Educational Practice Research Articles

Reflections about education, memory and human rights

Education, memory, and human rights form the subject of this research article in order to evaluate the critical role of education practice in recalling and enhancing human rights. In totality, the research brings into focus the significance of education when it comes to explaining history, self, and the world within which we live through the evaluation of ancient and current case studies. This article focuses on the exploration of notions relating to human rights education, including its objectives and approaches, as well as the effects of the implementation of human rights education in societies. By using examples of HRE implementation in Germany, South Africa, and Chile, it explains successful practices and impacts on the culture of remembrance and human rights. The article also covers the difficulties of providing good HRE, including lack of resources, political impetus, and, to some extent, the assimilation needs of teachers. Based on the analysis of the current status of HRE programs, it provides valuable suggestions for the improvement of HRE programs globally and especially stresses the acknowledgement and support from the international community and organizations. This research notes that the practice of disseminating human rights information for curricula in various countries across the globe remains vital in making the next generation of leaders agents of justice and equality, hence enhancing justice in society.

Applying Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development in Modern Classroom Settings: A Call for Social Learning in the Digital Age

This research paper examines how Lev Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) can be used in today's educational environments. The belief that learning inherently involves social interactions is central to Vygotsky's ideas. The paper explores ways educators might employ the ZPD model to enhance collaborative learning, especially in tech-heavy classrooms. A broad range of existing literature is reviewed, shedding light on both the theoretical foundations and the real-world implementation of the ZPD. This discussion leads to understanding how ZPD-guided strategies can deepen students' learning experiences and boost their social skills. In summary, this research underscores the significant advantages that ZPD-focused teaching can bring to educational practices. It also points out promising directions for future studies, particularly regarding how emerging technological tools could mesh with ZPD concepts to innovate learning methodologies further.

Difficulties and prospects of using media practices with children with disabilities in an inclusive school: social assessments of teachers

The authors turn to a very relevant topic for modern schools: in the context of inclusion, serious challenges arise for the pedagogical community, including for the effective and correct implementation of innovative educational practices, which media education and its capabilities are today. The article presents the results of an applied sociological study aimed at studying the social and professional factors influencing the willingness of teachers of an inclusive environment to use media practices in working with children with disabilities, difficulties encountered along the way and a vision of prospects for overcoming them.

Prospects of cultural interaction between Russia and China in the field of higher education in the XXI century

The article examines the main problems of current Russian-Chinese relations in the field of cultural exchanges and higher education in Russia and China. The goal of the research is to identify the historical origins of the formation of cooperation between the two countries in the field of higher education, the possibilities of developing the system of intercultural communications in the education sector of Russia and China in modern conditions. The research methodology includes an analysis of cultural, historical, regional and social components. The main directions of merging the cultural areas of these countries have been compared. The cooperation between the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China at the present stage and the prospects for its development in the field of education have been studied in detail. Close attention is aimed at improving the educational process and the development of intercultural relations. This cooperation has been considered on the example of several universities in Russia and China. The experience of organizing partnerships between universities has been studied through the prism of modern Russian educational practice. Further development prospects have been highlighted, taking into account their needs. As a result of the research, the author has concluded that, despite the constant changes in the modern geopolitical situation in the world, the relations between the countries remain stably diplomatic. It has been noted that the main priority of the Russian foreign policy towards China is the development of diplomacy and mutual communication between the two bordering states; options for solving the tasks set, linking them with Russia's change in its foreign policy course and directing it towards cooperation with China, the leader of East Asian countries have been proposed. These conclusions determine the desire of modern society to achieve mutual understanding in the field of intercultural communications between Russia and China.

