Education Sector Research Articles

Application of artificial intelligence for feature engineering in education sector and learning science

This study investigates the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) for feature engineering in the education sector, highlighting its potential to enhance individualized learning and improve academic outcomes. The correlation analysis, performed using a correlation matrix of the feature set, indicated that specific pairings of characteristics exhibit a strong association, resulting in the ineffectiveness of conventional models. In order to tackle this issue, we utilized three sophisticated machine learning methodologies: Adaptive Lasso (ALasso), Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), and Support Vector Regression (SVR). The ALasso model discovered several influential characteristics, namely Gender (X5), Education (X1), Hours of Work (X4), and Marital Status (X6), that significantly affect salaries. Subsequently, a comparative evaluation of these methods was conducted using Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE). The results demonstrated that SVR outperformed the other techniques, with the most optimal RMSE of 0.595 and MAE of 0.423. These findings emphasize the significance of using data-driven strategies in policymaking and propose further investigation into the use of AI methods in various educational contexts to improve the identification of features and the performance of models.

Relationship between Job Characteristics Model and Job Satisfaction with Mediating Effect of Organizational Commitment

This research discovers the relationship between Job Characteristics Model (JCM) and job satisfaction using the mediator organizational commitment on private universities faculties in Bangladesh. This study is an empirical study to understand how specific job characteristics, as defined by the JCM—namely skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback—affect employee’s commitment. Besides, the study tries to find out the impact of organizational commitment on job satisfaction. Moreover, researcher investigate how organizational commitment mediates the relationship between JCM and Job Satisfaction using 489 sample of faculty members from private universities in Bangladesh. For conducting this research, respondents have been selected by using convenience sampling method through a structured questionnaire. The findings reveal that JCM and organizational commitment has positive relationship, besides organizational commitment can play positive impact over the job satisfaction of the faculty members. Finally, this research depicts how organizational commitment strongly mediates the relationship between job characteristics model and job satisfaction. These insights contribute to existing literature by highlighting the importance of fostering organizational commitment for improving job satisfaction within the educational sector in Bangladesh. The study's implications suggest that university management should focus on designing jobs that enhance employee commitment to maximize satisfaction, ultimately leading to better organizational outcomes.

Identifikasi Isu Pendidikan Islam di Era Global: Pengaruh Globalisasi pada Profesi Guru

The era of globalization, which has shaped the modern world, has influenced the education sector with various issues that have significantly transformed society, schools, educators, and students. In the Islamic education sector, globalization presents unique challenges for educators or teachers to demonstrate the relevance of Islamic educational institutions, which emphasize the inculcation of religious values and the development of noble character in their students. To understand the changes and issues affecting Islamic education and to identify the impact of globalization on teachers, this article is compiled using a literature review approach to provide broad and comprehensive descriptive results. From the exploration of several sources and literature, it is found that there are several challenges faced by Islamic education in the global era, such as conformism, the dichotomy between faith-based and scientific knowledge, changes in educational orientation, as well as moral and personality crises. These challenges urge teachers to continually be able and ready to equip themselves with a correct and profound understanding of religion, along with mastery of science and technology, in order to keep pace with the advancement of an information-based and digital society. This can be achieved by instilling the right understanding and practice of Islamic values while being adaptive, responsive, and innovative in addressing changes, namely by balancing globalization with the correct acquisition of knowledge and the use of technology for educational development.

Gender differences in autonomic and psychological stress responses among educators: a heart rate variability and psychological assessment study.

This study explores the gender differences in psychological stress perception and autonomic modulation among teachers. Utilizing heart rate variability (HRV) as a measure of autonomic function and a suite of validated psychological tests, the study examines the discrepancies in stress, anxiety, burnout, and personality traits between male and female educators. Results indicate that despite higher reported levels of stress and anxiety, women demonstrate a higher HRV, suggesting a stronger parasympathetic response. These findings highlight the complex interplay between psychological stressors and physiological responses, emphasizing the need for gender-specific interventions in stress management within the educational sector. Implications for enhancing educators' well-being and performance through tailored strategies are discussed.

