Peer Interaction Research Articles

REVIEW OF INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO MENTAL HEALTH TELETHERAPY: ACCESS AND EFFECTIVENESS

The field of mental health has witnessed a paradigm shift with the integration of teletherapy, offering innovative approaches to address accessibility and effectiveness in treatment. This review examines accessible teletherapy platforms, including mobile applications, web-based services, and immersive experiences facilitated by virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). A critical evaluation of these platforms highlights their usability, customizability, and potential to transcend traditional barriers to mental health services. It explores the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) for personalized interventions, gamification, and interactive techniques aimed at enhancing engagement, and the development of virtual support communities for peer interactions and shared experiences. Effectiveness is a central focus of the third section, with a comprehensive review of studies assessing the outcomes of innovative teletherapy approaches. Comparative analyses with traditional in-person therapy outcomes provide insights into evidence-based practices, while patient feedback and satisfaction surveys contribute to a nuanced understanding of the user experience. Challenges and considerations address technological barriers, ethical considerations, and regulatory implications associated with the integration of innovative teletherapy approaches. Recommendations for addressing these challenges underscore the need for a balanced and ethical implementation of teletherapy innovations. It explores potential future directions, including the integration of wearable technologies, advancements in AI and machine learning, and the importance of collaborative research initiatives. These future directions hold the promise of further transforming mental health teletherapy into a more personalized, accessible, and effective mode of treatment. This review consolidates findings on innovative approaches to mental health teletherapy, offering a comprehensive overview of platforms, therapeutic techniques, effectiveness, challenges, and future directions. The synthesis of these insights contributes to the ongoing dialogue surrounding the transformative potential of teletherapy in mental health, paving the way for continued advancements and improved mental health care delivery.
 Keywords: Innovative, Mental, Health, Teletherapy, Access and Effectiveness.

Examining the efficacies of instructor‐designed instructional videos in flipped classrooms on student engagement and learning outcomes: An empirical study

AbstractBackgroundInstructional videos constitute a pivotal component in flipped learning. Despite their significance, there is a dearth of research specifically dedicated to instructional videos within the context of flipped classrooms. This paucity has led to an empirical void in verifying the efficacy of instructional videos in flipped learning environments.ObjectivesThe present study endeavours to contribute to the extant literature on flipped pedagogical practices by providing empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of instructional videos in flipped learning environments.MethodsThis study employs a convergent mixed‐methods design. Forty‐five instructional videos in three subtypes were administered in two classes over a 15‐week semester. Data, both quantitative (log data from the learning management system) and qualitative (from focus group discussions at two time points), were concurrently collected from a flipped class (n = 25) and a blended class (n = 28) with the aim of gauging student engagement and learning outcomes in the flipped class and understanding video‐viewing features typical of the flipped class.ResultsBoth datasets corroborated that participants in the flipped class outperformed their counterparts in the blended class in terms of video‐watching, peer interaction, knowledge retention, and transfer skills.ConclusionsThe instructional videos within the flipped classroom setting serve to enhance student engagement in the learning process and improve learning outcomes. The efficacy of these instructional videos in flipped learning can be further augmented through strategic approaches in both their design and implementation.

The effectiveness of online teaching and learning compared to in-person instruction in science for junior secondary students: a case study in the Kurunegala education zone

Schools and Universities in Sri Lanka have been closed intermittently during the past three years due to COVID-19 and fuel shortages. During this period, in-person teaching became impossible, and online teaching was developed. However, schools have been reopened for in-person teaching and learning at present. In contrast, other countries adopted both methods, online and in-person. It was noticed that a decline in test scores among junior secondary students in some education zones during online learning. This study aimed to assess and compare the effectiveness of online and in-person teaching and learning science among junior secondary students in a selected school within the Kurunegala education zone. The study objectives were to 1). conduct both online and in-person science lessons for two groups separately and compare grade-eight students' performance in both settings; 2) compare teacher-student interaction, learning resources, peer group interaction, and motivation in both sittings; and 3) make suggestions for effective teaching and learning process. Two equally weighted courses were used to teach the two groups. Convenience sample of 72 Grade 8 students was used in the data collection with mixed methods approach. Pre-tests, post-tests, and questionnaires were used in the quantitative data collection. Qualitative data were collected via interviews with ten randomly selected students. The findings revealed that the performance scores of in-person group in Unit 4 (Properties of Matter) of grade-eight Science evaluation were slightly higher than that of online group. Both groups demonstrated similar performance levels in Unit 8 (Changes in Matter). However, in-person teaching exhibited significantly higher scores (p < 0.05) than the online group for factors such as teacher-student interaction, peer group interaction, learning resources, and motivation. Students achieved high results in both settings but needed more resources, reliable internet facilities, and adequate technology skills for online teaching and learning. The study suggests adapting effective instructional methods, technology usage, resource availability, training, participation, peer interactions, and monitoring well-being for effective online science teaching.

