Search Results for
"education"

This study investigates undergraduate microwave engineering students' conceptions of electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation using a phenomenographic approach. An in-depth semi-structured interview was used to examine a cohort of 15 students’ experience of EM wave propagation in the context of microwave engineering. Result of the study revealed five qualitative distinct categories of students' conceptions. These categories evolved from a basic understanding of EM wave as oscillations of electric and magnetic fields to a comprehensive interpretation of wave propagation as radiation and energy transfer. Students' cognitive processes of awareness, discernment, and simultaneity were evident within the descriptive categories. Besides, four dimensions of variation highlighted how students' understanding evolved from basic awareness to discerning complex relationships between concepts. The findings also offer practical implications for designing effective instructional strategies as well as theoretical support for the application of phenomenography in exploring students' learning experiences. Finally, teaching implication for microwave engineering education was presented. © 2025 SEFI.

Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is an applied STEM program, first introduced nearly three decades ago, designed to enhance the STEM content of Career Technical education (CTE). Currently, more than 12,000 US high schools offer the program. Using data from three cohorts of public high school freshmen in Missouri, we investigate the impact of PLTW program offer (ITT), participation impacts on participants (TOT), and the impact of program offer on non-participants on initial post-secondary outcomes. We use a difference-in-difference (DiD) analysis for ITT and a principal score weighted DiD to estimate TOT and the impacts of program offer on non-participants. The parallel trends assumption is tested and not rejected. We find significant positive ITT impacts on STEM major declaration among students with higher STEM preparation levels. ITT impacts on college enrollment are less conclusive. We find no evidence that the program offer affected outcomes for PLTW non-participants. Over a range of estimation strategies, we find substantively meaningful and robust positive TOT effects on STEM major declaration. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

This study investigates the role of perceived support from teachers, peers, and parents in fostering school belonging among vocational high school students. A total of 567 students participated in this research. Data were analysed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The results indicate that perceived teacher emotional support, perceived teacher instrumental support, and perceived parental emotional support significantly predict students’ sense of school belonging. Among these, only perceived teacher emotional support demonstrated a substantive impact, albeit with a small effect size. These findings differ from those of prior studies, suggesting the need for further research that explores how variations in the conceptualization of school belonging and sample characteristics may influence the results. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Geography plays a pivotal role in shaping the development of societies worldwide, influencing cultural practices, economic activities, and political structures. Through the study of human geography—examining the spatial distribution of populations, resources, and activities—we gain insights into the intricate dynamics of societal evolution. This field provides a framework for understanding the interconnections between human activities and the natural world, while fostering critical thinking by encouraging alternative perspectives and challenging conventional wisdom. Such analytical exploration cultivates nuanced, independent thought—essential for active citizenship in a complex, rapidly changing world. Geography education and Explorations on Human Development and Culture provides a theoretical, practical, and global vision of geography. It further provides various research around geography, culture, and education. Covering topics including intercultural skills, citizen participation, and disaster risk reduction, this book is an excellent resource for educators, researchers, scientists, academicians, professionals, and more. © 2025 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved.

This chapter describes and discusses the cultural heritage strategies employed by ‘Sela for Training and Protection of Heritage’, a non-profit organisation based in Petra (Jordan), which was founded in 2015. Sela aims to provide protection and preservation of cultural heritage sites across Jordan by promoting the active engagement of local communities and developing the local tourism sector. Sela adopts a range of initiatives including the introduction of training programmes, the installation of information panels (site presentation) and the development of educational programmes and activities for children and summer and winter camps where children get the opportunity to perform a heritage-themed play at selected archaeological sites. This chapter also explores Sela’s partnership with other organisations such as Al-Raqeem, a private organisation, which offers job vocational training in different fields of cultural resource management (CRM) and internship programmes for university students. Two initiatives have been developed by Al-Raqeem to promote Jordanian archaeology-Entimaa’, which aims to develop community heritage businesses and thereby support local communities, and ‘Once Upon a Taste…’, a catering service, which offers handmade Jordanian food. © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Steven Mithen, Mubariz Ahmed Rabbani and Maria Rabbani; individual chapters, the contributors.

