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The mediating role of student engagement in the relationship between teacher and digital support and learner satisfaction in blended learning environments at higher education

✇Wiley: British Educational Research Journal: Table of Contents
By: Xiao‐Feng Kenan Kok， Ching Yee Pua， Shermain Puah， Oran Zane Devilly， Peng Cheng Wang， Eric Chern‐Pin Chua

Abstract

Given the emergence of blended learning as the dominant mode of learning at university in a post-COVID-19 world, the need to examine students' perceptions of blended learning is increasingly becoming more important. This study examined the mediating role of student engagement in the relationship between the types of support (i.e., teacher, digital) and learner satisfaction in blended learning environments. A sample of 674 Year 1 and Year 2 students from a public university in Singapore participated in this study. Structural equation modelling showed that (1) teacher autonomy and digital relatedness support predicted agentic engagement, (2) digital competence and relatedness support predicted emotional engagement, (3) emotional engagement predicted all learner satisfaction facets except for learner–instructor interaction and (4) agentic engagement predicted all learner satisfaction facets except for learner–technology interaction. Of the four dimensions of student engagement, only emotional and agentic engagement mediated the relationships between various dimensions of support and learner satisfaction. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of emotionally engaging students and imbuing a sense of agency in them to enhance the relationships between the types of support and learner satisfaction.

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‘Let's talk about the weather’: The activist curriculum and global climate change education

✇Wiley: British Educational Research Journal: Table of Contents
By: Richard Pountney

Abstract

Activist movements have garnered significant global attention on a range of sustainability issues, often involving collectives of citizens coming together. Invoked is the idea of citizens informed to act, emerging not from a common-sense understanding of everyday life, but rather from a deep political understanding of the world—one that is underpinned by a level of civics knowledge that provides the intellectual basis for engaging in public discussions and planning citizen action. Here, the possibility of transformative activist curricular movements for climate education arises and whether to change the curriculum, or to see curriculum as change in itself. This paper examines what schools and teachers can do to develop children's understanding of and engagement with the issues, and to address their concerns, informed by John Dewey's notion of social action and his ideas on democracy and thinking. The discussion draws on a global movement in climate education, and the case of a group of schools in England. The two cases, chosen as illustrative, are theorised by means of Maton's semantic variation theory to identify how the systems of meaning in these, and similar, contexts can be made accessible. How the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of quality education (SDG4) and climate action (SDG13) can be achieved, including the design of the curriculum by teachers, is examined. The need for an activist curriculum is discussed, one that is integrated and embedded rather than inserted, in which young people can engage with and respond to the issues that they face. Such a curriculum posits the school as both democratic and open, in the sense of having boundaries that are fluid and permeable to the concerns of society, while also giving access to disciplinary knowledge that is the basis of conceptual understanding of the problems of, as well as the solutions to, climate change.

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The potential of deep learning in improving K‐12 students' writing skills: A systematic review

✇Wiley: British Educational Research Journal: Table of Contents
By: Mazhar Bal， Emre Öztürk

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between technology-supported writing instruction at the K-12 level and deep learning approaches and to understand the trends in this field. In the study, 12 articles selected from Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC and EBSCO databases were systematically analysed. The findings reveal that the methods differed in teaching writing, with the use of educational technologies varying according to educational level. While authentic learning environments were created with SVVR technology in primary school, artificial intelligence (AI)-supported assessment systems were used in secondary school and AI literacy and interdisciplinary approaches gained importance in high school. The diversity of research methods and the use of multiple data collection tools show that educational technology research has become more in-depth and comprehensive. The effectiveness of technology-supported writing processes varies according to students' cognitive development levels: in primary school, virtual and augmented-reality technologies improve writing performance; while in secondary school, AI-supported systems improve analytical thinking skills. In high school, NLP technologies and interdisciplinary applications strengthen higher-order thinking skills and writing abilities. At all levels, peer collaboration and feedback stand out as critical elements that support deep learning. The selection and application of educational technologies in accordance with students' cognitive development levels play an important role in determining the success of writing processes.

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How do principals’ paternalistic leadership impact teachers’ emotional labor and efficacy: Do gender or region of teachers make a difference?

✇Wiley: British Educational Research Journal: Table of Contents
By: Shenghua Huang， Yanan Zhang， Hongbiao Yin

Abstract

Using multigroup structural equation modelling, this study investigated the relationships between paternalistic leadership, emotional labour and teacher efficacy, as well as the moderating roles of gender and region among a group of Chinese primary school teachers. The overall results revealed that both authoritarianism and benevolence dimensions of paternalistic leadership have positive impacts on teachers’ emotional labour, albeit with different strengths. Stronger connections were found between authoritarianism and surface acting, and between benevolence and deep acting/the expression of naturally felt emotions. Surface acting was found to have more negative effects, while deep acting and the expression of naturally felt emotions were more positively associated with teacher efficacy. The results of multigroup structural equation modelling supported the invariant measurement models across gender and region, revealing notable differences subgroups. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are also discussed.

