Complex problem solving (CPS) is a prominent competence, significantly related to educational achievements. Regarding CPS, the domain-general exploration strategy VOTAT (vary-one-thing-at-a-time; Tschirgi, 1980 ) is strongly correlated with CPS success. However, the number of additional VOTAT exploration steps remained unclear. Going beyond previous studies, we combined these approaches and analyzed logfile based process data. The effectiveness (i.e., using VOTAT) and the efficiency (i.e., non-necessary, additional VOTAT-steps) of the exploration behavior were investigated across a sequence of CPS items in N = 469 high-school students. Across the item sequence, the exploration behavior became more effective and efficient. In latent class analyses, four classes were identified. Students in classes that demonstrated more effective exploration behavior reached higher intelligence and CPS performance scores than other students. Regarding the remaining classes, the relation between efficient exploration behavior with intelligence and CPS performance was less consistent. Implications for fostering students' explorations and CPS success are discussed. The results of our study emphasize the role of strategic exploration behaviors while exploring complex problem solving (CPS) tasks for successfully solving complex problems. Based on more or less effective (i.e., using VOTAT) and efficient (i.e., the number of additional, non-necessary exploration steps) strategy use, we found four different groups (i.e., latent classes) of students: (1) ineffective explorers, (2) inefficient explorers, (3) emerging explorers, and (4) proficient explorers. Students of the four classes differed in their mean intelligence and CPS scores. These results form a basis for adaptive interventions aimed at fostering beneficial exploration strategies to improve problem solving skills as an important educational goal. • We examined students while they worked on complex problem solving (CPS) items. • We focused on the effectiveness and efficiency of the exploration behavior (VOTAT). • Latent class analysis (LCA) of students' exploration behavior revealed four classes. • The classes differed in their intelligence scores and CPS performance. • The classes with effective exploration behavior showed better CPS performance.

Higher vocational education has developed rapidly, but it still faces the problem of being scattered and lacking overall coherence. This study, from an ecological perspective, regards the actual problems existing in teaching as a kind of structural disconnection within the educational ecosystem. From the four core principles of ecological linguistics (holism, dynamics, interaction, and situatedness), it examines the typical disconnection problems in teaching: the inconsistency between learning goals and educational goals, the mismatch between the taught content and the update speed, the inconsistency between the expected teaching methods and the actual teaching methods, and the disconnection between learning and the professional environment. The study uses the questionnaire survey data from a vocational university in Hainan Province (N=346) as a reference to verify the applicability of this theory. At the same time, based on ecological diagnosis, a three-layer ecological restoration model consisting of student ecological niche (core circle), teaching operation (inner circle), and environmental support (outer circle) is proposed. This provides an analytical framework for diagnosing the imbalance problems in the teaching system and a theoretical model for guiding systematic reforms.

Loodusteadusliku hariduse puhul puutuvad eri riigid pidevalt kokku probleemiga, kuidas säilitada noorte huvi loodusainete vastu, tagades samas, et nende ainepõhised nõuded saaksid rangelt täidetud. Artiklis käsitletakse loodusteaduste õppekava kui struktuuri, mille kaudu saab suunata noorte osalemist õppeaine mõtestamises, anda neile võimalus kogeda tunnustust ja tutvustada võimalikke tulevasi karjäärivalikuid. Colombia, Eesti ja Ameerika Ühendriikide riiklike loodusteaduste õppekavade kvalitatiivse võrdleva analüüsiga uurime, kuidas neis käsitletakse ainepõhist õpet, toetatakse noorte agentsust uurimistööde, praktilise ja projektõppe kaudu ning kuidas teeb hindamisprotsess õppimise nähtavaks. Õppekava käsitlevate teooriate kohaselt ja sotsiokultuurilisest vaatenurgast lähtudes ei ole agentsus õpilase individuaalne omadus, vaid õppekava juhendiga tagatud ülesannete struktuurist, osalemisvõimalustest ja tunnustamisviisidest sõltuv tulem. Kõigi kolme riigi õppekavasid ühendab keskendumine uurimisele ja õppimise seostamine igapäevaeluga, kuid neid tegevusi viiakse ellu erineval viisil: Ameerika Ühendriikide õppekavad rõhutavad osalemist teadustegevuses kolmemõõtmelise õppimise kaudu, Eesti rõhutab autonoomsust ja isereguleeritud uurimistegevust kui teadusliku kirjaoskuse omandamise peamist meetodit ning Colombia rõhutab loodusainete õppimist igapäevaelu ja kogukonna probleemide lahendamise kaudu. Meie väidame, et heade tulemust poole pürgimine eeldab kaasamist: õppekavad, mis on ehitatud järjepidevale tegevuse mõtestamisele sidusate projektide, kaasamist võimaldavate osalemistingimuste ja kujundava hindamise kaudu, võivad toetada noorte pädevust, kuuluvustunnet ja eesmärgikindlust, võimaldades mitmekesiseid valikuid väljaspool kitsaid STEM-karjäärivõimalusi. Full text

