Search Results for
"education"

Objective: To evaluate whether an 8-week curriculum structured by the 7E teaching model is associated with improved emergency obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) competencies among first-year residents. Methods: We conducted a prospective, single-center, quasiexperimental consecutive-cohort study at the Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University (September 2022–September 2024). Consecutive training-year cohorts were compared: the 2022 cohort received traditional training (control, n = 32), and the 2023 cohort received the 7E-based program (intervention, n = 31; elicit–engage–explore–explain–elaborate–evaluate–extend). Outcomes were mapped to Kirkpatrick’s four-level model (reaction, learning, behavior, and results) and included satisfaction, written examination scores, OSCE performance, Mini-CEX trajectories, and selected patient safety/process indicators. Results: Compared with the control group, residents in the 7E cohort reported higher satisfaction (35.10 ± 1.30 vs. 23.22 ± 1.84, p < 0.001; Cronbach’s α = 0.905), achieved higher written examination scores (71.23 ± 4.25 vs. 63.88 ± 5.71, p < 0.001), and demonstrated a higher OSCE excellence rate (80.65% vs. 15.63%, p < 0.001). Compliance with prespecified “golden-hour” emergency process indicators was higher in the 7E cohort (87.09% vs. 59.38%, p = 0.025). Mini-CEX trajectories showed a significant group × time interaction (β = −1.48 per week, 95% CI −1.75 to −1.21, p < 0.001), indicating faster skill improvement in the 7E cohort. Adherence to “golden-hour” emergency process indicators was higher (87.09% vs. 59.38%, p = 0.025). Severe complications occurred in 1/31 (3.23%) versus 6/32 (18.75%), corresponding to a risk ratio = 0.17 (score-based 95% CI 0.03–1.01; Fisher’s exact p = 0.104). Conclusion: The 7E-structured curriculum was associated with improved satisfaction and performance across multiple competency domains. The 7E model shows promise as a structured paradigm for competency-based emergency OBGYN education, although causal inferences are limited by the nonrandomized design and single-institution context. © © 2026 Ling Yan et al. Emergency Medicine International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Purpose – This conceptual paper critically explores the role of apprenticeships in the UK as both potential social levellers and mechanisms of social reproduction. Drawing on theories of capital, social justice, and intersectionality, it investigates whether vocational pathways can meaningfully promote inclusion, economic agency, and identity transformation for underrepresented groups particularly within the further education sector. Design/methodology/approach – Adopting a theoretically grounded approach, the paper synthesises key sociological and political frameworks, including Bourdieu’s theory of capital, Fraser’s model of social justice, and Crenshaw’s intersectionality. It engages in critical policy analysis of the Skills for Jobs White Paper and wider vocational education reforms to interrogate how structural inequities, marketisation, and employer-led models shape the apprenticeship landscape. Findings – The paper argues that apprenticeships occupy a paradoxical space: while often positioned as inclusive, work-based alternatives to higher education, they risk reproducing existing inequalities through labour market segmentation, variable quality, and credentialism. However, when embedded in authentic employer partnerships, high-quality provision, and relational pedagogy, apprenticeships can function as transformative sites of social mobility, personal growth, and civic participation. Originality/value – The paper contributes a new conceptual model that frames apprenticeships as potential social justice interventions, rather than solely as economic tools. It also calls for greater investment in FE-based research, the co-design of policy with learners and communities, and a reframing of vocational education as a space of democratic possibility. This reorientation is vital in addressing persistent inequities and realising the full promise of vocational learning in the 21st century. © 2026 Emerald Publishing Limited