How often does unguided peer interaction lead to correct response consensus? An example from conceptual survey of electricity and magnetism

In this research, we investigated the impact of peer collaboration and changes from individual to group performance of graduate students on the conceptual survey of electricity and magnetism (CSEM) without any guidance from the instructor. We define construction of knowledge as a case in which the group answered the question correctly but in the individual administration of the survey before the group work, one member gave the correct answer and the other gave incorrect answer. We find that there was a significant improvement in the performance of students after peer interaction, which was mostly attributed to construction of knowledge. However, students had very few opportunities to co-construct knowledge as there were hardly any situations in which neither student in a group provided a correct answer. We analyzed the effect size for improvement from individual to group scores for each CSEM item to understand the characteristics of these questions that led to productive group interaction. We also compared the group performance of the graduate students to the introductory physics students in a prior study using the CSEM to get insight into the concepts that showed differences for the two groups and those that were challenging for both groups of students before and after collaboration with peers. Our findings can motivate physics instructors to incorporate group interactions both inside and outside of the classroom even without instructor’s involvement so that students at all levels can learn from each other and develop a functional understanding of the underlying concepts.

Impact of Female Peer Composition on Gender Norm Perceptions in Secondary School in Uruguay

Gender norms affect girls’ educational achievements. Yet, how norms are formed and what drives their changes are still open questions. This article examines peer effects on students’ gender norm perceptions and skills formation. The study uses a Uruguayan nationally representative survey of ninth grade students and exploits the quasi-random variation in the proportion of female peers across classes within schools for causal identification. Results show that a higher exposure to female peers leads to more progressive gender norms. Furthermore, these effects are driven mostly by male students. Female students are also impacted by peers’ gender composition and significantly reduce the time devoted to domestic work and improve mathematics scores when exposed to more female peers. No effects on language test were found for either gender. These results suggest that short peer interactions in secondary school contexts may have substantial effects on reducing gender stereotypes and change gendered behaviors among students. HIGHLIGHTS In Uruguay, higher exposure to female peers in the class leads to more progressive gender perceptions by male students. Class sex composition also reduces time devoted to domestic work and improves mathematics performance of female students. Even one-year peer interactions in secondary school may have substantial effects on increasing gender-egalitarian attitudes and behaviors.

Parents on the Sidelines: The Role of Parental Directing in Chinese Adolescents’ Friendship Dynamics Related to Academic Achievement, Aggression, and Prosocial Behavior

Adolescents’ peer interactions strongly influence their school behavior, raising the question of whether parents can still direct adolescents’ friendship choices or whether they are mostly on the sidelines. Chinese cultural values emphasize the importance of having “good” friends, raising questions about adolescents’ adherence to parental direction of friendships. This study examined friendship dynamics among seventh and eighth graders in central China ( n = 1,454, 46.7% girls), focusing on achievement, aggression, and prosocial behavior. Social network analysis revealed that Chinese students tended to select friends who were more similar to them in achievement, aggression, and prosocial behavior. Interestingly, they avoided aggressive peers but were attracted to high-achieving and prosocial peers. Despite parental emphasis on friendship quality, the study found no parental direction in adolescent friendship selection. These findings underscore the central role of peer characteristics in friendship dynamics, while highlighting the limited impact of parental directing on Chinese adolescents’ friendship selection.

Translanguaging as Interactional Resources Employed by Students in EFL Student-Led Group Task Interaction

This study aimed to investigate the strategies used by students during group tasks in the EFL classroom. The study focused on translanguaging as one of the strategies to facilitate communication and interaction among students. The data was collected by recording the classroom discussions of a focused group in an EFL class at a Chinese university over three hours. The analysis was carried out using conversation analytic methodology. The study revealed various interactional features in turn constructions. Students often used single learner turns to agree and extended learner turns with clarification or explanation to support their ideas for turn-taking. Concerning turn passing, students prefer to use open-ended questions to ask for opinions, they also used open-ended questions to ask for opinions, confirmation checks for meaningful understanding, and extended wait times for other speakers to take turns. Regarding self-repairs and peer repairs, they often made content-focused repairs rather than form-focused ones, and students with a higher English proficiency usually provided support. Translanguaging was an effective strategy to facilitate peer interaction and avoid errors in meaning-making. The study has important implications for language teaching and learning policy, highlighting the need to encourage prospective teachers to practice translanguaging to facilitate classroom interaction and second language acquisition.

