Academic Content Research Articles

The Elementary Classroom as a Site for Creative Ritual, Student Voice, and Meaningful Learning

During my time as an elementary school teacher, the students in the classroom were given a significant degree of agency, autonomy, and voice in how they went about their learning process. In this choice-based democratic learning environment, the students gravitated towards self-initiated creative engagement and chose to employ creativity as a central function of their learning process. The daily creative rituals which the students enacted fostered feelings of wellbeing and at the same time opened up additional creative pathways (Rufo, 2016). These findings reflect the research literature that shows children who feel comfortable and safe in a classroom environment engage more deeply and meaningfully in academic content (Gude, 2010; Nickerson, 1999; Richards, 2010). Furthermore, according to Wright (2015), the affective filter “refers to factors, such as fear, anxiety, shyness, and lack of motivation” (p. 319) that can impede learning, whereas, a “safe and enjoyable classroom environment…helps to lower the affective filter” (p. 61). When students in the author’s classroom engaged in creative rituals of their own choosing, it lowered their affective filters which consequently opened up new channels and entry points into their learning (Rufo, 2017). The ritualized creativity of the students was made manifest in myriad ways that included drawings, paintings, 3D objects, installations, game design, and the production of short films. This narrative demonstrates how student agency allows members of a classroom community to express their individual and collective voices, while providing ample opportunities to learn in creative, meaningful, and relevant ways.

Self-Regulation of Student Learning in a STEAM Project

Self-regulated learning refers to the learner’s ability to regulate his or her behaviour, focusing on the acquisition of academic content, skill, or task. This concept includes aspects related to cognitive and emotional self-regulation. According to research studies, the aspect of STEAM education is a crucial determinant of academic success. Thus, in this type of education, attitudes towards science are also important, considering different aspects such as enjoyment, interest, usefulness, and self-efficacy and factors like age, educational stage, gender, family context, and self-concept. This study aims to analyse how Primary School students, who participated in a STEAM project, perceive their own learning process in aspects related to metacognition and self-efficacy, as well as their interest and enjoyment during the activities; furthermore, how the connections between these aspects are. In this project, 109 students between 9 and 11 years old from two different schools participated, using a questionnaire validated by experts. The results show that students show a high appreciation for STEAM work through this type of project as it enables problem-solving and critical thinking associated with the development of satisfaction and positive self-concept in doing it. These distinct aspects show significant correlations between them favoured by the designed STEAM project.

Develop a curriculum for first-year students at Aksu vocational and technical college’s school of humanities and arts, focusing on teaching Chinese folk songs

This research investigates the integration of Chinese folk songs into the curriculum at Aksu Vocational and Technical College, situated in the culturally diverse Aksu region of Xinjiang, China. This study identifies significant gaps in current music education methods, particularly the disconnect between theoretical learning and practical application, which hinders students’ ability to engage deeply with the material and develop employable skills. Employing a mixed-methods research design, both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to develop, implement, and evaluate a teaching package specifically designed for first-year students. The package aimed to enhance students' understanding and appreciation of Chinese folk music, thereby improving their cultural competence and engagement with the academic content. The findings suggest that the new curriculum significantly boosted the students' knowledge of and connection to folk music traditions. It also facilitated a better understanding of the music’s historical, cultural, and social contexts. Moreover, the teaching package fostered essential skills in cultural awareness and academic involvement, contributing effectively to vocational music education in a multi-ethnic setting. This approach not only bridges the gap between theory and practice but also enriches the students’ educational experience by embedding cultural appreciation into the learning process, making a substantial contribution to the field of music education.

Fostering Ethical and Moral Development in Gen Z Students

This research paper explores the role of extracurricular activities and digital technology in fostering the ethical and moral development of Gen Z students, referred to as "Man 2." It examines best practices for integrating character education into academic curricula and balancing academic content with the development of students' character and values. The study synthesizes findings from a comprehensive literature review and theoretical analysis, providing actionable insights for educators and policymakers.

