The landscape of higher education in Yemen is undergoing transformation, driven by protracted conflict and infrastructural collapse. In this context, Blended Learning (BL) has emerged as a potential yet challenging solution to ensure educational continuity. This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) to analyze the state of BL in Yemeni higher education. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive search yielded an initial 582 records, which were systematically screened, resulting in 8 empirical studies for in-depth analysis. Thematic synthesis of these studies revealed three core themes: (1) Pervasive Technological and Infrastructural Barriers, including unreliable electricity, poor internet connectivity, and lack of access to devices; (2) Challenges in Pedagogical Adaptation and Student Engagement, highlighting difficulties in shifting from traditional teacher-centric methods to student-centered blended pedagogies; and (3) Deficiencies in Institutional Readiness and Policy, indicating a significant gap in strategic planning, faculty training, and supportive policies. The discussion interprets these findings through the lens of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, contextualizing Yemen's unique challenges against global BL research. The study proposes a research agenda and policy recommendations to support a resilient BL ecosystem in Yemen.

This study explores self-directed learning skills utilized by students at Zimbabwe Open University, Masvingo regional campus during the Covid-19 pandemic with the aim of identifying context-specific skills that can prepare ODeL students for future crisis situations. While ODeL institutions are often assumed to be resilient to disruptions, the Covid-19 pandemic exposed significant gaps in students’ preparedness for autonomous learning in crisis contexts. In this qualitative case study, data were generated through semi- structured interviews with seven (7) purposefully selected lecturers and a quality assurance coordinator. Additionally, one focus group discussion session with seven (7) students was conducted. Guided by self-directed learning theory and informed by the community of inquiry (CoI) framework, the study found that self-management and personal discipline, cognitive and analytical skills and communication and technological proficiency were critical for sustaining learning during the crisis. The unique contribution of this study lies in its empirical identification of self-directed learning skills enacted by ODeL students specifically during a crisis context, an area that remains underexplored in SDL scholarship. The study recommends integrating SDL explicitly into teacher education and ODeL curricula to enhance preparedness for future disruptions

ABSTRACT Objective This article explores the potential benefits of peer-led spaces for young mental health family carer lived experience (FCLE) workers, in fostering connection, advocacy, and knowledge production. Method Using a co-operative inquiry collaboration process, ten young FCLE workers, lived experience researchers, and allies reflected on their engagement in peer-led workshops. Results Four key ways in which young FCLE workers experienced benefit from participating in peer-led spaces were identified, including fostering connection and agency, articulating under-recognised experiences, clarifying often ambiguous roles and career pathways, and building capacity in knowledge production. Discussion Peer-led spaces are shown to provide essential professional community-building and support mechanisms for young FCLE workers. The inquiry draws together the broader implications of these findings for supporting young FCLE workers in a context where young carers face significant barriers to entering the workforce, roles can be isolated or systemically misunderstood, and young FCLE workers are under-represented in research. Links to existing frameworks with potential for implementing such peer-led spaces and processes are explored, namely role modelling, communities of practice and co-operative inquiry.

This article examines contemporary academic writing and leadership through Pierre Bourdieu’s framework of field capital habitus and illusio to explain how power recognition and identity are organized within higher education. Drawing on a wide body of interdisciplinary scholarship the analysis shows how managerial reforms evaluation regimes linguistic expectations and bibliometric systems reshape scholarly dispositions by converting intellectual contribution into measurable performance. These conditions encourage conformity and strategic compliance while presenting themselves as merit based processes. The article argues that academic writing is not a neutral activity but a form of identity work that reflects and reproduces the logic of the field including beliefs about what audiences matter and what forms of knowledge count. Habitus guides scholars toward accepted genres and evaluative targets while illusio sustains commitment to systems that often marginalize public engagement collegial governance and epistemic diversity. While reflexivity is frequently proposed as a response to these pressures the literature demonstrates that individual awareness alone rarely disrupts entrenched hierarchies unless accompanied by institutional change. By reassessing Bourdieu’s framework in light of neoliberal governance digitalization and global inequality the article shows both its continued relevance and the risks of its rhetorical appropriation as academic currency. The analysis concludes by advancing an ethical orientation to writing and leadership that treats audience selection evaluation and collaboration as moral decisions tied to scholarly purpose. Writing with purpose is framed as an act of leadership that resists managed conformity and reclaims scholarship as a practice oriented toward inquiry community and shared understanding rather than status and metrics.