"Honestly, they are just like us": U.S. parents choose middle-class gender and racial ingroup peers for their children.

Children and adolescents benefit from positive intergroup peer interactions, but they are unlikely to have many opportunities for these interactions if their parents are uncomfortable with them. Drawing primarily on social identity theory (SIT), this study investigated how U.S. parents' (N = 569) comfort with their children's potential intergroup peer interactions (a) differed by child and peer group gender (boy, girl), race (Black, White), and social class (higher-, middle-, or lower-subjective social status), (b) changed over the transition from childhood to adolescence (8-10, 11-13, and 14-16 years), and (c) varied by context intimacy (hanging out vs. sleeping over). The sample was equally balanced between parents of children reflecting those same group memberships. Consistent with SIT, when asked to choose, parents were typically most comfortable with their child spending time with middle-class peers who shared their child's gender and racial ingroup membership. Moreover, parents often explained their decisions with reference to similarities between these peers and their own child or family. Parents' comfort did not differ systematically by child age, but many parents were less comfortable with cross-gender peer interactions in the more intimate sleepover context than the less intimate hangout context. All groups of parents also exhibited at least some openness to cross-group interactions. These findings advance developmental scientists' understanding of parents' roles as potential facilitators or gatekeepers of their children's intergroup peer interactions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Investigating the Impacts of Peer Conversations on Students' Speaking Ability at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade

The facts that teachers asked some questions in English speaking classes, and students knew the answers but didn’t respond because they didn’t know how to express their opinions and experiences in English and students kept discussing some topics together in Vietnamese made the author concerned about major English students’ speaking skills. The purpose of this study is to find out how students perceive about speaking English with peers and their attitudes towards this method. This research employed forty English majors from integrated-skill-2 classes at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUIT). A closed-ended questionnaire and Likert scale were used to gather the data, and a quantitative research method was used to analyze it. Speaking practice daily with peers is a highly useful approach to improving speaking skills, according to the data gathered. The study also indicates that students have positive attitudes toward English conversation practice. Additionally, peer interaction gives students confidence and meets their need to speak in front of an audience. Besides, the study demonstrates that through peer conversations, students’ vocabulary increases significantly, and they find it much easier to articulate their thoughts and feelings more effectively.

The roles of classmate support, smartphone addiction, and leisure time in the longitudinal relationship between academic pressure and social anxiety among Chinese adolescents in the context of the “double reduction” policy

In response to concerns surrounding excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for students undergoing compulsory education in China, the government implemented the “double reduction” policy to alleviate these burdens. This study aims to examine the mechanisms that underlie the longitudinal relationship between changes in academic pressure and social anxiety among Chinese adolescents under the background of this policy. A total of 2,202 valid questionnaires were obtained, and the sample consisted of 1,234 students who reported having a smartphone (age: M = 14.60, SD = 1.57). They were recruited to complete the changes in leisure time and academic pressure at Time 1, classmate support at Time 1 and Time 2, problematic smartphone use at Time 1 and Time 2, and social anxiety at Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3. The findings indicate that classmate support and problematic smartphone use at Time 2 significantly mediated the association between changes in academic pressure at Time 1 and social anxiety at Time 3. Changes in leisure time at Time 1 also affected these relationships. Specifically, compared to those with decreased leisure time, the relationship between classmate support at Time 2 and problematic smartphone use at Time 2 was stronger among adolescents with increased leisure time, while the relationship between changes in academic pressure at Time 1 and problematic smartphone use at Time 2 was weaker among adolescents with increased leisure time. These results highlight the importance of promoting effective stress coping strategies and peer interactions for adolescents, and also the importance of promoting active parental participation in leisure time management and guidance towards positive coping styles.

Mechanisms of Near-Peer Learning in a Longitudinal Clerkship: A Grounded Theory Study.

