Educational Research Practice Research Articles

Design and Psychometric Properties of the Student Perception of Teacher Care Scale in University Students

Teacher care in the university setting is crucial for the academic, emotional, and social development of students, encompassing moral virtues such as compassion and professional competence. The students’ perception of teacher care directly relates to their well-being and active participation in learning. Despite the recognized importance of teacher care, there is a lack of adequate instruments to measure it, especially in specific cultural and educational contexts like Peru. The aim of this research is to develop and assess the psychometric properties of a scale measuring student perception of teacher care in the Peruvian university context, to provide a valid and reliable tool for future research and educational practices. An instrumental study was conducted with 910 university students aged between 18 and 50 years (M = 20.2, SD = 3.45). The Student Perception of Teacher Care Scale (SPTCS) was used, divided into five dimensions (Compassion, Competence, Confidentiality, Trust, and Awareness). Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses were conducted to evaluate the scale’s internal structure, along with reliability analyses and measurement invariance across genders. The EFA identified a four-factor structure reflecting the dimensions of Confidentiality and Trust, Competence, Awareness, and Compassion. The CFA confirmed this structure with good fit indices for four-factor models, which was then adjusted to a five-factor model, one of which is a second-order factor (χ2 = 720.727, df = 369, CFI = 0.951, TLI = 0.946, RMSEA = 0.046, and SRMR = 0.032). Internal reliability was high (α and ω > 0.9 for all factors). Measurement invariance was established across genders, allowing for valid comparisons between men and women. It is concluded that the Student Perception of Teacher Care Scale proves to be a valid and reliable instrument for measuring teacher care in the Peruvian university context. The results emphasize the multidimensionality of teacher care and its significance for the educational environment and student experience. This study contributes to educational research and teaching practice, offering a means to assess and improve caring relationships in higher education.

Advancing collaboration in health professions education in the general practice domain, developing a national research agenda.

Health professions education (HPE) research in the General Practice domain (GP-HPE) is vital for high-quality healthcare. Collaboration among GP-HPE researchers is crucial but challenging. Formulating a research agenda, involving stakeholders, and fostering inter-institutional collaboration can address these challenges and connect educational research and practice. We used Q-methodology to explore perspectives on GP-HPE research of participants from all Dutch postgraduate GP training institutes. Participants individually sorted statements based on the relevance of future GP-HPE research for educational practice. Data analysis comprised inverted factor analysis, rotation, and qualitative interpretation of configurations of all statements. The National Meeting on Educational Research took a participatory approach. We included 73 participants with diverse involvement in GP-HPE research. We identified five distinct perspectives, each representing a research focus area for developing and innovating GP education: the clinician scientist, the socially engaged GP, the specific GP identity, the GP as an entrepreneur, and the GP engaged in lifelong learning. The resulting five perspectives align with General Practice hallmarks. Q-methodology and a participatory approach facilitated collaboration among stakeholders. Successful inter-institutional collaboration requires a common goal, neutral leadership, participant commitment, regular meetings, audit trail support, process transparency, and reflexivity. Future research should address evidence gaps within these perspectives. Using Q-methodology turned out to be valuable for compiling a national research agenda for GP-HPE research. The research process helped to cross boundaries between researchers in different institutions, thus putting inter-institutional collaborative advantage center stage. Our approach could provide a conceivable procedure for HPE researchers worldwide.

An artful becoming: the case for a practice-led research approach to open educational practice research

ABSTRACT Within the context of Australian higher education, Open Educational Practice (OEP) requires a collective response from researchers and practitioners to instantiate novel, sustainable, scalable, and evidence-informed educational practices. This article outlines practice-led research's (PLR) role in educational research in open education and its potential to drive transformation and knowledge creation for practice in and through practice itself. As a creative arts methodology, PLR foregrounds practice as the locus of research activities. Practice-led researchers are deeply embedded in the research process, and knowledge production occurs through the generation of artefacts, processes, and techniques. With a focus on real-time making and research, PLR promotes a culture of knowledge production through the active 'doing' of practice within a process-oriented framework. In this paper, OEP is reframed as a creative project, and PLR, with its stress on researcher/practitioner reflexivity, becomes a methodology capable of fostering open educational practices in becoming.

