The decision to become teacher is greatly influenced by certain motivations such as altruistic, intrinsic, and extrinsic. Examining these motivations influencing individuals’ decisions to become teachers is essential for sustainable professional development. This is because no previous publication has focused on Generation Z’s (Gen Z) extrinsic motivations to pursue teaching profession. Therefore, this study aimed to explore motivations of Gen Z to become teachers in elementary schools. A qualitative analysis was adopted with a focus group discussion method including 58 pre-service teachers learning at the primary school teacher education program. Furthermore, the participants in the analysis were aged 18-22 years and also fell into the Gen Z category. Data obtained from the participants was further analyzed using thematic analysis. The results showed that extrinsic motivations underlying the desire of Gen Z to become teachers originated from the high social respect teaching receives from society, the promise of prosperity, and adequate employment opportunities. Extrinsic motivations also originated from childhood experiences inspired by religious teachings and the parents. The study further emphasized the importance of understanding the participants’ motivations for entering teaching profession to improve recruitment systems, providing motivation, set hours and workloads, as well as welfare systems for Gen Z teachers.

In the context of promoting student inclusion in higher education, this study examines the effectiveness of transition programs from vocational to undergraduate education as access mechanisms that enable effective and successful inclusion. A cohort of 637 Chilean students from three academic disciplines, namely, agronomy, early childhood education, and physical education was analyzed, comparing academic performance, failure rates, and persistence between continuation program participants and students admitted through traditional or inclusive pathways. Statistical analyses, including persistence metrics and analysis of variance (ANOVA), indicate that students in the continuation program achieve equal or superior academic outcomes to their peers admitted through regular or other inclusionary pathways. These results provide evidence to support the relevance and feasibility of this type of higher education pathway access as an effective inclusive education strategy in terms of academic success and persistence. So, this paper contributes with specific evidence on the effectiveness of this inclusion mechanism, which could be relevant for designing efficient inclusion policy mechanisms. However, future studies that address career paths and professional development longitudinally must complement these initial results.

This study explores the relationship between social-emotional competence (SEC) and teachers’ teaching skills (TTS) among a sample of 328 secondary school teachers in the Petaling Utama District, Selangor. The quantitative research employs the social, and emotional learning (CASEL) model to assess SEC and the Malaysian Teacher Standards provided by the Ministry of Education to evaluate TTS. The findings indicate that the overall level of TTS is slightly higher, with an average score of 3.282, compared to the SEC’s average score of 3.212. through Pearson correlation analysis, the study identifies a significant positive relationship between various SEC elements such as self-awareness (SA), self-management (SM), social awareness (SOA), relationship skills (RS), and making rational decision (MRD) and TTS, with RS demonstrating the highest correlation at r=0.562, p0.05. Further analysis using multiple regression reveals that SEC elements significantly contribute to variations in TTS, with SM emerging as the most significant predictor, showing a Beta value of 0.248 (24.8%). The study underscores the critical role that SEC plays in enhancing TTS, suggesting that beyond traditional training, a more in-depth and sustained focus on developing SEC could lead to significant improvements in teacher competency. Future research is recommended to continue exploring this connection to further enhance educational outcomes.

This study explores the effects of mindfulness, resilience, and self-efficacy on foreign language anxiety among Chinese college students and identifies the most significant predictor of foreign language anxiety. Employing a quantitative approach, data were collected from 323 English as a foreign language students using validated scales measuring these variables. Pearson correlation analyses revealed significant negative correlations of self-efficacy (r=-0.538, p0.01), resilience (r=-0.372, p0.01), and mindfulness (r=-0.331, p0.01) with foreign language anxiety. Multiple regression analysis indicated that self-efficacy was the most impactful variable for predicting foreign language anxiety, while mindfulness also significantly predicted foreign language anxiety, but resilience did not. These findings underscore the pivotal part played by self-efficacy in reducing foreign language anxiety and suggest that enhancing self-efficacy can improve language study experiences. The research offers meaningful understandings regarding the mechanisms of foreign language anxiety and offers practical recommendations for educators to implement strategies aimed at boosting students’ self-efficacy, with implications for future research and practice.