Many medical schools incorporate longitudinal clerkships, which promote continuity and may offer early clinical exposure during the preclinical curriculum. However, the mechanisms of near-peer learning and how it contributes to the development of clinical skills in longitudinal clinical experiences are less clear. The authors explored how peer-to-peer interactions among medical students influenced their developmental trajectories from nascent clinicians to more seasoned practitioners capable of juggling dual roles of clinical care and clinical supervision within longitudinal clerkships. The Education-Centered Medical Home (ECMH) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is a longitudinal clerkship that represents an ideal setting to explore peer learning. At ECMH, continuity is established across all 4 years of medical school among small groups of students from each year, a preceptor, and a panel of outpatients. The authors conducted 6 focus groups and 9 individual interviews between March 2021 and February 2023 with medical students from all years. Using constructivist grounded theory, the authors collected and analyzed data iteratively using constant comparison to identify themes and explore their relationships. Within ECMH, peer relationships fostered an informal learning culture that enabled meaningful peer interactions while reinforcing the established culture. The authors identified 3 essential learning practices between senior and junior medical students: preparing for patient encounters, shifting roles dynamically during the joint encounter, and debriefing encounters afterward. These practices strengthened learning relationships and supported students' developmental trajectories. Longitudinal peer learning relationships enabled meaningful peer interaction that influenced medical students' clinical development and capability for clinical supervision. Mutual trust, familiarity, and continuity facilitate targeted feedback practices and growth at the edge of junior students' capabilities. Optimizing this peer learning environment and seeking new opportunities to use longitudinal peer learning in clinical environments could promote psychological safety and professional identity formation for medical students.

Factors associated with instructor and peer pre-help-seeking interactions among community college students

Community colleges, or 2-year associate-degree granting institutions, tend to enroll large numbers of students deemed misprepared for college-level coursework. Such students may also not be as likely to seek help, a self-regulated activity that is challenging and fraught with social stigma. A key component of active learning and the help-seeking process is social interaction with both peers and instructors throughout the learning process. We conducted structural equation modeling on data from the 2018 Community College Survey of Student Engagement ( N = 17,045 students) to identify the degree to which they engaged in social interactions with instructors and peers and to explore which factors were most predictive of such pre-help-seeking interactions. Various psychological and sociodemographic factors were significantly associated with both instructor and peer interactions. We discuss implications for fostering environments that cultivate active learning interactions and help-seeking cultures.

Achieving Joint Attention and Understanding of Task Responsibilities in Synchronous Hybrid L2 Classroom Group Work

Abstract This article addresses the need to better understand interactional asymmetries, challenges, and solutions in implementing synchronous hybrid language teaching. We investigate video-recorded peer interactions in a higher education language teaching context in which a student uses a telepresence robot, a remotely moveable videoconferencing tool, to participate in small-group task work in L2 English together with students who are physically located in the language classroom. Drawing on multimodal conversation analysis, we examine how the geographically dispersed peer group achieves, maintains, and repairs their joint attention on task-relevant learning materials as they are accomplishing a task, and how this kind of referential interactional work enables their co-operation as a group. Based on the analysis, we argue that in synchronous hybrid learning there is a need to reflexively adjust interactional practices to secure an intersubjective understanding of learning tasks and their progressivity. The findings also suggest that sensory and interactional asymmetries should be taken into account when developing and implementing synchronous hybrid learning environments that aim at equality of opportunities regardless of the participation mode.

Peer interactions during storybook reading on children’s knowledge construction: an experimental study on K2 and K3 children

This study explored the effects of peer interactions on kindergarten children’s construction of conservation and conflict resolution knowledge during storybook reading. Previous studies have identified that peer interactions can support the meaning-making processes of children in social relationships and problem-solving, but little is known about whether the interaction with mixed-age or more competent peers is more important in supporting knowledge construction. Sixty-four younger children in K2 and older children in K3 with similar socioeconomic backgrounds were recruited from a Montessori kindergarten in Kunming, China. An experimental design was applied to explore age group and conserver dominance effects on conservation and conflict resolution. Children were assigned randomly to eight groups in three 30-to-40-min intervention sessions. Each session had a different theme for the children to learn about conservation and conflict resolution concepts and a hands-on activity to practice and discuss. ANOVAs were performed to test group effects, while multiple regression analyses were conducted to explore individual variations in age and pre-test scores in predicting post-test scores. Conservation knowledge was significantly better among children who differed in age groups in the post-test, but differences were not found in conflict resolution knowledge. Groups balanced with equal conservers and non-conservers improved the best, suggesting that peer social interactions can facilitate conservation and conflict resolution construction. These results provide new insights for early childhood educators to support peer interactions and children’s development. Implications, limitations, and future research are discussed.

