Adaptive Teaching Research Articles

Toward a framework for analyzing adaptive digital games' research effectiveness

Adaptive digital games for learning have been introduced as a motivating way for children to learn as they can provide instant feedback, embed the learning content in an attractive narrative, and adapt instruction according to individual needs of students. Although studies showed benefits of using adaptive digital educational games, a framework for analyzing research on the effectiveness of adaptive digital games is lacking. In this paper, we propose such a framework that accounts for a broad evaluation and is defined by (1) the learner variables that can affect effectiveness, (2) the adaptivity implemented in the tool, and (3) the learning outcomes being assessed . Next, this framework is used to describe recent intervention studies on the effectiveness of adaptive digital games in the context of K-12 education. We end with some concluding thoughts on the merits of such a framework for assessing the effectiveness of digital games and perspectives for future research.

Perception of Online Learning on Academic Performance of UMT Students, Lahore

Background: With online learning becoming an established facet of modern education, understanding its reception among specific student populations is crucial. This study offers a critical perspective on E-learning's impact by focusing on the academic performance of undergraduates at the University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore. Objective: The objective was to explore the differential effects of online learning on two distinct student groups within UMT, those in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and Doctor of Nutritional Sciences (DNS) programs, thereby assessing the broader implications for academic performance. Methodology: A purposive sampling strategy was employed to conduct a cross-sectional survey with 200 UMT students, equally split between the DPT and DNS programs. The survey consisted of 26 closed-ended questions designed to capture students' attitudes toward online learning. Results: The survey elucidated a spectrum of responses: 12% of students strongly endorsed online learning, 30% were satisfied, and 31% remained ambivalent. In terms of learning quality, 32% perceived an improvement, with 14.5% strongly concurring. Neutral responses were evident in 31.5% of participants, while 18.5% disagreed and 8% strongly rejected the premise that online learning enhanced educational quality. Notably, 12% strongly affirmed satisfaction with E-learning. Conclusion: The prevailing sentiment toward online learning among UMT students is one of cautious optimism, characterized by a majority indicating approval or neutrality. However, the notable minority exhibiting disapproval suggests a need for a reassessment of online pedagogical methods. The study underscores the importance of developing adaptive teaching strategies that are responsive to the diverse needs and preferences of the student body, aiming to elevate academic performance across all sectors of the university.

GTM in new era: A reflection on its development and integration with other teaching methods

Relevance. The rapid development of information technologies and the changing educational needs of society require continuous improvement of teaching methods, making the examination of the grammar-translation method (GTM) and its integration with other approaches relevant. This allows identifying the strengths of this method and ways to optimise it in accordance with current challenges.Purpose. The purpose of the study is to explore ways to integrate GTM with other teaching methods, such as the direct method, the audio-lingual method, and the Suggestopedia, to create more effective and comprehensive educational strategies.Methodology. Conceptual modelling, synthesis, and comparison methods were used in the study.Results. The results indicate the prospects of integrating various teaching methods, including GTM, with other approaches such as the direct method, the audio-lingual method, and the Suggestopedia. The study discovered that integrated teaching methods also contribute to actively engaging students in the learning process by stimulating them to work independently, conduct research, and exchange knowledge, thus creating a more dynamic and stimulating learning environment that promotes the development of not only knowledge but also the skills necessary for successful adaptation in modern information society. However, the study also demonstrated that for maximum effectiveness of such programmes, it is important to consider the individual characteristics and needs of each student, which will make the educational process more flexible and efficient, providing students with optimal conditions for learning and development.Conclusions. The results of the study can be used to develop and improve educational programmes, adapt teaching methods to student needs, and optimise the learning process as a whole.

Governance mechanisms, school principals and the challenge of personalized education in contexts

Schools around the world are diverse and there are a variety of progressivist initiatives in place that aim to promote quality and equitable pedagogy and overcome formalist paradigms. Country contexts present different challenges based on factors such as the type of governance, teachers’ autonomy, and pedagogical cultures. Most critical, however, is the unequal distribution of leadership opportunities. Beyond conflicting or contrived possibilities in school leadership arrangements and cultures, it should be recognized that certain contexts lack effective leadership as an organizational quality. Nevertheless, school principals are able to create coherent environments, offering space for debate and clarification of what equity and equality mean in terms of curriculum delivery, as well as supporting school-level structural facilitations and adaptations. This is a conceptual paper, at the crossroads of different research strands. It focuses on governance mechanisms and leadership tasks and skills in pedagogical and organizational school cultures. It argues that well-articulated school organization is needed, not only in terms of autonomy, but also with the possibility to collaborate, develop professionally, and engage locally in order to achieve equitable student-oriented teaching. The aim is to investigate the feasibility of supporting personalized and adaptive teaching strategies at the school level, in a variety of country contexts.

