The field of education greatly benefits from inclusive education, which is praised for acknowledging and valuing student diversity and individual needs. Kosovo, as a newly independent country, went through major reforms, particularly in the realm of education, which is marked, among others, by initiatives that anticipate fostering and promoting inclusive education. Initiatives and programs throughout the country were designed and initiated to promote and advocate for inclusivity in the education system. To foster inclusivity, assistants for students with special educational needs were introduced to enable students with special needs to be part of regular education. Thus, in this study, the experiences of assistants for students with special educational needs in Kosovo are explored. This study employed semi-structured interviews to collect data and utilized thematic analysis to identify key themes and topics. The participants in the study included nine assistants for students with special education needs, reflecting diverse perspectives and experiences in the field of inclusive education. The following themes and topics were identified as the main findings of this study: (a) joy, excitement, and pride with the work; (b) individualized education plan (IPE); (c) lack of resources and guidelines; (d) (lack of) cooperation with parents and families; (e) united in unity: the power of collegial support; and f) promoting and advocating for inclusive education.

It is unclear how social networks can be utilized in educational settings. An exploratory study was conducted to examine the differences between university students in Mexico and Spain in terms of their perceptions of knowledge and utilization of networks in the university environment. An overall sample of 378 students was collected from two public universities, one in Mexico and one in Spain. This study utilized descriptive statistics as part of a contingency analysis, X² with correction was used for the analysis of differences, Mann-Whitney U for the analysis of independence, Mantel-Haenszel test for association degree, Cramer's V for strength of association, Spearman's correlation coefficient for correlations. According to the results, the use of social networks is clearly related to country of origin, but not to gender. It seems that Instagram is a platform widely used by both Mexican and Spanish students, but it is not used in educational environments. Therefore, the use of social networks in higher education contexts differs by country, as does the knowledge of social bookmarking and the distribution of content to share information and resources.

The education of gifted students is often characterized by high expectations, ambitious goals, and significant effort invested in learning. Their experiences of success and failure are shaped by a variety of factors, including personal, family, school, cultural, and social influences. This article examines how gifted students perceive and experience their own successes and failures, as well as how these experiences are perceived and responded to by their peers. Using qualitative methods, the study involved semi-structured interviews with thirty gifted students from seventh to ninth grades across ten elementary schools in Slovenia. The findings indicate that gifted students experience a range of emotions in response to success, from satisfaction to anxiety, while their reactions to failure often involve frustration and self-criticism. Peer responses to their success and failure vary significantly, ranging from supportive encouragement to jealousy and social exclusion. These findings highlight the complex interpersonal dynamics at play within school environments. Understanding and addressing these dynamics is crucial for creating inclusive, supportive, and stimulating learning environments that nurture both the academic and social-emotional well-being of gifted students.

This study examines how work well-being is addressed in Finnish leadership education programs. The data consist of 91 publicly available course descriptions from Finnish leadership education programs in 2023, including those for master’s degrees from universities of applied sciences, traditional university-level leadership programs, and specialist vocational qualifications in leadership and business management. The study uses content analysis to examine the role of work well-being in leadership training. The results indicate that work well-being is often linked to organizational performance and treated as a tool for achieving economic goals, with less emphasis on the inherent value of employee well-being. This instrumental approach is prevalent across the different types of leadership training programs, including those found in the universities of applied sciences, traditional universities, and programs for specialist vocational qualifications in leadership and business management. The study also finds that leadership training programs often emphasize self-leadership and personal development, which can perpetuate a culture of individual responsibility for well-being and may lead to superficial leadership practices. The study concludes that Finnish leadership educators should prioritize holistic approaches to work well-being in leadership training, emphasizing its intrinsic value alongside its role in organizational performance, while researchers could explore methods to integrate and evaluate these balanced perspectives in diverse educational contexts.

Sensory integration (SI)-based intervention programs aim to improve the motor performance of children with moderate autism spectrum disorder (MASD), which may contribute to the development of their gross and fine motor skills. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of a SI-based training program in developing gross and fine motor skills in 70 children with MASD aged 6–9 years (M = 7.11, SD ± 1.19) and selected intentionally from a daycare center in Al-Ahsa in Saudi Arabia. The study used the quasi-experimental approach and followed the experimental design with two groups, which were randomly distributed and examined for equivalence. The study also used the Gross Motor Skills Scale (GMSS), the Fine Motor Skills Scale (FMSS), and the training program based on SI. The study found that the experimental group had significantly higher post-test scores in the GMSS and the FMSS than the control group, with these differences being statistically significant. However, no significant difference was observed between the post-test scores and the follow-up test scores within the experimental group, indicating stability in their performance over time. This indicates the effectiveness of the training program used in developing the targeted skills and the continuation of the training effect after the program’s application period. The study suggests that children should use SI-based training programs to enhance their motor skills.