Empirical Study and Statistical Analysis of the Nexus between Smartphone and Academic Performance

The primary objective of this research is to investigate and determine the positive and negative influences of smartphones on students' academic performance. This is a comparative study of the effects of using smartphones on the academic performance of university students as students use their smartphones for both educational and recreational purposes. The research was conducted at different educational institutes in the Nawabshah district. The questionnaire was developed for this study and the sample size was 300, simple random sample techniques were used for data collection. Cross-tabulation and chi-square techniques were used to analyze the data. The result of the study found that students' smartphone use influences them positively and negatively. Also, most students consider smartphones useful for obtaining academic content. As a result, it is suggested that teachers use this medium to connect with students more frequently like chat groups to help everyone to stay connected. In addition, Educational institutions should also implement software that bans students from the use of social networking sites while attending class. Further, it is revealed that smartphones have a wide range of effects on the academic career of undergraduate students at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Degree Boys' College Nawabshah, and the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Sakrand. Arguments. Hence, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the impact of smartphone usage on academic performance and provides insights into potential strategies for raising a balanced and productive relationship between students and their smartphones in the educational context.

Capturing the situated, dynamic nature of EMI-lecture listening comprehension in real time

Abstract English-medium instruction (EMI) potentially offers pedagogical efficiency by simultaneously providing access to academic content and English affordances. EMI’s efficacy and effectiveness, however, remain unproven with questions concerning students’ language proficiency unresolved. As listening to lectures holds a central role in tertiary education and the development of language skills is founded on second-language listening ability, key concerns for stakeholders are knowing how much of an EMI lecture students can understand and what factors impact their lecture listening comprehension. Current methodologies used to capture listening comprehension data, such as tests, surveys, summaries, and transcript markings do not capture the idiosyncratic, volatile, and multifaceted reactions to aural text phenomena that learners encounter during a lecture. This study, therefore, uses an innovative foot switch mechanism to capture comprehension data in real time as students participated in an EMI lecture. These data were then used to guide a stimulated recall. The data showed learners failing to comprehend extensive sections of the lecture while deeper analysis identified sections of the lecture where issues concerning prior taught knowledge, top-down schema building, lexical, and bottom-up identification of sounds coincided for multiple learners. Extrapolating from these points of convergence, pedagogical recommendations are provided.

Feasibility of teaching and assessing medical students in the metaverse: design and features for its learning efficiency

The metaverse is known as the hypothetical iteration of the Internet as a single, connected, universal and immersive virtual world that can be accessed via immersive technology devices. One approach to this concept can be achieved through the use of multi-user immersive virtual reality applications.Immersive virtual reality (IVR), which uses gadgets that allow the user to visualize and interact in an enveloping way, is a very attractive technology for teaching purposes. There are many references in the scientific literature about its use for this purpose, including encouraging results in the field of medicine. However, there have not been enough studies assessing how much this type of technology really contributes to learning medicine.This work investigates the feasibility of using the metaverse as an educational tool in medicine. We propose a multi-user immersive virtual reality application for implementing a scene of the metaverse in which medical students are taught. Our work considers that in order to ensure this type of technology is useful in the education of medical students, the technology itself (multi-user IVR) must be designed and implemented for a medical student profile. They usually spend too much time for adapting themselves to use and manage this kind of technology when they are exposed to it for learning. The technology should not be a barrier to acquiring, or disseminating the academic contents themselves. It should act as a catalyst that enhances the speed and capacity for learning medical educational topics. Thus, we present design and user experience specifications that we implemented in an anatomical dissection room in the metaverse, and with which we conducted experiments with 114 sixth-grade medical students. Our results indicate that, based on the design and user experience characteristics that we propose in this paper, the metaverse can indeed serve as a useful and effective educational resource whose technological complexity is no barrier to medical teaching.

