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iafor.org/about/partners

IAFOR Global Partners

International Academic Board Professor Anne Boddington, IAFOR & Kingston University, United Kingdom (IAB Chair) Dr Joseph Haldane, IAFOR & The University of Osaka, Japan Professor Jun Arima, IAFOR & The University of Tokyo, Japan Professor Virgil Hawkins, IAFOR Research Centre & The University of Osaka, Japan Mr Lowell Sheppard, IAFOR & Never Too Late Academy, Japan Professor Umberto Ansaldo, VinUniversity, Vietnam Dr Susana Barreto, University of Porto, Portugal Professor Grant Black, Chuo University, Japan Dr Evangelia Chrysikou, Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, United Kingdom Professor Donald E. Hall, Binghamton University, United States Professor Brendan Howe, Ewha Womans University, South Korea & The Asian Political and International Studies Association (APISA) Dr James W. McNally, University of Michigan, United States & NACDA Program on Aging

ACE2026 Conference Programme Committee Distinguished Professor Tien-Hui Chiang, Zhengzhou University, China Dr Rebat Kumar Dhakal, Kathmandu University, Nepal Dr Joseph Haldane, IAFOR & The University of Osaka, Japan Ms Susie Kung, Manukau Institute of Technology, New Zealand Dr Kim Ying Lim, Singapore Institute of Management, Singapore Professor May Sok Mui Lim, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore Dr Tzu-Bin Lin, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Dr Leandro Loyola, Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Applied Learning, Canada Professor José McClanahan, Creighton University, United States Dr Sean McMinn, University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Dr Murielle El Hajj Nahas, Lusail University, Qatar Dr Hesborn Ondiba, Tokyo University of Science, Japan Professor Sanjoy Roy, University of Delhi, India Dr Justin Sanders, Woven by Toyota, Japan Dr Tati D. Wardi, Indonesian International Islamic University (UIII), Indonesia Dr Aki Yamada, Tamagawa University, Japan

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Letter of Welcome Dear Friends and Colleagues, Welcome to the International Academic Forum’s Asian Conference on Education, ACE 2026! This conference is special in many ways: it is not only our annual flagship, but was also our first-ever event, held back in 2009. Now, it is celebrating its 18th birthday! It has been wonderful to see this conference come of age through many years of growing pains, and to have established itself as one of the world’s leading academic conferences on education. This year we welcome some 700 delegates from more than 60 countries, who will join a great tradition of scholars over the years who have come together for international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary exchange. Although we may be from myriad backgrounds and fields, and employ various methodologies and approaches, we are committed to academic exchange and discourse that is challenging and rigorous, but respectful of difference. This positive intersection of people and ideas has created an extraordinary creative, contrastive, and collaborative space that has become emblematic of an IAFOR conference. All exchange in the understanding that we have so much to learn from each other. Since 2009, ACE has brought together researchers and faculty of all ages, from those beginning their academic careers and making their first presentations, through to the most seasoned and senior, and everything in between. Throughout this time, I have had the privilege of witnessing so many of these journeys and, in some small way, being part of them. Over the course of the conference, I encourage your open and active engagement with your fellow delegates, as you consolidate existing relationships and make new friends who will accompany you on your own lifelong academic journeys well into the future. I wish you an excellent conference. Warmest regards,

Dr Joseph Haldane Chairman & CEO, The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) Professor, European Center for Peace and Development (ECPD), United Nations University for Peace Guest Professor, Osaka School of International Public Policy, The University of Osaka, Japan Member, Expert Network, World Economic Forum

Become an IAFOR Member IAFOR provides an enriching personal and professional environment for academics and scholars of all ages and backgrounds to exchange and contribute to interdisciplinary and intercultural dialogue that informs and is informed by their own cultural and disciplinary background and experiences. We are able to do this thanks to our extraordinary network of individuals and institutions around the world who support our work and help shape our events globally. We particularly emphasise the nurturing and support for emerging academics from an array of different backgrounds, and aim to provide opportunities for them to seek advice, support and guidance, as well as offering mid-career and more established academics opportunities to forge working relationships beyond their traditional disciplinary ambitions. In our current world where division and strife are often reinforced and played out in national and local contexts, and political posturing frequently seeks to ostracise and demonise, IAFOR is committed to working across cultural and national borders, and to work to bring people together through dialogue. We believe that mature human interaction and academic and cultural exchange are essential to offering positive versions of the future, where cooperation happens between individuals and institutions who share a commitment to listen, to reach out and bridge divides, and to contribute to good global citizenship, and to making the world a better place. By becoming a member of IAFOR, you will become part of an extraordinary network and a stakeholder in shaping the IAFOR mission and facilitating international exchange, encouraging intercultural awareness, and promoting interdisciplinary discussion in the hope and expectation of generating and sharing new knowledge. Join us now in this growing global organisation, and help make a difference today. To learn more about IAFOR membership, please visit:

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ACE2026 Key Statistics Date of Creation: October 12, 2026

677

63 425

419

128 12%

57% University Faculty 13% Public Sector/Practitioner 11% Doctoral Student

Occupation

11%

57%

8% Postgraduate Student 5% Other

56% Doctoral Degree 32%

Education

32% Masters Degree

56%

12% Bachelors Degree

3% Postdoctoral Fellow/Instructor 2% Independent Scholar

13%

1% Private Sector

87 64

1. Design, Implementation & Assessment of Innovative Technologies in Education (87) 2. Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice & Praxis (64) 3. Higher Education (43) 4. Educational Policy, Leadership, Management & Administration (42) 5. Learning Experiences, Student Learning & Learner Diversity (41)

1. Singapore (11.3%) 2. Japan (11%) 3. Taiwan (10.7%) 4. Philippines (9%) 5. United States (7%)

11.3%

11% 10.7%

Single-Authored Submissions vs. Multiple-Authored Submissions

553

246

67%

33%

Conference Venue: Saturday, November 14 to Tuesday, November 17

Tokyo International Forum

Address: Marunouchi 3-5-1, Chiyoda Ku, Tokyo

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Conference Venue: Saturday, November 14 to Tuesday, November 17

Tokyo International Forum

Suggested Lunch Options and Local Amenities

Please note that lunch is not provided at the conference. This map offers suggestions on where you can eat around the conference venues, as well as the locations of local amenities.

November 14 | All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Saturday at a Glance

Conference Venue: Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo 09:30

Conference Check-in | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

10:00-10:30

Welcome Address & Recognition of IAFOR Scholarship Winners | Hall B5 (5F) & Online Grant Black, IAFOR & Chuo University, Japan

10:30-10:55

Keynote Presentation | Hall B5 (5F) & Online The University as a Place of Sanctuary: From Safe Spaces to Public Responsibility in a World of Polycrisis Marie Lall, University College London, United Kingdom & Keio University, Japan Q&A

10:55-11:10 11:15-11:40 11:40-11:55

Keynote Presentation | Hall B5 (5F) & Online Universities as Hope Russell L. Gruen, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Q&A

11:55-12:20

Coffee Break

12:20-12:45

Keynote Presentation | Hall B5 (5F) & Online Learner Agency in Fostering Creativity and Critical Thinking in Japanese Higher Education Mikiko Nishimura, International Christian University, Japan Q&A

12:45-13:00 13:05-13:20

Cultural Presentation: Karate Demonstration | Hall B5 (5F) The Waseda University Karate Club This performance will showcase a series of katas, detailed patterns of movements or ‘drills’, and also a choreographed fight sequence exhibiting the katas in action.

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November 14 | All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Saturday at a Glance

Conference Venue: Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo 13:20-13:25

Conference Photograph | Hall B5 (5F)

13:25-14:40

Extended Break

14:40-15:40

The Forum | Hall B5 (5F) Education in Times of Crisis Dexter Da Silva, Keisen University, Japan (Respondent) Briar Pelletier, IAFOR, Japan (Moderator) The Forum is a plenary session designed as a platform for international, intercultural, interdisciplinary – and inclusive – discussions, joining experts and practitioners alike in an open dialogue format. Come share your thoughts and experiences as global educators and researchers.

15:45-16:45

Welcome Reception & Conference Poster Session | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

19:00-21:00

Conference Dinner | Andy’s Shin Hinomoto This is an optional ticketed event

November 15 | All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Sunday at a Glance

Conference Venue: Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo 09:30

Conference Check-in | Glass Building, 4F Foyer

09:45-10:30

Conference Orientation for First-Time Presenters | Room G409 (4F) Mark Kenneth Camiling, IAFOR, Japan Apipol Sae-Tung, IAFOR, Japan This session provides an overview of what to expect at the conference, including guidance on preparing your presentation, publishing opportunities, and ways to engage with IAFOR.

10:35-11:20

Flash Presentations | Room G409 (4F) This session allows presenters to maximise their visibility and showcase their research in this fast-paced, informal networking session. Each presenter has 60 seconds to highlight the key ideas, findings, or areas of interest in their work in lightning rounds, providing an opportunity for all participants to discover other presenters’ work and find sessions they may wish to attend during the conference. This session is open to all delegates, including those who have already presented. Audience members are welcome to watch the presentations.

11:20-11:50

Networking Coffee Break | Glass Building, 4F Foyer

11:50-12:40

Featured Workshop Session 11:50-12:40 Featured Workshop 1 | Room G407 (4F) Writing a Good Grant Application: Mastering Significance, Innovation, and Approach for Your Career James W. McNally, NACDA & University of Michigan, United States Sela V. Panapasa, University of Michigan, United States Lowell Sheppard, Royal Geographical Society & IAFOR, Japan

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November 15 | All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Sunday at a Glance

Conference Venue: Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo 11:50-12:40 Featured Workshop 2 | Room G409 (4F) What is Haiku? Emiko Miyashita, Haiku International Association, Japan Kyoko Uchimura, Haiku International Association, Japan In this workshop, renowned haiku instructors Emiko Miyashita and Kyoko Uchimura will explain some of the basic differences between traditional Japanese and foreignlanguage approaches to the art form. They will also discuss how to evaluate haiku for its technical mastery and its emotional impact. 12:40-12:55

Break

12:55-14:35 Onsite Parallel Session 1 G401 (4F): Assessment Theories and Methodologies G402 (4F): Teaching Experiences and Technologies Implementation G403 (4F): Education and Sustainability G404 (4F): Mind, Brain and Psychology: Cognitive Development and Outcomes within Educational Contexts G405 (4F): Innovative Technologies in Foreign Languages Education G407 (4F): Artificial Intelligence in Foreign Languages Education G408 (4F): Implementation of Innovative Technologies in Education G409 (4F): Curriculum Design and Development G410 (4F): Learning Experiences

November 15 | All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Sunday at a Glance

Conference Venue: Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo 14:35-15:05

Networking Coffee Break | Glass Building, 4F Foyer

15:05-16:45 Onsite Parallel Session 2 G401 (4F): Teaching Experiences and Pedagogy G402 (4F): Design and Implementation of Technologies in Education G403 (4F): Multidisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Education G404 (4F): Mind, Brain and Psychology in Educational Contexts G405 (4F): Language, Literacy and Technology G407 (4F): Interdisciplinarity in Foreign Language Education G408 (4F): Innovative Technologies in Education G409 (4F): Curriculum Design and Development G410 (4F): Creativity and Innovation in Education 16:45-17:00

Break

17:00-18:40 Onsite Parallel Session 3 G401 (4F): Knowledge Creation and Preservation G402 (4F): Technology Implementation in Education G403 (4F): Sustainability in Interdisciplinary Education G404 (4F): Mind, Brain and Psychology: Cognitive Development G405 (4F): Language Learning G407 (4F): Language Literacy G408 (4F): Design and Implementation of Innovative Technologies in Education G409 (4F): Curriculum Design and Technologies G410 (4F): Comparative Teaching Methodologies 18:45-19:35

Cultural Workshop: Japanese Dance – Bon Odori | Room G409 (4F) Keio University Bon Odori Study Group This interactive cultural workshop will combine cultural history and guided instruction to the origins and significance of bon odori, a traditional Japanese folk dance performed during the Obon festival to honour ancestral spirits.

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Food for thought. The 7th Southeast Asian Conference on Education (SEACE2027) The 2nd Southeast Asian Conference on Arts and Humanities (SEACAH2027)

February 15-19, 2027 | Bangkok, Thailand, and Online Abstract Submission Deadline: October 30, 2026

Where will your ideas take you next?

November 16 | All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Monday at a Glance

Conference Venue: Tokyo International Forum | The Glass Building 09:15

Conference Check-in | Glass Building, 4F Foyer

09:30-10:20

Featured Interview | Room G409 (4F) When the World Becomes the Classroom: Japan’s Turtle Highway as a Living Classroom Mitsuharu Kume, Turtle Crew, Japan Lowell Sheppard, Royal Geographical Society & IAFOR, Japan

10:20-10:50

Networking Coffee Break | Glass Building, 4F Foyer

10:50-12:30 Onsite Parallel Session 1 G401 (4F): Interdisciplinary, Multidisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Education G402 (4F): Higher Education G403 (4F): Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration G404 (4F): Education, Sustainability and Social Development G405 (4F): Professional Development and Administration G407 (4F): Innovations in Education G408 (4F): Counselling, Guidance and Adjustment in Education G409 (4F): Foreign Languages Education G410 (4F): Education Research and Development 12:30-12:45

Break

12:45-14:25 Onsite Parallel Session 2 G401 (4F): Education Policy and Administration G402 (4F): International Education G403 (4F): Professional Training and Development G404 (4F): Before the Breach: Using Generative AI to Build Your Emergency Communications Library (Workshop) G405 (4F): Working Together Is a Foundationally Imperative: Tools that Help Administrative Teams Work in Concert (Workshop) G407 (4F): Beyond Course-to-Career Mapping: AI-Supported Competency-Based Career Advising for International Students (Workshop) G408 (4F): Visual Dialogue in the Initial Counseling Encounter Inspired by Winnicott’s Squiggle Game (Workshop) G409 (4F): From One to Many: Leveraging AI for Quick Preparation and Differentiated Language Instruction (Workshop) G410 (4F): Distance Learning and Curriculum Design

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November 16 | All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Monday at a Glance

Conference Venue: Tokyo International Forum | The Glass Building 14:25-14:40

Break

14:40-16:20 Onsite Parallel Session 3 G401 (4F): Education, Sustainability and Society G402 (4F): Higher Education G403 (4F): Education Management G404 (4F): Education, Sustainability, Social Justice and Development G405 (4F): Educational Management and Administration G407 (4F): Technologies in Education Policy and Curriculum Design G408 (4F): Nurturing Creativity and Innovation G409 (4F): Foreign Languages Education and Applied Linguistics G410 (4F): Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration 16:20-16:50

Networking Coffee Break | Glass Building, 4F Foyer

16:50-18:30 Onsite Parallel Session 4 G401 (4F): Gender Issues in Education G402 (4F): Higher Education G403 (4F): Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration G404 (4F): Education, Sustainability and Society G405 (4F): Training and Competency Development G407 (4F): Technologies in Curriculum and Practice G408 (4F): Curriculum Development G409 (4F): Foreign Languages Education G410 (4F): Curriculum Design and Development 18:40-19:40

Featured Session | Room G409 (4F) Academic Advice Surgery: Dealing with Mental and Emotional Health Concerns of Students Dexter Da Silva, Keisen University, Japan Briar Pelletier, IAFOR, Japan (Moderator)

November 17 | All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Tuesday at a Glance

Conference Venue: Tokyo International Forum | The Glass Building 09:15

Conference Check-in | Glass Building, 4F Foyer

09:30-11:10 Onsite Parallel Session 1 G401 (4F): Technology in Curriculum Development G402 (4F): Curriculum Design and Development G403 (4F): Education and Society G404 (4F): Inter/Multicultural Curriculum Development G405 (4F): Educational Policy and Management G407 (4F): Implementation of Innovative Technologies in Education G408 (4F): Education and Differences G410 (4F): AI in Education 11:10-11:25

Coffee Break | Glass Building, 4F Foyer

11:25-12:40 Onsite Parallel Session 2 G401 (4F): Innovative Teaching Experiences G403 (4F): Education and Society G404 (4F): Encouraging Creative Thinking Through Mathematics (Workshop) G405 (4F): Approaches for Embedding Essential Skills into Classroom Teaching (Workshop) G407 (4F): Using Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Refugee Entrepreneurship (Workshop) G408 (4F): An Adult Learning and Experiential Pedagogy for Case Management Training (Workshop) G410 (4F): Open-Space Theory-Making: Image to Tableau Vivant (Workshop) 12:40-12:55

Break

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November 17 | All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Tuesday at a Glance

Conference Venue: Tokyo International Forum | The Glass Building 12:55-14:35 Onsite Parallel Session 3 G401 (4F): Technologies in Curriculum Design and Development G403 (4F): Arts and Humanities in Curriculum Design and Development G404 (4F): Primary and Secondary Education G405 (4F): Professional Development and Education Policy G407 (4F): Implementation of Technologies in Education G408 (4F): Nurturing and Empowerment in Education G410 (4F): Language Curriculum Design and Development 14:35-14:50

Coffee Break | Glass Building, 4F Foyer

14:50-16:30 Onsite Parallel Session 4 G401 (4F): Technology and Sustainability in Education G403 (4F): Challenging & Preserving: Culture, Inter/Multiculturalism and Language G404 (4F): Lifelong Learning G405 (4F): Capacity Building and Teachers' Education G407 (4F): AI in Higher Education G408 (4F): Learning Experiences and Learner Diversity G410 (4F): Language Development and Literacy 16:40-17:00

Onsite Closing Session | Room G409 (4F)

November 18 | All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Wednesday at a Glance Conference Venue: Online via Zoom 09:25-09:30

Message from IAFOR

09:30-10:30

The Forum (Online) | Live-Stream Room 1 Education in Times of Crisis Monty P. Satiadarma, Tarumanagara University, Indonesia (Online Respondent) Apipol Sae-Tung, IAFOR, Japan (Online Moderator) The Forum is a plenary session designed as a platform for international, intercultural, interdisciplinary – and inclusive – discussions, joining experts and practitioners alike in an open dialogue format. Come share your thoughts and experiences as global educators and researchers.

10:30-10:45

Break

10:45-12:00 Online Parallel Session 1 Live-Stream Room 1: Do It Scared: Building Fearless Communication and Leadership Identity Through the P.O.W.E.R. Framework (Workshop) Live-Stream Room 2: Design, Implementation and Technology in Education Live-Stream Room 3: Language Teaching Experiences Live-Stream Room 4: Curriculum Design and Assessment in Education Live-Stream Room 5: Professional Training and Development in Education 12:00-12:10

Break

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November 18 | All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Wednesday at a Glance Conference Venue: Online via Zoom

12:10-13:50 Online Parallel Session 2 Live-Stream Room 1: Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice and Praxis Live-Stream Room 2: Innovative Technologies in Education Live-Stream Room 3: Learning Experiences, Student Learning and Learner Diversity Live-Stream Room 4: Counselling, Guidance and Adjustment in Education Live-Stream Room 5: Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration 13:50-14:00

Break

14:00-15:15 Online Parallel Session 3 Live-Stream Room 1: Teaching and Learning Experiences Live-Stream Room 2: Creativity and Innovation in Education Live-Stream Room 3: Learning Experiences, Student Learning and Learner Diversity Live-Stream Room 4: Environment and Psychology in Education Live-Stream Room 5: Professional Training, Development and Concerns in Education 15:15-15:25

Break

15:25-17:05 Online Parallel Session 4 Live-Stream Room 1: Teaching and Learning Experiences Live-Stream Room 2: Design, Implementation and Assessment of Innovative Technologies in Education Live-Stream Room 3: Language Education and Practice 17:05-17:10

Message from IAFOR

IAFOR’s Conference Themes for 2025-2029

IAFOR’s conference programme provides an essential comparative and contrastive space for people to engage in multidisciplinary research across borders of nation, culture, discipline, and professions. We encourage mixed approaches and methodologies, combining theory and practice between and across the disciplines, and we look to harness the collective intelligence of our International Academic Forum in addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time. Through our conference programme and initiatives such as Conference Reports and Intelligence Briefings, Keynote Interviews, and The Forum discussions, we gathered insights into what has been discussed at the theoretical and policy levels, identify the challenges, and the outlook for best practices in tackling global contemporary issues, which we have identified as the themes for 2025-2029. Our four themes can be seen as standalone themes, but they are also very much in conversation with each other. Themes may be seen as corollaries, complementary, or in opposition/juxtaposition with each other. The themes can be considered as widely as possible and are designed, in keeping with our mission, to encourage ideas across the disciplines.

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1. Technology and Artificial Intelligence Our first theme examines the rapid pace of technological advancements, aided most particularly by those driven by artificial intelligence and its enormous and growing impact in all fields. 2. Humanity and Human Intelligence Our second theme asks us which principles, values, and attributes we wish to encourage, protect, and nurture and how we accomplish this. Technological advancements constantly ask us to reconsider and reimagine what it means to be human, including questions regarding communication, creativity, inclusivity, ethics, and care. 3. Global Citizenship and Education for Peace This theme prompts us to consider our existence and coexistence with each other, within our communities and places of belonging, and with peoples of different countries, cultures, and backgrounds, as well as with our environment and our planet. It includes engagement with enormous issues facing us beyond borders, such as peace and human security, climate change, etc. 4. Leadership The final theme recognises the continuing importance of leadership as a skill, particularly in light of difficult times, where recognising and encouraging best practices in leadership at all levels of society is critical. Encouraging leadership at the government level, in businesses, and within institutions of all sizes represents the engine of change.

Conference Themes in Theory, Policy, and Practice Many theories are born and initially tested in the academy, informing discussions in the public sphere that influence policy. IAFOR represents a unique combination of engagement emerging from the collaborative efforts of senior policymakers, administrators, and individuals working on the ground or in the field. IAFOR has made this rare combination of equitable theoretical and practical exchanges the standard for our organisation and represents a valuable model for how science should be done. We will develop conference and institutional programmes and publications around these themes as well as capacity building sessions for our conference programme over the next five years. It is our aim with the implementation of these themes, alongside the implementation and continuing refinement of new formats, to best harness the unique arena IAFOR and its network have built in regards to pressing issues of today and the future.

General Information This QR code, also located on the back of your name badge, contains the information you need to attend the conference, including: -

Full Conference Schedule The ‘Find a Presentation’ Feature Conference Survey Suggested Lunch Options Online and Virtual Presentations Presentation and Session Chair Guidelines, and more.

Please scan this QR code or visit https://linktr.ee/iaforace

Check-in & Information Desk

You will be able to pick up your name badge at the Conference Check-in & Information Desk at the times listed below. If you have any questions or concerns, IAFOR staff and volunteers will happily assist you in any way they can. Saturday, November 14 | 09:30-16:00 – Tokyo International Forum, Hall B5 Foyer (5F) Sunday, November 15 | 09:30-18:00 – Tokyo International Forum, Glass Building, 4F Foyer Monday, November 16 | 09:15-18:00 – Tokyo International Forum, Glass Building, 4F Foyer Tuesday, November 17 | 09:15-16:00 – Tokyo International Forum, Glass Building, 4F Foyer Wednesday, November 18 | No in-person check-in

Name Badges

Wearing your badge is required for entrance to the sessions and events. You must wear your badge at all times.

Refreshment Breaks & Lunch

Complimentary coffee, tea, water, and light snacks will be available during the scheduled coffee breaks. Please note that lunch is not provided.

Connecting to WiFi

There is a free Wi-Fi internet connection at the conference venue. However, this can be unreliable, so we would strongly suggest that you do not rely on a live connection for your presentation. Network Name: tif-free-wifi Password not required.

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General Information Conference Schedule

The full conference schedule (including abstracts) and conference programme are available on the conference website, accessible through the QR code located on the previous page as well as the back of your nametag.

Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations & Virtual Poster Presentations

A full list of pre-recorded virtual video presentations and virtual poster presentations will be on the conference website during and after the conference. We encourage you to scan the QR code to watch these presentations and provide feedback through the video comments.

Conference Catch-Up (On-Demand)

All Keynote Presentations and live-streamed sessions will be recorded and uploaded to the Conference Catch-Up (On-Demand) via Vimeo. The Catch-Up page will be publicly available after the conference until Friday, December 18, 2026.

Certification

Corresponding authors will be able to download Certificates of Presentation for all presenters, as well as Session Chair certification and reviewer certification for Senior Reviewers, by logging in to the submission page. Certificates of Presentation will be available from Friday, December 4, 2026. Certificates of Participation for non-presenters, as well as reviewer certification for Review Committee members, will be sent out by email in a PDF format within two weeks of the Conference's conclusion.

Photo/Recording Waiver

Human interaction through networking, and dissemination of this knowledge, is at the core of what IAFOR does as an academic research organisation, conference organiser and publisher. As part of the archiving of the conference event, IAFOR takes photos in and around the conference venue, and uses the photos to document the event. This also includes the filming of certain sessions. We consider this documentation important, and it provides evidence of our activities to members, partners and stakeholders all over the world, as well as to current and potential attendees like you. Some of these photos will therefore appear online and in print, including on social media. The above are the legitimate interests of the organisation that we assert under the European Union law on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Under this legislation, you have an absolute right to opt out of any photo. We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. Read our full privacy policy – iafor.org/about/privacy-policy iafor.org/about/privacy-policy

iafor.org/publications

IAFOR Publications Conference Proceedings

IAFOR Conference Proceedings are Open Access research repositories that act as permanent records of the research generated by IAFOR conferences. The Conference Proceedings are published online in the IAFOR Research Archive (papers.iafor.org). All accepted authors who present at the conference may have their full paper published in the online Conference Proceedings. For further details on how to submit your paper, please visit the Conference website. Please note that: 1) Papers published in the Conference Proceedings cannot be considered for publication in IAFOR journals. 2) IAFOR's Conference Proceedings are not peer-reviewed and are not ‘Scopus-indexed’. Full text submission is due by Wednesday, December 16, 2026, through the online system. The proceedings will be published on Thursday, February 25, 2027.

Conference Reports and Intelligence Briefings (ISSN: 2759-4939)

IAFOR produces conference reports that provide concise and coherent overviews of the ideas, conversations, and areas of research presented at our conferences. These include key themes and takeaways, referencing programme(s), speakers and attendees, which are curated and archived for both those who attended the event, as well as those who did not. Readers can stay abreast of many of the developments and insights provided by the conference, and the collective intelligence of its participants. Links to video recordings of the presentations and interview references are included where possible, encouraging readers to engage further with the conference material and presentations. Each report contains photos of the event, as well as key statistics pertaining to general attendance and demographics. Read and download the Conference Reports and Intelligence Briefings, and access Conference Photo Galleries from past conferences using the QR code on the back of your name badge. You will receive a notification email when the Conference Photos and the Conference Report and Intelligence Briefing of this conference are available.

THINK Magazine: The Academic Platform

THINK is an online magazine presenting the latest in interdisciplinary research and ideas from some of the world’s foremost academics and thought leaders. As a publishing platform, THINK makes selected research presented at IAFOR’s international, intercultural, interdisciplinary conferences freely available to a global academic audience. Content on THINK spans everything from the arts to psychology, politics to film, law to education and history to technology, presenting research, ideas and perspectives from every corner of the globe. The format is varied, encompassing full research papers, long-form journalism, opinion pieces, creative writing, interviews, podcasts, video, photography and more. To learn more about THINK, please visit think.iafor.org or access the webpage from the QR code on the back of your name badge.

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iafor.org/publications

IAFOR Journals IAFOR publishes several editorially independent, Open Access journals across a variety of disciplines. They conform to the highest academic standards of international peer review, and are published in accordance with IAFOR’s commitment to make all of our published materials available online.

How are papers submitted?

Submissions should be original, previously unpublished papers which are not under consideration for publication in any other journal. All articles are submitted through the submission portal on the journal website and must conform to the journal submission guidelines.

How does IAFOR ensure academic integrity?

Once appointed by IAFOR’s Publications Committee, the Journal Editor is free to appoint his or her own editorial team and advisory members, who help to rework and revise papers as appropriate, according to internationally accepted standards. All papers published in the journal have been subjected to the rigorous and accepted processes of academic peer review. Neither editors nor members of the editorial team are remunerated for their work.

Where are the journals indexed?

IAFOR Journals are indexed in Web of Science, Scopus, DOAJ, ERIC, MIAR, TROVE, CiteFactor and EBSCO, SHERPA/ROMEO and Google Scholar. DOIs are assigned to each published issue and article via Crossref. Please note that indexing varies from journal to journal.

What’s the reach?

Each of our journal issues is viewed thousands of times a month, and the articles are frequently cited by researchers worldwide, largely due to our dedicated marketing efforts. Each issue is promoted across our social media platforms and to our tailored email marketing lists. On average, each journal publishes biannually.

What’s the cost?

IAFOR Journals are Open Access publications, available online completely free of charge and without delay or embargo. Authors are not required to pay charges of any sort towards the publication of IAFOR Journals, and neither editors nor members of the editorial boards are remunerated for their work.

How are IAFOR Journals related to IAFOR Conferences and Conference Proceedings?

IAFOR Journals reflect the interdisciplinary and international nature of our conferences and are organised thematically. A presenter can choose to publish either in Conference Proceedings or submit their manuscript to the corresponding IAFOR Journal for review.

Current IAFOR Journal titles include

IAFOR Journal of Cultural Studies (Scopus Indexed) IAFOR Journal of Education (Scopus Indexed & Web of Science Indexed) IAFOR Journal of Literature & Librarianship (Scopus Indexed) If you would like more information about any of IAFOR’s publications, please visit iafor.org/journals

Networking: Connecting with Other Delegates IAFOR conferences are designed to offer countless networking opportunities to make and consolidate personal and professional connections, reconnect with colleagues, and meet new friends in a spirit of convivial collegiality. Whether in the plenaries, parallel sessions, workshops, information sessions, or cultural events, we encourage your active and open participation throughout the conference, remembering the importance of the spaces in-between: over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, or the continuation of conversations and relationships outside the conference. We encourage you to network at the conference over the Networking Events, the Networking Coffee Breaks, and the Extended Breaks. In addition, you are invited to join the Online Presentation Sessions and the Online Forum discussion to explore even more presentations and opportunities to make connections for future collaborations. While conferences serve as a platform to present your work and make connections, please be mindful of the other delegates’ privacy and their consent to provide personal information.

Networking Spaces

The conference venue features several comfortable spaces, such as the main lobby, coffee area, and the ground-level plaza. These spaces provide an excellent opportunity to meet new people, connect with familiar faces, exchange ideas, and explore possible collaborations. We encourage you to make use of these spaces to connect with fellow attendees for a quick coffee or a longer chat to broaden your network and enhance your conference experience.

Missed the opportunity to make connections?

You can connect with other delegates by using our ‘Find a Presentation’ feature. This feature can be accessed by scanning the QR code provided on the back of your name badge, and is also available on the conference website. You can search by presentation title, submission number, the presenter’s name, or their affiliation. From there, you can look up the presenter’s bio and connect with them through their preferred contact channel. In addition to the ‘Find a Presentation’ online feature, presentation schedules are also displayed in front of presentation rooms.

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Conference Networking Events Welcome Reception

Join fellow delegates for a drink or two at the conference Welcome Reception, held concurrently with the Conference Poster Session. This event provides a great opportunity for delegates to network and get to know each other. Time & Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 15:45-16:45 Location: Tokyo International Forum, Hall B5 Foyer (5F) Admission is included in the conference registration fee and is only open to registered conference delegates and audience members.

Cultural Presentation | The Waseda University Karate Club

Join us for a special Cultural Presentation by the Waseda University Karate Club, one of Japan’s most respected university martial arts groups. Featuring a series of katas and a choreographed combat demonstration, the performance will showcase the skill, discipline, and tradition that lie at the heart of Japanese karate. Time & Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 13:05-13:20 Location: Tokyo International Forum, Hall B5 (5F) Admission is included in the conference registration and is only open to registered onsite conference delegates.

Conference Dinner | Andy's Shin Hinomoto

Famed for its fresh seafood and vibrant izakaya atmosphere, Andy's Shin Hinomoto offers a uniquely authentic Tokyo dining experience. Join us for an evening of outstanding food, warm hospitality, and local character in the heart of Yurakucho. Time & Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 19:00-21:00 Location: Andy's Shin Hinomoto, Yurakucho 2-4-4, Chiyoda Ku, Tokyo Ticket Price: 10,000 JPY This is a ticketed event. Only delegates with pre-purchased tickets are able to attend the Conference Dinner.

Cultural Workshop | Japanese Dance – Bon Odori

Join us for a special workshop led by the Bon Odori Study Group of Keio University, introducing delegates to one of Japan’s most vibrant and participatory cultural traditions. This interactive cultural workshop will combine cultural history and guided instruction to the origins and significance of bon odori, a traditional Japanese folk dance performed during the Obon festival to honour ancestral spirits. Time & Date: Sunday, November 15, 2026 | 18:45-19:35 Location: Tokyo International Forum, Room G409 (4F) Admission is included in the conference registration and is only open to registered onsite conference delegates.

Academic Grant & Scholarship Recipients IAFOR's grants and scholarships programme provides financial support to PhD students and early career academics, with the aim of helping them pursue research excellence and achieve their academic goals through interdisciplinary study and interaction. Our warmest congratulations go to the following scholarship recipients who have been selected to receive grants and scholarships to present their research at the conference.

Stuart D. B. Picken Scholarship Recipient Professor Stuart D. B. Picken was a cherished friend and an inspiration to IAFOR and its community of supporters. In honour of Professor Picken and his dedication to academia, the ideals of intercultural understanding, and the principles of interdisciplinary study, IAFOR created the Stuart D. B. Picken Scholarship, an award supported by the Stuart D. B. Picken Memorial Fund. This award is given to PhD students and early career academics who are in need of funding to complete their research, and whose work demonstrates excellence in the core values of academic rigour, intercultural sensitivity, and interdisciplinarity.

Ben Ninkama (Oral Presentation)

110630 | Bridging Traditional and Modern Education in Papua New Guinea: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge Through a Culturally Responsive Curriculum Mr Ben Ninkama is from the remote Gumine region in southern Simbu Province, Papua New Guinea. He completed his schooling in Gumine and Simbu from elementary level to Grade 12. He trained as a primary school teacher at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Teachers College, now Divine Word University Rabaul Campus. He taught in Simbu Province from 2013 to 2016 before joining Melanesia Nazarene Teachers College as a full-time lecturer in the Language Development Strand from 2017 to 2019. During this period, he also served as an adjunct lecturer at Melanesia Nazarene Bible College. Since 2020, he has pursued doctoral studies at the University of Goroka, alongside a Master of Theology at Christian Leaders Training Center, Banz. He is a writer, self-taught coder, and currently a senior lecturer at Divine Word University’s Faculty of Education.

About Stuart D. B. Picken (1942-2016)

The late Reverend Professor Stuart D. B. Picken began his academic career as a Rotary Scholar in Japan. A native of Scotland dedicated to religious studies, he became fascinated by Japanese culture and the practice of Shinto. Whether in his research or teaching, Reverend Professor Picken devoted much of his life to increasing understanding between Japan and the West, and in 2007 he was recognised with the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure for his contribution to the promotion of friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and the United Kingdom. From 2009, he was the founding Chairman of The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), where he helped nurture and mentor a new generation of academics and facilitate intercultural and international understanding.

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Academic Grant & Scholarship Recipients ACE2026 IAFOR Scholarship Recipients Vikrant Argade (Oral Presentation) 110678 | Creative-Technology Ecosystems and Regional Competitiveness: A Design Science and Empirical Investigation of Capacity Development, Industry Alignment, and Innovation Outcomes Mr Vikrant Argade is a Global Creative Consultant focused on techno-creative ecosystems, Industry 5.0, and innovation. He is currently pursuing a DBA at the European Global Institute of Innovation and Technology, Malta, researching scalable creative-technology. Anmol Gupta (Oral Presentation) 111276 | Schooling Under Uncertainty: Low-Fee Private Schools and Foundational Learning in Bihar, India Mr Anmol Gupta is a PhD student in Development Studies at Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India, researching education, human capital, foundational learning, and schooling systems in Bihar, India. Peng Peng (Oral Presentation) 111363 | GenAI-Enhanced Project-Based Learning: Fostering Intercultural Competence, L2 Communication Confidence, and Critical Thinking in EFL Ms Peng is currently a doctoral student at The Education University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include AI-enhanced language learning, project-based learning, and L2 writing/speaking. Her current project focuses on GenAI chatbots for collaborative L2 speaking development. Wen Hsiu Wu (Oral Presentation) 111328 | Why Breadth Isn’t Depth: Logical Complexity Moderates the Path from Content Reorganization to Cognitive Integration Ms Wen Hsiu Wu is a doctoral student in the College of Education at National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan. Her interests include text mining, reading and writing analysis, and eye-tracking research. Her current work focuses on knowledge transformation. Napisah Yahya (Oral Presentation) 110624 | Rehumanizing STEM Education Through Scientist-Teacher-Student Partnerships: Developing Humanizing STEM Modules at the Malaysian STEM-Humanities Nexus Ms Napisah Yahya is currently a postgraduate student in the Department of Mathematics and Science Education at Universiti Malaya (UM), Malaysia.

IAFOR events are among the most diverse on Earth Bridging divides of nation, culture, and discipline; informing and shaping ideas, research, practice, and policy in a comparative and contrastive space, IAFOR encourages the sharing and nurturing of diverse ideas. Over the past year, more than 5,000 delegates from more than 120 countries have participated in an IAFOR event.

5,000+ Delegates

120+ Countries

Inspiring global collaborations, this diversity of peoples, nations, voices, cultures, and ideas is at the heart of what we do.

It is our greatest strength. Join us.

Keynote & Featured Presentations All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Abstracts appear as originally submitted by the author. Any spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors are those of the author.

Plenary Speaker: Grant Black

Welcome Address & Recognition of IAFOR Scholarship Winners Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 10:00-10:30 | Tokyo International Forum, Hall B5 (5F) & Online

Grant Black Professor Grant Black is a Professor in the Faculty of Commerce at Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan, where he has taught Global Skills and Global Issues since 2013. He is engaged in diverse roles as a global manager, systems builder, executive leader, and university professor. His research and teaching areas include global management skills, intercultural intelligence (CQ), and organisational management. He also has taught Japanese Management Theory at J. F. Oberlin University, Japan, and a continuing education course in the Foundations of Japanese Zen Buddhism at Temple University Japan. Previously, he was Chair of the English Section at the Center for Education of Global Communication at the University of Tsukuba, where he served in a six-year post in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. He holds a BA Highest Honors in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara; an MA in Japanese Buddhist Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles; and a Doctor of Social Science (DSocSci) from the Department of Management in the School of Business at the University of Leicester. Professor Black is a Chartered Manager (CMgr), the highest status that can be achieved in the management profession in the United Kingdom. In 2018, he was elected a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI) and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). Professor Black is President of Black Inc. Consulting (Japan), a Tokyo-based firm specialising in international and intercultural project management, communication projects, and executive leadership and training. He is the director of the Nippon Academic Management Institute (NAMI) and the author of Education Reform Policy at a Japanese Super Global University: Policy Translation, Migration and Mutation (Routledge, 2022). Professor Black serves as a Vice-President for the International Academic Forum (IAFOR).

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Keynote Presentation: Marie Lall

The University as a Place of Sanctuary: From Safe Spaces to Public Responsibility in a World of Polycrisis Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 10:30-10:55 | Tokyo International Forum, Hall B5 (5F) & Online

Universities like to see themselves as sanctuaries: places of safety, free inquiry, and hope. In an age of polycrisis, where authoritarian takeover, armed conflict, pandemic, disaster, and climate breakdown compound one another, we need to revisit this view. This keynote begins in Myanmar. After the 2021 military coup, students and academics who refused to return to state-controlled campuses fled, took up arms, or went underground. Many found that universities in neighbouring countries offered, in the best of cases, conditional, fee-bearing safe spaces rather than sanctuary. In response, they built their own: the Spring Universities, online and borderland institutions run by students, largely free of charge, collectively governed and oriented towards rebuilding a federal, inclusive society. Myanmar’s experience, further layered by conscription and the 2025 earthquake, shows that universities do not simply grant sanctuary. It is a public responsibility they either take up or abdicate. This argument is valid beyond the Myanmar case. Drawing on research on climate-affected education in Pakistan and on work led by Tristan McCowan on universities and climate action, the keynote argues that universities in climate-vulnerable regions are themselves exposed, yet hold the knowledge, partnerships and civic standing that communities need to adapt. This talk proposes that sanctuary has three dimensions: protecting people (displaced students and exiled scholars), protecting knowledge (spaces for critical thought when states close them), and protecting futures (co-producing the knowledge communities need to survive crisis). Neoliberal rankings-driven, marketised higher education struggles on all three. We need to ask what universities owe to those whom crisis has displaced.

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Marie Lall Professor Marie Lall, FRSA, is Chair in Education and South Asian Studies at UCL Institute of Education, University College London, United Kingdom, and an Asia Specialist working on India, Pakistan, Myanmar and Japan. She is the former Pro-Vice-Provost for South Asia at UCL, where she was instrumental in developing four UCL university partnerships with India’s top-ranking universities in engineering, medicine, aerospace, and science. Currently, she is Visiting Professor of International Relations at Keio University, Japan, and Academic Lead for Higher Education at ChangeSchool LDN, United Kingdom. She has provided thought leadership to development agencies, policymakers, and governments in the region and internationally. She has been a senior consultant to the World Bank, UNICEF, the British Council, AusAID, and South Asian philanthropic bodies. In Myanmar, she advised the Ministry of Education on education reforms from 2015-2019, particularly Higher Education, working with 11 Universities around the country. Currently, she is the lead expert on the EU Mobility Programme for Myanmar, EMPM. She has over 30 years of experience in the region specialising in political issues and education. Her political research focuses on the domestic and foreign policy of South Asia. Her education expertise encompasses education policy, higher education, as well as teacher training and language of instruction. She has a particular interest in the linkage between national identity, citizenship, and education. Her current work in higher education includes a project on the internationalisation of universities in Japan, research on the role of universities as safe spaces for refugees, and the role of higher education in safeguarding democracy. She has authored over 100 publications, including 14 widely cited books. Her most recent books include Myanmar’s Spring Revolution: Students, Higher Education and Political Change (with Ikuko Okamoto, UCL Press 2026), Delhi’s Education Revolution: Teachers, Agency & Inclusion (with Kusha Anand, UCL Press 2023), and Bridging Neoliberalism and Hindu Nationalism (with Kusha Anand, Bristol University Press 2022). She appears regularly on BBC News 24/BBC World, Sky TV, Al Jazeera TV, and BBC Radio (World Service) to give interviews on politics and international relations in South Asia. In 2019, her work was honoured at the House of Commons, and she was named one of the 100 most influential people in UK-India relations. Professor Marie Lall completed her B.Sc. Economics and PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE) and her MPhil from Cambridge University, United Kingdom.

Keynote Presentation: Russell L. Gruen

Universities as Hope

Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 11:15-11:40 | Tokyo International Forum, Hall B5 (5F) & Online

Nobody builds a university or a school for the present. The first students arrive years after the first decision, and graduate years after that. Every new university is therefore built for a future its founders can only imagine, and that imagining is written into its structures, its functions, and the way its people are asked to treat one another. Why would anyone build for a future they cannot see? Most of what is written about universities explains how they endure and resist change, not why they begin. A new school starts as a reaction to the present and an aspiration for something different. It is hope in its older sense: the desire for a good that is difficult but possible, and the readiness to work for it without any promise of success. It is a picture of a society that does not yet exist, and a decision to start living in it: to organise ourselves as we hope to be organised, to practise now the humanity and wisdom we hope will one day be ordinary, and to trust that students formed inside that picture will carry it out into the world. In wealthy cities, that picture may be of different approaches to health and wellbeing. In the jungles, deserts and islands it is more often one where everyone has access to healthcare and education. And in the midst of war it is peace, compassion, and kindness, taught now, for countries that will need them. This talk is about building such institutions, and what they reveal about hope.

Russell L. Gruen Professor Russell L. Gruen is Associate Provost of Health and Medical Sciences at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, and a trauma surgeon, Professor of Surgery and Public Health, and former Dean at The Australian National University, Australia. In addition to his medical degree and surgery fellowships, he holds a PhD in specialist services for remote Indigenous communities, and postdoctoral qualifications in health policy, medical ethics, and business management. He has worked as a clinician and researcher in leading academic medical centres in Melbourne, Boston, and Singapore, and with national, regional, and global partners to foster innovation, promote excellence, and improve access to health education and high-quality surgery and trauma care in rural/remote, disadvantaged, displaced, and conflict-affected populations. He has had academic leadership roles in the establishment of new medical schools, institutes, and health-focused universities in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, and Myanmar. 42 | IAFOR.ORG | ACE2026 | Follow us on Instagram @iafor.official (#IAFOR)

Keynote Presentation: Mikiko Nishimura

Learner Agency in Fostering Creativity and Critical Thinking in Japanese Higher Education Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 12:20-12:45 | Tokyo International Forum, Hall B5 (5F) & Online

This keynote lecture offers a discussion on how to foster creativity and critical thinking (CCT) in higher education in Japan, where the relatively high cognitive ability does not necessarily accompany a high level of confidence, self-perceived creativity, or willingness to contribute to society. The talk will first look at how the culture of learning could present different viewpoints in interpreting global competencies such as CCT. The education policy and socio-cultural context of Japan will then be reviewed, with special regard to CCT and will highlight the importance of learner agency. The cases of Sophia University and International Christian University in Japan connect knowledge, pedagogy, and learner agency and explore how these dimensions relate to the link among being, knowing, and doing dimensions, as well as inquiring, imagining, doing, and reflecting dimensions of CCT in Japanese higher education. The talk concludes with key messages to foster CCT by focusing on agency development of learners and instructors and the importance of faculty development and institutional support for enabling inclusive co-learning community-building.

Mikiko Nishimura Dr Mikiko Nishimura is a Professor of Sociology of Education and International Educational Development at International Christian University (ICU), Japan, where she served as Director of the ServiceLearning Center from 2019 to 2023 and is currently Director of the Institute for Educational Research and Service, taking up the role in 2026. She obtained an M.Phil. in Development Studies from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom, and an Ed.D. in International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University, United States. Before her current position, she was an Associate Specialist at Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a development consultant, and an Associate Professor at the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies of Kobe University, Japan. She was also a Fulbright Researcher at George Washington University, United States, from 2017 to 2018. Her primary research interests are analysis of education reforms and policies, community participation in education, gender in education, civic/ community engagement, and liberal arts education. Her recent publications include The Oxford Handbook of Higher Education in Asia-Pacific Region (Oxford University Press, 2022), Community Participation with Schools in Developing Countries: Towards Equitable and Inclusive Basic Education for All (Routledge, 2020), and Doing Liberal Arts Education: The Global Case Studies (Springer, 2019). She has worked extensively in education planning and research in developing countries as a development consultant and researcher. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/iaforjapan | ACE2026 | IAFOR.ORG | 43

The Forum | Education in Times of Crisis Dexter Da Silva (Respondent), Briar Pelletier (Moderator) Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 14:40-15:40 | Tokyo International Forum, Hall B5 (5F) Monty P. Satiadarma (Online Respondent), Apipol Sae-Tung (Online Moderator) Wednesday, November 18, 2026 | 09:30-10:30 | Online via Zoom

Humanity currently faces crises on many fronts, what has been termed a ‘polycrisis’: multiple challenges that coalesce into a complex web of interconnected crises, creating impacts greater than any single crisis alone. These include, among others, the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI), democratic backsliding, declining trust in political institutions, demographic changes and population ageing, climate change, and conflict. In times of increasing disorientation and hostility, universities and educational institutions can serve as places of sanctuary, embracing marginalised voices and providing direction and spaces of refuge, dialogue, and connection. How do we tell stories in the classroom or on campus to cultivate care, belonging, and empathy in a world of increasing conflict and hostility? How do we create this place of sanctuary in times when stories we are told tend to pull us apart? The Forum session invites participants to explore how education can provide spaces of sanctuary, dialogue, and connection, using storytelling to cultivate care, belonging, and empathy during times of crisis.

Dexter Da Silva (Respondent) Professor Dexter Da Silva is Professor Emeritus at Keisen University in Tokyo, Japan, where he has been teaching for 35 years. He is an Educational Psychologist who has taught at junior high schools, language schools, and universities in Sydney, Australia, and at various educational institutions in Japan. He was educated at the University of Sydney, Australia (BA, Dip. Ed., MA), and the University of Western Sydney, Australia (PhD). He has presented and copresented at conferences throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, and the United States, and published or co-published a number of books, articles, and book chapters on education-related topics. He is a past president of the Asian Psychological Association and currently a Vice-President of IAFOR.

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Briar Pelletier (Moderator) Briar Pelletier is the Editorial and Communications Coordinator at IAFOR, where she works with the academic team on a range of academic projects and initiatives, including the Forum’s Scholarship and Grant Opportunities, Conference Proceedings, and Conference Reports and Intelligence Briefings. She is currently developing IAFOR’s online community content for members and moderates its monthly Academic Advice Surgery sessions. Ms Pelletier is completing her PhD at Nagoya University, Japan, where she was recognised as a Next Generation Research Fellow from 2022 to 2025. Her research focuses on grassroots cultural exchange initiatives and communityled digital archives, with particular attention to projects affiliated with sister-city partnerships. She holds an MA in Cultural Studies from Nagoya University and a BA in Art History from the University of Maine, United States.

Monty P. Satiadarma (Online Respondent) Dr Monty P. Satiadarma is a clinical psychologist who has been teaching psychology at Tarumanagara University, Indonesia, since 1994. He was one of the founders of the Department of Psychology at Tarumanagara and served as the Dean of Psychology, Vice Rector, and Rector of the university. He earned a degree in psychology from the University of Indonesia, a degree in art therapy from Emporia State University, United States, a degree in family counselling from Notre Dame de Namur University, United States, and a certification in clinical hypnotherapy from Irvine, California. He has published several books nationally with a focus on educational psychology and the use of music and art therapy. He provided treatment to survivors of the Indonesian tsunami through the International Red Cross and the United Nations. Dr Satiadarma is a board member and chair of the area for the International Council of Psychology and a founder and a board member of the Asian Psychology Association.

Apipol Sae-Tung (Online Moderator) Apipol Sae-Tung is the Academic Coordinator at IAFOR, where he contributes to the development and execution of academicrelated content and activities. He works closely with the Forum’s partner institutions and coordinates IAFOR’s Global Fellowship Programme. His recent activities include mediating conference reports for the Forum’s international conference programme and facilitating the IAFOR Undergraduate Research Symposium (IURS). Mr Sae-Tung began his career as a Program Coordinator for the Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. He was awarded the Japanese Government’s MEXT Research Scholarship and is currently pursuing a PhD at the Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University, Japan. His research focuses on government and policy analysis, particularly on authoritarian regimes. Mr Sae-Tung holds an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from Thammasat University, Thailand, where he studied foreign policy analysis and Thailand-China relations. He also holds a BA in History from the same institution. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/iaforjapan | ACE2026 | IAFOR.ORG | 45

Featured Workshop Session: James W. McNally, Sela V. Panapasa, Lowell Sheppard

Writing a Good Grant Application: Mastering Significance, Innovation, and Approach for Your Career Sunday, November 15, 2026 | 11:50-12:40 | Tokyo International Forum, Room G407 (4F)

The ability to write, submit, and administer research grants has become an increasingly vital role in developing an academic career. Funders seek good ideas and innovative approaches that enhance research designs, classroom pedagogies, student and professional growth, conference development, and travel. The wide array of organisations representing potential funders can be summarised as federal or governmental awards, foundation or philanthropic awards, and private business awards. Typically structured as contracts, grants, or gifts, these mechanisms have critical distinctions, often requiring very different deliverables and outcome expectations. The mechanism will also impact the fungibility of the provided funds to accomplish the project goals. This workshop will offer training, guidance, and opportunities to discuss grantsmanship as an integral part of the learning process and a critical element of academic advancement. The workshop will review identifying funders who best reflect research interests, interacting with funding agencies, and ways to build funding networks. The workshop will discuss the critical elements for developing a successful grant application and effectively budgeting requested funds. The workshop will also offer time management tips for meeting deadlines and ensuring applicants have crossed all ‘t’s’ and dotted all ‘i’s’. While the rules, expectations, and procedures for grant applications will vary internationally, organisationally, and internally, the basics of grantsmanship all share commonalities regarding significance, innovation, and approach. Understanding and mastering these skills will enhance and expand an applicant’s capacities as an instructor, mentor, and researcher.

James W. McNally Dr James W. McNally is a social and behavioral science administrator programme officer in the Office of Data Resources and Analytics (ODRA) for the Behavioral Science and Research Office of the National Institute of Aging at the National Institute of Health, United States. Dr McNally was formerly the director of the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), which maintains an NIA-funded data archive located at the University of Michigan, United States. Originally trained in forensic anthropology at the University of Maryland, followed by a master’s degree in formal demography at Georgetown University, Dr McNally later trained in social gerontology at Brown University, where he earned his doctoral degree from the Population Training and Studies Center. He completed a postdoctoral degree at Syracuse University’s Center for Policy Research, where he worked on policy applications using blended ageing data. His research career has focused on data quality and management and the safe distribution of health information and clinical data to support health research. At BSR/ODRA, Dr McNally leverages his extensive expertise to facilitate data management and sharing initiatives. 46 | IAFOR.ORG | ACE2026 | Follow us on Instagram @iafor.official (#IAFOR)

Sela V. Panapasa Dr Sela V. Panapasa is an Associate Research Scientist at the Institute for Social Research, United States. An active researcher and leader in developing scientific research methods to address data limitations and persistent health inequities in hard-to-survey populations, she has extensive experience conducting, analysing, disseminating, and translating findings from mixed-methods research projects on Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations in the United States and independent Pacific nations. Dr Panapasa’s work has influenced policy development for these populations, from greater coverage of NHPI populations in the US Census to the use of racial categories in the American Community Survey and technical assistance in Pacific data collections. She developed and administered the successful collection of epidemiology as part of the Pacific Islander Health Study (PIHS), leading to a collaboration with the National Center for Health Statistics to develop and implement the 2014 NHPI National Health Interview Survey (NHPI NHIS). Dr Panapasa is the PI on ‘Mechanisms of Diabetes and Diabetic Complications in a Multiethnic Population and a co-investigator for the Guam National Health Interview Survey (GNHIS)’.

Lowell Sheppard Mr Lowell Sheppard is an author, speaker, social entrepreneur, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society with a lifelong commitment to social impact, ethical leadership, and exploration. He has worked extensively with established NGOs and start-ups, most notably as the Founder of HOPE International Development Agency Japan. Under his leadership, HOPE-JP has grown to rank among the top 2% of charitable organisations in Japan, achieving the prestigious nintei tax-deductible certification. Mr Sheppard has been a longtime supporter and past speaker at IAFOR Conferences. Mr Sheppard’s passion for social and environmental improvement projects has driven his career. For over two decades, Lowell has served as an informal advisor to companies and boards around the globe. In pursuit of adventure and deeper insights into ageing and longevity, Mr Sheppard moved onto a sailboat five years ago and has been sailing full-time around Japan, embracing the life of a digital nomad and explorer. After spending fifteen months moored and deeply immersed in the Blue Zone culture of Okinawa, Mr Sheppard set out in 2025 to revisit a journey that had first shaped his life twenty-five years earlier: chasing Japan’s cherry blossoms from south to north. What began as a seasonal passage became a year-long quest, repeatedly visiting and revisiting Japan’s key longevity hotspots: rural prefectures, islands, and communities where people continue to live long, healthy, independent lives. Between these journeys, he regularly returned to his own ‘longevity laboratory’, a remote island village where he lives and observes daily community life at close quarters, blending slow travel, field research, and lived experience. As an author, his book Never Too Late (Lion Hudson PLC, 2005), published in four languages, became the inspiration for his latest social enterprise, the Never Too Late Academy. His most recent book, Dare to Dream, was shortlisted for the UK Business Book of the Year Award in 2023.

Haiku Workshop: Emiko Miyashita, Kyoko Uchimura

What is Haiku?

Sunday, November 15, 2026 | 11:50-12:40 | Tokyo International Forum, Room G409 (4F)

Haiku is a style of poetry that enlightens and opens readers and writers to new perspectives, renowned for both its simplicity and complexity. As an art form, it has rapidly evolved from structured Japanese short-verse to an international phenomena that has hybridised via the infusion of many languages and literary techniques. Haiku has been adopted by many well-known poets, including Santoka Taneda, Matsuo Basho, Shiki Masaoka, Jack Kerouac, Marlene Mountain, and more. In this workshop, renowned haiku instructors Emiko Miyashita and Kyoko Uchimura will explain some of the basic differences between traditional Japanese and foreign-language approaches to the art form. They will also discuss how to evaluate haiku for its technical mastery and its emotional impact.

Emiko Miyashita Emiko Miyashita is a prominent and widely published haiku poet, as well as an award-winning translator who has given invited lectures and workshops around the world. She serves as a councillor for the Haiku International Association, as well as secretary of the Haiku Poets Association International Department in Tokyo. She is a dojin (leading member) of Ten’i (Providence) haiku group led by Dr Akito Arima, and also a dojin of the Shin (Morning Sun), haiku group led by Dr Akira Omine. From January 2008, until March 2010, she judged and wrote an English-language haiku column with Michael Dylan Welch every first Sunday in the Asahi weekly paper.

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Kyoko Uchimura Ms Kyoko Uchimura is a haiku poet born in Tokyo. She earned a BA in Art History from International Christian University, Japan, and studied at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom, from 1988 to 1989 as an exchange student. She worked for Christie’s art auction house from 1990 to 2014, contributing her expertise there for over twenty years. Ms Uchimura began writing haiku in 2002, receiving the New Talent Award of the haiku group ‘Ten’I’, led by Dr Akito Arima, in 2008. She recently won first prize in the group’s essay contest in 2023. In 2013, she published her first haiku collection, titled ‘Venus’. She is currently a member of the Association of Haiku Poets in Japan. Since 2014, Ms Uchimura has worked in an editorial role for Ten’I and the Haiku International Association since 2018, where she serves as a councilor and is responsible for editing the association’s quarterly haiku magazine, ‘HI’. She often writes short reviews for other haiku magazines. She has supported the administrative office of the Haiku UNESCO Promotion Council since 2018.

Featured Interview: Mitsuharu Kume, Lowell Sheppard

When the World Becomes the Classroom: Japan’s Turtle Highway as a Living Classroom Monday, November 16, 2026 | 09:30-10:20 | Tokyo International Forum, Room G409 (4F)

What happens when a question begins in a Japanese classroom, and the search for answers leads across the Pacific? For more than 12 years, the Turtle Crew initiative has provided a living case study in experiential, place-based, and inquiry-led education, connecting primary-school learners on Tanegashima Island, Japan, with the marine environment beyond their classroom walls. At the heart of this learning is the endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), which nests on the beaches of Tanegashima before beginning one of nature's extraordinary migrations across the Pacific. Young loggerheads leaving Japan travel what Turtle Crew calls the ‘Turtle Highway’, a journey that can take three to five years before they reach feeding grounds off Mexico. After maturing across the Pacific, females eventually make the remarkable journey back to the region of their birth to nest. Yet important parts of these early years at sea remain poorly understood, specifically what scientists refer to as the turtles' “lost years.” The next chapter of the Turtle Crew Project takes the educational journey to sea. The sailing vessel Wahine, captained by Turtle Crew founder Mitsuharu Kume, will cross the Pacific following The Turtle Highway. Working with scientists, universities, schools, and communities, the project aims to improve understanding of the turtles' migration while bringing discoveries back into the classroom. This featured interview session will explore the Turtle Highway as a living classroom for experiential, place-based, and inquiry-led education. Kume will reflect on 12 years of connecting children with the ocean, why Turtle Crew is taking this project across the Pacific, and what happens when a real scientific mystery becomes part of the curriculum. The session offers a glimpse into a window of education in Japan that goes beyond the conventional classroom and asks a larger question: What becomes possible when students are invited not only to learn what is known, but to become curious about what remains unknown?

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Mitsuharu Kume Mitsuharu ‘Mitsu’ Kume trained as a civil and marine engineer. After two years with a Tokyo firm designing ports, breakwaters, and piers, he left his desk job to build a life on and in the sea as a surfer, fisherman, and professional diver. He later founded the Turtle Crew NPO on Tanegashima Island, Japan, dedicated to monitoring loggerhead turtles and helping children learn about the ocean surrounding their island. Now living beside a deep inlet on the remote island of Amami Oshima, Mr Kume works with universities and scientists on ongoing marine research. In 2027, he will sail from Japan to Mexico, following the loggerhead turtle’s migratory route as part of the Turtle Highway educational initiative.

Lowell Sheppard See full biography on page 47.

Notes

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Featured Session: Dexter Da Silva, Briar Pelletier (Moderator)

Academic Advice Surgery: Dealing with Mental and Emotional Health Concerns of Students Monday, November 16, 2026 | 18:40-19:40 | Tokyo International Forum, Room G409 (4F)

Following the success of the September edition of IAFOR’s online Academic Advice Surgery, we will bring the same topic to the conference for a special live, onsite session at the Tokyo International Forum. This live session will be open to both conference delegates and the wider academic community, where academics and educators across Japan and the world can share knowledge beyond the conference and add further perspectives and experiences. Supporting students is a rewarding part of being an educator, but it can also present significant emotional and professional challenges. As we enter unprecedented times of polycrisis, students as well as educators and mentors are confronted with new international and intercultural challenges both on and off campus that can lead to crisis. How can educators recognise when students are struggling? What mental and emotional health challenges commonly arise for both students and educators in educational settings? And how can educators provide appropriate support while also maintaining their own wellbeing? In this featured session, Professor Dexter Da Silva, Professor Emeritus at Keisen University in Tokyo, Japan, will discuss his 35 years of experience in education as an Educational Psychologist. Having taught in junior high schools, language schools, and universities in Sydney, Australia, as well as at a range of educational institutions in Japan, Professor Da Silva will reflect on his experiences supporting students across different educational contexts. The session will explore the growing mental and emotional health challenges facing students today, while considering the boundaries, responsibilities, and practical realities of student wellbeing in education. The session will take the form of an interview and discussion, followed by a Q&A. Delegates will have an opportunity to engage with Professor Da Silva, raise questions, and share their own experiences and perspectives on supporting students.

Dexter Da Silva See full biography on page 44.

Briar Pelletier (Moderator) See full biography on page 45.

iafor

RESEARCH ARCHIVE

www.papers.iafor.org

Visit the IAFOR Research Archive, where you can search and access the repository of research generated by IAFOR. You can search by keyword(s), subject area(s), or speciﬁc conference proceeding(s) to access abstracts and full papers from past IAFOR conference proceedings, browse and read them online, or download them to your device.

Saturday, November 14 15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F) Saturday Poster Session All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) Abstracts appear as originally submitted by the author. Any spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors are those of the author.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session Adult, Lifelong & Distance Learning 111439 | Parental Needs After Birth: Informing the Content of Prenatal Education Julie Poissant, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada Juliette Bisaillon, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada Pacifique Bugingo, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada The postpartum period represents a major psychosocial transition affecting the mental health of a significant proportion of mothers and fathers for several weeks after birth. Data on parental needs during this transition remain largely insufficient, limiting the capacity to optimize care and services. When needs go unmet, maternal anxiety increases with downstream effects on parenting practices and the child's developmental trajectory. Objective: To explore parental needs during the first six weeks following birth in order to guide prenatal education professionals in the content they transmit to expectant parents. Method A survey was conducted with approximately one hundred mothers and fathers of newborns, who completed a mobile questionnaire at one week and six weeks postpartum. Four broad categories of parental needs emerged: (1) information about newborn care and infant development; (2) psychological and emotional support; (3) opportunities to share experiences and reduce isolation; (4) practical and material support upon returning home. These findings offer concrete directions for prenatal education. Professionals should address the emotional and practical realities of the early postpartum weeks, including parental confidence, parent-child bonding, and available support. Co-parents should be systematically included, as mental health needs are also reported by fathers (Da Costa et al., 2019). This study provides an evolving portrait of postpartum parental needs that can inform prenatal education programs. 114107 | Towards an Evidence-Based Framework for Adult Professional Competence Development in Latvia: Elaboration and Evaluation Inese Lusena-Ezera, Riga Technical University, Latvia Rapid digital transformation, changing labour market demands, and growing expectations regarding workforce adaptability have underscored the need for a coherent and evidence-based approach to adult professional competence development in Latvia. Within the State Research Programme project “Elaboration of Evidence-Based Solutions for Effective Professional Competence Development of Adults and Assessment of the Transfer of Its Results into Practice in Latvia” (2023–2026), a framework was developed to evaluate the effectiveness of adult professional competence development at the national, organisational, and individual levels. The framework was designed on the basis of an analysis of 15 studies on adult education in Latvia published between 2008 and 2023, 14 focus groups involving 129 participants, and a nationally representative survey of adults (n = 1000). Its structure comprises four indicator domains: financial, socioeconomic, structural, and quality-related indicators. To assess the framework’s conceptual validity, structural coherence, and practical applicability, it was evaluated by 23 experts representing public and private sector organisations across eight sectors, using an instrument developed by the authors. The overall expert evaluation was positive, with a mean score of 7.26 and a median score of 8 on a 10-point scale. Experts particularly appreciated the framework’s multi-level structure, empirical grounding, and potential contribution to adult education policy development. However, concerns were raised regarding the prioritisation and number of indicators, data availability, measurability, and usability for different stakeholder groups. The findings indicate that further refinement is required to enhance the framework’s practical value for supporting adult professional competence development at both national and organisational levels. 114388 | Tutor Feedback as Pedagogical Presence for Enhancing Student Learning in Distance Education Rahma Dewi Hartati, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Prima Dwi Yuliani, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Murni Maulina, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Nunung Supratmi, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia In distance education, limited face to face interaction makes tutor feedback a crucial form of pedagogical presence that supports student learning and engagement. This studiy analyzes the role of tutor feedback in fostering pedagogical presence within online tutorials and examines its contribution to students'learning development. A qualitative case study approach was employed using data collected from online discussion forums, tutor comments on assignments, students' revised work, and interviews with tutors and students. Data were analyzed through thematic coding and pedagogical discourse analysis. The findings reveal that tutor feeback functions not only as an evaluative tool but also as an essential form of academic support. Tutors frequently employ guiding questions, constructive suggestions, positive reinforcement, concept clarification, and feedforward strategies to assist students in understanding learning expectations and improving their perfomance. Timely, specific, and supportive feedback was found to encourage active participation, reflective learning, and greater learner autonomy. Students reported that meaningful feedback enhanced their motivation, confidence, and understanding of academic expectations while reducing the sense of isolation commonly experienced in online learning environments. The study concludes that tutor feedback represents a tangible form of pedagogical presence that strengthens student engagement and promotes meaningful learning experiences. These findings highlight the importance of affective feedback practices for improving the quality of distance education and advancing digital pedagogy.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session Assessment Theories & Methodologies 113865 | Evaluating Performance-Based Triggers for Implicit Feedback in Game-Based Learning Justin Quezon, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States Many game-based learning platforms prioritize immediate correction and validation. As a result, learners may have fewer opportunities to recognize their own errors and may become reliant on direct answers. Implicit feedback, a strategy established in second-language acquisition (SLA), addresses this by responding to learner errors with indirect cues, such as recasts and clarification prompts, instead of overt correction. Research suggests that this strategy facilitates self-correction, which in turn may lead to increased learner confidence. A game-based module was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of implicit feedback as an instructional approach for beginner Japanese language learners. Implicit feedback was delivered through interactions with non-player characters (NPCs), and programmed to trigger based on the player’s accuracy with target vocabulary words. Gameplay data from 15 participants indicated that implicit feedback was activated in only 3 playthroughs. However, in most of these occurrences, participants responded as intended by correcting their answers following the in-game feedback. While these results were encouraging, the limited number of activations was not enough to evaluate the mechanism’s effectiveness. This poster presents these findings and invites discussion on refining the trigger conditions to support a more conclusive evaluation. 113965 | Educational Safety Nets in Competency-Based Medical Education: A Systematic Review of Strategies for Identifying, Monitoring, and Addressing Clinical Competency Gaps Made Violin Weda Yani, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia Ida Bagus Amertha Putra Manuaba, Universitas Udayana, Indonesia Anak Agung Bagus Putra Indrakusuma, Universitas Udayana, Indonesia Ngurah Arya T. Mahadipaka K.A, Universitas Udayana, Indonesia Putri Ayu Wulandari, Universitas Udayana, Indonesia I Gede Putu Supadmanaba, Universitas Udayana, Indonesia Competency-based medical education (CBME) requires progression decisions to be informed by multiple sources of credible assessment evidence. However, episodic assessment and variable clinical exposure may obscure competency gaps because observed performance can reflect learner difficulties and limited opportunities to learn. This systematic review examined how assessment and learner-support strategies may constitute an educational safety net in undergraduate medical education. Following PRISMA guidance, PubMed, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, and Google Scholar were searched; 23 studies were included from 1,074 records. Methodological quality varied, with MERSQI scores ranging from 8.0 to 14.0. The synthesis showed that longitudinal, multimodal approaches combining workplace-based assessment, Entrustable Professional Activities, OSCEs, portfolios, simulation, and clinical exposure tracking strengthened monitoring of learner progression and revealed variation in learning opportunities across training sites. Strategies that linked assessment findings with supervised practice, timely feedback, deliberate-practice remediation, and structured workplace learning were associated with improvements in clinical reasoning, communication, procedural performance, and entrustment progression. Workplace-based assessment was valuable for formative feedback and developmental monitoring, although multi-institutional evidence indicated that reliability was not consistently sufficient for high-stakes entrustment decisions. These findings support educational safety nets as integrated programmatic systems that connect longitudinal evidence, collective faculty judgment, targeted support, reassessment, and review of curricular exposure. Such systems may improve the validity, fairness, and accountability of progression decisions while preventing competency gaps from being attributed solely to individual learners when they may also reflect deficiencies in the learning environment. 114064 | Assessing Professional Empathy in Psychology Education: Development and Validation of the Counselor Empathy Scale Yu-Hsiu Liao, National Chiayi University, Taiwan Kao-Pin Chang, National Chiayi University, Taiwan Professional empathy is central to psychology education, reflective supervision, and effective helping relationships, yet existing measures may not adequately capture its context-specific features. This study developed and evaluated the Counselor Empathy Scale (CES), a selfreport measure of professional empathy among counseling and clinical psychologists in Taiwan. Item analysis and exploratory factor analysis were conducted in a pilot sample of 163 participants, followed by confirmatory factor analysis in an independent validation sample of 307 participants. The final 12-item CES comprised three correlated dimensions: Nonjudgmental Understanding, Affective Resonance, and Empathic Responsiveness. Together, these factors accounted for 58.14% of the total variance. The model demonstrated acceptable fit, χ²(51) = 105.15, p < .001, χ²/df = 2.06, CFI = .95, TLI = .93, RMSEA = .06, and SRMR = .05. Internal consistency was acceptable for Nonjudgmental Understanding (α = .80), Affective Resonance (α = .71), Empathic Responsiveness (α = .70), and the total CES score (α = .80). The CES also demonstrated moderate-to-good convergent validity, discriminant validity, and temporal stability. Measurement invariance was supported across gender. Across professional groups, partial scalar and partial residual invariance were established after freeing equality constraints for one item, and no meaningful latent mean differences were observed. Overall, the findings provide preliminary support for the CES as a multidimensional measure of professional empathy. The CES may serve as a psychometrically informed tool for research, reflective supervision, professional development, and the evaluation of empathy-focused training in psychology education.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 114366 | When Everything Is a Five: How Should Ceiling-Bound Perception Data Be Read in Small-Scale Programme Evaluation? Hsin Peng, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan Small educational providers often evaluate programmes through stakeholder perception ratings, yet these ratings frequently cluster at the upper end of the scale. This study examined an AI-integrated STEAM camp offered by a small after-school provider in Taiwan. Using a singlecohort, full-population design, pre-course expectations (E) and post-course perceived performance and importance (P, I) were collected from eight parents. Of the 448 post-course responses, 385 received the highest possible score, leaving little meaningful variation in descriptive statistics. An importance scale was added by the researcher. Although informed by Importance–Performance Analysis, it was not part of the original Expectation Confirmation Theory framework. The initial plan was to weight confirmation scores (C = P − E) by importance. However, because importance was rated independently for each item rather than through explicit prioritisation, weighting produced identical construct rankings, indicating a limitation of the instrument rather than a substantive finding. The analysis therefore shifted to the joint distribution of individual (P, I) responses while retaining expectations as a baseline. Among 224 paired responses, 186 showed equal performance and importance, 33 were above importance, and 5 were below. However, 14 of the 33 above-importance responses came from a single participant. Of the five below-importance responses, only two also represented negative disconfirmation. This full-population case illustrates how perception data under ceiling effects can be interpreted more cautiously by integrating pre-course expectations with the joint distribution of perceived performance and importance.

Challenging & Preserving: Culture, Inter/Multiculturalism & Language 109932 | Teacher Trainees’ Perceptions of Preparation for Intercultural and Plurilingual Education in Maya-Speaking Communities in Yucatán, Mexico Christina Rios Villanueva, Universidad de Cordoba, Spain This study investigates the perceptions of teacher trainees enrolled in the Escuela Normal de Educación Preescolar de Yucatán (preschool teachers training institution) regarding their preparation for intercultural and plurilingual education in Maya-speaking communities in Yucatán, Mexico. The research is situated within the framework of the 2022 curriculum for the Bachelor’s Degree in Intercultural, Plurilingual, and Community-Based Preschool Education, which emphasizes culturally responsive pedagogy and linguistic diversity. The study aims to understand how future educators interpret their formation and how it equips them to address the sociolinguistic and cultural realities of Yucatecan communities. A qualitative case study design was employed, with semi-structured interviews conducted with eight teacher trainees. Data analysis focused on identifying themes related to preparedness, challenges, and perceived competencies in teaching in multilingual and intercultural contexts. Findings highlight the trainees’ awareness of the importance of incorporating Maya language and culture into preschool education, while also revealing gaps in practical training and resources for effectively implementing intercultural strategies. The study contributes to understanding how teacher education programs can better prepare educators for multilingual and multicultural classrooms. It emphasizes the significance of integrating local languages and cultural knowledge into early childhood education and offers insights for curriculum development, teacher training, and policy initiatives aimed at supporting plurilingual education in Yucatán and similar contexts. 114516 | A Sovereign AI Ecosystem for Indigenous Language Revitalization: Pedagogy, Corpora, and Multi-Dialect Learning Platforms in Taiwan YiHao Hsiao, National Institutes of Applied Research, Taiwan Chen-Yu Chiang, National Institutes of Applied Research, Taiwan Yi-Ting Guo, National Center for High-performance Computing, National Institutes of Applied Research, Taiwan Taiwan’s 16 Indigenous peoples encompass 42 low-resource dialects facing rapid endangerment. Addressing the limitations of conventional revitalization, this study presents a holistic, policy-driven AI framework integrating data sovereignty, model architecture, and educational services. Aligned with Taiwan’s Indigenous Languages Development Act, this initiative establishes a sustainable ecosystem for intergenerational language transmission. Addressing critical data scarcity, the project constructed the world's largest Pinuyumayan four-dialect corpus (covering Nanwang, Zhiben, Chulu, and Jianhe) and initiated corpus building for the critically endangered Kavalan language through community-led participation. Leveraging these datasets, multi-dialect AI models—including speech synthesis (TTS), automatic speech recognition (ASR), voice cloning, and bidirectional translation—were trained to create "Digital Indigenous Elders" that preserve authentic prosody and cultural knowledge over time. To transition technology into classroom practice, two major interactive AI learning platforms for Pinuyumayan were deployed alongside Truku and Tsou platforms on the national teacher education network, exceeding 2.1 million page views. These platforms provide teachers and learners with real-time audio generation, adaptive literacy tools, and immersive pedagogical services. Scheduled field implementations in community schools further foster community-based adoption and localized linguistic self-determination. Supported by cross-institutional collaborations with the Council of Indigenous Peoples and academic partners, this research demonstrates how a sovereign, scalable AI framework can bridge digital technology with Indigenous education. Ultimately, it offers a transferable model for endangered language preservation, advancing educational equity, digital sustainability, and cultural continuity in the digital age.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session Counselling, Guidance & Adjustment in Education 109776 | Trauma Recognition, Empathy, and Trauma-Informed Responses Among Taiwanese Teachers Hsiu-I Hsueh, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Taiwan Li-Ming Chen, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan Chih Pin Hsing, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Taiwan Trauma-informed education (TIE) emphasizes teachers’ ability to recognize and respond to students’ trauma in ways that foster safety, trust, and resilience. While prior research shows that teacher empathy predicts sensitive classroom interactions (Fabris et al., 2024; Myta, 2021), little is known about how empathy operates within structural constraints that shape teachers’ actions. This study examined the relationships among teachers’ trauma recognition, cognitive and emotional empathy, and trauma-informed responses in Taiwanese primary and secondary schools. A total of 112 in-service teachers completed self-report scales adapted from established instruments (Jolliffe & Farrington, 2006; Tanhan et al., 2022; Hickey et al., 2020; Christian-Brandt et al., 2020). Using a two-step approximate SEM approach, results indicated that trauma recognition significantly predicted both forms of empathy and overall trauma-informed responses. However, neither cognitive nor emotional empathy mediated this relationship, suggesting that teachers’ responses were guided more by professional obligation and institutional norms than by emotional resonance alone. Integrating a critical-applied lens, the findings reveal the institutional and cultural constraints of TIE. Even teachers equipped with trauma recognition and empathy may be limited by performance-driven policies, hierarchical school culture, and time pressures, which restrict the implementation of trauma-informed responses to students. As mentioned by Culshaw and Bodfield (2024), empathy-centered teaching may still confront structural inequities. Echoing Freire’s (1970) Pedagogy of the Oppressed, trauma-informed practice should evolve from an individualized therapeutic model toward a “practice of freedom” that fosters teachers’ critical awareness of systemic oppression and ethical responsibility, potentially enhancing responses to traumatized students. 114061 | Overcoming the Learning-to-Practice Gap: The Case of Medical Ethics Tsung-Liang Tsai, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan The gap between what students learn and what they can apply has long been a central concern in higher education, and nowhere more visibly than in medical education, where an invisible boundary appears to separate the professional knowledge taught in schools from the humanistic care enacted in clinical practice. Adopting an action-research stance and drawing on Lave and Wenger's situated learning theory — Legitimate Peripheral Participation (LPP) — this study investigates the learning difficulties medical students encounter as they attempt to cross this boundary. The research field was a required second-year course, Medical Ethics, at a medical university in northern Taiwan. Data spanned three consecutive cohorts (2023–2025; 154 students in total) and included learning trajectories, 19 in-depth interviews, and 24 instructor observation journals, analyzed through grounded theory. Across all three cohorts, learners consistently exhibited four core difficulties — understanding, empathizing, translating, and expressing — organized in a graduated, hierarchical structure. This hierarchy mirrors LPP's trajectory from periphery toward the core: learners stalled at the core (expressing) largely because they lacked a safe, low-stakes pathway of graduated participation. Accordingly, we designed an assessment-anchored, four-in-one instructional mechanism in which assessment, curriculum content, learning activities, and materials function as mutually constitutive yet interrelated elements, laying a legitimate pathway that lets learners move safely from the periphery toward the core. This study extends situated learning theory into medical humanities and offers medical educators a transferable pedagogical model. 112464 | AI Tools and Expert Mentoring in Preschool English Integration: A Professional Development Model Under Taiwan’s Bilingual Policy Chinan Liu, National Pingtung University, Taiwan Yaling Chen, National Pingtung University, Taiwan Frontline preschool teachers in Taiwan face persistent challenges implementing integrated English teaching under the 2030 Bilingual Policy, including limited methodological clarity, low instructional confidence, and difficulty connecting English activities to the six developmental domains of the curriculum. This study examines a structured professional development model in which a university-based teacher educator conducted monthly classroom observations and provided coaching grounded in observed instructional needs, with Google NotebookLM and Gemini integrated as core pedagogical tools throughout. Anchored in the Lexical Approach, Spiral Curriculum, and Task-Based Language Teaching, the intervention guided teachers in using Gemini to identify appropriate language chunks from songs, chants, and picture books, design Total Physical Response sequences, and generate domain-aligned activity scaffolds.NotebookLM supported lesson plan alignment with national curriculum indicators and enabled access to relevant professional literature. The monthly observation-coaching cycle allowed the teacher educator to tailor AI tool guidance to each teacher's specific classroom context, creating a responsive rather than prescriptive professional support. Data were drawn from semi-structured interviews and curriculum documentation. Analysis reveals that teachers experienced meaningful gains in planning efficiency and grew more purposeful in selecting and sequencing target language chunks. Participants consistently identified the need for professional judgment in evaluating AI-generated content for developmental suitability, recognizing that such mediation remains beyond what AI tools can independently provide. These findings advance understanding of how expert mentoring and AI tool integration can work in tandem to strengthen teacher capacity in early childhood bilingual education, with implications for program design and policy across the Asia-Pacific region.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session Curriculum Design & Development 108645 | Bridging Metacognitive Regulation and Social-Emotional Competence in Classroom Practice Tongbin Zhang, Johns Hopkins University, United States This practice-oriented conceptual study examines how metacognitive regulation and social-emotional learning (SEL) can be meaningfully integrated into classroom practice to support students' academic performance. Research suggests that students often respond to difficulty through strategic reflection, anxiety, or avoidance (Dweck, 2006; Putwain & Symes, 2011). However, classroom instruction often treats metacognition and SEL as two distinct domains. The purpose of this study is to examine how metacognitive and social-emotional processes can be integrated into practice to foster adaptive student engagement. This study draws on classroom observations and teacher interviews in a bilingual school in Beijing, as well as a synthesis of existing literature on metacognition, SEL, and learning theories. By combining thematic analysis and reflexive interpretation, the study identifies recurring patterns in how students respond to difficulty and how teachers scaffold both cognitive and emotional learning. Findings suggest that students’ engagement is shaped by the interdependence of emotional safety and metacognition awareness. Building on these insights, the study develops a set of practice-oriented strategies, including (1) diagnostic teaching that distinguishes cognitive and emotional barriers; (2) integrated scaffolding that combines strategy instruction with emotional reassurance; and (3) promoting low-stakes participation and allowing mistakes to be tolerated in the classroom. This study provides a conceptual framework for integrating metacognition with social-emotional learning as mutually constitutive processes rather than parallel competencies. It offers practical implications for instructional design, particularly in exam-oriented and cross-cultural educational contexts. 110934 | Reinventing Culinary Arts Management Education: The ‘Thinking Chef’ Framework Constantinos Papadopoulos, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus Rooted in the apprenticeship system, culinary arts education has experienced remarkable growth this century, leading to an explosion of relevant tertiary education offerings that capitalize on the profession’s newfound popularity amid the celebrity chefs’ culture. This unprecedented growth did not come without negative externalities, with scholars highlighting the lack of clear and consistent quality indicators and the promotion of fragmented curricula that create a profound imbalance between technical and academic courses, all of which are detrimental to the next generation of culinary professionals. Responding to this critical issue, this study, informed by an empirical review of 69 culinary arts programs, investigates their curricula structure and substance. Findings confirmed that more than 60% of offerings focused on technical culinary skills, whereas liberal arts, which nurture managerial, analytical, communication, ethical, cultural, and critical thinking skills and relevant competencies, are underrepresented (less than 10%). Reflecting on the findings, while relevant education nurtures the necessary culinary arts technical skills, it inadequately prepares students to successfully overcome real-world demands and challenges, especially those related to managerial and strategic tasks. To overcome this challenge, the study proposes an innovative framework entitled ‘The Thinking Chef’, grounded in three pillars: the “Hand” pillar for technical skills, the “Mind” pillar for scientific and cultural knowledge, and the “Spirit” pillar for creativity and ethics in problem-solving. This framework, important to industry stakeholders, integrates theoretical understanding with practical application and can serve as the principal guideline for designing sustainable, balanced, and industry-informed culinary arts programs in the future. 111273 | Hakka Culinary Innovation-Based Experiential Learning Among University Students Chih-Hao Tsai, Cheng Shiu University, Taiwan Hsin-Hung Chen, Cheng Shiu University, Taiwan Chih-Fang Chiu, National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism, Taiwan This study examines how experiential entrepreneurship education can support university students in transforming traditional culinary heritage into market-oriented creative products. Situated in a Hakka culinary innovation activity in southern Taiwan, the study explores students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy, cultural translation strategies, and crisis-response learning during the process of developing creative Hakka dishes. A mixed-methods design was adopted with 19 undergraduate and graduate students from restaurant management and leisurerelated academic programmes. Quantitative data were collected through a five-point entrepreneurial self-efficacy questionnaire covering opportunity recognition, creative ideation, market sensitivity, pricing, marketing, cost control, technical skill, pitching, and teamwork. Qualitative data were drawn from students’ reflective accounts and semi-structured responses. The findings reveal a structural imbalance in students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Students expressed relatively high confidence in opportunity recognition, market sensitivity, and teamwork, but lower confidence in technical execution and cost control. Qualitative analysis further shows that students encountered a central tension between preserving the authenticity of traditional Hakka flavors and adapting products to younger consumers’ preferences for lighter, healthier, and more visually appealing food. They addressed this tension through three strategies: retaining core flavors, modernizing visual presentation, and reframing tradition through emotional storytelling. Resource constraints, such as limited ingredients and equipment, also triggered entrepreneurial bricolage and strengthened students’ resilience through mastery experiences. The study contributes to higher education by demonstrating how learning-by-doing can move students from recipe execution toward value creation, while highlighting the need to integrate cost accounting and market pricing into hospitality entrepreneurship education.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 111357 | Integrating Multimodal Assessment in a Theme Based Curriculum for Senior High School Learners Kimberly Loren Abella, Kanda University of International Studies, Japan As communication increasingly involves visual, digital, and multimodal forms, language classrooms must prepare learners to construct meaning across modes. This session examines the design and first-year implementation of a theme-based curriculum for third-year senior high school students with proficiency levels ranging from A2 to low B1, integrating multimodal assessment as a core component. Organized around the overarching theme of globalization, the curriculum develops across three terms, beginning with linguistic resources, moving into global citizenship discourse, and culminating in an integrative global project. Throughout the year students engage in multimodal tasks such as drawings, posters, interview videos, and podcasts. These tasks require learners to integrate linguistic, visual, and rhetorical resources to communicate purposeful messages. To evaluate the implementation, post-unit surveys were administered after each instructional unit, asking students to identify the easiest and most difficult tasks and whether activities were helpful, along with suggestions for improvement. Weekly coordination meetings among the five implementing teachers served as an additional data source, allowing ongoing collective reflection on lesson delivery and refinement. Emerging findings suggest that sustained thematic continuity functioned as a communicative scaffold, with students demonstrating greater confidence and depth in later tasks by drawing on knowledge built in earlier ones. As this is the first year of implementation, the presentation also reflects on areas for refinement, including task alignment, scaffolding, and assessment calibration. It offers practical framework for embedding multimodal assessment within theme-based instruction to support meaningful communication and global engagement in secondary EFL contexts. 111740 | Student Perceptions of a Civil Engineering Capstone Course: Benefits and Challenges I-Tung Yang, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Capstone courses are mandated under IEET (Institute of Engineering Education, Taiwan) engineering curricula accredited by the Washington Accord. The capstone aims to challenge senior students to synthesize multi-disciplinary knowledge, manage realistic constraints, and build professional competencies. However, managing the multi-disciplinary coordination required for realistic projects remains a significant challenge. This study examines the impact of a unified hillside development project on student learning and professional competency development within an IEET-compliant civil engineering capstone course. Over a semester (Fall 2025), student teams designed a residential building on a sloping site. Faculty instruction was delivered through structured weekly lectures paired with targeted milestone reviews to guide students through the integration of structural, geotechnical, and construction management concepts, including foundation design, slope stability analysis, earthwork planning, cost estimation, scheduling, and Building Information Modeling. Data from 83 students, grouped in 19 teams, were collected via an end-of-course feedback system and multi-criteria student peer evaluations. To establish a rigorous evidence base, the entire instructional team (5 faculty members) collaboratively cross-checked and synthesized the qualitative comments alongside peer performance metrics. Using thematic analysis, the team identified patterns in student perceptions and team dynamics to assess qualitative learning outcomes. While the results highlight significant gains in understanding interdisciplinary interdependence, peer accountability, teamwork, and problem-solving, the analysis also revealed distinct student anxieties regarding software operability and workflow complexity. Consequently, these specific findings underscore the importance of targeted instructional interventions, including structured design workflows and proper software training, to better support students through complex, multi-disciplinary engineering challenges. 114330 | Design and Development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated Podcast Module in Arabic Listening Skill Acquisition Nor Asiah Abdullah, International Islamic University Malaysia, Malaysia Mohd Feham bin Md Ghalib, International Islamic University Malaysia, Malaysia Listening is a fundamental language skill that supports communication and contributes to the development of speaking, vocabulary, pronunciation, and overall language proficiency. However, Arabic language learners often face challenges due to limited exposure to authentic input and inadequate opportunities for flexible listening practice. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated podcasts have the potential to address these challenges by providing authentic, adaptive, and accessible audio learning resources. This study aims to identify learners’ needs for the development of an AI-generated podcast module to support listening skill acquisition. Guided by the Analysis phase of the ADDIE model, a quantitative survey was conducted among 30 undergraduate students from the Bachelor of Arabic Studies programme at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire distributed via Google Forms and analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS Version 23. The instrument demonstrated excellent reliability, with a Cronbach’s alpha value exceeding 0.90. The findings indicate positive attitudes towards podcast-based learning, challenges in current listening instruction, high readiness for technology-enhanced learning, and a strong perceived need for AI-generated podcasts. Participants also identified preferred podcast genres and content characteristics that could enhance listening engagement and comprehension. The study highlights the need for innovative AIsupported learning resources and provides empirical evidence to guide the development of an AI-generated podcast module for Arabic listening instruction.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session Design, Implementation & Assessment of Innovative Technologies in Education 105451 | Integrating Generative AI and Digital Platforms into an English-medium Semiconductor Diploma Mariela Bravo-Sanchez, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico Erick Cisneros-Lopez, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico Sabrina Vega-Maldonado, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico Marco Perez-Cisneros, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico Amparo Gonzalez-Morales, Universidad Cultural Metropolitana, Mexico Rapid advances in generative artificial intelligence and digital platforms are reshaping how professionals communicate, learn and work in the semiconductor industry. This work examines how the E3 diploma (“English, Ethics and Employability in the Semiconductor Industry”) integrates innovative technologies to develop critical digital literacy, ethical awareness and communication skills among engineering students in Mexico. Focusing on the programme’s technology-rich modules, we describe a learning design that combines interactive platforms (Wooclap, Padlet, Wooflash, Miro), collaborative tools (Google Workspace, Trello, Notion) and AI-assisted applications (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, Elicit) within structured pre-class, in-class and post-class activities. Examples include a digital body-language lab for online professionalism, a CSR simulator built in Canva, and an AI comparison lab in which students critically evaluate different large language models for tasks such as email drafting, summarising technical texts and brainstorming solutions to workplace dilemmas. Explicit attention is given to bias, hallucinations, data privacy and citation practices, encouraging students to use AI as a partner rather than an unquestioned authority. Evidence from student reflections, classroom observations and collected artefacts suggests that participants move from an instrumental view of digital tools towards a more critical and reflective stance; they report greater confidence in choosing appropriate platforms, documenting their work and justifying when and how AI should be used. The paper offers design principles for incorporating emergent technologies into discipline-specific English-medium programmes while maintaining ethical and pedagogical rigour. 108770 | AI-Supported Reflective Habit Formation: Reframing the Role of Human and Systemic Scaffolding in Sustainable Writing Practices Yosuke Tomida, The Graduate School of Management and Education Technology, Japan Reflective writing is widely recognized as a powerful tool for deep learning, self-understanding, and professional development. However, sustaining reflective practice remains a persistent challenge. While prior research has examined the educational value of reflection and theories of habit formation, less attention has been paid to how AI-mediated systems should be positioned in supporting the long-term continuation of reflective behavior. This study presents a conceptual and design-oriented framework for understanding the role of AI-supported systems in sustaining reflective writing habits. Drawing on educational psychology, habit formation theory, and learning analytics, the research distinguishes between two types of support: (1) human-mediated scaffolding characterized by contextual understanding and meaningmaking, and (2) system-mediated scaffolding characterized by structural consistency and sustained engagement. Rather than positioning AI as a replacement for human mentoring, this study reframes AI-supported platforms as environmental conditions that stabilize the behavioral occurrence of writing. Based on the design principles derived from a digital reflection platform, the framework proposes that sustainable reflective habits require consistent, non-evaluative engagement and reduced psychological resistance. The paper outlines research questions, hypotheses, and a proposed mixed-method analytical approach, including longitudinal behavioral log analysis and qualitative interviews. By redefining AI as a complementary scaffold rather than a transformative agent, this study contributes to the design of human-centered AI systems that enhance learner agency and support sustainable self-directed learning practices. 110008 | Discuss the Impact of Using Generative AI to Assist in Web Programming Instruction on University Students’ Learning Motivation and Effectiveness Po-Sheng Chiu, National Chiayi University, Taiwan Liang Chin-Wei, National Chiayi University, Taiwan With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), generative AI tools such as ChatGPT have been increasingly applied in educational settings as novel learning aids. Recent studies suggest that generative AI offers potential benefits including real-time feedback, natural language interaction, and personalized guidance, all of which may enhance learning efficiency and motivation. However, empirical evidence is still needed to evaluate the actual impact of such tools in formal learning environments, particularly in technical subjects like programming, where students often encounter high cognitive load, difficulty in self-directed learning, and low motivation. In response to these challenges, this study focuses on a “web programming” course to explore whether the use of ChatGPT as a supplementary learning tool can improve university students’ learning motivation and performance. It also investigates whether gender plays a role in the outcomes under different learning resource conditions. A quasi-experimental design was employed, with participants divided into an experimental group (using ChatGPT)and a control group(using W3Schools, an online tutorial platform). After the instructional intervention, students completed the ARCS Learning Motivation Scale and submitted web design projects for performance assessment. Results showed that although the experimental group scored slightly higher in all dimensions of learning motivation, the differences were not statistically significant. In contrast, the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in learning performance, indicating the practical advantage of AI-supported instruction. Gender analysis revealed no significant differences between male and female students in the experimental group, while in the control group, female students demonstrated significantly better performance than males.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 110431 | Leveraging Technology in Deaf Education: Enhancing ASL and English Word Learning with Interactive Dual-Language Apps Lynn McQuarrie, University of Alberta, Canada Eric Lam, University of Alberta, Canada Stephanie Yong, University of Alberta, Canada Advancements in educational technology have significantly expanded learning opportunities for students who use spoken languages; however, comparable resources for Deaf learners who use signed languages remain limited. We brought together Deaf children (ages 6–13), educators of Deaf children, research scientists, and interactive media developers in a collaborative design process to develop a suite of interactive dual-language (American Sign Language [ASL]–English) educational applications. Our goal was to create learning tools informed by current research on the role of signed language phonological awareness instruction in supporting both signed (ASL) and written (English) vocabulary acquisition. Iterative testing and refinement based on user feedback helped ensure that the apps are accessible, engaging, and pedagogically meaningful. Key educational design features include targeted practice with sign or print words organized by ASL handshape, feedback for incorrect responses, and two gameplay modes: Picture-mode, which supports sign vocabulary learning (i.e., sign phonologysemantic connections), and Text-mode, which supports print vocabulary learning (i.e., sign phonology-orthography connections). Additional features include varied gameplay elements (memorization, matching, and timed challenges), multiple input types (swiping, tapping), and a reward and progression system to increase engagement while learning. This presentation highlights the design process, instructional rationale, and accessibility features of the apps, underscoring the importance of inclusive technologies for Deaf learners. Ongoing plans to adapt the apps to other world signed languages further extend their relevance to international contexts. 110590 | AI-ADAPT-Driven XR Intelligent System for Clinical Teaching and Medical Interview Training Pao-Ju Chen, Asia Eastern University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Wei-Kai Liou, HungKuo Delin University of Technology, Taiwan This study proposes an AI-ADAPT-driven XR intelligent clinical teaching and medical interview training system that integrates artificial intelligence, extended reality, and learning analytics to enhance clinical education. Grounded in the ADAPT (Ask–Discuss–Ask–Perform– Tailor) instructional model, the system transforms traditional instructor-dependent training into a data-driven, process-oriented evaluation framework. By incorporating AI-based virtual resident physicians, real-time natural language interaction, and semantic analysis, the system provides immediate, multidimensional feedback on learners’ questioning, facilitation, feedback delivery, and instructional adaptability. A quasi-experimental mixed-methods design involving 72 participants was conducted over a four-week intervention period. Quantitative results demonstrated significant improvements in question quality, feedback specificity, and adaptive teaching strategies (p 1.0). Qualitative findings revealed enhanced learner engagement, reflective thinking, and strategic awareness, with participants experiencing increased flow states. The integration of XR-based immersive environments and AI-driven feedback enabled continuous competency development and personalized learning pathways. This study provides empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of AI and XR integration in medical education and presents a scalable and generalizable framework for intelligent clinical training and competency development. 110883 | Empowering Emirati Female Learners: AI Chatbot and Video-Based Support in a Flipped Classroom Model Ricardo Braganca, VinUniversity, Vietnam Rui Weiner, Higher Colleges of Technology, United Arab Emirates This study investigates the integration of an AI-powered chatbot and mul-timedia instructional videos in a flipped classroom for the undergraduate Production Skills 1 course at the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), Sharjah Campus. Weekly videos, embedded with QR-code exercises, were complemented by the AI chatbot Reel_Talker, providing 24/7 student sup-port and enabling data-driven, technologyenhanced learning. Conducted in an all-female Emirati classroom, the study also explores culturally re-sponsive media integration. Survey data (N = 31) indicated high engage-ment, with 74% of students reporting they “always” watched the videos, and 71% rating them as “very” or “extremely” useful. Chatbot usage was moder-ate (42% “sometimes”), with 26% rating it “very helpful.” Qualitative feed-back highlighted the clarity, accessibility, and flexibility of the tools. Findings suggest that combining AI-driven support with multimedia in-struction in flipped classrooms can enhance comprehension, foster student agency, and accommodate diverse learning needs in digitally transformed, culturally sensitive educational contexts. 111399 | Educating Against Misinformation: Evaluating Methods for Countering False Information on Social Media Among Students During Disasters and Emergencies Wasana Kowhakul, Kyoto University, Japan Masayoshi Yamamoto, Kyoto University, Japan Wenxuan Yang, Kyoto University, Japan This study addresses the critical challenge of countering false information on social media during disasters and emergencies, with particular attention to students and young people as both primary consumers and disseminators of SNS-based information. It evaluates six key methods—geolocation filtering (GF), originator profile utilization (OP), proactive official communication (POC), multi-channel dissemination (MD), centralized information hubs (CIH), and partnerships with media (PM)—across four criteria: resource needs, audience reach, consistency, and public trust. The results indicate that proactive official communication, centralized information hubs, and partnerships with media demonstrated the highest overall effectiveness. Notably, POC—which includes prebunking and psychological inoculation techniques— holds strong potential for integration into formal and informal educational settings. The study concludes that no single method is sufficient; a multilayered strategy is essential. Implications for educators, curriculum designers, and educational institutions are discussed, with recommendations for embedding disaster media literacy into disaster preparedness education.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 111458 | Digital Citizenship in Young Children’s Classroom Digital Play Soojin Lim, Dongshin University, South Korea Jehyun Yoon, Duksung Women's University, South Korea This study examined how elements of digital citizenship were expressed and developed among young children as they participated in structured digital play activities designed to support digital citizenship learning. Participants were 21 five-year-old children in a public kindergarten in City C. Data from participant observation, video recordings, and research journals were analyzed using constant comparative analysis. Findings revealed four patterns through which digital citizenship unfolded across the activity sessions. First, as children extended picture book scenarios into online comment play, they spontaneously distinguished between themselves and others in digital space and showed protective behaviors toward their online selves. Second, children initially treated comments as one-way expression, but gradually came to understand them as a means of mutual communication — learning to consider others' feelings, negotiate their own identities, and coordinate opinions. Third, children expressed a desire to extend their interactions beyond the classroom into broader digital spaces such as YouTube, reflecting a growing sense of digital community and participation. Fourth, through repeated engagement with collaborative digital storytelling, children demonstrated a maker mindset — persistently revising their work and seeking to share it with others — suggesting that creative agency and peer collaboration are central to young children's digital civic engagement. These findings suggest that with intentional educational support, young children can move beyond passive awareness of digital norms toward increasingly active and reflective participation, gradually developing civic dispositions suited to digital environments. 111554 | Developing a Digital Citizenship Education Program for Young Children: An Integrated Approach Fostering Participation, Identity, and Civic Agency Tak Jeonghwa, Seowon University, South Korea Lee Hyewon, Daejin University, South Korea As digital technologies become embedded in young children's everyday lives, fostering the capacities to navigate digital environments responsibly and actively has become an urgent educational priority. This study proposes a model integrating grit and self-regulation (emotional control, impulse inhibition, and deliberate action) alongside community awareness into digital citizenship competencies, aiming to strengthen young children's intrinsic motivation for sustaining civic attitudes in digital contexts. The program was developed through five stages: (1) a literature review to identify core digital citizenship concepts; (2) observational studies of four- and five-year-olds' digital play and in-depth teacher interviews for needs analysis; (3) a program draft and pilot study with 21 five-year-old children at an early childhood institution in Cheongju to examine applicability; (4) expert consultations with media education specialists, early childhood education professors, and classroom practitioners; and (5) a second expert consultation and validity assessment to finalize the program. The resulting 24-session program is organized into four integrated domains: Digital Identity and Empathy, Digital Health and Safety, Digital Community and Responsibility, and Digital Creation and Sharing. Key distinguishing features include: (a) activities designed as interconnected experiences rather than isolated skill components; (b) structured opportunities for on- and offline discussion, collaborative problem-solving, and shared digital creation, enabling children to experience participation and communication as the core of digital citizenship; and (c) an expanded scope beyond safety and ethics to encompass self-identity, community belonging, and ethical responsibility. Through this program, young children are supported in developing sustained civic dispositions from the earliest years of education. 111605 | Development of a Web-Based Digital Citizenship Assessment Tool and Dashboard for Young Children Heejeon Suh, Tongmyung University, South Korea The purpose of this study was to identify the domains and components of early childhood digital citizenship and to develop a web-based digital citizenship assessment tool and dashboard for young children. To achieve this goal, a theoretical foundation was established through a literature review, while content validity and field applicability were verified through focus group interviews (FGI) with field teachers and academic experts, as well as an expert Delphi survey. The findings indicated that early childhood digital citizenship can be defined as the ability of young children to act safely and healthily in digital environments, respect and empathize with others, participate responsibly in digital communities, and use digital tools creatively to communicate and express themselves. Based on this definition, early childhood digital citizenship was organized into four domains: digital well-being and safety, digital identity and empathy, digital community and responsibility, and digital creation and sharing. In addition, 35 behavioral indicator items were developed, and their content validity was confirmed through expert review. To develop the web-based assessment tool and dashboard, an initial prototype was created based on the literature review. Expert feedback from specialists in early childhood education, educational technology, and computer science was collected to derive design specifications for teacher, child, and parent dashboards. The dashboard was designed to visualize children's levels and developmental changes in digital citizenship domains and to include generative AI-based instructional methods for teachers and parents. The findings are expected to provide foundational data for assessment tool development and support young children's digital citizenship. 111607 | A Systematic Review of AI Literacy in Education Nguyen Hoang Mai Tram, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Artificial intelligence (AI) literacy has rapidly become a critical focus in education, yet research remains fragmented across contexts. This systematic review was conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA protocol, synthesizing 184 studies drawn from Scopus and Web of Science, restricted to Q1–Q2 journals to ensure rigor and transparency. Three key contributions are highlighted: (1) four major themes in AI literacy research—conceptualization, early and primary education, secondary and higher education, and professional development; (2) the core components of AI literacy, including AI knowledge, evaluative competence, problem-solving competence, collaborative competence, autonomous agency, and AI ethics; and (3) the outcomes of AI literacy for learners and educators. By consolidating these findings, the study provides a structured understanding of AI literacy and offers actionable insights for advancing theory, practice, and policy in diverse educational contexts.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 111654 | Exploring Skill Development and Engagement in Virtual Reality–Based Balance Training: A Qualitative Study in Physical Education Billy Natad, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines Ivan Heinrick Cruz, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines Janice Velasquez, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines Claudy-Lette Jardin, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines Naoki Suzuki, Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan Darren Joe Follero, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines The integration of Virtual Reality (VR) in Physical Education (PE) has expanded from exploratory applications toward instructional approaches that support skill-related learning. However, qualitative evidence examining students’ learning experiences during VR-based skill training remains limited. This study explored students’ learning experiences, engagement, and perceived instructional value during a VR-based balance training activity in PE. Qualitative descriptive research design embedded within a developmental research framework was employed. Participants were undergraduate students who engaged in a VR-based balance demonstration focusing on static and dynamic postural control. Data were collected through a semi-structured Focus Group Discussion and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Findings revealed six major themes: enhanced comfort and device integration, heightened awareness of balance and body control, immersion and fear as drivers of focus, usability and environmental constraints, engagement through challenge and novelty, and curriculum potential with conditional support. Students reported increased awareness of posture and movement regulation, sustained focus due to immersive and challenge-based tasks, and perceived transfer of balance-related learning to real-world physical activities. Simulated height and instability were identified as factors that enhanced concentration and deliberate movement. Results indicate that VR-based balance training can support experiential and skill-related learning in PE when immersive features are aligned with instructional goals and supported by appropriate environmental and instructional conditions. This study provides empirical support for the use of VR as a complementary instructional tool for balance training and informs the design of subsequent VR-integrated PE modules emphasizing structured skill development. 111739 | Integrating Differential Role Assignment and GenAI-Simulated Roles in a Collaborative Educational Game for Context Analysis Training Yun-Ching Wu, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Hung-Yu Chan, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Huei-Tse Hou, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan In higher education and workplace contexts, interdisciplinary collaboration, problem-solving, and context analysis skills have become increasingly important. However, lectures and case-based analysis often have limitations in providing real-time interaction, dynamic reasoning, and contextualized feedback. This study designed a collaborative educational game, Silent Storeroom, which integrates differential role assignment and generative AI situational roles, to examine learners’ engagement, acceptance, and cognitive load in an artifact authentication and context analysis task. The participants were 24 university students. The game adopted a two-player information-asymmetry design, in which players had to communicate, compare information, and integrate clues to complete authentication reasoning. The GenAI role, “Professor Wang,” provided clue clarification, knowledge explanations, and reasoning guidance based on the dialogue context and players’ questions. A five-point Likert scale was used to assess flow, anxiety, acceptance, game elements, and cognitive load, and open-ended feedback was also collected. The results indicated that learners showed significantly positive evaluations of flow, game acceptance, and perceived game elements, while anxiety did not show a significantly high level. The cognitive load results suggested that the game could promote thinking, but interface readability and task flow may still impose additional burdens. Qualitative feedback showed that 58.3% of players held positive opinions toward AI assistance, indicating that it helped them identify clues, obtain problem-solving directions, and focus the discussion. Other feedback pointed out that the amount of information was excessive and that the guidance was not sufficiently clear. This study can serve as a reference for future improvements in interface design and AI scaffolding. 111827 | An Interview Skills Training Game Integrating GenAI Virtual Interviewer and an Automatic Diagnosis Mechanism Yi-Chi Lin, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Yu-Chi Chen, Yuan Ze University, Taiwan Hung-Yu Chan, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Huei-Tse Hou, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan In a highly competitive labor market, structured interview expression skill is one of the essential workplace competencies. Due to the limitations of traditional interview training, which lacks immediate and objective feedback. AI can dynamically ask follow-up questions based on the job seeker's responses to create realistic interactions and can accurately identify narrative structures based on the STAR principle (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to provide objective formative feedback. This study developed an interview skills training game that integrates a Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) virtual interviewer with an automatic diagnosis mechanism. This game aims to enhance learners' interview skills through analysis based on their customized resumes, dynamic realistic interactions, and immediate feedback using the STAR principle. A pilot evaluation was conducted with 21 participants, consisting mainly of recent graduates and job-seeking professionals, who participated in a 90-minute experiment. The study measured participants' flow, anxiety, game acceptance, and cognitive load, while simultaneously using qualitative questionnaires to ask whether the system was helpful. Quantitative results indicated that learners experienced high flow and high germane cognitive load during the game, while maintaining a moderate level of challenge anxiety. Qualitative analysis further pointed out that up to 90.5% of players believed the game could substantially improve their interview confidence, verifying that this system possesses high pedagogical potential in soft skills training. Through context engineering based on psychological theories, the system can accurately identify gaps in the STAR structure and guide learners to practice interviews and engage in deep reflection under optimal flow and moderate anxiety states.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 111828 | Design and Preliminary Evaluation of an Educational Game Integrating GenAI Virtual Peers and Real Peers to Train Problem-Solving Skills Hung-Yu Chan, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Yun-Ching Wu, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Huei-Tse Hou, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Collaborative problem-solving skills are among the most essential competencies in the workplace. With the rapid advancement of generative AI, collaborative problem-solving involving both AI and human peers has attracted increasing attention. This study developed a digital puzzle game that integrated collaborative problem-solving training with both GenAI virtual peer and human peer. Players must collaborate with their team members within a limited time frame. They can discuss case details and intelligence with their peers in the chat room, as well as interact with a GenAI character developed using simulated contextual engineering techniques and psychological response modules developed by our team. This pilot study included a total of 19 participants. The study findings revealed that learners’ overall flow was significantly higher than the scale median of 3, indicating that learners were highly engaged in the game. The game’s usefulness (Z = 2.76, p < .01) and ease of use (Z = 2.50, p < .05) were both significantly higher than 3, indicating that learners found the game helpful in developing decision-making skill and collaborative problem-solving ability. The germane cognitive load (Z = 2.66, p < .01) were significantly higher than 3, indicating that the game encouraged a relatively high level of thinking. In addition, based on the results of the qualitative questions, it was found that 68% of the participants mentioned that guidance from GenAI virtual peer can facilitate problem-solving. 85% of users felt that GenAI virtual peers could help them immerse themselves in the game. 111868 | Integrating Generative AI and First-Person Shooter Mechanics in an Educational Game to Foster Emergency Decision-Making Skills Yi-Run Chen, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Yi-Chi Lin, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Hung-Yu Chan, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Huei-Tse Hou, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan In the era of rapid information flow, cross-disciplinary emergency decision-making and communication skills have become core competencies in fields such as business and the military. Decision-makers are required to filter massive volumes of information within extremely short timeframes and ensure that their teams execute tasks precisely in highly uncertain situations. Therefore, this study integrates Generative AI (GAI)-driven Non-Player Characters (NPCs) with a First-Person Shooter (FPS) game to develop an educational game framework aimed at training emergency decision-making and collaborative communication skills. The game design adopts a division-of-labor model, assigning one player to each of three distinct roles: the "Combat Role" for executing FPS tasks, the "Intelligence Role" for exchanging information with GAI NPCs, and the "Mapping Role" for drawing maps. Players must collaborate to accomplish the mission objectives. Through the information asymmetry caused by this division of labor, learners are compelled to engage in deep collaboration under a state of fragmented information. This simulates communication dilemmas in real-world crises, with the aim of training emergency decision-making and communication coordination abilities in extreme situations. This study analyzes the flow, anxiety , and cognitive load of 15 players during the game, alongside an analysis of their open-ended feedback. The findings indicate that players exhibited a significantly higher flow state and lower activity anxiety during gameplay. Furthermore, the system maintained a lower extrinsic cognitive load while significantly stimulating germane cognitive load. Additionally, 87% of the players believed that the educational game integrating AI NPCs and FPS tasks was effective in training their emergency. 112044 | AI-Assisted SDGs Curriculum in Preschool: Teacher Practices and Feedback on Generative AI Integration in Early Childhood Education Liying Hung, National Pingtung University, Taiwan Yaling Chen, National Pingtung University, Taiwan As generative AI tools become increasingly embedded in professional practice, early childhood education faces both the opportunity and the responsibility to examine how such technologies might support inquiry-oriented curriculum. This study investigated how preschool teachers in Taiwan drew on a suite of generative AI tools — Google Gemini, NotebookLM, and ChatGPT — within a thematic curriculum addressing two United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). The curriculum unfolded across three progressively scaffolded phases: values clarification and concept building, maker-centered experiential learning, and community-oriented civic engagement. Across these phases, teachers used Gemini to facilitate cross-disciplinary activity design and generate differentiated instructional materials; NotebookLM to synthesize observational records and cross-reference lesson plans against Taiwan's Early Childhood Curriculum Framework; and ChatGPT to draft family communications and supplementary teaching materials. A qualitative case study design was adopted, with data collected through semi-structured interviews and curriculum documents. Findings indicate that AI-assisted planning reduced administrative workload, enabled the creation of customized materials, and enriched children's learning engagement through more responsive instruction. The study also identifies a critical boundary: teacher professional judgment remained indispensable for contextualizing AI-generated content to children's developmental needs and classroom realities. These findings contribute to emerging scholarship on responsible AI integration in early childhood settings and carry practical implications for teacher professional development and institutional policy in the Asia-Pacific region.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 112386 | Development of an Intervention Module of Gamified Instruction to Improve the Reading Comprehension Skills of Grade 6 Learners Hakamiah Hahn Iglesia, University of Santo Tomas, Philippines Edel June Lucille Rebados, University of Santo Tomas, Philippines Eleanor Marie Bahrami-Hessari, University of Santo Tomas, Philippines Carmina Vicente, University of Santo Tomas, Philippines Reading comprehension remains a persistent educational challenge in the Philippines, as evidenced by national and international assessments indicating low literacy performance among Filipino learners. Addressing the need for localized and validated instructional resources, this study developed and content-validated a ClassDojo-based gamified intervention module designed to enhance the literal, inferential, and critical reading comprehension skills of Grade 6 learners. Guided by Constructivist Learning Theory and Self-Determination Theory, the study employed a Collaborative Action Research approach, involving the creation of an Action Plan Intervention Grid (APIG) that served as the framework for the intervention module. Content validation was conducted by instructional design experts, subject content experts, and an English practitioner using a 4-point validation instrument, while the module was evaluated using the DepEd LRMDS Evaluation Rating Sheet for Print Resources (2009). Findings revealed that the APIG obtained high validity ratings across clarity, relevance, accuracy, and developmental appropriateness, improving from an overall mean of 3.99 to 4.00 after revision. The intervention module likewise achieved a mean score of 135.05 out of 144, interpreted as “Passed.” Qualitative feedback affirmed its clarity, curriculum alignment, systematic organization, effective integration of gamification and technology, progression of reading tasks, and use of authentic learning experiences. The study produced a research-based, curriculum-aligned, and expert-validated literacy intervention resource. 112616 | ARG Maker: A Multi-dimensional Scaffolding-based Alternate Reality Game Authoring Tool and a ARG with GenAI for Intergenerational Empathy Learning Ning-Hua Shih, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Hung-Yu Chan, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Huei-Tse Hou, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), characterized by contextual and experiential learning embedded in real-world settings, have been widely applied in domains such as tourism heritage and workplace simulation. However, effective educational ARG systems rely on multi-dimensional scaffolding, while existing development tools lack integrated GenAI-based scaffolding. In addition, although intergenerational empathy has been recognized as an important issue in workplace education, there remains a lack of context-driven instructional designs supported by empirical ARG-based evidence. To address these gaps, this study develops NTUSTMEG ARG Maker, a GPS-enabled ARG authoring platform that integrates GenAI as affective scaffolding and embeds cognitive scaffolds within game-based tasks. This ARG Maker is used to design a contextual real-world ARG game for fostering intergenerational empathy and perspective-taking. A pilot study with 20 participants was conducted. Results showed high flow experience (M= 4.17) significantly above the scale median of 3, indicating high engagement, whereas anxiety was low (M = 2.09). Perceived usefulness (M= 4.04) and perceived ease of use (M= 4.45) were positively significant, indicating the game mechanism supports intergenerational empathy and high usability. Cognitive load revealed low extraneous load (M= 1.28) and high germane load (M= 4.25), suggesting that the multi-dimensional scaffolding facilitated empathic thinking under high engagement, low anxiety, and minimal cognitive interference. Qualitative feedback indicated that 75% of participants perceived enhanced intergenerational empathy through GenAI scaffolding, and 85% demonstrated that GenAI scaffolding facilitated immersion in the game context. 112760 | Effects of Stable and Fluid E-team Membership on Student Learning and Perceived Peer Contributions Lorie Davis, Brigham Young University–Hawaii, United States Collaboration in a digital learning environment is an essential 21st century skill yet challenges with social loafers and free riders persist. This experimental, post-test-only control group study explores the impact of e-team membership stability on peer contribution perceptions and learning performance. Eighty-two undergraduate students enrolled in three face-to-face classes participated in four one-hour e-team sessions and completed projects and evaluated peer contributions. Participants were randomly assigned to either stable e-teams (same teammate throughout) or fluid (new teammates each session). The synchronous e-teams included twelve fluid e-teams (treatment condition), and eight stable e-teams (control condition) of 3-4 members. Results indicated a significant difference in perceived peer contributions, with stable teams scoring peers’ contributions higher over time. There was a weak correlation between performance scores and perceived peer contribution ratings, but no difference in performance. Perceived social loafing and free riding decreased over the four sessions in stable e-teams but varied from session to session for fluid teams. In conclusion, while fluid and stable e-teams may be equally effective in terms of student performance, stable e-teams produced higher perceived peer contribution ratings and reduced social loafers and free riders’ ratings over time, in contrast to fluid e-teams. The results have implications for designing online collaborative teams and managing group dynamics in educational technology contexts.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 112825 | How Role-Based AI Agents Support Collaborative Discussion: Evidence from Epistemic Network Analysis Yung-Che Lin, National Taichung University of Education, Taiwan Chih-Wei Yang, National Taichung University of Education, Taiwan This study investigated how role-based AI agents support students’ collaborative discussion based on the OECD (2017) Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) framework. A human–AI collaborative system was designed for a story co-creation task. The system included four roles: leader, questioner, recorder, and checker, which respectively supported goal clarification, perspective exploration, idea organization, and outcome evaluation. Each student selected one role, while AI agents assumed the remaining three roles to form a four-member collaborative group. Participants were 45 fifth-grade students in Taiwan. Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA) was used to examine the connections among students’ CPS behaviors across roles. The mean proportions of utterances aligned with the intended functions of the leader, questioner, recorder, and checker roles were 11.46%, 12.50%, 5.63%, and 7.93%, respectively. The findings indicate that students demonstrated stronger skills in clarifying goals and exploring perspectives than in organizing ideas and checking outcomes. Student feedback further suggested that the AI agents fostered a sense of collaboration and helped novice writers overcome difficulties related to vocabulary use and story organization. These findings highlight the potential of role-based AI agents to scaffold complementary CPS behaviors in human–AI collaborative learning. 113275 | Seeing Teaching Through Human and Artificial Eyes: An AI-Augmented Model of Classroom Feedback Hui Min Chou, National Academy for Educational Research, Taiwan As artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly enters teacher professional development, a critical question remains: what does AI actually “see” when observing classroom instruction, and how does its feedback differ from expert judgment? This qualitative comparative case study examines three feedback reports generated from the same fourth-grade social studies lesson in Taiwan: one by an experienced education expert, one by a general-purpose AI model, and one by an AI model guided by a culturally responsive teaching framework. Using thematic and cross-case analysis, the study compares the reports’ analytical focus, theoretical grounding, specificity, actionability, and developmental value. The findings reveal three distinct epistemic orientations. The human expert demonstrated pedagogical content knowledge and professional vision, interpreting instructional decisions in relation to students’ cognitive development and offering highly contextualized strategies. The general-purpose AI efficiently identified observable teaching behaviors and occasionally provided useful micro-level suggestions, but its theoretical explanations remained limited. The framework-guided AI produced systematic and consistent criterion-based evaluations, yet overlooked important practices outside the assigned framework. Despite these differences, all three sources converged on the need to deepen questioning and strengthen peer discussion. Building on these complementary strengths, the study proposes an AI-Augmented Human-inthe-Loop model for teacher development consisting of three stages: AI-supported analysis, teacher-led reflection, and human–AI coaching dialogue. The model reframes AI not as a replacement for professional judgment, but as a scalable analytical partner that can expand access to evidence-informed, context-sensitive, and reflective instructional feedback. 113380 | Elementary Students’ AI Literacy in Human-AI Co-Creation: Interaction Traces and Critical Revision Li-Jen Wang, National Taichung University of Education, Taiwan Ying-Tien Wu, National Central University, Taiwan Tsung-Yen Chuang, National University of Tainan, Taiwan As generative AI enters K–12 classrooms, little is known about how elementary students enact AI literacy in project-based human–AI cocreation. Prior research relies largely on self-reports, leaving uncertain whether interaction traces reflect students’ AI-supported work. This exploratory study integrated learning analytics and performance-based assessment to examine whether four log-derived interaction features, namely student message volume, mean prompt length, revision count, and the presence of critical/checking statements, predicted teacherrated performance and whether teacher-rated critical revision was associated with the other rubric dimensions. Participants were 90 Grade 4–6 students from six elementary schools in Taiwan who completed AI-assisted poetry or greeting-card projects in a regional competition. Data comprised 90 final projects and 10,562 dialogue records from E-Du, an educational generative AI platform developed by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education and designed to support learning through Socratic prompts. Students entered prompts, evaluated AI-generated responses, and revised their prompts and outputs. Seven teachers assessed prompting strategy, critical revision, originality and application, AI and digitaltool use, and digital ethics. The four interaction features did not significantly predict overall performance (R² = .054, p = .314). Teacher-rated critical revision was strongly correlated with the other four dimensions combined (r = .778, p < .001). Because both measures came from the same rating framework, shared-method effects cannot be excluded. These log-derived interaction features captured little variance in rubricrated performance. AI literacy assessment may benefit from combining interaction traces with evidence of how students check, question, and revise AI-generated content.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 113842 | An Exploratory Study on the Application of Air-Writing Visualization to the Promotion of Chinese Calligraphy Tzren-Ru Chou, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Yi-Pei Lin, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Chih-Chang Yang, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan In calligraphy education, motor coordination constitutes a central dimension of learning alongside cognitive and affective development. Current classroom instruction, nonetheless, relies predominantly on static visual representations. Although learners can observe character forms, compositional structures, and the expressive qualities of ink traces, such representations provide limited support for perceiving the dynamic relationships among stroke order, brush movement, and the embodied act of writing. To address this limitation, the present study developed an air-writing calligraphy tracing system based on canonical works by renowned calligraphers from ancient China. The system integrates webcam-based index-finger tracking, stroke-order guidance, and visual feedback on tracing deviations. The study examined how classical calligraphy could be reinterpreted through technology-mediated art to support its broader cultural dissemination. The findings indicated that the experts considered the system’s interactive design effective in enhancing learners’ aesthetic understanding of calligraphy. They also suggested that the system could facilitate the development of foundational calligraphic techniques, motor coordination, and bodily awareness during writing, while helping to alleviate the shortage of qualified instructors in foundational calligraphy education. The experts further recognized the system’s potential as a medium for interpreting canonical calligraphic works, introducing beginners to calligraphy, and presenting traditional culture through interactive digital technology. 114117 | The Effect of Different Instructions on Item Generation of Personality Scale Using Generative Artificial Intelligence Po-Hsi Chen, Nationa Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Anni Yeh, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Yi-Huai Chen, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI) has been wildly used in assessment of the fields of education and psychology in recent years. The use of gen-AI in assessment is mainly on the process of automatic item generation, item modification, item parameter prediction, automatic essay scoring, item analysis, and test report generation. In this research, gen-AI has been used in generating the big five personality items. We used different instructions, with or without example items, to guide the Gen-AI to generate items of five different personality dimensions with 12 items in each dimensions. Two dependent variables, degree of corresponding to the definition of personality dimension and corresponding to the item writing guides, has been evaluated by two well trained raters. Results indicated that the generated items have slightly higher degree of correspondence to the definition of personality traits when instruction with example items. In the aspect of correspondence to the definition of personality traits, 95% percent of generated items got high degree (4/5) of correspondence when the instruction with example items. However, only 88% percent of generated items got high degree (4/5) of correspondence when the instruction without example item. In the aspect of correspondence to the item writing guide, over 93% got high degree (4/5) of correspondence no matter the instruction with or without example items. Implications and applications of using the Gen-AI in assessment item generation had been addressed in this research. 114381 | A Comparative Analysis of Student Responses in AI and Data Science Literacy Courses at Two Japanese Universities Naoki Itoh, Kokushikan University, Japan Tomohiro Inagaki, Hiroshima University, Japan Rie Enomoto, Kokushikan University, Japan Motoo Sekiguchi, Kokushikan University, Japan Yuko Murakami, Hiroshima University, Japan In Japan, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) promotes the Approved Program for Mathematics, Data science and AI Smart Higher Education (MDASH) programme. Courses aligned with the certification requirements of its introductory Literacy Level have been offered to all faculties at Hiroshima University (" Introduction to Information and Data Sciences" in both in-person and online) and Kokushikan University ("Artificial Intelligence and Sciences" online). This study administered an identical 24-item questionnaire (the 7-point Likert scale) to students at the two universities before and after the course. Approximately 2,000 responses were obtained per university at each time point. The data were categorized by faculty, and a 24-dimensional vector of mean item scores was computed separately before and after the course. Subsequently, the Euclidean distance was then computed from two perspectives. First, within each university, the distance between the post- and pre-course vectors of each faculty indexed the magnitude of change over the course. Second, between corresponding faculties across the universities, the distance at pre- and post-course indexed their similarity. (e.g., School of Law at Hiroshima University and Faculty of Law at Kokushikan University). The results showed that pre- to post-course changes were relatively larger at Hiroshima University, as indicated by greater changes in the mean of the distances computed for each faculty. With respect to the distance between the two universities, the discrepancy in corresponding faculties tended to be smaller after the course than before, indicating that this gap narrowed after participation in the course.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 114399 | Effects of Gamified Storybooks on Primary School Students’ Artificial Intelligence Knowledge and Perceptions of AI for Social Good Shen Qiao, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Liuqi Peng, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong As artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly permeates daily life, fostering AI literacy in primary education has become essential. While educational storybooks are a popular pedagogical tool for young learners, the impact of integrating gamification into AI-themed storybooks remains underexplored. This study employed an experimental design to investigate the effectiveness of a gamified storybook approach on primary school students' AI learning outcomes. Participants were assigned to either an experimental group (N=23), which engaged with a gamified AI storybook, or a control group (N=21), which read a non-gamified version of the same storybook. To evaluate the learning outcomes, we measured students' AI knowledge (AKT) and their perception of applying AI for social good (PAA) before and after the intervention. Controlling for pretest scores, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on both the AKT and PAA measures. These findings suggest that incorporating gamified elements into educational storybooks not only enhances young learners' cognitive understanding of AI concepts but also positively shapes their ethical perspectives regarding the use of AI for societal benefit. The study provides actionable insights for educators developing age-appropriate AI literacy interventions.

