Ministry Of Education Research Articles

Challenges Preventing Parents from Effectively Involving Themselves in the Implementation of CBC in Rwanda’s Lower Primary (Grades 1-3)

The purpose of this study is to investigate the challenges that prevent parents from effective involvement in CBC implementation in lower primary grades. This study was founded on J. E. a. Epstein Theory of parental involvement which tackles parental involvement in six facets. This study adopted descriptive research design where qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analysed. We collected data from 3 schools of Karongi District where 45 parents having children in the three schools; 45 lower primary grade learners; 9 lower primary grade teachers; 3 head teachers and 1 district education official were selected as a sample. This sample was calculated from the total population of 1053 Parents, 1065 children, 31 teachers and 3 head teachers using the Systematic Random Sampling technique. To collect the Primary data, the questionnaires were administered to parents and learners while teachers, head teachers and a district education official were interviewed. The secondary data were collected from existing literature in relation to the current study. The collected data was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The results were organized in an Excel spreadsheet to be analyzed by SPSS package version 28.0. In this context, descriptive statistics have been applied where means, percentages, and frequencies were calculated. Findings revealed that the main factor that prevents parents from effective involvement in CBC implementation is a lack of knowledge of CBC and awareness about where and how to give their hands in supporting their children. This calls for the Ministry of Education not only to train teachers in CBC but also parents as they are key partners in implementing CBC.

Prevalence and factors contributing to mental health challenges among school-going adolescents: a case of a climate-vulnerable Manafwa Watershed in Uganda

BackgroundGlobally, mental health challenges are common among school-going adolescents, with a prevalence of 50.2% and 43.6% for depression and anxiety disorders, respectively. In Northeastern Uganda, a prevalence of 26.6% and 8.6% for anxiety and depressive disorders respectively were reported among children. School-going adolescents are at higher risk of developing these mental health challenges and this could be worsened by natural disasters like landslides. We aimed to determine the prevalence and factors contributing to mental health challenges (having at least one of following; depression, anxiety, anger, disruptive behaviour and social concept) among school adolescents in the Manafwa Watershed area.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study in 3 districts of the Manafwa watershed area (Bududa, Manafwa, and Butaleja). We selected school-going adolescents aged 13-18 years because of the nature of study tools. Mental health challenges (anxiety, depression, anger, disruptive behaviour and self-concept) were assessed using the Beck Youth Inventory-II. Descriptive statistics and inferential analysis were performed to determine factors associated with mental health challenges.ResultsA total of 762 adolescents participated, with a median age of 17 years (interquartile range =16–17 years). More than half of the students were females. The prevalence of mental health challenges was 65% with a (confidence interval) = 54.0% — 75.0%; the majority 44% of the participants had anxiety, and 31% had disruptive behaviour. Families with more than five children [adjusted odds ratio = 1.18, 95% confidence interval= 1.08—1.29, p value = <0.001] and substance abuse [adjusted odds ratio = 1.20, 95% confidence interval= 1.15—1.24, p value <0.001] were significantly associated with mental health challenges.ConclusionThe prevalence of mental health challenges among students was high with majority having anxiety and disruptive behaviour. Adolescents from families with more than five children and those with substance abuse were more likely to have mental health challenges. We therefore recommend that various stakeholders such as the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education, design a curriculum that caters to the mental health needs of children. Family planning awareness, awareness on Government laws prohibiting alcohol and substance use, and parenting skills should be raised by the local leaders.

Beyond teaching: the extended role of informal entrepreneurship education and training in challenging contexts

PurposeWe seek to understand how informal entrepreneurship education and training (EET) processes support marginalised women in challenging institutional contexts into gainful participation in entrepreneurial activities, facilitating empowerment and emancipation.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs an inductive qualitative approach drawing on in-depth individual interviews, a focus group and observation of how female informal EET educators facilitate hands-on EET to marginalised female entrepreneurs in Uganda.FindingsWe specify a range of novel complementary practices that informal EET educators undertake during the main instructional EET stage and present the wraparound purposive work, both pre-and-post the instructional stage, they enact to support female empowerment processes for their disadvantaged learners. We then propose a grounded model capturing practices enacted by EET practitioners that illuminates ways in which informal EET can contribute to processes of empowerment and emancipation.Originality/valueOur contributions are twofold. First, we conceptualise EET educators as institutional entrepreneurs undertaking institutional work beyond core teaching. Second, we specify a range of novel complementary practices they undertake before, during and after the conventional instructional part. This illuminates how EET can contribute to processes of empowerment and emancipation. Drawing on data from a unique institutional context, we illuminate novel practices enacted by informal EET educators thereby extending both the pedagogy and the realm of entrepreneurship education with implications for grander empowerment and emancipatory outcomes beyond the development of entrepreneurial competencies.