Student Perceptions of Bilingual Teaching Practices: Evidence from a Colombian University

ABSTRACT Recent studies in higher education suggest that teaching academic content using English as the Medium of Instruction (EMI) seems impractical and ineffective in countries where English is the second or foreign language. Additionally, students’ resistance to an English-only format remains problematic. University first language-English bilingual courses are a legitimate possibility to promote the internationalization of higher education in countries where English is the second or foreign language. However, little is known about students’ perceptions of Bilingual Teaching Practices (BTPs) in university courses and the Bilingual Study Techniques (BSTs) they use to deal with this type of practice. In this cross-sectional study, the 30-item questionnaire was adapted to explore the students’ (N = 1,615) perceptions and BSTs in a Colombian university. The results reveal that 50.8% of the respondents preferred the use of both Spanish and English in their university courses. “Discipline-specific vocabulary” was the most recurrent difficulty that students had in their bilingual courses. Moreover, we found that participants overused “online translator” as BST. Furthermore, the results show that participants had positive perceptions towards the use of English in educational and professional settings. Implications for bilingual education policy and practice are discussed.

University students’ use of language learning strategies in English-medium instruction classes

Abstract The last twenty years have seen dramatic growth in the provision of English-medium instruction (EMI) courses at universities. On such courses, many students learn academic content through a language other than their first language (L1). This often poses significant language-related challenges to students which can impede content learning. To cope with the linguistic challenges, students sometimes employ language learning strategies (LLS). However, despite the rapid growth in the provision of EMI, little research has been conducted into LLS use in an EMI context. This systematized review examines 36 relevant studies. The findings show that over time EMI students modify their strategic behavior as they become more aware of the strategies which meet their learning needs. Furthermore, learners gradually use more content-related strategies as they progress through their EMI courses. Although strategy deployment is generally self-directed, the findings indicate that LLS instruction can benefit learners. Therefore, it is recommended that EMI courses be supported by embedded EAP courses which provide strategy instruction alongside the teaching of discipline-specific vocabulary and discourse practices. The review also raises questions about the role of students’ L1 in EMI. By shedding light on existing studies in the field, the review highlights opportunities for future research.

How supervisors affect students’ academic gains and research ability: An investigation through a qualitative study

A supervisory system is an essential part of higher education and plays a vital role in cultivating the high-level talents needed for high-quality national development and social progress. This study aims to determine how supervisors affect students' academic gains and research ability. This study used a qualitative research method to select 10 postgraduate students and their 7 supervisors for in-depth interviews from May to July 2022. This study aims to address the following questions: 1. What are the modes of supervisor-student communication? 2. What impact do these modes have on students? 3. What factors affect these modes? Three discoveries were made in this study. When supervisors and students communicate only regarding the academic content and students tend to fully follow supervisors' instructions, students obtain more academic output in the short term but lack autonomy. When supervisors and students discuss academic issues and life trifles equally, it helps in promoting students' comprehensive quality. When students do not have much contact with their supervisors and they get along like strangers, it is beneficial to cultivate students' intellectual independence, but students grow slowly. The factors influencing the communication modes include the supervisors' educational philosophy, postgraduate learning attitude, and supervisory system. In conclusion, the three communication modes can coexist together in a group of students led by the same supervisor. Whether a communication mode can promote the growth of students depends on the awakening of the students’ self-awareness, and the supervisory system is the most implicit factor underlying communication.

Creative Visual Arts and Biology Processes: Examining Emergent Bi/Multilingual High Schoolers Meanings

This case study research examines how emergent bilingual and multilingual high school students construct meanings while engaging with objects during a biology lesson that integrates visual arts. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Symbolic Interactionism (SI), the study focuses on "Artistic Reformatting to Represent Interdependence among the Structures and Functions of an Animal Cell." By investigating the connections between the students' interests, beliefs, memories, and objects, as well as their social interactions with peers, friends, family, and others, the research uncovers the ways in which meanings are constructed. While visual arts integration is common in academic content, little attention has been given to its potential to support meaning-making among emergent bilingual and multilingual students. The findings of this study highlight the importance of adopting a holistic approach to visual arts education that emphasizes contemporary strategies, enduring ideas, and social interaction in engaging with content. These insights suggest that educators can enhance their teaching methods and create meaningful learning experiences for bi/multilingual students by incorporating these approaches. The study underscores the significance of visual arts in fostering personal connections and deeper comprehension of academic content among diverse student populations, ultimately promoting a more inclusive and effective educational environment.