Transformasi Administrasi Tatalaksana Sekolah di Era Digital: Tantangan dan Peluang untuk Pendidikan Masa Depan

The rapid advancement of technology due to globalization has led to digital transformation in several educational sectors, particularly in school administration. Using a literature review approach, this article aims to explore school administration management and the impact of digital transformation, as well as to identify the challenges faced and opportunities that can be leveraged to improve the quality of education. The research shows that school administration plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of schools. Digital transformation in school administration, such as the use of integrated information management systems, online learning platforms, and classroom management applications, can enhance transparency and data accuracy within schools. However, several challenges, including budget limitations, lack of technical skills, resistance to change, and data security issues, are still obstacles that need to be addressed. By understanding these aspects, educational institutions are expected to design effective strategies to integrate technology and capitalize on its potential for better educational management.

The Inevitable Pressure Between Progression And Knowledge Impartation

It has always been the case that teachers must produce a higher pass-rate to the managers. Due to this expectation, at some point lazy students get to rest well knowing that the teacher will have to make a plan to push them to pass. This has many implications like; (a) a teacher has to create intellectually weak assessments, (b) adjust the marks after giving assessments and students failed, or (c) having to account to the managers after having a low pass-rate. The serious issue with this situation is the harsh approach of the management towards the teacher who obtained a low pass-rate. S/he gets viciously blamed and confronted as if there cannot be any other factors that lead to a low pass-rate. The management’s approach is commonly bias towards supporting the learners at the unfair exposition of the teacher. Research methods include document analysis and semi-structured interviews within the education sector. Results of this study show that this kind of approach towards education management creates a power exercise dilemma between students and teachers. This victimization of teachers by students after the bias approach to the issue of lower pass-rate is even getting emphasized by some policies like progression policy that says ‘no student must repeat the class 2 times. This pressurizes the teacher as it makes it seem like it is a guaranteed fact that the student will improve after failing once. It is the conclusion of this paper that such misguided philosophy of the educational management must be put under logical scrutiny and be corrected for quality teaching and assessment. Using analytic theory, this qualitative study explores different ways in which low pass-rate issue can be addressed without creating power exercise dilemma which ends up supporting students’ laziness and protests after obtaining low pass-rate.

Sustainability Orientation of Generation Z and Its Role in Their Choice of Employer—A Comparative Qualitative Inquiry of India and United States

This article critically analyses and compares the sustainability orientation of Generation Z in India and the United States and examines its role in their employer selection, using the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Our qualitative study employs the Narrative Inquiry method and includes 30 participants—15 from India and 15 from the United States—aged between 19 and 26 years, who are either currently employed or preparing to enter the workforce within the next few years. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. The findings of our research show that subjective norms and contextual realities can play a significant role in shaping Generation Z’s personal attitudes towards sustainability and their perceived behavioural control in making important life decisions, such as choosing an employer. These findings contribute significantly to the literature on Generation Z’s sustainability orientation and bear important implications for the higher education sector and employers.

Acceptance and use of Video Games for Education by Secondary School Teachers

Video games (VGs) are frequently described as a transformational force within education and the use of video game technology for learning is becoming more common across all education sectors. Despite this, most literature regarding VGs in education focuses on measuring specific learning or engagement outcomes, and there is less of an emphasis on the attitudes of teachers on the uses of VGs in the classroom. A comprehensive understanding of teacher attitudes towards VGs within education is essential for their successful implementation within the classroom. This paper will present the development and progress of a PhD project that aims to explore the factors that influence secondary Australian teachers’ attitudes towards, and intentions to use, VGs within their own teaching. An online survey was used to collect data on teacher beliefs about technology and VGs and the factors that influence VG acceptance. A subsample of participants were also interviewed about their experiences and opinions in relation to VGs. This paper focuses on the proposed thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. Respondents were divided into groups based on their opinions of, and level of experience with, VGs in teaching. The qualitative results provide a detailed and nuanced investigation of teacher attitudes and beliefs in relation to their competencies, obstacles, and facilitators of VGs use for teaching. The findings of this research will assist in building a deep understanding of VG use in secondary classrooms assisting game developers, administrators, teachers, and policy makers in decisions relating to effective and meaningful video game use within education.

