Journal of Curriculum Studies Research

Developing and Testing the Electronic Textbook “Interactive Environmental Lessons”: Methodological Approaches and Project Implementation in Environmental Education

Aiman Karabalayeva — 2026-01-20

This article presents the process of developing, implementing, and testing the electronic textbook “Interactive Environmental Lessons: Digital Technologies and Methodological Approaches” within the framework of environmental education. The study combines theoretical analysis of modern interactive educational resources - including gamification, virtual and augmented reality, web platforms, and mobile applications - with practical testing of the developed digital textbook in real educational settings. A total of 20 environmental lessons were conducted with the participation of students from various educational institutions in Kazakhstan. The testing evaluated the textbook’s effectiveness in improving students’ environmental literacy, engagement, and ability to apply sustainable development principles in practice. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through questionnaires, observation, and feedback analysis. The results demonstrated a significant increase in environmental awareness, active participation, and retention of material. The article also discusses technical and methodological challenges encountered during implementation and offers recommendations for integrating interactive digital textbooks into the educational process to foster sustainable environmental competencies.

Mapping Artificial Intelligence Research in STEM Education in South Africa

Paulina Phoobane — 2026-01-20

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly influencing education systems around the world, with growing applications in teaching, learning, assessment, and school management. In South Africa, there is a rising interest in how AI can be used in education, especially in response to national goals tied to digital transformation. Yet, how South African researchers are engaging with AI in education, particularly in the context of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, remains insufficiently understood. This study uses a systematic bibliometric approach to explore the research on how AI has been applied in STEM education within South Africa. Based on analysis of Scopus dataset, we used VOSviewer and R Studio to examine publication trends, research collaborations, thematic priorities, and emerging areas of focus. The findings show a notable increase in research output after 2020. Most of the high-output authors are affiliated with a small number of South African universities, and collaboration across institutions remains limited. By analysing how keywords are used across the literature, the study identified several common themes, such as digital transformation, machine learning, and issues around ethics. The findings further suggest that AI application research remains limited in inclusive education, curriculum development and classroom practices. Interdisciplinary collaborations in STEM subjects at elementary school level within the South African context must be strengthened. These insights can help guide educators, researchers, and policymakers to ensure that AI tools not only align with South Africa’s broader educational goals but also contribute in ways that are practical, inclusive, and sustainable.

Education for Sustainability in Curriculum-Based Activities: A Study on the Attitudes and Activity Plans of In-Service and Preservice Teachers towards Environmental Sustainability Education

Derya Kayıran — 2026-01-20

This study aims to investigate the attitudes of teachers and pre-service teachers towards sustainable environmental education, as well as the activity plans they design in alignment with these attitudes. The findings reveal that although participants generally demonstrate positive attitudes towards sustainable environmental education, these attitudes are not consistently reflected in the content and structure of their activity plans. Moreover, female participants and those who actively follow environmental news exhibited significantly higher attitude scores. The lack of dedicated coursework on sustainable environmental education within teacher training programs in Turkey highlights a gap in educators' content knowledge and pedagogical preparedness in this area. In light of these findings, it is recommended to increase the presence of sustainability-oriented educational activities in schools and to provide teachers with targeted in-service training opportunities. Additionally, expanding the availability of sustainability-focused courses within teacher education faculties and fostering partnerships between non-governmental organizations and universities for organizing awareness-raising initiatives are considered essential. These actions are expected to play a critical role in cultivating environmentally responsible future generations.

Exploring Factors Behind Jordanian Students’ PISA 2022 Mathematics Decline: A Mixed-Methods Study of Teacher and Supervisor Perspectives

Majed Mahmoud Aljoudeh — 2026-01-20

The poor performance in international examinations such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) signals that there are serious issues in educational systems in various countries. Jordan's PISA 2022 math assessment results dropped, placing the issue of detecting the causes of this quality problem and applying educational reforms in the forefront. The project aims to reveal factors that contribute to the decline in the math performance of Jordanian students as viewed by their teachers and supervisors. The study employs a mixed-methods design which includes both quantitative survey data with qualitative responses. The researchers applied descriptive statistics along with inferential tests to the quantitative data and thematic analysis to the open-ended responses. The results of the study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic was the most significant factor among all, and it was followed by parental disengagement with students, low student motivation, curricular limitations, teacher workload pressures, and online learning disruptions. The used research instrument was statistically validated. Consequently, the study's outcomes provide a practical roadmap for educational policymakers to improve learning outcomes to the level of world standards. The results can be interpreted as possible ways for the policymakers to take steps to raise the educational quality and keep it at par with international standards. The research indicates that the areas of teacher training, parent involvement, and curriculum development need to be seriously addressed in order to raise student performance in international tests.