Factors predicting teachers' implementation of inquiry‐based teaching practices: Analysis of South African TIMSS 2019 data from an ecological perspective

AbstractInquiry‐Based Teaching Practice (IBTP) is an essential component of science education, and promoting its implementation is at the heart of various reform efforts. Even though science teachers regard IBTP as an essential pedagogical method, they rarely use it for various reasons. This study utilizes Bronfenbrenner's ecological framework to examine potential factors at various levels of the educational ecosystem that predict the implementation of inquiry‐based teaching practices among Grade 9 science teachers in South Africa. To this end, quantitative data from 537 educators who participated in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 national assessment were utilized. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results revealed that four variables at different socioeconomic levels were perceived to strongly predict teachers' implementation of inquiry teaching practices. These factors include teachers' job satisfaction, instructional resource shortage, and teachers' perception of the significance of various assessment strategies at the mesosystem level as well as teachers' participation in professional development at the exosystem level. Significant correlations exist between some of the predictive variables. Implications for policy are discussed.

Constructing moments of insight: accounting for learning in classroom discussions on narrative fiction reading

ABSTRACT This article explores booktalk situations in which student teachers discuss a narrative text and construct in situ accounts of learning when recalling their reading. This study contributes to knowledge about the role of narrative fiction in general educational practice, as well as to the understanding of situated constructions of learning. Video and audio recordings were made in a seminar involving two groups of five master’s students, and the situated interaction was analysed using discursive reception theory. The results show that students construct what are here called moments of insight: a social action constructing a significant shift in participants’ self-described cognitive or emotional development, related to the reading. Students construct themselves as having been changed as both teachers and learners, either through the reading experience or when reflecting upon that experience. This demonstrates both how booktalk enables students to reflect upon their reading and their own cognitive development, and how situated classroom interaction studies enable us to engage with student learning in a naturalistic setting. This has an impact on our view of narrative fiction in educational practice, as well as educational research methods and practices.

Impact of Teacher Professional Development on Student Learning at Secondary Level

Abstract: In this paper we discuss about a study on impact of teacher professional development on student learning at secondary level. In a world where teachers are required to become ‘high-level knowledge workers’, the emergence of the school as learning organization is vital. In this context, the aim of this systematic review was to explore what comprises effective professional development for educators: i.e. what forms of teacher professional development definitively lead to positive outcomes for students? The NEP-2020 provides for a comprehensive, sustainable and reformative roadmap for a paradigm shift in the entire education system in the country, and is culturally grounded, is geared toward quality transformation, and is internationally competitive. Teacher professional development involves a continuous process of reflection, learning and further a teacher’s knowledge and skills, leading to enhanced teaching practices that positively impact on student’s learning. A teacher training programme provides teachers with skills and current pedagogy practices to help them connect with, manage, and educate their students in a way that ensures all students are learning and benefiting. A teacher professional development provides teachers with technical help to educate them and further train them in specialized areas. It also provides them with an in-depth understanding of how teacher training affects student learning. When executed properly and with the appropriate material, teacher development programmes have the potential to develop teachers to the point where they can favorably affect students not just academically but also socially. Education is the cornerstone of societal development, and at the heart of education is the teacher-student dynamic. The role of teachers extends far beyond imparting knowledge; they shape young minds, inspire curiosity, and foster a love for learning. Teachers are an important element of the education system and play an important role in the effective development and implementation of educational policies. Teacher training is not a one-time event; it is an ongoing process that encourages continuous professional development. Educators who engage in regular training sessions stay abreast of the latest educational research, methodologies, and best practices. This commitment to lifelong learning ensures that teachers remain effective and adaptable throughout their careers, positively impacting student outcomes. Teachers may have a significant influence on students and push them to stay on track during their formative years. Students who see their teachers as role models achieve extraordinary results.