Psychological problems among elementary and high school educators in Canada: association with sick days in the prior school year.

Increased sick leave among educators can detrimentally impact students' productivity, and academic achievement. It remains unknown whether the number of sick days taken by educators in the preceding school year correlates with the prevalence or severity of psychological problems among educators in the subsequent school year. This study aimed to examine the number of self-reported sick days taken by educators in three Canadian provinces during the 2021/2022 academic year and its association with measures of stress, burnout, low resilience, depression, and anxiety during the 2022/2023 school year. Data was collected from educators in three Canadian provinces, Alberta, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador, from September 1, 2022, to August 30, 2023. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educator Survey (MBI-ES), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and the Perceived Stress Scale were used to assess burnout, resilience, and stress, respectively. Likely Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and likely Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scales, respectively. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 28. A total of 763 subscribers completed all the demographic, professional questions, and clinical scales, giving a response rate of 39.91%. Of these, there were 94 (12.3%) males and 669 (87.7%) females. Educators who reported taking 11 or more sick days in the previous academic year were at least three times more likely to exhibit high stress, emotional exhaustion, likely GAD, low resilience, and likely MDD than educators with no sick days during the preceding year. Similarly, educators with 11 or more sick days had significantly higher mean scores on the GAD-7 scale, the PHQ-9 scale, the PSS-10, the MBI Emotional Exhaustion subscale, and the MBI Depersonalization subscale than those with zero sick days. This study demonstrates a significant association between sick days and the prevalence and severity of high stress, low resilience, burnout, anxiety, and depression among educators. Short-term sick leave can escalate into long-term absences without adequate support for teachers. Governments and policymakers in the education sector must foster a supportive environment that enables teachers to thrive and effectively perform their professional role without taking prolonged sick days, which can undermine student learning and achievement.

Job competition in civil service public exams and sick leave behaviour

AbstractIn several countries, a traditional public exam system is the way to secure a job in the civil service. In this setting, candidates have to take and pass exams that involve studying large quantities of material, and this takes up a large amount of time. Candidates who are working while preparing for public exams may find it difficult to find time for both tasks. Thus, they might experience increased stress/anxiety related to the high stakes nature of the civil service recruitment process. In this paper, we investigate the impact of new openings for civil service positions on sickness absences. Using a unique administrative data set on the universe of sickness absences and civil service positions offered in Spain from 2009 to 2015, we find a significant increase in health‐related absences several months before the exam date. In particular, this effect is stronger for individuals working in the educational sector as well as for calls offering a large number of positions. An important element is that our results are mostly driven by stress‐related absences. To corroborate the health‐related origins of our results, we use data on visits to general practitioners and specialists and show a significant deterioration in the health of public‐sector workers. Our results are important from a policy perspective as they highlight the existence of important negative consequences of the civil service recruitment process that have been previously overlooked.

Child-headed Households: Techniques to lessen the detrimental Impacts of Poverty on Secondary School Students from Chimanimani District in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe

The purpose of this study was to examine strategies to reduce the negative effects of poverty among learners from Child-headed Households. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was employed as the theoretical framework. The study used a qualitative research design. Thirty-two participants were purposefully selected. Interviews, focus groups and document analysis were employed as data collection tools. The study established that the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM), supplementary feeding schemes, and income-generating projects were the main strategies which were employed to cushion secondary school learners from child-headed households. It is recommended that school administrators prioritise funding income-generating projects to help schools satisfy the psychological requirements of learners from child-headed households. This study adds to the body of knowledge about how adolescents from child-headed households experience academic success. In several sub-sectors of the Zimbabwean education sector, it expands understanding of the lived experiences of a sample of teenage students from low-income homes in Manicaland Province that has never before been investigated. The report makes a clear call to action for the Zimbabwean government to reconsider the BEAM support model in light of the insufficient funds now provided to learners and children ofchild-headed households. Keywords: Academic Success, Child-headed Households, Poverty, Psychological Development,Vulnerable groups

