Environmental toxicology plays a crucial role in understanding the impact of pollutants on ecosystems and public health. However, its complexity and cross-disciplinary nature can pose challenges for students, particularly at the undergraduate level. To address this gap, we have launched an innovative educational initiative at the University of Alcalá (UAH) designed to enhance engagement and comprehension through active learning strategies. The project, awarded under the Institutional Impact Innovation Actions (Ai3) programme (UAHEV/1669), combines a structured student workbook, a cooperative board game, and online resources to make toxicology accessible, practical, and engaging. The workbook introduces students to real-world environmental case studies and guides them through risk assessment exercises, integrating regulatory criteria and toxicological endpoints. The board game, currently in beta testing, immerses students in simulated contamination scenarios where they collaborate to assess exposure pathways, identify hazards, and propose remediation strategies—building communication and decision-making skills in the process. A suite of complementary digital resources, including interactive quizzes and scenario videos, supports autonomous learning and curriculum integration. This pedagogical approach is grounded in gamification and constructivist learning theory, encouraging exploration, teamwork, and critical thinking. Pilot implementation across environmental science and pharmacy modules has shown promising results, with increased student motivation, deeper conceptual understanding, and positive feedback on the applicability of toxicology to real-world public health problems. By combining physical and virtual tools, this project fosters a flexible, inclusive, and experiential approach to teaching toxicology. It offers a transferable model for other institutions seeking to modernise toxicology education and improve scientific literacy among future professionals facing the global challenges of pollution and environmental health.

This study assesses the impact of digital literacy training programs on teachers' instructional

quality in public secondary schools across Kaduna State, Nigeria. Driven by the imperative

of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and national digital transformation policies, the research

addresses a critical gap in empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of these initiatives.

Employing a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, quantitative data were gathered

through structured questionnaires administered to 1148 teachers from 12 purposively

selected secondary schools across Kaduna State's three senatorial zones, drawing from a

larger pool of 7700 teachers recruited in 2022. Teacher participation for questionnaires

utilised convenience sampling, and quantitative data were analysed using simple statistical

methods. Complementing this, qualitative data were obtained from a focus group

discussion with both experienced and newer staff, and in-depth interviews with 12

principals, who were purposively selected from across the state's senatorial zones. Findings

reveal that while digital literacy training demonstrably holds substantial potential to improve

instructional quality by fostering engaging, personalised, and collaborative learning

environments, its effective integration is significantly hampered by pervasive systemic

barriers within Kaduna State's educational system. Challenges identified include

inadequate ICT infrastructure such as lack of functional devices, unreliable internet access,

frequent power outages), insufficient and often impractical teacher professional

development, persistent funding gaps, and varying teacher attitudes and motivation towards

technology adoption. The study concludes that these obstacles are deeply interconnected;

suggesting that isolated interventions will not yield sustainable improvements in

instructional quality. The paper recommends sustained and strategic investment in ICT

infrastructure, coupled with the design and delivery of continuous, context-specific, and

pedagogically-focused training programs that not only build technical proficiency but also

cultivate digital pedagogical competence.

Across many developing and under-resourced education systems worldwide, persistent underachievement in secondary school Physics remains a critical barrier to strengthening STEM capacity and fostering participation in the global knowledge economy. While Physics is central to developing scientific literacy, analytical thinking, and innovation, students in many contexts continue to perform below expectations due to interconnected systemic and classroom-level challenges.

This study investigates the factors influencing the effectiveness of Physics teaching and learning among Grade 11 and 12 students in Papua New Guinea, offering insights that resonate with similar educational contexts internationally. Conducted in six diverse secondary schools across Madang, East Sepik, and West Sepik Provinces, the research employs a mixed-methods approach, including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations. Participants comprised six Physics teachers and sixty senior secondary students.

Findings reveal a complex interplay of challenges consistent with global trends in STEM education in developing contexts. These include limited access to clear and contextually relevant curriculum materials, gaps in teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge, inadequate laboratory infrastructure, low student motivation, and persistent gender disparities in participation and achievement. Additionally, structural inequities—such as geographic isolation, financial constraints, and limited institutional support—further exacerbate disparities, particularly in rural and remote schools.

Beyond identifying constraints, this study contributes to the international discourse on improving STEM education by proposing context-responsive and scalable strategies. These include strengthening teacher professional development, contextualizing curriculum design, enhancing equitable resource distribution, and implementing targeted interventions to address gender imbalance and student engagement. The study underscores the importance of aligning national reforms with localized realities while drawing on global best practices.

