ABSTRACT In addition to the formative early influences noted in the author’s development of a psychoanalytic sensibility that include a high school English teacher, psychoanalytic consultant on a psychiatry clerkship, and various pioneering analysts and theories, the author accentuates the foundational role of her divorced mother as a source of motivation and practical know-how in successfully assisting her determined effort to become a physician, overcoming misogynistic societal barriers.

Career guidance services play an important role in preparing vocational high school (SMK) students to face the demands of a dynamic and competitive world of work. However, its implementation in SMKs still faces various obstacles, including limited systematic programmes, lack of integration with the curriculum, and suboptimal collaboration with the business and industrial world (DUDI). This study aims to examine strategies for strengthening career guidance services in improving the career readiness of SMK students. The method used is a literature study by analysing various research results and scientific publications relevant to career guidance services, career readiness, and vocational education. The results of the study show that career guidance services can be strengthened through comprehensive programme planning, integration of services with the SMK curriculum, utilisation of media and technology, and strengthening collaboration with parents and DUDI. These strategies contribute positively to improving students' career readiness, both in terms of self-understanding, career planning, and readiness to enter the world of work. These findings are expected to serve as a reference for schools and guidance and counselling practitioners in developing effective and sustainable career guidance services.

Mathematical reflective thinking is a key higher-order thinking skill in mathematics learning. However, these skills remain underdeveloped for some students, particularly when solving algebraic problems. This study aims to describe seventh-grade students’ mathematical reflective thinking in algebraic problem solving. The participants were all students in Class VIIA at a junior high school in Karawang. Using purposive sampling based on a reflective thinking test, three students were selected to represent high, medium, and low ability categories. Data were collected through a test and follow-up interviews and analyzed qualitatively to capture patterns of reflective thinking across categories. The findings show clear variation among students. High-ability students reflected logically on both the problem-solving process and the correctness of results. Medium-ability students demonstrated partial and inconsistent reflection, often reflecting on steps but not fully evaluating their conclusions. Low-ability students experienced substantial difficulty in monitoring and evaluating their work. These results suggest that students’ reflective thinking develops at different levels in algebraic problem solving, and future research should examine instructional and individual factors that shape these differences.

ABSTRACT Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, are common among adolescents and have been linked to increased substance use. This study examined how depressive symptoms and low self-control mediate the relationship between ACEs and substance use in a statewide representative sample of over 23,000 Florida high school students. Using generalized structural equation modeling with bootstrapped indirect effects, analyses revealed that ACEs were significantly associated with greater substance use, and that both depressive symptoms and low self-control mediated this relationship. Although low self-control was the stronger mediator, these factors collectively accounted for more than one-third of the total association between ACEs and substance use. These findings highlight the need for prevention and intervention efforts that target both emotional and behavioral factors to reduce substance use risk among adolescents exposed to adversity. Further research is recommended to explore additional mediators and to confirm these pathways over time.

Circle material is a fundamental topic in geometry that often causes misconceptions in high school students due to the difference between scientific knowledge and knowledge taught in school. This study aims to analyze the external didactic transposition of circle material by comparing the conceptual structure of scientific knowledge (scholarly knowledge) to the knowledge to be taught in high school mathematics textbooks. This study uses a qualitative descriptive approach with a document analysis method, comparing university-level geometry textbooks as a representation of scholarly knowledge with high school mathematics textbooks as a representation of knowledge to be taught. The results of the study show that external didactic transposition occurs in almost all circle concepts, characterized by simplification of language, adjustment of abstraction levels, reduction of concept classification, and addition of pedagogical and visualization contexts. The simplification and addition of pedagogical context can affect students’ conceptual understanding, especially in the relationships among elements of circles, such as arcs, central angles, circumferential angles, and tangents. These findings open up further research opportunities into internal didactic transposition and other mathematics topics and can serve as a reference for teachers and book developers to improve the quality of coherent, conceptual mathematics learning.

Bullying and school violence contribute directly to mental health difficulties among youth in the United States. Background/Objectives: This study describes the development and initial evaluation of a technology-enabled, multi-component school safety framework designed to support bullying prevention in middle and high schools. Methods: Students (n = 46), school personnel (n = 79), and parents/caregivers (n = 28) participated in three waves of usability and feasibility testing focused on a mobile application (Speak Out with Advocatr), companion classroom instructional materials, and guidelines for a school-wide safety campaign. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive statistics and benchmark comparisons, and group differences across respondent roles were examined using analysis of variance with post hoc pairwise tests. Given small and unequal sample sizes, bootstrap resampling with 1000 resamples was used to obtain robust estimates of group means and confidence intervals. Qualitative responses were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Across waves, mean ratings generally met or exceeded predefined usability benchmarks, indicating favorable perceptions of the system. Findings indicated strong student acceptance and engagement with the framework. Adult participants expressed particular interest in restorative approaches to addressing student conflict, as well as concerns about preventing the recurrence of bullying behaviors. Conclusions: Findings provide initial support for the usability and feasibility of a multi-component, technology-enabled approach to school-based bullying prevention. Results also highlight the value of role-specific feedback for refining integrated mental health and safety interventions within school settings.

Nigeria is one of the developing nations with milestone developments in science and technology over decades. From independence in 1960, there have been massive investments in education by the Federal Government as to meet up the set national educational goals to derive for the national developments. All areas of learning or disciplines were accorded utmost priorities with appropriate curricula, in particular, science and technology were the most concern of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education is the focus of several countries of the world of today. Significantly, the 21st century skills are highly required to drive the STEM education towards the scientific and technological advancements commensurate to the dynamic contemporary world. The paper reviewed the extent to which teachers’ characteristics, specifically, anxiety and burnout serve as shields to the attainment of the STEM education objectives in Nigeria. It buttressed further the implications of the two constructs in relation to the teaching of STEM across the learning institutions and projected how, if not controlled, could go a long way in undermining and crippling the attainment of the stated STEM objectives. The authors finally recommended among others that the stakeholders in STEM education should moderate the teaching workload among science teachers in high schools and provide more incentives to them as to ensure effective teaching and learning of STEM, which invariably could lead to the smooth transition towards the attainment of STEM education objectives in Nigeria, and the world in general.

The 5E model (1. Engagement; 2. Exploration; 3. Explanation; 4. Elaboration; 5. Evaluation) is a well-known instructional framework for promoting active learning. Augmented reality (AR) has been integrated into the educational process to support interactive learning. Building on these foundations, this study examines the usability of an AR application developed within the framework of the 5E instructional model to support biology in high school. The proposed AR app consists of a structured sequence of activities aligned with the 5E stages. Moreover, a usability study was conducted to evaluate the app’s usability among 195 users across three participant groups emerging from various educational levels and with different backgrounds: education students (novice adults), engineering students (expert adults), and 1st year high school students (students). The findings indicate perceived acceptable usability, with younger and less experienced users indicating the need for more guidance. Rather than evaluating learning outcomes or pedagogical effectiveness, this study focuses on investigating usability perceptions and interactions of the AR app designed within the 5E learning model. The findings highlight usability-related issues relevant to the design of AR applications and emphasize the importance of combining user-centered design with instructional frameworks in secondary education.

This study quantitatively assesses the effectiveness of an e-learning-integrated flipped classroom model in developing critical writing skills among Indonesian senior high school EFL learners. Using a one-group pre-test/post-test design with 48 eleventh-grade students, data were collected through a validated critical writing test (argumentative essay rubric) and analyzed in SPSS Version 25 with paired-sample t-tests (α = .05) and Cohen’s d. Results showed a statistically significant improvement in writing scores, with the mean increasing from 65.04 (Fair) to 87.46 (Excellent), particularly in argument development, evidence use, and coherence. The study contributes original empirical evidence from an Indonesian public high school context, demonstrating how structured e-learning platform integration enhances flipped classrooms as a tool for advancing higher-order writing skills in under-researched EFL settings.

ABSTRACT Activist pedagogy inspires learners to inquire, reflect, and act for change as they engage with socio-political issues. This mixed methods study compares knowledge, attitudes, and practices of activist pedagogy among 235 Israeli high school teachers (83 media educators, 152 others). The research explores how media literacy education, with its emphasis on critical analysis and civic engagement, influences teachers’ approach to activist pedagogy. Results show media educators have significantly higher alignment with activist pedagogy in knowledge and practice. However, both groups demonstrated low attitudes towards their role as socially active teachers across school activities. Qualitative interviews revealed how media educators integrate critical analysis into teaching, while highlighting implementation challenges, particularly in interdisciplinary collaboration. The study uncovers a paradox: despite media educators’ advantage, there’s a disconnect between their potential to lead activist pedagogy initiatives and their perceived role within the school ecosystem. We suggest promoting activist pedagogy led by media educators, emphasizing professional development and cross-curricular collaboration to advance civic engagement in education. The findings have implications for teacher training, curriculum development, and the broader integration of media literacy across disciplines to foster active citizenship in an increasingly complex digital world.

Students often struggle to generate ideas, articulate their thoughts, and cope with speaking anxiety, resulting in suboptimal development of their writing and speaking skills. The integration of digital media such as podcasts with structured instructional models is considered a promising approach to address these barriers. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an AI-assisted ROAr method in improving the targeted skills among senior high school students. A quantitative approach was employed using a one-group pre–post design (without a control group) with a sample of 43 students. The instructional method combined digital authentic materials and observational practice, while data were collected through pre- and post-intervention scores and analyzed using a paired-samples t-test. The results showed significant and consistent improvements in post-intervention scores, indicating that the AI-assisted ROAr method was statistically effective in enhancing students’ performance on the measured variables, likely through reducing speaking anxiety, strengthening ideation, and increasing exposure to authentic input. These findings are consistent with the literature highlighting the benefits of podcasts and learning approaches that connect instructional content with real-life experiences. Future research is recommended to employ experimental designs with control groups, larger sample sizes, measurements of affective variables (anxiety, motivation), and mixed-methods approaches to explore the mechanisms of change more comprehensively. In practical terms, educators are encouraged to systematically integrate digital media and observational strategies, with appropriate adjustments to frequency and supporting activities, to optimize learning outcomes.

This study investigated the direct and indirect effects of authentic leadership, integrity, and teamwork on organizational commitment through the mediating role of trust among private senior high school teachers. Using path analysis, data were collected from 135 teachers across 15 private senior high schools in Depok, Indonesia, selected through multistage random sampling. Results demonstrated that authentic leadership, integrity, and teamwork significantly predicted organizational commitment both directly and indirectly through trust. Authentic leadership exhibited the strongest total effect (β = 0.309), followed by integrity (β = 0.275) and teamwork (β = 0.273). Trust significantly mediated relationships between all three predictors and organizational commitment, though indirect effects were relatively modest compared to direct pathways. The predictor variables collectively explained 91.3% of variance in organizational commitment through direct effects and an additional 17.1% through trust-mediated pathways. SITOREM analysis identified priority intervention areas including strengthening continuance commitment dimensions, enhancing leader authenticity in daily interactions, and fostering collaborative climates characterized by openness and mutual support. Findings provide empirical support for multifaceted intervention strategies targeting leadership development, organizational integrity, and collaborative practices to enhance teacher commitment in private educational institutions. The study advances theoretical understanding of commitment formation mechanisms while offering practical guidance for educational administrators seeking to improve teacher retention and institutional effectiveness in Southeast Asian contexts.

Student ability is an individual's capacity to complete learning tasks that encompass cognitive, affective, and psychomotor aspects. This study aims to analyse students' ability to solve Economics questions on the subject of needs at State Senior High School 16 Palembang. This study used a qualitative descriptive method. The research subjects consisted of 64 students in grades X.8 and X.9. Data collection techniques were carried out through written tests and documentation of student learning outcomes. The data were analysed by grouping the test results into ability categories based on the score range. The results showed that most students were able to complete the Economics questions well. A total of 22 students (34.37%) were in the excellent category with scores of 86–100, 16 students (25%) were in the good category with scores of 71–85, and 15 students (23.44%) were in the fair category with scores of 56–70. Meanwhile, 6 students (9.38%) were in the poor category and 5 students (7.81%) in the very poor category. The overall average score of the students was 78.43, which falls into the good category. Based on these results, it can be concluded that students at SMA Negeri 16 Palembang generally have good abilities in completing Economics questions on the subject matter.

Tomato growers play a crucial role in vegetable production, and understanding their profile characteristics is essential for promoting green technologies. The study was conducted in 2024-2025 in Doddaballapur taluk of Bengaluru Rural district and Malur taluk of Kolar district of Karnataka, involving 60 tomato growers selected randomly. Data were collected through personal interviews and analyzed using appropriate statistical tools. The results revealed that 66.67 per cent of the tomato growers belonged to middle-age group, and most (33.33 %) had education up to high school level. Medium family size was predominant (60.00 %), and 83.34 per cent of growers reported low to medium annual income. More than half of the growers had medium farming experience (56.67 %), medium extension contact (38.33 %), and medium extension participation (40.00 %). Medium information-seeking behavior (41.66 %), achievement motivation (43.34 %), risk orientation (40.00 %), innovative proneness (38.33 %), and scientific orientation (46.67 %) were also predominant. Differences between the two taluks were observed in extension participation, family size, and information-seeking behavior. The study indicates that most tomato growers possess moderate socio-economic, communicational, and psychological characteristics, which influence their adoption of green technologies. These findings can guide extension agencies and policymakers in designing targeted interventions to enhance the adoption of green technologies and improve productivity in Southern Karnataka.

Mathematics, as a school subject, is consistently evaluated as one of the hardest, and Filipino students always rank the lowest in the world in mathematics proficiency examinations. This study looked into the situation of Instructional Delivery in General Mathematics for Senior High School students in one of the schools in Cebu. The study used a descriptive quantitative design, collecting data through document analysis and student surveys to evaluate teaching, content delivered, and student learning outcomes in a grounded manner. Based on the data, findings indicate that only 18% of the General Mathematics content standards were covered in instruction, a mere fraction exposing severe gaps in the implementation of the curriculum, and the resulting competencies. This also implies that current instructional materials and methods fail to meet the subject's cognitive and applied dimensions. This lack of sufficient material is the reason the Instructional Delivery, Content Standards, and Assignments Per Curriculum Published Guide need to be revised. Furthermore, for teachers to improve their instructional and pedagogical methods, curriculum integration of instruction, learning technologies, and student engagement in active learning to improve their understanding, professional development is critical. Creating a friendly and encouraging atmosphere where students feel engaged is necessary for maintaining motivation and self-assurance in mathematics. It is also important to have ongoing assessments in place, along with feedback, to measure progress and ascertain that instructional goals are achieved appropriately. Last but not least, enhancing mathematics instruction is vital in closing the learning gaps, developing students’ higher- order thinking and preparing them for the mathematics they need to apply in real life as well as in their further studies.

ABSTRACT Science education continues to be shaped by cis‐heteronormative and Eurocentric norms that constrain how knowledge, identity, and legitimacy are constructed in classrooms. In this narrative inquiry case study, I collaborated with a trans and gender‐nonconforming high school biology teacher, Teacher Mateo, to examine how queer and Indigenous ways of knowing can disrupt these settled expectations. Grounded in queer theory and counterstorytelling, I conceptualize Spilling T as a method rooted in Black queer and trans cultural traditions, both a methodology and a praxis that centers relational, embodied, and community‐based knowledge. Through co‐constructed counterstories and iterative Spilling T sessions, two narrative threads were developed: (1) the revitalization of Indigenous identity as a foundation for relational and multiepistemological biology teaching, and (2) the cultivation of genderqueer identity to challenge binary logics and affirm queerness as inherent in nature. Findings illustrate how Teacher Mateo resists biological essentialism, humanizes LGBTQ+ identities, and distinguishes science epistemology from Indigenous and queer worldviews. This study positions Spilling T as a transformative counterstorytelling method for reimagining science education as a space of resistance, reclamation, and queer rightful presence.

