accreditation process, having a single body granting accreditation for the respective type of institution or degree, not having English as an official language, and not allowing public universities to charge tuition fees do worse in the higher education system rankings.

In this paper, we present an approach for online course evaluation based on learners' behaviors during the learning process, where the course creator can monitor the quality status of their online courses based on learners' learning outcomes and then intervene to improve the success rate. For this purpose, a set of criteria has been developed. These criteria concern learners' cognitive, affective and academic engagement. The proposed approach was adopted by a system consisting of four parts: a learning management system, a LOG preprocessing manager, a quality assessment manager, and a visualization and intervention manager. A first test was carried out on a sample of 33 students from the Department of Economics at the University of Guelma (Algeria), where the results obtained were very encouraging and promising.

Research article publication is often considered a critical indicator of academic institutions' success and productivity. It improves the institution's reputation, attracts talented students and faculty members, and increases the institution's chances of receiving funding opportunities from different funding agencies. This paper provides a reliable and sustainable methodology for improving the quality and quantity of research article publications for engineering institutions in India. The various tools, techniques, and initiatives that promote research culture and improve its outcome in terms of research papers are also discussed. A case study of Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering (PCCOE), Pune, India, depicts how predictive, prescriptive, descriptive, and diagnostic data analytics approaches help to identify the barriers in the research article publications in academic institutions and provides the ways to overcome them. It also helps to set the publication targets and develop the path to perceive the targets. The outcomes and effectiveness of the case study are discussed using the papers published in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. The challenges, opportunities, and recommendations are also provided for the smooth and effective implementation of the developed methodologies.

Accreditation has witnessed a surge in popularity within K-12 settings, being perceived as a pathway to excellence and a testament to the pursuit of quality education. This study explored the perceptions of 423 educators (teachers, subject coordinators, and school leaders) from 10 Arab Sates focusing on the value of accreditation and its impact on school improvement, through their lenses. A survey with an open-ended question, was used to collect data. Quantitative data underwent statistical analysis using SPSS 25.0, while qualitative data from the open-ended question were analyzed using theme-based analysis. Findings reveal that participants expressed positive views toward accreditation, recognizing its role in ensuring compliance with standards related to safety, resource allocation, and infrastructure provisions. However, participants, particularly teachers, displayed more reserved perspectives on accreditation's potential to enhance school improvement, expressing concerns that it may lead to cloned schools and diminish teachers' creativity and autonomy. This study highlights the complexities and divergent perceptions surrounding accreditation's impact on K-12 education, urging further reflection and dialogue to better align accreditation practices with the genuine pursuit of school improvement and educational excellence.

Since its onset, scholars have characterized social media as a valuable source for data collection since it presents several benefits (e.g. exploring research questions with hard-to-reach populations). Nonetheless, methods of online data collection are riddled with ethical and methodological challenges that researchers must consider if they want to adopt good practices when collecting and analyzing online data. Drawing from our primary research project, where we collected passive online data on Reddit, we explore and detail the steps that researchers must consider before collecting online data: (1) planning online data collection; (2) ethical considerations; and (3) data collection. We also discuss two atypical questions that researchers should also consider: (1) how to handle deleted user-generated content; and (2) how to quote user-generated content. Moving on from the dichotomous discussion between what is public and private data, we present recommendations for good practices when collecting and analyzing qualitative online data.

Survey-based research is vital in education and social sciences, offering insights into human behaviors and perceptions. The prevalence of such studies in medical education has risen by 33% over the past decade. Despite this growth, the utility of survey findings depends on the study design quality and measure validity. Many manuscripts are rejected due to poor planning and lack of validity evidence. These guidelines aim to improve the rigor and reporting of survey-based research, ensuring credibility and reproducibility. They apply to various survey tools and evaluations, setting a standard for manuscript quality and informing the review process for "Anatomical Science Education."

The quality of graduate teachers is a significant concern for teacher educators, policymakers and the public. Initiatives regarding the quality assurance of initial teacher education (ITE) programs require critical examination to ensure that ITE programs develop proficient graduate teachers to meet the demands of modern classrooms. In this paper, we draw on Biesta's (2015, 2019, 2020) theoretical framing of purpose in education (i.e., qualification, socialisation and subjectification) to analyse the policy texts related to graduate teaching performance assessment from institutions involved in the creation and implementation of the Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) in ITE in Australia. Researchers used document analysis to examine the publicly stated purpose of the TPA. The analysis revealed that the relevant policy texts focused much more on qualification (81%) than socialisation (8%) and subjectification (11%). The findings imply that the TPA policies may contribute to narrowing the ITE curriculum and the subsequent thwarting of teacher subjectification.