The Long and Winding Road to Real-Life Experiments: Remote Assessment of Executive Functions with Computerized Games-Results from 8 Years of Naturalistic Interventions.

Mate Marote is an open-access cognitive training software aimed at children between 4 and 8 years old. It consists of a set of computerized games specifically tailored to train and evaluate Executive Functions (EF), a class of processes critical for purposeful, goal-directed behavior, including working memory, planning, flexibility, and inhibitory control. Since 2008, several studies were performed with this software at children's own schools in interventions supervised in-person by cognitive scientists. After 2015, we incorporated naturalistic, yet controlled, interventions with children's own teachers' help. The platform includes a battery of standardized tests, disguised as games, to assess children's EF. The main question that emerges is whether the results, obtained with these traditional tasks but conducted without the presence of researchers, are comparable to those widely reported in the literature, that were obtained in more supervised settings. In this study, we were able to replicate the expected difficulty and age effects in at least one of the analyzed dependent variables of each employed test. We also report important discrepancies between the expected and the observed response time patterns, specifically for time-constrained tasks. We hereby discuss the benefits and setbacks of a new possible strategy for this type of assessment in naturalistic settings. We conclude that this battery of established EF tasks adapted for its remote usage is appropriate to measure the expected mental processes in naturalistic settings, enriching opportunities to upscale cognitive training interventions at schools. These types of tools can constitute a concerted strategy to bring together educational neuroscience research and real-life practice.

Research on the Cultivation of International Communication Competence of English Majors from the Perspective of Cross-cultural Communication

With the advancement of globalization, international communication skills are becoming increasingly important in the cultivation of English major students. This study explores the connotation, cultivation strategies, and methods of international communication ability among English major students from the perspective of cross-cultural communication. Through literature review and teaching practice research, this paper aims to explore some effective ways to cultivate international communication competence, in order to improve the cross-cultural communication skills and international competitiveness of English major students.

Critical pedagogy and disability in participatory research: a review

PurposeThe literature review explores how multidisciplinary approaches based on critical pedagogy and participatory research can provide frameworks for equitable partnerships and genuine participation in educational design and research practices. Additionally, the essay aims to expand understandings of equitable engagement within educational research and design based on principles from critical pedagogy.Design/methodology/approachThe essay draws from diverse literature in the learning sciences, health informatics, industrial design, disability studies, ethnic studies, rehabilitation science, and to a lesser extent HCI research to understand how critical pedagogy and participatory research methods can provide useful frameworks for disabled peoples' equitable engagement and genuine participation in educational research and design. The literature reviewed in the paper concern topics such as participatory approaches to community development with disabled adults, the implementation of university-initiated community partnerships, participatory research with students and disabled people, and the importance of culturally-responsive research practices. The design literature in this review explores various arenas such as the co-design of assistive technologies with disabled children and adults and the design of curricula for students with and without disabilities. This review focuses on research practices that engender disabled peoples' participation in educational research and design, with focus on developing multidisciplinary frameworks for such research.FindingsThe literature review concludes that participatory research methods and critical pedagogy provide useful frameworks for disabled peoples’ participation in educational design and research practices. Critical pedagogy and participatory design allow for the genuine participation of disabled people in the research process.Social implicationsEmphases on collaboration and collective knowledge-building in social transformation are present in scholarship concerning critical pedagogy, participatory research, and disability studies. However, these connections have been routinely underexplored in the literature. This paper aims to underscore these integral connections as a means to build solidarity between disabled and other marginalized people.Originality/valueThe connections between participatory research methods, critical pedagogy, and disability studies have been previously underexplored. The literature review proposes a combined approach, which has the potential to radically transform multiple realms of research beyond the learning and information sciences.

Doing Action Research: Operating a Research Approach or Feeling Change in a Researcher’s Way of Life?

