International Journal of Educational Development最新文献

{"title":"Beyond macro-indicators: Exploring micro-level educational experiences (MLEs) reinforcing learning inequality in rural northern Ghana","authors":"Rodney Buadi Nkrumah ,&nbsp;Vandna Sinha ,&nbsp;Jill Hanley ,&nbsp;Myriam Denov","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103471","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103471","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Educational interventions in Ghana and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have, in recent decades, primarily focused on improving macro-level indicators around enrolment, attendance, completion, and learning outcomes. Existing scholarship pays limited attention to understanding the structural and socio-economic disadvantages in different geolocations that shape children’s schooling and learning. Drawing on historical accounts of disadvantage in northern Ghana, this study examines how local environment experiences in rural northern communities constrain children’s access to schooling and learning, using ecological theory to frame these complex influences. Through qualitative interviews and focus groups with key local education stakeholders, we demonstrate how children’s interactions with their temporal and policy environments generate micro-level educational experiences (MLEs) that reinforce schooling and learning exclusion in rural northern communities – outcomes that risk widening the inequality gap between rural northern schools and the rest of Ghana. The findings point to tensions between the formal school system and the temporal lifestyle of rural communities, persistent insecurity linked to tribal and ethnic conflicts, complications with the language-of-instruction policy, and shortages of teaching and learning materials (TLMs) as MLEs that foster learning alienation. We argue that Ghana’s ambition to achieve quality and equitable basic education and learning skills for all children by 2030 requires far more than universalizing enrolment. Achieving sustainable progress depends on targeted policy interventions that address MLEs embedded within the broader structural and socio-economic realities of rural northern communities, ensuring that education systems align – rather than conflict with children’s lived environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103471"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring variables related to teachers' self-efficacy in inclusive education: A network meta-analysis approach","authors":"Martina Giorgi,&nbsp;Mariateresa Loverre,&nbsp;Federica Stefanelli,&nbsp;Fabio Lucidi,&nbsp;Guido Benvenuto,&nbsp;Andrea Chirico","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103461","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103461","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inclusive education requires teachers to feel confident in addressing student diversity, yet their self-efficacy can vary based on several psychological factors. This study aimed to identify the key variables associated with teachers’ self-efficacy for inclusive practices, modeling their interrelations through a Bayesian network meta-analysis. A systematic review of 128 studies involving 50,878 teachers was conducted, and 399 correlations were synthesized. The analysis revealed that social modeling, behavioral practices, and intentions to act inclusively were most strongly associated with self-efficacy, while concerns and resource limitations showed weak or negligible links. The Bayesian framework enabled the ranking of variables based on their strength of association with psychological variables. Findings highlight the importance of peer learning, intentional inclusive behavior, and structured experiences in fostering teachers’ self-efficacy. These results offer evidence-based directions for enhancing inclusive education through teacher training, collaboration, and policy support.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103461"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145685147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Do education systems trust decentralization? Evidence from survey experiments in Nepal","authors":"Laxman Timilsina ,&nbsp;Shwetlena Sabarwal ,&nbsp;Uttam Sharma ,&nbsp;Unika Shrestha","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103480","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103480","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>How does an education system respond during early stages of big-bang decentralization? We examine this in Nepal which undertook rapid education decentralization in late 2017. Through survey experiments in 2018, we investigate trust between different tiers of education service delivery. Trust can serve as a useful litmus test for the legitimacy of the newly-formed local governments; and an early detector of potential roadblocks to the smooth transition of power. We find that local governments are seen as legitimate and trustworthy by headteachers and teachers, both in absolute and relative terms (vis-à-vis the center). However, they are concerned about the accountability of local governments and their potential politicization in certain educational tasks. We also find that local governments trust the center and are looking to them for capacity building and support. Finally, teacher management is the single most contentious roadblock to effective decentralization. There is significant disagreement between teachers, head-teachers, elected and non-elected local government officials about whether teacher hiring and promotion should be managed at the center or at the local level. We also discuss policy implications of these findings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103480"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Teachers’ narratives: Exploring the dynamics of inclusive education in Indonesian public and private primary schools","authors":"Sabila Hikmah Syafiulia,&nbsp;Nina Maadad","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103474","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103474","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inclusive education (IE) in Indonesia has garnered growing attention, particularly at the primary school level, sparking ongoing dialogue about effective practices and systemic challenges. This study explores the reality of implementing inclusive classrooms through the lens of public and private primary school teachers, whose attitudes and practices are critical to the success of IE implementation. Using a qualitative research approach, data were gathered through online semi-structured interviews with seven primary school teachers. Responses from public and private school teachers was analysed using thematic analysis to examine differences in their perspectives about IE implementation. Finding reveals pronounced contrasts between private and public institutions IE practice. Private schools, empowered by greater autonomy and resources, implement more diverse and adaptive inclusion strategies. In contrast, public schools, depend heavily on centralised government support, revealing a need for increased flexibility and targeted support. Overall, IE practice in Indonesian primary schools has shown significant progress, evidenced from teacher’s positive view of IE and commitment to provide inclusion in the classroom. Despite progress, urgent demand for equitable and sustainable professional development (PD) or training for classroom teachers is evident. The findings further also suggest a national policy framework that fosters cross-sector collaboration to accelerate nationwide IE.