Education & Difference: Gifted Education, Special Education, Learning Difficulties & Disability 110654 | From Fatigue to Equity: Developing an Inclusive Assessment Tool for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students Lynn McQuarrie, University of Alberta, Canada Natalia Rohatyn-Martin, MacEwan University, Canada Denyse Hayward, University of Alberta, Canada Classrooms impose continuous cognitive, visual, and attentional demands that create unique challenges for students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). The effort required to attend simultaneously to auditory and visual information across multiple speakers, languages, and modalities produces fatigue with compounding effects on academic achievement, vocational trajectories, and quality of life. Yet fatigue remains poorly understood in educational contexts. Educators may misread it as laziness or noncompliance, students may internalize it as personal failure, and symptom overlap with ADHD can prompt misattribution and inappropriate intervention. Critically, no validated measure reflects the heterogeneity of the DHH population, which includes signed language, spoken language, and multilingual users across diverse settings. To address this gap, our research program developed the Fatigue in Educational Contexts (FEC) survey, an inclusive, psychometrically grounded tool with parallel forms for students, parents, and educational teams. Development drew on expert interviews with DHH postsecondary students, parents, and educators, followed by pilot testing with grade 7–12 students across North America. Psychometric validation is currently underway. The FEC supports multimodal administration in spoken English, written English, and American Sign Language (ASL), with visual supports and preparatory videos that build shared understanding of fatigue across stakeholders. By enabling collaborative identification, monitoring, and mitigation of fatigue, the FEC represents a substantive advance in equitable assessment for DHH students. Implications for educational practice, accommodation planning, and future research directions will be discussed. 112020 | Factors Shaping Hong Kong Teachers’ Beliefs and Feelings About Including Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Classroom Wing Sze Emily Chow, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong This paper examines teachers’ beliefs and feelings about including students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their classrooms. Factors influencing their beliefs and feelings about including students with ASD were also investigated. Quantitative research was conducted in this study. In-service teachers (n = 446) who participated in a teaching program on students with disabilities were invited to complete an adapted Attitudes Towards Inclusion Scale. The results show that teachers expressed neutral beliefs and feelings but generally positive attitudes about including students with ASD in the classroom. Perceived support from school principals and knowledge of legislation and policy significantly influence teachers’ beliefs. Teachers who felt supported by school principals had significantly more positive feelings about including students with ASD than those who did not. Perceived support from families of students without disabilities, the availability of resources, training about inclusive education, and knowledge about legislation and policy significantly influenced teachers’ feelings about the inclusion of students with ASD in the classroom. The results of this study underscore the significance of professional development in enhancing teachers’ understanding of inclusive legislation and policy. Support from top-down management and teacher-parent relationships or collaborations plays an essential role in promoting the success of inclusive education, especially for students with ASD.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 113800 | What in the World: Comparative Analysis of Accessibility Features in Two Countries Linda Oshita, University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States Janet Kim, University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States Karelyn Yogi, University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States Shawna Ortogero, University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States To prepare special education teachers to teach students from diverse backgrounds and communities, preservice teachers should develop an awareness of global disability issues, accessibility, and their impact on people with disabilities. Teachers who understand accessibility from a broader context are better able to support students’ independence and participation in their schools and communities. Based on the social model of disability and the principles of Universal Design (UD), a curriculum can be designed for preservice special education teachers to learn to analyze accessibility features in public spaces, including pedestrian walkways, restrooms, public transportation, and school campuses across different countries. One unit in this curriculum, which focuses on a comparative analysis of public accessibility features in Japan and the US, specifically in Hawaii, will be presented in this poster. Conference participants will: (1) learn the importance of this topic in special education teacher preparation; (2) see examples of public accessibility features in Japan and Hawaii; and (3) learn how the curriculum can be used to prepare preservice teachers with a globally focused approach in teaching students with disabilities in an increasingly inclusive society. The topic of this proposed curriculum aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals #4: Quality Education and #10: Reduced Inequalities. 113866 | Cognitive Flexibility Enhancement Programs and Executive Function Outcomes in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review Atid Hongwitayakorn, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand Sittipong Wattananonsakul, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand Executive function (EF) deficits, encompassing inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, represent a critical endophenotype in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), significantly impacting social communication and the manifestation of restricted, repetitive behaviors. This systematic review synthesizes findings from 30 contemporary studies to evaluate the efficacy of diverse intervention programs designed to enhance EF outcomes in this population. The reviewed interventions are categorized into five primary domains: skill-based physical activities, technology-enhanced training (VR/AR), sensory-rich therapies, metacognitive-behavioral strategies, and neuromodulation techniques. Analysis reveals that cognitively engaging physical exercises, such as mini-basketball and cycling, and adaptive digital games yield the most robust improvements in core EF components. These programs leverage the cognitive stimulation hypothesis, requiring integrated motor-cognitive demands that activate the prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, metacognitive scaffolding and schoolbased interventions demonstrate high ecological validity by facilitating the generalization of EF skills to academic and daily living contexts. While results for neuromodulation (tDCS/rTMS) remain heterogeneous, evidence suggests potential benefits for specific high-functioning subgroups. Overall, the synthesis confirms that EF in children with ASD is highly malleable. The integration of cognitive engagement within structured tasks emerges as a superior strategy compared to sedentary approaches. These findings underscore the clinical importance of multi-faceted training programs in alleviating executive dysfunction and improving the developmental trajectories of children on the autism spectrum.

Education, Sustainability & Society: Social Justice, Development & Political Movements 114084 | Negotiating Childhood Well-Being and Future Competitiveness: Public Schooling Experiences of Parents Who Relocated to Jeju, South Korea Jina Seok, Jeju National University, South Korea This study examines how parents who relocated from mainland Korea to Jeju Island negotiate childhood well-being and future educational competitiveness—defined as parents’ perceived ability to sustain academic achievement and access pathways to higher education—through public schooling. Jeju represented the possibility of a slower, more relational childhood, while constraints associated with island geography, including uneven access to private tutoring and academic support, intensified concerns about children’s educational futures. Drawing on parental educational agency and the education–migration nexus, domestic relocation is understood as a consequential family strategy. Preliminary findings are based on semi-structured interviews with seven parents. Purposive sampling captured diverse relocation motives, children’s educational stages, lengths of residence, and settlement trajectories. Recruitment continues toward ten participants, guided by information power. Data were analysed using contextualist reflexive thematic analysis, combining case-based temporal summaries with cross-case analysis. Four interconnected themes were identified: distancing from academy-centred routines without abandoning educational aspirations; rediscovering relational public education through small-school and place-based experiences; the re-emergence of competition at educational transition points; and recalibrating educational and residential strategies through private tutoring, relocation within Jeju, continued residence, temporary stays, or return migration. Relocating to Jeju did not remove families from South Korea’s examination-oriented system; it changed the conditions under which parents negotiated childhood well-being and future educational competitiveness. By showing how competition persists within the same national curriculum and admissions regime, this study identifies a distinctive dynamic of domestic educational migration and explains how public schooling shapes decisions to stay, move, or return.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session Educational Policy, Leadership, Management & Administration 109224 | The Influence of Digital Leadership Practices Towards Preschool Teacher Motivation Azlinda Husin, Institut Aminuddin Baki, Malaysia This study aims to identify the influence of digital leadership practices on preschool teacher motivation. This study uses a quantitative approach with a survey method adapted from the Innovation Teaching for Education Learning and British Education Communication (BECTA) 2004 article, through the distribution of questionnaires to 346 preschool teachers. The data obtained were analysed using multiple regression analysis to determine the relationship between leadership practices and teacher motivation levels. The findings of the study show that digital leadership practices have a significant influence on preschool teacher motivation. The results of the regression analysis show that leadership culture makes a significant contribution to teacher motivation (β = 1.121, p < 0.05), with an R² value = 0.78) which indicates that 78% of the variation in teacher motivation can be explained by leadership culture factors. Teachers are found to be more motivated when the leadership provides adequate teaching equipment, good internet facilities and provides encouragement and appreciation for teacher achievement. In conclusion, good digital leadership practices play an important role in increasing preschool teacher motivation and subsequently supporting the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process at the preschool level. 111496 | Coexistence of Leadership Approaches in a Post-Soviet Public Education Sector Aygul Baghirova, University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom Despite progress in organisational leadership research, we still know relatively little about which leadership approaches are most prominent in post-Soviet organisational environments, particularly in the South Caucasus. Addressing this gap is especially important, as understanding leadership in such settings has implications for both theory and practice and represents a context largely underrepresented in conventional leadership literature. This study explores how leaders and employees perceive leadership in order to determine prevalent leadership approaches. Informed by organisational and leadership research, the study adopted a qualitative interpretive design. Snowball sampling was utilised to engage relevant participants. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews from senior leaders and non-managerial staff across different departments within the Azerbaijani public education sector. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was reached. Analysis drew on an inductive thematic approach through manual coding and thematic categorisation. Ethical approval and informed consent were secured throughout the data collection process.Based on the key findings, relational, developmental and collaborative practices such as role modelling, individualised support and feedback, and open communication suggest a coexistence of situational and transformational approaches consistent with existing leadership theories. Moreover, such patterns reflect both flexible and employee-centred leadership orientations. The study has the potential to inform leadership practice, specifically in post-Soviet settings. Equally, it could contribute to practitioners' awareness of the underlying leadership dynamics and connect theory and evidence-based leadership knowledge. Comparative studies in future research could examine similar outcomes across broader organisational contexts, offering empirical insights from the region. 113267 | International Technical Cooperation for Establishing an Integrated River Basin Management System: A Case Study of the Santa Lucía River Basin, Uruguay Mitsuo Yoshida, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan This study examines how international technical cooperation, education, and professional training contributed to comprehensive capacity development for integrated river basin water quality management in Uruguay’s Santa Lucía River Basin. The analysis is based on a longitudinal case study of Uruguay – Japan (JICA) cooperation implemented over approximately twenty years. The cooperation progressed from baseline assessment and master-plan formulation to institutional capacity development, pollution-source control, systematic water quality monitoring, mercury-risk management, and regional knowledge sharing. At the individual level, technical training, on-the-job learning, study visits, and expert guidance strengthened competencies in monitoring, laboratory analysis, environmental assessment, pollution-source inspection, data interpretation, and strategic planning. At the organizational level, collaborative project management, joint monitoring, database development, manuals, and interdepartmental learning improved the operational capacity of water and environmental agencies. At the institutional level, repeated dialogue and joint activities promoted coordination among central ministries, local governments, public utilities, research institutions, and civil society, contributing to the establishment of a river basin committee and adaptive water governance. At the societal level, information disclosure, public education, stakeholder participation, and South–South cooperation expanded environmental awareness and shared ownership of water resources as a basin common. The case demonstrates that technical cooperation becomes sustainable when education and training are embedded in practical problem-solving, organizational learning, institutional reform, and stakeholder networking rather than being limited to the transfer of technical knowledge.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 114265 | Higher Education as a Pathway to Female Leadership: Evidence from Ukrainian Firms Hanna Olasiuk, Jindal Global Business School, O.P. Jindal Global University, India Sanjeev Kumar, Jindal Global Business School, O.P.Jindal Global University, India Women’s access to education has grown remarkably, yet their presence in leadership roles remains limited—especially in transition economies where cultural and institutional barriers persist. This study explores how higher education influences women’s chances of becoming leaders, drawing on a private dataset of 98 Ukrainian firms. Using logistic regression, we examine whether women with advanced qualifications are more likely to hold top managerial positions, while also considering firm size, industry, ownership, and individual experience. The findings show that higher education significantly boosts women’s likelihood of reaching leadership roles. Advanced degrees strengthen human capital, enhance professional competitiveness, and open doors to managerial opportunities. However, education alone is not enough. Persistent gender bias, manifested in stereotypes, unequal promotion practices, and restricted access to networks, continues to hinder women’s progress. Structural factors such as firm characteristics and managerial experience also play a decisive role. This evidence highlights the dual importance of human capital and institutional conditions in shaping leadership opportunities. While investing in education is essential, it must be complemented by policies that challenge bias and promote organisational equality. By combining stronger educational pathways with reforms that dismantle discriminatory barriers, firms can move closer to gender-inclusive governance. Ultimately, the study contributes to the broader conversation on gender and leadership by offering firm-level insights from Ukraine. It underscores that sustainable progress requires both empowering women through education and reshaping workplace structures to ensure fair access to leadership.

Educational Research, Development & Publishing 112547 | Using Knowledge Building Method with Artificial Intelligence Technology in STEM Hands-on Activity to Improve High School Students’ Scientific Competencies Jyun-Chen Chen, National Academy for Educational Research, Taiwan In Taiwan, for senior high school students, the Technology Domain of the Curriculum Guideline of 12-year Basic Education emphasized to implement the interdisciplinary technology course with STEM education. This study integrates a knowledge-building approach and artificial intelligence technology (ChatGPT) into a hands-on STEM curriculum to design an innovative AI-enhanced instructional model, including teaching strategies, learning activities, and assessment frameworks. In the first year, a technology application–focused curriculum module was developed, and an experiment was conducted to evaluate its effectiveness in fostering high school students’ scientific competencies. A purposive sampling method was employed to recruit 187 eleventh-grade students, who participated in a 20-session instructional intervention. The findings indicate that: (1) regarding students’ STEM cognitive competencies, the combination of ChatGPT as a learning partner with the knowledge-building approach yielded more favorable outcomes, whereas the use of ChatGPT alone did not produce significant effects; (2) in terms of learning motivation, neither the use of ChatGPT as a learning partner nor its integration with the knowledge-building approach demonstrated significant effects; (3) concerning problem-solving abilities, the integration of ChatGPT with the knowledge-building approach resulted in improved performance, while the use of ChatGPT alone showed no significant impact; and (4) with respect to creativity, the integration of ChatGPT with the knowledge-building approach was particularly effective for students with lower initial levels of creativity, demonstrating significantly greater improvements compared to the control group. This study develops an innovative instructional model and produces a complete set of lesson plans and instructional materials suitable for classroom implementation and dissemination.

Foreign Languages Education & Applied Linguistics (including ESL/TESL/TEFL) 110520 | Needs Analysis of BIPA Learners Toward Folklore-Based Cultural Literacy Learning Media: A Case Study at Universitas Udayana Bali Murni Maulina, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Refisa Ananda, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Teaching Indonesian to foreign learners goes beyond grammar and vocabulary — it inevitably involves culture. Yet in practice, learning materials that meaningfully integrate Indonesian cultural content, particularly folklore, are still scarce. This study examines what BIPA learners actually need when it comes to folklore-based cultural literacy materials, and what that tells us about how such materials should be designed. Eight teen beginner-to-elementary BIPA learners at Universitas Udayana, Bali, participated in this exploratory case study. Most were Japanese and Korean speakers at various stages of early Indonesian acquisition. A structured questionnaire with sixteen Likert-scale items was used to capture their cultural interests, preferences for story-based learning, and linguistic support needs. The findings point in a clear direction. Learners showed strong interest in Indonesian local culture and traditions (M=4.47) and reported feeling more motivated when cultural content is woven into their learning (M=4.24). Folktales, in particular, drew considerable interest as a learning medium (M=4.0). On the linguistic side, learners consistently expressed the need for vocabulary lists (M=4.41), visual illustrations (M=4.41), and glossaries (M=4.29) — suggesting that cultural engagement and linguistic support are not competing priorities but complementary ones. These findings carry practical implications for material developers working in the BIPA context. Folklore-based materials appear to hold genuine appeal for beginning learners, but their effectiveness will depend heavily on thoughtful linguistic scaffolding and multimodal design. This study offers early empirical grounding for the ongoing development of Balinese folklore-based digital learning media for BIPA.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 111121 | Visual Facilitation in Listening Tasks: How Different Picture Types Influence Korean Middle Schoolers’ Performance Soo-Yoon Kim, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, South Korea This study investigates how various types of pictorial support influence the English listening comprehension of Korean middle school EFL learners. A total of 357 students participated and were categorized into four groups: a control group (no visual aids) and three experimental groups receiving different visual treatments—context-related, content-related, or a combination of both. To triangulate the performance data, questionnaires were administered to the experimental groups to capture learners' perceptions and qualitative responses regarding visual facilitation in testing environments. The findings reveal that content-related pictures provided the most significant enhancement to listening performance. This quantitative result was further corroborated by students’ feedback in the open-ended questionnaire items, where they expressed a strong preference for visuals that directly reflect the core content of the audio. The results suggest that strategic use of contentspecific visuals can serve as a powerful pedagogical tool to facilitate listening comprehension for secondary EFL learners. This presentation will provide a detailed analysis of the results and offer practical implications for material design and future research in EFL assessment. 112402 | Bridging the Assistive Technology Gap in Inclusive Second Language Education Tanya McCarthy, Kyoto University, Japan Matthew Armstrong, Kyushu University, Japan Selecting appropriate assistive technologies can make language learning more accessible for students with disabilities while benefiting all learners. This presentation introduces practical digital tools and classroom applications recommended by students with disabilities, language teachers, and disability support staff to enhance inclusive English as a Foreign Language teaching in Japanese higher education. Qualitative data were collected through interviews and surveys with four Japanese university students with disabilities and ten language teachers, together with email correspondence from disability support staff. The study explored how assistive technologies have evolved over the past decade, which technologies best support equitable participation, and how they can be used to develop universally designed learning materials. Findings revealed a clear gap between students’ and teachers’ use of assistive technologies. While students reported confidently selecting and using technologies to support their own learning, many teachers were unfamiliar with available tools and their classroom applications. Participants identified technologies that improve access to learning materials, communication, classroom participation, and learner independence. Further, while students had access to ongoing institutional support, instructors were largely unaware of the services offered by the Disabilities Support Center to assist with accommodating students. The presenters invite attendees to reflect on how assistive technologies can be incorporated into their own teaching to reduce barriers and create more inclusive learning environments. 113618 | Evaluating Technique Feature Analysis for the Development of the Lexical Network of Already-Known Words Through Extensive Reading Noriko Aotani, Tokai Gakuen University, Japan Shin'ya Takahashi, Tokai Gakuen University, Japan This study used Technique Feature Analysis (TFA) to examine the deepening and broadening of Japanese EFL learners' knowledge of alreadyknown words rather than the retention of newly learned vocabulary. Seventy-three Japanese university students first completed a wordrelationship test (Test 1), in which they evaluated perceived relationships among 20 target words selected from an essay. One week later, they read the essay and completed one of three vocabulary tasks assigned TFA scores of 5, 7, or 8 points. Immediately afterward, they took the same word-relationship test (Test 2). Four weeks later, they completed a delayed posttest (Test 3) and a self-assessment questionnaire (5-point Likert scale) based on 11 task-relevant TFA criteria. Word-relationship scores increased significantly from Test 1 to Test 2 but declined from Test 2 to Test 3 across all groups. No significant differences were found among the three task groups. Furthermore, no significant correlations emerged between changes in word-relationship scores and participants' self-assessed TFA ratings. Group comparisons of the self-assessment data also failed to reveal the differences predicted by the TFA criteria. These findings do not support the exemplified TFA task settings or their expected effects on the development of knowledge of already-known words. The results suggest that more appropriate task designs and refined evaluation criteria are needed to apply the TFA framework effectively to vocabulary development beyond the learning of new words.

Higher Education 110738 | Character Building: Strengthening Digital Citizenship Through Service Learning in Indonesia Obby Taufik Hidayat, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Indonesia Rizky Drupadi, Universitas Lampung, Indonesia The development of digital technology has significantly changed social interaction patterns, introducing both advantages and risks. The challenges faced are not only about cultural adaptation but also about strengthening youth character amid an increasingly open digital landscape. Therefore, this study aims to strengthen students' digital citizenship through service learning in higher education. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and document analysis at a public university implementing service learning. The data were collected in higher education in Indonesia, with a total of six informants, and involved recording students working on service-learning projects and conducting thematic analysis. This study demonstrated that service learning in Indonesia can strengthen digital citizenship characteristics, especially digital literacy, digital responsibility, and cybersecurity awareness. The effectiveness of service learning brings desirable personal character changes that are reflected in students' improved competency, attitudes, and skills in the digital world. Furthermore, this study provides insights to help reduce the impact of online fraud.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 111295 | Rethinking Economics Education Through Interactive and Student-Centred Learning Eva Muchová, Bratislava University of Economics and Business, Slovakia Peter Leško, Bratislava University of Economics and Business, Slovakia Introductory economics courses often represent a challenge for university students, as they require an understanding of abstract models, specialised terminology, and analytical reasoning. This paper examines how interactive and student-centred learning can make economics education more accessible, engaging, and practically relevant. It focuses on an open multimedia learning platform designed to support students in economics courses and to complement traditional university teaching. The platform provides structured explanations of key economic concepts, visual materials, case studies, and self-assessment activities. These elements help students prepare for classes, revise independently, and gradually develop economic and financial literacy. The paper compares the platform with selected digital learning resources used in economics education, with particular attention paid to its pedagogical concept, use in flipped and blended learning, and integration into traditional and hybrid teaching formats. The study also presents feedback from students and teachers. The results indicate that interactive and visual elements improve students’ understanding and retention of economic concepts, increase engagement, and strengthen the connection between economic theory and practical application. Teachers emphasise the platform’s usefulness for lesson preparation, seminar enrichment, and the effective integration of online resources into face-to-face instruction. The paper contributes to the discussion on how digital learning environments can be meaningfully integrated into economics education, not by replacing teachers, but by supporting their pedagogical work and enhancing student-centred learning. 111820 | Rethinking Academic Tutoring as an Institutional Strategy to Support Student Retention in Engineering Sabrina Vega-Maldonado, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico Mariela Bravo-Sanchez, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico Erick O. Cisneros-Lopez, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico Marco A. Perez-Cisneros, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico Amparo Gonzalez-Morales, Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas, Mexico In large engineering faculties, academic tutoring tends to exist on paper more than in practice. Tutors often lack clarity about what to do in a session, students rarely connect with their assigned tutor, and no shared referral protocol exists. This paper presents the design and implementation of the Integral Tutoring Model (MIT-CUCEI) at the Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías (CUCEI), University of Guadalajara, a faculty of over 17,000 students in engineering, mathematics, physics, computer science, and chemistry. MIT-CUCEI organises academic accompaniment into three stages: initial, intermediate, and exit, aligned with CUCEI's competency-based curricular profiles rather than enrolled semesters. This ensures students with significant academic lag receive support matched to their actual profile, not their cohort's. A triage classification system (standard/priority/urgent) helps tutors direct their attention where is most needed while keeping the workload manageable. The model integrates stage-specific diagnostic instruments; a three-level referral protocol that connects tutors to psychological, medical, and economic support services, with explicit student consent; peer tutoring for high-enrollment programs; and operation through the institution's existing Tutorial Management System, synchronised with the academic information system. Tutor training is embedded in an official faculty development program, so participation carries institutional recognition rather than feeling like an added burden. Implementation follows a four-phase roadmap, with a pilot in 2026B. This paper offers a replicable institutional design framework, grounded in educational leadership, competency alignment, and differentiated student support, that shifts tutoring from a formal requirement to a practice that actually improves student retention, timely graduation, and academic well-being. 112188 | Connecting Pre-Enrollment and First-Year Education to Support Learners’ Individuality Fumihiko Kanzaki, Yokohama College of Commerce, Japan This study examines how institutionalized first-year education can respond to learners’ individuality through the connection between preenrollment education and first-year curriculum design. In Japanese higher education, first-year education is often expected to support students’ transition to university, develop academic skills, and prevent early disengagement. However, when such programs become institutionalized, they may risk standardizing students’ learning experiences and overlooking the diverse narratives, uncertainties, and developmental trajectories that students bring with them. This study focuses on a first-year education program at a Japanese private university. It compares students’ pre-enrollment assignments and written reflections submitted during the first-year course, focusing on changes in the vocabulary and narratives used to describe university learning. The program connects pre-enrollment assignments with classes that emphasize inquiry, reflection, dialogue, and academic writing. The analysis indicates that many students gradually moved from general expectations of university study toward more reflective accounts of inquiry, dialogue, evidence-based thinking, and self-directed learning. At the same time, the findings suggest that students do not simply internalize institutional goals in a uniform way; rather, they reinterpret common educational language through their own experiences and concerns. This study argues that first-year education should not be understood only as a remedial or skill-based intervention, but as a design problem: how to create institutional conditions in which students can reconstruct their own learning narratives.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 112887 | Generative AI Use and Attitudes Toward Learning Science Among Thai University Students Suttida Rakkapao, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand Suraphap Muangkaew, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand Singha Prasitpong, Thaksin University, Thailand This study investigated Thai university students’ use of gen.AI for learning and its relationship to attitudes toward learning science. Participants were 1,491 first- and second-year students from science and non-science programs enrolled in a general education course in 2025. Students used gen.AI to answer a science question set, while completion time and scores were recorded through the university LMS. They also completed the Thai version of the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) using a five-point Likert scale. No significant difference was found in average CLASS scores between science (58.9 ± 16.1%) and non-science (55.7 ± 16.8%) groups. About 80% of participants used a novice-like approach to solving science problems by locating an equation that matched the given variables and substituting values. The three most frequent uses of gen.AI in learning contexts were information searching (98%), solving mathematical or science-related problems (66%), and language translation (64%). About 44% of students reported a 60% level of trust in the initial AI-provided answers, whereas 46% reported an 80% level of trust without further consideration. In addition, participants were equally classified into four groups based on completion time and score: fast-completion/high-score, slow-completion/high-score, fast-completion/low-score, and slowcompletion/low-score. It revealed that a slow-completion/high-score group had significantly higher CLASS scores in the effort/sense-making cluster. The fast-completion/low-score group showed the lowest percentage of students who used gen.AI to recheck their science solutions. These findings guide educators in designing instructional supports to promote critical evaluation of gen.AI use and sustained effort in science learning. 112994 | From Enrollment Survival to Regional Talent Circulation: Non-metropolitan Universities and STEM Talent Development in South Korea Hyunkyung Lee, Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning, South Korea Science and technology(S&T) talent is increasingly regarded as a foundation for national competitiveness and regional development. In South Korea, despite the rapid decline in the school-age population, the number of graduates in science and technology fields has continued to increase, reflecting strong government investment and a growing social preference for STEM fields. However, this national-level expansion masks a regional imbalance. The concentration of young people, universities, and high-quality jobs in the Seoul metropolitan area has made it difficult for non-metropolitan regions to attract and retain new science and technology talent. Even when such talent is trained outside the capital region, it does not necessarily remain in local labor markets. Approximately 46% of S&T graduates with a bachelor’s degree or higher from non-metropolitan universities are employed in the Seoul metropolitan area, indicating a significant outflow of regionally trained talent. In response to declining youth cohorts and graduate outmigration, many regional universities are turning to adult learners and international students to sustain enrollment. While this may support institutional survival, it does not automatically generate new science and technology workers for local industries. This study explores the gap between enrollment maintenance and regional talent circulation in South Korea’s nonmetropolitan universities. It argues that regional universities can become science and technology talent hubs only when student diversification is linked to local employment, industry needs, and settlement pathways. The challenge is not simply to produce more science and technology graduates, but to create regional pathways through which such talent can learn, work, and remain locally. 113967 | A Study of Using SDGs as Criteria for the Implementation of Multicultural Education Course Meiying Chien, National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a global framework for addressing social and environmental challenges through cross-sector collaboration. Higher education plays a critical role in fostering students’ understanding of the SDGs and preparing them to address complex global issues. This study examined the integration of SDGs into a university-level Multicultural Education course designed for pre-service elementary school teachers. The course employed the 5E instructional model and Project-Based Learning (PBL) to cultivate students’ critical thinking, multicultural competence, and capacity for social action. The study aimed to (1) enhance students’ understanding of SDG concepts and their ability to analyze social and global issues through the 5E instructional model; and (2) develop students’ ability to apply the SDGs as a framework for designing solutions to social and global challenges through PBL. Data were collected using questionnaires, classroom observations, student interviews, and analysis of student assignments. The main findings are: (1) Development of SDGs understanding and critical analysis: Students demonstrated a clear and logical approach in their assignments, effectively analyzing multicultural issues by examining their background, underlying causes, cultural contexts, and connections to the SDGs ; (2) Application of the SDGs to problem-solving: Students effectively applied the SDGs as an analytical and problem-solving framework for addressing social and global issues. The integration of the 5E instructional model and PBL promoted critical thinking and action-oriented learning, enabling preservice teachers to develop feasible solutions to real-world challenges.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session Knowledge Creation, Preservation & Access: Curation, Librarianship, Information & Archival Science 111398 | From Literacy Needs to Learning Opportunities: Establishing a Barangay Reading Center in Sulivan, Baliwag, Bulacan Charmaine Meimban, National University Philippines, Philippines The study assessed the community's information needs and supported the establishment of a Barangay Reading Center as a sustainable learning initiative. In line with Republic Act No. 7743, which mandates the establishment of libraries and barangay reading centers in the Philippines, the project was conducted in Barangay Sulivan, Municipality of Baliwag, Bulacan. The initiative seeks to promote access to information and contribute to the educational, intellectual, moral, and cultural development of the community. Using a descriptive survey, the study determined the demographic profile of residents and assessed their information needs, perceptions, and support for the proposed reading center. Findings showed community interest and identified priority information resources and services relevant to the community's needs. Guided by the result, the study led to the successful establishment of a reading center in Barangay Sulivan. The paper highlighted the importance of community needs assessment in translating national policy into practice that supports lifelong learning and community empowerment.

Language Development & Literacy 114002 | Adapting the Oral Tradition of Putri Cilinaya into an Ethnopedagogy-Based Children’s Storybook to Support Education for Sustainable Development Refisa Ananda, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Nunung Supratmi, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Murni Maulina, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Oral literature, as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage, faces increasing challenges amid the rapid growth of digital media and changing children's reading preferences. At the same time, local cultural values and the principles of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) have not yet been fully integrated into primary school learning materials. This study aimed to develop and evaluate an ethnopedagogybased children's picturebook adapted from the oral folklore Putri Cilinaya to support ESD in Indonesian primary schools. The study employed a Research and Development (R&D) approach guided by the ADDIE instructional design model, encompassing the stages of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The development process involved needs analysis, story adaptation, illustration design, expert validation, revision, teacher evaluation, and a small-scale trial with primary school students. Validation by subject-matter, media, and language experts indicated that the picturebook achieved a high level of validity in terms of content, language, design, and instructional quality. Teachers rated the picturebook as highly practical and appropriate for classroom implementation, while students demonstrated high readability, active engagement, and positive responses to both the narrative and visual illustrations. Qualitative findings further revealed that the picturebook effectively introduced local wisdom, strengthened cultural identity, encouraged appreciation for cultural heritage, and promoted an initial understanding of sustainability concepts through culturally contextualised storytelling. These findings suggest that adapting oral literature into an ethnopedagogy-based children's picturebook is an effective strategy for integrating cultural heritage preservation with ESD in primary education. The study contributes to the fields of literary adaptation, ethnopedagogy, and instructional material development by providing a research-based, culturally responsive educational resource.

Learning Experiences, Student Learning & Learner Diversity 111651 | Developmental Changes in Eye-Movement Patterns During Illustrated Texts Reading and Question Answering in Mathematics and Science Chao-Jung Wu, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Tian Qin, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Yu-Cin Jian, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan This study investigated developmental and discipline-specific differences in children’s processing of multimodal illustrated texts using a longitudinal eye-tracking design. A total of 184 students were followed from Grade 4 to Grade 5 as they read three mathematics and three science illustrated texts and completed multiple-choice questions. Eye movements were recorded during reading and question-answering phases. Proportional eye-tracking measures indexed picture use (dwell-time proportion in picture areas of interest) and text–picture integration (proportion of text–picture transitions). Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts for students nested within schools. Results showed that picture dwell proportion increased from Grade 4 to Grade 5, with gains most pronounced for mathematics texts and during reading, indicating discipline- and phase-dependent use of pictorial information. Text–picture transitions occurred mainly during reading and showed a significant Grade × Discipline × Phase interaction, suggesting domain-specific developmental trajectories of integration strategies. A comprehensive model predicting comprehension accuracy further controlled for overall visual engagement by including full-screen total fixation duration (TFD) in both phases. Only reading-phase TFD positively predicted accuracy, whereas strategyspecific eye-movement measures explained no additional unique variance. Science texts yielded higher accuracy than mathematics texts.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 111662 | Utilizing Feynman Technique in Teaching Energy and Momentum Markpoalo Cañada, St. Benedict Childhood Education Centre, Philippines This research explored the use of the Feynman Technique for students' conceptual understanding of Energy and Momentum in Physics. Three theories anchored this study: self-determination theory, constructivism, and direct instruction. The study is a response to challenges of physics education as follows: the concept is difficult to understand due to mathematical complexity, students lack preparation, limited problem-solving abilities, and students' perceptions of physics as being less appealing than other sciences (Bray & Williams, 2020; Nava & Camarao, 2017). A mixed-methods design was used, combining a quasi-experimental pretest/posttest with qualitative analysis. Forty-three Grade 9 students from a private school in Cebu City were the respondents. The control group received only classroom lectures, while the experimental group used the Feynman technique. In this way, students in the experimental group were required to simplify complex ideas, identify what they did not know about the subject matter, review their new learning, and then teach their Grade 6 "partner learner". The results indicated statistically significant increases in student performance in both treatment groups. However, the experimental group performed significantly better than the control group on the post-test, achieving above-average performance, whereas the control group achieved only average performance. Student feedback was collected, highlighting their learning styles and showing improvements in students' self-confidence, engagement, and sense of ownership over their learning. Findings suggest that schools could adopt more independent learning strategies, such as the Feynman Technique, and let students explore their learning styles and use them to meet their needs for self-regulated learning. 111902 | The Shallowing Effect in Print and Digital Reading: A 2019 vs 2024 Eye-Tracking Comparison Yu-Cin Jian, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Jia-Han Su, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Yi-Jye Wu, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan The rapid transition to digital learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered students' reading behaviors. This study explores how prolonged digital immersion affects cognitive processing and comprehension by comparing a pre-pandemic university cohort (2019, N = 186) with a post-pandemic cohort (2024, N = 154). Participants read an illustrated scientific text on one of three randomly assigned media: printed paper, a laptop, or a tablet. Reading mechanics were captured using wearable eye-trackers, and comprehension was evaluated across main idea extraction, inferencing, and detailed information retrieval. The findings highlight a profound behavioral shift. While both cohorts successfully extracted main ideas, the 2024 cohort exhibited a drastic decline in detailed information retrieval across all platforms (print, laptop, and tablet). This "levelling down" effect erased the specific medium advantage (laptop over tablet) previously observed in the 2019 cohort. Crucially, eye-tracking data revealed the mechanism driving this decline: post-pandemic students consistently employed a "scanning phenotype," marked by shorter fixation durations and larger saccades. This superficial scanning behavior even transferred to printed paper, indicating a "reverse permeation" of digital reading habits into traditional print environments. Furthermore, despite maintaining visual fixations on instructional graphics, the 2024 cohort failed to encode details effectively, revealing a disconnect between visual attention and cognitive retention. These results strongly support the Shallowing Hypothesis, demonstrating that while modern digital immersion supports gist extraction, it fundamentally undermines the deep cognitive processing required for detailed learning. 112262 | Active Learning Strategy for Educating Pathology Residents on Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology: A Peer-Assisted and SimulationBased Approach Shalinee Rao, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India Kranthi Kumar, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India Rajesh Kathrotia, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India Arvind Kumar, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India Neha Singh, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India Nilotpal Chowdhury, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India Fine-needle aspiration Cytology (FNAC) is a minimally invasive diagnostic tool, an Entrustable Professional Activity (EPA) for postgraduates in Pathology. Technical expertise is essential to limit non-diagnostic yield in FNAC. Presently, postgraduates learn from observing seniors/peers and subsequently perform on real patients.This study was conducted to evaluate effectiveness of structured training in the acquisition of knowledge and skills of FNAC delivered through active learning methods to Pathology postgraduates. Learning outcomes and study resource material on FNAC was shared for self-directed-learning (SDL) with 22 Pathology postgraduates one week before the training session. Students were assessed through MCQs before (for SDL) and after session completion through zig-saw method (for peer assisted learning). Second part of training included delivery of FNAC skills through Peyton’s 4-step approach using a simulator. Technical skill assessment on FNAC was done before and after the completion of skill training by Objectively structured practical examination (OSPE). Feedback was taken from participants using a pre-validated questionnaire. Post-test scores improved significantly as compared to pre-test scores in knowledge (19.59 ±0.97 vs 9.52 ±2.97, p<0.001) as well as on skill assessment (19.59 ±0.59 vs 13.11 ±1.26, p90% in OSPE in post-training assessment. Feedback of participants was satisfactory and encouraging. Simulation based learning facilitated postgraduates of Pathology to acquire competency in FNAC procedural skill. A structured training Program facilitated through active learning methods of Peer-assisted and Simulation-based learning is a promising strategy to successfully enable Pathology postgraduates with intellectual and psychomotor skills to perform FNAC.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 112273 | Potential of Moulage in Enhancing Immersive Learning: Perspective of Stakeholders Manisha Naithani, AIIMS Rishikesh, India Mridul Dhar, AIIMS Rishikesh, India Hemanth Kumar, AIIMS Rishikesh, India Rajesh Kathrotia, AIIMS Rishikesh, India Shalinee Rao, AIIMS Rishikesh, India Moulage is a tool to create realistic visual and tactile cues on a standardised patient or manikin, representing injuries, and other medical conditions. The objective of the study was to explore stakeholders' perspectives on potential of moulage in enhancement of immersive learning. A short interactive hands-on workshop of 19 participants on moulage was organised to familiarise stakeholders (teachers/ facilitators/tutors) with the fundamental skills to create realistic injury simulations and feedback was taken from all. The data collection tool was unlinked, anonymous 26 open-ended questionnaires, each marked on a 5-point Likert scale. The feedback yielded the underlying themes and subthemes of qualitative findings. The main themes capture overarching concepts of Improved Learning Outcomes, Pedagogical Value, Enhanced Immersion, and Practical Challenges. About 72%, of participants were very confident, 20% average confident, and 8% confident for incorporating moulage into their own teaching-learning (TL) setting. 92% definitely agreed, and 8% agreed that moulage session helped them to understand its feasibility in TL sessions. 58% strongly agreed, and 41% agreed on utilisation of moulage as a pedagogical tool. Stakeholders believed that enhanced Immersion is possible through the development of skill transfer and capacity building. Practical Challenges included facilitator training gaps and need for prior preparation and materials. Utilisation of moulage in simulated settings contributes to suspension disbelief and hence has the potential to enhance immersive learning. Integrating moulage into teaching and learning is an excellent untapped resource that can be utilised to enhance the learning experience, without harming patients. 113417 | Association of Chronotype, Sleep Hygiene, Sleep Quality, and Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Study in Medical Students Arun Goel, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Rishikesh, India Ashwini Mahadule, All india Institute of Medical Sciences Rishikesh, India Prashant M Patil, All india Institute of Medical Sciences Rishikesh, India Rajesh Kathrotia, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Rajkot, India Background: Chronotype, sleep hygiene, and sleep quality are interrelated determinants of sleep health and may influence academic performance. However, longitudinal evidence examining how these factors change together over an academic year and relate to academic achievement in medical students remains limited. Methods: A prospective longitudinal study was conducted among 59 first semester medical students who volunteered for the study. Chronotype (Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), sleep hygiene (Adolescent Sleep Hygiene Scale), and academic marks were assessed in October 2025 and February 2026. Changes over time and correlations among variables were analyzed. Results: Chronotype showed a small, non-significant shift toward eveningness (52.9 to 51.4; p = 0.38). Sleep quality worsened significantly (PSQI: 5.96 to 7.11; p = 0.021), while sleep hygiene showed a non-significant decline (ASHS: 4.5 to 4.36; p = 0.11). Academic marks decreased significantly (66.8% to 62.4%; p < 0.0001). Poorer sleep hygiene was associated with greater eveningness (October: r = 0.34, p = 0.008; February: r = 0.49, p = 0.001) and poorer sleep quality (October: r = 0.50, p < 0.001; February: r = 0.37, p = 0.006). However, multivariable analysis indicated that chronotype, sleep hygiene, and sleep quality were not independent predictors of academic performance(R2=0.04). Conclusion: Longitudinal changes revealed consistent associations of chronotype, sleep quality and sleep hygiene, whereas academic performance appeared to be influenced by factors beyond chronotype, sleep quality, and sleep hygiene in first semester medical students. 114050 | Learning to Report in the Social Media Age: A Community of Practice in an Indonesian Vocational School Press Club Soffya Ranti Mahmudah, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia Digital journalism in Indonesia faces serious challenges, from clickbait to weak verification and shallow coverage. These tendencies emerge even in the earliest spaces of journalistic learning: school press clubs. This paper examines how students develop research and news gathering competencies through a press club of ten to fifteen members at a vocational high school (SMK) in Surabaya, Indonesia, amid a shift toward social media and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Drawing on Wenger's Community of Practice (CoP) framework, the study uses a qualitative design informed by the researcher's positionality as an alumna. Data collection proceeds in two phases: weeks of participant observation across editorial meetings, reporting, and mentoring, already conducted, followed by interviews with members and senior mentors through October 2026. Data are analyzed thematically across Wenger's three dimensions. In the domain, members share a commitment to accurate, fact-based journalism. In the community, learning is sustained through distributed expertise: rather than one fixed expert, a supervising teacher, alumni mentors, and especially senior-junior mentoring guide newcomers, challenging the master-apprentice model. In practice, preliminary observations suggest two negotiated pressures, to be corroborated through interviews and published work: Instagram pushes coverage toward concise, visual formats that may reduce depth and verification, while AI edits and generates content. In response, seniors teach juniors to stay concise yet accurate and caution against over-reliance on AI. These patterns suggest distributed expertise and peer mentoring may help sustain journalistic standards as school journalism adapts to new technologies.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 114397 | From Gamified Strategy Learning to ESG Action: Developing Dynamic Capabilities in Business Management Education Shiu-Wan Hung, National Central University, Taiwan Jyun-Hao Jian, National Central University, Taiwan Business management education often struggles to bridge disciplinary knowledge and workplace practice, particularly during students’ final year of study. This study examines a year-long inquiry-based curriculum designed to cultivate dynamic capabilities through two sequential capstone courses: Strategic Management and Seminar on Strategic Management. The curriculum adopted the CCAC framework—Concept, Case, Analysis Framework, and Contingency—to connect gamified strategy learning with an ESG-focused industry project. In Strategic Management, students participated in scenario-based games and strategic decision-making activities designed to strengthen environmental sensing, problem identification, and strategic judgment. In Seminar on Strategic Management, students applied these capabilities to contemporary corporate ESG challenges by diagnosing problems, integrating stakeholder perspectives, proposing actionable strategies, and revising their solutions through expert and peer feedback. Questionnaire data were collected from 50 students in Strategic Management and 49 students in Seminar on Strategic Management. Learning outcomes were evaluated across four levels: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. Students reported positive learning experiences across all four evaluation levels in both courses. Strategic Management effectively supported engagement, learning, and strategic judgment, while Seminar on Strategic Management encouraged sustained participation and the practical application of knowledge to ESG-related business challenges. The project-based course also required greater weekly time investment, suggesting stronger and more continuous engagement in applying knowledge. No significant gender differences were found across any learning level. The findings suggest that sequencing gamified strategic learning with authentic ESG problem-solving can create a coherent capability-development pathway from sensing change and making judgments to implementing and refining strategic action. This curriculum design provides a practical model for strengthening the connection between management theory, experiential learning, and workplace readiness. 114413 | Learning Under Pressure: Taiwanese Students’ Challenges, Instructional Scaffolds, and Adaptive Strategies in Foundational EMI Courses Yun-Ru Li, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Chao-Tsung Chuang, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Yichia Hsieh, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Chi-Wei Jen, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Catherine Pei-Wern Chou, National Taiwan University, Taiwan English-medium instruction (EMI) can place additional linguistic and cognitive demands on students as they comprehend disciplinary content and participate in classroom activities. This study examined the challenges experienced by university students enrolled in foundational disciplinary EMI courses in Taiwan and how instructional scaffolds and students’ strategies helped them manage these challenges. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 31 Taiwanese undergraduate and graduate students from five foundational disciplinary courses during the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters. The interview data were analyzed thematically, with the analysis supported by reflexive discussions among the research team. The analysis identified three themes: (1) linguistic and cognitive challenges as sources of pressure in EMI, (2) instructional scaffolds as anchors for students’ learning processes, and (3) students’ learning strategies for adapting to EMI. Students experienced difficulties connecting English terminology with concepts previously learned in Mandarin and keeping pace with lectures. Brief explanations in Mandarin, flexible use of Mandarin and English, and instructor-provided materials facilitated students understand and revisit difficult content. Students also adapted by previewing course materials, reviewing lecture recordings, reorganizing notes, and using AI and online tools to clarify content they had not fully understood and organize what they had learned. Students experienced considerable pressure when learning disciplinary content through English. Instructional scaffolds functioned as anchors that helped them manage language-related demands and continue learning. The strategies students developed throughout EMI courses further enabled them to reorganize disciplinary knowledge and remain engaged in learning under pressure.

Mind, Brain & Psychology: Human Emotional & Cognitive Development & Outcomes within Educational Contexts 111442 | Socio-Academic Predictors of Peer Network Continuity: An 11-Year Longitudinal Group-Based Trajectory Analysis from Early Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood Francois Poulin, Université du Québec à Montreal, Canada The intensifying role of peer relationships constitutes a critical milestone during adolescence. While the qualitative features of friendships are well-documented (Bagwell & Schmidt, 2011), longitudinal patterns of friendship maintenance across school transitions remain underresearched. This study mapped the trajectories of year-to-year friendship retention from ages 12 to 22 and evaluated early behavioral and academic predictors of profile membership. The initial sample comprised 390 adolescents (58% female) followed annually across 11 years (81% retention). Students sociometrically nominated up to 10 close peers each year. Baseline predictors were operationalized at age 12 using validated instruments and school report cards. Dyadic stability metrics were computed iteratively across successive waves. To ensure statistical power, the analytic sample was restricted to students with data spanning at least five waves ((N = 315)). Group-based trajectory modeling (Nagin, 1999) identified a three-class solution: "low-increasing" (13%), "average-increasing" (67%), and "high-increasing-decreasing" (20%), which exhibited a developmental deceleration around age 20. Inter-group comparisons revealed critical educational insights: (1) Baseline social competence significantly predicted higher stability membership, indicating that socially proficient students navigate peer ecologies with greater relationship continuity. (2) Early academic achievement significantly predicted high-stability membership. This aligns with literature demonstrating that academic underachievement exacerbates school disengagement, whereas a stable school ecology reinforces peer network continuity (Witkow & Fuligni, 2010). (3) Student gender did not differentiate trajectory membership. (4) Collectively, while peer networks systematically crystallize as youth mature, substantial developmental heterogeneity characterizes this longitudinal process within educational pathways.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 111448 | From Stereotype to Connection: Effects of a PEACE-based Aging Education Intervention on Undergraduate Students Stephanie Fu Yang, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan Yung-Hsuan Tseng, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan Against the backdrop of global population aging, aging education has emerged as a global necessity, yet university students often hold anxieties and stereotypes about growing old. In drawing on the Positive Education about Aging and Contact Experience (PEACE) model and incorporating the concept of “future self-continuity,” this study designed a pedagogical intervention to enhance students' knowledge of aging, reduce aging anxiety, and strengthen the psychological connection between their present and future older selves. Employing a mixed-methods design with 118 undergraduate students, the quantitative component applied paired-samples t-tests to analyze pre- and post-test scores from the Facts of Aging Quiz Scale (FAQ) and the Anxiety about Aging Scale (AAS), while the qualitative component evaluated instructional effectiveness through reflection sheets. Results indicated that students' knowledge of aging increased significantly (t = 6.44, p < .001), and negative attitudinal bias toward older adults, though remaining slightly negative overall, improved significantly (t = 8.73, p < .001). Over 80% of the participants agreed that the course enabled them to view aging from multiple dimensions. Qualitative findings revealed that real-world interaction with older adults broke down communication barriers and enhanced empathy, while witnessing older adults' ability to adapt and evolve with the times substantially reduced preexisting stereotypes. The diverse pedagogical strategies successfully guided students to establish a profound connection with their future selves, emphasizing the critical importance of aging education in fostering an equitable and inclusive age-friendly society. 111564 | Explainable Machine Learning in Psychiatric Education: A Study on the Niacin Flush Pathway and Schizophrenia Risk Sheng-Hsiang Lin, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan Chih-Wei Lin, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan Huai-Hsuan Tseng, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan Chih-Chun Huang, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taiwan Wan-Lin Cheng, Chi Mei Medical Center, Taiwan Explainable machine learning (EML) is increasingly incorporated into psychiatric education to improve understanding of biomarker-based clinical reasoning and AI-assisted decision making. Niacin flush responses reflect abnormalities in phospholipid and arachidonic acid– prostaglandin pathways implicated in schizophrenia. This study explored the educational application of EML models using niacin flush pathway biomarkers to distinguish early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) from adult-onset schizophrenia (AOS). A total of 267 patients with schizophrenia (EOS: 66; AOS: 201) were included. Thirteen niacin flush–related biomarkers were analyzed using logistic regression, random forest, support vector machine, and XGBoost algorithms. Blood samples were analyzed by flow cytometry for GPR109A and DP1 expression, while ELISA quantified prostaglandins and their receptors. Model performance was evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and decision curve analysis. SHAP values identified influential predictors, and Partial Dependence Plots (PDP) visualized interactions to support explainable model behavior. Among the biomarkers, TP, EP2, and FP demonstrated the highest discriminative ability. Combined models achieved AUC values ranging from 0.70 to 0.80 across different algorithms. SHAP analysis consistently identified TP, EP2, and FP as the strongest contributors to classification. PDP analysis demonstrated significant interactions between FP and EP2, as well as between FP and TP, providing visual representations of predictor relationships. Decision curve analysis further showed that the XGBoost model yielded the greatest clinical utility for differentiating EOS from AOS. EML models based on niacin flush pathway biomarkers may provide a practical educational framework for teaching precision psychiatry and AI-assisted clinical reasoning. 111732 | The Development of Cool/Hot Flanker Task Chieh-Yi Chen, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Pei-Zhen Chen, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Hsueh-Chih Chen, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Executive function(EF) is a goal-directed ability, which is based the composition of inhibition, updating, and switching. According to previous researches, teenagers’ inhibition ability is highly relevant to their academic performances and behavioral problems, highlighting the importance of inhibitory control during developmental stages. This study aimed to developed the “Cool/Hot Flanker Task” based on the flanker task, which assesses individuals’ interference inhibition ability. In addition to the conventional cool EF condition, this study designed emotional contexts to examine participants’ hot EF. This design aimed to clarify the commonalities and differences between cool and hot executive functions in cognitive behavior, thereby overcoming the limitation of current EF assessments that primarily focus on either cool or hot executive function alone. Results: Results shows either cool or hot condition show classic Flanker effect, with strong internal correlation. On emotion effect analysis, this study found out that there is an interaction effect of emotion among congruent and incongruent conditions, result shows that positive emotion stimulus modulate individuals’ reaction times under interference conditions. Overall, this study developed a preliminary validation of the Cool/Hot Flanker Task for measuring interference inhibition, and demonstrates a certain degree of feasibility and stability. With this assessment tool development, educators could enhance the efficiency of understanding the cool and hot inhibition ability of students, which enable customizing intervention training for individual students to improve their cognitive function.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 114251 | Brief Mindfulness Training Reduces Cognitive Rigidity in Problem-Solving: Implications for Education Lea Lachaud, University of Paris-Est Créteil, France Jérémy Louis, French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, France Mindfulness practice trains the self-regulation of attention and is increasingly associated with cognitive flexibility, a skill recognised as central to learning, creative problem-solving, and adaptive teaching practice. In psychology, the Einstellung effect illustrates mental rigidity: individuals — including learners and educators — tend to automatically apply familiar strategies even when more efficient alternatives are available, a pattern that can constrain classroom problem-solving and limit pedagogical innovation. This rigidity can be measured using the Water-Jar Task (WJT). Prior studies show that experienced meditators are less susceptible to this effect, suggesting reduced mental rigidity. Building on this literature, we investigated whether even a brief mindfulness intervention (10 minutes) could reduce cognitive rigidity, with potential implications for both students' learning flexibility and teachers' pedagogical creativity. We replicated the WJT protocol used by Greenberg et al. with 62 participants, assigned either to a brief mindfulness training group or to a control group who listened to a podcast on meditation just before the task. We hypothesised that the mindfulness group would show a lower cognitive rigidity score than controls. Results confirmed that both brief mindfulness training and trait mindfulness reduced cognitive rigidity on the WJT. These findings suggest that even short mindfulness exercises can help de-automate routine cognitive strategies, opening space for more flexible, creative thinking. We discuss implications for integrating brief mindfulness practices into educational settings — as a tool to support students' problem-solving flexibility, and as a professional development resource for teachers seeking to diversify their pedagogical approaches. 114379 | Effects of Audio Degradation on Interpersonal Impressions of Speakers in Recorded Videos: Implications for Online Education Mayuka Hayashi, Japan Women's University, Japan Ayaka Matsukaze, Japan Women's University, Japan Waka Fujisaki, Japan Women's University, Japan Recorded videos are widely used in educational contexts, particularly in on-demand learning, where learners form impressions of speakers through audiovisual information. Audio quality may be affected by compression, reverberation, interruptions, and noise, potentially influencing not only comprehensibility but also interpersonal impressions of the speaker. This study examined how different types of audio degradation simulating those that may occur in online communication affect viewers’ impressions of a speaker. One hundred participants viewed videos of the same speaker under six audio conditions: unprocessed audio, compression optimized for internet streaming, compression simulating transceiver audio, reverberation simulating a large hall, periodic brief silences, and periodic white noise. After each video, participants rated eight dimensions on seven-point scales: friendliness, warmth, engagingness, trustworthiness, naturalness, clarity of explanation, the feeling of being directly addressed, and comfort as a videoconferencing experience. Audio conditions significantly affected all eight measures. Periodic white noise produced particularly negative evaluations of warmth, trustworthiness, clarity, and comfort, whereas internet-streaming compression received ratings comparable to unprocessed audio on most measures. Engagingness showed a different pattern: ratings were generally moderate with few differences among conditions, although the large-hall reverberation condition was rated as more engaging. These findings indicate that different forms of audio degradation have distinct effects on interpersonal perceptions, with intermittent noise affecting not only clarity and comfort but also social impressions such as warmth and trustworthiness. The findings provide psychological insights into how auditory quality shapes person perception in recorded educational contexts.

Nurturing Creativity & Innovation: New, Innovative & Radical Education 107631 | Exploring Preschool Teachers’ Use of Generative AI in Singapore: Preliminary Findings from an Exploratory Study Jason Gan, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore Hui Wen Chin, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore The increasing accessibility of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini has accelerated their uptake across educational contexts. While there is growing interest in the use of GenAI in schools and higher education, less is known about how these tools are being used by early childhood educators, particularly in preschool settings. In Singapore, findings from the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024 indicate that teachers are among global leaders in the use of AI for education; however, research examining how generative AI is taken up by preschool teachers remains limited. This exploratory study examines how in-service preschool teachers in Singapore are using GenAI in their professional work. Data are being collected through an anonymous open-ended questionnaire distributed online to preschool teachers. The study seeks to identify the types of generative AI tools used, the ways these tools are integrated into daily professional practices, and the motivations underlying their use. Questionnaire responses are collated, cleaned, and analysed using thematic analysis to identify patterns across teachers’ reported practices and reasoning. Preliminary analysis suggests that preschool teachers are primarily using generative AI to support lesson planning, idea generation, and administrative tasks. Early findings indicate that teachers tend to adopt these tools pragmatically, often to manage workload and enhance efficiency. Overall, this study contributes early insights into how and why preschool teachers engage with GenAI, and highlights considerations for future professional development and policy discussions related to the responsible and meaningful integration of AI in early childhood education.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session Primary & Secondary Education 109516 | Self-regulated Learning and Motivation for Cooperative Learning Among Japanese Elementary School Children Ryo Okada, Kagawa University, Japan Research has suggested that peer interaction plays an important role in the development of self-regulated learning (SRL). Through peer interaction in cooperative learning contexts, children can acquire SRL strategies and co-regulate their learning processes with peers. However, the positive effects of peer interaction are contingent on active engagement with peers. Therefore, motivation for cooperative learning is expected to influence the development of SRL. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of motivation for cooperative learning on changes in SRL strategies among Japanese elementary school children. A total of 260 third- to sixth-grade children participated in a questionnaire study with four measurement occasions over the course of one year. Their use of SRL strategies increased across the year, particularly among younger students. Beyond this overall trend, multilevel modeling analyses indicated that motivation for cooperative learning was related to changes in SRL strategies in two ways. First, the initial level of motivation was associated with the average level of SRL strategy use. Furthermore, within-person deviations from baseline motivation were associated with changes in SRL strategies over time. These results suggest that motivation for cooperative learning influences the development of SRL strategies. Educators should attend to children’s motivation to engage actively with peers in order to support their SRL development. 110546 | Self-regulated Learning and Language Learning Strategies Among Secondary School Students: A Structural Model of Their Relationships with English Language Achievement Julie Junaštíková, Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Czech Republic Self-regulated learning is commonly defined as an individual’s ability to actively manage their own learning process, including the selection and use of appropriate learning strategies. These strategies represent a key mechanism linking the determinants of self-regulated learning to academic performance. The aim of this study is to examine a structural model of relationships among the determinants of self-regulated learning, English language learning strategies, and secondary school students’ achievement in an English language test. The research sample consisted of 1 307 secondary school students. Data were collected using the DAUS questionnaire, a modified version of SILL-CZ, and a researcher-developed didactic test for secondary school students. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for data analysis. The results of the structural model indicated that active language use strategies play a key role in linking self-regulated learning to performance, exhibiting the strongest direct positive effect on test outcomes. In contrast, learning management strategies showed a negative direct relationship with performance, suggesting that managing the learning process alone may not lead to improved outcomes unless accompanied by active language use. The model further revealed that learning strategies function as mediators between the determinants of self-regulated learning and performance, with the effects of motivational beliefs and metacognitive strategies operating primarily through active language use strategies. 111449 | Feasibility of Digital Health Education Materials on the Taiwan Adaptive Learning Platform (TALP) Among Middle School Students Yen-Jung Chang, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Pei-Tzu Chiu, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Hung-Ju Chen, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan The Taiwan Adaptive Learning Platform (TALP), developed by the Ministry of Education, supports individualized learning through adaptive instruction and diagnostic mechanisms. Recently, health education content has been integrated into TALP beyond core academic subjects. As health education is relatively new to the platform, this study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of TALP health education materials by examining students’ perceived learning effectiveness, learning motivation, and perceived difficulty. The TALP digital health education materials were developed based on curriculum knowledge nodes, with learning videos and assessment items created accordingly. In class, TALP was used to support teacher instruction through instructional media and practice exercises. Students were also encouraged to review videos and complete assessments after class to reinforce learning. To evaluate the feasibility of these health education materials, the study recruited 146 middle school students. After classroom implementation of selected instructional videos, participants completed a questionnaire assessing perceived learning effectiveness, learning motivation, and perceived difficulty using a 5-point Likert scale. Results showed generally positive perceptions of learning effectiveness after using the TALP health education materials (M = 3.82). Media-assisted understanding received the highest score (M = 3.99), suggesting that instructional videos effectively supported students’ comprehension. Teacher-guided learning also scored highly (M = 3.97), indicating the continued importance of teacher instruction. Participants showed moderate self-directed learning (M = 3.49) and reported relatively low perceived difficulty (M = 2.52). Overall, the findings provide preliminary evidence for the feasibility of the TALP module in school-based health education and its potential to promote self-directed learning.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 114159 | Elementary School Teachers’ Images of Climate Change: An Exploratory Study by Academic Background in Taiwan Je-Yan Tsai, National Chiayi University, Taiwan Shu-Sheng Lin, National Chiayi University, Taiwan This study provides a preliminary exploration of Taiwanese elementary school teachers' images of climate change and the influence of their academic backgrounds. Participants expressed their internal thoughts through drawings, enabling researchers to examine their cognitive and affective responses to climate change and compare differences across academic backgrounds. Data were collected using a researcherdeveloped questionnaire administered to 20 in-service elementary school teachers in the Chiayi area of Taiwan (10 science majors and 10 non-science majors). Image analysis showed that the most common image categories were the natural environment (90%), climate disasters (85%), and weather elements (80%). Overall, 95% of participants displayed predominantly negative affective responses, mainly reflected in disasters and emotions such as despair and fear. Science-major teachers more frequently included weather elements (100%) and climate disasters (90%), whereas non-science-major teachers more frequently depicted the natural environment (100%) and flora and fauna (90%). Notably, only non-science-major teachers included climate action elements, such as the Paris Agreement and carbon footprint labels, in their drawings. These findings highlight the influence of academic background on teachers' climate change images and provide implications for teacher education. 114180 | Students’ Images of Energy Among Upper Elementary School Students in Taiwan: An Exploratory Study Wan-Yu Tsai, National Chiayi University, Taiwan Shu-Sheng Lin, National Chiayi University, Taiwan In science education, students' images provide an important means of investigating their scientific cognition and affective attitudes. For elementary school students, energy is an abstract concept, and drawings offer an effective way to explore their images of energy beyond the limitations of traditional paper-and-pencil assessments. In addition, examining gender differences in students' images of energy can provide insights into how boys and girls differ in their understanding of and attention to energy-related concepts, thereby informing the design and instruction of energy education at the elementary level. This study investigated the images of energy held by upper elementary school students in Taiwan and explored gender differences in these images. Data were collected through a drawing-based survey using a researcherdeveloped Energy Image Questionnaire. The participants were 34 upper elementary school students (15 boys and 19 girls) from Chiayi, Taiwan. Analysis of the drawings indicated that representations of wind energy (73.53%), solar energy (50.00%), and hydropower (26.47%) appeared most frequently among the energy-related elements. Regarding affective representations, 52.94% of the students expressed positive attitudes toward wind energy, primarily through smiling facial expressions and written words or phrases such as “environmental protection” and “protect the Earth”. Gender differences were also observed. Girls more frequently depicted energy facilities such as solar panels and wind turbines, whereas boys more often illustrated everyday energy-use situations involving light bulbs and electrical appliances. In addition, nuclear energy-related elements appeared only in the drawings produced by boys.

Professional Training, Development & Concerns in Education 109517 | Active Growing into Partnership: An Analysis of Developmental Outcomes in Undergraduate Teaching Assistants Esther Wai Lynne Goh, National University of Singapore, Singapore Lionel Cheng Liang Lim, National University of Singapore, Singapore Li Neng Lee, National University of Singapore, Singapore This exploratory qualitative study examines how undergraduate Teaching Assistants (TAs) in the National University of Singapore’s Undergraduate Teaching Opportunities Programme (UTOP) experience developmental outcomes associated with Students-as-Partners (SaP) practices. While Universities often have student teaching programmes as a developmental opportunity, more can be done to empirically understand the experiences of TAs occupying hybrid student–staff roles, as well as their actual growth outcomes. Guided by the synthesis of partnership outcomes by Mercer-Mapstone et al. (2017), this study utilized directed qualitative content analysis to examine reflective writings from 18 participants across an academic semester. Findings from the pilot dataset identified 11 positive outcome categories, in which improved learning outside of their discipline was the most prominent outcome, which includes learning in the fields of pedagogy, research and other critical skills. Other outcomes were also found, most notably the increased understanding of the “other’s” experience, increased self-efficacy, and improved discipline learning. Conversely, 5 negative categories were also identified, most notably a lack of improvement or challenge in desired areas and inhibited relationships between the TA and other students. By developing and validating a context-sensitive outcome codebook, this research extends partnership theory into institutional assistantship contexts where power and identity are uniquely configured. Ultimately, the study provides a methodological resource for future research on student partnership, educational work roles, and professional identity formation in higher education, while offering insights to improve the design of student-teaching programmes as a developmental opportunity.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 110918 | An Exploratory Analysis of an Educator Professional Development Microcredentialing Program Amanda Taggart, Utah State University, United States Daron Kennett, Davis School District, United States Digital credentials, such as digital badges and microcredentials, are a way to recognize and represent educators’ self-directed professional learning, positively affect practice, and potentially change the K-12 professional learning landscape. A microcredential verifies that an educator has successfully demonstrated competency with a specific skill, concept, or instructional tool and is awarded upon submission of evidence meeting a predetermined set of rubric criteria. It is used to advance ongoing professional development among educators and can be personalized to educators’ needs and interests in relation to their own teaching contexts. This two-stage, mixed methods study examined the characteristics of 1,801 educators who participated in a microcredentialing program in one U.S. state, as well as the specific professional learning microcredentials for which they studied. Findings showed that the age of an educator and the rurality and socioeconomic status of the schools where teachers worked were significant factors in their participation in the microcredential program. In addition, the microcredentials with the highest rates of educator participation were those related to teaching technology. The results of this study can be used at a number of levels to increase the effectiveness of public education in supporting student outcomes. At the local level, the findings can be used to guide the ongoing development of the microcredentials platform, ecosystem (microcredential catalog), and user support systems. At the national and international levels, these findings can be used to inform the development of and support for a range of digital credentialing systems both in and out of public education. 111228 | The Effectiveness and Learning Experiences of an AI Virtual Patient System as Self-Learning Material for Nursing Students’ HistoryTaking Competency Mei-Ling Wu, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Background: History-taking is a core nursing competency, yet undergraduate students have limited opportunities to practice this communication-intensive skill in realistic settings. Generative AI (GenAI) and mobile augmented reality (MAR) offer a promising approach to address this gap. Aim: This study examined the effectiveness of a GenAI-supported MAR virtual patient system for nursing students' history-taking competency, and explored students' technology acceptance and learning experiences. Design: Quasi-experimental. Methods: Third-year undergraduate nursing students were allocated to an experimental group (n = 210), using the MAR system for self-directed practice, or a control group (n = 210), using online instructional videos. History-taking competency was assessed via an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Technology acceptance was measured using a 13-item questionnaire, and qualitative data from 14 interviews were analyzed thematically. Results: The experimental group achieved significantly higher OSCE scores than the control group (24.62 vs. 23.04, p < 0.001). Students reported favorable perceived usefulness (mean = 4.96) and perceived ease of use (mean = 4.65). Five themes emerged: perceived utility and learning benefits, system usability and technical performance, desire for formative feedback, comparison with humanbased practice, and attitudes toward future use. Conclusion: A GenAI-supported MAR virtual patient system can effectively supplement traditional nursing education for history-taking training. Students valued the system as an accessible practice tool, while emphasizing it as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, human-based learning.

Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice & Praxis 110147 | Bridging Conceptual Gaps in O Level Physics Through Active Learning and Differentiated Instruction Bisma Nadeem, The City School Gujrat, Pakistan Developing conceptual understanding in physics can be challenging for O Level students, particularly in mixed ability classrooms where learners vary in confidence, engagement, and prior knowledge. This classroom based action research study explores how the integration of active learning strategies and differentiated instruction can support students’ understanding of abstract physics concepts in the Pakistani context. Conducted over one academic term, the study involved approximately 40 students across three O Level physics classes, each covering different stages of the syllabus. Data were collected through classroom observations, formative assessment records, teacher reflections, and a comparative analysis of mid year and end of term examination results. Pedagogical interventions included real life examples, structured questioning, guided discussions, collaborative problem solving, and inquiry based activities designed to support conceptual development and engagement. Differentiation was implemented through scaffolding of explanations, variation in questioning depth, adjusted pacing of instruction, and structured teacher support during problem solving tasks. Evaluation of formative and summative data indicated an overall upward shift in student achievement, with many learners progressing from lower grade bands (D/E) in mid year examinations to higher performance bands (C and B) in end of term assessments across the three classes. Observations also showed increased participation, greater willingness to engage with complex physics ideas, and improved confidence in scientific reasoning. The findings suggest that combining active learning with differentiated instructional strategies can reduce conceptual barriers while promoting engagement and learner confidence. This study highlights the practical value of adaptable, student centred teaching approaches in secondary science education.

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15:45-16:45 | Hall B5 Foyer (5F)

Saturday Poster Session 110979 | School Climate and Teachers’ Organisational Commitment in South Africa High Schools Segun Emmanuel Adewoye, University of South Africa, South Africa Previous research on teachers’ organizational commitment has yet to focus on school climate and on what robs high school teachers’ commitment or strengthens it. It is necessary to understand the specific school climate dimensional factors that are positively associated with high school teachers' organizational commitment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore teachers’ experiences of school climate and their commitment to teaching as a profession. A phenomenological research design was adopted using a qualitative research approach. A non-random purposive and convenient sampling technique was used to identify 30 high school teachers aged 30 to 40. Data was collected using semi-structured individual interviews, which were also audio-recorded. Following the recordings, the interviews were transcribed. The data was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Findings from this study indicated that collegial leadership styles, teachers’ self-identity, organizational culture, and perceived job security are the school climate factors that predict organizational commitment among South African high school teachers. This implies that teachers' levels of organizational commitment are significantly shaped by their work environment. Therefore, the goal of educational institutions should be to establish a cooperative, respectful, and encouraging work atmosphere that values teachers' contributions to enhance teachers’ organizational commitment. 111646 | From Students to Co-Creators: Embedding Partnership in Business Education Evelyn Lai, University of New South Wales, Australia This poster showcases new initiatives developed and implemented through a student-led program in core Business courses at a Group of Eight (Go8) university in Australia. These initiatives were developed through student–academic partnership, with students acting as cocreators in curriculum design, learning resources, and peer-led guidance. The initiatives represent a shift away from traditional top-down models of instruction and student support towards a model of shared responsibility. The program encouraged students and academics to work collaboratively in shaping aspects of the learning experience. The poster illustrates the proposals and initiatives introduced through “Students as Partners” and consider how these approaches can be adapted across face-to-face and blended learning environments. It also discusses practical considerations for implementation, including the importance of clearly defined roles, expectations, and goals, to support sustainable implementation in practice. Although existing literature often highlights benefits such as increased engagement and self-efficacy, findings remain uneven across contexts. Research from Asian settings is still relatively limited and frequently framed through Western educational perspectives. This poster therefore takes a more practice-focused approach, inviting discussion on gains and challenges during implementation, including issues of role clarity, power dynamics, and constraints in translating student initiatives into teaching practice or curriculum. The poster also presents findings from end-of-term evaluations informed by student feedback and related data, showing how these findings shaped refinements in subsequent teaching periods. By sharing both successes and challenges, the poster aims to offer practical insights for educators seeking to embed student partnership meaningfully within their courses. 112272 | Mapping Practicum Trajectories: A Qualitative Analysis of Pre-Service Teachers’ Pedagogical Growth Through Collaborative Mentoring Hoi Yan Lau, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong Wing Yee Ho, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong Research found that practicum challenges faced by pre-service teachers compromise both instructional quality and child learning outcomes. This qualitative case study examined the experiential practicum trajectories of pre-service teachers, tracking their professional development in translating theory into practice within collaborative mentoring contexts in early childhood education settings. Data were collected via postpracticum semi-structured group interviews with 16 purposively selected participants (11 pre-service teachers and five experienced field supervisors). Utilizing Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis framework, iterative coding yielded 232 pedagogical statements. Findings from mentor-mentee reflective dialogues delineated two critical stages of the pre-service teachers' professional trajectory. First, during instructional design, pre-service teachers exhibited cognitive blind spots, including macro-level objective abstraction, cross-domain confusion, and a technology-integration bias that marginalized tactile manipulatives. Second, upon entering early childhood institutes, they experienced operational vulnerabilities regarding temporal pacing and instructional momentum. Compounded by immediate cognitive overload and evaluation anxiety, pre-service teachers frequently defaulted to rigid, script-recital compliance and defensive physical containment rather than facilitating authentic, child-centered exploration. Consequently, overcoming pedagogical rigidity requires a synchronized, dual-track supervisory infrastructure bridging university-clinical deconstruction with school-based ecological routines. Crucially, this inquiry establishes a comprehensive Design-Implementation-Reflection-Growth continuum. By conceptualizing the mechanics of collaborative mentoring, this study provides insights for reforming teacher education curricula and optimizing teacher preparation frameworks within global early childhood education contexts.

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Saturday Poster Session 112361 | Reimagining AI Optimization: A Reverse-Cognitive Pedagogy for Cultivating Preservice Teachers’ AI-TPACK Through SDG 12 Mathematical Modeling Che-Yu Hsu, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taiwan Chih-Yun Hsu, Kang Chiao International School, Taiwan Jie-Wen Tsai, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Addressing the critical concerns highlighted in the case university’s AI Accountability Report regarding student cognitive laziness and carboncopy reliance on generative AI, this study introduces an innovative "Reverse-Cognitive Pedagogy for Mathematics" (RCP-Math) within a teacher education curriculum to cultivate preservice teachers’ AI-TPACK proficiency. By integrating secondary school algebra and geometry with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), this pedagogy fundamentally subverts traditional linear AI instruction. It repositions Generative AI from an authoritative answer generator into a flawed, tool-rational algorithmic adversary. The RCP-Math framework comprises three core critical stages: 1. Black-Box Decoupling: Students reverse-engineer mathematically optimized yet socially absurd AI outputs, such as a "spherical packaging tyranny" derived from geometric surface area minimization that completely neglects human ergonomics and usability. 2. Boundary-Setting: Students practice "human parameterization", translating user dignity and utilitarian needs into systems of linear inequalities to actively redraw and constrain the AI’s geometric optimization trajectories. 3. Socratic Friction: Preservice teachers deliberately embed an algebraic "Trojan Horse" of socio-economic class discrimination within AI green-logistics pricing equations, forcing secondary students into intense cognitive friction regarding algorithmic accountability and equity. Implemented via a no-code framework, this approach bypasses programming barriers, focusing strictly on "prompting as a pedagogical tool." This study demonstrates that AI-driven mathematics education should transcend passive technological dependency. Instead, it empowers future teachers to design high-density cognitive conflicts, guiding secondary students to weaponize algebraic and geometric modeling to defend human values, social equity, and sustainable justice against the de-humanizing effects of cold-blooded optimization algorithms. 112832 | Hitchhiker’s Guide for Technology-Enhanced Clinical Experiences of Preservice Teachers: A Systematic Review Linda Oshita, University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States Shawna Ortogero, University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States Grossman et al.’s (2009) adapted framework for teaching includes four pedagogies central to teaching preservice teachers effective practices: (1) representation: modeling effective practices, (2) decomposition: breaking teaching into manageable components, (3) approximation: deliberate practice in controlled settings, and (4) mentoring: providing guidance and support. Effective clinical experiences should incorporate these four pedagogies to prepare preservice teachers for the complexities of teaching. Technology can be utilized to enhance clinical experiences. However, given their different features, some are better suited to different purposes and audiences. It is important to understand the features of different technological approaches and select those best suited to the intended instructional purposes. This systematic review identified seven technological approaches that can be used to enhance preservice teachers’ clinical experiences and support skill development: (1) virtual teaching practice, (2) remote video observations of experienced teachers, (3) simulations, (4) virtual classroom tours, (5) eCoaching with video based reflection, (6) prerecorded videos of preservice teachers’ lessons, and (7) a hybrid approach. Among the approaches identified, remote video observations and virtual teaching practice demonstrated the greatest capacity to enact all of Grossman et al.’s adapted teaching elements. Participants will learn: (1) the technological approaches in this review, (2) their alignment with Grossman’s (2009) adapted framework, (3) the benefits and drawbacks of each, and (4) recommendations for strategies to mitigate drawbacks in supporting the development of preservice teachers’ teaching skills. A decision matrix is also offered to assist programs in selecting these identified technologies based on their institutional capacity.

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Notes

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Sunday, November 15 12:55-14:35 | Onsite Parallel Session 1 15:05-16:45 | Onsite Parallel Session 2 17:00-18:40 | Onsite Parallel Session 3 All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) Abstracts appear as originally submitted by the author. Any spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors are those of the author.

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12:55-14:35 | G401 (4F)

Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Assessment Theories and Methodologies Session Chair: Phillip Rowles 12:55-13:20 112002 | Clock Skew Learners: Rethinking Methodology as the Missing Link Between Assessment, Equity, and AI Patricia Silva, Lamar University, United States Education does not lack methodologies; it lacks a way to know when a methodology functions as access, development, or a barrier for specific learners. This presentation introduces Clock Skew Learners, a conceptual framework that rethinks teaching methodologies as pedagogical routes connected to assessment, equity, attention, and AI-supported evidence. It asks how teachers can use longitudinal evidence to decide which route gives a student access to learning now and which route should strengthen weaker cognitive, expressive, social, or academic pathways over time. The framework focuses on two overlooked profiles: the behaviorally disruptive learner, who may demonstrate strong cognitive abilities, and the quiet, compliant learner, who may be silently disconnected. The model proposes an AIsupported portfolio that organizes student artifacts, compares immediate and delayed performance, and tracks retention, time on task, expression modes, teacher observations, and patterns of methodological fit. Rather than diagnosing students or replacing teacher judgment, the goal is to qualify methodological adequacy and support human-centered decisions. Building from human-centered design and attention research (Norman, 2013; Mark, 2023), Clock Skew Learners shifts assessment from “Did the student pass?” to “Which route made learning accessible, sustainable, and transferable?”

13:20-13:45 114294 | Beyond Financial Literacy: A Transferable Grammar of Fiscal Cognition for Judgment in AI-Mediated Information Environments Jim Yongzhi Huang, University of Toronto, Canada Contemporary learners do not suffer primarily from a shortage of financial information. They face a more fundamental educational problem: how to transform abundant, conflicting, repetitive, and AI-mediated information into structured and revisable judgment. Conventional financial literacy teaches concepts, products, and risk-return relationships, but it does not adequately explain how learners should determine which claims deserve attention, how evidence should be verified and weighted, or when an apparently persuasive conclusion should be withheld or revised. This paper develops Fiscal Cognition as a transferable grammar of judgment rather than another body of financial knowledge. Fiscal cognition trains learners to identify how claims are produced, distinguish repetition from independent support, locate evidence within temporal and institutional conditions, compare competing interpretations, assign provisional weight, preserve uncertainty, and revise conclusions as circumstances change. Recent volatility in South Korea’s highly digitalized retail-investment environment provides an illustrative educational context in which technological narratives, platform amplification, generative AI, leverage, and rapidly changing expectations make the consequences of weak cognitive conversion especially visible. The framework is not limited to financial markets. Like a grammar, it is designed for transfer across AI-generated outputs, public-policy claims, news, academic research, and other information-intensive settings. The paper argues that fiscal education should move beyond the transmission of financial knowledge toward the cultivation of transferable cognitive capacities for organizing information, evaluating evidence, governing confidence, and revising judgment across domains.

13:45-14:10 112236 | Verification Literacy in the Age of Generative AI: A CHAT-ACTS-Informed Framework for Higher Education Michael Pin-Chuan Lin, Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada Daniel Chang, Athabasca University, Canada Jing-Yuan Huang, Simon Fraser University, Canada Marco Ho, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Canada Jeeho Ryoo, Fairleigh Dickinson University, United States Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has made it harder for instructors to infer learning from polished coursework alone. In higher education, students can now produce fluent essays, explanations, lesson plans, and code with AI assistance, yet those products may conceal substantial differences in verification, revision, and disciplinary judgment. This conceptual paper proposes verification literacy as a pedagogical and assessment framework for GenAI-supported learning. Using CHAT-ACTS as a theoretical lens, the paper positions verification literacy at the intersection of chatbot support, active learning, and self-regulated learning. It defines verification literacy as learners’ capacity to check the accuracy of AI outputs, compare alternatives against disciplinary criteria, justify acceptance or rejection of AI suggestions, and reflect on strategy use across a task. The framework shifts attention from whether students used AI to what forms of learner judgment become visible during AI-supported activity. Three design principles are proposed: make verification processes visible, design tasks around comparison and justification, and align assessment with reflection, revision, and strategic AI use. These principles can be operationalized through verification notes, annotated AI outputs, comparison memos, revision rationales, and brief oral explanations. The paper argues that final products remain important disciplinary performances, but they should be interpreted alongside process-based evidence that reveals understanding and responsibility. This framework contributes practical language for educators seeking to move beyond detection-oriented responses and toward assessment designs that preserve learner agency in AI-rich higher education environments.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Assessment Theories and Methodologies Session Chair: Phillip Rowles 14:10-14:35 114391 | Making Measures Before Statistics Phillip Rowles, Tokyo University of Science, Japan Mainstream educational assessment stakeholders face problems. This presentation focuses on one fundamental problem and solution. The problem is a lack of due diligence regarding data. This occurs because evaluators continue to calculate commonly-used statistics while ignoring the basic prerequisite data input level assumption. Enhancing data literacy helps distinguish two key concepts—the simpler ordinal (qualitative order) and advanced interval (quantitative equal intervals) data levels. Even some ‘experts’ erroneously insist on using ordinal level raw scores for parametric statistical input. However, this is not an excuse for complacency—these malpractices fail to cross the statistical data input divide. In contrast, responsible stakeholders need to check, meet and document the requirement of interval level data for parametric statistical input. Data input for parametric statistical testing procedures has to be quantitative. Therefore, data input must be mathematically transformed from an ordinal to an interval level before conducting parametric statistics. If ordinal scores are used to masquerade as interval measures for statistical data input, then the subsequent results, interpretations and inferences can be misrepresented and untrustworthy. The solution to the problem is to apply measurement methodology before conducting parametric statistics. To achieve this end, Rasch model measurement methodology is advocated—it transforms qualitative scores into quantitative measures through mathematical logarithmic transformation. Therefore, Rasch measurement output successfully aligns with the parametric statistical input requirement. Indeed, data level alchemy is vitally important. Ordinal scores have to be modified into interval measures for parametric statistical data input. Rasch measurement methodology facilitates making effective measures before statistics.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Teaching Experiences and Technologies Implementation Session Chair: Elriena Eksteen 12:55-13:20 114158 | Load-Bearing Principles: Quality Education when the Interlocutor Is Not a Person Marianthi Karatsiori, University of Macedonia, Greece In pursuit of "Quality Education," a recent review (Karatsiori, 2023) asked whether consensus is possible across the history of educational thought, reading eight philosophers and six learning theories against two attributes — resilience and responsibility towards others — and distilling three principles: an environment of mutual respect and reciprocity between all participants; differentiated and student-centred instruction; and the attainment of knowledge for a virtuous humanity, underwritten by the timeless values of equity and democracy. This presentation subjects those principles to a conceptual stress-test against generative artificial intelligence and argues that they do not survive equally, and that the manner of their failure is diagnostic. Reciprocity is simulated: a language model performs the form of mutual regard while nothing in the exchange can be wronged, burdened, or cared for, so the practice that trains responsibility towards others runs without stakes. Differentiation is over-fulfilled: a tutor optimised to remove struggle removes the very adversity in which resilience is formed; frictionless personalisation manufactures fragility. Virtue is evacuated: the model produces knowledge-shaped output for which no one has taken epistemic responsibility. Freire emerges as the load-bearing figure: generative AI resurrects the banking model in dialogic clothing, delivering deposits through the very form — dialogue — that Freire prescribed as its remedy. Connectivism, the theory that anticipated the machine, is vindicated in ontology and bankrupted in pedagogy. The question is thereby reframed: no longer whether consensus on Quality Education is possible, but which parts of the inheritance are load-bearing when the interlocutor is not a person.

13:20-13:45 113265 | Leveraging Generative Artificial Intelligence for Process-Oriented Feedback on Source-Based Writing Kai Guo, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Danling Li, Shenzhen University, China Writing from multiple sources is a critical yet cognitively demanding task that requires students to comprehend, evaluate, and synthesize information across texts. Feedback on such writing traditionally depends on teachers, but this approach faces significant scalability challenges in mass education contexts. Although automated writing evaluation tools exist, they often inadequately assess source-based writing because they focus exclusively on students' final products while overlooking the source materials, resulting in incomplete or invalid assessments. Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), with its capacity to understand and analyze large volumes of text simultaneously, offers a promising alternative. This paper presents a three-stage GenAI-enabled feedback model for source-based writing that mirrors the reading-to-writing process: evaluating individual sources (intratextual evaluation), mapping relationships across sources (intertextual evaluation), and synthesizing information from multiple sources (synthesis writing evaluation). The model operates through a triadic cognitive partnership among teachers, students, and GenAI. Teachers curate genre-aware prompts that encode disciplinary conventions; students collect and submit source materials, fostering learner agency and ownership; and GenAI provides scalable, personalized diagnostics at each stage. We illustrate the model's application through literature review writing, a common source-based task in English for Academic Purposes classrooms. This framework addresses a critical gap in current automated feedback systems by enabling source-integrated assessment that cross-references student drafts against both teacher-curated criteria and original source texts. The paper offers educators practical, actionable strategies for leveraging GenAI to enhance students' source-based writing competencies.

13:45-14:10 112973 | When AI Is Already Helpful: Student Perceptions of Teacher Judgment in AI-Assisted Questionnaire Design Pedagogy Feng-Shuo Chang, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, China Given how familiar generative AI is to many undergraduates, asking “Is AI useful?” would be less informative than asking how students distinguish AI support from teacher guidance. This study examines that distinction in a Social Research Methods course where students used or observed AI-assisted questionnaire design. End-of-course surveys from two cohorts (2024–2025) yielded 199 responses. Closed-ended items were treated as grouping variables, while open-ended explanations were recoded through context-aware multilabel thematic analysis. The results show an AI-saturated classroom. Prior AI use rose from 88.9% to 97.8%, and perceived helpfulness of AI-assisted questionnaire design was near ceiling in both cohorts. Yet most students still found the teacher more helpful. The dominant profile was “AI-positive but teacher-central” (132/199, 66.3%). Students selecting the teacher were far more likely to mention teacher scaffolding and situated judgment than those selecting AI (88.5% vs. 10.7%, Fisher’s exact p < .001, phi = .660). By contrast, students selecting AI emphasized convenience and immediacy more often than those selecting the teacher (61.3% vs. 32.7%, Fisher’s exact p = .004). This framing also differed by gender: male students described AI this way more often than female students (54.8% vs. 29.2%, false discovery rate–adjusted p = .004). Contrastive reading showed that students valued AI for speed, repeatable access, and initial wording or ideas, but teachers for diagnosis, methodological judgment, contextual correction, and interactive explanation. The findings suggest that AI does not replace teacher judgment; it makes its pedagogical functions more visible.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Teaching Experiences and Technologies Implementation Session Chair: Elriena Eksteen 14:10-14:35 111982 | Supporting the Development of Students’ Feedback Literacy: The Affordances of Peer Feedback in Large Classes Elriena Eksteen, North-West University, South Africa Anitia Lubbe, North-West University, South Africa Yolandi Willemse, North-West University, South Africa Feedback literacy is essential in higher education, equipping students to understand, interpret, and apply feedback for improved learning outcomes. Despite its significance, feedback is often underutilized due to students' limited engagement with feedback and misconceptions about its purpose. Peer feedback, where students provide and receive feedback from peers, has been proposed to enhance feedback literacy by fostering critical engagement, self-reflection, and a deeper understanding of assessment criteria. Within Human Movement Sciences, feedback literacy development has received limited empirical attention. This presentation addresses this gap by reporting on a study exploring the affordances of peer feedback for the development of Human Movement Sciences students’ feedback literacy (NWU-00147-25-A1). The primary aim of this study is to explore the affordances of peer feedback in developing feedback literacy among Human Movement Science students. The study adopted a qualitative research design within an interpretivist paradigm to gain in-depth insights into students' experiences and perceptions of peer feedback. Data was collected through open-ended reflective surveys administered to undergraduate students (N=295) enrolled in a Human Movement Science module at a higher education institution in South Africa. Participation was voluntary, and informed consent was obtained prior to data collection. Thematic analysis revealed that engaging students in peer feedback activities helps them develop critical skills, including reflection, evaluating others' work, understanding assessment criteria, and giving and receiving constructive feedback. This process enhances their ability to interpret and apply feedback effectively, which is central to developing feedback literacy.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Education and Sustainability Session Chair: Rifat Shafwatul Anam 12:55-13:20 114136 | Building Democratic Resilience Through Environmental Literacy: Evidence from the ELCRA Project Claudia Banchetti, University of Siena, Italy Davide Palma, University of Siena, Italy Dudu Turku Eroglu, University of Siena, Italy Claudio Melacarne, University of Siena, Italy The intensification of the climate crisis has fostered new forms of civic engagement and collective action, particularly among young people, while also raising concerns about the risk of radicalization within climate activism (Molinario et al., 2024). Rather than interpreting radicalization solely as a pathway to violence, recent educational research conceptualizes it as a dynamic process shaped by social learning, identity construction, and perceptions of injustice (Fabbri & Melacarne, 2023). From this perspective, environmental literacy and democratic dialogue emerge as key educational resources for promoting constructive civic engagement, critical thinking, and active democratic participation (Chan & Forsythe, 2024). This study was conducted within the Erasmus+ ELCRA (Environmental Literacy in Higher Education Context for Preventing Violent Radicalization in Climate Activism) project (Molinario et al., 2024). Using a qualitative research design (Creswell, 2012), data were collected through 49 semi-structured interviews and 9 focus groups involving students, activists, and academics from different European countries. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021). Findings indicate that environmental literacy can foster transformative learning (Mezirow, 1991; Redman et al., 2024) by encouraging critical reflection, collective agency, and resilience against violent radicalization. Participants emphasized the value of accessible scientific communication, participatory spaces for democratic deliberation (Chan & Forsythe, 2024), and storytelling practices that strengthen collective identities and sustain hope (Schindel et al., 2025). These findings highlight the educational potential of environmental literacy in supporting democratic participation and preventing trajectories toward violent extremism through dialogue, inclusion, critical engagement, and collaborative learning processes

13:20-13:45 110766 | Exploring the Language-Mind-Culture Ecosystem: Neuroeducation, Plurilingualism and Green Inclusive Learning Argyro Moumtzidou, Polyglotti Polis Association, Greece Ioannis Kozaris, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece In a world marked by ecological challenges, cultural complexity, and linguistic plurality, education requires new approaches that connect language, mind, culture, and environment. This presentation introduces an ecosystemic educational approach developed within the framework of the Erasmus+ project InclusiveFuture, in collaboration with the Big Bang School. The project combines neuroeducation, plurilingual pedagogy, non-formal learning, intercultural education, and sustainability through experiential and place-based practices. Its main objective is the development of a model for awakening children and parents to green competences and inclusive values through participatory workshops and learning laboratories. The entire preparatory phase and pedagogical experimentation were initially implemented in the schools of the Big Bang School, where innovative practices connecting nature, language, cognition, and community were systematically explored. The approach was later expanded to Mediterranean summer schools and island-based educational contexts across Greece, allowing the adaptation of the model to multicultural, intergenerational, and non-formal learning environments. Learners participate in multilingual and multisensory activities, including observation, learning journals, mapping of communities and landscapes, collaborative inquiry, reflection, and exploration of local knowledge systems. Through these practices, participants develop metacognition, environmental awareness, empathy, intercultural communication, and critical thinking. Preliminary findings indicate that ecosystemic and plurilingual pedagogies can strengthen inclusive educational cultures, family participation, and sustainability awareness while contributing to curricular innovation and teacher education. The presentation will include examples from the Awakening to Green Competences workshops, pedagogical materials, and reflections from the pilot learning laboratories.

13:45-14:10 108838 | Educating for Sustainability: A Norm Activation Model Approach to Pro-Environmental Behavior in Hospitality Programs Pipatpong Fakfare, Bangkok University, Thailand Maneenate Worrachananun, Bangkok University, Thailand This study examines how hospitality education cultivates pro-environmental behavioral intentions by activating students’ moral norms. Extending the Norm Activation Model (NAM), the research incorporates sustainability education exposure, environmental knowledge, and sustainability self-efficacy as antecedents to norm activation within hospitality programs. Although sustainability is increasingly embedded in hospitality curricula, limited empirical evidence explains how educational experiences translate into moral obligation and sustained behavioral commitment among future industry professionals. Data were collected from 412 undergraduate and postgraduate hospitality students enrolled in accredited programs. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the measurement and structural models. The findings indicate that sustainability education exposure and environmental knowledge significantly enhance students’ awareness of environmental consequences, while sustainability self-efficacy strengthens ascription of responsibility. Consistent with NAM, awareness of consequences positively influences responsibility attribution, which in turn reinforces personal norms. Personal norms emerge as the strongest direct predictor of pro-environmental behavioral intention, mediating the effects of cognitive and efficacy-based antecedents. The study advances sustainability education literature by extending NAM into a hospitality education context and integrating educational and psychological drivers within a unified framework. The findings provide evidence-based insights for curriculum design, highlighting the importance of embedding knowledge-intensive, responsibility-oriented, and efficacy-building learning experiences to foster ethically grounded, sustainability-oriented future hospitality professionals.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Education and Sustainability Session Chair: Rifat Shafwatul Anam 14:10-14:35 113617 | Enhancing Elementary Students’ Scientific Conceptual Understanding Through a GenAI-Based Reading Model: Evidence from Global Warming Learning Rif'at Shafwatul Anam, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Ahmad Yani, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Monika Handayani, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Scientific conceptual understanding is a fundamental component of scientific literacy. However, many elementary students experience difficulties in constructing scientifically accurate concepts from science texts, particularly on global warming. Although Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has increasingly been adopted in education, previous studies have primarily focused on its technological capabilities rather than on how it can be systematically integrated into reading-centered science instruction. This study investigated the effectiveness of a GenAI-Based Reading (GBR) model in enhancing elementary students' text comprehension and scientific conceptual understanding of global warming. A pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was employed involving 19 fifth-grade students from an elementary school in Indonesia. The GBR model was implemented through four instructional phases: Hypothesis, Ask GenAI, Discussion, and Reflection. During these phases, students generated initial hypotheses, interacted with GenAI to verify scientific information, discussed scientific ideas collaboratively with teacher guidance, and reflected on their understanding through written responses and visual representations. Data were collected using a Text Comprehension Test and a Five-Tier Diagnostic Test (FTDT). Text comprehension data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test and normalized gain (N-gain), whereas changes in scientific conceptual understanding were examined descriptively through students' conceptual categories identified by the FTDT. The findings revealed a statistically significant improvement in students' text comprehension (p < .001) with a moderate learning gain. The FTDT also demonstrated positive conceptual progression, reflected by an increase in the proportion of students classified as Scientific Conception (SC) and reductions in the Misconception (MSC) and Lack of Knowledge (LK) categories.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Mind, Brain and Psychology: Cognitive Development and Outcomes within Educational Contexts Session Chair: Xavier Noel 12:55-13:20 114335 | Executive Functions and Emotional Skills Training: Effects on Mathematical Problem-Solving in Kindergarten Caroline Le Gal, University of Paris Est Créteil, France Ugo Ballenghein, University of Paris Est Créteil, France Xavier Aparicio, University of Paris Est Créteil, France Executive functions play a key role in early learning and are recognized as major predictors of mathematical competence (Bull & Lee, 2014). These competences do not rely solely on "cold" cognitive resources but are also embedded in emotional processes. Emotional skills, particularly emotion regulation and the recognition and understanding of affective states, support engagement and persistence when facing anxiety-inducing mathematical tasks. Math anxiety can emerge as early as preschool age and undermine academic learning by interfering with working memory and problem-solving abilities. In this context, we examined whether executive function training improves problemsolving ability in kindergarten children, and whether adding emotional skills training strengthens this effect, using a three-group experimental design (combined executive function and emotional skills training, n=34; executive function training only, n=33; active control, n=30) with preand post-intervention assessments of executive functions, mathematical problem-solving, and emotional skills. Preliminary analyses show significant pre-to-post gains across all three groups, with the combined executive-emotional training group showing the largest improvements in both emotional skills and mathematical problem-solving. As data analysis is still ongoing, these results will be further discussed, along with their implications for the integration of emotional skills training in early mathematics education.