Exploring influential factors in peer upvoting within social annotation

AbstractUpvotes serve important purposes in online social annotation environments. However, limited studies have explored the influential factors affecting peer upvoting in online collaborative learning. In this study, we analysed the factors influencing students' upvotes received from their peers as 91 participants utilized Perusall, an online social annotation system, for collaborative reading. The participants were asked to collaboratively annotate 29 reading materials in a semester. We collected student reading behaviours and analysed their annotations with a text‐mining tool of Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC). Moreover, conditional inference tree was used to determine the relative importance of explanatory factors to the upvotes students received. The results showed that the high‐upvote group made significantly more annotations, posted more responses to others' annotations and displayed fewer negative emotions in annotations than those who did not receive upvotes. The two groups of students had no significant differences in the upvotes given to others, as well as cognitive activities and positive emotions involved in annotations. Moreover, the number of annotations was the determining factor in predicting the upvotes that one could receive in social annotation activities. This study has significant practical implications regarding providing interventions in social annotation‐based collaborative reading.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Social annotations enhance students' reading experience, facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration, promote high‐quality learning interactions and ultimately lead to improved performance. In social annotation environments, receiving upvotes from peers is not only a type of feedback but also a form of motivation, social interaction and social validation. No study has explored the influential factors in peer upvoting within social annotation‐based learning. What this paper adds This study was the first to examine social annotations through the lens of the community of inquiry framework. We investigated the relationships between students' cognitive and social presence in their annotations and the upvotes they received in an online social annotation environment. Our study revealed the strategies for obtaining upvotes from peers in social annotation‐based learning environments. Implications for practice and/or policy The high‐upvote group made significantly more annotations, posted more responses to others' annotations and displayed fewer negative emotions in annotations compared to the low‐upvote group. The two groups of students did not show significant differences in the upvotes they gave to others or in the cognitive activities and positive emotions involved in annotations. The number of annotations was the primary factor predicting the number of upvotes received in the collaborative reading. This study could inform the design of future online social annotation systems to better support collaborative learning and peer interaction.

The cost of "snubbing": the effect of parental phubbing on filial piety behavior in children and adolescents.

Although numerous studies have used Chinese samples to examine the consequences of parental phubbing, these studies focused on children's mental health and peer interaction. No research to date has directly explored the association between parental phubbing and child-parent interaction. Since parental phubbing is a way how parents interact with their children (parent-child), it might be associated with the way how children interact with their parents (child-parent), such as filial piety behavior, which prescribes how children behave toward their parents and remains one of the goals of parents in educating their children in modern Chinese society. Based on social exchange theory and social gender theory, this study investigated the impact of parental phubbing on filial piety behavior and tested its mediation of perceived parental rejection, its moderation of gender among children and adolescents. This study was conducted using a questionnaire method. A total of 753 students from Grade 4 to 9 (Mage = 12.28 years, SD = 1.81 years) was surveyed using the Parental Phubbing Scale, Perceived Parental Rejection Questionnaire, and the revised Dual Filial Piety Scale. First, parental phubbing was negatively correlated with reciprocal filial piety (RFP) behavior, but not correlated with authoritarian filial piety (AFP) behavior. Second, perceived parental rejection played a mediating role between parental phubbing and RFP behavior. Third, this direct effect was moderated by gender, in that it was stronger for boys than for girls. These findings suggest that there are intergenerational costs of phubbing, such as reducing children and adolescents' RFP behavior. The present study is the first to combine parent-child interaction in the digital media era (parental phubbing) with traditional Chinese child-parent interaction (RFP behavior), which expands the research topic on the influence of parental phubbing on children and adolescents' psychological development.

Facilitating feedback generation and group skill development through assessment design

PurposeLarge classes pose challenges in managing different types of skills (e.g. maths, subject-specific knowledge, writing, confidence and communication), facilitating interactions, enabling active learning and providing timely feedback. This paper shares a design of a set of assessments for a large undergraduate economics course consisting of students from diverse cultural backgrounds. The benefits, challenges and learning experiences of students are analysed.Design/methodology/approachStudents worked in groups to complete an assessment with several questions which would be useful as a revision for the individual assessment, the following week. Survey questionnaires with Likert-type questions and open-ended questions were used to analyse the learning and skill development that occurred because of the group work. Responses to the open-ended survey questions were coded and analysed by identifying the themes and categorising the various issues that emerged.FindingsThis assessment design developed group working skills, created opportunities to interact and enhanced learning. The analysis of the responses found that working with peers enabled the students to generate their own feedback, clear doubts and learn to solve problems. Effective communication, planning meetings and working around the diverse group members’ strengths and weaknesses are some graduate skills that are developed in this group assessment. The challenges were arranging meetings, finalising assessments, engagement of group members and unreliable technology. However, the students found ways to overcome these challenges.Originality/valueThis assessment design can be useful in higher education practice by introducing a mechanism for authentic collaborative practice. This paper adds to the literature on peer interactions and group work and enables effective learning at scale.