This reflection traces the author's journey into action research, sparked by a seminar led by Hilbert Meyer in 1993. Drawing from personal experiences in teacher education and chemistry research, the author advocates for bridging the gap between educational research and teaching practice. Highlighting the influence of critical theory, the author emphasizes the transformative potential of action research in educational contexts. Action research, as perceived by the author, seeks to enhance teaching practice, foster continuous professional development, and engage learners as partners in educational reform. Through collaborative efforts with practitioners, the author demonstrates the practical implications and scholarly contributions of action research. The narrative underscores the significance of publishing action research findings and challenges prevailing paradigms in educational research. Ultimately, the author posits action research as a means to navigate the complexities of educational practices while advocating for critical reflection and paradigmatic shifts in educational research.

Culturally Relevant STEM (CReST): An Integrated Support Curriculum for High School Chemistry and World History

Convergence education, driven by compelling or complex socio-scientific problems, is an approach to bring cultural relevance into secondary STEM education. National trends show the need to increase the STEM workforce by leveraging educational research and innovative practices within the secondary level to increase student interest prior to graduating high school. We introduced CReST (Culturally Relevant STEM) in a US high school pilot study. Student participants included 276 Chemistry students and 19 World History I students. The study also engaged four (4) high school teachers in chemistry and social studies with the challenge of cultural heritage conservation through the lens of the (physicochemical) life cycle of mural paintings in Europe. Teachers were provided with (1) professional development; (2) a digital curriculum; and (3) modular kits for hands-on learning. The research focused qualitatively on the experiences from the teacher and students as well as quantitatively to assess whether there was an increase in student academic performance. We found a statistically significant gain with respect to Chemistry (4.0%) and World History (13.4%) content. Students and teachers responded with overwhelming positivity in individual and focus-group interviews. This amplifies the further need of convergent educational approaches in high school STEM education to enhance engagement and increase student learning.

Analysis of approved dental teaching projects in the teaching practice research program in 8 dental schools of Taiwan from 2018 to 2023

Background/purposeThe teaching practice research program was initiated by Taiwan's Ministry of Education in 2018 to improve medical teaching quality. This study analyzed dental teaching projects conducted under this program from 2018 to 2023. Materials and methodsData of submitted and approved medical (including dental) teaching projects from 2018 to 2023 were obtained from the annual reports released by the program committee. The annual passing rates were calculated by dividing the number of approved dental teaching projects by the total number of approved medical teaching projects in the category of medical and healthcare sciences in a particular year. The 24 approved dental teaching projects were reviewed, classified into different topics in the dental field, and then reported. ResultsThere were 24 approved dental teaching projects out of a total of 822 approved medical teaching projects from 2018 to 2023. The annual passing rates increased gradually from 2018 (1.4 %) to 2022 (3.9 %) and 2023 (3.8 %) with an overall mean passing rate of 2.9 % over a period of 6 years. Of the 24 approved dental teaching projects, digital dentistry was the most common teaching research topic (9 projects), followed by new teaching models (7 projects), 3D technology (3 projects), endodontics (3 projects), dental histology (one project), and evidence-based method (one project). ConclusionDigital dentistry and new teaching models were the two predominant dental teaching research topics, suggesting that both are the modern trends in the dental education. However, the dental teaching research projects are still very limited in 8 Taiwanese dental schools.

Digital rights and responsibility in education: A scoping review

Studies on digital rights in education have both gained attention and provided a framework for research, policy and practice in educational research within the field of educational technology. The potential benefits we appreciate in Internet use are inseparable from the maximum risks involved. Faced with this responsibility, individuals demand that their rights and freedoms be guaranteed in the digital environment according to their various roles as students, teachers, families or staff. This scoping review selects and analyses 54 theoretical and empirical studies from the last decade (2013-2023), identifying the main topics investigated as privacy protection in online environments, right to digital security or cybersecurity, and right to digital education. The review underscores the need to guide efforts towards digital education for citizens because the legal regulation of rights and responsibilities is necessary but insufficient. The paper also makes arguments about acceptance, limitations and implications for teacher training.