Global research and current trends on nanotherapy in lung cancer research: a bibliometric analysis of 20 years

BackgroundLung cancer ranks as one of the most rapidly growing malignancies. Which is characterized by its poor prognosis and a low survival rate due to late diagnosis and limited efficacy of conventional treatments. In recent years nanotechnology has emerged as a promising frontier in the management of lung cancer, presenting novel strategies to enhance drug administration, improve therapeutic efficiency, and mitigate side effects. This research comprehensively evaluates the current state and research trends concerning the application of nanomaterials in lung cancer through bibliometric analysis.Materials and methodsWe employed a systematic approach by retrieving studies from the Scopus database that focused on nanomaterials and lung cancer between 2003 and 2023. Subsequently, we carefully selected relevant articles based on predetermined inclusion criteria. The selected publications were then subjected to bibliometric and visual analysis using softwares such as VOSviewer and Biblioshiny.ResultsA total of 3523 studies that meet inclusion criteria were selected for bibliometric analysis. We observed a progressive increase in the number of annual publications from 2003 to 2023, indicating the growing interest in this field. According to our analysis, China is the primary contributor to publication output among the countries. The “Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China” was the most influential institution. Among the authors, "Dr. Jack A. Roth” and “Dr. Huang Leaf” had the highest number of publications and cited publications, respectively. The “International Journal of Nanomedicine” was found to be the most prolific journal in this field. Additionally, “Biomaterials” emerged as the most cited journal. Through keyword analysis, we identified five main research themes and future research directions; nono-immunotherapy and green synthesis are the hot topics in this research field.ConclusionOur study summarized the key characteristics of publications in this field and identified the most influential countries, institutions, authors, journals, hot topics, and trends related to the application of nanomaterials in lung cancer. These findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge and serve as a foundation for future research endeavors in this area. More effective efforts are needed in this field to reduce the burden of lung cancer and help achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of demand for managerial and teaching staff (with knowledge of the Russian language) in the economy of the United Republic of Tanzania

The analysis and economic evaluation of the prerequisites of demand for Russian language teachers in the education system in Tanzania show the Russian and Tanzanian interstate projects growth, which require not only political and legal, but also educational support. The activities of domestic structures (Rossotrudnichestvo, Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, and business structures) in Tanzania create economic prerequisites for demand for the Russian language in the country’s economy. Considering the increased level of interstate relations between the two states, due to the changes in Russia’s foreign policy course, it is possible to predict increasing demand for specialists in the field of Russian language, as well as knowledge of the language as a competitive advantage in Tanzania’s labor market. As a result of the analysis of the presence or planned presence of the structures associated with Russia, it is advisable to open centers for Russian language teachers training in the administrative districts of Tanzania, such as Zanzibar, Kigoma, Pemba, Rukwa, Mbeya, Arusha, and Mwanza. In these administrative units the interaction between the two countries is carried out or is planned, which will lead to an increase in demand for specialists speaking the Russian language, whose training is carried out as part of the main professional activity by Russian language teachers from among locally trained specialists.

Международные конференции, посвященные исто­рии чингизидских государств

On August 19, 2024, Astana hosted an international conference on “Topical issues on the history of the Kazakh Khanate from the second half of the 15th – first half of the 18th century”. On August 20–21, another international conference was held, entitled, “Ethnopolitical history of the Jochi, Chagatai, Haidu and Moghulistan uluses” and dedicated to the 800th anniversary of the formation of the Jochid Ulus. The event was organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Scientific Institute for the Study of the Jochid Ulus. More than 70 leading scientists, specialists and researchers researching the history of nomadic societies and empires, including the history of the Kazakh Khanate and the Golden Horde, from Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, China, Canada, Japan, and Austria participated in the conferences. The conferences discussed the issues of studying the Kazakh Khanate and the ethnopolitical history of the Jochi, Chagatai, and Haidu Uluses which were formed during the collapse of the Mongolian Empire. Moreover the participants discussed the issues of developing the fourth volume of the History of Kazakhstan and creating a separate book dedicated to the history of the Kazakh Khanate. Within the framework of the 2nd conference dedicated to the history of the Jochi, Chagatai, Haidu uluses, and Moghulistan, a private screening was organized for the documentary film “Batu: Historical Detective” created by Kazakh director Rashid Nugmanov. The was contributed to by historians and researchers from Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Mongolia, France, Canada and the USA.