Prospects of cultural interaction between Russia and China in the field of higher education in the XXI century

The article examines the main problems of current Russian-Chinese relations in the field of cultural exchanges and higher education in Russia and China. The goal of the research is to identify the historical origins of the formation of cooperation between the two countries in the field of higher education, the possibilities of developing the system of intercultural communications in the education sector of Russia and China in modern conditions. The research methodology includes an analysis of cultural, historical, regional and social components. The main directions of merging the cultural areas of these countries have been compared. The cooperation between the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China at the present stage and the prospects for its development in the field of education have been studied in detail. Close attention is aimed at improving the educational process and the development of intercultural relations. This cooperation has been considered on the example of several universities in Russia and China. The experience of organizing partnerships between universities has been studied through the prism of modern Russian educational practice. Further development prospects have been highlighted, taking into account their needs. As a result of the research, the author has concluded that, despite the constant changes in the modern geopolitical situation in the world, the relations between the countries remain stably diplomatic. It has been noted that the main priority of the Russian foreign policy towards China is the development of diplomacy and mutual communication between the two bordering states; options for solving the tasks set, linking them with Russia's change in its foreign policy course and directing it towards cooperation with China, the leader of East Asian countries have been proposed. These conclusions determine the desire of modern society to achieve mutual understanding in the field of intercultural communications between Russia and China.

Teaching and Learning Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education: A Scoping Review

Social innovation and entrepreneurship (SIE) has emerged as a well-recognised field of practice and research amidst the intensified societal focus on complex social and environmental problems. Universities, as critical producers of knowledge and talents, are increasingly expected to create academic offerings that nurture leaners’ capacities for positive social change. However, research on SIE educational processes remains scant and is scattered among various disciplines. There is a lack of understanding of the overall development of SIE education in universities. This scoping review fills this gap by providing an overview of what drives universities’ adoption of SIE education and the current SIE curricula. It integrates studies that describe various SIE courses, focusing on curricular content, pedagogical practice, and outcome assessment. The review (1) identifies the major educational aims underpinning universities’ SIE offerings, (2) develops an integrative framework that specifies four approaches to SIE education, (3) synthesises and illustrates SIE teaching and learning practices, and (4) outlines opportunities for future research. The framework differentiates between education ‘about’, ‘for’, ‘through’, and ‘embedded with’ SIE. These approaches differ in the way educators conceptualise SIE and the way students engage with societal problems. The review also points to substantial gaps in our understanding of how to assess the impact of SIE education and how to sustain these novel educational practices within the university. It provides a base for integrating and advancing knowledge across the largely disparate literature on SIE education and highlights avenues for future research that can unpack SIE educational processes.

Open Educational Practices (Oep) in (Higher) Education in Transition – And Their Contribution to Equity, Participation and a Culture of Sharing in (Post-)Digitality

Der Artikel befasst sich mit Open Educational Practices (OEP) in der Hochschulbildung, sein Schwerpunkt liegt auf Partizipation und Bildungsgerechtigkeit im Kontext einer Kultur des Teilens. OEP im engeren Sinne umfassen sowohl den Zugang zu offenen und freien Bildungsressourcen (OER) als auch im weiteren Sinne die Ermöglichung partizipativer, kollaborativer und inklusiver Lehr- und Lernprozesse einschliesslich ihrer organisatorischen und strukturellen Kontexte. Der Artikel diskutiert die Bedeutung von OEP mit besonderem Fokus auf Ungleichheit, soziale Gerechtigkeit und Partizipation im Bildungsbereich und betont die Notwendigkeit einer kritischen Reflexion über die Realisierung und die Auswirkungen einer OEP, insbesondere in Bezug auf die ökonomischen, kulturellen und politischen Dimensionen sozialer Gerechtigkeit. Der Beitrag unterstreicht die Bedeutung von OEP einschliesslich OER in ihrer gesamten Dimensionierung für eine zukunftsfähige Hochschulbildung.

Motives for and predictors of teachers’ adoption of pro-environmental behaviours

Teachers frequently happen to be the most influential role models and social change agents in the eyes and minds of young people as well as the whole society in many cultures. Since they are closely involved in promoting the ideas for the goodness of communities and the whole world either as individuals or educators, teachers’ behaviours across all aspects of their life are correspondingly valuable. Therefore, what teachers do in and out of school for the benefit of nature, society or humanity is a crucial phenomenon worth studying. With this study, we aimed to identify the motives for and the predictors of PEBs (pro-environmental behaviours) that teachers follow in their personal, professional, or social spheres and specify whether those behaviours are the characteristics of a particular teacher group or not. Designed as a survey, the research was mainly a correlational study exploring the existing relationships between teachers’ tendency to adopt PEBs and certain socio-demographics along with internal factors. In this inquiry, we surveyed 330 Turkish in-service teachers representing different educational settings across the country through a cross-sectional online questionnaire and performed descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses with the help of the software STATA. Based on the findings of the study, we presented suggestions for policy and practice in teacher education as well as implications for future research on pro-environmental practices and environmental education.