Panel Discussion as a Teaching Tool in the EFL Classroom

This article seeks to provide a comprehensive review of panel discussions, focusing on the procedures for conducting them and the advantages of incorporating them as a teaching tool in the ESL classroom. Despite the limited existing literature on the use of panel discussions in educational settings, this review aims to shed light on the potential benefits of this approach. Panel discussions offer numerous advantages when employed as a teaching strategy in ESL classrooms, particularly in enhancing students' speaking skills and promoting active engagement. The benefits of utilizing panel discussions in ESL instruction are manifold and warrant further exploration. This teaching method can be particularly beneficial for ESL students as it encourages collaborative learning, fosters critical thinking, and improves communication skills. By engaging in panel discussions, students have the opportunity to express their thoughts, listen to diverse perspectives, and develop their speaking abilities in a supportive environment. Moreover, the Zone of Proximal Development theory proposed by Lev Vygotsky provides a theoretical framework for understanding the effectiveness of panel discussions in the ESL classroom. This theory emphasizes the importance of scaffolding and peer interaction in facilitating learning and cognitive development. By leveraging the Zone of Proximal Development, educators can optimize the use of panel discussions to create a dynamic and interactive learning environment that enhances students' language proficiency and overall academic growth.

Assessing the effectiveness and student perceptions of synchronous online flipped learning supported by a metaverse-based platform in medical English education: A mixed-methods study

Understanding the potential transformation brought about by integrating the flipped classroom methodology with rich and dynamic learning platforms like the Metaverse, in terms of usability, students’ academic performance, and intrinsic motivation, holds critical importance for adopting innovative strategies in the field of education. This study describes an attempt to integrate flipped learning method into a medical English course by using an active learning strategy supported by a Metaverse-based environment. Therefore, the present study aims to compare the synchronous online flipped medical English classroom supported by a Metaverse-based platform and the conventional medical English classroom supported by the synchronous distance education and to examine the effectiveness of Metaverse-powered synchronous online flipped learning on medical students’ academic achievement. For this purpose, a mixed method was used to conduct the study. A quasi-experimental design was adopted for the quantitative dimension of the research. The students in the experimental group engaged in the activities with the help of the Spatial AR environment, a Metaverse platform enhanced with three-dimensional (3D) objects and allowing peer interaction, In the qualitative aspect of the study, the data were collected through a focus group interview, in which a semi-structured interview form was used. The participants of the study consisted of 100 first-year medical students at a state university in Türkiye. The results revealed that the experimental group students outperformed the control group students regarding academic achievement. In addition, the mean score of male students was higher than that of female students in the experimental group. As a result of the qualitative data analysis, eight themes emerged from the created codes. Students stated that learning medical English through the flipped classroom supported by Metaverse-based technology was enjoyable and that it increased their interest. Regarding learning outcomes, the most prominent benefits were permanent learning, comprehending the subject easily, deep learning, and embodying abstract concepts. Concerning language skills, students expressed that synchronous online flipped learning assisted by Metaverse-based technology helped develop their reading and listening skills as well as to learn new vocabulary. On the other hand, some students reported negative thoughts about the Metaverse platform due to technical problems and about flipped classroom activities because they found some of them time-consuming. The present study suggested that synchronous online flipped medical teaching model assisted by the Metaverse could positively affect the academic achievement of students. However, it is recommended to investigate the most effective practices that will meet the needs of students in different contexts.

School Principal Leadership in Improving Teacher Performance in Kindergarten Tut Wuri Handayani


 
 
 The purpose of this study was to determine the leadership applied by the principal to improve the performance of Tut Wuri Handayani Kindergarten teachers to work more effectively and efficiently. The method used in the research is a descriptive approach with qualitative analysis, namely by using data collection techniques in the field through the process of interviews, observation and documentation. The results showed enhance teacher performance, the principal leads the team in finishing assignments and work within the allotted time. The orientations peer interactions and task orientation show how teacher performance has improved at Tut Wuri Handayani Kindergarten. The principal effectively carries out the laws aimed at enhancing teacher performance, carries out programs that develop teaching ability by encouraging teachers to pursue further education, and recognizes and rewards the hard work and dedication of their teachers.