Purpose – This study examines how soft skills shape problem-solving capability in work-based learning by integrating Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model. It tests whether personal engagement explains how soft skills influence problem-solving and whether these relationships differ by gender. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected via an online survey from 16, 824 participants enrolled in Indonesia's Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) Independent Study Programme (Batch 7, 2024). The model was estimated using PLS-SEM with bootstrapping. Common method bias diagnostics and measurement invariance testing (MICOM) were conducted before gender-based multi-group analysis (permutation MGA). Findings – Soft skills are positively related to personal engagement, and personal engagement is positively related to problem-solving. Bootstrapped mediation results show that engagement partly explains the effect of soft skills on problem-solving, while the direct association between soft skills and problem-solving remains significant. The permutation MGA indicates that gender differences are mainly observed in the relationship between soft skills and engagement, whereas the relationship between engagement and problem-solving, and the direct relationship between soft skills and problem-solving, are broadly similar for male and female participants. As MICOM did not fully support invariance for the soft-skills composite, gender comparisons involving soft skills are interpreted with appropriate caution. Practical implications – Higher education institutions and work-based learning providers should embed soft-skills development through experiential learning, mentoring, and reflective practice to strengthen engagement and applied problem-solving. Employers and Human Resources (HR) teams can reinforce these capabilities through structured feedback, engagement-supportive supervision, and equitable opportunities to practise soft skills in collaborative tasks. Policymakers may use these insights to refine employability-oriented programme standards. Originality/value – The study provides an integrated SCT–JD–R explanation of how soft skills translate into problem-solving through engagement, supported by evidence from a large national work-based learning dataset and gender-based analysis. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited

This paper explores the potential role of Further education (FE) colleges in the United Kingdom's innovation ecosystem, focusing on their potential to drive inclusive growth and place-based innovation. FE refers to the sector of education that serves learners beyond the compulsory schooling age of sixteen and encompasses academic, vocational and recreational courses, delivered by FE colleges that are often hyper-local and deeply embedded in their communities. Despite their significant reach and contributions to local economies, FE institutions have been underutilised in national innovation strategies. The study examines the early implementation of the Greater Manchester Further education Innovation Programme (GMFEIP), a £2.5 million initiative funded by InnovateUK's Further education Innovation Fund. The programme aims to strengthen the role of FE colleges as key enablers of innovation through the establishment of ten Innovation Centres across Greater Manchester and tests a novel conceptual framework: the radial innovation network. The early findings suggest that FE institutions can serve as effective innovation intermediaries, leveraging their strong industry partnerships, vocational focus, and community links to support business innovation and regional economic development. The paper contributes to the broader debate on inclusive innovation and regional economic policy, highlighting the potential of FE-led initiatives to foster sustainable economic growth. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the adoption and impact of activity-based learning (ABL) in the Information Studies department within Oman’s higher education sector. This study examines students’ perceptions of ABL, its effectiveness in enhancing soft skills, creativity and innovation and the challenges faced in its application, particularly in Social Sciences. Design/methodology/approach – Using qualitative methods, focus group interviews were conducted with third- and fourth-year students at Sultan Qaboos University. Findings – The findings of this study reveal that ABL significantly enhances student engagement, practical knowledge and essential skill development. However, there is widespread dissatisfaction with its current implementation, and students advocate for its broader integration across courses. This study also identifies challenges such as theoretical content, faculty resistance and resource management as barriers to successful ABL implementation. Originality/value – These insights emphasize the importance of ABL in preparing students for the modern workforce and highlight the need for strategic improvements in its integration. © 2026 Emerald Publishing Limited

Introduction: Policies that combine human capital development and migration governance are necessary because migration alters the labor supply and skill distribution across economies. Through a cross-country approach, four migrant-origin countries, North Macedonia, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Ethiopia, that reflect various combinations of demographic pressures, institutional capacity, and conflict shocks are examined in this study. Methods: Using standardized qualitative expert interviews with policymakers, labor market intermediaries, and social partners, analyzed through a reflexive thematic analysis, the study explores the respondents' perceptions and the channels through which education and migration policies, as perceived, interact to influence labor market outcomes. Results: Respondents reported that migration dynamics exacerbate structural unemployment, gender disparities, brain drain, and ongoing skill mismatches in all four countries. Interviewees highlight structural gaps in technical training and job-readiness in Ethiopia, while in Ukraine, a prime example of the disruptive effects of war, population displacement strains both education and the labor market. In North Macedonia and Türkiye, skill mismatches are pronounced by the notable emigration as well as the inefficiency of retention mechanisms. Among all studied countries, participants identified demand-based training and reliable institutional frameworks as crucial levers for reducing shortages and slowing the human capital depletion. Discussion: The comparative study emphasizes the need for policies that efficiently connect labor market demands, migration management, and education to achieve a balance between social demands and long-term socioeconomic growth. © © 2026 Cvetkoska, Trpeski, Ivanovski, Peovski, Kozheski, Merdzan, Babadoğan, İmrol, Görür, Ecer, Melnyk, Lytvynchuk, Tereshchenko, Anisimova, Hunde, Gemeda, Dubi and Yacob.