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How school principals' empowering leadership influences teacher autonomy: The mediating role of teachers' academic optimism

✇Wiley: British Educational Research Journal: Table of Contents
By: Hülya Kasapoğlu Tankutay， İbrahim Çolak

Abstract

Over the past decade, teacher autonomy has become increasingly significant due to its positive impact on educational outcomes. The study explores the mediating role of teachers' academic optimism in the relationship between school principals' empowering leadership and teacher autonomy. In this study, we proposed teachers' academic optimism as a mediator in the relationship between empowering leadership and teacher autonomy. Data obtained from a sample of 384 teachers in Türkiye were analysed according to structural equation modelling. The results showed that school principals' empowering leadership positively and directly predicted both teachers' autonomy and their academic optimism. The results also indicated that teachers' academic optimism positively and directly predicted teacher autonomy. In addition, academic optimism was found to significantly mediate the relationship between empowering leadership and teacher autonomy. The findings highlight the importance of empowering teachers and strengthening their academic optimism as a means to enhancing their independent actions and decision-making capabilities. Our findings provide practical recommendations for developing principals' empowering leadership behaviours and in the enhancement of their academic optimism.

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Unsettling subject English in the twenty‐first century

✇Wiley: British Educational Research Journal: Table of Contents
By: Victoria Elliott， Larissa McLean Davies

Abstract

This paper uses examples from Australia and England to explore subject English with regard to the multiple metaphors inherent in the terms ‘settling’ and ‘unsettling’. In doing so we are concerned with imagining a future for a subject English curriculum which dislodges it from its imperial, colonial roots. In the first instance, we outline the existing approaches to unsettling English in England and Australia and the challenges and limitations of these approaches and strategies. We also discuss some of the structures and agents which are invested in maintaining the status quo: namely, curriculum and assessment; teacher practices and disciplinary norms; teacher knowledge and CPD; and student context and the purposes of English. We conclude with the implications for a systemic and multi-layered approach to unsettling. We see this as an opening up of a comparative conversation about subject English across the Anglophone world, the different contexts of unsettling and what that subject might look like if it is to enact the justice imperatives of education in the twenty-first century.

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‘They have somewhere to turn to’: Wellbeing support for newly arrived refugee and migrant adolescents in English secondary schools

✇Wiley: British Educational Research Journal: Table of Contents
By: Aimee Kelley， An Verelst， Ilse Derluyn

Abstract

Children continue to comprise a significant portion of refugees and migrants worldwide and may be impacted by challenges or trauma prior to or during their journey, or after arrival in the host country. School serves as a constant place in the lives of many of these newly arrived children, and a potential setting for wellbeing support. However, there is a gap in understanding how young newcomers are supported at school and by whom; this is especially unclear in an education system like England's, which has a default policy of directly mainstreaming non-English-speaking students, which many young newcomers are. We interviewed 29 school staff members at eight secondary schools to gather their perspectives on who provides wellbeing support to young newcomers and the nature of such support. Using thematic analysis, we found that the majority of wellbeing support for young newcomers is performed by English as an additional language (EAL) staff and that the main form of support provided is through individualised relationship building, which in turn mutually fosters other types of support. Using Gholami's framework of moral care and caring pedagogy as central to teachers' praxis, we discuss how care is at the core of EAL staff actions in supporting newcomer wellbeing and how these staff members at times prioritise care over learning. Our findings have important implications for both school staff and newcomer students, for which we provide several recommendations.

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The education experiences of young people experiencing child criminal and sexual exploitation

✇Wiley: British Educational Research Journal: Table of Contents
By: Jenny Lloyd

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School exclusion forms part of the processes that can increase young people's risk of offending and involvement in exploitation and harm. However, little is known about the education experiences of young people impacted by harm, such as child sexual and criminal exploitation. This paper presents findings from a survey with 17 children's and families' social care departments in England and Wales to understand the education experiences of children open to social care for extra-familial harm. The research was undertaken at a time of significant pressure on schools and teachers to improve academic performance. The findings evidence that 45% of young people were in mainstream settings, 85% of young people had experienced some form of exclusion and this differed across gender, disability and ethnicity. Finally, the reasons for exclusion were strongly associated with young people's experiences of exploitation and harm. Two theories of containment are used to understand school exclusion: psychosocial and geopolitical. I argue that exclusionary school practices spatially contain the perceived ‘threat’ young people impacted by extra-familial harm pose to wider school populations, to emotionally contain professional anxieties about exploitation and violence, in the absence of appropriate educational and safeguarding system responses.

