Teaching is widely recognized as a highly stressful profession, and recent educational changes have further increased the pressure on teachers to manage demanding classroom situations while adapting to new technologies. To address this challenge, the present study examines the feasibility and user acceptance of XRSkills, a virtual reality serious game designed to strengthen teachers’ coping and problem-solving strategies through realistic school-based scenarios. A feasibility evaluation was conducted with teachers from all school grades and students from multiple European countries, combining a standardized usability measure with open-ended feedback on the game experience. Overall results indicate that XRSkills achieved a good level of usability and was generally perceived as engaging and relevant, particularly for in-service teachers. Participants appreciated the game format and learning approach, while also reporting areas for improvement such as clearer guidance, richer content, and smoother technical performance. These findings support the potential of virtual reality serious games as a practical and scalable training pathway to help teachers rehearse responses to stressors in a safe environment, while also fostering confidence in using immersive technologies for professional development.

ABSTRACT Developing countries often have highly differentiated educational ecosystems, making it difficult for local students of educational leadership and management programs to connect their experiences to the global knowledge base on school effectiveness and improvement (SEI). Spread over a four-year period, this action research study contextualized the design and delivery of a graduate-level course in an educational leadership and management program in higher education settings in Pakistan. Using an adaptive-reflective approach and by engaging multiple sources of data in a mixed methods design, the course was successively improved to situate the stakeholder experiences in the global knowledge base on SEI. The results indicate that making explicit connections between indigenous and international discourse on SEI is necessary to contextualize learning. The study demonstrates action research as a fitting methodological paradigm and pedagogical tool to prepare would-be educational change agents who can effectively respond to and lead in the continuously changing landscape of SEI in the developing world contexts.

ABSTRACT Collaboration is widely promoted as a driver of educational change, yet policy discourse often obscures the sociocultural, organizational, and political dynamics shaping its enactment. This study examines how collaboration is constructed in Hong Kong’s K–12 system through critical policy analysis and narrative interviews with principals. Using a poststructural lens, it reveals tensions between policy ideals and leaders’ lived realities, showing how principals navigate hierarchical traditions, accountability demands, and community expectations. Findings illustrate how formal mechanisms intersect with relational processes, conceptualizing collaboration as both a policy tool and a culturally situated practice. The study informs more reflexive leadership and policy design.

Abstract This article examines the relationship between ethics and aesthetics from the perspectives of posthumanism and new materialism, aiming to enrich the debate on the role of aesthetic education as a tool for promoting healing in response to the planetary crisis. The article shows how, in the posthumanist and neomaterialist approach, ethics and aesthetics are two interconnected dimensions capable of soliciting affective forces that encourage individuals to realize their potential for joyful self-assertion and connection with others. The article presents applied theatre as a powerful tool that embodies the potential of the relationship between ethics and aesthetics. It presents a case study of the Italian company ATIR, which utilizes theatre for social inclusion and transformation, training innovative professional figures, such as educator-actors. The case analysis illustrates how the applied theatre practiced by ATIR generates knowledge, stimulates the collective imagination, and encourages resistance to oppressive forces by embodying the relational perspective between ethics and aesthetics for educational and social change.

Reimagining peer-led support in doctoral nursing and midwifery education: A collaborative autoethnographic case study.