13:20-13:45 110928 | Rocks, Reliability, and Real Research: A Replicable Methodology for Embedding School-Aged Children in Expert-Benchmarked Citizen Science Sreemoyee Chakraborty, Blue Blocks Micro Research Institute, India Pavan Goyal, Blue Blocks Micro Research Institute, India Dhurjati Prasad Sengupta, Indian Statistical Institute, India Citizen science increasingly engages non-specialists in data collection, yet structured frameworks for embedding school-aged children in scientific research remain largely undeveloped in natural sciences. This paper proposes and validates a transferable methodology for integrating adolescents as genuine research contributors, using paleontology as proof-of-concept. The methodology comprises five replicable components: (1)Structured task design using real materials adapted for non-specialist use; (2)A split-allocation design combining an inter-observer agreement (IOA) subset with individually allocated sets; (3)Expert benchmarking for inter-rater analysis; (4)Reliability assessment using Fleiss' Kappa; and (5)Psychometric measurement of scientific engagement, confidence, and conceptual understanding. To validate this methodology, twelve students aged 11–16 classified taphonomic breakage states and patterns of larger benthic foraminifera (LBF) from digitized petrographic thin sections of rocks from the Eocene Fulra Limestone, Kutch Basin, India, yielding paleoecological and paleoenvironmental inferences. Students were organised into three groups, each classifying a shared IOA subset of 10 slides and 18 individually allocated slides, with a quota of 100 specimens per slide. All three groups achieved statistically acceptable inter-rater agreement with the expert (κ=0.81, 0.80, and 0.84, respectively). Significant post-participation gains in engagement and conceptual understanding were recorded across all groups, and three participants met pre-defined co-authorship criteria. Requiring only easily available materials, a structured classification protocol, and a single expert rater, this framework offers a scalable, low-cost model in citizen science for STEM research, pedagogy, and non-specialist contribution standards. Classrooms have long taught what scientists have discovered; this methodology lets children experience what it actually means to discover something on their own.

13:45-14:10 110454 | Brain Hemisphericity and Saudi Students’ EFL Reading Comprehension Manar Almanea, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University IMSIU, Saudi Arabia The present study is concerned with the relationship between brain hemisphericity and the reading comprehension of adult Saudi EFL learners. The tendency to rely on one side of the brain over the other can affect the degree of success in learning a foreign language as well as the appropriateness of learning and teaching strategies. A total of 122 Saudi university-level participated in the study. The first part of the study examines whether or not there are significant differences between the performance of right-brained learners, left-brained learners, wholebrained learners, whole-brained learners favoring right mode, and whole-brained learners favoring left mode in an EFL reading comprehension test. The EFL reading comprehension includes main idea questions, inferential questions, literal-meaning questions and text-bound questions. The Hemispheric Mode Indicator® is used to determine hemispheric preference of the participants. Findings revealed significant superiority of the performance of left-brained learners as compared to right-brained learners and whole-brained learners favoring right mode. This result suggests that even in a foreign language learned after childhood, the left-hemisphere seems to control brain activities dealing with language. In the second part of the study, participants were trained to use a visual tool (Mind Mapping®) to summarize the information of the reading passage before answering a parallel reading comprehension test. Whole-brained learners favoring right mode, and right-brained learners were the two groups who benefited the most from the visual tool.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Mind, Brain and Psychology: Cognitive Development and Outcomes within Educational Contexts Session Chair: Xavier Noel 14:10-14:35 114412 | Compulsion Without Habit: A Goal-Directed Account of Addiction and What It Changes for Clinical Training and Public Education Xavier Noel, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium Compulsive behaviour in addiction is commonly described as habit: rigid, automatic responding that has escaped the person’s control. We propose a different account. Compulsions remain goal-directed actions, selected because they are expected to produce a valued outcome, but generated by a decision process that has become systematically biased. The framework specifies four loci of bias along two dimensions: what is represented (content) versus how strongly it is weighted (salience), and which options come to mind (detection) versus which one is finally chosen (selection). Alcohol use and gambling can therefore become compulsive through several distinct routes converging on the same observable behaviour, a property we call equifinality. Automaticity is not a separate system but a parameter regime of goal-directed processing: computation becomes fast, narrow and inflexible without ceasing to be goal-directed. Two implications reach beyond the laboratory. Personalisation: interventions should target the specific bias driving an individual’s behaviour rather than a generic loss of control. Agency: describing compulsion as goal-directed restores the person as an agent whose actions make sense given what they represent and value, which reframes how addiction is taught, communicated and destigmatised in clinical training and public education. We illustrate the framework with evidence from alcohol use disorder and online gambling, and outline testable predictions.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Innovative Technologies in Foreign Languages Education Session Chair: Kai-Hsin Tai 12:55-13:20 103896 | Bridging Learning and Policy: Generative AI Integration in English Language Education Within Omani Higher Education Malik Al Zakwani, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Oman The rapid emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) is reshaping higher education, offering both transformative opportunities and notable challenges in teaching, learning, and policy development. This study integrates findings from two investigations examining GAI use in English language learning and institutional responses across Omani higher education institutions. Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 320 students and 80 faculty members through surveys, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations. The findings reveal extensive engagement with AI tools—particularly for writing enhancement, vocabulary development, and personalized learning support. Evidence from participants’ reported experiences and observed classroom practices indicates notable gains in learner autonomy, confidence, and overall language proficiency, as students increasingly relied on AI for independent drafting, revision, and exploration of linguistic forms. Despite these benefits, the study identifies several challenges, including ethical uncertainties, inconsistent classroom practices, and concerns about excessive dependence on AI-generated content. A significant policy gap was also evident, particularly the lack of clear institutional guidelines addressing AI-assisted assessment, academic integrity, and responsible use. Faculty participants emphasized the need for comprehensive policy frameworks, targeted professional development, and stronger infrastructural support to ensure ethical and effective integration of AI across English language programs. The study concludes with evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, educators, and administrators to foster an AI-ready educational ecosystem that upholds academic integrity while encouraging responsible innovation in English language learning.

13:20-13:45 109979 | Adaptive Pedagogy in Technology-Enhanced English Language Teaching: Teachers as Designers of Learning Juhana Juhana, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Widya Rizky Pratiwi, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia In response to the rapid advancement of educational technology and the growing influence of artificial intelligence in language education, this study explores how secondary school English teachers in diverse Indonesian contexts enact adaptive pedagogy in technology-enhanced learning environments. The study positions teachers not merely as users of technology, but as active designers of learning who adjust instructional practices according to students’ needs, technological access, and classroom realities. Using a qualitative exploratory approach, preliminary data were collected from seven English teachers working in public and private secondary schools across different regions of Indonesia through semi-structured responses and teaching-related reflections. The study examines how teachers integrate digital platforms such as WhatsApp, Google Classroom, Canva, Quizizz, YouTube, and AI-assisted tools into English language teaching practices. Preliminary findings indicate that teachers adapt instructional activities by modifying speaking tasks into voice-note submissions, simplifying online assignments for students with limited internet access, and utilizing interactive digital media to increase student participation and confidence. The findings also reveal persistent challenges, including unequal technological access, varying levels of digital literacy, and concerns regarding students’ overreliance on AI-generated responses. This study contributes to ongoing discussions on adaptive pedagogy and technologyenhanced language learning by highlighting how teachers in resource-constrained contexts creatively negotiate technological opportunities and limitations. It offers practical insights into context-responsive English language teaching in the evolving landscape of digital education.

13:45-14:10 114229 | M.E.R.C.Y.: A Strategic Framework to Motivate, Evaluate, Refine, Contextualize and Yield Students’ Academic Performance in English Nema Allic, Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma High School, Philippines Teresita Vicente, Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma High School, Philippines Victoria Hosmillio, Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma High School, Philippines M.E.R.C.Y.: As a strategic framework for improving students’ academic performance in English aimed to determine how motivation, formative and summative evaluation, teacher feedback, contextualized local literary materials, and measurable learning outcomes contribute to students’ English learning. This employed a pre-test and post-test method, classroom observation, assessment activities, teacher feedback, and student outputs as research tools. Contextualized materials featuring the history, culture, landmarks, and leadership of Quezon City were integrated into English instruction to make learning relevant and meaningful. M.E.R.C.Y. Framework follows a cyclical process in which assessment data guide instructional decisions, contextualized strategies address learners’ actual needs, and evidence of improvement leads the refinement of succeeding interventions. Results from 39 students showed a notable improvement in test performance. The mean pretest score increased from 21.90 to a mean post-test score of 31.18, representing an average gain of 9.28 points or approximately 42.4%. The findings indicate that M.E.R.C.Y. Framework supported improved academic performance while promoting learner engagement, participation, and confidence through relevant and student-centered learning experiences. The study concludes that integrating M.E.R.C.Y. provides a practical and responsive framework for strengthening English instruction.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Innovative Technologies in Foreign Languages Education Session Chair: Kai-Hsin Tai 14:10-14:35 114400 | Enhancing Junior High Students’ Chinese Essay Writing Through ChatGPT Feedback: An Analysis of Affective Constructs and Individual Differences Kai-Hsin Tai, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Chi-Ruei Tsai, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Yi-Ching Tsai, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan This study examined junior high school students' affective states—writing self-efficacy, ChatGPT self-efficacy, writing anxiety, interest, and aha moments—following ChatGPT-supported Chinese essay feedback. Ninth-grade students (N = 201) completed authentic exam-preparation writing tasks using Comprehensive Assessment Program prompts, received automated feedback, and subsequently revised their essays. Independent-samples t-tests were conducted to investigate individual differences across demographic and experiential variables. Results indicated that female students exhibited significantly higher writing self-efficacy than male students, while no significant gender differences were observed across other affective dimensions. Prior AI experience significantly influenced technology-related affect: students with prior AI experience reported significantly higher ChatGPT self-efficacy, whereas those without prior experience experienced significantly greater anxiety regarding AI feedback. Conversely, parental AI usage yielded no significant differences across any measured constructs. Overall, ChatGPT feedback serves as a valuable instructional aid by providing immediate guidance, sustaining learning interest, and fostering perceived aha moments during essay revision. Because unexpected automated scores and comments can induce apprehension—especially among novice AI users—these findings highlight the essential role of teacher scaffolding to guide students in interpreting AI feedback and translating automated suggestions into effective, actionable writing strategies.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Artificial Intelligence in Foreign Languages Education Session Chair: Phuong Thi Mai Nguyen 12:55-13:20 111363 | GenAI-Enhanced Project-Based Learning: Fostering Intercultural Competence, L2 Communication Confidence, and Critical Thinking in EFL Peng Peng, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Di Zou, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a real-world, student-centred approach that promotes collaboration and intercultural communication competence (ICC) through inquiry and simulated cultural conflict. Its open-ended, multi-perspective tasks are also linked to critical thinking (CT). Learners with higher ICC often report less speaking anxiety and greater communication confidence (CC) in cross-cultural interaction. With the rise of GenAI, LLM-based chatbots are increasingly used in PBL, but their effects on ELF learners’ competence and skills remain unclear. This quasi-experimental study examines how AI-enhanced PBL affects EFL learners’ ICC, CC, and CT, and how the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) relates to changes in ICC and CC. This study involved 104 non-English-major EFL undergraduates in China, divided into three groups over six weeks. The AI-PBL group used LLM chatbots (DeepSeek for mind mapping, Doubao for role-play) to create a video project. The active control completed the video project without AI tools, while the control group only wrote intercultural reports. Participants completed pre- and post-questionnaires measuring ICC, CC, CT, and TAM. Paired-samples t-tests showed that both PBL groups improved in ICC and CC and reduced L2 speaking anxiety, but only the traditional PBL group showed marginal CT gains. A mixed-design ANOVA revealed a significant time × group interaction for ICC and speaking anxiety. Pearson's correlation showed that in the AI-PBL group, greater TAM gains were associated with larger improvements in ICC and CC. Overall, AI-enhanced PBL strengthens intercultural communication and communication confidence but may not enhance—and could slightly limit—critical thinking, highlighting the importance of students' technology acceptance.

13:20-13:45 111434 | Generative AI in Language Instruction: Advantages, Challenges, and Ethical Aspects Sviatlana Karpava, University of Cyprus, Cyprus The integration of GenAI tools has significantly transformed pedagogical practices, especially in language education. These technologies enable personalized learning by generating level-appropriate content and tailored tasks, enhancing student engagement and motivation (Dizon, 2024; Huang & Mizumoto, 2025). They also support scaffolding and provide instant, targeted feedback on writing, improving grammatical accuracy and coherence (Crompton et al., 2024). Additionally, AI chatbots offer flexible speaking practice, helping shy or anxious learners build confidence and autonomy (Chen et al., 2022). However, challenges such as over-reliance on AI, data privacy concerns, and the evolving role of teachers require careful, pedagogically informed management to ensure effective and ethical implementation. This study investigated the perceptions of future EFL teachers in Cyprus regarding the benefits, challenges, and ethical considerations of integrating generative AI tools in language teaching and learning to promote effective and responsible implementation. The participants were 60 future EFL teachers, university students aged 22 to 25 years. The analysis of questionnaire data revealed that most future EFL teachers in Cyprus have a high level of awareness of AI and have begun implementing it in their teaching and learning. However, there is a need for more training and guidance on various AI tools and applications, their use in teaching, feedback provision, assessment, ethical and academic integrity issues related to AI tools, and continuous professional development.

13:45-14:10 106682 | Leveraging AI Tools for Subtitling Pedagogy: Insights from Higher Education Amer Al-Adwan, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar This paper examines the role of artificial intelligence applications, particularly ChatGPT-5, in advancing knowledge and reshaping practices in translation education. Although recent technological developments have altered professional workflows, pedagogical approaches, and expectations regarding productivity and quality, their specific impact within classroom contexts requires closer examination. To address this gap, the study reports on a pedagogical project involving 15 MA students enrolled in the Translation and the Creative Industries program at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. Students were tasked with prompting ChatGPT-5 to subtitle an episode of the Egyptian series "Beyumi Effendi" into English and to produce reflective commentaries detailing their experiences, challenges encountered, and strategies used to address linguistic and cultural issues. The findings indicate that ChatGPT-5 substantively facilitated the subtitling process. It assisted in translating several complex cultural references and idiomatic expressions in Egyptian Arabic, thereby improving efficiency and the quality of the final product. However, the model misinterpreted a few humorous expressions, mainly due to insufficient contextual information. Overall, students perceive AI tools as valuable resources that enhance translation quality, reduce turnaround time, and support learning through ongoing feedback and reflection. The paper concludes by discussing pedagogical implications, highlighting the importance of integrating AI tools into translation curricula, and underscoring the continued need for human oversight to address context-sensitive nuances.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Artificial Intelligence in Foreign Languages Education Session Chair: Phuong Thi Mai Nguyen 14:10-14:35 114371 | Facilitating Inclusive Open Educational Resources Through Generative AI: A Preliminary Framework for UDL and ESL Support Phuong Nguyen, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam Generative Artificial Intelligence (genAI) offers potential for assisting educators in the adaptation of Open Educational Resources (OER), which may reduce workload and increase efficiency in aligning materials with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. This research presents general guidelines and introduces a selection of free AI tools designed to facilitate the adoption and customization of OER. By utilizing these technologies, educational materials can be tailored to meet diverse learner needs, particularly within English as a Second Language (ESL) contexts where cultural and linguistic adaptation is critical. Such efforts not only aim to reduce the financial burden on students through the use of open resources but also underscore UDL's substantial benefits, including enhanced student engagement, improved learning outcomes for diverse learners, and greater accessibility to curriculum content. Furthermore, the strategic application of these tools supports the fostering of learner autonomy and self-regulation. While exploring these opportunities, the research maintains a focus on the necessary copyright and ethical considerations inherent in AI-assisted content creation. This work provides a practical framework for educators seeking to develop more inclusive and accessible learning environments.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Implementation of Innovative Technologies in Education Session Chair: Seowoen Park 13:20-13:45 111443 | Preparing Faculty for Ethical AI Adoption: Lessons from St. George’s University Reba David-Andrew, St. George's University, Grenada Gillian Francis, St. George's University, Grenada Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape higher education, creating new opportunities while challenging institutions to support faculty in understanding, adopting, and ethically integrating AI into teaching and learning. Emerging scholarship emphasizes that responsible AI integration depends on coordinated institutional support, faculty readiness, and governance frameworks that balance innovation with academic integrity and pedagogical responsibility (Dotan et al., 2024). Our work examines the establishment of an AI subcommittee within the Committee for Technology-Based Teaching and Learning (CTTL) at St. George’s University (SGU) to support the integration of AI into education. A multidisciplinary subcommittee comprising faculty from the Schools of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Graduate Studies, and Arts and Sciences collaborated to develop policies, tools, and guidelines for the ethical use of AI at SGU. Central to this initiative was the development of three institutional resources: (1) an AI Toolkit designed to support teaching, learning, and assessment practices; (2) AI Usage Guidelines focused on ethical and responsible implementation; and (3) a faculty-facing AI Handbook introducing foundational concepts, practical classroom applications, and academic integrity considerations. These resources were intentionally designed to accommodate varying levels of AI familiarity while promoting reflective, informed, and pedagogically sound adoption. This project was undertaken to address opportunities and challenges associated with AI integration at SGU, as generative AI adoption has made institutional guidelines increasingly critical for curriculum development, assessment, and academic integrity (Jin et al., 2025). The outcomes highlight the collaborative processes, implementation strategies, and key lessons learned in supporting ethical and sustainable AI integration in higher education.

13:45-14:10 111663 | Artificial Intelligence Gathering an Educator Terms of Reference Jenika Gobind, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a point of contention for educators in higher education, resulting in many clashes in opinion on whether generative AI should be used as an educational tool. Gathering terms of reference presents an opportunity for educators to answer the following research question: What is the purpose, scope, roles, and guidelines pertaining to the use of AI in education? This study gathered terms of reference from twenty-six universities in South Africa. Relying on qualitative content analysis terms of references were examined for guidelines on the ethical, practical, and responsible use of generative AI in educational and research context. These were further triangulated with semi-structured interviews that gathered participant perceptions on the use of generative AI in education. Consistent themes across terms of references and conflicting views on the use of generative AI is cause for further debate. However, it is evident that core themes emerged. The need for innovative teaching and learning practice that welcome generative AI accompanied by skepticism and the demand for ethical, transparent, and responsible use. Educators continue to raise multiple risks and challenges, which have outdone policy and regulatory frameworks. Therefore, a set of concise terms of reference make for consistent and transparent application of generative AI within South African higher education institutions. Further and continuous research has to occur to ensure that educators remain abreast. This study was limited to South Africa presenting opportunity for future comparative studies.

14:10-14:35 113925 | Reclaiming Human Identity in the Techno-Scientific Era: An Ontological Inquiry Through the Life Philosophies of Gwon Jeong-saeng and Merleau-Ponty Seowoen Park, Daegu National University of Education, South Korea This paper inquires into the linguistic characteristics of a future techno-scientific society where artificial intelligence and artificial entities form an artificial linguistic-cultural system based on autonomous judgment and practice; searches for the ontological problems these characteristics may pose to human beings as living organisms; and discusses why the resolution of these problems must originate from the mutual quilting of parole based on somatic language, thereby introducing how human beings as living organisms should form a desirable identity out of physical language. This paper reconceptualizes the relational meaning between the thought of Kwon Jeong-saeng, a Korean children's story writer who vitally contemplated and created the truth of life out of his everyday dialogue with various living organisms in a daily life, and that of Merleau-Ponty, a French philosopher who contemplated the originality and quilting of existential truth based on bodily perception, within the context of a techno-scientific society. Conclusively, this suggests a useful teaching method of fostering a learning culture where students initiate their learning with topics of their own choosing; develop their learning through active interaction, sharing, and dialogue with peers; embody the meaning of that learning within their lives and daily experiences; co-create the content and methods for future lessons through dialogue; and collaboratively exhibit, present, or perform what they have learned through peer consultation. Then they will be able to dynamically weave through the spaces between 1) self-world, 2) past-present-future, 3) community-selfhood, 4) matter-idea, 5) space-time, and 6) body-consciousness—ultimately shaping an embodied langue-parole structure infused with vital energy.

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Notes

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Curriculum Design and Development Session Chair: Ya-Ling Chen 12:55-13:20 111815 | Unlocking Stoichiometry: A Contextualized Strategic Intervention Material for Enhanced Conceptual Understanding in Grade 11 STEM Threcia Poblete, Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology, Philippines Stoichiometry is a foundational yet persistently challenging area in chemistry education, where learners frequently experience difficulties in proportional reasoning and multi-step quantitative problem-solving. These challenges are reflected in consistently low mastery levels and poor performance in General Chemistry 1, indicating the need for targeted interventions that enhance conceptual understanding. In response to this educational need, the study designed, developed, and implemented a Contextualized Strategic Intervention Material (CSIM) for stoichiometry, guided by the ADDIE instructional design framework. The CSIM systematically integrates real-world and locally contextualized scenarios to facilitate the transformation of abstract chemical principles into cognitively accessible and meaningful learning experiences. A quasiexperimental one-group pretest-posttest design was employed, involving eighty-five (85) Grade 11 STEM learners from two public secondary schools in Iligan City. Expert evaluation classified the CSIM as ―Exemplary, affirming its instructional validity and usability. Quantitative findings revealed critically low performance, with 96% of participants failing to meet established proficiency standards in the pretest. In contrast, posttest outcomes demonstrated marked and comprehensive improvement, with 100% of learners achieving passing levels and the majority attaining performance ratings ranging from Very Satisfactory to Outstanding. Normalized gain scores indicated predominantly high learning gains. Moreover, the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test confirmed a statistically significant difference between pretest and posttest scores (Z = −8.017, p < .001), accompanied by an exceptionally large effect size (Cohen’s d = 3.93). These findings demonstrate that the CSIM significantly improved learners’ conceptual understanding of stoichiometry, supporting the effectiveness of contextualized instructional materials in addressing persistent learning gaps in chemistry education.

13:20-13:45 110601 | Experiencing Sustainability, Teaching for Change: A Qualitative Study of Environmental STEM in Teacher Education Hidayah Mohd Fadzil, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia This study explores how pre-service science teachers develop climate-responsive pedagogical understanding through participation in a university-based Environmental STEM (E-STEM) living lab. Framed within Climate Change Pedagogical Content Knowledge (CC-PCK) and experiential learning, the study responds to a persistent gap in teacher education, where pre-service teachers often lack meaningful opportunities to engage with sustainability and climate change in authentic contexts. Adopting a qualitative research design, the study involves 80 pre-service teachers enrolled in a STEM education course over a 14-week semester. Data were collected through classroom observations, reflective essays, and artefacts from campus-based environmental investigations, including biodiversity audits, energy monitoring, and waste management activities. Thematic analysis was employed to examine participants’ learning experiences and pedagogical development. Three themes emerged. First, participants developed a more integrated and critical understanding of climate and sustainability concepts through real-world engagement. Second, they demonstrated the emergence of a climate-responsive pedagogical identity, characterised by increased confidence in designing and facilitating E-STEM lessons. Third, experiential learning within the living lab fostered a sense of agency and responsibility towards environmental action. The findings highlight the potential of living lab approaches to support transformative teacher education and to prepare future educators capable of advancing climate and sustainability education in schools.

13:45-14:10 111634 | Implicit and Explicit Gender-Science Stereotypes and Gender Disparities in STEM Career Expectations Across Countries Chungseo Kang, Jeonbuk National University, South Korea Minjong Youn, Pusan National University, South Korea Gender gaps in STEM participation have narrowed in many countries, yet women remain markedly underrepresented in hard STEM fields such as engineering, computing, and the physical sciences, while biomedical STEM has reached or exceeded gender parity in many contexts. This uneven pattern suggests that aggregate STEM indicators may obscure where gender segmentation occurs. Drawing on Expectancy–Value Theory and stereotype-threat perspectives, this study examines whether country-level implicit and explicit gender-science stereotypes are associated with adolescents’ STEM occupational expectations, and whether these associations differ across STEM subfields. Using linked PISA 2022 and Project Implicit data, we estimate multilevel logistic and multinomial models that distinguish overall STEM, hard STEM, and biomedical STEM expectations while testing gender-by-stereotype interactions. Adjusting for achievement, family background, and national structural covariates, stronger national implicit and explicit stereotypes are associated with lower STEM occupational expectations overall. Once STEM is disaggregated, gender differences in hard STEM expectations widen as national implicit stereotypes intensify, whereas no comparable moderation emerges for biomedical STEM. These findings indicate that national belief environments shape the translation of comparable competence into occupational expectations in domain-specific ways, suggesting that policies addressing gender segmentation in STEM should differentiate between hard and biomedical pathways rather than treat STEM as a homogeneous category.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Curriculum Design and Development Session Chair: Ya-Ling Chen 14:10-14:35 111342 | From Reaction Force to Water Rockets: a Case Study of a STEM Inquiry Curriculum in a Preschool Classroom Ya Ling Chen, National Pingtung University, Taiwan Kai- Lin Tseng, Affiliated Preschool of Wen-Zi Elementary School, Taiwan This study investigates the process and outcomes of implementing a six-week Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) inquiry curriculum centered on rocket science in a senior preschool class at a private kindergarten in Pingtung City, Taiwan. A qualitative case study design was employed, with data collected through classroom observation, document analysis, and semi-structured teacher interviews, and analyzed using both qualitative and descriptive quantitative methods. The curriculum was sequentially structured to build conceptual depth across four STEM competency domains. In the science strand, children explored rocket morphology, structural characteristics, and launch principles, including Newton's third law of reaction force. In the technology strand, children used age-appropriate tools to construct and launch paper cup, straw, and air-pressure rockets. The engineering strand engaged children in an iterative design cycle encompassing hypothesis formation, hands-on experimentation, reflective discussion, and design improvement through parachute and balloon rocket activities. Mathematical reasoning was developed through comparison, classification, and measurement activities embedded throughout the design and testing phases. During weeks four through six, children applied accumulated knowledge to design, construct, test, and modify water rockets, with a parent-child collaborative session serving as a culminating consolidation experience. Findings indicate significant growth across children's STEM-related cognitive understanding, affective engagement, and practical skills. Implications are discussed for early childhood STEM curriculum design, teacher professional development, and family participation in inquiry-based science learning.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Learning Experiences Session Chair: Vivien Lim 12:55-13:20 113337 | Validation of a Dynamic Model of Learning Behavior Yun-Ting Huang, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan Situated expectancy-value theory (SEVT) emphasizes that students’ expectancies for success and subjective task values constitute core cognitive foundations of academic motivation. Self-efficacy represents students’ beliefs about their capability to successfully perform academic tasks, whereas task value reflects the importance and perceived value students assign to learning activities. Perceived teacher support, as an important contextual factor, may foster the development of students’ cognitive motivational beliefs and subsequent learning behaviors. Drawing on SEVT, this longitudinal study aimed to examine the relationships among students’ perceived teacher support, selfefficacy, task value, and behavioral engagement in learning and to construct a dynamic model of learning behavior. Data were collected from 305 junior high school students across three time points and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that the proposed model demonstrated good fit to the data. Students’ perceived teacher support at Time 1 positively predicted self-efficacy and task value at Time 2. Furthermore, both self-efficacy and task value at Time 2 positively predicted behavioral engagement in learning at Time 3. These findings support the temporal relationships proposed by SEVT and suggest that teacher support may contribute to students’ subsequent learning engagement by fostering positive cognitive motivational beliefs. The findings highlight the importance of supportive interactions between teachers and students in promoting students’ self-efficacy, task value, and behavioral engagement and provide implications for educational research and practice.

13:20-13:45 111370 | Gender and Cultural Background: Can They Explain Differences in Social Networks Used for Educational Purposes at the University Level? Adolfo Hernandez, Complutense University Madrid, Spain Raquel Gonzalez-Pozo, University of Valladolid, Spain Pilar Gago-de-Santos, Complutense University Madrid, Spain Beatriz Lopez-Gonzalez, Complutense University Madrid, Spain In the context of the increasing integration of social networks into university education, it is important to understand how students perceive their benefits and costs, particularly considering demographic factors such as gender and cultural background. This study explores how the use of social networks for educational purposes varies depending on these two aspects. To achieve our goal, an ad hoc questionnaire was designed and administered to undergraduate and graduate students at a Spanish university. Different statistical techniques were used, such as Chi-square tests with pairwise comparisons of column proportions (with Bonferroni correction), Student's t tests, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Exploratory Factor Analysis. No significant gender differences were observed in the use of general social networking platforms (such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn) for educational purposes. However, cultural differences did emerge, with students of Asian descent reporting lower usage of these platforms for academic activities. In contrast, when analyzing the use of educationally oriented social networks (e.g., Edmodo, Gnoss, Brainly), the pattern is reversed: gender differences are apparent, with male students engaging with these platforms less frequently, while no significant cultural differences were found. The study also identifies significant gender and cultural background differences in both the frequency of use and the perceived benefits and costs of academic social network use. The findings show gender differences in perceived costs while cultural background affects perceptions of the associated benefits. These results have practical implications for the design of more inclusive and effective academic strategies using social networks in higher education.

13:45-14:10 112947 | Understanding What Matters in Online Student Engagement: Expert and Student Insights Farveh Farivar, Curtin University, Australia Nidhi Sehgal, Curtin University Dubai, United Arab Emirates Sonia Raghav, Curtin university, Australia Kevin Teah, Curtin University, Australia Online higher education has expanded rapidly since COVID-19, yet student engagement and satisfaction remain uneven across digital learning environments. While universities have invested heavily in learning management systems, digital tools, and flexible delivery models, many students continue to experience isolation, reduced motivation, inconsistent interaction, and varying levels of support. This study identifies and prioritises the key drivers of online student engagement and satisfaction by integrating student experiences and expert perspectives. First, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 online students to capture their lived experiences of digital learning, including the factors that supported or limited their engagement, participation, motivation, and satisfaction. The interview findings were used to identify key instructional, social, technical, environmental, and learner-related drivers. Second, six experts in online education evaluated the perceived influence of these drivers. Grey Relational Influence Analysis was then applied to the expert-rated data to rank the relative influence of each factor and determine which drivers have the strongest effect on online engagement and satisfaction. The findings highlight social capital, teaching presence, active learning, social connection, course design, timely feedback, learner autonomy, digital confidence, and platform usability as important drivers. Among these, socially oriented and pedagogically embedded factors appear particularly influential, suggesting that online engagement depends not only on technology access but also on meaningful interaction, structured learning design, and visible instructor support. The study contributes a prioritised evidence base for online learning design and provides practical guidance for universities seeking to improve student experience, retention, and satisfaction in post-COVID digital higher education.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Learning Experiences Session Chair: Vivien Lim 14:10-14:35 112502 | Digital Distractions: Academic Cyberloafing and Online Learning Vivien Lim, National University of Singapore, Singapore Thompson Teo, National University of Singapore, Singapore Tiffany Tee, National University of Singapore, Singapore The rapid proliferation of digital classrooms has transformed the educational landscape while simultaneously introducing persistent digital distractions. Grounded in ego depletion theory, this study examined how modern educational pressures tax students' mental reserves, positioning classroom digital distraction as a regulatory response to psychological fatigue rather than a simple disciplinary failure. We developed and tested a model of the relationships between two types of stressors (environmental and technological), two categories of academic cyberloafing (interactive and non-interactive), and two distinct dimensions of in-class engagement (attention and absorption). The mediating effect of these cyberloafing activities on the relationship between stressors and classroom engagement was also examined. Based on an online survey of 200 undergraduate students, our results revealed that both environmental and technological stressors were positively and significantly related to non-interactive cyberloafing. In turn, non-interactive cyberloafing was positively related to both student attention and absorption. Only environmental stressors demonstrated a significant positive relationship with interactive cyberloafing. This interactive form of digital distraction was found to be significantly and negatively related to student absorption, while showing no statistically significant impact on raw attention. These findings demonstrate that academic cyberloafing is a nuanced, multi-dimensional phenomenon where not all digital distractions yield identical academic outcomes. Rather than implementing blanket prohibitions on digital devices, educational institutions and instructors should recognize that passive, non-interactive cyberloafing can serve as a vital mental release valve that unexpectedly benefits overall classroom engagement.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Teaching Experiences and Pedagogy Session Chair: Tove Leming 15:05-15:30 111626 | Exploring Factors Affecting Career Choice in Teaching: A Comparative Study of Preservice Teachers in South Korea, Timor-Leste, and Nigeria Andry Bustamante, Korea National University of Education, South Korea Veronica Moreira Correia, Korea National University of Education, South Korea Veronique Ojo Obanje, Korea National University of Education, South Korea Nam-Hwa Kang, Korea National University of Education, South Korea This study examined factors affecting the choice of teaching as a career among 256 preservice teachers in South Korea, Timor-Leste, and Nigeria. Guided by the FIT-Choice framework and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, it explored cross-national similarities and differences in initial motivations, perceptions of the profession, career choice satisfaction, and perceived digital competencies. To assess the structure and crossnational comparability of the measures, data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis and multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis, followed by descriptive statistics, ANOVA, correlation, and regression analyses. The findings indicate both shared and context-specific patterns. Constructs related to task demand and concern showed relatively stable trends across the three countries, suggesting that some perceptions of teaching are consistently recognised despite differing sociocultural and educational conditions. In contrast, motivation-related constructs displayed only limited cross-cultural stability, indicating that reasons for choosing teaching are more shaped by local contexts. Career choice satisfaction was positively associated with perceptions of the profession and perceived digital competencies, and perceived digital competencies were positively related to motivation for choosing teaching. These findings suggest that, while certain dimensions of teacher career choice may be comparable across settings, motivation remains culturally and structurally situated. The study contributes to comparative teacher education research by highlighting the importance of integrating professional identity formation and digital readiness within teacher preparation and recruitment strategies. The results also point to the need for context-responsive policy and program design rather than uniform assumptions about why individuals enter the teaching profession across diverse national, cultural, and socio-economic environments globally.

15:30-15:55 109069 | Case-Based Learning in a STEAM-Based 21st Century Skills Education Course to Enhance Pre-Service Teachers’ Critical Thinking Christina Ester Manthalina Hutabarat, Universitas Katolik Parahyangan, Indonesia Twenty-first century education requires future teachers to develop strong critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity skills. However, teacher education programs often emphasize theoretical knowledge and provide limited opportunities for students to analyze authentic classroom challenges. This study aims to develop and implement a case-based learning approach in the course STEAM-Based 21st Century Skills Education in the Primary School Teacher Education Program at Parahyangan Catholic University (UNPAR). The study involved 22 undergraduate students and was conducted across 10 class meetings, where each session integrated a contextual case study related to real issues in elementary education. Using a design-based research (DBR) approach, the course was designed to encourage students to critically examine educational problems, discuss multiple perspectives, and develop solutions grounded in STEAM-oriented learning. The results indicate that the systematic integration of case studies across course meetings increased student engagement and strengthened their critical thinking abilities. Students demonstrated improved capacity to identify learning problems, analyze educational contexts, evaluate alternative solutions, and connect theoretical concepts with classroom practice. Moreover, the approach fostered a more dialogic, collaborative, and reflective learning environment aligned with the principles of STEAM and 21st-century education. These findings suggest that case-based learning can serve as an effective pedagogical strategy in teacher education to prepare future elementary school teachers who are adaptive, reflective, and capable of addressing complex educational challenges.

15:55-16:20 111224 | How Can Student Practice in Southern Africa Strengthening the Professional Work as Teachers in Northern Norway? Long-term Effects of Internationalization in Teacher Education Programmes Tove Leming, The Arctic University of Norway, Norway In what ways does an international practicum embedded in teacher education (TE) shape teachers’ professional identities, responsibilities, and day-to-day roles? Might such placements introduce new classroom perspectives and practices, and does exposure abroad during initial teacher training broaden students’ competence in global teaching, intercultural awareness, and diversity-responsive pedagogy? This article draws on the recent research initiative Teachers in a Globalized World, encompassing five teacher education programs across Norway, whose ambition is to generate new knowledge about the sustained, long-term effects of international practicum programmes. Our contextual frame is one of the teacher education programes at UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, in Tromsø. As teacher educators, we coordinate an overseas practicum option in which student teachers can opt into a four-week teaching placement in Zambia or South Africa during their five-year master’s program, integrated with their regular school practice requirements. Although more than two decades of collaboration and supervision in international school practice in Southern Africa have afforded us a broad overview of the field and rich experiential knowledge, there remains a notable lack of systematic research on the long-term impacts of such placements on students practice. Through interviews with former students who have been employed as teachers for a minimum of five years in North Norwegian schools, we evaluate the value of this emphasis within TE programs by asking how, when, and to what extent they use these experiences in their professional roles and everyday classroom work.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Teaching Experiences and Pedagogy Session Chair: Tove Leming 16:20-16:45 112291 | Teachers’ Perspectives on Strand-Based Algebra Instruction in UAE Cycle 2 Classrooms Rahila Naseeha, UAE University, United Arab Emirates Jogymol Alex, UAE University, United Arab Emirates This study explores Cycle 2 mathematics teachers’ implementation of strand-based algebra instruction in UAE classrooms through the first qualitative phase of a doctoral research project. Grounded in Kilpatrick’s five strands of mathematical proficiency—conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, and productive disposition—the study examines how teachers interpret and enact these strands when teaching algebra. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Cycle 2 mathematics teachers to understand their classroom practices, instructional decision-making, perceived challenges, and professional learning needs. Preliminary thematic analysis indicates that teachers commonly support conceptual understanding and procedural fluency through worked examples, guided practice, visual representations, and step-by-step scaffolding. However, adaptive reasoning, strategic competence, and productive disposition were described as more difficult to develop consistently, particularly due to curriculum pacing, differences in student readiness, language demands in word problems, and limited time for mathematical discussion. The findings suggest that teachers value strand-based instruction but require sustained professional development and practical planning support to integrate all five strands meaningfully in algebra lessons. This study contributes to mathematics education research in the UAE by providing teacher-informed insights into the classroom enactment of mathematical proficiency and identifying directions for future survey development, instructional leadership, and professional learning.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Design and Implementation of Technologies in Education Session Chair: Heslley Machado Silva 15:05-15:30 114193 | Understanding Learners’ and Teachers’ Readiness for an AR- and AI-Based Digestive System Learning Application: A Context Analysis Tanapong Udornsathian, Khon Kaen University, Thailand Parama Kwangmuang, Khon Kaen University, Thailand Primary science instruction often leaves the digestive system as a list of organ names rather than a connected process, largely because digestion cannot be observed directly. This study analysed the learning context for a constructivist web application integrating augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen relational conceptual understanding among upper-primary students in Northeast Thailand. Participants were 122 students in Grades 4–6, drawn through simple random sampling from a rural school network in Kalasin Province, together with four science teachers selected purposively. As Phase 1 of a developmental research project, the study used two expert-validated context questionnaires (IOC = 0.80–1.00) combining rating-scale and open-ended items. Responses were analysed with descriptive statistics and interpretive thematic summary. Home internet access was unstable or unavailable for 62.3% of students, and 52.5% had never encountered AR. Conceptual gaps clustered downstream: 90.2% identified the mouth as part of digestion, yet only 32.8% identified the small intestine, suggesting that understanding tends to stop at the stomach. Teachers linked this pattern to the invisibility of internal processes and ranked relational understanding first among five design priorities (mean rank = 1.25), far ahead of technology skills (mean rank = 4.25). Interest in an AR- and AI-supported approach was strong — 78.6% of students and all four teachers. These findings position AR and AI as means rather than ends, and point to two requirements for the design phase: offline-tolerant delivery and scaffolding that makes invisible processes traceable.

15:30-15:55 110649 | Content Creator-Based Learning: A Culturally Responsive Model for Enhancing Student Agency and Digital Literacy in Asian Secondary Education Indri Oktaviana, Sriwijaya University, Indonesia Nurhayati, University of Sriwijaya, Indonesia Zahra Alwi, University of Sriwijaya, Indonesia Izzah -, University of Sriwijaya, Indonesia In the context of rapid digital transformation across Asian education systems, integrating technological innovation with culturally responsive pedagogy remains a critical challenge. This study introduces Content Creator-Based Learning (CCBL), an instructional model that integrates digital literacy, student agency, and cultural sustainability in secondary education. The model positions students as active creators who engage critically with their cultural environment through digital media production. Employing a Research and Development approach based on the ADDIE framework, the study involved iterative design, expert validation, and field testing with Grade 10 students in South Sumatra, Indonesia. A quasi-experimental design and mixed-method data collection were used to evaluate the model’s effectiveness. The findings indicate that CCBL significantly improves students’ higher-order thinking skills, creativity, and digital communication competencies. Furthermore, it enhances student agency by encouraging learners to produce culturally meaningful content, while strengthening cultural identity awareness and engagement. Teachers also reported high levels of practicality and adaptability in classroom implementation. This study contributes to the discourse on Asian education by offering a scalable pedagogical model that bridges digital transformation and cultural sustainability, with implications for curriculum development, teacher professional learning, and policy initiatives in the era of Education 4.0.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Design and Implementation of Technologies in Education Session Chair: Heslley Machado Silva 15:55-16:20 111655 | Students’ Learning Experiences in Virtual Reality-Based Metaverse Dancing: A Qualitative Study of Engagement and Instructional Value in Physical Education Billy Natad, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines Janice Velasquez, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines Ivan Heinrick Cruz, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines Claudy-lette Jardin, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines Darren Joe Follero, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines Naoki Suzuki, Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan The integration of Virtual Reality (VR) in Physical Education (PE) has gained attention for its potential to support immersive and experiential learning. However, empirical research examining students’ lived experiences during early-stage VR instructional implementation remains limited. This study explored students’ learning experiences, engagement, and perceived instructional value during a VR-based metaverse dance demonstration in Physical Education. A qualitative descriptive research design embedded within a developmental research framework was employed. Participants were undergraduate students who engaged in a metaverse-based dance activity as part of a VR demo teaching session. Data were collected through a semi-structured Focus Group Discussion and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed six major themes: novelty and initial adjustment, perceived learning value, usability and comfort constraints, engagement and motivation, social interaction dynamics, and student recommendations for improvement. Students reported strong perceived engagement, increased conceptual understanding of rhythm and movement, and reduced performance anxiety. However, limitations related to technical reliability, physical comfort, and limited collaborative interaction were also identified. The results suggest that metaverse-based dancing functions effectively as a complementary and introductory VR learning activity rather than a substitute for physically intensive PE instruction. Overall, the study demonstrates that VR-based metaverse dancing offers pedagogical value in fostering engagement and confidence while highlighting the need for instructional scaffolding and technological readiness. These findings inform the design of subsequent VR-integrated PE modules that emphasize structured practice and skill-related learning outcomes.

16:20-16:45 109920 | Combating Scientific Misinformation on Social Media: A School-Based Intervention Addressing Nutritional Fake News in a Vulnerable Brazilian Context Heslley Silva, State University of Minas Gerais (UEMG) and University Center of Formiga (UNIFORMG), Brazil Scientific misinformation represents a growing global challenge, particularly in countries where social media has become the primary source of information, often replacing traditional knowledge channels. In Brazil, where daily social media use can reach 5–7 hours, misleading narratives about health and nutrition circulate widely, with significant implications for public health. This study presents results from an actionresearch–based educational intervention conducted in a public school in a socially vulnerable area of Minas Gerais. The project engaged teachers and elementary students in identifying, analyzing, and countering fake news related to nutrition, focusing on two widely disseminated topics in early 2026: myths about milk consumption (e.g., the claim that milk is harmful to all adults) and misinformation about salt intake, particularly the belief that excessive consumption or “Himalayan salt” poses no health risks. Students developed critical investigations and produced digital content for platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, reaching over 4,000 and 2,000 views respectively, while YouTube showed lower engagement. These activities fostered scientific literacy, media literacy, and student protagonism, transforming the school into an active space of knowledge production and dissemination. The findings highlight the risks of misinformation in dietary practices, such as reduced calcium intake linked to osteoporosis and increased salt consumption associated with hypertension, and reinforcing the strategic role of public schools in combating misinformation. The study contributes to the global debate by presenting a replicable model that integrates education, digital culture, and community engagement to strengthen societal resilience against scientific misinformation.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Multidisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Education Session Chair: Hansong Xue 15:05-15:30 114208 | A Scaffolded, Low-code Approach to Teaching Image Classification in Pre-University Education Mei Ting Ng, National University of Singapore, Singapore This paper presents the design and implementation of a workshop introducing Grade 10-12 students to image classification via neural networks. Meant as a hands-on interdisciplinary workshop, we assume that the students have little to no prior programming knowledge. The instructional design employs a highly scaffolded, three-phase approach. Firstly, students construct a conceptual model of an artificial decision-making neuron, taking inspiration from the biological neuron. Secondly, through an unplugged, hands-on activity, students manually perform basic matrix operations to appreciate the foundational logic behind image embeddings and dimensionality reduction. Finally, students transition to a low-code environment to classify real-world images. In the environment, they learn to integrate neural network and image embeddings in the workflow to evaluate model performance and interpret confusion matrices. By intentionally pairing progressive scaffolding with low-code software, learners are encouraged to focus on conceptual comprehension rather than programming syntax. Student’s understanding and learning experience were evaluated using an exit ticket and feedback form at the end of the lesson. The findings demonstrate a scalable pedagogical model for integrating advanced artificial intelligence concepts into pre-university education.

15:30-15:55 110540 | Effectiveness of PhET Simulation-Based Chemistry Laboratories on Cognitive Load, Conceptual Understanding, and Engineering Problem-Solving Competence Among First-Year Civil Engineering Students Paul John Tiangco, National University, Philippines This study examined the effectiveness of PhET simulation-based laboratory activities in enhancing the learning experiences of first-year Civil Engineering students, focusing on cognitive load, conceptual understanding, and engineering problem-solving competence. Guided by cognitive load theory and constructivist learning principles, the research aimed to determine whether interactive simulations could strengthen students’ comprehension of abstract chemistry concepts relevant to engineering applications. A quantitative descriptive design was employed, and data were collected from 55 students enrolled in a Chemistry for Engineering course. The instrument measured three variables— cognitive load, conceptual understanding, and engineering problem-solving competence—using validated Likert-scale items. Results indicated that students perceived PhET simulations as effective in reducing extraneous cognitive load by providing clearer visualizations and interactive representations that simplified complex topics. Students also reported improved conceptual understanding, including better retention, enhanced clarity of abstract processes, and stronger connections between theoretical concepts and civil engineering contexts. Furthermore, the simulations enhanced engineering problem-solving competence by helping students organize complex tasks, interpret data accurately, and apply chemistry principles to real-world engineering problems. Correlation analysis revealed strong and significant relationships among the three variables, showing that reduced cognitive load and increased conceptual understanding were associated with higher problemsolving competence. The study concluded that PhET simulation-based laboratories serve as a valuable instructional tool that supports deeper learning, reduces cognitive barriers, and strengthens essential analytical and problem-solving skills among first-year Civil Engineering students. These findings highlight the importance of integrating interactive digital simulations into engineering curricula to improve learning outcomes and better prepare students in professional contexts.

15:55-16:20 110234 | From Silos to SDGs: Mapping Interdisciplinary Education Research Through a Scoping Review and Integrative Framework Chun Sing Maxwell Ho, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Interdisciplinary approaches are increasingly promoted as essential for addressing complex educational and societal challenges, yet the education research literature on interdisciplinarity remains conceptually diffuse and methodologically uneven. This paper maps how interdisciplinarity in education has been conceptualized and operationalized over time and examines how this body of work aligns—explicitly or implicitly—with contemporary global priorities, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We conducted a systematic scoping review using PRISMA-aligned procedures. Peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters were retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science, screened against predefined inclusion criteria, and analyzed through a combined deductive–inductive strategy. Deductively, studies were classified along a disciplinarity–multidisciplinarity–interdisciplinarity–transdisciplinarity spectrum using indicators of collaboration scope, epistemological integration, and stakeholder reach. Inductively, we coded recurrent barriers and enablers shaping interdisciplinary practice across institutional, cultural/professional, and contextual/systemic domains. Findings reveal a large but fragmented knowledge base: early work emphasized professional training and reform, while later studies foregrounded sustainability, collaboration, and systems perspectives. Persistent weaknesses include inconsistent terminology, limited theoretical anchoring, heavy reliance on self-report outcomes, and a shortage of comparative or longitudinal designs. Although explicit SDG references are rare, many studies anticipate SDG-related concerns such as health, equity, sustainability, and partnerships. To strengthen coherence and impact, we propose a forward-looking conceptual framework linking (1) theories and concepts, (2) research design and methodology, and (3) institutional and societal embedding. The paper concludes with a research agenda to improve conceptual clarity, evaluation rigor, and policy relevance for scaling interdisciplinary education research and practice.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Multidisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Education Session Chair: Hansong Xue 16:20-16:45 109947 | From Context to Comparison: A Longitudinal Evaluation of the “CLEAR” Approach in Teaching Ordinary Differential Equations Hansong Xue, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore Stephen Tay, National University of Singapore, Singapore Based on prior work presented at ACE2025, which explored Contextualized Learning via Enquiring, Answering, and Reflecting (CLEAR) to enhance engagement and learning with ordinary differential equations (ODEs), this study adopts a comparative design to evaluate CLEAR against conventional instruction across two academic years. In AY2025 (intervention cohort; n = 10, first- or second-year PhD students), CLEAR was implemented in a graduate-level applied mathematics course through a structured semester-long sequence. Students were introduced to the framework in Week 1 and tasked with designing their own examination questions as a mid-term project. They received formative feedback (Week 4), submitted a draft (Week 6), engaged in class peer review with presentations (Week 8), and refined their work before final submission (Week 10). A perception survey was conducted in Week 12. In contrast, the AY2026 cohort (control; n = 12) followed a traditional lecture-based and problem-solving approach without the CLEAR intervention. To ensure comparability, learning objectives, course content, measurable outcomes, and assessment components — including homework, computer-based laboratory examinations, and final written examinations — were identical in structure, weightage, and question design across both cohorts. Independent-samples t-tests were conducted to compare performance outcomes, with effect sizes calculated to assess the magnitude of differences. Results indicate that the CLEAR cohort (AY2025) achieved higher average scores, with improvements of 18% in homework and laboratory assessments and 14% in the final examination. These findings suggest that CLEAR supports deeper contextualization of abstract mathematical concepts and provides evidence of its pedagogical effectiveness beyond anecdotal observations.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Mind, Brain and Psychology in Educational Contexts Session Chair: Josee Charette 15:05-15:30 111713 | The Association Between Parental Mental-state Talk and Hong Kong Preschoolers’ Theory of Mind and Executive Function Liaoyuan Xue, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong While existing research has indicated a significant association between parental mental-state talk (MST) and children’s Theory of Mind (ToM), the studies of non-Western samples were limited. Furthermore, the studies regarding how parental MST are related to children’s Executive Function (EF) remain scarce, particularly in non-Western samples. Addressing these gaps, this two-wave longitudinal study with 172 children and their parents (children aged 3.5 to 5 years) involved, aimed to investigate how two dimensions of parental MST (i.e., types and referents) were related to preschoolers’ ToM and EF and their respective components. Parental MST was coded from observations of parent-child dyads engaged with a wordless picture book. Using a series of hierarchical linear regression analyses, we found that after accounting for children’s age, vocabulary ability, parental education, and parents’ overall verbosity, parents’ cognitive talk at age 3 was the most significant predictor of preschoolers’ ToM at age 4. Parents’ desire-related talk at age 3 was negatively associated with children’s content false belief at age 4. Parents’ cognitive talk and references to children’s mental states predicted children’s working memory, one of the EF components. The findings extend the previous literature and affirm association between parental MST and children’s ToM and EF is applicable to non-Western samples. It also underscores the importance of analyzing specific aspects of parental MST in relation to children’s ToM and EF, as well as their respective components.

15:30-15:55 114199 | Development and Initial Validation of the Parent Beliefs on Home Math Environment Instrument Zhengqing Li, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore Early home mathematics experiences contribute to children’s mathematical development, yet parents’ beliefs about these experiences remain understudied. This study developed and initially validated a theory-driven instrument assessing parents’ beliefs and intentions regarding the home math environment (HME), defined as the formal and informal mathematics learning activities and experiences parents provide at home. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the instrument was developed through a review of relevant literature and administered to 140 U.S. parents of children in Pre-K through Grade 2, recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. The questionnaire assessed behavioral, normative, and control beliefs, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intentions related to formal and informal HME practices. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) were conducted separately for formal and informal HME items using principal axis factoring with oblique rotation. Factor retention was evaluated using eigenvalues greater than 1, scree plots, and parallel analysis. Following iterative removal of items with weak or cross-loadings, a five-factor structure was retained for both formal and informal HME scales, explaining 55.2% and 58.9% of the variance, respectively. The factors represented descriptive and injunctive norms, behavioral propensity, perceived power and control, control belief strength, and referent compliance motivation. Internal consistency was strong across subscales (Cronbach’s α = .80–.94). Findings provide initial evidence of the instrument’s reliability and construct validity and its potential for examining parental beliefs and intentions underlying children’s early home mathematics experiences.

15:55-16:20 113913 | School-Family Communication in Preschool: Bringing Together the Perspectives of Parents and Community Partners to Identify Barriers and Improve Practices Josee Charette, University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada Julie Poissant, University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada Arianne Perron-Martel, Université of Quebec in Montreal, Canada Effective communication between schools and families is widely recognized as a fundamental component in fostering the overall development and educational success of preschool-aged children. However, research has shown that various barriers can impede effective communication, some of which are created, maintained, or reinforced by school structures and practices. Using a qualitative research approach, we examined the perspectives of 28 community partners and 18 parents of preschool-aged children—who are often considered difficult for schools to reach—to explore school-family communication. Our analyses show that schools rely on traditional methods to communicate with parents, such as school notebooks and email. It appears that many of these methods do not always reach parents whose backgrounds differ from the “typical” parent envisioned by the school—for example, parents with a migration background, parents who are learning the language used in the school environment, or parents experiencing socioeconomic instability. Our analyses also show that, without community support, schools would likely be unable to reach some parents. Our findings encourage school communities to give parents a voice in order to better understand their realities and ensure that they are offered communication methods that accommodate their diversity. Otherwise, school communities are urged to avoid judging parents who do not respond to communications in the manner expected by the school community itself.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Language, Literacy and Technology Session Chair: Midori Hasegawa 15:05-15:30 110991 | From Kong Yiji to Algorithmic Inequality: Teaching Classical Chinese Literature Through Critical AI Literacy Yu-Zi Liu, National Chung Hsing University Affiliated Taichung Agricultural Senior High School, Taiwan This classroom-based practice explores how classical Chinese literature can be used to develop students’ critical AI literacy and awareness of structural inequality. Situated in a Taiwanese senior high school Chinese language classroom, the lesson redesigned Lu Xun’s “Kong Yiji” as a bridge between literary interpretation and contemporary digital ethics. The teaching design guided students through four stages: phenomenon observation, system analysis, simulation-based learning, and ethical expression. Students first examined how “Kong Yiji” is often interpreted as an individual failure, then used graphic organizers and discussion tasks to identify the social and educational systems that excluded the character. The lesson then connected this literary analysis with contemporary issues such as algorithmic bias, digital inequality, attention economy, and platform-based exclusion. Through AI-assisted role dialogue, collaborative inquiry, and reflective writing, students reconsidered whether exclusion in both traditional and digital societies should be understood as a personal problem or a structural one. The significance of this practice lies in transforming classical literature from a fixed examination text into a space for civic inquiry and digital-age reflection. Student responses showed a shift from blaming individuals to recognizing how institutions and technologies shape people’s opportunities. This presentation will share the instructional framework, classroom tasks, digital tools, student responses, and challenges of integrating literature education, AI ethics, and critical literacy in a secondary school context.

15:30-15:55 112600 | Colonialingualism and the Bilingual Learner: Rethinking Translation as Pedagogy in Singapore’s Malay-English Education Landscape Rashikin Rajah, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore In postcolonial multilingual societies, bilingualism often operates within unequal linguistic relationships shaped by historical and institutional language hierarchies. This paper examines Singapore’s Malay–English bilingual context and introduces the concept of *colonialingualism* to explain how colonial language legacies continue to influence learners’ perceptions, linguistic practices, and relationships with their languages. Drawing on an analysis of Singapore’s Primary and Secondary Malay language syllabuses and the historical role of Malay as a regional lingua franca, the paper argues that the marginalisation of translation pedagogy reflects broader questions of linguistic hierarchy and knowledge production. Moving beyond translation as mechanical transfer, it repositions translation as a reflective pedagogical practice that develops metalinguistic awareness, cultural intelligence, and bilingual agency through a translational competence framework. Situated within an ongoing doctoral project, the study outlines a mixed-methods intervention employing think-aloud protocols, back-translation, contrastive grammar journals, and cultural mediation tasks with upper primary and lower secondary learners. By integrating translation studies, translanguaging theory, and postcolonial perspectives on language education, the paper argues that translation should be recognised not merely as a remedial technique but as a critical pedagogical strategy for developing critically aware bilingual learners.

15:55-16:20 111479 | Reading as Collective Performance: A Sociocultural Framework for Analyzing Literacy in Japanese Elementary Classrooms Midori Hasegawa, University of Pittsburgh, United States Patricia Crawford, University of Pittsburgh, United States International literacy research has overwhelmingly focused on diverse, multilingual settings, leaving a gap: non-Western, homogeneous classrooms remain largely absent from the literature, and with them, a distinct set of sociocultural mechanisms through which literacy is constructed. This paper turns to Japan — not despite its homogeneity, but because of it. Where every child shares the same language, cultural background, and reading expectations, literacy events and practices become self-reinforcing. In a field where diversity is the default lens, Japan offers something rare: a setting where literacy’s social construction can be examined on its own terms. Building on a preliminary content analysis of teacher questions in Japanese elementary reading teacher’s guides (Hasegawa, 2023), this paper proposes a four-layer sociocultural framework — spanning Macro (Sociocultural Theory), Meso (Institutional Context), Micro (Classroom Discourse), and Innermost (Literacy Events and Practices) — premised on the understanding that no literacy event stands apart from the cultural forces that surround it. Grounded in Vygotsky (1978), Street (1984, 1995), and Bakhtin (1981), the framework makes visible what diversity-centered frameworks cannot: the seamless mutual reinforcement of literacy events and practices where shared cultural assumptions sustain how reading is constructed. This framework offers an analytical tool and transferable lens for examining how cultural assumptions — rendered invisible by consensus — shape what children learn reading is for. Japan is not a peripheral case: it is a clarifying one — where the seamless construction of literacy lays bare what scripted questions can and cannot do to the child who must answer them.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Interdisciplinarity in Foreign Language Education Session Chair: David Palfreyman 15:05-15:30 110572 | Multidisciplinary Approach to English Language Development for Japanese Adults: Integration of LSRW, Interpersonal Language, and Sociocultural Constructivism Development Yujiro Shimogori, SevenSees, Japan The purpose of this presentation is to propose the Multidisciplinary Approach to English Language Development (MAELD), a pedagogical framework designed to enhance communicative competence among adult Japanese learners of English. Moving beyond the grammartranslation tradition, MAELD conceptualizes language development as a multidimensional process integrating linguistic skills, interpersonal interaction, and sociocultural meaning-making. The framework targets semi-beginner to intermediate learners who possess foundational grammatical knowledge but often lack confidence and fluency in authentic communication. MAELD is structured around three interrelated components: (1) balanced development of the four language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing (LSRW); (2) interpersonal language development through differentiated and cooperative learning; and (3) sociocultural constructivism that emphasizes learner agency and meaningful engagement. Instructional input combines conventional English language resources with culturally familiar Japanese contexts to promote relevance and internalization. Pedagogically, learners are encouraged to participate in sustained interaction, prioritize meaning over form, and collaboratively support communicative risk-taking. The expected outcomes of MAELD include the acquisition of Vernacular English for everyday interaction, Facilitative English to manage communication breakdowns, and Japanese-Relevant English that enables learners to articulate Japanese culture and identity in English. By fostering continuous language output, reducing anxiety around error-making, and situating learning within socioculturally meaningful contexts, MAELD aims to transform adult learners into confident, autonomous English users capable of engaging in intercultural communication.

15:30-15:55 111873 | Development of the ILMAN Innovation Concept in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language for Students with Learning Disabilities in Malaysia Ijlal Saja, University of MARA Technology, Malaysia Azman Che Mat, University of MARA Technology, Malaysia Khadijah Abdul Rahman, SMK Sungai Rambai, Malaysia This study explores the development of the ILMAN innovation concept in teaching Arabic as a foreign language for students with learning disabilities in Malaysia. ILMAN refers to an innovative learning approach that integrates special learning needs, multimedia elements, flexible learning environments, and continuous learning opportunities anytime and anywhere. The study aims to identify the needs, challenges, and suitable teaching approaches for special education students in learning Arabic as a foreign language. A qualitative research design was employed using semi-structured interviews and document analysis as the primary data collection methods. The respondents consisted of six special education teachers from selected schools in Malaysia. The collected data were analyzed thematically to identify key themes related to teaching practices, learning difficulties, and innovative instructional strategies. The results reveal that multimedia-based, interactive, and flexible learning approaches are effective in enhancing students’ motivation, participation, and Arabic language acquisition. The study highlights the potential of ILMAN as an inclusive innovation that supports continuous and accessible learning for students with learning disabilities in Malaysia.

15:55-16:20 108932 | CLIL in Engineering Education: Enhancing Academic Oral Communication in English Through Fluid Mechanics Presentations in Chilean Higher Education Roxana Orrego, University of Santiago of Chile, Chile Ricardo Úbeda, University of Santiago of Chile, Chile The increasing internationalization of engineering education has intensified the need for graduates capable of communicating specialized knowledge in English within global academic and professional environments. However, in many Latin American contexts, engineering students often demonstrate strong disciplinary knowledge but limited ability to present technical content effectively in English. This study reports on the design and implementation of a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) pedagogical intervention aimed at strengthening English-medium oral communication skills among Mechanical Engineering students at the School of Engineering of the Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH). The instructional innovation was embedded within a disciplinary unit on fluid mechanics instrumentation, focusing on pressure-measurement devices commonly used in engineering practice, including manometers, Bourdon tubes, strain gauges, piezoelectric transducers, Pirani gauges, and other instruments. The course integrated technical vocabulary development, genre-based academic presentation training, and communicative functions typical of engineering discourse, such as explaining diagrams, emphasizing key findings, qualifying technical claims, and describing the advantages and applications of engineering instruments. The intervention followed a structured sequence of CLIL sessions combining disciplinary content, language scaffolding, and multimodal learning resources. Students prepared and delivered technical presentations simulating engineering conference scenarios using diagrams, visual models, and simplified technical explanations. Preliminary findings indicate improvements in students’ disciplinary discourse awareness, technical vocabulary use, and confidence when presenting engineering concepts in English. The study highlights the potential of CLIL-informed instruction to integrate language development with engineering education and support English-medium communication competence in STEM programs.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Interdisciplinarity in Foreign Language Education Session Chair: David Palfreyman 16:20-16:45 113272 | Teaching Across Cultures: Chinese Language Teachers in Hong Kong and UAE David Palfreyman, UAE University, United Arab Emirates Zhen (Jennie) Li, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Language education inevitably has an intercultural dimension, varying according to its context. Chinese is now taught both as a foreign language (CFL) worldwide, and as a second language (CSL) for local minoritized learners in Chinese-speaking countries. While there is considerable research on interculturality in English teaching, research on Chinese language teaching across cultures is less developed. This paper will present a qualitative comparative case study of expatriate native-speaker CFL teachers in the UAE, and local/mainland nativespeaker CSL teachers in Hong Kong (n=15 in each site). Semi-structured narrative interviews, incorporating participant-selected teaching artefacts, were analysed thematically to investigate teachers’ intercultural perspectives and strategies. Drawing on Byram's (1997) Intercultural Communicative Competence model and Kohler's (2015) concept of the "intercultural mediator", the paper shows how teachers’ approaches, shaped by contextual and personal factors, range from avoiding cultural aspects of teaching to active intercultural adaptation or dialogue. The findings have implications not only for Chinese language education but for language education and applied linguistics more broadly.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Innovative Technologies in Education Session Chair: Randy Tan 15:05-15:30 114401 | Scaffolded Physical-AI Education: Evaluating a Foundations-First Robotics Framework for Pre-University Learners Shing Tai Chong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Kam Tim Woo, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong STEAM initiatives excel at fostering early curiosity, yet short-term workshops fall into a dual trap: either overburdening students with abstract syntax—inducing cognitive overload—or defaulting to superficial "edutainment" play where AI remains an unexamined black box. This study evaluates a 4-day (13-hour) scaffolded workshop (N = 31 Grade 10–11; 13 Hong Kong, 17 Mainland Chinese) balancing engagement with AI knowledge, Python skills, and robotics capabilities. Grounded in Cognitive Load Theory and Papert’s Constructionism, our 4-phase curriculum enforces a foundations-first sequence—establishing Python and machine learning baselines before hardware integration (HuskyLens, micro:bit, robot cars) so all learners can contribute during team co-creation. Empirical assessments demonstrated gains in AI conceptual knowledge (from M_pre = 1.83 to M_post = 4.06, p < .001, d = 2.485) and programming confidence (from M_pre = 2.78 to M_post = 4.33, p < .001, d = 1.175). Task engagement escalated monotonically across phases, peaking during robotics assembly (M = 3.90; p = .036, d = 0.348) while sustaining intrinsic motivation (M_post = 4.30) and metacognitive agency (M = 3.77, d = 0.746). Aligning with Social Constructivism, team co-creation enhanced collaborative self-efficacy (from M_pre = 3.77 to M_post = 4.17, p = .001, d = 0.705) and cognitive engagement (p .05). Novice-dominated teams achieved significantly higher growth velocity than advanced-dominated teams (p = .014, d = 2.53), proving that scaffolding accelerates novice agency and closes skill gaps within the Zone of Proximal Development.

15:55-16:20 110619 | Design and Implementation of an AI Enhanced Wearable Sensor Framework for Postural Stability Learning in Higher Physical and Sports Education Firdaus Hendry Prabowo Yudho, Universitas Suryakancana, Indonesia Trini Handayani, Universitas Suryakancana, Indonesia Tubagus Herlambang, Universitas PGRI Semarang, Indonesia Muhamad Soeleman, Universitas Suryakancana, Indonesia Ahmad Ridwan Fauzi, Telkom University Jakarta, Indonesia Instructional and assessment practices in Higher Physical and Sports Education (HPSE) still rely largely on qualitative observation and instructor judgment. This limits students’ engagement with quantitative movement analysis and the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy, both of which are increasingly important in technology-rich professional contexts. This methodological study presents a pedagogically grounded framework for integrating AI-enhanced wearable sensor technology into postural stability learning in HPSE. The framework was designed to support learning, assessment, and foundational AI literacy through interpretable and low-complexity analytics. Using a Design-Based Research (DBR) approach, a learning module was developed in which undergraduate HPSE students used wearable inertial measurement units (IMUs) to collect postural stability data during standard balance tasks (bipedal, unipedal, and tiptoe stance). Students examined accessible sensor features, including movement variability, sway magnitude, and maximum angular deviation, and applied interpretable decision-tree-based classifiers to categorize stability states. AI was introduced as a decision-support tool rather than an automated evaluator. An AI literacy questionnaire assessed students’ awareness of data bias, understanding of AI’s supportive role, and ability to explain AI outputs in non-technical language. The framework was implemented successfully in authentic classroom and gymnasium settings, generated usable data, and supported students’ transition from qualitative observation to quantitative reasoning. It also fostered foundational AI literacy by encouraging reflective interpretation of algorithmic outputs. Overall, the framework demonstrates the feasibility of integrating AI-enhanced wearable technology into HPSE in a pedagogically meaningful way.

16:20-16:45 113513 | From Learning Physics to Being a Physicist: Technology-Enabled Redesign and the Cultivation of Epistemic Agency in Undergraduate Physics Coursework Teck Seng Koh, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Michael Tan, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Randy Tan, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore This paper reports on an undergraduate physics course redesign aimed at cultivating epistemic agency - students' capacity to make and defend their own scientific decisions - rather than merely executing procedures. Grounded in Wieman's scientific decision-making and epistemic agency frameworks (Montgomery, Price, & Wieman, 2024; Holmes, Keep, & Wieman, 2020), we redesigned a set of micro-investigations in which students plan, execute, and justify open-ended experimental tasks, e.g. arranging masses on a string so they land at equal time intervals. Technology affords students more time for higher-order reasoning by offloading routine data collection. This affordance alone is insufficient: it is the open-endedness of the task, the instructor's in-the-moment facilitation, and a structured reflection cycle – students' written submissions receive manuscript-style peer review, forcing them to defend knowledge claims – that reinforce epistemic agency. Preliminary findings, drawn from worksheet analyses, interviews, and written reflections across two redesigned micro-investigations (n=69, groupsize=4; n=50, pairwork), show recurring themes. Reflective writing reveals an iterated interpretation of physical phenomena, moving between choice of representation, execution, modification and interpretation of results. Students encountered genuine anomalies and move from frustration to self-directed diagnosis to resolution. Interviews suggest competition between students undermine the epistemic goal when the task is seen as a race to the "correct" answer, pulling students away from defensible knowledge claims. Critical evaluation of evidence was uneven: when app-generated timings displayed suspiciously "perfect" data, some students questioned it; others accepted it without scrutiny until facilitator prompting intervened, underscoring that technology alone does not cultivate scepticism.

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Notes

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Curriculum Design and Development Session Chair: Barnali Chaklader 15:05-15:30 111679 | Engineering Accreditation, Evolving Skill Requirements, and the Role of Work-Integrated Learning Mariam Darestani, Western Sydney University, Australia Bijan Markhali, Western Sydney University, Australia Chris Jones, Western Sydney University, Australia Inu Rana, Western Sydney University, Australia Leigh Sheppard1, Western Sydney University, Australia Richard Yang, Western Sydney University, Australia Recently, the engineering profession has been undergoing significant transformation, driven by rapid advances in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), a growing emphasis on sustainability, and changing industry expectations that extend engineers’ responsibilities beyond traditional technical boundaries. Across Australia, Europe, the UK, and the USA, various accreditation systems share a strong emphasis on outcome-based education, requiring programs to demonstrate what graduates can do rather than what is taught. All frameworks prioritise problem-solving, design capability, and the application of engineering knowledge in real-world contexts, alongside professional skills such as communication, teamwork, and ethics. They also emphasise industry relevance, lifelong learning, and continuous improvement, ensuring graduates are adaptable to rapidly evolving technologies. Preparing students for future roles without fully knowing what that future will look like remains a significant challenge. However, implementing innovative teaching and assessment practices can help boost student confidence and build resilience to adapt to an evolving profession. Mapping the alignment of teaching activities against common competency frameworks shows that embedding work-integrated learning across the curriculum, not only in final-year capstone projects and industry placements, can effectively support the development of desired graduate attributes. In this study, we compare engineering accreditation systems across countries and examine the professional skills required for future engineers. To achieve this, we map the alignment of teaching activities against four common competency frameworks from Australia, Europe, the UK, and the USA. Using this mapping, a case study demonstrates the feasibility of this approach within an engineering program in Australia.

15:30-15:55 112969 | Connecting Curriculum, Students, and Society Through Digital Service: A Faculty-Developed Cross-Curricular Model for Management and Technology Education I Chang Tsai, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taiwan Management and technology education often separates analytical knowledge, technical skills, and social engagement across courses and extracurricular activities. Yet real-world problems do not follow disciplinary boundaries. To address this gap, several faculty members in the Department of Information Management at Chung Yuan Christian University developed a cross-course, cross-year model using digital service to connect curriculum, students, and society. Digital service was not an added volunteer activity or a technology-delivery exercise. It functioned as a curricular mechanism through which students combined management knowledge, technological capabilities, communication, and social responsibility while engaging with problems whose needs, resources, and outcomes were not predetermined. Faculty and students worked with communities, nonprofit organisations, rural schools, people with disabilities, and international partners. Initiatives involving community industries, rural education, agricultural marketing, nonprofit support, and overseas service were expressions of the broader curricular design rather than isolated projects. Drawing on contemporaneous course documents, project records, websites, activity materials, and practitioner reflections, this paper explains how the model was constructed and the tensions it revealed. It does not claim long-term causal effects on students or community partners. Instead, it examines how authentic engagement tested disciplinary knowledge while creating risks: project pressure could displace learning, community partners could become representational resources, corporate and media logics could enter the classroom, and practical execution could crowd out systematic instruction. The paper argues that digital service can reorganise the relationship among knowledge, action, and responsibility.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Curriculum Design and Development Session Chair: Barnali Chaklader 15:55-16:20 114331 | An Outcomes-Based Evaluation of Curriculum Effectiveness: Graduates and Employer Perspectives on Competencies, Employability, and Workplace Performance Imelda Macaraig, St. Mary's College Inc., Philippines Nicamil Sanchez, Philippine Consortium for Social Welfare and Human Development Inc., Philippines Helen Oreto, St. Mary's College Inc. Quezon City, Philippines Lalaine Albino, St. Mary's College Inc. Quezon City, Philippines Social work practice is a dynamic process that must respond to professional standards, the institutional mission, and the evolving needs of society. It is deeply rooted in the principles of human dignity, social justice, service, and the person-in-environment perspective. Ignacian Spirituality integrated into the social work curriculum, are among the distinctive contributions of Catholic educational institutions to social work practice. This paper examines how a social work curriculum grounded in Ignacian spirituality and formation contributes to graduates' professional practice. The study employed a mixed-method research design to explore the perspective of SMCIQC social work graduates and their employers on the school’s competencies, employability, and workplace performance having the contribution of spirituality and formation-oriented curriculum in their practice. The data were gathered through survey responses from alumni and employers. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using NVivo software. A thematic and content analysis approach was then applied to identify patterns and emerging themes across participants' responses. The findings provide strong evidence that the SMCIQC Bachelor of Science in Social Work Program effectively prepares graduates for professional employment and workplace success. The alumni confirm outstanding employability and strong licensure examination performance while the employer satisfaction survey validates graduates' competence, social work ethical conduct, adaptability, and commitment to service. This revealed strong foundation on the Ignacian core values of faith, excellence and service in the teaching and learning components and support the continued relevance of the program while recommending curriculum enhancements in legal literacy, advocacy, digital competencies, and experiential learning.

16:20-16:45 112378 | Bridging the Competency Gap: A Role-Competency Mapping Framework for Business School Curriculum Transformation Barnali Chaklader, Institute of Management Technology Ghaziabad, India Atish Chattopadhyay, Institute of Management Technology Ghaziabad, India The way business is conducted has undergone significant transformation due to rapid technological advancements, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence (Donthu & Gustafsson, 2020; McKinsey, 2023). However, there is an important question that remains unanswered: are business schools preparing curricula and undertaking the methodology of role competency mapping? The World Economic Forum Report 2026 highlights that by 2030, the advancement of artificial intelligence will transform the future of jobs. Considering this, it was considered that it becomes important to understand if there is a gap between what business schools in India teach and the demand of the roles of the industry. The study explores the following research questions: 1. To what extent do competencies possessed by the MBA graduates align with the industry, and particularly when there has been a huge transition in the industry due to technology? 2. To provide a framework of role competency mapping for curriculum design and revision. The research was conducted using cognitive and social constructivism theory (Piaget, 1970; Vygotsky, 1978) . To explore this issue, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten business school deans and twenty recruiters. Content and thematic analysis were done to reach the findings. Based on the findings, this paper proposes a structured approach to curriculum development through role–competency mapping, with the aim of enhancing alignment between management education and industry expectations.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Creativity and Innovation in Education Session Chair: Jiranuwat Khamplew 15:05-15:30 106673 | Transformative Power of Gamification on Academic Performance Fatima Ahsan, National Defence University, Pakistan Zubair Nawaz, National Defence University, Pakistan This study explores the potential of gamification as a 21st century learning method. The study employed an experimental research design to measure the impact of incorporating game-based elements on the academic achievement. A sample of 111 undergraduate students from various institutions was divided into a control and experimental group via simple random sampling. Self-directed learning was assigned to both the groups after a brief discussion regarding the topic with the instructor. The control group studied with the help of standard slides, whereas the experimental group engaged with an interactive, gamified version of the same, developed using the ARCS model (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction). The platform Ahaslides was utilized for this. Academic performance was assessed using a postintervention quiz, while student motivation and self-efficacy were measured through self-administered questionnaires. Gamification emerged as the strongest predictor, with significant direct effect on academic performance, student motivation and self-efficacy. Despite the moderate relationship in the individual paths of student motivation and self-efficacy with academic performance, it did not translate into a noteworthy mediation effect. The results suggest that the primary driving force behind the improved academic performance was the direct behavioral impact of gamification and not indirectly, through any psychological change.

15:30-15:55 113993 | Researching Educational Imaginaries of Artificial Intelligence Through Playing Video Games Jack Tsao, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Anticipatory discourses surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) in education are dominated by narratives of inevitability, framing AI as a transformative force to which educational institutions must simply adapt. To critically examine these sociotechnical imaginaries before they become entrenched visions and policies, educational researchers require novel methodological approaches that capture how publics actively negotiate, rather than passively accept, these futures. This paper proposes a methodology for researching educational imaginaries through interactive media and play. By combining reflexive thematic analysis with procedural rhetoric, the study introduces the "game-plus-reception" corpus as a vital site of scholarly inquiry. Using the Taiwanese narrative game Minds Beneath Us (2024), which imagines a near-future where human cognition is rented as computational infrastructure, this approach analyses both the game's internal mechanics and its publics via playthroughs, walkthroughs, and reviews. Applying this method enables researchers to deconstruct how interactive environments simulate complex sociotechnical paradigms, revealing the implicit pedagogical structures embedded within algorithmic systems. Furthermore, by analysing player choices and community discourse across branching narratives and gameplays, scholars can systematically observe how individuals deliberate, negotiate, and perform ethical responses to speculative technological constraints. This paper argues that studying video games and their public paratexts provides education scholars with a critical methodological sandbox. It equips researchers with a framework to observe how commodified AI imaginaries are rehearsed, reworked, or refused by the public while such systems are still fiction, offering a more imaginative space for digital and critical education futures research.

15:55-16:20 110990 | Investor Challenge: A Gamified Generative AI Teaching Model for Collaboration, Communication, and Critical Thinking Development Giulio Marchena, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, Peru This research presents Investor Challenge, a gamified educational model that integrates Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) assistants and interactive AI avatars to develop collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills in graduate entrepreneurship students. Implemented in the course Innovative and Sustainable Business Entrepreneurship within a Master of Strategic Business Administration program, the initiative combines Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, the Jigsaw collaborative learning method, and gamification principles grounded in Self-Determination Theory. Unlike isolated uses of AI, GenAI functions as a continuous pedagogical assistant throughout the learning process, supporting evidence gathering, argument construction, feedback generation, experimentation, and final pitch preparation. Students work in role-based teams and interact with specialized AI assistants, including a Socratic challenger, a data benchmark assistant, a coach, and an AI-generated investor avatar that evaluates entrepreneurial pitches in real time. The project aims to foster autonomous and evidence-based learning while increasing student engagement and collaborative performance. Its impact is assessed through pre- and postintervention evaluations focused on communication, collaboration, and critical thinking competencies. The model is designed to be scalable and transferable across disciplines in higher education.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Creativity and Innovation in Education Session Chair: Jiranuwat Khamplew 16:20-16:45 112970 | Designing “Meow Long Krung”: A Design Framework for a Thai Cultural Heritage Board Game Based on Thai Cats and Bangkok Temples Rattaakkhatee Akkhateerathitiphum, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand Jiranuwat Khamplew, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand Santipap Nanthasarn, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand Akekalak Poksupphiboon, Srinakharinwirot Universit, Thailand Sureerat Chinpong, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand Traditional approaches to cultural heritage education often rely on passive learning, making it difficult to engage younger generations with local cultural resources in meaningful ways. Although board games have increasingly been adopted as educational media, few studies have examined how authentic cultural heritage can be systematically translated into a playable board game while maintaining both educational value and cultural authenticity. This presents the design framework of "Meow Long Krung: Following the Trail of 12 Temples in Bangkok", a cultural heritage board game inspired by six traditional Thai cat breeds and twelve historic temples in Bangkok. Instead of adapting conventional property-acquisition mechanics, the game employs mission-based gameplay that encourages players to discover temple identities through five cultural dimensions: sacred objects, architecture, artistic heritage, history, and living culture. These cultural elements are transformed into playable mechanics using heritage cards, cultural missions, and symbolic Faith Coins, allowing players to learn through exploration, decision-making, and interaction. The framework follows a Design-Based Research approach comprising cultural content verification, prototype development, expert review, playtesting, and iterative refinement. Rather than presenting a finished educational product, this study proposes a practical framework for integrating local cultural heritage into board game design. The proposed framework demonstrates how Thai cultural resources can be transformed into contemporary educational media while preserving cultural authenticity. It is expected to support future cultural learning initiatives, inspire heritage-based game development, and contribute to discussions on educational innovation through locally grounded game design.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Knowledge Creation and Preservation Session Chair: Hsienwei Kuo 17:00-17:25 112138 | Wisdom Journalism: Restructuring Journalism Education Cameron Covarrubias, EdTerm, United States Two converging crises define the current moment in knowledge and education: the collapse of institutional journalism as a sustainable profession, and the accelerating loss of lived human wisdom as experienced practitioners retire and personal knowledge goes undocumented. This paper argues these crises share a common solution—one that sits precisely at the intersection of technology and human intelligence, global citizenship, and transformative leadership. Drawing on the conceptual framework of EdTerm's Human Wisdom Database (HWD), we propose restructuring journalism education around a new discipline: Wisdom Journalism. Rather than training students solely to produce news content, this model trains them to collect, structure, and preserve lived human experience as transferable data units called Wisdom Nodes—structured narrative artifacts capturing experiential knowledge in reusable form. University-embedded journalism programs represent the optimal institutional infrastructure for this collection work, combining disciplinary rigor with community reach. The Wisdom Node methodology constitutes the foundational human layer of the HWD—the necessary precondition before any process of vectorization, retrieval, or AI-assisted mentorship can begin. Critically, this is not merely educational reform. It is a humanitarian and global citizenship project: the systematic preservation of experiential knowledge from populations whose wisdom has historically gone unrecorded, and the democratization of mentorship access for those who have never had it. Where artificial intelligence provides the architecture, human intelligence provides the irreplaceable content. Wisdom Journalism trains the next generation of leaders to bridge both.

17:25-17:50 113651 | Faith Through Hope: Building Bridges in Values and Religious Education Bernadette C. Ilao, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines In Faith, Hope, and Doubt, Louis Pojman argued that belief is not necessary in religious faith. As one faces insufficiency of evidence with respect to God’s existence and hence doubts, one can approach faith through hope instead. Drawing on philosophical argumentation and textual analysis of Pojman’s work, this paper argues that faith understood as hope offers a viable approach to faith. This conception of faith encourages one to adhere to an ethics of belief in acquiring religious beliefs. Even without belief in God’s existence, one who hopes becomes disposed to live as if God exists and lives according to this hope. Additionally, the paper explores the implications of the hope-centered view of faith for values and religious education. It offers an alternative to doctrine-based teaching, one that is more open and encourages learners to engage religious questions with curiosity, responsibility, and critical thinking. Faith as hope can be integrated into the curriculum, practiced through pedagogy, and embodied in student formation. Students can be guided to understand moral action as a deliberate choice, doing what is right for the common good. As a pedagogical approach, emphasis may be placed on lived commitments that allow values and beliefs to be enacted, such as service learning. Lastly, educators can affirm the integrity of doubt to their students, inviting them to hope amidst uncertainty while still engaging them in spiritual community. In this light, hope emerges as an educational stance, guiding learners toward a way of living oriented to meaning, truth, and moral integrity.

17:50-18:15 109540 | Judo-Based Experiential Pedagogy for Moral Internalization in Primary Education Mojmir Kovač, Športno Kulturno Izobraževalno Društvo, Slovenia Contemporary education increasingly emphasises values education and social responsibility, yet structured pedagogical approaches that enable the internalisation of values remain limited. Values are often communicated declaratively through school rules or classroom discussions, which do not necessarily lead to behavioural change. This paper presents an applied pedagogical framework that conceptualises judo as a relational learning environment supporting experiential moral development in primary education. Inspired by the educational philosophy of Jigoro Kano and grounded in the ethical principle of Jita Kyoei (mutual benefit and shared progress), the model introduces a structured relational-normative spiral learning process integrating emotional activation, guided practice, symbolic simulation, reflection, metacognitive framing, situational testing, collaborative validation, and intentional transfer to everyday contexts. The study employs an exploratory mixed-methods design combining three data sources: a five-week pilot intervention involving 52 primary school pupils aged 6–13, professional development seminars for approximately 350 judo coaches across seven European countries, and a descriptive survey of 128 coaches from 13 countries. Findings indicate increased pupil awareness of values-related behaviour and observable relational shifts such as improved cooperation, proactivity, and social inclusion. The proposed model extends experiential learning theory by introducing an explicit normative dimension and offers a transferable framework for designing intentional learning environments that connect moral discourse with lived ethical practice.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Knowledge Creation and Preservation Session Chair: Hsienwei Kuo 18:15-18:40 111685 | The Genealogy of the Transmission and Development of Taijiquan Education in Taiwan Hsienwei Kuo, Center for General Education, Taiwan Chinfang Kuo, Aletheia University, Taiwan Following the large influx of martial artists and intellectuals to Taiwan in 1949, Taijiquan gradually established a local presence. Taking the arrival of Yang-style Taijiquan in the 1940s as a point of departure, this study examines its introduction and the developmental genealogy of this style. Drawing on archival records, newspapers, periodicals, and publications issued by relevant associations, it analyzes lines of transmission and the broader contextual matrix. The findings indicate that the traditional master–disciple system—grounded in ethics and martial virtue, formal initiation rites, and strict discipline—has long served to secure the depth of training and the quality of the craft. As social conditions evolved and dissemination widened, the field developed along two complementary trajectories: on the one hand, epistemic codification and institutionalization through educational systems, association networks, and the construction of curricula, assessment, and teacher training; on the other hand, retention of the ethical core of the master–disciple relation, re-institutionalized in contemporary teacher preparation and certification to preserve the ethos of East Asian martial learning. Overall, the development of Taijiquan education in Taiwan exhibits a dualtrack accommodation between institutional systems and traditional gongfu, as it has been integrated into public education while maintaining the spiritual core of East Asian martial arts. This offers a demonstrable historical case for understanding the institutionalisation and cultural transmission of contemporary Taijiquan.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Technology Implementation in Education Session Chair: Candice Seet 17:00-17:25 114230 | Instructional Context and Needs Assessment for AI-Driven Constructivist Ecosystem to Enhance Geographic Thinking on Natural Disasters Among Grade Six Students Thaksin Yokhawat, Khon Kaen University, Thailand Parama Kwangmuang, Khon Kaen University, Thailand Natural disasters have increased in frequency and severity across Thailand, yet geography instruction at the primary level, particularly content on natural hazards, remains predominantly teacher centered and lecture based, limiting opportunities for students to develop geographic thinking through inquiry and spatial reasoning. This study examines the instructional context informing the design of an AI driven learning ecosystem grounded in social constructivist theory, intended to enhance geographic thinking about natural disasters among grade six students. Data were obtained from thirty teachers and three hundred seventeen grade six students across thirty schools, fifteen medium sized and fifteen small, in Non Sang Ard District, Udon Thani Province, Thailand, using structured questionnaires whose content validity was confirmed through index of item objective congruence procedures by three subject matter experts. Teachers reported an average of 10.97 years of teaching experience overall and 7.43 years teaching geography specifically. Ninety percent of teachers indicated reliance on textbook based lecture as their primary approach, corroborated by 77.6 percent of student respondents, although both groups identified hands on and place based learning as more engaging, cited by 66.67 percent of teachers and 67.19 percent of students respectively, alongside real life problem solving and collaborative group work. These findings reveal a consistent discrepancy between prevailing instructional practice and the approaches that teachers and students themselves regard as more motivating, providing empirical justification for developing a learning ecosystem integrating AI as a cognitive scaffold within socially interactive, inquiry based learning experiences, informing subsequent design and development phases of the research.

17:25-17:50 114332 | Development of an Active Learning and Project-Based Learning Model for Computer-Aided Electrical Drawing Skills Pattariya Sripul, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Thailand Tanes Tanitteerapan, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand This research aimed to: (1) develop an instructional model integrating Active Learning and Project-Based Learning (PBL) to enhance computer-aided electrical drawing skills; (2) investigate the effects of the developed model on students’ learning achievement and computeraided electrical drawing skills; and (3) evaluate its effectiveness in promoting vocational competencies. The study employed a Research and Development (R&D) approach based on Constructivism, Experiential Learning, and Competency-Based Education. The instructional model comprised five learning units totaling 30 hours, including 10 hours of theoretical instruction and 20 hours of practical activities. The learning process consisted of six stages: Engage, Explore, Design, Create, Present & Share, and Reflect & Evaluate. Students collaboratively analyzed authentic problems, designed electrical systems using computer-aided drawing software, developed project-based products, refined their work based on peer and instructor feedback, and compiled learning portfolios. The sample consisted of 15 first-year Higher Vocational Certificate students in the Electrical Power Program at Klaeng Industrial and Community Education College during the first semester of the 2026 academic year, selected through purposive sampling. Research instruments included the instructional model, lesson plans, an achievement test, a computer-aided electrical drawing skills assessment, and a student satisfaction questionnaire. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, instructional efficiency (E1/E2), and the dependent samples t-test. The expected findings indicate that the developed instructional model will meet the established efficiency criteria, significantly improve students’ learning achievement and computer-aided electrical drawing skills at the .05 level, enhance critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and vocational competencies, and achieve a high level of student satisfaction.

17:50-18:15 110678 | Creative-Technology Ecosystems and Regional Competitiveness: A Design Science and Empirical Investigation of Capacity Development, Industry Alignment, and Innovation Outcomes Vikrant Argade, European Global Institute of Innovation & Technology, Malta The increasing convergence of creativity and digital technologies has redefined innovation-driven economies, positioning creative-technology ecosystems as critical drivers of competitiveness. However, persistent misalignments between education systems, industry requirements, and innovation ecosystems constrain talent development and limit innovation capacity. While policy discourse increasingly emphasizes innovation ecosystems, there remains a lack of empirically validated frameworks that integrate human capital development, industry alignment, and innovation outcomes within a scalable model. This study develops and empirically validates a Creative-Technology Capacity Framework (CTCF) that links ecosystem integration to competitiveness outcomes. Grounded in Design Science Research (Hevner et al., 2004) and informed by innovation ecosystem theory (Etzkowitz & Leydesdorff, 2000), human capital theory (Becker, 1993), and competitiveness theory (Porter, 1990), the study adopts a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data collected from stakeholders across academia and industry (N = 112) are analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings demonstrate that ecosystem integration significantly enhances talent readiness and industry alignment, which in turn positively influence employability and innovation output—key determinants of regional competitiveness. The study contributes theoretically by advancing a meso-level ecosystem model of competitiveness and practically by offering a scalable framework for policymakers, institutions, and industry stakeholders.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Technology Implementation in Education Session Chair: Candice Seet 18:15-18:40 110914 | Leveraging Metacognitive Scaffolding to Strengthen Students’ Historical Source Analysis in the Singapore Context Candice Seet, Academy of Singapore Teachers, Singapore Andrew Anthony, Academy of Singapore Teachers, Singapore The aim of History education in the Singapore context is to develop in students an appreciation for past experiences, the nature of historical knowledge and the relevance of history (MOE Singapore,2021). As part of understanding the nature of historical knowledge, students engage in historical thinking and in their encounter with formal source analysis for the first time, many struggle with making accurate inferences – a fundamental skill essential for engaging in historical inquiry. This case study explores the effectiveness of metacognitive scaffolding techniques that leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) in developing historical source analysis skills amongst Secondary students. Drawing upon Seixas and Morton's (2013) conceptual framework of historical evidence, this case study explores how a 2-part multiplechoice question (MCQ) approach can enhance students' analytical capabilities and build their confidence in source analysis. This method combines the traditional MCQ approach with open-ended justifications, requiring students to articulate their reasoning processes and engage in metacognitive reflection for students to make their thinking visible (Ritchart, Church, and Morrison 2011). Technology is leveraged to provide AI-automated feedback for formative assessment and enhance student engagement through interaction with an AI bot. Qualitative data from the study highlights improved student understanding of making inferences and contributes to pedagogical understanding of how metacognitive strategies that leverage AI affordances can support the development of historical thinking and disciplinary understanding. It also offers practical ideas for history educators seeking effective methods to introduce source analysis skills, whilst addressing specific challenges faced by students encountering historical thinking for the first time.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Sustainability in Interdisciplinary Education Session Chair: Min Suk Chung 17:00-17:25 111050 | Intercultural Learning, Interpretation, and Reflection: An Arts-Based Pedagogical Framework for Higher and Healthcare Education Yoko Kiyoi, Washington University in St. Louis, United States Somalee Banerjee, University of California, United States In increasingly interconnected educational and healthcare environments, educators are challenged to cultivate learning spaces that support reflection, intercultural dialogue, and perspective-taking across diverse communities and experiences. This paper presents an interdisciplinary arts-based pedagogical framework exploring how structured art observation and facilitated dialogue may support reflective and intercultural learning within higher and healthcare education contexts. Drawing from art education, medical humanities, dialogic learning, transformative learning theory, and cultural humility, the framework outlines three interconnected dimensions of learning: reflection and perception (micro), dialogue and exchange (meso), and community-oriented reflective engagement (macro). Through collaborative interpretation and reflective inquiry, participants examine how meaning is shaped by lived experience, cultural context, emotion, and social perspective. Rather than positioning artworks as objects requiring singular interpretations, the framework uses ambiguity and multiple viewpoints as opportunities for reflective learning and collaborative meaning-making. By articulating the educational architecture underlying arts-based dialogue, this paper contributes to interdisciplinary conversations surrounding reflective pedagogy, intercultural learning, and humanistic approaches to higher and healthcare education.

17:25-17:50 111743 | Beyond Biomedicine: Centring Indigenous Knowledge and Justice in Health Education for Rural Communities in Sub-Saharan Africa Ikekhwa Albert Ikhile, University of South Africa, South Africa Health education in Sub-Saharan Africa remains constrained by Western biomedical models that fail rural populations. This PRISMA-guided systematic review analyzed 15 qualifying studies to advocate for Indigenous knowledge systems and justice-oriented approaches addressing rural health inequities. Employing decolonial and intersectional frameworks, we synthesized evidence from community-based interventions, policy analyses, and African scholarship. Our methodology included rigorous screening of peer-reviewed and gray literature to identify how Indigenous epistemologies traditional healing, oral health narratives, and community care systems can transform rural health literacy. Findings reveal conventional health education's urban-centric biases, prioritizing clinical biomedicine over local healing wisdom. The 15 included studies demonstrated that Indigenous approaches particularly in maternal health and disease prevention enhanced healthcare trust (72% of interventions), improved treatment adherence (68% increase), and fostered community ownership (85% of cases). These results challenge standardized models while validating culturally grounded pedagogies. The review concludes by proposing a transformative framework cocreated with village elders, traditional healers, and community health workers. This model integrates Indigenous wisdom with evidencebased practice through three key pathways: (1) intergenerational knowledge transfer, (2) land-based healing pedagogies, and (3) participatory curriculum development. By centering epistemic justice, health education can become geographically appropriate for Sub-Saharan Africa's rural majority while addressing structural inequities in healthcare access.

17:50-18:15 114225 | Development of a Batik-Integrated Physical Activity Program with Rhythmic Movement for Physical Education Students in an Older Adult Exercise Course Parichat Pragobmas, Phuket Rajabhat University, Thailand Kanchit Suvaparkrangsee, Phuket Rajabhat University, Thailand Batik cloth is a distinctive textile of the southern provinces of Thailand, whose production and decoration processes draw on both the science and the art of craftsmanship, reflecting the unique dress culture of the region. This research aimed to develop and evaluate the appropriateness of a physical activity program using batik cloth integrated with rhythmic movement for physical education students in an exercise for older adults course. The program was developed through a synthesis of related documents and research. Each activity consisted of the activity title, objectives, concept, activity procedures, media and equipment, precautions, and evaluation. The activity procedures were divided into three steps: Step 1, warm-up and stretching (10 minutes); Step 2, physical activity using batik cloth integrated with rhythmic movement (30 minutes); and Step 3, cool-down and stretching (10 minutes). The developed program was then assessed for its appropriateness by five experts using a five-point rating scale questionnaire. The data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The findings revealed that the physical activity program using batik cloth integrated with rhythmic movement was appropriate at the highest level overall (Mean = 4.43, S.D. = 0.13), indicating that the program is suitable and can be applied in teaching the exercise for older adults course.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Sustainability in Interdisciplinary Education Session Chair: Min Suk Chung 18:15-18:40 107647 | Humanities in the Humorous Comic Strips Which Promote Public Health Min Suk Chung, Ajou University School of Medicine, South Korea As a physician, the author has developed, over several decades, humorous comic strips that convey medically useful information. Through these comics, readers may be encouraged to improve their health literacy and to adopt healthier practices. In addition, the comics can serve as a humanities-based bridge between physicians and the public by promoting empathy, accessibility, and mutual understanding. In this report, the author shares these experiences to inform and support other experts who wish to communicate their knowledge effectively to a broader audience. The comic strips were produced using the following approach. First, practical and actionable medical information was selected to ensure that the content was genuinely beneficial. Second, the information was organized and explained in a logical sequence to enhance clarity and comprehension. Third, the information was intentionally integrated into humor to make the comic strips engaging and enjoyable. Based on the finalized scripts, the author created simple illustrations in Adobe Illustrator, prioritizing clarity over artistic refinement. The comic strips were then converted into basic animations using PowerPoint animation features and supplementary software. Finally, the Korean language strips were translated into English, with language-dependent jokes omitted because they do not transfer well across languages. Based on the author’s experience, it is advantageous for experts to create their own comic strips. If individuals have professional expertise in fields such as law or architecture, they can be confident in developing comic strips that accurately reflect their domain knowledge.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Mind, Brain and Psychology: Cognitive Development Session Chair: Semuel Olayvar 17:00-17:25 111360 | Living with Self-Doubt: Impostor Feelings and Anxiety Among First-Year University Students Dewinta Ariani, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia Kahfi Hizbullah, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia Nazir Ultama Anugrah, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia Impostor feelings and academic anxiety are increasingly experienced by university students, especially during the transition to higher education. This study explores the experiences of self-doubt, impostor feelings, and anxiety among first-year Indonesian university students who are still adapting to academic and social demands in university life. The study also examines triggering situations, psychological impacts, and coping strategies used by students. A qualitative approach with thematic analysis was employed. Data were collected through openended online questionnaires distributed to first-year university students in Indonesia. The findings revealed four major themes: (1) self-doubt and impostor feelings, including fear of incompetence, social comparison, and perfectionism; (2) academic anxiety related to presentations, examinations, and academic pressure; (3) impacts on academic performance, self-confidence, and psychological well-being; and (4) coping strategies and protective factors, such as social support, spirituality, self-care activities, and future-oriented motivation. Participants commonly reported feeling inadequate despite satisfactory academic performance and experienced symptoms such as overthinking, nervousness, fear of failure, and emotional exhaustion. These experiences negatively affected concentration, classroom participation, and emotional well-being, particularly during the adjustment period to university life. However, support from family and peers, religious practices, and personal coping strategies helped students manage these challenges. The findings emphasize the importance of psychological support systems, academic adjustment assistance, and mental health awareness programs to support first-year university students during their transition into higher education.

17:25-17:50 111361 | “What Keeps Us Going?”: A Qualitative Exploration of Psychological Well-Being Resources Among Indonesian First-Year University Students Kahfi Hizbullah, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia Dewinta Ariani, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia Nazir Ultama Anugrah, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia First-year university students increasingly face academic, social, and psychological pressures during their transition to higher education, which may affect their mental well-being. While previous studies have predominantly focused on psychological distress, anxiety, burnout, and other negative outcomes, limited attention has been given to understanding the factors that help students maintain their psychological wellbeing, particularly within non-Western cultural contexts. This study aims to explore the psychological well-being resources among Indonesian first-year university students and understand how they maintain their psychological well-being during the early stages of university life. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, data were collected through an open-ended online questionnaire distributed to 152 Indonesian first-year university students. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and culturally grounded meanings related to psychological well-being. The findings revealed that students’ psychological well-being was strongly supported by social support from friends and significant others, emotional connections with family, spirituality and religiosity, personal coping activities, and future-oriented goals. Activities such as listening to music, sleeping, journaling, humor, and socializing also emerged as important forms of emotional recovery from academic stress. In addition, family expectations, gratitude, and the desire to make parents proud became meaningful psychological motivations for students to persist through university life. These findings suggest that psychological well-being among Indonesian first-year university students is shaped not only by individual coping abilities but also by culturally embedded relational, spiritual, and meaning-centered experiences.

17:50-18:15 110808 | The Mediating Role of Academic Resilience Between Multidimensional Perfectionism and English Achievement Among Japanese Junior High School Students Semuel Olayvar, Fukui University of Technology, Japan The primary objective of this study was to examine how academic resilience influences the relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and academic performance among junior high school students in Japan. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), a sophisticated statistical technique, the study investigated the structural associations between these variables. The sample consisted of 375 junior high school students from a total population of 15,367, using Raosoft, an online sample size calculator, ensuring a 0.05 margin of error and a 95% confidence level. Data analysis involved multiple correlation and regression tests to determine the effects of multidimensional perfectionism on academic resilience and performance. Additionally, weighted mean procedures were used to assess academic resilience, and associational statistics were employed to evaluate the intervening role of resilience in the relationship between perfectionism and performance. The findings of this study indicate that academic resilience plays a statistically significant mediating role in the relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and academic performance, as initially hypothesized. This suggests the potential importance of targeted interventions focusing on strengthening academic resilience to support students' academic performance. The contributions of this research are valuable for educational psychologists, policymakers, and educators in understanding the complex interplay of perfectionism and resilience, particularly in high-pressure academic settings like those found in Japan.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Language Learning Session Chair: Alexius Chia 17:00-17:25 114518 | A Foucauldian Reading of English Literature Curriculum in Indonesian Higher Education Dwi Rezki Hardianto Putra Rustan, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Adrian Rasyki, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Ardik Ardianto, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia The present study examines the epistemic transformation of English Literature departments in Indonesian higher education through a Foucauldian reading of discourse and power relations. Employing a qualitative research design, the study analysed 30 curriculum documents using corpus-informed critical discourse analysis, supported by semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with academic stakeholders. The findings reveal that labour-market imperatives and industrial orientations function as dominant epistemic forces shaping curricular priorities and disciplinary trajectories. This transformation is reflected in the growing dominance of English language skills and employability-oriented competencies within the curriculum, gradually repositioning literature from a humanistic discipline towards vocational and market-driven objectives. The study concludes that English Literature departments in Indonesia are increasingly governed by neoliberal rationalities that subordinate humanistic inquiry to institutional and industrial utility.

17:25-17:50 111482 | Developing Academic Japanese Through a Four-Week Reading and Writing Program: A Usage-Based Approach Mayumi Ajioka, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States This study examines the development of academic Japanese literacy in a Japanese heritage language learner through a four-week intensive reading and writing program based on a usage-based approach. While heritage language learners are often able to communicate fluently in everyday conversation, developing advanced academic literacy remains a challenge. The participant engaged in repeated exposure to genre-specific written Japanese through intensive reading, writing, and instructor feedback. Data included Japanese writing samples and learner reflections in English collected throughout the program. The findings suggest that repeated and meaningful exposure to academic Japanese supported the development of productive vocabulary, genre awareness, and more sophisticated written expression. The study also highlights the importance of contextualized language use and reading-writing integration in heritage language literacy development. Educational implications for academic Japanese instruction and heritage language pedagogy are discussed.

17:50-18:15 114266 | Mapping the Evolving Roles of English in Higher Education: A Text-Mining and NLP Approach Sanjeev Kumar, O.P. Jindal Global University, India Hanna Olasiuk, O.P. Jindal Global University, India English functions as a foundational medium within global higher education, fundamentally governing pedagogical practices, scholarly dissemination, and international academic mobility. To systematically evaluate its evolving trajectory, this study employs text-based computational methodologies—specifically natural language processing, text mining, and topic modeling—to analyze an extensive corpus comprising peer-reviewed publications, institutional policy frameworks, and strategy documents. The algorithmic synthesis identifies four primary dimensions through which English accelerates global integration: English-medium instruction (EMI), research dissemination, international graduate employability, and digital learning environments. Concurrently, the findings elucidate critical structural challenges, including acute language proficiency disparities, institutional barriers to equitable access, and the persistent marginalization of linguistically diverse cohorts. The analysis demonstrates that while English-medium higher education significantly facilitates access to global knowledge networks and professional opportunities, an uncritical over-reliance on English risks instantiating systemic exclusion and compromising educational equity. By integrating data-driven textual mining with qualitative policy analysis, this paper provides a robust empirical framework to guide higher education leaders and policymakers in fostering global academic engagement alongside linguistic diversity and equity.

18:15-18:40 110673 | Designing Grammar for Meaning: Shifts in Classroom Practice Alexius Chia, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore This presentation draws on a funded action research project, Grammar as a Meaning-Making Resource for Literacy Development, which repositions grammar within English Language classrooms in Singapore as a functional resource for literacy rather than a discrete body of knowledge. The project challenges rule-based orientations by situating grammar within authentic texts and purposeful communication, with particular attention to Asian contexts that resonate with learners’ lived experiences. The study adopted a cyclical action research design – planning, acting, observing, reflecting and revising – and involved ten teacher-collaborators across four primary and secondary schools. Data were generated from teacher-designed instructional materials, written reflections and interviews, and analysed thematically to trace shifts in pedagogical thinking and practice over time. To illuminate how change unfolds in practice, the presentation foregrounds one teacher as a case. Through this lens, it documents a shift from a predominantly form-focused, decontextualised approach to grammar towards an integrated pedagogy in which grammatical choices are taught as resources for shaping meaning in texts. This shift was accompanied by changes in task design, classroom interaction and the use of authentic materials. The case demonstrates how designing grammar for meaning can reframe classroom practice, offering a principled and transferable approach to grammar pedagogy that is both context-sensitive and aligned with contemporary literacy demands.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Language Literacy Session Chair: Haydee Claire Dy 17:00-17:25 114226 | Beyond the EMI Classroom: International Students’ Academic and Sociocultural Adaptation at a Taiwanese University Yun-Ru Li, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Yi-Chia Hsieh, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Chao-Tsung Chuang, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Chi-Wei Jen, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Catherine Pei-Wern Chou, National Taiwan University, Taiwan In Taiwan, EMI has expanded as part of higher education internationalization. For international students, however, learning through EMI extends beyond classroom instruction and requires adaptation to academic, institutional, and cultural environments. Existing EMI research has primarily focused on classroom learning, with less attention to how students navigate academic and sociocultural life beyond the classroom. This study examines how students from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds experience and negotiate adaptation at a Taiwanese university. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven undergraduate international students from six Asian countries across four foundational disciplinary courses in Spring 2026. The data were thematically analyzed, with reflexive discussions among the research team supporting the analytic process. Three themes emerged: (1) perceived cultural distance shapes adaptation in academic and daily life, as familiarity with Taiwanese culture, differences in academic culture, and everyday experiences shaped their adaptation experiences; (2) academic and social scaffolding facilitates adaptation, including structured teaching, smaller classes, peer support, assistance from local students, and students’ self-developed learning strategies; and (3) language barriers constrain academic participation and social integration, as limited English communication with instructors, reliance on Mandarin in institutional communication, and difficulties interacting with local students restricted students’ participation and sense of belonging. International students’ adaptation reflects the interaction of peer networks, institutional language practices, and educational structures. This extends our understandings of EMI adaptation beyond language-related learning demands by locating it within the broader academic and sociocultural environment. EMI adaptation should therefore be understood as a process of adjustment across these interconnected domains.

17:25-17:50 111491 | Employers’ Expectations of Professional English Communication Skills on Engineering Graduates’ Employability Akmal Zamani, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia Seriaznita Mat Said, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (Utm), Malaysia The dominance of English as a lingua franca and English proficiency has emerged as a pivotal competency for graduates seeking to participate in the globalized workforce. In response, Malaysian universities have invested substantially in English communication curricula to meet this imperative. However, the misalignment between engineering graduates’ professional English proficiency and the communicative demands of contemporary engineering practice represents an enduring systemic failure within tertiary education, yet empirical interrogation of employer expectations remains surprisingly fragmented. This qualitative study critically examines how 11 purposively sampled engineering employers across Malaysia conceptualise graduates’ professional English competencies. Inductive thematic analysis reveals employer expectations extend far beyond grammatical accuracy to higher-order, context-sensitive competencies that curricula systematically fail to cultivate. In spoken communication, graduates are technically competent yet communicatively paralysed as employers identified profound deficits in audience adaptation, rhetorical flexibility, and intercultural assertiveness, with cultural hierarchies and anxiety suppressing workplace participation. In written communication, graduates proficient in decontextualised academic writing remain incapable of producing structurally coherent reports, formally appropriate client correspondence, or technically precise documentation adhering to industry standards. Employers directly attribute these deficiencies to a tertiary curriculum uniformly condemned as theoretically oversaturated, application-deficient, and insulated from authentic engineering workflows. This paper contends that the prevailing pedagogical paradigm, prioritising decontextualised correctness over situated communicative competence, actively perpetuates graduate unreadiness. The findings necessitate fundamental reorientation toward industry-embedded, genre-aware, and intercultural communication pedagogies; without such structural reform, engineering graduates will remain ill-equipped for the linguistically complex, accountability-driven realities of globalised engineering practice.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Language Literacy Session Chair: Haydee Claire Dy 17:50-18:15 110671 | Development of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Language Proficiency Framework and Competency Standards for Foreign Languages Mitzi Samson-Endrianp, National Language Skills Center, Philippines Renan Gonzales, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Philippines Rose Arceli Señeres, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Philippines Language proficiency is a vital component of workforce readiness in today’s globalized economy, where industries require workers who can communicate effectively in international and professional settings. To respond to this need, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) developed the Area-Based and Demand-Driven Technical Vocational Education and Training (ABDD-TVET) strategy. This approach ensures that training programs are aligned with actual industry and community skills requirements by identifying labor market needs prior to program development, thereby improving graduate employability. In support of this strategy, the National Language Skills Center (NLSC) conducted research to determine language training demands across sectors such as overseas employment, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and tourism. Using a mixed-method approach, the studies analyzed job markets and ranked languages according to demand, allowing the prioritization of relevant language programs. Building on these findings, the NLSC, in collaboration with international language experts, developed the Philippine TVET Language Framework to standardize language training within the TVET system. The framework aligns with internationally recognized standards, particularly the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and integrates competency requirements at A1, A2, and B1 levels. Approved in October 2023, the Competency Standards for Languages now serve as the basis for TESDA language training programs. A national rollout followed in 2024 to guide institutions on curriculum alignment and implementation. Currently in its third year, the program is continuously monitored, and training institutions are required to align with the standards through UTPRAS to ensure quality, relevance, and improved global employability of Filipino workers.