Background/purpose. Innovative thinking and meta-skills are needed to solve difficult problems in the 21st century, but standard training techniques often fail. The fact that only 6% of pupils are innovative thinkers highlights a major educational gap. The GENICS learning approach (Grouping, Exploring, Discussion, Individual Activity, Combining, Sharing) is contrasted to Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in tailored instruction to improve these skills. Materials/methods. A quasi-experimental approach with pretest-posttest control groups was used with 432 Grade X students from SMA Negeri 5 Jambi City. The experimental group (n=36) used GENICS while the control group (n=36) used PBL. Validated essay tests and observation sheets assessed creative thinking (fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration) and meta-skills (self-management, social intelligence, invention). Methods included descriptive statistics, MANCOVA, and effect size estimations. Results. The GENICS learning model improved creative thinking by 93.48% and meta-skills by 26.78%, outperforming PBL by 56.42% and 4.70%, respectively. Elaboration (153.49%), originality (116.77%), critical thinking (44.37%), and empathy (35.26%) improved. GENICS showed superior efficacy with a medium effect size (η2 = 0.097, p = 0.036) in multivariate tests. Conclusion. The GENICS model's structured yet flexible stages use differentiated learning ideas that exceed PBL for cognitive and non-cognitive skills. Complete 21st-century skill development is provided by the tiered system, especially the Combining and Sharing stages that encourage collaborative elaboration. Findings suggest curriculum designers should use differentiated models. Single-school and short interventions are drawbacks. Examine GENICS' effects on emotional intelligence, retention, and scalability in education. Study emphasizes systematic instructional design for mixed classes. © The Author(s), 2025.

This study focuses on the practical teaching mode of vocational education under the background of Internet Plus. The traditional model has some problems, such as lack of resources, single method, weak teachers and one-sided evaluation. The internet has brought many positive effects on practical teaching, such as expanding resources, providing enterprise cases, virtual experiments and online courses. In view of the traditional disadvantages and new demands, this paper puts forward innovative strategies such as building a multifunctional teaching platform, using diverse teaching methods, strengthening the construction of teachers and improving the evaluation system. Then through empirical analysis, the new teaching mode significantly improves students' practical, collaborative and innovative abilities, and the employment counterpart rate and salary are improved, which strongly proves its reform value and provides reference for the development of practical teaching in vocational education. © 2025 IGI Global. All rights reserved.

Introduction: Competency-Based education (CBE) has become increasingly important in Chilean higher education since the 2006 reform, which aimed to improve educational quality. However, implementing CBE effectively poses challenges, particularly in developing assessments that adhere to CBE principles and are consistent across all university courses. To address this issue, the Competency Assessment and Monitoring (C-A&M) model was created. This study evaluates the effectiveness of C-A&M in standardizing course assessments within the CBE paradigm at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (PUCV) in Chile. Methods: Two observational studies were conducted. The first study utilized a within-group design and included 20 Engineering courses. The second study employed a between-groups design, examining the perceptions of 109 instructors from various faculties, including Law, Economic and Administrative Sciences, Philosophy, and education, among others. Results: The within-group study emphasized the need for better course assessment and alignment of learning objectives with competencies. It found a positive correlation between C-A&M and the effective implementation of CBE in university courses. The between-groups study showed a minor effect size but suggested a similar relationship. Discussion: Assessment based on CBE principles is not being effectively implemented at PUCV. Key areas for improvement include the evaluation plan, aligning learning objectives with competencies, and coordinating training with these objectives. The application of C-A&M has led to significant improvements, indicating a positive correlation between its use and these enhancements. © © 2025 Vargas, Arredondo, Heradio and Torre.

There is a clear knowledge gap in the area of vocational education and training (VET) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) literature. This study aims to review systematically the literature review in VET in the UAE over the last 25 years. This research employed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses methodology to determine the appropriate inclusion of studies in the literature review. The results are derived from an analysis of 35 studies conducted between 1999 and 2024, primarily focused on Emiratization and the importance of innovative technology to be incorporated in the VET process. Additionally, this research has identified a set of recurring challenges and future opportunities for VET in the UAE. This research makes a significant contribution to the literature on sustainable development in the UAE by highlighting the crucial role of VET in fostering human capital development and economic growth. Due to the scarcity of studies in the UAE, the findings of this study are constrained. However, this limitation opens up new opportunities for researchers and investigators to delve into and examine the field of VET in the UAE. © 2025 the author(s), published by De Gruyter.

Students in higher or adult education often face a wide array of challenges as they learn skills for transitioning to the workforce. They and their educators may encounter critical topics including emotional intelligence, student-educator relationships, and feedback mechanisms as well as employability skills. As a result, it is crucial for educators to foster and for students to learn teamwork skills, social-emotional skills, and strategies for teaching and learning to increase engagement. Thus, innovative approaches are needed to address the evolving needs of students, educators, and institutions that support students as well as the faculty. Transformative Practices in Tertiary education: Bridging Theory and Practice empowers these diverse stakeholders with the knowledge and tools needed to transform higher education, making it more inclusive, effective, and responsive to the needs of today’s learners. It discusses methods for shaping educational policies and initiatives at various levels. Covering topics such as change navigation, global learning, and internships, this book is an excellent resource for educators, educational administrators, educational leaders, educational planners, policymakers, professional development facilitators, professionals, researchers, scholars, academicians, and more. © 2025 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved.