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Designing standardized exams for EFL undergraduates is a matter of great concern in pedagogical practices that assess learners' academic achievements. This case study was conducted at Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia, to explore the significance of educational exam standardization and its impact on the process of implementation, leading to a balanced and equitable assessment of English language skills. During the study, 250 final English skill exam questions of two semesters were analyzed. A mixed-method approach using a questionnaire and Focused Group Discussion was adopted to collect relevant data. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 16, and the qualitative data was processed by thematic analysis. The quantitative data results showed that questions were balanced, valid, and reliable in language skill exam papers designed for undergraduate English students. The qualitative data revealed four major themes -- standardization of questions, the efficacy of Bloom's taxonomy, assessment/evaluation, and alignment of the question with learning outcomes. These emerging themes highlighted the effectivness of standardizing exam papers, identified problems, and suggested ways of improvement. The study indicates that exams must be scrutinized for the sake of standardization in terms of maximum course coverage; the variety in the question item; clear, concise, and precise instructions; validity and reliability of exam papers; and the alignment of questions with the course and program learning outcomes to ensure the implementation of the revised Bloom's taxonomy. The study suggests, to generalize the results, that further investigation should be done in another Saudi university for the sake of comparison.

In Australia coeducation dominates government schooling, with single-sex institutions usually being the preserve of selective government schools and private, often elite, institutions. For marginalised young people who 'drop out' or are forced to leave the coeducational mainstream system, flexible and/or non-traditional schools provide alternative pathways. Such schools are primarily coeducational. This paper draws upon data from two flexible/non-traditional schools in Australia that attempted to address the issues of educational disengagement via the provision of single-sex schooling: Fernvale Education Centre and Lorem School. The data are insightful with regard to these two very different gender and education paradigms and to their associated discourses about masculinity and femininity. The paper will identify the ways in which these schools both reproduce and challenge dominant constructions of gender within the context of responding to disenfranchised/disengaged young people.

The vast majority of Chinese universities have embraced higher education reform that emphasizes a "publish or perish" ideology. This brings challenges to the early-career academics, especially those working in language-related fields. This paper employs a multiple case study to explore the identity tension of early career academics in applied linguistics. The three cases had diverse backgrounds and demonstrated different identity trajectories. Data were triangulated through narrative frames, interviews, and documents. Data analysis was conducted using an inductive approach that focused on interpreting the underlying meanings within the data, drawing upon relevant theoretical frameworks for guidance. The findings revealed an array of identity options (e.g., "temporary worker", "blind follower", "green pepper", "leek"). The factors that shaped the identity construction included the shifting value of being a teacher and researcher, intensified "publish-or-perish" ideology, and changing institutional and societal systems and requirements. Implications on teacher development for early-career academics in applied linguistics were proposed based on the findings.

This article examines the power dynamics underpinning performance management at a selected South African university. It specifically employs Michel Foucault's (1977) ideas on Governmentality to interpret the envisioning of performance management in this context at the level of Policy. The study employed a qualitative research methodology to address the questions at hand. Data were generated from one primary source: a discourse analysis of the Performance Management Policy (2013) at a selected university in South Africa. Using Michel Foucault's (1991) theories on governmentality, a discourse analysis of Performance Management Policy documents was conducted with the goal of critically interrogating the kinds of new academic subjectivities being created in South African higher education. The findings show that the Policy on Performance Management at the university in question works towards creating academic subjects which conform with the university's expectations and are consistently self- regulated. Findings also show that management of academics is constantly controlled and regulated by a powerful matrix of governance, comprising the university and the wider global community. This paper recommends that performance management discourses should take into stronger cognizance the matter of academic freedom and autonomy. We further recommend that Policy developers and management teams at universities be conscious of the complex forces of power that shape academic identities so that their policies move away from oppressive discourses. We argue that there is much we can learn from governmentality theory if we hope to build more just and equitable societies going forward.