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Poe or Gemini for fostering writing skills in Japanese upper‐intermediate learners: Uncovering the consequences on positive emotions, boredom to write, academic self‐efficacy and writing development

✇Wiley: British Educational Research Journal: Table of Contents
By: Qiong Wu， Anfeng Xu

Abstract

The integration of AI-based platforms, such as Poe and Gemini, into language instruction has garnered increasing attention for their potential to enhance writing skills. Despite this interest, little is known about their effects on EFL learners' positive emotions (PEs), academic self-efficacy and boredom in writing. Addressing this gap, the present study investigated the effectiveness of Poe and Gemini in developing writing skills and explored their impact on learners' PEs, academic self-efficacy and boredom among learners at the upper-intermediate level. For this purpose, a total of 519 Japanese upper-intermediate EFL learners were randomly assigned to three groups: (1) Poe-assisted writing instruction; (2) Gemini-assisted writing instruction; and (3) a control group (CG) receiving traditional instruction. The study employed a mixed-methods design, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative data collection. Writing development was assessed through pre- and post-tests, while learners' emotions, boredom and academic self-efficacy were measured using validated scales. Additionally, qualitative data were gathered through interviews and analysed using coding and thematic analysis to understand learners' attitudes and perceptions. Quantitative data were analysed using ANOVA and MANOVA to compare the outcomes across the three groups. The findings revealed that both Poe and Gemini significantly improved learners' writing skills compared to the CG, with no substantial differences in effectiveness between the two platforms. Participants in the Poe and Gemini groups reported heightened PEs and increased academic self-efficacy, alongside reduced boredom during writing tasks. The qualitative findings corroborated these results, highlighting the platforms' role in fostering greater enthusiasm, engagement, autonomy and motivation in English language learning. The study concludes by offering a range of implications for different stakeholders.

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Applying the online language learners' characteristics model in connection with various personality traits: A latent profile analysis

✇Wiley: British Educational Research Journal: Table of Contents
By: Yuan Liang， Ting Ji， Shuying Zhou， Xiaolin Liu， Hao Yan

Abstract

Constructing personalised and effective online language learning models based on individual personality differences is crucial in the field of education. However, there is little research on how to apply these models to students in science and engineering who have varying personality profiles. This study aimed to assess the validity of the Online Language Learners' Characteristics Model Questionnaire and investigate how its structure and performance differ among individuals with different personality traits. A total of 1015 college students completed a pen-and-paper questionnaire in online classes. The results showed that online characteristics were explained by a five-factor model consisting of language learning strategy, attitude, motivation, causal attribution, and self-efficacy. A latent profile analysis was conducted to identify four distinct personality profiles. Measurement invariance and differences in characteristics among the four personality types were examined. Our findings offer initial evidence of the specific connections between personality traits and online language learning characteristics at the individual level.

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Tracking mathematics achievement gaps in England: Gender, socioeconomic status and ethnicity

✇Wiley: British Educational Research Journal: Table of Contents
By: Adam Coates

Abstract

Educational inequality and mathematics achievement have been long-term concerns in England. However, most studies of inequalities focus on achievement across multiple-subjects, and studies of mathematics achievement gaps tend to look at a single test in a single year. This study provides an overview of mathematics achievement gaps in the last 13 years. Aggregate data for nearly 13 million pupils for Key Stages 1, 2, 4 and 5 are used to explore the achievement gaps by gender, Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility and ethnicity. The Common Language Effect Size is used as a measure of relative achievement for the different groups. The findings show virtually equal overall achievement in mathematics between boys and girls, but boys achieve more highest and lowest grades. In contrast, the gap for FSM eligible pupils is immense: at KS4 the average FSM pupil achieves lower grades than 66% of other pupils. Ethnicity achievement gaps show a generally consistent order, with Chinese achieving the highest average grades and Gypsy/Roma achieving the lowest. The gaps for ethnicity expand as pupils progress through their schooling. All achievement gaps have fundamentally remained constant over time, with the exception of a few ethnic groups whose relative achievement has increased. Overall, this study hopefully provides a reference point for future research that explores causes and ways to reduce the identified achievement inequalities.