Technology Focus: Cementing and Zonal Isolation (May 2024)

This past year’s Cementing and Zonal Isolation papers indicated that our industry continues to maintain high levels of innovation and optimization. We saw a healthy mix of both academic and field-specific content. The evident collaboration between operators and service providers continues to propel technical developments at rates otherwise not possible. Geopolymer cementing-systems-development took center stage again, with 11% of the published papers covering this topic, with the ultimate goal of reducing the CO2 footprint of wellbore-sealing materials. Last year’s column described the geopolymer-systems-development timeline and how we had yet to have any case studies published. This year, I invite you to read a paper highlighting the first published field implementation of geopolymer in primary casing cementing, paper OTC 32218. This paper describes techniques that ensure that geopolymer systems are suitable for the downhole application, compatible with existing pumping equipment, and scalable to current operations. Several other papers published this past year describe these specific geopolymer topics in detail. Academic paper SPE 213763 describes the development, testing, and results of a novel resin-cement blend. This innovation stands out because, among other reasons, it presents improved bonding of cement to the casing, which enhances wellbore integrity over the well life cycle. Such materials can provide long-term isolation, especially in environments where conventional cement does not always endure mechanical stresses, vibrations, or shocks. Paper SPE 214768 is a robust case study on the implementation of foamed cements in shallow thermal well applications to mitigate gas migration. This paper showcases best practices for generating solutions to challenging downhole conditions from well design, drilling, and cementing perspectives. While the discussed geology and steam-assisted gravity drainage processes are largely unique to Canadian oil sands operations, I recommend this as an informative read for any operator or service provider facing similar downhole challenges. I hope you gain valuable insight from these selections and am looking forward to what the next year of publications brings to the cementing and zonal isolation space. Some excellent case studies and technological developments are also listed as additional reading. Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. SPE 217797 Cementing: The Good, the Bad, and the Isolated—Techniques To Measure Cement Quality and Its Impact on Well Performance by Kyle Haustveit, Devon Energy, et al. SPE 216911Well Life Extension Through CasingCorrosion Control by A. Yugay, ADNOC, et al. SPE 214538 Using Ultrasonic Flexural Measurements To Validate Casing Standoff Simulations: A Kuwait Case Study by Ahmed Nour, Kuwait Oil Company, et al. SPE 213099 Biomineralization: Surface Injection Eliminates Bradenhead Pressure by Dwight Randy Hiebert, BioSqueeze, et al.

Designing and testing an Integrated Study Strategy: Core Concepts in physiology and Mind Maps

This abstract shows the result of an innovative approach for learning physiology by combining two widely recognized methods: Core Concepts in physiology and Mind Maps. The objective is demonstrating the graphic product that visualize conceptual relationships holistically (mind map) combined with core concepts in cardiovascular physiology generated by a group of students enrolled to the integrative physiology course (2nd-year medical students, medical bachelor's degree, Professional Studies Faculty, Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí, México) during the semester august to December 2023. Methods: the curriculum content of cardiovascular physiology includes excitation-contraction coupling of the heart, the heart cycle, determinants of arterial pressure and peripheric vascular characteristics, including special circulations. The development of the mind map was according to the academic content of the course (4 weeks). The group of students worked with a training physiology teacher (including core concept training) for one 2-hour session per week (total= 4 sessions). The result is a mind map that includes the aspects of cardiovascular physiology addressed by the core concepts tool. Conclusion: Contemporary education faces increasing challenges in information retention and comprehension., and in this context, the integration of these two strategies emerges as a promising solution. This combination of learning tool is applicable in environments of low socioeconomical status because not involve doesn´t involve any monetary investments. Curricular Commission and the Academy or Clinical and Basic Sciences belonging to the bachelor´s degree of the Professional Studies Faculty, Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí, México. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Reactualization of Islamic Theology: Towards the Transformation of the Islamic Education Paradigm in the Modern Era