Ungrading: The Case for Abandoning Institutionalized Assessment Protocols and Improving Pedagogical Strategies

Our current grading system assumes everyone starts at approximately the same place. This assumption presumes uniformity and impartiality to be inherent in our school system. We argue that this is not the case. This work explores the evolution of grading systems and the integration of new technologies in education, focusing on the development of more inclusive, dynamic, and adaptable teaching and assessment strategies. Key methods include diversified assessments, experiential learning approaches such as problem-based learning and the generated question learning model, and the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) in hyperflex learning strategies. The proposed work astutely identifies the critical flaws within the modern grading system and puts forth a compelling solution: shifting the focus towards assessing students’ improvement scores. This approach not only offers a progressive path forward, but also significantly enhances equity by holding students accountable for their knowledge gaps while promoting a more comprehensive evaluation. Additionally, creative engagement techniques, such as mock banking reward systems, are employed to enhance student motivation and participation. AI-facilitated formative assessments and personalized learning plans are also discussed, emphasizing the importance of real-time insights into student progress and the provision of flexible personalized learning environments. This comprehensive approach to education fosters student ownership of learning, promotes active participation, and equips students with essential lifelong learning skills. Moreover, a more accurate assessment of student learning and progress would be fostered, thus creating a paradigm shift from the currently flawed grading system.

Teaching in a Shared Classroom: Unveiling the Effective Teaching Behavior of Beginning Team Teaching Teams Using a Qualitative Approach

This study aims to gain insight into the experiences of beginning team teaching teams and the dimensions of effective teaching behavior that are perceived as clear added value in their pedagogical practices. Sixteen beginning team teaching teams from twelve different elementary schools participated in team interviews. The more complex dimensions of effective teaching behavior, based on the International Comparative Analysis of Learning and Teaching (ICALT) framework, such as adaptive teaching and activating learning, were perceived as clear added value in their team teaching practices. Meanwhile, the more basic teaching dimensions—including efficient classroom management, providing clear instruction, and creating a safe and stimulating learning climate—were reported to a lesser extent.

Instructional practices and students’ reading performance: a comparative study of 10 top performing regions in PISA 2018

This comparative study investigated the associations between instructional practices and students’ reading performance among 10 top performing regions that participated in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018. A nationally representative sample consisting of 80,016 15-year-old students from 5 Asian regions (B-S-J-Z [China], Singapore, Macao, Hong Kong, and Korea) and 5 Western regions (Estonia, Canada, Finland, Ireland, and Poland) were included. A secondary analysis of PISA survey and assessment data was conducted. T test and ANOVA analyses revealed systematic differences in instructional practices of the 10 regions. B-S-J-Z (China) had significantly higher levels of teacher support, teacher-directed instruction, and teacher stimulation than the other sample regions. Asian regions tended to have higher levels of teacher support, teacher-directed instruction, teacher feedback, adaptive instruction, and teacher enthusiasm compared with Western regions, although variations were also found within Asian regions or within Western regions. Hierarchical linear regression (HLR) analyses indicated that reading performance was positively predicted by teacher support, adaptive instruction, teacher stimulation, and teacher enthusiasm, but negatively predicted by teacher-directed instruction and teacher feedback. This study sheds light on the effective instructional practices for optimizing students’ reading performance across different cultural contexts.

Harnessing Instagram® for collaborative learning in higher education

ABSTRACT This research proposes a methodological approach to using the social network Instagram® as a tool for collaborative e-learning activities in higher education. Collaborative e-learning activities are conducted on Instagram® through challenges and quizzes. The main aim of these activities is to encourage students’ creativity, motivation for learning, and collaboration through mutual interaction in assessing responses to challenges. The collected data were analyzed using social network analysis methods. The results showed students’ positive attitudes towards e-learning on social networks and readiness to use Instagram® for collaborative e-learning. The results further showed that social network analysis could provide teachers with valuable information about the students’ interactions and group dynamics, allow teachers to identify groups of students, and adapt teaching and learning strategies accordingly.