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103474"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of international student education on facilitating global trade: A case study of chinese education for foreign students in China","authors":"Chengang Zeng ,&nbsp;Jing Guo ,&nbsp;Yuxun Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103460","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103460","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As China has become the third largest destination for international students globally and the largest in Asia, assessing the social benefits of its education for foreign students is crucial for formulating and optimizing relevant education policies. This study explores the role of educating international students in China in fostering the country’s foreign trade. The regression analysis results indicate that such education significantly promotes bilateral trade between China and foreign students’ native countries. Meanwhile, the impact on export trade is more pronounced than on import trade. Additionally, various categories of international students in China contribute to bilateral trade, albeit with varying degrees of influence. Non-degree (government-sponsored) students exhibit a stronger impact than degree-seeking (self-funded) students. Moreover, the trade-enhancing effect of educating international students in China diminishes over time, indicating a declining trend. These insights provide valuable implications for China to strategically shape its international education policies and enhance its international trade relations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103460"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145651803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"More equitable, more involved: Intergenerational educational mobility and parental involvement","authors":"Juan Yang,&nbsp;Zebing Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103473","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103473","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Regional disparities in intergenerational mobility within the country and their implications for parenting behaviours have received limited empirical attention. Using data from the 2015 National 1 % Population Sample Survey and the 2016 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study investigates how regional intergenerational educational mobility (IGM) affects parents’ educational involvement. The results show that in regions with higher IGM, parents are significantly more engaged in their children’s learning. This finding remains valid after a series of robustness tests and is particularly significant in families with sons, mothers with at least a junior high education, and those with low self-reported income. Mechanism analysis reveals that higher educational mobility promotes parental involvement through three interrelated channels: enhancing perceptions of educational equity, raising educational expectations, and improving self-efficacy. The influence of these cognitive and psychological channels suggests that opportunity structures influence not only individual behaviour but also their beliefs and motivations. This study combines perspectives from economics, sociology, and psychology to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how social mobility or educational inequality affects parenting styles in contemporary China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103473"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regional higher education governance in transition: The diffusion and challenges of CAMPUS Asia in the Global South","authors":"Xuanwei Ma ,&nbsp;Zheng You","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103479","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103479","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Education is a key issue in global governance. Amid major power competition and geopolitical tensions, global higher education governance faces growing challenges, with regional cooperation emerging as a critical bridge between global and national levels. The CAMPUS Asia initiative, a landmark in Asian higher education regionalization, has evolved over the past 15 years from trilateral cooperation to broader engagement with Southeast Asian partners. Drawing on New Regionalism and a case study approach, this paper examines the initiative’s achievements and challenges. The CAMPUS Asia has fostered a government-led, multi-stakeholder governance model, built multi-level structures, created cross-border coordination mechanisms, promoted inclusive agendas, and advanced an open, innovative vision. However, challenges persist, including uneven stakeholder participation, underdeveloped institutional mechanisms, and limited regional reach. Sustaining the initiative’s trajectory requires a more equitable distribution of engagement across governmental bodies, universities, and non-state actors. Strengthening the initiative requires improving existing mechanisms for the recognition and transferability of academic credit and degrees. Broadening participation across the Asian continent is also essential to fortify regional connectivity and foster deeper integration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103479"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145791025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of COVID-19 education policies on students’ learning proficiency in Latin America—Insights from PISA 2022","authors":"Marcos Delprato","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103483","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103483","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Latin America’s education systems – with a high prevalence