For some youth, thinking about the future -- let alone expressing aspirations for the future -- is a daunting task. This incapacity to aspire is problematic in itself, but particularly as neoliberal societies widely expect young people from adolescence onwards to "have a plan" for their own future. In our research among disadvantaged…

Background: Research has shown that students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to have lower academic performance compared to children from better-off families. However, the way that socioeconomic status (SES) influences student learning outcomes has not yet been fully examined. Thus, this study explores the indirect effects…

This paper investigates admission procedures of Master of Arts programs of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (MA TEFL) in Iran in comparison with universities around the world. Along with a view of the centralised national MA TEFL entrance exam held in Iran during the past three decades, we investigated admission requirements for comparable…

Although badges are among the most-used game elements in gamified education, studies about their optimal features to motivate learning are scarce. How should a badge be designed to represent an incentive for a specific goal like optimal exam preparation? This study examines usage data of a higher education learning app to determine whether the…

ePortfolios are a high-impact educational practice that helps students synthesize and reflect on their learning. They are a process and a product that both generates and documents learning. This qualitative study examined how students enrolled in in-person and remote synchronous English language workshops in an English as a Foreign Language…

Research in higher music education acknowledges a persistent divide between performance studies and the realities of musicians' work. Alongside this is global pressure for curriculum that is more supportive of students' metacognitive engagement, experiential learning and career preparation. However, scholars assert that the provision of these…

Social and emotional learning (SEL) strengthens students' abilities to regulate their emotions, thoughts, and behaviours and to interact successfully with others. There are an array of important social and emotional skills (SES): goal-setting, working to one's potential, resilience, creativity, perseverance, problem solving, and caring about the…

Purpose: Study abroad has been exceedingly popular among students, recently. Turkish youth have become even more willing to study abroad and improve their English language skills. As lingua franca (ELF), English is the main Language for interaction, particularly in international education. The current study investigated the language learning…

Introducing English as a foreign language (FL) has become widespread in ECE in Europe, typified by initiatives involving specialist teachers of English visiting settings for short periods of time a week. This paper shares data from a study in Portugal that involved analyzing collaborative practices for evidence of approaches to integration in the…

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) has been subject to controversy historically and several studies have analysed the challenges and barriers to delivering it in schools. Recently, however, a new global phenomenon has sharpening debate with the emergence of anti-gender movements and their discourse on 'gender ideology'. The focus now is less on…