Instructor clarity is a central component of instructional communication and has been consistently associated with positive academic outcomes; however, less evidence exists regarding the mechanisms through which it influences student interest in higher education contexts. From a sustainability perspective, understanding these mechanisms is essential for promoting inclusive, equitable, and high-quality learning environments in line with global educational goals. This study fills a gap in the literature by examining, through multivariate models, the relationship between instructor clarity and student interest as mediated by academic satisfaction and state motivation, within the framework of the Rhetorical/Relational Goals Theory in the Spanish higher education context. A quantitative, cross-sectional, ex post facto research design was employed using a survey method. A non-probabilistic convenience sampling approach was used. A total of 258 undergraduate students from the University of Extremadura enrolled in the Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and the Bachelor’s Degree in Primary Education participated in the study. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), including an assessment of the model’s predictive capability. The results indicated that instructor clarity was positively associated with academic satisfaction, state motivation, and student interest, with the first two variables acting as complementary mediators in these relationships. Among the predictors, state motivation emerged as the strongest determinant of student interest, whereas the direct effect of instructor clarity was comparatively weaker, highlighting the relevance of indirect pathways. The model demonstrated high predictive power and strong predictive validity with respect to student interest. Overall, the findings indicate that instructor clarity influences student interest primarily through its indirect effects on academic satisfaction and state motivation, emphasizing the importance of fostering motivational processes as key mechanisms linking teaching practices with students’ learning outcomes in higher education. Finally, it should be noted that the findings are directly aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, contributing to Target 4.3 by enhancing the effectiveness and equity of teaching in higher education, as well as supporting the development of sustainable learning environments that foster long-term student engagement and academic persistence.

Cultivating critical thinking ability is an essential goal of higher education. Peer review is an effective means of critical thinking training widely used in open-ended assignment. However, there is a challenge in the teaching practice due to inexperience, subjectivity, and randomness of students’ grading, resulting in low accuracy. To address this issue, we introduce PAStudio, a peer assessment pedagogical tool. It utilizes a pairwise comparison method based on a binary system to significantly reduce the grading difficulty for inexperienced students. It requires students to evaluate projects across multiple dimensions using predefined grading criteria, thereby reducing the subjectivity and complexity of the grading process. To better assist students in iterative project improvement and manage the workload of reviews in PAStudio, we have designed an assessment workflow based on the Swiss system for multiple rounds of pairwise comparison. In this workflow, as reviewers, the student's assessment rounds are acceptable, and the assessment workload for each round is limited. As the submitter, the student receives two constructive comments from different peers. The process forms a formative feedback loop. In PAStudio, we have also developed functionality to avoid superficial comments using the Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) model. As the reviewer writes comments, the system rates them on a five-level scale. A comment rated ”Fail” cannot be submitted to the system. To calculate a project's score accurately, we propose an algorithm based on Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). This algorithm considers the results of all rounds and the opponent's strength to calculate the assignment's overall performance comprehensively. PAStudio incorporated gamification elements such as dynamic leaderboards and badges to boost competition and engagement and enhance assignment quality. We analyzed learning data from the Swift Language Programming course from 2023 to 2024. When measured using Krippendorff's Alpha, the inter-rater reliability between instructor and peer grading shows a good level of agreement, demonstrating the reliability of the peer grading mechanism. Furthermore, peer grading is significantly associated with enhanced students’ assignment performance and learning engagement, as measured by Kruskal-Wallis test. The results of the course questionnaires indicate that most students perceived the peer assessment approach positively and have greatly benefited from this method.

