Teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in developing contexts like Vietnam is frequently constrained by two systemic deficits: the absence of an authentic language environment due to a scarcity of native speakers, and the prohibitive cost of copyrighted international teaching materials. These constraints often force teachers into a difficult compromise between providing high-quality input and adhering to legal or budgetary limits, leading to widespread reliance on unauthorized or outdated resources. This study investigates how secondary school teachers are strategically employing Generative AI (GenAI) not merely as an administrative tool, but also as a cost-effective solution to these specific environmental and economic challenges. Drawing on qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 15 EFL teachers across diverse socioeconomic settings, the research analyzes teacher agency through the lens of "resource bricolage."

The findings reveal that teachers are actively constructing a "low-cost authentic environment" by deploying AI-driven text-to-speech technologies as "synthetic native speakers," thereby providing students with consistent, high-quality listening exposure previously accessible only in affluent international schools. Furthermore, the study demonstrates a significant shift in material development, where teachers move from relying on copyright-infringing content to engaging in "personalized creation." By using GenAI to generate original, linguistically accurate reading materials and assessments tailored to local contexts, educators are effectively bypassing the need for expensive commercial textbooks. The study concludes that the primary value of GenAI in resource-scarce contexts lies in its ability to democratize access to authentic language input and provide a legally sustainable, ethical model for material design. These insights suggest that AI integration should be framed as a matter of educational equity and economic strategy rather than just technological innovation.

Introduction
Promoting inquiry learning can develop science education and contribute to individual development and learning outcomes (Öztürk et al., 2022). Paunova-Hubenova et al. (2025) conclude that schools need more integrated learning resources and additional qualifications by teachers to apply STEM methods effectively in Bulgarian schools. This may require collective effort and changes in pedagogy to develop science education. However, Koleva (2011) argues that improving scientific literacy and key competences of students in natural sciences especially chemistry is an objective in Bulgarian school education. Therefore, exploring the challenges faced by schools such as curriculum and assessments requires pedagogical shifts to promote inquiry learning. This study compared various teaching methods employed in secondary schools in Bulgaria and its impact on inquiry learning.
Research questions:
What are students’ perceptions of the teaching methods used by teachers and its impact on inquiry learning?
What factors hinder the effective promotion of inquiry learning in schools?

Methodology
This mixed-method research is underpinned by a constructivist learning theory. Data was collected through interviews, questionnaires and lesson observations. The qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis and a correlation analysis for the quantitative data.
Results:
The outcomes from the qualitative data identified barriers to implementing scientific inquiry in the classrooms. They included a lack of teacher pedagogical knowledge and promoting student-led learning, tailored professional development and a lack of resources for practical work. A preliminary analysis of the quantitative data shows that traditional modes of teaching persist without marked impact on learning, and practical work was inconsistent and teacher-led.
Conclusion
The outcome from this study has informed pedagogical approaches and interventions by providing training opportunities for cost-effective micro-scale practical chemistry. However, we also suggest that teachers would benefit from enhanced pedagogical support through professional development and knowledge exchange practices.

This study examines how International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) supported teachers in Afghanistan during a period of prolonged crisis from 2020 to 2025, with particular attention to education and health interventions. Ongoing political instability, economic decline, and humanitarian challenges significantly affected teachers’ professional conditions, well-being, and capacity to deliver quality education. In response, INGOs played a critical role in sustaining educational activities and supporting teachers in both formal and community-based learning environments.
Adopting a qualitative, descriptive approach, the research draws on secondary sources including INGO reports, policy briefs, and the academic literature. The analysis reveals that INGOs implemented a range of interventions aimed at strengthening teacher capacity, such as professional development, provision of teaching and learning materials, and psychosocial support. In addition, health-focused initiatives addressing physical safety, hygiene, and mental health were integrated to reduce barriers that hinder effective teaching and learning.
The findings underscore the interconnected nature of teacher education and health in crisis contexts and demonstrate how integrated INGO interventions contributed to teacher resilience and continuity of education. This paper contributes to teacher education discourse by highlighting practical lessons for designing responsive support systems for teachers working in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
INGOs strengthened teacher resilience by integrating education and health support in crisis contexts.

Introduction:

Re-examining fundamental scientific ideas through indigenous intellectual traditions provides significant scope for innovation in teacher education. This paper critically explores the conceptualization of gravitational force in the Sanskrit literature, tracing its development from Vedic cosmology in the Rigveda to systematic astronomical discussions in the Siddhanta Shiromani by Bhāskara II [1]. The notion of gurutva (attractive force) described in these sources presents a qualitative understanding of gravitational attraction, which may be pedagogically aligned with later scientific formulations.

Methods:

This study employs qualitative textual analysis and comparative hermeneutics. Primary Sanskrit sources were examined alongside foundational works of modern physics, including Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica by Isaac Newton (1687) and the General Theory of Relativity proposed by Albert Einstein (1915). Conceptual correspondences were analyzed within a teacher education framework to evaluate their curricular and epistemological relevance for pre-service and in-service teacher training.