Estimating the risk and spatial spread of measles in populations with high MMR uptake: Using school-household networks to understand the 2013 to 2014 outbreak in the Netherlands.

Measles outbreaks are still routine, even in countries where vaccination coverage exceeds the guideline of 95%. Therefore, achieving ambitions for measles eradication will require understanding of how unvaccinated children interact with others who are unvaccinated. It is well established that schools and homes are key settings for both clustering of unvaccinated children and for transmission of infection. In this study, we evaluate the potential for contacts between unvaccinated children in these contexts to facilitate measles outbreaks with a focus on the Netherlands, where large outbreaks have been observed periodically since the introduction of mumps, measles and rubella (MMR). We created a network of all primary and secondary schools in the Netherlands based on the total number of household pairs between each school. A household pair are siblings from the same household who attend a different school. We parameterised the network with individual level administrative school and household data provided by the Dutch Ministry for Education and estimates of school level uptake of the MMR vaccine. We analysed the network to establish the relative strength of contact between schools and found that schools associated with low vaccine uptake are highly connected, aided by a differentiated school system in the Netherlands (Coleman homophily index (CHI) = 0.63). We simulated measles outbreaks on the network and evaluated the model against empirical measles data per postcode area from a large outbreak in 2013 (2,766 cases). We found that the network-based model could reproduce the observed size and spatial distribution of the historic outbreak much more clearly than the alternative models, with a case weighted receiver operating characteristic (ROC) sensitivity of 0.94, compared to 0.17 and 0.26 for models that do not account for specific network structure or school-level vaccine uptake, respectively. The key limitation of our framework is that it neglects transmission routes outside of school and household contexts. Our framework indicates that clustering of unvaccinated children in primary schools connected by unvaccinated children in related secondary schools lead to large, connected clusters of unvaccinated children. Using our approach, we could explain historical outbreaks on a spatial level. Our framework could be further developed to aid future outbreak response.

A Comprehensive Review of the Integrated Program for Out-of-School Adolescents (IPOSA) in Tanzania

The purpose of this study was to analyze how the Integrated Program for Out-of-School Adolescents (IPOSA) addresses the educational challenges of out-of-school adolescents in Tanzania through its flexible, competency-based approach. The study also sought to provide insights for improving the program’s effectiveness and scalability. A descriptive and analytical design were employed, using existing data from official reports, program documentation and previous studies. The study draws on qualitative and quantitative data to assess the program’s development, structure and outcomes. Key documents analyzed include the 2015/2016 profiling study on out-of-school children, IPOSA administrative and real-time implementation reports, comprehensive reports from UNICEF and Tanzania’s national education strategies. Key study revealed that IPOSA is distinct from previous educational models due to its emphasis on flexibility, inclusivity and competence-based learning. It effectively addresses the diverse needs of out-of-school adolescents, equipping them with practical, real-world skills that align with workforce demands. The program’s design, which integrates literacy, life skills, vocational training and entrepreneurship, has demonstrated a significant impact on marginalized groups. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, along with the Institute of Adult Education, allocate additional resources to expand IPOSA’s reach, particularly in marginalized communities. Additionally, regular curriculum updates, enhanced collaboration between stakeholders and improved monitoring and evaluation systems are recommended to ensure the program’s continued success and scalability.

The Ideological Dilemma in Using Games in Global Citizenship and Development Education

The objective of this paper is to contribute to discourse informing the use of computer games in Global Citizenship and Development Education. In doing so, it addresses the incompatibility and conflict between the values imbedded in games and those informing development education practice. It is aimed at both formal and informal educators who see the potential in using games in their practice and want to reconcile this dilemma. It is also aimed at policy makers and influencers who want to shape the structures governing such digital spaces in the public interest. The research involved an interdisciplinary literature review across the fields of Education, Game Design, colonialism and social activism. The analysis takes a postcolonial perspective and is informed by the theory and practice of critical pedagogy in youth work and development education. The study was conducted as part of Doctoral research and project work with NGOs over a seven-year period to 2024. In this context it is important to note that this is a rapidly changing and evolving sector. The development of computer games and immersive technologies over the past 20 years has been transformational, in their interactive capabilities and global proliferation, particularly with the emergence of “The Metaverse”. Such expansion has been critiqued as a process of Colonialism, where young people’s time, creativity, identities and attention is being commodified, monetised, packaged and sold to the highest bidder. The structure of the games industry, their content and the ecosystem surrounding gaming are all ideologically driven. Such ideology aligns with one of three systems: the neoliberal hegemony emanating from transnational corporations and market economies; the state control being exerted by China and others; or a blind commitment to opensource being advocated by many industry innovators, developers and users. When using games in an educational context, and particularly when addressing Social Justice and Global Citizenship, the values and cultures underpinning all three of these ideologies are problematic. It is the contention in this paper that such spaces can also be developed as informal educational spaces informed by values aligned with critical global citizenship and development education. Now is the time for development educational practitioners, conscientious games designers and policymakers to collaborate, to act, to legislate, to experiment and carve out a safe, progressive, dynamic, decolonised digital space for engagement with issues of global citizenship and development education