Islamic education has a crucial role in shaping the character and morals of the younger generation, but needs transformation through the reactualization of theology to be relevant to the challenges of modern times. This research uses a qualitative method with library research that examines literature related to Islamic education curriculum, theological values, and technology integration in learning. The findings show that an in-depth evaluation of the existing curriculum is a crucial first step. Curriculum development that combines Islamic theological values with practical learning relevant to modern life is needed. In addition, training and professional development for teachers, as well as the use of educational technology, were identified as important factors in supporting the implementation of the new curriculum. The findings also emphasize the importance of involving the education community, parents and other stakeholders to ensure the success of this transformation. This research shows that the reactualization of theology in Islamic education not only enriches academic content but also shapes learners' character and morals. The findings have significant implications for policymakers and educational practitioners in designing educational programs that are able to form a generation that is ready to face the challenges of the times by adhering to Islamic values.

Evidence-informed stakeholder consultations to promote rights-based approaches for children with disabilities.

To strengthen the translation of evidence to actionable policy, stakeholder engagement is necessary to synthesize, prioritize and contextualize the academic research content into accessible language. In this manuscript we describe a multi-level evidence-based stakeholder consultation process and related outcomes proposed to promote awareness of and foster cross-sectorial collaborations towards human rights-based approaches for children with disabilities. Mixed-methods participatory action research done in three steps: (1) A literature review of peer-reviewed evidence on rights-based approaches in childhood disabilities; (2) Consultation with researchers in diverse fields, grassroot organizations, caregivers, and youth with disabilities; (3) A constructive dialogue with decision makers at federal and provincial levels in Canada to discuss consultations results. Stakeholders value human rights approaches that can have a direct impact on practical aspects of their daily living. Organizations give high importance to adopting rights-based approaches to measure policy outcomes, while parents value service provision and youth emphasize accessibility. The implementation of rights-based approaches in childhood disabilities can support policy, services, and daily lives of children with disabilities and the ecosystems around them. It can also guide research priorities, and create a common language to foster collaborations across sectors and interested parties.

Incorporating physical activities in teaching practice

Although the value of physical activity for physical and mental health is well accepted, benefits for learning are less clear. Research about the incorporation of physical activity in teaching practice and the benefits teachers perceive for student learning and behaviour is sparse. In the current study, Australian teachers ( n = 222) completed an online survey. Over 70% of the participants reported using physical activity in their teaching practice. Activities included movement breaks, such as stretches and balancing games, or ones that were intended to stimulate the brain, described as ‘crossing the midline’ exercises. Some teachers integrated physical activity with academic content, such as tossing a ball while practising math facts. Among the perceived benefits of physical activity were energising students and promoting their engagement with learning. Overall, there was strong acceptance of the value of incorporating physical activity in teaching practice.

Translanguaging in Academic Writing Classroom: A Case Study of EFL Pre-Service Teachers's Perception

This case study explores the perceptions of translanguaging in the academic writing process of pre-service teachers. Drawing upon the theories of forms translanguaging (Baynham & Lee, 2019; Garcia & Lin, 2016; Hua & Wei, 2022) and the stages of writing proposed by Hyland (2003), this research delves into how pre-service teachers perceive and utilize translanguaging in their writing. The study integrates observations, interviews, and artifact analysis involving pre-service teachers to understand their engagement with translanguaging as both a communicative and pedagogical strategy. The findings show that pre-service teachers not only view translanguaging as a method for effective communication but also as a crucial tool for enhancing their engagement with academic content, particularly in the stages of topic selection, pre-writing, writing, and feedback. In addition, the significant use of translation, code-mixing, and code-switching underscores their linguistic adaptability in a multilingual academic context. This research contributes to the academic discourse by providing insights into the role of translanguaging in the academic writing process and its implications for future teaching practices.