Results and Discussion:

The findings indicate that classical Sanskrit scholars articulated a reasoned qualitative account of the Earth’s attractive property and spherical structure. Although lacking mathematical formalization comparable to Newton’s inverse-square law (Newton, 1687) [2], these interpretations reflect an early awareness of centripetal attraction. Einstein’s relativistic reconceptualization of gravity as spacetime curvature further broadens the comparative dialogue. Integrating these historical–scientific perspectives into teacher education promotes interdisciplinary engagement, strengthens epistemological reflection, and supports culturally responsive science teaching.

Conclusions:

Incorporating Sanskrit perspectives on gravitational thought into teacher education enriches science curricula by situating modern physics within a broader global intellectual history. Bridging insights from Vedic and classical traditions with Newtonian mechanics and emerging quantum gravity discourse fosters reflective, inclusive, and conceptually integrated science pedagogy.

References

[1] Bhāskarācārya II. (12th century). Siddhāntaśiromaṇi.

[2] Newton, I. (1687) Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica.

Introduction

In recent years, teachers’ socio-emotional competence (SEC) has gained increasing attention due to its strong influence on teacher well-being, instructional quality, and classroom climate. Teachers face growing emotional demands related to classroom management, student relationships, and self-regulation, while simultaneously experiencing high levels of stress and burnout. This situation highlights the urgent need to integrate SEC into continuous professional development (CPD) as a foundational component of teacher education.

Methods

This study presents a systematic literature review. A structured search was conducted in Scopus using a Boolean equation combining terms related to socio-emotional competence, teachers, and professional development. The search was limited to peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2025. After screening titles and abstracts and applying predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, a set of relevant studies was selected for qualitative synthesis.

Results

Across the reviewed literature, SEC consistently appears as a key factor in enhancing teacher resilience, emotional self-regulation, self-efficacy, and classroom effectiveness. The findings reveal positive associations between SEC and outcomes such as improved classroom management, healthier student–teacher relationships, and reduced levels of stress and burnout. Several studies highlight mindfulness-based interventions as effective strategies for strengthening teachers’ emotional resources. However, significant gaps remain in both initial teacher education and CPD, with many teachers reporting insufficient preparation to address socio-emotional demands in diverse educational contexts. Contextual factors, including leadership practices, teaching experience, gender, and equity-oriented approaches, also influence the development and impact of SEC.

Conclusions

Overall, the review suggests that SEC should become an integral component of CPD. Systematic, sustained, and context-sensitive professional development initiatives are needed to foster healthier, more resilient, and more effective teaching communities.

Introduction
Mentoring plays an important role in shaping the professional growth and identity development of pre-service teachers within the Indian teacher education system. With the increasing emphasis on reflective practice, school internship, and competency-based preparation under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, mentoring during practicum has gained renewed significance. Learning to teach in diverse Indian classrooms characterized by linguistic plurality, socio-cultural diversity, and varied institutional resources is cognitively demanding, socially dynamic, and emotionally intensive. This study explores mentoring practices enacted by pre-service teachers within this context, conceptualizing them as multidimensional processes involving cognitive, social, and emotional engagement.

Method
The study adopted a qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews with pre-service teachers enrolled in teacher education programs in India. Participants reflected on their mentoring experiences during school internships, particularly peer support, lesson-planning discussions, classroom management challenges, and theory–practice integration. Data were analyzed using a hybrid deductive–inductive thematic approach organized around cognitive, social, and emotional dimensions of mentoring practice.

Results
Findings reveal that pre-service teachers engaged in mentoring practices such as collaborative lesson planning, question-driven reflective dialogue, contextual adaptation of pedagogical theories, and joint problem-solving related to classroom diversity and resource constraints. Socially, mentoring fostered peer collaboration and professional solidarity during the internship. Emotionally, empathetic conversations, reassurance, and confidence-building were crucial in managing anxiety associated with classroom performance and evaluation.

Conclusions
The study highlights mentoring practices of pre-service teachers in India as collaborative and context-sensitive processes that support reflective thinking, pedagogical competence, and professional identity formation. Institutionalizing structured peer mentoring within B.Ed. and integrated teacher education programs can strengthen practicum experiences and enhance teacher preparedness in diverse Indian school settings.