Introduction. This review provides a critical and comprehensive analysis of M.M. Konkol’s 2026 monograph ‘‘Metadigital сompetence: the art of thinking in the neural network era’’. It frames the work as a timely and necessary response to the profound challenges posed by generative artificial intelligence (AI) to higher education. Results. The review’s central focus is the monograph’s core theoretical contribution: the original conceptualization of Metadigital Competence (MDC) as a second-order metacompetence. The analysis highlights the scientific novelty of Konkol’s work, which moves beyond traditional digital literacy models. It underscores the development of a sophisticated six-component structural model of MDC, integrating cognitive, reflective, practical, ethical, social, and adaptive dimensions of human-AI interaction. Particular emphasis is placed on the critical role of the reflective and ethical components in fostering conscious, responsible, and critical engagement with AI technologies, distinguishing competent partnership from mere tool usage. The review commends the monograph’s robust methodological architecture, which successfully combines theoretical depth (synthesizing distributed cognition, metacognition, and competency-based theories), empirical validation (presenting survey data from students and faculty), and practical implementation (detailing a tested three-stage pedagogical model with specific assignments). This integrated approach ensures the work’s relevance for educational practice. While lauding the monograph’s conceptual rigor, practical utility for educators and curriculum developers, and alignment with strategic educational initiatives, the review also thoughtfully outlines key areas for future research. These include questions regarding the transdisciplinarity of MDC across different academic fields, the measurability of its complex constructs, and the institutional barriers to its widespread adoption. Conclusion. The review concludes that Konkol’s monograph constitutes a significant scholarly contribution, offering a vital theoretical framework and stimulating essential discourse on rethinking educational goals and environments in the era of generative AI.

This study aims to examine the role of Islamic Religious Education (IRE) in the moral development of early childhood and identify the methods used, as well as analyze the factors that influence its effectiveness. This research employs a qualitative library research method by collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing relevant literature sources, including books, scientific journals, and official documents related to IRE and early childhood moral development. The results indicate that IRE contributes significantly to children's moral formation through habituation (ta'widiyah), exemplary modeling (uswah hasanah), storytelling (qashash), and reward and punishment approaches. The integration of Islamic values in early childhood education programs has proven effective in instilling honesty, responsibility, empathy, and respect for others. The role of parents, teachers, and the surrounding environment is also decisive in supporting the success of IRE in shaping children's moral character. This study concludes that IRE is not merely religious instruction, but a holistic approach to character building aligned with early childhood education principles and national education goals in Indonesia.

Kindergarten curriculum construction occupies a pivotal position in early childhood education, as the decisions made regarding curriculum content, design logic, and foundational starting points carry far-reaching implications for children's development, learning trajectories, and long-term life outcomes. This review examines the theoretical and empirical literature on the logic and starting points that underpin kindergarten curriculum construction, synthesising diverse perspectives drawn from developmental psychology, sociocultural theory, comparative education, and curriculum studies. Using a narrative review approach, the paper analyses peer-reviewed and policy-related literature selected from major academic databases to identify recurrent curriculum logics, foundational starting points, and points of tension across international scholarship. Drawing on scholarly work spanning multiple national contexts, the review identifies four principal starting points for curriculum construction: the child as a developing being, sociocultural and community contexts, structured knowledge domains, and value-laden educational goals. Its main analytical contribution is to bring these starting points into a single comparative framework and to show how they interact with competing curriculum logics rather than functioning as isolated or mutually exclusive foundations for curriculum design. The dominant logics shaping curriculum design — including child-centred, subject-centred, play-based, and emergent curriculum logics — are analysed alongside the tensions and complementarities between these perspectives. Comparative analyses of curriculum models from Nordic, Anglo-Saxon, East Asian, and Reggio Emilia traditions illuminate how socio-political contexts shape curriculum philosophy and practice. Contemporary challenges, including the growing pressure for academic readiness, the demand for inclusive and equitable curricula, and the implications of digitalisation, are also addressed. The review concludes that a coherent and ethically grounded logic for kindergarten curriculum construction must integrate developmental appropriateness, cultural relevance, professional agency, and a holistic conception of the child as simultaneously a being and a becoming.