The significance of this research extends beyond Papua New Guinea. Its findings offer transferable lessons for other low- and middle-income countries striving to improve Physics education and broader STEM outcomes. By addressing these persistent challenges, education systems can better prepare students with the competencies required for participation in an increasingly technology-driven and interconnected world.

Ultimately, improving Physics education is not only a national imperative but also a global priority. This study provides evidence-based insights to inform policy, practice, and future research aimed at advancing equitable and effective STEM education worldwide.

This paper analyzes my prior teaching practices through the principles of critical pedagogy. It interprets my prospective teaching agenda on how education in critical pedagogy is shaping my teaching practices to promote students’ criticality. In this paper, I argue that in order to promote critical pedagogy in teaching, a teacher must be transformative intellectual to reinforce students’ sociopolitical awareness through a set of critical orientations. It recognizes transformative intellectual as a legitimate teacher’s identity to promote critical pedagogy in teaching. It identifies criticality, praxis, and freedom as three notions promoting critical pedagogy through students’ voice to address oppression. This paper additionally explores how the banking system of education, linguistic colonialism, and linguistic hegemony function as major oppressional practices, through pedagogical experiences, empowering native speakerism. It utilizes significant theories of critical pedagogy to analyze and interpret my previous teaching practices and established strategies on how to incorporate common orientations of critical pedagogy into my future teaching practices. In this paper, although I did not deny the possibility of promoting orientations of critical pedagogy by everyone, I justify that transformative intellectuals are those types of teachers who predominantly focus on changing students’ personality from neutral to sociopolitical and are substantially effective to promote critical pedagogy in teaching. In addition, it recognizes a transformative intellectual as a legitimate instructor in order to enhance students’ sociopolitical awareness and consciousness. It finally addresses a possibility that critical pedagogy could be sometimes oriented subconsciously in teaching.

Public policy frameworks in the Andean Pacific region (Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Chile) view reading mediation as a fundamental process essential to fostering citizenship, strengthening social cohesion, and advancing democratic inclusion. Building on this foundation, reading is established as a pivotal transformative factor for historically excluded communities, such as LGBTIQ+ individuals, who face significant obstacles to accessing cultural resources and identity visibility due to pervasive systematic discrimination and violence in educational settings. Consequently, there is a critical knowledge gap regarding how reading mediation is applied in practice and its effective impact on promoting LGBTIQ+ identity within the region's socio-educational context.

This research aims to trace, analyze, and synthesize reading mediation practices, related bibliography, and research on reading and LGBTIQ+ identity from 2005 to 2025.

We employed a systematic literature review (SLR) following rigorous PRISMA guidelines, utilizing an exhaustive search strategy across multiple academic databases and regional repositories. The study is expected to identify and characterize the typology of existing Cultural Mediation Models and their principles of application. The results will provide the conceptual framework and empirical basis for designing inclusive cultural public policies and culturally responsive library practices, offering a direct and timely contribution to education and society studies in the Andean region.

This research deals with the tension between conflicting values ​​and the teacher's behavior as a movement across sequences to promote an optimal classroom climate. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the contribution of critical thinking about classroom atmosphere to students in their practical training for teaching. The teachers’ role is full of tensions and contradictions, and navigates between different needs and demands from parents, students, colleagues, and superiors. Optimal navigation between these poles and tensions may assist the teacher in creating an optimal educational climate in the educational setting. The study examined the perceptions of female teaching students regarding the tensions in their work during practical experience. The research tools were conversations between the course instructor and focus groups from within the course and reflective diaries – written by the students in the course forum throughout the year. Participants were 75 teaching students at the Israel Teacher Training College who studied in in the course "The Educator's Personal and Professional Identity" as part of training in special education. The study was conducted in 2023-2025. The students were asked to point out aspects of daily life in the classroom that express each of the axes, and to suggest an additional axis that they believe is missing and should appear. Awareness of the existence of opposing and conflicting aspects of a teacher's work in the context of classroom management and establishing a pleasant and optimal classroom climate is extremely significant in the teaching training phase. This awareness helped the participants to understand the complexity of the profession and anticipate future difficulties. The research indicates a growing basis for critical thinking how to integrate the poles on each axis for the well-being of the student, the teacher, and the educational framework. Especially in special education.

