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In an age of educational reform which incentivises increased digitisation and standardisation, teachers are expected to embrace the rise of ‘new’ tools and pedagogies with limited agency to inform, question or direct what ‘newness’ must be brought into their classrooms. Drawing on my research with English as a Foreign Language (EFL) educators in South Africa and using an ‘excessive entitlement’ lens, I showcase how teachers' lack of agency can result in ‘defensive’ and ‘coercive’ practices in the classroom which are a far cry from the education transformation imagined according to either global and local imaginaries for teaching and learning. If we are interested in an educational revolution, I argue that a fundamental reorientation in education recognising teachers' agency in informing change is necessary. To do so requires theoretically driven intervention methodologies which view the competing demands placed on teachers as entry points to developing their agency and volition to find practices which work for them and their students in the classroom. To that end, I illustrate how Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) informed interventions like Change Laboratories could aid in this fundamental repositioning for teachers regarding transformational efforts and their far-reaching potential for educational revolution becoming conscious of and overcoming their feelings of excessive entitlement.

This paper examines students’ educational choices in vocational education and training (VET) to understand the low reputation of vocational education in China. By analysing the individualisation of these choices within structural and individual relationships, the study explores how the decline of state endorsement and the shift towards rational, individualistic actions influence students' decisions.

Multiple types of data were collected in this study, including administrative records, interviews and autobiographical stories, which were analysed using individualisation theory.

The research indicated three historical periods of the educational choice of Chinese VET students. Stage one (1978–1991) saw vocational education treated as “the first choice” for graduates. Stage two (1992–2000) was marked by the polarisation of educational choice during the social transition from a socialist planned economy to a market economy. During this period, more students started to choose academic high schools over vocational schools, even though the latter still had certain advantages for attracting the better-performing students. The third stage (2001-now) is a time in which vocational education is viewed as “the last choice” under the socialist market economy system. During this period, junior high school graduates prefer to enrol in academic high schools rather than in vocational schools. Aligned with the overall individualisation trend in Chinese society, vocational education decisions situated between societal structures and individuals are also experiencing a shift towards more micro-level individualized behaviours.

The paper provides a historical analysis of education and training provision in China and the complexity of students’ educational choices, revealing the influencing factors across different stages.

This paper draws a comprehensive analysis of the developmental trajectory of vocational education in China across different historical periods, notably under the socialist planned economy and the socialist market economy systems.

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that influence the willingness of Saudi Arabian students from four universities in Saudi Arabia, to adopt learning management systems (LMSs). This will be accomplished by using two popular technology acceptance models unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and theory of planned behavior (TPB).

In total, 445 undergraduates from four Saudi educational institutions participate in filling out the study questionnaire. To investigate the correlations between the variables, the study used structural equation modeling for data analysis.

The results of the study show that effort expectancy (EE), subjective norm (SN), attitude toward behavior (ATB) and perceived behavioral control (PBC) are found to be substantially connected with their intentions to use (ITU) LMSs. The findings also show that there is a strong relationship between students’ intentions and their actual use of LMSs.

Like many studies, this research has some limitations. The primary limitation is that the findings of the study cannot be extrapolated to other settings since the report’s analysis and investigation were limited to four Saudi universities. Therefore, to generalize the study’s findings, similar research needs to be conducted in other Gulf and similar cultural universities.

The integrated model identifies key factors that influence the intent of Saudi Arabian students to use LMS, including EEs, social influence, ATB and PBC. This model can help develop solutions for the obstacles that prevent students from using LMS. The findings can be used to provide assistance to increase the likelihood of LMS acceptance as part of the educational experience. The model may also inspire further research on this topic in the Gulf nations, particularly in Saudi Arabia.

As none of the relevant studies conducted previously in Saudi Arabia has integrated the two models to study the students’ ITU LMSs, this study combines two major theories, TPB and UTAUT, in the context of Saudi Arabia, contributing to the field of technology use in education by expanding empirical research and providing a thorough understanding of the challenges associated with the use of LMS in Saudi universities. This study should be viewed as filling a crucial gap in the field. Moreover, this integrated model, using more than one theoretical perspective, brings a thorough comprehension of the barriers that hinder students’ adoption of LMSs in the academic context in Saudi Arabia and thus assists in making effective decisions and reaching viable solutions.

This study aims to investigate the association between chief executive officer (CEO) educational backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and climate change disclosure within Indonesian companies.

Using data spanning from 2017 to 2022 from all publicly traded companies, the study uses ordinary least squares with fixed effects and robust standard error to evaluate the proposed hypothesis. In addition, a series of endogeneity tests are incorporated to bolster the robustness of the findings.

The study reveals that CEOs with a STEM educational background are more inclined to participate in corporate climate change disclosure compared to their counterparts with a non-STEM background. These results emphasize the significant role CEO educational backgrounds play in shaping a company’s approach to sustainability, specifically in the realm of climate change disclosure. The insights gleaned from this research hold valuable implications for various stakeholders, including top management and investors aiming to enhance corporate sustainability. Recognizing the influence of CEO characteristics, particularly a STEM educational background, proves pivotal in improving corporate climate change disclosure. Stakeholders can leverage this understanding to formulate and implement effective strategies toward realizing a company’s sustainability vision.

Notably, this study stands out as it was conducted within the context of Indonesia, a nation actively encouraging nonsocial graduates to assume crucial positions within the Republic of Indonesia.

The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the conditions and motivations that influence teachers to adopt innovations.

Using Diffusion of Innovation theory (Rogers, 2003) and Self-Determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2017), data from two surveys (n = 568; n = 108) and qualitative follow-up interviews of Early Adopter teachers (n = 16) were triangulated to discern relationships among their identification as Early Adopters, satisfaction of their basic psychological needs (BPN) and their implementation of an educational innovation.

Early Adopters had a positive and statistically significant relationship with the implementation of the innovation. Satisfaction of teachers’ BPN had the largest impact on innovation.

The findings are preliminary and based on a small sample size of teachers. Reliability of the measure of BPN was not as high as the standard, but it did have the largest impact on implementation. Additional studies should explore the connections among Early Adopter teacher motivation, leadership and the satisfaction of their BPN.

School leaders should leverage the influence of Early Adopters to support innovation, and they should provide additional time, training and resources to supports teachers’ BPN.

This study examines how to identify and support Early Adopter teachers as enablers of change within schools. We know of no other studies that have used both Diffusion of Innovation theory and Self-Determination theory to understand the motivations of Early Adopter teachers.

Professional learning networks (PLNs) involve teachers’ collaboration with others outside of their school to improve teaching and learning. PLNs can facilitate teachers’ professional growth and school improvement. This study aims to explore the drivers for participation within PLNs, the enactment process and the impact of PLN participation on teachers, students and schools in Greece.

A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted to explore the lived experience of primary school teachers participating in PLNs.

The findings showed that individuals who were open to change were driving innovation to address a need or a lack in their daily practice that was not satisfied within their usual community of practice. The key element of the participation was peer collaboration with openness of communication without attendant accountability pressures. The change was mainly identified in teacher skills and the school climate. An individual could bring change only if the school is already open to change. In some cases, resistance to change in schools was identified before enactment or during enactment. The transformation of teachers’ and leaders’ stances is discussed, enabling the opportunity to maximise school improvement.

The study examines PLNs as European Union-funded initiatives that are developed by teachers in centralised education systems under the phenomenological research paradigm. It explores the PLNs in a different setting compared to the existing conceptual theory of change for PLNs.

This chapter delves into sustainability-related competences in innovation management for further education as part of the European lifelong learning initiative. Despite extensive research in primary and secondary education, adult education often remains overlooked. Competence-based learning is a favored approach to integrating knowledge, skills, and attitudes across various domains. Through thematic analysis and deductive coding, the study examines 72 innovation management-related further education programs conducted in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, between June and December 2022. The findings unequivocally demonstrate the inclusion of sustainability competences in innovation-related further education. Notably, Strategic Competence emerges as the most prevalent, while Normative Competence appears least frequently. This research significantly advances the convergence of further education in innovation management, responsible management education, and competence-based learning, emphasizing the importance of sustainability competences in adult learning contexts. By shedding light on this underexplored domain, the study prompts further exploration and development of sustainable educational practices for lifelong learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on all facets of education. This led to educational institutions deploying blended and online systems for teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of blended learning in promoting quality education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The qualitative research design was deployed in this study and enabled the researcher to collect data via in-depth interviews. Twenty-five (25) tertiary institutions accredited by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) were randomly selected to participate in this study. The registrars of the institutions were purposively selected and served as the participants for the study. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data collected via the interview. Ethical considerations were adhered to during the study.

The study established that COVID-19 had a devastating effect on tertiary institutions; multiple technological and open-sourced systems were deployed for teaching and learning; blended learning was adopted to augment the traditional face-to-face mode of teaching and learning due to its ease of use, usefulness and accessibility as it was used for quizzes and assignments, accessing lecture notes, among others. Despite these, the deployment of technological and blended systems was met with challenges that somehow affected effective teaching, learning.

The study was limited to 25 tertiary educational institutions in Ghana. It was again limited to the COVID-19 era.

This research aids in understanding the extent of the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning and how blended learning is currently deployed and used in tertiary institutions in Ghana. The findings are relevant to policymakers and management of educational institutions as it informs them of the right method and tools to deploy for teaching and learning during pandemics.

As educational institutions globally are dealing with the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is prudent to look into how tertiary institutions in Ghana deploy blended learning to facilitate teaching and learning. Thus, this paper is original as it fills the relevant literature gap in terms of scope, setting, methodology and findings.

The number of passengers in the aviation sector following COVID-19 has recovered in 2023 and is 5% higher than it was in 2019. The average annual growth of air travel is predicted to be 3.2% between 2019 and 2039. This means the need for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services will also increase. Moreover, the stakeholders require lower costs, higher effectiveness/market share and sustainability. These expectations can be realized only with the identification, development and implementation of new innovations while improving and optimizing the already used processes and procedures. Since only highly qualified graduates can reach these requirements, the need for profession-specific MSc and PhD level engineers has elevated significantly. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the development and implementation of a new MRO higher educational framework program in strong cooperation with enterprises and universities.

The emphasis is placed on the program’s scouting, investigation, development, realization and evaluation by defining key performance indexes and aiming for the optimal solution for all participants.

The result of this study is the establishment of a new educational framework, the reinvention of the MSc curriculum and the integration of PhD-level researchers in the industry in a way that fulfills the needs and requirements of the MRO sector. In return, it will give various benefits to all parties involved.

The novelty of this work comes from creating a new educational MSc and PhD level framework that can push the MRO industry forward and fill the gap of missing engineers in this field. Plus, the newly developed program is highly flexible and can be used by other players in the economy after making some adaptions and modifications.

This study proposes an integrated Machine Learning and simulated framework for a personalized learning system. This framework aims to improve the integrity of the provided tasks, adapt to each student individually and ultimately enhance students' academic performance.

This methodology comprises two components. (1) A simulation-based system that utilizes reinforcement algorithms to assign additional questions to students who do not reach pass grade thresholds. (2) A Machine Learning system that uses the data from the system to identify the drivers of passing or failing and predict the likelihood of each student passing or failing based on their engagement with the simulated system.

The results of this study offer preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed simulation system and indicate that such a system has the potential to foster improvements in learning outcomes.

As with all empirical studies, this research has limitations. A simulation study is an abstraction of reality and may not be completely accurate. Student performance in real-world environments may be higher than estimated in this simulation, reducing the required teacher support.

The developed personalized learning (PL) system demonstrates a strong foundation for improving students' performance, particularly within a blended learning context. The findings indicate that simulated performance using the system exhibited improvement when individual students experienced higher learning benefits tailored to their needs.

The research offers evidence of the effectiveness of personalized learning systems and highlights their capacity to drive improvements in education. The proposed system holds the potential to enhance learning outcomes by tailoring tasks to meet the unique needs of each student.

This study contributes to the growing literature on personalized learning, emphasizing the importance of leveraging machine learning in educational technologies to enable precise predictions of student performance.