ABSTRACT Background Teacher workload is a persistent challenge globally, often linked to long hours, stress and teacher attrition. Evidence shows that teachers in England work longer hours per week, on average, than their counterparts in other countries. Research indicates that it is not only the total hours worked but also the nature and complexity of tasks that contribute to workload pressures. Excessive workload has consequences for teacher wellbeing, professional satisfaction and recruitment and retention. Purpose This systematic literature review examined teacher workload in England in the period 2010–2024, identifying key components of workload and their perceived contribution to excessive working hours. It evaluated policies and initiatives aimed at managing workload and explored their impact on teacher recruitment and retention, providing insights relevant to education systems facing similar workforce challenges. Method The review assessed a large number (1,839) of peer-reviewed articles and grey literature on teacher workload in England, 64 of which were considered eligible for analysis. Data from these were extracted and inductively synthesised through thematic analysis. Findings Key drivers of excessive workload included: marking and feedback; lesson planning; data management; administrative responsibilities; external accountability; and limited professional autonomy. These factors were found to increase working hours and negatively affect wellbeing, job satisfaction, and career intentions. Workload-reduction initiatives exist, but adoption is inconsistent and effects are limited. Workload emerges both as a key factor in teacher attrition and a potential barrier to attracting new entrants. Conclusion Addressing teacher workload requires coordinated action at policy, institutional, and preparation levels. Professional development and early career support can enable teachers to manage their workload effectively. Reducing excessive workload is essential for teacher retention, as autonomy and a sustainable worklife balance underpin wellbeing and the profession’s future sustainability. Although the review focuses on England, the findings offer valuable insights for international policymakers and education leaders.

ABSTRACT Background The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education is reshaping teaching, learning and assessment practices worldwide. While these technologies hold promise for inclusive education, their implications for students with disabilities remain unknown, especially in resource-limited settings such as those in sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding how students with disabilities experience generative AI is critical for advancing equitable digital transformation in universities. Purpose This study aimed to explore the challenges and opportunities experienced by Tanzanian university students with disabilities when using generative AI tools. It focused on how these technologies influenced learning, accessibility and participation in higher education. Method A qualitative research design was employed, with data collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions from 18 students with visual, hearing and physical impairments from one public and one private university in Tanzania. Data were analysed using thematic analysis to generate themes that captured students’ lived experiences with generative AI tools. Findings Key challenges included limited institutional awareness of and guidance on the use of these tools, insufficient AI accessibility and customisation features, privacy concerns and financial barriers related to the cost of subscriptions, assistive technologies and internet access. Concurrently, generative AI offered important opportunities by enabling personalised and inclusive learning, enhancing autonomy and confidence, providing timely feedback that supported engagement and motivation and strengthening digital competence and career readiness. Conclusion The findings suggest that while generative AI has the potential to promote inclusion for students with disabilities, its benefits are unevenly realised. Clear institutional policies, accessible infrastructure and inclusive pedagogical integration are essential to ensure that generative AI contributes to equitable participation, rather than reinforcing existing inequalities in higher education.

ABSTRACT Background School choice is framed in global education policy as a mechanism for enabling equitable access to schools. However, research shows that choice is often shaped by racialised, class-based and spatial inequalities. In South Africa, historical state control and its enduring apartheid legacies continue to inform how school choice is practised. Although studies have focused on parental decision-making, there is limited empirical research examining school choice as an agential process involving both parents and teachers navigating a stratified public schooling system. Purpose This article examines how racial, economic, and geographical factors continue to structure school choice in an urban town in South Africa (Stellenbosch), despite post-apartheid reforms aimed at educational equality. It positions that there are few studies in the country that prioritise parents’ and teachers’ agency in the school choice debate. It is essential to consider their perspectives in tangent to each other to understand the embedded racial, economic and spatial reasoning that guides their decision-making around school selection. Method The study made use of qualitative evidence from 11 semi-structured interviews conducted across three High Schools in the town of Stellenbosch, South Africa with parents and teachers. The schools were categorised as either fee paying or no-fee paying. The data were analysed thematically. Findings Parents’ decisions to select schools were influenced by the school’s reputation, wherein they considered safety, resources, discipline, and the symbolic power of historically privileged schools in white and coloured neighbourhoods. Teachers viewed public schooling as an enabling space to support learners to facilitate community upliftment. These divergent but connected forms of agency reflected and responded to the practice of school choice while navigating historical and contemporary inequalities. Conclusion By focusing on parents’ and teachers’ agency in understanding the process of school choice, this research offers an understanding of how educational inequalities persist and are resisted by these two stakeholder groups. School choice practice in Stellenbosch challenges traditional perceptions of schools in township and suburban areas and reframes a social justice analysis where parents and teachers are regarded as informed and engaged in shifting what school choice means in the town and broadly in the country.