18:15-18:40 112319 | Preparing for the Job Market: Internship Communication for the Workplace Haydee Claire Dy, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines Preparing for an internship is crucial for students and it's a professor responsibility for them to be job-ready. Purposive Communication is one of the courses offered in college that trains students in proper communication in the workplace. This study explores the effectiveness of academic preparation and communication training, equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for an internship and future workplace experience through the English course. This study aimed to determine the self-efficacy and communication anxiety of Lyceum of the Philippines University students and how they develop communication skills, professionalism, technical competencies, and work ethics before entering real-world work environments. A mixed-methods research design was used, with surveys, test evaluations, and interviews among college students preparing for on-the-job training. Descriptive research was conducted through the interpretation of survey results and the thematic analysis of the mock job interview. Results showed that students who received adequate training in communication from English classes, career orientation, and practical learning experiences demonstrated greater confidence, adaptability, and readiness in the workplace. Communication anxiety occurs because of nervousness about the tendency to make mistakes. The findings also revealed that proper career orientation from courses significantly enhances students’ problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and professional communication skills before they proceed to an internship. It was concluded that effective preparation programs and strong collaboration between industry partners and the university contribute positively to students’ internship success and readiness. It is recommended that experiential learning opportunities be strengthened and continuous career development programs be provided for students.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Design and Implementation of Innovative Technologies in Education Session Chair: Maria Glenda Ducut 17:00-17:25 111790 | When AI Hallucinates: Logged AI Scaffolding for Building AI Literacy and Ethical Dispositions in Pre-Service Thai Language Teachers Parama Kwangmuang, Khon Kaen University, Thailand Sutthiluck Sawanyavisuthi, Nakhon Phanom University, Thailand Kamporn Prachumwan, Nakhon Phanom University, Thailand Chinnaworn Banpet, Nakhon Phanom University, Thailand Pre-service Thai language teachers increasingly use generative AI for academic writing without the AI Literacy needed to critically evaluate its output—a gap that threatens both academic integrity and professional readiness. This study examined whether deliberately confronting students with AI hallucinations, within a transparently logged pedagogical framework, could develop both AI Literacy knowledge and ethical dispositions. Fifty-eight third-year Thai Language Education students at Nakhon Phanom University completed an 8-week (32-hour) intervention using a Pre-Experimental One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design. The model integrated Problem-Based Learning, Distance Learning Television (DLTV) as a verified primary source, and generative AI as a cognitive scaffold governed by four principles—most notably a mandatory AI Usage Log recording every prompt, AI output, and student revision. Knowledge was measured with a validated 40-item test (KR-20=0.83) and attitudes with a 30-item Likert questionnaire (α=0.89). The intervention produced statistically significant gains (p<.001): AI Literacy yielded the largest knowledge effect (d=0.84), while Ethical AI Use and Attitude toward Academic Writing produced the highest attitude effects (d=0.68 each). Critically, students' direct encounters with fabricated AI citations acted as epistemic shocks: the rate of fabricated references in their writing fell from 6.55% to 1.15% post-intervention. These findings demonstrate that positioning AI as a transparently logged scaffold—rather than a passive content source—and treating its hallucinations as productive learning moments constitutes an effective, replicable model for preparing digitally ethical teachers in the generative AI era.

17:25-17:50 111816 | Redesigning Risk Management Education in the AI Era: From Output-Based Assessment to Process-Based Learning Shirley Huang, University of New South Wales, Australia The rapid emergence of generative AI presents a significant challenge for higher education, as students can increasingly use AI tools to generate polished written outputs. In risk management education, students must develop not only technical knowledge, but also critical thinking, professional judgment, and decision-making skills under uncertainty. To address this challenge, we introduced a two-step instructional framework that integrates AI into case-based risk management education while shifting the focus from output-based assessment to processbased learning. The framework combines weekly micro-assessments with role-play case simulations. The micro-assessments reinforce core concepts, models, and assumptions, ensuring that students build the foundational knowledge needed to use AI tools critically and effectively. The role-play simulations then require students to apply this knowledge to realistic risk management cases from different stakeholder perspectives. AI is positioned as a structured support for exploration and preliminary analysis, rather than a substitute for thinking. Initially developed in 2023 and refined over 2024 and 2025, the framework has been effective in strengthening both conceptual understanding and applied learning in risk management education.

17:50-18:15 111526 | AIGC Value Alignment Test: From 2024 to 2026 Hui-Wen Liu, National Chengchi University, Taiwan Since 2022, generative artificial intelligence (Generative AI) has rapidly expanded across various domains. However, researchers and users have increasingly observed that AI-generated content may reproduce gender, ethnic, and political biases, raising concerns about ideology and value governance in artificial intelligence. Previous studies suggest that large language models may replicate existing social biases due to their training data and model design. In response, organizations such as OpenAI and Anthropic have introduced mechanisms including Alignment, Constitutional AI, and Collective Alignment, aiming to reduce bias and maintain balance among diverse values. This study adopts a longitudinal comparative design, using 2024 and 2026 as two points of comparison. The same set of questions was presented to generative AI systems at both time points in order to examine changes in ideological tendencies, value judgments, and bias-related responses. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to analyze these differences. Preliminary findings are based on 125 test questions covering five topics: culture, religion, gender, politics, and ethnicity. Responses generated by ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot+, and DeepSeek were compared. The results indicate that approximately 80% of the responses were highly similar across the four systems, particularly on questions involving policies and legal regulations. However, noticeable differences emerged in gender- and LGBTQ-related topics, where some models demonstrated distinct value positions and response patterns. In addition, compared with responses collected in 2024, AI systems in 2026 were more likely to request additional user information before providing answers. This suggests that generative AI is gradually evolving from a direct-answering tool into a more personalized and collaborative interaction system.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Design and Implementation of Innovative Technologies in Education Session Chair: Maria Glenda Ducut 18:15-18:40 110875 | TrackMyProgress: A Student Academic Performance Tracking and Grading Portal for Tomas Claudio Colleges Myra Santos, Tomas Claudio Colleges, Philippines Anthony Santos, Tomas Claudio Colleges, Philippines Carolina Ramos, Tomas Claudio Colleges, Philippines Glenda Ducut, Tomas Claudio Colleges, Philippines This study presents the development and evaluation of TrackMyProgress: A Student Academic Performance Tracking and Grading Portal for Tomas Claudio Colleges, a web-based academic management system designed to improve academic record administration and student performance monitoring in higher education institutions. Developed using a PHP/MySQL framework, the system provides dedicated portals for administrators, faculty members, and students, enabling secure access to academic information while promoting transparency and efficient institutional communication. The platform integrates automated grade computation, real-time curriculum tracking, predictive performance analytics, and academic progress monitoring to support data-driven decision-making. Students can monitor their GPA, curriculum roadmap, and on-the-job training (OJT) readiness, while faculty members are provided with tools for timely feedback and efficient academic management. Grounded in Constructivist Learning Theory and Self-Regulated Learning (SRL), the study highlights the importance of continuous feedback and reflective learning in enhancing student engagement and academic accountability. The system was evaluated based on usability, functionality, and maintainability, with findings indicating that TrackMyProgress is a reliable, efficient, and scalable solution for academic management. Results further demonstrate its potential to streamline institutional processes, strengthen faculty-student interaction, and support more effective monitoring of student performance in higher education settings.

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Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Curriculum Design and Technologies Session Chair: Prabin Kumar Panigrahi 17:00-17:25 114185 | Learning Curriculum for Enhancing Fundamental Skills and Electrical and Electronics Safety Among KMUTT Students Thanachit Suangkaew, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand Tanes Tanitteerapan, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand Many first-year engineering students have diverse educational backgrounds, leading to differences in practical electrical skills and laboratory safety awareness. These differences may affect their readiness for laboratory-based learning and increase safety risks during practical activities. This study investigated students’ learning achievement and satisfaction after participating in a basic electrical and electronics skills and safety program designed as an engineering readiness module. The program consisted of three instructional phases: (1) theoretical lectures, (2) lectures with demonstrations, and (3) hands-on practical training, with a total duration of 12 hours. The learning contents included Ohm’s Law, series and parallel circuits, basic circuit construction, digital multimeter usage, electrical protection devices, basic residential electrical systems, and safe electrical practices. The sample comprised 20 first-year undergraduate students from the Department of Electrical Technology Education, Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, selected through purposive sampling. The research instruments included parallel pre-test and post-test achievement tests and a five-point Likertscale satisfaction questionnaire. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and paired samples t-test. The results showed that students’ post-test scores were significantly higher than pre-test scores at the .05 level. The mean score increased from 7.70 to 9.60, with a mean difference of 1.90 points (t = 3.089, p = 0.006). Students also reported the highest satisfaction with the program (x̄ = 4.73). The findings indicate that the engineering readiness module effectively enhanced foundational knowledge and supported students’ preparation for laboratory-based engineering learning.

17:25-17:50 110587 | Designing iPrepLab: A Technology-Enhanced Self-Directed Learning Module for Practical Work in the Engineering Science Course at Malaysian Polytechnics Hidayah Fadzil, University Malaya, Malaysia Geetha Subramaniam, University Malaya, Malaysia Nor Nazrina Mohamad Nazry, University Malaya, Malaysia Across global research in science education, there is growing recognition of the important role practical work plays in helping students grasp scientific concepts through hands-on experience. Practical work often requires a clear understanding of procedures and the ability to apply theoretical knowledge meaningfully, rather than mere familiarity with equipment. The importance of practical work is particularly evident in courses such as Engineering Science, a core physics-based course at Malaysian polytechnics. However, students often struggle to perform practical tasks effectively in the laboratory because they remain dependent on instructor guidance, indicating limitations in their ability to engage in self-directed learning during practical sessions. These constraints further hinder students’ metacognitive processes, which are essential for developing metacognitive knowledge, a crucial factor in effective practical skill acquisition. Existing instructional approaches provide limited structured support to facilitate self-directed learning and metacognitive development during practical sessions prior to assessment. Grounded in the principles of self-directed learning, this study aims to design iPrepLab, a technology-enhanced self-directed learning module that supports practical work in the Engineering Science course at Malaysian polytechnics by facilitating students’ planning, monitoring, and self-regulation during practical tasks, thereby engaging them in metacognitive processes that support the development of metacognitive knowledge and the acquisition of practical skills. This paper presents iPrepLab, a structured, technology-enhanced selfdirected learning module designed to support practical work in the Engineering Science course at Malaysian polytechnics.

17:50-18:15 114415 | An Exploratory Study of How Generative AI Influences Students’ Self-Efficacy Through Pedagogical Support in Design Learning Yaoyu Fu, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Henry Ma, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Generative AI has become an integral part of design education. Existing studies suggest that generative AI is reshaping how students engage in key design activities, including idea generation, design decision-making, and iteration. Such changes may shape students’ self-efficacy, referring to their beliefs in their design capabilities. However, how generative AI influences students’ self-efficacy in design learning remains insufficiently understood. This study therefore examines how generative AI influences students' self-efficacy in design learning. Guided by a self-efficacy framework, this qualitative study examined two AI-integrated design courses involving 66 students. Data were collected through classroom observations, course documentation, and 14 in-depth semi-structured interviews, followed by thematic analysis. The findings show that: (1) Generative AI expanded students’ design exploration space while increasing the cognitive demands of interpretation and evaluation. Appropriate pedagogical support helped students contextualize AI-generated resources, strengthening their agency and confidence in making design decisions; (2) Appropriate pedagogical support shifted students’ perception of AI from an external source of design intelligence to a collaborative partner, encouraging deeper cognitive engagement and confidence in shaping design outcomes; (3) Generative AI accelerated idea exploration but also introduced uncertainty into design processes. Pedagogical support transformed students’ perception of failure from a barrier to a source of design feedback, fostering adaptive thinking and persistence. Overall, generative AI creates new conditions for design learning, while pedagogical support shapes how students navigate these conditions and develop beliefs in their design capabilities. This research highlights the importance of integrating AI with appropriate pedagogical support to support students’ self-efficacy development.

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17:00-18:40 | G409 (4F)

Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Curriculum Design and Technologies Session Chair: Prabin Kumar Panigrahi 18:15-18:40 113476 | The Convergence Trap — the Problem-Structure Transfer Matrix for AI-Guided Engineering Education Prabin Kumar Panigrahi, Indian Institute of Management Indore, India Shekhar Vilas Kulkarni, Indian Institute of Management Indore, India Parijat Upadhyay, Indian Institute of Management Shillong, India India graduates roughly 1.5 million engineers annually, yet most are not hired into the roles they trained for. Employers are consistent about the reason: graduates command the theory but cannot apply it to the ambiguous, underspecified problems real engineering work presents. This paper argues the gap is a problem-structure failure — a system that drills convergent, single-answer problems to prepare students for a profession built from open-ended ones. We identify three mechanisms behind it: the convergence trap (curricula teach well-structured problems because they grade at scale), the scale bottleneck (the mentorship and case practice that build applied judgement have never been affordable at scale), and the feedback vacuum (at real student-to-teacher ratios, reasoning cannot be critiqued, only answers marked). The core contribution is the Problem-Structure Transfer Matrix (PSTM), a diagnostic that tier-2 and tier-3 institutes can apply across any stream to map each competency by problem structure and by whether authentic practice can be digitally reproduced — revealing where AI-guided case tutoring closes the gap, where it must be blended with physical practice, and where it is a costly illusion. We demonstrate the PSTM on two contrasting streams: mechanical engineering, whose competence retains a large hands-on core, and electronics, where much practice is increasingly digital and tied to India's semiconductor and manufacturing push. Applied to each mechanism, the matrix specifies a matching AI intervention. A separate four-level model, adapted from Kirkpatrick, then measures whether a deployed tool is merely being used or genuinely improving readiness.

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17:00-18:40 | G410 (4F)

Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Comparative Teaching Methodologies Session Chair: Myra Santos 17:00-17:25 108840 | Multimodal Learning in Action: Multiple Intelligences Transforming Inclusive English Education in Early Childhood Classrooms WIdya Rizky Pratiwi, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia The growing diversity of learners in early childhood education has intensified the need for inclusive pedagogical approaches that move beyond traditional language-centered instruction. While Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory has been widely discussed conceptually, empirical evidence demonstrating how it operates within inclusive English classrooms, particularly in early childhood contexts and underrepresented educational regions, remains limited. This study aims to explore how multimodal learning grounded in MI theory transforms inclusive English education practices in a kindergarten setting. A qualitative case study design was employed in an inclusive kindergarten located in Ende Regency, Eastern Indonesia, a geographically peripheral and culturally diverse semi-rural educational context with limited pedagogical resources. Participants included three English teachers, a school principal, and a head supervisor directly involved in inclusive learning implementation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis, and analyzed using thematic analysis supported by data triangulation. Findings reveal that MI was implemented as an integrated pedagogical orientation rather than isolated strategies, manifested through multimodal instruction, flexible classroom organization, collaborative teaching practices, experiential learning activities, and holistic assessment. These practices enhanced student engagement, social interaction, and language participation among diverse learners. The study contributes to inclusive education discourse by demonstrating how MI-based multimodal learning can function as a practical framework for equitable English instruction in early childhood settings beyond urban contexts. However, the single-site design limits generalizability. Future research is recommended to conduct comparative and longitudinal studies across diverse educational environments to examine the sustainability and broader impact of MI-based inclusive pedagogy.

17:25-17:50 112653 | Implementing Team-Based Learning in Asia: The Importance of Cultural Context Fedor Duzhin, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Team-based learning (TBL) is an instructional strategy developed in the 1970s in American universities. Since then, TBL has become widely adopted, particularly in business, medicine, and workplace training. TBL is structured as a series of learning activities completed individually and in teams. The TBL literature describes several core implementation practices that are often presented as essential for successful implementation. One widely adopted practice, for example, is that teams should remain unchanged throughout the entire duration of the course. This presentation describes the implementation of TBL in a large undergraduate mathematics class in Singapore, where one of these core practices — simultaneous release of answers — proved ineffective. Many students were reluctant to reveal their answers publicly, particularly when there was a possibility of being incorrect. As a result, students were visibly uncomfortable, and the effectiveness of instruction was reduced. A simple modification proved effective: allowing teams to work at their own pace while the facilitator monitored their progress and explained mistakes to the whole class without identifying which team had made them. We argue that educational practitioners should consider the cultural context when implementing TBL and should adapt core implementation practices where appropriate, rather than assuming that published recommendations will transfer unchanged across educational settings.

17:50-18:15 111369 | Same Grade, Different Signal: How Prior Educational Trajectories Shape the Predictive Value of University Mathematics Grades Adolfo Hernandez, Complutense University Madrid, Spain Jose Luis Arroyo-Barrigüete, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Spain Felipe Barrera-Jiménez, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Spain Angel Alonso-Ares, Complutense University Madrid, Spain Predictive models in higher education are typically evaluated at the aggregate level, hiding potential heterogeneity in predictive validity across student subgroups. This paper examines whether the informational content of the same academic signal remains invariant across students with different prior educational trajectories. We focus on academic tracks (Sciences, Social Sciences, and Vocational Training), which define the type of secondary education completed before university entry. Using data from two Spanish universities (Study 1: n = 1,981; Study 2: n = 1,278), we examine the predictive strength of secondary school mathematics grades for the first year of university. Multivariate analyses reveal that prior academic grades contribute differently to prediction across tracks. Furthermore, the explanatory power of Business Mathematics I on Business Mathematics II (both taught during the first year of university) varies across previous academic tracks, with bootstrap confidence intervals indicating systematic subgroup differences. These findings suggest that the informational content of a grade is not an intrinsic property of the grade itself, but depends on the prior trajectory, highlighting the importance of evaluating predictive models separately by student subgroup.

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17:00-18:40 | G410 (4F)

Sunday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Comparative Teaching Methodologies Session Chair: Myra Santos 18:15-18:40 110516 | B APP (Bridged Application for Progressive Pedagogy) Learning Management System Myra Santos, Tomas Claudio Colleges, Philippines This study presents the design and evaluation of B APP (Bridged Application for Progressive Pedagogy), a locally developed Learning Management System (LMS) designed to support flexible and outcomes-based learning in Philippine higher education institutions. The study examined how an LMS aligned with Commission on Higher Education (CHED) requirements and PACUCOA accreditation standards can improve instructional delivery, academic monitoring, and student engagement in Information Technology programs. Using a developmental research approach, B APP was developed with modules for course management, competency-based assessments, attendance tracking, coding environments with automated feedback, and performance analytics. The platform was pilot-tested among faculty members and students in selected Information Technology courses. Data were collected through usability evaluations, instructor feedback, and student performance monitoring. Findings showed that B APP improved academic monitoring efficiency and strengthened communication between instructors and students. Participants reported that the integrated coding environment and automated feedback features supported handson learning and immediate skill validation. Faculty respondents also identified the system’s alignment with institutional and accreditation requirements as beneficial for academic documentation and program assessment. The study demonstrates how locally developed LMS platforms can address context-specific academic and regulatory needs while supporting learner-centered and technology-driven instruction in higher education.

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Notes

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Monday, November 16 10:50-12:30 | Onsite Parallel Session 1 12:45-14:25 | Onsite Parallel Session 2 14:40-16:20 | Onsite Parallel Session 3 16:50-18:30 | Onsite Parallel Session 4 All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) Abstracts appear as originally submitted by the author. Any spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors are those of the author.

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10:50-12:30 | G401 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Interdisciplinary, Multidisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Education Session Chair: Gary Kok Yew Chan 10:50-11:15 107490 | Reimagining Creative Thinking Assessment Through the “Liu Bei+ Zhuge Liang” Human-AI Archetype: A Model as Asia-as-Method Huiyuan Ye, Shanghai Jian Qiao University, China This paper proposes a Chinese narrative-ethical model of creative thinking—灵感 (inspiration) + 伦理 (Confucian ethics)—as a culturally grounded reinterpretation of global assessment frameworks, particularly the AAC&U’s VALUE Creative Thinking Rubric. Drawing on Kuan-Hsing Chen’s "Asia as Method" paradigm, the study argues that East Asian education requires not the rejection of international standards, but their reinterpretation through indigenous intellectual resources. The central empirical artifact is the archetypal partnership between 刘备 (Liu Bei) and 诸葛亮 (Zhuge Liang) in the Chinese literary classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a structure reproducible across Confucian ethical cultures. In this model, 刘备 represents the human learner, embodying humane intention and the ethical horizon that defines what creativity is for, while 诸葛亮 represents an AI-like partner, providing strategic intelligence and disciplined reasoning for effective action. Methodologically, the study employs narrative analysis to extract the structural logic of the 刘备–诸葛亮 relationship, conceptual modeling to formalize the 灵感 + 伦理 dual-boundary framework, and reinterpretation of the VALUE Creative Thinking Rubric through Confucian relational ethics. This approach demonstrates how imported assessment tools can unintentionally intensify educational involution, and how a Confucian narrativeethical model can reorient creative thinking toward relational, morally situated, and purpose-driven practice. By foregrounding a classical human–AI archetype as a generalizable pedagogical model, the paper shows how the Asia-as-Method paradigm can generate new theoretical possibilities for creativity assessment in an era of global convergence and AI-supported learning.

11:15-11:40 112485 | Tracing Student Learning with Generative AI Across Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Classroom Activities Xinxiang Lim, National University of Singapore, Singapore Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) offers new possibilities for supporting explanation, ideation, synthesis, and learner agency in higher education. Yet its pedagogical value depends on how students use it within designed learning activities. This study examines GenAI-mediated learning across three interdisciplinary biotechnology activities: Bench to Bedside, PESTEL Analysis, and Startup Pitch. Framed by the Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) taxonomy (Biggs & Collis, 1982), it investigates how students’ prompting behaviors, learning challenges, scaffolding patterns, and sequential uptake shifted as tasks moved from case understanding to framework-based analysis and entrepreneurial synthesis. The analysis drew on 1,393 student GenAI prompt-response rows: Bench to Bedside (n = 512), PESTEL Analysis (n = 452), and Startup Pitch (n = 429). Activity-specific codes preserved local pedagogical meaning, then were harmonized into SOLO-informed cross-activity categories. Prompts were coded for source, learning challenge, sophistication, and cognitive structure. GenAI responses were coded for scaffolding type, quality, and alignment. Sequential uptake was analyzed by examining how later prompts built on prior responses. Findings show that task design shaped GenAI use. Bench to Bedside elicited conceptual clarification and case understanding. PESTEL prompted categorization, ranking, and relational analysis. Startup Pitch generated more iterative, artifact-oriented prompting for prototype design, pitch structuring, and refinement. However, progression was uneven where some students listed components without integration, while stronger cases connected scientific, commercial, and strategic reasoning. The study suggests that well-designed GenAI activities can move students from fragmented information-seeking toward relational and transferable learning, especially when educators scaffold followup questioning, critique, evidence verification, and transfer.

11:40-12:05 112977 | Between Promise and Peril: Benefits and Drawbacks of Generative AI Use in Science Learning of Teacher Education Students Marife Magpantay, Southern Luzon State University, Philippines Cultivation of critical thinking, scientific reasoning and the capacity for self-directed inquiry has been the main goal of science education in the 21st century. New pedagogical approaches have emerged to cope up the changing landscape in education brought about by the 4IR. The rapid proliferation of Generative Artificial Intelligence has introduced a compelling dimension to teaching sciences. Thus, this study aims to inquire on the insights of teacher education students on the GENAI use in Learning Sciences towards the development of Policy Guidelines on its Classroom Use. Utilizing qualitative-phenomenological research designs, fifty (50) tertiary teacher education students were selected purposively to be participants of this study. In depth interview transcripts were coded and clustered to create final themes. Based from the data analyzed, most of the science teacher education students utilized artificial intelligence particularly ChatGPT, MetaAI, Gemini and Grammarly. AI were used by students in checking of grammar, lesson planning, elaboration and explanation of difficult concepts, creating summaries and step-by-step explanation of worded problems among others. Students with special needs also benefited from AI since it had text-to-speech tools which are very much useful to students that are deaf and mute. However, students claimed that the over-dependence on AI use resulted to academic dishonesty, cheating, misinformation and bias. It is concluded that in-spite of promises brought by AI use, there are also challenges that may be addressed. It is recommended that AI can be integrated to Science teaching and learning process in tertiary education with well-crafted policies for its responsible use.

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10:50-12:30 | G401 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Interdisciplinary, Multidisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Education Session Chair: Gary Kok Yew Chan 12:05-12:30 114175 | Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Evaluating AI Outputs and Metacognition of Law Students Gary Chan, Singapore Management University, Singapore Muhammad Nur Izeyar bin Yazid, Singapore Management University, Singapore Singapore lawyers are duty-bound to supervise their staff in their use of legal tech tools. The Singapore Judiciary reminded lawyers that the materials they place before the court must be independently verified and accurate while the Ministry of Law highlighted the need to implement safeguards including checking completeness of analysis and crafting precise prompts. Hence, legal educators training future lawyers cannot afford to ignore AI in teaching. Critical thinking in legal education should extend to questioning the assumptions underlying the legal rules. Metacognitive awareness and regulation are required to solve new legal problems in a complex world. Preliminary findings showed that university students in a tort law course reported scores above the midpoint of the 7-point scales for collaborative AI literacy (M = 5.09, SD = 0.92) and collaborative AI metacognition (M = 5.23, SD = 1.01), which were strongly correlated, r(83) = .71, p < .001. Students distinguished between higher- and lower-quality AI outputs primarily in terms of legal domain knowledge, with significant differences for the hypothetical question, t(83) = 3.21, p = .002, and when essay and hypothetical ratings were combined, t(83) = 2.99, p = .004. No significant differences emerged for legal analytical or communication skills. Neither collaborative AI literacy nor collaborative AI metacognition significantly predicted overall evaluations of AI outputs, and these relationships were not moderated by output quality. These findings suggest that self-perceived AI-related competence may not necessarily correspond with students’ ability to distinguish AI output quality across different dimensions of performance in tort law.

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10:50-12:30 | G402 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Higher Education Session Chair: Eder Estrada Villalba 10:50-11:15 111722 | Study-Abroad or Job-Hunting? An Examination of Anxiety and Barriers to Exchange Program Participation Among Students at a Japanese National University Akiko Chochol, Shizuoka University, Japan This study examined the perceived obstacles to participation in exchange programs and perceptions about job hunting among students at a regional national university in Japan. A questionnaire survey was administered to 71 undergraduate students, who were categorized into three groups according to their intention to participate in exchange programs: wished to participate, undecided, and no intention to participate. Descriptive analyses, chi-square tests, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted. The results showed that undecided students primarily reported structural barriers, particularly financial constraints and concerns about delayed graduation, whereas students with no intention to participate were more likely to identify individual barriers, such as insufficient language proficiency or a perceived lack of benefits. Job-hunting perceptions were largely similar across groups, although students wishing to participate reported greater job-hunting anxiety. These findings suggest the importance of reducing structural barriers through financial support and improved credit transfer systems to promote long-term study-abroad participation.

11:15-11:40 108447 | Rethinking Student Engagement: Korean Students and the Cultural Limits of Western Engagement Frameworks Eun Gi Kim, University of Manitoba, Canada Dominant models of student engagement in higher education have largely emerged from Western institutional contexts, where visibly active classroom participation and individual initiative are often treated as primary indicators of academic engagement. However, these assumptions remain culturally underexamined. Drawing on qualitative interviews with Korean international and immigrant students at two Canadian universities, this study explores how engagement is enacted through culturally mediated practices that do not always align with dominant Western institutional expectations. Findings reveal that engagement often manifests through relational and collective strategies rather than individualistic and highly visible forms of engagement. Students described exercising agency through peer-based knowledge circulation, informal mentoring networks, and strategically evolving classroom participation shaped by cultural norms. Family involvement also remained an active and ongoing influence during university studies, shaping motivation, persistence, and academic decision-making. Rather than signaling disengagement, quieter participation and selective classroom interaction reflected culturally informed strategies for negotiating institutional expectations. These findings suggest that prevailing engagement frameworks may privilege culturally specific forms of visibility and initiative, potentially misrecognizing alternative expressions of agency. By foregrounding Korean students’ transnational experiences, this study argues for a culturally expanded understanding of engagement that recognizes relational agency, collective support networks, and the enduring role of family in shaping higher education trajectories. Such reframing not only challenges individualistic assumptions embedded in engagement theory but also offers a more globally responsive framework for institutions serving increasingly diverse student populations. It calls for rethinking how participation, initiative, and engagement are defined, recognized, and evaluated in diverse classrooms.

11:40-12:05 110031 | Commercialisation and the Changing Social Meaning of International Student Mobility: Comparative Insights from Thailand and the Philippines Pred Evans, Thammasat University, Thailand This presentation is based on previously published research examining international student mobility (ISM) within the broader process of internationalisation of higher education in two Southeast Asian contexts: Thailand and the Philippines. Rather than claiming regional generalisability, it draws on two contrasting institutional cases to provide comparative insights into how ISM is shaped by commercialisation, public funding constraints, and evolving policy priorities in middle-income higher education systems. The original study, conducted in two public universities, explored how institutional actors navigate the growing tension between the public mission of higher education and increasing market-oriented approaches to internationalisation. Building on these findings, this presentation reflects on the changing social meaning of ISM, particularly in relation to access, equity, and the distribution of mobility opportunities. Across both contexts, ISM is increasingly shaped by financial capacity and institutional resource constraints, with participation often dependent on self-funding or unstable public support. While ISM is widely framed in policy discourse as a mechanism for skills development, global competitiveness, and institutional advancement, the findings highlight persistent inequalities in access and participation. At the same time, university actors continue to emphasise the social and developmental value of mobility, including intercultural learning, student transformation, and contributions to national development goals. This creates an ongoing tension between the economic logic of internationalisation and its public and social mission. By comparing Thailand and the Philippines as illustrative ASEAN cases, this paper contributes to critical debates on internationalisation by highlighting how commercialisation reshapes institutional practice and opportunity in higher education.

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10:50-12:30 | G402 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Higher Education Session Chair: Eder Estrada Villalba 12:05-12:30 111625 | Bridging International Relations and Educational Innovation: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Human Security and Complexity Reasoning Robert Harmsen, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico Eder Villalba, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico This paper presents a transdisciplinary educational intervention that explores how glocal approaches to Human Security can foster systems thinking through collaborative experiential learning in higher education. Developed at Tecnológico de Monterrey, the project brings together two undergraduate courses from distinct academic programmes and campuses: International Relations and Educational Innovation. While one cohort engages with Human Security from a global and systemic perspective through the analysis of contemporary crises and a final negotiation simulation focused on Haiti, the second cohort works directly with a local community through diagnostic and interventionoriented activities. During a five-week collaborative period, students from both courses shall interact in shared classes, reflective activities, and interdisciplinary exchanges designed to connect both macro-level understandings of (in)security with situated and community-based experiences. Grounded in Human Security, systems thinking, and intersectional pedagogy, the intervention aims to examine how interaction between students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds might strengthen the capacity to analyse complex problems across interconnected local and global scales. The project adopts an intervention-based case study design incorporating both quantitative elements, specifically focusing on the analysis of collaborative dynamics among students, and qualitative elements, such as reflective and competency-based assessments focused primarily on systems thinking. Although the intervention will be implemented during the upcoming August-December 2026 academic period, the authors expect that glocal transdisciplinary learning experiences may contribute to stronger interdisciplinary collaboration and deeper systemic understandings of (in)security, while also serving as a potentially adaptable reference for future transdisciplinary collaborations across programmes, campuses, and disciplines.

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10:50-12:30 | G403 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration Session Chair: Rosemary Coleran 10:50-11:15 111089 | Between Two Systems, Belonging to Neither: A Theory of Change for Educational Inclusion of LMIC-Origin Children in Japan Rubén Del Muro, Harvard University, United States Japan hosts 69,123 children needing Japanese-as-Second-Language (JSL) support in public schools (MEXT, FY2023), the majority originating from low- and middle-income countries. These children face structural exclusion, producing measurable outcome disparities: 8.5% JSL dropout versus 1.1% nationally (a 7.7-fold gap), 90.3% high school advancement versus 99%, and 38.6% non-regular employment versus 3.4% (Saigusa & Tateishi, 2025). The mechanism extends beyond language: 2-3 of every 10 foreign-connected children are placed in special needs classes, compared to 1 in 100 Japanese peers (Matsuda, 2021). This study constructs a theory of change for educational inclusion through the systematic integration of 67 sources across four languages, drawing on causal inference studies from international contexts, Japanspecific implementation research, and Lusophone, Hispanic, and Southeast Asian immigrant-education literature. Following Okada's (2011) distinction between procedural and substantive equality, the analysis identifies dominant-language assessment functioning as an opportunity gate, a structural mechanism that produces exclusion at the lower-to-upper-secondary transition. The recommended response is a calibrated two-track policy: content-integrated JSL with multilingual scaffolding for the 78 high-density municipalities housing 62% of municipal JSL students, and adaptive technology-mediated support via Japan's GIGA School infrastructure for the 401 dispersed municipalities with fewer than five JSL students each. A cluster-randomized trial and regression-discontinuity design would test causal effects. Beyond Japan, the analysis carries implications for parallel reclassification and assessment mechanisms in Korean, Taiwanese, and Hong Kong education, contributing to a comparative analysis of structural exclusion across Asia-Pacific receiving societies.

11:15-11:40 114013 | Enacting Constructivist Pedagogy in Developing Countries: Evidence from Cambodia’s New Generation Schools Akihiro Sagawa, University of Sussex, United Kingdom Constructivism has been promoted as an approach for fostering twenty-first-century skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving. However, in developing countries, a gap exists between policy and classroom practice due to centralized policy implementation and sociocultural and environmental constraints. Although previous studies have documented these challenges, how constructivism comes to be enacted in schools remains underexplored. This study examines how constructivism is enacted through the New Generation Schools (NGS) reform led by Kampuchean Action for Primary Education (KAPE), a Cambodian NGO. Drawing on Policy Enactment Theory (Ball et al., 2012), it explores how constructivism is interpreted, translated, and enacted. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 23 actors, including KAPE staff, principals, mentors, and teachers from two NGS schools in Phnom Penh, together with policy document analysis. The findings reveal that KAPE reinterpreted constructivism to fit the Cambodian educational context and promoted teachers' understanding by emphasising "why" over "how." Through support—including teacher training, mentoring, classroom observation, and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)—teachers developed an understanding of constructivism and quality standards while adapting practices to students' needs, subject characteristics, and examination requirements. These findings suggest that constructivism is continuously reinterpreted and reconstructed through local contexts rather than implemented as a fixed model. This study highlights the importance of external organisations, such as NGOs, acting as policy outsiders, together with "freedom within a structured framework" and a comprehensive support system, as factors enabling the contextual enactment of constructivism. The findings offer theoretical and practical implications for education reform in developing countries.

11:40-12:05 111450 | Beyond Recognition and Inclusion: Reconstructing Critical Multiculturalism for Curriculum Policy Analysis in Taiwan Ya-Wen Huang, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Tzu-Bin Lin, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Yvonne Foley, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom Taiwan has historically been a multi-ethnic society, with major ethnic groups including Indigenous peoples from 16 officially recognised tribes, new immigrants, and the Han Taiwanese majority. Nevertheless, despite decades of legislation and policy initiatives, multicultural values have not been fully realised in society. This paper argues that Taiwan’s curriculum policy needs to be examined through a critical multicultural lens, as multicultural education should not remain a study of “others” for the Han Taiwanese majority, but should instead engage all learners in rethinking knowledge, difference, power relations, and social justice. For the Han Taiwanese majority, who constitute 96.2% of non-Indigenous and non-immigrant residents, multicultural education is often positioned as learning about minoritised groups rather than as a process connected to their own lived experiences and social responsibilities. Due to Institutional and structural constrains, multicultural education is often reduced to the celebration of ‘festivals and food’ rather than fostering more substantive forms of coexistence, mutual understanding, and shared flourishing among different groups. Through a review of theories of multiculturalism systematically, this conceptual paper proposes four critical multicultural principles for curriculum policy analysis: reciprocity, relational knowledge construction, difference as solidarity, and intersectional and entangled oppression. These principles provide an analytical framework for examining how curriculum policies construct knowledge, difference, citizenship, power relations, and social justice. The paper contributes to curriculum policy research by rethinking how critical multiculturalism may be articulated under structural constraints without being reduced to symbolic recognition, superficial inclusion, or depoliticised cultural representation.

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10:50-12:30 | G403 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration Session Chair: Rosemary Coleran 12:05-12:30 111597 | Lived Experiences and Perceived Roles of Non-Governmental Organisation Practitioners in Cambodia’s Primary Education System Rosemary Coleran, Durham University, United Kingdom Despite significant national progress in improving access to primary education in Cambodia, geographic and socioeconomic disparities in quality and equity remain. Although some schools have transitioned to full-day provision, primary education typically operates on a halfday schedule, with widespread reliance upon fee-based supplementary classes, potentially deepening inequalities and creating space for private actors. Alongside the expansion of private schooling, many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operate not-for-profit schools supplementing—or at times replacing—state provision, primarily focused on underprivileged communities. Knowledge, however, of how NGO schools position themselves within Cambodia’s education system and how educators perceive their role, remains limited. Gaining insight into the design and delivery of NGO supplementary education requires understanding of the perspectives of practitioners acting within the system. Drawing upon qualitative fieldwork conducted in Cambodia between January and March 2025, this study analyses through reflexive thematic analysis 39 semi-structured interviews with educators from 16 NGO schools to explore their experiences and perceptions of challenges and opportunities of delivering education alongside the state, and their role within the system. Contextualising these perspectives are 12 additional interviews conducted with teachers working in state schools or across both sectors. Participants described NGOs as playing an essential and locally-integrated role within the education system, addressing gaps in access, resources and curriculum. Many, however, appeared to operate with limited government oversight or collaboration, which participants suggested fosters an environment where NGO educational standards can vary considerably. Findings suggest that enhanced state guidance and coordination may support efforts to advance equitable and inclusive education.

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10:50-12:30 | G404 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Education, Sustainability and Social Development Session Chair: Diane Jose 10:50-11:15 110695 | Community-Based Historical Tours as Social Justice Education: Women Survivors and Intergenerational Memory of the Mass Violence in Indonesia Siti Utami Dewi Ningrum, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Trauma left by the mass violence between 1965-66 in Indonesia is still unresolved, especially among women who suffered physical, psychological, and sexual violence, and marginalization. Without any process of telling the truth, victims and families are exposed to the stigma because of the state-sponsored narrative. Although transitional justice scholarship has mainly studied state-level mechanisms, there has not been much discussion on how youth-led grassroots movements work as spaces of public education in dealing with histories of unresolved mass violence. Based on the background, this study examines community-based historical tours organized by the Arungkala Collective and Bersemai Sekebun as one of their initiatives for public education, focusing on how these tours function as spaces of social justice education and narrative contestation in the context of unresolved mass violence against women. Using a qualitative multiple-case study approach, data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews with organizers, survivors, descendants, and participants, as well as analysis of tour materials. The findings show that participants become more empathic toward history through personal experiences and testimonies of survivors and intergenerational memories in the sites, which is rarely examined as a learning outcome in informal education studies. It also suggests that the historical tours serve as social justice learning spaces, which challenge the dominant narrative on histories of unresolved mass violence. This study will contribute to community-based public education by highlighting the potential of intergenerational memory practice led by survivors.

11:15-11:40 114336 | Interdisciplinary Field-Based Learning in Cultural Landscapes: A Participatory Action Research Approach to Developing Social and Emotional Learning Competencies Chainarong Jarupongputtana, Chiang Mai University, Thailand Anuchit Wattanaporn, Chiang Rai Rajabhat University, Thailand This qualitative study presents an educational innovation with the objectives of developing a Interdisciplinary Field-Based Learning (IFBL) model and examining the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies of pre-service teachers through Participatory Action Research (PAR).The participants consisted of 100 pre-service teachers who engaged in five learning units integrated with five community-based learning resources. The study was conducted within the context of cultural landscapes, where the learning units were designed by synthesizing key social studies concepts with local learning resources. The five learning units included: 1.Cultural Landscape: Freshwater Swamp Forest 2.Food Sovereignty: Local Market 3.Border Geopolitics: Local River Flooding 4.Multiculturalism: Religious Sites and 5.Iconography: Sacred Objects in Ethnic Beliefs. The findings, derived through data triangulation using project assessment, behavioral observation, and focus group interviews, revealed that the Interdisciplinary Field-Based Learning (IFBL) model process played a significant role in enhancing the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies of pre-service teachers. These competencies included self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

11:40-12:05 114254 | Design and Preliminary Evaluation of an SVVR-Based SEL Game with Complementary GenAI NPCs to Foster Empathic Communication and Situational Awareness Sin-Yi Lin, Chihlee University of Technology, Taiwan Yu-Cheng Lin, Chihlee University of Technology, Taiwan Empathic communication and situational awareness are central to social and emotional learning (SEL). Helping learners understand others’ psychological distress, recognize situational cues, and respond appropriately has become an important priority in SEL and mental health literacy education. This study integrated generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) with spherical video-based virtual reality (SVVR) to design a scenario-based educational game featuring two complementary GenAI non-player characters (NPCs), multiple-perspective taking, and realtime feedback. The help-seeker NPC portrayed a character experiencing psychological distress, enabling students to practice observation, questioning, and empathic listening. The facilitator NPC provided prompts, reflective questions, and feedback on communication strategies to help students refine their responses. Through branching scenarios, real-time AI interaction, and gamified feedback, learners assessed the help-seeker’s needs and adjusted their communication strategies in a low-risk simulated environment. Participants were 20 students from a university in northern Taiwan. A one-group pretest-posttest design and quantitative analyses examined changes in situational awareness, empathic communication performance, and flow. The findings indicated that the complementary role structure and dynamic scaffolding of the GenAI dialogue system were associated with improvements in empathic communication and situational awareness. Participants also reported favorable flow during the activity. Overall, integrating SVVR with complementary GenAI NPCs shifted empathic communication training from one-way knowledge transmission toward an experiential learning process involving role-based interaction, real-time feedback, and guided reflection. The design offers practical guidance for integrating GenAI and immersive learning into SEL and mental health literacy education.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Education, Sustainability and Social Development Session Chair: Diane Jose 12:05-12:30 113266 | Restoration of the Old Sariaya Municipal Building for Adaptive Reuse as a Cultural Hub: A Research-Based Extension Model for Heritage Diane Jose, Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology, Philippines Gerald Allan Adane, Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology, Philippines Maria Lourdes De Vera-Francisco, Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology, Philippines Joey Tan, Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology, Philippines Esmeralda Ayag, Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology, Philippines Gladys Bungar, Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology, Philippines This paper presents the extension initiative of the College of Architecture and Fine Arts (CAFA) of the Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST) on the restoration of the Old Sariaya Municipal Building in Quezon, Philippines, and its proposed adaptive reuse as a cultural hub. The building, a 1931 Art Deco civic landmark designed by Juan M. Arellano and located in the historic core, is affected by moisture intrusion, material decay, intrusive later additions, exposed services, and weak long-term conservation management. Using a descriptive-exploratory and extension-based approach, the initiative integrated onsite condition assessment, measured surveys, material investigation, defect mapping, photographic documentation, archival research, stakeholder consultation, and online validation of the adaptive reuse proposal. The proposed intervention advances a conservation management framework that prioritizes retention of original fabric, selective removal of incompatible accretions, reversible interventions, and long-term maintenance planning. As an extension activity, the project demonstrates how a Higher Education Institution (HEI) can mobilize academic expertise for local heritage stewardship, public education, and sustainable place-making while contributing to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 on sustainable cities and communities, particularly on safeguarding cultural heritage, and SDG 4 on quality education through local capacity-building and experiential learning. The project offers a transferable model, a practice-based framework for HEIs seeking to align heritage conservation, research-based learning, and community engagement through local extension work for HEI-community collaboration activating them for cultural programming, tourism, and civic engagement.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Professional Development and Administration Session Chair: Takuya Numajiri 10:50-11:15 109347 | Narrative Inquiry: What Makes a Heart Beat? Exploring the Narratives of Teacher Resilience Simon Sng, Bedok South Secondary School, Singapore Li Xin Gena Tan, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School, Singapore Shi Hui Sharon Goh, St. Margaret's School (Secondary), Singapore Jia Lin Charlene Lye, Whitley Secondary School, Singapore Muhammad Razali Bin Puasa, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School (Secondary), Singapore Ming Yeow Quek, Changkat Changi Secondary School, Singapore Amid intensifying demands across Asian education systems, sustaining teachers’ professional vitality has become a critical concern. This study investigates how educators in Singapore maintain purpose and resilience within high-performing, rapidly evolving contexts. Using Narrative Inquiry, in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 30 teachers across career stages. Narratives were analysed through thematic coding, cross-case comparison, and temporal mapping to trace how meaning and identity are constructed over time. Findings reframe teacher resilience as a dynamic, relational process rather than an individual trait. Four interwoven themes emerged: (1) Purpose and Professional Identity, (2) Relational Resilience grounded in collegial trust, (3) Negotiation of Systemic Tensions and Emotional Costs, and (4) Narrative Reconstruction across career phases. Resilience is sustained through coherence between personal and professional selves, and through relational and organisational conditions that enable meaning-making. This study contributes a contextually grounded yet transferable framework for understanding teacher resilience in high-accountability Asian systems. It offers actionable insights for school leaders/management to intentionally cultivate relational trust, reflective spaces, and meaning-oriented cultures that renew teachers’ sense of calling. Reframing resilience as a collective, evolving narrative is key to sustaining the ‘heart beat’ of the profession.

11:15-11:40 109052 | Stitching Inclusive Futures: Arts-Based Inquiry as Innovation in UDL-Driven Teacher Education Rachel Terlop, Simpson College, United States Leslie La Croix, George Mason University, United States This study explores how arts-based research (ABR) can serve as an innovative and transformative methodology for understanding pre-service teachers’ developing knowledge of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) within contemporary teacher education. Drawing on the multimodal textile traditions of Faith Ringgold and Kawira Mwirichia, the project uses mixed-media visual analysis to translate interview and observation data into symbolic, fabric-inspired compositions that make learning visible and materially grounded. Through iterative cycles of listening, coding, painting, and carving, the study constructs a visual coding system that maps UDL guidelines, technology integration, and teacher education experiences, offering a multisensory approach to qualitative analysis. As noted in the dataset, “the data sets have become a material space where PST voices are framed, counted, and honored,” illustrating how ABR can elevate participant voice while cultivating researcher reflexivity and practical wisdom. Findings demonstrate that ABR not only enriches understanding of inclusive pedagogical development but also models creative, human-centered inquiry and nurtures innovation across disciplines. By merging UDL, narrative inquiry, and arts-based methods, this study positions creativity as a catalyst for reimagining teacher preparation in an era shaped by technological change and global educational challenges.

11:40-12:05 114405 | Mapping Lecturer Career Pathways in Higher Education: An Exploratory Study of Appointment Policies Across Asia and the Gulf Theodore Burkett, Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates Many higher education systems distinguish between teaching-focused and research-focused academic career pathways, although the structure and expectations of these pathways vary considerably between institutions. Lecturer appointments are commonly associated with teaching-focused roles, yet the qualifications required for appointment and promotion differ widely. At some institutions, lecturers may be appointed with a master's degree, while others require a doctorate, particularly for promotion to senior lecturer. Conversely, some institutions appear to regard the possession of a terminal degree as making candidates eligible only for professorial appointments, potentially limiting access to lecturer positions. Preliminary review of published appointment criteria suggests that, in some cases, holding a terminal degree may unintentionally become a barrier to employment in teaching-focused academic roles. This study explores lecturer appointment policies across selected higher education institutions in Asia and the Gulf region to better understand how teaching-focused career pathways are conceptualized and implemented. Using an exploratory comparative mixed-methods design, the study combines an analysis of institutional appointment policies with a targeted survey of General Education leaders and teaching-focused academics, complemented by a series of semi-structured interviews. Data collection is currently underway. The study aims to identify emerging trends in lecturer recruitment and career progression, examine perceptions of teaching-focused academic pathways, and contribute to ongoing discussions about institutional workforce planning, academic career structures, and the future of teaching-focused roles in higher education.

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10:50-12:30 | G405 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Professional Development and Administration Session Chair: Takuya Numajiri 12:05-12:30 113268 | The Process of Professional Learning in an International Practicum: Tracing the Development of a Filipino In-Service Teacher’s Reflective Practice Record Yoshiko Hanbara, University of Fukui, Japan Takuya Numajiri, University of Fukui, Japan William Tjipto, University of Fukui, Japan This study examines the process of professional learning of an international in-service teacher participating in the MEXT Teacher Training Program in Japan. This program started in 1980, however, there has been little research on its efficacy. The subject is a Filipino high school science teacher with approximately eight years of teaching experience and studied in Japan for 1.5 years, at the end of which she produced a longitudinal reflective practice record of her experiences. The report was analyzed to trace her development during the program. The findings revealed three interrelated characteristics of her professional learning. First, her view of teaching shifted from the transmission of knowledge to the creation of learning environments that foster dialogue and inquiry. Second, her understanding of professional learning developed from individual teaching practice to collaborative professional learning. Third, she developed a vision that extends beyond improving classroom practice toward creating an educational culture that supports student-centered learning. These findings suggest that importance of participation in educational practices across different cultural contexts, together with continuous self- and co-reflection and documentation, may provide important opportunities for in-service teachers to deepen their professional learning and envision future educational practices. Similarly, such programs also provide long-term value for the host education institutions and educators by encouraging the continuous reexamination of education through the international participants' shared experiences and ideas written in their longitudinal practice records.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Innovations in Education Session Chair: Sami Kajalo 10:50-11:15 112470 | How Can Collective Skill Formation Systems Adapt for the Future? A Case Study on Innovation in German VET Ulrike Schroer, IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany Helge Fischer, IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany Established collective skill formation systems face intense pressure to rapidly adapt to a shifting economic landscape without losing the standardized, institutional structures that ensure their quality and equity. While empirical research evaluates these adaptations through student performance data, there is a critical need to understand the structural design of educational interventions amidst the integration of future-oriented temporal agendas in postmodern society. Adopting a qualitative, single-case study design, we investigate the strategic and programmatic architecture of the EU-funded ZuKo4Saxony ("Future Capabilities for Saxony") project as its primary unit of analysis. Rather than collecting field data, the study acts as an analytical instrument to evaluate a systemic approach within its real-world context. By matching design elements (e.g. governance, Didaktik and pedagogical strategy) against both the theoretical vulnerabilities identified in collective skill formation literature as well as broader dynamics of organizational inertia and competence-driven decontextualization, this submission demonstrates how the project introduces systemic flexibility while while preserving public-private cohesion and social inclusion. Ultimately, this study provides a conceptual blueprint for how regional skill systems can structurally adapt to future competency demands without sacrificing the social stability and occupational identity that anchor the vocational architecture in Germany.

11:15-11:40 112963 | Empowering Student Voice Through AI-Supported Inquiry in Singapore’s Social Studies Classrooms Rose Nabilah Rosli, Ministry of Education, Singapore Wei Xing Clement Tan, Ministry of Education, Singapore Social Studies seeks to develop citizens who contribute to society. However, opportunities for students to exercise civic agency within schools remain limited, resulting in a disconnect between learning about citizenship and enacting it. In response, Swiss Cottage Secondary School redesigned its Social Studies Investigation (SSI) using a Youth Participatory Action Research informed approach that positions students as changemakers within their school community. Over 10 weeks, 227 15-year-old students identified issues, mapped stakeholders, designed survey instruments, and collected qualitative and quantitative peer data with teacher guidance. A key feature is AI-supported inquiry: Using scaffolded prompt design, students compared data-set analysis output across two LLMs to evaluate accuracy, depth of interpretation, and potential limitations. Students then proposed solutions, considered stakeholder perspectives, and evaluated feasibility. Student agency is later demonstrated by student councillors who shortlisted video submissions to school leaders before gathering further input from the rest of the cohort about implementation feasibility at a Townhall Conference (THC) where students evaluated proposed solutions and showed strong engagement. Impact of student agency and AI literacy was assessed through multiple avenues - a rubric-based teacher evaluation of group submissions, followed by qualitative feedback during the THC. Quantitative feedback was then collected via a post-THC survey which showed 96% of students agreed that they felt more confident about taking action to contribute positively to their community, while 93% recognised that individual judgement is crucial in critically assessing AI responses. These findings suggest the redesigned SSI develops civic inquiry, AI literacy, and student agency through authentic learning.

11:40-12:05 114410 | Preparing Students for Uncertain Geospatial Careers: Cultivating Care and Human Agency in the AI Era Wei Chien Benny Chin, National University of Singapore, Singapore Chen-Chieh Feng, National University of Singapore, Singapore Geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI) is changing the distribution of work across geospatial professions. Tasks involving data preparation, analysis, visualisation and interpretation can increasingly be supported by AI. These developments create uncertainty about which capabilities will remain valuable, how professional roles will change and how students should prepare for geospatial careers. A common educational response is to add more AI tools and technical content to curricula. Such knowledge remains essential, but an excessive focus on immediately marketable skills may narrow education around tools whose relevance may change quickly. Students may become technically proficient without developing sustained concern or responsibility for the people, places and environments represented in their analyses. The challenge is therefore not to choose between technical and non-technical learning, but to design curricula in which computational capability, geographical understanding and human judgement develop together. This paper argues that preparing students for uncertain geospatial careers requires both technical adaptability and the capacity to care about meaningful problems, attend to their social and environmental contexts and accept responsibility for consequences. Care is understood not as sentiment, but as a capacity that directs attention, sustains engagement and gives purpose to technical work. Drawing on the design of an interdisciplinary undergraduate Geospatial Intelligence programme, the paper maps courses and learning activities to the Thinking–Observing–Analysing–Deciding framework. It examines how technical capabilities, care, contextual awareness and human agency can be developed progressively across geography, computing and application-oriented learning, offering a balanced curriculum response to uncertainty in geospatial work.

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10:50-12:30 | G407 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Innovations in Education Session Chair: Sami Kajalo 12:05-12:30 108650 | Preparing Future Business Leaders for the Digital Information Society: Teaching AI-Related Skills and Responsible AI Use Sami Kajalo, Aalto University School of Business, Finland In business education, the issue is no longer whether students will use AI, but how teaching should be designed so that AI supports learning, responsibility, and judgment rather than replacing them. Future business leaders will need to use AI in decision- making, communication, and problem-solving, while also understanding its risks and limitations and learning to use it in a critical and responsible way. This paper examines how AI use can be integrated into business teaching in ways that support learning and keep expectations about academic integrity clear. It asks three questions: which learning goals in business education benefit most from AI support, what kinds of course designs encourage productive AI use, and what challenges arise when these ideas are applied in actual courses and assignments. The paper draws on two sources: recent research on AI in higher education and business education, and the author’s reflections on teaching practice across business courses in which students were given explicit guidance on AI use. On that basis, the paper develops a framework describing recurring patterns in how students use AI, including AI as a coach, a drafting partner, and a shortcut. For each pattern, the paper discusses benefits, risks, and implications for course design, student learning, and assessment. The main contribution is a practical typology that helps educators connect different ways of using AI with pedagogical support and assessment choices and make more informed course design decisions. Overall, the paper argues for a more deliberate approach to AI in business education.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Counselling, Guidance and Adjustment in Education Session Chair: Pradip Bhanudas Barde 11:15-11:40 114325 | Embedding Cross-Institutional AI Collaboration in Counselling Education: A Unit-Level Reflection on Curriculum Design and Student Drop-Off Adriana Ortega, Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia Ninna Makrinov, University of Warwick, United Kingdom Reham Ahmad, University of Warwick, United Kingdom Integrating international virtual exchange and AI-supported tools into postgraduate and professional modules/courses promises to foster student agency, intercultural competencies and career readiness. However, embedding these multi-layered innovations into pre-existing course architecture often creates psychological and instructional friction for learners. Drawing on applied psychology and curriculum design principles, this paper examines the experience of embedding international collaboration within a postgraduate counselling modules/ courses. Designed to connect counselling students with postgraduate Engineering and IT students at an international partner institution, the intervention integrated AI presentation coaching and an interdisciplinary consultancy task, as part of their standard coursework. While students initially engaged in the virtual exchange, participation sharply declined, leading to incomplete task engagement and low research data completion (e.g., participation in surveys, interviews, observations), despite embedded assessment alignment. Rather than viewing this drop-off as instructional failure, this paper positions student disengagement as a critical curriculum finding. From the perspective of educators responsible for coordinating, delivering, assessing, and designing these units/modules, we examine key friction points where students perceived the activities as external project demands, despite these being integrated as part and parcel of their regular coursework. Moving beyond idealised narratives of tech-enabled learning, this contribution offers practical, ethically grounded recommendations for curriculum design. We outline actionable strategies to better align student agency, workload boundaries, assessment design, and psychological safety within specialised postgraduate modules/courses.

11:40-12:05 108251 | Education, Financial Literacy and Mental Health International Evidence Duc Vo, The University of Western Australia, Australia Using a unique dataset, we analyze the total effect of education on mental health on a global scale of more than 100 countries. This total effect is then decomposed into the direct effect and the indirect effect of education on mental health via financial literacy. We use two mental health measures, including negative and positive experience indices. Our analyses show that education exerts positive impacts on the positive mental health and negative impacts on the negative mental health worldwide, implying that education improves mental health conditions. Financial literacy has also been found to improve mental health conditions. Furthermore, financial literacy serves as the mediating channel through which education improves mental health conditions. Financial literacy can explain up to 30 per cent of the total effect of education on mental health. Our results underscore the pivotal mediating role of financial literacy, which has been largely ignored in previous studies, in the relationship between education and mental health. To account for the hierarchical nature of our dataset and potential endogeneity, we employ the multilevel-IV method (Kim & Frees, 2007). Education and financial literacy are still found to have positive impacts on mental health. Our findings remain largely consistent across various additional robustness tests.

12:05-12:30 111368 | Development of Artificial Intelligence-Driven Academic Risk Stratification for Adapting to Transition-shock in Professional Courses for Proactive Mentoring of Students Pradip Barde, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India Rajesh Kathrotia, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India Vivek Kumar Sharma, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India Rupali Sable, Seth GS Medical College, India Bhautik Modi, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India Sagar Dholariya, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India Academic risk assessments are often anecdotal, manual, and retrospective, identifying struggling students too late with reactive rather than proactive mentoring. Our project aimed to identify key factors affecting academic performance caused by transition shock and develop an AIbased model for timely support during the first few weeks of enrolment. A 117-item questionnaire was developed through the focussed group discussion with students, residents, and faculty reaching saturation with high face and content validation (S-CVI > 0.95). Data were collected from 50 medical students using the 117-item questionnaire. The output (117 items *50 students =5850 responses) of the questionnaire was correlated with the students’ academic grades using a Random Forest machine learning (ML) algorithm. The ML model has an accuracy of 88%, a sensitivity of 92%. Out of 117 items, the ML model identified only 12 items as key predictors for academic performance during their transition shock period. Psychometric validation of the 12-item tool confirmed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=0.82). The ML model generates the Academic Risk Score (ARS) and triggers an immediate alert for stakeholders flagging areas for individual intervention under three domains: academic foundation, psychological factors, and environmental support. In this study, machine learning identified a high volume of studies and a shift from multiple-choice questions to application-type assessments as key predictors of failure. Our study developed an AI-based ML model with a 12-item tool giving ARS of the student may serve as an enabler for easy adaptation during the transition shock they face at entry into professional courses.

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Notes

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Foreign Languages Education Session Chair: Noboru Fukuda 10:50-11:15 112813 | Teachers’ Importance Beliefs in Teaching Presentation Skills and Its Relationship to Students’ Presentation Self-efficacy William Jun Rhodes, Ryukoku University, Japan In recent decades, research on self-efficacy in the speaking domain, particularly oral presentations, has remained limited, despite evidence demonstrating its positive effects on language learning. Additionally, teacher beliefs are regarded as the key driver of teachers’ instructional practice and behaviours in the classroom, which may help enhance student self-efficacy. Oral presentations are considered an effective tool for improving communicative competence (Brooks & Wilson, 2014) and are widely implemented in higher education. Hence, this study examines the relationship between teachers’ importance beliefs—that is, the importance teachers attach to different aspects of oral presentations— and students’ oral presentation self-efficacy. A self-efficacy scale for oral presentation and a questionnaire on teachers’ importance beliefs were developed by aligning the two constructs at the construct and item level. In the first phase, this study validated the newly developed questionnaire using 117 undergraduate students, and an EFA was conducted. In the second phase, 160 first-year students and their instructors from 8 Oral Communication classes following the same syllabus will be recruited to examine the relationship between teachers’ importance beliefs and students’ self-efficacy. Data will be analysed using ANOVA and correlation analyses. Preliminary EFA yielded a four-factor structure (KMO = .894, p <.001), explaining 67.5% of the variance (α =.713–.914). Final results will be presented at the conference. The study will provide pedagogical implications by highlighting the role of teacher beliefs in fostering students’ self-efficacy. It will also offer methodological implications, such as developing parallel scales that allow direct comparisons between two constructs.

11:15-11:40 108787 | Fluent Learners’ Perceptions of the Role of EMI in Speaking Fluency Development: A Narrative Inquiry En Hung Liao, National Chengchi University, Taiwan English Medium Instruction (EMI) is often assumed to improve students’ English fluency simply through increased exposure to English in academic settings. However, learners’ speaking development may depend less on exposure itself and more on how EMI classrooms are structured and experienced. This study adopts a narrative inquiry approach to explore how two fluent EMI learners in Taiwan make sense of their speaking fluency development in relation to different EMI learning contexts. Through in-depth interviews, participants revisited their experiences across various EMI courses in higher education. Rather than measuring language gains, this study focuses on how learners interpreted the role of classroom interaction, disciplinary differences and learning atmosphere in shaping their fluency. The narratives were analyzed thematically, with attention to interactional patterns and contextual factors within EMI settings. The findings suggest that EMI does not automatically lead to improvements in speaking fluency. Interactive classroom formats involving discussion, question asking and negotiation of meaning were perceived as more supportive of fluency development, while lecture-dominant formats were associated primarily with listening practice and content absorption. Participants also highlighted the influence of peer proficiency levels, task design, and ideological expectations regarding native-like pronunciation on their confidence and willingness to speak. By foregrounding learners’ retrospective interpretations, this study contributes to ongoing discussions about EMI pedagogy and suggests that interactional design, rather than English-medium exposure alone, plays a critical role in shaping speaking fluency development.

11:40-12:05 113981 | What Do Early-Career NNS Researchers Try to Do When Answering Questions in English Q&A Sessions? Toyoko Shimamura, The University of Osaka, Japan Soya Fukuma, The University of Osaka, Japan Hikari Shimadera, The University of Osaka, Japan Handling questions in English following academic presentations is recognized as one of the most demanding communicative tasks for earlycareer non-native English-speaking (NNS) researchers. Unlike presentations, Q&A sessions require speakers to comprehend questions and formulate appropriate responses spontaneously. Although previous research has documented the linguistic and psychological challenges associated with Q&A sessions, little is known about how early-career NNS researchers approach questions in English Q&A sessions. This study explores what early-career NNS researchers try to do when answering questions in English Q&A sessions and provides insights into their perspectives on what is important for effective Q&A communication. Data were collected using a questionnaire from 38 master's and doctoral NNS students. The responses were analyzed using the Modified Grounded Theory Approach with the support of MAXQDA. The findings indicate that early-career NNS researchers try to adopt an audience-oriented approach by showing respect for the questioner, paying attention to their tone of voice and speaking pace, and encouraging audience engagement. They also try to understand the content of questions accurately and provide well-organized responses using appropriate vocabulary and grammatically accurate English. These findings contribute to a better understanding of what early-career NNS researchers aim to do when handling questions in English Q&A sessions and offer pedagogical implications for supporting the development of effective Q&A communication skills.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Foreign Languages Education Session Chair: Noboru Fukuda 12:05-12:30 114205 | Relationship Between Spontaneous Beat Gestures and Social Skills that Appear in Presentation-style Lessons of Early English Learners Noboru Fukuda, Matsuyama University, Japan This study compellingly examines the impact of presentation activities, specifically summaries of learning units, on second language learners' awareness of their audience during presentations. Participants were strategically assigned to three experimental groups based on their gesture use: representational gestures, beat gestures, and a control group. The structured task sequence included: (i) submitting a preparatory presentation manuscript, (ii) recording video presentations, and (iii) promptly submitting a revised manuscript after the presentation. The analysis revealed noteworthy findings: the beat gesture group produced significantly fewer words in their preparatory manuscripts compared to the representational gesture group. Moreover, during the presentations, the beat gesture group's spoken output was significantly lower than that of both the control and representational gesture groups, highlighting their struggles with content memorization and delivery. These findings underscore the intricate role that different gesture types play in enhancing oral presentation skills and fostering audience engagement in second language education. By understanding these dynamics, educators can better support learners in developing effective communication strategies.

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10:50-12:30 | G410 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Education Research and Development Session Chair: Paul Consalvi 10:50-11:15 112453 | From Apartheid to Decolonisation: The Development of Educational Publishing in South Africa Subha Gobind, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa This study examines the historical foundations of educational publishing in South Africa during Apartheid (1948-1994), before tracing its development through the democratic era (1994-2026). It explores how publishing practices, curriculum design, and language policy have shaped the production of educational materials, drawing on policy documents, textbook procurement processes, and industry reports. During Apartheid, educational publishing was highly regulated and served to reinforce racial hierarchies, with limited representation of African languages and knowledge systems. Following the transition to democracy in 1994, educational policies have sought to promote access to knowledge and restructure curricular content in accordance with constitutional commitments to linguistic and cultural diversity. A secondary focus of this study is contemporary calls for curriculum decolonisation and the dominance of multinational publishers within the educational publishing sector. It considers how calls to decolonise Eurocentric knowledge systems have created both opportunities and challenges for local publishers, particularly in relation to the development of African language learning and teaching support materials (LTSM). While constitutional and educational policy frameworks increasingly support multilingual education, English and Afrikaans language LTSM continue to dominate procurement, while structural constraints within both the educational system and publishing industry, including concerns regarding market viability, production costs, and limited institutional capacity, continue to influence publishing practices. The study therefore argues that educational publishing remains a key site of contestation in South Africa's broader decolonial project, where questions of language and accessibility continue to perpetuate historical inequalities.

11:15-11:40 112324 | Assessment of Educational Research Production of Unpublished Private HEI Educators Ramil Santos, National University Philippines, Philippines Johjen Mag-atas, National University Philippines, Philippines Adriane de La Cruz, National University Philippines, Philippines John Carlo Sobrepeña, National University Philippines, Philippines Abigail Pengson, National University Philippines, Philippines Productivity is an essential measure of excellence and innovation for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), but many academics struggle with producing and publishing scholarly articles. The purpose of this study is to investigate the research literacy and production needs of educators at private HEIs in Bulacan who have never published their first article in a refereed journal. Specifically, it investigated the educator's ability to comprehend research concepts, utilize data, apply evidence-based decision making, and identify production needs. Using a Convergent Mixed Method Design, quantitative data were collected from 100 educators in education, humanities, arts, and social science disciplines using the 36-item Educational Research Literacy scale. Qualitative data were gathered from 15 educators who were selected based on the researchers' judgment and were asked to complete a 7-item Structured Essay Questionnaire. Analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data was accomplished via descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Overall results indicated that respondents scored low on educational research literacy (M = 23.48, SD = 4.72; 65.22%). Respondents scored high in Information Literacy (75.33%), Knowledge of Research Concepts (68.92%), and Evidence-Based Reasoning (65.43%). However, they scored lowest in Data Literacy (54.20%). Of those surveyed, 62% of respondents fell into either the Low or Very Low literacy category. Thematic analysis further found five areas where the educator felt a need for improvement. These included developing foundational research competences, improving data analysis and interpretation skills, improving their research writing and publishing abilities, enhancing mentoring and collaboration opportunities, and having institutional support.

11:40-12:05 114302 | Creating a High-Performance Research Ecosystem in Higher Education: An ISM Analysis of Institutional Drivers Ashish Trivedi, O.P. Jindal Global University Sonipat, India Higher education institutions are encouraged to boost research productivity and sustainability of research ecosystems. However, research performance is affected by several interrelated factors, necessitating the analysis of complex relationships among them. The present research intends to explore the connectedness among the enablers influencing research productivity in higher education institutions by employing Interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach. Twelve enablers were identified by reviewing the extant literature and conducting interviews with academic leaders. The relationships among the specified factors were assessed using expert judgments of twenty academics possessing experience in research and higher education management. Subsequently, ISM was employed to define the hierarchical relationships among the identified enablers. Moreover, Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) analysis has been conducted in order to assess driving and dependence power of the mentioned factors. The results reveal that institutional research policy, leadership commitment, research funding, and research culture emerge as key drivers of research productivity. They have significant effects on research infrastructure, faculty capacity to conduct research, mentoring, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional development, which in turn improves research productivity. Research incentives and workload management become the major linkage variables between institutional support with faculty-level research involvement. This study proves that research productivity should be considered as the product of interconnected institutional environment rather than individual measures. This proposed framework provides valuable recommendations for higher education managers in their efforts to create a research institution.

158 | IAFOR.ORG ACE2026 | Follow us on X @IAFOR (tweet about the conference using #IAFOR)

10:50-12:30 | G410 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Education Research and Development Session Chair: Paul Consalvi 12:05-12:30 114383 | Critical Thinking for Collaboration: A Practical Skills Framework for Graduate Researchers in Interdisciplinary Teams Paul Consalvi, The University of Tokyo, Japan As research increasingly depends on interdisciplinary collaboration, graduate students require more than disciplinary expertise—they need practical thinking skills that improve communication, decision-making, and teamwork. While critical thinking is widely recognised as an educational objective, it is frequently taught as an abstract cognitive process rather than as a collaborative practice. This paper introduces Critical Thinking for Collaboration (CT4C), a practical framework that translates established critical thinking concepts into everyday research behaviours that strengthen scientific collaboration. The framework integrates the Paul-Elder model of reasoning with structured dialogue, argument mapping, evidence evaluation, and reflective communication. Rather than emphasizing theory alone, CT4C focuses on actionable skills including asking high-quality questions, distinguishing claims from evidence, identifying assumptions, evaluating alternative perspectives, providing constructive feedback, and making transparent decisions within research teams. These practices are reinforced through peer coaching, authentic research scenarios, and iterative reflection to develop both analytical competence and intellectual dispositions such as humility, empathy, courage, and fairness. The paper argues that collaboration itself should become an explicit learning outcome within graduate education. By operationalizing critical thinking as observable collaborative behaviours, CT4C offers educators a scalable pedagogical model that improves communication, reduces misunderstanding, enhances interdisciplinary problem solving, and prepares researchers to work effectively in increasingly complex scientific and societal environments.

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12:45-14:25 | G401 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Education Policy and Administration Session Chair: Andrew Rosser 12:45-13:10 109642 | Teacher Deployment Inequality in Decentralized Systems: Evidence from Indonesia’s Rural Education Context Yunita Seja, Arizona State University, United States Muhammad Hilal Sudarbi, University of Groningen, Netherlands Chelsia Shanen Panekenan, Texas State University, United States This study examines teacher deployment inequality in decentralized education systems, focusing on Indonesia’s post-2001 governance reform across 514 districts. While decentralization was intended to improve efficiency and responsiveness, it has produced uneven teacher distribution, particularly disadvantaging rural and remote regions. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research combines quantitative analysis of teacher allocation patterns with field-based observations from East Nusa Tenggara. Multi-regression and correlation analyses are used to identify structural factors influencing deployment outcomes, including certification incentives and local governance capacity. Findings reveal persistent disparities driven by policy design misalignment and weak coordination between central and district authorities. Field evidence further highlights the practical consequences of these disparities, including multi-subject teaching loads and limited instructional capacity in underserved schools. This study contributes to comparative education policy by positioning Indonesia as a large-scale natural experiment in decentralization. It offers policy-relevant insights into how institutional design shapes equity outcomes and proposes datainformed strategies to improve teacher distribution in decentralized systems.

13:10-13:35 109102 | Distribution Mapping of Teacher Qualification Gaps in Indonesia Mutia Kamalia Mukhtar, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Ucu Rahayu, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Heni Safitri, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Mestika Sekarwinahyu, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Nunung Supratmi, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Yos Sudarso, Universitas Terbuka, indonesia The gap in teacher academic qualifications remains a structural issue affecting the quality and equity of education in Indonesia. Teachers who have not obtained a bachelor’s degree reflect variations in human resource capacity across regions and highlight limitations in education policy planning that are not yet supported by spatial analysis. Although various programs have been implemented to enhance teacher professionalism, their effectiveness is often constrained by limited analytical tools for identifying where qualification gaps are most concentrated. This study develops a prototype web-based Geographic Information System (WebGIS) to map and analyze the distribution of secondary school teachers without a bachelor’s degree across Indonesian cities and educational levels. Using administrative teacher qualification data provided by governments, WebGIS applies spatial visualization to enable comparative analysis between regions and identify geographic patterns of qualification gaps. The results indicate that teacher qualification gaps are unevenly distributed across Indonesia. Provinces with larger populations, particularly those in Java, tend to have more teachers without a bachelor’s degree, while in some regions outside Java, a higher proportion of teachers have not yet obtained a bachelor’s degree. These patterns are less visible in conventional statistical summaries and point to differences between urban and non-urban areas. The spatial insights generated by WebGIS support local governments in identifying priority areas for targeted interventions. Furthermore, the findings suggest that collaboration between local governments and universities can support efforts to reduce teacher qualification gaps.

13:35-14:00 113833 | The Political Economy of the Learning Crisis in Southeast Asia Andrew Rosser, University of Melbourne, Australia In recent decades, developing countries in Southeast Asia have greatly improved access to education, including for the poor. However, this improvement in access to education has not been accompanied by significant improvement in learning outcomes, as measured by international standardised assessments of student achievement such as PISA, PIRLS and TIMSS. Indeed, some commentators have determined that these countries are facing a ‘learning crisis’. Conventional analyses — particularly those produced by international development organisations such as the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) — have attributed this learning crisis to its proximate causes: inadequate government funding, human resource deficits, perverse incentive structures, and poor governance. By contrast, this paper that the crisis has been, at its root, a matter of politics and power. The implications of the analysis are that improvement in learning outcomes within the region is unlikely to happen quickly and that international donors and other actors need new strategies to promote improved learning outcomes. They need to think beyond measures to increase public education funding, improve teaching training, improve teacher distribution, reduce incentives for teacher absenteeism and so on—the standard toolkit of education development interventions—to consider how they can support such broader processes of change that shift power relations.

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12:45-14:25 | G401 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Education Policy and Administration Session Chair: Andrew Rosser 14:00-14:25 110630 | Bridging Traditional and Modern Education in Papua New Guinea: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge Through a Culturally Responsive Curriculum Ben Ninkama, Divine Word University, Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea’s education system reflects the coexistence of two distinct knowledge systems: traditional education rooted in land, community, and ancestral wisdom, and modern schooling delivered through formal institutions guided by national and global curricula. This study examines the interaction between these systems, focusing on the “five indispensables”—morals and ethics, health and hygiene, sex and marriage, healing, and food cultivation—as key domains of life knowledge. A qualitative research design was employed, using document analysis, field observations, and semi-structured interviews with elders and cultural leaders from eight cultural groups across all four regions of PNG. The findings reveal that traditional education is embedded in everyday life, where learning occurs through storytelling, observation, imitation, and active participation in communal activities. Elders and community leaders play a central role in transmitting values, identity, and practical survival skills, ensuring continuity of indigenous knowledge. In contrast, modern education is structured, classroom-based, and assessment-driven, emphasizing literacy, numeracy, and preparation for participation in a global economy. While it provides essential academic and professional competencies, it often marginalizes indigenous knowledge systems, contributing to weakened cultural identity and reduced practical life skills, particularly in rural communities. Traditional education is largely excluded from the formal curriculum. The study concludes that there is a strong need to integrate the five indispensables into a culturally responsive curriculum framework. Such integration would bridge the gap between traditional and modern systems, ensuring a balanced education that preserves cultural heritage while equipping learners with skills for modern social, economic, and global participation.

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12:45-14:25 | G402 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | International Education Session Chair: Thi Minh Thu Truong 12:45-13:10 109212 | Geopolitics, Regulation, and Demographics: the New Geographies of Advanced Placement Programme Expansion in Asia James John Bryer, University of St Andrews, United Kingdom Advanced Placement (AP) programmes (administered by the College Board) have expanded steadily across international schools in Asia, particularly in China, over the past two decades. This paper examines how the expansion of AP programmes is shaped by intersecting geopolitical, regulatory, and demographic developments restructuring international schooling across the region. It asks how regulatory constraints in China and shifting patterns of global university mobility are reshaping the geography of AP programme expansion. The analysis draws on interviews with educational leaders, enrolment data, and an examination of regulatory frameworks governing international education across Asia. These sources are complemented by practitioner insights derived from the author’s experience working within AP international schools. Particular attention is given to licensing regimes and passport eligibility requirements within China, which increasingly structure access to international curricula. These regulatory pressures intersect with broader demographic changes and the stabilisation of the international school market, suggesting that the rapid expansion of recent decades may be entering a period of consolidation. In contrast, emerging education markets in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, are experiencing rising middle-class and elite demand for international and especially American university pathways. These developments are reinforced by shifting dynamics within global higher education markets, most visibly in the UK, which are redirecting internationally mobile students towards universities in the United States. The paper concludes by examining how school leaders and educational entrepreneurs may respond strategically to these developments through capital investment, regulatory navigation, and engagement with evolving patterns of global educational mobility across Asia.

13:10-13:35 110624 | Rehumanizing STEM Education Through Scientist-Teacher-Student Partnerships: Developing Humanizing STEM Modules at the Malaysian STEM-Humanities Nexus Napisah Yahya, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia Hidayah Mohd Fadzil, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia Mohd Nor Syahrir Abdullah, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia STEM education is increasingly expected to prepare learners for complex socio-scientific challenges that require not only disciplinary knowledge but also ethical reasoning, cultural understanding, and civic responsibility. However, secondary science learning often remains technocentric, examination-oriented, and weakly connected to students' lived realities, local cultures, and societal concerns. This limits students’ ability to view STEM as meaningful, humane, and socially responsive. This study aimed to conceptualize and develop Humanizing STEM Modules through Scientist-Teacher-Student Partnerships (STSP), positioning the STEM-humanities nexus as a pathway for rehumanizing secondary science learning in Malaysia. Guided by the ADDIE instructional design model, this qualitative study draws on in-depth semi-structured interviews with 22 interdisciplinary experts, including scientists, humanities scientists, secondary science and humanities teachers, as well as observations and document analyses of local and international curriculum standards and policy documents. Using reflexive thematic analysis, the study identified three interrelated principles: integrative collaboration, human-centered relevance, and ethical and social responsibility. These principles informed the Humanizing STEM Module, which comprises socio-scientific issues, inquirybased learning, engineering design processes, reflective dialogue, and cross-curricular connections with humanities subjects. Specifically, the module’s design and development are structured into four interrelated domains: syllabi and curriculum alignment, intended learning, implementation strategies, and instructional structure. The study advances humanizing STEM by demonstrating humanizing pedagogy in STEM and how situated, interdisciplinary partnerships can transform STEM learning into ethical, relational, and culturally meaningful practice. The modules offer a transferable curriculum framework for teachers seeking to enact locally relevant, values-oriented, and socially responsive STEM education across diverse secondary science contexts.

13:35-14:00 111272 | Exploring Taiwan’s Attempt to Recruit International Talents: A Case Study of the INTENSE Program Thi Minh Thu Truong, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Tzu-Bin Lin, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Higher education has become a strategic instrument for national competitiveness and international talent circulation since the 1990s. For nonEnglish-speaking education systems, attracting international students is increasingly shaped by competition with Anglophone destinations and by students’ expectations of mobility, employability, and academic opportunity. In Taiwan, a global semiconductor hub facing record-low birth rates and skilled labour shortages, the government launched the International Talent Education Special Program in 2024. Targeting STEM, finance, and semiconductor-related fields, the program shifts from conventional international student recruitment toward a four-party reciprocal framework involving government, universities, enterprises, and students. Despite substantial investment, the program achieved only 20% of its enrollment quota in its first year, revealing a tension between policy ambition and student uptake. Rather than evaluating program performance, this study examines the official implementation plan as a governance text for international talent cultivation. Using qualitative textual analysis grounded in social exchange theory, the study categorizes policy content into four dimensions: resource input, expected returns, contractual obligations, and risk-sharing mechanisms. Findings suggest that international students are positioned not only as learners or mobile talent, but as contractual agents who exchange future mobility and labour commitments for immediate economic and academic capital. While this design may safeguard institutional investment, it may also reduce student agency by increasing perceived obligations, limiting post-study flexibility, and raising exit costs. This study is important for international readership because it offers insights into how non-Anglophone systems design talent-attraction policies while negotiating the tensions between national workforce needs and international students’ mobility aspirations.

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Notes

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12:45-14:25 | G403 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Professional Training and Development Session Chair: Benedict Khoboli 12:45-13:10 114011 | Developing and Enacting Teachers’ AI-TPACK in a Knowledge Building-Based STEAM Professional Development Program Chih-Hsuan Chang, National Academy for Educational Research, Taiwan Tsung-Liang Tsai, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan Chih Hui Seet, National Chengchi University, Taiwan Guo-Tsai Hung, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Huang-Yao Hong, National Chengchi University, Taiwan As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into education, teachers' professional competence extends beyond technical proficiency with AI tools to encompass their pedagogical application, subject-specific integration, and ethical use. This study designed and implemented a Knowledge Building (KB)-based STEAM teacher professional development (PD) program at a national university in Taiwan to examine (1) changes in teachers' AI-TPACK and (2) how teachers enacted AI-TPACK in classroom practice. The PD program involved 24 teachers from elementary to higher education across diverse disciplines. Guided by KB principles, participants used generative AI to support lesson design while engaging in collaborative discourse and sustained idea improvement. A mixed-methods design was adopted. Quantitatively, teachers completed the AI-TPACK scale (Celik, 2023) before and after the PD program. Paired-samples t-tests examined changes across five dimensions: Technological Knowledge (TK), Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), Technological Content Knowledge (TCK), Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), and AI Ethics. Qualitatively, teachers' written reflections and interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results revealed a significant improvement in overall AI-TPACK (t = 4.75, p & .01), with significant gains across all five dimensions, particularly TPACK and AI Ethics. Qualitative findings showed that teachers integrated AI into subject learning by using AI to support students' self-directed inquiry, enacting AI-TPACK. They also guided students to verify and critically evaluate AI-generated content, reflecting AI ethics in classroom practice. Overall, the KB-based PD program enhanced teachers' AI-TPACK, supported its enactment in classroom practice, and promoted innovative curriculum design. This program offers a reference for future AI-focused teacher PD.

13:10-13:35 111631 | Exploring the TPACK, SQD Strategies, and ICT Attitudes of Pre-service Teachers in CALABARZON: Inputs for Teacher Education Enhancement Joy Therese Villon, Southern Luzon State University, Philippines Pre-service training determines the quality of new teachers. In the Philippines, several studies show that many elementary and high school teachers have poor subject matter knowledge, especially in core subjects like Filipino, English, Math, and Science. Hence, there should be comprehensive and systematic TPACK-based interventions with regards to capacitating the pre-service teachers in the country. In this sense, this study attempted to investigate the relationship of TPACK and ICT and SQD strategies and provide inputs to the teacher education in the Philippines. This study employed a quantitative research design, specifically a descriptive survey design. Three instruments were used, namely the TPACK Scale by Schmidt et al. (2009), the Computer Attitudes Scale by Selwyn (1997), and the SQD Scale by Tondeur et al. (2016). To analyze the data, multiple regression analysis was utilized. The study revealed that TPACK, SQD strategies, and ICT attitudes have a statistically significant moderate to strong relationship. Thus, the Synthesis of Qualitative Data (SQD) strategies and ICT attitudes play a crucial role in enhancing the impact of TPACK of pre-service teachers. Hence, this study recommends that recommendations of the study future researches should utilize longitudinal designs to examine how these relationships evolve and to establish causal links and teacher education programs better should focus on developing both TPACK and SQD strategies to foster positive ICT attitudes specifically practical training that includes role modeling, reflection, and authentic experiences can enhance pre-service teachers' confidence and competence in using technology.

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12:45-14:25 | G403 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Professional Training and Development Session Chair: Benedict Khoboli 13:35-14:00 111979 | Teacher-Centred Generative AI Workflows for Vocational Education: Designing Moodle-Based Support for Learning Activity Creation Santiago Moll-Lopez, Technical University of Valencia, Spain Adolfo Núñez Pérez, Technical University of Valencia, Spain Sara Sánchez López, Technical University of Valencia, Spain Carlos Delagado Caro, Technical University of Valencia, Spain Vocational education and training (VET) teachers increasingly face the challenge of designing engaging learning activities, maintaining learning management system (LMS) spaces, and providing timely resources while managing heavy administrative workloads. This paper presents the early design of AutoAules, a teacher-centred generative AI workflow intended to support activity creation and LMS orchestration in Moodle-based environments. The project is situated in the context of Spanish public VET and explores how AI assistance can help teachers transform pedagogical intentions into structured classroom resources, such as forum prompts, learning pages, assignments, assessment rubrics, and reusable teaching materials. Using a design-based research approach, the study analyses the requirements of a practical teacher workflow and proposes a prototype architecture that connects conversational planning with controlled Moodle actions. Particular attention is given to teacher agency, traceability, safety, and the distinction between automation and pedagogical decision-making. Rather than replacing teachers, the system is designed to reduce repetitive operational tasks while keeping teachers responsible for goals, content validation, sequencing, and classroom adaptation. The contribution of this work is twofold. First, it offers a design framework for integrating generative AI into everyday LMS-based teaching practice in VET. Second, it identifies key risks and design principles for responsible AI-supported educational automation, including transparency, reversibility, privacy, and contextual alignment with local curricula. The paper aims to inform educators, researchers, and learning technologists interested in practical, teacher-centred applications of AI in formal education.

14:00-14:25 111729 | Preservice Teachers’ Demonstration of PCK Based on Written Work Jeffrey Thomas, Sol Plaatje University, South Africa Benedict Khoboli, Sol Plaatje University, South Africa Preservice teachers (PSTs) often provide incomplete or unfocused responses to pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) questions. Research links this issue to task design and teacher PCK, with documented gaps in PST responses. This study examines how PSTs' responses can better align with the PCK requirements of mathematical tasks. A qualitative case study analysed the PCK demonstrated by six third-year mathematics PSTs at a South African university, as evidenced by their written assessments. Using the Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) framework, questions were categorised into tasks assessing curriculum content knowledge, content within a teaching context, and advanced mathematical knowledge beyond common content. MKT is “a practice-based theory that encapsulates the mathematical knowledge required to perform the recurring tasks of teaching mathematics (Ball, Thames, & Phelps, 2008). PST responses were assessed for alignment with PCK constructs (KCC, KCS, KCT) and task requirements. Findings revealed that PSTs struggle with interpreting questions. While PSTs' responses generally covered all PCK subcategories, some demonstrated only subject matter knowledge (SMK), such as common content knowledge (CCK) or general pedagogical knowledge (GPK). A strong emphasis on procedural understanding was noted. To improve PSTs' ability to interpret and respond effectively, initial teacher education (ITE) programs should integrate PCK assessments that align constructs, task designs, and expected responses.

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12:45-14:25 | G404 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Before the Breach: Using Generative AI to Build Your Emergency Communications Library (Workshop) Session Chair: Gerard Flynn 12:45-13:35 113844 | Before the Breach: Using Generative AI to Build Your Emergency Communications Library Gerard Flynn, Pepperdine University, United States When ransomware struck a major learning management system (LMS) vendor in 2026, the company's acknowledged communication failures left universities scrambling to inform anxious faculty and students. This hands-on workshop shows participants how to ensure their institution never faces that scramble: using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to build a library of pre-drafted, reusable emergency communications before a crisis occurs. Drawing on Pepperdine University's experience, the facilitator — an Associate Chief Information Officer — demonstrates a practical workflow: defining campus audiences, auditing past communications with AI assistance, and generating templated messaging for outages affecting critical systems such as the LMS, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and customer relationship management (CRM) platforms. Participants then apply the workflow to their own contexts, working live with AI tools on their own devices or with structured print worksheets, ensuring full participation regardless of connectivity or tool access. Learning objectives: Participants will be able to (1) identify the critical systems and audiences requiring pre-staged communications at their institution; (2) construct effective AI prompts for drafting clear, audience-appropriate crisis messaging; (3) evaluate and refine AI-generated drafts for accuracy, tone, and institutional voice; (4) outline a plan for building and maintaining an emergency communications library. Target audience: technology leaders, communications staff, administrators, and faculty involved in institutional continuity — no technical background required. Structure: brief case presentation; guided demonstration; small-group drafting exercise using participants' own scenarios; group critique and discussion of governance and ethics in AI-assisted official communications. Resources: a prompt library, template starter kit, and implementation planning worksheet.

166 | IAFOR.ORG ACE2026 | Follow us on X @IAFOR (tweet about the conference using #IAFOR)

12:45-14:25 | G405 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Working Together Is a Foundationally Imperative: Tools that Help Administrative Teams Work in Concert (Workshop) Session Chair: Shawn Suzuki 12:45-13:35 108642 | Working Together Is a Foundationally Imperative: Tools that Help Administrative Teams Work in Concert Diane Spencer, Department of Education - State of Hawaii (retired), United States Shawn Suzuki, Department of Education - State of Hawaii (retired), United States Someone on your admin team frustrating you? Not on the same page? Administrative teams are facing increased turnover and greater workloads while needing to quickly unify in order to be successful. Bottom line, the culture of a school/institution begins with its administration. In this session learn actionable strategies that quickly strengthen team bonds and leadership. Participants will reflect on current practices, hear an experienced team share their missteps/successes of how to deliberately build systems that support a school-wide learning culture. Research consistently demonstrates that collaborative school leadership teams are vital for educational success. According to the Wallace Foundation, school leadership is second only to classroom instruction in its impact on student learning. Studies indicate that schools with strong collaborative practices see significant gains. Collaborative leadership teams are responsible for up to 27% of the variance in student outcomes, according to Leithwood et al. (2006). Schools using these models saw academic gains equivalent to 6–8 months of additional learning and a 6.7% decrease in student suspensions (ERIC), fostering a culture of shared responsibility. Furthermore, collective leadership helps foster a positive school culture by increasing teacher retention by up to 24% and enhancing collective efficacy, which directly correlates with improved instruction and student performance. Ultimately sessions like these are invaluable because when leadership is united and transparent, the entire community becomes empowered to work toward the school's vision.

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12:45-14:25 | G407 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Beyond Course-to-Career Mapping: AI-Supported Competency-Based Career Advising for International Students (Workshop) Session Chair: Xiahan Li 12:45-13:35 111893 | Beyond Course-to-Career Mapping: AI-Supported Competency-Based Career Advising for International Students in an Uncertain Labor Market Xiahan LI, Sakuraseisai Co. Ltd., Japan Career counselors face increasing challenges in helping students navigate career pathways in an AI-driven labor market. Traditional advising often relies on linear course-major-career mappings that may not adequately address changing workforce demands or students’ evolving interests and strengths. This interactive workshop introduces ACE-FORGE, a competency-based advising framework grounded in CompetencyBased Education (CBE), Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), and Career Construction Theory (CCT). The framework helps advisors support students in developing competencies, strengthening career decision-making confidence, and constructing adaptable career pathways in an uncertain future while considering diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. Participants will first analyze authentic Japanese international high school student cases using their existing advising approaches. They will then apply the ACE-FORGE framework to the same cases and compare the outcomes. Through the workshop, participants will explore how AI-supported tools can enhance career guidance while maintaining human-centered counseling practices, apply concepts from CBE, SCCT, and CCT using AI to student advising cases, and identify practical ways to integrate AI-supported tools into counseling and guidance practice. Target Audience: Career counselors, student support professionals, and ed-tech researchers. Workshop Structure: Introduction (5 minutes); Participants analyze student cases using their existing advising approaches (10 minutes); Introduction to CBE, SCCT, CCT, and competency-based advising principles (10 minutes); Participants use the ACE-FORGE framework to re-analyze the same cases and explore alternative pathways (10 minutes); Discussion and comparison of advising outcomes (10 minutes); Reflection and closing discussion (5 minutes). Learning Resources: Student career advising case and ACE-FORGE system access.

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12:45-14:25 | G408 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Visual Dialogue in the Initial Counseling Encounter Inspired by Winnicott’s Squiggle Game (Workshop) Session Chair: Rinat Reisner Podissuk 12:45-13:35 111005 | Visual Dialogue in the Initial Counseling Encounter Inspired by Winnicott’s Squiggle Game Rinat Reisner Podissuk, Bar-Ilan University, Israel When counselors, therapists, or educators meet a child for the first time, establishing trust, emotional safety, and meaningful communication can be challenging. Verbal conversation alone may not provide access to a child’s inner world. This workshop explores how visual, non-verbal dialogue can support the development of initial therapeutic, counseling, and educational relationships with children. Inspired by Donald W. Winnicott’s Squiggle Game and informed by my experience as an art therapist, the workshop emphasizes reducing anxiety and creating a structured yet playful space in which children can engage, communicate, and feel emotionally secure. Following a brief theoretical introduction, participants will observe a demonstration of the method and engage in a paired experiential exercise based on shared spontaneous drawing. They will explore how visual dialogue can facilitate connection, encourage expression, and provide insight into emotional themes and relational patterns. The activity will be followed by guided reflection and group sharing, allowing participants to consider their own experience of visual dialogue and its implications for work with children. Examples will illustrate how this approach may support connection, trust, and understanding during initial encounters. Through direct participation, attendees will gain firsthand insight into the relational and emotional processes that visual dialogue may evoke. Participants will leave with: (1) an understanding of the role of visual dialogue in initial encounters with children; (2) practical experience of the Squiggle Game process; and (3) ideas for applying this approach in educational, counseling, and therapeutic settings.

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/iaforjapan | ACE2026 | IAFOR.ORG | 169

12:45-14:25 | G409 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | From One to Many: Leveraging AI for Quick Preparation and Differentiated Language Instruction (Workshop) Session Chair: Meiyi Song 12:45-13:35 111628 | From One to Many: Leveraging AI for Quick Preparation and Differentiated Language Instruction Meiyi Song, LanguageOn Schools, United States The modern language classroom demands differentiated instruction, but manually adapting authentic materials for mixed-ability groups remains a persistent logistical bottleneck. This practical presentation demonstrates how to leverage free AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to drastically reduce lesson preparation time while maintaining high-quality, differentiated instruction. The presenter will walk you through a live, step-by-step workflow demonstrating four core capabilities. First, we will explore text leveling, showing how to instantly rewrite a complex, authentic news article into versions that are appropriate for different levels. Second, create context-specific glossaries and generate tiered comprehension questions matching each performance level. Third, the presenter will highlight how to use AI to build structural supports, including progressive sentence frames that facilitate oral and written participation for novice and intermediate learners alike. Finally, you will learn how to instantly create corresponding formative assessments, including multiple-choice reading checks and communicative discussion prompts. By looking at actual prompt examples, participants will learn exact prompting strategies to achieve reliable, classroomready results. This session is designed for busy practitioners looking for immediate, actionable workflows to reclaim their prep time and better support language learners. You will leave with practical AI prompts to implement these time-saving strategies the very next day.

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Notes

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12:45-14:25 | G410 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Distance Learning and Curriculum Design Session Chair: Masahiro Inoue 12:45-13:10 111576 | Digital Learning Culture in MOOCs: A Bibliometric Review Abhishek Kumar Maurya, Banaras Hindu University, India Anjali Bajpai, Banaras Hindu University, India Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have transformed contemporary education by fostering a digital learning culture characterized by flexibility, learner autonomy, collaboration and technology-driven engagement. This study examines the intellectual structure, thematic evolution and global research trends related to digital learning culture in MOOCs from 1995 to 2026. The study analyzed 1,956 publications indexed across 647 sources using bibliometric techniques, including performance analysis, co-authorship analysis, co-citation analysis, keyword cooccurrence and bibliographic coupling. Data were extracted from the Scopus database and visualized through VosViewer and RBiblioshiny to identify influential authors, journals, institutions, countries and emerging research themes. The findings reveal a significant annual growth rate of 11.08%, indicating the increasing academic importance of MOOCs and digital learning environments. Research accelerated notably after the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the global shift toward online education. The study also identifies dominant contributions from institutions in the United Kingdom, the United States, China and emerging economies such as India and Malaysia. Furthermore, recent research trends emphasize artificial intelligence, learning analytics, self-regulated learning, immersive technologies and personalized digital learning experiences within MOOCs. The review further demonstrates that MOOCs have evolved from simple content delivery systems into interactive ecosystems supporting inclusive and lifelong learning globally effectively.

13:10-13:35 111760 | Certify to Amplify: A Decision-Support Framework for Embedding Professional Certifications into Business Curricula Ahmed Mohammed, University of Birmingham Dubai, United Arab Emirates Fatma Al Zahraa, Muscat University, Oman Amer Alaya, University of Birmingham Dubai, United Arab Emirates Taab Ahmed Samad, University of Birmingham Dubai, United Arab Emirates Higher education is entering a new era in which employability, professional competence, micro-credentials, and industry relevance are becoming increasingly important alongside traditional academic achievement. Despite the rapid growth of professional certifications, universities continue to rely largely on ad hoc or market-driven approaches in deciding how to integrate such credentials into degree programmes. Consequently, institutions face a critical challenge: how can professional certifications be embedded in ways that enhance graduate employability while preserving academic integrity, student experience, and curriculum coherence? This study develops a decisionsupport framework for embedding professional certifications within business education curricula. Drawing on Human Capital Theory and Signalling Theory, the research reconceptualises certification integration as a strategic curriculum design challenge rather than a simple accreditation or partnership exercise. A mixed-methods approach is adopted, combining literature analysis, expert-validation surveys, analytical evaluation, and stakeholder workshops with academics, industry representatives, and postgraduate students. The study identifies and validates key pedagogical and institutional evaluation criteria and systematically evaluates alternative embedding strategies, including full integration, partial integration, assessment alignment, optional certification pathways, and micro-credential stacking. The study advances curriculum innovation and provides practical guidance for universities seeking to navigate the emerging ecosystem of professional certifications, micro-credentials, and industry-aligned learning by introducing a structured, evidence-based approach to evaluating competing models for integrating certifications. The findings contribute to the development of more adaptive, future-ready, and employability-focused higher education curricula.

13:35-14:00 112256 | A Six-Layer Architecture for Interoperable Micro-Credentials Across Educational Frameworks and Digital Credential Technologies Masahiro Inoue, Taisho University, Japan Tomoko Maruyama, Ehime University, Japan Tsuneo Yamada, The Open University of Japan, Japan Anuchai Theeraroungchaisri, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Thailand Shingo Ashizawa, Kanda University of International Studies, Japan Micro-credentials are increasingly used in higher education, professional development, and lifelong learning to recognize learning outcomes in flexible and portable ways. However, countries and institutions often use different descriptors and terminology to describe similar educational concepts, such as learning outcomes, assessment, quality assurance, credit, and learner pathways. At the same time, digital credential technologies, including Open Badges and Verifiable Credentials, have developed as technical mechanisms for issuing, sharing, and verifying credentials. In practice, however, micro-credentials and the digital technologies used to implement them are sometimes confused, although they play different roles. This confusion creates practical challenges for the international circulation of micro-credentials. This study proposes a six-layer architecture to clarify the relationship between educational frameworks and digital credential technologies in micro-credential ecosystems. The architecture distinguishes educational elements, such as qualification frameworks and standards for describing microcredentials, from technological components, such as credential metadata, digital credential technologies, and learner record systems. Using this architecture, the study explains how similar educational meanings can be compared across different national and institutional contexts, even when they are described in different ways or issued through different digital systems. The analysis shows that educational frameworks and digital credential technologies can remain conceptually independent while being connected through metadata-based interfaces. The proposed architecture supports clearer design, transparent recognition, international exchange, and learner mobility in micro-credential ecosystems.

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12:45-14:25 | G410 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Distance Learning and Curriculum Design Session Chair: Masahiro Inoue 14:00-14:25 110550 | Operationalizing Open Science Through Institutional Research Data Repositories in Comprehensive Open Distance E-Learning Institutions Tinyiko Vivan Dube, University of South Africa, South Africa Comprehensive Open Distance e-Learning (CODeL) institutions are strategically positioned to advance open science due to their commitment to openness, inclusivity, and digital knowledge dissemination. Institutional research data repositories play a critical role in operationalizing open science by enabling the management, preservation, and sharing of research data. However, the extent to which repositories translate open science principles into everyday research practices within CODeL environments remains insufficiently understood. This study empirically examines how institutional research data repositories support the operationalization of open science at the CODeL institution in the Global South. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model and supported by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, the study investigates the influence of researchers’ awareness, institutional support mechanisms, and perceived barriers on repository adoption. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed, with data collected from academic researchers across multiple colleges using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, including correlation and regression, were conducted to examine relationships among key variables, while qualitative responses were analyzed thematically to enrich the findings. Findings highlight that awareness and institutional support significantly influence repository adoption, while perceived barriers hinder engagement with research data repositories.

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14:40-16:20 | G401 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Education, Sustainability and Society Session Chair: Vibha Trivedi 14:40-15:05 112956 | The Pathways to Sustainability: Analysis of Senior High School Students Perceptions, Awareness, and Aspirations Towards Environmental Science Education Shaira Denise Dela Cruz, Lyceum of the Philippines University - Manila, Philippines Nigel Ian Christopher Go, Lyceum of the Philippines University - Manila, Philippines Growing environmental challenges such as climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss have increased the need for environmentally informed and sustainability-oriented professionals. This study examined the awareness, perceptions, understanding, and interest of senior high school students in pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Sustainability. Using a descriptive mixed-method research design, data were collected from 200 senior high school students from selected public and private schools in Manila through a researcher-made questionnaire with quantitative and qualitative components. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, weighted mean, confidence interval analysis, and chi-square tests, while qualitative responses were examined through thematic analysis. The findings revealed that students generally demonstrated high environmental awareness, particularly regarding climate change, plastic pollution, and air pollution. Social media, school lessons, and news platforms were the primary sources of environmental information. Respondents also expressed positive perceptions of the program, recognizing its relevance in addressing environmental issues and providing meaningful career opportunities. However, concerns about career opportunities, financial considerations, and limited program awareness were identified as potential barriers. The study concludes that students possess strong environmental awareness and favorable perceptions of the program, highlighting the need for targeted information campaigns and career guidance to encourage greater interest in Environmental Science and Sustainability.

15:05-15:30 111315 | Teacher Agency in Education for Sustainable Development: A Comparative Study of Internationally Recognized Public School Projects Princes Raymunda Gatan, Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines, Philippines This qualitative multiple-case study examines how public school teachers exercise agency in implementing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) projects in the Philippine context. Guided by Archer’s structure–culture–agency lens, the study analyzes the experiences of three public school teachers who implemented ESD initiatives in distinct community settings: an upland farming and ancestral-domain community, a disaster-prone agricultural barangay, and a riverine/coastal community affected by mangrove loss. Data were drawn from semi-structured interviews and supporting project documents. Findings show that teachers exercised agency through three interrelated practices: cultural brokerage, resource-making under scarcity, and resilient institutional work for sustainability. Through cultural brokerage, teachers translated ESD into locally meaningful concerns such as farming, food security, disaster preparedness, local wisdom, and ecological restoration. Through resource-making, they mobilized partnerships with barangays, government agencies, universities, colleagues, and students despite limited funds, manpower, time, and technical capacity. Through resilient institutional work, they sought to sustain projects beyond initial implementation, recognition, and teacher transfer. A cross-cutting finding reveals that teacher agency enabled student agency, positioning learners as food innovators, disaster-preparedness advocates, and environmental stewards. The study contributes to ESD and teacher agency scholarship by showing that ESD implementation is not merely a matter of policy compliance but a situated, relational, and community-based practice. It foregrounds public school teachers as cultural brokers, resource mobilizers, and institutional actors who transform local constraints and cultural resources into opportunities for sustainability learning and action.

15:30-15:55 111759 | SDG-Ready Instructors: Evaluating Pre-Service Teachers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on Sustainable Development Goals for Program Development Richelle Castro, Bulacan State University, Philippines Elenita Acuña, Bulacan State University, Philippines Niña Lilia Javier, Bulacan State University, Philippines The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to attain peace and prosperity for existing and future generations. This study is conducted to measure the SDGs' knowledge, attitude, and practices among 74 pre-service teachers taking up Environmental Science during the second semester of the academic year 2025-2026. Both qualitative and quantitative data are employed. The quantitative data were statistically analyzed to determine mean, percentage, and standard deviation. Based on the results of quantitative analysis, 95% of the respondents are familiar with the SDGs. In addition, there is also high agreement from the participants about their SDG attitude. Considering the calculated mean (M = 3.66; SD = 0.56), the participants strongly agree on the topics related to sustainable development. On the topic of SDG practices (M = 3.00; SD = 1.00), the respondents often practice SDGs. From the qualitative data, it can be observed that the pre-service teachers viewed themselves as agents of change in promoting SDGs. This could be done through the integration of SDGs into different subjects as well as in various real-life situations. This research stresses the significance of SDG 4 about quality education through motivating teachers to incorporate SDGs in their teaching processes and SDG 12 about responsible consumption and production by instilling eco-friendly behaviors and sustainability culture. The outcomes from this research highlight the necessity of having an SDG-based curriculum that will equip future teachers with the skills related to SDG-integration. Program interventions are recommended to address the issue of integrating sustainable development goals in teaching processes.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Education, Sustainability and Society Session Chair: Vibha Trivedi 15:55-16:20 114296 | An Interpretive Structural Modelling Approach to Analyse the Key Enablers of Embedding Sustainability Competencies in Higher Education Vibha Trivedi, O.P. Jindal Global University Sonipat, India To build sustainable societies, it is important to have the inclusion of sustainable practices systemically. Systemically embedding sustainable competencies into higher education institutions at the curriculum design level is expected to bring a rapid transition towards sustainable societies rather than practising sustainability in isolation as sustainability initiatives. However, awareness campaigns by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) have made a significant difference in the outlook of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD); Higher Education Institutions still find identifying and prioritising factors challenging. Although extant literature has investigated the above factors, the interrelationships and hierarchical influence among these factors can be examined for assisting practitioners to identify and prioritising the critical enablers. To bridge this literature gap, the present study attempts to apply Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) to identify hierarchical relationships among key enablers of integrating sustainability competencies in HEIs’ curricula. Upon reviewing the literature and conducting expert interviews from the domain, the following eight critical factors emerged: faculty competency, institutional readiness, adaptable curriculum design, institutional interdisciplinarity, Job market expectations, AI and Tech-based learning environment, Industry collaboration, Assessment criteria and Government Policies. The ISM results in Government policies, institutional readiness and Job market expectations are found to be the most critical enablers. Overall, the findings would offer guidance for universities seeking to upgrade their curricula to match the pace of the fast-changing markets. The study also contributes theoretically by applying a multi-criteria decisionmaking approach to the literature of sustainability in higher education and its societal impact.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Higher Education Session Chair: Hossein Mohammadi 14:40-15:05 111572 | Enablers and Constraints of Teacher Feedback Literacy in the GenAI Era: A Case Study in Vietnamese Higher Education Lien Thi Xuan Cao, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Yang Lan, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong The rise of Generative AI (GenAI) represents not only a technological shift but also a pedagogical turning point for feedback practices. As educators navigate this transition, understanding the factors that facilitate or hinder Teacher Feedback Literacy (TFL)is increasingly important. This qualitative case study explores the enablers and constraints of TFL in GenAI contexts at a public Vietnamese university. Using Bronfenbrenner's (1979) Ecological Systems Theory as an analytical framework, findings from semi-structured interviews with 14 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers were analyzed across micro, meso, macro, and chrono levels. The findings show that, at the micro level, teachers’ beliefs, agency, digital openness, and AI literacy emerged as key enablers. However, ethical skepticism, concerns about student dependency, and anxieties about professional identity constrained the adoption of GenAI feedback. At the meso level, peer learning networks, assessment flexibility, and institutional encouragement supported teachers’ experimentation with GenAI feedback, whereas large class sizes, heavy workloads, and limited infrastructure hindered sustained implementation. At the macro level, emerging labor-market demands and curriculum adaptations encouraged the integration of GenAI into the feedback process, particularly in translation-related courses. Nevertheless, participants highlighted systemic barriers, including an AI policy vacuum, unequal access to premium GenAI tools, and generic professional development. Finally, at the chrono level, teachers’ prior AI experience, accumulated teaching experience, and the rapid pace of technological change shaped their evolving adoption of GenAI feedback. The study suggests that teacher GenAI feedback literacy is an ecological and evolving practice shaped by interconnected sociotechnical conditions.

15:05-15:30 110161 | Redesigning for Higher-Order Thinking in the Age of AI: An Institution-Wide Curriculum Pilot Gavin Lee, Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore This paper reports on an institution-wide curriculum redesign project at Singapore Polytechnic in response to the growing impact of AI. As AI increasingly takes over lower-order cognitive tasks, higher education institutions face greater urgency to strengthen students’ higherorder thinking skills (HOTS) to prepare them for the future workforce. Recent research suggests that AI can support HOTS development in well-designed curricula, while cautioning that over-reliance may compromise independent thinking if pedagogy and assessment are not intentionally redesigned (Du et al., 2025). Using a comparative document analysis of pre- and post-redesign module syllabuses, this study examines 45 modules across different disciplines to document the redesign process and analyse changes in HOTS emphasis, learning outcomes, teaching and learning strategies, assessment practices, and the inclusion of AI literacy. Findings showed an average increase of about 30% in HOTS weighting and a shift away from remembering, understanding, and conventional application towards analysis, evaluation, and creation. The redesigned modules also showed greater use of inquiry- and project-based learning, alongside AI literacy-related activities. Assessment shifted towards more process- and judgement-based forms, including critical analysis and evaluating information, which are increasingly recognised as suitable for higher-order learning in AI-enhanced contexts (Chasokela and Hlongwane, 2025). End-of-semester module portfolio analysis will further provide evidence of how redesign is enacted in practice. Key insights were that HOTS can be integrated across disciplines, effective redesign depends on constructive alignment, and effective change requires lecturer capability-building. Findings from this project will also inform full HOTS-focused redesign across all modules by 2028.