Teachers’ Perspectives on Problem Posing Assessment: A Needs Analysis for Evaluating Conceptual Understanding in Mathematics

Sutji Rochaminah — 2026-01-20

This study aims to address gaps in understanding how mathematics teachers perceive and use problem-posing assessment. It is part of a larger Research and Development (R&D) framework aimed at designing an effective problem-posing assessment model for mathematics teachers. Specifically, this paper reports on the preliminary phase, focusing on needs assessment. A mixed-methods strategy was adopted, integrating quantitative data from questionnaires and qualitative insights from open-ended responses and semi-structured interviews, with 63 junior and senior high school teachers participating. Findings indicate that most teachers understand and value problem posing for assessing students’ conceptual understanding, although some hold limited or incorrect knowledge. Its practice is infrequent, mostly in formative assessments such as daily assignments or group activities, and rarely in summative assessments. Key challenges include time constraints, difficulties in designing and evaluating tasks, and lack of targeted professional development. Teachers expressed needs for structured workshops, step-by-step implementation guides, digital learning media, reduced administrative workload, and regular opportunities for students to practice problem posing. These findings highlight gaps between teachers’ knowledge, implementation, and support. Addressing these gaps through sustained professional learning is essential to strengthen teachers’ capacity and guide the design of effective problem-posing assessment models in subsequent R&D stages.

Bringing Geomorphology to Life Through Fieldwork: A Case of Tshwane Districts Grade 12 Geography Teachers

Victor Rhulani Nkuna — 2026-01-20

This study explores the strategies suggested by grade 12 geography teachers to revitalise geomorphology fieldwork within the content-driven Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in three Tshwane districts, South Africa. Fieldwork, a vital pedagogical tool for fostering experiential learning and deepening understanding of abstract geographic concepts, has declined significantly due to curriculum pressure, limited resources, and teacher capacity. Using Kolb's experiential learning theory (ELT), the study used a qualitative intrinsic case study approach involving nine purposively selected geography teachers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis, resulting in four key themes: (1) using the local environment, (2) technology as an alternative to fieldwork, (3) repurposing school resources, and (4) continuous professional development in effective fieldwork integration. The findings highlight the resourcefulness of teachers and adaptive strategies to promote field-based learning despite systemic challenges. The study contributes to the discourse on practical geography education by offering contextually relevant, teacher-driven approaches to integrate fieldwork into the curriculum. It recommends policy support for localised CPD, flexible curriculum guidelines, and school-level innovation to support experiential learning. The paper concludes that bringing geomorphology to life through fieldwork is feasible and essential to promote learner engagement, conceptual understanding, and environmental awareness in geography education.

An Analysis of Indicators of Students’ Motivation to Use Technology in Learning Mathematics: A Case Study of NodeBook™

Hatem Deif — 2026-01-20

This study analyses factors that affect students' motivation for using technology in learning mathematics at universities. The study is based on the responses of 86 male and 73 female students in various mathematics courses in the United Arab Emirates, examined students’ perceptions of their performance in mathematics course in terms of their enjoyment in learning the course, perception of success, the significance and need of NodeBook, and course organization and motivation to learn mathematics with the use of NodeBook. Based on the results, it was found that students’ perceptions of their performance in mathematics in terms of their enjoyment in learning the course, perception of success and course organization and motivation are the most likely indicators of student motivation to use technology in learning mathematics. This will help students, mathematics educators, and higher education administrators understand the student preferences in choosing the right technology that enhances their learning in mathematics.

Policy Implementation of Outcome Based Education in Indonesian ELT Curriculum: SWOT Analysis

Teguh Budiharso — 2026-01-22

The study aims to assess the internal and external potential of integrating OBE (Outcome-Based Education) into the English Language Teaching curriculum, as well as to evaluate the policy's implementation and stakeholder engagement, organizational objectives, and policy implementation. The primary approach utilized in this research was content analysis, with SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis serving as the framework. Thirty individuals who participated in the Focus Group Discussion at the States Islamic University Raden Mas Said in Surakarta, Indonesia, comprise the respondents of this study. In order to assess the policies' implementation and evaluation, as well as the policies' strengths and weaknesses, vision and mission, and stakeholder engagement, data is gathered from curriculum and policy documents via a checklist. For data analysis, content analysis is utilized. The findings of the SWOT analysis demonstrate that neither the internal nor the external opportunities are being fulfilled. Stakeholder engagement generates collaborative initiatives that significantly impact the execution of OBE. In accordance with its vision and mission, the organization does not disclose ambitious objectives. Furthermore, the execution of the policy has no effect on modifications that promote the performance of educators and stakeholders in the curriculum. In conclusion, the assessment of the policy indicates a moderate influence on the enhancement of curriculum content and the creation of instructional materials.

The Status of Higher-Order Thinking Skills in Secondary School Mathematics Teaching and Learning

Zinab Aba-Oli Abadiga — 2026-01-22

The study investigates the implementation of higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) in secondary school mathematics in Jimma City, Ethiopia. Multilevel sampling technique was utilized to select 496 secondary school students and 38 mathematics teachers, and convenience sampling for interview participants. The study employed convergent mixed methods design for data collection, analysis and integration. SPSS 27.0 software was used for descriptive and inferential data analysis whereas the qualitative data was analyzed narratively. The study found that moderate level of HOTS, the actual implementation falling short due to structural, pedagogical, and cultural limitations. Teachers rarely use HOTS-based strategies, influenced by contextual factors. The study also found that the implementation of HOTS-based practices significantly predicted students' HOTS level, implying the need for HOTS-based intervention to enhance students' HOTS in mathematics. The study provides new insights into the current status of HOTS in mathematics and the factors contributing to its low implementation, emphasizing the need for urgent intervention.