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) has garnered increasing attention in educational research, leading to a growing body of empirical studies. A recurring critique within the field concerns the continued reliance on media comparison studies, which are considered theoretically limited and confounded. However, systematic evidence supporting or challenging this assumption is still lacking. This systematic review aims to map the types of comparative research designs used in educational IVR studies, examine whether key IVR-specific constructs such as presence and cybersickness are assessed, and analyze how these patterns have evolved between 2016 and 2024 in leading educational technology journals. Across 20 journals, 130 studies met the inclusion criteria. Contrary to prevailing assumptions, media comparison studies were common but not dominant. They were increasingly complemented by value-added designs, learner-treatment-interaction studies, and mixed approaches. However, the analysis also reveals a critical shortfall: essential IVR-specific constructs are frequently neglected: only 39% of the studies assessed presence, and just 10% measured cybersickness. By systematically characterizing comparative designs and the treatment of core IVR constructs, the review provides a nuanced picture of current methodological practices and identifies concrete directions for improving theory-driven and empirically rigorous IVR research. © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

This study investigates the impact of experimental demonstrations on the academic achievement, conceptual understanding, and attitudes toward science of third-grade students, with a focus on alternative energy topics. Conducted in an Arab-community middle school in Northern Israel, the research involved 120 students, divided equally into an experimental group (n = 60) and a control group (n = 60). The experimental group received instruction through hands-on demonstrations related to solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal energy, while the control group was taught using traditional methods. Employing a mixed-methods design, data were collected through academic tests, attitudinal questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that students in the experimental group achieved significantly higher post-intervention scores (mean [M] = 82.62, standard deviation [SD] = 12.93) compared to the control group (M = 71.28, SD = 15.06), with a statistically significant difference (t [118] = -2.58, p < .01). Additionally, the experimental group demonstrated a significantly greater understanding of alternative energy concepts (M = 3.27, SD = 0.42) than the control group (M = 2.82, SD = 0.53), (t [58] = -3.42, p < .001). Attitudinal measures also favored the experimental group (M = 3.34, SD = 0.44) over the control group (M = 3.09, SD = 0.64), with a significant difference (t [118] = -2.12, p < .05). These results advocate for integrating demonstration-based teaching to enhance science education outcomes, particularly in sustainability topics. © © 2026 by authors;

This research investigates the effectiveness of Simulation-Based Learning (SBL) in enhancing student comprehension of complex mechanical engineering concepts, such as fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, FEA, and mechanics. The integration of tools like MATLAB, SolidWorks, ANSYS Fluent, AutoCAD, FluidSim, BricsCAD, and GeoGebra allows students to simulate theoretical mechanics and engineering graphics, bridging the gap between theory and practice. Additionally, Machine Learning playgrounds offer hands-on AI experience. A key novelty is the development of an Automatic Engineering Drawing Sheet Evaluation Algorithm, utilizing Python-based image processing to automate the assessment of technical drawings, increasing efficiency and accuracy. GeoGebra further serves as a tool for assessing geometric transformations in engineering graphics. Integrating simulation tools into the first-year Engineering Graphics course has significantly enhanced Course Outcomes (CO) and Program Outcomes (PO), particularly PO5 (Modern Tool Usage), with a 94.29% improvement. Tools like AutoCAD and GeoGebra have enhanced student understanding of Orthographic Projections and Isometric Views, reflected in improved test scores and positive feedback. Case studies showcase how these tools align with various POs, highlighting the critical role of SBL in modern mechanical engineering education. © 2026, Rajarambapu Institute Of Technology. All rights reserved.

The UAE is targeting the tourism sector as part of its drive to diversify away from an overdependence on oil and is seeking to attract more nationals to the tour guide profession. The purpose of this research is to assess what factors influence the likelihood of Emirati tourism students considering this vocation. A model that incorporates Career Decision-Making Profile and Arabian Gulf Social Contract dimensions was developed. Survey results (n = 186) show that the nature of the job is considered attractive and, traits like ‘willingness to compromise’ and ‘independent decision making’, increased the likelihood of choosing the profession. Yet, “classic public sector” job preferences and perceptions on societal sentiment toward the ‘appropriacy’ of nonconventional vocations acted as deterrents. Recommendations are to make higher education internship programs more tailored to the individual student and modify the remit of the tour guide role at government-owned sites and venues. © The Author(s) 2024. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).