Until spring 2023, nurses in professional development did not have terminal degree options tailored to their needs. In response, The Ohio State University College of Nursing launched the Doctor of Nursing Education (DNE) program with two tracks: academic nurse educator and nursing professional development (NPD). This program addresses the national shortage of doctorally prepared nurse educators and prepares graduates to lead educational change. This article describes the curriculum and leadership focus of the NPD track of the DNE program, aligned with the Association for Nursing Professional Development scope and standards of practice (2022). It highlights four capstone projects implemented by NPD practitioners in health care settings. Students conducted evidence-based, quality improvement, and program evaluation projects that improved clinical teaching, nurse certification, interdisciplinary collaboration, and new graduate nurse mentoring. These NPD projects highlight the transformative impact of the DNE program, illustrating how doctoral education drives meaningful improvements in health care practice across diverse settings.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are increasingly emphasized in medical education worldwide. However, it remains unclear how these values are reflected within the context of Korean medical education. This study explores how DEI is articulated through an analysis of the official websites of Korean medical schools. We conducted a content analysis of the official websites of 40 Korean medical schools. DEI-related synonyms and associated phrases were identified across mission and values statements, educational objectives, graduate outcomes, and student support sections. Identified phrases were coded according to the dimensions of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Quantitative frequencies were then summarized. For further analysis, qualitative thematic analysis and integrated analysis were performed to examine how each DEI element was conceptually represented. Among the 40 universities, 32 institutions (80%) demonstrated at least one component of DEI. Diversity (60%) was more frequently referenced than inclusion (50%) and equity (42.5%). DEI elements were most prominently observed in student support sections (62.5%) and were least frequently identified in mission and values statements (15%) and educational objectives (12.5%). In the qualitative analysis, diversity was primarily described in terms of respect for diversity within organizations and global citizenship. Equity was largely limited to scholarships and material support for disadvantaged students. Inclusion mainly emphasized the creation of respectful environments. Overall, in Korean medical schools, DEI was more commonly represented through student support mechanisms than through institutional philosophy or educational objectives. An integrated approach to the implementation of DEI is therefore needed to achieve meaningful change in Korean medical education.

This research investigated educators undergoing simultaneous changes to their disciplinary and pedagogical knowledge to explore supports for teachers undergoing complex transformations to education. This topic is relevant within the context of increasingly rapid educational change. The research fills a gap in the literature in providing detailed accounts of the transformation process, particularly within the context of mainland China. The primary objective was to investigate a job-embedded teacher training in which teachers used action research for the design, implementation and evaluation of a project-based digital literacy programme. The participating teachers did not have previous training in digital literacy and did not typically teach using a project-based approach. The research used a case study methodology. Data sources included researcher field notes, artefact analysis and post-programme semi-structured interviews. Analysis indicated that the teachers’ use of a modified action-research protocol with job-embedded training provided effective support in applying new pedagogical and content knowledge as well as team management and collaborative processes. Implementation of the target programme for students still faced constraints from systemic pressures, such as conflicting assessment and leadership priorities. The research findings offer insight into practical considerations when helping teachers transition from traditional pedagogy to Project-Based Learning (PBL) or from teaching traditional literacy to digital literacy. The research also generated theoretical implications such as the need for educational leaders to plan tailored support for complex teaching and technological innovations. For this purpose, the Training Support for Educational Transformation (TSET) action-research model is proposed.

Student-Centric Learning (SCL) has become a central paradigm in contemporary educational reform, yet its empirical impact on adult learners in upper-secondary education remains insufficiently examined. This study investigates the effectiveness of SCL in reducing dropout rates and enhancing study completion within the context of adult upper-secondary education. Using a comparative design, two independent cohorts were analysed: a traditional distance study model (n = 6,723) and a student-centric model (n = 1,310). Completion rates differed dramatically between the two groups: 67.28% of learners graduated in the distance model, compared to 94.66% in the SCL cohort, a difference of 27.38 percentage points. Statistical testing confirmed the robustness of this effect (z = 20.135; p < 0.001), with learners in the SCL model being 1.41 times more likely to complete their studies and exhibiting 8.62 times higher odds of completion. The findings reveal that SCL functions as a synergistic constellation of pedagogical, relational, and organisational mechanisms including adaptive pacing, personalisation, continuous formative feedback, and high teacher–learner interaction, creating an environment that significantly strengthens learner persistence. Interpreted through a cultural-sociological lens, SCL emerges not only as a pedagogical approach but as an institutional and cultural intervention that enhances recognition, agency, and belonging, particularly for adult learners navigating complex life circumstances and historically higher rates of educational discontinuity. The study offers important implications for educational policy and institutional practice, demonstrating that learner-centred models can substantially reduce dropout, increase retention, and align with European strategies promoting inclusion, resilience, and lifelong learning. While limitations arise from the use of aggregated datasets and contextual differences between cohorts, the results provide strong quantitative evidence of the transformative potential of SCL in upper-secondary adult education. The study contributes to current debates on educational equity and institutional culture, showing that SCL constitutes a highly effective pathway towards more inclusive, adaptive, and socially responsive educational systems.