Nanotechnology and Its Impact on Physical Sciences

Purpose: The main objective of this study was to explore nanotechnology and its impact on physical sciences.
 Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.
 Findings: The findings revealed that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to nanotechnology and its impact on physical sciences. Preliminary empirical review revealed that nanotechnology has significantly transformed physical sciences, particularly in physics, chemistry, materials science, and condensed matter physics. It has facilitated the development of novel materials and devices, enabling advancements in quantum technologies and nanoelectronics. Interdisciplinary collaboration is key, emphasizing the need for researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds to work together to harness nanotechnology's full potential. Additionally, the study underscores the importance of ongoing research to address ethical, safety, and environmental concerns associated with nanotechnology, ensuring its sustainable integration into physical sciences.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Quantum Confinement Theory, Materials Science and Nanomaterials Theory and the Interdisciplinary Collaboration Theory may be used to anchor future studies on nanotechnology. The recommendations stemming from the study advocated for fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, investing in nanoscience education, promoting ethical and responsible research practices, and supporting long-term environmental assessments. These suggestions aim to facilitate the seamless integration of nanotechnology into the physical sciences, ensuring that it leads to innovative breakthroughs while addressing ethical, safety, and environmental considerations.

Addressing the Gap: Educational Research and its Implementation

Education is an essential feature of every civilization as it attempts to develop the various aspects of knowledge of the community. Research in education is a significant topic for study itself to connect research and practice in Education. Therefore, research in education must become a priority as it bridges the existence of any gap between the findings of research and the implementation of the recommendations, and to limit any future possibility of its existence. The applicability of research findings is not whether it leads to clear implications for practice, but also whether the implications will materialise in the educational setting and whether the stakeholders will accommodate to the required changes (Bridges, 2015). This paper offers some definitions of educational research and its characteristics, types and levels of educational, and investigates its limitations in practice- the gap between research and practice. There is reference to research in higher education in the Arab world in general and Lebanon in particular. Suggestions are made to support the connection between educational research and educational practice mainly through Research-Practice collaboration. These include the need to support researchers by various bodies in the education field such as universities, governmental institutions, research centers and educational organisations, and more importantly to offer the findings and follow up the implementation practices to help practitioners overcome the real world problems.

Research based youth care?!: An equal partnership between youth, their network, professionals, and researchers in youth care.

In the interdisciplinary research program VOICe (Voicing youth at social risk) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, we focus on developing collaborative research practices with young people ‘at social risk’. We share the mission to enable young people and professionals to enter a dialogue in an equal and investigative manner about what they really find important in their daily life context and to adjust this together if necessary. For the past ten years we have been developing collaborative research practices in education in collaboration with schools under the name ‘Research based School?!' to enhance the learning and well-being of students. We would like to further explore, adapt, and possibly roll out this experience with a collaborative model in the context of youth care. This project is based on the idea that quality of care stands or falls with the expertise and commitment of the facility. 
 “Research based youth care?!” sees a facility as an environment in which everyone bears a responsibility in each other's development. The focus is on the provision that dares to come forward as a learning community. This learning community enhances the growth of all involved by challenging them to tackle questions in partnership.
 This project embraces a collaboration model in which care providers, researchers, young people, and their network adopt an investigative attitude together. The use of problem-solving strategies and the exchange of knowledge through participation in a learning community with structured research activities are paramount in this project. It is important that the youth, their network, and the professionals realizes that a problem he/she is confronted with in the facility also affects others (colleagues, management, parents, other youth…). By including these different perspectives, the problem is supported within the entire social context and the chance of carrying out improvement actions is greater.
 In a first step, we will build a basis for the collaborative model within youth care, in which we will bring involved parties together to discuss the conditions for equal participation between young people, their network, professionals, and researchers. We have started experience experts and managers sharing their experiences in a professional learning community and to enter a dialogue to design a workable model to further involve other professionals and youth in subsequent phases.
 With this trajectory, the university and the professional field join forces with the aim of professionalizing themselves and promoting the development of young people, starting from their own practice; relevant for the facility, the care provider, the youth, and their network; as a full partner; and in dialogue between practice and theory.

