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Blended MOOC Impact on Jamaican Teachers’ Demonstrated STEM Competency
Rationale Integrated STEM education is widely recognised as an effective approach for developing students’ problem-solving, critical thinking, and innovation skills required for the twenty-first century (Honey, Pearson and Schweingruber, 2014; Bybee, 2013). In Jamaica, the National Standards Curriculum (NSC) promotes interdisciplinary and inquiry-based learning through an integrated STEM approach (Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, 2016). However, research indicates that many primary and secondary teachers experience…
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Overcoming Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety using Immersive Virtual Reality
Foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) is a widely experienced phenomenon when learning a new language, characterised by the feeling of apprehension and fear when attempting to communicate (Horwitz, Horwitz and Cope, 1986). Rather than being a necessary discomfort of the learning process, many studies have identified this anxiety as having a negative impact on language learning achievement (Gardner et al., 1976; Krashen,…
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Keep tablets within young children’s reach: Promoting agency through digital learning
Technology is a contentious and emotive area within early years (EY) education, with variable teacher engagement. This is due to concerns such as pedagogical validity, safeguarding, and young children’s screen use (Bird and Edwards, 2016; Plowman, 2020; Vasconcellos, 2024). The removal of statutory EY technology teaching requirements in 2021 creates further complexity (Joines, 2024). This…
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Embedding AI-powered Assistive Technologies in inclusive Refugee Camp education: Pedagogical and Policy Frameworks for Equity and Engagement
Refugee education in camps such as Kakuma and Dadaab in Kenya faces persistent challenges of overcrowding, limited infrastructure, stigmatization, and inadequate teacher preparedness, leaving children, particularly those with disabilities, marginalized and excluded from meaningful learning opportunities. While global frameworks such as UNHCR’s Education Strategy 2030 and UNESCO’s ICT in Education agenda emphasize inclusion, current research offers limited insight into…
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Performing Behind the Screen: Student Nurses’ Experiences of Emotional Labour
Background This scholarship project uses Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the experiences of emotional labour among undergraduate student nurses participating in synchronous online tutorials. The project is theoretically informed by Hochschild’s (1983) conceptualisation of emotional labour and is situated within a Communities of Practice (CoP) framework (Lave and Wenger, 1991). The concept of CoP informed the…
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Teachers’ enactment of digital competence in primary classrooms: Professional judgement and contextual constraints in technology use
Digital competence has become an increasingly important expectation for teachers working in technology-rich learning environments. Over the past two decades, several frameworks have been developed to conceptualise the knowledge and capabilities teachers require to integrate digital technologies into teaching. Among these, Falloon’s (2020) Teacher Digital Competence (TDC) framework proposes a holistic model that includes technical, cognitive, social-emotional and pedagogical dimensions. While this…
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“Did they use it, and did it help?” Exploring how students engage with interactive online feedback resources between formative and summative assignment submissions in a first-year nursing degree module.
Rationale: Formative feedback is a key component of nursing education, supporting both academic and practical skill development. However, feedback is consistently reported as an area of dissatisfaction within higher education in the UK, with both students and lecturers feeling dissatisfied with the feedback process. The feedback provided needs to not only identify areas for improvement but then needs to be utilised in a way that can positively impact the student’s learning. Technology can offer options to help bridge…
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Don’t Let AI Replace Critical Thinking: Designing for Critical Thought
Rationale Generative AI tools present a paradox for educators. On one hand, they have the ability to powerfully enhance learning, but on the other hand they threaten to undermine critical thinking (CT) by providing students with quick answers that bypass genuine cognitive engagement. Teachers report a central dilemma: How can AI be used as a scaffold for CT rather…
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Reimagining Career Guidance in Sub-Saharan Africa: Exploring the Potential of Mobile Learning for Contextualised Career Development
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, many secondary schools, especially those with limited resources, provide little or no structured career guidance. As a result, students often complete their schooling with minimal access to reliable information about education pathways, labour market opportunities, or emerging sectors of employment. In the absence of formal guidance systems, young people frequently rely on informal sources such as family members, peers, or chance encounters when making…
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Impact of e-learning accessibility and inclusivity on social science student-teachers’ outcomes at Domasi College of Education
The adoption of e-learning platforms increasingly represents a new approach to delivering instruction, which necessitates ensuring that e-learning materials are accessible and inclusive for all student-teachers. At Domasi College of Education (DCE), social science student-teachers (SSSTs) form a significant group that can benefit from accessible and inclusive e-learning materials. However, limited research exists on how e-learning accessibility and inclusivity impact the SSSTs’ e-learning outcomes. The scholarship project investigates the impact of e-learning accessibility and inclusivity on SSSTs…