Against the backdrop of rapid AIGC (AI-Generated Content) technological development and the intelligent transformation of higher education, design education is undergoing profound structural changes. Traditional courses like Ethnic Cultural Creative Design have long been constrained by dilemmas such as "superficial cultural understanding," "inefficient creative generation," "lagging technology application," and "simplified evaluation systems," making it difficult to meet the cultural and creative industry's demand for interdisciplinary talent. Based on the latest research in educational technology, higher education pedagogy, and theories of educational change, this paper constructs a three-dimensional "culture-technology-design" integrated curriculum reform framework. It proposes a human-AI collaborative teaching model with AIGC at its core and develops an actionable practical teaching path within real classroom settings. The research indicates that AIGC, serving as a "creative partner," can significantly enhance students' depth of cultural decoding, efficiency of idea generation, and quality of technology application. The "dual-mentor guidance + AI collaboration" model facilitates learners' identity shift from "technology users" to "human-AI co-creative designers." The construction of a multi-dimensional evaluation system enables systematic assessment of the learning process, cultural value, and degree of technological integration. This reform practice holds significant implications for the paradigm shift in higher education design programs, the sustainable development of culture, and the construction of smart education.

This article examines the challenges faced by Polish higher education in the context of global digitization and the transformation of academic teaching models. It assumes that the master–student relationship remains the foundation of academic education, and that digital technologies—if properly integrated—may support rather than replace human interaction. Based on a comparison of teaching practices in Poland and at leading institutions (Harvard, Oxford, MIT), a model of relational-technological didactics is proposed, along with the conditions necessary for its implementation. The article integrates pedagogical and sociological perspectives, highlighting the need for systemic changes in Polish academic education.

The rapid development of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) technologies is driving profound changes in education. This study investigates the construction of human–Artificial Intelligence (AI) collaborative teaching models supported by GAI, with the goals of improving teaching efficiency, enabling personalized learning, and optimizing the allocation of educational resources. The proposed framework integrated intelligent content generation, real-time tutoring, adaptive learning pathways, and a teacher–student–AI collaboration mechanism. The generative model employed was LLaMA-2-13B, which was domain-adapted through supervised fine-tuning (SFT) and reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF). The experiment was conducted in a university course titled Data Structures and Algorithms, involving 60 students in the experimental group and 60 students in the control group. Multi-dimensional data were collected and analyzed, including academic performance, student engagement, interaction depth, technology acceptance, and long-term retention. The quality of AI-generated content was evaluated using Bilingual Evaluation Understudy (BLEU, 0.74) and Recall-Oriented Understudy for Gisting Evaluation (ROUGE, 0.79), with a Cohen’s κ value of 0.86 indicating high inter-rater consistency. The results showed that the GAI-driven human–AI collaborative model significantly improved final exam scores (85.6 vs. 78.3, p < 0.001), average assignment grades (91.2 vs. 84.7, p < 0.001), and learning satisfaction (p < 0.05), while reducing cognitive load and enhancing personalized and interactive learning. This study provides both a theoretical framework and practical guidance for innovating educational models in the era of intelligent technology, offering valuable insights for advancing the digital transformation of education.

In every breathless conversation about artificial intelligence (AI), this technology has been heralded as a revolutionary force that will save healthcare by alleviating administrative burdens, enhancing diagnostic accuracy, and streamlining documentation. While AI is skilled in addressing specific task-oriented challenges, we assert that AI fails to tackle the deeper systemic issues plaguing the U.S. healthcare system and medical education. AI falls short in five people-focused areas and its current trajectory may exacerbate existing problems rather than solve them: 1. AI threatens medical education, 2. AI does not meaningfully address health equity, 3. AI may inadvertently increase physician workload, 4. AI does not address the intrinsic dysfunctions of the U.S. healthcare system, and 5. AI does not mitigate the clinical workforce crisis. For real transformational change in healthcare and medical education, AI efforts must address systemic flaws, innovate alongside medical educators, enhance workforce sustainability, and improve health equity. These changes must happen in concert with guidance from clinical experts and patients, instead of top-down approaches from corporate healthcare entities, insurance companies, and tech start-ups. We do hope that AI can save our broken and dysfunctional healthcare system, but until these people-focused shortcomings are addressed, AI won't save us yet.