Organic chemistry courses are often viewed as “weed-out” courses, with success traditionally measured by examination performance. However, learning extends beyond cognition as it is also influenced by students’ interactions with their peers and instructors. Affective and social dimensions of the learning environment should also be considered for supporting meaningful engagement with organic chemistry content. In this study, a flipped, peer-led team-learning (PLTL) pedagogical strategy was implemented in the second semester of a yearlong postsecondary organic chemistry course. Using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, we explored how students’ perceptions of their social, cognitive, and teaching presence in the course varied across the semester, by course grade, and admit type (first-time-in-college and transfer). Confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance testing supported the validity of the data collected by the CoI instrument, and nonparametric analyses were used to assess group-level differences. Results indicate that perceptions of all CoI components increased across the organic chemistry course. Students that earned higher course grades reported stronger perceptions of social and cognitive presence, and transfer students were found to report comparable perceptions of the CoI components to their first-time-in-college peers. Overall, the flipped, PLTL course pedagogical strategy cultivated a supportive and cohesive learning environment of organic chemistry over time and across student groups. These results underscore the value of intentionally structured, collaborative environments in challenging gateway chemistry courses and the need to measure affective and social dimensions of learning alongside cognitive outcomes to more fully capture the mechanisms by which course structures influence the learning experience.

Students' interaction patterns of online dialogic peer feedback from a perspective of community of inquiry: An Epistemic network analysis approach

The rapid expansion of e-learning has transformed foreign language instruction, yet empirical research on online Arabic language pedagogy remains limited compared to studies on commonly taught European languages. Arabic poses distinct instructional challenges in digital environments due to diglossia, complex morphology, phonological difficulty, and non-Latin script directionality. Addressing this gap, the present mixed-methods study investigates effective online teaching practices, digital tools, and assessment strategies for Arabic language instruction. Data were collected from 127 students enrolled in fully online Arabic degree programs across four universities in Malaysia. Guided by Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), Constructivist theory, and the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, the study integrates a quantitative survey with qualitative learner reflections. Quantitative findings reveal strong correlations between instructor presence, synchronous speaking activities, multimedia support, and perceived language gains, with notable variation across proficiency levels. Qualitative analysis further highlights the importance of cultural immersion, sustained pronunciation feedback, and challenges related to script acquisition, particularly for beginner learners. By situating learner perceptions within established CALL frameworks, this study contributes empirically grounded best-practice guidelines for designing and implementing effective online Arabic language curricula.

ABSTRACT This study explores the application of the community of inquiry (CoI) framework in Chinese social work education, which emphasizes the need for culturally responsive adaptations in blended learning environments. Given the commitment of the social work profession to cultural responsiveness and global focus on indigenizing practices, this research work addresses a significant gap in the literature on the effectiveness of CoI in non-Western contexts. While the framework has been successfully implemented in various Western educational settings, existing methodologies and curricula primarily reflect Western cultural norms, thus limiting their applicability in other cultures. This study seeks to culturally contextualize the CoI framework by proposing modifications that enhance planning and implementation, thereby instilling more confidence of the framework among institutions, instructors, and students of Chinese background. A cross-institutional social work blended learning design is used to explore such contextualization and discusses the integration and synthesis of the CoI framework, development of a culturally contextualized extended CoI tailored for the Chinese context, and leveraging of artificial intelligence to enhance the dynamic fluidity of integrated learning within blended learning environments.

ABSTRACT This article examines how five white elementary educators learned to teach for justice in a yearlong inquiry community committed to antibias, antiracist (ABAR) pedagogy. Through inductive and deductive analyses of inquiry group sessions, semi-structured interviews, and class observations, the authors identify the material and ideological dimensions that shaped and constrained teachers’ approaches to justice-oriented work in a pre-K–8 Catholic School in the northeastern United States. Organised around Collins's four domains of power—structural, disciplinary, cultural, and interpersonal—the authors shed light on the tensions and supports that teachers encountered in their efforts to advance ABAR work, while facing significant criticism from their school community. Building on Cochran-Smith and Lytle’s relationships of practice, the authors propose knowledge-as-justice, a knowledge that requires teachers to leverage their knowledges for-, in-, and of- practice to navigate their school’s sociopolitical context in the pursuit of justice. In doing so, and as the authors suggest, knowledge-as-justice underscores the need for a more pronounced relationship among justice, knowledge, and practice in pursuing justice-oriented work.