ABSTRACT This article addresses how school leadership develops teacher capabilities for pedagogically responsive education in increasingly diverse contexts. Drawing on Sen’s capability approach and the theory of practice architectures, it conceptualizes pedagogical responsiveness as a collectively supported capability-set rather than individual teacher dispositions. The study examines how leaders mediate discursive, material-economic and relational arrangements that enable or constrain teachers’ agency to enact inclusive and socially just practices. It advances three propositions: (1) pedagogical responsiveness constitutes a collective capability; (2) school leaders orchestrate the arrangements that build these capabilities and (3) developing teacher capability for responsive education is central to realizing equity and inclusion goals in education. Findings show that locally produced practice arrangements act as institutional conversion factors shaping teachers’ opportunity and agency freedom to develop and enact responsive practices. The article concludes by exploring how recognitive and redistributive leadership can reshape these arrangements, proposing an ecological framework for understanding how responsive practices emerge, sustain and transform in diverse schools, with implications for workforce development and educational justice.

ABSTRACT Modern zoos have multiple goals, such as conservation, education, and entertainment, which can resonate with visitors’ experiences. Our study aimed to understand how these goals are reflected in families’ real-time conversations at Buin Zoo in Chile. Ten families, each consisting of at least one adult and one child (aged between 6 and 10 years) participated in the study. They visited Buin Zoo and recorded their visit using a point-of-view chested mounted camera. The videos were transcribed and analyzed qualitatively in three pre-established categories: entertainment, conservation, and education. An additional category emerged during the analysis: ethical questions and negative judgments. Entertainment talk occurred in all families and dominated interaction. Educational conversations, although less frequent, also appeared in all ten families, arising via three channels: staff mediation, exhibit signage, and parental scaffolding. Explicit conservation talk was rare (two families). Ethical questions or negative judgments about zoos were discussed in half of the participating families. Our analysis shows that the goals of zoos were reflected unevenly in family conversations, revealing visitor nuances that surveys or interviews alone cannot capture. Based on these results, we discuss practical implications for exhibit design and interpretation to amplify education and conservation goals while maintaining entertainment.

The goal of education is to develop students' abilities. These abilities are expected to grow and develop in accordance with the values ​​prevailing in society and the nation's culture. The approach related to scientific and social issues is known as the socioscientific approach. In general, this approach provides a way for students to learn about scientific research through case development, which can be implemented through classroom discussions and problem-based learning. The method applied in this article is the review literature Study (SLR). This approach is generally used to review articles and publish the results of the review in new articles. The procedures used in this technique include formulating the topic to be researched, establishing inclusion and exclusion criteria or a screening process. If necessary, these elements are found and then analyzed. The results of the analysis are organized based on what has been read. Articles to be analyzed will be obtained by searching the Publish Or Perish application for databases from Google Scholar and Crossref, searching for research literature that aligns with the keywords: socioscientific issues in science learning. The SLR method allows researchers to systematically review and identify journals where each process follows predetermined steps. The inclusion criteria used were articles from 2023-2026, research topics covering socioscientific issues in science learning. Exclusion criteria were research articles that cannot be accessed completely, are not full text, non-science, non-junior high school, and all those in languages ​​other than English and Indonesian. The literature stages are based on using Research Questions to make the discussion more focused and to make it easier for researchers in the review literature process. Socioscientific issues (Socioscientific Issues) are issues that describe social problems in society within a conceptual, procedural, or technological context of science. The use of socioscientific issues in science learning can encourage students to actively engage in dialogue, discussion, and debate, which can provide opportunities for them to evaluate their understanding and improve their mastery of concepts related to the material they have learned. Currently, one of the topics being discussed is environmental challenges, namely climate change and rising global temperatures. Global temperature rise is a phenomenon that can be studied and addressed with the help of science.