Adolescents frequently use smartphones, smartwatches, personal computers, tablets, and other electronic devices during the day and at night. Whilst these devices are kept close to the eyes, they emit artificial light at night (ALAN) and generate noise. ALAN and noise are also emitted from other indoor and outdoor sources, such as home appliances, road traffic, street lighting, and advertising boards. However, the effect of these exposures has been studied mainly in the adult population, and little is known about their combined effect on adolescents. The present study aims to bridge this knowledge gap by examining the combined effect of ALAN and noise on the quality of sleep of junior high and high school students. Study participants included 81 adolescents (age 13-18 years) living in Tamra, a town in northern Israel. A 41-day experiment was carried out during which participants wore smartwatches, connected to Android smartphones, to monitor their exposures to ALAN and noise and their sleep patterns. The collected data were then analysed using statistical tools and showed that an increase in ALAN in a plausible range of 40-150 lx before sleep is estimated to reduce sleep efficiency (SE), all other factors being constant, by ~18% (t < -16, p < 0.01), whilst an increase in noise from 30 to 60 dB was estimated to reduce SE by ~22% (t < -14, p < 0.01). These estimates are higher than those found for the adult population in previous studies, according to which the effects of these environmental risk factors on sleep duration and quality were estimated to be ~8%-9%.

Objective This study aims to explore the correlation between different exercise types and adolescents’ executive function as well as mobile phone dependence, and to investigate the mediating role of executive function in the relationship between exercise types and mobile phone dependence. Methods This study adopted a cross-sectional study design, and a total of 1,016 first-year and second-year high school students from three cities in Sichuan Province were selected via convenience sampling. The Adolescent Executive Function Scale was used to assess ecological executive function. The Self-Rated Questionnaire for Adolescent Mobile Phone Use Dependence was employed to evaluate mobile phone dependence. Participants were divided into the open-skill exercise group and closed-skill exercise group through questionnaire surveys. Statistical analyses, including generalized linear models, partial correlation analysis, and mediating effect analysis, were conducted using SPSS 21.0 software. Results Compared with the closed-skill exercise group, adolescents in the open-skill exercise group had significantly higher inhibitory control (β = 0.410, 95% CI = 0.083∼ 0.738, P = 0.014) and cognitive flexibility (β = 0.588, 95% CI = 0.188∼0.988, P = 0.004), as well as significantly lower physical and mental impacts caused by mobile phone dependence (β = −0.600, 95% CI = −1.073∼-0.127, P = 0.013). In addition, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility played a partial mediating role in the relationship between open-skill exercises and the physical and mental impacts of mobile phone dependence, with indirect effects of −0.178 and −0.278, respectively. Conclusion Open-skill exercises are associated with higher levels of inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility in adolescents, as well as lower physical and mental impacts caused by mobile phone dependence. Moreover, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility play a mediating role in the association between open-skill exercises and mobile phone dependence. This study provides scientific support for adolescents’ exercise type selection and the formulation of relevant health policies.

Background/Objectives: School meals play an important role in ensuring reliable, healthy access to food, but there are many barriers to participation, especially for rural students. This study examined the perceived impact of UFSM policies and the perceptions of school meals among students in rural areas of Maine. Methods: This mixed-methods study included surveys with n = 61 middle and high school students and interviews with n = 11 middle and high school students between 2023 and 2024. The surveys and interviews focused on potential impacts of UFSM policies as well as general barriers and facilitators to participation in school meals. Quantitative surveys were analyzed using logistic regression, adjusting for demographic characteristics. Interviews were analyzed using principles of content analysis. Results: Students reported that UFSM had multiple benefits, and many students perceived that providing free school meals for all helped reduce the stigma associated with school meals, in part through increased participation. Students liked the variety of foods offered, but many did not perceive school meals, especially breakfast, to be “fresh” or “healthy”. Additionally, many students perceived there to be long lunch lines and insufficient time to eat their meals. Conclusions: While students perceived multiple benefits to UFSM, opportunities to further improve the quality of school meals, as well as policies to ensure sufficient lunch period lengths, may be important complements to increase participation and consumption of school meals among rural students.

Undermatching identifies high school graduates who do not attend selective colleges even if they have high academic performance. To date, the study of undermatching is restricted to access to selective colleges and to the United States and the United Kingdom. We expand this concept to identify students who, having high academic performance, do not undertake five critical educational transitions: graduating from high school, enrolling in higher education, taking the college-entry exam, enrolling in university, and enrolling in a selective university. Using the case of Chile and a novel population-level panel dataset combining administrative and survey data, we found that undermatching is prevalent, highly stratified by socioeconomic status, and stronger among disadvantaged boys than girls. A Gelbach decomposition analysis suggested that inequality in undermatching is largely accounted for by the students’ sorting across schools. We discuss the implications of undermatching for countries around the world.