AI in Neuro-Ophthalmology: Current Practice and Future Opportunities.

Neuro-ophthalmology frequently requires a complex and multi-faceted clinical assessment supported by sophisticated imaging techniques in order to assess disease status. The current approach to diagnosis requires substantial expertise and time. The emergence of AI has brought forth innovative solutions to streamline and enhance this diagnostic process, which is especially valuable given the shortage of neuro-ophthalmologists. Machine learning algorithms, in particular, have demonstrated significant potential in interpreting imaging data, identifying subtle patterns, and aiding clinicians in making more accurate and timely diagnosis while also supplementing nonspecialist evaluations of neuro-ophthalmic disease. Electronic searches of published literature were conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar. A comprehensive search of the following terms was conducted within the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology: AI, artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision, large language models, and generative AI. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the evolving landscape of AI applications in neuro-ophthalmology. It will delve into the diverse applications of AI, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and fundus photography to the development of predictive models for disease progression. Additionally, the review will explore the integration of generative AI into neuro-ophthalmic education and clinical practice. We review the current state of AI in neuro-ophthalmology and its potentially transformative impact. The inclusion of AI in neuro-ophthalmic practice and research not only holds promise for improving diagnostic accuracy but also opens avenues for novel therapeutic interventions. We emphasize its potential to improve access to scarce subspecialty resources while examining the current challenges associated with the integration of AI into clinical practice and research.

Research on the Construction of Teacher Professional Learning. Community in the Web 3.0 Era

China’s teacher education reform has always advocated the establishment of a teacher-professional learning community to promote teacher professional development and school progress. In the Web 3.0 era, the increasingly open, secure, and fair network has created conditions for the teacher professional learning community to conduct data confirmation. However, in China, the phenomenon of a “silent spiral” has emerged in the professional learning community of teachers, that is, the inferior opinions of teachers in the professional learning community turn to “silent”, and the superior opinions shout, which to a certain extent hinders the creation, protection, and sharing of teacher metadata, affects the development of data right confirmation in the field of education, and slows down the pace of teacher education practice. This study mainly focuses on the value of building a Chinese teacher professional learning community in the Web 3.0 era, the specific difficulties and reasons, and how to develop a Chinese teacher professional learning community in the future. This study mainly adopts the method of documentary review and draws on the “spiral of silence” theory, which regards the expression of opinions and the spread of “silence” as a spiral process of social communication, and influences and restricts public opinion by creating an “opinion environment”. It is found that under the background of the Web 3.0 era, there is an information cocoon in the professional learning community of teachers, and teachers are affected by the diversity of information. Teachers fear independence and generally produce a herd mentality. It is easy to ignore the disadvantageous climate in the professional learning community of teachers, resulting in the continuous silence of teachers. In addition, teacher groups tend to be too stressed and unable to resist the opinion environment. Therefore, the research draws the following conclusions, the construction of teacher professional learning community should adhere to positive guidance, cultivate the correct learning concept, and build the core value concept; Strengthen teachers’ group consciousness, establish a common vision, and make teachers have a sense of belonging to the community; Coordinate the “online + offline”, build a learning mechanism, and salvage the silent voice of the group in the professional learning community of teachers; Provide supporting conditions around the key development issues of the community to promote the growth of opinion climate.