Creativity is a key goal in contemporary mathematics education, yet teachers often rely on intuition when selecting tasks intended to elicit creative thinking. This study proposes Creativity-Eliciting Potential Entropy (CEPE), an entropy-inspired theoretical framework that conceptualises the creative potential of mathematical tasks in terms of their structural openness across the stages of Start, Process, and Goal. CEPE focuses on the diversity of possible solution strategies, assumptions, and representations provided by a task, rather than on learners’ observed performance. An exploratory study was conducted with 32 mathematics teachers from Japan and Germany, who ranked three task types—a geometrical proof task, a mathematical modelling task, and a Fermi problem—according to their perceived creativity-eliciting potential. Teachers’ rankings showed a weak but statistically significant consensus and a significant alignment with CEPE-based predictions, particularly in the high evaluation of Fermi problems. However, substantial individual variability remained, reflecting teachers’ consideration of learner characteristics and instructional constraints. The findings suggest that CEPE provides a theoretically grounded lens that supports, but does not replace, teachers’ professional judgement in task selection.

The Green Madrasah program in Indonesia is currently trapped in a paradox of maladaptation, where environmental conservation efforts actually trigger the depletion of water and financial resources due to assessment standards trapped in administrative formalities. This policy research aims to formulate a strategy for transforming green madrasah governance into a more sustainable one by eliminating greenwashing practices and bureaucratic burdens. The policy methodology used is a Descriptive-Qualitative Analysis with a Targeted Policy Study approach, which integrates a theoretical literature review—including Maladaptation and Institutionalism Theory—with secondary data analysis from the Indonesian Environmental Statistics and related regulations. The analysis is conducted by evaluating the gap between central agency assessment instruments and the reality of managerial capacity at the madrasah level. The analysis results indicate that a rigid orientation toward physical evidence has distorted the goals of ecological education into mere paperwork. As a solution, this article recommends a redesign of the assessment instrument through a Directorate General of Islamic Education Decree that shifts the focus from physical validation to the evaluation of substantive behavior change, supported by digitalized reporting, flexible BOS funds, and low-maintenance infrastructure standards. Implementing these recommendations is projected to restore madrasah financial stability, optimize water conservation, and restore their role as centers of authentic ecological character education. Through this paradigm shift, the concept of "Green Without Draining" can be realized as a new standard in Indonesia's Islamic education ecosystem that is efficient, transparent, and has long-term impact.

Abstract This article challenges the conventional educational goal of fostering autonomous decision-making in socioscientific issues (SSI) from the perspective of hard determinism. This perspective resolves the contradiction between the numerous findings on individual misjudgements due to cognitive biases and the widely held ideal of promoting intellectual independence and autonomous decision-making. Rather than attempting to foster a non-existing autonomy, this paper argues that embracing a deterministic worldview provides a more coherent foundation for decision-making education by shifting focus from individual free choice to both socially situated exchange and the critical, collective evaluation of conditions that shape our judgments. The article suggests three non-metaphysical criteria for evaluating decision quality in a deterministic framework: coherence (alignment between stated values and decisions), robustness (grounding in diverse evidence and perspectives), and intersubjective comprehensibility (capacity for mutual justification). Social deliberation emerges as the pedagogical mechanism uniquely suited to achieving these standards, functioning as an epistemic filter that exposes and scrutinizes the determinants of judgment through structured group discourse. To concretize the instructional consequences, a three-phase model is proposed: (1) eliciting determined starting points through individual preference articulation, (2) engaging in deliberative filtering of influential factors through structured small-group discussions, and (3) fostering meta-reflection on the causal pathways of belief formation. This approach transforms the educational mission from pursuing unattainable autonomous choice to systematically analyzing and optimizing the conditions that determine student judgments and establish corresponding strategies. The framework provides testable predictions about improved determinant transparency, perceived legitimacy of influences, and value-decision coherence, offering science education a normatively grounded and empirically assessable foundation for SSI instruction that acknowledges rather than denies the determined nature of human decision-making.