This paper presents the findings of a research study focused on industry-university collaborations within the design studio culture. The study utilized a mixed-methods approach, including a literature review and case studies, to investigate and identify lessons learned from university-industry collaborations for interior design students. Two industry-university collaborations within AU were selected as case studies based on their relevance to the design courses offered in the BSID program. The case studies employed a mixed-methods approach, involving non-participant observations, students' reflection reports, and semi-structured interviews with instructors and industry staff members. This research contributes to the understanding of industry-university collaborations within design studio culture and provides valuable insights for instructors, universities, and industry partners seeking to engage in such collaborations. By highlighting the experiences of instructors at AU, we aim to provide insights into the benefits and challenges of industry-university collaborations for universities that are new to such partnerships. The findings include the importance of embracing exposure and new partnerships, providing real-world experience, balancing autonomy and dependence, understanding the limitations of scope, considering the scale and limitations, navigating bureaucratic procedures, mitigating conflicting interests, adhering to regulations and guidelines, emphasizing positive social impact, and learning from limitations.

Dialogue and reasoning are central to mathematics. Despite a substantial body of research illustrating the benefit of talk in the classroom, an educational debate remains in schools about how much time and empowerment should be given to children to talk in lessons. For many teachers, particularly post-pandemic, there is a professional concern about the quality of children's communication skills. An example of this is that many children appear to have difficulty in engaging in productive mathematical dialogue, and struggle to articulate their reasoning strategies. This paper explores children's class-based experiences of using talk cue cards as resources intended to support dialogue and hence mathematical reasoning. A case study approach was used to explore the experiences of key stage 2 children. The study showed that talk cue cards could break down some barriers to effective communication and so enhance children's quality of mathematical reasoning, whilst supporting engagement in metatalk about reasoning. Potential implications for educators are explored in terms of both classroom and mathematical practices such as: co-constructing agreed hallmarks of high-quality talk; teacher and peer modelling; and allotting time for the exploration of the talk cue cards.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences in silent and oral reading speed, reading comprehension, and reading errors in two formats, large print paper and the iPad2, for students with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision). Methods: A single-subject alternating randomized treatment design was used with three participants. The intervention consisted of instruction on the use of an iPad. Data regarding reading speed, reading miscues, and comprehension were collected. Data were analyzed visually and descriptively. Results: All participants demonstrated a slightly higher reading speed, equal comprehension rates, and decreased error rates using the iPad2 compared to paper. Discussion: Results indicated that using an iPad for reading may have an effect on reading fluency and comprehension for students with low vision. Implications for practitioners: Students with low vision, particularly those with more severe vision loss, may benefit from the use of electronic tablets that allow one to adjust font size, style, color, and contrast. Users should be taught how to manipulate the visual display of text and be allowed time to adjust to an electronic medium.

For teachers to contribute to the development of the environmentally sustainable and wholesome society envisioned in South Africa's Constitution, it was the goal of this paper to evaluate the effectiveness of teacher development workshops designed to equip teachers with environmental and sustainability knowledge and skills in the curriculum. In gathering and analyzing data for the study, a qualitative technique and a case study design were used. Face to face interviews of six teachers was used as the only data collection method. Results revealed that, in addition to encouraging positive changes in teachers' knowledge and skill acquisition, the program, as previously mentioned, also provided teachers with strategies for teaching about sustainable development by incorporating socio-cultural and environmental factors into the learning process. The training for Fundisa for Change should be made available to more teachers from a variety of schools, according to the paper, so that knowledge about the instruction of environmental topics can be spread throughout the province of Mpumalanga rather than being concentrated in a few schools. [Note: The publication year (2022) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct publication year for this article is 2023.]

This case study reports how three high-school teachers from two state schools in Colombia enacted the National English Suggested Curriculum by the Ministry of Education. The teachers' trajectories of action were analyzed through semi-structured interviews, teachers' narratives, and lesson observations. Using the ecological model of agency as a framework, we situated teachers' steps within projective, iterational, and practical evaluative dimensions of agency. In this paper, we provide additional dimensions of teacher agency, which can help to expand theoretical and empirical knowledge in the field. Findings show that teachers cope with the changes derived from policy differently. The analysis presented in this paper can inform the creation and promotion of future curriculum policies in similar contexts.

