{"title":"Is artificial intelligence for everyone? Analyzing the role of ChatGPT as a writing assistant for medical students","authors":"Zahra Shahsavar, Reza Kafipour, Laleh Khojasteh, Farhad Pakdel","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1457744","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1457744","url":null,"abstract":"This study explores the potential impact of ChatGPT on the academic writing skills development of medical students enrolled in a compulsory 3-unit writing course at a medical university. The research focuses on two primary objectives, which are formulated as two research questions: Firstly, does the use of ChatGPT enhance medical students’ English academic writing skills compared to conventional writing training? Secondly, how does the use of ChatGPT impact on different components of academic writing? A longitudinal intervention design was employed with 83 participants from two writing classes in the experimental and control groups. The findings demonstrated ChatGPT’s significant impact on enhancing medical students’ English academic writing skills, with large effect sizes. ChatGPT enhanced students’ writing skills, especially content, organization, vocabulary, and mechanics in the experimental group, while its impact on language use is limited. AI tools like ChatGPT can be valuable in assisting with certain aspects of writing, but they should not be considered a one-size-fits-all solution for enhancing writing skills. The result of the study can be beneficial for educators, particularly those interested in teaching writing.","PeriodicalId":52290,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1457744/pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147884109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carol Halal Orfali, María Luisa Arancibia Muñoz, Irma Riquelme Plaza, Rodrigo Unda Valenzuela
{"title":"How higher education teachers see their professional identity","authors":"Carol Halal Orfali, María Luisa Arancibia Muñoz, Irma Riquelme Plaza, Rodrigo Unda Valenzuela","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1429847","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1429847","url":null,"abstract":"An important dimension to understand the student learning process is the professional identity of teachers, which is conceptualized as a continuous process of construction and reconstruction. In this process, teachers define and assume their roles in a specific educational context that is characterized by tensions, adjustments, and transformations. This study focuses on understanding the professional identity of higher education teachers, a field characterized by constant evolution and demands. The personal characteristics of this identity are explored, including experiences and biographical representations, as well as its interrelationship with the institutional environment. Using a qualitative interpretive approach, six teachers recognized for their pedagogical innovation and educational commitment were interviewed. The results reveal outstanding motivation and responsibility in educational work, but also tensions between personal identity and the work context, reflected in the perception of low recognition and the importance of institutional leadership. The teachers show a critical and reflective view of their work, influenced by childhood experiences that impact their conceptions of educational justice and equity. To conclude, the common characteristics of professional identity in higher education highlight the need to integrate them into professional development. The article advocates for the design of more personalized training programs and the promotion of continuous learning among peers as key elements to strengthen this identity and improve pedagogical practice.","PeriodicalId":52290,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1429847/pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147883452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"I’m not half and half: navigating being a “both” in discipline-based education research","authors":"Emily A. Holt, Rou‐Jia Sung, Stanley M. Lo","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1354621","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1354621","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction and methods Through years of conversations, three discipline-based education researchers used a duoethnographic process to interrogate their own discipline-based education research (DBER) identities. We present a description of how these individuals navigate being a “both,” gathered through reflections, discussions, and deeper research to explore perspectives of our professional identities and what we perceive those identities look like to our peers, supervisors, and trainees. Results Our own definitions and eventually realized identities as a “both” emerged through this research process. We envision that science faculty have multiple roles, demands, and identities; at the most basic level, they are “both” an educator and a researcher. In the unique case of discipline-based education research (i.e., scholars studying the teaching and learning of science often in science departments), some faculty find an overlap between complementary yet sometimes competing research agendas (i.e., biology research (BR) and discipline-based education research (DBER)), of which they do “both.” Discussion This article has two key contributions. First, it articulates this side-glancing process of our navigation of being a DBER “both,” leveraging each of our unique perspectives and the literature. Second, it represents how such an exploration may be useful to other interdisciplinary researchers in understanding and embracing all parts of their identities.","PeriodicalId":52290,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147887762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Metaphorical conceptualizations of generative artificial intelligence use by Chinese university EFL learners","authors":"Yi Yan, Wei Sun, Xiufeng Zhao","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1430494","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1430494","url":null,"abstract":"The unveiling of ChatGPT 4o by OpenAI, a multimodal large language model powered by Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), has injected interest and incited debate throughout the echelon of education institutions regarding its prospective benefits and drawbacks. Nonetheless, investigations into the learners’ perceptions of GenAI use in learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) remain markedly insufficient. The study adopts an explorative stance and aims to explore the attitudes and perceptions of Chinese EFL learners toward GenAI use in language learning through the application of metaphor analysis. Data were collected from 281 EFL students of varying majors in four key universities across China by completing a sentence using metaphors to elicit their attitudes and perceptions toward GenAI use in language learning. Through qualitative analysis of metaphorical constructs, including HUMANS, TOOL/MACHINE, BRAIN, RESOURCES, FOOD/DRINK, and MEDICINE metaphors, the study unveils a spectrum of attitudes toward GenAI. While some language learners perceived GenAI as supportive, helpful, and intelligent, others expressed concerns about over-reliance and potential loss of critical thinking skills. The findings underscore the importance of considering learners’ diverse attitudes and beliefs toward GenAI use and application in language learning pedagogy. The implications of these findings for the future integration of GenAI in language education are discussed, complemented by recommendations for further research and pedagogical practice.","PeriodicalId":52290,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1430494/pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147894063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Joana Cruz, Diana Alves, Marisa Carvalho, S. Mendes, Bruna Rodrigues, I. Cadime
{"title":"Assessment of math abilities before school entry: a tool development","authors":"Joana Cruz, Diana Alves, Marisa Carvalho, S. Mendes, Bruna Rodrigues, I. Cadime","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2023.1347143","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1347143","url":null,"abstract":"The years preceding school entry are pivotal for children to develop fundamental skills that bolster their learning in literacy and math in the following years. Skills like counting and subitizing stand as key predictors of future math abilities. Hence, the availability of universal screening tools is vital to promptly identify children who are lacking in these skills, allowing for tailored classroom practices to meet their needs. This study aimed to develop a mathematical screening tool and assess its psychometric properties.The tool encompasses both group and individual tasks, to evaluate counting, cardinality, subitizing, quantity discrimination, addition, and subtraction. The tool was administered twice to 257 children, aged 5-6, in their final year of kindergarten in Portugal, at both the start and end of the school year.The findings reveal that the tasks generally present a low level of difficulty, especially by the end of kindergarten. Factor analysis demonstrated an adequate structure, and all dimensions showed high internal consistency (>0.80). There was a medium-to-high intercorrelation among the various tasks. Correlations between task scores at the beginning and end of the school year were high. Furthermore, scores across all tasks correlated with math achievement in the first grade of primary education.These outcomes suggest that the tool is both valid and reliable, making it a useful resource for assessing and intervening in math skills during the critical years before school entry.","PeriodicalId":52290,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"23 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139438706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Predictability of Duolingo English mock test for Chinese college-level EFLs: using assessment use argument","authors":"Xinyi Ma, Haomin Zhang","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2023.1275518","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1275518","url":null,"abstract":"Online international language tests have been gaining popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explored the predictive ability of the mock test of Duolingo English Test (DET) for Chinese students. College-level EFLs (N = 42) participated in this study and completed the official online mock test. Through quantitative analysis, the findings demonstrated that mock scores were significantly correlated with TOEFL or IELTS results. However, given that the mock test scores are significantly lower than expected, the consequential validity needs further analysis. Using Assessment Use Argument in qualitative analysis, the study established the claim, warrants, evidence, and potential rebuttals regarding the consequential validity of Duolingo English mock test. With further analysis on test specification, the characterization of Target Language Use domain of DET reading test items were investigated. The results indicate that although the DET mock test is relatively more accessible, it needs modification to become more suitable for Chinese EFLs. Suggestions and limitations on Chinese students using DET and its mock test were also discussed.","PeriodicalId":52290,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"3 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139440277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Examining the utilization of participatory research with autistic youth in mainstream/public schools: a scoping review","authors":"A. Newson, Sarah Quinn, Rhonda N. T. Nese","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2023.1308664","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1308664","url":null,"abstract":"This scoping review explores the utilization of participatory research with autistic youth in K-12 public/mainstream school settings.A scoping review was performed to identify how often participatory research methodologies are used in K-12 public/mainstream school settings with autistic students, what researchers report are the strengths, barriers, and recommendations in using participatory research methodologies with autistic students in K-12 public school settings and what type of demographic information is included in the studies.Five studies were included for review focusing on participatory research with autistic youth in K-12 public or mainstream school settings. The studies used a range of participatory research methodologies to explore the experiences of mainly male autistic youth in the UK and Australia. Strengths, challenges, and recommendations noted included opportunities for empowerment, increased ownership, issues with teachers, thinking critically about communication, and collaboration with partners.Participatory research with autistic school-aged youth is an emerging practice. This is evidenced by the small number of studies included in this review. The findings highlight concerns about the lack of representation of autistic females and students with historically marginalized racial identities in autism research. Recommendations for including these groups in autism research, implications, and limitations are discussed.","PeriodicalId":52290,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"10 25","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139443611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
D. Árva, Zoltán Vokó, M. Sápi, Z. Cselkó, Z. Rákosy
{"title":"The influence of institutional characteristics on implementing school-based universal addiction prevention: a Hungarian mixed-methods nationwide study on the state of implementation, barriers, and facilitators","authors":"D. Árva, Zoltán Vokó, M. Sápi, Z. Cselkó, Z. Rákosy","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2023.1240909","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1240909","url":null,"abstract":"In Hungary, as in other European countries, substance and behavioral addictions are an increasing problem among children and adolescents. Schools play a vital role in providing the knowledge and skills needed to prevent addictions. However, various factors influence the overall effectiveness of such efforts. To design more effective preventive interventions, it is necessary to evaluate existing programs and identify possible points to intervene. Our aim was to assess the current state of addiction prevention in Hungarian schools, identify barriers, and explore facilitators that contribute to the successful implementation of addiction prevention.A nationwide cross-sectional survey-based quantitative study was performed to investigate the implementation of addiction prevention in Hungarian elementary schools (N = 2,892). With the participation of 37 teachers from 21 elementary schools, a focus group-based qualitative study was conducted to investigate teachers’ perspectives on such programs and ways to improve them.Among the addiction topics, alcohol (61.9%), smoking (73.6%), and drug use (71.3%) were the most covered themes. Problematic use of the internet and electronic devices was addressed in 60.9% of the schools, while gaming and gambling were addressed in only 18.9%. Of schools, 55.1% reported having regular programs to support pupils’ mental health, and this differed significantly by school type and size. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the type of school, the support for teachers’ work, and the diversity of implementers were significantly associated with the quality of implementation of addiction prevention. The qualitative study showed that addiction prevention is hindered by inappropriate family or teacher models, increased workloads, and challenges in collaborating with colleagues and parents. According to the teachers, they can do the most for the health of children at school, but they need support for effective implementation.Our results indicate the importance of school characteristics in addiction prevention implementation and call for the support and empowerment of teachers and greater organizational capacity to ensure the effectiveness of school-based addiction prevention activities. By understanding these barriers and facilitators, policymakers and educators can develop evidence-based strategies to improve the effectiveness of prevention programs.","PeriodicalId":52290,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"46 51","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139442599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elizabeth S. Rose, H. Bello-Manga, Theodore Boafor, Muhammad Asaduzzaman
{"title":"International collaborative research, systems leadership and education: reflections from academic biomedical researchers in Africa","authors":"Elizabeth S. Rose, H. Bello-Manga, Theodore Boafor, Muhammad Asaduzzaman","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2023.1217066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1217066","url":null,"abstract":"Academic biomedical researchers and educators in African countries navigate complex local, national, and international systems to conduct grant-funded research. To secure funding, collaboration with researchers from high-income countries is often necessary. Existing literature highlights that these global health initiatives are commonly fraught with unequal power dynamics and lead by the foreign partners. Despite these inequalities, African faculty can benefit from these collaborations, fostering the development of their labs and careers. This study delves into reflections on lived experiences from academic biomedical researchers in Africa to better understand the impact of foreign collaborations.We designed a qualitative study using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method and used Self-determination and Complex Systems Leadership theories to frame this study. Ten academic biomedical researchers in Africa consented to join this study. The participants submitted a four-week series of reflective journals through an online data management platform. Subsequently, IPA methods were employed to analyze the collected journals.Participants’ reflections yielded six thematic key findings, encompassing their experiences in international collaborative research. The findings included: foreign dominance within the international macrosystem; resource challenges in their local microsystems; mesosystem dependency from collaborations; scholarly identity within research relationships; collaborative leadership; and the impact of the foreign perspective. From these findings, three implications were drawn suggesting that participants were (1) motivated by scholarly identity found in collaborations; (2) depended on collaborations that were colonialist but beneficial; and (3) created change through leadership at the microsystem level.Foreign collaborators and funders in global health education and research should critically consider how implications of this study relate to their collaborative work. Based on our analysis, recommendations for foreign collaborators and funders include prioritizing local leadership and perspectives in education initiatives and research grants; reviewing and leveraging collective leadership; engaging in bidirectional training, and mentoring opportunities; participating in power assessments; and removing publication barriers for researchers in Africa (and low-and middle-income countries). Insights from this study could impact global health research and education in multiple ways including new initiatives in mentorship and training in international collaborations along with increased awareness and correction of colonialism within these collaborations.","PeriodicalId":52290,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"25 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139444168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ferenc Kemény, Gabor Aranyi, O. Pachner, Eszter P. Remete, Claudia Laskay-Horváth
{"title":"What makes an excellent reader? Short-term memory contrasts between two groups of children","authors":"Ferenc Kemény, Gabor Aranyi, O. Pachner, Eszter P. Remete, Claudia Laskay-Horváth","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2023.1325177","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1325177","url":null,"abstract":"Research on the association of short-term memory (STM) and reading expertise are dominated by studies with typically developing children and children with reading impairment. Many studies confirmed the role of short-term memory in reading development and reading, especially in the case of verbal and phonological STM. The current study takes an unusual perspective by contrasting age-appropriate readers with excellent readers (reading performance with at least 1 SD above average) on three different short-term memory skills: phonological STM, verbal STM and visuospatial STM.We identified and recruited six groups of children. Three groups performed at least one SD above average in two standardized reading tasks (excellent readers), the three control groups performed within the domain of ±0.5 SD on reading (age-appropriate readers). One group of excellent readers and one group of age-appropriate readers participated in a Phonological Short-Term Memory (STM) task, one pair of groups participated in a Verbal STM task, whereas the last pair participated in a Visuospatial STM task.Pairwise comparisons demonstrated that excellent readers outperformed age-appropriate readers in Visuospatial STM. Phonological STM only differed across the groups after controlling for age. No group difference was observed in Verbal STM.Our results confirm the role of short-term memory in reading expertise. However, data highlights that visuospatial and phonological information becomes more relevant in above-average readers. Results are discussed along grain-size theory, and whether and how focused educational programs can build on visuospatial short-term memory training to achieve better reading.","PeriodicalId":52290,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"12 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139441692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}