Abstract Education policy is always at risk of working at cross-purposes toward education goals. Using a meta-ethnographic methodology and Massey’s geometry of space theory, the present article addresses this in relation to a particular policy realisation problem of teaching for sustainability in schools in depopulated rural areas with identified population challenges. Specific attention has gone to research addressing the enacted curriculum and teachers’ experiences of working with sustainability goals. The results highlight features for goal realisation such as the presence of and attention to rural natural and cultural environmental heritage, having local access and giving curriculum attention to local employment and sustainable vocations and professions, and having community support from the local community and engagement of the school in the community. Working against sustainability were global epistemic rural marginalisation, performative curriculum relations, market competition and competitive exclusions from market participation, tepid community involvement in schools, and socially isolated schools insulated from the local community.

The integration of literature and the humanities into medical education offers numerous benefits for both students and the broader community. Engaging with literary texts encourages the development of empathy, critical thinking, emotional awareness, and communication skills, all essential for a more humanistic and socially responsive medical practice. Additionally, initiatives that bring together students and local residents through shared cultural experiences help strengthen the university's connection with the surrounding community and promote mutual understanding. The Book club was created at the medical school in Caicó (RN, Brazil), as a space to explore diverse literary works beyond the health sciences. The Book Club was approved as an extension event and is promoted in Escola Multicampi de Ciências Médicas do Rio Grande do Norte (EMCM) by the Pro-Rectory of Extension from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) situated in Caicó city (RN, Brazil). It has a multidisciplinary team of students, teachers and technical staff. Six literary works were selected based on the alignment with the club's educational goals, particularly the potential to stimulate critical reflection on themes such as grief, racism, gender, and social justice. Registration took place through the Integrated Academic Activities Management System, and the monthly meetings were held in the Medical School auditorium. Participants received pedagogical support via social networks, club app, reading planner and newsletter. With 22 participants, including 8 community members and 14 medical students, the Book Club explored perspectives such as gender, racism, grief, trauma and colonialism. The predominance of medical students highlights academic interest and institutional support in extension projects, while low community adherence points to the need for new engagement strategies. The analysis of followers on Instagram reveals a significant participation of the local population, especially among women, but also highlights a gap in the presence of men and adolescents. This demonstrates the importance of a more inclusive and diverse approach to attracting different audiences. The Book Club at the public Medical School, by stimulating cognitive and human skills through literature, enriches academic training and strengthens the connection between academia and the community.

The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Islamic Religious Education (IRE) has been widely framed as a driver of efficiency and personalized learning. Yet, its epistemological and ethical implications remain underexplored. This study aims to critically examine whether AI functions as a medium of knowledge integration or instead generates ethical alienation within IRE. Employing a qualitative library research design, this study utilizes a philosophical-pedagogical approach combined with critical discourse analysis to interrogate contemporary AI-in-education literature and Islamic educational philosophy. The findings reveal that AI operates within a computational-positivistic epistemic framework that is not fully compatible with the holistic and transcendental epistemology of Islamic education. The study identifies four dimensions of ethical alienation: alienation from the substantive meaning of values, teacher–student relationality, learning community, and transcendental orientation. Furthermore, AI-driven systems tend to prioritize measurable cognitive outcomes, potentially shifting the educational objective from the formation of insan kamil to competency-based achievement. The research also highlights a fundamental tension between the Islamic project of knowledge integration and the efficiency-oriented logic of technology. As an implication, this study proposes a reflective framework grounded in maqasid al-tarbiyah, emphasizing the subordination of technology to ethical and spiritual educational goals, preservation of relational pedagogy, and participatory governance in AI implementation. These findings underscore the need for educators to develop critical literacy to evaluate AI not merely as a technical tool but as a value-laden system shaping the future of Islamic education.

