Indonesian Journal of Pedagogy and Teacher Education

Enhancing Cambodian STEM Educators' Pedagogical Competence Through Integrating the Next Generation Science Standards, Cognitive Apprenticeship, and Claim–Evidence–Reasoning

2026-08-27T14:53:48+07:00

Background: Cambodian STEM educators require professional learning that supports inquiry-based teaching, scientific reasoning, and the classroom application of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) framework.

Aims: This study examined changes in educators' pedagogical knowledge, scientific reasoning, and instructional competencies following an integrated professional development program.

Methods: A quantitative single-group pre-test-post-test design was employed with 30 Cambodian STEM educators. Participants completed a two-day workshop structured through six Cognitive Apprenticeship processes: modeling, coaching, scaffolding, articulation, reflection, and exploration. They also engaged in authentic engineering design activities using creative circuits aligned with NGSS and CER. Data were collected before and after the workshop using a 14-item questionnaire rated on a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) were used to analyze the responses.

Results: Mean scores increased across all 14 items, with the overall mean rising from 1.98 at pre-test to 3.62 at post-test. Higher post-test ratings were observed for understanding NGSS three-dimensional learning, constructing CER-based scientific explanations, designing NGSS-aligned lessons, and applying science and engineering practices.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that participation in the workshop was associated with improved self-reported knowledge and pedagogical competencies. However, because the study did not include a comparison group, the observed changes cannot be attributed solely to the intervention. The integrated approach offers a promising model for future STEM teacher professional development in Cambodia, although further research using controlled designs and classroom-based outcome measures is needed.

Master of all subjects? Examining the Educational Consequences of the One-Class-Per-Teacher Model in Primary Schools

2026-07-28T12:27:34+07:00

Background: Teacher deployment remains a challenge in resource-constrained education systems, yet evidence on the educational consequences of the One-Class-Per-Teacher (OCPT) model remains limited.

Aims: This study examined Malawian primary teachers’ perceptions of OCPT, focusing on its pedagogical benefits, workload, professional confidence, motivation, instructional effectiveness, and preferred reforms.

Methods: A convergent mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 451 teachers using structured questionnaires and analyzed through descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, t-tests, analysis of variance, correlations, and multiple regression. Qualitative data from seven semi-structured interviews were analyzed thematically and integrated with the survey findings.

Results: Teachers acknowledged that OCPT strengthened learner familiarity, instructional continuity, and monitoring of learner progress. However, perceived challenges were very high (M = 4.27, SD = 0.64), while perceived benefits were moderate (M = 2.88, SD = 0.87). Moreover, 79.2% reported negative effects on motivation and job satisfaction, and perceived challenges were the strongest predictor of negative evaluations (β = .374, p < .001). Participants strongly supported team teaching, subject sharing, and partial specialization.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that substantial professional costs outweigh OCPT’s relational benefits. Context-sensitive hybrid deployment models, supported by continuous professional development, are recommended to improve teacher well-being, instructional quality, and workforce sustainability

Exploring Vocabulary Learning Strategies in EFL: A Case Study of Sudanese University Students

2026-05-29T12:09:13+07:00

Background: Sudanese University students face significant challenges in English proficiency due to historical Arabicization policies and outdated pedagogical frameworks. While vocabulary is a primary predictor of linguistic success, a systemic gap exists between strategy awareness and long-term lexical retention.

Aims: This study investigated the relationship between Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS), institutional support, and actual proficiency (receptive and productive) among Sudanese undergraduates.

Methods: Using s triangulated quantitative and documentary design ($N=240$), the study utilized the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT), Lex30, a Likert-scale VLS questionnaire, and a systematic analysis of university syllabi. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and psychometric validation.

Results: Psychometric tools demonstrated strong internal validity ($\text{VLT } \alpha = 0.86$; Lex30 $M = 14.2/30$). Latent profile analysis revealed a severe "Knowledge-Application Gap": 64% of students possess theoretical awareness of exploratory strategies, yet 30% of the total sample occupy an "Overlap Group" experiencing persistent lexical acquisition failures. SEM confirmed that while discovery strategies predict receptive ($\beta = 0.35$) and productive ($\beta = 0.29$) outcomes, consolidation strategies are the strongest predictors of productive mastery ($\beta = 0.41$). Crucially, institutional support moderates strategy effectiveness by 18% ($\beta = 0.18$). Documentary analysis revealed that 83% of syllabi ignore explicit strategy instruction entirely, and 0% feature systematic spaced-retrieval tasks.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that individual learner strategic awareness is heavily suppressed by a systemic instructional vacuum. Sudanese university curricula are overwhelmingly biased toward passive word recognition, failing to provide the structured consolidation routines required to transition vocabulary from short-term memory into active communicative competence. Rectifying this deep-seated proficiency gap requires immediate curriculum reform, institutionalized strategy modeling, and the integration of low-bandwidth, offline-capable digital learning tools.