Effects of organizational climate on employee job satisfaction and psychological well-being: the role of technological influence in Chinese higher education

BackgroundIn the Chinese education sector, educators’ job satisfaction (JoS) is considered critical to educational quality and student outcomes. One critical area of inquiry is the organizational climate (OC) and its impact on JoS, and psychological well-being (PW), with technological influence (TI) moderating effect.PurposeThe current study has tried to look at the exact relationship among OC, PW, and JoS for educators working in the Chinese higher education setting. It also discusses the moderating role of TI on OC and JoS.Design/methodologyThis study uses a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, grounded in post-positivism assumptions. Data collection involved sampling 690 respondents in the Chinese higher education setting via WeChat.FindingsThe study methodology part included a pre-test, translation validation, demographic characteristics of participants, and results that showed a significant positive influence on JoS for PW and OC. The study also confirms the positive effect of PW on JoS. Moreover, the mediating role of PW within the OC–JoS link is also supported. Furthermore, TI positively moderates the OC–JoS relationship, thus it implies a supportive role of technology in enhancing the educators’ satisfaction. The model indicated that OC, PW, and TI explain 72.4% of the variation in JoS.ConclusionIn this respect, the findings offer some practical insights for educational institutions and policymakers to facilitate enhancement strategies for OC, thus recognizing its influence on JoS and the well-being of educators. Understanding how technology can play a moderating role presents the strategic occasion to utilize technological tools for a more satisfying work environment.

Predictor of low academic achievement among Dilla university students, southern Ethiopia, 2024

IntroductionIn Ethiopia, despite its growing higher education sector, student achievement rates remain concerningly low. Understanding the multifaceted factors influencing academic performance is crucial for improving educational equity and quality. This study delves into potential predictors of academic achievement among Ethiopian higher education students, examining individual characteristics, institutional elements, and broader socioeconomic influences.MethodologyThis survey enrolled 362 respondents and was conducted from December 7, 2023 till January 22, 2024. Simple random sampling, validated assessment tools and online data collection methods were employed to select and collect information from respondents. Data entry and analysis was done using Epi-info 7.0 and SPSS 25, respectively. Logistic regression analysis method was used to determine the association between the outcome and independent variable.ResultThe current results show that 166 (45/9%) of participants have GPAs below 3.18. Gender, social sciences/humanities or business/economics majors, suboptimal class environments, inadequate laboratory facilities, chronic illness, class sizes, low emotional coping skills, poor academic self-perception, and high social media use emerged as significant predictors of low academic achievement.ConclusionThis study identified factors associated with academic achievement. Female students, optimal learning environments, and smaller class sizes were linked to better performance, while social sciences/humanities or business/economics, inadequate facilities, and high social media use increased the risk of low achievement. Personal characteristics like emotional coping, self-perception, and chronic illness also played a role. These findings suggest interventions targeting individual and environmental factors could improve student outcomes.

Meningkatkan Karakter Kepemimpinan Siswa dengan Model Pembelajaran Problem Based Learning pada Materi Daud Sang Pemimpin Kelas V SD Yos Sudarso Cigugur