The formation of students' character is the main goal of Islamic education. However, the learning practices in most schools still emphasize academic achievement more than the internalization of moral values. One of the pedagogical strategies that encourages the development of students' morals is the use of multi-age classrooms, which facilitate social interactions among students of different age levels within a single learning environment. The objective of this research is to analyze how multi-age classes are implemented at Brainy Bunch International Islamic Montessori School in Malaysia, as well as to explore how the dynamics of social interactions that occur in these classes contribute to the learning process and the internalization of students' moral values. This research uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive case study design. Data were collected thru observation, interviews, and documentation, and then analyzed using thematic analysis. The research results show that multi-age classrooms create a stable learning environment and encourage peer learning, collaboration, and mutual support in academic activities as well as daily routines such as communal worship and character development. This interaction serves as a social means for students to internalize their social awareness, empathy, and sense of responsibility. These findings affirm that multi-age classes not only serve as a learning strategy but also as a pedagogical space that integrates academic and moral dimensions in Islamic education.

Abstract This study investigates the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Green AI in secondary education, specifically within Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh. Utilizing a sequential mixed-methods approach, the research combines quantitative survey data from students and teachers with qualitative insights from educators and school leaders. Quantitative techniques, including descriptive analysis, correlation, and regression, were employed to assess the relationship between AI integration, student engagement, and technological adaptability. Qualitative findings were analyzed to understand leadership practices, infrastructural challenges, and sustainability awareness. The results indicate that AI-supported learning positively influences students’ academic engagement and technological adaptability. However, disparities in digital infrastructure, irregular internet connectivity, and limited teacher training restrict effective implementation, particularly in resource-constrained schools. Furthermore, awareness of Green AI practices—defined as environmentally sustainable approaches to technology use—remains low, reflecting limited familiarity with energy-efficient computing in education. The study highlights that the mere presence of digital resources is insufficient for meaningful AI integration; success depends on strategic leadership, proper planning, and continuous skill development. School leaders play a key role in fostering innovation and bridging infrastructural gaps. By contributing to the discourse on secondary education in Uttar Pradesh, this research offers practical implications for policymakers and educational leaders to align AI adoption with long-term environmental and educational goals.

ABSTRACT Background Fostering students’ scientific creativity is a key goal of science education, with inquiry-based teaching seen as a promising approach. However, in China’s examination-oriented educational system, implementing such pedagogy poses significant challenges. Purpose This study introduces an inquiry-based teaching project designed to enhance scientific creativity among upper secondary students in China. It investigates how such pedagogy can be effectively implemented in examination-oriented science classrooms by examining the curriculum, teaching strategies, student performance, and the teacher’s experiences. Sample The project involved one Chinese biology teacher and three 10th-grade classes, with 15 inquiry-based lessons taught over three months. Design and methods A case study approach was adopted. Data sources included lesson plans, presentation slides, video recordings of lessons, teacher interviews, and the researcher’s diary, providing a comprehensive view of the collaborative teaching process. Results The project adopted a progressive inquiry-based approach, aligned with the teaching content, students’ evolving inquiry skills, the teacher’s belief in its value, and lesson duration and scheduling requirements. Four key teaching strategies were used for fostering scientific creativity: encouraging divergent thinking through questioning; fostering convergent thinking in experimental design; motivating creativity through positive feedback; and providing essential scientific knowledge. The teacher observed significant changes in her students’ science learning, noted personal development in her teaching practice and relationships with students, and experienced growth in her creative traits. Despite challenges, including slower knowledge delivery that might impact students’ performance on narrowly defined assessments and limited time for inquiry that caused schedule delays, the collaboration produced solutions to mitigate these issues. Conclusion This study shows that well-adapted inquiry-based approaches can effectively foster students’ scientific creativity in examination-oriented settings. The findings suggest possible strategies that science educators could use to support creativity through inquiry-based teaching in China and other education systems with similar structures and curricular demands.