Comprehensive learning and adaptive teaching: Distilling multi-modal knowledge for pathological glioma grading

The fusion of multi-modal data, e.g., pathology slides and genomic profiles, can provide complementary information and benefit glioma grading. However, genomic profiles are difficult to obtain due to the high costs and technical challenges, thus limiting the clinical applications of multi-modal diagnosis. In this work, we investigate the realistic problem where paired pathology-genomic data are available during training, while only pathology slides are accessible for inference. To solve this problem, a comprehensive learning and adaptive teaching framework is proposed to improve the performance of pathological grading models by transferring the privileged knowledge from the multi-modal teacher to the pathology student. For comprehensive learning of the multi-modal teacher, we propose a novel Saliency-Aware Masking (SA-Mask) strategy to explore richer disease-related features from both modalities by masking the most salient features. For adaptive teaching of the pathology student, we first devise a Local Topology Preserving and Discrepancy Eliminating Contrastive Distillation (TDC-Distill) module to align the feature distributions of the teacher and student models. Furthermore, considering the multi-modal teacher may include incorrect information, we propose a Gradient-guided Knowledge Refinement (GK-Refine) module that builds a knowledge bank and adaptively absorbs the reliable knowledge according to their agreement in the gradient space. Experiments on the TCGA GBM-LGG dataset show that our proposed distillation framework improves the pathological glioma grading and outperforms other KD methods. Notably, with the sole pathology slides, our method achieves comparable performance with existing multi-modal methods. The code is available at https://github.com/CUHK-AIM-Group/MultiModal-learning.

ADAPTIVE TEACHING STRATEGIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: A REVIEW FOR NIGERIA AND THE UK

This review paper explores the dynamic landscape of adaptive teaching strategies in early childhood education (ECE), focusing on a comparative analysis between Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK). ECE plays a pivotal role in shaping the cognitive, social, and emotional development of young learners, and adaptive teaching strategies have emerged as essential tools to meet the diverse needs of children. The analysis reveals that Nigeria and the UK differ significantly in their educational contexts and share a common commitment to nurturing the potential of young learners. Nigeria’s approach is marked by cultural responsiveness, community engagement, and emerging inclusive practices amid access, quality assurance, and teacher training challenges. In contrast, the UK combines a well-established regulatory framework with an emphasis on professional development and assessment for learning. However, it grapples with affordability and inclusivity concerns. The recommendations included investments in teacher training, strengthening cultural responsiveness, promoting inclusive practices, infrastructure development, and maintaining a delicate balance between standardization and flexibility. Additionally, the paper underscores the importance of parental engagement, research, evaluation, and global collaboration in advancing the effectiveness of adaptive teaching strategies in ECE. This comparative exploration highlights the significance of context-specific approaches and fosters a global dialogue on early childhood education that respects cultural diversity, champions inclusivity, and recognizes the unique potential of each young learner.
 Keywords: Adaptive Teaching Strategies, Early Childhood Education, Comparative Analysis, Nigeria, United Kingdom, Parental Engagement, Teacher Training, Professional Development.

What are the effects of formative assessment on students’ science learning motivational beliefs and behaviours? Comparison between Western and East Asian learners

ABSTRACT Formative assessment has been long emphasised as a powerful means for enhancing science learning. However, there is still a lack of research to investigate the impacts of formative assessment on both students’ motivational beliefs and behaviours in science learning. This study examined such impacts using data from six Western and six East Asian countries/economies in PISA 2015. 96,491 15-year-old students were included. The SEM analysis of overall data showed that (i) formative assessment had both direct effects on students’ science learning behaviours and indirect impacts mediated by students’ motivational beliefs and (ii) the total effect of teacher feedback on science learning behaviours was greater than adaptive instruction. The comparison between Western and East Asian datasets indicated that (i) the impact of teacher feedback on East Asian students’ motivational beliefs was greater than that on their Western counterparts, (ii) the impact of adaptive instruction on Western students’ motivational beliefs was greater than that on East Asian counterparts, and (iii) the direct impacts of teacher feedback and adaptive instruction on science learning behaviours were similar for both groups of students. Suggestions were made on how to effectively implement formative assessment to enhance science learning in different cultural contexts.

Retracted: Curriculum Reform and Adaptive Teaching of Computer Education Based on Online Education and B5G Model

Retracted: Curriculum Reform and Adaptive Teaching of Computer Education Based on Online Education and B5G Model

Reflections on Teacher Identity: Epistemological Perspectives on Clinical Simulation

The construction of teacher identity in the realm of clinical simulation is a complex and multifaceted process. This paper offers a theoretical reflection on the fundamental elements that shape this identity, focusing particularly on the application of active learning methodologies. We explore how various educational theories and pedagogical practices influence the formation and evolution of educators within the health education system. By breaking down the components of teacher identity, from the philosophical perspective to practical implementation, we seek to enrich the quality of education in simulation. This analysis aims not only to critically reflect on our pedagogical practices but also to highlight their impact on the preparation of highly competent health professionals, adapted to the needs of the healthcare world. Our work underscores the importance of reflective and adaptable teaching, essential for the development of exceptional health professionals.