Background: Critical thinking is increasingly acknowledged as an essential skill for students in the 21st century. Consequently, pedagogical approaches that foster critical thinking are of considerable scholarly interest. Philosophical inquiry, particularly outside the domain of religious education, has been identified as a potential method for cultivating these skills. Objective: This scoping review systematically maps the extant literature concerning the application of philosophical methods and interventions to foster critical thinking skills in students, specifically excluding implementations within religious education. The review investigates the types of interventions employed, the populations studied, the outcomes assessed, and the reported efficacy of these approaches. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using the Scopus and Web of Science databases, encompassing publications from January 1 2014, to December 31 2024. Inclusion criteria stated that studies examine the use of philosophical methods (e.g. Socratic questioning, communities of inquiry, Philosophy for Children) to enhance critical thinking in students at any educational level, outside of religious instruction. Extracted data included study characteristics, participant demographics, intervention specifics, outcome measures, and principal findings. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Results: Thirty-three studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. These studies represented a broad spectrum of educational levels, from preschool through to higher education, and diverse geographical regions across Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa. Interventions varied in duration and specific philosophical approach but frequently involved methodologies such as Philosophy for Children (P4C), Socratic methods, and facilitated community of inquiry discussions, often integrated into various curricula. The majority of studies reported positive impacts on various facets of critical thinking, including reasoning abilities, argumentation, communication, and metacognitive awareness, alongside notable effects on non-cognitive skills and evidence of skill transfer across different contexts. Conclusion: The accumulated evidence indicates that philosophical inquiry can be a valuable pedagogical tool for cultivating critical thinking skills in students across a variety of educational settings and age cohorts. Further investigation is warranted to refine intervention designs, ascertain long-term effects, explore optimal implementation conditions, and further investigate mechanisms of skill transfer.

The integration of digital technology in vocational education has redefined instructional delivery and learner engagement. However, the extent to which technology enhances learning depends largely on the quality of teacher–student interaction. This study investigates the mediating role of Teacher–Student Interaction (TSI) in the relationship between the Technology-Enhanced Learning Environment (TEL) and Learning Engagement (LE). Drawing on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) frameworks, this research tested a structural model to explain how interaction bridges technological and pedagogical processes in vocational learning contexts. A total of 362 valid responses were collected from vocational students across Indonesia using a stratified sampling approach. The data were analyzed through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using SmartPLS 4 with 5,000 bootstrap samples. The results demonstrated that TEL positively influenced TSI (β = 0.71, p < .001) and LE (β = 0.39, p < .01). Moreover, TSI significantly predicted LE (β = 0.53, p < .001). The indirect pathway from TEL to LE through TSI was also significant (β = 0.37, p < .001), indicating partial mediation with a Variance Accounted for (VAF) of 48.7%. The model achieved an excellent fit (χ 2 /df = 2.31, CFI = 0.953, TLI = 0.947, SRMR = 0.046, RMSEA = 0.048) and explained 55% of the variance in TSI and 68% in LE. These findings affirm that technology integration enhances learning engagement primarily when mediated by active teacher–student interaction. The study underscores that digital transformation in vocational education must emphasize pedagogical presence and communicative interaction to sustain engagement, particularly in remote and under-resourced (3T) regions.

ABSTRACT While digitalization has increased flexibility in online distance learning, it has also brought challenges such as emotional strain, interactional issues, and social isolation. In this context, students’ sense of social “presence” is vital for sustaining their well-being and ensuring high-quality interaction. Grounded in Transactional Distance Theory (TDT) and the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, this study modeled the relationships between social presence (SP) and interaction types within the using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The Social Presence and Transactional Distance Scales were used as data collection instruments. The sample comprised 574 online distance learners, with data collected via an online questionnaire. The results of the SEM analysis showed that SP was a significant positive predictor of all interaction types. Findings show that SP most strongly influences student – student and student – learning environment interactions, while also significantly enhancing student – instructor, student – content, and student – interface interactions. These results indicate that online learning environments should support not only content delivery but also meaningful social interaction. The study highlights the value of SP-oriented design in open, online and distance education systems and offers strategic recommendations for instructors, content developers, and digital learning administrators. Future research should compare synchronous and asynchronous learning structures.

ABSTRACT Background Roles are the socio‐cognitive interaction patterns in social learning. Analyzing emergent roles provides insights into how students naturally participate and contribute knowledge in productive collaborative argumentation‐based learning (CABLE). However, previous studies lack a comprehensive and in‐depth understanding of the emergent roles in CABLE. In addition, the relationship between the emergent roles and the CABLE performance of groups and individuals needs to be further explored. Objectives This study aims to identify emergent roles in CABLE and explore the relationship between the dynamic fluctuation of emergent roles and learning performance from both individual and group perspectives. Methods To fill this gap, a collaborative argumentation discussion activity was conducted among 33 undergraduate students. The study analyzed the fine‐grained collaborative discourse moves based on the community of inquiry (CoI) framework. Then, the study identified emergent roles and quantified the dynamic fluctuation of emergent roles through sequence clustering and entropy analysis. Finally, the relationship between the emergent roles and the CABLE performance of groups and individuals was explored. Results and Conclusions The findings revealed that students emerged as Discussion facilitators, Viewpoint contributors, and Knowledge integrators during CABLE. Students with high argumentation skills had significantly higher role entropy values than students with low argumentation skills, and they flexibly regulated and transitioned their emergent roles. Furthermore, the higher the dynamic fluctuation of group emergent roles, the better the group learning performance tended to be. Based on the findings, the study proposed implications for instructional design and future research directions to optimize students' CABLE.

Abstract What began as an innovative idea in the late 1960s—the recognition that even very young children are philosophically disposed—is no longer considered novel. While philosophy for children has transitioned from a fledgling initiative to a worldwide movement, it remains on the margins of education. In this article, we look back at key initiatives that have advanced its growth before looking ahead to what can move philosophy for children to the center of education. We consider the introduction and development of materials that invite children into philosophical spaces, the community of philosophical inquiry as a model of teachers' and children's philosophical practice, diverse models of teacher preparation, and multiple means of dissemination and collaboration. We conclude that the transformative promise of philosophy for children lies in three directions: to enrich children's lives through an iterative, sustained experience of awakening to philosophical meaning, driven by their philosophical questioning and inquiry and shared in dialogue with others; to reform education by preparing teachers to cultivate a philosophical orientation to their subjects, their students, and to education as a whole; and to continue the cross‐fertilization of theoretical and empirical research among philosophy for children, education, and the humanities and social sciences. The growth of the movement and what we have learned from it make these ambitious promises reasonable to strive for.

As learning contexts emerge and transform within the realm of online graduate education, educators face the ongoing challenge of fostering interactive, learner-centered experiences, and there is a greater need to explore teaching and learning in their various modalities. Researchers and practitioners have increasingly highlighted the importance of developing a sense of community in online courses and programs. Learning communities offer a potential informal context for shared and collaborative learning among peers, helping students overcome feelings of isolation and positively impacting individual learning. Many questions remain, however, about ways to develop community in online higher education, and which facilitation strategies within the online learning environment are most effective and impactful. This qualitative study utilized a phenomenological research design with in-depth interviews to explore the experiences of a sample of doctoral alumni who had studied in a one-to-one online graduate program. The conceptual framework was based on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model, which highlights the significance of presence and transactional distance in the online environment. Research questions focused on participants’ perceptions of an online learning community and what they understood as the contributing factors to building and sustaining community and collaborative learning. Thematic analysis yielded nine themes, illustrating the richness and depth of the learning community experience, shedding light on how community develops and the resulting benefits that online graduate students derive. In the context of a rapid global adoption of online learning, this research underscores the need for community and collaboration throughout the doctoral process, offering a deep understanding of the student experience. The implication is that an instructor’s thoughtful facilitation will pave the way for the quality of the interaction and connections that contribute to community-building. The findings of this research will be valuable to educators in designing and implementing a more collaborative and interactive online learning environment, ultimately fostering peer connections, improved student engagement, deeper learning, and enhanced academic performance. This study was nominated for the AERA 2026 Exemplary Contributions to Practice-Engaged Research Award in recognition of a collaborative research project that has a sustained and observable effect on contexts of practice.

This scholarly dialogue captures the critical perspective of Dr. Terry Anderson, a foundational theorist in online and distance education, at a time when the field faces a paradigm shift driven by artificial intelligence. The conversation revisits Anderson's seminal contributions, including the Interaction Equivalency Theorem and the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, examining their relevance and limitations in an era where AI can mediate all forms of educational interaction. A central theme emerges from Anderson's analysis: a sharp distinction between AI's immense potential in the cognitive domain—offering personalized content and scalable learning support—and its profound inability to replicate the affective and intuitive roles of human teachers and peers. He argues that while AI will dominate cognitive presence, the inspiration, care, and deep social connection vital for motivation remain uniquely human endeavors. Looking forward, Anderson presents a vision where AI's greatest promise lies in enabling personalized learning and forcing a long-overdue revolution in assessment, potentially scaling ancient methods like the viva voce. However, he issues a stark warning against the risks of information monopolies and highlights the field’s abiding responsibility to ensure equitable access, championing social justice as a core principle for the next generation of online education.