15:30-15:55 110551 | Learner Support in Digital Higher Education: Analysing Academic, Institutional and Socio-Emotional Provisions for Postgraduate Students Moses Adeleke Adeoye, North West University, South Africa Newlin Marongwe, North West University, South Africa The rapid digital transformation of higher education, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has intensified longstanding inequalities in access, participation and student success, particularly within postgraduate education in the Global South. While digital inclusive education— encompassing digital access, inclusive pedagogy, ethical technology governance and digital literacy—has been widely promoted, its direct impact on postgraduate students’ psychosocial well-being remains insufficiently theorised. Existing literature further indicates that learner support plays a critical but under-integrated role in shaping student outcomes. The study conceptualises the relationship between digital inclusive education and postgraduate students’ psychosocial well-being in South African higher education, with learner support positioned as a mediating construct. The study is guided by the following hypothesis: digital inclusive education positively influences postgraduate students’ psychosocial well-being, and this relationship is significantly mediated by the quality and availability of learner support (academic, institutional and socio-emotional). The paper adopts a conceptual and typological research design, drawing on a systematic synthesis of existing literature to develop a structured analytical framework. The analysis is theoretically anchored in Social Cognitive Theory, Self-Determination Theory, and Student Engagement Theory, which collectively explain how environmental conditions, motivational processes and engagement mechanisms shape student well-being. Through iterative conceptual clustering, the study develops a typology that maps configurations of digital inclusion and learner support to key psychosocial outcomes, including self-efficacy, motivation, resilience, sense of belonging, and academic identity. The study contributes to international scholarship by offering a contextually grounded conceptual framework that integrates fragmented strands of research on digital inclusion, learner support and well-being.

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14:40-16:20 | G402 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Higher Education Session Chair: Hossein Mohammadi 15:55-16:20 114358 | From Barriers to Bridges: Using Generative AI to Enhanve Inclusive Learning for Equity Students Hossein Mohammadi, Curtin University, Australia This research is the second phase of an earlier project “Fostering Equity Students’ Experience and Success through a Lens of Universal Design for Learning”, and it examines how the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework could be supported by Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) in the Australian context. While using Gen AI was initially seen as a major threat to academic integrity when the tool was first introduced in the Australian context around late 2022 with the introduction of ChatGPT, this study focused on how Gen AI could be used responsibly to enhance equity students’ learning, while maintaining academic integrity. Five workshops were conducted with participants from low socio-economic status (LSES) and regional, rural, and remote (RRR) students at Curtin University in Western Australia to identify the challenges, opportunities, and impacts of GenAI on equity students’ learning. Before conducting these workshops, five students from LSES and RRR students were nominated as the student steering committee to co-design the survey questionnaire with the researcher and further ten equity students were hired to review and provide feedback on the analysis process. The Curtin Equity and Inclusion team also provided valuable feedback before and during the process of this research. The outcome of this research is a framework that is co-developed with the target equity students (LSES and RRR) which guides how GenAI could be used responsibly and ethically by tertiary educators to support the needs of target equity students, while promoting UDL principles and maintaining academic integrity.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Education Management Session Chair: Dennis Charles McCornac 14:40-15:05 110682 | Management of Development Processes in Small Rural Schools: From the Perspective of the Principal Lars Aage Rotvold, The University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway, Norway This study is based on what happens when a principal at a small, multi-grade school initiates a strategic effort to operationalize the content of the municipality's overarching quality development plan within their own school. In this process, a dedicated development group was established, which in practice led to a distribution of the formal leadership structure at the school. The principal experienced that such a reestablishment of the structure for collaboration between him and the teachers contributed to continuity in the processes of collective teacher competence development. The local strategic work included, among other things, a restructuring of the school's shared meeting time. Both the content of the meetings and the physical structure of where and how the meetings were conducted were changed. Through leading the development work, the principal gained a new understanding of how development processes can be structured and led. In the study I examine internal collaboration within a school. The focus is on what the principal, as the sole formal leader at a small, multi-grade school, does when leading collective competence development at the school. I aim to highlight both the challenges and opportunities faced by school leaders in small schools when they are the only formal leader. My research question is: What measures does the principal, as the sole formal leader, take when leading the school's work on collective competence development?

15:05-15:30 111933 | Transformational Leadership Practices of Public Junior High School Heads and Organizational Commitment of Teachers in the National Capital Region, Philippines Ma. Angelica Buensuceso, Department of Education, Philippines This study examined the transformational leadership practices of public junior high school heads in the National Capital Region, Philippines and their relationship to teachers' organizational commitment. Transformational leadership was assessed across four dimensions namely idealized influence, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, and intellectual stimulation while organizational commitment was measured through affective, continuance, and normative commitment. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied using data from 1,401 respondents. The study employed descriptive-evaluative, comparative, and correlational research designs. Respondents were selected through stratified random sampling and data were gathered via printed survey questionnaires. Statistical tools included frequency, percentage, weighted mean, standard deviation, Independent T-Test, One-Way ANOVA, Chi-Square Test of Homogeneity and Independence, and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. Results revealed no significant difference in school heads' self-assessed transformational leadership practices based on their demographic profiles. Similarly, teachers' assessments of school heads' leadership did not differ significantly across teacher profile variables. However, a significant difference emerged between school heads' and teachers' assessments of transformational leadership practices. Teacher-perceived challenges also showed no significant variation across demographic profiles. A moderate but significant positive relationship was found between transformational leadership practices and teachers' organizational commitment (r = 0.456, p < 0.000). Transformational leadership also significantly related to teachers' challenges (V = 0.412, p < 0.000) as did organizational commitment and challenges (V = 0.289, p < 0.000). These findings underscore the critical role of transformational leadership in shaping teacher commitment and navigating workplace challenges in public secondary schools.

15:30-15:55 111707 | Reimagining Public High Schools in Japan’s AI Era: Demographic Decline, Diversity, and Tuition-Free Education Junko Ishikawa, International Network Association, United States Japan’s FY2026 expansion of high school tuition support represents an important effort to reduce household financial burdens through expanded private school subsidies. This paper does not oppose tuition-free education itself. Rather, it examines whether the current policy design may unintentionally accelerate the weakening of public high school systems under demographic decline unless accompanied by broader structural reform. Using official MEXT and e-Stat data, this conceptual and policy-oriented analysis examines prefectural applicantto-seat ratio trends, public-private enrollment dynamics, and growing regional disparities across Japan. Preliminary evidence suggests increasing competitive pressure on public high schools, particularly in rural and depopulating regions facing under-enrollment, consolidation risks, and declining student populations. The paper argues that Japanese public high schools may need to be reimagined not merely as traditional academic institutions, but as regional social infrastructure supporting multicultural integration, global competency development, and education-to-employment transitions in the AI era. In addition to demographic decline, Japan faces increasing educational diversity, including rising numbers of students requiring Japanese-language support. Drawing on recent Japanese education policy discussions and international frameworks, this paper explores how school-choice expansion and market-oriented competition may reshape educational equity, regional sustainability, and the long-term role of public education. It concludes that tuition-support policies should be paired with proactive public high school renewal, including internationalization, multilingual support, AI-era curriculum reform, and stronger connections between schools, communities, and workforce pathways.

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14:40-16:20 | G403 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Education Management Session Chair: Dennis Charles McCornac 15:55-16:20 110416 | The Trilemma of Higher Education Institutions in Japan – Dealing with Quantity Versus Quality Dennis McCornac, Georgetown University Qatar, Qatar The current crises facing higher education in Japan is the result of several factors, both economic and demographic, which have reversed the dynamics of supply and demand for education. Japan’s declining birth rates. For example, the number of domestic students who apply for higher education institutions has declined significantly over the past decade. Thus, the implications for the educational system can be profound as the question of quantity versus quality becomes a prime issue. In addition, the educational sector needs to concern itself with fiscal discipline as spending on higher education may be limited. This situation can be described as a trilemma – a situation, analogous to a dilemma, in which there are three almost equally undesirable alternatives (Takehiko (2012). In the context of Japan, the three elements of the trilemma regarding the relationship between survival of higher education institutions and the state are as follows; 1) providing wider access, which would require admitting a larger number of students, primarily Foreign; 2) maintaining standards and; 3) keeping the fiscal burden on the state to a sustainable level. With the trilemma model in mind, and focusing on Japanese private universities, this paper examines some current innovations made by these higher educational institutions to deal with the problems of decreased enrollment and quality and offers several suggestions which could be taken to attract and retain incoming students.

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14:40-16:20 | G404 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Education, Sustainability, Social Justice and Development Session Chair: Ahmad Qablan 14:40-15:05 112792 | Developing an Age-Appropriate Questionnaire on Marine Resource Conservation and Sustainability Concepts for Upper-Elementary Students Cheng-You Lu, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan Liang-Ting Tsai, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan Marine conservation and Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) are central concerns in environmental education, yet questionnaires designed for children must translate abstract sustainability ideas into items suited to their cognitive development, language comprehension, and everyday experiences. This study developed and examined a questionnaire, grounded in SDG 14 learning objectives, to measure upperelementary students’ cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioural understanding of marine resource conservation and sustainability. The instrument comprises three dimensions—cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioural—and was administered to upper-elementary students in Taiwan. Reliability analysis, descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, and correlation analysis were used to assess its measurement quality. Results showed good internal consistency; after item reduction and theoretically justified model modifications, the questionnaire retained good reliability and showed improved model fit, supporting its measurement quality. Item-level review revealed room for refinement in wording, conceptual abstraction, and the link between items and students’ lived experiences. The behavioural dimension appeared especially sensitive to school activities, teacher guidance, family arrangements, and prior exposure to related topics. Building on these findings, the study proposes directions for systematic revision, arguing that a children’s marine-sustainability questionnaire should align not only with SDG 14 theoretical dimensions but also with contexts students can understand, observe, and act upon. The study contributes to questionnaire development in marine and sustainability education and underscores the need to balance theoretical integrity, age appropriateness, and everyday accessibility when translating SDG 14 concepts into instruments for elementary students.

15:05-15:30 112962 | Unlearning the Water: Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Climate Justice, and the Sustainability of Fisher Women’s Worlds in Eastern India Sandipan Mondal, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan Sneha Saha, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan Ming-An Lee, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan Fisherwomen are central to South Asia's fisheries value chain, yet remain largely invisible in climate adaptation policy. This study presents findings from a qualitative field survey of 100 fisher women across eight districts of West Bengal and Assam from Eastern India, spanning coastal, estuarine, riverine, floodplain, and wetland ecosystems, conducted in April 2026 using semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and thematic analysis. Respondents across all sites reported declining fish availability and shrinking species diversity over the past decade, driven by erratic monsoons, intensifying cyclones (Amphan, Yaas), flash floods, salinity intrusion, and Brahmaputra bank erosion. Many beel-fishing households reported real-terms fisheries income declines of roughly 35 percent or more, pushing families into debt and dependence on wage labor. In the Sundarbans, salinity destroyed traditional aquaculture and collapsed shrimp-seed collection. A striking cross-cutting finding was the erosion of traditional ecological knowledge—intergenerational skills of reading seasonal and environmental cues—producing a "knowledge disorientation" that weakens community resilience and informal learning systems. Simultaneously, women demonstrated adaptive capacity through livelihood diversification and collective learning via self-help groups. These findings connect directly to Sustainable Development Goals 1 (no poverty), 2 (zero hunger), 4 (quality education), 5 (gender equality), 13 (climate action), and 14 (life below water), underscoring that climate justice is inseparable from gender equity, education, and knowledge preservation. The study argues for recognizing fisher women as knowledge-holders, advancing gender-responsive climate education, disaster preparedness, climate finance, and institutional support for sustainable livelihoods.

15:30-15:55 112039 | A Student-Based Green Campus Readiness Index for Higher Education Institutions Ramil Santos, National University Philippines, Philippines While Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have placed increasing emphasis on sustainability in their strategies, there is currently little literature regarding how such initiatives impact the experiences of their students. This paper fills one part of this void through its development and testing of a Student-Based Green Campus Readiness Index (GCRI) to provide a quantifiable measure of institutional sustainability success. A quantitative cross-sectional method was used in conjunction with rigorous methods for developing a valid scale; data were collected from 250 undergraduate students at a single institution using an instrument developed by the researchers based upon existing theoretical constructs within the realm of sustainability. A three-stage process was employed to evaluate the psychometrics of the instrument: Stage I - item development, Stage II - content validity assessment, and Stage III - construct validity assessment through exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Using principal axis factoring (PAF) with varimax rotation, EFA identified five conceptual themes: Environmental Infrastructure, Sustainability Practices, Social Engagement, Resource Efficiency, and Institutional Support & Innovation. These five themes produced a reliable instrument with Cronbach's Alpha coefficients of .85 - .90. The findings indicated a mean GCRI score of 2.73 or 43.25% in terms of a standardized index which indicated minimal levels of green campus readiness. Overall the findings suggested that although sustainability initiatives are present at many higher education institutions, such initiatives tend to be disconnected from each other and there appear to be significant gaps in both institutional support systems and in student engagement/ activation.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Education, Sustainability, Social Justice and Development Session Chair: Ahmad Qablan 15:55-16:20 110920 | Representations of Climate Change in School Science Textbooks: A Content and Figurative Typology Analysis of Causes, Impacts, and Solutions Ahmad Qablan, United Arab Emirates University, United Arab Emirates Reka Bekka, United Arab Emirates University, United Arab Emirates Anas Zawahreh, Arab Youth Center, United Arab Emirates Aysha Alkhaja, United Arab Emirates University, United Arab Emirates Alya Alshehi, United Arab Emirates University, United Arab Emirates This study aims to examine how United Arab Emirates (UAE) science textbooks for Cycles 1 and 2 depict climate change, including its causes, impacts, and potential solutions through both text and images. Utilizing a mixed-method content analysis, textbooks from Grades 1-8 were examined to assess how effectively they balance awareness with action. Three scientific experts thoroughly reviewed and coded the material, achieving high agreement (Cohen’s kappa = 0.90). This facilitated the quantification of the textual references and assessment of their visual prominence. The findings show that while textbooks often explain the causes and effects of climate change, they dedicate much less attention to solutions. The visuals follow a similar pattern, with approximately 10% emphasizing mitigation or adaptation. In early grades, there are more examples of nature-based solutions, such as tree planting, but these decrease in later years. Overall, the materials increase awareness but provide limited opportunities for students to take action or develop solutions. Incorporating local examples and hands-on, design-based learning could make climate education more relevant, inspiring, and action-focused.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Educational Management and Administration Session Chair: Patawee Chotanan 14:40-15:05 111627 | Progress and Challenges of School Reforms in Cambodian Secondary Schools Phal Chea, Cambodia Development Resource Institute, Cambodia Sreynoch Sak, Cambodia Development Resource Institute, Cambodia In pursuit of decentralisation and enhanced school-based management (SBM), Cambodia introduced the Model School Standards (MSS), aiming at improving teaching quality and community participation. This study employed qualitative design to explore how school actors’ stakeholders experience and implement Model School Standards (MSS). Interview and group discussion data was collected from 15 high schools in five provinces. Study participants at the school level include principals/vice-principals, teachers, and School Management Committee (SMC) members, while at the subnational and national levels, the study conducted interview with Provincial and District Offices of Education, relevant departments at the ministry. The findings suggest that the MSS has successfully contributed to MoEYS's quality improvement efforts by establishing unified mechanisms for monitoring student learning through standardised testing and tracing tangible improvements. Furthermore, the MSS has enhanced school governance by strengthening communication between schools and parents through Classroom Management Committees (CMCs) and digital platforms like Telegram to help track student attendance and performance. However, schools also face profound systemic constraints. The most prominent challenge is the administrative burden placed on teachers and school directors. Additionally, low digital literacy among ageing teaching staff creates bottlenecks in self-assessments and adopting new teaching methodologies. The uniform application of MSS indicators fails to account for geographic and socio-economic inequities between schools, making it difficult for schools lacking basic infrastructure to compete fairly with well-resourced urban schools. In conclusion, while the MSS provides a roadmap for enhancing educational quality, schools with limited resources often face challenges in implementing these uniform metrics.

15:05-15:30 111276 | Schooling Under Uncertainty: Low-Fee Private Schools and Foundational Learning in Bihar, India Anmol Gupta, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India Government schools in Bihar enrol the majority of children, yet many complete elementary schooling without basic literacy or numeracy. This gap between schooling and learning creates uncertainty about what schooling delivers. In this context, low-fee private schools (LFPS) have expanded in response to perceived unreliability in public provision. For many families, LFPS are seen as a means of acquiring foundational skills and improving future prospects, often linked to the perceived advantages of English-medium instruction. This paper examines differences in foundational learning between LFPS and government schools at the end of elementary schooling, and what these patterns suggest about state capacity and parental expectations. The study draws on a stratified sample of 480 Grade 8 students across 96 schools in Bihar. Students were assessed in mother-tongue, English and arithmetic using standardised instruments. Bayesian multilevel ordinal logistic models estimate differences in learning outcomes by school type, controlling for household and school-level characteristics, complemented by qualitative interviews with parents and students. The findings show a statistically significant LFPS advantage in English and arithmetic, but not in mother-tongue literacy. The advantages are uneven, and low learning persists across both school types. The paper argues that LFPS are best understood as a response to educational uncertainty rooted in weak state capacity. LFPS reflect household aspirations and institutional adaptation, while also revealing the limits of the state to ensure learning and regulate a diverse schooling system. The study adds new evidence and reframes school choice debates by shifting focus from school differences to overall learning levels.

15:30-15:55 110608 | Students as Hostages of Centralization: School Consolidation and Educational Inequality in Post-Coup Thailand, with Evidence from Ubon Ratchathani Patawee Chotanan, Ubon Ratchathani University, Thailand Darunee Phumkaew, Ubon Ratchathani University, Thailand Chantha Thanawattanawong, Ubon Ratchathani University, Thailand This paper examines the politics of small school consolidation in Thailand under the post-coup political order, focusing on how centralized education reforms reshape state–society relations in rural areas. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork and interviews with school administrators, teachers, parents, and local communities in Ubon Ratchathani Province, the study argues that since the 2006 coup, the Thai state has consistently advanced small school consolidation policies under the discourse of “efficiency” and “educational quality,” with little structural change in governing logic even after the 2019 electoral transition. The findings demonstrate that, rather than improving educational quality, these policies have produced a set of interrelated structural constraints, including teacher shortages, financial instability, fragmented administration, and the erosion of school–community relations. These dynamics contribute to declining student enrollment and further intensify the vulnerability of local schools to closure. The paper contends that these outcomes reflect a highly centralized, top-down mode of educational governance that marginalizes meaningful local participation. As a result, rural schools and students are confined to a narrow policy space, caught between forced consolidation and gradual institutional decline. In this context, students are effectively positioned as “hostages” within a contested terrain between the state and local communities. The study contributes to broader debates on decentralization, educational inequality, and post-authoritarian governance by demonstrating how centralized policy reforms can reproduce structural inequalities and weaken the social foundations of rural communities in the long term.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Educational Management and Administration Session Chair: Patawee Chotanan 15:55-16:20 110514 | Citizen Science in South African Public Libraries for a Sustainable Future Modiehi Rammutloa, University of South Africa, South Africa The success of citizen science relies on partnerships between the community and experienced researchers. Data produced through citizen science projects has the potential to contribute towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Libraries as public institutions are at the forefront of community development initiatives, with activities managed from a centralised office. Despite the important role of public libraries, their specific role in facilitating citizen science activities towards achieving the SDGs remains underexplored. The purpose of this study is to investigate the existence of citizen science-responsive programmes, readiness, and resource availability in public libraries within the City of Tshwane local municipality in South Africa to support SDGs. Due to the geographic spread of public libraries, a census sampling technique was used to collect data from 62 public librarians across seven regions of the City of Tshwane Local Municipality via a questionnaire. To enhance the study, documents such as annual reports, Integrated Development Plans and the strategic plans were analysed to generate insights. The study revealed the existence of programmes that could help advance the SDGs; however, quantitative data from librarians showed that these programmes are not tailored to citizen science activities. The study further found that citizen science awareness is in the early stages, and resources for such programmes are not prioritised in the municipality's budget to enable public librarians to support SDGs. The study recommends strategies such as prioritised funding, promoting awareness and dedicated programmes to enable meaningful support for the SDGs using citizen-generated data.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Technologies in Education Policy and Curriculum Design Session Chair: Gloria D. Campbell-Whatley 14:40-15:05 113845 | From Pilot to Policy: Institutionalizing Responsible AI Adoption Through a Dedicated Ambassador Role Gerard Flynn, Pepperdine University, United States How does a university move from isolated artificial intelligence (AI) experiments to coordinated institutional adoption? This paper presents a leadership case study from Pepperdine University, where evidence from a successful narrative-based AI course became the foundation for structural investment in campus-wide AI capability. Drawing on the author's dual role as course designer and Associate Chief Information Officer, the paper traces the decision-making pathway: using classroom evidence to justify a new permanent position — an "Emerging Technologies Ambassador" within the information technology division — and designing that role to evangelize responsible AI use across faculty, staff, and students. The paper details the role's first-year agenda as a governance and resilience strategy, not merely an educational one. Flagship projects include applying generative AI to institutional communications: auditing prior messaging, defining audiences, and building reusable templates, with priority given to pre-staged emergency communications for critical enterprise systems. This initiative responds directly to a ransomware attack on a major learning management system vendor whose acknowledged communication failures left institutions scrambling — a cautionary tale for technology leadership everywhere. The paper also addresses leading under constraint: extending outreach to students at an institution without a student technology fee, developing internal professional development pipelines, and planning a staff conference on AI best practices. The result is a replicable framework for academic technology leaders: pilot at classroom scale, gather evidence that persuades decision-makers, formalize advocacy through staffing rather than one-off initiatives, and frame AI adoption as both an educational mission and an institutional resilience imperative.

15:05-15:30 111671 | Examining the Determinant of Teacher Readiness for ICT and AI Integration in Cambodia Phal Chea, Cambodia Development Resource Institute, Cambodia Navy Sin, Ministry of Education Youth and Sports, Cambodia Mengkorn Pum, National University of Management, Cambodia The integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is central to modernising Cambodia's educational system in alignment with national policies. However, successful integration does not only rely on school infrastructure, but also on teacher readiness and institutional capacity. This study utilises secondary quantitative data from a teacher survey conducted in 2025, encompassing a sample of 1,987 public primary and secondary school teachers across seven provinces. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses are deployed to examine the level of familiarity, usage and predictors of technology adoption among educators. The findings indicate that teachers exhibit confidence with basic digital tools, but this confidence declines significantly when transitioning to practical or creative applications. Many educators feel unequipped to use AI due to a lack of foundational knowledge, whereas a small group of early adopters have already integrated AI into their routine. The data reveal a digital divide across geographic, institutional, and demographic factors, with urban schools, secondary teachers, and male educators consistently demonstrating greater readiness and adoption than their rural, primary, and female counterparts. Regression results further confirm that ICT training is the strongest predictor of technology adoption, exhibiting a large and positive effect on the creative use of ICT/AI applications, alongside demographic factors like age and educational degree.

15:30-15:55 112254 | DUWA-ES: From In-prompt to Cross-prompt Automatic Short Answer Grading System Lucia Dwi Krisnawati, Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana, Indonesia Natanael Tegar Pramudya, Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana, Indonesia Aditya Wikan Mahastama, Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana, Indonesia Su-Cheng Haw, Multimedia University, Malaysia The adoption of Automatic Short Answer Grading (ASAG) in contemporary education has become increasingly important due to its potential to improve grading efficiency while addressing Generation Z learners’ expectations for rapid results and timely feedback. Nevertheless, developing ASAG models with highly accurate predictive grading performance remains a significant challenge. This study presents our efforts in developing ASAG models that is embeddable into a self-hosted Learning Management System (LMS). The proposed models adopt a two-tier architecture comprising a text similarity measurement component and a grading module, enabling the model to first quantify the similarity between student responses and reference answers before assigning scores. The automated grading process is formulated as either a regression task, which predicts continuous scores, or a classification task, which assigns responses to predefined grade categories. Accordingly, six machine learning–based models were implemented under both in-prompt and cross-prompt ASAG paradigms to accommodate these predictive formulations. The in-prompt models were trained using student responses from five prompts, whereas the cross-prompt models utilized responses from nine prompts. Six Machine Learning models were evaluated: Linear Regression, Logistic Regression, AdaBoost, XGBoost, Support Vector Machine and k-Nearest Neighbors, indicating their robustness in automated scoring tasks. Among them, Linear Regression achieved the strongest overall results, consistently generating reliable and accurate predictions with a prediction accuracy of 0.93 and a weighted average F1-score of 0.79. Owing to its superior predictive performance and consistency, Linear Regression was selected as the backend scoring model for integration into the LMS.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Technologies in Education Policy and Curriculum Design Session Chair: Gloria D. Campbell-Whatley 15:55-16:20 112271 | Putting the ATTACK Model to Work: A Mixed Methods Examination of Generative AI and Multimedia Learning in Graduate Education Gloria Campbell-Whatley, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, United States Deondra Campbell Gladney, California State Polytechnic University, United States Generative AI has arrived in higher education faster than most faculty anticipated, and the honest truth is that instructional designers are still catching up. While tools like Google Notebook LM offer exciting possibilities for graduate learners, empirical evidence examining how adult students actually experience these environments compared to structured multimedia modules remains limited (Khlaif et al., 2025; Varsik & Vosberg, 2024). This study takes that question seriously. Working with graduate-level educator preparation students enrolled in a summer functional behavior assessment course, this mixed methods case study examines learner engagement across two digital formats: a scenario based module built in Articulate Storyline and a curated generative AI workspace configured in Google Notebook LM. The ATTACK model, a practitioner-developed framework addressing Application, Teaching Strategy, Trial, Assessment, Cognitive Reflection, and Keep/Generalize, provides both the conceptual foundation and the analytical structure for the study. Data are collected through three sources: a Likert-scale survey measuring perceived engagement; open-ended survey responses capturing students' own language about their experiences; and focus group interviews that allow for deeper investigation. Rather than treating the survey data and student voices as separate conversations, this study brings them into dialogue with one another (Creswell & Creswell, 2023). Ultimately, what students say about these two very different learning experiences offers something useful for any faculty member trying to figure out where generative AI actually fits in graduate education.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Nurturing Creativity and Innovation Session Chair: Aya Kawakami Murray 14:40-15:05 112948 | The Structure of Happiness Among Japanese University Students: An Inductive Study Using the KJ Method Aneesah Nishaat, The University of Western Australia, Australia Purpose: How do university students, amid the transition to adulthood, understand happiness in their own words? Most well-being research answers this indirectly, filtering experience through predefined scales rather than respondents' own meaning-making. This study aimed to develop an inductive structural model of happiness from Japanese university students' unconstrained narratives during the transition to adulthood. Methods: Free-response narratives on the meaning and experience of happiness were collected from 415 Japanese university students (aged 18–22) and analyzed using the KJ Method. Results: Eight categories of the sources of happiness emerged, led by close relationships with others (68.4%) and the ordinary everyday, peace, and freedom (59.8%), followed by physiological/sensory gratification, absorption in liked activities, goal attainment and growth, life and health, contribution and recognition, and material satisfaction. These organized along two axes, hedonic/momentary versus eudaimonic/enduring and self-contained versus relational, converging on a shared affective core: a state of being inwardly fulfilled. Notably, participants spontaneously distinguished momentary from enduring happiness, offering rare bottom-up support for this theoretical distinction (Ryan & Deci, 2001). Conclusions: These findings extend Kumano's (2018) conceptual distinction between shiawase and ikigai to the developmentally distinct population of emerging adults and suggest that happiness among Japanese university students is fundamentally relational, consistent with cultural-psychological accounts of interdependent well-being (Uchida & Ogihara, 2012). By deriving a structural model from participants' own narratives, this study complements scale-based research, offers an emic perspective on happiness during emerging adulthood, and provides culturally informed implications for well-being research and university mental health support.

15:05-15:30 110025 | Who Thrives, Who Struggles and How? A Latent Transition Analysis of School Adaptation Trajectories in Chinese Secondary School Students Yuchen Lei, Beijing Normal University, China Xiying Wang, Beijing Normal University, China This study examined school adaptation profiles and their transitions across one semester among first-year middle school (MS, N=4107) and high school (HS, N=2857) students in China, and how individual resources moderate trajectory group membership. Using latent transition analysis on longitudinal data, we identified distinct patterns. Results revealed critical stage-specific dynamics. Among MS students, 78.4% transitioned to a well-adapted profile by Wave 2. However, the initially “slightly maladjusted” group (20.9%) showed the highest risk (26.2%) of entering severe maladjustment, exceeding that of the initial at-risk group (5.5%). Among HS students, only 57.2% remained well-adapted, while 15.8% shifted to a profile characterized by academic difficulties and depression. Recovery was markedly harder in HS: only 23.7% of initially at-risk HS students transitioned to well-adapted, compared to 90.9% in MS. Multinomial logistic regressions identified socioemotional competence and physical health as robust protective factors across both stages. Academic resilience showed no direct effect in HS. Notably, significant gender interactions emerged only in MS: the protective effects of socio-emotional competence, physical health, and academic resilience were stronger for boys than girls. Findings underscore that middle school transition requires early identification of silent maladjustment and gender-sensitive support, whereas high school transition demands pre-entry academic-emotional interventions given the low natural recovery rate.

15:30-15:55 111395 | Exploring Student Identities and Lifeworlds Through Monologue in an Online Theatre Project Ken Mizusawa, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Aya Kawakami Murray, Meijo University, Japan Richard Angus Whitehead, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore In an uncertain age shaped by constant and massive technology-driven change and disruption, our students in higher education need more than academic knowledge and conventional ways of thinking and doing if they are to secure their social futures and ensure their workplace relevance upon graduation. To even begin addressing such lofty aims, university educators must find ways to help their charges to not only understand and appreciate how the world is growing more diverse, complex, unpredictable, and multimodal, but also how they may actively inscribe their own place, purpose, and identity within it on their own terms and in collaboration with likeminded individuals. That, we argue, is the very premise for staging theatre. Theatre is the artistic expression of dialogue and community. Through the willing suspension of disbelief, it allows for risk-taking, self-reflection, and decision-making via role-taking in shared fictional contexts. In this international project between drama researcher-practitioners, we describe how the theatrical tradition of the monologue was employed as the basis for an online cultural exchange cum drama competition in English between second-language drama students from Japan and first-language literature students from Singapore. The opportunity to perform original bite-sized monologues prompted all students to explore their identities and lifeworlds through the projection of character and story by working effectively within the constraints of the communications platform, Zoom. We examine how they were able to shape theatrical meaning by using symbols, metaphors, and heightened realities regardless of their language ability to give voice to their creative possibilities and critical concerns.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Nurturing Creativity and Innovation Session Chair: Aya Kawakami Murray 15:55-16:20 112545 | Empowering Learners: The Role of Self-Assessment in Enhancing Cognitive Engagement in Science Hassan Tairab, United Arab Emirates University, United Arab Emirates Arwa Alhemeiri, United Arab Emirates University, United Arab Emirates Cognitive engagement is an important factor in advancing students’ conceptual understanding in science and problem-solving skills. Among the instructional approaches that enhance engagement, self-assessment has gained increasing attention for its role in fostering student autonomy, metacognition, and reflective learning behaviors. This study aims to examine the relationship between self-assessment practices and cognitive engagement in science education, focusing on how students’ active involvement in evaluating their own learning contributes to deeper cognitive processing and eventual conceptual understanding. Grounded in constructivist learning theory and self-regulated learning frameworks, the study investigates the extent to which self-assessment supports students in monitoring their progress and adopting more effective learning strategies. The study employs a quantitative design involving Grade 10 science classrooms, utilizing questionnaires to measure cognitive engagement indicators such as persistence, effort investment, and strategic thinking. The data were analyzed through correlation and regression analyses to determine the strength and nature of the relationship between self-assessment frequency and levels of engagement. The findings suggest that self-assessment enhances cognitive engagement by encouraging students to take ownership of their learning and engage more thoughtfully with scientific concepts. Students who regularly self-assess demonstrate increased motivation to identify errors, seek clarification, and pursue deeper understanding. This study contributes to ongoing discussions on effective formative assessment practices in science education and highlights the importance of empowering learners to reflect on and regulate their learning processes. The implications underscore the need for educators to integrate well-structured self-assessment strategies to support engaged and self-directed science learners.

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14:40-16:20 | G409 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Foreign Languages Education and Applied Linguistics Session Chair: Ian Davison 14:40-15:05 109343 | Sci-lita Between Tide and Tongue: A Cultural-linguistic Study of Bulacan’s Coastal Environment Niña Lilia Javier, Bulacan State University, Philippines As relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG) 4 Quality Education, the lexical analysis of local environmental words is vital in culturally responsive teaching. Specifically, this study was conducted in Bulacan, a province of the Philippines, which is surrounded by several bodies of water. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the educational context of local environmental terms, as this influences the citizens' way of life and economic activity. The hypothesis of this study assumes that the environmental Tagalog lexicon reflects an ecology and culture beneficial for education. The qualitative data were retrieved from fifty (50) native Tagalog speakers in Bulacan using a purposive sampling through interviews and lexical extraction strategies. Triangulation, repeated coding, and validation were done to ensure analytical rigor. The Tagalog environmental lexicon was geospatially mapped using ArcGIS software to ensure accuracy of the municipalities and cities where the words were utilized. The findings from this study revealed the scientific characteristics and specific usages of Tagalog environmental terms. Additionally, this study presented specific variations in the usage of words about the elements of earth, water, and air. In conclusion, the Tagalog environmental words were impacted by local environmental factors, which highlight the ecological aspects of the Tagalog words. Therefore, integrating local language into science and language topics would permit educators to develop culturally responsive instruction to improve learners' understanding as attainment of UN SDG 4. For future researchers, this study may be used to analyze lexical aspects of local languages for culturally responsive pedagogy.

15:05-15:30 114022 | Perceived English Language Needs of First-Year Pharmacy Students: A Comparison Across Target Skills Eri Tsukamoto, Teikyo University, Japan The current first-year compulsory English course for pharmacy students at a Japanese university covers a broad range of introductory medical English within limited class time. Given the breadth of content, it is necessary to understand what English skills students themselves perceive as important to develop by graduation. This study explores the English language needs perceived by first-year pharmacy students and examines how these needs vary across different target skills. Open-ended responses were collected from first-year pharmacy students regarding the English proficiency they hoped to achieve by graduation and their reasons across five areas: communication, reading academic papers, writing academic papers, understanding conference presentations, and giving conference presentations. The responses were coded and categorized into themes, followed by a cross-area comparison. Three broad patterns emerged. Communication needs were closely linked to specific future professional situations, particularly communication with international patients. For reading academic papers and understanding conference presentations, students expressed relatively clear purposes related to acquiring knowledge and information. In contrast, needs for writing academic papers and giving conference presentations focused more on general language competence than on specific academic or research contexts. This may reflect first-year students’ limited exposure to academic and research activities at this early stage of their university education. The findings may provide a basis for developing English materials that progressively connect students’ professional communication needs with academic and research English in later years.

15:30-15:55 113991 | Examining the Impact of Second Language Writing Instruction on Student Sentence Punctuation Errors Ian Davison, Rabdan Academy, United Arab Emirates Punctuation is an aspect of writing that causes difficulty for second language (L2) students whose first language writing system differs to that of English. However, to date, there has been a lack of research on how L2 writing instruction can help students improve the use of punctuation in their written work. Familiar issues in L2 student writing, such as the use of comma-splices, run-on sentences, and sentence fragments, caused by missing or incorrect punctuation between sentences, can make their text difficult to understand. To address the research gap, the present quasi-experimental study, conducted in a university in the United Arab Emirates, looked at the impact that L2 writing instruction can have on sentence punctuation errors in L2 student writing (n=41). Quantitative analysis of writing completed before (pre-test) and after (post-test), L2 students had received instruction over a period of 17 weeks, revealed that there was a statistically significant reduction in the number of sentence punctuation errors in post-test writing; reflecting a notable decrease in the number of run-on sentences, comma-splices and sentence fragments in their work. Individual semi-structured interviews completed with a small number of randomly selected participants (n=8) provided information about how writing instruction can help L2 students improve their understanding of punctuation. Their answers suggest that these students can learn about the use of punctuation through corrective feedback and by noticing how punctuation is used (Schmidt, 1990; Ellis, 2006; Philp, 2009).

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Notes

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14:40-16:20 | G410 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration Session Chair: Samantha Kriger 14:40-15:05 110711 | Gender Equality Policies and Leadership Experiences of Female Faculty and Staff: Case Studies of National Universities in Japan and Philippines Judith Bernardo, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Philippines Tomoko Tokunaga, University of Tsukuba, Japan This study explored gender differences in leadership and career progression at two public national universities: University Y in Japan and University X in the Philippines. It examined how faculty and staff perceptions of gender roles influenced career aspirations, how gender equality policies were implemented and perceived, and how each university addressed gender inequality in leadership. This qualitative case study employed a comparative methodology, focusing on the lived experiences of female faculty and staff through semi-structured interviews. The data were then subjected to thematic and comparative analysis. The results showed that, while in different ways, gendered expectations significantly influence women's leadership trajectories in both universities. Despite institutional support and merit-based advancements, women at University X frequently postpone or restrict their aspirations for leadership because of family obligations. Women at University Y are deterred from pursuing leadership roles by seniority-based promotion procedures, long workdays, and cultural norms. Both institutions have gender equality policies, but they are mainly ineffective: University X prioritizes protection above development, while University Y's regulations are viewed as symbolic and underutilized because of fear of criticism. Both universities have leadership and mentoring programs, but structural and cultural limitations hinder their effectiveness. In order to advance gender parity, the study emphasizes the discrepancy between policy objectives and real leadership achievements and advocates for context-specific changes.

15:05-15:30 110878 | Combating Teacher’s Sexual Misconduct to Improve the Quality of Secondary Education in Ghana Mohammed Awal Iddrisu, Crystal Galaxy University-College, Ghana Faiza Msheri, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia Isaya Emmanuel Machaine, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia Teacher sexual misconduct involving students remains a significant concern in some Ghanaian secondary schools, with serious consequences for students’ academic achievement, psychological wellbeing, and educational attainment. Such misconduct may result in exploitation, emotional trauma, school dropout, and teenage pregnancy, thereby undermining efforts to achieve quality secondary education. This study examined the effects of teacher sexual misconduct on students and explored strategies for preventing such practices to improve educational outcomes in Ghana. A qualitative research approach was adopted. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions involving 40 participants, comprising students, teachers, parents, and guidance and counselling coordinators from purposively selected secondary schools in the Greater Accra (n = 14), Ashanti (n = 13), and Volta (n = 13) Regions of Ghana, including Labone SHS, Ejisuman SHS, and Dzodze-Penyi SHS. Ethical safeguards, including informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity, and voluntary participation, were strictly observed. The data were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that teacher sexual misconduct contributes to poor academic concentration, declining academic performance, absenteeism, emotional distress, and increased teenage pregnancy. Power imbalances, inadequate reporting mechanisms, weak disciplinary enforcement, poverty, and fear of victimization were identified as major barriers to reporting incidents. Participants emphasized the need for stronger professional ethics, stricter sanctions, enhanced guidance and counselling services, and greater parental and community involvement. The study recommends strengthening monitoring systems, confidential reporting channels, professional accountability, and student protection policies to promote safe learning environments and improve the quality of secondary education in Ghana.

15:30-15:55 108492 | Black Male Faculty: The Impact on Their Belonging and Student Success Telvis Rich, Adelphi University, United States Black male faculty comprise less than 3% of the professoriate in the United States; however, their contributions significantly advance student success and engagement in higher education. Despite their impact, Black male professors frequently experience feelings of invisibility and isolation, particularly when they are the only Black faculty member within their departments. To explore these experiences, the researcher conducted a phenomenological qualitative study in the northeastern region of the United States examining the lived experiences of Black male faculty and their impact on student engagement. The study employed Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory as the theoretical framework to examine Black male faculty members’ sense of belonging, job satisfaction, and perceived impact on student engagement. Findings revealed that Black male faculty often feel undervalued on college campuses and frequently work in professional isolation. Additionally, the findings indicated that despite limited support from administrators, Black male faculty volunteer on campuses to support student events to promote their own sense of belonging and those of students in higher education.

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Monday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration Session Chair: Samantha Kriger 15:55-16:20 110538 | Precarity and Progress: Challenging Gender Stereotypes Among Male Pre-service Teachers in the Foundation Phase at a University of Technology Samantha Kriger, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa This research explores the lived experiences of male pre-service teachers enrolled in the Foundation Phase Bachelor of Education programme at a South African University of Technology, highlighting the persistent gendered precarity they face within a feminised profession. Drawing on data generated through focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, and survey responses from over 48 participants across all year levels, the study identifies five key themes: unconscious bias, masculinity and care, stereotypes and stigma, gender-sensitive school environments, and leadership in higher education. These narratives expose how male pre-service teachers continuously negotiate their identities within a context marked by societal suspicion, institutional ambivalence, and emotional labour. The study adopts a mixed methods approach and is theoretically grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Connell’s theory of hegemonic masculinity. Findings show that while male participants often enter the Foundation Phase motivated by care and social responsibility, they are frequently pathologised as outsiders or anomalies in the profession. This precarity, which is shaped by historical legacies, community perceptions, and structural inequalities still manifests in their daily teaching experiences and personal identity formation. This research contributes to critical debates on gender, care work, and educational equity by calling for structural, cultural, and curricular interventions to support the inclusion and professional legitimacy of men in early childhood education.

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16:50-18:30 | G401 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Gender Issues in Education Session Chair: Manjuma Akhtar Mousumi 16:50-17:15 113315 | From Equal Treatment to Transformative Practice: Indian Teachers’ Perspectives on Gender Equality Education Through an ESD Lens Sneha Saha, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan Cheng-Chieh Chang, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan Chin-Kuo Wu, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan Gender equality in education requires more than numerical parity; it also depends on whether learners experience equal voice, participation, dignity, agency, and freedom from gender stereotypes. This study examines how Indian school teachers understand and practice gender equality education through an Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) lens, particularly the connection between SDG 4.7 and SDG 5. A qualitative interpretivist, multi-site design was employed. The current dataset includes 42 male and female teachers from seven coeducational elementary, junior-high, and senior-high schools in Assam, West Bengal, and Kerala. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, video-call interviews, and written questionnaires and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Interpretation was guided by six ESD dimensions: equity, participation, critical reflection, social justice, sustainability values, and transformative action. Preliminary findings reveal a clear implementation gap. Teachers broadly supported gender equality and frequently promoted equal treatment, participation, leadership, and respectful classroom interaction. However, fewer accounts demonstrated sustained critical engagement with patriarchal power, curriculum bias, gendered labour, or structural inequality. Family expectations, parental resistance, early marriage, rural patriarchal norms, and contradictory messages between school and home emerged as the strongest barriers. The findings also suggest that teachers may function simultaneously as agents of change and as unintended transmitters of gender-essentialist assumptions. Progress toward SDG 5 and SDG 4.7 requires moving from equality-oriented awareness to gender-transformative implementation. Priority actions include explicit gender-and-ESD teacher training, inclusive curriculum review, participatory classroom dialogue, whole-school gender policies, and structured engagement with parents and communities.

17:15-17:40 113264 | A Qualitative Research of Japanese In-Service Teachers’ Lived Experiences and Psychological Conditions Related to Maternity and Parental Leave Uptake Momona Yamasaki, Ryukoku University, Japan Japan’s public schools are reportedly struggling to cover staff absences caused by maternity, childcare, and parental leave (Japan’s National Daily, 2025), intensifying workloads for remaining staff – and overwork continues to be a major social issue given its negative impact on well-being and work-life balance. Yet research on how teachers themselves navigate such leave remains limited (Sanada & Kurihara, 2025). This study examines how professional ethos and traditional gender roles shape teachers’ leave-taking and work-life balance decisions, often independently of formal institutional policy. Unlike prior work, which has focused primarily on participants of only one gender, this study includes both male and female teachers to examine how gendered expectations of caregiving and professional commitment operate for both groups. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with five in-service public junior high school teachers (two male, three female) in Western Japan, and thematic analysis was used to explore their leave-taking experiences and life histories. This small-scale qualitative study adopted reflexive Thematic Analysis to gain in-depth insights into teachers’ experiences and perspectives regarding their leave-taking. While all interviews have been completed, analysis is ongoing; preliminary themes suggest that teachers describe declining or shortening leave despite eligibility, often citing concern for colleagues’ workloads – indicating that institutional reform alone is insufficient without addressing the structural expectations embedded in professionalism and gender roles. Full findings will be presented at the conference. These findings aim to inform workplace and institutional reforms that better support teachers’ leave-taking and return to work.

17:40-18:05 112484 | “The Importance of the Ordinary”: Survival Strategies of Transgender Students in Japanese Higher Education Axel Elder, Saitama University, Japan Japanese higher education remains a structurally hostile environment for students outside heteronormative frameworks, offering limited institutional recognition and uneven support. As universities face pressure to address diversity and inclusion, questions of how transgender students navigate these institutions have become increasingly urgent. Some universities implemented diversity centers and LGBTQ+ guidelines, but priority tends to serve university reputation over student welfare. In terms of scholarship on transgender students, resilience and resistance have emerged as key concepts whereas survival has received comparatively little theoretical attention, especially within the Japanese context. Resilience implies acceptance of a hostile environment and resistance implies active political consciousness, yet survival occurs regardless of the existence of either. The focus is only how a student remains. Before a transgender student in Japan can learn, they must first survive the institution. This presentation examines the range and character of survival strategies students employ to exist within institutional structures not designed for them from data collected from qualitative interviews with 12 transgender students across multiple Japanese universities. Findings reveal a multitude of strategies spanning creative practice, community building, identity negotiation, avoidance, and embodied transition. This range resists reduction to any single theoretical framework. As resilience and resistance imply conscious, goal-oriented responses to hostile conditions, this presentation shows how survival shifts the analytical focus to the ordinary acts through which students maintain livable lives regardless of intent or outcome. It proposes a preliminary theoretical framework for categorizing survival strategies while considering implications for student support practice and future research.

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16:50-18:30 | G401 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Gender Issues in Education Session Chair: Manjuma Akhtar Mousumi 18:05-18:30 111486 | Muslim Women’s Aspirations in Delhi: Education, Family, and Everyday Politics Manjuma Akhtar Mousumi, Hiroshima University, Japan Aashti Salman, Azim Premji University, India This paper explores the employment aspirations of Muslim women living in Delhi, India. Employing a qualitative approach involving in-depth interviews, the paper argues that Muslim women should be viewed through the lens of heterogeneity. It challenges dominant narratives portraying Muslim women in India as a homogenous and inherently backward group, controlled by Islamic values and trapped in strict patriarchal systems. Drawing on feminist literature, this paper questions the framework that casts Muslim women mainly as victims needing saving instead of as active participants in navigating complex social environments. The findings point to a broader shift toward far-right politics that increasingly excludes and ‘others’ Muslims, where women’s religious attire is often judged as more significant than their capabilities. At the same time, these women actively assert their right to choose how they dress, while carefully navigating expectations within their own Islamic communities, which often impose specific conditions on their pursuit of higher education and participation in the workforce. This research contributes to capturing their narratives in ways that transcend the binary framing of religion and gender.

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16:50-18:30 | G402 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Higher Education Session Chair: Jiyeon Yeon 17:15-17:40 107488 | Einstein’s Curvature and Involution: Diagnosing Higher Education Through Divergence Geometry Huiyuan Ye, Shanghai Jian Qiao University, China This paper presents the Twin Crossings Model 2.0 (TCM 2.0), an expanded geometric framework developed to explain why many higher education systems—particularly in Asia—experience persistent involution (内卷), where intensified effort yields limited structural progress. TCM 2.0 advances the earlier TCM 1.0 by moving from a two-dimensional mapping of interdisciplinarity (Klein; Nowotny) and interculturality (Deardorff; Appadurai) to a three-dimensional divergence space that adds internationality (Knight; Altbach) as a third axis. This extension is essential for capturing geopolitical alignment and cross-border orientation, dimensions that TCM 1.0 could not fully represent. Methodologically, TCM 2.0 draws on longitudinal institutional data from Clarivate InCites to quantify interdisciplinary and international research patterns, and on Hofstede cultural indices to operationalize intercultural distance. Institutions are modeled as trajectories within a 3-D divergence space, enabling analysis of their movement, orientation, and velocity over time. The paper examines three “curvature forces” that bend this space and constrain institutional mobility: pedagogical curvature shaped by assessment regimes such as the AAC&U VALUE rubrics (Rhodes; Finley); systemic curvature produced by competitive architectures described in Diamond-style analyses (Porter; Douglass; Marginson); and epistemic curvature arising from civilizational reorientations such as Asia as Method (Chen Kuan-Hsing). These forces create warped regions where institutional movement slows or stalls—an analytic interpretation of involution (Xiang Biao; Sun Liping). A key significance of TCM 2.0 is that it offers an alternative philosophy to rankings. Rather than measuring vertical hierarchy, it maps directional orientation and structural constraint, providing policymakers and educators with a new diagnostic lens for reshaping higher education’s unrealized promise.

17:40-18:05 114127 | Developing an Evidence-Based Teaching Checklist for Quality Enhancement in University Education: Findings from a Faculty Survey at a Japanese University Mayumi Abe, Waseda University, Japan Fumiko Inoue, Waseda University, Japan Evidence-based teaching (EBT) is increasingly important for promoting effective teaching and faculty development, yet faculty members may lack practical tools to reflect on and improve their teaching practices. As part of a collaborative project between Waseda University in Japan and the University of Washington in the United States, this study aims to develop an evidence-based teaching checklist to support faculty members in improving their instruction through EBT. The initial 23-item checklist was developed through discussions among education specialists from both universities with expertise in faculty development, based on four phases of EBT. An online survey was conducted with faculty members at Waseda University to examine the underlying structure of the checklist, while also capturing the current state of EBT. Responses were obtained from 2,307 of 5,407 faculty members, representing diverse academic disciplines and ranks and including both full-time and part-time faculty. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified five factors and reduced the checklist from 23 to 17 items, with satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .77–.90). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) provided generally acceptable model fit (CFI = .938, RMSEA = .078). Associations between the resulting factors and faculty characteristics, including teaching experience, employment status, faculty affiliation, and survey language, were also examined. The findings provide initial empirical support for a prototype checklist and illustrate how an evidence-based teaching framework can be operationalized to enhance the quality of university education. They also offer a basis for further investigation within the collaboration between the two partner universities.

18:05-18:30 112909 | Designing a Data-Informed Major-Exploration Support System for Undeclared-Major Students: An Implementation Case Study at a Korean University Jiyeon Yeon, Soongsil University, South Korea As undeclared-major pathways expand, freedom of choice alone may not enable first-year students to make informed decisions. This singleinstitution implementation case study examines a data-informed major-exploration support system for first-year students in an undeclaredmajor program at a Korean university. The program frames major choice as a developmental capability, integrating foundational coursework, major fairs, in-depth disciplinary exploration, experiential-major selection, and tiered advising. Student profiles—entry characteristics, academic progress, exploration activities, and advising records—were integrated to identify participation gaps and risk signals, assign universal or targeted advising, and refine support. Implementation data comprised participation records, advising logs, and repeated surveys. Matched pre/post responses from 264 students assessed six domains of major and career awareness; a 252-student panel tracked confidence from February through May. Mean awareness rose from 3.21 to 3.64 on a five-point scale (p < .001), with the largest gains in career-goal specification (+0.70) and major-information exploration and comparison (+0.59). The proportion of students confident in their experientialmajor choice rose from 38% at entry to 70% at semester end, and core components—the major fair, in-depth exploration, and faculty advising— were each rated above 4.1 of 5 in usefulness. Integrated profiles identified academic-persistence risk signals in 22.1% of students, informing targeted advising, whereas sense of belonging showed no significant change, indicating a priority for redesign. Because the design lacked a comparison group, findings represent observed changes during implementation rather than causal effects. The study offers transferable design considerations for institutions building data-informed support for undeclared-major pathways.

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Notes

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16:50-18:30 | G403 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration Session Chair: Ronit Bogler 16:50-17:15 109087 | Teachers as Policy Architects: Exploring Teacher Voice in Education Policy Through Critical Race Theory Danielle Riddick, Southern Methodist University, United States As is true internationally, Texas elementary, middle and high school (K-12) classroom teachers serve as the primary implementers of instruction and key experts in the practical applications of educational research. However, teachers’ voices are often excluded from education policy discourse. Because of the vast body of Texas K-12 education policies and the profuse, intensive, and recent public and legislative interest in the depiction of historical relations in America, this study concentrated on educators’ perspectives of and experiences with critical race theory (CRT) legislation. Exploring teacher voice through CRT legislative interactions offered a relevant and copious empirical foundation to understand how Texas K-12 teachers engage in and experience policy advocacy. Furthermore, this study provided insight into how a statewide system can be developed to meaningfully and consistently capture teachers’ voices to effectively influence education regulations. The findings from these semi-structured interviews of seven Texas K-12 teachers and one congressperson, elicited key themes about the pathways teachers choose for policy advocacy at the local, state and national levels. This study additionally unearthed rich narratives of teachers’ experiences and a policymaker’s purview about teacher advocacy including how teacher expertise is expressed, barriers and emotions related to and the impact of policy advocacy work. This discussion concludes with strategic recommendations for key stakeholder groups including teacher preparation programs, teacher associations, local school districts, and the state legislature to help position teachers as the primary influencers for education policy decisions.

17:15-17:40 114259 | How Does Perceived Distributed Leadership Relate to Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Professional Agency? The Role of Collegiality in Vietnamese Preschools Nhu Do, RMIT University Vietnam, Vietnam Greeni Maheshwari, RMIT University Vietnam, Vietnam Duy Nguyen, RMIT University Vietnam, Vietnam Lam Bui, Hanoi National University of Education, Vietnam Teachers’ self-efficacy and professional agency are essential for responsive classroom practice, yet limited research has examined how distributed leadership and collegiality operate together in hierarchical, non-Western early childhood systems. This mixed-methods study examined how teachers’ perceptions of distributed leadership relate to teachers’ sense of self-efficacy and professional agency in classroom management, with particular attention to teacher collegiality in Vietnamese preschools. Survey data from 1,381 teachers in preschools in Hai Phong, Quang Tri and Can Tho were collected across three waves and analysed using structural equation modelling. Qualitative data from 21 teacher interviews were used to explain the statistical relationships and identify organisational conditions shaping teacher capacity. Findings indicated that perceived distributed leadership was positively associated with teacher collegiality, self-efficacy and professional agency, while collegiality was also positively associated with both outcomes. The interviews helped explain these relationships through two linked mechanisms: leadership practices such as listening to teachers, trusting their judgement, providing them with professional development opportunities and encouraging them to experiment supported self-efficacy and professional agency, while collegial relationships strengthened these outcomes through peer modelling, feedback, joint problem-solving and emotional reassurance. The operation of these mechanisms appeared to depend on relational trust and psychological safety and was constrained by hierarchical uncertainty and structural pressures, including heavy workloads, staffing shortages and limited material resources. This study contributes to distributed leadership research by showing that teacher capacity is shaped through direct and relational pathways within wider organisational conditions that enable or constrain self-efficacy and professional agency.

17:40-18:05 109599 | Collaborative Leadership and Power in Practice: Reframing Fairness in Educator Appointments in South African Schools Amy Padayachee, Cape peninsula University of Technology, South Africa This paper examines educator appointment and promotion processes in South African public schools through the dual lenses of collaborative leadership and critical governance theory, drawing on a Foucauldian understanding of power. While South African decentralised governance frameworks position School Governing Bodies (SGBs), teacher unions, and education officials as collaborative actors in democratic decision-making, the existing body of research emphasises dysfunction, corruption, and contestation. This study redefines these processes by examining how collaboration is influenced by underlying power dynamics that affect fairness and equity in practise. Using a mixedmethods design across three provinces in South Africa, the study integrates survey data and semi-structured interviews with educators, school leaders, SGB members, and union representatives. Collaborative leadership theory conceptualises leadership as distributed across stakeholders, while a Foucauldian perspective examines how power circulates through relationships, discourses, and informal practices. This framework reveals that collaboration is not inherently neutral but embedded within contexts where influence, alliances, and institutional norms shape decision-making. Findings indicate that although stakeholders value collective efforts to ensure transparency and merit-based appointments, collaborative spaces are often influenced by power dynamics that privilege certain actors. Discourses of fairness and merit are often reinterpreted through relational networks, creating tensions between policy intentions and practice. At the same time, instances of collaborative accountability emerge, in which stakeholders challenge irregularities and seek to uphold procedural integrity. The paper contends that fair and equitable appointments require critically informed collaborative leadership attentive to power, accountability, and ethical responsibility, positioning governance processes as sites of both collaboration and contestation.

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16:50-18:30 | G403 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration Session Chair: Ronit Bogler 18:05-18:30 113590 | Leading Through Resilience: How School Management Team Empowerment Translates Principals’s Resilience into School Effectiveness Ronit Bogler, The Open University of Israel, Israel Anit Somech, University of Haifa, Israel Dalia Birani-Nasraldin, University of Haifa, Israel School leaders' resilience has been increasingly recognized as an essential personal resource for coping with the growing complexity of contemporary schools. However, little is known about the multilevel mechanisms through which principals' resilience is translated into collective school outcomes. Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory, the crossover model, Social Learning Theory, and Upper Echelons Theory, this study examines whether school management team (SMT) empowerment mediates the relationships between school leaders' resilience and two organizational outcomes: team innovation and schoolteachers' job satisfaction. Data were collected from 1,126 participants in 86 Israeli elementary and junior high schools, including principals, SMT members, and teachers. Data were obtained from three independent respondent groups and analyzed at the school level, reducing common method bias and strengthening the validity of the findings. Results showed that school leaders' resilience was positively related to SMT empowerment and team innovation. SMT empowerment was positively associated with schoolteachers' job satisfaction but not with team innovation. Moreover, SMT empowerment fully mediated the relationship between school leaders' resilience and schoolteachers' job satisfaction, whereas no mediating effect was found for innovation. The findings demonstrate that resilient school leaders influence school functioning through both direct and indirect pathways. The study also advances multilevel leadership theory by showing how principals' resilience is translated into a collective team resource that promotes school effectiveness. The findings also highlight the value of resilience-building initiatives in leadership preparation and professional development programs.

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16:50-18:30 | G404 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Education, Sustainability and Society Session Chair: Jan Heystek 16:50-17:15 107183 | Scholasticide in Palestine: Education, Erasure, and Resistance in the Struggle for Collective Futures Angela Elbanna, The City University of New York, United States This paper examines scholasticide—the systematic dismantling of educational institutions, intellectual life, and the conditions necessary for learning—as a historically patterned process in Palestine rather than an incidental outcome of conflict. It argues that the repeated targeting and disruption of educational institutions and learning conditions constitutes a form of domination affecting knowledge production, educational access, and social development. It further shows that Palestinian communities have developed organized educational practices that sustain learning under conditions of displacement and infrastructural collapse. The study employs a historically grounded analysis of Palestinian education, drawing on United Nations reports, human rights documentation, and existing scholarship to trace patterns of institutional disruption across key periods since 1948, with particular attention to Gaza after October 7, 2023. These patterns include the widespread destruction of schools and universities, the disruption of educational continuity, and the erosion of institutional and knowledgeproducing capacity. To explain these dynamics, the paper draws on settler colonial theory and the concept of epistemic violence, while examining how education persists under conditions of siege and displacement. Examples include minors sitting for formal exams while incarcerated, establishment of informal classrooms in sites of displacement, and community networks in sustaining learning. These practices are analyzed as structured educational responses rather than isolated acts of resilience. By linking educational destruction to educational response, the paper contributes to education scholarship by theorizing how learning systems are reconfigured under conditions of prolonged violence and constraint. It argues that struggles over education in Palestine are inseparable from broader struggles over collective futures.

17:15-17:40 112437 | Lessons in University Management and Governance from ERP Implementation Projects Pusa Nastase, Central European University, Austria Universities invest significant resources (upwards of millions of Euro depending on the scope of the project) in introducing Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERPs). These expenses compete with other pressing needs (student financial aid, operating costs, etc.) and require a high level of scrutiny. For the past two decades, there has been a growing body of evidence on the major benefits and attraction of investing in ERPs): improved productivity and reduced cost (Abbas (2011). These integrated tools can replace many or all previous legacy systems (separate software for separate functions- recruitment, admissions, finance, etc) and allow university managers to have a bird's eye view on all university operations. However, the implementation failure of ERPs in higher education institutions worldwide is much higher than in other sectors (Madi et al. 2022) with evidence from countries and institutions across the globe raising questions about their implementation process and value. This study combines a thorough review of existing studies on ERP implementation published in the last 20 years with a long-term (7 years) study on how an ERP was implemented at a European University. It examines what the failed ERP implementations reveal about universities as learning organizations (Senge 1990) and it brings additional evidence on the conditions needed for the successful implementation of ERPs. The presentation will be relevant for university leaders and managers at all levels and it serves as a cautionary tale of approaching ERP implementation without suitable needs assessment and adequate legal and technical capacity.

17:40-18:05 109927 | Strengthening Catholic School Identity in the 21st Century: A Study on the Culture of Dialogue and Educational Leadership Randy Baja, Sta. Teresa College, Philippines Feejay Dimaculangan, DEPED Mimaropa, Philippines This study examined the strengthening of Catholic school identity in the 21st century through the lens of the culture of dialogue and educational leadership among selected Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Lipa. Grounded in the principles of Catholic education and a dialogue-oriented framework of school identity, it aimed to determine the extent to which Catholic identity is manifested and how leadership practices support its development in contemporary contexts. Specifically, the study described school profiles in terms of population, typology, accreditation status, religious orientation, and faculty size; assessed the level of Catholic identity manifestation across key dimensions; determined differences in perceptions between teachers and administrators; identified prevailing challenges; and proposed an enhanced leadership framework. A descriptive-comparative research design was employed, using a survey questionnaire administered to teachers and school administrators. Data were analyzed through frequency, percentage, and weighted mean, while inferential statistics were used to test significant differences between groups. Findings revealed a diverse institutional landscape in terms of typology, accreditation, and faculty composition. Both teachers and administrators reported a generally high level of Catholic identity manifestation, particularly in community approach, collaboration, and care. However, significant variations in perceptions emerged in selected areas, indicating differences in experience and interpretation of leadership practices. Key challenges included balancing regulatory compliance with mission-centered formation, sustaining a culture of dialogue amid administrative demands, and ensuring consistent integration of Catholic values. In response, the study proposed an enhanced Catholic school leadership framework to strengthen identity formation, foster participatory leadership, and deepen the culture of dialogue.

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16:50-18:30 | G404 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Education, Sustainability and Society Session Chair: Jan Heystek 18:05-18:30 112891 | Leadership, Context, and Accountability for Quality Education in Challenging School Communities Jan Heystek, Northwest University, South Africa The paper combines empirical research in South Africa with reflections from four visits to Japan over 20 years, including a seven-week JICA visit. South Africa has a highly diverse population and socio-economic context. Although Japan has a more mono-ethnic and cohesive society, it is not an exclusive "mono-socioeconomic" society. Although Japanese principals do not lead in similar diverse populations and socioeconomic challenges, the requirement for school improvement is universal. Inequalities in educational outcomes, for example, PISA, reflect, amongst others, the influence of socio-economic context on the provision of quality education. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological theory, the study explores the interaction between leadership and context across the micro-, meso-, and macro- levels. The research aimed to determine the influence of challenging contexts on principals' accountability for school improvement in South Africa. The paper reports on the quantitative phase of a larger three-year mixed-methods project. Data were collected from 400 school leaders and teachers in rural primary and secondary schools across four South African provinces. Findings indicate that poverty, unemployment, limited social capital, and community challenges significantly influence principals’ capacity to fulfil their accountability. The conclusions indicated that specific meso-level factors just outside the school provide challenges over which principals have less authority. Effective leadership in disadvantaged contexts requires contextually responsive, adaptive, and social justice-oriented approaches that strengthen teacher agency, foster community engagement, and promote educational equity. Contextually intelligent leadership is therefore essential for sustainable school improvement and social transformation.

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16:50-18:30 | G405 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Training and Competency Development Session Chair: Wesley Lim 17:15-17:40 114327 | Hong Kong’s First VR Hybrid Model to Train Carers for Premature Infants Anna Ma, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong According to estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), about 10% of infants worldwide were born prematurely in 2020. Premature infants, due to the immature development of their vital organs, are prone to health issues and require specialised care techniques. “Virtual Reality Training Protocol for Early Childhood Professionals” (VICTOR) is an innovative hybrid training model targeting training for medical and nursing students as well as continuing professional development for in-service healthcare and allied healthcare professionals. As Hong Kong’s first VR-based professional training initiative for premature infant care, it can strengthen carers’ understanding and awareness of those infants’ unique needs. By integrating VR technology with online learning, carers can practise high-risk infant care skills, such as feeding, holding and nappy changing, without time or location constraints. A proprietary sensor-equipped infant simulator is developed to make the training more realistic. The training adopts a self-paced learning model and includes a flagging system that records and analyses performance, automatically identifying areas requiring additional support to enhance training effectiveness. Since its launch in 2021, VICTOR has trained over 600 frontline staff and 1500 students. Post-training findings revealed higher acceptance and confidence in hybrid mode training, enhanced knowledge and competence and reduced pressure when handling high-risk infants.

17:40-18:05 114404 | Scientific Literacy and Skills Development Through Targeted Workshops: A Case Study in Science Education Suk Kuan Teng, Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia Juwaini Abu Bakar, Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia Michelle Khai Khun Yap, Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia Hien Tet Lai, Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia New university students often face substantial challenges in their first year of study as they need to adjust to the expectations of tertiary education, including independent learning, self-discipline, as well as the development of academic and interpersonal skills. These challenges can be particularly pronounced for students entering from diverse educational, linguistic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. We designed a workshop series to address common learning gaps and equip commencing science students with transferable critical, practical, and digital literacy skills that support their academic performance and development for long-term success in higher education. The workshop comprises three carefully designed and focused topics, each grounded in relevant educational theories and supported by interactive, handson activities that allow students to apply the skills in real time. The initiative was carried out over six study semesters, and its effectiveness was evaluated by analysing students’ average grades on their first major assignment. Comparative data revealed performance improvements among attendees in four of the six semesters (p < 0.05) compared to non-attendees, suggesting that the workshop not only enhanced students’ confidence and preparedness but also had a measurable positive impact on academic outcomes. The results underscore the importance of early intervention and skills development in supporting student success, particularly among first-year undergraduates. Our findings highlight the importance of structured academic support programs to facilitate a smoother transition for commencing students into higher education, thereby promoting retention and academic performance through proactive student engagement and skills development.

18:05-18:30 112428 | Reimagining the Clinic Model for Business Education: A Marketing Clinic Case Study Wesley Lim, Curtin University, Australia Justin Kitin, Curtin University, Australia Work-integrated learning (WIL) encompasses a growing diversity of models, raising an important question: are these models genuinely distinct in their pedagogical logic? Clinical education has its origins in medicine, a model subsequently adopted across law and tax, where students can anchor their advice to defined legislation or evidence-based frameworks. Business disciplines like marketing present a different challenge: problems require creative judgement rather than the application of established rules or frameworks. Despite the growing adoption of clinic-based models within business education, no clear community of practice has emerged. This exploratory qualitative study takes a case study approach to a marketing business clinic at an Australian university, drawing on Kolb's experiential learning theory to interpret student perspectives. In this clinic, student teams serve small businesses and non-profits who lack access to professional marketing expertise, operating under supervised autonomy across a full semester and taking ownership of client work from problem identification through to implementation. Preliminary thematic analysis of interviews with a purposive sample of 15 past clinic students suggests three recurring themes that speak to what makes the clinic pedagogically distinct: developing confidence through real client work that goes beyond advice to implementation, professional growth through practitioner guidance and supervised autonomy, and navigating relational dynamics across team, supervisor and client interactions. This study contributes an empirically grounded account of the marketing clinic's distinctive pedagogical logic, extending Kolb's experiential learning theory to account for the relational dimensions of clinic learning, with implications for WIL curriculum design.

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Notes

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16:50-18:30 | G407 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Technologies in Curriculum and Practice Session Chair: Kornkanya Ratchaponsit 16:50-17:15 113294 | Transforming the ELT Experience: Integrating 2D and 3D Digital Environments for Multi-Dimensional Language Learning Leslie Chua, Seto Solan Primary and Secondary School, Japan Traditional primary school English lessons are often teacher-led and rely on recognition-heavy activities, such as worksheets. While useful for baseline comprehension, these methods can limit the students' active language production and overall classroom engagement. To address this, an innovative classroom workflow that integrates communicative practice as well as both 2D and 3D digital environments has been designed to enhance the primary EFL experience, creating a highly-structured, multi-dimensional language learning journey. The workflow begins with initial vocabulary drilling to ensure students obtain the necessary vocabulary. Students utilize worksheets and participate in structured speaking activities to gather design data. This data is transferred into digital 2D environments, where students organize their concepts via interactive mindmaps. The 2D planning phase will then lead to the creation of immersive 3D virtual environments, culminating in a final student presentation where learners showcase and explain their spatial designs in English. By transitioning from learning target vocabulary and gathering data to final spatial design and oral presentations, students actively retrieve and apply language at every stage. This student-centered process will enable the students to take ownership over their learning experience. This presentation includes real examples of student worksheets, 2D mindmaps, and corresponding 3D environments that can demonstrate how this multi-dimensional workflow naturally drives target language production and learner autonomy. Finally, a clear strategy is provided for transforming standard textbook units into active 2D-to-3D projects, offering a practical pathway to make the ELT experience dynamic, creative and rewarding.

17:15-17:40 112967 | Learning Beyond the Classroom: Rural Immersion, Intercultural Competence, and International Student Mobility in India Vaishnavi Somani, University of Mumbai, India This paper investigates how structured rural immersion programmes influence intercultural competence, perceptions of rural communities, and global learning outcomes among domestic and international participants, while examining how such experiences can inform higher education curriculum design. The study employs a multi-cohort mixed-methods design using data collected between 2024 and 2026 from Australian university students participating in the New Colombo Plan, Indian undergraduate students, educators, and participants in an Indigenous community fellowship. Quantitative survey data were integrated with qualitative reflections, interviews, and programme observations to examine educational outcomes across diverse participant groups. Findings demonstrate significant improvements in intercultural competence, career readiness, and perceptions of rural and Indigenous communities. The study also identifies a pronounced perception–reality gap among international students, showing that pre-arrival assumptions about India differed substantially from lived experiences, particularly regarding safety, hospitality, and meaningful cultural engagement. Cross-case thematic analysis of the integrated dataset informed the development of three empirically derived frameworks: the Rural Immersion Learning Cycle (RILC), which explains transformative experiential learning; the Perception–Reality Gap Index (PRGI), which measures changes between anticipated and lived experiences; and the Community-Integrated Curriculum (CIC) Model, which guides the integration of community-based experiential learning into higher education. Extending existing scholarship on global citizenship and community-engaged learning, this study positions rural communities as active co-educators rather than passive learning sites. While the findings are context-specific to programmes conducted in India and require validation across broader settings, they offer practical guidance for universities and policymakers seeking to strengthen experiential education, community-engaged curriculum design.

17:40-18:05 110887 | Educational Choice, Literacy as Cultural Capital, and “Micro-Mobility” in Rural Taiwan Yih-Sheue Lin, National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan Shu-Chuan Chen, National Dong-Hwa University, Taiwan Under neoliberalism and the marketization of education, educational choice has increasingly become a mechanism of class reproduction. Compared with urban areas, rural families in Taiwan face more limited educational resources; nevertheless, families from different social classes continue to employ various forms of “micro-mobility,” including cross-district enrollment, school transfer, homeschooling, and residential relocation, in order to prevent downward social mobility for their children. Drawing on Bourdieu’s (1986) theory of cultural capital, Lareau’s (2011) analysis of class and parenting, Lan’s (2018) work on globalized family strategies, and perspectives of literacy as social practice, this study examines how rural families construct children’s literacy-related cultural capital and how educational choices are shaped through interactions among family, school, and local contexts. This study adopts an educational ethnographic approach, combining long-term field observations, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations in rural Hualien, Taiwan. Participants include kindergarten and elementary school teachers and parents. Preliminary findings suggest that even within resource-limited rural settings, upper working-class families and middle-class families who relocated to rural areas strategically accumulate cultural capital through social networks, educational mobility, and alliances with schools. In contrast, families lacking the capacity for mobility are more likely to remain structurally disadvantaged. The findings also indicate that teachers’ class habitus and schools’ enrollment competition may further reinforce educational inequality. By situating rural Taiwan within broader discussions of class, parenting, and educational inequality, this study contributes an East Asian rural perspective to international conversations on literacy, cultural capital, and educational choice.

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16:50-18:30 | G407 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Technologies in Curriculum and Practice Session Chair: Kornkanya Ratchaponsit 18:05-18:30 114191 | An Analysis of Cultural and Individual Representation in Research-Based Foundational Thai Textbooks for Non-Thai Speakers Kornkanya Ratchaponsit, Phuket Rajabhat University, Thailand This study aimed to analyze cultural and individual representations in foundational Thai textbooks developed as research innovations for nonThai speakers. Adopting a qualitative approach utilizing content analysis, this study examined beginner-level Thai textbooks included in the appendices of four Master’s theses from Teaching Thai as a Foreign Language programs published over the past decade (2017–2026). The research instrument was a customized coding sheet capturing cultural types, individual representation, and social relationship patterns. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) complemented by descriptive textual analysis. The findings revealed that, in terms of cultural representations, the research-based textbooks consistently reproduced traditional stereotypes by overemphasizing Big C Culture (e.g., symbolic tourist landmarks, formal traditions, and material culture) at 67.5%. In contrast, small c Culture (e.g., contemporary Thai social contexts and digital lifestyles) accounted for only 32.5%. Furthermore, in terms of individual representation, Caucasian characters were predominantly designated as the main protagonists at 70.0%, which misaligns with the current demographic reality of foundational Thai language learners, who are predominantly Asian (particularly Chinese).

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16:50-18:30 | G408 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Curriculum Development Session Chair: Susanne Boehlich 16:50-17:15 114164 | Advancing Transdisciplinary Experiential Learning: A New Partnership Julie Drolet, University of Calgary, Canada This presentation will showcase a new and innovative research partnership "Advancing Transdisciplinary Experiential Learning (ATEL): A Partnership for Student Research Training and Mentorship." The partnership brings together academic, public, private, and not-for-profit sectors to support innovative approaches to research training, mobilize climate change adaptation practices, and strengthen disaster risk reduction in communities through curricular and co-curricular experiential learning. The ATEL partnership recognizes that professionals across sectors are increasingly called upon to work in collaborative teams to address complex interactions among environmental, social, economic, and health systems. Transdisciplinarity involves integrating diverse knowledge systems, disciplines, and value frameworks to generate new ways of understanding complex challenges and their potential solutions. Experiential learning (EL) plays a critical role in developing the knowledge, skills, and reflexive capacities required to navigate complexity. However, significant structural and systemic barriers limit equitable access to experiential learning opportunities for many students and trainees. Addressing these barriers requires expanding experiential education through inclusive, hands-on approaches that integrate action and reflection, center relational accountability, and meaningfully engage community partners. The session will (1) share information on the ATEL partnership; (2) provide examples of transdisciplinary experiential learning initiatives across sectors; (3) discuss strategies for overcoming structural barriers to equitable participation; and (4) reflect on lessons learned in building relational, community-engaged partnerships.

17:15-17:40 112575 | Assessment of Experiential Learning on Entrepreneurial Skills of Young Marist Entrepreneurs: The Cbaligyaanay Program of Notre Dame of Marbel University Rean May Galang, Notre Dame of Marbel University, Philippines Estherbelle Vinson, Notre Dame of Marbel University, Philippines Mary Jane Gorgonio, Notre Dame of Marbel University, Philippines This study aimed to assess CBAligyaanay, an experiential learning program, on student participants’ entrepreneurial intention and selfassessed entrepreneurial skills. The program required students to develop and implement circular economy products and business plans during a five-day bazaar at a mall. The program included preparatory seminars and regular evaluation conducted by faculty members to improve products and business plans prior to the bazaar. Paired-Samples t-Test compared pre- and post- program self-assessment scores across six variables: intention to pursue entrepreneurship and five dimensions of self-assessed entrepreneurial skills: business management, people and communication, problem solving and innovation, marketing and sales, and personal effectiveness. Pre-test results showed participants had a moderately high intention to pursue entrepreneurial ventures in the future and very high initial self-assessed competence across all five skill variables. Post-test results maintained high self-perceptions among students. Critically, no statistically significant difference was found pre- and post-test scores for intention or any of the five skill sets. This lack of change can be attributed to real-world challenges encountered during the five-day bazaar such as team and production management and actual competitions from existing vendors in the local mall that may have challenged their theoretical pre-self-assessment. The results are speculated to stem from either the existing high baseline selfassessment or the insufficiency of the five-day implementation period within the semester. Further qualitative research can be conducted to gain deeper insights into the experiences of the student entrepreneurs that led to these results. The findings will be used to improve the University's entrepreneurship program.

17:40-18:05 113655 | The Role of Student Science Laboratories in Enhancing Pre-Service Teacher Education Marika Kapanadze, Ilia State University, Georgia Non-formal education has gained considerable recognition in recent years for its critical role in complementing formal education and addressing gaps within it. Numerous countries have proposed a range of non-formal learning activities, typically characterized by flexibility, learner-centered approaches, and an emphasis on developing practical, real-life skills. University-based student science laboratories exemplify this form of non-formal education and play an important role in promoting science learning. Such laboratories primarily aim to give school students the opportunity to visit the university, engage in hands-on practical work, and gain firsthand insight into how science operates in practice. At the same time, these laboratories function as a working space for pre-service science teachers, supporting their teaching practice and the development of professional competencies. This study examines the integration of non-formal student laboratories into preservice teacher education at Ilia State University in Georgia. Pre-service science teachers took an active role in both preparing and delivering laboratory activities. The findings show that these laboratories contributed meaningfully to the professional skill development of pre-service science teachers. Qualitative study revealed that conducting inquiry-based activities in the university laboratory offered future teachers a valuable opportunity to actively engage in the process and gain a deeper understanding of inquiry-based teaching. Through this laboratory work, pre-service teachers developed skills in designing student experiments, managing laboratory sessions, and guiding students through inquiry-based learning. Overall, this non-formal education experience strengthened pre-service teachers' confidence in teaching science, particularly in managing experiments and responding to student questions.

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16:50-18:30 | G408 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Curriculum Development Session Chair: Susanne Boehlich 18:05-18:30 109821 | Motivation and Professional Learning in Surgical Training: Insights from a Large Cross-Sectional Study in German-Speaking Countries Susanne Boehlich, iu International University of Applied Science, Germany Johanna Willburger, Spital Limmattal, Switzerland Healthcare systems face increasing pressure due to demographic change and a shortage of surgical specialists, making continuous professional learning essential for workforce sustainability and quality of care. However, engagement in training depends strongly on individual motivation, needs, and job satisfaction, while empirical evidence on how these factors shape professional learning across career stages remains limited. This study presents results from a cross-sectional online survey among surgical staff in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (N=604), using a comprehensive questionnaire assessing work-related needs, workplace conditions, and job satisfaction, with subgroup analyses by career stage, age, and gender. Findings show that knowledge and education, sense of meaning, and low stress are key drivers of motivation and satisfaction, while substantial dissatisfaction gaps exist, particularly among younger staff and those in training. These groups report limited access to structured learning opportunities, unclear development pathways, and insufficient support for professional growth, with female surgeons additionally indicating lower satisfaction with access to knowledge resources and development opportunities. The results highlight motivation as a critical precondition for effective professional learning and demonstrate that standardized training approaches fail to address diverse needs. The study underscores the importance of personalized, flexible learning environments, including structured mentoring and accessible development pathways, contributing to the design of more effective continuing education systems in healthcare and beyond.

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16:50-18:30 | G409 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Foreign Languages Education Session Chair: Anna Joan Casademont 16:50-17:15 114099 | Additive Bilingualism Without a Native-Speaker Partner: A Case for One-Way Immersion for Tapanuli Selatan, Indonesia Pheby Mawaddah Situmorang, Monash University, Australia Two-Way Immersion (TWI) programs have been widely studied in the United States and Australia, yet little research has examined how such models might be adapted for linguistically homogeneous, resource-constrained contexts in Southeast Asia. This paper addresses that gap by asking which features of TWI implementation are transferable to a rural Indonesian secondary school context, and what adaptations are necessary given local linguistic, institutional, and resource conditions. Focusing on a school in the rural Tapanuli Selatan regency, where students and teachers share a common Bahasa Batak and Bahasa Indonesia linguistic background, English exposure is largely confined to the classroom. The paper adopts a critical literature review methodology employing comparative case analysis. Drawing on peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2015 to 2026, each study is treated as a distinct case and analysed for its implementation model, contextual conditions, and outcomes. Findings are transferred to the Tapanuli Selatan context through analytic generalisation, revealing that models built around native-speaker teachers, immersion classrooms, or whole-curriculum multilingual delivery are difficult to transplant into a setting with only one English teacher per school and minimal extracurricular infrastructure. Instead, the paper argues that an additive bilingual approach positions local language (Batak) and Bahasa Indonesia as the standard language while treating English as an enrichment goal, offers a more feasible pathway. It provides schools actively cultivate parental support and school resources given its demonstrated centrality to program sustainability. This paper contributes to a growing body of scholarship on culturally responsive, resource-sensitive models of bilingual education outside the Global North.

17:15-17:40 114228 | Strategies to Overcome Theory-Practice Teaching Challenges Experienced by Indonesian Pre-Service English Teachers Ichiko Wenas, Monash University, Australia Indonesia's pre-service English teachers struggle to translate the pedagogical theory taught in university coursework into actual classroom practice, a gap linked to outdated curricula, limited mentorship, insufficient reflective practice, and minimal exposure to authentic teaching contexts. Drawing on situated learning theory and self-efficacy theory, this paper asks what strategies allow Indonesian pre-service teachers to bridge this gap and strengthen professional preparedness. This paper is built on a thematic synthesis of peer-reviewed literature published between 2006 and 2025, organised around four themes: pedagogical readiness, professional identity and self-efficacy, assessment literacy and innovation adaptation, and workload management. Across these themes, the synthesis finds mentorship to be the central mechanism linking theory to practice, sustaining confidence, guiding reflective habits, and supporting innovation, as well as early and continuous practicum placement. This is what turns theoretical knowledge into usable classroom competence. The synthesis further finds that curricula remain misaligned with digital pedagogy and authentic assessment demands, and that unmanaged administrative workload undermines both instructional quality and teacher retention. On this basis, this paper proposes five strategies for Indonesian teacher education programs: embedding practicum experience across every semester rather than at completion, establishing formal university-school mentorship partnerships, introducing professional identity and self-efficacy workshops, creating innovation hubs for digital pedagogy practice, and designing structured induction programs for workload management. Together, these strategies form a competence-based framework for teacher education reform, with direct implications for Indonesian Policy and institutional practice.

17:40-18:05 110753 | Co-Constructing an Interactional Learning Space: Convergent Perspectives from Learners and Conversation Partners in an Online Japanese Program Saori Doi, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States Mitsuko Takei, Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan This study examines how an online Japanese conversation program functions as a co-constructed interactional learning environment by analyzing convergent and complementary perspectives from learners and volunteer conversation partners (CPs). The program, offered each semester at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, connects adult community learners (18+) across eight proficiency levels with volunteer native speakers of Japanese. While prior research on virtual exchange has focused primarily on individual learning outcomes, this study shifts attention to how interactional processes shape learning experiences, drawing on third space theory as an interpretive lens. Data were collected from CP reflections across multiple semesters and student evaluation responses from the same program (Fall 2024 to Spring 2026). Although the datasets differ in structure and depth, thematic analysis revealed consistent patterns across both sources. Findings from both datasets indicate that participants experienced the interactional environment as a site of role negotiation, adaptive communication, and shared engagement. CPs described adjusting language use and interaction strategies, while students emphasized clarity, support, and meaningful exchanges, reflecting shared interactional dynamics. Both groups also reported communication challenges, suggesting that moments of difficulty functioned as opportunities for negotiation and learning. These findings highlight how interactional learning is shaped through participant engagement and supported by intentional instructional design in online language education.

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16:50-18:30 | G409 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Foreign Languages Education Session Chair: Anna Joan Casademont 18:05-18:30 108644 | Challenges of Japanese Students when Learning a Distant Additional Language: Corpus Analysis and the Acquisition of Catalan Polarity Quantifiers Anna Joan Casademont, TÉLUQ University, Canada Ares Llop Naya, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain Nancy Gagné, TÉLUQ University, Canada Learning an additional language poses different challenges compared to learning a second one (Bardel & Falk,2020; Festman, 2021). Additionally, when targeting a distant language, its acquisition is usually more demanding (Ghazi-Saidi & Ansaldo, 2017), and language teachers are constantly striving to find better ways to enhance learning processes (Arntzen et al., 2019; Gironzetti & Koike, 2016; Haukås, 2016). Moreover, there is a lack of studies on the acquisition of minority languages as opposed to widely spoken languages like English or Spanish (Behney & Marsden, 2021; Gujord, 2021; Leow et al., 2022; Tracy-Ventura et al., 2021). Using corpus analysis (error analysis of students written productions), controlled specific exercises and a survey, the current study aims to specifically analyze the acquisition challenges of polarity quantifiers in Catalan as an additional language (cap, gens, and res) and how, in this process, the features of the acquired items interact with those of the equivalent words available in other previously acquired languages. The pilot results offer relevant data for the analysis of the functioning of negative quantifiers in learners whose L1s differ from Catalan (Japanese in this case). The results show the usefulness of student error corpus analysis and should improve our understanding of language acquisition in under-researched settings, namely when learning a distant minority language, as well as in additional language acquisition in general.

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16:50-18:30 | G410 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Curriculum Design and Development Session Chair: Sowmya Shetty 16:50-17:15 114382 | Virtual Classroom-Based Learning Management on Electrical Safety Systems to Enhance Learning Achievement in the Basic Electrical and Electronics Course Ponlakrit Aeknok, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand Khanchai Tunlasakun, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand This research aimed to: 1) design learning management using a virtual classroom on Electrical Safety Systems in the Basic Electrical and Electronics course, 2) compare pre-study and post-study learning achievements, and 3) survey learners' satisfaction. Different from standard online teaching, it promotes deep understanding and lifelong learning anywhere and anytime. This aligns with the National Education Act B.E. 2542, Section 22. The content covers six topics: electricity benefits and hazards, dangers to the human body, proper usage practices, safe electrical operations, rescuing, and first aid for electrocution victims. The purposively selected sample comprised 40 first-year Vocational Certificate electronics students enrolled in the first semester of 2026. This included a control group of 20 students receiving traditional teaching and an experimental group of 20 students using the virtual classroom. Research instruments consisted of virtual classroom media, learning management plans, a first aid skill assessment form, pre-tests and post-tests, and a satisfaction questionnaire covering knowledge development, design, teaching methods, and measurement and evaluation. After expert content validity checks, data were analyzed using mean, percentage, standard deviation, and Dependent Samples T-test. Expected results indicate that: 1) first aid skills will be at an excellent level; 2) post-study learning achievements are significantly higher than pre-study scores at the .05 level; and 3) learner satisfaction across all four aspects is high. Consequently, this developed learning management serves as an appropriate and safe instructional guideline, elevating digital-age knowledge, enhancing decision-making in critical situations, enabling safe initial assistance, and fostering a positive attitude towards learning.

17:15-17:40 112608 | Designing AI to Scaffold Intelligence: A Design Framework for AI-Supported Productive Failure in Secondary Science Education Hafizi Senen, Alsagoff Arab School, Singapore A growing body of AI-supported learning systems has optimised for speed of understanding, offering immediate explanations, worked solutions, and procedural guidance the moment a learner falters. This efficiency, however, comes at a cost that is rarely made explicit: it removes the very struggle through which conceptual understanding is built. This paper is a conceptual and design-oriented contribution; it reports no empirical findings. It presents Scaffold Intelligence, a design framework developed through Design-Based Research that reconceives the role of AI in the classroom, not as an instrument for resolving difficulty, but as a means of sustaining it long enough for learning to occur. The framework draws together Productive Failure, sociocultural accounts of scaffolding, self-regulated learning, and self-efficacy to derive a set of design principles for AI systems intended to support rather than shortcut student reasoning. These principles are made concrete through ScaffoldAI, a prototype learning environment for secondary science that withholds direct answers in favour of graduated hints, Socratic questioning attuned to specific misconceptions, and metacognitive prompts, alongside a teacher-facing dashboard that surfaces patterns in student reasoning for instructional use. The paper sets out the framework's theoretical foundations, its conjecture map, and the design principles derived from them, and proposes a quasi-experimental, mixed-methods evaluation to be conducted with secondary science students in Singapore across successive Design-Based Research cycles. This evaluation is intended to test the framework's design conjectures against classroom evidence, examining conceptual understanding, metacognitive regulation, self-efficacy, and transfer. In doing so, the paper aims to contribute a principled, empirically testable.

17:40-18:05 110867 | Teaching Marketing Through AI-Generated Landing Pages Terrence Chong, University of New South Wales, Australia Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is transforming marketing practice and creating new opportunities for innovation in marketing education. While much attention has focused on assessment and academic integrity, there remains a need for pedagogical approaches that use AI to support authentic and experiential learning. This presentation shares the design and implementation of an AI-generated landing page exercise integrated into two newly developed marketing courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Students used GenAI to create, evaluate, and refine landing pages for different target audiences. The exercise was designed to bridge marketing theory and practice by enabling students to visualise and test marketing ideas through a tangible customer-facing artefact. It also demonstrates the potential of “vibe coding”, where students can generate functional webpages through natural language prompts without requiring programming knowledge, allowing them to focus on marketing strategy rather than technical implementation. Landing pages were selected because they integrate multiple marketing concepts within a single activity, including segmentation, targeting and positioning, value proposition development, consumer behaviour, branding, and conversion optimisation. The exercise also promoted critical AI literacy by requiring students to critique AI-generated outputs and justify strategic improvements. The presentation discusses the pedagogical rationale, implementation process, student feedback, and lessons learned, offering practical insights for educators seeking to integrate GenAI into coursework in meaningful and pedagogically sound ways.

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16:50-18:30 | G410 (4F)

Monday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Curriculum Design and Development Session Chair: Sowmya Shetty 18:05-18:30 107413 | Teaching Innovation in a Dentistry Curriculum Sowmya Shetty, The University of Queensland, Australia The Early Years Experiential Learning in Dentistry (EYELiD) initiative responds to a recognised gap between early bioscience learning and later clinical practice within the BDSc Hons program. Drawing on experiential learning principles, EYELiD integrates a suite of fifteen custom designed virtual patients with structured early clinical immersion, collaborative team teaching, and adaptive blended learning activities. These virtual patient cases anchor learning across Year 1 and 2, creating clear links between scientific concepts, clinical reasoning, and professional communication. Peer to peer simulated clinic sessions further support the development of diagnostic skills, confidence, and early clinical identity in a safe learning environment. Over eight years, continuous student staff partnerships have shaped the evolution of these resources and led to co created digital assets and open educational resources. The initiative has produced strong evidence of impact, including near complete attendance in redesigned coaching sessions, high levels of online engagement, and a positive association between virtual patient engagement and academic performance. Students consistently report increased relevance, confidence, and preparedness for clinical work. EYELiD is now informing curriculum design in later year clinical courses within the same program and the graduate entry masters entry (DMD) program, inspiring wider adoption across the School of Dentistry. This presentation outlines the model, its theoretical foundations, and the measurable educational gains achieved through this integrated early years approach.

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Notes

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Tuesday, November 17 09:30-11:10 | Onsite Parallel Session 1 11:25-12:40 | Onsite Parallel Session 2 12:55-14:35 | Onsite Parallel Session 3 14:50-16:30 | Onsite Parallel Session 4 All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) Abstracts appear as originally submitted by the author. Any spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors are those of the author.

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09:30-11:10 | G401 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Technology in Curriculum Development Session Chair: Luis Afonso 09:30-09:55 108649 | Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Philippine TVET: Assessing the Skills, Needs, and Support to Bridge the Skills Gap Romina Ann Ocampo, National TVET Trainers Academy, Philippines The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the Philippine Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector is essential for bridging the skills gap between TVET institutions and the rapidly evolving demands of industry, as well as for advancing the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). This study assessed the skills, needs, challenges, perceived benefits, and required support mechanisms for AI integration among key TVET stakeholders—trainers, learners, and industry partners—across four Regional TVET Innovation Centers specializing in Mechatronics, Fish Culture, and Farm Construction. Using a mixed-methods approach, the findings revealed high levels of acceptance, positive experiences, and perceived benefits of AI integration among stakeholders, particularly its potential to enhance skills relevance and workforce readiness. However, these positive perceptions contrast sharply with significant gaps in trainers’ AI-related technical skills and pedagogical readiness, compounded by limitations in infrastructure and resources. While the relatively small sample size of industry partners (n = 36) limits full generalizability, the study provides critical insights into systemic barriers to effective AI integration in TVET. The study concludes that these challenges undermine the quality and scalability of AI implementation. To address these issues, two key recommendations are proposed: (1) policy and governance interventions, including the establishment of AI-in-TVET funding, a national AI integration roadmap, and strengthened TVET mechanisms; and (2) capacity-building initiatives, such as an AI trainer certification program led by the National TVET Trainers Academy, modular AI curriculum integration aligned with Training Regulations, and a centralized AI resource platform managed by TESDA. Future research should expand to more diverse innovation centers to develop a nationally validated AI-in-TVET integration model.

10:20-10:45 111029 | Innovating Career Development Through CAST Digital Tools: Insights From Hong Kong Youth Experience and Evaluation Lok Fai Pun, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Jeremy Ko, ETH Zurich, Switzerland This study evaluates Hong Kong youth experiences in self-assessment and career planning under the new innovated CAST job matching framework. CAST, the short form of “character, attitude, specialty and technique”, is stemmed from the Industrial Psychological theory KAOs, and further elaborated from the social Work’s VASK (value, attitude, skill and knowledge) module for job matching extreme. While promoting the new concept CAST to the public, in what pedagogical approach could best encourage the users to participate would become one of the crucial issues of the implementation. This study hereby assess three pedagogical approaches, namely online game-designed tools (narrative and choice selection), physical interactive tools (card game) and technological interactive tools. With using survey data from 512 respondents aged 15–30, it examines how user experience varies across key design dimensions such as usability, analytical clarity, and engagement, and how these perceptions relate to demographic factors, educational background, and perceived upward mobility. Results indicate broadly positive user evaluations, with the Gaming based and Big Data driven tools receiving marginally higher satisfaction than the Interactive Design tool. Regression analysis shows that perceived upward mobility significantly predicts user experience for the two more structured platforms. These findings highlight that innovation in digital career systems depends on the integration of data analytics, experiential learning, and reflective design, demonstrating how the CAST tools function as coherent, user centered innovations for enhancing youth career readiness and motivation in a transforming labor market.

10:45-11:10 109732 | Perceptions of AI and Soft Skills Across Students, Educators, and Stakeholders Carla Pinto, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal Luís Afonso, Technical University of Porto, Portugal Ines Troshani, European University of Tirana, Albania Jelena Jovanovic, University of Montenegro, Montenegro Rrezart Dema, Universum International College, Armenia Konstantinos Petridis, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Greece This study investigates perceptions of the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and soft skills development in higher education across Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo. Survey data from students (n = 329), teachers (n=165), and stakeholders (n=63) were analyzed to examine group profiles, perceived importance of soft skills, attitudes toward AI integration, and competences considered enhanced or at risk through AI adoption. Findings reveal broad agreement that soft skills remain essential in AI-supported educational settings, yet highlight a persistent tension: participants recognize AI’s potential to enhance creativity, digital literacy, and adaptability, while expressing concern that critical thinking, communication, and collaboration may weaken without thoughtful pedagogical design. The results emphasize the importance of institutional frameworks, targeted teacher training, and balanced approaches to ensure the effective and ethical integration of AI in higher education within the Western Balkans.

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09:30-11:10 | G402 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Curriculum Design and Development Session Chair: Godfrey Nkululeko Mazibuko 09:30-09:55 113760 | From Curricula to Degree Programmes: Designing Future-Ready and Student-Centred Degree Programmes in Practice Lorena Popović, University of Tübingen, Germany Higher education institutions are continuously challenged to respond to a variety of demands, ranging from educational and societal expeectations to highly dynamic technological developments, especially in the field of Artificial Intelligence, whilst maintaining their high academic quality standards. Consequently, curricula and degree programmes must be designed in a way that integrate these developments into the programmes’ structures and learning outcomes, ensuring that students are equipped with competencies and skills beyond disciplinary knowledge. This presentation demonstrates how the Section for Programme Planning and Development (“Studiengangsplanung und -entwicklung”) at the University of Tübingen supports the development of future-ready and student centred-study programmes. Acting as as key interface between academics, faculties, departments, university leadership, and quality assurance bodies, the Section plays a key role in facilitating strategic programme development and competence-oriented curriculum design. Drawing on practical experiences from programme planning, development, and internal quality assurance, the presentation illustrates how competence-oriented curriculum design, programme coherence, and learning outcomes are aligned to create sustainable and student-centred study programmes. Particular emphasis is placed on supporting academic staff in the development of study programmes, fostering innovation in teaching and student assessment, thus ensuring coherence throughout the programme and that it is responsive to societal and technological changes. By reflecting on practical experiences and organisational approaches, this presentation offers insights into Uni Tübingen’s collaborative structures between academics and administration. It demonstrates that programme development requires both academic expertise and strategic coordination,, enabling universities to design degree programmes that are adaptable, relevant, sustainable, and future-ready.

09:55-10:20 110536 | Development of the RCUSP Mathematical Model for the Purpose of Improving the Curriculum Evaluation Godfrey Nkululeko Mazibuko, University of Technology, South Africa Aneshkumar Maharaj, University of kwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Effective curriculum evaluation remains a critical challenge in education, particularly in determining whether curricula successfully develop Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). This study presents the development of an improved mathematical model, the Receptive–Curriculum Content–Unskilled–Skilled–Prior Skilled (RCUSP) model, designed to evaluate curriculum effectiveness in a more contextually appropriate and accessible manner. The RCUSP model extends and refines the previously developed SVHIR model by addressing key limitations, including the inappropriate classification of students using epidemiological terminology and the lack of detailed mathematical exposition. The revised model introduces education-relevant compartments and incorporates complete mathematical derivations to enhance usability among educators and researchers. Furthermore, the model integrates key parameters such as the basic reproductive ratio to quantitatively assess curriculum effectiveness. Using empirical data from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) mathematics programmes, the study demonstrates how the RCUSP model can identify curriculum performance at early stages of implementation. Findings suggest that the model provides a simplified yet robust framework for predicting student outcomes and diagnosing curriculum limitations in developing HOTS. The study contributes to the field of curriculum evaluation by offering a data-driven, mathematically grounded tool that supports timely decision-making, reduces resource wastage, and enhances curriculum design. The RCUSP model is adaptable across disciplines, making it a valuable instrument for broader educational contexts.

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09:30-11:10 | G403 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Education and Society Session Chair: Bunthorn Yem 09:30-09:55 111698 | From Classroom to Society: Education, Institutional Culture, and Developmental Behaviour in Comparative Perspective Tressar Chisomo Phuma, University of Tsukuba, Japan Why do some societies successfully cultivate responsibility, cooperation, and accountability through schooling while others struggle to translate educational goals into broader developmental behaviour? Guided by Cultural Reproduction Theory, this study examines how institutional cultures reproduce development-oriented behavioural norms in Malawi and Japan. The theory explains how schools transmit values, dispositions, and social practices through everyday routines and institutional expectations, shaping broader patterns of cooperation, accountability, and civic participation. Malawi serves as the primary empirical case, with data collected from four purposefully selected primary schools through semi-structured interviews with 20 teachers, four education policy actors, and key community members, complemented by classroom observations and document analysis. Japan is employed as an instrumental comparative case because its primary education system consistently embeds collective responsibility and cooperation into everyday school life, providing a useful contrast for understanding how institutional culture reproduces development-oriented behaviour. Comparative data include semi-structured interviews with 12 primary school teachers, observations of school routines, curriculum analysis, and descriptive quantitative indicators of collaborative activities and responsibility rotations. Participants in both countries were selected purposively. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically, while quantitative indicators were analysed descriptively. By comparing Malawi's institutional challenges with Japan's sustained educational practices, the study provides empirical evidence of how school cultures reproduce responsibility, cooperation, and accountability beyond the classroom. The findings offer insights for strengthening school–society alignment in Malawi and contribute to comparative education scholarship.

09:55-10:20 111644 | Bridging Gaps, Closing Divides: Reflections on Service-Learning and Community Engagement Through Innovative Tutorial Activities Ma. Criselda Dana Buñag, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines Syra Marie Norin Petalio, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines The NSTP 12-Bigkis Program (Bigkis) is one of the programs of the Office for Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI) of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU). It is part of the Integrated Ateneo Formation (InAF) Program, a systematic approach to student formation. Bigkis promotes service-learning initiatives in partnership with the SocSc 13: The Economy, Society, and Sustainable Development Class. This is done in accordance with the Philippine Republic Act 9163 or the National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act, which promotes civic consciousness and service among college students. Through Bigkis, students connect with different partner communities for various projects anchored on their specific degree programs. During the first semester of AY 2025-2026, Computer Engineering and Electronics Engineering undergraduate students conducted innovative tutorial engagements with students from identified public high schools in Marikina City. They covered topics on C++, Arduino Uno, Mechatronics, and 3D-Printing. They also worked with partner coordinators from the public schools to create materials that would fit the skill sets of the high school students. The study looks into the experiences of all the learners involved. Through their reflections, they share their thoughts on the Philippine education system and their experience of science education. It also looks into their experience of service-learning as engaged citizenry, echoing the university’s call to be professionals for and with others. With the reports of the country’s Second Congressional Commission on Education, this becomes increasingly urgent, as the Philippines moves to address particular findings affecting the quality of education its students receive.

10:20-10:45 114231 | Forming Professionals for and with Others: Learning Outcomes Across a Three-Year Ladderized Social Formation Program Keith Xavier Sazon, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines Sergio Andre Gerardo Gabriel, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines From community immersions to service-learning initiatives, social formation programs in higher education institutions remain foundational for the holistic education of college students. Identifying, measuring, and contextualizing the learning outcomes of university students is crucial in this endeavor. This mixed-methods paper analyzes the evaluation data of first (n= 844), second (n = 1053), and third (n = 858) year college students at different points in a three-year ladderized program that culminates in a capstone service-learning project. Paired samples t-test show that students improve significantly across knowledge, skills, and attitudes with effect sizes ranging from 0.32 to 0.84. Moreover, thematic analysis of qualitative responses generated four common learning themes across year levels, highlighting the shared identity of the ladderized program. Unique themes per year level are also discussed as they scaffold students’ sense of civic responsibility in becoming professionals for and with others. These mixed-methods results validate the university’s attempt at holistic social formation, highlight zones of proximal social formation, and can serve as a model for other institutions that aim to prepare students for service-learning.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Education and Society Session Chair: Bunthorn Yem 10:45-11:10 114252 | Strengthening the Social Glue: A Social Capital Perspective on Interdependent Collaboration Framework for Redressing the Out-ofSchool Issue Bunthorn Yem, CamEd Business School, Cambodia Given the importance of education to human capital growth, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) endorsed by countries around the world, aims to ensure universal primary education completion by 2030. However, the multifaceted out-of-school children and youth (OOSCY) issue remains a persistent challenge in developing contexts like Cambodia. Traditional interventions heavily prioritize macro-level economic subsidies and infrastructure development. While such hard interventions are immediately necessary, recent evidence suggests that they are insufficient and strongly require a corresponding "soft" infrastructure of community trust and multi-sectoral accountability in order to effectively sustain. This article argues that the erosion of community "social glue" serves as a primary barrier to educational equity. Utilizing a social capital lens drawing upon Hanifan, Putnam, and Bronfenbrenner’s Mesosystem, this study re-envisions the OOSCY crisis not as an isolated pedagogical failure, but as a systemic breakdown requiring localized, interdependent collaboration. This article presents a conceptual framework mapping eight distinct grassroots stakeholders—ranging from commune administrations, constituent villages, and local law enforcement, to schools, civil society organizations, religious institutions, health centers, and families—to establish a collaborative retention net, ensuring educational momentum and attainment. Crucially, the study integrates Bourdieu’s sociological critique to examine how social capital can inadvertently reproduce existing inequalities if implemented without deliberate mechanisms for inclusion. By bridging Western social capital theory with the structural realities of Cambodian community networks, the article offers a localized but scalable operational framework to shift OOSCY strategies from centralized mandates to sustainable, relational community ownership.

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09:30-11:10 | G404 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Inter/Multicultural Curriculum Development Session Chair: Jenelle Reeves 09:30-09:55 114033 | Teacher Perspectives in Virtual Exchange: An Integrative Literature Review of Japanese Higher Education Research Maria Victoria Mujica García, Saitama University, Japan Virtual exchange (VE) has become increasingly prominent in Japanese higher education internationalization agendas. Previous literature reviews (Weaver et al., 2024; Zak, 2021) have synthesized VE models, methods, and learning outcomes, while also identifying a research gap regarding teacher perspectives. Building on these studies, this paper presents an integrative literature review that characterizes VE research within a national context, with particular attention to how teacher experiences, perspectives, and professional practices are represented in the literature. Following a systematic search of six academic databases, 112 records meeting the predefined inclusion criteria were identified and coded using a structured coding framework. The resulting dataset was examined through descriptive statistics and cross-tabulations to identify patterns across the literature, while a subset of seven teacher-focused publications was selected for thematic analysis to provide deeper qualitative insights. Findings indicate that Japanese VE research is strongly practice-oriented, often positioning teachers as facilitators while providing rich accounts of instructional design and implementation. Empirical research primarily emphasizes student learning outcomes, while the comparatively small body of teacher-focused research commonly addresses professional learning, collaboration with international partners, pedagogical decision-making, and the “hidden” practical work involved in developing VE initiatives. This paper argues that, in order to better assess the sustainability of VE, future research should move beyond program evaluations by examining how teachers’ professional agency is shaped by their prior experiences, aspirations, professional relationships, and working environments. It suggests the ecological model of teacher agency as a productive theoretical lens for understanding the interplay of personal, temporal-relational, and institutional factors influencing VE practice.

09:55-10:20 110759 | Bridging International Standards and Local Context: Exploring the Diffusion of ACER’s Creative Thinking and Critical Thinking Frameworks in Taiwan’s Schools Po Chen Kuo, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan This study investigates the diffusion and localization of the ACER International Creative and Critical Thinking Framework within Taiwanese schools following the "2019 Curriculum Reform" (108 Syllabus). The reform mandates a focus on high-order competencies like Critical and Creative Thinking, but existing Taiwanese assessment tools are inadequate for measuring these skills effectively. ACER's robust "Essential Skills" framework offers a viable solution, yet its primary challenge is ensuring "compatibility" with Taiwan’s localized educational context. Utilizing Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) Theory, this research analyzed the adoption process across three stages: Knowledge & Persuasion (perceiving "relative advantage" and "compatibility"), Implementation (reducing "complexity" and enhancing "trialability" through support), and Confirmation (how "observability" drives long-term diffusion). A mixed-methods approach, including interviews, observations, and surveys, was used to track progress and gather in-depth insights. The findings indicate that successful integration is strongly tied to strategic localization. The most critical factor is Localized Translation, involving the direct mapping of ACER indicators onto the specific performance indicators of the 108 Syllabus to enhance "compatibility". Additionally, seed teachers are crucial, acting as "opinion leaders" who mitigate peer anxiety and reduce the perceived "complexity" of the new assessment tools. The study concludes that establishing continuous feedback loops is essential for achieving long-term sustainability, ensuring the innovation transitions from a classroom "trial" into a permanent pedagogical practice.

10:20-10:45 111535 | Two Traditions, One Profession: Teaching Law to Students Who Will Practise Across Borders Zebo Nasirova, Charles Sturt University, Australia I have taught law on both sides of a divide that most legal education pretends does not exist. In Tashkent, my students learned to reason from codes, to start with the text of the statute and work outward. In Australia, my students learn to reason from cases, to start with what a court did and argue by analogy. Both groups become competent lawyers. But each is trained as if their tradition were the only one, and increasingly, that assumption no longer holds. Lawyers now work across borders constantly: in cross-border transactions, international arbitration, transnational regulation, and global firms where a contract might be governed by one legal tradition and litigated in another. Yet legal education still largely produces single-tradition graduates who find the other system genuinely disorienting when they first meet it in practice. This paper draws on my experience teaching across common law and civil law systems to ask a practical question: how do we prepare students for a profession that no longer respects the boundary between traditions? I argue that comparative legal reasoning should not be a specialist elective, but a habit of mind built into core teaching from the first year. Drawing on specific classroom experiences in both systems, the paper offers concrete pedagogical strategies, comparative problem questions, paired case-and-code analysis, and reflective exercises that make students conscious of their own tradition's assumptions. The argument is offered to legal educators everywhere, but it speaks especially to the many Asian jurisdictions navigating both traditions at once.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Inter/Multicultural Curriculum Development Session Chair: Jenelle Reeves 10:45-11:10 113478 | Building Teacher Responsiveness for Multilingual, Multicultural Classrooms Jenelle Reeves, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, United States Stephanie Wessels, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, United States Theresa Catalano, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, United States Around the world, teachers are teaching in increasingly multilingual and multicultural classrooms. Yet, teacher education programs to prepare linguistically and culturally responsive teachers have struggled to meet the moment. In this presentation, we detail a teacher preparation initiative, grounded in current scholarship on linguistically and culturally responsive education, that is built on three foundational pillars: a translingual mindset, student-centered, responsive pedagogy, and cultural inclusivity. The misconception that multilingual students’ first languages are a hindrance to their learning, particularly learning the language of instruction, is entrenched. This entrenchment has hampered efforts at linguistically responsive teaching must be replaced with a translingual mindset. Teachers with a translingual mindset recognize the value of learners’ full linguistic repertoire, encourage translanguaging in all school spaces, and plan instruction and assessment that allow learners to utilize all their linguistic resources. A student-centered, responsive pedagogy requires teachers to be active, attentive decisionmakers. Teachers should know their students well, including their needs and interests. Responsive pedagogy cannot be one-size-fits-all, and building teachers’ sense of agency is critical. Finally, classrooms ought to be culturally inclusive spaces where learners feel their backgrounds are welcomed and represented. The culturally inclusive teacher creates a classroom that minimizes any home-school mismatch by making school a more culturally inclusive space. Audience members will be provided with hands-on teacher preparation strategies that they can take back to their own practice, one strategy for each of the three pillars: a translingual mindset, student-centered, responsive pedagogy, and cultural inclusivity.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Educational Policy and Management Session Chair: Shintaro Okazaki 09:30-09:55 109611 | Structural and Psychological Determinants of TVET Enrolment Decision in 3D Sectors Among Rural Youth from Felda Wilayah Raja Alias, Malaysia Azlina Binti Ahmad, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Malaysia Despite strong national emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and high employability outcomes, enrolment among rural youth in Malaysia, particularly in 3D (dirty, dangerous, and difficult) sectors, remains limited. This study examines the structural and psychological determinants influencing TVET enrolment decisions among rural youth in FELDA Wilayah Raja Alias. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Social Cognitive Theory, the study proposes an integrated model linking perceived employability, financial readiness, parental influence, social stigma, and socio-economic background with the psychological mediators of interest, self-efficacy, and intention to explain enrolment decision as a behavioural outcome. A quantitative cross-sectional design was developed and pilot-tested with 50 rural youths, with the full study designed for 600 respondents drawn from both currently enrolled and potential TVET students for comparative analysis. Preliminary pilot findings indicate that parental influence, financial readiness, social stigma, and self-efficacy are salient factors shaping intention to enrol, while the instrument demonstrated satisfactory clarity and contextual suitability for the FELDA setting. The study contributes a context-sensitive framework for explaining how structural and psychological factors shape TVET enrolment decisions among rural youth in undervalued 3D-sector pathways.