In the era of accelerated digitalization, various new problems have emerged among students, especially in the current post-pandemic era. Even though the development of technology and science is growing rapidly, it has given rise to various student character anomalies that are emerging now. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the Indonesian education sector. So there is a kind of alibi that during the pandemic, students did not receive enough character education during the period of social restrictions. Therefore, efforts are needed to improve students' leadership character in the education sector which is supported by increasing the variables of independence, discipline and responsibility. This effort is in line with the values ​​of the Pancasila Student Profile which affirms student competence in the dimensions of faith, devotion to God Almighty, and noble character, global diversity, mutual cooperation, independence, critical reasoning and creativity. The researcher assumes that to improve the leadership character of Class V students at Yos Sudarso Cigugur Elementary School based on Minimum Completeness Criteria (KKM), the researcher applies the Problem Based Learning model as a strategy to support the process of actively developing student independence in two research cycles. Researchers conducted Classroom Action Research "Improving Student Leadership Character with a Problem Based Learning Model on Material from Daud the Class V Leader of Yos Sudarso Cigugur Elementary School" as an effort to overcome learning loss caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Educational and Career Trajectories in Russia: Introducing a New Source and Datasets with a High Granularity

Abstract Studying Russian society is challenging, especially during the period of the Russian military invasion. However, it takes on special significance during a period of economic and social transformation. Studying the career and educational trajectories of Russians in the context of East Studies offers a multifaceted perspective on the state of the job market and education sector and gives an understanding of the current situation of the country’s economy and social structure. The lack of data with a high level of granularity is critical, especially for studying people with a focus on their career and educational trajectories. In this article, the authors respond to this request and present two datasets that can be useful for studying spatial and temporal patterns associated with people’s life trajectories in the context of work and education. The authors utilised open data on cv s created or updated by employment portal users over the period 2015–2023 from the Federal Service for Labor and Employment (Rostrud) and prepared two cleaned datasets covering 83 regions of Russia. Dataset 1 is on the educational and career trajectories (N = 6,221,439) and Dataset 2 is on the activity of unemployed and job-seeking candidates (N = 7,662,089).

Implementation of extracurricular activities of pencak silat pagar nusa towards students' discipline of class xi sma darut tauhid katol barat

The social and cultural conditions of Indonesian society are increasingly concerning lately. Various social problems have emerged, the education sector has been affected by these social problems, causing damage to moral values, so the importance of discipline values is one of the values that are developed because through these discipline values, other values will be formed. The formation of disciplined students is a formulation of the school's goals. This is because the purpose of the school Discipline is behavior that reflects orderly behavior and obeys various applicable provisions and regulations, Extracurricular Pencak Silat Pagar Nusa Against the discipline of Class 2 Students of SMA Darut Tauhid, Extracurricular Pencak Silat Pagar Nusa at SMA Darut Tauhid is an activity carried out outside the classroom and in it there is a Self-Defense activity that is carried out 2X in one week precisely on Friday afternoon after the Dhuhur prayer, and Sunday morning at 8 o'clock, Pencak Silat which is also an extracurricular at SMA Darut Tauhid Katol Barat is an activity that is a forum for developing the potential of participants and also exploring the interests and talents of students, The form of Implementation of extracurricular pencak silat activities is that students are able to follow certain rules that have been made. because with the existence of the Pencak Silat pagar nusa extracurricular, student discipline becomes better, for example students arrive on time to school, do not break school rules, wear neat clothes and always hand in their assignments on time

A case study on exploring the motivation of English-major EFL students in online exchange programs

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the education sector worldwide, prompting a swift transition to technology-driven learning solutions. One notable response to this challenge has been the introduction of online versions of study-abroad and international exchange programs. Considering the limited existing research on how EFL university students perceive online international exchange programs, this study investigated the motivation of EFL students toward such programs initiated in response to the cancellation of in-person exchanges. The survey among 84 students from a private women's university in Kansai in August 2021 revealed that an overwhelming majority (93%) expressed their desire to participate in online international exchange programs. This study gained further insights by employing the KH Coder text mining software (Higuchi, 2016) to analyze the free-text responses obtained from the questionnaire. The analysis of the responses unveiled their recognition of the distinct advantages offered by online exchange programs. Approximately half of the respondents indicated their willingness to engage in non-credit programs, while a similar percentage conveyed that academic credits could enhance their motivation to participate. Notably, the analysis of the free text revealed that the latter group's seemingly extrinsic motivation was largely self-determined, with their primary goal being program participation. These findings underscore the potential for online international exchanges to be well-received by students, particularly when academic credits are awarded. Additionally, correspondence analysis highlights that the desire to earn academic credits is a topic of interest across all school year levels.