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Teachers as epistemic agents: A case study of interdisciplinary pedagogy

✇Wiley: British Educational Research Journal: Table of Contents
By: Vered Resnick， Yifat Ben David Kolikant

Abstract

This qualitative case study explores teachers' epistemic agency during the implementation of interdisciplinary pedagogy in an Israeli high school. We examined science teachers collaborating on curriculum design through observations of weekly meetings. Micro-analysis of a pivotal meeting uncovered conditions shaping teachers' epistemic agency. Our findings reveal two central themes: ‘fragile knowledge’ and ‘forward motion’, illustrating how teachers navigate uncertainty and construct new knowledge. We introduce a novel framework for understanding epistemic agency development, comprising four key elements: epistemic disruption, interaction, autonomy and epistemic stance. This framework provides a lens for analysing and fostering teachers' epistemic agency, with implications for teacher development in interdisciplinary contexts.

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Students' sense of belonging and authenticity in higher education

✇Wiley: British Educational Research Journal: Table of Contents
By: Anne‐Roos Verbree， Marieke van der Schaaf， Leoniek Wijngaards‐de Meij， Gönül Dilaver

Abstract

Sense of belonging entails students' comfort level in the classroom and experienced faculty and peer support. A diminished sense of belonging can hamper academic performance. Therefore, it is important to know which student groups may experience weaker belonging and whether these disparities extend to students' authenticity, or perception they can be true to themselves. This survey research examines student differences in sense of belonging and authenticity by gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, disabilities, extracurricular involvement, parental education, prior education, study year and school. We also examined whether belonging and authenticity were related to students' self-reported academic performance. Our sample (N = 4473) consisted of Dutch undergraduate and graduate students. Data analysis employing structural equation modelling showed that male students felt more comfortable in the classroom and students with disabilities experienced less sense of belonging and authenticity than their peers. Extracurricular involvement enhanced students' belonging and authenticity. Being part of multiple minority groups impaired aspects of students' belonging and authenticity. Sense of belonging and the experienced room for authenticity positively and independently predicted academic performance. We conclude that fostering both belonging and authenticity is crucial for all students, but especially for minority students. We suggest educators foster students' sense of belonging and authenticity, which can enhance academic performance and promote educational equality and opportunities for all students. Stimulating extracurricular involvement or others forms of non-academic participation is promising to contribute to this goal.

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Can AI replace humans? Comparing the capabilities of AI tools and human performance in a business management education scenario

✇Wiley: British Educational Research Journal: Table of Contents
By: Dinuka B. Herath， Egena Ode， Gayanga B. Herath

Abstract

This study provides a comparative assessment of the capabilities of leading artificial intelligence (AI) tools and human participants in a business management education context. Specifically, we (a) assess how well current language models perform in providing answers to standardised essay-type assessments in a business and management education context, (b) examine the efficacy of emergent tools in detecting AI-generated texts and (c) evaluate online AI rewriting and paraphrasing tools and their efficacy in evading detection. Using an exploratory qualitative design, this study generated and evaluated 15 standard essays using ChatGPT (n = 5), Bard (n = 5) and human (n = 5). A comparison is provided between the average performance of AI-derived essays and that of ChatGPT-generated essays across all five essays. The results suggest that AI-generated content can achieve reasonably high marks in management and business assessments. According to the findings of the study, AI's performance is highly influenced by the types of prompts used, the user's experience and the degree to which the user can discern between relevant and irrelevant content. According to the findings, Turnitin's AI detection tool is highly effective at detecting content that has been created by AI, but the effectiveness is reduced by rewriters. The Turnitin AI detection tool, however, is significantly more effective at identifying content generated by Bard compared with content generated by ChatGPT. According to the results, ChatGPT produced better results when the user provided a clear context, outlined the topic and expectations, divided the assessment tasks into sections and fed the prompts in a conversational manner to train the model. By utilising AI chatbots effectively, traditional teaching and assessment methods can be supplemented with targeted and engaging learning experiences.

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Achievement vs. engagement: Providing support in socially disadvantaged schools

✇Wiley: British Educational Research Journal: Table of Contents
By: Jana Obrovská， Martin Majcík， Jaroslava Simonová

Abstract

Educational inequalities persist between students of low socioeconomic status and their more affluent peers. At the same time, there is evidence of positive relations between student engagement and achievement. This multiple case study investigates a national project aimed at increasing student engagement and achievement through post-Covid-19 support focused on disadvantaged schools in the Czech Republic. School staff perceived poor attendance, low student motivation and discipline problems as the most challenging issues to be addressed through project support measures. Attendance problems are tackled mainly through experiential activities; motivation and discipline problems are usually addressed by personnel positions. We argue that the selected measures aimed predominantly to support student emotional and behavioural engagement; strategies to enhance cognitive engagement and student achievement were sidelined. Paradoxically, student engagement may become a goal in itself rather than being inscribed into learning outcomes. Implications for programme support and school improvement research are suggested.

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