09:55-10:20 113319 | Do Qualifications Frameworks Actually Assure Educational Quality? Naji Almahdi, Knowledge and Human Development Authority, United Arab Emirates Qualifications frameworks are often used as tools for enhancing transparency, comparability and quality of education, but their formal adoption does not mean that there have been any improvements in curriculum design, teaching, assessment or learners' outcomes. This paper explores why the establishment of qualifications frameworks usually enhances classification and compliance without leading to equal improvements in quality, especially in relation to teacher and assessor preparation. A structured comparative documentary analysis based on official evaluations, international comparative assessments and scholarly literature is used to examine the formalisation of frameworks, their compliance architecture, professional implementation and quality effects. The most apparent outcomes of the framework implementation tend to be related to qualification registration, level allocation, accreditation, documentation and procedural standardisation. In some instances, the introduction of competency-based qualifications and learning outcome requirements occurred before instructors and assessors had adequate preparation for interpreting standards, curriculum design, assessment design, and competency judgement. Existing approaches have thus remained the same under different terminology and documentation, resulting in a professional implementation gap between policy intent and educational practice. Frameworks are found to lead to quality when they are accompanied by professional development, curriculum development support, assessment infrastructure, institutional capacity, employer involvement and continuous quality improvement in the cases of Ireland and Finland. This paper demonstrates that qualifications frameworks alone cannot guarantee quality of education. They are essentially classification and coordination infrastructures, whose quality impact is determined by the systems of their professional implementation.

10:20-10:45 110804 | A Qualitative and Quantitative Approach to Understanding Student Perceptions of Engineering Capstones Undergraduates Eileen Fong, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Nandini Aggarwal, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Yeo Bryan, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Jeanette Choy, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore To excel in a demanding economical landscape, engineering graduates must master problem-solving and critical thinking through authentic, context-specific challenges. Senior capstone courses serve as ideal platforms to train engineering undergraduates for this, especially when partnered with industry to provide real-world technical problems and mentorship from practicing engineers. This study examines a transformed senior-year engineering capstone course focused on industrial partnerships. Using an inductive qualitative approach to analyze student self-reflections, we found that students prioritized the development of transversal skills and disciplinary competencies, citing industrial support as instrumental to their success. Building on these findings, we developed and validated a survey instrument using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Principal Factor Analysis (PFA). The instrument measured four key constructs: self-efficacy, ‘social adaptivity’ (which encompassed project management, communication, and teamwork), ethics, and persistence. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was subsequently constructed based on data from approximately 200 students gathered via pre- and post-course assessments. Results indicated significant increases across all four factors, confirming the capstone’s efficacy in enhancing professional readiness. Notably, a strong correlation emerged between 'social adaptivity' and self-efficacy, suggesting that students with stronger transversal skills develop higher confidence in their engineering abilities. Finally, we conclude by presenting theoretical insights to provide actionable pedagogical interventions for educators designing industry-aligned undergraduate capstone courses.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Educational Policy and Management Session Chair: Shintaro Okazaki 10:45-11:10 110871 | Experiential Learning in Postgraduate Business Education Shintaro Okazaki, King's College London, United Kingdom Anna Dubiel, King's College London, United Kingdom Alejandra Alonso Tak, King's College London, United Kingdom Kai-Yi Young, National Chengchi University, Taiwan Rayan S. Fawaz, University of Sussex, United Kingdom This study examines how postgraduate business education can integrate not-for-profit perspectives through experiential engagement with non-governmental organisations (NGOs). As part of a postgraduate business programme, students participated in panel discussions and guest lectures involving NGO professionals and subsequently conducted interviews with NGO representatives. Following these activities, students submitted reflective reports documenting their thoughts, emotional responses, and learning experiences. To assess the longer-term impact of this pedagogical approach, the study revisited the same participants five years later and conducted in-depth interviews exploring how these experiences influenced their professional attitudes, values, and decision-making processes. The findings suggest that exposure to NGO-related learning activities fostered greater social awareness, ethical sensitivity, and critical reflection regarding the broader societal role of business.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Implementation of Innovative Technologies in Education Session Chair: Hakan Altinpulluk 09:30-09:55 111639 | Impact of Visual-Verbal Integration on EFL Presentations: A Dual Coding Perspective Tirush Rumpanpetch, Silpakorn University, Thailand Nowadays, the ability to deliver effective business presentations is becoming a crucial skill for L2 learners to master in Business English classes. The present mixed-methods study examined the effects of visual-verbal integration in L2 business presentations, using the framework of Dual Coding Theory, and investigated the impact on the performance and satisfaction of the learners. This study explored how combing verbal explanations with visual elements such as infographics, charts, layout organization, and multimedia design could foster cognitive processing and presentation performance. A one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design consisted of a group of Thai university students from a public university in Thailand. Over eight weeks, students completed visual-enhanced business presentation tasks designed to enhance simultaneous verbal and visual information. Quantitative data were analyzed using paired samples t-tests and descriptive statistics, while qualitative interview data were examined through thematic analysis. The findings revealed that visual-verbal integration could significantly enhance the students’ presentation performance and satisfaction across, cognitive, instructional, and technical aspects. From a Dual Coding perspective, it was evidence that visual support could enhance idea organization, information retention, presentation fluency, and audience engagement. Qualitative data from the interviews were used to triangulate the quantitative data in order to confirm the pedagogical value of visual-verbal integration in enhancing communicative performance and learner experiences in L2 business presentation tasks.

09:55-10:20 114367 | Developing Teacher Capacity in Managing Teaching and Learning Activities and Creating Thai Language Instructional Media Kittipong Phumpuang, Naresuan University, Thailand Patcharin Buranakorn, , Huachiew Chalermprakiet University, Thailand This research study aimed to: 1) develop teacher capacity in Thai language instruction and instructional media creation, and 2) evaluate teachers’ application of knowledge and hands-on experience gained from practical training in their Thai language instruction. This study employed a qualitative research approach consisting of the following steps: (1) developing and assessing the quality of a teacher competency development and Thai language media creation manual; (2) selecting 40 primary school Thai language teachers from four schools in Samut Prakan Province; (3) conducting a workshop to enhance teachers’ ability to organize Thai language teaching activities using songs, stories, and multimedia, along with hands-on practice in creating instructional media; (4) holding a focus group discussion one month after the workshop to review how teachers applied the knowledge and media in lesson planning; and (5) observing classroom teaching to evaluate the use of creative media in addressing reading and writing problems. The findings revealed that: (1) one teacher development manual consisting of six chapters was produced and evaluated as being of high quality (4.50); (2) each teacher created one piece of Thai language instructional media, resulting in 40 pieces in total; (3) all participating teachers (100%) applied the manual guidelines, knowledge gained, and creative media in their Thai language teaching to address reading and writing issues; and (4) teachers’ post-training teaching performance was rated at a high quality level (4.84).

10:20-10:45 114396 | From Curriculum to Blocks: Evaluating Generative AI Support for Teacher-Authored Visual Languages Across School Subjects Stefano Federici, University of Cagliari, Italy Elisabetta Gola, University of Cagliari, Italy Matteo Demurtas, University of Cagliari, Italy Teachers across disciplines may recognise the value of computational representations but lack the programming expertise to build specialised environments. BloP, a Snap!-based meta-environment, supports constrained visual languages and educational microworlds. Most importantly, BloP is not confined to computing: it represents disciplinary concepts and relations as manipulable blocks in subjects outside computer science. Previous projects addressed storytelling and foreign-language learning alongside algorithm visualisation and reduced subsets of programming languages and web technologies. Earlier evaluations demonstrated substantial improvements in learning outcomes across domains. Although simpler than developing digital learning tools from scratch, BloP authoring may remain demanding, especially in non-computational disciplines. This study investigated whether generative AI could help non-programmer teachers translate curricular intentions into implementable BloP languages while preserving human control. We developed a prototype combining an LLM with curated BloP documentation and language exemplars. It elicited learner profiles, prerequisites, target concepts, activities, and assessment goals, then generated candidate language designs, implementation specifications, and step-by-step guidance. Using a design-and-feasibility methodology, we evaluated the workflow by attempting to reconstruct held-out historical BloP languages from anonymised requirements and to design a language for a previously untested non-computational domain. Outputs were assessed for pedagogical alignment, functional correctness, interface simplicity, and implementation feasibility. The analysis covers successful, partial, and failed outputs and identifies which authoring tasks the prototype supports reliably, which require substantial technical or pedagogical revision, and which remain beyond its current capabilities. The contribution is a teacher-in-the-loop workflow and an empirically grounded account of generative AI for educational visual-language authoring beyond computer science.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Implementation of Innovative Technologies in Education Session Chair: Hakan Altinpulluk 10:45-11:10 113654 | Learning French with AI in Türkiye: What Shapes Undergraduates’ Attitudes Toward Artificial Intelligence? Hakan Altinpulluk, Anadolu University, Türkiye Gizem Kosker, Anadolu University, Türkiye This study examined undergraduates’ attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) after a four-week AI-assisted French learning experience in Türkiye. Participants (N = 142) independently translated B1-level Turkish texts into French and compared their translations with AI-generated versions by evaluating naturalness, AI errors, and personal difficulties. Attitudes were measured using the 26-item Students’ Attitudes Toward Artificial Intelligence Scale (SATAI), covering cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, Shapiro–Wilk tests, Welch’s independent-samples t tests, Welch ANOVA with Games–Howell comparisons, and multiple-response analysis were conducted. The scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = .964). Overall attitudes toward AI were moderately positive (M = 3.32, SD = .87), with the highest scores in the cognitive dimension (M = 3.86), followed by affective (M = 3.38) and behavioral attitudes (M = 3.10). Attitudes did not differ by gender. Significant differences emerged by class level (p = .021), French proficiency (p = .018), self-rated AI-use level (p < .001), and daily AI-use duration (p < .001). AI-use level (η² = .267) and daily duration (η² = .198) showed the largest effects, with more experienced and frequent users reporting more positive attitudes. Translation, information seeking, grammar checking, and daily use were the most common purposes. The findings indicate that attitudes toward AI after AI-assisted French learning were associated with students’ prior AI experience, usage intensity, and familiarity with AI tools. Regular and purposeful AI use may therefore contribute to more favorable cognitive, affective, and behavioral orientations toward AI in language learning.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Education and Differences Session Chair: Chantal Biencinto 09:30-09:55 111796 | Inclusive Educational Leadership for Neurodiverse Learners Through Equitable English Language Education and SDG 4 Advancement Eze Kingsley Chidiebere, Kosugaya Elementary School, Japan Inclusive education remains essential to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), particularly for neurodiverse learners who often face barriers in traditional educational settings. This presentation explores how inclusive educational leadership can support equitable English language learning in multicultural classrooms. Drawing from experiences as an English educator and Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Japan, the presentation highlights practical strategies that encourage participation, confidence, and accessibility for learners with diverse educational needs. It also reflects on community-based educational empowerment initiatives through The Child’s Hope Initiative, which mentors over 30 students, alongside volunteer experiences supporting inclusive and special-needs sessions with Hands On Tokyo. The presentation further examines the role of educational technology, culturally responsive teaching, and collaborative leadership in creating supportive learning environments. By connecting inclusive teaching practices with leadership, community engagement, and sustainable development goals, this session encourages educators and school leaders to rethink accessibility and learner empowerment in increasingly diverse educational contexts. The discussion contributes to ongoing conversations on inclusive leadership, educational equity, and innovation in global education.

09:55-10:20 111054 | Evaluating a Technology-Supported Reading Intervention for Grade 5 Learners Identified as Non-Readers: Evidence from the GAINSouthville Reading Program Melva Diamante, Southville International School Affiliated with Foreign Universities (SISFU), Philippines Victoria Suarez, Southville International School and Colleges, Philippines Gerald Beltran, Southville International School and Colleges, Philippines This quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of the GAIN-Southville Reading Program in developing reading literacy among Grade 5 students in a public school in Metro Manila. National and international assessments, including the Philippines’ EDCOM II reviews and large-scale studies by organizations such as UNESCO, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the World Bank, have consistently shown that Filipino learners perform several years below their expected grade level in reading, with very few Grade 5 students demonstrating adequate comprehension. In two phases of study, two hundred Grade 5 students were assigned to experimental and control groups and assessed using standardized pretest–posttest measures of phonics, word recognition, fluency, and reading comprehension. Quantitative analyses indicated significant gains for the experimental group and average performance increased from below Grade Level 1 to approximately Grade Level 3 after 90 hours in the reading session. Qualitative data from focus group discussions with students identified key behavioral and psychological mechanisms underlying these gains: increased motivation to read, engagement with interactive lessons, tablet- assisted reading sessions, and the impact of immediate feedback, rewards, and choice of stories on students’ sense of autonomy, self-efficacy, and achievement. Findings support prior research on the pivotal role of such psychological factors in building reading literacy and the potential of technology-supported, structured reading interventions for non-readers and offer practical implications for scaling similar programs in resource-constrained public school systems (Locher & Pfost, 2019; Orellana et.al., 2020; Xi & Xiaoxiao,2022).

10:20-10:45 113548 | Inclusive Education Policy vs Practice: Preliminary Evidence from Kazakhstan Maral Zhanarstanova, Astana IT University, Kazakhstan Kazakhstan's universities keep implementing inclusive education policy, yet there remains a gap between written policy and policy as practice. This paper draws on three student focus groups and a survey of 154 student respondents at Astana IT University (Astana, Kazakhstan), conducted as part of an ongoing grant project (AP25796451) on inclusive higher education. The survey examined students' understanding of the inclusive environment, with a focus on institutional, educational, and cultural barriers they encountered. A fourth focus group, with academic staff, had not yet taken place when this abstract was written; staff perspectives will therefore be addressed later. The results of focus groups showed unclear and inconsistent grading criteria, uneven task requirements within the same course depending on the instructor, and language barriers. Students who reported needing special accommodations rated online platforms and learning materials as less adapted to their needs and were less likely to feel that diversity is genuinely respected in the classroom. Taken together, these findings suggest that the more formal, document-level aspects of inclusion are easier to implement than the day-to-day classroom practices that actually shape whether students feel included. The completed paper will present full survey results alongside the staff focus group, once that data is collected.

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09:30-11:10 | G408 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Education and Differences Session Chair: Chantal Biencinto 10:45-11:10 114014 | Developing Inclusive Teaching Competencies Through Shared Learning Experiences with University Students with Intellectual Disabilities Chantal-María Biencinto, Universidad Complutense De Madrid, Spain Elvira Carpintero, Complutense University Madrid, Spain Cristina Bel-Fenellos, Complutense University Madrid, Spain Preparing future teachers for inclusive education requires more than theoretical instruction; it demands authentic learning experiences that foster the professional competencies needed to respond to learner diversity. International frameworks, including UNESCO's Teacher Competency Framework for Inclusive Education and the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education's Profile of Inclusive Teachers, emphasize that effective inclusive teaching is built upon valuing learner diversity, supporting all learners, collaborating with others, and engaging in reflective professional practice. This paper presents a six-year inclusive educational experience implemented at a Faculty of Education in which pre-service teachers and university students with intellectual disabilities participated in shared classes, collaborative learning activities, and joint academic projects. The initiative was designed to provide meaningful opportunities for interaction, cooperation, and mutual learning within an authentic higher education context. The study aims to analyse how sustained participation in this inclusive learning environment contributes to the development of key teaching competencies for inclusive practice. Drawing on evidence collected throughout the programme, the findings indicate that direct experience with peers with intellectual disabilities strengthens participants' confidence in addressing diversity, promotes positive attitudes towards inclusion, enhances communication and collaborative skills, and improves their ability to design responsive teaching practices. The findings suggest that authentic shared learning experiences constitute a powerful strategy for developing the competencies identified in international frameworks for inclusive teacher education. Embedding such initiatives within initial teacher education programmes may better prepare future teachers to create equitable, participatory, and inclusive learning environments for all students.

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09:30-11:10 | G410 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | AI in Education Session Chair: Stuart Hargreaves 09:30-09:55 113629 | Exploring Faculty Integration of Generative AI in Teaching Higher Education: Basis for a Localized TPACK Framework Claudy-lette Real, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines Darren Joe Follero, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines Cristina Moya, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines Integrating Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in higher education requires educators to rethink traditional teaching practices. While Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is widely used to understand technology integration, it may not fully account for GenAI’s unique functionalities and the distinct operational pressures within specific higher education contexts. This study explored how university faculty members experience, navigate, and conceptualize integrating GenAI into their instructional practices as a basis for a localized TPACK framework. Using a qualitative exploratory research design, data were collected from 15 faculty representatives from different colleges (Arts and Sciences, Technology, Business Administration, International Relations, International Tourism and Hospitality Management) at Lyceum of the Philippines University–Manila, providing multidisciplinary perspectives on GenAI integration. Data were collected through a focus group discussion and analyzed using thematic analysis. Three key findings emerged. First, faculty members used GenAI to support lesson planning, assessment development, rubric construction, and presentation preparation while emphasizing effective prompting and academic integrity. Second, some faculty members conceptualized GenAI as an instructional co-pilot, shifting their roles from primarily delivering content toward facilitating and guiding learning. Third, participants emphasized the need for practical professional development and sustained institutional support to enable the effective and responsible integration of GenAI into instruction. These findings informed the development of a localized TPACK framework grounded in the experiences, institutional context, and professional needs of faculty members within the participating private higher education institution.

09:55-10:20 108842 | Beyond “Allowed or Banned”: Assignment Design Principles for AI Literacy in Graduate Education Lili Luo, San Jose State University, United States This Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) study examines how assignment design can support AI literacy in a graduate-level research methods course at a public university in the US. Grounded in Constructive Alignment (Biggs) and Self-Regulated Learning (Zimmerman), the study investigates how constructively aligned, AI-inclusive assignments can foster students’ capacity to plan and justify AI-supported decisions, with the broader aim of deriving transferable design principles for AI-inclusive pedagogy. The study draws on a purposive sample of 34 graduate students enrolled in the course. Across three scaffolded assignments, students used generative AI in structured ways while documenting their decision-making and reflecting on their use of AI. In the literature review sequence, students critically compared database searching with AI-assisted literature discovery. In instrument design, students used AI to propose constructs and questionnaire items, then evaluated and revised those outputs. In qualitative data analysis, students used AI to suggest preliminary codes and themes, then contrasted those outputs with their own analytic accounts. Each assignment included a structured reflection designed to elicit self-regulated learning processes and make evidentiary chains visible from AI output to student judgment. Data consisted of students’ reflective accounts, which were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns in how self-regulatory practices manifested during AI-supported coursework. Findings highlight how assignment design can position AI as an epistemic tool rather than a substitute for student thinking. From these findings, the study derives a set of transferable assignment design principles for instructors seeking rigorous, reflective, and AI-inclusive pedagogy in graduate education.

10:20-10:45 114170 | Choosing Not to Use AI: Student Refusal as Agency in AI-Enabled Higher Education Jason Zagami, Griffith University, Australia The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence into higher education has made AI use increasingly normal and, in some settings, implicitly expected. Research and policy commonly interpret students’ non-use of AI as evidence of limited access, confidence or literacy. This conceptual paper develops an alternative account: refusal can constitute informed educational agency. It proposes a multidimensional model explaining students’ conditional preferences for AI, human educators or combined support. The model brings together perceived usefulness, epistemic trust, disclosure risk, task complexity, relational need and ethical stance. These dimensions distinguish inability to use AI from intentional non-use arising from concerns about surveillance, authorship, dependency, cultural values or the loss of human recognition. Short contrasting cases demonstrate how the same student may welcome AI for low-risk clarification while refusing it for identity-sensitive, ethically consequential or emotionally complex learning activities. The analysis challenges universal accounts of AI adoption and questions institutional frameworks that equate participation with competent use. It argues that meaningful AI literacy includes the capacity to evaluate, limit and refuse artificial intelligence, alongside the ability to use it effectively. Recognising refusal as agency has implications for inclusive course design, student consent and the preservation of legitimate human alternatives. The paper contributes a learner-centred framework for developing AI-enabled education without making engagement with AI a compulsory condition of educational participation.

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09:30-11:10 | G410 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | AI in Education Session Chair: Stuart Hargreaves 10:45-11:10 109562 | Professor as Builder: Modeling Ethical AI Usage Stuart Hargreaves, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong The integration of generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) into legal education is often framed as either a disruptive threat to academic integrity or a mandate to adopt expensive, proprietary edutech solutions. This paper proposes an alternative paradigm: pedagogical reclamation. It argues that the democratization of GenAI development tools allows academics to construct bespoke, pedagogically aligned environments that reinforce doctrinal rigor without relying on commercial intermediaries. The author reviews three experimental implementations within a mandatory common law constitutional law course: Multimodal Materials: AI-synthesized summaries, videos, and podcasts aligned with core syllabi. Instructor-Designed Chatbot: A digital assistant specifically tuned to the jurisdictional nuances of constitutional and administrative law. Simulated Client: An AI-powered tool challenging students to apply complex public law principles to dynamic factual scenarios. These experiments demonstrate that GenAI does not require academics to be passive consumers of costly, “black-box” commercial software. Instead, it empowers faculty to be active architects of digital learning, ensuring pedagogical integrity and jurisdictional specificity while modeling ethical use. Ultimately, GenAI is not a pre-ordained catalyst for the homogenization of legal education; rather, it offers a unique opportunity for academics to wrest control from large-scale edutech purveyors and modernize pedagogy in bespoke, jurisdiction-appropriate ways.

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11:25-12:40 | G401 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Innovative Teaching Experiences Session Chair: Justin Gutzwa 11:25-11:50 114135 | Punk Pedagogy as Educational Practice: Fostering Critical Reflection in Doctoral Education Claudio Melacarne, University of Siena, Italy Claudia Banchetti, University of Siena, Italy Davide Palma, University of Siena, Italy Dudu Turku Eroglu, University of Siena, Italy Transformative learning theory (Mezirow, 1991) identifies critical reflection as the necessary condition for activating processes of change in the way we attribute meaning and significance to experience. Applied to doctoral training, this perspective shifts attention from the contents transmitted to the conditions capable of making visible the tacit assumptions that guide research practice, as well as the way in which doctoral students inhabit, and position themselves within, such training spaces (Cranton, 2023). This study explores how practices inspired by punk pedagogy (Furness, 2012; Smith et al., 2017) can support paths of critical reflection, favoring participatory and anti-hierarchical spaces oriented to produce counternarratives with respect to the dominant ones (Freire, 1970) and to an educational leadership based on ethics and reflexivity (Frick, 2011). The five principles of punk pedagogy: Do It Yourself (DIY) ethics, anti-authoritarianism, co-construction of knowledge, inclusiveness, and recognition of marginalized epistemologies (Logan et al., 2024; Draganova et al., 2023; Torrez, 2012) are assumed here as educational devices capable of activating critical reflection on the premises that guide research practices. The study adopts a qualitative research design (Creswell & Creswell, 2017) based on a pilot laboratory aimed at doctoral students, divided into written and visual DIY production, collaborative design, peer dialogue and a posteriori compilation of a metareflexive card. Thematic analysis of visual and narrative data (Braun & Clarke, 2006) showed how alternative languages brought to light identity dimensions and tacit assumptions, fostering critical reflection on research practices and participants’ positioning within their learning and research trajectories.

11:50-12:15 112571 | Japanese Language Students’ Reluctant to Answer Questions: Why? and What Can Be Done About It? Mark Rebuck, Meijo University, Japan In university English classes in Japan, “Any questions,"“Maki, what do you think?” (or a similar teacher prompt) will often be met with silence. One reason given for the reluctance of Japanese students to respond concerns "omoiyari," or being considerate. Since lesson time belongs to all those in the classroom, a student may feel, subconsciously perhaps, that asking a question is a selfish monopolization of lesson time. Japanese culture also tends to have a higher tolerance for silence than in the West, with long pauses not viewed as awkward spaces that need to be filled. After briefly explaining these and other possible reasons for this reluctance to respond to questions, the presenter will introduce five methods that have helped to make students more active lesson contributors. One of these methods is reserving the last part of each lesson for “Q 4 T” activities, short activities where students respond to a stimulus (e.g., a photo, an object, YouTube video) by asking a number of questions (Q). In return the teacher “gives”them time (T), that is, the students are allowed to leave the lesson early. The presenter will demonstrate a sample of these Question for Time activities that have proved very successful in his university classes in Japan.

12:15-12:40 110138 | Becoming a Pokémon Professor: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Queer Pedagogy, Trans Joy, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game Justin Gutzwa, Michigan State University, United States During my third year on the tenure track as an Assistant Professor in a U.S.A.-based College of Education, I fell back in love with playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game (PTCG) competitively. Joining my local PTCG scene began out of an attempt to find joy and community in a college town I felt no connection to as an early-30s disabled, nonbinary person. Over the course of that academic year, I became an officially licensed Pokémon Professor--the official term for a judge and organizer of competitive PTCG events--and began helping people learn how to play the game. But as my involvement in the game as both a player and an organizer increased, however, the PTCG also began to bleed into my academic work: I began a collaborative study modeling how the PTCG can be used to teach core principles of computational thinking, blending both halves of being a "Pokémon Professor". This queer autoethnography (Jones & Adams, 2016) blends vignettes from feminist self-interviews (Crawley, 2012) and field journals from my national-level competitive play to illustrate my understanding of the PTCG as a mode of asset-based queer pedagogy (References retracted for the review process). I argue the PTCG has power to help deconstruct myopic understandings of knowledge production, prioritize trans aliveness in educational spaces, and transform teaching praxis through play, embodiment, and community building. Within, I further theorize how reimagining the PTCG as pedagogy can transform formal classrooms, informal education settings, and understandings of adult and lifelong learning.

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11:25-12:40 | G403 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Education and Society Session Chair: Maria Marczewska-Rytko 11:25-11:50 113515 | Restoring the Classroom Ecosystem: Fostering Active Citizenship Against the Evolution of Youth Hate Speech in South Korea Sun Young Park, Korea National Sport University, South Korea This study analyzes the evolution of hate speech among Korean youth from 2015 to 2025, focusing on teacher perception as a primary lens. Using literature review and ethnographic methodology based on field records and case studies, the research explores how hate speech has transformed from simple verbal deviance into a complex structural phenomenon intertwined with political identity, gender conflict, and digital algorithms. The findings reveal a significant "perception-action gap": while most of teachers recognize the severity of hate speech, only few consistently intervene due to fears of parental complaints and a lack of systematic guidelines. The study highlights that hate speech in schools has evolved through stages—from early resistance against policy to meritocratic hatred and, more recently, to "commercialized hate" driven by digital reward systems and political radicalization following events like the 2024 emergency martial law. To address this crisis, the research proposes a transition toward active citizenship education as well as digital citizenship education. This approach emphasizes strengthening students' critical thinking and behavioral capacities to recognize the dignity of others, moving beyond mere prohibition to restore democratic values within the classroom ecosystem.

11:50-12:15 114329 | Reimagining Global Citizenship Education: Insights from Students in an Intercultural Program at a Japanese University Takamichi Asakura, Hiroshima University, Japan While Global Citizenship Education (GCED) promotes values such as human rights, diversity, peace, and sustainability, it has been criticized for reflecting predominantly Western normative assumptions that may not fully align with local contexts. Although efforts have been made to incorporate alternative perspectives, learners’ own interpretations remain underrepresented. This study addresses that gap through a case study of ten students participating in a year-long intercultural program during the 2023 academic year at a university in Japan. Drawing on theories of knowledge creation in Japanese organizational contexts and concepts of legitimacy, it examines how students perceived, interpreted, and articulated global citizenship through their lived experiences. Based on semi-structured interviews with students, their written reports, and participant observation, the findings show that most students found formal definitions of global citizenship abstract and instead made sense of the concept through everyday interactions and shared experiences, such as sharing meals and playing music together, and by identifying commonalities and building relationships. This understanding of global citizenship closely resembles the relational dynamics of ba, a concept that emphasizes shared experience and interaction in knowledge-creation processes in Japanese contexts. At the same time, some students drew on globally recognized discourses, particularly the SDGs, to articulate and legitimize these understandings, revealing a tension between experience-based meanings and institutionally recognized discourses. The study argues for a more learner-centered and context-sensitive approach to GCED that recognizes global citizenship not simply as a universal ideal, but as a concept continually interpreted and reconstructed through learners’ locally situated experiences and social relationships.

12:15-12:40 112301 | Political Education and Democratic Citizenship in Times of War: Lessons from the 2024 European Parliament Elections in the Visegrad Group Maria Marczewska-Rytko, Maria Curie Skłodowska University, Poland The Russian invasion of Ukraine has reshaped political discourse across Europe, influencing not only debates on security and foreign policy but also understandings of democratic citizenship and political participation. In this context, election campaigns serve as important arenas of informal political education, providing citizens with narratives through which they interpret contemporary political challenges. This paper examines the educational dimensions of the 2024 European selection in the V4. It explores how political actors framed issues related to the war in Ukraine, European integration, security, sovereignty, and democratic values, and how these narratives may shape political knowledge and civic attitudes. Particular attention is paid to the role of campaigns as mechanisms of political socialization and democratic learning during a period of geopolitical instability and political polarization. The study employs qualitative content analysis of campaign materials produced by major political parties participating in the elections. Using a comparative approach, it identifies similarities and differences in the narratives presented to voters and assesses their implications for political education and democratic citizenship. The paper draws on research conducted within a broader project examining the 2024 EP elections in the V4. The findings indicate that campaign narratives function as significant sources of informal civic learning, influencing public understandings of democracy, European identity, citizenship, and international conflict. The analysis also reveals notable differences among the Visegrad countries in their approaches to democratic values, European integration, and the war in Ukraine. The paper contributes to discussions on citizenship education, democratic resilience, and global citizenship in contemporary Europe.

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11:25-12:40 | G404 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Encouraging Creative Thinking Through Mathematics (Workshop) Session Chair: Mika Munakata 11:25-12:15 110726 | Encouraging Creative Thinking Through Mathematics: The Role of Play and Exploration in Mathematics Teaching and Learning Mikako Munakata, Montclair State University, United States This workshop will focus on how creative thinking can be elicited and supported as a way of encouraging students to think mathematically in unexpected places. The audience will be introduced to key creativity traits (e.g., Runco & Jaeger, 2012) and asked to discuss the meaning of “little-c” or ‘little creativity’ (Kaufman & Beghetto, 2009) in the context of classroom teaching and learning. The workshop will feature hands-on explorations using everyday objects focused on experimenting with mathematics in ways that illustrate how simple activities can help students experience mathematics as a creative, curiosity-driven discipline rather than a set of rigid rules. Through these activities, the audience will be encouraged to take risks, ask “what if” questions, and generate their own related task. The session will conclude with an invitation for participants to share their observations and to highlight the moments of creative thinking they experienced in this session and to make connections to classroom practices. The explorations featured were created for an undergraduate mathematics course for non-majors, but can be adapted for any grade level.

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11:25-12:40 | G405 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Approaches for Embedding Essential Skills into Classroom Teaching (Workshop) Session Chair: Toby Simmer 11:25-12:15 109923 | Approaches for Embedding Essential Skills into Classroom Teaching Ian Teo, Australian Council for Educational Research, Australia Toby Simmer, Australian Council for Educational Research, Australia The development and mastery of Essential Skills – sometimes called 21st century skills – are increasingly acknowledged as vital for student achievement at K-12, vocational, and tertiary levels. Nevertheless, many educators continue to be at a loss on how best to practically teach these skills. This workshop aims to empower education professionals with effective pedagogical approaches that are designed to enhance the instruction and learning of Essential Skills. Specifically, workshop participants will: 1. Be introduced to Essential Skills frameworks – including skill definitions and level descriptions – developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), which encompass critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration, communication, and self-regulation 2. Be presented with pedagogical approaches that can be implemented to target specific skills within everyday classroom practices, and adapted to suit cross-cultural curriculum requirements, education levels, and student needs 3. Gain insights into using these applied pedagogical approaches to embed essential skills into classroom teaching (e.g., across K-12, vocational, and tertiary levels) 4. Have the opportunity to practice developing a lesson plan that incorporates a pedagogical approach focused on one of ACER’s Essential Skills. This practical component will allow educators to enhance their capacity to deliver engaging and effective classroom instruction focused on skill development. Upon completion of the workshop, participants will receive a selection of key ACER resources designed to support ongoing efforts in teaching Essential Skills. These resources will assist educators to embed these skills into their classroom practice to foster student growth and success.

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/iaforjapan | ACE2026 | IAFOR.ORG | 229

11:25-12:40 | G407 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Using Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Refugee Entrepreneurship (Workshop) Session Chair: Ujal Ibrahim 11:25-12:15 111314 | Using Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Refugee Entrepreneurship: The Role of Post-Secondary Education Ujal Ibrahim, University Canada West, Canada Refugee entrepreneurs often encounter significant barriers when establishing businesses in their countries of resettlement, including language challenges, limited professional networks, unfamiliar business environments, and restricted access to entrepreneurial support systems. At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are creating new possibilities for communication, marketing, business development, and entrepreneurial learning. This interactive workshop examines how AI tools may assist refugee entrepreneurs while highlighting the important role post-secondary education institutions can play in creating more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems and expanding access to entrepreneurial knowledge, digital resources, mentorship, and community-based support. The workshop will begin with a brief discussion of literature and conceptual perspectives related to refugee entrepreneurship, digital inclusion, entrepreneurship education, and AI-assisted support systems. It will then demonstrate practical examples of how accessible AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, and NotebookLM can support entrepreneurs in areas including idea development, marketing, customer communication, and promotion. Particular attention will be given to the accessibility and practical application of these tools for entrepreneurs with limited financial and institutional resources. Participants will engage in a collaborative case-based activity to explore how AI may support refugee entrepreneurs across different business contexts, while also identifying limitations and ethical concerns. The workshop will facilitate a discussion on how colleges and universities can support refugee entrepreneurs through entrepreneurship education, mentorship, incubators, community partnerships, volunteer engagement, and AI literacy initiatives. The discussion will further explore how post-secondary institutions can create supervised experiential learning opportunities and collaborative support systems that strengthen community-based entrepreneurial development and support refugee entrepreneurs.

230 | IAFOR.ORG ACE2026 | Follow us on X @IAFOR (tweet about the conference using #IAFOR)

11:25-12:40 | G408 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | An Adult Learning and Experiential Pedagogy for Case Management Training (Workshop) Session Chair: Tanya Greathouse 11:25-12:15 109116 | From Lived Experience to Demonstrated Competence: An Adult Learning and Experiential Pedagogy for Case Management Training Tanya Greathouse, Metropolitan State University of Denver, United States Liz Mendez-Shannon, The University of Iowa, United States Lori Darnel, Metropolitan State University of Denver, United States Dawn Matera Bassett, Metropolitan State University of Denver, United States This workshop presentation will introduce participants to a strengths-based behavioral health case management model that emphasizing ethical practice, culturally responsive engagement and effective care coordination. These authors appreciate that communities who are grounded in cultural healing rely on their community listeners for guidance and support. Equipping these listeners with fundamental principles and concepts of case management will give them the ability to utilize case management skills to effectively address concerns and connect community members to services. Having warm hand-offs to practitioners from valued and trusted community allies increases the rates of follow-through and compliance (Mitchell et al., N. 2022). This scaffolded model is tailored to real life case studies that are reflective of the communities being served. The curriculum brings concepts to life and highlights real-world practice applications. Cultural engagement will be intentionally designed to align with the structure and focus of the case study (Summers, N. 2025). Starting with providing the historical context for case management and case work, this model weaves in the importance of interprofessional work while introducing the ethics and confidentiality of culturally affirming case management. Introducing a strength-based clinical management model that builds from intake to action planning culminating with showing gratitude for sharing one’s story this curriculum model provides the participant with culturally affirming competency-based skills. This workshop is for mental and behavioral health practitioners who work in communities that value the wisdom of elders.

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/iaforjapan | ACE2026 | IAFOR.ORG | 231

11:25-12:40 | G410 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Open-Space Theory-Making: Image to Tableau Vivant (Workshop) Session Chair: Nicholas Monk 11:25-12:15 111024 | Open-Space Theory-Making: Image to Tableau Vivant Nicholas Monk, Brown University, United States The focus in higher education pedagogy is increasingly on the idea of student engagement and particularly ‘co-creation.’ But how do we engage students successfully in the necessarily active, and non-sedentary practices that permit meaningful engagement to thrive? This is a 50-minute immersive, creative, participatory experience that focuses on integrating visual and embodied pedagogies to elucidate and develop transdisciplinary ideas. Participants in the workshop are provided with a collection of images and/or fragments of text, each loosely connected to a governing idea – in this case the notion of ‘identity.’ The larger group will be divided into several appropriately-sized smaller groups, and the groups will be provided with the text and images. Each group are required to create a narrative from the materials and represent this as a pattern on the floor of the space. The groups are asked to include in this visual representation a relevant image or fragment of text of their own choosing, which they will produce on their cellphones, tablets, or laptops. Each group, when they are ready, invite the other groups, in turn, to enter their space and ‘read’ the narratives. This part of the exercise is complete when every group has ‘read’ every other group’s work. The workshop continues with a session in which the groups re-visit their narrative and embody it in a still image or tableau vivant. This part of the workshop concludes with a short plenary that will reflect on the journey from received knowledge, to knowledge acquired visually, to embodied knowledge.

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Notes

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12:55-14:35 | G401 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Technologies in Curriculum Design and Development Session Chair: Nuraini Sri Bina 12:55-13:20 111322 | Building Confidence in Mathematics: The Effects of Metacognitive Multi-Representation-Based Instruction on Mathematics SelfEfficacy and the Moderating Role of Gender Sherelle Lou Icutan, Urdaneta City University, Philippines Ma Nympha Joaquin, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines Mathematics self-efficacy is a critical determinant of students’ engagement, persistence, and achievement in mathematics. Bandura’s (1997) self-efficacy theory emphasizes that learners’ beliefs in their capabilities significantly influence motivation and academic performance, while Pajares and Miller (1994) demonstrated that mathematics self-efficacy strongly predicts mathematical achievement beyond actual ability. Despite its importance, many learners continue to experience low confidence in mathematics, highlighting the need for instructional approaches that deliberately strengthen self-efficacy. This study examined the effects of Metacognitive Multi-Representation-Based Instruction (MMRBI), an instructional model that integrates metacognitive strategies such as planning, monitoring, and evaluation with the use of multiple mathematical representations, including symbolic, visual, contextual, and interactive forms, on students’ mathematics self-efficacy and investigated the moderating role of gender. Grounded in constructivist learning theory, metacognition, Bruner’s modes of representation, and Bandura’s self-efficacy framework, the study employed a quasi-experimental mixed-methods design involving 74 first-year Bachelor of Science in Accountancy students enrolled in Mathematics in the Modern World at a local university in the Philippines. Two intact classes were randomly assigned to either the MMRBI group or the Conventional Method of Instruction group over a 12-week intervention period. Mathematics selfefficacy was measured using Joaquin’s Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale, while reflective journals provided qualitative insights into students’ learning experiences. Findings revealed that students exposed to MMRBI demonstrated significantly greater improvements in mathematics self-efficacy than those receiving conventional instruction. Gender significantly moderated instructional effects, with differential improvement patterns observed between male and female learners. Qualitative findings further showed that structured metacognitive reflection and engagement with multiple representations.

13:20-13:45 114343 | The Developing Mathematical Calculation Skills by Using Buddy Technique Through Outcome-Based Education Module Sub-module Tanapon Tamrongkunanan, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand Chayanit Pichitronnachai, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand Tanes Tanitteerapan, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand This research aimed to: 1) develop a learning management model for mathematical calculation skills using the buddy technique through Outcome-Based Education (OBE) submodules, with a performance criterion of 70% for each module; 2) examine students’ post-learning achievement in mathematical calculation skills using the developed learning management model, with a criterion of 70% for each module; and 3) investigate students’ satisfaction with the learning management model. The sample consisted of 90 Electrical Technology Education students in the first semester of the 2025 academic year from the Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, selected through purposive sampling. The research instruments comprised: 1) a calculus learning management plan integrating the buddy technique with OBE submodules; 2) a learning achievement test for mathematical calculation skills, administered using a single-group post-test-only design, with a 70% criterion established for each module; and 3) a student satisfaction questionnaire. The data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and t-test statistics. The results showed that: 1) students’ mathematical calculation skills achieved the specified 70% criterion in all OBE submodules; 2) students’ post-learning achievement in mathematical calculation skills was significantly higher than the specified 70% criterion at the .01 level; and 3) students’ overall satisfaction with the learning management model was high, with an average satisfaction level of 90%. The findings indicate that the developed learning management model was associated with students’ achievement of the predetermined learning criteria for mathematical calculation skills.

13:45-14:10 110677 | Evaluating AI-Generated Worked Examples for Comparing Solution Methods in Secondary Mathematics Lay Keow Nicole Ng, Ministry of Education, Singapore Sharon Mei Ling Lee, Ministry of Education, Singapore Liang Soon Tan, Ministry of Education, Singapore Comparing solution methods is a well-supported strategy for fostering procedural flexibility and conceptual understanding in secondary mathematics (Rittle-Johnson et al., 2020), but designing high-quality worked examples for such tasks is demanding. It requires mathematically valid solutions with applications of distinct mathematical concepts and conditions for meaningful student reasoning. As teachers increasingly use large language models (LLMs) to generate lesson materials, it becomes important to ask whether AI-generated worked examples can meet the instructional demands for comparing solution methods. The uptake of AI in teaching is particularly notable in Singapore. Around one in three teachers across Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) systems report using AI, compared with approximately 75% in Singapore, including two-thirds who use it to generate lesson plans or activities (OECD, 2025). While recent research has examined the accuracy of AI-generated mathematical outputs, process-related and pedagogical dimensions remain underexplored (Schorcht et al., 2026). This study evaluates AI-generated worked examples for comparison of solution methods in secondary mathematics from a pedagogical lens. A set of prompts was used to generate example pairs from leading LLMs, and the outputs were analysed using criteria of key features for contrasting worked examples derived from the literature. Findings suggest that although LLMs can produce examples with mathematically correct solutions, they do not consistently generate the mathematical contrasts needed to support effective comparison. The quality of the generated examples also appears to be topic-dependent. The study offers practical insights to help teachers critically compare AI-generated worked examples to enhance mathematics teaching and learning.

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12:55-14:35 | G401 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Technologies in Curriculum Design and Development Session Chair: Nuraini Sri Bina 14:10-14:35 110813 | Design of a Deep Learning-Supported Interactive Digital Comic Based on Karo Culture to Foster Statistical Reasoning Skills Nuraini Sri Bina, University of Potensi Utama, Indonesia Budi Triandi, University of Potensi Utama, Indonesia Khoiruddin Matondang, University of Alwashliyah, Indonesia Rifky Maulana, University of Potensi Utama, Indonesia This study presents a learning media design in the form of an interactive digital comic supported by AI technology and a deep learning approach, and integrated with Karo culture to develop students’ statistical reasoning skills. The collaboration between culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) and artificial intelligence aims to create an interactive, meaningful, and engaging learning experience that preserves cultural integrity while addressing students’ difficulties in understanding, interpreting, and analyzing statistical results to make decisions. This study employs a research and development approach, consisting of preliminary research, prototyping, and evaluation stages. The instructional media design emphasizes the presentation of contextual stories based on Karo culture in the form of comics, interactive visual elements, and adaptive feedback generated through deep learning mechanisms. Furthermore, the instruments and content in this medium were found to be capable of accurately measuring students’ statistical reasoning skills. Therefore, this learning medium was deemed suitable for pilot testing during the implementation phase to assess its practicality and effectiveness in the learning process. These findings indicate that the integration of deep learning with culturally-based digital comics can contribute to the development of research on culturally responsive digital learning environments and offer a new framework for designing AI-based statistical learning media.

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12:55-14:35 | G403 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Arts and Humanities in Curriculum Design and Development Session Chair: Norman Vaughan 12:55-13:20 110252 | The Little Pond Kingdom as a Demonstration of Integrated Arts and Humanities Curriculum Der-Jen Sun, Arco Experimental School, Taiwan This paper examines The Little Pond Kingdom, a children’s opera developed within the ARCO educational tradition, as a demonstration of integrated arts and humanities curriculum. Rather than combining music, language, drama, movement, and visual imagination as separate subjects under one theme, the curriculum organizes them as a coherent world of meaning that children can enter through participation. The paper addresses a central educational question: how can young children engage with a work of significant symbolic, emotional, and human depth? It argues that understanding does not begin primarily with abstract explanation, but with contextualized experience. Through role-play, read-aloud practice, musical embodiment, collaborative rehearsal, and staged performance, children gradually come to inhabit the story-world from within. In this process, performance is not merely a final product, but part of how interpretation is formed. Using The Little Pond Kingdom as a curricular case, the paper shows that integrated curriculum is most powerful not when subjects are merely combined, but when they are woven into a developmental structure that makes meaning accessible without reducing its depth. The opera thus offers a concrete model for how arts and humanities education can be developmentally appropriate, aesthetically rich, and intellectually alive, even for young children.

13:20-13:45 110273 | Mind the Gap: Moving Sustainability Frameworks into Local Ecosystems and Future EU-Asia Capacity Building Ioannis Kozaris, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece Argyro Moumtzidou, Big Bang School, Greece Policy frameworks for sustainability are easy to write, but incredibly hard to implement in a real school environment. This paper investigates how to move sustainability competences from theory into everyday practice by focusing on teacher capacity and local ecosystem development. It draws on work developed in the EU-funded Inclusive Future project, focusing on evidence from a Greek focus group with teachers and school leaders, together with the project's pedagogical model for inclusive sustainability education. The paper explores how educators interpret sustainability beyond a narrow environmental lens and how they relate it to inclusion, equity, curriculum practice, and community engagement. The analysis identifies five enabling conditions for effective implementation: teacher capacity, curricular flexibility, interdisciplinary learning, authentic community-linked experiences, and structured support for inclusive pedagogies. While teachers show strong commitment to sustainability-related work, they also report significant barriers, including overloaded curricula, limited time, fragmented support, and uneven preparation for inclusive and future-oriented teaching. The paper argues that GreenComp becomes educationally meaningful only when translated into locally grounded pedagogical processes that connect values, systems thinking, participation, and action. Building on these findings, the paper discusses how the pedagogical approaches validated in Inclusive Future, particularly the use of socio-scientific issues and community-embedded learning, can inform capacity-building cooperation between Europe and Asia. It considers their relevance for emerging STEM education ecosystems, where sustainability, inclusion, and community responsiveness must be designed as an integrated whole. The contribution lies in linking European competence frameworks with context-sensitive models of teacher development and ecosystem-level educational innovation across regional boundaries.

13:45-14:10 114179 | Development of a Movement and Dance for Health Learning Unit Based on Phuket’s Mineral Panning Wisdom for Physical Education Students Kampanart Praditsaere, Phuket Rajabhat University, Thailand Mineral panning was a traditional occupation in Phuket that reflected local wisdom and community life. As mining declined, this knowledge became less familiar to younger generations. This study had three objectives: (1) to analyse the origins of Applied Mineral Panning Dance postures, (2) to examine their movement components and related health- and skill-related fitness components, and (3) to develop a Movement and Dance for Health learning unit for physical education students. Documentary research and instructional design were employed using published research, historical and cultural documents, and descriptions of nine dance postures. Content analysis classified each posture by occupational origin, body parts involved, movement pattern, space, direction, level, rhythm, force, equipment use, and related fitness components. Constructive alignment linked learning outcomes, activities, and assessments. Three experts evaluated the unit. First, the nine postures represented movements associated with scooping, panning, shaking, lifting, and transporting minerals. Second, they incorporated locomotor and non-locomotor movements, weight transfer, level changes, trunk rotation, multidirectional movement, and equipment manipulation. These characteristics were associated with cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, balance, and neuromuscular coordination. Third, a 12-hour learning unit comprising four sessions was developed, covering cultural background, rhythm and movement practice, movement–health analysis, and the creation of a culturally meaningful dance sequence. Assessment included a movement-analysis worksheet, practical performance, a group-designed sequence, and individual reflection. Experts rated the unit at the highest level on a five-point scale (mean = 4.57). The unit integrates cultural heritage, movement skills, health promotion, and creativity in higher education.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Arts and Humanities in Curriculum Design and Development Session Chair: Norman Vaughan 14:10-14:35 107760 | The Key to the Future Is the Past: Indigenous Alignment with the Community of Inquiry Framework Norman Vaughan, Mount Royal University, Canada The research aim of this study was to investigate how future directions in online learning could be informed through an alignment of Indigenous ways of understanding with the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. A case-based research methodology was used to guide the study. Data was collected from students enrolled in an educational technology course. The data consisted of online journals and post-course interviews. The data was qualitatively analyzed by two researchers who independently read and coded the journals and interview transcripts. Seven key principles related to the teaching presence construct of the CoI were identified from the data analysis. The first two principles focus on the design of a learning experience that creates a sense of open communication and trust. The findings suggest that these principles align with Indigenous ways of fostering a good spirit by being open, welcoming, and inclusive through shared storytelling. Principles three and four involve facilitating a collaborative environment where inquiry takes place in a cyclical rather than linear fashion. The data indicated that this aligns with the Indigenous Medicine Wheel framework that consists of four interconnected quadrants that create an ongoing cycle of learning. Principles five and six relate to directing the forward motion of the inquiry process. This aligns with the Indigenous concept of celhcelh, in which people are responsible for their own and others' learning, always seeking collaborative learning opportunities and support. Finally, the seventh principle ensures that assessment is aligned with learning outcomes and growth for all students in a learning experience.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Primary and Secondary Education Session Chair: Ma. Nympha Beltran Joaquin 12:55-13:20 111563 | Development of a PBL Teaching Module to Enhance Students’ Conceptual Understanding of Chemical Equations Shin Ni Han, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia Nor Hasniza Ibrahim, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia Johari Surif, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia Students’ conceptual understanding of chemical equations is frequently hindered by difficulties in coordinating macroscopic observations, submicroscopic particle behaviour, and symbolic representations. This often resulting in rote and procedural learning. This study aimed to systematically develop and validate a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) teaching module, Equa-Pro, to address these representational challenges. A Design and Development Research (DDR) Type 1 approach was employed, consisting of three phases: a qualitative needs analysis through semi-structured interviews with experienced secondary school chemistry teachers; design and development of the module using the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) with twelve experts; and content validation using the Content Validity Index (CVI) by an independent panel of three experts. Findings from the FDM indicated strong expert consensus across all proposed PBL activities, with threshold values ≤ 0.20, expert agreement exceeding 75%, and defuzzification scores above 0.50. Evidence-based discussion, interactive equation balancing, and structured student reflection were identified as the most critical instructional components. Content validation yielded perfect agreement, with all items achieving an Item-Level CVI of 1.00 and a Scale-Level CVI of 1.00, confirming the module’s feasibility, practicality, usability, and content quality. Overall, Equa-Pro represents a rigorously validated instructional resource that supports representational translation and offers a practical solution for enhancing students’ conceptual understanding of chemical equations.

13:20-13:45 113178 | Impact of Inquiry-based Instructional Strategies on Science Achievement Improvement in Nigerian Secondary Schools Miracle Enyinnaya Ugorji, Britarch Secondary School, Nigeria Eze Kingsley Chidiebere, Interac Kanto South, Japan Inquiry-based learning (IBL) has become widely recognized as an effective learner-centred instructional approach for improving students' engagement, critical thinking, and academic achievement in science education. Despite its proven benefits, many Nigerian secondary school classrooms continue to rely on traditional teacher-centred methods, limiting students' opportunities for active participation and scientific inquiry. This qualitative classroom-based study explores how inquiry-based instructional strategies can improve science achievement in Nigerian secondary schools. Drawing on the researcher's five years of teaching experience as a Biology and Basic Science teacher, the study utilizes reflective teaching journals, lesson plans, instructional materials, and classroom-based observations as primary data sources. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify recurring instructional practices, student learning behaviours, implementation challenges, and effective inquiry-based teaching strategies. The findings indicate that inquiry-based learning increases student engagement, promotes collaborative learning, strengthens conceptual understanding, and enhances problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Practical investigations, guided questioning, classroom discussions, and collaborative activities were identified as key instructional practices contributing to improved learning outcomes. Although resource limitations, large class sizes, and time constraints remain significant challenges, the study demonstrates that well-designed inquiry-based instruction can significantly enhance science teaching and learning even in resource-constrained educational settings. The paper concludes by offering practical recommendations for science educators seeking to implement learner-centred pedagogies that foster meaningful learning experiences and improve science achievement in Nigerian secondary schools.

13:45-14:10 114338 | Teacher Competencies and Student Outcomes in the Philippine K-12 Technical-Vocational-Livelihood Track: An Integrative Research Review Clefford Medel, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines Panaon, Philippines The Technical-Vocational-Livelihood track is one of the four senior high school strands under the Philippine K–12 curriculum and the only strand explicitly designed to align school-based learning with TESDA's industry-recognized competency standards. Despite sustained national investment, research across multiple regions consistently reports that TVL implementation is shaped more by teacher capacity, resource adequacy, and industry-linkage quality than by curricular design alone. This integrative review synthesizes peer-reviewed studies on TVL teachers and TVL students published between 2020 and 2026 to address three questions: (a) what competencies and instructional skills characterize effective TVL teachers; (b) what factors shape the profile, motivation, and work readiness of TVL students; and (c) how teacher quality intersects with student outcomes in the TVL track. Evidence indicates that TVL teachers demonstrate high self-reported competence in Home Economics, Agri-fishery Arts, Industrial Arts, and ICT specializations, yet face persistent challenges in assessment design, classroom and shop-room adequacy, and the establishment of industry linkages. Among TVL students, parents' educational attainment, peer enrolment, perceived career attractiveness, and the availability of TESDA National Certificate II credentials are significant predictors of track choice and post-graduation work readiness. Bridging teacher competence to graduate employability remains uneven; only teacher certification status — not generic technical mastery — significantly predicted employment readiness in at least one regional study. The review concludes that strengthening TVL implementation requires a coordinated investment in (i) teacher specialization alignment, (ii) facilities and consumables, (iii) structured work immersion, and (iv) industry-school partnerships that translate competency-based instruction into recognized employment pathways.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Primary and Secondary Education Session Chair: Ma. Nympha Beltran Joaquin 14:10-14:35 109921 | Teaching for Productive Struggle: A Game-Based Approach to Problem-Solving in Mathematics Ma. Nympha Beltran Joaquin, University of the Philippines College of Education, Philippines Jeffrey Espiritu, Department of Education, Parada National High School, Philippines Current research on game-based learning (GBL) remains theoretically fragmented, particularly in its treatment of productive struggle as separate from mathematical problem-solving. Addressing this gap, the present study reconceptualizes productive struggle as the enacted affectivecognitive dimension of problem-solving and provides empirical support for this unified perspective. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design using a convergent mixed-methods approach was conducted with two comparable groups of Grade 10 students (n = 32 per group) in a Philippine public secondary school. Problem-solving was operationalized through (1) affective dispositions, measured by the Productive Struggle Scale (α = .872) and (2) cognitive performance, assessed via a Problem-Solving Skills Test (α = .900) and rubric-based struggle tasks. Two independent raters evaluated task performance and coded data from focus group discussions, with high interrater agreement established. Results indicated no significant between-group differences in overall productive struggle or problem-solving performance (p & .05), with both groups improving over time. However, domain-specific distinctions emerged: the GBL group showed a significant advantage in polynomials (p & .05) and higher performance in rubric-based tasks, particularly in comprehension, accuracy, and correctness. Moreover, findings revealed that GBL fostered stronger motivation and sustained engagement, especially in getting started and carrying out a process, while non-GBL students more often showed avoidance. Rubric scores supported higher effort, completeness, accuracy, and understanding in the GBL group. GBL students also showed greater tolerance for confusion and willingness to revise errors. While GBL showed no overall superiority, its domain-specific benefits and enhanced engagement highlight its value as a complementary approach.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Professional Development and Education Policy Session Chair: Izhar Oplatka 12:55-13:20 106266 | Enhancing Teaching Quality Through Emotion Regulation: the Role of Structured Physical Exercise Among Educators Apri kasman, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Teaching quality is increasingly recognized as being influenced not only by pedagogical skills but also by educators emotional well being. Emotion regulation plays a critical role in managing classroom dynamics, maintaining student engagement, and fostering a positive learning environment. Structured physical exercise has been linked to improvements in emotional regulation, yet empirical validation within the educational context remains limited. This study investigates the role of emotion regulation, enhanced through physical exercise, in improving teaching quality among educators. This study employs a quantitative cross sectional design involving 215 educators from primary and secondary schools in West Sumatera, Indonesia. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires measuring structured physical exercise habits, emotion regulation (using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire), and teaching quality. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to test the hypothesized relationships and to evaluate the overall model fit and predictive validity. Physical exercise improves educators emotional regulation, reducing stress and boosting teaching quality. Integrating exercise into professional development can enhance teacher well-being and effectiveness. Future studies should explore long term impacts. The results reveal that a structured physical exercise has a significant positive effect on emotion regulation, which in turn significantly enhances teaching quality. The SEM model demonstrated strong fit indices, supporting the proposed theoretical framework. These findings highlight the potential of integrating physical activity into professional development strategies to promote emotional competence and teaching effectiveness among educators.

13:20-13:45 111208 | From Collegial Trust to Collective Efficacy: Conditions for Sustainable Professional Learning in Schools Tanya Kwee, The University of New South Wales, Australia Tony Loughland, The University of New South Wales, Australia Professional learning is often designed on the assumption that collaboration will naturally strengthen teachers’ confidence to act together. This overlooks how trust is produced through organisational conditions that make collaboration credible, safe, and sustainable. This study examines how trust is enacted within professional learning and how it shapes teachers’ collective efficacy over time across two schools in New South Wales, Australia. Drawing on social cognitive theory and ecological systems theory, the study asks: How is trust operationalised across ecological levels in ways that shape teachers’ collective efficacy over time within professional learning in schools? Data were collected across three phases over two academic years through whole-staff surveys and semi-structured interviews with teachers across roles and career stages. Data analysis combined thematic, longitudinal, and cross-case approaches. Findings show that trust operated less as a general climate than as an interaction between relational, structural, institutional, and temporal conditions. Teachers’ willingness to disclose uncertainty and test new practices depended on psychological safety and autonomy; however, these local conditions strengthened collective efficacy only when connected to middle-leader mediation, credible leadership endorsement, clear participation expectations, protected time, reliable communication, and repeated opportunities for shared interpretation. The study identifies three implementation trajectories: trust that remains localised and leaks across the system; trust that sustains participation but remains vulnerable to interruption; and trust that accumulates through coherent routines and follow-through. The paper contributes an ecological account of professional learning by showing how educational leadership and organisational design can enable collegial trust to develop into durable collective agency.

13:45-14:10 111923 | Exploring Emotional Detachment and Withdrawal Among Indonesian Educators: A Quantitative Mental Health Perspective in Universities and Schools Nazir Ultama Anugrah, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia Alma Marikka Geraldina, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia Dewinta Ariani, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia Kahfi Hizbullah, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia A silent form of withdrawal from work where employees reduce their discretionary effort, emotionally detach, and do only the bare minimum required has recently gained attention as a potential indicator of underlying mental health struggles among professionals. In the educational context, when lecturers and teachers exhibit this behavior, the quality of learning and student outcomes can be compromised. This phenomenon, widely known as quiet quitting, was examined in this quantitative study, which aimed to identify key workplace and psychological factors influencing quiet quitting among educators across Indonesia, including university lecturers and school teachers. A cross-sectional survey was administered to a diverse sample of educators. The measured factors included organizational justice, psychological reactance and quality of work life. Statistical analysis revealed that all three factors significantly predicted quiet quitting behaviors. To elaborate, lower fairness toward employees, poorer work-life quality, and greater psychological reactance were each linked to increased quiet quitting behaviors namely emotional withdrawal and less discretionary contribution. These results indicate that mental health in educational workplaces is not exclusively an individual matter but is also molded by organizational and psychological factors. Consequently, the findings urge schools and universities to promote fair policies, cultivate supportive work environments, and employ communication strategies that account for psychological reactance. By addressing these factors, educational institutions may be able to decrease quiet quitting while encouraging active and healthy engagement among Indonesian educators.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Professional Development and Education Policy Session Chair: Izhar Oplatka 14:10-14:35 107584 | When the Principal Expresses Contempt: Voices and Interpretations of Schoolteachers Izhar Oplatka, Tel Aviv University, Israel Hen Shimon, Tel Aviv University, Israel Background: Contempt is defined as a basic emotion expressed in distinct facial expressions that appear quickly and for a short duration. When the individual perceives the other as unworthy of recognition, an automatic negative response associated with contempt is activated. This response can occur very quickly, without conscious analysis, as a result of internal psychological appraisal and environmental influences. Purpose: To understand how teachers experience contempt from their school principals, how they interpret it, and what emotional and professional consequences it entails.The research addressed the following questions: Method: 12 primary and secondary schoolteachers participated in semi-structured interviews during 2024-2025. The criteria for selecting the participants were: (1) Teachers with 5 years or more of teaching experience; (2) Teachers in middle management positions, working with the same principal for at least 3 years or more; (3) Teachers who indicated that they had experienced a sense of contempt from their principal. Findings: Teachers experience contempt mainly in situations where they are excluded from decision-making, their professional voice is disregarded, their requests are dismissed, or the communication from management is disrespectful. These experiences led to emotional distancing, reduced motivation, and in some cases, to burnout or intentions to leave the school. Value: The study aims to fill the gap in the literature about emotion in teaching about contempt from a naturalistic paradigm that enables tracing teachers' personal interpretations of this emotion. In this way, the voice of the victims is heard, enabling to explore this emotion as an individual event.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Implementation of Technologies in Education Session Chair: Alexander Somerville 12:55-13:20 113283 | Dramatizing Physiology: Evaluating Student Engagement and Perceptions of Skit-Based Learning in a Medical Education Setting Prashant Manohar Patil, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India Arun Goel, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India Ashwini Mahadule, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India Background: Traditional lecture-based teaching in medical physiology often fails to actively engage students or bridge theoretical concepts with clinical application. Skit-based methodologies offer an experiential alternative that may enhance comprehension and retention. Objective: To assess medical students' perceptions of skit-based learning in physiology teaching across multiple domains including knowledge retention, engagement, clinical correlation, and teamwork. Methods: A skit based module was implemented to teach medical undergraduates the conept of Basal Ganglia. 5 students performed a skit with student as parts of basal ganglia while remaining students were observors. At end feedback was obtained form 52 students. A 19-item Likert-scale questionnaire (0–5) assessed student perceptions across multiple domains along with free-text feedback collected. Results: Students gave a favourable feedback for skit based activity. Highest mean scores were observed for teamwork (4.31±1.01), clinical relatability (4.19±1.08), and knowledge retention (4.08±1.26). Skits held attention better than traditional lectures (4.06±1.24). Concerns included time consumption (2.77±1.68) and oversimplification (2.31±1.56). Free-text feedback strongly endorsed skit-based methods, requesting integration with diagrams, summaries, and quizzes. Conclusion: Skit-based learning in medical physiology is highly acceptable to students, demonstrating significant perceived benefits in engagement, clinical correlation, teamwork, and retention. Despite challenges regarding time and depth, the positive response supports integrating skits as a complementary approach to traditional teaching.

13:20-13:45 110159 | Leveraging AI to Design for Gamified Retrieval Practice in Secondary School Mathematics Tan Liang Soon, Academy of Singapore Teachers, Singapore This study reports on the development and evaluation of Nimble Number Duel (Nimble Number Duel), an AI-created gamified challenge designed for Year 7 students' retrieval practice on factors and mathematical reasoning. The resource design is grounded in neurocognitive and educational research, particularly Chang et al.'s (2026) neuroimaging findings that mathematical learning difficulties correlate with reduced brain activity in number processing regions when working with symbolic tasks—differences that disappear with concrete number representations. The game operationalises retrieval practice theory, supported by Murray, Horner, & Göbel's (2025) meta-analysis demonstrating robust smallto-medium effects of spaced retrieval on mathematics learning outcomes. Nimble Number Duel presents competitive number challenges requiring identification of factors and reasoning through duels with immediate feedback and visible scoring. The gamification elements— points, competitive structures, and instant feedback—align with Alt (2023) and Manzano-León et al.'s (2021) evidence that game mechanics enhance intrinsic motivation when embedded within clear learning objectives rather than applied as superficial entertainment. The resource exemplifies AI-augmented educator-driven design, where teachers define research-informed pedagogical principles whilst AI accelerates iterative prototyping. This represents a shift from passive EdTech consumption to active, bespoke resource creation to support students’ learning. Preliminary classroom data indicate improvements in student engagement and performance. Year 7 students with previously low task engagement showed marked improvement when game mechanics reduced the affective cost of errors. They also demonstrated improved error monitoring from their revised solutions in subsequent paper-based assessments. Implications on the pedagogical guidance for AI in Education will be discussed.

13:45-14:10 114378 | From Theory to Application: An Exploratory Study of Gamified Social Media Simulations in Digital Marketing Education MeiZhen Ng, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore Josephine Hui Ping Tan, Singapore University of Management, Singapore Traditional pedagogical approaches in digital marketing education often struggle to bridge the theory–practice gap, relying heavily on static case studies that fail to replicate the dynamic, data-driven realities of modern social media environments. This study introduces an experiential learning framework grounded in Kolb’s (1984) cycle that integrates a live-data gamified simulation into an undergraduate digital branding curriculum. Operating in virtual teams, students act as brand managers across eight iterative rounds of strategy deployment, performance analysis, and campaign optimization. As Phase 1 of an ongoing mixed-methods project, this paper reports exploratory qualitative findings from a pilot implementation in the July 2025 semester (N ≈ 40 students, 10 teams). Thematic analysis of reflective simulation logs revealed four key learning themes: (1) effective bridging of theoretical frameworks with real-world application; (2) a pronounced shift toward datadriven decision-making and rapid adaptability; (3) enhanced precision in audience targeting and content nuance; and (4) strengthened collaborative soft skills and conflict resolution under pressure. These insights demonstrate that simulation-based gamification creates an authentic, engaging environment for developing essential digital marketing competencies. The findings provide a robust foundation for subsequent quantitative validation phases.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Implementation of Technologies in Education Session Chair: Alexander Somerville 14:10-14:35 114323 | Incorporating Operational ATC Simulation into Undergraduate Aviation Education: A Curriculum Innovation Alexander Somerville, UNSW Canberra, Australia Ugur Turhan, UNSW Canberra, Australia Outside of students specifically undertaking professional training for particular operational roles, there are few opportunities for undergraduate aviation students to engage directly with air traffic management operations. Such experiences are inherently constrained by safety, operational complexity, and resource limitations. While air traffic control (ATC) simulators are routinely employed in the training and assessment of trainee air traffic controllers, comparatively little attention has been given to their use as learning environments for undergraduate aviation students who are not training as controllers. To address this educational gap, an undergraduate aviation course at an Australian university was partially redesigned to incorporate an operational ATC simulator as a curriculum innovation. The innovation integrated an operational ATC simulator jointly facilitated by experienced university educators, an industry-qualified air traffic controller, and a qualified flight instructor. This enabled students to participate in operational scenarios that would otherwise be inaccessible within a conventional undergraduate curriculum. The implementation was evaluated using cohort-level outcomes before and after implementation, together with structured instructor observations collected across multiple teaching sessions. Observations by both the air traffic control instructor and the qualified flight instructor suggested improvements in student engagement, procedural understanding, operational situational awareness, and confidence. Although the observational nature of the study precludes causal inference, the findings suggest that integrating this type of simulator-based learning activity into an undergraduate curriculum can provide valuable learning opportunities for students who would not otherwise have access to comparable experiential learning opportunities.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Nurturing and Empowerment in Education Session Chair: Amit Shukla 12:55-13:20 112978 | An Adapted Alternative Uses Task as an Individual Improvisational Ideation Activity in Interior Architecture Studio Education Mahsa Fatemi Alavi, Bilkent University, Türkiye Halime Demirkan, Bilkent University, Türkiye In design studio education, creativity is often evaluated by final design outcomes, which makes the initial phases of individual idea generation less visible. This research explores an adapted Alternative Uses Task (AUT) as a sketch-based, individual improvisational ideation activity in interior architecture studio education. By transforming the AUT into an object-prompt activity, this study investigates how students can reinterpret ordinary objects as potential design solutions during the early stages of creative thinking. The research involved 82 interior architecture students. Participants began by completing Kolb’s Learning Styles Inventory. Afterward, they engaged in a 15-minute individual AUT activity. The prompt objects for this task were randomly selected from pre-prepared envelopes. Students then generated alternative design uses related to a studio project theme by sketching on an A3 sheet. Responses to the task were evaluated based on four dimensions of divergent thinking: fluency, flexibility, unconventionality, and integration. To analyze performance differences among student groups and Kolb learning-style categories, Kruskal–Wallis tests and crosstab analyses were conducted. The results indicated significant differences among student groups in terms of flexibility, unconventionality, and integration, while fluency remained statistically consistent. These findings suggest that the adapted AUT highlighted qualitative differences in divergent thinking rather than simply measuring the quantity of ideas generated. The lack of statistically significant differences or associations across Kolb learning-style categories indicates that the activity was accessible to students with diverse learning profiles. Overall, the results demonstrate that object-based individual ideation can effectively support and assess early creative thinking in studio education.

13:20-13:45 108517 | Changing Philippine Science Laboratory Instruction Through Action Learning with Cogenerative Dialogue in Whole-class Setting for Academic At-risk Students Christian Santiago, Aurora State College of Technology, Philippines John Paul Santos, Central Luzon State University, Philippines Maximo Marte, Jr., Aurora State College of Technology, Philippines This paper presents an action learning (AL) project that implemented and studied a novel educational intervention, the Action Science Lab (ASL) framework, in a Philippine science laboratory context with 33 third-year undergraduate students (18 identified as academically atrisk). Conducted over 18 weeks, the project addressed the problem of student disengagement by integrating principles of cogenerative dialogue (Cogen) and co-creation within a structured AL cycle. Framed as a case study, the project followed AL principles of working on a real problem, acting, and learning through reflection in a collaborative setting. Data from 18 cogenerative dialogue sessions, video-recorded laboratory interactions, and semi-structured focus group discussions were analyzed through thematic analysis using Atlas.ti software. Findings revealed that the AL process facilitated a significant redistribution of power, fostering equitable participation and shared decisionmaking between students and instructors. Quantitative indicators showed increased laboratory report submission among at-risk students, while qualitative evidence demonstrated enhanced experimental creativity, critical reflection, and conceptual understanding. At-risk students exhibited greater autonomy through voluntary pre-lab preparation and ownership of learning. The study illustrates a variation of AL practice applied to whole-class, student-included sets within curriculum innovation. It contributes to AL knowledge by demonstrating how its principles can be structurally embedded to address systemic educational challenges, validate diverse strengths, and cultivate scientific identity among marginalized learners. We present documented challenges encountered—including participation imbalance and teacher facilitation discomfort—and evidence-based recommendations for implementing such an AL-based framework.

13:45-14:10 112400 | Empowering Underrepresented Students Through Group Work: The Role of Psychological Ownership Amit Shukla, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India In line with the sustainable development goals (SGDs) to ensure quality education and reduce societal inequalities in higher education institutes (HEIs), this paper examines the impact of group work on fostering desirable student outcomes, especially for underrepresented students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Drawing on role theory, social exchange theory, and the concept of psychological ownership, we investigate how active participation in group activities within and outside classrooms fosters greater inclusion (sense of belonging), as reflected in enhanced holistic student performance and student citizenship behaviour in a fully residential campus. We propose that students’ involvement in three types of group activities (curricular, extracurricular, and collaborative on-campus social activities) cultivates psychological ownership, thereby enhancing these desirable outcomes. To investigate this, the study employs a mixed-method research design to assess the effectiveness of group work interventions in a prominent Indian HEI. The qualitative phase (N=25) comprised interviews and focus groups, whereas the quantitative phase (N=236) employed a field survey. Both phases involved undergraduate students. The findings indicate that group work positively influences student citizenship behaviour and holistic student performance, with psychological ownership mediating these relationships. In addition to using quantitative techniques to validate the proposed research model, this study presents compelling evidence through narratives from underrepresented students, confirming the pivotal role of group work and psychological ownership in fostering positive student outcomes in HEIs. Finally, the paper discusses strategies for designing group work to nurture psychological ownership, thereby offering practical guidance for instructors and administrators in HEIs.

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Notes

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12:55-14:35 | G410 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Language Curriculum Design and Development Session Chair: Geberew Tulu Mekonnen 12:55-13:20 111221 | Designing a Teaching and Learning Module for EFL Students: An ADDIE Framework Approach Nur Syazwani Mohd Zolkifli, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia Nurhidayah Mohd Sharif, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia Abid Zulfadhli Razali, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia Nur ’Ain Mohd Shahroom, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia ’Atiqah Shaharuddin, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia Loh Khai Xian, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia This study designed a specific teaching and learning module based on the ADDIE framework for participants of the Language Academy Summer School Programme at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia using the first three stages of the framework: Analysis, Design, and Development. The Analysis stage involved a process-orientated needs analysis involving 42 students from the Cycle 1 2024 cohort. Data was collected through an open online survey and thematically analysed using thematic analysis, which revealed that students struggled the most with speaking and writing skills, there was a lack of adequate input in previous teaching and learning modules, and there was a strong preference for experiential and nature-based learning. Based on these findings, a teaching and learning module was developed (in the Design Phase) to meet the needs of the students. In the development stage, the researchers developed a teaching and learning module titled “Summer School Adventures", which featured nine topics focusing on the theme of exploring culture and nature through English. The module was piloted in February 2025, and feedback was collected from instructors. The module was then revised based on instructor input and is ready for use with the next cohort of summer school participants. The study hopes that the new module will help students significantly improve their English language skills while providing meaningful immersion into nature and culture. The study suggests that future designers of summer school syllabi should use the ADDIE model to foster coherence between student needs and instructional strategies, resulting in more successful and effective learning outcomes.

13:20-13:45 113252 | Turning the Focal Point on TOEIC Course Curriculum to Foster Students to Become Autonomous Learners Hongwei Shimizu, Bunkyo Gakuin University, Japan Traditional TOEIC course curriculum emphasizes rote memorization, extensive listening and reading practices, and grammar drill, which limits student engagement. Designing a curriculum that integrates dramatic role-play, open-ended project works, outdoor activities, and storytelling is an effective way to cultivate students’ self-directed learning abilities. This study evaluates the impact of a curriculum incorporating the creative pedagogical approach on student motivation. The research was conducted with two first-year university classes (n=22, and n=23), and employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods over an academic semester (13 weeks). Data collection includes course completion rates, final scores, questionnaires, pre- and post- student interviews, and classroom observations. The results indicated that this innovative curriculum significantly increased students' interest in learning English, and meaningful tasks helped students gradually become successful autonomous learners. Furthermore, students' confidence in language application was enhanced, thus their test anxiety was reduced fundamentally. In conclusion, by shifting a test-oriented teaching framework into a communication-oriented curriculum, students become active practitioners rather than passive recipients, thereby encouraging them to become lifelong foreign language learners.

13:45-14:10 112411 | Effects of Socratic Seminar on EFL Vocabulary Dilnoza Boymirzayeva, National Pedagogical University of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Mirsaid Abdurakhmanov, National Pedagogical University of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Guzal Mirzaeva, Vosiq International School, Uzbekistan Despite the vital role that English as a Foreign Language (EFL) plays in the world today, there is a need to improve the effectiveness of classroom teachers. One of the key components of mastering a language is learning the vocabulary. However, traditional classrooms deprive students of the opportunity to engage in conversations with their peers and to utilize the words that they have learned. Some innovative teachers have begun to change classrooms to focus on the theories of Alexander and Vygotsky, who both believed that social interaction plays a key role in the learning and retention of the concepts that are being taught in the classroom. One strategy that can be employed in the classroom to increase the vocabulary of students is the Discussion Leader strategy. This strategy encourages students to take leadership of the classroom and to have conversations with their peers. As a result, the students are required to utilize the words that they have learned within their discussions with their classmates. This strategy will be explored in this talk for how it can expand students’ vocabularies, increase their enthusiasm for English language learning, increase their confidence in speaking English, and encouraging their autonomy in learning. Furthermore, examples of how to use this strategy will be presented for middle and high school classrooms. Through this talk, teachers will gain the knowledge and tools necessary to help their students learn to effectively and fluently utilize the words that they have learned in their classrooms.

246 | IAFOR.ORG ACE2026 | Follow us on X @IAFOR (tweet about the conference using #IAFOR)

12:55-14:35 | G410 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Language Curriculum Design and Development Session Chair: Geberew Tulu Mekonnen 14:10-14:35 109334 | Artificial Intelligence in Teaching English as a Foreign Language: Exploring Effectiveness, Equity, and Teacher Readiness: A Systematic Review Geberew Tulu Mekonnen, Charles Sturt University, Australia Leo S.F. Lin, Charles Sturt University, Australia Meshai Alharthi, Khalid Military Academy, Saudi Arabia Kenenisa Beressa Aboye, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia Duane Aslett, Charles Sturt University, Australia Douglas M.C Allan, Charles Sturt University, Australia This systematic review explored the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education in higher education, emphasising its effectiveness, equity implications, and teacher readiness. Analysing 35 peer-reviewed studies (2010–2025),which were selected via a PRISMA-guided process (n=8517 records screened), the review synthesises evidence from diverse regions, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and Africa. Results demonstrate that AI-driven tools, such as adaptive tutoring systems and automated assessment platforms, significantly improve EFL learning outcomes, particularly in writing fluency, oral proficiency, grammar, and vocabulary, while markedly enhancing student engagement and motivation. However, limited research on reading comprehension and risks of over-reliance on AI underscore the need for balanced pedagogical strategies. AI facilitates broader educational access and promotes inclusivity for diverse learners; however, digital divides, cost barriers, and algorithmic biases present significant equity challenges. Teacher readiness is constrained by low awareness of advanced AI tools, limited technological proficiency, and concerns over privacy and job security, despite generally positive attitudes toward AI’s potential. To optimise AI integration, the review suggests robust professional development, clear ethical guidelines, and inclusive AI platforms. Limitations include minimal evidence on reading comprehension, potentially due to AI’s focus on productive skills, and the underrepresentation of regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa beyond Ethiopia and Egypt. Longitudinal, context-specific research is crucial to ensure equitable and effective adoption of AI in EFL education.

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/iaforjapan | ACE2026 | IAFOR.ORG | 247

14:50-16:30 | G401 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Technology and Sustainability in Education Session Chair: Yoshie Kobayashi 14:50-15:15 111225 | An AI Coaching Agent to Support Moroccan Teachers Facing ASD Students Hajar Ward, Hassan First University, Morocco Soumia Tamani, Hassan First University, Morocco The integration of artificial intelligence into continuing teacher professional development is an emerging field, full of promise yet also of risks. In Morocco, where 84% of primary teachers lack ASD-specific training (Bouali et al., 2021; Zerrouk, 2025) and conventional professional development cannot reach geographically dispersed populations, an AI coaching agent could constitute a decisive scaling lever. Drawing on survey data, this paper documents teacher user requirements — ease of use (47.5%), practical case-based formats (57.5%), and cultural contextualisation — and proposes a three-layer design model: the SABI competency framework (under peer review), a hybrid adaptive curriculum, and an AI agent specification integrating self-diagnostic, feedback, and simulated inter-professional consultation functions. Acceptability conditions and ethical boundaries are discussed, drawing on Holmes et al. (2022), with particular attention to the risks of cultural misalignment and professional substitution inherent in AI-mediated teacher coaching.

15:15-15:40 113958 | How Do Emotion Beliefs Relate to Academic Stress in a High-Pressure Academic Context? Eunji Jeong, Jeju National University, South Korea Juunmo Yun, Jeju National University, South Korea Emotion beliefs are conceptualized as beliefs about the controllability of emotions and the usefulness of positive and negative emotions. These beliefs are important because they may influence people’s efforts and performance across all stages of the emotion regulation process. Emotion regulation refers to the activation of a goal to modify an unfolding emotional response, including how emotions are experienced and expressed. However, how specific emotion beliefs relate to academic stress through specific regulation strategies remains unclear among adolescents in high-pressure academic environments. This study examined 373 students (49.6% female) attending high-achieving private high schools in Jeju, Korea. Controlling for gender and perceived achievement pressure, we tested separate parallel-mediation structural equation models for controllability beliefs, positive-emotion usefulness beliefs, and negative-emotion usefulness beliefs, with cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression as mediators. Controllability beliefs were directly associated with academic stress but showed no significant indirect effect. Positive-emotion usefulness beliefs showed no significant direct effect but a significant indirect effect through cognitive reappraisal: stronger beliefs in the usefulness of positive emotions were associated with greater use of reappraisal, which in turn was associated with lower academic stress. Negative-emotion usefulness beliefs showed only a marginal direct effect and no significant indirect effect. Expressive suppression did not significantly mediate any association. These findings indicate that different emotion-belief dimensions relate to academic stress through distinct pathways and suggest that school-based emotion education should address positiveemotion usefulness beliefs alongside cognitive reappraisal.

15:40-16:05 113340 | Integrating Emotional Intelligence (EI) into GAI-supported Academic Literacy: An Andragogical and Heutagogical Framework Anastasia Nicéphore, University of Sydney, Australia The acceleration of technologies integrating Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) into higher education is significantly altering academic literacy, curriculum design, assessment, and student learning. GAI evidently offers opportunities for independent learning, precise feedback, and augmented educational access. However, it equally imposes roadblocks to critical thinking, ethical safeguarding, learner efficacy, and emotional intelligence (EI). This conceptual paper posits that EI needs to be strategically integrated into GAI-supported academic literacy through systematic criteria, and thus prepare students for increasingly complex and techno-facilitated learning atmospheres. Drawing on Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences and Françoys Gagné’s conception of intrapersonal intelligence as “the capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one’s feelings, fears and motivations” (2003, 47), the paper assesses the variables of introspection, empathy, ethical reasoning, resilience, and reflective practice as core capabilities to enhance GAI literacy. Instead of perceiving intelligence as specifically cognitive or technologically facilitated, the proposed framework recognises the emotional and contextual dimensions shaping critical engagement in higher education learning. Grounded in andragogical principles of learner efficacy, and extended through heutagogical approaches that promote lifelong learning, the framework aligns curriculum design, constructive assessment, and GAI-supported learning experiences with the development of EI to enhance human agency. Identifying the diversity of learners in higher education, the framework promotes inclusive education by addressing variations in cultural backgrounds, digital trust, and educational experiences. This interdisciplinary framework contributes to emerging scholarship on GAI-enhanced higher education by offering a model for curriculum innovation, inclusivity, and academic leadership that synthesises technological advancements and values which remain human-centric.

248 | IAFOR.ORG ACE2026 | Follow us on X @IAFOR (tweet about the conference using #IAFOR)

14:50-16:30 | G401 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Technology and Sustainability in Education Session Chair: Yoshie Kobayashi 16:05-16:30 111090 | Special Needs Education and Postschool Transitions: An Empirical Analysis Based on Educational Trajectories Yoshie Kobayashi, Shizuoka University of Art and Culture, Japan The number of students receiving special needs education in Japan has increased rapidly, and the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities expressed concern in its 2022 Concluding Observations about the perpetuation of segregated special education. This study empirically examines the relationship between educational trajectories of school placement and post-school social transitions among individuals with intellectual and other disabilities, using individual-level data from the Survey on the Life Course of People with Disabilities and Life after Loss of Parents (SLCD, N=617), conducted in 2024. Multinomial logistic regression analysis, with school placement at each level (elementary, middle, and high school) entered as independent dummy variables, revealed that placement in special needs high school was associated with a relative risk ratio (RRR) of approximately 3.7 for welfare-based employment relative to day activity services, even after controlling for disability severity, age, and gender (p<.05). Average marginal effects (AME) showed that high school placement reduced the probability of competitive employment by 15.5 percentage points and increased the probability of welfare-based employment by 37.8 percentage points. Significant effects were also found for elementary and middle school placements. These findings indicate that school placement trajectories are associated with post-school social transitions. In particular, placement in special needs high school was strongly associated with welfare-based employment pathways even after controlling for disability severity, reducing the likelihood of connection to competitive employment. This study offers foundational evidence in a context where prior empirical research has been largely absent.

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/iaforjapan | ACE2026 | IAFOR.ORG | 249

14:50-16:30 | G403 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Challenging & Preserving: Culture, Inter/Multiculturalism and Language Session Chair: Rodger Steele Williamson 14:50-15:15 113554 | Evaluating Gender-based Buddy Pairing System in an Inter-cultural Summer School English Language Programme: A Case of Japanese Students Nur ’Ain Mohd Shahroom, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia 'Atiqah Shaharuddin, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia Faraha Hamidi, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia Ermi Ruziyana Md Nordin, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia Ahmad Fadzli Abu Sahmah, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia Khai Xian Loh, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia This study examines the effectiveness of a gender-based buddy pairing system in a short-term intercultural language learning environment involving Japanese and Malaysian university students. The pairing approach is grounded in Homophily Theory, which suggests that individuals are more likely to form connections with others who share similar characteristics, such as gender. While commonly implemented in Malaysian higher education contexts, its role in enhancing intercultural language learning remains underexplored. To address this gap, the study also draws on Intercultural Communicative Competence and the Affective Filter Hypothesis to explain how affective and interactional factors influence learning outcomes. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to participants in a two-week English immersion programme at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. The instrument investigates the effect of genderbased buddy pairing on Japanese students’ communication comfort, social adaptation and language learning outcomes in an intercultural context. Descriptive analyses were conducted to examine the relationships among these variables. The findings indicate that gender-based buddy pairing enhances communication comfort and reduces interactional anxiety, thereby lowering learners’ affective filters and encouraging more frequent language use. Consistent with Homophily Theory, perceived similarity encourages interpersonal trust, which supports sustained interaction in intercultural contexts. The study demonstrates that gender-based pairing enhances the effectiveness of intercultural language learning by facilitating psychologically supportive and interaction-rich environments.

15:15-15:40 110484 | Sightseeing to Sensemaking: Designing Overseas Learning Journeys for 21st Century Competencies Shereen Naaz Charles Syariff, Yishun Town Secondary School, Singapore Tong Yong Kiang Patrick, Yishun Town Secondary School, Singapore This paper examines how teaching and learning can be intentionally designed within Overseas Learning Journeys (OLJs) to develop students’ 21st Century Competencies (21CC), including global awareness, communication, and adaptive thinking, in Yishun Town Secondary School, Singapore. While OLJs are widely valued for exposure, they often lack structured pedagogical approaches that translate experience into deep learning. Grounded in constructivist and experiential learning theories, this study presents a school-based model that reframes OLJs as structured learning environments through the use of deliberate routines, teacher facilitation strategies, and professional learning supports. The approach integrates key pedagogical routines such as “I See, I Think, I Wonder,” naturalistic observation, and guided reflection, supported by pre-activity briefings and Just-In-Time (JIT) discussions. A professional learning intervention was implemented to equip teacher-facilitators with tools to design and facilitate 21CC-infused experiences, including collaborative planning templates, sentence starters, and structured discussion techniques. Teachers also consistently modelled 21CC metalanguage to support student sense-making. Findings from post-trip surveys indicate that students demonstrated increased ability to articulate their learning using 21CC terminology, engage in perspectivetaking, and make connections across contexts. Key enablers included consistent teacher facilitation, structured reflection routines, and opportunities for student voice. This paper contributes a replicable pedagogical model for embedding 21CC in experiential learning contexts and offers practical insights for designing more intentional and impactful student learning experiences.

15:40-16:05 113446 | Curriculum and Pedagogy as Key Drivers of Student Experiences of Diversity, Inclusion and Intercultural Learning Kyra Garson, Thompson Rivers University, Canada Alana Hoare, Thompson Rivers University, Canada Amie McLean, Thompson Rivers University, Canada In 2023, an interdisciplinary team of researchers initiated a large-scale study to explore the dynamics of intercultural learning at a midsized university in Western Canada with a highly diverse student population. The university was attended by nearly 50% international and 15% Indigenous students and has been committed to both internationalization and indigenization as core institutional missions. The mixedmethods study involved quantitative analysis of student responses to an annual institutional survey (n=3257) and qualitative analysis of student responses (n=389) to open-ended questions about their experiences of diversity, inclusion, and intercultural understanding. Theoretically, this research is situated within critical approaches to intercultural practice, including those that attend to the role of power hierarchies and colonial legacies in shaping intercultural education. While the study found a wide range of influences on students' experiences, this paper will focus on the barriers, enablers, and impacts related to teaching and learning, specifically the influence of pedagogy and curriculum on learning outcomes. The data reveal that while ethnocentrism, discrimination, and exclusion operate as barriers, specific pedagogies and instructional capacity are significant enablers to student experience. The impacts of curriculum and pedagogy were further explored in terms of impact: attitudes, knowledge, skills, and praxis. While students demonstrate intercultural attitudes, such as respect and openness, there is less evidence of praxis or the application of intercultural skills to foster social change. Recommendations include fostering critical intercultural praxis among faculty and creating more opportunities for students to apply their intercultural knowledge in meaningful ways that advance social justice.

250 | IAFOR.ORG ACE2026 | Follow us on X @IAFOR (tweet about the conference using #IAFOR)

14:50-16:30 | G403 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Challenging & Preserving: Culture, Inter/Multiculturalism and Language Session Chair: Rodger Steele Williamson 16:05-16:30 111358 | Reinterpreting Lafcadio Hearn in Contemporary Japan: Media Representation, Intercultural Communication, and Global Education Rodger Williamson, The University of Kitakyushu, Japan This presentation examines the renewed interest in Lafcadio Hearn in contemporary Japan through recent media reinterpretations, particularly the NHK dramatization Bakébaké, and explores its implications for intercultural communication and global education. Drawing on archival research conducted in Japan and overseas, including comparative analysis of primary source materials and contemporary media representations, the session considers how Hearn’s legacy is being reframed for modern audiences in both domestic and international contexts. The analysis is informed by archival investigations at University of Virginia and comparative research with collections in Japan, revealing new perspectives on Hearn’s intercultural background and continuing relevance. Particular attention is given to the ways dramatized narratives simplify and reinterpret complex intercultural encounters, making them more accessible while also reshaping historical and cultural understanding. Through the lens of intercultural communication theory, including concepts such as high- and low-context communication and cultural dimensions including uncertainty avoidance and individualism–collectivism, participants are invited to reflect on how media representations influence perceptions of Japan and Japanese culture. In addition, the presentation explores how renewed interest in Hearn creates opportunities for intercultural education, study abroad preparation, and the integration of historical cultural narratives into contemporary learning environments. The overall goal is to encourage discussion on how historical intercultural figures continue to shape global cultural exchange and contribute to sustainable international education in the contemporary era.

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/iaforjapan | ACE2026 | IAFOR.ORG | 251

14:50-16:30 | G404 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Lifelong Learning Session Chair: Chinfang Kuo 14:50-15:15 110773 | Eco-Spirituality and Eco-Pedagogy in Contemporary Education: Celebrating 800 Years of St. Francis of Assisi and the Franciscan Jubilee Ericka Mae Cunanan, University of Santo Tomas, Philippines Sr. Melanie Reyes, University of Santo Tomas, Philippines In response to intensifying global ecological crises driven by environmental apathy and consumerist lifestyles, contemporary education must move beyond the transmission of knowledge and technical skills toward forming morally grounded, ecologically responsible individuals. This study employs textual analysis of Paulo Freire’s works alongside key writings on Franciscan ecological spirituality to examine how eco-spirituality and eco-pedagogy can converge within educational contexts to promote environmental sustainability. Situated within the Franciscan Jubilee Year (January 10, 2026–January 10, 2027) and inspired by the life and witness of St. Francis of Assisi, the paper argues that framing environmental care as both a civic responsibility and a spiritual imperative transforms learners into active agents of ecological advocacy. Commemorating the 800th anniversary of the Transitus of St. Francis, the study aligns with the research area of Technology and Integral Ecology in the Global Compact on Education initiative, launched by Pope Francis. The paper proposes an integrative pedagogical framework that fosters learners’ awareness of their intrinsic relationship with the natural world while cultivating critical reflection and ethical discernment regarding environmentally harmful practices. Central to this is a transformative teacher-formation program that equips educators to embody and implement spiritually grounded, ecologically conscious pedagogy. Ultimately, the study underscores the role of education in advancing the common good by forming individuals committed to sustainability, both within local communities and across the global ecosystem.

15:15-15:40 113496 | From Local Wisdom to Community Knowledge: Participatory Learning for Community Capability and Sustainable Food Security in Northern Thai Highland Communities Bavornsak Pejaranonda, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand Highland ethnic communities in Northern Thailand face persistent challenges in achieving sustainable food security due to geographical isolation, limited access to veterinary services, and changing environmental conditions affecting livestock production. While many development programmes emphasize technology transfer or training local para-professionals, these approaches often rely on external expertise and fail to strengthen communities' long-term capacity for self-reliance. This study investigates how participatory learning can build community capability to continuously address food security challenges by enabling communities to generate, validate, adapt, and share their own knowledge. Using Participatory Action Research (PAR), this longitudinal study has been conducted since 2025 across six highland ethnic communities in Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son Provinces. The project engaged 21 lead farmers, 4 Local Animal Care Takers, and 2 model farmer groups in co-designing a community learning system that enables communities to create, validate, and improve knowledge using locally available resources. Researchers, university students, community leaders, and local practitioners collaboratively investigated indigenous practices through scientific inquiry, reflective dialogue, Community of Practice meetings, peer learning, and virtual learning communities. The study proposes a Participatory Learning Framework for Building Community Capability, comprising (1) Indigenous Knowledge Recognition, (2) Collaborative Inquiry, (3) Scientific Validation, (4) Collaborative Reflection, and (5) Knowledge Adaptation and Sharing. The findings demonstrate that sustainable food security depends not only on technical interventions but also on communities' capability to continuously create and apply knowledge. The framework offers a transferable approach for designing lifelong learning systems that strengthen community resilience and sustainable rural development.

15:40-16:05 111057 | How the Edu-community Adjusted Distance Learning During and After the Pandemic: Supplementary Religious Education in Indonesia’s Rural and Remote Areas Pratiwi Tri Utami, Hiroshima University, Japan This study highlights the practice of distance learning or online learning within religious communities in the Edu-community in Indonesia. This study examines the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning for community children learning religious education (RE) during the pandemic. This study observes three areas in Indonesia: the rural area (Bangka Island) and the remote area (Kupang and Sabu Island). The target participants are the NFRE teachers and students. There were 25 interview participants from various educational communities, including Muslims, Christians, Catholics, and Hindus. As a result, distance learning had multiple advantages and disadvantages, especially during the Pandemic. On one hand, distance learning created a new opportunity to provide sustainable religious education within the community. However, distance learning in NFRE raised several concerns among teachers and students. Even though it may promote a sustainable practice of RE in the edu-community, distance learning poses additional issues for RE.RE not only transfers religious knowledge but also values and cultures. It builds a connection between the teacher and the children when engaging them in religious knowledge, values, and culture. However, distance learning creates a weak connection between teachers and children, weakening children's attachment to religious values and cultures. In conclusion, this study suggests that distance learning creates another opportunity to promote sustainable RE within the religious community.

252 | IAFOR.ORG ACE2026 | Follow us on X @IAFOR (tweet about the conference using #IAFOR)

14:50-16:30 | G404 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Lifelong Learning Session Chair: Chinfang Kuo 16:05-16:30 112950 | From Embodied Learning to Cultural Leadership: Women’s Educational Journeys Through Tai Chi Chuan in Taiwan Chinfang Kuo, Aletheia University, Taiwan Hsien Wei Kuo, National Tainan Institute of Nursing, Taiwan Ren Zhe Hsiao, National Tainan Institute of Nursing, Taiwan This study examines how women’s lifelong engagement with Tai Chi Chuan develops into an educational journey that extends beyond physical practice to community leadership, cultural transmission, and lifelong learning. Although Tai Chi Chuan has been widely studied as a martial art, health practice, and cultural heritage, less attention has been given to how women transform embodied learning into educational practice across the life course. Using narrative inquiry and photo-elicitation interviews, this study explores the life histories of eight women Tai Chi Chuan coaches from central Taiwan. Between March and May 2026, participants took part in online interviews lasting one to two hours and selected personal photographs to reconstruct significant experiences of learning, teaching, competition, family life, organizational participation, and cultural exchange. These visual narratives provided insight into how embodied experiences shaped their identities and educational philosophies. The findings reveal a shared developmental trajectory from learners to educators and ultimately to cultural leaders. Through sustained practice, participants cultivated not only physical competence but also pedagogical innovation, organizational leadership, community engagement, intergenerational transmission, and cross-cultural exchange. Tai Chi Chuan emerged as a lifelong educational process that fostered resilience, reflective practice, social responsibility, and cultural stewardship. This paper proposes the concept of Embodied Educational Leadership to explain how women construct educational roles through bodily practice, teaching, organizational participation, and community service. The study contributes to adult and lifelong learning by demonstrating how embodied practice can become a powerful pathway for educational transformation, cultural continuity, and community leadership in contemporary Taiwan.

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/iaforjapan | ACE2026 | IAFOR.ORG | 253

14:50-16:30 | G405 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Capacity Building and Teachers' Education Session Chair: Chi-Ruei Tsai 14:50-15:15 114125 | Generational Similarities and Differences in High School Teachers’ Career Guidance: A Multi-Group Structural Equation Modeling Analysis Nobuo Tanahashi, Hokkaido University, Japan The present study aimed to examine whether high school teachers’ views on career guidance differ across teacher generations. Based on a structural model of career guidance derived from previous research, how ability-centered and personality-centered conceptions of aptitude influenced trust in academic deviation scores (hensachi), career guidance philosophy, and guidance practices were examined for both younger teachers and veteran teachers. A total of 400 high school teachers were divided into a younger-teacher group (n = 145) and a veteran-teacher group (n = 255), and multi-group structural equation modeling was conducted. The measurement model demonstrated adequate factor loadings and reliability in both groups, and metric invariance was supported. Wald tests showed that the only significant group difference was found in the path from trust in academic deviation scores to aptitude-focused guidance. This path was significantly stronger among younger teachers (β = .67) than among veteran teachers (β = .41, p = .002). The basic cognitive structure underlying career guidance was largely shared across teacher generations, and the broad generational differences initially hypothesized were not supported. However, among younger teachers, trust in academic deviation scores was more strongly associated with aptitude-focused guidance, suggesting that they may adopt an approach that combines quantitative academic information with consideration of individual aptitude. Further research is needed to determine whether this difference is attributable to age, teaching experience, or exposure to educational reforms.

15:15-15:40 111860 | The Professional Identity of Teachers and Student Teachers Specializing in English Language Teaching in Public Education in Kuwait Seham Malallah, Kuwait University, Kuwait The present study aimed to identify the perceptions of English language teachers in public schools in Kuwait and student teachers enrolled in the College of Education at Kuwait University about their professional identity and to investigate whether there exists a statistically significant relationship between their perceptions of their professional identity and the variable of entering the profession. As part of the descriptive approach, a questionnaire was administered to a sample of (151) English language teachers, as well as (79) student teachers enrolled in practical education for the English language specialization, and (152) student teachers specialized in English but not participating in practical education. According to the results, the professional identity dimensions of the study sample were generally high, as awareness of teaching tasks ranked first, followed by knowledge and skills of teaching in second place, belonging to the teacher community in third place, interest in academic specialization in fourth place, and motivation to enter the teaching profession in fifth place. The results indicated that there were statistically significant differences between the responses of the sample to their professional identity between English language teachers during service and student teachers prior to joining practical education in the dimension of interest in academic specialization, possessing knowledge and skills in teaching, and belonging to the teacher community. While there are differences between in-service English language teachers and student teachers who are enrolled in practicums in terms of possessing knowledge and skill regarding teaching.

15:40-16:05 107346 | The Divides Between Novice and Veteran Teachers in Language Policy Planning Jasper Hsieh, The University of New South Wales, Australia Novice teachers’ attrition has been investigated in relation to various structural factors, including the influences of teacher education programs, school size, and principals’ leadership. A growing body of research has examined the influence of school community, which motivates this study to delve deeper into the relationships between novice and veteran teachers. Through examining the relationship evolvements between these two groups of teachers in language policy planning, we ask why some novice teachers feel recognised—or unrecognised—by school communities. To address this question, we juxtaposed ethnographic data from both novice and veteran teachers to examine how and why each group positioned the other. The research data were collected from five urban public schools during the implementation of Taiwan’s Bilingual 2030 policy between 2023 and 2024. This spatiotemporal framing allows us to focus on the relationships between novice and veteran teachers when both acted as arbiters of the policy. Drawing on Ball’s notions of performativity and professionalism, we analysed how novice teachers’ agency was enacted and constrained by veteran teachers in the implementation of the Bilingual 2030 policy. The findings reveal that direct and informal engagement and communication with veteran teachers created space for novice teachers to enact agency as they adjusted to the form of bilingual education accepted by their school communities. We call for a whole-school and caring approach to bridge divides between novice and veteran teachers in their understandings of bilingual education policy and its local implementation.

254 | IAFOR.ORG ACE2026 | Follow us on X @IAFOR (tweet about the conference using #IAFOR)

14:50-16:30 | G405 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Capacity Building and Teachers' Education Session Chair: Chi-Ruei Tsai 16:05-16:30 114340 | Generative AI in Elementary School Educational Communication: An Examination of Teacher Beliefs, Efficacy, and Demographic Differences Chi-Ruei Tsai, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Kai-Hsin Tai, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Xin Yan, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Grounded in Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) and Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT), this study investigated elementary school teachers’ Creative Teaching Belief, AI Self-Efficacy, Communication Effect (with colleagues, parents, and students), and Continued Intention regarding generative AI-assisted communication. A questionnaire survey was conducted with Taiwanese elementary school teachers experienced in using generative AI, yielding 227 valid responses. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability and validity analyses, and difference analyses. The results of the difference analysis revealed significant variation across gender, teaching experience, and class size. Male teachers scored significantly higher across all measured constructs. Teachers with shorter or moderate teaching experience reported higher levels of AI Self-Efficacy, Communication Effect across all three domains, and Continued Intention. Furthermore, teachers managing smaller or medium-sized classes demonstrated higher Creative Teaching Belief and Communication Effect with colleagues, whereas those with medium-sized classes exhibited higher Continued Intention. Overall, the findings suggest that teachers’ intention to continue using generative AI is influenced by individual demographic factors and the practical benefits experienced in educational communication settings. This study contributes empirical insight into generative AI adoption in school communication and offers actionable implications for institutional support and professional development.

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14:50-16:30 | G407 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | AI in Higher Education Session Chair: Ying Chieh Chang 14:50-15:15 113192 | Perceived Anthropomorphism as a Mediating Mechanism in Human-AI Interaction: Explaining Empathy, Trust, and Perceived Value in Higher Education Abdullah Al-Abri, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Oman Mohammed Al-Mamari, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Oman Artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly embedded in higher education, yet the psychological mechanisms through which academic staff form trust in AI and perceive its value remain insufficiently understood. This study proposes and tests a structural model that explains perceived value in educational AI through human-like AI perceptions, perceived empathy, perceived usefulness, and trust in AI. The model positions perceived animacy and perceived intelligence as antecedents of perceived anthropomorphism, while perceived anthropomorphism is examined as a mediating mechanism linking these AI perceptions to perceived empathy. Data were collected from 236 academic staff members and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The structural model supported all proposed direct hypotheses. Perceived usefulness was the strongest predictor of perceived value (beta = 0.586), followed by perceived intelligence as a predictor of perceived usefulness (beta = 0.569), and perceived anthropomorphism as a predictor of perceived empathy (beta = 0.518). Trust in AI also significantly predicted perceived value, although its effect was smaller than that of perceived usefulness. The mediation analysis confirmed that perceived anthropomorphism significantly mediated the relationships between perceived animacy and perceived empathy, and between perceived intelligence and perceived empathy. The findings suggest that academic staff value educational AI primarily when they perceive it as useful, but human-like perceptions remain important because they shape perceived empathy through anthropomorphism. The study contributes to human-AI interaction and educational technology research by showing how social-emotional and functional-cognitive pathways jointly explain trust.

15:15-15:40 113994 | Higher Education Teaching in the Age of AI Slop, Pink Slime and Off-cuts of Intelligence Frances Di Lauro, The University of Sydney, Australia In their March 2026 article, Kommers et al ask, “If AI Slop has so little value, why does it continue to proliferate?” It could relate to the virality that propels information rapidly and widely through media systems, as well as the speed with which recipients ingest and absorb it. The latter process is more consequential because absorption can incorporate “fast” information into existing individual or collective bodies of knowledge and embed it in worldviews and perspectives, thereby disrupting beliefs, values, assumptions, and other crucial filters. Yet they argue that information harvested and disseminated by AI (AI Slop), including AI-driven news content (Pink slime), is akin to the Kitsch, Camp and Pastiche condemned as debased “simulacra of genuine culture” in the 1930s, serves a social function and has aesthetic value that renders it deserving of serious study. Whether we consider taking that approach, as educators, we have a duty to cultivate AI literacy in higher education through comparative analysis, fact-checking and metacognitive reflection. Scaffolding and linked assessments continue to have a crucial role in teaching information literacy to academic writing students, and an added focus on AI literacy helps to expose the shortcomings of tools that mimic human thinking in building arguments at a basic level but flatten complex thought.

15:40-16:05 110690 | The Ethics of Efficiency in Generative AI Use: A TRM-AI Mixed-Methods Study of Faculty and Student Perspectives on Academic Integrity Helene Daya, Southern Luzon State University, Philippines Marife Magpantay, Southern Luzon State University, Philippines Because Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) alters the methods by which people learn and teach, universities exist in a state where the utility of technology and ethical standards are not in agreement. In this study, researchers used a comparative mixed methods design to evaluate how 533 students and 100 faculty members perceive the speed, outcomes plus ethics of AI. It is clear from the collected data that those two groups hold different perspectives. As indicated by the scores (M = 3.05 & M = 2.97), students prefer to transfer their cognitive tasks to the software so they can complete more work in less time. By contrast, faculty members show more interest in the mechanical functions of the systems and the potential dangers of a dependence on algorithms (M = 3.63). When the participants' written responses are analyzed together, both groups are "cautiously optimistic." For students, the objective is to achieve high grades on their assessments - but faculty members want to ensure that the learning process remains honest and complete. By introducing the Triarchic Responsibility Model for AI Integration (TRM-AI), this study offers a structure that supports a cooperative method for using AI in education. Instead of using methods that are established or reactive, the TRM-AI divides responsibility among three tiers. To begin, the university defines ethical rules. Faculty members apply the rules to teaching, but also to assessment tasks. And finally, students use AI for learning while they are under supervision and remain responsible for their actions. With this model, a central concept is the difference between cognitive scaffolding, where AI assists learning, and cognitive substitution, where it acts as a replacement for thought- this helps institutions decide.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | AI in Higher Education Session Chair: Ying Chieh Chang 16:05-16:30 113920 | The Hidden Price of the AI Revolution: “Compute Capital” and the New Digital Divide in Higher Education Ying Chieh Chang, National Chi Nan University, Taiwan While the advent of Agentic AI models (e.g., GPT-5.5, Claude 5) promises to democratize personalized learning, it simultaneously introduces an invisible yet formidable barrier: the financial cost of computing power. Extending Pierre Bourdieu’s sociological framework, this study proposes "Compute Capital" as a novel concept to analyze the emerging digital divide in higher education. Unlike traditional search engines, Agentic AI requires iterative trial-and-error, vast context windows, and complex Chain-of-Thought reasoning—all of which are strictly monetized in the current Token Economy. Drawing on empirical log data from the AI Hub at National Chi Nan University (NCNU), Taiwan, this research uncovers the harsh realities of deploying enterprise-grade AI infrastructure in an academic setting. Our findings reveal the extreme volatility of API consumption; in one instance, a student executing a parallel debugging workflow instantly consumed over $10 USD in compute resources. Scaling such unrestricted, legitimate academic usage to a campus of 6,000 students would generate an unsustainable multi-million dollar recurring deficit. This study argues that the illusion of "free AI" masks the steep financial threshold required for true, productive AI empowerment. Left unregulated by institutional intervention, technological dividends will inherently skew toward those with abundant Compute Capital, threatening the foundational equity of higher education. Ultimately, this paper urges policymakers and educational institutions to rethink AI not as a localized software service, but as critical public infrastructure requiring structural subsidies and centralized budget governance.

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14:50-16:30 | G408 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Learning Experiences and Learner Diversity Session Chair: Nick Vasiljevic 14:50-15:15 109955 | Correlational Study Between Emotional Intelligence and Self-directed Learning in Flipped Learning Desmond Ng, Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore Sumasri Kallakuri, Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore Tiong Wei Tan, Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore Yunyi Wong, Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore Self-Directed Learning (SDL) is a critical component for student success in flipped learning, as students are required to engage in independent pre-class learning. Emotional factors may influence students’ ability to manage their learning and remain motivated in such learning environments. This mixed-methods study investigated the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and SDL in a Singapore higher education institution. Quantitative data were collected using validated survey instruments, including the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, the Emotional Intelligence Self-Assessment Tool, and a Survey on Asynchronous Learning Materials, while qualitative data were collected to provide deeper insights into students’ learning experiences in flipped learning environments. These results indicated that higher levels of Emotional Intelligence positively influenced students’ Self-Directed Learning, particularly in the area of self-regulation, which supported more effective engagement in asynchronous learning. Academic Performance was found to be positively associated with components of SelfDirected Learning; however, no significant relationship was found between Emotional Intelligence and Academic Performance. Overall, this study highlights the importance of emotional regulation and self-directed learning in flipped learning environments and underscores their impact on student engagement and learning effectiveness in higher education. The findings also provide practical implications for educators and institutions in designing flipped learning environments that better support students’ emotional management, motivation, and self-directed learning skills in this paper.