From Didactics to Disasters: Unveiling CBRNe and Counter-Terrorism Medicine Training in US Medical Schools.

The threat of chemical, biological, radiologic, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNe) terrorist attacks has increased over time. The need for rapid and effective responses to such attacks is paramount. Effective medical counter-measures to CBRNe events are critical and training for such may effectively occur early in physician training. While some medical specialties are more involved than others, counter-terrorism medicine (CTM) spans all medical specialties. All United States allopathic medical schools were examined via online curriculums and queries for academic content related to CBRNe and terrorist medical counter-measures. Analysis of 153 United States allopathic medical schools demonstrated that 15 (9.8%) medical schools offered educational content related to CBRNe and terrorist counter-measures. This is in contrast to legislation following the September 11, 2001 attacks that called for high priority for such education. Effective CBRNe medical counter-measures are currently in place; however, there is room for improvement in education that may begin during medical school. While certain medical specialties such as emergency medicine, primary care, and dermatology may have specific niches in such events, physicians of all medical specialties have something to offer, and even a basic education in medical school can help best prepare the nation for future attacks.

EduCross: Dual adversarial bipartite hypergraph learning for cross-modal retrieval in multimodal educational slides

In the digital education landscape, cross-modal retrieval (CMR) from multimodal educational slides represents a significant challenge, particularly because of the complex nature of academic content, which includes images, diagrams, equations, and tables across various subjects such as mathematics and biology. Current CMR systems are primarily designed for “(natural) image to text” interactions (or vice versa) and inadequately address real-world educational scenarios. This study presents EduCross, a novel framework devised to enhance CMR within multimodal educational slides, which is a domain in which traditional retrieval systems fall short. Recognizing the imperative for a system that is tailored to the educational context, EduCross integrates dual adversarial bipartite hypergraph learning, harnessing the capabilities of generative adversarial networks with figure-text dual channels. This powerful combination facilitates robust bidirectional mapping, allowing for the precise association of figures with their descriptive spoken language segments and ensuring a comprehensive CMR experience. Specifically, we develop framelet-based deep bipartite hypergraph neural networks that effectively manage the high-order relationships between diverse educational content types and various types of slide figures. Our experimental results underscore the superior performance of EduCross, demonstrating its effectiveness through the use of the real Multimodal Lecture Presentations dataset that mirrors authentic educational settings. These outcomes highlight the significant advancements of EduCross over existing methods, marking a leap forward in the accurate retrieval of multimodal educational content.

Strategie uczenia się słownictwa specjalistycznego

CLIL (Content Language Integrated Learning) is defined as the integration of specific content with language learning objectives. In higher education, it refers to the simultaneously teaching academic content and language skills in a given language. The core concept revolves around the use of a second/foreign language to acquire knowledge, while while concurrently enhancing language skills and vocabulary, including the acquisition of new specialist terms. Developing the lexical subsystem as a an integral component of linguistic competence is particularly important in the process of linguistic reception and production. Vocabulary learning strategies prove invaluable in this context. The discussion on the strategy of learning lexis in a foreign language appeared in the academic literature at the end of the last century. Previously, this matter was addressed in research on learning strategies and communication strategies. In academia, knowledge of professional vocabulary and terminology is indispensable for mastering specialist content taught in a second language. Learners must not only grasp the meaning of concepts, but also employ them with precision. So how do students learn new specialist vocabulary, and which lexis learning strategies do they use? This article aims to present the results of my own research on the application of specialized vocabulary learning strategies by students of economic sciences.