Search Results for
"education"

Introduction: Although university education in Germany is without tuition fees, the parental educational background influences the decision to study as well as the choice of subjects, and is linked to challenges that students face during the course of study. However, little is known about these aspects in veterinary medicine. In this study, the differences between the first-generation students (FGS) and continuing-generation students (CGS) in veterinary medicine, as well as the challenges (study entrance, financial situation, concerns about the future), are examined in order to identify any need for supportive action. Methods: The results of this study are based on a survey that was open to all German veterinary students in Spring 2023. Results: Responses from 1,525 students were analyzed (response rate 24%). A considerable proportion of veterinary students (40%) in Germany are FGS. They are more likely to rate their financial situation as poor (20%) or very poor (7%) than CGS (poor: 10%, very poor: 3%). Even though FGS and CGS work for income alongside their studies in similar proportions (FGS: 71%; CGS: 67%), the motivation was different: CGS are more likely to work in order to earn extra money (CGS: 68%; FGS: 49%) and FGS because other sources of income are insufficient (FGS: 34%; CGS: 12%). A similar proportion of FGS and CGS frequently or consistently considers dropping out of university (FGS: 10%; CGS: 11%). However, in FSG this is more often due to financial reasons (FGS: 28%, CGS: 16%). Almost all students have a high school-based university entrance qualification (97%). Final school grades of CGS were better on average than those of FGS. More FGS than CGS had already completed vocational training prior to their studies (FGS: 47%, CGS: 30%). Discussion: In conclusion, FGS and CGS differ in their own educational background and the financial challenges in veterinary education. It is therefore important to create an awareness of challenges related to the social background of veterinary students. Moreover, support services to counteract challenges of FGS (and CGS) are needed. There is a need for further research concerning the associations between parental educational background and academic and professional success in veterinary medicine. © © 2025 Kracht, Doherr and Jensen.

Over the past three years, Taiwan’s Ministry of education has established 1300 classrooms for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education nationwide, providing unprecedented budgetary support for the procurement of STEM equipment in junior high schools. This study examines how STEM teachers utilize government grants for equipment procurement and classroom setup, with a particular focus on the key factors that influence their decision-making processes. This study employs descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and multiple-choice analysis of data obtained through surveys of 75 science and technology teachers and expert opinions. The results reveal that teachers have adopted a cautious approach emphasizing simplicity and safey, prioritizing convenience, practicality, and versatility in terms of equipment choices. The logistic regression results indicated a significant correlation between perceived importance and purchasing decisions (ratio = 3.654, explained variance = 23.7%). Multiple-choice analysis found a skewed emphasis on curriculum indicators. The study develops a benchmark table for facilities and equipment, offering insights into resource optimization, educational equality, interdisciplinary integration, and teacher training. Acknowledging the limitations, including sample size constraints and potential biases, the findings serve as a valuable reference for educators and encourage budget adjustments aligned with curriculum guidelines. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

The research evaluates how Al-Baha University programming stu- dents perceive the W3Schools e-learning system compared to tradi- tional classroom methodology. The study measures motivation pat- terns, problem-solving abilities, and learning style preferences to de- termine the effects of e-learning. By combining quantitative method- ologies with qualitative analysis, the research seeks to understand how students perform in programming and their levels of determination in virtual learning environments, as well as their likelihood of continuing with e-learning. Online students appreciated W3Schools for its flexi- bility, easy interface, and clear tutorials but noted issues with internet connectivity. On the other hand, traditional learners disliked the for- mal lecture sessions, particularly their fast pace. E-learning proves beneficial for students due to adaptable schedules and personalized educational content; however, there is a need for further development of technical skills and socialization features. © (2024), (). All Rights Reserved.

Although there are different definitions of leadership, there is a consensus that leadership denotes the ability to lead others as well as oneself to achieve specific goals. Leadership emphasizes multifaceted qualities that can be nurtured and trained by appropriate training and intervention programs (e.g., leadership education). Notably, student leadership programs can enrich students’ experiences, empower them to develop a sense of control over their lives and future, and cultivate qualities and competencies for future leadership roles. Generally speaking, effective student leadership programs can be embedded with diversified content and objectives, applying an integrated approach with action, reflection, learning, and practice to cultivate students’ inward and outward qualities. Despite diversified leadership theories and models adopted, most effective student leadership programs concentrate on teaching leadership knowledge, building students’ various leadership skills (e.g., problem-solving, planning, decision-making, and self-awareness), values, integrity, ethics, and morality, reflecting on one’s behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and values, and providing opportunities for students to perform Service-Learning or community practice under the supervision of mentors. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.

The paradigm of learning-teaching has been significantly altered by the incorporation of smartphones into the classroom, which offer interactive learning-teaching techniques, real-time access to information and feedback, and collaborative opportunities. It does, however, also address other issues, such as a loss of academic focus and potential disturbances to the learning-teaching process. Therefore, this research develops a gamified smartphone learning-teaching application model based on the DACDUA (Define, Analyze, Classify, Design, Utilize, and Assess) philosophical model towards learners’ participation in the learning-teaching process. This research employs mixed-methods research design, combining qualitative data and quantitative data to develop a learning-teaching application and to evaluate and reflect learners’ participation in the learning-teaching. This research, conducted across nine universities in Indonesia with diverse geographical and governmental statuses, as well as state, private, and religious/non-religious affiliations, proves that the gamified smartphone within the DACDUA model significantly engages learners’ participation. The DACDUA systematic model aligns with the objectives of learning-teaching, and it can be designed to meet the diverse needs of learners. This study highlights the role of gamification components in promoting active learning-teaching. Thus, this research recommends further scholars to investigate learners’ academic performance, motivation, perception, and the enrichment of philosophical values in the implementation of DACDUA gamified smartphones in the learning-teaching process. © 2025, Slovenska Vzdelavacia Obstaravacia. All rights reserved.