ABSTRACT International distance education (IDE) students live in their home countries and study online at postsecondary institutions. Attrition rates for online students are notably higher than their on-campus counterparts, so higher education leaders and practitioners must understand what pedagogical strategies help IDE students persist. Guided by the community of inquiry (CoI) framework, this quantitative research aimed to understand whether persisting IDE students perceived the CoI presences differently than non-persisting IDE students. Previous research posited that the way students perceive levels of cognitive, social, and teaching presence had a meaningful effect on their educational achievement. Using a revised version of the CoI survey instrument, we collected responses from IDE students (n = 642) studying online at an institution in the western United States. Our results showed significant differences on nine CoI survey items, three from cognitive presence, two from social presence, and four from teaching presence. Students who intended to persist perceived these items differently than their non-persisting counterparts, which may indicate that persisting IDE students valued these nine items more than students who did not intend to persist. Implications from this research suggest that to help IDE students persist, instructors in online courses should provide opportunities for individual and group reflection, promote diverse perspectives in discussions, ensure goals and objectives are clearly communicated, and give meaningful feedback.

I defend a diachronic constraint on justification as a necessary condition for knowledge. In my view (JTB + D), a belief is knowledge-apt only if its justification is maintainable over a context-sensitive interval Δ under ordinary avenues of evidence-accrual, including reliable memory, testimony, and communal inquiry, with no accessible undefeated defeaters arising within that interval. This temporal, process-sensitive requirement mitigates Gettier-style luck by targeting “snapshot” justification that would easily collapse under minimal further scrutiny (as in Fake Barn County), while avoiding infallibilism and over-intellectualism. I calibrate Δ by stakes and domain volatility to avoid vagueness and moving goalposts, distinguish responsive stability from mere habituation, and show how the account handles no-new-evidence scenarios without undermining ordinary memorial and testimonial knowledge. Conceptually, the proposal integrates internalist and externalist insights as it preserves reason-responsiveness over time and serves as an actual-world temporal analogue of safety, not a standalone fourth ‘dimension’. I engage canonical cases and acknowledge Zagzebski’s challenge: the view does not promise full Gettier immunity, but it raises the bar for counterexamples in ordinary environments. The result is a principled, parameterised refinement of the justification condition that better captures knowledge as an enduring, responsibly supported true belief.

ABSTRACT This study compares Malaysian high school and undergraduate students’ perceptions of online learning in terms of teaching presence (TP), cognitive presence (CP) and social presence (SP) in order to explore the varying experiences of these ESL learners in online learning environments. Ten undergraduates recruited from one public and two private universities, and 10 students from a public high school were interviewed using semi‐structured interviews, and the interview data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that despite the challenges and constraints posed by the online learning environment, both ESL undergraduates and high school students exhibited positive identification with TP and CP compared to SP. The online learning experience of undergraduates is reliant on their self‐learning skills in the digital environment, while for ESL high school students, it is mainly influenced by the teacher's presence, instruction that relates to coverage of assessment items and in‐class activity. The findings revealed that the two groups of students seemed to require different teaching approaches due to the learners differing self‐directed learning abilities. High school students seemed to be less self‐directed compared to undergraduates. The findings highlighted the robustness of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework as a guide for instructors when designing instructional activities or modules for students from different levels of education, and it implied that instructors need to design and structure lesson content strategically to ensure the presence and effectiveness of TP.

This study explored the role of digital learning platforms in enhancing language acquisition and intercultural adaptation among students in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. With increasingly diverse classrooms, hosting international and bilingual learners, educators faced opportunities and challenges in leveraging technology to support multilingual populations. The research explored how digital tools, such as Duolingo for Schools, Immersive Reader, Grammarly, and Rosetta Stone for Education, facilitated resource access, communication, and participation in higher education and secondary schools. A mixed-methods approach was employed, using a purposive sample of 120 students and 12 instructors from three Winston-Salem institutions. Data were collected through classroom observations, student surveys, and follow-up instructor interviews to assess the impact of digital technologies on proficiency, retention, confidence, and involvement. Findings revealed that effective digital integration significantly improved language proficiency (d = 0.92, p < 0.001), fostered collaborative learning (68%), and supported smoother cultural adjustment for international students. However, 20-22% of students in rural and low-income areas faced access barriers, highlighting equity gaps. The study emphasized the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model and Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework as critical for guiding technology adoption. Recommendations included targeted teacher training, institutional policies promoting technology-driven pedagogy, and student-centered digital resource design. Aligning pedagogy with technology in North Carolina’s schools and universities cultivated inclusive environments, enhancing academic success and global competence.