of students not achieving the basic competencies, entrenched inequalities and weak connectivity, and longer schools closures – were highly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, experiencing sizeable learning losses. The role of education policies to boost students’ engagement for remote learning were critical during schools shutdowns. Yet, there is a lack of evidence on whether pandemic educational policies were effective. Using explainable machine learning methods and a sample of ten countries from PISA 2022, this paper fills this gap by analysing the association of three education policies for remote learning (students’ resources, teachers’ resources and teachers’ communication) implemented during the pandemic with the probability of students reaching competency (level 2) in math and reading. I find that policies’ effects on learning are non-linear with specific thresholds where policy become more efficient to keep students’ chances of level 2 achievement, with these thresholds linked to schools’ length of closure and the intensity of policies. I also find that policy intersectionality is important with family wealth and educational inputs being pathways to counteract associations under longer schools’ closures, and policies not being capable of narrowing learning loss by gender (against girls). Results by educational sub-systems for the policy on students’ resources indicate that by school type there is similarity on associations for reading, but for math this policy is more productive in private than public schools, as for students from urban schools under longer period of closure than students from rural schools.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103483"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring senior high school teachers’ awareness and preparedness in supporting first-generation students for higher education: A qualitative inquiry","authors":"Jacob Oppong Nkansah","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103488","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103488","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As educational stakeholders intensify efforts to prepare students for postsecondary success, the concept of higher education readiness has gained national prominence. However, scholarly discourse remains limited regarding educators’ understanding of university preparation for First-Generation Students, particularly within the Ghanaian context. Even less is known about the awareness and preparedness of Senior High School teachers who play a critical role in shaping university-ready students. Drawing on interview data and guided by Social Capital Theory, this study explores the awareness, preparedness, and support strategies of 25 Senior High School teachers across five schools in Ghana. Findings revealed a critical gap in teachers’ awareness and institutional practices regarding First-Generation Students. Teachers often misinterpret First-Generation Students behaviors such as disengagement or silence as personal traits rather than signs of systemic disadvantage. This limits access to relational, institutional, and aspirational capital necessary for university readiness. Infrastructure deficits, financial constraints, large class sizes, and limited parental involvement further compound the challenges faced by teachers in preparing First-Generation Students for higher education. However, the study highlights promising practices, including proactive teacher engagement, empathy from educators with shared backgrounds, and calls for integrating STEM and TVET into First-Generation Students education pathways. A key implication of the study is to ensure equitable support for First-Generation Students in the Senior High Schools in Ghana, via a multi-level, multi-stakeholder approach. The government, school administrations, and other educational stakeholders should take greater responsibility for creating supportive structures that empower teachers and other cultural agents to nurture first-generation students’ success and facilitate their transition to higher education.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103488"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decolonising education in Africa through culturally responsive pedagogy: A Ghanaian rural local government district’s case","authors":"Moses Ackah Anlimachie","doi":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103477","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103477","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) has emerged as a strategy for improving the educational outcomes of marginalised communities. However, CRP remains under-explored in Africa. This case study of school actors in a Ghanaian rural local government district investigates culturally sustaining strategies to decolonise education and enhance its relevance for rural communities. Thematic analysis of qualitative data obtained from a community meeting, interviews, field observations, and document analysis revealed a renaissance towards decolonising education in the study district. There was increased impetus in the district towards leveraging local cultural assets to align schooling with community needs. However, the study identified remnants of Western individualised values, rigid instruction-based learning and testing regimes, and an emphasis on teaching-to-the test. Additionally, the district prioritisation of English grammar and white-collar employment-oriented measures of school success, alongside the non-assessment of students’ home cultural skills, reflect a narrow definition of educational success that requires redefinition. The study recommends CRP strategies that 1) promote learning diversity and inclusion, 2) develop teachers' cultural competencies, 3) build community members’ capacities to participate in educational processes, 4) strengthen teacher management practices to better align teachers’ and students’ linguistic backgrounds, and 4) assess learners' cultural competencies as part of school success to support the decolonisation of education. The study concludes that CRP, in the context of this Ghanaian district, represents a means of decolonising education through the acknowledgment of diversity. It is a means of restoring African heritage, knowledge, skills and practices, while integrating the beneficial elements of Western approaches with traditionally valued African collectivist values to ensure schooling contributes to community sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48004,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Educational Development","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 103477"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}