This community service program was conducted to strengthen school principals’ growth mindset as a foundation for instructional leadership in supporting the implementation of Deep Learning. The background of this program was the need for school leaders to develop adaptive, reflective, and growth-oriented perspectives in responding to educational change, particularly in fostering mindful, meaningful, and joyful learning environments. The program aimed to enhance principals’ understanding and readiness to apply growth mindset principles in their leadership practices. The activities involved 32 principals from elementary schools and early childhood education institutions in Jember Regency and were implemented through an andragogy-based training and mentoring approach. The methods included interactive lectures, classroom discussions, reflective worksheet activities, group presentations, and collaborative learning strategies designed to encourage reflection, dialogue, and shared learning experiences among participants. The results indicated that the program successfully facilitated conceptual understanding and initial behavioral changes among participants. Principals demonstrated increased active participation, openness to feedback, reflective thinking, and readiness to implement follow-up actions related to Deep Learning in their respective schools. In addition, the program produced reflective learning artifacts and contributed to the emergence of an initial professional learning network among principals, supporting peer collaboration and knowledge sharing. In conclusion, the community service program effectively achieved its objectives by strengthening principals’ growth mindset through participatory and reflective learning processes, suggesting that growth mindset-based leadership development constitutes a relevant and sustainable strategy for enhancing instructional leadership and supporting the implementation of Deep Learning in schools.

Objective: Assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dentistry courses in Brazil and the difficulties of teachers in the transition to remote teaching. As well as the positive, negative aspects and future expectations of participants regarding the implementation of online teaching in dental education. Methods: This observational study had the participation of 284 Brazilian professors who accessed the online questionnaire, containing multiple choice questions about the impact of the pandemic on dental education. Descriptive analysis was performed by the absolute and relative frequencies of the different variables. Delta values ​​were compared using the paired t-test, Wilcoxon or Friedman. Associations were assessed using Chi-square, Fisher's exact or Chi-square with Yates correction tests. Results: Remote teaching of theoretical content was carried out by 34.74% of teachers at private institutions and 65.26% of teachers at public institutions. Male (62.50%) and female (59.65%) participants had difficulties in transmitting remote classes. The perception regarding the stress generated by the pandemic, remote work and concerns about learning was higher for teachers between 31 and 40 (24.71%) and for women (24.68%). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had a strong impact on the continuity of higher education in dentistry courses in Brazil and teachers experienced various difficulties in switching from traditional teaching to remote teaching. Future expectations point to changes in dental education in several Brazilian universities with the integration of technological resources and digital platforms to contribute to learning in post-pandemic times.

The teaching profession increasingly demands complex competencies, including collaboration, professional networking, and adaptability, beyond subject-specific knowledge, due to rapid educational, technological, and labor market changes. This study addresses the limited national data on the professional relational capital of teacher education students and examines how relational networks affect professional identity, commitment, and retention. A pilot questionnaire was developed from focus group interviews conducted in spring 2024 at the University of Nyíregyháza and analyzed with ATLAS.ti 7. The instrument includes four dimensions: parental influence, initiative during high school, initiative during university, and future employment plans, with indicators such as place of residence, cooperation patterns, network durability, domestic and international collaborations, and professional aspirations. Results indicate that students’ relational networks are central to early professional socialization and engagement in collaborative teaching communities. Mapping these networks offers diagnostic and developmental insights, supporting targeted mentoring, inter-institutional cooperation, and international mobility. Findings suggest that deliberately developing relational capital during teacher training enhances professional preparedness, satisfaction, and retention. Overall, the study highlights the value of integrating professional networking and collaborative competencies into teacher education to promote sustainable career paths, align training with labor market expectations, and strengthen the quality, resilience, and long-term sustainability of the teaching workforce.