Neural Network-Based Approach to Detect and Filter Misleading Audio Segments in Classroom Automatic Transcription

Audio recording in classrooms is a common practice in educational research, with applications ranging from detecting classroom activities to analyzing student behavior. Previous research has employed neural networks for classroom activity detection and speaker role identification. However, these recordings are often affected by background noise that can hinder further analysis, and the literature has only sought to identify noise with general filters and not specifically designed for classrooms. Although the use of high-end microphones and environmental monitoring can mitigate this problem, these solutions can be costly and potentially disruptive to the natural classroom environment. In this context, we propose the development of a novel neural network model that specifically detects and filters out problematic audio sections in classroom recordings. This model is particularly effective in reducing transcription errors, achieving up to a 96% success rate in filtering out segments that could lead to incorrect automated transcriptions. The novelty of our work lies in its targeted approach for low-budget, aurally complex environments like classrooms, where multiple speakers are present. By allowing the use of lower-quality recordings without compromising analysis capability, our model facilitates data collection in natural educational settings and reduces the dependency on expensive recording equipment. This advancement not only demonstrates the practical application of specialized neural network filters in challenging acoustic environments but also opens new avenues for enhancing audio analysis in educational research and beyond.

Being and Becoming Well in the Most Transparent of Times: The Limits of Racialized Healing Strategies in Educational Research

This article examines the possibilities and limits of strategies directed toward racialized healing amidst declarations of pandemics and legislative attacks on public school teachers. We question what these strategies take as a self-evident truth: that race and racism can be conceptualized in terms of health and transparently addressed through research and practice focused on racialized healing. To complicate this assertion, we locate the strategies within a race-health nexus, a form of biopower. This nexus establishes norms, categories, and classifications that justify ranking and comparing, dividing and differentially intervening on some in the name of the health and wellbeing of all. We historicize how this nexus became integral to schooling in the United States in the 19th century, normalizing populations according to civilizational values that doubled as health standards. We argue that this nexus makes possible biopolitical strategies of “tailoring treatments” and “cultivating potential” that continue to undergird health and healing strategies in educational research and pedagogical practice today, thereby reconfiguring, rather than overturning, hierarchies of human difference. The analysis demonstrates that racialized healing strategies provide no ontological guarantee for reducing racialized harm. Instead, such efforts must be reflexively situated within the interplay of biology, coloniality, and education that makes “healing” seem necessary and urgent in the first place.

Resisting Heteronormative Traditions to Stage the Possible

Concerned with the heteronormative nature of education, we engage with queer theory and pedagogy to destabilize heteronormative constructs. Guided by arts-based educational research (ABER) and ethnodramatic practices, we stage the lived teaching experiences of educators who challenge heteronormativity while preparing their students for an elementary school musical production. We discover that creating opportunities for students to delve into varied costumes, themes, and characters can strengthen or transform their self-perception, and can embolden them to uncover facets of their identity. Moreover, our inquiry demonstrates how queering curriculum and pedagogy can provide more inclusive opportunities for all students as they engage in arts learning experiences.

Implementation Research in Mathematics Education: A Systematic Mapping Review

Abstract We present the results of a systematic literature review of research articles that self-identify as describing the implementation of innovations from mathematics education research in educational practice. We classified 103 articles according to study type, the type of teaching/learning phenomenon the implementation targeted, and whether the innovation carrier was a curriculum reform, professional development, or a curriculum resource. We found that interest in implementation research increased from a modest number of published studies prior to 2003 to a peak in 2021. Other results highlight that projects that targeted teaching in line with the U.S. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics process standards were dominant when curricular reform acted as a carrier. Planning and design aspects of such projects were rarely reported, and projects were rarely discussed theoretically. Instead, such projects were commonly researched by studying teachers’ reform enactment. We discuss the consequences of this imbalance. The impact sheet to this article can be accessed at 10.6084/m9.figshare.24219124