ABSTRACT Background Subject aversion – a persistent emotional or cognitive resistance towards specific academic subjects – is a barrier to effective learning in sub-Saharan Africa, rooted in emotional, pedagogical, and contextual dynamics. It often results in lowered engagement, performance and self-efficacy, affecting students’ motivation and long-term learning trajectories. While traditional surveys provide limited insights into students’ views and experiences of schooling, social media offers a rich, naturalistic window into public sentiment. Purpose This study investigates patterns of subject aversion among Ghanaian learners, identifying the subjects which elicited the strongest negative emotional responses, and examining the underlying instructional and socio-emotional factors that sustained these. Method Drawing on 2900 Facebook comments from 955 users responding to a post on TV3 Ghana in April 2025 – a widely followed media platform with large national reach – the study employed a mixed-method design integrating quantitative frequency analysis and qualitative thematic interpretation. Comments, primarily in English, were cleaned, coded and analysed sequentially. Findings Technical Studies, Mathematics and French emerged as the most frequently disliked subjects. Aversion was driven by fear-based discipline, cognitive abstraction, perceived irrelevance, rote instruction and peer ridicule. Five core themes were identified: teacher-driven fear and punishment; cognitive complexity and abstraction; perceived irrelevance; an overloaded curriculum and rote learning; and peer and social influence. Conclusions Subject aversion in Ghana arises less from the inherent difficulty of subjects than from pedagogical and emotional factors embedded in classroom culture. Promoting learner-centred pedagogy, empathetic teacher training and emotionally supportive classrooms is essential for reducing aversion and fostering long-term engagement.

Creatures of the talented great philosopher Aristotle have covered all the knowledge sectors of that period including the education sector. The creature and ideas of Aristotle evidence that he has considered and explained the education as the vital and necessary value for the personal complex development of people and highly estimated this sector. Aristotle has considered the education as a guarantee of full happy life and the only chance to reach the satisfaction of people.

The updated program was developed by comparing it with the programs of universities such as University of Sydney, Oregon Tech, and Montana Tech. The updated program has a total of 120 hours and is in line with the Order of the Minister of Education and Science No. A/147 and the IT Curriculum Guide 2017. It is characterized by the development of specialization courses in the fields of health data processing, information system organization, and computer networks.

This study evaluated the reliability, consistency, discrimination power, and difficulty level of test items administered to students from Delgermörön and Ikh-Uul soums of Khuvsgul province, and the 48th school in Ulaanbaatar. The test consisted of five items, each scored on a scale from 0 to 4 points. Based on the measures of central tendency and variability, the average test score was at a moderate level, and the distribution was found to be non-normal. The reliability coefficient, Cronbach’s alpha, was 0.74, indicating an acceptable to high level of internal consistency.Items 1 and 4 showed low discrimination and were relatively difficult, while the remaining items demonstrated moderate difficulty levels. To construct a more valid and reliable test, items should be designed so that the mean, median, mode, and standard deviation are approximately aligned, and the reliability coefficient (α) should be improved to exceed 0.8. Additionally, balancing the cognitive process levels across items and administering the revised test at least twice will help ensure the development of a consistent and dependable assessment instrument.