Sense of Purpose, Reduced Stress, and Connection as Protective Factors for Longevity: An Exploration of Barriers

ABSTRACT Background Utilizing the Blue ZonesⓇ framework and the nine lifestyle factors that promote well-being with longevity, an interdisciplinary team of researchers examined protective factors and barriers to engaging in each of the nine lifestyle factors. Purpose To report on protective factors and barriers to improving three of the nine lifestyle factors – sense of purpose, stress, and connection. Methods Using a mixed-method approach, 185 residents living in a rural community in the mid-southern part of the USA participated in this study via e-mail and social media. Results Notable demographic factors including age were significantly associated with fewer obstacles to achieving purpose, reduced stress, and leaving the home regularly. Qualitative responses link disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic and isolation to feelings of disconnect. Discussion Work, hobbies, and resilience were protective factors to achieving purpose, low stress, and connections. Translation to Health Education Practice Barriers (isolation and disruption) were salient during the pandemic. However, direct human interactions mattered in promoting belonging, having a sense of purpose, and reducing stress. Technologies should also be promoted as a necessary alternative in periods like COVID-19, to help communities and senior residents feel engaged and less lonely. Likewise, hobbies, and the resilience of local residents should be highlighted as sources of inspiration to promote healthy lifestyle practices that achieve low stress levels, good relationships, and a sense of purpose.

Sense of Purpose, Reduced Stress, and Connection as Protective Factors for Longevity: An Exploration of Barriers

ABSTRACT Background Utilizing the Blue ZonesⓇ framework and the nine lifestyle factors that promote well-being with longevity, an interdisciplinary team of researchers examined protective factors and barriers to engaging in each of the nine lifestyle factors. Purpose To report on protective factors and barriers to improving three of the nine lifestyle factors – sense of purpose, stress, and connection. Methods Using a mixed-method approach, 185 residents living in a rural community in the mid-southern part of the USA participated in this study via e-mail and social media. Results Notable demographic factors including age were significantly associated with fewer obstacles to achieving purpose, reduced stress, and leaving the home regularly. Qualitative responses link disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic and isolation to feelings of disconnect. Discussion Work, hobbies, and resilience were protective factors to achieving purpose, low stress, and connections. Translation to Health Education Practice Barriers (isolation and disruption) were salient during the pandemic. However, direct human interactions mattered in promoting belonging, having a sense of purpose, and reducing stress. Technologies should also be promoted as a necessary alternative in periods like COVID-19, to help communities and senior residents feel engaged and less lonely. Likewise, hobbies, and the resilience of local residents should be highlighted as sources of inspiration to promote healthy lifestyle practices that achieve low stress levels, good relationships, and a sense of purpose.

Education for sustainability as a way-out to nurture citizens: a reframing in policy practices of Chinese higher education

PurposeThis study examines education for sustainability (EfS) within the Chinese context, to specifically enrich the understanding on how EfS is structured and implemented to nurture citizenship in the policy practices of universities in Mainland China and Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approachA cross-case analysis is recruited to examine the commonalities and differences between two universities and identify patterns in cultivating sustainability citizenship within higher education institutions (HEIs) in China. Data were collected through reviewing documents, including two universities’ strategic plans, action plans, department meeting memos, program introductions, course outlines and publicity coverage. Observation was also adopted to enrich the data for analysis, covering meetings, speeches by senior management, university events and informal conversations about university operations.FindingsCitizenship and sustainability in university strategic planning, curriculum and instruction, carriers of EfS institutionalization, and resources and impacts of EfS beyond the institutes were analyzed in a comparative manner, offering valuable insights into how EfS can be institutionalized in different universities based on their unique appeals, existing curriculum and management systems.Originality/valueBy exploring these intra-national distinctions in EfS, the study sheds light on the variation within China's citizenship education, which is traditionally seen as highly unified with limited room for differences. The detailed exploration of university strategies and program/course content enriches the literature of sustainability as an educational phenomenon on an international scale and modernized citizenship education in China.

Exploring Pedagogical and Digital Practices in Vocational Education and Training: Comparing Teacher and Student Perspectives

This article investigates the pedagogical and digital practices of vocational education and training teachers, offering comparative insights from both teacher and student perspectives. To this end, two questionnaires were constructed for teachers and students and then validated by means of inter-judge procedures and expert review. The questionnaires were administered to representative samples of 158 teachers and 309 students in intermediate and higher vocational education and training programs in the Spanish region of Catalonia. Thanks to institutional collaboration, it was possible to obtain both samples by a non-probability sampling technique. The results obtained from the quantitative analyses performed show that while most vocational education and training teachers utilize a combination of active and lecture-based methods, less than a third incorporate online tools, prioritizing institutional platforms. Although both teachers and students acknowledge a diversity of teaching strategies, the latter, particularly female students and those in advanced years or on dual programs, tend to be more critical of the effectiveness of the teaching strategies employed compared to their teachers. The findings underscore the need for vocational education and training programs to enhance digital tool integration and address the varying perceptions of teaching effectiveness to better meet students’ expectations and needs.