Work-based learning (WBL) is an important tool for enhancing students' employability skills in vocational education and training. Many studies have underlined the importance of a variable of WBL, self-efficacy, and vocational identity in developing vocational students' employability skills. Nonetheless, the research is limited and examined separately. Therefore, this study investigates how WBL, self-efficacy, and vocational identity influence employability skills and how self-efficacy moderates between WBL and employability skills. Four hundred and three state university students in Yogyakarta were involved in the data collection. This study used structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis to test its hypothesis. The results of the study revealed that the implementation of WBL did not have a direct effect on employability skills; however, self-efficacy was able to moderate the relationship between WBL and employability skills. However, WBL directly influences vocational identity, which in turn directly influences employability skills, while self-efficacy also directly influences employability skills. This research has important implications for improving learning that can improve students' self-efficacy skills in an effort to build students' employability skills in vocational education and training.

This study addresses global concerns surrounding elementary students' science performance following the COVID-19, as a result of international tests such as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) highlight the ongoing challenges that urge the exploration of innovative educational approaches to improve science learning. This research employed gamification-assisted instruction and explored its impact on enhancing the understanding of science concepts and attitudes toward science class among fourth graders. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design and included an experimental group (ExG) that was taught using a gamification strategy and a control group (CoG) that was taught using a traditional method with a sample of 38 female elementary students from a public school in Jordan. Data were gathered using valid and reliable tools: the developed scientific concepts test and the Attitude Towards Science class measures. The ANCOVA analysis revealed that gamification significantly improves the acquisition of scientific concepts (η2=.208) and boosts a positive attitude toward science classes among elementary students (η2=.626). These findings encourage decision-makers to incorporate gamification into science teaching practices and methods.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by challenges in social communication and repetitive behaviors. The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) has been widely utilized to support communication in children with ASD by using picture cards to convey needs and responses. However, traditional PECS can be limited by its static nature and lack of immediate feedback. Recent technological advances, particularly Augmented Reality (AR), offer new avenues for enhancing these communication strategies. This study explores the integration of AR into PECS and its impact on improving basic communication skills, specifically answering questions and commenting, in children with ASD. The research involved a multiple baseline design with four participants aged 7-12 years, recruited from autism centers in Melaka, Malaysia. Results showed significant improvements in both the frequency and accuracy of responses and relevant commenting skills after the AR-based intervention. Answering skills improved by 83%, and commenting skills increased by 122%, with the average number of relevant comments rising from 3 (SD = 0.89) to 6.67 (SD = 2.25). Statistical analysis (paired t-test) revealed a significant effect (p = 0.00272). Compared to traditional methods, AR-based PECS accelerated the achievement of target communication skills. Future research should focus on larger sample sizes and explore long-term impacts to solidify these promising outcomes.

The use of technology in education aims to improve students' problem-solving skills so that they have the skills needed by 21st century society in dealing with various kinds of challenges and problems. This study was carried out aiming to obtain the characteristics of augmented reality-based learning media for mathematics learning in student problem-solving skill, and obtain the results of the average difference in the problem-solving abilities of junior high school students. This research and development (R&D) study, employing the (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate) ADDIE model, investigated Augmented Reality (AR)-based learning media for mathematics to enhance junior high school students' problem-solving skills. The aim was to identify characteristics of effective AR media and assess their impact on problem-solving abilities. Quantitative data, collected from student problem-solving tests, were analyzed using a t-test in SPSS. The AR media featured virtual manipulation, virtual measurement tools, and real-world problem exploration. While the experimental group using AR showed a higher average problem-solving score compared to the control group using Problem-Based Learning (PBL), the difference was not statistically significant (t (df) = 0.638, Cohen's d = 0.0876). This lack of significance, despite the higher mean, is likely due to a small sample size and the limited integration timeframe, coupled with pre-existing skill variations. Future research should address these limitations to further explore the potential of AR in mathematics education.