Modifying physical activities for maximizing learning opportunities: perspectives of Finnish physical educators and special educators on inclusive teaching strategies

ABSTRACT Background Recent curricular reforms have aimed to make the Finnish education system more inclusive which requires the implementation of differentiated and individualized teaching practices within schools. In Finland, as it is internationally, efforts have been made to increase adaptive teaching strategies and collaborative practices between different professionals in the physical education (PE) context. So far, current research has revealed significant findings on how pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can be successfully included in integrated/mainstream PE settings, focusing mainly on the perspectives of PE teachers. In comparison, little attention has been paid to the instructional strategies of different pedagogues involved in the PE classroom. Besides, little is known about how inclusive learning environments with an all-embracing approach that goes beyond the inclusion of pupils with SEND can be created in practice. Paying greater attention to these issues holds strong potential to enrich the existing knowledge regarding instructional strategies in PE and could help other teachers justify their educational choices. Methodology Drawing on the data from a multiple case study in a Finnish context, we explore how four PE teachers and four special education teachers attempted to work inclusively within PE. Document analysis of the current Finnish national curriculum and semi-structured interviews with special and physical education teachers were used to extend the current understanding of pedagogical practices for dealing with diversity in PE. The interviews have been content-analysed adopting deductive-inductive approach utilizing the TREE model and the Inclusion Spectrum. Findings The results of the present study illuminate how PE and special educators often showed willingness to modify the physical activities to meet the individual needs of all learners in PE which included the rules, equipment, and environmental modifications. The findings highlight the variety of instructional strategies used among participants in the PE context. Both teacher professions take individual responsibility for the teaching activities, but their traditional role as independent and autonomous professionals may also be an obstacle for collaboration. This research also identified the important role of collaborative structures and cultures which requires critical reflections of the individual aims and a shared vision of inclusive teaching. Conclusion Overall, this paper contributes to a growing body of pedagogical research portraying the perspectives of PE and special educators involved in the PE classroom. Future research should further examine the perspectives of different professionals as it may contribute to a more comprehensive perspective on diversity and inclusive teaching strategies.

Frameworking vocational teachers’ digital competences

Two decades of international research on digital competence of teachers have provided a number of frameworks for empirical studies and curriculum development. However, research publications addressing the needed digital competence of vocational (VET-) teachers are scarce. In this article we ask to what extent leading conceptual frameworks on digital competence are fruitful templates for studying such competences in the case of VET-teachers’ professional development, and what could be alternative conceptual models that fit this professional category. A synthesis is made of relevant literature based on a theoretical platform in vocational didactics and digitalization that highlights the diversity of international VET-systems and the connectivity between work and school. We adopt an integrative literature research approach that combines systematic procedures and supplementary searches in an iterative way.
 Our descriptive analysis of the literature indicated that the international research on VET-teachers digital competence had in general a narrow focus on technical skills with a lack of perspective on key issues about their digital competences such as connectivity school / work, subject-specificity, and adaptive pedagogy. The articles tended to leave out contextual issues, for example the changing professional work of vocational teachers and background information about the national VET-systems. However, part of the literature pointed to the need for more “grounded” research starting from case-studies and qualitative data / mixed-methods research. Our synthesis of the literature in light of our theoretical framing identified four main topics for further research on VET-teachers’ digital competence that were incorporated in a working model or a “frameworking” that needs to be further developed in order to provide a rich and validated basis for constructing professional programs.

“Teach what’s good for learners”: Adaptive teacher pedagogy for social and emotional learning in Malawi

This article explores how teachers adapt to challenges when integrating social and emotional learning (SEL) into classroom instruction in African contexts via a study in Malawi involving 42 teachers. Malawian teachers employ several discrete methods for SEL instruction, including teaching SEL vocabulary, making SEL-guided classroom rules, providing SEL behavior coaching, and using poetry and personalized greetings to foster positive self-concept and relationships. Various factors influence the use of these methods, including teachers’ beliefs about their roles and responsibilities, cultural norms, learner needs, assessment, and classroom constraints. Findings demonstrate that adaptive pedagogy enables teachers to stay committed to SEL despite challenges. Data AvailabilityParticipants of this study did not agree that their data be shared publicly, so supporting data is unavailable.