This paper will contribute to our understanding of the Block, its pedagogical rationale and value, and explain why, apart from pandemic conditions, these might constitute a compelling alternative to traditional academic calendars. Current research highlights the need for further research on the nature of the Block, driven by an increased global focus on student outcomes and retention in Higher Education. This paper offers five case studies from institutions that have adopted a version of the Block at some time over the last 50 years. The authors seek to define the features that comprise block courses whereas the nature and functionality distinguish blocks from other intensive formats. A survey of the limited literature on this topic was based on theoretical underpinnings offered by one-course-at-a-time delivery, scholarship of teaching and learning on compressed education, and experiential learning. Using the research question, "Other than scheduling alternatives, what does the block offer HE institutions?", this project uses research that is qualitative in nature drawing on a controlled comparison of case studies which enables a cross-institutional evaluation. The case studies explain why each institution adopted the Block, how these schedules work, and discusses the challenges and affordances of teaching in this intensive format. First findings of this cross-institutional exploration suggest that blocks are unique in their delivery, often experiential in nature, and effective in their outcomes. The various versions of the Block described within, provide ongoing transformative models of teaching philosophy, curriculum, student success, and more.

The aim of this study was to determine pre-service elementary school teachers' capabilities of deciding the viewpoint and perspective in geometrical drawing. The study examined geometrical drawings the participants did on isometric paper. This is a case study, a qualitative study method, and the study data were analyzed using written documents. The study sample included 34 senior students in the Education Faculty's Elementary School Teaching Program at a Turkish public university. They were selected from approximately 205 pre-service teachers. The students participated in the study on a voluntary basis. The study results revealed that the pre-service teachers generally had weak skills in geometrical drawing. The participants had better skills in building structures which they saw from the air using unit blocks, and forming a structure of which they had the direct views (left and right; front and back) using unit blocks. However, the participants had weaker skills in drawing the direct views of the structures they had built, recognizing the connections between the left-right views and front-back views of the structures and drawing the structures they built on isometric paper in perspective.

The journey to pursue and persist with a career in STEM is a complex process that begins at a young age, continues across secondary education and the end of school transition to university. Such decisions are influenced by a range of personal, social and environmental factors, highlighting the practical complexities of supporting young people in their transition to university. This paper explores the post-school transition of two students, one female and one male, with strong technological dispositions and aspirations to pursue careers in STEM fields. We focus on two STEM disciplines, Information Technology and Engineering, chosen by our participants. We employ the theory of practice (Bourdieu 1977) to analyse two students' experience of transition. The findings from these case studies are not intended to be generalised. Rather the in-depth stories and theoretical case analysis provides a nuanced account of transition to study STEM disciplines. Importantly, the pathways into university were not equal for the participants. Class and gender intersected with university structures to enable and constrain students' transition highlighting the significance of institutional supports within STEM disciplines to better support diverse students across the period of transition to university.

The first year of university can be a vulnerable time, especially for students who describe themselves as shy and who may be reluctant to engage socially. Shyness, which can be closely aligned with social anxiety, often reduces opportunities for students to belong. This paper presents the experiences of two students negotiating experiences of shyness and belonging during their first year at university. Scholars have focused on how young people "negotiate" belonging(s) in multiple spaces. These negotiations provide insights into complex, varied and multi-faceted relationships which contribute to the lives of young people and which are integral to their identity development. The paper foregrounds four common trends in scholarship on belonging (space/place, memory/nostalgia, temporality and relationships) to structure the analysis of positionality, shyness and intersubjectivity during a transitional time. How both these students "come to belong" in reference to everyday social practices complicates a psychological or disability-studies approach to the study of shyness and provides insight into the realities of student experience, personal hardship and familial responsibility.