Deep learning is the inevitable point of deepening curriculum reform in Chinese primary and secondary schools and educational change in the age of intelligence, as well as one of the important channels for the development of core literacy. Based on this, the study is based on the development trend of artificial intelligence technology, guided by the theories of online-offline integrated teaching, deep learning and smart classroom, comprehensively adopting quasi-experimental research, independent samples t-test, covariance test and other methods, innovatively constructing a smart classroom (AI-DELC) model that promotes students' deep learning in the environment of online-offline integration, and carrying out the classroom teaching practice with an elementary school in Guangzhou City. The study shows that the AI-DELC teaching model under the online-offline integration environment can effectively enhance students' deep learning effect, implement the core literacy of disciplines, develop students' higher-order thinking, and cultivate students' abilities such as knowledge transfer, problem solving and reflection.

Ongoing changes in modern education are focused on ensuring national security and technical sovereignty of many countries around the world. The priorities of training highly qualified engineering personnel for key sectors of the economy – industry, agriculture, construction, transport, and the social sphere – necessitate a qualitative transformation of all levels of the education system to increase the competitiveness of countries in the international arena. In this context, the study examines the problem of training natural science teachers with engineering thinking for the development of the economy and industry of Russia. Using document analysis and an expert survey (assessment), a model for training bachelors and masters of natural sciences with engineering thinking was developed, aimed at increasing the level of regional development of education and achieving sustainable growth. The developed model focuses on integrating natural science, technical, and humanitarian knowledge and establishing their hierarchy, continuity, and complementarity. The priorities of Russian education relate to the creation of a system of continuous advanced engineering education (a combination of preschool, general, higher, and advanced education). Therefore, on the one hand, the developed model aims to train professionals who are ready to implement innovative educational scenarios of engineering pedagogy. On the other hand, the proposed model advances the competitiveness of the educational environment. The proposed model was developed based on the understanding of the development of engineering thinking in natural science teachers as a process consisting of four substantive blocks: the value-meaning block; the cognitive block; the block of regulatory norms; and the creative design block.

To examine diversity, equity, and inclusion-related perceptions and experiences of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) members. An electronic survey created in Qualtrics was distributed to ACVO members via the ACVO listserv, made available from June 24, 2024 to July 19, 2024. A total of 249 (43.9%) ACVO members completed the survey. Approximately half (52.6%) of respondents feel that it is important for individuals and organizations to engage in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training, and 68.7% of respondents are interested in exploring different perspectives related to DEI through educational sessions, with the most interest expressed for a webinar format. The percentage of respondents who feel that the ACVO does not demonstrate that it values diversity was 28.5%, equity = 23.8%, and inclusion = 26.5%. Discrimination experienced personally based on sex (8.3%), political views (7.1%), and mentor/location of residency (6.3%) were reported. These were similar to respondents' report of witnessed discrimination of other people such as fellow colleagues (political views: 15.7%, sex: 11.8%, and mentor/location of residency: 10.2%). While the survey results suggest some ACVO members feel they have been discriminated against and/or witnessed the discrimination of others and feel unwelcome, results also indicate that the majority of members feel supported by the ACVO. Utilizing the results of this study, concrete steps to address these challenges through changes in DEI-related education, policies, and procedures are suggested to help ensure that the ACVO creates a fair, welcoming environment for members.

Malnutrition and anemia among children and pregnant women remain significant global public health challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. These conditions hinder physical growth and cognitive development in children and compromise maternal health, thereby reinforcing cycles of poverty, disease, and premature mortality. Addressing these issues requires effective, sustainable, and context-sensitive responses. This study aims to systematically organize and examine policies and intervention strategies designed to prevent and control anemia and malnutrition in children under five and pregnant women. A systematic review was conducted using databases such as Scopus, EBSCO, Web of Science, and Taylor & Francis, covering publications from 2000 to 2023. The review adhered to PRISMA guidelines and applied the Joanna Briggs Institute quality appraisal standards. From an initial pool of 554 records, 28 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Most of the included studies employed quantitative research designs, while fewer utilized qualitative or mixed-method approaches. Common interventions identified include iron and folic acid supplementation, deworming, food fortification, nutrition education, dietary diversification, and behavior change communication. Iron and folic acid supplementation consistently demonstrated effectiveness, especially when combined with educational components. However, several challenges persist, including low adherence to supplementation, socioeconomic and cultural barriers, limited resources, weaknesses in implementation, and regional differences in intervention effectiveness.