Learning action cell (LAC) sessions are structured professional development activities tailored for schools to enhance pedagogical skills, teaching methodologies, and assessment methods to improve student academic achievement. This study investigated the implementation of the LAC as an internal development training program for science teachers in remote regions of the Philippines. A total of 403 science educators participated in the study to collect implementation strategies seen in the LAC. The science teachers’ experiences in the LAC implementation were assessed using a survey questionnaire and a case study through focus group discussions (FGD). Based on the findings, LAC enhances educators’ perceptions of professional development training. As a professional development tool, the LAC helped science teachers develop students’ science holistic development, technology innovation, and cultural knowledge. The idea creates a community of scientific educators who collaborate to improve their facilitation, innovation, and research skills, promoting professional leadership and competency in the field. Consequently, the efficacy of LAC necessitates high-quality training aimed at specific objectives. Science educators acknowledged that LAC enhances instructional leadership and pedagogical proficiency.

Socioeconomic growth is largely influenced by education, which promotes equality and creativity. Recent trends show a sharp drop in high school graduates’ enthusiasm in pursuing the natural sciences, particularly physics, despite past and present dedications to high-quality education. With an emphasis on physics, this study explores the choices and views of Kosovan high school students on their future education. An online survey was conducted among 3144 high school graduates across three cities in Kosovo. The poll looked at the students’ experiences with physics in elementary and secondary school, their future educational goals, and how satisfied they were with the physics instructors and lab settings. The results reveal a strong preference for studying any engineering sciences over physics, with only a small percentage considering physics as a viable field of study. The findings highlight significant dissatisfaction with the difficulty and monotony of physics courses from primary and secondary schools, inadequate laboratory conditions, and lack of engaging teaching methods. Several recommendations have been made to address these issues. By focusing on these improvements, educational institutions, and policymakers in Kosovo can better support students, enhance the overall quality of higher education, and align with global trends where interest in exact sciences is similar.

Professional development in classroom assessment techniques plays a crucial role in enhancing student learning outcomes. The preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA)-guided systematic review of the research literature assesses these programs to identify effective methodologies, research limitations, and trends in development, providing evidence-based recommendations for education leaders and policymakers. A structured search of Scopus and Web of Science databases, using keywords “classroom,” “professional development,” and “assessment,” yielded a final set of 43 studies. The analysis revealed four major themes: i) student-centered education; ii) classroom practices and teacher development; iii) specialized education and teacher training; and iv) assessment in education. The review demonstrates the impact of professional development programs (PDP) on teachers and addresses challenges in improving student achievement. By adhering to recognized standards for systematic reviews, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of professional development in classroom assessment, highlighting various strategies, obstacles, and successes. The findings emphasize the significance of efficient assessment for student learning outcomes and offer insights into enhancing PDP in this critical area of education.

Micro-credential language courses have gained significant attention in the field of language education due to their potential to offer targeted and flexible learning experiences. However, the successful implementation of these courses relies on understanding the perceptions of language educators and addressing the associated issues and challenges. This study aims to identify language educators’ perceptions of online language learning platforms and micro-credential online language learning platforms and explore the issues and challenges in developing micro-credential language courses. Employing a quantitative approach, data was collected from 30 respondents from language educators at the centre for language learning, in a public university in Malaysia. Through survey questionnaires, quantitative insights into educators’ perceptions and experiences were gathered. The survey questionnaire gathered quantitative data on educators’ perceptions and experiences. This research sheds light on language educators’ perceptions of online language learning platforms and micro-credentials while identifying the challenges inherent in developing such courses. The findings underscore the significance of addressing these challenges to ensure the effective implementation of micro-credential-based language courses within online education contexts.

Online and distance learning technology with the learning management system (LMS) is an example of the application of online learning models at universities, which is the impact of technological developments. However, advances in LMS technology still need to be implemented in universities, the problem of university readiness being the main factor. Another area for improvement is the level of computer self-efficacy (CSE) among LMS users. Therefore, before the actual research was carried out, instrument testing was carried out regarding the factors influencing LMS users at the university. After testing the limited instrument on 63 university students, the results showed that of the six constructs with 21 indicator items, it was proven that only one indicator item was invalid. However, the reliability test has met the criteria. The conclusion of the initial test results of the instrument was declared valid and reliable, so it was suitable for actual testing.

Assessment literacy is an essential part of the teaching and learning process. Good assessment practices will have an impact on the quality of learning outcomes. The purpose of this study is to investigate assessment literacy among educators and identify the effects of gender, education, training, and work experience. A random sample of 134 teachers participated in this exploratory study. Tests and questionnaires have been employed in data collection methods. The data were analyzed using dummy variable regression analysis. This study found that teachers' assessment literacy was poor. Gender and training had an impact on assessment literacy, while education and work experience had no bearing on it. A more in-depth study with a wider scope needs to be conducted to gain a more comprehensive insight into teachers' assessment literacy. It is also worth studying in more depth what factors are thought to influence teachers’ assessment literacy.