This study investigates how undergraduate art majors at the National University of Art Education in Vietnam perceive the cultural integration into their English curriculum. A quantitative design was employed using a researcher-developed questionnaire administered to 214 students. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, and multiple regression. Findings indicated that students valued culturally relevant content, particularly materials connected to both Vietnamese and international art as well as experiential and student-centered instructional strategies. Reported challenges included limited cultural background knowledge, cognitive overload, and reduced confidence when discussing culture in English. Crucially, results from multiple regression revealed that how culture is taught may have a greater impact on students’ experiences than the content itself. Therefore, these findings underscore the importance of aligning instructional approaches with learners’ disciplinary identities and offer implications for culturally responsive curriculum design, professional development, and the implementation of context-specific teaching strategies in English language instruction for art students.

This research exclusively aims to determine the type of digital media most often used in the teaching and learning process of history and the motivation to use digital media by teachers in teaching history based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). This study demonstrates that online learning platforms have become a widely used tool among Indonesian history teachers, with the highest adoption of online learning platform use in Junior and Senior High School, reflecting the high access to this platform across types of schools. The key driving factor for technology in history learning is that the technology must be user-friendly and have sufficient support for its use by educators. This research, using the technology acceptance model (TAM), contributes to teachers about motivational and environmental factors on technology adoption in teaching. Accessibility and proper support are the primary drivers for using technology in education and were the most impactful factors for teachers incorporating technology into history learning. Along with this supportive infrastructure, an effort must also be made to provide a conducive environment, such as teachers working together in this direction, and sufficient infrastructure for teachers so that it becomes easier for them to access and utilize technology. These methods can all help teachers gain confidence in their use of technology.

This study examines teachers’ perceptions of assessment and their relationship with instructional practice in primary education. It examines whether teachers perceive assessment as a tool to support student learning and development or as a mechanism for ensuring educational quality through teaching evaluation and exam preparation. The research is based on a survey conducted with 396 primary school teachers in Croatia, including both lower and upper grades. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, multiple regression analysis, and one-way ANOVA were employed to analyze the data. The findings indicate a statistically significant correlation between teachers’ perceptions of assessment and the assessment strategies they implement in the classroom. Formative assessment is widely supported, yet summative methods remain prevalent. Lower primary teachers apply formative strategy more frequently than their upper primary counterparts. Teachers with mentor status demonstrate a stronger inclination toward student-centered assessment practices and report applying them more consistently. The results highlight the prevalence of a hybrid assessment model in which teachers balance formative and summative approaches, seeking to meet institutional requirements while simultaneously supporting student development. The findings underscore the need for continuous professional development and systemic support to empower teachers in adopting assessment practices that effectively enhance student learning and elevate educational quality. Training programs should be designed to address the specific needs of primary teachers, recognizing differences between lower and upper levels, as well as subject-specific requirements in grades 5 through 8. A targeted approach would facilitate the effective integration of contemporary assessment strategies into everyday teaching, supporting student progress and educational improvement.

This systematic review synthesizes research on the application of Augmented Reality (AR) technology in K–12 special education to evaluate its impact on learning outcomes and identify implementation trends, benefits, and challenges. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines, a search of the Scopus, IEEE, Web of Science, and ProQuest databases on 20 March 2024 for English-language peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2024 yielded 16 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The analysis of these studies reveals a growing research interest, particularly after 2019, with a concentration of research in developing nations like Indonesia and Malaysia. The findings consistently show that AR technology interventions, predominantly targeting students with learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through 3D objects and game-based applications, positively impact academic achievement, motivation, and skill development. Despite these promising outcomes, this review concludes that a significant gap remains between the technology's potential and its current practice, hindered by challenges such as high costs, technical complexity, and a narrow research focus. Therefore, future work should prioritize developing cost-effective, user-friendly AR technology and expanding research to include a wider range of disabilities and educational contexts to ensure equitable and effective access for all students. 

This study used data from the COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities (COSMO) Study, to examine young people’s university aspirations and post-18 education expectations during COVID-19 in relation to their demographic and socio-economic position, school engagement, education disruption, and attitudes to education. Through a series of binary regression analyses, the findings showed the important role school engagement (in the form of online lesson attendance, schoolwork and teacher contact) played in young people’s university aspirations and post-18 education plans, especially at the height of the pandemic. Education disruption and locus of control were found to contribute to young people’s aspirations and post-18 expectations. The findings also highlighted the influence of gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic position regarding university aspirations and expectations, laying bare the obstacles in accessing learning faced by disadvantaged young people at a crucial time in their education. The findings contribute to continued debates about educational aspirations in the post COVID-19 world and have policy implications especially as this generation of young people are still in education. They may also contribute to discussions on ways of supporting this COVID-19 generation through fiscal changes and widening participation policies that extend to post-18 education and early career development.