Virtual reality (VR)-based education has gradually emerged as a significant trend in future educational development, as VR technology can concretize and visualize various abstract concepts in teaching. Given the importance of evaluating VR educational institutions to promote VR education, this study proposes a multi-attribute group decision-making model that integrates trust networks and three-dimensional emotions within an interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy set (IVPFS) environment. First, considering the decision-makers’ affective cognition, a three-dimensional emotion model is incorporated into the IVPFS framework. Second, the Beta function is employed to describe changes in the trust relationships pre- and post-decision-making, thereby adjusting the weights of the decision-makers. Furthermore, the extended evidential reasoning (ER) method is utilized to rank and select VR educational institutions. The results indicate that VRSCHOOL (0.6338) outperforms VISTANDARD (0.6214), GROWLIB (0.5834), and STARUR (0.5738). Finally, the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed method are validated through sensitivity and comparative analyses. © The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Taiwan Fuzzy Systems Association 2025.

This study utilizes students’ inputs to identify critical factors for employability by using Importance-Performance Analysis. A survey was conducted among fourth-year engineering students who had completed their senior-project course, assessing 22 employability factors across three employability stages: initial placement, maintaining employment, and transitioning to new roles. These factors were categorized into capabilities, skills, and attitudes. A total of 60 and 77 students from the classes of 2023 and 2024 participated. The findings highlight seven factors: applying knowledge for problem solving, critical thinking, analytical and problem-framing skills, applying STEM across industries, technology use in business, lifelong learning, and written communication. The findings align with the industry’s needs for adaptability and resilience of engineering graduates. For the key highlight, students emphasized learning skills over subject knowledge which indicated a shift in their perspective when looking at their careers. Future research will use these inputs to redesign the learning environment. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Reflective writing is considered an important metacognitive skill, especially in vocational education where students must bridge theoretical knowledge and practical experiences. However, meaningful reflection often requires supervision and guidance, as students struggle to make connections between classroom concepts and workplace experiences. While generative large language models (LLMs) have shown promise in such educational applications including personalized learning and writing support, their effectiveness is hindered by inherent issues such as hallucination and lack of personalization. To address this, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) has emerged as a solution to enable models to integrate external information in text generation. While RAG has demonstrated success in various domains, its potential for enhancing reflective writing remains untapped. In this work-in-progress, we introduce Memoire, a writing assistant designed to utilize the capabilities of RAG to support students in reflective writing. By leveraging external knowledge and memory from prior reflections of each student, Memoire helps them write reflections that are both insightful and grounded in accurate prior information. We also conduct a pre-study to evaluate and compare three modalities of providing writing support in the domain of reflective writing from prior works. Finally, we introduce our study design plan for an in-classroom evaluation of Memoire. © 2025 Copyright for this paper by its authors.

This article examines the pedagogical impact of a strategically structured guest speaker series in a graduate-level community development seminar. Drawing on four cohorts of qualitative student feedback and utilizing an inductive thematic analysis, the study explores how guest speakers influence student learning, professional development, and civic engagement. Findings reveal that guest speakers effectively bridge theory and practice, enhance classroom engagement, and foster critical thinking, career exploration, and long-term civic involvement. Students reported that interacting with diverse professionals helped clarify real-world applications of course content and inspired volunteerism, internships, and employment opportunities. The paper also identifies conditions that enhance the effectiveness of guest speaker sessions, including alignment with course themes, diversity of speaker backgrounds, and structured student preparation. The study concludes by offering guidance on adapting this model to online, hybrid, and large-enrollment courses. Recommendations include virtual guest integration, group-based assignments, and student-led facilitation techniques to maintain engagement across varied learning environments. This research contributes to scholarship on political science and community development pedagogy by demonstrating how guest speakers, when thoughtfully implemented, can serve as transformative tools for experiential learning and civic education. © 2025 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

The results of the experimental verification of the implementation of the methodical system for development of the professional competence of future electrical engineering teachers are presented. The implementation of the methodical system was based on the regularities related to the internal structure of the system and its external connections. The components of the methodical system: content, methods, forms and technologies for future professionals training were. It was proved that the efficiency of the development of future teachers’ professional competence in electrical engineering depended on the methodology, educational technologies and forms for students’ learning and cognitive activities. It was substantiated that the important component in such a process was a scientifically substantiated and verified methodical system based on the model of professional competencies future electrical engineering teachers, the theoretical foundation of competence-based training and up-to-date scientific findings in pedagogy aiming for continuous improvement of their pedagogical and technological knowledge and skills, personal and professional qualities, development of general culture and value orientations. It was determined that the purposeful development of future teachers’ professional competence in electrical engineering is possible through the use of pedagogical technologies, such as personality-oriented technology, project-based and problem-based learning, use of information and communication technologies. The effectiveness of the implementation of the methodical system for the development of the professional competence of future electrical engineering teachers at Ukrainian universities has been experimentally proven. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.