What is “Learning” in Serious Game Jams? A Systematic Literature Review

Game jams, events where participants collaboratively create games within a limited time frame, have gained popularity as engaging and educational activities. Numerous studies highlight learning as a significant motivator for participation, positioning game jams at the intersection of pedagogy, design research, and game studies. A systematic literature review (SLR) using the PRISMA 2020 method was conducted to explore the state-of-the-art in game jams and game-making co-creation practices amongst Cultural Heritage Institutions, Creative Industries, Higher Education Institutions, and Youth Citizens in the context of X project. Out of the 68 eligible sources, 10 explicitly addressed the learning goals associated with game jams and constitute the sample of this study. The present article focuses on exploring what conceptualizations of learning can be found in the sources and how that learning process was structured throughout the game jams; specifically, what participants are learning, the methodologies employed, and how the learning was measured. A comprehensive understanding of the educational potential of game jams is important for game jam organisers as well for formal, non-formal and informal Education. The results show that although some articles use game analysis or questionnaires to measure learning, these results are not analysed or presented in depth. Furthermore, it could be noticed that serious game jams, explicitly designed to teach something, usually featuring more time consuming, due to the specific nature of an added layer to game jam: a serious theme that needs to be learned by the participants but also reflected in a game for educational purposes. This underscores the potential use of (adapted) game jams to promote learning regarding social issues, culture, or science in an engaging and dynamic way. This article reflects on those processes and the different conceptualisations of learning that can be found in sources that tackle this topic with regards to Serious and Cultural Game Jams.

Research Trends in Higher-Order Thinking Skills in the journal Mathematics Education in Indonesia: from Design to Data Analysis

The study identified research trends in higher-order thinking skills in Mathematics Education in Indonesia, from Design to Data Analysis. The data came from content analysis of math education articles. As of April 2022, mathematics education articles in the Science and Technology Index (SINTA) are used solely. The Indonesian Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education founded SINTA (http://sinta2.ristekdikti.go.id) to evaluate science and technology. This research shows that qualitative methods, such as theme analysis or grounded theory, can provide insight into student learning, while quantitative methods, such as regression or multivariate analysis, provide statistical analysis of HOTS factors. Recommendations include improving teaching, research, and policymaking on choosing the correct analysis method and institutional support. Diversification and data analysis are essential to improve HOTS research and support Indonesian education development.

Evaluation of internship programs abroad at universities in Indonesia: A case study of Indonesian intern students in Japan

The purpose of this study is to evaluate internship programs in Japan held by Japanese departments at universities in Indonesia as an implementation of the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture's policy on independent study on campuses in 2020, examining the students’ culture shock level and the difficulties they encountered during the internship program. This study used a mixed-methods approach with case studies. We used quantitative data to measure the students’ culture shock level, and qualitative data to uncover the difficulties they encountered. Data were collected through a questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview with 100 intern students took place. This research found that Indonesian intern students’ culture shock was at a moderate level and encountered difficulties due to language, job performance, Japanese work culture, negative local attitude toward intern students, and the intern's personalities such as low adaptability and lack of confidence. This study also found that all of the students at each level of culture shock faced difficulties in performing jobs because of their low Japanese ability and work culture differences, but student personalities and locals’s responses are the determinants of the student’s culture shock level. The implications of this study highlight the need for an evaluation of Japanese language and culture learning curricula and methods in Indonesia.