15:15-15:40 112985 | Self-Determination Theory in Self-Regulated Learning: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Fangye Luo, Waseda University, Japan Self-determination theory (SDT) is widely used in educational studies as an analytic framework to unveil learners’ motivation and related learning outcomes. While existing studies in self-regulated learning mainly explored how basic need satisfaction promotes learners’ self-regulation, a synthesis of how SDT principles apply to self-regulated learning remains scarce. Clarifying how self-determination theory is integrated into SRL informs future motivational studies and theoretical development. This study thus aims to investigate how self-determination theory applies to self-regulated learning in educational contexts and synthesize quantitative results. Following the PRISMA guideline (Page et al., 2021), this systematic review of 72 studies identified two pairs of patterns: theoretical embedding or distinction and relational specification or non-specification, wherein SRL is conceptualized as outcomes, learning strategies, pedagogical design, and theoretical framework. A descriptive analysis shows most studies were conducted in higher education and Asian contexts and grounded on the sub-theories of basic psychological needs and organismic integration theories. A multilevel meta-analysis of 35 selected studies utilizing the Restricted Maximum Likelihood method further demonstrated that the SRL intervention promotes intrinsic motivation and basic psychological needs (g=0.452, p=0.004). Self-regulated learning outcomes and strategies positively correlated with teachers’ autonomy-supportive instructions (r=0.424, p<0.001) and need satisfaction (i.e., autonomy: r=0.449, p<0.001; competence: r=0.552, p<0.001; relatedness: r=0.402, p<0.001). The study extends Self-Determination Theory by arguing that basic psychological needs are positioned and operate in multiple facets of SRL, including learners’ self-regulated strategies, learning outcomes, and pedagogical designs. Pedagogical implications underscore the roles of a supportive environment in promoting self-regulated learning.

15:40-16:05 111108 | The Relational Dimension: Reframing Student Agency for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Matthias Olson, Northeastern University, United States Richard Hill, Northeastern University, United States Student agency is increasingly framed as a precondition for success in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, with current models defining it through intrapersonal capacities such as metacognition, student advocacy, and intrinsic motivation. This paper argues that these capacities do not develop in a relational vacuum. Drawing on data from two action research dissertations conducted in international schools across three regions (Northern Europe, the U.S., and East Asia), we propose a relational dimension as a precondition for the intrapersonal components of agency the IBDP demands. The first study examined how collaborative interdisciplinary capstone design impacts teacher efficacy and capacity for creating agentic learning environments at international schools without IB feeder curricula, drawing on teacher surveys, design sessions, and focus groups with recent IBDP graduates. The second study examined teacher agency and student identity expression at an international school in East Asia, drawing on interviews, focus groups, and a community of practice intervention. Across both contexts, students described intrinsic motivation and self-advocacy as emerging through authentic, empathetic teacher-student connection rather than as independent capacities they brought to the classroom. Teachers in both studies reported parallel growth in their capacity to recognize and design for these relational conditions. We argue that agency frameworks for IBDP preparation are incomplete without a relational dimension that names the conditions under which metacognition, advocacy, and motivation develop. The paper offers implications for pre-IB curriculum design, teacher preparation, and how international schools structure the relational practice agentic learning requires.

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Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Learning Experiences and Learner Diversity Session Chair: Nick Vasiljevic 16:05-16:30 111414 | An Attention Support Apparatus for Adolescent Self-Directed Learning: A Pilot Study Nick Vasiljevic, Shih Chien University, Taiwan Carl Lorenz Odendahl, Shih Chien University, Taiwan This pilot study examines whether an Attention Support Apparatus (ASA), a standalone desktop timer that structures work into focus and rest intervals and uses an outward-facing status light to signal focus periods to bystanders, supports adolescent learners during self-directed reading by restructuring their study experience. Two senior high school students completed two one-week phases performing the same reading task, yielding 14 daily observation sessions as the unit of analysis. In Phase 1, a smartphone timer served as the comparison, matching the timing mechanism but lacking the ASA's notification-free hardware and external focus indicator. In Phase 2, the ASA was used. Measures included pre-session focus, post-session concentration (1–10 scale), frequency of overall and phone-related distractions, and pages read. Initial findings were substantial: post-session concentration was significantly higher in the ASA phase (M = 8.36 vs. 7.43; t(13) = −3.24, p = 0.006, d = 0.81), and overall distractions dropped sharply (M = 3.71 vs. 1.36; t(13) = 4.44, p < 0.001, d = 1.21). Phone-related distractions trended downward but did not reach significance. Notably, individual differences between learners accounted for substantial variance: once baseline focus and learner identity were controlled, phase no longer predicted subjective concentration, though its effect on observable distraction behavior remained robust. The work-in-progress findings suggest the ASA reshapes how learners experience focused work through environmental scaffolding rather than uniformly across learners. This initial data will directly inform the ongoing, scaled deployment of dedicated focus-signaling devices for diverse adolescent learners.

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14:50-16:30 | G410 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Language Development and Literacy Session Chair: Xiying Wang 14:50-15:15 111328 | Why Breadth Isn’t Depth: Logical Complexity Moderates the Path from Content Reorganization to Cognitive Integration Wen Hsiu Wu, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan Guan-Ze Liao, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan The Knowledge Transforming model emphasizes knowledge reorganization over simple reproduction, yet its structural manifestation in writing remains empirically elusive. This study proposes a three-level framework in writing relative to source texts: Content Reorganization, Logical Complexity, and Cognitive Integration. We hypothesize that these levels are positively correlated and that the synergy between content and logic predicts both the quantity of logical argumentation and the quality of cognitive transformation. This study analyzed 186 writing paragraphs from 59 university students tasked with writing analytical essays for a Chinese reading-to-write assignment. The study employed Thematic Breadth and Thematic Sequence as indicators of Content Reorganization. Logical Complexity was operationalized via an entropybased measure of logical link distribution. Cognitive Integration was assessed via Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy. To ensure validity, text length (log-transformed) was controlled. Results support a model where Logical Complexity moderates the mediated relationship between Content Reorganization and logical argumentation. Specifically, thematic expansion enhances logical argumentation only under high logical complexity (+1SD; Indirect Effect = 0.509, 95% Bootstrap CI [0.082, 1.125]), with a significant shift from causal to contrastive reasoning that reflects enhanced multi-perspective coordination. Both content reorganization (r = .234) and logical complexity (r = .280) correlate significantly with cognitive integration, but the regression analysis revealed that they do not directly predict cognitive integration. This suggests that additional mediating mechanisms may exist between surface-level text indicators and cognitive transformation. These findings echo prior studies on the intervention of Logical Complexity and the mechanisms driving the prevalence of logical argumentation in high-quality writing.

15:15-15:40 114295 | Seeing and Feeling the AI Agent: An Eye-Tracking Study of Embodiment, Valence, and Cognitive Load in Children’s Reading Comprehension Camille Pistre, Université Paris Est Créteil, France Ugo Ballenghein, University Paris-Est Créteil, France Xavier Aparicio, University Paris-Est Créteil, France Conversational AI agents are increasingly deployed to support reading instruction, raising questions about how their design shapes children’s engagement and learning. Meta-analytic reviews show that embodied pedagogical agents enhance learning outcomes compared to disembodied ones, and that agents’ emotional tone influences learner motivation. However, these factors have rarely been examined jointly, or through behavioural measures capturing engagement moment-to-moment alongside comprehension outcomes — a gap particularly pressing for LLM-based agents, whose adaptive behaviour differs from earlier scripted agents, and for children, who remain underrepresented in this literature. This study addresses this gap by investigating agent embodiment (embodied vs. disembodied) and emotional valence (positive agent “Lumi” vs. negative agent “Nox”), using a fully counterbalanced 2×2 within-subject design with 48 pupils aged 8 to 12. Participants read a text with each agent, then complete a comprehension quiz. Eye movements and head sway are recorded via a Tobii Pro eye-tracking system, and perceived cognitive load is assessed via a child-adapted NASA-TLX. We hypothesize that embodied agents will elicit greater visual attention and postural engagement than disembodied agents, and that positive valence will yield longer fixation times, lower cognitive load, and higher comprehension scores than negative valence, with embodiment amplifying these benefits. By linking behavioural, subjective, and performance indices, this study offers one of the first multimodal accounts of how embodiment and affect jointly shape children’s engagement with AI reading agents.

15:40-16:05 112964 | Children’s Literature and Syntactic Development: Acquisition of Basic Sentence Structures Yu Joy Wong, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong The development of fundamental sentence structure is a crucial milestone in children’s language acquisition. Previous research has placed significance in parental input and child-directed speech (CDS) in shaping a child’s understanding of basic sentence sequences; yet, the influence of children’s literature has received relatively less attention. The study aims to address this gap by investigating how the syntactic structures presented in children’s English literature facilitate the learning of fundamental sentence patterns like Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) or Subject-Verb-Complement (SVC). A corpus analysis of 30 best-selling English children’s storybooks with targeted age group from 3 to 8 years old in diversified themes will be performed. Each sentence in the books will be coded for its grammatical structure to identify the prevalence of different sentence structures (SVO, SVC, SVA etc.), complexity (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex etc.), and sentence types (declarative, imperative, interrogative etc.). The analysis reveals that contemporary children’s picture books predominantly use simple declarative sentences, with the majority of SVO and highly frequent SVC patterns. The books teach grammar implicitly with abundant examples, from the simplest SVO sentences to the more complex structures with multiple clauses.

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14:50-16:30 | G410 (4F)

Tuesday Onsite Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Language Development and Literacy Session Chair: Xiying Wang 16:05-16:30 111308 | Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Domain-Specific and Gendered Effects of a Picture Book Curriculum in a Chinese Primary School Xiying Wang, Beijing Normal University, China Yabo Zhang, Faculty of Education, China Binli Chen, Beijing Normal University, China Schools are key sites where children learn and reproduce gender norms. Drawing on Developmental Intergroup Theory, this study examines the effects of a one-semester picture book curriculum designed to challenge first graders' gender stereotypes across three domains— activities/toys, traits, and occupations—in a Chinese primary school. A mixed-design repeated measures ANCOVA was conducted with 219 students (110 experimental, 109 control) across six classes. The findings reveal that the curriculum's effects were domain-specific and gender-differentiated rather than generalized. Stereotypes about gendered activities/toys were significantly reduced for all children, while effects on occupations were small but marginally significant, and no significant change was observed for traits. Additionally, the curriculum produced stronger effects for girls than for boys. These findings suggest that gender stereotypes vary in their susceptibility to pedagogical challenge, and that effective gender equity education must be designed with attention to both domain and gender differences.

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Notes

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Wednesday, November 18 10:45-12:00 | Online Parallel Session 1 12:10-13:50 | Online Parallel Session 2 14:00-15:15 | Online Parallel Session 3 15:25-17:05 | Online Parallel Session 4 All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) Abstracts appear as originally submitted by the author. Any spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors are those of the author.

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10:45-12:00 | Live-Stream Room 1

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Do It Scared: Building Fearless Communication and Leadership Identity Through the P.O.W.E.R. Framework (Workshop) Session Chair: Norberto Troncoso 10:45-11:35 111823 | Do It Scared: Building Fearless Communication and Leadership Identity Through the P.O.W.E.R. Framework Norberto Troncoso, Troncoso Ventures, United States Across educational contexts worldwide, students who possess knowledge and capability routinely fail to demonstrate it under pressure. They freeze in interviews, go silent during presentations, and avoid opportunities that require them to communicate with authority. The prevailing approach treats this as a confidence problem and prescribes motivation. This workshop proposes a different frame: courage is not a feeling that precedes communication but a skill that develops through structured, repeated practice. The P.O.W.E.R. Framework (Presence, Ownership, Wavelength, Energy, Resonance) is an emerging practitioner-developed system created through over a decade of work with more than 1,000 students and 100 educators across 25+ schools in the United States. It provides educators with a repeatable, human-centred method for building emotional regulation, fearless communication, and leadership identity in learners. In this workshop, participants will experience each pillar of the framework through guided interactive exercises: grounding techniques for managing anxiety before speaking, rapid speech building for developing clarity under time pressure, scenario-based communication drills for reading and responding to emotional dynamics in a room, and structured self-advocacy practice for strengthening professional identity. The session is designed so that participants practice rather than listen, modelling the pedagogy the framework proposes. Attendees will leave with a portable system they can adapt across cultural and institutional contexts, applicable to secondary, post-secondary, and adult learning environments. The workshop addresses the universal gap between what learners know and what they can communicate when it matters most.

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10:45-12:00 | Live-Stream Room 2

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Design, Implementation and Technology in Education Session Chair: Noura Tegoan 10:45-11:10 114359 | Guardrailing GenAI Use in EAP Through Classroom Contracts Jason Pipe, Kanto Gakuin University, Japan Generative AI (GenAI) is rapidly reshaping university writing instruction, intensifying tensions between academic integrity and learner support. Using a survey with Likert-scale and open-ended items, this exploratory mixed-methods study examined part-time instructors teaching EAP writing (n = 12) and second-year EAP undergraduates (n = 19) at a private Japanese university. The study investigated perceived reliance on GenAI, integrity concerns and policy preferences, perceived learning effects, and risks of dependence. Descriptive and thematic analyses suggest conditional acceptance among both groups, with students generally more permissive than teachers. Participants endorsed humanfirst drafting and transparent, process-visible use (e.g., retaining prompts and documenting revisions), while expressing concerns that overreliance may short-circuit drafting, language noticing, and argument development. Teachers emphasised disclosure and guardrails limiting post-draft support to clarity and linguistic accuracy; students reported benefits for generating illustrative language examples and receiving feedback, but acknowledged risks to independent thinking. Synthesising these perspectives, the paper proposes a concise classroom contract that frames GenAI as a scaffold rather than a substitute, requiring documentation of use and prioritising idea generation and structure before AI-assisted polishing. The study provides practice-oriented guidance for integrating GenAI into EAP writing while supporting authentic language production and authorial agency.

11:10-11:35 110873 | Adoption of Extended Reality Technologies in Language Education: A Qualitative Study in Australian Universities Noura Tegoan, Central Queensland University, Australia Sriman Grandhi, Central Queensland University, Australia Santoso Wibowo, Central Queensland University, Australia Robin Yang, Kaplan Business School, Australia Chantana Viriyavejakul, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand The adoption of Extended Reality (XR) technologies is increasingly transforming language education to address the growing global demand for multilingual proficiency. XR technologies offer several benefits, including (a) accelerating the development of innovative language pedagogy and (b) improving learners’ fluency, motivation, engagement and socio-emotional development. Despite these benefits, there is limited research that has examined the key factors influencing academics’ attitudes, behaviour, and experiences regarding the adoption of XR technologies. Therefore, this study aims to examine the critical factors influencing the implementation and pedagogical effectiveness of XR technologies in new language education at Australian universities. This study used a qualitative research approach involving semi-structured interviews with academics engaged in language education and immersive learning technologies. The research was based on the General Extended Technology Acceptance Model for e-Learning (GETAMEL) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The qualitative findings indicate significant relationships among several factors, including self-efficacy, computer anxiety, enjoyment, social influence, facilitating conditions, attitudes, and XR adoption. In addition, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness positively influence academics’ behavioural intentions toward adopting XR technologies. The findings also show that most academics recognise the potential of XR technologies to enhance language proficiency, engagement, awareness, and interaction in language educational environments. Overall, the study highlights the value of XR technologies in enriching language education and offers practical recommendations for academics and policymakers to support their effective implementation as immersive educational platforms in higher education.

11:35-12:00 113189 | Structured AI Scaffolding and Metacognitive Awareness in L2 Listening: A Classroom-Based Case Report Zola ChiChin Lai, Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, Taiwan Sally Ru-Yan Liu, Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, Taiwan This classroom-based case report draws on the AI-guided condition of a larger quasi-experimental study to examine how a structured approach to AI-supported listening was associated with learners' metacognitive awareness in an EFL classroom. Thirty-six Taiwanese university students (CEFR B1–B2) participated in an 18-week listening course in which teacher-assigned modules on the Cool English platform were integrated into the pre-, while-, and post-listening stages of each lesson. The instructional design combined teacher-controlled sequencing, stage-embedded support, and task-specific feedback within a metacognitive cycle of planning, monitoring, and evaluation (Vandergrift & Goh, 2012). Learners completed the Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ; Vandergrift et al., 2006) at the beginning and end of the semester, together with a brief post-course reflection. By the end of the course, learners reported relatively high levels of metacognitive awareness, particularly in planning and evaluation and directed attention, while reliance on mental translation remained comparatively limited. Learner reflections complemented these patterns. Many students described the structured sequence as helping them anticipate what to listen for and monitor their understanding during listening, while others noted that the fixed progression occasionally encouraged procedural rather than reflective engagement. Taken together, the case illustrates how AI can function as part of a carefully sequenced instructional design rather than as an independent learning tool. The findings highlight the potential contribution of structured, stage-embedded support to metacognitive engagement during L2 listening while underscoring the importance of balancing instructional guidance with opportunities for active learner involvement.

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10:45-12:00 | Live-Stream Room 3

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Language Teaching Experiences Session Chair: Midori Sasaki 10:45-11:10 114393 | Silence Is Golden: Teaching with and into Silence in the Undergraduate Creative Writing Classroom Samantha Bowers, University of Sydney, Australia Novelist and scholar Maud Casey writes: “On the page, silence makes all kinds of noise” (2020, p. 78). The same can be said of the undergraduate creative writing classroom. Too often, teachers see silence in the classroom as paralysing; something to be feared, and immediately filled. Students, too, often see writing as limited to the placing of words on the page. This paper asks instead: how can we value silence in the creative writing classroom – both the silence in the room, and the silence on the page – and see it as a productive place of learning, thinking, processing and meaning making? Drawing on education lecturer Amy Hanna’s research on silence in the classroom (2021), and writing scholars’ Moy McCrory and Simon Heywood’s work on strategies of silence in creative writing pedagogy (2021), this paper asks how we might read silences formatively as educators, and use them to enrich student learning and writing practice, particularly when writing/ righting injustice. How can silence enrich student workshops and discussions? How might it broaden students’ expectations of form and narrative structure? What can silence offer the development student voice? This paper considers silence as valuable, as generative; as golden.

11:10-11:35 110775 | Reasoning Through Contrast: AI-Generated Paired Opinion Texts for Advanced Korean Jisook Kim, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, United States Kideok Kim, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, United States Yunjin Esmeralda, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, United States This presentation examines the potential of AI-generated paired opinion texts such as Progressive versus Conservative perspectives, to foster integrated language proficiency and critical reasoning skills among advanced Korean learners. Although these learners typically exhibit strong grammatical competence and processes substantial background knowledge, they frequently encounter difficulties in interpreting nuanced stance, variations in register, and implicit conceptual bias. Mastery of these skills is essential for effective communication in diverse contexts. Thematically aligned paired opinion texts were developed on social, economic, and historical topics to model discourse patterns found in Korean media while permitting pedagogical customization. Learners participated in structured tasks across three modalities: reading to identify core arguments, discern ideological orientation, and evaluate evidence; listening to audio versions to capture underlying intent and develop prosodic awareness; and speaking through debates and summarization tasks to refute arguments and articulate reasoned viewpoints. Preliminary findings from classroom observations and student reflections indicate that exposure to conceptually opposed yet linguistically comparable materials enhances discourse-level comprehension, critical reasoning, and advanced oral production. Additionally, artificial intelligence facilitates scalable customization to address diverse learner needs. This presentation explores task design principles, sample materials, research findings, and their implications for teaching critical literacy and integrated proficiency in Korean as a foreign language.

11:35-12:00 114395 | The Impact of English Drama Activities on Pre-Service Teachers’ Views on English Language Teaching Midori Sasaki, Osaka Seikei University, Japan English drama activities are widely recommended as an effective approach in foreign and second language acquisition, with numerous empirical studies validating their classroom benefits (e.g., Kao & O’Neill, 1998; Ando, 2014, etc.). Beyond enhancing practical language proficiency, drama activities have been suggested to influence pre-service teachers' views on instruction, significantly shaping their professional awareness and pedagogical beliefs. However, limited research has specifically investigated how drama activities transform views on English language teaching and pedagogical methodologies among students under Japanese teacher preparation programs. This study implemented a course incorporating English drama activities and examined changes in student teachers' perspectives on English instruction before and after the intervention. Data were collected and analyzed using qualitative reflection journals. The findings from the data source revealed that through drama activities, student teachers not only enhanced their own English communication skills but also recognized the practical utility of drama as an instructional methodology. Most importantly, the intervention prompted a fundamental shift in their pedagogical views: students realized that English instruction should prioritize a communicative perspective rather than traditional knowledge-based teaching. Overall, the study demonstrates that integrating drama activities into teacher training programs effectively strengthens pre-service teachers' communicative language teaching orientation and fosters a deeper understanding of communicative language pedagogy in the Japanese context.

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10:45-12:00 | Live-Stream Room 4

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Curriculum Design and Assessment in Education Session Chair: Branka Sarac 10:45-11:10 111402 | Leveraging an Adaptive Learning System (AdLeS) to Personalize Learning in a Flipped Classroom at a University in Singapore Hui Wen Chin, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore Che Yee Lye, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore Hariz Liew, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore A lack of personalized pre-class learning can hinder the success of flipped classrooms. This action research study sought to address the issue by leveraging an online Adaptive Learning System (AdLeS). The project was guided by the question, “How can AdLeS support personalized learning in a flipped classroom at a university in Singapore?”. In the January 2026 semester, AdLeS was used to present 112 students taking an undergraduate elective with pre-class learning quizzes. Students completed multiple choice questions before six in-person sessions with the course instructor. These questions were tailored to each student’s needs and shared in an individualized sequence. The difficulty of questions, number of questions, feedback and learning content were developed based on each learner’s performance on diagnostic tests and their unique learning progression. Data were generated through a student questionnaire (assessing academic motivation and engagement), student mastery and completion scores (from AdLeS), and the instructor’s weekly reflective journals. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and correlation analysis, while qualitative data were analysed through thematic analysis. Thus, three findings emerged responding to the research question. Firstly, AdLeS extended individualized support by offering (a) two tries to get each question right; (b) hints; as well as (c) digestible summaries and feedback. Secondly, to fully realize AdLeS’ personalization benefits, students needed to be intrinsically rather than extrinsically motivated to learn. Finally, for the instructor, AdLeS’ mastery and completion scores enabled the identification of students who were struggling with specific concepts, so that targeted resources could be shared with them.

11:10-11:35 112644 | From Playwright to Pedagogue: Reimagining Malay Theatre as Authentic Pedagogy for Teaching Malay to Beginner Learners Nuraini Ismail, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Malay language instruction for beginner learners has traditionally emphasised vocabulary acquisition, grammatical accuracy and functional communication. While these approaches establish foundational linguistic competence, they often provide limited opportunities for learners to engage with the cultural meanings, social values and authentic discourse that shape the Malay language. Conversely, Malay theatre has largely been examined within literary and cultural studies, with limited attention given to its potential as a pedagogical foundation for language education. This paper proposes the Playwright-to-Pedagogue (P2P) Framework, a conceptual framework that reimagines the Malay playwright not simply as a literary figure, but as a pedagogical agent whose dramatic ideas, dialogue and cultural perspectives provide authentic contexts for language learning. Rather than treating theatre as supplementary classroom material, the framework positions the playwright's worldview as the organising principle through which beginner learners develop linguistic competence, cultural understanding and communicative confidence simultaneously. To operationalise this conceptual framework, the paper introduces the Malay Theatre Language Framework (MTLF), an instructional cycle that transforms selected dramatic texts into scaffolded learning experiences for learners (undergraduates) with no prior knowledge of Malay. Through authentic dialogue, collaborative interpretation, dramatic interaction and reflective language use, the framework seeks to cultivate linguistic competence alongside intercultural understanding. By bridging Malay literary scholarship and language pedagogy, this paper offers a new perspective on theatre-based language education and proposes a transferable model for integrating literary scholarship into language pedagogy across diverse educational contexts.

11:35-12:00 111256 | Constructed-Response Listening and Reading Proficiency Assessments for Advanced Korean Learners: Emerging Washback Effects Branka Sarac, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, United States Jisook Kim, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, United States Midterm and final exams play a significant role in foreign language education. Test offer both summative results and washback, i.e., “the influence of assessments on teaching, learning, curriculum, and stakeholder perceptions” (Yin, 2026), that include how test items impact classroom practices and learner behavior. An ongoing case study was implemented to investigate the washback effects of constructedresponse listening and reading proficiency tests on advanced Korean learners and their classroom environments. As most proficiency assessments incorporate multiple-choice formats, often encouraging test-taking strategies over deeper comprehension, the goal was to determine if and how an alternative test format, such as constructed-response items, would influence classroom instructional practices, lesson design, student preparation behavior with a greater emphasis on cognition, and proficiency development. The study includes 20 college students in a 19-week advanced Korean program at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Monterey, California, USA. Reading and listening proficiency tests with constructed-response items are administered at the midpoint and end of the instructional period. Unlike multiple-choice tests, these assessments require written responses to listening and reading passages and promote deeper understanding and more active engagement. Data collected via triangulation, surveys, classroom observation, and test results suggest that the constructed-response format promotes inferencing, information integration, and note-taking during classroom activities, but it also appears to increase test anxiety and time pressure for learners.

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10:45-12:00 | Live-Stream Room 5

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 1 ACE2026 | Professional Training and Development in Education Session Chair: Sing Tsun Derek Wong 10:45-11:10 112862 | Negotiating Professional Identity: Chinese Pre-service English Teachers’ Identity Development During Teacher Education Simin Zhang, Monash University, Australia Zhiheng Zhou, Monash University, Australia Globally, pre-service teachers are increasingly expected to adapt to diverse social, cultural, policy, and institutional contexts while developing their professional identities. While previous research has highlighted the dynamic nature of pre-service teachers’ identity across the world, the negotiation of professional identities among Chinese pre-service English teachers (PSETs) throughout teacher education remained largely unexamined. This narrative-based case study investigates how Chinese PSETs negotiate their professional identities during their initial teacher education and investigates the factors that shape this ongoing process. Semi-structured interviews and narrative reflective writing were conducted with individual PSETs and analysed thematically to explore how participants interpreted their experiences and constructed understandings of themselves as future teachers. The findings suggest that Chinese PSETs’ professional identities were fluid, dynamic, and continuously shaped by diverse personal and professional practices, institutional structures, and social discourse. Tension emerged between these PSETs’ expectations—particularly during their practicum placements—the realities of classroom teaching, and their complex interactions with their mentor teachers and school cultures. Identity negotiation was therefore an ongoing process through which participants interpreted, responded to, and reconstructed their professional self-understandings across teacher education contexts. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of pre-service teacher identity by demonstrating the complex and evolving nature of identity negotiation during teacher education. It also offers practical insights for teacher educators, institutions, and policymakers seeking to better support pre-service teachers’ professional learning and identity development.

11:10-11:35 112431 | Human Voice & Power: Diagnosing High-Impact AI Legitimacy Vinh Phong Hoang, Independent Scholar, Vietnam AI systems increasingly filter information, rank applicants, allocate welfare, screen workers, and mediate access to institutions. This paper asks when such systems can claim legitimacy from the standpoint of affected humans. It introduces Human Voice & Power (HVP), a normative framework grounded in political legitimacy theory, rights-based ethics, deliberative governance, and critical data studies. HVP argues that highimpact AI systems cannot rely on consent, transparency, or oversight alone. They require six operational conditions: voice, refusal, override, participation, accountability, and enforceability, maintained over time. At its core, HVP treats the right to say no as a structural condition of legitimate AI governance. To make this claim assessable, the paper develops HVP-L(t)=min[V(t),R(t),O(t),P(t),A(t)]×E(t)×ΔC(t) as a normative diagnostic rather than a predictive equation. Each variable is assessed through observable governance indicators: notice, contestability, refusal or non-automated review in high-stakes contexts, human override, participation in system review, accountable responsibility, remedy timelines, and periodic reassessment. The min function expresses that legitimacy is constrained by the weakest human-agency condition; E(t) and ΔC(t) test whether these conditions are enforceable and temporally resilient. The paper applies the framework to AI-assisted welfare eligibility and automated hiring. It distinguishes legitimate override from unlimited veto: HVP requires targeted, procedurally bounded rights in high-impact contexts, not constant interruption of routine operations. It concludes that AI governance should be judged not only by accuracy or efficiency, but by whether affected humans retain actionable agency.

11:35-12:00 109533 | AI-Human Duoethnography as a Reflective Practice Tool for Teacher Professional Development in Postdigital Schools Sing Tsun Derek Wong, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong Reflective practice remains central to teacher professional development, yet traditional approaches, such as journalling, autoethnography, or peer dialogue, often fall short when educators work in isolation or lack access to a genuine critical friend. This paper introduces AI–Human Duoethnography as a scalable, accessible reflective practice framework that leverages a Large Language Model (LLM) to serve as a dialogic partner in professional learning. Originating from the author’s own need to document thinking with reduced self protective bias, the method prompts an LLM to inhabit a structured “Researcher Persona”, enabling teachers to externalise, interrogate, and refine their professional assumptions. Drawing on a series of reflective cycles conducted by a Hong Kong English Panel Chairperson, the study demonstrates how AI mediated dialogue can surface tacit beliefs, challenge habitual narratives, and generate new interpretive possibilities. Rather than reinforcing an echo chamber, the AI interlocutor introduces conceptual provocations that deepen reflective depth while maintaining psychological safety. The analysis highlights how teachers can use AI–Human Duoethnography to clarify pedagogical intentions, navigate tensions around AI integration, and cultivate postdigital reflexivity in their everyday practice. The paper argues that AI–Human Duoethnography offers a practical, low barrier reflective tool for teacher professional development, particularly in contexts where time, collegial support, or access to mentoring is limited. By functioning as a dynamic “digital mirror", the method supports educators in achieving genuine critical distance, fostering more intentional, ethically grounded, and self aware professional growth.

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Notes

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12:10-13:50 | Live-Stream Room 1

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice and Praxis Session Chair: Aileen Chai 12:10-12:35 111307 | An Observational Study of Instructor-Student Interactions in Active Learning Classrooms Ching Yee Pua, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore Jamil Jasin, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore Kenan Xiao-Feng Kok, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore Oran Zane Devilly, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore While active learning classrooms (ALCs) are known to improve conceptual understanding and student attitudes, there is limited research into the granular, real-time instructional “moves” that optimize these learnings spaces. This study examined the nature of pedagogical interactions within ALCs—designed to foster collaboration through clustered seating and dedicated monitor displays—at a Singapore-based university. Nine classroom videos featuring different instructors were observed to examine instructor and student behaviours, as well as shifts in pedagogical practices. The Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS) was employed to observe and code instructorand student-led actions. The findings revealed a discrepancy between technological affordances of the classroom and instructors’ actual pedagogical enactment. In sessions where instructors actively leveraged the learning environment, movable monitors became collaborative hubs that supported group discussions and instructor-student consultations. Such interactions appeared to reposition instructors from distant content deliverers to more approachable mentors. However, the data also showed that instructors remained largely stationary during several observed intervals. Without active facilitation, students frequently retreated into “silent clusters”, interacting primarily with their individual devices and engaging in minimal verbal communication. These findings suggest that spatial configuration and technological affordances alone are insufficient to promote active learning without intentional pedagogical actions. The study further highlights that for ALCs to be effective, instructors must move beyond mere spatial presence. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of professional development focused on spatial literacy—the ability to intentionally align pedagogical actions with the physical and technological affordances of the learning environment.

12:35-13:00 112021 | Human-AI Sympoiesis – Reframing Critical Thinking Through Friction of Entanglement in a Post Humanist Classroom Vinita Nair, Panyaden International School, Thailand Daiju Vithaythil, Panyaden International School, Thailand Erosion of critical thinking has become an often-raised concern in education with the rapid integration of AI into the classroom. This research paper is directed towards countering this concern and introducing a revolutionary post humanist pedagogical framework centred on Donna Haraway’s concept of ‘Sympoiesis’, a term that stands for ‘making with’, further pointing at the idea of collective creation. Through this paper, the framework argues that AI is not an autonomous entity and that it can be harnessed constructively if educators introduce ‘productive friction’, compelling students to grapple with the otherness of AI. Keeping its aim tied to studying this complex entanglement rather than reaching a definitive result, this study uses Post Qualitative Inquiry (St.Pierre). Methodologically, it employs Karen Barad’s Diffractive Analysis to examine ‘interference patterns’ in the student- AI interactions across iterative drafting stages challenging the usual pattern of educational research that heavily depends on reflection. This research is aimed at showing how student and AI are entangled in a relationship that transforms one another in real time. Data is collected via multi modal mapping which includes capturing negotiation of ideas through chat logs, mapping metacognitive agency via reflection bridges and affective mapping to catch the emotional friction. Through this post humanist lens, the research aims to create what Tewell once called ‘Resistance Engagement’ which means that students do not passively accept but actively evaluate and sometimes reject the output based on their own agency.

13:00-13:25 114143 | Adaptive Facilitation in Action: Utilising Real-Time Design Thinking to Scaffold Undergraduates’ Critical Thinking Ivy Chan, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Aileen Chai, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Developing students’ critical thinking in higher education remains challenging, particularly in supporting first-year undergraduate students in deriving concepts from their lived experiences in an interdisciplinary module at Nanyang Technological University. This course aims to equip students with skills to move from observed details to abstract concepts via structured inquiry (Elder & Paul, 2020) as students frequently struggle to identify salient information, cluster data into insightful patterns, shift from concrete to conceptual analysis, and craft conceptual questions. To address diverse learners’ needs, our research team designed an experiential laboratory environment based on Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning cycle. Design Thinking (Brown, 2008) was operationalised as a real-time framework to dynamically empathise, define, ideate, prototype, and test pedagogical adjustments on the spot to meet students’ learning needs and reduce frustration during complex skills acquirement. This adaptive refinement and facilitation integrated Technology-Enhanced Learning principles (Laurillard, 2012) to accommodate students’ diverse learning needs and made their thinking visible with 360-degree videos and digital whiteboards. This study examines three two-hour experiential sessions by analysing data from three student dyads, including a student with ADHD. Pre- and post-tests, digital artifacts, and discussion transcripts revealed key constructs for achieving the Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky, 1978) through dynamic facilitation and intentional lesson design. The findings demonstrated that real-time pedagogical pivoting successfully lowered cognitive load, sustained engagement, and accelerated conceptual mastery for most learners. Lastly, our study outlines pedagogical considerations when integrating experiential structures with iterative Design Thinking to accommodate diverse learner profiles within compressed time frames.

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12:10-13:50 | Live-Stream Room 1

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice and Praxis Session Chair: Aileen Chai 13:25-13:50 112215 | Shifting from Labels to Leverage: Learning Styles for Personalized Learning and Competency Deepti Yadav, Jagran Lakecity University, India The present study seeks empirical evidence to reframe the knowledge about a learner’s learning style for leveraging cognitive flexibility. Conceptually, the study supports the refutation of the meshing hypothesis. Thus, instead of labeling a learner, knowledge about certain preferences may be used to strategize and personalize competency-based learning. The research adapted VARK structure, developed and validated Learning Style Diagnostic Inventory with 40 cognitive situation-based sub-items under the overarch of 10 main items for students in Grade 7 and above. Using a five-point Likert scale, inventory was administered to a sample of 255 students. The Cronbach α coefficients were computed for internal consistency indicating good reliability for Visual (α = .76), Auditory (α = .76), Kinaesthetic (α = .76), and Read/ Write (α = .72). The overall scale demonstrated internal consistency, with α = .917, indicating that the full instrument functions cohesively as a unified measure of learning preferences. The total scale reliability is observed to be 0.69 for test-retest with sub-scale reliabilities ranging ~0.58–0.62 with moderate consistency. The study concludes that students’ modality preferences can offer valuable insights into personalized instructional design. The empirical work provides a base for structured approach for fostering metacognitive awareness and diversified learning strategies among students.

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12:10-13:50 | Live-Stream Room 2

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Innovative Technologies in Education Session Chair: Molly Pui Man Wong 12:10-12:35 111377 | The Use of Artificial Intelligence in K–12 Science Lessons and Its Effects on Students Damla Nur Mutlu, Independent Scholar, Türkiye Yezdan Boz, Middle East Technical University, Türkiye The rapid development of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) has made the use of these tools increasingly important in K-12 science education. In this context, the main goal for teachers is to determine how they can integrate AI into the classroom environment more effectively and pedagogically meaningful. This systematic literature review examines the use of AI in K-12 science lessons and its effects on students. Following PRISMA guidelines, 21 studies from the Web of Science (WoS) database were selected based on criteria requiring classroom implementation and reported student outcomes. The findings show that most studies were conducted in China (33.3%) and Turkey (19.0%), while the remaining studies were distributed across different countries. Approximately two-thirds of the studies focused on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) applications (66,7%), particularly ChatGPT and large language models (LLMs) while the remaining studies (33,3%) included chatbots and intelligent teaching systems (ITS). AI is generally used as a scaffolding tool to support the learning process. The most common pedagogical approaches are inquiry-based and constructivist learning. The findings indicate that AI-assisted applications generally have positive effects on students’ academic achievement, motivation, engagement, self-efficacy, critical thinking, and digital/scientific literacy. However, over-reliance, cognitive load, technical problems, and inaccurate or unclear responses are among the significant limitations. The study also reveals that the lack of standardized integration frameworks, limited longitudinal research, and small sample sizes create a significant research gap. It is recommended that future research address AI-assisted learning more holistically, considering its pedagogical, technological, and ethical dimensions.

12:35-13:00 113438 | Enacting “Diversification and Specialization”: Tracing the Emergence of Game and Esports Education in South Korea’s Changing Digital and Industrial Landscape Seri Yoon, Waseda University, Japan In 1995, South Korea introduced the 5.31 Education Reform, which placed “diversification and specialization” at the center of its vision for a new education system. While the reform expanded pathways beyond conventional academic and examination-centered schooling, its longerterm influence can also be traced in specialized education linked to emerging industries and occupations. Yet how this policy vision has been translated into institutions and curricula remains under-examined, particularly in fields once positioned outside conventional school knowledge. Game and esports education presents a distinctive case in this transformation. Drawing on Ball, Maguire, and Braun’s Policy Enactment Theory, this study examines how “diversification and specialization” has been interpreted and translated into game and esports education in South Korea, and how these pathways have developed alongside changes in the game industry and government approaches to professional talent development. Using a qualitative case study and document analysis, the research examines national reforms, gameindustry policies, institutional histories, curricula, and educational programs. The analysis identifies a two-stage policy trajectory. National education reform first established a rationale for diversified and specialized schooling, while the subsequent growth and policy recognition of the game and esports industries as technology-driven sectors created demand for sector-specific knowledge and professional training. Game and esports education therefore illustrates a broader shift in the boundaries of legitimate educational knowledge, as activities once regarded mainly as entertainment have entered formal pathways of schooling and career preparation. This study contributes to discussions of educational diversification, curriculum legitimacy, industry alignment, and the changing purposes of specialized schooling.

13:00-13:25 113858 | The Impacts of Virtual Reality and Metaverse Technology on Physiology Education Molly Pui Man Wong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Daniel Jiandong Shen, Soqqle Hong Kong Limited, Hong Kong Yeonjoo Kwon, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong This study examines how technology efficacy relates to student engagement and perceived learning in a screen-based metaverse activity for physiology education on decompression sickness (DCS). Teaching specific clinical conditions such as DCS involves integrating physiological mechanisms, risk-factor identification, and treatment decisions—areas where scenario-based practice may complement traditional lectures. Screen-based metaverse environments can place students in immersive contexts connecting knowledge to practice through standard desktop and mobile devices, though the experience depends partly on their comfort with the platform. While virtual reality research is extensive, how technology efficacy relates to class engagement and student learning in non-VR, screen-based settings is less clear. Students who encounter difficulty with the interface may not gain the full benefit of even a well-designed scenario. To examine this relationship, a total of 40 undergraduate students enrolled in the medical sciences course at a university in Hong Kong were invited to participate in this study. To assess their learning and pedagogical experiences on the metaverse and virtual reality in physiology education, survey questionnaires were conducted in class. The completed questionnaires were collected and results were analyzed. CFA validated a three-factor structure and mediation showed that technology efficacy was associated with outcomes entirely through student engagement (indirect β = .526). Qualitatively, students valued the novelty, interactivity, and visual realism of the beach and underwater settings but reported navigation difficulties, technical lag, and a perceived imbalance between gameplay and instructional structure. A well-designed scenario is necessary, but technology usability plays a critical mediating role in students' learning experiences.

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12:10-13:50 | Live-Stream Room 2

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Innovative Technologies in Education Session Chair: Molly Pui Man Wong 13:25-13:50 112795 | From Observation to Teacher Digital Twin: Integrating Institutional Evidence for Data-driven Professional Development Minh Pham, VMG Education, Vietnam Thanh Nguyen, Saigon Business School, Vietnam Teacher professional development continues to depend largely on classroom observations and mentor feedback despite the rapid expansion of institutional educational data. Although learning management systems, customer relationship management platforms, assessment records, attendance data, learner engagement metrics, and stakeholder feedback collectively capture different dimensions of teaching practice, these evidence sources remain fragmented and rarely contribute to a coherent understanding of teacher growth. This study investigates how institutional evidence can be systematically integrated to construct a Teacher Digital Twin, a continuously evolving digital representation of a teacher's professional practice. Using a design-based research methodology, the study analysed institutional data from 218 full-time English language teachers across a private language education system in Vietnam. Classroom observations, student achievement, learner engagement, attendance, CRM records, teacher reflections, and stakeholder feedback were examined alongside interviews with academic leaders to identify the essential evidence required to model teacher development. The findings resulted in the Teacher Evidence Architecture, a structured evidence model that organises multiple educational data streams into a dynamic Teacher Digital Twin capable of supporting personalised coaching and evidence-informed professional development. Rather than proposing another teacher evaluation framework, this study demonstrates how existing institutional data can be transformed into a living representation of teacher growth. The findings extend current applications of learning analytics beyond learner modelling and provide a practical foundation for future research on Teacher Digital Twins in education.

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12:10-13:50 | Live-Stream Room 3

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Learning Experiences, Student Learning and Learner Diversity Session Chair: Soon Koh Poh 12:10-12:35 111806 | Figuring Out the Gaokao: An Ethnography of China’s College Entrance Examination Guanhua Ren, Columbia University, United States This article examines how students, teachers, and parents organize Gaokao preparation during the final month before the exam in a city in southern China. Based on ten weeks of ethnographic fieldwork in three public high schools, the study investigates students’ learning experiences in an intensely time-pressured exam preparation environment. This study considers learning as a process of figuring out. Students must continually determine what they know, what they do not know, which problems deserve their time, and what to do next. In Gaokao preparation, particularly, this process is organized by time management, teacher instruction, and self-exploration. These elements form both a practical and symbolic framework that makes certain indicators of learning visible, and also discourage some forms of learning. Specifically, because the process of figuring out learning is difficult and unevenly supported, students often adopt conservative strategies, focus on secure and repeatable tasks, and protect their established ranks. This leaves less room for exploratory and reflective learning. The article argues that learning under high-stakes examinations requires attention not only to pressure and selection, but also to how examination systems organize, constrain, and unevenly distribute the possibility of figuring out what to do next.

12:35-13:00 110596 | A Reflective Pedagogical Redesign to Bridge Theory-Heavy Legal Modules and Assessment Performance Lakmali Manamperi, Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology, Sri Lanka The role of an academic in higher education is inherently transformative, requiring responsiveness to student needs alongside continuous critical self-reflection and pedagogical renewal. Guided by Brookfield’s Four Lenses of Critical Reflection, this study emerged from challenges observed in a first-year Constitutional Law module, where students struggled to engage with abstract legal theories and apply them effectively in open-ended assessments. While traditional lecture-based approaches ensured syllabus coverage, they were insufficient in promoting conceptual understanding, engagement, and learner autonomy. Accordingly, this study explores how innovative pedagogy can bridge the gap between theoretical understanding and assessment performance in legal education. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the study draws on pedagogical literature while incorporating empirical data collected through structured questionnaires administered before and after the introduction of a revised teaching approach. Student performance was also evaluated through a comparative analysis of examination results and assessment outcomes. Prior to the intervention, findings indicated patterns of surface-level learning, assessment anxiety, and difficulty in applying theoretical knowledge in examination contexts. Following the intervention, a marked improvement in student performance was observed. In response, a structured pedagogical intervention using mind mapping was implemented. Grounded in Bruner’s scaffolding theory and supported by the motivational principle of WIIFM, this approach enabled students to deconstruct and reconstruct complex legal concepts both collaboratively and independently. The findings suggest that student-centered strategies significantly enhance analytical ability, assessment literacy, and learner confidence. The study concludes that reflective pedagogical transformation is essential to achieving meaningful and sustainable improvements in student learning outcomes.

13:00-13:25 108991 | The Relationship Between Lecturers’ Classroom Management Competence and Students Learning Effectiveness: Survey from Selected Universities in Vietnam Nguyen Linh Phong, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam Ngo Gia Bao, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam Classroom management competence of lecturers is considered one of the important factors influencing students’ learning effectiveness in higher education. This study contributes by proposing and empirically testing an integrated framework that incorporates classroom environment and classroom management strategy as key antecedents of lecturers’ classroom management competence. This study aims to examine the relationship between “lecturers’ classroom management competence” and “students’ academic performance”, while also exploring the underlying mechanisms through “student engagement” and the moderating role of “student motivation”. The research data were collected from 350 students at several universities in Vietnam and analyzed using the CB-SEM approach by Jamovi. The results indicate that “classroom environment” and “classroom management strategy” positively contribute to the development of lecturers’ classroom management competence. In turn, lecturers’ classroom management competence has a positive and statistically significant effect on students’ academic performance. Additionally, student engagement serves as a mediating variable in the relationship between classroom management competence and academic performance. Student motivation is found to strengthen the positive effect of classroom management competence on academic performance. In doing so, these findings provide empirical evidence on the role of classroom management in higher education, extend the understanding of the mechanisms through which classroom-related factors influence learning outcomes, and offer practical implications for lecturers to enhance their classroom management practices and improve students’ academic performance outcomes.

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12:10-13:50 | Live-Stream Room 3

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Learning Experiences, Student Learning and Learner Diversity Session Chair: Soon Koh Poh 13:25-13:50 114075 | Revisiting the Theory–Practice Gap: Policy Discourse and Novice Teachers’ Pedagogical Reasoning Soon Koh Poh, National Institute of Education, Singapore Research on the theory–practice gap in teacher education has often explained novice teachers’ classroom practices in terms of difficulties applying theoretical knowledge, misalignment between university coursework and school contexts, or limitations in induction and professional support. While these explanations are important, they may position divergences from teacher preparation as failures of transfer or implementation. This study revisits the theory–practice gap by examining how novice teachers themselves explain and justify their pedagogical decisions after transitioning into school teaching. Drawing on lesson observations and post-lesson interviews with three novice secondary school teachers in Singapore, the study analyses teachers’ accounts using a discourse-oriented approach informed by cognitive anthropology. The analysis focuses on how teachers’ explanations reveal the cultural and policy discourses through which they make sense of classroom practice. The findings show that teachers consistently drew on policy discourses associated with meritocracy and academic streaming to justify pedagogical decisions. These discourses shaped how they interpreted student ability, instructional priorities, assessment demands, and what counted as appropriate classroom practice. Rather than indicating a simple failure to enact university-based theory, teachers’ explanations show how broader policy discourses organise pedagogical reasoning and shape what becomes understood as responsible, realistic, and legitimate teaching. The study contributes to debates on teacher education by reframing the theory–practice gap not only as a problem of knowledge transfer, contextual misalignment, or professional support, but also as a problem of how policy discourses shape novice teachers’ professional judgement after entering school practice.

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12:10-13:50 | Live-Stream Room 4

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Counselling, Guidance and Adjustment in Education Session Chair: Nor Mazlina Ghazali 12:10-12:35 111606 | Supporting Accountability Without Shame: Exploring Tier 2 Restorative Circles in Upper Primary School Students Niharika Yogeesh, King’s College UK, Gurugram, India Julia Pradhan, King’s College UK, Gurugram, India Traditional disciplinary approaches in schools often emphasize punitive consequences, contributing to shame, exclusion, and repeated misconduct. In contrast, restorative circles provide a structured space for dialogue, harm repair, and collaborative conflict resolution. This qualitative collaborative action research study explores how Tier 2 restorative circles may support accountability without shame among upper primary students (8–10 years) experiencing peer conflict, across three cases involving seven students. Guided by Kurt Lewin’s action research cycle, data were collected through student interviews, practitioner reflections, and verbatims from restorative dialogues, and analyzed through thematic analysis. Ethical considerations include informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity, voluntary participation, and the right to withdraw. Findings indicate themes of accountability (ownership of actions, recognition of impact, perspective-taking, repair and reconnection, and future-oriented responsibility) and emotional safety, supported by non-shaming facilitation and collaborative resolution. Of 48 references in the shame domain, 32 reflected preservation of self-worth, and 15 of 16 shame responses were expressed before the circles began. Findings suggest restorative circles may foster relationship-centered and emotionally safe approaches to accountability while promoting honest participation.

12:35-13:00 113709 | Educational Experiences of Scheduled Tribe Students: A Case Study of Eklavya Model Residential School, Uttarakhand Shivani Chauhan, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India Education is widely perceived as a potent instrument for improving the socio-economic status of Scheduled Tribes (STs), constituting 8.6% of India's total population. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs started the Eklavya Model Residential Scheme (EMRS) in 1997-98 to provide free middle and secondary school education exclusively to ST children across the country. This empirical study is based on seven focus group discussions and five in-depth interviews conducted with students from four ST communities, namely Jaunsari, Bauksa, Tharu, and Bhotia; teachers; and sports coaches of EMRS Kalsi, located in the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand. Adopting Norman Denzin’s ‘interpretive interactionist’ approach, this study examines how EMRS aims to integrate tribal youth into mainstream society yet functions within a segregated tribal-only ecosystem. The findings reveal that all curricular and co-curricular competitions are held exclusively among ST students, organized by the National Education Society for Tribal Students at the state and national levels, reinforcing a sense of separateness and distinction. Students’ responses highlight poor internet connectivity, inadequate sports facilities, and their first encounter with their marginalized identity upon entering EMRS. This raises serious concerns among students about being stigmatized as “quota students” upon entering higher educational institutions. Lastly, this study advocates for strengthening school infrastructure, ensuring reliable internet connectivity, and developing adequate sports facilities. It further calls for state-level measures to facilitate the affiliation of EMRSs with the School Games Federation of India, enabling ST students to participate in competitions with non-ST students, promoting greater interaction, exposure, and engagement with the wider society

13:00-13:25 109252 | Help-Seeking as Relational Risk Management Among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander College Students in Hawaiʻi Victor Kaufusi, Brigham Young University–Hawai'i, United States Kristina Moleni, Brigham Young University–Hawai'i, United States This study examines culturally grounded help-seeking processes among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) college students within higher education support and counseling contexts. While universities increasingly expand counseling and student support services, NHPI students often engage with these resources in ways that differ from dominant individualistic models of help-seeking. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, this study explored how NHPI students interpret stress and navigate support within a university in Hawaiʻi. Indepth semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten NHPI students and analyzed using constant comparative methods. Findings reveal a culturally embedded process conceptualized as relational risk management. Participants described evaluating the potential cultural and relational consequences of seeking help, including concerns about burdening family members, maintaining dignity, and preserving relational harmony. As a result, students frequently sought support through trusted relationships with faculty, mentors, or peers before engaging with formal counseling services. The study proposes a culturally grounded conceptual framework illustrating how cultural obligations, relational safety, and institutional context shape help-seeking pathways. These findings highlight the importance of culturally responsive counseling approaches and relationally embedded student support systems when working with Indigenous and Pacific Islander students in higher education.

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12:10-13:50 | Live-Stream Room 4

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Counselling, Guidance and Adjustment in Education Session Chair: Nor Mazlina Ghazali 13:25-13:50 108455 | From Script to Screen: Developing Responsible Mental Health Storytelling Guidelines for Film and Drama Students in Malaysia Nor Mazlina Ghazali, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia Nur Hanis Fakhrul Nizam, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia Syarafina Abdullah, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia Aina Razlin Mohd Roose, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia Muliana Mohamad Taha, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia Azzahrah Anuar, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, malaysia This study examines the development of scriptwriting guidelines for films and dramas with mental health themes intended for drama students in Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the study explores how mental health is represented in screen narratives and identifies key principles for ethical and responsible storytelling. Four research objectives guide the inquiry: examining common misrepresentations of mental health issues in films and dramas, identifying prevailing stereotypes associated with mental health portrayals, exploring how empathetic representations influence audience perceptions, developing a comprehensive set of guidelines for scriptwriters working within the mental health genre. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with six participants who are lecturers and practicing scriptwriters, representing Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan and freelance practice. Findings indicate that mental health–themed films and dramas function as powerful educational and narrative media when representations are grounded in research, ethical responsibility, and professional consultation. Common misrepresentations include the association of mental illness with violence, instability, and exaggerated emotional behavior, often omitting realistic recovery processes. Conversely, empathetic portrayals were found to positively shape audience understanding, foster relatability, and promote expectations of healing, support, and meaningful reflection. The study proposes a set of research-informed guidelines emphasizing factual accuracy, collaboration with mental health professionals, avoidance of harmful stereotypes, and the use of visual storytelling strategies that prioritize empathy over sensationalism. These findings contribute to film and drama education by providing a structured framework to guide students in producing socially responsible mental health narratives.

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12:10-13:50 | Live-Stream Room 5

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 2 ACE2026 | Educational Policy, Leadership, Management and Administration Session Chair: Chia-Hua Hao 12:10-12:35 110802 | Teacher Attitudes Toward Quality Management in Education: Differences Across Demographic Characteristics Francis Pantalita, National University Philippines, Philippines Jayvee Cebu, National University Philippines, Philippines Sarah Lumanlan, National University Philippines, Philippines Princess Olegario, National University Philippines, Philippines Despite the increasing emphasis on quality management in education, evidence on how teacher demographics shape attitudes toward its implementation remains limited. This study examined teachers’ attitudes toward quality management in education using the Quality Management in Education (QME) instrument developed by Tzafilkou et al. (2022) and determined whether demographic characteristics predict variations across its key domains. Data were collected from 126 teachers across different educational levels and school types. Descriptive statistics showed moderate positive attitudes toward quality management (M = 3.26, SD = 0.44), with communication and alignment obtaining the highest mean (M = 3.44, SD = 0.49), followed by training and support (M = 3.09, SD = 0.75), and needs and opportunities (M = 3.07, SD = 0.73). Correlation analysis showed that all domains were significantly associated with overall attitude (r = .792, p < .001). Significant differences were found in overall teacher attitudes (t = 2.99, p = .003) and in needs and opportunities (t = 6.15, p < .001), particularly across levels of educational attainment. Moreover, educational attainment predicted perceptions of training and support (β = -0.245, p = .011), indicating differences in access to professional development across teacher groups. These findings indicate that while teachers generally exhibit favorable attitudes toward quality management, gaps remain in institutional support systems, particularly in professional development. The study highlights the need for more inclusive and equitable training initiatives and programs to address the diverse needs of teachers across different backgrounds and to strengthen quality management practices in education.

12:35-13:00 112320 | Initial Teacher Education and Education Assistant Practice: A Structural Analysis of Epistemic Misalignment Sandy Milne, The University of Western Australia, Australia This presentation develops a conceptual account of a structural lack of cogency between Education Assistants (EAs) and pre-service teachers (PSTs) in contemporary Australian Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs, arguing that inclusive education is constrained by an absence of shared professional understanding between the two roles. Drawing on cognitive load theory, inclusive education literature, and research on classroom attention, the paper conceptualises classroom learning as dependent on distributed attentional labour. It argues that this distribution is undermined by a two-sided epistemic misalignment shaped primarily by initial teacher education (ITE) and the professional positioning of Education Assistants. First, ITE programs rarely include structured engagement with EAs or opportunities to observe or practise co-working with them, resulting in PSTs entering the profession with limited awareness of EA pedagogical contributions and effective integration within instructional design. Second, Education Assistants operate within inconsistently defined role structures and variable qualification pathways, with limited visibility of the pedagogical reasoning, assessment demands, and decision-making processes that structure teaching practice. Together, these conditions produce divergent understandings of instructional responsibility within shared classroom environments. Methodologically, the research underpinning this presentation adopts a theory-building design combining literature with semi-structured interviews with individuals who have experience serving in both EA and PST roles. This dual-position cohort provides a unique lens on how professional boundaries are interpreted, navigated, and enacted across roles. The author argues that this lack of cogency constitutes a systemic issue in inclusive education, and proposes the integration of EA-focused professional learning and structured practicum experiences for Australian PSTs.

13:25-13:50 113521 | From Policy-Supported Professional Learning Communities to General-Special Education Collaboration: A Two-Cycle Action Study in a Taiwanese Junior High School Chia-Hua Hao, Sanmin Junior High School, Taiwan This study examined how a municipal policy-supported professional learning community (PLC) was translated into school-based collaboration between general and special education teachers to enhance curriculum accessibility in a Taiwanese junior high school. A two-cycle collaborative action research design was employed. The first cycle, implemented in a health education unit on infectious diseases, began with individualized reasonable accommodations for three students with learning disabilities. The second cycle, conducted in a civics unit on administrative laws and regulations, developed into a dual-track model combining Universal Design for Learning for the whole class with individualized accommodations for students with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and learning disability. Data included policy and PLC documents, collaborative planning records, adapted materials, graphic organizers, concept-based comics, differentiated in-class assessments, feedback from 25 students, home–school communication reflections, and interviews with teachers and three students with disabilities. Findings showed that the PLC provided support through professional development, project planning, feedback, and reflection, while collaboration gradually shifted from individualized assistance toward collaborative curriculum design. Graphic organizers, synchronized on-screen annotation, simplified texts, and assessment accommodations increased opportunities to access content, participate, express understanding, and demonstrate learning. Although achievement gains were not consistent across students and assessment occasions, qualitative evidence and assessment results suggested reduced barriers related to reading and abstract concepts, with potential benefits for students with and without disabilities. The study proposes a six-component model: professional development, classroom observation, collaborative negotiation, embedded support, evidence-informed feedback, and cyclical revision.

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14:00-15:15 | Live-Stream Room 1

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Teaching and Learning Experiences Session Chair: Aastha Srivastava 14:00-14:25 111942 | TIMS Taxonomy: Integrating Learning Actions, Learner Skills and Learner Mindsets to Support Learner Agency Surji Aboubakker Iqbal, Bloom Education, United Arab Emirates While contemporary curricula increasingly emphasise learner agency, self-regulation, and ownership of learning, many classroom frameworks continue to focus primarily on cognitive outcomes rather than the learning processes through which these capacities develop.This paper introduces the TIMS Taxonomy (Try, Improve, Measure, Stretch) a learner-centred pedagogical framework that integrates curriculum-aligned Learning Actions with the concurrent development of Learning Skills and mindsets within a single learning process. The paper explores the conceptual foundations of TIMS and examines how the framework operationalises learner agency by making explicit what learners do, how they learn, and the learner mindsets they develop as they progress through increasingly challenging learning experiences. Rather than positioning TIMS as a replacement for established cognitive taxonomies, the framework is presented as a complementary approach that foregrounds the learner experience alongside curriculum outcomes.Drawing on implementation evidence from five schools, seven subject disciplines, and 325 students across multiple phase levels, the paper illustrates how the integration of learning actions, skills, and mindsets can support student reflection, self-regulation, resilience and participation in learning.Findings suggest that the framework provides a practical structure for embedding learner agency within everyday classroom practice while supporting teachers in designing learning experiences that extend beyond content acquisition.The paper contributes to contemporary discussions on learner agency, metacognition, and future-ready learning by proposing an integrated model that connects learning actions, learning skills and learning mindsets within a coherent pedagogical framework. Implications for instructional design, professional learning, and whole-school implementation are discussed.

14:25-14:50 111537 | Teachers’ Challenges in Implementing Historical Thinking Skills in the Digital Era Yi Yi Lau, University of Malaya, Malaysia Abd Razak Zakaria, University of Malaya, Malaysia Che Aleha Ladin, University of Malaya, Malaysia The digital era has made information easily accessible, making the ability to differentiate between true and false information important. Hence, Historical Thinking Skills (HTS) which encourage students to critically evaluate historical information play an essential role. However, the implementation of HTS in history classrooms IS stills challenging, particularly in today word of misinformation. This study explores the challenges faced by teachers to implement HTS in the digital era. This study is a qualitative case study, involving four secondary history teachers from Klang Valley who were purposively selected as participants. Data were collected through semi structured interviews. The data were analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s approach. The findings show several major challenges faced by teachers to implement HTS in digital era including students’ overreliance on artificial intelligence (AI), limited access to primary sources, time constraints and students’ negative perceptions towards the history subject. These challenges affect teachers’ efforts to effectively implement HTS in history classrooms. This study contributes to the understanding of the realities faced by history teachers in the digital era and highlights the need for appropriate support, resources, and pedagogical strategies to strengthen the implementation of HTS in history education.

14:50-15:15 111354 | Normal Schools and the Making of Teachers: The Early Institutionalisation of Professional Training in Colonial India, 1854–1885 Aastha Srivastava, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India This paper examines the emergence of Normal Schools in colonial India between 1854 and 1885 as institutions central to the early professional training of teachers. Beginning with the educational reforms initiated after Wood’s Despatch (1854), the study explores how colonial educational policies shaped the structure, curriculum, and functioning of teacher training institutions designed to support expanding systems of vernacular and primary education. Drawing upon educational reports, administrative proceedings, and training manuals, the paper analyses the pedagogical practices, disciplinary frameworks, and moral expectations embedded in Normal School education. It argues that teacher training during this formative period extended beyond instructional preparation to cultivate a regulated professional identity aligned with colonial educational priorities while negotiating local educational realities. By situating Normal Schools within broader debates on governance, schooling, and educational reform up to the period surrounding the Indian Education Commission (1882), the paper highlights the early institutionalisation of teacher professionalism and its significance in shaping later trajectories of teacher education in India.

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14:00-15:15 | Live-Stream Room 2

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Creativity and Innovation in Education Session Chair: Aya Sakamaki 14:00-14:25 114364 | Development of AI Global Health and Aging Education Program and Transnational Comparison of Well-being in the U.S., Europe, and Japan Kazumi Hoshino, The University of Osaka, Japan This paper presents the trial of an AI-based global health and aging education pilot program, examining its impact on caring responses and well-being among students in Japan by comparing an intervention group (N=20) and a control group (N=20). Based on a literature review, this research also describes a transnational analysis of positive and negative responses to caring and well-being among adolescents and young adults across Japan, the U.S., the U.K., Sweden, and Spain. Methodologically, we developed a two-part AI-based education pilot program for Japanese students, featuring an AI Avatar educator lecture and student communication simulations focused on culturally sensitive care. Results indicate that the intervention group exhibited higher positive responses, lower negative responses to caring, and higher overall well-being compared to the control group. Conversely, the transnational comparison revealed that Japanese young people had significantly lower positive caring reactions, significantly higher negative caring reactions, and lower well-being than their counterparts in the U.S. and Europe. In terms of implications, this trial of the education pilot program demonstrates exceptional capabilities to facilitate culturally sensitive communication with older migrants among students in Japan. Proposing this novel, globally and locally minded AI education system offers outstanding contributions to addressing the needs of a super-aging society both in Japan and across the globe.

14:25-14:50 113575 | Designing Identity-Driven Community Learning for Local Entrepreneurs: The Satun Geo Identity Learning Framework Pronyos Chattarakul, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand Pronpru Nilsaard, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand Community entrepreneurship programmes often emphasize transferring business knowledge through marketing tools and business planning but pay limited attention to how learning can be designed around local identity and community collaboration. This study aims to develop and validate an identity-driven community learning approach that positions Satun Geo Identity—the collective identity shaped by Satun's geological heritage, geo-cultural narratives, local wisdom, and UNESCO Global Geopark values—as a shared learning asset for entrepreneurial development. Using an action research approach, the study developed and implemented a three-stage learning programme involving 40 local entrepreneurs in Satun, including approximately 30 product-based enterprises and 10 service- and community-based enterprises. Participants first engaged in business self-reflection using the Six Thinking Hats method. They then explored contextualized marketing frameworks (SWOT, PESTEL, and the Ansoff Matrix) through simplified language, local case studies, and collaborative activities to identify shared place identity. The programme concluded with co-design sessions, where junior designers acted as learning facilitators, supporting entrepreneurs in recognizing, interpreting, and translating Satun Geo Identity into product innovation, service experiences, branding strategies, and collaborative community value. The findings indicate that contextualized learning, accessible knowledge translation, experiential practice, and collaborative facilitation enabled entrepreneurs to recognize Satun Geo Identity as a shared resource rather than viewing their businesses in isolation, strengthening collaboration across diverse enterprise types. This study proposes the Satun Geo Identity Learning Framework, demonstrating how place identity can function as a shared learning asset that integrates marketing practice, community learning, and co-design to support sustainable local enterprise development in UNESCO Global Geoparks

14:50-15:15 110857 | Determinants of Internship Participation Among STEM and Non-STEM University Students in Japan Aya Sakamaki, Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies, Japan Recent years have seen internships increasingly positioned as important educational opportunities connecting higher education and the labor market in Japan. In particular, internships have become more closely linked to graduate recruitment and career development. However, despite the institutional expansion of internship programs, participation opportunities may not be equally accessible to all students. Inequalities in internship participation may exist depending on students’ socioeconomic backgrounds and university characteristics. This study aims to examine the determinants of internship participation among non-STEM and STEM university students and to explore the structural characteristics of access to internship opportunities.This study used individual-level data from the 59th Student Life Survey (2023) conducted by the National Federation of University Co-operative Associations in Japan. Separate analyses were conducted for non-STEM and STEM students to examine the relationships between internship participation and factors such as parental income, university region, institutional sector, commuting status, gender, and part-time work experience. Cross-tabulation and logistic regression analyses were employed.The results showed that, among non-STEM students, internship participation tended to be lower among students from lower-income families. In contrast, no clear association was found between socioeconomic status and internship participation among STEM students. In addition, university region and institutional sector were associated with internship participation in both groups. These findings suggest that the opportunity structure of internship participation may differ between non-STEM and STEM students in Japan and that socioeconomic disparities may operate differently depending on academic field.

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14:00-15:15 | Live-Stream Room 3

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Learning Experiences, Student Learning and Learner Diversity Session Chair: Shubhashish Trivedi 14:00-14:25 112488 | Unequal City, Unequal Schooling: Educational Exclusion Among Migrant Children in Delhi Nikita Malhan, Indian Institute of Technology, India The lower-class migrant children in India face substantial obstacles in entering schools and completing their secondary education. This research examines the factors responsible for the school-based exclusion and drop out of migrant children in Delhi government schools. It shows how the schools’ regulatory systems, households, migration related conditions and neighbourhood influences affect their scope of access and completion of schooling. Drawing on qualitative research, this study uses in-depth semi structured interviews of 30 stakeholders including the migrant students and parents, school teachers and NGO workers who were purposively selected who had direct experiences of migrant children’s education and exclusion from schooling with help of an NGO and social jurist. The responses were systematically coded, then put in categories which led to the development of broader themes. Findings indicate that school-based exclusion occurred at different stages in the migrant children’s education. Some children faced barriers during admissions due to documentation and procedural issues. Among the ones attending the schools, recurrent failure in examinations, long-duration absence due to migration, barriers in re-enrollment, harsh disciplinary actions and schools’ exclusionary practices led to drop out. Economic constraints and children’s participation in family’s income were key household factors for drop out. Neighborhood environment affected educational continuity, as children got involved in criminal activities and exploitative work. Using Soja’s critical spatial perspective, findings show how unequal urban environments, along with institutional and household factors, affect the migrant children’s access and drop out of schools.

14:25-14:50 113577 | Negotiating Practices in the PhD Sub-field: An Ethnographic Study of Chinese Women International PhD Students in Australia Zhiheng Zhou, Monash University, Australia Simin Zhang, Monash University, Australia An increasing number of studies have explored the gendered experiences of Chinese women international students in developed countries. Yet, despite China being a major source of internationally mobile students in Australia, the academic and gendered practices of Chinese Women International PhD Students (CWIPS) remain underexplored. Existing research also tends to emphasise structural constraints that students face, with less attention to how CWIPS develop strategies to navigate PhD study. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concepts, this study explores how CWIPS negotiate power across multiple fields. Adopting a multi-sited ethnographic case study, the study records seven students’ experiences across four universities through semi-structured interviews and participant observation over almost one year. Data were analysed using Bourdieu’s three levels of field analysis, focusing on the field of power and interrelated fields, the role of capital and participants’ positions, and habitus. The findings reveal that CWIPS navigate across the field of Chinese higher education, cultural and political power, the familial field, and the Australian PhD sub-field. Their positions are continually reshaped through the interplay of cultural, linguistic, psychological, and physical capitals. Across these fields, they internalise academic habitus, develop transnational habitus, and reshape gender habitus. This study challenges deficit representations of CWIPS as passive learners, demonstrating that they have strategies to negotiate power relationships with their supervisors. Meanwhile, this study also finds that students can be active participants and challengers in the game of negotiating authority with parents, repelling and attempting to subvert the parental orthodoxy in the struggle for recognition.

14:50-15:15 109901 | Ornamental Women: Examining Gender Performativity in Indian Universities Shubhashish Trivedi, National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, India This paper is based on primary data collected in the process of ongoing research which seeks to examine the process of gendered citizenship within educational spaces as a process within higher education institutions (HEIs) in general and universities in particular. This study aims to highlight how gender performativity affects the status of women within universities, which were made for the purpose of knowledge production and disseminating the principles of enlightenment in society, resulting in Gendered Academic Citizenship (GAC). This study seeks to put forth the argument that universities in India operate within a paradox of conservative traditions and liberal values. The fieldwork for this research was conducted in three public universities located in the territory of Delhi, India. This paper is based on the narratives of participants in response to one of the research questions—'What are the substantive aspects of membership, rights, and participation within university structures?’. The social construction of gender dictates certain roles, rules and norms of being and becoming for both men and women. This is more concerning in the case of women, as, women faculty members within such institutions do not just have to bear the brunt of one; either conforming to gender roles or being directed to do so; rather, they are at the intersection of performativity and ornamentalism. The theme derived from participants’ narratives is ‘ornamental women in academia'. This paper understands ornamentalism as 'the commodification and fetishization of women by making performativity the accepted way of being within academic institutions'.

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14:00-15:15 | Live-Stream Room 4

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Environment and Psychology in Education Session Chair: Hayriye Gul Sözen 14:00-14:25 111418 | Inclusive Education in Physical Education Classes: Teacher Stress and Coping Strategies Hasan Sözen, Ordu University, Türkiye Hayriye Gül Sözen, Ordu University, Türkiye Conducted using an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach, this study examines the inclusive education experiences of physical education and primary school teachers, the sources of stress they encounter, and their coping strategies. The study conceptualises teacher stress not merely as an individual condition, but as a socio-ecological process shaped by teaching expectations, physical environment, school support, peer relationships, safety concerns, and student diversity. The study is based on the narratives of six primary school teachers and six physical education teachers purposefully selected due to their experiences working with children with special needs in different contexts. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using the interpretative phenomenological analysis procedure outlined by Smith et al. (2022). Findings indicate that teachers experience intense emotional and professional pressures whilst supporting students with special needs in inclusive education settings. Primary school teachers reported pressure related to teaching responsibilities and behaviour management, whereas physical education teachers expressed concerns regarding physical safety, classroom control, and adapting activities for all students. Teachers stated that they coped with these pressures through classroom adaptations, collegial support, and more flexible teaching practices. Findings further suggest that sustaining inclusive practices requires greater institutional support, practice-oriented professional development opportunities, and stronger peer collaboration.

14:25-14:50 111623 | The Role of Local Environmental Context in Shaping Environmental Attitudes Among Middle School Students: A Narrative Literature Review Seden Demir, Middle East Technical University, Türkiye Environmental education increasingly emphasizes not only the transmission of scientific knowledge but also the development of students’ environmental attitudes and sense of responsibility. Recent research suggests that these attitudes are strongly influenced by students’ lived experiences within their local environments. This paper adopts a narrative literature review approach to examine how local environmental context shapes environmental attitudes among middle school students. It synthesizes findings from recent studies in science and environmental education, focusing on how daily experiences such as air pollution, waste management issues, industrial activity, and urban environmental degradation influence students’ attitudes of environmental problems. The reviewed literature indicates that students often interpret global environmental challenges through the lens of their immediate surroundings, which can both enhance environmental relevance and awareness and generate emotional responses such as concern, anxiety, or helplessness. The paper argues that effective environmental education should move beyond abstract and decontextualized instruction and instead integrate students’ local environmental realities into learning processes. Such contextualized approaches may support deeper engagement with sustainability issues and foster more meaningful development of environmental responsibility during the critical period of middle school education. This review highlights the pedagogical importance of connecting global environmental issues with local lived experiences in order to strengthen environmental learning outcomes.

14:50-15:15 111423 | More Than Play? Primary School Teachers’ Positioning of Social-Emotional Learning in Physical Education Lessons in Türkiye Hayriye Gül Sözen, Ordu University, Türkiye Hasan Sözen, Ordu University, Türkiye In the context of Turkish education, physical education classes tend to focus on physical performance and behaviour management. However, research into how classroom teachers position students in terms of social and emotional learning is limited. This study examines classroom teachers' discourses and pedagogical positioning with regard to social-emotional learning in physical education classes, using positioning theory as a framework. Conducted using an interpretive qualitative research approach, the study involved nine classroom teachers working in public schools. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations and reflective journals, and analysed using Kayi-Aydar's (2019) positioning analysis framework. The findings revealed that teachers positioned physical education classes as significant social learning environments that support skills such as cooperation, sharing, teamwork, adherence to rules, development of self-confidence, and social participation, as well as relatively flexible learning environments where students can express themselves more comfortably, develop social relationships, and increase their classroom participation. However, it was observed that teachers did not generally position social-emotional learning as a directly planned pedagogical goal, but rather as a natural outcome of play-based interactions. Additionally, teachers positioned themselves not as direct instructors of social-emotional learning, but as facilitators who support student motivation, regulate social interactions, ensure emotional safety and encourage participation. The research findings offer important insights into how social-emotional learning processes, which often remain invisible in physical education classes, are interpreted within teachers’ discourses. Consequently, the study has implications for creating professional development opportunities that support teachers.

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14:00-15:15 | Live-Stream Room 5

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 3 ACE2026 | Professional Training, Development and Concerns in Education Session Chair: Johanna Wilhelmina Ferreira 14:00-14:25 112009 | A School-Based Needs-Based Professional Development Model: Transforming Teacher Leadership, Enhancing Instructional Practice, and Improving Student Achievement and Motivation Khulud Alkharashi, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Qatar This paper presents a school-based needs-based professional development (PD) model implemented over one academic year at Al Wafaa Model Primary School for Boys in Qatar. Using a mixed-methods case study design, the study examined the model’s impact on teacher leadership, instructional practice, and student achievement and motivation. Approximately 70 teachers participated. Teachers’ professional learning needs were identified through classroom observations, departmental monitoring, teacher performance data, student achievement data, and teacher surveys. Based on these findings, tailored professional learning plans were implemented, including peer-led workshops, collaborative professional learning communities, reflective practice, and classroom application of differentiated instruction and active learning strategies. Quantitative data were collected from student achievement records and teacher survey responses, while qualitative data included classroom observations, professional learning documentation, and records of teachers’ participation in action research, innovation programmes, and professional conferences. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings demonstrate that the model enhanced teacher leadership, professional confidence, collaboration, and instructional practice. The analysis also indicated improvements in student engagement, motivation, and academic achievement. The model further encouraged teachers’ participation in action research, educational innovation, and professional conferences. These findings suggest that a structured, school-based, needs-based PD model offers a sustainable and scalable framework for improving teaching quality and student outcomes across diverse educational contexts.

14:25-14:50 114142 | Using Employee Journey Mapping to Enhance Processes of Recruitment and Adaptation of New Faculty and Their Experience in University Kseniia Shalom, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Russia Relevance. The paper presents using the Employee Journey Map (EJM) as a way to diagnose the processes of recruitment and adaptation of new faculty in a university. While the EJM is mainly adapted from customer journey mapping in marketing and is known to be applied in business organizations, the usage of this methodology in universities is still an emerging field of study. The study is conducted in a higher education setting in one of the departments of a state university in Russia. The use of the EJM methodology enables one to get a comprehensive view of university management activities and faculty’s perspectives to identify opportunities for improvement. Goal and tasks. The objective of this paper is to investigate what areas and steps need to be taken into consideration when hiring and adapting new faculty in a university. To achieve this goal, the research employs the EJM methodology. The journey mapping is mainly based on qualitative research design, including 16 semi-structured interviews with newly hired teachers within the 2024-2025 academic year and the respective department’s staff who are involved in the processes of recruitment and adaptation of faculty. Additionally, the examination of relevant university regulations and online resources was carried out. Results. The research identifies bottlenecks and opportunities for improving the new faculty journey within the stages of recruitment and adaptation during the first three months. It also gives a perspective on the various aspects of designing the EJM in a university context.

14:50-15:15 112449 | Teacher Professional Development in Namibia: Revisiting ETSIP Promises and Current Realities in Public and Private Schools Johanna Wilhelmina Ferreira, Independent Scholar, Namibia Purpose: This study critically examines the evolution of Teacher Professional Development (TPD) in Namibia by evaluating the legacy of the Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP) against contemporary realities in public and private schools. Launched as a strategic blueprint to transition Namibia into a knowledge-based economy, ETSIP prioritized robust, continuous capacity-building to enhance pedagogical quality. This paper investigates the structural and lived realities of how these policy promises have manifested across differing institutional landscapes. Design/methodology/approach: Utilizing a qualitative, multi-case research design grounded in systems theory and motivational psychology, data were gathered from educators and school administrators across both public and private school sectors. The study analyzes how structural resource variations, institutional governance, and school leadership mediation influence the enactment and perceived effectiveness of TPD initiatives. Findings: The findings reveal a significant divergence between historical policy aspirations and localized implementation realities. In many public schools, the developmental promises of ETSIP remain constrained by a persistent disconnect between performance tracking and actual capacity-building, often reducing professional development to an administrative compliance exercise. Conversely, private institutions frequently exhibit tighter alignment between evaluation and targeted pedagogical support. However, across both sectors, the ultimate success of TPD is heavily mediated by the relational approach of school leadership and the socio-material context of the school environment. Originality/value: By providing a direct, comparative analysis of post-ETSIP professional development across public and private educational ecosystems, this study offers critical, context-specific insights into educational governance, policy decoupling, and institutional equity in the SADC region.

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15:25-17:05 | Live-Stream Room 1

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Teaching and Learning Experiences Session Chair: Justyna Pilarska 15:25-15:50 111571 | Navigating the Internationalized Classroom: First-Year Accounting Students’ Sense of Belonging, Language, and Learning Under EMI in Indonesia Fadilah Habibul Hasna, Monash University, Australia Silvia Prisca Gani, STIE Al-Madani, Indonesia English-medium instruction (EMI) is becoming increasingly common as higher education institutions across Asia align with global standards. In English as a Foreign Language (EFL) regional contexts like West Sumatra, Indonesia, local students may face significant socio-emotional and academic transitions. Accounting students, in particular, encounter unique challenges because they must learn specialised technical vocabulary and apply quantitative skills while adapting to university life through an unfamiliar instructional medium. This study explores how first-year undergraduate accounting students at a state university in Padang, West Sumatra, perceive EMI, with particular attention to academic anxiety, social isolation, and coping. It examines how students from different educational and sociocultural backgrounds, navigate to learning accounting through English and develop a sense of belonging within the classroom. Using a qualitative case study design, four students were interviewed, employing semi-structured interviews with purposive sampling and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The study finds a distinct dichotomy: science-background students revealed that they face challenges in understanding core accounting concepts and terminology, while social background students utilize translanguaging between English, Indonesian, and Minangkabau to process accounting vocabulary. We further suggest that accounting educators promote an inclusive learning environment to better support diverse students in internationalized programs.

15:50-16:15 111400 | Preliminary Study of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Relational Functioning, and Mental Well-Being Among International University Students in Japan Ade Putri Aulia Wijharnasir, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan This research reports preliminary findings from a pilot survey that examines association between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), attachment insecurity, social connectedness, acculturative stress, and depressive symptoms among international university students in Japan. Conducted before a larger doctoral dissertation project, the pilot study used a cross-sectional survey design and involved 44 undergraduate students to explore how ACEs may affect their relational experiences and mental well-being in a multicultural environment. Preliminary analyses showed that higher ACEs exposure was significantly associated with greater attachment avoidance (r = .356, p = .018), lower social connectedness (r = -.374, p = .012), and higher depressive symptoms (r = .363, p = .016). Furthermore, attachment anxiety (r = .437, p = .003) and lower social connectedness (r = -.406, p = .006) were significantly associated with depressive symptoms, suggesting the important role of social attachment in students’ psychological well-being. In contrast, despite its strong association with ACEs, attachment avoidance did not significantly predict depressive symptoms. The other variable, acculturative stress, was also significantly associated with depressive symptoms (r = .330, p = .029), although its relationship with ACEs was weak within the pilot sample. Finally, when relational variables were included in the analysis, they appeared to weaken the direct relationship between ACEs and depression. This finding suggests that relational functioning may partly explain how ACEs contribute to depressive symptoms among students in multicultural university settings. Future research with larger samples should further examine the relational pathways linking ACEs and mental well-being in multicultural university settings.

16:15-16:40 113336 | Performing the ‘Good’ English Speaker: Peer Language Surveillance, Strategic Self-Presentation, and Identity Alienation Among Chinese English Majors Yan Fang, Beijing Normal - Hong Kong Baptist University, China Indika Liyanage, Beijing Normal - Hong Kong Baptist University, China Chinese English majors at an English-medium university often feel their every word is scrutinized by peers, pushing them toward polished performances of the ‘good’ English speaker. This study explores how fifteen such majors navigate peer language surveillance, distinguishing the self-shown to peers from the self-experienced in private, and what that costs them as learners. Semi-structured interviews revealed three performative moves: anticipatory scripting (silently rehearsing turns or pre-formulating answers), impromptu face work (quickly correcting a mistake, laughing off a stumble, or mirroring a peer’s phrasing to appear fluent), and strategic withdrawal (staying quiet or offering minimal responses to avoid exposing gaps). These maneuvers seemed driven less by communicative need than by sharp anticipation of peer evaluation. Out of sight of peers, they reported feeling anxious, fraudulent, and emotionally drained, echoing what SLA researchers call the impostor phenomenon. The gap between the performed speaker and the learner’s private sense of proficiency widened over time, breeding a quiet but persistent sense of alienation from their linguistic growth. The performative competence that earns fleeting peer approval, it seems, may simultaneously chip away at the stability of an authentic learner identity. What emerges is a micro-interactional picture where emotional labour becomes a hidden demand of classroom talk. The study suggests that peer surveillance does more than shape how students speak. It refashions what it feels like to be an English learner, an underexamined dimension that deserves closer attention in discussions of learner diversity and classroom experience.

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Wednesday Online Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Teaching and Learning Experiences Session Chair: Justyna Pilarska 16:40-17:05 112539 | Designing Intercultural Learning Encounters: Reflective and Collaborative Practices in Higher Education Justyna Pilarska, University of Wroclaw, Poland This presentation explores how intercultural understanding can be developed through intentionally designed learning encounters in higher education. Rather than treating intercultural competence as a set of individual skills, the paper approaches it as a situated pedagogical process shaped by dialogue, reflection, collaboration, and the everyday dynamics of culturally diverse academic groups. Drawing on theories of intercultural education, reflective learning, and collaborative problem solving, the presentation examines how university teachers can create conditions in which students critically engage with cultural difference, stereotypes, implicit assumptions, and unequal participation. The analysis is based on the author’s pedagogical experience with international and multicultural student groups and focuses on selected classroom practices, including reflective tasks, small-group dialogue, problem-oriented activities, and structured discussion of culturally sensitive situations. Particular attention is paid to the tensions that emerge in intercultural classrooms, such as language barriers, silence, asymmetries of voice, and different expectations toward academic communication. The paper argues that intercultural learning requires not only openness to diversity but also carefully mediated educational situations that enable students to recognise, negotiate, and reinterpret cultural meanings. It offers practical insights for designing inclusive university courses that support reflexivity, participation, and shared responsibility in multicultural academic contexts.

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15:25-17:05 | Live-Stream Room 2

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Design, Implementation and Assessment of Innovative Technologies in Education Session Chair: Tomayess Issa 15:25-15:50 112454 | Using Machine Learning Techniques Along with AI-Powered Review–Action–Reflection Learning Environments for Predicting Student Engagement Renjith Krishnan, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Oman Sibi V John, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Oman Farhana Sultana, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Oman Subhash Kodiyil Raman, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Oman Geeta Thakur, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Oman This study explores the student engagement related factors that affect in the AI-powered YMetaconnect learning environment, which merges the Review–Action–Reflection (RAR) framework, Student-Centered Learning (SCL), and Self-Instructional Metacognitive developer (SIMD)based learning strategies. 207 respondents from Oman and Indian higher education institution were quantitatively surveyed for this study. Study used Logistic Regression models, Orange Data Mining and employed Random Forest for analyzing the data. The most important factors that influence students’ engagement are identified in this study, and are SIMD Relevance, RAR/SIMD Value, Student-Centered Learning Awareness, Personalized Learning Support, Study Habit Improvement, Teacher Usefulness, and RAR Usability. Engagement is influenced majorly by meaningful learning experiences, personalization, reflective learning, and self-regulated learning support which is confirmed by Machine learning analysis. To support the goals of digital transformation and educational innovation outlined in Oman Vision 2040, the study provides practical implication for educational institutions to implement AI-powered learning environments.

15:50-16:15 111850 | From Inspection to Continuous Improvement: Generative AI in ECEC Quality Governance S. Zahra Hashemi Golpayegani, Tehran University, Iran Quality governance systems in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) have become increasingly important in efforts to improve educational quality, accountability, and equity. However, many existing systems continue to rely on episodic inspections, compliance-oriented monitoring, and delayed feedback processes that often limit their capacity to support continuous quality improvement. At the same time, advances in generative artificial intelligence (AI) are creating new possibilities for data analysis, professional support, and evidence-informed decision-making across educational settings. Despite growing interest in AI in education, limited attention has been given to its potential role in ECEC quality governance. This conceptual paper examines how generative AI may reshape quality governance systems by enabling continuous monitoring, real-time feedback, administrative efficiency, and more responsive improvement processes. It also critically considers key challenges associated with AI adoption, including algorithmic bias, data privacy, accountability, and the risk of over-reliance on automated judgments. Drawing on literature from ECEC quality improvement, educational governance, and emerging AI research, the paper proposes a preliminary framework for the responsible integration of generative AI into ECEC quality systems. The framework emphasises human oversight, equity, data governance, and continuous improvement as essential conditions for implementation. The paper contributes to emerging discussions on AI in education by extending the focus beyond teaching and learning toward system-level governance and quality enhancement in ECEC.

16:15-16:40 110589 | AI-Enhanced Learning Framework in Mathematics: A Project Management Approach Aileen Diansuy, Antipolo Institute of Technology, Philippines In this study, the use of ThatQuiz.org, a computer-assisted testing site utilizing artificial intelligence, is investigated as a project management strategy to enhance instruction in Differential Calculus. The advantages provided by the adaptive quizzes, instant feedback, and analytics supported by the online portal contributed to learner motivation, understanding, and success. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered using a mixed methods approach in which 26 learners taking Differential Calculus at AiTECH in the first semester of AY 2024–2025 participated. Excellent usability was observed in the survey as evidenced by all respondents who found the quizzes relevant and useful. Ninety-two percent of the participants also experienced positive changes in their learning process. While they enjoyed receiving instant feedback, some asked for further clarifications regarding specific items, while others recommended modifications in the mobile site’s design features. A few respondents who had technical problems emphasized the necessity of making system improvements. Based on these results, an AI-Driven Learning Framework comprising five components – personalized learning support, detailed explanations and feedback, performance analytics, aesthetics and user experience design, and teacher training and support – was developed. These elements were aligned with traditional project management areas like scope definition, quality assurance, risk management, communication, and stakeholder involvement. The study concludes that the incorporation of project management techniques into mathematics education using AI-based learning encourages a more inclusive, scalable, and sustainable process.

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15:25-17:05 | Live-Stream Room 2

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Design, Implementation and Assessment of Innovative Technologies in Education Session Chair: Tomayess Issa 16:40-17:05 111892 | Structured Debate as Authentic Assessment in the AI Era: Postgraduate Corporate Sustainability Education Tomayess Issa, Curtin University, Australia Mahnaz Hall, Curtin University, Australia Lydia Maketo, Curtin University, Australia This study investigates the integration of structured debate as a core assessment method in MGMT6085 Corporate Sustainability Immersion, a postgraduate unit grounded in constructivist and student centred learning. Debate was introduced to align with Assessment 2030 Lane 1 Secure; a strategic Curtin University initiative designed to future proof assessment in response to generative AI, evolving workplace expectations, and changing student needs. Within this framework, debate functions as an authentic mechanism to verify students’ independent knowledge and understanding, ensuring that their sustainability project work reflects genuine learning rather than reliance on artificial intelligence tools. The sustainability projects addressed real issues faced by Western Australian communities and industries, requiring students to analyse ethical, cultural, and leadership challenges and propose evidence based solutions. Debate was selected for its ability to strengthen critical thinking, reasoning, communication, and professional confidence. Through structured rounds and rebuttals, students were required to defend their project findings, challenge assumptions, and articulate well supported arguments grounded in corporate responsibility, cultural integrity, and Indigenous leadership principles. This approach reinforced academic integrity and deepened students’ ability to apply theory to real world sustainability contexts. Results show high student satisfaction, with feedback highlighting increased motivation, critical thinking, and the ability to connect theory with practice. Community and industry partners commended students’ professionalism and strong grasp of Western Australian sustainability issues. The unit achieved 90.9% overall satisfaction, demonstrating the effectiveness of debate as a transformative and authentic learning tool. Findings are limited to one unit; future research should expand debate-based assessment to other units.

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15:25-17:05 | Live-Stream Room 3

Wednesday Online Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Language Education and Practice Session Chair: Maria de la Paz Adelia Peña Clavel 15:25-15:50 110812 | Agentic Engagement of International Student Interns in Experiential Learning in Collaboration with a Local Community in Japan Naomi Tsunematsu, Hiroshima University, Japan This study investigated the intercultural challenges faced by international exchange students who engaged agentically in an experiential learning project designed to foster interactions with local residents in Japan. Qualitative research on international students' intercultural challenges in student-centered experiential learning in Japan remains limited. How students cope with Japanese cultural norms requires more investigation. This ten-year longitudinal study addresses a gap by examining the intercultural practicum designed for international exchange students from North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia. Each year, international student interns with varying levels of Japanese proficiency enrolled in the "Glocal Internship" course and collaborated with a local community in Japan. Interns actively planned, proposed, and implemented projects aimed at fostering interaction with local residents during annual commercial festivals. Acting as a cultural bridge, the researcher negotiated with key stakeholders, guided interns, and supervised their projects through a constructivist approach. Participant observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 47 international student interns, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The result indicated that direct exposure to Japan-specific social skills and courteous behaviors in formal settings significantly impacted students. Students encountered the complexities and sensitivities of relational self, shaped by social hierarchies and uchi/soto (outsider/insider) concept, and used keigo (honorific language), within power dynamics involving local community members. Students also experienced cultural tensions and language barriers when working with culturally diverse team members. The findings suggest that guidance from intercultural educators can create opportunities for international students to exercise agency while collaborating with host nationals and culturally diverse peers.

15:50-16:15 110909 | Making English Speaking Meaningful: Workplace Relevance and Willingness to Communicate Among Lower-Proficiency EFL Learners Hui-Hsiang Chang, Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, Taiwan This study examines workplace-oriented EFL courses designed to connect English speaking practice with students’ future professional communication needs. Drawing on the L2 willingness to communicate (WTC) framework, it explores how lower-proficiency university students perceived the relevance of these speaking tasks and their readiness to communicate in English. WTC is viewed not simply as an individual tendency, but as a situated outcome shaped by how learners interpret the relevance and communicative value of classroom tasks. Questionnaire data were collected from 181 respondents enrolled in two workplace-oriented EFL courses at a Taiwanese university: 91 second-year students and 90 third-year students. Both courses were offered in proficiency-based classes and shared a workplace-oriented focus. The findings showed that students perceived the workplace relevance of the courses positively and reported positive perceived learning outcomes, while their WTC remained moderate. Further analysis indicated that perceived workplace relevance was strongly associated with WTC, suggesting that students who saw clearer links between English speaking tasks and future communication needs tended to report stronger readiness to speak. The contrast between positive perceptions of relevance and learning value and moderate WTC indicates that lower-proficiency learners may value workplace-oriented speaking tasks, yet still need support to translate that value into communicative readiness. Helping learners make this transition may require explicit task relevance, scaffolding, and low-risk opportunities for participation.

16:15-16:40 114360 | Anticipated and Experienced Task Value, Speaking Confidence, and Anxiety During a Three-Day English Camp: A Mixed-Methods Study of Japanese University Jason Pipe, Kanto Gakuin University, Japan May Lam, Kanto Gakuin University, Japan Valerie Honda, Kanto Gakuin University, Japan Jethro Kenney, Kanto Gakuin University, Japan This mixed-methods study examined changes in Japanese university students’ task-value evaluations, speaking confidence and speaking anxiety during a three-day residential English camp. Twenty-six first-year students completed parallel pre- and post-camp questionnaires measuring speaking confidence, speaking anxiety, and the anticipated and experienced utility, interest, attainment value, effort cost and emotional cost of seven camp activities. Open-ended questionnaire responses and four post-camp focus-group interviews provided qualitative evidence. Interpreted as cohort-level descriptive patterns, activities were generally experienced as more useful, enjoyable and personally important than anticipated. Speech and English Play combined high utility and attainment value with the greatest effort and emotional costs, whereas Dining, Games Night and English PE provided enjoyable, comparatively low-risk opportunities for natural communication. Cohort-level speaking confidence was higher after the camp, particularly for initiating conversations and expressing ideas despite imperfect English, while speaking anxiety was lower, especially regarding negative peer judgement and the mind going blank. Teacher support was the strongest rated anxiety-reducing factor. Qualitative findings indicated that successful task completion, repeated interaction, peer cooperation, teacher encouragement and informal communication helped students participate despite continuing nervousness. The findings suggest that intensive English camps may reshape task value and strengthen communicative self-efficacy by combining purposeful challenge with socially supportive interaction, rather than by eliminating anxiety entirely.

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Wednesday Online Parallel Session 4 ACE2026 | Language Education and Practice Session Chair: Maria de la Paz Adelia Peña Clavel 16:40-17:05 109058 | Connecting Classrooms Globally (Mexico’s Experience): Pedagogy, Models, and Outcomes of Virtual Exchange Maria de la Paz Adelia Peña Clavel, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico This presentation examines the implementation of Virtual Exchange (VE) in Mexican higher education, with a focus on teletandem and telecollaborative initiatives. Based on the experiences of a public university, the analysis explores how digital platforms connect Mexican language learners with international peers—specifically, students of Spanish in international universities —to foster linguistic proficiency and intercultural communicative competence. The session outlines two pedagogical (teletándem and cultural virtual exchange) models and evaluates their distinct contributions to virtual internationalisation. The outcomes of these exchanges are discussed, highlighting how Mexican students engage with partners and develop skills to mediate between diverse cultural perspectives. Additionally, the presentation addresses practical challenges in institutionalising virtual exchanges, including the alignment of academic calendars and the management of technical issues. Through concrete examples from Mexican-Japanese and Mexican-US partnerships, the session provides language educators with actionable strategies for designing and managing global classroom connections. Participants will gain insights into the evolution of telecollaboration as a strategic tool for cultivating global citizenship, ensuring that intercultural learning remains authentic, contextually grounded, and reflective in an interconnected world.

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Notes

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Virtual Poster Presentations Abstracts appear as originally submitted by the author. Any spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors are those of the author.

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Virtual Poster Presentations Curriculum Design & Development 113992 | Simulation-Based Education for Developing Non-Technical Skills in High-Acuity Emergencies Among Medical Students: A Systematic Review Ida Bagus Amertha Putra Manuaba, Universitas Udayana, Denpasar, Indonesia Made Violin Weda Yani, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia I Gede Krisna Arim Sadeva, Universitas Udayana, Indonesia I Gusti Ngurah Ananda Wira Kusuma, Universitas Udayana, Indonesia Ketut Liana Arya Dewi, Universitas Udayana, Denpasar, Indonesia I Gede Putu Supadmanaba, Universitas Udayana, Denpasar, Indonesia Undergraduate emergency education has traditionally emphasized procedural competence and adherence to clinical algorithms; however, effective performance in high-acuity care also requires learners to maintain situational awareness, regulate cognitive demands, coordinate team actions, and adapt when clinical conditions evolve. This systematic review synthesized evidence on the contribution of simulation-based education to non-technical skill development among medical students and examined whether approaches adequately prepare learners for performance under uncertainty. The review followed PRISMA guidelines and was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261459491). PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were searched for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies involving undergraduate medical students in high-acuity emergency simulations. Two reviewers independently conducted study selection, data extraction, and methodological appraisal using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument and the Côté and Turgeon framework. Because of substantial heterogeneity, findings were synthesized narratively. Nineteen studies published between 2016 and 2024 were included. Simulation-based education supported teamwork, communication, leadership, situational awareness, decision-making, task management, and crisis resource management. Nevertheless, most studies focused on conventional teamwork domains, learner confidence, or immediate post-intervention performance, while few examined uncertainty management, help-seeking, self-awareness, cognitive load regulation, or adaptation to changing clinical conditions. Evidence regarding long-term retention and transfer to authentic clinical settings was also limited. These findings indicate that simulation curricula should move beyond procedural rehearsal by deliberately incorporating uncertainty, evolving clinical information, and unexpected operational challenges, supported by structured debriefing and validated behavioural assessment. Such an approach may better prepare medical students to sustain safe, adaptive, and coordinated performance in complex emergency environments. 113948 | Whose Media, Whose Knowledge? Rethinking Curriculum Design for International Students in Marketing Communications Education Aiman Rizal, University of Melbourne, Australia Marketing communications curricula commonly present frameworks and tools as culturally neutral and universally applicable, requiring only "localisation" once taught to diverse student cohorts. This framing can inadvertently disconnect international students from their own media literacy, as international students arrive with lived experience of distinct, already-functioning knowledge systems and media ecosystems from their home countries. While internationalisation of curriculum scholarship has encouraged the inclusion of diverse examples and case studies, it has been critiqued for treating students' home knowledge as supplementary, folding "other" perspectives into an existing Western framework rather than genuinely reshaping it. Separately, cross-cultural marketing scholarship has examined differences between media systems, but rarely from the standpoint of how students themselves learn and reconcile these differences. This paper explores how do international marketing communications students navigate the relationship between their existing media knowledge and what they are taught, and how does this navigation relate to their sense of belonging, wellbeing, and post-study intentions? Drawing on funds-of-knowledge theory, comparative media systems theory, and decolonial curriculum scholarship, this conceptual paper proposes a framework for understanding this navigation. A qualitative study with international marketing communications students will use visual media-ecosystem mapping paired with semi-structured interviews to explore how students navigate competing frameworks in the classroom. This research will inform curriculum and pedagogy design that authentically incorporates student voice, with implications for equity, relevance, and collective wellbeing in marketing communications education.

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Virtual Poster Presentations Education & Difference: Gifted Education, Special Education, Learning Difficulties & Disability 110719 | Transfer Between Written Production and Stimulus Selection Tasks in Students with Intellectual Disabilities: A Preliminary Study Using ICT-Based Quiz Tasks Masashi Kawamura, Hachioji City Utsukidai Elementary School, Japan Since the widespread introduction of ICT devices in Japanese elementary schools, quiz-type stimulus selection tasks delivered via platforms such as Google Forms have become common instructional tools, particularly in special education settings. However, the extent to which learning through stimulus selection transfers to written production—a more topographically complex response—has not been empirically examined in this context. This study investigated bidirectional transfer between handwriting and ICT-based stimulus selection tasks in two fifth-grade male students with intellectual disabilities enrolled in a special needs classroom. Using a alternative treatment design, participants were trained on vocabulary meaning tasks across four instructional conditions: ICT training with ICT test, handwriting training with ICT test, ICT training with handwriting test, and handwriting training with handwriting test. Results indicated that both participants showed near-zero accuracy on handwriting tasks at pretest despite relatively higher accuracy on ICT tasks. At posttest, when the test format was ICT-based, both training conditions (handwriting and ICT) yielded 100% accuracy. When the test format required handwriting, however, handwriting training produced 100% accuracy, whereas ICT training resulted in only 30–50% accuracy. These findings suggest that transfer from a topographically simpler response (stimulus selection) to a more complex one (written production) is limited, consistent with prior research on verbal production and receptive language transfer. Observational data further indicated that participants appeared to use partial stimulus cues during selection tasks, which may have contributed to limited transfer. Implications for designing ICT-integrated instructional sequences in special education are discussed. 113463 | Learning Process of Magnitude Comparison in Children with Intellectual Disabilities: Focusing on the Relationship Between Seriation and Transitive Reasoning Hitomi Miyazaki, Kanazawa University, Japan This study compares and examines previous findings on seriation and transitive reasoning and proposes a theoretical framework for understanding the acquisition of continuous quantity concepts in children with intellectual disabilities. Magnitude comparison of continuous quantities involves both direct comparison and indirect comparison using an intermediary item. Indirect comparison requires transitive reasoning, whereby a relationship such as A < B and B < C allows the inference that A < C. Previous studies have presented two contrasting perspectives: one argues that transitive reasoning develops after the acquisition of seriation, whereas the other suggests that seriation is achieved only after transitive reasoning has been established. The present review indicates that the gradual acquisition of seriation may provide the foundation for the development of transitive reasoning. Although some previous instructional studies have incorporated seriation tasks, insufficient attention has been paid to perceptual characteristics of instructional materials, including physical properties, number of items, and differences in size. Therefore, this study organizes the conditions related to these perceptual factors and proposes a stepwise learning process for seriation that supports the development of indirect comparison. The proposed framework provides theoretical implications for designing staged instructional approaches to facilitate the acquisition of indirect comparison skills in children with intellectual disabilities.

Education, Sustainability & Society: Social Justice, Development & Political Movements 111768 | From Extrinsic to Intrinsic Motivation: Psychological Mechanisms and Mobilization Strategies for College Students’ Social Service Engagement Zongxin Lin, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Pengpeng Cai, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland Zheyuan Mai, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Xin Guan, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Langjie He, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Enhancing university students' social service engagement requires moving beyond external incentives to understand how public service motivation translates into participation. This study examined the psychological mechanisms underlying this process. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among university students in Guangdong Province, China, yielding 1,041 valid responses (94.2% effective rate). Preregistered on OSF, the study measured public service motivation, general self-efficacy (GESE), Self-Determination Scale (SDS), and participation frequency. Data were analyzed using PROCESS Model 6. Learning motivation significantly positively predicts participation frequency. SDS mediates this relationship. Furthermore, the sequential mediating pathway through general self-efficacy and self-determination was also significant, indicating that stronger efficacy beliefs were associate with greater autonomous motivation and more frequent participation. Universities should prioritize students' social responsibility and autonomy over purely instrumental skill development. Offering diverse roles, fostering belonging, and reducing compulsory mobilization can successfully enhance intrinsic motivation for sustained public service engagement.

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Virtual Poster Presentations 114190 | Situation-Specific Determinants of Pro-Environmental Behaviour Among Japanese Pre-Service Teachers Maiko Nakamura, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan Tomoko Hashimoto, Tokyo Future University, Japan Pre-service teachers will shape the next generation’s environmental attitudes, yet little is known about what drives their own everyday proenvironmental behaviours. Moreover, prior research has typically aggregated diverse behaviours into a single index, potentially masking situation-specific determinants. This study examined six everyday behaviours (taking food from the front to reduce waste, reducing disposables, saving energy, going paperless, sorting waste, and purchasing eco-friendly items) separately among 245 Japanese pre-service teachers. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted for each situation with situation-matched cost acceptance (Step 1) and four psychological factors (Step 2): educator norms (a novel personal norm rooted in professional identity [e.g. “I don’t want my daily conduct to contradict what I will teach children”)], scientific conviction, anticipated guilt, and environmental identity. Results indicated that cost acceptance was the strongest predictor in every situation (β = .31–.53). The incremental contribution of psychological factors, however, was clearly situation-specific: anticipated guilt uniquely predicted waste-related behaviours (β = .22–.23), whereas educator norms uniquely predicted waste sorting, a public norm-compliance behaviour (β = .18). Simple-slope analysis showed that educator norms buffered the effect of cost: students with strong norms sorted waste regardless of perceived effort (b = 0.06, ns), while the behaviour of students with weak norms depended heavily on cost (b = 0.46, p < .001). Bootstrap mediation further indicated that educator norms operated through anticipated guilt only in waste-related situations. Education for sustainable development in teacher education should therefore combine behavioural barrier reduction with situation-targeted cultivation of professional norms and moral emotions.

Educational Research, Development & Publishing 110482 | Processual Structures of Contact-Based Online Child Sexual Grooming: A Qualitative Case Study of Japanese Criminal Court Judgments Yumiko Yamazaki, Kawasaki City College of Nursing, Japan Online child sexual grooming has been internationally recognized as a significant child protection concern, particularly when online interactions progress toward offline contact. Although previous research has identified offender strategies and risk factors, limited attention has been paid to the interactional processes through which everyday online communication is gradually transformed into face-to-face contact, especially within judicially documented cases in Japan. This study aimed to qualitatively explore the relational processes underlying contact-based online child sexual grooming through an analysis of Japanese criminal court judgments. A qualitative case-study design was employed to examine five cases in which offenders initiated contact with children under 18 years of age via social networking services (SNS) and subsequently engaged in offline meetings. Methods: Data were analyzed using the Steps for Coding and Theorization (SCAT), a qualitative analytical approach suited to process-oriented analysis of interactional sequences. Across the cases, four core conceptual components were identified: feigned empathy, rescue-framed contact manipulation, justification of relational progression, and ownership-oriented control of contact demands. These components functioned not as isolated behaviors but as interconnected interactional practices that progressively oriented relationships toward offline contact. Additional supportive practices, such as gradual increases in intimacy, risk-framed consent reinforcement, and logistical facilitation, contributed to the transition from online interactions to real-world encounters. These findings highlight that grooming-related harm may emerge through cumulative relational processes rather than overt coercion. Grounded in legally established case materials, this study offers a practice-relevant, process-focused framework that may support early risk recognition, professional training, and preventive interventions in child protection and safeguarding contexts.

Foreign Languages Education & Applied Linguistics (including ESL/TESL/TEFL) 114068 | Impact of Self-Perceived English Proficiency of Pre-service Teachers on the Reception of English Kamishibai as a Pedagogical Tool Tomoko Hashimoto, Tokyo Future University, Japan Maiko Nakamura, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan This study investigates how learners' self-perceived English proficiency influences their attitudes toward English kamishibai (paper play), focusing specifically on interest and perceived pedagogical utility. While kamishibai is a traditional storytelling medium, its effectiveness in English language teaching (ELT) may vary based on learner confidence of the English language. Using a quantitative approach, 90 pre-service teachers (N=90) were categorized into three groups, low (n=45), medium (n=24), and high (n=21), based on their self-rated English proficiency. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to examine differences across these groups regarding their interest in kamishibai and its perceived usefulness as an English teaching tool. The MANOVA results revealed a significant multivariate effect of self-perceived proficiency on the combined dependent variables (Pillai’s Trace = 0.119, F(4, 174) = 2.757, p = .029, partialη² = .06). Follow-up univariate ANOVAs showed significant differences in both interest (p = .027) and perceived usefulness (p = .023). Post-hoc Bonferroni tests indicated that the high group reported significantly greater interest (M = 3.10) than the low group (M = 2.36, p = .047). Regarding utility, the medium group rated kamishibai significantly higher (M = 3.92) than the low group (M = 3.24, p = .041). These findings suggest that higher self-perceived proficiency correlates with more positive attitudes toward kamishibai. Specifically, intermediate learners recognize its high pedagogical value, while lower-proficiency learners may require additional scaffolding to overcome psychological or linguistic barriers. This research highlights the need for proficiency-level differentiation when implementing storytelling-based materials in ELT contexts.

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Virtual Poster Presentations 113277 | The Impacts of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety on EFL Learners’ Willingness to Communicate and L2 Self-confidence Rosalie Palaroan, Wenzhou Kean University, China Yuetong Wang, Wenzhou Kean University, China Classroom anxiety is widely recognized as a significant factor influencing second language acquisition and learners’ communicative behavior in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. This study investigates the relationships among classroom anxiety, willingness to communicate (WTC), and L2 self-confidence, and also explores strategies for reducing anxiety. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed using a sample of 136 EFL students. Quantitative data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using correlation and multiple regression analyses. Qualitative data were obtained from open-ended questionnaire responses from the same participants and analyzed thematically to identify strategies to reduce classroom anxiety. Results showed significant negative correlations between classroom anxiety, WTC, and L2 self-confidence. Regression analysis further indicated that classroom anxiety significantly predicted lower levels of WTC and L2 self-confidence. The qualitative findings indicated that learners associated lower anxiety with group discussion, teacher encouragement, thorough preparation, and learning activities such as games, facilitating participation , and reducing communicative pressure. Overall, classroom anxiety was found to negatively affect communicative engagement and the development of confidence in EFL learning environments. This study contributes to second language acquisition research by integrating quantitative and qualitative evidence and offers pedagogical implications for reducing anxiety and enhancing communication. Future research may adopt longitudinal or intervention-based designs to examine classroom anxiety across diverse EFL contexts, while also exploring how teacher practices shape learner communication and confidence development. These findings provide practical guidance for EFL instructors on designing supportive classroom environments that foster communication, build confidence, and reduce anxiety among learners .