Introduction: Transformative Environmental Education and the One Health approach are key perspectives in initial teacher education for responding to the current ecosocial crisis. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of a Teaching–Learning Sequence that employs a serious game (Escape Box) as the central didactic tool to address marine plastic pollution. Methodology: A quasi-experimental design was implemented in the Environmental Education course, using pre- and post-questionnaires administered to 27 fourth-year students, aged between 22 and 23, enrolled in the Primary Education degree at the University of Cádiz (Spain). The Teaching–Learning Sequence was designed following a learning cycle grounded in socioconstructivist principles, integrating Ocean Literacy and the One Health approach. Results: Data analysis shows a significant improvement in the understanding of the socio-environmental issue, although it also reveals the persistence of certain learning obstacles. Conclusions: It is concluded that the use of Escape Boxes, integrated into a socioconstructivist learning cycle and grounded in the Transformative Environmental Education model, has a relevant impact on teacher education. This study not only identifies key conceptual weaknesses related to marine plastic pollution, but also enables future teachers to experience transferable didactic proposals for classroom implementation to address the current ecosocial crisis, adaptable to other socio-environmental issues.

As digital technologies become increasingly central to classroom instruction, teachers are expected not only to possess digital competence but also to translate that competence into effective instructional practice. However, growing evidence suggests a persistent gap between teachers’ digital self-efficacy and their actual classroom use of digital tools. This study examines how teachers’ professional backgrounds shape this confidence–practice relationship by focusing on two key contextual factors: qualification pathway and first-career status. Using data from 1,094 U.S. teachers nested within 149 schools from the TALIS 2024 dataset, we employed multilevel modeling to investigate how digital self-efficacy and digital attitudes predict classroom digital tool use and how these associations differ across teacher subgroups. Results indicate that both digital self-efficacy and digital attitudes are strong, positive predictors of classroom digital use. While the qualification pathway and first-career status show limited direct effects, they play an important moderating role. Teachers who entered through traditional qualification pathways and had prior professional experience demonstrated the strongest alignment between digital confidence and classroom practice. In contrast, first-career teachers—particularly those entering through alternative routes—exhibited a weaker translation of digital self-efficacy into instructional use, revealing a pronounced confidence–practice gap. These findings suggest that teachers’ ability to enact digital competence depends not only on individual beliefs but also on their preparation and career backgrounds. Implications highlight the need for differentiated induction and professional development supports, especially for first-career teachers in alternative pathways, to help bridge the gap between perceived competence and classroom implementation of digital tools.

Formative assessment is essential for improving instructional quality and supporting student learning, yet valid and contextually appropriate instruments for measuring teachers’ formative assessment practices remain limited in West Africa. This study examined the dimensional structure and psychometric properties of the Teacher Formative Assessment Practices Scale (TFAPS) among in‑service teachers in West Africa and identified the most appropriate multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) model for ordered‑category data. Using a cross‑sectional design, data were collected from 182 teachers in Ghana and Nigeria via an online survey. The TFAPS comprises 10 Likert‑type items representing two theoretically grounded dimensions: teacher‑directed and student‑directed formative assessment practices.

To evaluate dimensionality, ordinal confirmatory factor analyses were conducted using maximum likelihood and weighted least squares mean and variance adjusted (WLSMV) estimators. Both two‑factor and bifactor models demonstrated acceptable global fit; however, the bifactor model estimated with WLSMV showed superior fit, supporting a multidimensional structure with a substantive general factor. Based on this structure, multidimensional Partial Credit Models (PCM) and Generalized Partial Credit Models (GPCM) were estimated and compared using information criteria, limited‑information fit indices, item‑level statistics, and reliability estimates.

Results consistently favored the GPCM, which demonstrated better global and item‑level fit, higher incremental fit indices, and slightly improved person reliability across both dimensions. Additionally, the GPCM yielded lower latent factor correlations, indicating clearer separation and enhanced interpretability of the constructs. Wright Map analyses revealed disordered thresholds and limited alignment between item difficulty and teacher ability, suggesting that the six‑category response format may be overly granular. Overall, findings support the TFAPS as a psychometrically sound instrument in the West African context, with evidence favoring the GPCM and indicating the need for response‑category refinement to improve measurement precision and practical utility.

In a social context increasingly marked by individualistic behaviors, conflictual language, and a common lack of ethical passion, it has become urgent to examine how students engage in dialogue and co-construct meanings. Consequently, educational practice requires educational tools that support teachers—from preschool through secondary school—in understanding specific conversational dynamics among students.

This contribution aims to address this need by proposing a research-validated tool that highlights how students dialogue with one another. This tool is the Instrument of Discursive Analysis (Mortari & Silva, 2018; Mortari, 2001): a heuristic and educational instrument that, by embracing the Empirical Phenomenological Method (Mortari et al., 2023), captures the essence of discursive acts and the conversational profile that emerges during classroom dialogue.

The objective is to provide operational guidelines regarding the Instrument of Discursive Analysis, adaptable to the context of educational practice. Thus, this study empowers teachers by introducing a tool for daily classroom use that supports systematic observation of verbal exchanges, identification of conversational moves, and characterization of the conversational profile of groups in the class. To support this proposal, the results of an educational research study at school are presented, featuring the implementation of the Instrument of Discursive Analysis in a student conversation on ethical concepts.