Principal's Authentic Leadership Practices and Teachers’ Job motivation in the Secondary Cluster Schools of Excellence (SCSE) in Johor Bahru

Authentic leadership is leadership that is genuine, authentic and prioritizes behavior according to ethical principles. The Malaysian Education Development Plan (PPPM) 2013-2015 through the 5th shift outlines the need to place high performance leadership in each school in order to keep up with changes in education at the global level. However, many reports and studies have found that there are still a few principals in schools who do not carry out their roles according to their actual duties. The objective of the study was to identify the level of principal's authentic leadership practices and the level of teachers’job motivation in the Secondary Cluster Schools Of Excellence (SCSE) in Johor Bahru. A quantitative method using a set of questionnaires as an instrument was selected and distributed to 187 teachers through purposive sampling from three SCSE in the Johor Bahru. The data was analyzed through the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20 software. Overall, the findings showed that principals practice a high level of authentic leadership in parallel with a high level of job motivation among teachers of SCSE in Johor Bahru. The researcher suggested that the level of authentic leadership practices can be improved through additional courses or recognition of contributions on a monthly basis covering all areas. Empirical studies supported by qualitative methods taking into account of different target groups to deepen authentic leadership collectively with a focus on principals of private schools or various types of schools under the Malaysian Ministry of Education should be carried out in the future.

The Effectiveness of Community Poverty Reduction Programmes In the Province of Papua. Indonesia

Qualitative research through a phenomenological approach, while the results showed that the problem of poverty is a problem that must be handled holistically, involving various components that must support each other, both from the aspects of economic policy, education policy, legal policies and others, besides that the mindset of the community also needs to be addressed, this condition can occur if forman and informal education patterns can be applied holistically.

The degree of availability of supervisory competencies related to modern teaching strategies for school principals from the point of view of Ma’an education teachers

The study aims to reveal the degree to which the managers of schools affiliated to Ma'an education possess supervisory competencies associated with modern teaching strategies. the researcher used the descriptive survey method to achieve the purposes of the current study. The results of the study showed that the managers of Public Schools in Ma'an have supervisory competencies associated with modern teaching strategies to a generally high degree with an arithmetic mean (4.0575) and a standard deviation (.593). The study recommended that Ministry of Education should pay attention to the development of extension competencies associated with the use of modern teaching strategies among public school principals.

School Counsellors, Values Learning, and The New Zealand Curriculum

The writer reports on a professional development workshop with a group of 16 school counsellors, which explored how their counselling work with students related to values learning. They found that counselling with students frequently, even typically, involves helping the students to develop the value thinking abilities outlined in The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007). The wide variety of therapeutic approaches that counsellors employ is illustrated. The distribution of power in the counsellor–client relationship is also explored, along with its effects for the learning environment in the counselling room. This study will be useful to school counsellors, teachers, and school leaders who are interested in ways in which the counselling room is a location for values learning, and how the distinctiveness of that learning environment can be protected and enhanced.

Factors Influencing the Perceived Employability among University Students

The global economic turmoil and the employability gap among university students have created a challenging job market for graduates. It is crucial to understand the factors that shape students' perceived employability and to implement effective measures to address this serious issue. A literature review was conducted to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing perceived employability among university students, focusing on research findings published since 2021. The present study indicates that numerous factors, including individual, behavioural, and environmental variables, significantly influence perceived employability among university students. Besides, previous research has diverged on specific factors such as demographics, partial components of personality traits, career engagement, political skills, and labour market situation, which need to be further investigated in the future. Furthermore, this study underscores the crucial significance of perceived employability among university students in a challenging job market. It validates the relevance of Career Construction Theory in interpreting perceived employability among university students and improves researchers' understanding of how perceived employability has evolved before and after the pandemic. Most importantly, this study develops an integrated model of the factors influencing the perceived employability among university students, which can serve as a guide for future researchers to study university students' employment issues and navigate the career practices of stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education, universities, university students, employers, and career practitioners.

Barriers to Knowledge Sharing among Students at Libyan Universities

This study aimed to investigate the knowledge-sharing barriers among Libyan university students. The study explores the individual, organizational, and technological barriers to knowledge sharing among university students in Libya, and whether any significant differences could be attributed to the influences of demographic factors. A questionnaire was developed, validated and used to collect the required data. The sample size was 384 as recommended by Krejcie &amp; Morgan (1970), and a higher sample of 409 responses were with 399 deemed valid for the analysis phase. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. Reliability tests, normality tests, means, frequencies and hypotheses tests were all used at this stage. The key results of the study are that knowledge-sharing barriers negatively affect knowledge-sharing. The study has its limitations, especially the limited number of published studies on the topic in Libya. The recommendation and implications of the study are that decision-makers and the Libyan Ministry of Education and universities should be more aware of such a problem to take all necessary measures in this respect.