Reflexive commitments tend to be lacking, particularly from the perspective of early career scholars. This is particularly true in relation to published research, but evident in doctoral studies exploring teachers work. Using principles of phenomenological reflexivity, this methodological paper explores the critical incidents that have come to shape a qualitative, ethnographical case study before entering the field. Key findings highlight four implications for novice researchers: an engagement with critical independent reflection, critical friendship, skills development through academic modules and reflexive reading, and communities of practice. The paper calls for continued attention to the methodological framing of research, particularly during and after entering the field.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the 2030 SDGs Game as a pedagogical tool for the promotion of interdisciplinary education. Based on the simulation of possible world outcomes for the year 2030, the game induces participants to reflect on the socioeconomic and environmental consequences of actions and facilitate the exploration of the interconnected nature of the Sustainable Development Goals. Design/methodology/approach: Starting with a review of the main benefits and constraints of interdisciplinary learning approaches, this paper discusses how pedagogical attitudes have change over time and suggests the use of the 2030 SDGs Game as a powerful tool for sustainability education. Composed by a set of cards with different projects and goals, the game connects participants to the principles of the Agenda 2030 and is suitable for a wide range of educational settings. In the case study presented in this paper, the game was played by 20 students from five different faculties of the University of Liverpool (UK). Findings: The participatory nature of the game, where players learn through the experience of play, is functional to support the co-creation of knowledge of the "active-learner-centred" approach, and facilitate the development of problem-solving attitudes, soft skills and team-working abilities. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper presents, for the first time, the 2030 SDGs Game as a pedagogical tool for interdisciplinary sustainability education. The game is relatively easy to play and is suitable to be used in a wide range of educational settings.

For centuries, Catholic schools have promoted extra-curricular activity as a means to develop well-rounded students. Sports programming has been a vital aspect of this work, but there is little research into how these programmes can support the combined educational-religious missions of the schools. In response, this paper relies on archival and interview research to present a historical case study of Canadian coach-educator Father David Bauer, who spent his lifetime as a Basilian priest educating through sport in the face of its violent tendencies. We discuss how Bauer, as an educator and prominent international figure in ice hockey, identified difficulties arising from violence over several decades. Influenced by his military experience and his religious community's educational charism, we see how Bauer drew from a Basilian intellectual tradition and other experiences to push back against several types of violence arising in sport: physical, psychological, structural, media-driven, and others. The paper concludes with seven recommendations of nonviolence for Catholic school sports programmes, where leaders can learn from Bauer's story and enable programmes of human development and bridge-building, and thereby, positively enhance school mission.

Purpose: Higher education institutions (HEIs) offer courses and programmes focusing on sustainability in economics, as courses on sustainable development (SD), which examine the economic, social and environmental dimensions of SD. This paper aims to examine sustainability integration in economics degree programmes. Design/methodology/approach: Through an extensive literature review in Web of Science (WoS) and information search in Google, conducting to 28 relevant case studies, this paper elucidates the emphasis given to sustainability as part of economics degree programmes in HEIs. Findings: The results suggest that, whereas the inclusion of sustainability components in this field is a growing trend, much still needs to be done to ensure that matters related to SD are part of the routine of university students studying economics. Research limitations/implications: It is worth noting that the literature review conducted in WoS was primarily aimed at assisting in the selection of university case studies. The 28 university case studies scrutinised in this study may lack sufficient representation from numerous developing countries. Practical implications: This study highlights challenges in integrating the SD into economics degree programmes, suggesting the need for curriculum adjustments as underscoring operational issues, acting as barriers. The inclusion of sustainability in economics programmes must navigate operational issues stemming from packed timetables and busy schedules, requiring innovative solutions. Social implications: As far as the authors are aware, this study holds substantial importance in its emphasis on implementing sustainability within HEIs' economics programmes, assisting in pursuing SD. Originality/value: The novelty of this study lies in addressing sustainability with the specific economics focus programmes within the HEIs context.

Higher education consists of a wide array of education programs, some of which closely involve both domestic politics and issues that transcend national boundaries. This paper explores a controversial and highly contested higher education program that is shaped by a post-conflict affected context and transnational politics. Based on the case study of a new Vietnamese language studies program in Cambodia, the paper demonstrates that when post-conflict education and transnational politics intersect with one another in many ways, post-war higher education reconstruction becomes a platform where stakeholders such as youths and national and international governments contest and negotiate influence and change. By critically examining the relations between educational phenomena and historical, national, and geopolitical dynamics in a post-conflict environment, the paper discusses key factors of higher education reconstruction in the aftermath of social upheavals and mass atrocities. It also offers a fresh perspective on the multifaceted dynamics of a higher education program which involves public protests, state intervention, transnational disputes, and inter-state relations.