Analyzing Current Trends of Education Development

The article studies current trends of education development with due regard to national goals of state and the necessity to ensure technological sovereignty in conditions of sanctions and restrictions. The author pointed to serious personnel training needed in different industries of economy, including machine-building, bio-technologies, industrial ecology, computing machinery, etc. In circumstances of continuous competition and necessity to develop our own industry and advanced technologies we need personnel with professional and personal competences, who can resolve different professional problems in an operative way. Training of such personnel requires transformation of education processes, introduction of advanced education tools and practices and provision of high-quality training, irrespective of conditions in the environment of work. The author underlines that modernization of education processes and technologies could allow us to create a comfortable format of training, where off-line study can provide personal communication and net-working and on-line study – possibility to take practice in different places at the moment of training.

Analyzing Current Trends of Education Development

The article studies current trends of education development with due regard to national goals of state and the necessity to ensure technological sovereignty in conditions of sanctions and restrictions. The author pointed to serious personnel training needed in different industries of economy, including machine-building, bio-technologies, industrial ecology, computing machinery, etc. In circumstances of continuous competition and necessity to develop our own industry and advanced technologies we need personnel with professional and personal competences, who can resolve different professional problems in an operative way. Training of such personnel requires transformation of education processes, introduction of advanced education tools and practices and provision of high-quality training, irrespective of conditions in the environment of work. The author underlines that modernization of education processes and technologies could allow us to create a comfortable format of training, where off-line study can provide personal communication and net-working and on-line study – possibility to take practice in different places at the moment of training.

The obstacle race to educational improvement: governance, policies, and practices in disadvantaged schools

Contemporary educational reforms emphasise school autonomy, performance-based management, and accountability as necessary policies for attaining improvement goals. Despite their widespread adoption, the configuration and enactment of these policies are discretionary and contingent, deeply influenced by the interaction of local contexts, organisational features, and teachers’ beliefs about policy and pedagogy. Apart from these challenges, schools serving disadvantaged students, often targeted for educational improvement, also struggle with significant organisational constraints and policy overload. This study explores how disadvantaged urban schools make sense of their policy environment and engage with the school improvement mandate through different logics and practices. The analytical framework stresses the policy filtering and adaptation processes that school actors undergo when tasked with multiple implementation demands, and how these interact with school contexts to produce diverse responses. This research is conducted in Catalonia, Spain, and adopts a sequential mixed-methods strategy, relying on interviews with principals and teachers, as well as survey and administrative data. The findings are organised in four ideal types of school responses to the improvement mandate, showing the diverging ways schools engage with policy. Disadvantaged schools exhibit diverse improvement approaches despite sharing structural characteristics, explained by the interaction of contextual factors and organisational characteristics. Each ideal type prioritises different aspects, such as performance, innovation, or inclusive practices. The heterogeneity of school responses highlights the necessity for targeted, context-sensitive support to ensure equitable educational practices.

Co-designing Data-Driven Educational Technology and Practice: Reflections from the Japanese Context

AbstractThis paper explores co-design in Japanese education for deploying data-driven educational technology and practice. Although there is a growing emphasis on data to inform educational decision-making and personalize learning experiences, challenges such as data interoperability and inconsistency with teaching goals prevent practitioners from participating. Co-design, characterized by involving various stakeholders, is instrumental in addressing the evolving needs of technology deployment. Japan's educational context aligns with co-design implementation, with a learning and evidence analytics infrastructure facilitating data collection and analysis. From the Japanese co-design practice of educational technologies, the paper highlights a 6-phase co-design framework: motivate, pilot, implement, refine, evaluate, and maintain. The practices focus on data-driven learning strategies, technology interventions, and across-context dashboards, covering assorted learning contexts in Japan. By advocating for a co-design culture and data-driven approaches to enhance education in Japan, we offer insights for education practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and industry developers.