The Degree to Which Public School Principals Possess Artificial Intelligence Applications in the Karbala Governorate Education Directorate

The study aims to identify the degree of possession of government school principals in the Karbala Governorate Education Directorate of artificial intelligence applications. The descriptive analytical approach was used. To achieve the study objectives, a questionnaire which contained (34) items was developed, divided into five dimensions. The study community was (114) male and female principals. The study sample consisted of (94) male and female managers, and the sample was selected randomly. The results of the study showed that the degree of possession of government school principals in the Karbala Governorate Education Directorate of artificial intelligence applications was average. The results of the study also showed that there were no statistically significant differences at the significance level (α=0.05) attributed to the study variables (gender, academic qualification, experience in artificial intelligence techniques). In light of the study results, the researchers recommended several recommendations, most notably: paying attention to training courses in the field of information and communications technology, especially in the subject of artificial intelligence, by organizing meetings and workshops with the aim of raising awareness among individuals and society about the importance of artificial intelligence, encouraging the Iraqi Ministry of Education to its teaching staff and providing them with incentives to employ artificial intelligence applications in their administrative and educational work, introducing artificial intelligence applications into curricula and courses and paying attention to them, and providing specialized teaching staff in this field.

Female-age-dependent changes in the lipid fingerprint of the mammalian oocytes.

Can oocyte functionality be assessed by observing changes in their intracytoplasmic lipid droplets (LDs) profiles? Lipid profile changes can reliably be detected in human oocytes; lipid changes are linked with maternal age and impaired developmental competence in a mouse model. In all cellular components, lipid damage is the earliest manifestation of oxidative stress (OS), which leads to a cascade of negative consequences for organelles and DNA. Lipid damage is marked by the accumulation of LDs. We hypothesized that impaired oocyte functionality resulting from aging and associated OS could be assessed by changes in LDs profile, hereafter called lipid fingerprint (LF). To investigate if it is possible to detect differences in oocyte LF, we subjected human GV-stage oocytes to spectroscopic examinations. For this, a total of 48 oocytes derived from 26 young healthy women (under 33 years of age) with no history of infertility, enrolled in an oocyte donation program, were analyzed. Furthermore, 30 GV human oocytes from 12 women were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To evaluate the effect of oocytes' lipid profile changes on embryo development, a total of 52 C57BL/6 wild-type mice and 125 Gnpat+/- mice were also used. Human oocytes were assessed by label-free cell imaging via coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS). Further confirmation of LF changes was conducted using spontaneous Raman followed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies and TEM. Additionally, to evaluate whether LF changes are associated with developmental competence, mouse oocytes and blastocysts were evaluated using TEM and the lipid dyes BODIPY and Nile Red. Mouse embryonic exosomes were evaluated using flow cytometry, FTIR and FT-Raman spectroscopies. Here we demonstrated progressive changes in the LF of oocytes associated with the woman's age consisting of increased LDs size, area, and number. LF variations in oocytes were detectable also within individual donors. This finding makes LF assessment a promising tool to grade oocytes of the same patient, based on their quality. We next demonstrated age-associated changes in oocytes reflected by lipid peroxidation and composition changes; the accumulation of carotenoids; and alterations of structural properties of lipid bilayers. Finally, using a mouse model, we showed that LF changes in oocytes are negatively associated with the secretion of embryonic exosomes prior to implantation. Deficient exosome secretion disrupts communication between the embryo and the uterus and thus may explain recurrent implantation failures in advanced-age patients. Due to differences in lipid content between different species' oocytes, the developmental impact of lipid oxidation and consequent LF changes may differ across mammalian oocytes. Our findings open the possibility to develop an innovative tool for oocyte assessment and highlight likely functional connections between oocyte LDs and embryonic exosome secretion. By recognizing the role of oocyte LF in shaping the embryo's ability to implant, our original work points to future directions of research relevant to developmental biology and reproductive medicine. This research was funded by National Science Centre of Poland, Grants: 2021/41/B/NZ3/03507 and 2019/35/B/NZ4/03547 (to G.E.P.); 2022/44/C/NZ4/00076 (to M.F.H.) and 2019/35/N/NZ3/03213 (to Ł.G.). M.F.H. is a National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) fellow (GA ULM/2019/1/00097/U/00001). K.F. is a Diamond Grant fellow (Ministry of Education and Science GA 0175/DIA/2019/28). The open-access publication of this article was funded by the Priority Research Area BioS under the program "Excellence Initiative - Research University" at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. The authors declare no competing interest. N/A.