Changes in Teachers’ Perceptions of School Quality During COVID-19

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic brought forth unique challenges for schools, requiring a sudden shift to remote learning. However, there have been no empirical studies examining the effects of the pandemic on school quality. This study aims to address this research gap by examining teacher data from a longitudinal study ( n = 2,616 teachers in 120 schools in Germany) on various aspects of school quality. Using multiple-group multiple-indicator univariate latent change score modeling based on latent covariate propensity score balancing, we investigate whether COVID-19 impacted school quality – that is, school climate, collective teacher efficacy, teacher cooperation, and distributed leadership. With a few exceptions, we could not detect significant differences in the development of teachers’ perceptions of school quality during the pandemic compared to developments that occurred prior to the pandemic. For example, adaptive teaching increased more than before the pandemic, while social support between teachers decreased more than before the pandemic.

Illustrating Productive and Unproductive Cognitive Interactions in an Online Intermediate Algebra Course

Universities have drawn on an assortment of strategies to address the learning challenges and high attrition rates of developmental mathematics students. One of those strategies has been utilizing computer adaptive instruction (CAI) mathematics software. Reports about the efficacy of CAI vary from glowing to unfavorable. This article presents an instrumental case study, meaning that the purpose is to examine and describe a single case in depth to explain observed phenomena and illustrate a theory [Baxter and Jack 2008. Qualitative case study methodology: Study design and Implementation for novice researchers. The Qualitative Report. 14(4): 544–559]. The phenomena described in this article is productive and unproductive student interactions with a CAI environment. The vignettes in this article illustrate how students, even the same student, can have both productive and unproductive interactions with a CAI system. The vignettes are followed by recommendations for curriculum, instruction, assessment, and further research. Although these recommendations are gathered from observations of student interactions with CAI software in an asynchronous online Intermediate Algebra course, the observations have implications for different modes of instruction (e.g., synchronous online, flipped, hybrid, or face-to-face) that utilize online homework systems.

Measuring Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) Computer-Based and Paper-Based: Examining the Mode Effect in Reading Accuracy and Reading Fluency

Internationally, teachers use oral reading fluency (ORF) measurements to monitor learning progress in reading and adapt instruction to the individual needs of students. In ORF measures, the child reads aloud single syllables, words, or short passages, and the teacher rates in parallel at which items the child makes a mistake. Since administering paper-based ORF requires increased effort on the part of teachers, computer-based test administration is available. However, there are still concerns about the comparability of paper-based and computer-based test modes. In our study, we examine mode effects between paper-based and computer-based test scores for both reading speed and reading accuracy using a German-language ORF assessment for progress monitoring. 2nd- and 3rd-year-students (N = 359) with and without special education needs participated in the study. Results show comparable and high reliability (r > 0.76) and no differential item functioning for both test modes. Furthermore, students showed significantly higher reading speed on the paper-based test, while no differences were found in reading accuracy. In the absence of differential item functioning, we discuss how mean differences can be accounted for, how teachers can be trained to use the different test modes, and how computer-based tests can be safeguarded in practice.

Reconfiguring Crisis Management Skills of Teachers in the New Normal

The outbreak of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) represents a significant danger to the general public’s health, particularly in educational institutions. This study aimed to determine the crisis management skills of teachers in the new normal. It aimed to assess the profile of the respondents and their responses to manage their skills in terms of in-placed policies and guidelines, ability to respond in emergencies, integration of crisis management in delivering instructions, and adaptive teaching practices. The study involved 80 respondents teaching in Higher Education Institutions and the Department of Education of Zamboanga City. This study employed a descriptive-quantitative design to determine the crisis management skills of the respondents in dealing with the crisis management response. The research study utilized a four-point Likert scale administered survey questionnaire consisting of two parts that include the profile of the respondents and a statement that measures the crisis management skills of teachers in the new normal. The study revealed that the majority of the respondents were between the ages 20 – 35 years old; mostly female and average ICT literacy level. It also found that the most highly applied crisis management skills of the respondents were in-placed policies and guidelines for students’ and teachers’ safety, the ability to respond to emergencies, and adaptive teaching practices during a crisis. While the integration of crisis management in delivering instructions involving teachers and students garnered only moderately applied interpretation. Respondents’ age, gender, and ICT literacy level were not predictors of crisis management skills of the respondents. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made: implement a strategic plan that enables the institution to move forward while effectively managing and mitigating risks; encourage teachers to attend/participate in workshops that will strengthen their knowledge and skills; recalibrate the curriculum to enable teachers to revise the activities/course work/tasks/experiences that can be delivered through blending learning; and empower the faculty to reconfigure and reskill. Keywords: COVID-19, Crisis Management, Skills, Crisis, Teachers