The Next Generation EU (NGEU) 2021–2026 initiative offers a strategic opportunity to advance inclusive and intercultural education across Europe. This study explores how reforms and investments outlined in the National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) of selected EU member states foster inclusive educational practices and the development of intercultural and social competences within education and training systems.
A comparative and compilative analysis was conducted, examining NRRPs from Northern-Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Mediterranean Europe. Official policy documents, governmental reports, and EU strategic frameworks were analyzed to identify objectives, implementation strategies, resource allocation, and monitoring mechanisms aimed at enhancing intercultural and inclusive education.
The analysis highlights both convergences and divergences in approaches to inclusive and intercultural education. Northern-Central European countries emphasize structured curricula and teacher professional development, while Mediterranean and Eastern European countries prioritize infrastructure, digital tools, and policy measures to promote participation. Variations in governance, resources, and strategic focus influence the effectiveness and reach of interventions, demonstrating the role of context in policy implementation.
NRRPs function as pivotal instruments for promoting inclusive and intercultural education. Their regional impact depends on governance structures, resource distribution, and policy priorities. The findings offer insights for future European educational policies, stressing the importance of targeted investments, capacity building, and harmonized evaluation frameworks to ensure sustainable and effective intercultural education practices.

This qualitative study investigates the experiences of digital immigrant teachers—those who adopted technology later in life—in teaching students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) using digital tools. The significance lies in understanding how these educators navigate the complex demands of inclusive digital education, especially as technology becomes integral to modern pedagogy. Grounded in a phenomenological framework, the research involved semi-structured interviews with 12 teachers from Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia, each with over five years of SEN teaching experience. Thematic analysis revealed five major themes: adaptation to technology, perceived impact on student learning, barriers to integration, coping strategies, and emotional responses. Findings indicate that while initial encounters with digital tools were marked by resistance and low digital fluency, many teachers gradually transitioned into more confident and innovative users through peer mentorship, self-directed learning, and targeted professional development. Participants noted that assistive technologies, such as text-to-speech software and adaptive apps, enhanced accessibility and engagement for SEN students. However, challenges including inadequate training, time constraints, and classroom management complexities persisted. The study concludes that digital immigrant teachers, despite their initial struggles, can become effective facilitators of inclusive digital education when supported by context-sensitive training and collaborative school cultures. Their emotional resilience and pedagogical expertise are valuable assets that, when combined with digital competence, can significantly improve SEN learning outcomes. This research highlights the need for tailored professional development and intergenerational mentorship to bridge the digital divide and promote equity in special education settings.

The increasing recognition of mental health's role in academic success has prompted a growing focus on integrating mental health supports within general education classrooms. This study focused on the various strategies and interventions designed to address students' mental health needs within the mainstream educational setting. The findings highlight the importance of creating an inclusive environment that fosters emotional well-being and resilience among all students. Key approaches discussed include the implementation of social-emotional learning curricula, training for educators on recognizing and responding to mental health issues, and the integration of mental health professionals within schools. The study also addressed the benefits of promoting a positive school climate and building strong support networks involving parents, teachers, and community resources. The specific focus of this study was on major depression disorder, general anxiety, and self-injurious behavior. By embedding mental health supports into general education, schools can enhance student engagement, reduce behavioral issues, and contribute to overall academic success, demonstrating a holistic approach to education that prioritizes both emotional and academic development. However, many existing training programs for school staff lack comprehensive mental health guidance, leaving teachers uncertain about how to help students. Furthermore, lower-grade schools often lack the necessary resources for individualized support, highlighting the need for effective, sustainable mental health programs in classroom settings. Therefore, this study identifies tools and programs that have shown to be effective through long-term research for a variety of grade levels.

The rapid emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has introduced a transformative paradigm shift in language education globally. However, within the specific context of Vietnamese secondary schools, the adoption of these technologies remains predominantly instrumental rather than pedagogical. While a growing number of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers are leveraging AI tools for administrative expediency—such as streamlining lesson planning, creating exercises, or translating materials—they significantly lack the methodological frameworks and official guidance necessary to deploy these tools ethically and effectively for student-centered learning. Addressing this profound disconnect, this paper proposes a comprehensive, competency-based professional development model designed to facilitate a critical shift from passive tool adoption to active, strategic pedagogical integration.

Grounded in the theoretical underpinnings of the TPACK and DigCompEdu frameworks, the study draws on a rigorous mixed-methods inquiry involving surveys of 100–150 teachers and 15 in-depth interviews with practitioners in Da Nang city, Vietnam. The findings reveal an urgent need for structured guidance, particularly in the areas of assessment design, material adaptation, and digital ethics. Consequently, the proposed model introduces a robust "Four-Pillar Competency Framework" that encompasses Technical Competence, Digital-Pedagogical Competence, Assessment Competence, and Ethical-Legal Competence. This framework is operationalized through a practical three-module training curriculum that guides teachers from mastering basic AI tools to integrating them into the teaching of the four language skills and conducting automated assessments. By prioritizing pedagogical intent over mere technical proficiency, this study offers a scalable, evidence-based roadmap for policymakers and teacher educators to foster a generation of AI-literate practitioners capable of meeting the demands of the new General Education Program.