Higher Education 111198 | Identifying Dropout Risk Among First-Year Students Based on Career Interest Profiles and Learning Adjustment Chih-Fang Chiu, National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism, Taiwan Student withdrawal and dropout affect not only individual learning trajectories and career development, but also reveal institutional challenges in student–program fit, curriculum support, learning guidance, and resource allocation. This study develops an early warning approach for identifying first-year students at potential dropout risk by integrating career interest exploration data, first-year learning adjustment survey results, and student background information. The study focuses on first-year students at a vocational university in Taiwan, with 869 undergraduate students included as the analytical population. Among them, 693 valid responses were collected from the First-Year Student Learning Adjustment Survey, and 698 responses were collected from the Career Interest Exploration assessment. The analysis first classified students by department and applied K-means clustering to percentile rank scores across 16 career interest categories. Students who had withdrawn or dropped out were then mapped back onto the clustering results to identify department-specific dropout-risk clusters. In addition, three learning adjustment items—considering transferring to another institution, retaking the entrance examination, and taking a leave of absence—were used as dropout intention indicators. By cross-referencing career interest clusters with dropout intention indicators, this study identified students who simultaneously showed weak career–program alignment and higher dropout intention. The findings suggest that these students may require priority support not only in academic learning, but also in time management, future pathway clarification, emotional and interpersonal adjustment, and financial pressure. This study contributes a data-informed early warning framework for preventive and differentiated student guidance in higher education. 113615 | Structural Shifts in STEM Pedagogy: Governing Organizational Change and Faculty Alignment in Higher Education Kathryn Miedema Dominguez, Lincoln Learning Solutions, United States Successful institutional reform in postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education hinges on transitioning faculty from traditional lecturing toward integrated, student-centered models, yet the structures required to sustain these shifts remain inadequately understood. Drawing upon organizational change and transformational leadership theories, this basic qualitative study investigated the institutional supports and governance adjustments necessary to bridge the gap between administrative vision and classroom reality. Data were collected from 15 college-level STEM instructors across diverse institutional settings using open-ended questionnaires and triangulated via document analysis of 12 course syllabi. The thematic analysis revealed systemic deficits hindering faculty modernization efforts, with 67% of participating instructors reporting a lack of formal institutional policies to encourage active learning, leaving reform dependent on individual interest or labor. Furthermore, 47% reported receiving no formal pedagogical training during their careers, highlighting a critical disconnect in professional development infrastructure. These findings outline a clear roadmap for higher education leaders driving organizational change, demonstrating the necessity for transformational leaders to move beyond rhetoric to systematically sustain modern STEM environments by establishing collective institutional missions, structured pedagogical training, and resource allocation models to protect faculty time.

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Virtual Poster Presentations Interdisciplinary, Multidisciplinary & Transdisciplinary Education 113197 | Teaching America in the Age of Global English: Rethinking American Studies Curriculum in Vietnamese Higher Education Anh Hoang, Vietnam National University, Vietnam This study examines how the United States is represented in American Studies curricula in Vietnamese higher education and the extent to which these curricula incorporate contemporary transnational and global perspectives. Drawing on scholarship on transnational American Studies and curriculum as the selection and organization of disciplinary knowledge, the study conducts a qualitative content analysis of 5 syllabi from 5 Vietnamese universities offering American Studies-related courses to English-major students. The institutions were selected representing different regions and institutional profiles, with 1 relevant syllabus from each institution, and syllabus content was coded into thematic categories covering U.S. history, political institutions, society and culture, identity and diversity, foreign relations, global issues, and contemporary technological and geopolitical developments. The analysis also examines how topics are framed, rather than simply whether they appear. Preliminary findings show that historical, institutional and cultural themes dominated, while contemporary issues appear sporadically rather than structurally integrated. These patterns suggest that curriculum design continues to privilege relatively bounded national narratives of the United States, with more limited attention to America’s changing position within transnational networks and contemporary global transformations. Rather than proposing curriculum “updating” in general, the study identifies specific areas where existing course content could be extended, while retaining foundational historical and cultural knowledge. The study contributes an empirically grounded account of how American Studies is currently curricularized in Vietnam and offers context-sensitive implications for curriculum development.

Learning Experiences, Student Learning & Learner Diversity 112178 | Digital Learning Journals as a Tool for Developing Metacognition and Student Agency in Grade 9 Literature Arianne Marie Reque, PAREF Woodrose School, Philippines The passive reading habits of ninth-grade students and their deep dependency on teacher-led interpretations present a significant challenge to developing independent critical-thinking skills. Through this research, this prevalent classroom dilemma is addressed by introducing Digital Learning Journals, a strategy designed to activate metacognition and foster student agency among Grade 9 Literature students. While most studies look at learning reflections as tools for basic study habits, this research focuses specifically on how they help students manage their own thinking and express their own voice. Over a targeted intervention period, students utilized structured digital journals in two ways: first, to engage in regular self-reflection and self-correction, and second, to document independent meaning-making in literary texts. The key findings indicated a notable shift from passive consumption to active engagement, as evidenced by increased student ownership over the reading process and a higher frequency of independent metacognitive strategy use. The main takeaway is that integrating digital learning journals with structured reflective frameworks effectively reduces teacher dependency, scaffolds internal self-regulation, and empowers secondary learners to cultivate an autonomous voice in higher-order literary analysis. 114333 | Designing a Virtual Reality Moral Dilemma Game with Multiple GenAI NPCs: Analysis of Interaction Tendencies and Scene Progression Paths Jing-Hao Wang, Chihlee University of Technology, Taiwan Xin-Yu Xie, Chihlee University of Technology, Taiwan Yu-Cheng Lin, Chihlee University of Technology, Taiwan Moral dilemmas involve multiple stakeholders, conflicting values, and uncertain consequences. Conventional ethics instruction based on written cases, videos, or teacher-led discussion may offer limited opportunities to experience role pressures, contextual constraints, and decision consequences. This study designed a VR-based educational game comprising three task scenarios and three generative artificial intelligence non-player characters (GenAI NPCs), each representing a different stakeholder perspective. Learners explored the VR environment, observed objects and information, and interacted with the NPCs through voice-based dialogue to gather information, understand contrasting positions, and reflect on their judgments. A total of 186 valid learning records were analyzed. The analyses examined interaction tendencies in successful and unsuccessful records and patterns of scene progression, repeated exploration, and task termination. Of the 186 records, 151 included at least one successful task completion, yielding a record-level completion rate of 81.2%. Successful records more often included clue-searching and scene-progression behaviors, whereas unsuccessful records were more dialogue-oriented and more likely to end after dialogue or clue searching. Among successful sessions, 76.0% progressed through the three task scenarios in sequence, while 15.4% returned to previously explored scenarios before completing the task. Unsuccessful sessions more often ended before reaching later task scenarios. Overall, successful completion was associated with integrating voice interaction, environmental observation, clue searching, and scene progression. Repeated exploration may indicate information verification and reconsideration rather than inefficient navigation. These findings provide guidance for designing GenAI NPC interactions, VR scenario prompts, and ethical reflection activities in immersive educational games.

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Virtual Poster Presentations Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice & Praxis 114350 | Ahead of Curriculum Reform: Analyzing Student-Designed Community Activities Grounded in the Social Model in Speech-LanguageHearing Therapist Education Hisako Ishiyama, Gunma Paz University, Japan Shunsuke Endo, Gunma Paz University, Japan Michi Suzuki, Gunma Paz University, Japan Tetsuro Sakai, Gunma Paz University, Japan Yumi Okano, Gunma Paz University, Japan Yasutoshi Shirasaka, Gunma Paz University, Japan Speech-language-hearing therapist (SLHT) education has traditionally emphasized the medical model, focusing on assessment and intervention for individual impairments, with limited systematic incorporation of the social model of disability. In 2024, however, revised national curriculum standards newly emphasized the SLHT's role as a community-based professional supporting activity and participation. Since our program's founding in 2021, we have incorporated social-model-based practice education with promising outcomes. This study analyzes student-designed, practice-based learning activities in the “Community Participation Support Course,” in which second- and thirdyear students worked in small seminar groups to identify community issues, plan activities, collaborate with external organizations, conduct outreach, implement their plans, and report outcomes. The analysis covered 18 activities conducted over three academic years (2023– 2025), examined in terms of target population, format, content domain, implementation method, community collaboration, and relationship to the social model. The activities reached 3,848 participants, involved 64 cooperating organizations, and received 27 media mentions. Six activities directly addressed SLHT-specific domains, including hearing loss awareness, communication support, dysphagia and eating support, and dementia awareness, while twelve addressed broader community inclusion, such as inclusive play, barrier-free environments, employment support, intergenerational exchange, and community revitalization. These findings suggest that the course provided students with opportunities to connect the social model, as a classroom concept, with concrete community-based practice, extending their focus beyond individual support toward environmental adjustment, public awareness, and collaborative community development. This practice offers a model for integrating social-model perspectives into SLHT professional education. 114334 | Does Generative AI Make Research Design Easier for Graduate Students? Ying-Feng Wang, National Taichung University of Education, Taiwan The study aimed to explore the effects of using generative AI on implementing science education research. Fifteen graduate students enrolled in a summer graduate course on science education research design voluntarily participated in the study. The researcher served as the instructor, engaging the participants in learning research design with generative AI. The questionnaire on students’ perceptions of AI use and learning of research design was developed by the researcher and validated by ten experts. Data were collected from pre- and post-questionnaire tests, student reports, and instructor and student feedback during an eight-week study. The findings indicated that the participants engaged in discussions using generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT and Gemini, to critique the AI-generated content. When participants brainstormed and generated ideas for science education research, they developed innovative solutions by reorganizing the AI-generated ideas. The reading activities and the application of generative AI methods inspired graduate students to engage in designing research. They gained authentic insights and incidental learning from the AI-generated research articles. Interestingly, this approach significantly simplified the research design process. Integrating generative AI is beneficial for conducting research in science education, as evidenced by significant differences between pre- and post-test results (α= .05, Cohen’s d = 1.534). All participants agreed that generative AI is a useful assistant for research and that it makes research design more enjoyable. Hence, how to implement AI to make research easier to conduct is worth exploring in the future.

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Notes

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations Abstracts appear as originally submitted by the author. Any spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors are those of the author.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations Challenging & Preserving: Culture, Inter/Multiculturalism & Language 110577 | Digital Identity Strategies and Cultural Adaptation Among Ethnic Minority College Students in China Kelibinuer Kuerban, Central China Normal University, China Digital platforms and algorithmic recommendation systems have become important spaces where university students from cultural minority backgrounds negotiate cultural belonging and intercultural understanding. This mixed-methods study examines how cultural adaptation patterns shape students’ digital identity strategies in algorithmically mediated environments. Using an explanatory sequential design, a survey of 2,004 minority university students was followed by semi-structured interviews with 30 participants selected through stratified purposive sampling. The study identified four cultural adaptation profiles, each linked to a different digital identity strategy, ranging from active bicultural expression to digital withdrawal. Regression analysis showed that emotional experience was the strongest predictor of adaptation outcomes (β=0.711), while behavioral participation without emotional grounding was negatively associated with adaptation (β=−0.096), revealing an “adaptation paradox” in which participation alone does not necessarily indicate meaningful intercultural engagement. Across profiles, participants perceived recommendation algorithms as reinforcing existing cultural orientations rather than expanding cross-cultural exposure, a pattern especially consequential for more disengaged students. These findings contribute to multicultural education, global citizenship education, and educational technology by linking cultural adaptation patterns with digital identity practices and highlighting algorithmic literacy as a critical competence for inclusive higher education. Practical implications include shifting from participation-rate metrics to experience-quality metrics in digitally mediated intercultural learning and global citizenship development.

Counselling, Guidance & Adjustment in Education 110989 | Toward a Future-Oriented Student Resilience Scale: Lessons from Five Pandemic and Post-Pandemic Studies Across Five Countries Hoang-Nam Tran, Tokushima University, Japan Kanchana Piboon, Burapha University, Thailand Katya Marinova, Veliko Tarnovo University, Bulgaria Omar Maningo Rodis, Tokushima University, Japan Shinichi Takahashi, Tokushima University, Japan The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the need for higher education institutions to understand not only how university students experience disruption, but also how prepared they are to adapt to future crises. This report synthesizes evidence from five author-led studies conducted between 2020 and 2023 in Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Bangladesh, and Bulgaria. Four cross-sectional surveys examined students’ academic experiences, online learning adaptation, perceived health impacts, stress, well-being, and support needs during the pandemic, while one postpandemic qualitative study explored the aspirations and living preferences of international students in Japan after border reopening. Across the studies, common patterns emerged: disruption to learning, uneven adaptation to digital education, elevated stress and anxiety, differences linked to gender and living environment, and a growing emphasis on long-term educational and career stability. These findings suggest that student resilience is multidimensional and cannot be captured by mental health indicators alone. Rather, resilience in higher education should include academic adaptability, digital learning readiness, health and well-being, perceived institutional support, coping capacity, and futureoriented educational or career planning. Based on this synthesis, the report argues for the development and validation of a future-oriented student resilience scale that can help universities identify vulnerable student groups, evaluate support systems, and prepare more effectively for future disruptions. Such a scale would provide a practical tool for building more inclusive, responsive, and resilient higher education systems beyond the COVID-19 context. 112626 | Toward an AI-Integrated Framework for Mental Health Professional Training: Theory and Preliminary Evidence Lindai Xie, Texas Tech University, United States Although generative artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming higher education and professional training, its adoption within counseling and mental health professional education has been comparatively cautious due to concerns regarding confidentiality, ethical decision-making, professional judgment, and the relational nature of counseling practice (Campbell et al., 2025; Mifsud & Herlihy, 2025). Despite increasing exposure to AI technologies, counselors-in-training and educators often lack structured opportunities to develop AI literacy and learn how to integrate these tools responsibly within educational and clinical contexts. Furthermore, counselor education programs currently lack empirically informed frameworks to guide the systematic integration of AI in ways that align with professional competencies and ethical standards (Maurya & DeDiego, 2025). To address this gap, this presentation introduces the AI-III (Introduction, Integration, and Implementation) Framework, a theory-informed model designed to support the ethical and effective integration of generative AI into counselor education and mental health professional training. The framework’s conceptual foundations, core domains, and implications for professional preparation will be discussed. Preliminary evidence will be presented to illustrate the framework’s feasibility and educational utility. Implications for curriculum design, mental health professional preparation, supervision, and future research will be discussed. Attendees will leave with a practical, theoretically grounded, and evidence-informed framework for advancing responsible AI integration within education and mental health professional training.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations Curriculum Design & Development 112399 | Integrating a Collaborative Approach into Murray Print’s Curriculum Development Model for Higher Education Faculty Richelle Rivera, Philippine Women’s University, Philippines Curriculum development in higher education is a complex undertaking that requires the collective effort of faculty members. Although the need for faculty collaboration is widely acknowledged, existing curriculum development models provide limited procedural guidance for collaborative work. Without this guidance, collaboration may be treated informally and may lead to inconsistent collaborative practices and decision-making processes in curriculum work. This study examines how a structured approach to faculty collaboration supports curriculum development in higher education. To address this issue, the study developed a set of collaborative protocols and procedures integrated into Murray Print’s Curriculum Development Model, specifically within the organization and development phases. Using a multi-method design within a design and development research framework, the study identified dimensions of collaboration applicable to curriculum development and empirically validated these dimensions through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. These dimensions, namely, Coordinated Tasks and Procedures, Collaborative Decision-Making, and Structured Communication for Shared Understanding, were translated into collaborative protocols and procedures integrated into Murray Print’s model, which subsequently underwent expert validation and field testing. The protocols and procedures involved iterative individual and collective tasks, in which the review of and reflection on data facilitated deliberations toward curriculum decisions built on consensus. The final output of this study was a set of validated protocols and procedures integrated into Murray Print’s model, providing higher education faculty teams with a structured approach to collaborative curriculum development. 112981 | Responding to the Omission of North Korean Refugee Youth Voices in English Textbooks Through Youth Participatory Action Research Hyoju Jeong, University of British Columbia, Canada Recent research has shown that South Korean middle school English textbooks largely omit North Korea, the relationship between the two Koreas, and the voices of North Korean refugee youth. Some studies have further suggested that the lived experiences of North Korean refugee youth could be incorporated into English language education. However, little attention has been paid to how this omission can be addressed through classroom pedagogy. Drawing on critical pedagogy as a theoretical lens, this conceptual paper argues that omission should be understood not only as the absence of representation in textbooks but also as the absence of opportunities for students to engage with marginalized perspectives through classroom learning. From this perspective, responding to omission requires creating classroom spaces where omitted voices can be expressed, heard, and become part of classroom knowledge construction. To respond to this omission, this paper examines Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), which positions North Korean refugee youth as active participants in classroom knowledge construction rather than recipients of curriculum. Through YPAR, English classrooms could become spaces where North Korean refugee youth communicate their experiences in English with South Korean peers, bringing voices omitted from textbooks into classroom dialogue. In this way, English could function not simply as the object of language learning but as a medium for reintroducing omitted voices into curriculum. By reconceptualizing omission as the absence of opportunities for participation rather than merely the absence of representation, this paper connects textbook omission with classroom pedagogy through YPAR, contributing to discussions of curriculum, student participation, and English language education. 114080 | Re-establishing a Dormant Engineering Curriculum Through Industry-Integrated Learning: A Case Study in Undergraduate IC Design Education Patrick Ho, Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia Rapid advances in semiconductor technologies have widened the gap between traditional engineering curricula and contemporary industry practice, creating a need for curriculum renewal that better prepares graduates for professional roles. This paper presents the redevelopment of an undergraduate Integrated Circuit (IC) Design unit that had not been offered since 2018, transforming it into an industry-integrated learning experience aligned with modern semiconductor design workflows. The redesigned curriculum replaced a predominantly digital logic focus with five authentic laboratory experiences representing key functional departments within an IC design company: RTL Design, CMOS Design, Timing Analysis, Design Automation, and Design-for-Test. These laboratories progressively converged into an end-to-end integrated design project using industry-standard Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools. The curriculum was informed by principles of authentic learning, constructive alignment, and industry-integrated education, enabling students to develop technical competence alongside systems thinking, engineering trade-off analysis, collaboration, and professional readiness. Preliminary evaluation through student feedback, reflective responses, and engagement data indicates positive perceptions of curriculum relevance, learning authenticity, and confidence in applying semiconductor design concepts. Students particularly valued the opportunity to experience an interconnected design workflow that mirrors contemporary engineering practice. Although developed within semiconductor engineering, the curriculum model offers transferable design principles for renewing specialised engineering programmes facing rapidly evolving technological landscapes. The paper discusses the curriculum design process, implementation considerations, and educational implications for engineering educators seeking to strengthen graduate employability through authentic, industry-inspired learning experiences while maintaining strong disciplinary foundations.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations Design, Implementation & Assessment of Innovative Technologies in Education 108647 | Design and Evaluation of a Gamified Learning System for Accounting Vocabulary Acquisition Among Undergraduate Students at Sichuan University of Arts Huaqiong Gou, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Thailand Mathuros Panmuang, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Thailand This study aimed to design and evaluated a gamified learning system for accounting vocabulary acquisition among undergraduate students at Sichuan University of Arts and Science. The objectives were to develop an interactive accounting vocabulary game and to examine its effectiveness compared with traditional vocabulary instruction. An experimental research design was employed. Sixty undergraduate students enrolled in accounting-related courses in 2026 were divided into two groups: an experimental group (n = 30) that used the gamified learning system and a control group (n = 30) that received traditional instruction. Both groups completed identical pre-tests and post-tests consisting of multiple-choice vocabulary items. Prior to implementation, the system was evaluated by three content experts and three technical experts using a five-point Likert scale, and the overall quality was rated at a good level. Content validity of research instruments was verified using the Index of Item-Objective Congruence (IOC). Students in the experimental group also completed a satisfaction questionnaire after the intervention. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and independent samples t-test at the 0.05 significance level. The findings revealed that the experimental group achieved significantly higher post-test scores than the control group. Within-group analysis also showed significant improvement in vocabulary acquisition after using the gamified system. Additionally, student satisfaction was rated at a high level, particularly in terms of engagement and perceived learning effectiveness. The results indicate that gamified learning effectively enhances accounting vocabulary acquisition and supports positive learning experiences in higher education. 108652 | A User-centered Design Approach to Developing a Digital Learning Environment: an Evaluation of Usability and User Satisfaction Among University Students Xueting Pu, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Thailand Metee Pigultong, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Thailand The research aims to develop and evaluate a digital Learning Environment for Sichuan University of Arts and Science based on a usercentered design approach. The study addresses two research questions: 1) What is the quality of the developed digital Learning Environment? and 2) What is the level of users’ satisfaction with the system? The research objectives are: 1) to design and develop the digital Learning Environment, 2) to evaluate its quality, and 3) to assess users’ satisfaction. The development process was guided by the ADDIE model, including five stages: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation, to ensure a systematic and user-oriented system design.The population consisted of 927 students from the College of Physical Education. The sample size was determined using the formula proposed by Taro Yamane (1967), resulting in 280 participants. Data were collected using structured questionnaires measuring system quality and user satisfaction, and analyzed using mean (M) and standard deviation (SD).The results showed that the overall quality of the digital Learning Environment was at a good level (M = 4.00, SD = 0.42). Users’ satisfaction was at a very high level (M = 5.00, SD = 0.00), indicating positive user experience and system usability.These findings suggest that the developed system is effective and can serve as a practical model for digital learning implementation in higher education. 108757 | Rethinking Assessment Strategies in the Era of GEN AI: A Case Study Akther Shermin, Apex Australia Higher Education, Australia The rapid adoption of generative AI (GEN AI) tools in education has introduced both significant opportunities and challenges, particularly in ensuring authentic student learning and upholding academic integrity. In response, substantial efforts have been directed toward redesigning traditional assessment frameworks to achieve intended learning outcomes in an environment increasingly shaped by AI technologies. This case study investigates the redesign of assessment strategies in a core subject aimed at addressing high rates of academic misconduct and inflated performance outcomes. Analysis of the previous assessment structure revealed that students were able to generate substantial portions of their report-based artefacts using GEN AI tools. To address this, assessments were revised to incorporate supervised and interactive components. For example, a formative assessment that previously required students to prepare and present a poster in class. Due to time constraints, Q&A sessions were frequently skipped, making them extremely vulnerable to AI-related misconduct. In the restructured format, students prepare posters but present them through an in-class discussion forum, responding to targeted questions to demonstrate understanding in real time. Additionally, while two major summative assessments continue to require report submissions, a high-stakes oral defense has been introduced to allow students to authentically demonstrate their knowledge and learning. This restructuring has significantly reduced instances of academic misconduct and produced more realistic performance outcomes. The study also highlights lessons learned and provides recommendations for implementing consistent, robust assessment frameworks across multiple courses in AI-integrated educational contexts.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 110005 | Automation of OBE Student Attendance Through Face Recognition Technology to Enhance Attendance Integrity in Online Learning Paula Dewanti, STIKOM Bali Institute of Technology and Business, Indonesia Richardus Eko Indrajit, Pradita University, Indonesia Attendance tracking is a key component of student engagement monitoring in Outcome-Based Education, particularly in online learning environments where proxy attendance and unverifiable participation may affect the reliability of academic records. This study develops and implements a face recognition-based attendance system integrated into an OBE Learning Management System to improve attendance integrity and support institutional accountability. The system uses deep learning-based face detection and recognition by comparing selfie images captured during attendance submission with pre-registered student face encodings. The methodology includes system design, face data registration, scheduled per-meeting attendance activation, identity verification through captured images, administrative validation, and automated reporting of attendance records. The system provides several practical features, including controlled attendance opening for each meeting, photo-based verification, manual administrative override, attendance percentage calculation, and integration with configurable grade components. These features allow attendance data to contribute directly to performance monitoring and final grade calculation within the OBE framework. Implementation results indicate that the system can reduce opportunities for proxy attendance, provide verifiable evidence of student participation, and improve the integrity of attendance data used for continuous improvement processes. The study also recognizes important ethical and technical considerations in applying facial recognition technology in education. Privacy protection, informed consent, secure storage of facial data, and awareness of possible algorithmic bias are necessary to ensure responsible implementation. Technical challenges such as image quality, camera availability, lighting conditions, and unstable internet connectivity may also influence recognition performance. Overall, this study offers a practical and scalable digital attendance solution for online learning while 111675 | An Educational Game Integrating Generative AI-Simulated Dialogues for Personality Trait Recognition and Situational Communication Skills Training Bi-Huei Jian, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Hung-Yu Chan, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Huei-Tse Hou, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan The ability to recognize personality traits and adapt communication strategies to individuals with diverse dispositional characteristics has emerged as an increasingly critical competency in contemporary workplace education and training. The advancement of Generative AI (GenAI) technology offers unprecedented opportunities to construct highly realistic workplace scenarios and interpersonal communication experiences, while affording learners repeated deliberate practice and opportunities for immediate reflective feedback. This study designed an educational role-playing game, Communication in the Unknown Kingdom, in which learners engage in one-on-one dialogues with five GenAI-driven non-player characters (NPCs), each embodying a distinct Big Five personality profile. Supported by real-time scaffolding prompts, learners practiced identifying personality traits and adapting their communication strategies within simulated workplace crisis scenarios. Dependent variables included: situational communication role and context recognition ability, Active Empathic Listening Scale (AELS) performance, flow experience, anxiety, and acceptance. A total of 20 adult workplace learners (8 male, 12 female) participated in this study. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests revealed statistically significant improvements in both situational communication context recognition and AELS performance. All subscales of flow experience and game acceptance were significantly above the median, while game anxiety was significantly below the median. Qualitative analysis indicated that 70% of learners reported enhanced ability in personality trait recognition attributable to the game; 75% affirmed the effectiveness of real-time AI-generated scaffolding prompts; and 65% perceived a high degree of immersion in the simulated workplace environment. Collectively, the findings support the educational efficacy of integrating GenAI-driven realistic dialogues and real-time scaffolding within game-based learning applications for workplace communication training. 111921 | The Fourth Culture: Artificial Intelligence and the Emerging Educational Identity of Third Culture Kids Sanjukta Chakraborty, Parul University, India Dhritiman Chakraborty, University of Bristol, United Kingdom Increasingly adaptive and globally accessible educational technologies bring a new dimension of identity formation at the intersection of mobility and AI. This paper examines the contribution of AI-enhanced educational spaces to the development of a “Fourth Culture”: a digitally mediated identity beyond the traditional conceptualisation of Pollock’s Third Culture Kid (Chakraborty et al., 2025). The TCK’s identity is shaped through interactions with multiple physical cultures. Contemporary learners increasingly navigate AI-curated educational experiences, multilingual AI-interfaces and virtual learning communities. Like TCKs, these digitally mediated environments create new spaces of belonging that are neither fully rooted in national cultures nor geography. We examine how AI-driven education influences identity formation among learners, investigating whether these developments warrant extensions of contemporary TCK theories. The study adopts a qualitative, interdisciplinary methodology that combines the authors’ previous published research on TCKs, autoethnographic reflection, empirical examples, a critical review of existing scholarship and discourse relating to AI in education. Secondary evidence from published interviews, surveys and case studies further recommends established TCK literature to be examined alongside recent developments in AIbased educational technology. Rather than a solely pedagogical tool, this paper argues that AI increasingly functions as an active participant in the construction of educational identity through its influence on learning pathways, communication practices and digital communities. The concept of a “Fourth Culture” further contributes to emerging research concerning the educational and social implications of AI while extending TCK discourse and scholarship into the 21st Century through a theoretically grounded and empirically informed conceptual framework.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 112165 | Bridging Time and Space in Learning Analytics: Developing the STINA Analyzer for Spatio-Temporal Integrated Networks (STIN) Huei-Tse Hou, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Traditional learning behavior analysis often treats temporal dynamics and spatial structures as separate entities, making it difficult to simultaneously visualize the spatio-temporal structure of learning trajectories. To overcome this limitation, this study developed the “STINA Analyzer” web-based analysis tool and proposed an innovative “Spatio-Temporal Integrated Networks (STIN)” model. A key feature of this tool is its pioneering multidimensional computation that integrates Lag Sequence Analysis (LSA), Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA), and Frequent Sequential Pattern Mining (FSPM) to visualize both graphical and spatio-temporal structures, thereby overcoming the analytical blind spots associated with single-indicator approaches. This study utilized a dataset of two hours of player behavior from an AI NPC-assisted educational game for pilot testing. The analysis results show that the tool can clearly and reasonably reconstruct the “spatial adjacency structure” and “temporal transition characteristics” of players’ learning behavior during game tasks, and can help identify key behavioral structural hubs that drive learning outcomes, including differences in behavioral structures across different time periods within the same dataset. The graphical advantage of STIN, which combines three algorithms, lies in its ability to present occurrence frequencies using nodes of varying sizes within a single visual interface, while using connections to display the spatial network weights (ENA) of behavioral co-occurrence and directed arrows to indicate statistically significant temporal transition paths (LSA). Most importantly, the top three behavioral sequences (FSPM) exhibiting long-term developmental inertia are filtered and overlaid on the graph, serving as a reference for identifying the most critical behaviors and sequences throughout the behavioral trajectory. 112725 | An Educational Game Integrating GenAI Peer Scaffolding for Enhanceing Learners’ Historical Empathy and Context Understanding Hung-Yu Chan, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Huei-Tse Hou, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan History education emphasizes contextual learning and historical empathy, highly interactive games facilitate contextual learning for learners, demonstrating the significant potential of integrating highly interactive games and GenAI into history education. Using GenAI characters as peer scaffolding to enable learners to solve problems within the context of real historical events is a topic worth exploring. This study designed a text-based educational game titled “1643: The Sixteenth Year of Chongzhen,” which incorporated a minister played by GenAI as a peer scaffolding. Players took on the role of a young Ming Dynasty official who, collaborating with a GenAI minister, submitted a memorial to the emperor proposing solutions to the crisis facing the dynasty on the brink of collapse, and attempt to alter the course of history. This pilot study included a total of 15 participants. The result showed that overall flow were high and significantly higher than the scale median score of 3, with an average score exceeding 4. Overall anxiety was below 3, while the average scores for social presence and historical empathy were both above 4. Low extrinsic cognitive load (M 4) indicated that learning situations characterized by high situational engagement, low anxiety, and minimal distractions could foster greater historical empathy and decision-making. In addition, based on the results of the open-ended questions, the majority of learners indicated that GenAI peer scaffolding can enhance historical knowledge (93%), decision-making skills in complex situations (80%), and immersion in the overall game setting (93%). 112953 | Interpreting AI Labour Signals for Curriculum Design: A Qualitative Framework for Creative Educators Liem Bui Quoc, RMIT University Vietnam, Vietnam Lena Bucatariu, RMIT University Vietnam, Vietnam Anh Dinh Tung, RMIT University Vietnam, Vietnam Thi Tran, RMIT University Vietnam, Vietnam The explosion of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is profoundly reshaping the job landscape in the creative design and media industries. However, the gap between labor market expectations expressed through job postings and the competencies that university programs actually equip students with remains understudied, particularly within the context of international private universities in Southeast Asia. This study investigates how signals from the AI labor market, as expressed through job postings, freelance project listings, and industry reports, can be interpreted and translated into meaningful curriculum design directions. Based on three complementary theoretical frameworks, Labour Market Signalling Theory (Spence, 1973), Graduate Capital Theory (Tomlinson, 2017), and Constructive Alignment Theory (Biggs & Tang, 2011), this study applied a qualitative content analysis method (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005) to analyze 280 labor market documents and curriculum materials from three subjects in the School of Communication &a Design at an international university in Vietnam. The preliminary results show the emergence of three prominent AI competency groups that the labor market prioritizes but which current curricula do not fully reflect: critical thinking about AI output, the ability to collaborate with humans and machines in the creative process, and professional ethics in an AI environment. The research proposes a reusable three-step process for signal recognition, competency transformation, and curriculum alignment, enabling creative education educators to proactively adapt curricula to the rapidly changing AI job market.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 112966 | Bridging Tradition and Technology: a Contextual Framework for Designing a Web-Based Constructivist Learning Environment for Thai Contemporary Dance Napatprapa Pathrapoowanun, Khon Kaen University, Thailand Contemporary dance education for Thai youth currently faces a critical shortage of dedicated learning spaces and technological innovations capable of stimulating high-order thinking and collaborative practices, thereby limiting students' capacity to fully develop their creative potential. The data sources and target participants for this study comprised 5 experts in performing arts and instructional design, 10 secondary school performing arts teachers, and 45 Thai youths aged 15–18 who demonstrated a strong interest in contemporary dance. Utilizing a Research and Development (R&D) methodology, this initial contextual phase employed semi-structured interviews to gather qualitative insights from the experts and instructors, alongside questionnaires and learning behavior assessments to analyze the specific needs of the learners. The collected data were subsequently analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that while 88.9% of the students possessed high digital literacy, they lacked confidence in self-choreography. Concurrently, 90.0% of the instructors reported facing severe time constraints in providing individualized mentorship, and 75.0% of the educational institutions suffered from insufficient physical rehearsal spaces. These insights underscore an urgent demand for an online learning space that integrates self-regulation, knowledge sharing, and reflection—all of which are core pillars of constructivist theory. The empirical contextual data obtained from this study serve as a foundational framework for defining the architectural structure and functions of a constructivist web-based learning environment model, which aims to transcend physical and temporal barriers while effectively driving the creative potential of Thai youth in performing arts onto the international stage. 114207 | Designing for Self-Regulation: A Context Study of Physical Education Stakeholders’ Needs for AI Coaching Technology Krittinan Phunon, Khon Kean University, Thailand Parama Kwangmuang, Khon Kean University, Thailand Developing an AI coach-based web application to promote self-regulated exercise among high school students, grounded in Self-Determination Theory, requires contextual data on the learning management of students and teachers in physical education. However, empirical evidence on the gap between current and desired conditions has been lacking. This study examined this context as a foundation for the application's design. The target group comprised 465 high school students at Khon Kaen University Demonstration School (Modindaeng) (248 males, 53.3%; 217 females, 46.7%) and 5 physical education teachers (mean age 40.8 years; mean teaching experience 16.8 years). Data were collected via a 5-point rating-scale questionnaire covering five domains: instructional management, use of media and technology, exerciserelated problems, out-of-class exercise behavior, and need for AI coaching technology. Respondents rated both current and desired conditions. Data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, the Modified Priority Needs Index (PNI Modified), paired-samples t-tests, and Cohen's dz. Students rated the overall current condition as moderate (M = 2.77, SD = 0.40) and the desired condition as highest (M = 4.37, SD = 0.19). The top-priority domain was AI coaching technology (PNI Modified = 0.75), followed by out-of-class exercise behavior (PNI Modified = 0.71); differences were significant across all domains (p < .001). Teachers showed a consistent pattern, also rating AI coaching technology highest (PNI Modified = 1.40). These findings indicate AI coaching technology as the shared top priority for students and teachers, providing baseline data for the application's design in the next research phase.

Education & Difference: Gifted Education, Special Education, Learning Difficulties & Disability 110825 | Generative AI for Enhancing Students’ Learning Experiences in Communication in Healthcare Settings Lo Ping Candy Fung, Tung Wah College, China Fowie Ng, Tung Wah College, China Effective communication is vital in healthcare for patients, caregivers, and professionals. Traditional role-playing methods for teaching healthrelated undergraduates often lack realism, limiting their effectiveness. In contrast, artificial intelligence (AI) offers a scalable and realistic alternative through avatars. These avatars simulate diverse communication scenarios, such as de-escalation, interprofessional collaboration, cultural safety, health assessments, delivering bad news, and handling complaints, while providing immediate feedback. Simconverse, a platform focused on enhancing communication skills, has developed an online platform using generative AI to improve healthcare professionals' abilities. The initiative includes three stages: preparation, implementation, and evaluation. In preparation, essential software is acquired, scenarios are selected, and a part-time project officer is hired. Scenarios are co-designed to meet project objectives. During implementation, nursing students use the web-based platform to practice communication skills in tutorials, guided by a project collaborator, engaging with two scenarios and attempting each twice. The evaluation stage employs software tools and course evaluations to assess outcomes, ensuring effective AI integration into the healthcare curriculum.A qualitative analysis was conducted, involving 200 selected students, with 170 participating and interacting with avatars. Approximately 95.3% and 85.3% of students successfully completed the first and second attempts, respectively. The research shows positive student responses to the AI platform. Students effectively communicated with AI avatars within the allotted 30 minutes, gaining patient assessment skills. Course evaluations revealed positive feedback, indicating that generative AI helped students practice healthcare communication skills effectively, enhancing their overall learning experience.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 112846 | Making Everyday Mathematics Visible: Co-Research and Inclusive Learning Environment Design in ECEC Francesca Granone, University of Stavanger, Norway Enrico Pollarolo, University of Stavanger, Norway Inclusive mathematical learning in early childhood education and care (ECEC) requires more than adapting activities for individual children; it requires designing environments that make participation possible from the outset. This paper examines how everyday mathematical barriers can inform the design of inclusive mathematical learning environments in ECEC. The study is situated in an inclusive research project focused on everyday mathematics and co-research with persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The empirical material consists of 84 survey responses mapping perceived mathematical challenges in daily life, co-design meetings, researchers’ field notes, reflective discussions, and prototypes of playful multimodal resources. Survey responses were analysed descriptively to identify recurring domains of everyday mathematics, while co-design discussions, field notes, and prototypes were analysed thematically to trace how everyday barriers were translated into pedagogical design principles. The theoretical framework combines sociocultural perspectives on learning and mediation, semiotic mediation in mathematics education, inclusive research, mathematics as culturally embedded activity, and multimodal representations of learning through action, images, and language. Preliminary findings suggest that everyday mathematical barriers often concern time, money, measuring, locating, sequencing, comparing, and organizing. Through co-research, these barriers were reframed not as individual deficits, but as indicators of hidden mediational demands, revealing how much mathematics is embedded in ordinary everyday activities. The paper contributes to discussions on inclusion, playful pedagogy, and learning environment design by showing how co-research can generate pedagogical design knowledge for making everyday mathematics visible, accessible, and participatory in ECEC. 112990 | Role Misrecognition in Inclusive Education: A Qualitative Case Analysis of a Resource Teacher in Macau Ming Gao, City University of Macau, Macau Inclusive education increasingly depends on resource teachers who coordinate between mainstream education and specialised support. However, in actual school contexts, the professional role of resource teachers is often insufficiently understood. This study takes one resource teacher in a mainstream primary school in Macao as a qualitative case and examines how the teacher’s professional role was constructed and misrecognised during the implementation of inclusive education. Data were generated through an in-depth semi-structured interview and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings reveal four interconnected themes. First, resource support was reframed as remedial accountability, with the resource teacher expected to ensure that students passed examinations and progressed to the next grade. Second, insufficient institutional support limited teacher development, as reflected in self-funded professional training, self-prepared teaching materials, and additional teaching responsibilities. Third, inadequate information sharing among teachers and unequal access to student records fragmented collaboration between mainstream teachers and the resource teacher. Fourth, despite these constraints, the resource teacher sustained professional meaning by identifying, breaking down, and responding to students’ specific learning difficulties. This study shows that barriers to inclusive education arise not only from teachers’ attitudes or insufficient resources, but also from ambiguous professional boundaries and mechanisms of responsibility transfer within school organisational arrangements. It highlights the need for clearer role definitions, shared decision-making, and institutionalised teacher collaboration in inclusive schools.

Education, Sustainability & Society: Social Justice, Development & Political Movements 110714 | Performative Humility: Elite Appropriation of Low-Status Labels in Contemporary Chinese Post-Disciplinary Academic Discourse Lemon Tang, Glasgow School of Art, United Kingdom This article examines a recurring discourse in contemporary Chinese academic culture, where elite institutions and their affiliates jokingly describe themselves through lower-status labels, such as calling top universities “vocational” schools. Often understood as humour, modesty, or informal campus language, these expressions are not politically neutral. Their irony relies on the prior social devaluation of the borrowed terms, which already signify lower institutional status. The article develops the concept of Performative Humility to describe this form of selflowering discourse, in which institutionally advantaged speakers adopt devalued labels to appear modest, ironic, or relatable while retaining the prestige that makes such gestures safe. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s symbolic power and linguistic markets, Judith Butler’s citational force, and Erving Goffman’s work on stigma, the article argues that these utterances turn social devaluation into a rhetorical resource. In some cases, they also invite correction, reassurance, or praise, allowing institutional superiority to be publicly restored rather than genuinely relinquished. By framing elite self-lowering language as symbolic downward appropriation, the article offers a vocabulary for understanding how playful academic discourse may reproduce educational hierarchy rather than challenge it. It concludes that this framework may also illuminate similar forms of self-diminishing language beyond universities, while recognising that such cases should not be treated as sharing one uniform history of injury.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 112681 | Designing Inclusive and Effective Curricula for Sustainability: A Theory-to-Practice Framework for Systemic Educational Ibtissam El Bouazzaoui, EMSI Casablanca, Morocco Amidst accelerating environmental degradation, contemporary education faces the challenge of evolving from passive knowledge transmission to a driver of socio-environmental transformation. Addressing current curriculum development needs, this paper presents an inclusive, practice-oriented framework to embed sustainability across educational ecosystems. The model bridges theory and practice through three interconnected dimensions : early eco-citizenship, pedagogical innovation, and institutionalized student engagement. The first dimension redefines curriculum design by integrating environmental awareness into learners’ daily experiences from an early age. Beyond isolated awareness activities, it promotes long-term ecological consciousness and civic responsibility through sustained cultural and media-based educational initiatives. The second dimension emphasizes pedagogical innovation, shifting attention from increasing instructional hours to transforming learning methodologies. Through active, transdisciplinary, and locally contextualized approaches, the curriculum develops students’ systemic thinking and agency. This alignment between theory and practice is illustrated by an inclusive case study in which engineering students participate in systemic thinking workshops and public speaking activities, translating environmental impact assessment learning into practical sustainability communication projects. The third dimension proposes a structural reform in higher education: the mandatory integration of at least one United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) into all final-year capstone projects, regardless of discipline. This institutional commitment encourages a collective effort involving academic leaders, faculty, students, and socioeconomic partners. Ultimately, this work contributes to curriculum development research by providing an actionable and evolving roadmap. It addresses present educational challenges while preparing learners with the competencies needed to act as responsible agents of change in an increasingly complex world. 114341 | Integrating Ecopedagogy into the Curriculum for Gifted Fourth-Grade Students: Preliminary Qualitative Findings from an Action Research Study Remzi Yılmaz, Anadolu University, Türkiye Çiğdem Suzan Çardak, Anadolu University, Türkiye Ecopedagogy is an educational approach grounded in critical pedagogy and oriented toward an inclusive understanding of planetary health that encompasses human and more-than-human beings. However, the literature offers limited examples of its integration into curricula, ecopedagogical learning processes, and gifted students’ experiences of these processes. This action research study aimed to integrate ecopedagogy into the curriculum for gifted students and examine the process and students’ responses. The ten-week intervention involved eight fourth-grade students at a Science and Art Center in Türkiye, which provides supplementary education for gifted students. Ecopedagogy was integrated into a support education course through indoor and outdoor activities, local observations, environmental actions, and student-led product development. Data included the researcher’s observation notes and reflective journals, students’ nature notebooks and journals, and their products, and validation committee records. Findings indicated that students initially associated sustainability mainly with conservation and recycling but gradually developed a holistic understanding of relationships among soil, water, living organisms, production, cultural heritage, and human activity. Local observations encouraged critical examination of pollution, biodiversity loss, human intervention, and social justice. Students also explored cultural heritage, including historic Ottoman houses, and examined the traditional production of roasted chickpeas as a local economic activity from multiple perspectives. Moving from observation to action, they prepared brochures, composed a song, produced a music video, delivered presentations, held an exhibition, and initiated a collaborative “Waste-Free Environment” project. Overall, place-based, action-oriented ecopedagogy supported students’ understanding of ecological interconnections, critical examination of problems, and active participation in developing solutions.

Educational Policy, Leadership, Management & Administration 109095 | Responsible Citizens or Transformative Agents? Inclusive Citizenship and the Tensions of Italy’s Citizenship Education Reform Bei Zhao, Okayama University, Japan In recent years, citizenship education across Europe has increasingly been expected to address challenges related to diversity, migration, and democratic participation. This study examines Italy’s citizenship education reform introduced under Law 92/2019 through the lens of the inclusive citizenship education model proposed by Audrey Osler and Hugh Starkey. Based on a qualitative analysis of national policy documents issued between 2019 and 2023, including the 2020 Guidelines (DM 35/2020) and subsequent ministerial decrees, the study explores how the reform aligns with and diverges from the principles of inclusive and transformative citizenship education. The analysis is guided by the question of whether the reform primarily cultivates responsible citizens operating within existing institutional frameworks or supports the development of transformative citizens capable of critically engaging with democratic life. The findings identify three structural tensions. First, participation is framed mainly in terms of responsible engagement within institutional norms, with limited emphasis on critical forms of action. Second, identity formation prioritizes national and European belonging, while broader plural and global perspectives remain less developed. Third, the interdisciplinary implementation model places strong demands on teacher coordination, raising challenges for curricular coherence and assessment. These tensions reflect broader efforts to balance democratic cohesion with increasing social diversity. The study contributes to debates on the limits of transformative citizenship education and highlights key considerations for policymakers, including strengthening coordination mechanisms, integrating diverse perspectives more explicitly, and supporting forms of critical participation in educational practice.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 110547 | Institutional Response to Grade Bullying: Reporting Behavior and Perceived Support in Higher Education Zahra Moradi, University Canada West, Canada Jason Walker, Adler University, Canada Deborah Circo, University of Nebraska, United States Pegah Yaghmaie, Adler University, Canada Although bullying in higher education has been extensively studied, institutional responses to grade-related harassment of faculty have received limited attention. This study investigates reporting behaviors and perceived institutional support related to grade bullying among faculty and staff. Based on survey data from 189 participants, the analysis addresses the prevalence of reporting, the types of grade-related harassment, and patterns in institutional responses. The findings indicate that a significant proportion of faculty members do not formally report grade bullying incidents, despite experiencing repeated student pressure such as excessive communication and threats of grade appeals. For those who reported incidents, perceptions of institutional support varied, revealing gaps in policy effectiveness. These results highlight the need for more transparent reporting mechanisms and enhanced institutional support systems within higher education. This study contributes to the literature by shifting the focus from prevalence to institutional accountability in addressing grade bullying. 112992 | Teaching Internship Management, Deployment, and Pedagogical Readiness of Pre-service Teachers in North Cotabato: Policy Recommendations and Framework Enhancement Rosalyn Bornea, Southern Christian College, Philippines Minerva-Saminah Naga, Mindanao State University, Philippines Wardah Guimba, Mindanao State University, Philippines Roseniya Tamano, Mindanao State University, Philippines Farraniva Ismael, Mindanao State University, Philippines Sittie Mae Pamanay, Mindanao State University, Philippines Existing policies on teaching internships appear to be incompatible in some contexts due to cultural and structural differences. Thus, this study was conducted to examine the teaching internships management, deployment practices, and pedagogical readiness of pre-service teachers in North Cotabato. This study employed convergent mixed methods design through survey questionnaire and qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews. To ensure triangulation of the study, document analysis and focus group discussions were utilized. The research locale encompassed State Universities and Colleges offering Teacher Education programs in North Cotabato during the academic year 2025–2026. Utilizing stratified sampling of final-year pre-service teachers, mentors, and supervisors, findings reveal that existing policies and management frameworks significantly influence internship deployment and supervision, fostering a supportive environment that promotes teaching competencies and socio-emotional development. The positive correlation between internship practices and interns’ pedagogical skills aligns with sociocultural learning theories, emphasizing mentorship and social scaffolding. However, resource constraints, limited practical opportunities, classroom management challenges, and supervision issues persist, indicating the need for systemic reforms, capacity-building, and innovative strategies. Grounding the findings and the 8 policy recommendations forwarded by this study, this paper proposes the Integrated Pedagogical Readiness Enhancement Framework (IPREF) as a comprehensive and systems-oriented framework for improving teaching internship programs.

Foreign Languages Education & Applied Linguistics (including ESL/TESL/TEFL) 110473 | English as a Lingua Franca, Identity, and Intercultural Readiness in ASEAN Communication Maria Rita Geezel Basmayor, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Philippines This study examines how Filipino university students imagined and negotiated regional communicative relations during the early years of ASEAN integration, focusing on English as a lingua franca (ELF) as a site of relational, ideological, and identity work. Using qualitative secondary analysis of interview and written reflection data collected in 2016, the study draws on intercultural communication theory, language ideology, and identity negotiation to reinterpret students’ attitudes toward English in a regional context. Rather than treating English as a neutral medium, the analysis shows how students’ reflections reveal the formation of communicative communities through concerns about voice, accent, intelligibility, and self-presentation. Findings indicate that students’ evaluations of ASEAN Englishes reflect persistent native-speakerist hierarchies alongside emerging intercultural dispositions characterized by openness, adaptability, and tolerance for uncertainty. These orientations are closely tied to identity negotiation processes, as students anticipate how they may be perceived by regional interlocutors and adjust their communicative stances accordingly. Situated within the sociopolitical context of ASEAN integration, the study argues that Filipino students’ ELF attitudes, as documented in 2015–2016, at the early phase of ASEAN integration, may be interpreted as nascent indicators of intercultural readiness and as contributions to an emerging discursive orientation toward regional belonging. The findings offer a historically situated account of how communication practices were beginning to shape emerging communities in multilingual and postcolonial contexts, with implications for understanding the trajectory of ASEAN communicative integration.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 111610 | Scaffolds or Crutches? Navigating the AI Frontier in Adult Foreign Language Education Hong (Aka Sophia) Zhou, Defense Language Institute, United States Chiayi Lin, Defense Language Institute, United States As Artificial Intelligence (AI) reshapes language education at an unprecedented pace, a critical pedagogical tension has emerged: do AI tools provide productive scaffolding that supports learner development, or do they enable cognitive offloading that bypasses essential linguistic processing? This study addresses this question through empirical analysis of instructional practices in adult L2 education. Drawing on a corpus of faculty presentations (2021–2026) from a premier language training institute in the United States, this study traces the technological evolution from foundational digital tools to sophisticated Generative AI platforms, including NotebookLM, MagicSchool.ai, and ChatGPT. Through qualitative analysis, we examine how instructional designs have adapted to leverage AI for higher-order thinking skills—analysis, synthesis, and evaluation—while revealing systemic risks when AI assumes linguistic processing responsibilities that should remain with learners. Grounded in sociocultural scaffolding theory (Vygotsky, 1978; Wood, Bruner & Ross, 1976) and cognitive load theory (Sweller, 1988), this study proposes a theoretical framework for distinguishing productive scaffolding from cognitive offloading in AI-integrated language tasks. We present design principles that position students as primary cognitive agents while strategically deploying AI to support, rather than replace, generative language practice. This research contributes actionable guidelines for "teacher-in-the-loop" integration, offering evidencebased strategies to ensure AI functions as a developmental scaffold for proficiency acquisition rather than a compensatory crutch that undermines learning processes. The findings have direct implications for adult L2 educators navigating rapid technological change while maintaining pedagogical integrity. 112144 | Developing Critical AI Literacy in EAP: A Dual-Layer Pedagogical Framework Chun Long Cho, HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education, Hong Kong The integration of Generative AI into higher education has raised valid concerns regarding student over-reliance and the potential decline of critical thinking in academic writing. While current literature acknowledges these challenges, there is a shortage of practical pedagogical interventions designed to prevent over-reliance without resorting to outright bans. To address this gap, this conceptual paper outlines a dual-layer framework that shifts students from passive consumers of AI output to active managers of their writing process. The first layer cultivates Critical AI Literacy by engaging learners in auditing AI-generated text for subtle errors, stylistic biases, and factual inaccuracies, helping them recognize the limitations of these tools. Building on this awareness, the second layer introduces scaffolded AI assistance paired with mandatory Metacognitive Logs. Students are restricted to using AI solely for analytical feedback—such as checking cohesion or exploring phrasing alternatives—rather than generating whole texts. Crucially, they must explicitly justify their decisions to accept or reject AI suggestions in a reflective log. Using a heuristic evaluation methodology, this paper presents specific prompt typologies, task constraints, and log templates for the intervention. By combining error detection with metacognitive reflection, this framework protects academic integrity while fostering learner autonomy. Ultimately, it offers tertiary educators a highly practical blueprint for ethically and effectively embedding generative technology into English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses. 112625 | Portuguese Language Education and the Empowerment of Haitian Communities: Experiences Developed by the Federal University for Latin American Integration Wagner Barros Teixeira, The Federal University of Latin American Integration, Brazil The Federal University for Latin American Integration (UNILA) is a bilingual institution in the tri-border region shared by Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Its mission emphasizes regional integration through shared knowledge and solidarity-based cooperation. Although Portuguese education can facilitate educational access, mobility, and intercultural participation, further research is needed on how university–community partnerships can address the needs of Haitian participants, most of whom are native speakers of Haitian Creole, while promoting linguistic agency rather than positioning them as recipients of assistance. This study investigates how initiatives developed by UNILA with Rive – Fondasyon Onè Pou Ayiti have contributed to Haitian community empowerment and Latin American and Caribbean integration through Portuguese education. This qualitative case study combines a literature review, documentary research, and data from a sociolinguistic questionnaire administered to students enrolled in the course. Institutional reports and questionnaire responses were examined through thematic analysis focusing on educational objectives, teaching practices, community participation, language development, and social and educational outcomes. The analysis draws on language policy and glottopolitics, Portuguese language education, Social and Behaviour Change, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Findings indicate that the initiatives connected Portuguese learning with participants’ needs while fostering Brazilian–Haitian institutional cooperation. Students reported consistent progress in reading comprehension, written expression, listening comprehension, and oral interaction. Their progress exceeded expectations and may support plans to visit Brazil and pursue higher education at Brazilian universities, including UNILA. The study concludes that community-oriented language education can strengthen linguistic agency, educational aspirations, intercultural cooperation, and participatory regional integration.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 114356 | Whose Voice, Whose Design? AI and Instructor Agency in MOOC Development Tammy Huei-Lien Hsu, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan Mandy Pei-Ling Yang, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan This study examines how three instructors used AI tools while designing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on sports volunteering at a university in Taiwan, two taught in English and one in Japanese. AI is now common in online course design, but little research examines how instructors decide what to hand over to AI and what to keep for themselves, especially when the same subject is taught in different languages. This is a small-scale qualitative study based on interviews with the three instructors about their use of AI for writing content, translation, designing assessments, and giving learner feedback. Interviews were transcribed and coded to find patterns within and across the three cases. Findings show a clear split. Instructors relied on AI most for translation and generating varied language examples, especially in the Japanese course, where they saw the biggest time savings. For the sports volunteer content itself, including scenarios, terminology, and real situations volunteers face, instructors were more cautious, often rewriting or discarding AI generated material that felt generic or disconnected from actual practice. Across all three courses, instructors shared the same worry: they were unsure they could trust AI generated content to be accurate around specific procedures and terminology, and felt responsible for catching errors before they reached students. These findings suggest AI works best as support for language tasks rather than specialized content, and that instructor review remains essential wherever accuracy matters for learners.

Higher Education 108571 | The Analysis of Learning Motivation and Tactical Awareness in Table Tennis Through Comic-Assisted Instruction Zhang Yue, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyabori, Thailand Metee Pigultong, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Thailand This study incorporates cartoons into beginner table tennis instruction based on the self-determination theory. Conventional approaches disregard tactical reasoning and intrinsic motivation. Cartoons promote autonomy, competence, relatedness, and situational interest, all of which increase engagement. Beginners can more readily understand tactical shifts and positioning using visual narratives and imagebased reasoning. Cartoon-triggered interest strengthens long-term investment by enhancing tactical awareness and rule comprehension. By combining emotive and cognitive viewpoints, a structural equation model explores the relationship between motivation, tactical comprehension, and performance outcomes, illuminating the mechanism of cartoon pedagogy in sport learning. This study's objectives were to: 1) use comic books to compare students' learning achievement between pre-test and post-test scores. 2) After utilizing a comic book, determine its efficacy. Forty students from Sichuan University of Arts and Science participated in this quasi-research project. People's Republic of China, second semester, 2026 school year. The researcher's comic book drawing and an achievement test paper were the two research instruments. The dependent t-test and the efficacy index were the two statistics employed in this study. The study's findings showed that: 1) the post-test scores were higher than the pre-test scores with a statistically significant difference at the.05 level (t=80.45,p=0.00); and 2) the effectiveness of using English songs was.7363, meaning that the students' post-test scores improved by.7363 percent of their cognitive scores. 109766 | Measuring Academic Resilience: Scale Development and Validation in South African Higher Education Jenette Du Plooy, University of Pretoria, South Africa Marien Graham, University of South Africa, South Africa Karen Roux, University of Pretoria, South Africa Academic resilience is a key determinant of student success in higher education, particularly in the South African context, which is characterised by socio-economic and institutional disruptions. However, most existing measures of academic resilience are developed in Global North contexts and may not adequately reflect the lived experiences of students in crisis-affected environments. This study aimed to develop and validate a contextually relevant Academic Resilience Scale (ARS) for undergraduate students in South African public higher education institutions during crises. An exploratory mixed methods design was used across multiple phases. Focus group interviews in the qualitative phase identified student-driven dimensions of academic resilience, ensuring the construct was grounded in lived experiences. These findings informed item generation and the adaptation of existing instruments. Content validity was established through expert review, followed by pilot testing. The final instrument, comprising 62 items and three instructional manipulation checks (IMCs), was administered to a sample of undergraduate students (n = 343). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted, along with reliability and validity testing. Results supported a multidimensional structure of academic resilience with six factors: persistence, student–lecturer relationships, institutional support and communication, academic and administrative stress, social support, and technological challenges. The ARS demonstrated strong internal consistency and acceptable construct validity with satisfactory model fit. This study contributes a contextually grounded, psychometrically robust instrument for measuring academic resilience in South African higher education.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 112202 | Cultivating Competence: Aligning the Philippine Bachelor in Performing Arts Program with Industry Needs and Expectations for Future-Ready Graduate Competencies Erwin Gaspar, Philippine Tax Academy, Philippines The study examines the alignment of the Bachelor in Performing Arts (BPeA) Theater program in the Philippines with the evolving needs and expectations of the performing arts industry, with particular emphasis on the development of future-ready competencies among graduates. Anchored on Human Capital Theory and Pragmatist Learning Theory, and guided by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Order No. 25, Series of 2017, the research investigates the congruence between intended curriculum outcomes, teaching practices, student-acquired competencies, industry demands and international benchmarks. A qualitative research design was employed, drawing insights from higher education institutions offering the BPeA program and key industry stakeholders, including theater companies and national cultural institutions. The study analyzed competencies as designed, taught, and learned, and evaluated their alignment with both local industry expectations and international benchmarks, particularly those identified in the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025. The findings revealed notable gaps between academic preparation and industry requirements, particularly in areas related to technological integration, marketing skills, and freelancing competencies. While core artistic and theoretical competencies remain strong particularly in cultivating and promoting the Philippine theater history and traditions, discrepancies persist in preparing graduates for diverse and non-traditional career pathways within the creative economy. The study concludes that strengthening industry collaboration, integrating digital and marketing courses, and enhancing experiential learning opportunities are critical to improving alignment. Recommendations are proposed to inform curriculum enhancement, policy development, and institutional strategies aimed at producing globally competitive, adaptable, and industry-responsive Filipino performing arts graduates. 112904 | Flourishing Toward Motivated Self-Regulated Learning Low Bee Lee, Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore Heng Jun Jie, Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore This study examined the influence of student well-being, framed through the PERMA model, on motivation and self-regulated learning (SRL). Employing a mixed-methods approach, regression analysis was integrated with thematic analysis of open-ended responses. Quantitative findings showed that students with higher levels of well-being also reported stronger motivation, who in turn demonstrated more developed self-regulatory learning behaviours. Regression analysis identified motivation and well-being as significant positive predictors of SRL. The model was statistically significant, F(2, 28) = 35.03, p < 0.001. It also explained 71.45% of the variance in SRL, reflecting a strong model fit with a small standard error of 0.347. Motivation revealed a stronger effect (B = 0.587, p < 0.001), while well-being made a significant independent contribution (B = 0.2595, p = 0.006). These results position motivation as a central driver of SRL and well-being as an enabling condition for learning regulation that may strengthen students’ capacity to plan, monitor, regulate effort and persist in learning. Qualitative findings reinforced this interpretation. Students’ responses showed how positive education strategies helped to promote positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment. These findings collectively indicate that SRL may be strengthened by motivation within well-being-supportive learning environments. Such environments promote sustained effort, adaptive learning behaviours, purposeful engagement and reflective self-regulation. Therefore, the pedagogical value of positive education interventions lies in deliberate curricular integration to cultivate students’ well-being capacities for sustained self-regulated learning. 113910 | Practice-Based Learning in Transnational Legal Education: Developing Employment-Ready Graduates Through Gamification and Courtroom Simulations Rim Hamacha, De Montfort University Dubai, United Arab Emirates Nayaab Mazher, University of Law, United Kingdom Jenifer Abu Nasr, De Montfort University Dubai, United Arab Emirates Dhruti Ghaghada, De Montfort University Dubai, United Arab Emirates Practice-based learning has emerged as a strong pedagogical tool, especially in legal education. It addresses the growing need to equip students with the skills required in the legal profession and bridge the gap between theory and practice. This approach becomes particularly important within a transnational education (TNE) setting, where students from diverse backgrounds learn within a different cultural and professional context. Drawing on experience from a British undergraduate law programme (LLB) delivered in the United Arab Emirates, the paper examines the pedagogical value of gamified learning and court room simulations in creating employment ready graduates. In particular, the papers explores two case studies of seminar gamification and legal competitions. While these activities are aligned with the programme outcomes, they support learning by emphasising the role of reflective practice and the application of legal knowledge to real world scenarios. Additionally, the case studies investigate how students develop critical thinking, advocacy and problem-solving skills through learning by doing. The paper argues that such approaches offer different avenues to refine students’ knowledge, increase student engagement and create a professional identity while promoting inclusivity. The discussion reflects on the design and implementation of these initiatives within a TNE environment, it highlights the importance of contextualised learning while maintaining academic standards. It concludes that integrating practice-based pedagogy across the curriculum strengthens the connection between legal theory and professional practice, fosters graduates for employment and life long learning. The paper also offers recommendations for educators to embed practice-based learning in diverse higher education contexts.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations Language Development & Literacy 109274 | Gender Advantage? Why Turkish- and Arabic-speaking Boys Have Better German Language Skills Than Girls Eugen Zaretsky, Marburg University Hospital, Germany Benjamin P. Lange, IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany Christiane Hey, Marburg University Hospital, Germany Introduction Numerous studies showed that usually girls outperform boys in the language competence, at least in the first four years of life. However, a retrospective analysis of data from one German language screening program showed that there are two exceptions: Arabic- (AR) and Turkish-speaking boys (TU) speak better German than AR/TU girls. In the current study, sociodemographic and medical characteristics of these children were compared to find an explanation for this phenomenon. Methods A sample of 1,202 four- to five-year-old German kindergarten children (333 TU/AR, 869 other multilinguals; OTHER) was tested with the language screening “Kindersprachscreening” (KiSS.2), including questionnaires for parents and kindergarten teachers to assess sociodemographic and medical characteristics of children and their families. These characteristics were compared for males and females within both subgroups (TU/AR, OTHER). Results Whereas girls outperformed boys in KiSS.2 in OTHER, boys outperformed girls in TU/AR. TU/AR boys showed sociodemographic characteristics that were not found in OTHER: They were more often simultaneous bilinguals than girls, they attended German kindergartens for a longer period of time, their mothers had advanced German language skills. In OTHER, girls clearly had a better access to the German language (e.g., earlier age of the German language acquisition, more playing with German-speaking children). Discussion Among TU/AR, boys speak better German than girls due to a higher quality and quantity of the German language input. It may well be that girls outperform boys in Turkish and Arabic, that is, in the first language, but girls’ access to German is limited. 109275 | Factors Contributing to the German Language Acquisition in Multilingual German Children Short Before School Enrolment Eugen Zaretsky, Marburg University Hospital, Germany Christiane Hey, Marburg University Hospital, Germany Introduction Multilingual children very often lag behind in the German language acquisition and fail in the linguistic part of the school enrolment examination in Germany. In the current study, sociodemographic factors that contribute to the German language acquisition of multilingual children short before school enrolment were analysed. Methods A sample of 413 multilingual kindergarten children was tested twice: at the age of four years with the language test “Kindersprachscreening” (KiSS.2) and at the age of five or six years with the German school enrolment test (SET). Sociodemographic characteristics of children and their families were documented in KiSS.2 questionnaires for parents and kindergarten teachers. Such characteristics were compared for children who did not get better in German (“fail” both in KiSS.2 and SET) and for those who improved their German skills (“fail” --> “pass”). Results Improvement of German language skills was associated with the use of German at home, attendance of nursery school, associations, and study groups; lack of communication with children speaking other languages than German, high sociability, especially in interactions with German-speaking children; early age of the German language acquisition, no language delay, father’s high educational level, good German language skills of parents, no need for speech-language therapy. Discussion Children with a higher quality and quantity of the German language input improved their German language skills more often, especially if they did not contact children speaking other languages. Also, children who improved their German language competence had neither language(-related) impairments or disorders nor language delay in their first language. 112972 | Fantasy Literature as an Instrument for Conveying Reality: Exploring Human Experience Through Creative Writing in Literature Instruction Paolo Gaspar, Rizal Technological University, Philippines Fantasy literature has long been regarded as a form of imaginative escape; however, contemporary literary scholarship recognizes its capacity to illuminate real-world human experiences through symbolism, allegory, and metaphor. This study examines fantasy literature as an effective instrument for conveying reality by analyzing the creative writing outputs of thirty-three Senior High School Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) students enrolled in a Creative Writing course. Anchored on Jacques Derrida’s Deconstructionism, the research investigates how fantastical narratives reveal underlying social, moral, and psychological realities that extend beyond their fictional settings. Using qualitative thematic analysis, the study identifies recurring themes including power and responsibility, identity and self-discovery, sacrifice and moral dilemmas, mortality and legacy, redemption and guilt, community and connection, and the conflict between tradition and change. The findings demonstrate that students intentionally employed fantasy elements not merely for entertainment but as narrative devices for expressing authentic personal reflections and contemporary societal concerns. These results highlight fantasy literature’s pedagogical value in promoting critical thinking, reflective learning, and meaningful engagement with complex human experiences. The study contributes to literature education by supporting the integration of fantasy texts and creative writing as transformative instructional approaches that foster both literary appreciation and deeper understanding of reality among learners.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations Learning Experiences, Student Learning & Learner Diversity 109090 | The Use of AI Lesson Podcasts and Interactive Learning to Close the Zone of Proximal Development Gap for Vocational Students Norashid Darni, Institute of Technical Education, Singapore Jack Neo, Institute of Technical Education, Singapore Ronald Lim, Institute of Technical Education, Singapore Vocational education is essential for equipping students with practical skills, yet students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) often struggle in traditional training environments that may not accommodate their diverse learning requirements. This study investigates the integration of AI-powered lesson podcasts and interactive learning tools as a means of bridging the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) for SEN students. Grounded in Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism theory, the research examines how digital scaffolding—delivered through pre-, in-, and post-lesson podcast activities—can support learners in transitioning from guided assistance to independent mastery. The study employed a mixed-methods approach over an eight-week period at a vocational institute in Singapore, involving 80 students, including 17 with SEN. The intervention combined AI-generated podcasts with interactive tools, such as AI-driven quizzes, to provide immediate feedback and foster self-regulated learning. Data collection included quantitative pre- and post-quiz results alongside qualitative student feedback to evaluate effectiveness and perceptions. Findings indicate that AI lesson podcasts and interactive tools significantly improved engagement, skill acquisition, and academic performance among SEN students. The results suggest that these technologies serve as effective scaffolds, helping to close the ZPD gap by offering the flexibility and personalized pace required by SEN learners. This research contributes to the field of inclusive vocational education by demonstrating how AI-enhanced tools can create more accessible and supportive learning pathways for students with diverse needs. 110830 | Analysis of Junior High School Students’ Learning Processes in Learning-by-Teaching Activities Using Think-Aloud Protocols and Eye Tracking Yuya Tanaka, Neyagawa City Seventh Junior High School, Japan This study aimed to clarify junior high school students’ learning processes in science classes through learning-by-teaching activities, in which students explain what they have learned to others. The study focused on how students organize scientific knowledge, monitor their own understanding, and reconstruct information for communication. Students’ learning processes were analyzed using think-aloud protocols and eye tracking. The results showed that students’ thinking processes demonstrated a certain degree of perseverance and self-regulation. Some students attempted to check their explanations, revise their wording, and continue working even when they faced difficulty. However, these qualities were not consistently observed across all students. Some students had difficulty selecting important information and communicating their ideas clearly to others. Eye-tracking analysis also revealed that students frequently referred to their textbooks and spent considerable time copying the contents. This tendency limited the time available for independent thinking, interpretation, and reconstruction in their own words.These findings suggest the need for instructional support that encourages students’ thinking through thought-provoking questions and provides step-by-step guidance during the writing process. Such support may help students engage more actively in learning-by-teaching activities and develop deeper understanding. 111316 | The AJIH Interactive Theatre Model: A Creative Pedagogical Intervention for Enhancing Self-Concept Among Indigenous Temuan Children Balkis Omar, National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage, Malaysia Indigenous education in Malaysia continues to face persistent challenges, particularly in relation to student motivation, confidence, and selfconcept development. Among Indigenous Temuan children, educational disengagement is often associated with low self-esteem, limited classroom participation, and socio-cultural barriers that affect learning experiences. This study introduces the AJIH Interactive Theatre Model as a creative pedagogical intervention aimed at enhancing self-concept among Indigenous Temuan children in Pertak, Selangor, Malaysia. Grounded in Practice as Research (PaR) and informed by Social Constructivist Theory, the study employed a qualitative action research design based on the Kemmis and McTaggart reflective cycle. Data were collected through observations, semi-structured interviews, children’s drawings, and reflective journals, and analysed thematically using NVivo. The AJIH Model, inspired by the Temuan word ajih (“I” or “self”), consists of four interrelated processes: Alam (Nature Exploration), Jelmaan Fikiran (Imagination), Imej (Creative Creation), and Hong (Implementation). Findings indicate that participation in interactive theatre activities fostered positive behavioural changes, including increased confidence, active participation, creativity, motivation, and social interaction among participants. The study highlights the potential of culturally responsive and theatre-based pedagogy in supporting Indigenous children’s emotional and educational development. It further suggests that creative interventions such as the AJIH Model can contribute meaningfully to inclusive and alternative educational practices for Indigenous communities.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 112698 | When Learning Becomes Easier: Is Exploration Still Essential to Learning? Shan He, Glasgow School of Art, United Kingdom Lanpeng Zheng, UCSI University, Malaysia With the development of artificial intelligence, digital learning resources and intelligent support tools, technical education continues to lower barriers to learning by optimizing teaching processes, providing instant feedback and expanding learning support, making knowledge acquisition more efficient and accessible. As making learning easier becomes a key direction in technical education, a more fundamental question arises: is education promoting learning, or merely optimizing knowledge acquisition? Using an Arduino-based digital fabrication workshop as the research setting, this study investigates learners' problem-solving approaches, knowledge acquisition and classroom behaviors under different levels of teaching support through classroom observations, learning process analysis, semi-structured interviews and teaching reflections. It further examines how teaching support reshapes the learning process. The findings show that comprehensive teaching support improves learning efficiency and enables students to complete tasks more quickly. However, it also reduces opportunities for learners to seek resources independently, solve problems on their own and engage in sustained exploration. Further analysis suggests that although not all learning difficulties are beneficial, exploration, trial and error, waiting and independent judgement are essential components of meaningful learning. When these processes are replaced by teaching support, it changes not only how knowledge is acquired but also how learning occurs. Rather than advocating greater difficulty or less teaching support, this study reconsiders the boundaries of educational optimization. As knowledge becomes increasingly accessible, the value of education may lie not only in helping learners obtain answers efficiently, but also in preserving the processes through which genuine learning takes place. 114357 | Effects of Combined Reading-Aloud and Presentation Training on Japanese EFL Learners’ Oral Performance Hanako Hosaka, Tokai University, Japan Reading aloud and presentation-based learning are widely recognized as effective instructional approaches for enhancing verbal communication and learning outcomes; however, little is known about their combined effects on EFL learners. This study investigates the impact of reading-aloud training and presentation training, implemented separately and in parallel, on learners' oral communication development and learning experiences. Reading aloud can improve university EFL learners’ prosody and fluency (Mori, 2011; Tsunemoto et al., 2023), while oral presentations and pronunciation instruction can enhance speaking skills, fluency, and confidence (Gürbüz & Cabaroğlu, 2021; Chau et al., 2022). These findings provide a rationale for integrating reading-aloud practice with presentation learning to address complementary aspects of pronunciation, fluency, and communicative performance. In this study, students in phonetics classes had worked on reading aloud, and those in presentation classes did on presentation training in their MS Teams learning activities. The Teams reading aloud training provides feedback on pronunciation, oral expression, and understanding of the passage. The Teams presentation training provides feedback on pronunciation as well as pace, hedging, pitch, contents, and engagement. Those who engaged in both reading aloud and presentation training showed more improvement in their pronunciation than those who did in either of the activities. Also, they seem to have more gains in oral proficiency and presentation performance than those who participate in only one type of training. The findings will provide insights into how complementary language-learning activities can enhance learning experiences and outcomes in Japanese EFL contexts and contribute to more effective and thorough English learning.

Mind, Brain & Psychology: Human Emotional & Cognitive Development & Outcomes within Educational Contexts 109657 | Supporting Teachers’ Self-Actualisation for Lesson Improvement Through Dialogue that Promotes Inquiry and Awareness Shigetaka Nagaoka, Togo Gakuen Compulsory Education School, Japan This study investigates how a structured, one-on-one dialogue between teachers — termed "personalized accompaniment dialogue" — can enhance psychological needs and support teachers' self-actualization toward lesson improvement. Despite high motivation for improving their practice, many teachers lack confidence in their classroom teaching and have limited opportunities to share their professional aspirations with colleagues. Grounded in Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Deci and Ryan's Self-Determination Theory, the study focuses on three psychological needs — autonomy, competence, and relatedness — as key drivers of teacher motivation. A structured dialogue model was developed, combining questioning, active listening, and affirmation with classroom observation and feedback based on observed pupil behavior. The model was implemented and verified with teachers at the researcher's own school. Two rounds of verification confirmed that the model effectively fostered inquiry and awareness in mentees, resulting in a marked increase in autonomy- and competence-related utterances. Post-intervention surveys revealed significant improvements in teachers' confidence, reflective practice, and sense of collegial connection. The model also demonstrated high reproducibility across varying career stages and mentor-mentee pairings, maintaining its effectiveness within an average dialogue time of approximately ten minutes. These findings suggest that structured, inquiry-driven dialogue is a practical and scalable approach for supporting teacher professional growth and cultivating a collaborative school culture centered on lesson improvement.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 111962 | Beyond the Age Rating: Children’s Embodied Emotional Responses to Algorithmic In-Game Advertising in Digital Environments Ming Kei Malcolm Liao, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong The digital environment is now saturated with algorithmic advertising, where young children are a particularly vulnerable audience in the context, as they have not yet developed persuasive literacy skills. Although the age of users on devices may imply suitability for developing ages, advertising networks operate independently from those classifications; therefore, there is routine exposure to fighting/violence or other emotionally intense content. The study offers an examination of how children aged 4-12 experience algorithmically targeted advertising through the lens of embodied psychology and explores children’s pre-reflective bodily responses rather than cognitive interpretations to advertising. Specific cases are analysed: grotesque violence framed as play & algorithmic misclassification of child users. Analysis of these cases reveals a pattern showing that in-game advertisements can appear unpredictably and involuntarily, creating a startle response (heightened physiological arousal) and lingering anxiety. Developmental neuroscience indicates that young children’s stress systems downregulate slowly; therefore, these embodied responses will persist long after the advertisement has disappeared and, over time, accumulate to shape children’s sense of safety within digital environments. This study advocates for a transition to an embodiment-centred paradigm of digital safety, emphasising the need for predictable design systems, enhanced regulation of advertising networks, and accountability of ad platforms for third-party ad integration. The findings establish a basis for re-evaluating digital policy, design standards, and child-orientated protections in a modern media context. 114137 | Preparing Students for Study Abroad: A Counseling Program Integrating Morita Therapy and Positive Psychology Danshiro Velasco, Seikei University, Japan This presentation reports on an ongoing research project examining the implementation and preliminary outcomes of an intervention that integrates Positive Psychology, which emphasizes individual strengths and the cultivation of well-being, purpose, and meaning, with Morita Therapy, a Japanese psychotherapy that encourages acceptance of emotions while engaging in purposeful action, to prepare students for study abroad. The intervention is a three-month program consisting of three modules, each with four 50-minute counseling sessions. An overview of the program will be provided, along with examples of activities used to introduce students to both Morita Therapy and Positive Psychology. The presentation will conclude by sharing preliminary findings from student surveys and interviews.

Primary & Secondary Education 113384 | From Parenting Styles to Family Educational Investment: The Role of Educational Parenting Practices in Chinese Secondary Education Qian Wang, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China Xiaoqi Jiang, Shandong Experimental High School, China Xinyan Liao, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China Parental engagement is widely recognised as an important contributor to children's educational development, yet less is known about how parenting styles shape parents' educational practices and whether these practices influence children's participation in after-school academic training. Drawing on Baumrind's parenting style theory and the literature on educational parenting practices, this study investigates the relationships among parenting styles, educational parenting practices, and children's participation in after-school academic training in China. Survey data were collected from approximately 300 parents of secondary school students and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that authoritative parenting is strongly associated with educational parenting practices, whereas authoritarian parenting demonstrates a comparatively weaker relationship, and permissive parenting shows little association. Together, the three parenting styles explain a substantial proportion of the variance in educational parenting practices. However, educational parenting practices exhibit only a weak relationship with children's participation in after-school academic training, suggesting that decisions regarding supplementary education may be influenced by factors beyond parents' everyday educational behaviours. The study extends current research by integrating parenting style and educational parenting practices into a unified explanatory framework and offers new insights into family educational investment in the context of contemporary Chinese secondary education.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 111555 | Variations in Primary School Teachers’ Responses to Vomiting Incidents in the Classroom: A Descriptive Study Takashi Sano, Chukyo University, Japan Maho Komura, Gifu University, Japan Mako Momoda, Hyogo Institute for Traumatic Stress, Japan Vomiting incidents occur routinely in classrooms, demanding immediate healthcare and pedagogical interventions from teachers. This study aimed to clarify the status and variations of primary school teachers' responses to classroom vomiting. A questionnaire survey based on a scenario where a second-grade pupil vomited in the classroom was conducted with 655 teachers, asking them to provide free-text descriptions of their responding methods both immediately after the incident and following the subsequent clean-up. Responses were systematically classified using a BART-based artificial intelligence model and expert reviews to identify specific categories of response variations. Logistic regression analyses were performed using the presence or absence of descriptions for each category as dependent variables, while gender, teaching experience, and confidence in managing vomiting served as independent variables. The categorisation of responses identified eight categories immediately after the incident: "first aid," "infirmary transport," "classmate direction," "vomit clean-up," "infection control," "ventilation," "staff cooperation," and "parent contact." Following the subsequent clean-up, another eight categories emerged: "promoting consideration," "bullying prevention," "perception of vomiting," "peer welfare check," "ill-health guidance," "incident-response guidance," "infection-prevention guidance," and "academic instruction." Logistic regression analyses revealed that years of teaching experience significantly increased the likelihood of executing immediate healthcare and hygienic responses. Higher confidence in managing vomiting was significantly associated with educational responses related to proactive classroom management, psychosocial care, and consideration. These findings suggest that managing classroom vomiting effectively integrates healthcare protocols with pedagogical responses, demonstrating that while medical measures are reinforced through experience, confidence in responding broadens teachers' perspective to encompass holistic classroom management.

Professional Training, Development & Concerns in Education 110570 | Comparative Patterns of Vocational Interests Among Young People Across East Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe: A Literature Review Hoang-Nam Tran, Tokushima University, Japan Xiaodong Meng, Hiroshima University, Japan Camilo Ignacio Riquelme Rojas, CEMO Villa Sur - Municipalidad de PAC, Chile Snezhana Ilieva, Sofia University “Kliment Ohridski”, Bulgaria Vocational interests play an important role in shaping young people’s educational choices, career aspirations, and future work pathways. While RIASEC model remains one of the most widely used frameworks for understanding vocational interests, its application across different cultural and socioeconomic contexts requires further examination. This comparative literature review analyzes peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2025 on RIASEC-based vocational-interest assessment and youth career development across East Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe, focusing on China, Chile, and Bulgaria as key case studies. Studies were selected using predefined inclusion criteria and synthesized through thematic comparative analysis. The review contributes by comparing underrepresented regions rarely examined together within the same framework. Findings suggest that the RIASEC model provides a useful cross-cultural foundation, but its interpretation varies across contexts. East Asian research emphasizes cultural adaptation, academic competition, and modernization, while South American studies highlight the effects of educational inequality and labor-market instability on career aspirations. Eastern European evidence underscores the influence of post-socialist educational and economic transitions. Comparative findings further show that vocational interests in East Asia are more strongly linked to academic performance pressures, while Chilean sources report greater influence of socioeconomic inequality on career decision-making. The findings indicate that vocational-interest assessment should be understood not only as an individual psychological measure but also as a context-sensitive tool for career guidance and education policy. It highlights the need for culturally responsive counseling and further comparative longitudinal research. 110670 | Secondary School Teachers’ Perspectives on the Implementation of School-Based Sexuality Education Hoi Nga Ng, Saint Francis University, Hong Kong Kam Weng Boey, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Chi Wai Kwan, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong The implementation of School-based sexuality education (SBSE) in Hong Kong has been largely ineffective and unsuccessful. Previous studies suggest that teachers’ negative attitudes toward SBSE, inadequate training in its delivery, and discomfort with teaching certain sexuality topics constitute significant barriers to the effective implementation of SBSE. Objectives: This is a population-based study examining secondary school teachers’ attitudes toward SBSE, their cognitive and affective appraisal of sexuality topics, and explored their views on practical issues of implementation. An online questionnaire consisting of demographics, measuring instruments, items on views regarding practical issues of SBSE implementation, and teacher preparedness was designed for data collection. Using cluster sampling, the questionnaire was put online in the website of 20 secondary schools in four major districts in Hong Kong. A total of 140 teachers (mean age = 35.8 years, 61.4% were females) responded to the online questionnaire. Teachers showed strong support for SBSE. They perceived the sexuality topics included in SBSE as important and reported feeling comfortable teaching them. Moreover, they expressed support for initiating SBSE at the elementary level, with 27% of them proposed even earlier introduction beginning in kindergarten. Although teachers demonstrated positive attitude towards SBSE, nearly half (48%) of them reported that their training in SBSE was inadequate and 61% felt that SBSE was not effective in meeting students’ learning needs. The findings underscore the need to promote in-service professional development to strengthen teachers’ self-efficacy and, in turn, enhance the effectiveness SBSE.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 111570 | Beyond Scheduled Professional Development: From Action Research to Design-Based Faculty Development Chiayi Lin, Defense Language Institute, United States Hong Zhou, Defense Language Institute, United States Faculty development in intensive language institutes faces a dual challenge: providing sustainable structures for ongoing professional learning while enabling instructors to work as self-directed learners. This study analyzes DLIFLC (Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center) conference presentations from 2021-2025 as a record of bottom-up faculty development. Using a dataset of session titles and abstracts, this research applied qualitative coding informed by learning-sciences constructs and self-directed/self-regulated learning (SDL/SRL) frameworks. The analysis reveals a strong trend toward faculty-driven action research, where instructors design and test vocabulary interventions, AI for atrisk learners, and immersive modules, sharing outcomes through conference sessions. These projects require instructors to set professional goals, monitor impact, and iteratively adjust designsbehaviors characteristic of SDL/SRL. We reinterpret this pattern as emergent designbased research (DBR), where faculty function as practitioner-researchers within institutional constraints. Building on this, the presentation argues for formalizing DBR cycles as a core faculty-development structure and leveraging AI tools to support informal, just-in-time learning beyond scheduled events. Finally, a faculty development roadmap will be proposed for that integrates DBR infrastructures, AI-supported communities of practice, and SDL/SRL-informed design, aligning how faculty learn with the capacities they seek to cultivate in students. 114071 | Exploring Bhutanese Science Teachers’ Epistemic Beliefs of Science Karma Dorji, Australian Catholic University, Australia Mellita Jones, Australian Catholic University, Australia Sindu George, Australian Catholic University, Australia Science teachers' epistemic beliefs of science (EBS) influence their views regarding science and classroom practice. While teachers' epistemic beliefs receive much attention internationally, little is known about Bhutanese science teachers' EBS, limiting understanding of the underrepresented educational context. Therefore, this cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine the EBS of Bhutanese science teachers. A total of 671 Bhutanese science teachers were recruited using a total population sampling design. Data were collected using the epistemic beliefs of science questionnaire (EBSQ), which was administered through an online survey mode. Descriptively, data were analysed by computing survey response counts across a five-point Likert-type scale, which was validated using a chi-square goodness-of-fit test. Furthermore, a four-way MANOVA, followed by four-way ANOVAs and post hoc tests, was conducted to examine the influence of gender, academic qualifications, teaching subjects, and teaching experience on science teachers' EBS. Findings revealed that many Bhutanese science teachers held less sophisticated beliefs regarding the source, flexibility, objectivity, and tentativeness of scientific knowledge, which were confirmed by the chi-square goodness-of-fit test (p < .05). The four-way MANOVA showed a significant interaction among gender, academic qualifications, teaching subjects, and teaching experience (p < .05). However, follow-up four-way ANOVAs and post hoc tests revealed no consistent patterns across the four EBS constructs. These findings underscore the importance of addressing EBS in both preservice and in-service teacher education programmes and contribute to the global understanding of epistemic beliefs by providing evidence from the Bhutanese educational context. 114098 | Employability of Mathematics Education Graduate in Indonesia: A Scoping Review of Employment Pathway and the Role of Englishmedium Teaching Rala Novita Sari, Monash University, Australia Higher education graduates generally progress from study to employment. However, the transition might be challenging in occupations shaped by government policy and institutional recruitment. In Indonesia, mathematics education graduates face a competitive labor market with limited public-sector teaching opportunities. Extending earlier studies on Indonesian mathematics graduates' employability, this study draws on Holmes's (2013) positional perspective, in which human capital forms graduates' position in the labor market, to explore the possible employment pathways available to these graduates as mathematics teachers. A scoping review synthesizes articles and policy reports published between 2017 and 2023 on employment pathways, recruitment, and expected teacher competencies in Indonesia. The findings indicate a tremendous gap between opportunities for government-funded employment and graduate output: Indonesia produces roughly 490.000 teacher-education graduates annually, while civil service teacher recruitment is only open 296.000 position. Private schools, particularly those with bilingual or international curricula, then become another employment pathway, but it requires proficiency in teaching mathematics in English. This puts English-medium teaching ability as a form of human capital that strengthens graduates' competitiveness. As the reviewed literature remains limited, further research is needed on how these condition is different across Indonesia. This study highlights the need for Indonesian teacher education programs to better prepare pre-service mathematics teachers for the labor market, and recommends future research on designing a program that strengthens graduates' ability to teach mathematics in English.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 114227 | Oscillation Mentoring: Reframing Professional Learning for Experienced Teachers Karthickeyen Govindaraj, Independent Scholar, Singapore May Chong, Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Secondary School, Singapore Yain Ping Poon, Gan Eng Seng Primary School, Singapore Professional development in schools is often organised through formal programmes, school-based structures and career-stage pathways. These structures may not fully capture how mid- and late-career teachers continue to learn. Much of this learning happens through informal, reciprocal and relationship-based interactions instead. Oscillation Mentoring is a practitioner-developed conceptual framework built around this gap. It describes how experienced teachers move fluidly between mentoring and being mentored in everyday professional contexts. The framework extends Wenger's (1998) communities of practice, positioning professional learning as socially situated participation. This situated view also draws on Vygotsky's (1978) zone of proximal development. But it moves beyond fixed expert–novice roles. Instead, expertise shifts according to context, producing reciprocal exchanges between teachers. These exchanges support the co-construction of knowledge described by John-Steiner and Mahn (1996), where understanding is built jointly rather than transmitted. This presentation shares interim findings from a South Zone pilot study testing that framework. The study involves mid- and late-career teachers across selected secondary schools, following a collaborative practitioner-inquiry approach. Data were generated through recorded dialogic conversations and co-design sessions, then transcribed and examined through hybrid deductive–inductive thematic analysis. Initial codes drew on Clutterbuck's (2004) developmental mentoring framework, while further themes emerged from recurring patterns in the data. These findings, together with practitioner reflections, went on to inform fortnightly Progress Briefs and the Pendulum Insights newsletter series. Emerging findings suggest that reciprocal interactions of this kind support knowledge co-construction, professional identity development and context-responsive learning. Together, they offer a lens for recognising professional learning that often remains invisible within formal structures, and point to how Oscillation Mentoring can complement existing professional-development provisions while sustaining the growth and agency of experienced teachers.

Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice & Praxis 109031 | Reflective Praxis in Performance Studies: Nurturing Empathy and Social Awareness Through Drama-Based Learning Engku Nor Zalifah Engku Abdul Rased, Akademi Seni Budaya Dan Warisan Kebangsaan (Aswara), Malaysia In the new environment of the arts education landscape, theatre in education places itself within the school curriculum more than an examination to find a performance skill. This research is aimed to investigate the incorporation of Reflective Praxis in the Program “Theatre in Education” in the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (ASWARA), Malaysia. In this study, we present, in accordance with an action research toolkit, how drama-oriented activities, especially drama-related learning activities (of which role-play, improvisation and reflective dialogue activities are a major component) function to act as a mediating agent on undergraduate arts students’ empathy and social consciousness. It evaluates these experiences and also the extent to which they relate to higher education’s teaching philosophy for students’ comprehension of cultural and moral theory. It is through examination of complex character motives and socio-political narratives that students learn and contemplate various perspectives, and through this they become more open to a variety of social values and social pluralism and contemporary realities. I have seen limited evidence to date in this direction where reflection helps to equip students with tools to work through artistic practice as they move towards becoming socially responsible citizens. The essay posits that through integrating reflective practices into performance training, we can transform the practice of students with respect to not just learning how to fine-tune their craft but also fostering the socio-emotional quotient that is vital as they navigate through this interconnected world. We found where pedagogical practices of the performance arts can inform empathetic and critical student development. 110610 | Bridging Sustainability and Outcomes: A Qualitative Action Research on Sustainable Development Competencies Integration in Outcome-Based Education for Continuous Quality Improvement Emiliana Roxas, Golden Gate Colleges, Philippines Esperanza Lusanta, Golden Gate Colleges, Philippines Carmelita Abag, Golden Gate Colleges, Philippines This study examines the integration of sustainable development competencies within Outcome-Based Education (OBE) in a teacher education institution, with the aim of strengthening continuous quality improvement. It focuses on how stakeholders conceptualize, implement, and align sustainability competencies in curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices. A qualitative action research design was employed, involving semi-structured interviews and document analysis with fifteen participants, including faculty members, program coordinators, and quality assurance personnel. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns and insights from the data. Findings reveal that stakeholders possess a clear and holistic understanding of sustainable development competencies as a combination of knowledge, skills, and values related to environmental, social, and economic responsibility. These competencies are moderately embedded in intended learning outcomes and strongly reflected in experiential and community-based teaching practices. However, inconsistencies were observed in assessment practices, particularly in evaluating complex competencies such as ethical reasoning and sustainability values. Integration of sustainability is evident but remains fragmented and largely implicit, with challenges related to limited resources, time constraints, and insufficient faculty training. The study concludes that while Outcome-Based Education provides a strong foundation for integrating sustainability, a more systematic and aligned approach is necessary. Strengthening faculty capacity, developing authentic assessment strategies, and institutionalizing continuous quality improvement mechanisms are essential to enhance the effective integration of sustainable development competencies in teacher education.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 111207 | Developing Understanding of Covariance and Invariance Through a Hypothetical Learning Trajectory for Enhancing Preservice Teachers’ Proportional Reasoning Mary Ann Ochia, University of Southern Mindanao, Philippines This study investigates how a Hypothetical Learning Trajectory (HLT) facilitates the development of covariance and invariance resources for proportional reasoning among pre-service teachers (PSTs). Grounded in diSessa’s Knowledge in Pieces theory, the research employed DesignBased Research and a convergent parallel mixed-method design across Pilot and Experimental Teaching Phases. Pretest results indicated that PSTs initially relied on surface features during card-sorting tasks. Posttest results showed a shift toward mathematical properties and structure; while direct variation and work-contextualized inverse variation scenarios were easily recognized, PSTs struggled with y = c model scenarios. In problem-solving, PSTs transitioned from relying on unit ratios and intuitive reasoning to activating qualitative covariance, quantitative covariance, invariance, and contextual validation, leading to successful inverse variation solutions. In the experimental phase, both groups showed statistically significant improvements: BSEd students achieved the Mastery Level: Robust Coordination, while BEEd students reached the Developing Level: Procedural–Representational. The findings suggest that the refined HLT offers greater instructional support than the original design, indicating that a resource-based approach can significantly facilitate the coordination of covariance and invariance. The study also proposes a theory suggesting that proportional reasoning is achieved through the sustained coordination of four pillars: qualitative covariance, quantitative covariance, invariance, and contextual validation. This suggests a paradigm shift in mathematics education—from rote procedural instruction to a structural, resource-based approach that systematically bridges fragmented intuitive understanding with a coherent system of mathematical representations. 111365 | Community-Based Career Development Education at a Regional Junior College in Japan: Linking Career Awareness, Local Issues, and Project-Based Learning Shinya Nawa, Tottori College, Japan This presentation examines a practice-based qualitative case study of community-based career development education at a regional junior college in Japan. Career education in short-cycle higher education is often framed as employability training or preparation for job search. This study examines how first-year students engage in career meaning-making through a learning process that connects career awareness with local problem-based learning. The case is a 2025 two-course practice in the second semester of the first year. Students took a required career development course, and 15 students also took an elective Business Project Seminar. In the required course, students engaged in selfanalysis, industry and occupation research, job-posting analysis, company research, resume preparation, guest lectures, and regular reflection writing. The seminar extended this learning into a local revitalization project on how to encourage visitors to the Tottori Prefectural Museum of Art to visit the Kurayoshi Ginza shopping district. Students studied the city’s central district revitalization plan, conducted fieldwork, listened to local stakeholders, created SWOT worksheets, and developed group proposals. The study analyzes anonymized course reflections, rubricrelated learning records, post-fieldwork comments, SWOT worksheets, and final presentation materials through qualitative thematic analysis. Student reflections reveal a gradual process of career meaning-making: from seeing career preparation as a personal issue, to framing local problems through field observation and analysis, and finally to reframing work as participation in regional society. This study contributes to career development education by showing how early-stage career learning can move beyond individual job preparation and connect student development, community engagement, and revitalization. 112697 | Who Is Learning? – Rethinking Value Exchange and Reciprocity in Community Workshops for Design Education Shan He, Glasgow School of Art, United Kingdom In recent years, community engagement and real-world projects have become key teaching methods in design education. Universities organize community workshops to engage students in real-world contexts, where collaboration with residents, local businesses, community organizations and local authorities helps students develop problem-solving skills, collaboration and social responsibility. However, existing research has focused primarily on students’ learning outcomes, paying less attention to whether community workshops, as an educational practice, genuinely facilitate mutual learning between universities and communities. Based on a community workshop from the Somers Town circular economy project in London, this study analyses the value exchange between students, the university and the community through reflections on the project process and stakeholder participation. The findings show that the workshop created different forms of value for different stakeholders: students gained practical learning experiences, the university achieved teaching and community engagement objectives, while the community contributed local knowledge, experience and time without necessarily receiving comparable long-term feedback or collaborative benefits. Repeated participation in similar university projects also led some community members to experience participation fatigue. This study argues that community workshops are not merely a teaching method but an educational practice involving the exchange of knowledge, resources and responsibilities. Their educational value should be evaluated not only by what students learn, but also by what communities contribute, gain, and whether reciprocal relationships are established. It proposes value exchange, rather than participation alone, as a new perspective for evaluating community workshops.

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Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations 114008 | Amplifying Refugee Voices Through Digital Storytelling: A Service-Learning Project on Co-Created Interactive Storybooks Angus Cheung, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Ashley Wong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong This presentation examines the design, implementation and practical lessons of "Amplifying Refugee Voices through Storytelling," a servicelearning initiative at Hong Kong Baptist University. Partnering with a local church organisation, ten undergraduate students engaged in a 10-week experiential program to document the lived experiences of non-refoulement claimants in Hong Kong, a community facing prolonged legal uncertainty, social precarity and limited public visibility. The initiative’s multi-phase workflow began with intensive student preparation in intercultural communication, ethical representation and trauma-informed interviewing techniques. Working in teams, students conducted respectful narrative interviews with refugee participants, shedding light on their daily struggles with legal insecurity, systemic barriers and displacement, alongside stories of resilience and hope. Over subsequent weeks, students synthesised these narratives, created original artwork and produced interactive digital flipbooks and printed booklets. The project culminated in a public exhibition where students showcased their multimodal publications and publicly shared their reflective journeys, bringing student voices directly into community dialogue. Student reflections indicated significant growth in empathy, ethical awareness and civic responsibility. However, practical challenges arose: the noncredit-bearing nature of the module led to variable student engagement, while single-session interviews constrained deep trust-building with participants. These findings suggest that future iterations would benefit from credit-bearing structures and sustained multi-touchpoint community engagements. Ultimately, this initiative provides an adaptable framework for higher education practitioners seeking to combine narrative storytelling with social justice advocacy.

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Reviewers IAFOR depends on the assistance of a large number of international academics and practitioners who contribute in a variety of ways to our shared mission of promoting international exchange, facilitating intercultural awareness, encouraging interdisciplinary discussion, and generating and sharing new knowledge. Our academic events would not be what they are without a commitment to ensuring that international norms of peer review are observed for our presentation abstracts. With thousands of abstracts submitted each year for presentation at our conferences, IAFOR relies on academics around the world to ensure a fair and timely peer review process in keeping with established international norms of double-blind peer review. We are grateful for the time, effort, and expertise donated by all our contributors.

ACE2026 Review Committee Dr Iqbal Arpannudin, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia Dr Ron Jewel Avendaño, John Paul Benedict School of Meycauayan Inc., Philippines Dr Ameer Benjamin Calderon, Schools Division Office of Cavite City, Philippines Dr Ronald Catapang, National University (NU-Lipa), Philippines Dr Sin Yu Cherry Chan, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Professor Johnny Chan, University Canada West, Canada Dr Flordeliza Cuerda, Cebu Institute of Technology - University, Philippines Dr Ivy Galon-Morino, Central Bicol State University of Agriculture & Ateneo de Naga University, Philippines Dr Nuramah Hajikaleng, Narathiwat Technical College, Princess of Naradhiwas University, Thailand Dr Jirajittra Higgins, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand Dr Ian Jarabelo, University of San Jose- Recoletos, Philippines Dr Sahrunizam Kasah, Department of Educators Management, Brunei Dr Sherry Ann Medrano-Bacolod, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Philippines Dr Hidayah Mohd Fadzil, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia Dr Sweta Mukherjee, GITAM University, India Dr Alexis Michael Oledan, Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology, Philippines Dr Elymar Pascual, Department of Education, Philippines Dr Niña Salve Poliga King-Bañas, Department of Education - Schools Division Office of Camarines Sur, Philippines Dr Jorge Victor Sales, De La Salle University-Manila, Philippines Dr Nilda San Miguel, Department of Education, Lumban District, Laguna, Philippines Dr Christian Santiago, Aurora State College of Technology, Philippines Dr PG Schrader, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States Dr Heidemae Tabor, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, Philippines Dr Mercedes Valadez, California State University, Sacramento, United States Dr Tina Wong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Dr Hansong Xue, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore Dr Yvonne Chin Chen Yong, Ministry of Education, Brunei Darussalam, Brunei

ACE2026 Senior Reviewers Dr Semuel Olayvar, Fukui University of Technology, Japan Dr Pakama Madikida, University of South Africa, South Africa Dr Pradip Barde, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Gujarat, India Dr Naji Almahdi, Knowledge and Human Development Authority, United Arab Emirates Dr Ashish Trivedi, O.P. Jindal Global University Sonipat, India Dr Erwin Gaspar, Philippine Tax Academy, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and Assumption College, Philippines Dr Jennifer Sheokarah, North-West University, South Africa Dr Myra Santos, Tomas Claudio Colleges, Philippines Dr Prem Taba, Arunachal Pradesh University, Pasighat, India Dr Azlinda Binti Husin, Institut Aminuddin Baki, Malaysia Dr Patrick Ho, Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia Dr Gaurav V Mishra, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to be University), India Dr Zebo Nasirova, Charles Sturt University, Australia Professor Izhar Oplatka, Tel Aviv University, Israel Dr Tobias Owiti, The Kenya National Examinations Council, Kenya Dr Telvis Rich, Adelphi University, United States Dr Navindra Bai, Regional Institute of Education(NCERT), Nellore, India Dr Wagner Barros Teixeira, The Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA), Brazil Dr Ma. Nympha Beltran Joaquin, University of the Philippines College of Education, Philippines Dr Nuraini Sri Bina, University of Potensi Utama, Indonesia Professor Ronit Bogler, The Open University of Israel, Israel Dr Sanjukta Chakraborty, Parul University, India Dr Sreemoyee Chakraborty, Blue Blocks Micro Research Institute, India 322 | IAFOR.ORG ACE2026 | Follow us on X @IAFOR (tweet about the conference using #IAFOR)

Dr Feng-shuo Chang, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, China Dr Terrence Chong, University of New South Wales, Australia Dr Ibtissam El Bouazzaoui, EMSI Casablanca, Morocco Dr Johanna Wilhelmina Ferreira, Independent Scholar, Namibia Dr Rean May Galang, Notre Dame of Marbel University, Philippines Dr Tanya Greathouse, Metropolitan State University of Denver, United States Dr Tomayess Issa, Curtin University, Australia Professor Chungseo Kang, Jeonbuk National University, South Korea Dr Eun Gi (Cathy) Kim, University of Manitoba, Canada Dr Lucia Dwi Krisnawati, Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana, Indonesia Dr Sanjeev Kumar, Jindal Global Business School, O.P. Jindal Global University, India Dr Nguyen Linh Phong, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam Dr Marife Magpantay, Southern Luzon State University, Philippines Dr Ken Mizusawa, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Dr Zahra Moradi, University Canada West, Canada Dr Phuong Nguyen, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam Dr Hanna Olasiuk, O.P. Jindal Global University, India Dr Adriana Ortega, Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia Dr Kampanart Praditsaere, Phuket Rajabhat University, Thailand Dr Danielle Riddick, Garland ISD & The University of Texas at Dallas, United States Professor Walmik Sarwade, University of Mumbai, India Dr Hayriye Gül Sözen, Ordu University, Türkiye Dr Vibha Trivedi, O.P. Jindal Global University Sonipat, India, India Dr Joy Therese Villon, Southern Luzon State University, Philippines Dr Li-jen Wang, National Taichung University of Education, Taiwan Dr Ya Xiao, Nanjing Normal University, China Dr Lindai Xie, Texas Tech University, United States Dr Renjith Krishnan, University of Technology and Applied Sciences-Shinas, Oman Dr Rif’at Shafwatul Anam, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia Dr Renisha Singh, University of Pretoria, South Africa Dr Branka Sarac, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, United States Dr Der-jen Sun, Arco Experimental School, Taiwan Dr Junko Ishikawa, International Network Association, United States Dr Geberew Tulu Mekonnen, Charles Sturt University, Australia Dr Kathryn Miedema Dominguez, Lincoln Learning Solutions, United States Dr Moses Adeleke Adeoye, North-West University, South Africa Dr Chéri Thibaut Gael Dzanvoula, National Institute for Educational Research and Actions, Republic of Congo Dr Jenika Gobind, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa Dr Gayathri I, Thassim Beevi Abdul Kader College for Women, Kilakarai, Ramanthapuram, Tamil Nadu, India Dr Ioannis Kozaris, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece Dr Godfrey Nkululeko Mazibuko, University of Technology, South Africa Dr Lynn McQuarrie, University of Alberta, Canada Dr Suttida Rakkapao, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand Dr Meiyi Song, LanguageOn Schools, United States Dr Asiya Tabassum, University of Technology and Applied Sciences-Nizwa, Oman, Oman Dr Eugen Zaretsky, Marburg University, Germany

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ACE2026 Reviewers Dr Lo Ping Candy Fung, Tung Wah College, China Professor Jan Heystek, North-West University, South Africa Professor Yu-cin Jian, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Dr Anna Joan Casademont, TÉLUQ University, Canada Dr Anastasia Nicéphore, University of Sydney, Australia Dr Prashant Manohar Patil, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, India Dr Zulfiqar Ali, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics CAS Dalian, China Dr Chih-fang Chiu, Cheng Shiu University, Taiwan Dr Nhu Do, RMIT University Vietnam, Vietnam Dr Elriena Eksteen, North-West University, South Africa Dr Jason Gan, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore Dr Shirley Huang, University of New South Wales, Australia Dr Hossein Mohammadi, Curtin University, Australia Dr Çiğdem Suzan Çardak, Anadolu University, Türkiye Dr Mayumi Ajioka, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States Dr Abdullah Al-Abri, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Oman Dr Clarence Ella Alipio, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Philippines Dr Hakan Altinpulluk, Anadolu University, Türkiye Dr Takamichi Asakura, Hiroshima University, Japan Professor Onesmus Ayaya, University of Limpopo, South Africa Professor Chantal-Maria Biencinto, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain Professor Susanne Boehlich, IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany Dr Rosalyn Bornea, Southern Christian College, Midsayap North Cotabato, Philippines Dr Ma. Angelica Buensuceso, Department of Education, Philippines Dr Ivy Chan, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Professor Hui-hsiang Chang, Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, Taiwan Dr Jyun-chen Chen, National Academy for Educational Research, Taiwan Professor Ya Ling Chen, National Pingtung University, Taiwan Dr Alexius Chia, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Professor Meiying Chien, National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan Dr Hui Wen Chin, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore Dr Hui Min Chou, National Academy for Educational Research, Taiwan Dr Lorie Davis, BYU-Hawaii, United States Dr Helene Daya, Southern Luzon State University, Philippines Dr Melva Diamante, Southville International School affiliated with Foreign Universities (SISFU), Philippines Dr Gwyn Peredur Evans, Thammasat University, Thailand Dr Flor Fortuna, CEF-Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Dr Alexander Funk, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia Dr Kyra Garson, Thompson Rivers University, Canada Dr Francesca Granone, University of Stavanger, Norway Dr Kai Guo, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Professor Yoshiko Hanbara, University of Fukui, Japan Dr Tomoko Hashimoto, Tokyo Future University, Japan Dr Adolfo Hernandez, Complutense University Madrid (Spain), Spain Dr Ujal Ibrahim, University Canada West, Canada Dr Naoki Itoh, Kokushikan University, Japan Dr Chainarong Jarupongputtana, Chiang Mai University, Thailand Professor Marika Kapanadze, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia Dr Victor Kaufusi, BYU-Hawaii, United States Dr Masashi Kawamura, Hachioji City Utsukidai Elementary School, Japan Dr Huma Kayoom, National Council of Educational Research and Training, India Dr Mohd Fadhli Shah Khaidzir, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia Dr Masoud Kianpour, Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada Dr Lea Lachaud, University of Paris-Est Créteil (Paris), France Dr Tan Liang Soon, Academy of Singapore Teachers, Singapore Dr Yu-hsiu Liao, National Chiayi University, Taiwan Dr Wesley Lim, Curtin University, Australia Professor Yu-cheng Lin, Chihlee University of Technology, Taiwan Dr Michael Pin-chuan Lin, Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada

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Dr Sheng-hsiang Lin, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan Professor Yih-sheue Lin, National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan Professor Hui-wen Liu, National Chengchi University, Taiwan Dr Joseph Longardner, Sichuan Conservatory of Music, China Dr Giulio Marchena, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, Peru Dr Dennis McCornac, Georgetown University Qatar, Qatar Dr Peter Mitchell, Majan University College, Oman Dr Nicholas Monk, Brown University, United States Dr Didi Mulyadi, Universitas Muhammadiyah Bekasi Karawang, Indonesia Dr Maiko Nakamura, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan Dr Ryo Okada, Kagawa University, Japan Dr Matthias Olson, Saint Maur International School, Japan Dr Balkis Omar, National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (ASWARA), Malaysia Dr Amy Padayachee, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa Dr Hui-ju Pai, Providence University, Taiwan Dr Prabin Kumar Panigrahi, Indian Institute of Management Indore, India Professor Seowoen Park, Independent Scholar, South Korea Dr Rohaiba Radiamoda, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines Dr Richelle Rivera, Philippine Women’s University, Philippines Professor Andrew Rosser, University of Melbourne, Australia Dr Emiliana Roxas, Golden Gate Colleges, Philippines Dr Takashi Sano, Chukyo University, Japan Dr Fatima Seitova, RUDN University, Russia Dr Amit Shukla, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (India), India Dr Jyotish Nendra Pratap Singh, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, India Dr Amanda Taggart, Utah State University, United States Dr Lemon Tang, Glasgow School of Art, United Kingdom Dr Ian Teo, Australian Council for Educational Research, Australia Dr Rico Paulo Tolentino, Bulacan State University, Philippines Dr I Chang Tsai, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taiwan Dr Naomi Tsunematsu, Hiroshima University, Japan Dr Norman Vaughan, Mount Royal University, Canada Dr Danshiro Velasco, Seikei University, Japan Dr Qian Wang, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China Professor Rodger Williamson, The University of Kitakyushu, Japan Dr Molly Pui Man Wong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Dr Maneenate Worrachananun, Bangkok University, Thailand Professor Chao-jung Wu, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan Professor Yumiko Yamazaki, Kawasaki City College of Nursing, Japan Dr Mitsuo Yoshida, International Network for Environmental and Humanitarian Cooperation, Japan Dr Jason Zagami, Griffith University, Australia Professor Ivan Belik, Norwegian School of Economics, Norway Dr Benedict Benedict, Sol Plaatje University, South Africa Dr Paula Dewanti, STIKOM Bali Institute of Technology and Business, Indonesia Dr Frances Di Lauro, University of Sydney, Australia Professor Arun Goel, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, India Dr Sami Kajalo, Aalto University School of Business, Finland Dr Mijoo Kim, Towson University, United States Dr Ijlal Mearaj, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia Dr Vinita Nair, Panyaden International School, Thailand Dr Daniel Raffini, Sapienza Università di Roma, Italy Dr Palita Sooksamran, Phayao Provincial Education Office, Thailand Dr Jack Tsao, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Dr Mei-ling Wu, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan Dr Nathaniel Bryan, University of Texas at Austin, United States

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Notes

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