This article investigates and compares the CDIO (Conceive–Design–Implement–Operate) approach and Contextual Learning within the scope of contemporary engineering education reform. It further explores the possibilities, advantages, and limitations of integrating these two pedagogical approaches. The CDIO approach emphasizes the engineering process, product development, and system lifecycle, aiming to systematically enhance students’ professional competencies and practical problem-solving skills. In contrast, Contextual Learning focuses on situating students in real-life or authentic scenarios, thereby fostering their ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical contexts and promoting meaningful learning experiences.By analyzing the theoretical foundations, this study highlights the key differences between the two methods, identifies their respective strengths and weaknesses, and examines how their integration can enhance engineering education. The combined application of CDIO and Contextual Learning offers a comprehensive framework that promotes both systematic technical skill development and the ability to transfer knowledge to diverse, real-world situations. This integrative approach not only strengthens students’ conceptual understanding but also cultivates critical thinking, teamwork, and professional readiness, making it particularly relevant for higher education institutions aiming to prepare competent and adaptable engineering graduates.

ABSTRACT Background Research demonstrates increasingly low levels of writing motivation among primary school children. This is concerning given the central role of writing in children’s learning and educational outcomes. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) posits that motivation is underpinned by a need for autonomy, competency and relatedness (Ryan and Deci 2000); this study focuses on the competency element of SDT, providing in-depth insights into how classroom practices shape children’s perceptions of themselves as writers. Purpose The study aimed to understand children’s perceptions of writing competency, including the factors influencing these perceptions, and the influence of classroom practices. It posed the following research questions: 1) What factors influence children’s perceptions of their writing competency? and 2) How do school-based practices influence children’s perceptions of their writing competency? Method Individual semi-structured interviews were carried out with 24 children aged 9–11 (12 boys; 12 girls) from three culturally and linguistically diverse primary schools in England, UK. The children had varied levels of writing motivation and skill. Following data collection, an inductive thematic analysis was undertaken. Findings Children’s perceptions of competency were themed in relation to academic, personal and social competency. Academic competency reflected perceptions of technical accuracy and academic success, while personal competency reflected feelings of enjoyment, immersion, expression, perseverance, pride, and personal growth. Meanwhile, positive feedback from others, reader interest and collaborative writing strengthened positive feelings of social competency. Conclusion The study provides novel insights into the multifaceted and complex nature of children’s writing motivation, illustrating how academic, personal and social factors influence their perceptions of competency. Teaching approaches which simultaneously attend to these different dimensions are arguably essential to help develop children’s positive perceptions of themselves as writers.

ABSTRACT Background Democratic student participation is widely recognised as important in building a fairer society and fostering critical citizenship. However, despite several robust theoretical frameworks outlining the characteristics of high-level participation, a gap remains between understandings of theory and practice. In many educational settings, symbolic or passive practices still predominate, often due to a lack of empirical models illustrating how to implement student participation well in daily school life. Purpose To address this gap, this ethnographic case study focuses on one state-funded school in the Basque country, recognised for its democratic practices. Objectives are twofold: to present a successful case model, and to analyse how genuine student participation is fostered in this school, thereby identifying useful aspects for educational improvement. The article describes in detail how these factors are articulated and applied in the school’s daily practice. Method The research adopted a qualitative ethnographic case study design. Data were gathered through 24 participant observations, analysis of 21 school documents, and group discussions with a teaching team (1 group) and with former students across several generations of the school’s history (28 groups). Findings The analysis revealed three interlinked dimensions essential for fostering real participation: 1) a renovated teacher perspective, which regards students as active subjects with rights and capabilities; 2) a participative, emergent curriculum based on global (non-subject-specific) projects chosen and led by students; and 3) a flexible organisational model with high levels of coordination, subordinated to students’ needs and project requirements. Conclusion Achieving high-level participation requires a holistic transformation of school culture. By aligning teacher beliefs, curricular design, and organisational structures, student participation and sense of belonging can be fostered. These findings offer a practical framework which may be helpful for educational centres seeking to operationalise democratic theory in their everyday practice.