The hows and whys of gendered grouping practices in primary physical education in England

ABSTRACT Background: Single- and mixed-sex grouping have long been a focus of attention in physical education (PE) and are matters often at the fore of discussions about curriculum planning, teaching, and learning. Nonetheless, there remains little consensus or guidance on which approach (or combination of approaches) should be preferred in PE in primary and secondary schools in England. Further, while single- and mixed-sex grouping have been extensively researched in PE in secondary schools, hitherto there remains an absence of research examining these practices in PE in primary schools. This research sought to address gaps in the literature to build a stronger evidence-base for decisions about gendered grouping practices in PE. Specifically, the study was designed to provide a snapshot of current single- and mixed-sex grouping arrangements in primary PE in England. Method: Data were collected via an online survey which was administered to all state-funded mainstream and special schools providing for children in Key Stage 1 (aged 5–7) and/or Key Stage 2 (aged 7–11) in the North-East of England (917 at the time of study). A total of 254 surveys were completed giving a response rate of 27.7%. Results: The responses indicate that nearly all schools were using mixed-sex grouping for PE, with children typically remaining in their mixed-sex form class and taught the same curriculum activities by their class teacher. Notably, no schools were using single-sex grouping for all PE lessons, although some were teaching combinations of single- and mixed-sex classes across different year groups and/or different activities of the curriculum. The responses also challenge the traditional dichotomous representation of single- and mixed-sex grouping by showing that some schools were grouping children into smaller single-sex groups within mixed-sex PE classes, particularly in activities requiring bodily contact. Some schools were also organising children into smaller mixed-sex groups within mixed-sex PE classes to encourage boys and girls to work together and support one another in their learning. Reported reasons for current grouping arrangements reflected both pragmatic considerations and perceived educational benefits of particular approaches, including school timetabling and consideration of gender equity in curriculum provision in PE. Conclusion: The conclusion calls for further research to explore the efficacy of single- and/or mixed-sex grouping in supporting and meeting the needs of all children in primary PE. Relatedly, we also highlight the importance of intersectional perspectives being brought to single- and mixed-sex grouping debates to inform the development of more nuanced, evidence-based policies and practices that promote inclusion and celebrate the diversity of children. We further suggest a need for research and policy to reconsider the language used in grouping practices to reflect commitments to gender diversity and gender equity.

Transitions from primary to secondary school in Greater Manchester: A qualitative exploration of the perspectives of Year 6 children who receive pupil premium funding

AbstractPrimary–secondary school transitions are widely recognised as pivotal developmental periods, which can have positive and negative longitudinal implications on the education, wellbeing and mental health of children. Yet few studies have sought the voice of children through interviews, and especially children in receipt of pupil premium funding (PPF) (a government grant given to schools in England to support disadvantaged pupils from low socio‐economic status [SES] backgrounds). This is concerning, given that children who receive PPF are at greater risk of poorer academic, social and emotional outcomes and exclusion during this time. Our study aims to explore the perspectives of such children to better understand their lived experience of primary–secondary school transitions. The sample consisted of nine Year 6 (last year of primary school in England) children who received PPF, recruited from two schools in Greater Manchester. The children participated in semi‐structured Zoom interviews. Transcribed audio‐recordings were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The children discussed a mixture of contrasting feelings towards the emotional, social, academic and practical aspects of primary–secondary school transitions. In addition, children highlighted the supportive value of having older siblings, cousins and friends already at secondary school and discussed the range of support that had been offered by their schools and how this could be improved. The study makes a unique empirical contribution to understanding the lived experiences of children in receipt of PPF leading up to primary–secondary school transitions. In doing so, we make a unique theoretical contribution to multiple and multi‐dimensional transitions theory in exploring the impact of wider social factors, such as SES, on primary–secondary school transitions experiences. This understanding has important implications for educational policy and practice, in addition to further research, especially given the methodological, theoretical and conceptual considerations discussed.