Fostering Empathy and Positive Character in Elementary School Students Through the School Environment

2026-05-11T11:01:44+07:00

Background: Empathy is an essential social competence that supports children’s moral development and helps build positive relationships and conflict resolution; however, technological advancements and social changes have reduced direct social interactions among children, potentially weakening their social sensitivity. Therefore, character education in elementary schools plays a strategic role in fostering empathy and positive behavior.

Aims: This study aims to analyze the role of the school environment in fostering empathy and positive character in elementary school students.

Methods: This study employed a qualitative approach using a library research method. Data were collected from books, peer-reviewed journal articles, and relevant educational documents published between 2015–2025. The data were analyzed using content analysis to identify key themes related to empathy, character education, and school environment

Results: The findings reveal that the school environment plays a significant role in developing students’ empathy and positive character. Key factors include teacher role modelling, positive school culture, integration of character values into learning, habituation programs, and collaboration between school and parents. A supportive and inclusive environment enhances students’ social awareness, cooperation, and responsibility.

Conclusion: The school environment is a fundamental element in fostering empathy and positive character. Therefore, schools need to implement holistic and sustainable character education strategies to support students’ social and moral development.

Reclaiming Meaning in the Age of Intelligent Machines: Spiritual Intelligence and Human-Centered AI in English Language Teaching

2026-06-15T12:10:35+07:00

Background: The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) in English language teaching (ELT) has increased opportunities for personalized learning, automated feedback, and instructional efficiency. However, growing reliance on AI raises concerns regarding meaning-making, ethical-responsibility, human-agency, and the preservation of educational purpose. Although research on AI-mediated ELT and spiritual intelligence (SI) has expanded, the relationship between these domains remains underexplored.

Aims: This conceptual paper aims to 1) examine major theories of SI and their educational relevance, 2) analyze the ethical and human limitations of AI in ELT, and 3) propose a human-centered framework for spiritually intelligent AI-mediated language teaching.

Methods: The study adopts a conceptual–integrative methodology drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship from SI, AI ethics, psychology, educational technology, and language education. Relevant literature was analyzed through concept extraction, thematic synthesis, and cross-disciplinary comparison to identify convergent themes and theoretical tensions.

Results: The synthesis suggests that SI provides a valuable lens for understanding meaning-making, ethical sensitivity, self-awareness, reflective judgment, and learner agency in AI-supported learning environments. It indicates that while AI can simulate communication, it operates without subjective consciousness, lived experience, or autonomous moral accountability. The paper proposes a conceptual framework in which SI mediates the integration of AI into ELT through reflective pedagogy, ethical communication, teacher agency, and learner sense-making.

Conclusion: The proposed framework highlights the importance of preserving human-centered values in AI-mediated language education. By connecting SI with AI-supported ELT, the study contributes a novel conceptual perspective for promoting responsible, ethical, and meaning-oriented uses of AI in educational contexts.

The Role of Spiritual Intelligence in EFL Teachers’ Pedagogical Success: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed-Methods Study in a Technology-Rich Context

2026-06-05T08:52:04+07:00

Background: Growing digitalization in education has renewed interest in human-centered capacities that support effective teaching in increasingly technology-rich learning environments. Among these, spiritual intelligence (SI) has attracted attention as a multidimensional construct associated with meaning-making, self-awareness, ethical sensitivity, and emotional regulation. However, limited empirical evidence exists regarding its relationship with pedagogical success among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between EFL teachers’ spiritual intelligence and pedagogical success, examine the predictive contribution of SI dimensions, and explore how spiritual intelligence is reflected in teachers’ professional practice.

Methods: A mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 120 EFL teachers using validated measures of SI and pedagogical success and analyzed through descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression analyses. Qualitative data were obtained through interviews, classroom observations, and syllabus analysis.

Results: The findings revealed a strong positive relationship between overall SI and pedagogical success. Transcendent self-realization emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by patience and spiritual experience. Qualitative findings indicated that teachers with higher levels of SI demonstrated stronger interpersonal relationships, greater emotional resilience, enhanced self-awareness, a stronger sense of purpose, and higher levels of professional commitment.

Conclusion: SI appears to be meaningfully associated with effective teaching and may represent an important personal resource for EFL educators. The study contributes to discussions of teacher effectiveness and holistic professional development while highlighting the continuing importance of human-centered capacities in contemporary educational environments.