Using Unintended Consequences to Produce Intended Results: The Governance of Education in Sweden 1991-2020

This paper explores the linkages between institutional reform and performance management, and presents a previously unexplored new purpose of performance management. It argues that institutional reform relocating formal authority across institutional levels provides a context where indirect or unintended consequences of performance management can help compensate for a loss of formal authority. By using measurements of performance, central institutions could maintain some degree of control over areas where decentralization has deprived them of formal authority. The paper focuses the governance of education in Sweden where New Public Management and decentralization were concurrent reform campaigns in the 1990s. It analyzes Swedish central government’s use of performance management tools 1991-2020 based on a mapping of educational sector reform, regulations and policy documents, interviews with senior political and administrative officials, and performance statistics. The paper shows that the Swedish central government in the wake of an extensive decentralization reform turned to performance measurement as an instrument to control local authorities’ and schools’ delivery of public education. It increased the performance measurement of executive agencies and programs, developed instruments to measure the performances of local governments and schools, and tools to assess student results.

A Conceptual Model for Understanding the Factors Influencing Student Retention in Higher Education Institutions Offering Foreign Degrees during Sri Lanka's Economic Crisis

In early 2020, Sri Lanka faced the COVID-19pandemic, which led to nationwide lockdowns. These lockdowns exacerbated an economic crisis, resulting in wide spread job losses across various sectors, including higher education. The higher education sector in Sri Lanka is divided primarily into state universities and private institutions offering foreign degrees. The government funds state universities, and education is typically free for students, while private institutions that offer foreign degrees charge tuition fees. During the economic crisis, authorities observed a significant increase in student dropouts from these private institutions. Additionally, many students considered discontinuing their studies after completing their current courses. Although administrators implemented several immediate measures to address this issue, many of these efforts were unsuccessful, as the underlying reasons for the dropouts were not thoroughly investigated. While some research has been conducted to understand student dropouts, few studies have focused on the factors influencing educational continuation in the context of an economic crisis.

Optimizing educational environments: microclimate analysis and energy efficiency through courtyard orientation in UAE schools

Sustainable school design is becoming increasingly important worldwide, particularly in the UAE, where schools are significant energy consumers. This study explores the impact of courtyard orientation on microclimate and energy consumption in UAE schools, utilizing a standardized template applied across 70 existing schools. By employing advanced simulation tools, ENVI-met and IES-ve software, the research provides a comprehensive analysis of air temperature and energy use related to different courtyard orientations, specifically on key dates of September 21st and March 21st, representing seasonal variations. The results indicate that North-facing courtyards consistently provide cooler microclimates compared to other orientations. Specifically, North-facing courtyards showed temperature reductions of 1.31°C in September and 1.9°C in March compared to the least favorable orientations. This orientation recorded the lowest average mass temperatures of 29.36°C in September and 25.13°C in March, surpassing the West-facing orientation by 0.39°C and 0.45°C, respectively. The primary factor for this improvement is the reduced solar radiation exposure on East-West aligned courtyards, which significantly lowers the heat gain. Additionally, the study assessed Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) readings and cooling demands, both of which were found to be lower in North-facing courtyards. Cooling load reductions varied between 1% and 4%, depending on the day, further emphasizing the efficiency of this orientation. These findings suggest that strategic courtyard orientation is a critical design consideration for enhancing thermal comfort and energy efficiency in school buildings. The implications of this research are significant for sustainable design and construction practices. By highlighting the benefits of optimal courtyard orientation, this study offers practical solutions for reducing energy consumption and improving the indoor and outdoor thermal environments of schools. These insights contribute to the broader goal of developing greener, more sustainable educational facilities, particularly in hot climates like the UAE. This research not only informs architects and urban planners but also supports policymakers in implementing effective sustainability strategies in the educational sector.