The concept of toxic leadership has been widely investigated in diverse settings with most contributors agreeing its impact on followers can have negative effects to the victim's well-being, job satisfaction, group productivity and organisational commitment. However, the concept has not yet been sufficiently researched in tertiary educational settings, and in this case, specifically in Chilean higher education. This paper explores whether toxic leadership was present in country's universities and, if so, to assess its impact over academics' work engagement. A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted, using a sample of 592 academics from two different Chilean universities, who voluntarily responded to two validated scales: One to measure toxic leadership perceptions (Schmidt's toxic leadership scale) and other one to measure work engagement (UWES[superscript R] work engagement scale). The results corroborated the presence of toxic leadership in the consulted institutions, but a significant relationship between this style of leadership and work engagement was not established. This finding suggests that, even though the participants recognise the presence of toxic leadership, work engagement was not necessarily affected by their leader's behaviour.

Migrant families often invite grandparents to move to Australia when babies are born. In order to provide support to their families, many of these grandparents have to retire from their own professional careers and migrate to Australia to start new lives. Some speak English as an additional language, with or without formal education, prior to arriving in Australia. Once in Australia, these senior migrants can only access limited government-funded English learning, and they are frequently left to capitalize on informal learning. This paper discusses a case study of two Chinese-heritage senior migrants and the role English plays in their lives, and grandparenting in Australia. We argue that having the English capability for everyday activity within the family is key to their overall well-being, and that drawing directly on their past experiences and learning strengths can enhance their quality of life.

Up to the publication of the results of Germany's first participation in the PISA study in 2001, there had been no national educational standards in Germany's 16 federal states. In the aftermath of the discussions about the disappointing outcomes, Germany's federal states decided to develop national standards, yet focusing on "core subjects" and leaving geography disregarded. Consequently, the DGfG, which is the governing body of all professional geography associations in Germany, agreed on solving the problem on its own and published its own Educational Standards in Geography in 2006. Even though there have been countless efforts to foster the implementation of these widely-accepted, yet without legislative validation, standards we do not know exactly to what extent they have been implemented in the particular German federal states. The study presented here addresses this research gap bifid: Firstly, a research tool designed to analyze the paper implementation (i.e., putting into place new policies and procedures with the adoption of an innovation as the rationale for the policies and procedures, Fixsen et al., 2005, p. 6) of standards in curricula is introduced. Secondly, the results of a thorough examination of all curricula valid for the grammar schools in Germany are presented and discussed. As it becomes obvious, the Educational Standards have become increasingly implemented within the past years despite a lack of support by the legislations of the 16 federal states. However, there are some gaps that remain to be closed in order to ensure a complete, entirely successful paper implementation, ranging from particular areas of competence within the curricula in some states that have not adopted standards based geography instruction.

The pandemic resulted in countless tips about how technology can replace face-to-face instruction. This paper illustrates how pedagogical philosophies can impact online course decisions and how a PCK frame offers a gateway for thinking about epistemological access and social justice during Emergency Online Teaching (EOT). This research followed an intrinsic case study design including multiple data sets that were analyzed through inductive, deductive, and axial coding before generalizing patterns across students' reflective journals, FlipGrid recordings, daily tasks, and end-of-course feedback. The results showed that a collaborative online community of practice, self-directed learning, and integrated assessment provided student access and encouraged voice and engagement. Thus, post-COVID-19 PCK holds potential for instructional design and emancipatory online pedagogies in higher education.

This paper focuses on pre-service mathematics teachers' geometrical construction processes while using a duo of artefacts, namely the paper-and-pencil environment (PPE) and a dynamic geometry system (DGS). The participants of this case study were two pre-service mathematics teachers, who had limited DGS experiences in solving geometry tasks. The data were collected through task-based interviews in which the participants were asked to complete angle bisector construction first with PPE and then in DGS, using together with the PPE to support the development of their construction strategies in DGS. Data analysis was carried out to examine (dis)continuities that the pre-service teachers faced while connecting the duos and the feedback received during such process. Findings indicated that the pre-service teachers had difficulties in comprehending ( 1) the concept of robustness of the construction and (2) the dependency relationships between the objects in DGS, which created discontinuities for them to differentiate between a static representation on paper and dynamic representation in DGS. In this, the use of duos and the feedback different artefacts generated -- i.e., direct manipulation feedback, evaluation feedback and tool operation feedback from the DGS, and strategy feedback scaffolded by the interviewer --, promoted their conception of angle bisector construction.