2026-04-02
Lugyi No
Teachers in conflict-affected Myanmar continue to sustain education despite the collapse of formal state systems. This study examines how resilience and work engagement are maintained in non-state, community-led schools where salaries, training, and administrative support are largely absent. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, survey data were collected from 87 teachers and focus group discussions were held with 14 teachers working in high-risk areas. Quantitative analyses showed that both personal resources (self-efficacy, sense of purpose) and external supports (peer collaboration, community engagement) significantly predicted teacher resilience, which in turn mediated their impact on work engagement. Qualitative findings deepened these results, revealing how moral duty, peer solidarity, community support, and student determination sustained teachers’ motivation amid chronic insecurity and trauma. By integrating the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model with Social Capital Theory, the study demonstrates that resilience in fragile, non-state education systems is not simply an individual trait but a socially embedded process shaped by relationships and community networks. The findings extend these frameworks by showing how informal and locally grounded resources can function as critical buffers in the absence of formal structures. Practically, the study suggests that supporting grassroots education in crisis settings requires modest but targeted assistance, such as stipends, basic teaching materials, and psychosocial support delivered through community networks. While these informal systems are vital, they cannot fully replace the stability of formal institutions, highlighting the need for future research on how resilience evolves over time and across diverse fragile contexts.
DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2026.16757022026-04-02
Leslie Casely-Hayford, Doreen Apuswin Aboyella, Er-Menan Amaniampong, Yirenkyiwa Gyebi Eyison, Abigail Esi Nkrumah, Festus Akuetteh Ankrah, Martin Kanyagui
IntroductionThis study addresses a critical gap in Ghana's efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.2 by exploring how indigenous, play-oriented pedagogies support children's holistic development across 12 rural communities in northern and southern Ghana. Despite Ghana's early childhood education (ECE) policy, which emphasises scaling evidence-based best practices to strengthen the capacity of parents and communities to deliver ECE, scalable culturally grounded practices remain underexplored.ImplicationsThe findings reinforce the roles of families and communities as co-creators of culturally responsive, play-based pedagogies. The study underscores the need for ECE policies and curricula to integrate community-led indigenous pedagogies, ensuring that formal systems are enriched rather than disconnected from the sociocultural contexts in which children develop and learn.MethodsUsing a heterogeneous sample, the study engaged parents, community members, and traditional leaders through individual face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions.ResultsThematic analysis revealed that parents, primarily mothers, creatively use locally available materials and indigenous resources to facilitate traditional games and storytelling, embedding early literacy, numeracy, problem-solving, and emotion regulation in everyday play. Fathers highlighted indigenous play as a means of strengthening parent-child bonds, fostering emotional intelligence, and creating safe spaces for emotional expression. These practices, informed by prior volunteer play-based teaching experiences, demonstrate a dynamic interplay between local knowledge and broader ECE goals.
DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2026.17184952026-04-02
Bunthorn Yem, Tapas R. Dash, Bunhe Harth
This article discusses and analyzes educational disparities perpetuating the out-of-school children issue in Cambodia's primary education through the lens of human capital to offer a context-specific framework for a practical policy action. The article first develops an operational contextualized meaning of the key terminologies of the study such as social disparities, out-of-school children, and human capital. The article utilizes an integrative, narrative review approach, drawing upon the existing literature on the out-of-school issues in Cambodia. The article analyzes the existing strategies and interventions, including the investments in education, through the lens of human capital perspective. In spite of many efforts and subsequent investments in education, educational disparities persist, keeping many children out of school. The complexity of educational disparities in Cambodia necessitates sufficient and targeted investments alongside practical policy actions. The paper significantly contributes to the existing body of knowledge by synthesizing human capital theory with the Cambodian contemporary educational landscape to establish a foundation for practical policy implications and identifies directions for future empirical analysis.
DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2026.17475542026-04-01
Chaiwut Thepo, Pisak Kullayanimitra, Warawut Kumpanuch, Montree Chinsomboon, Rangsan Sukhampha, Vutthiwat Ananphutthimet, Chatchai Senkwankaew
IntroductionProvincial development planning in Thailand often faces a disconnect between top-down bureaucratic requirements and bottom-up local needs. “Pracademics”—academics who simultaneously function as practitioners—are increasingly positioned to bridge this gap, yet their specific role in facilitating local policy processes remains under-researched.MethodsThis study employs Participatory Action Research (PAR) to investigate the role of pracademics in the review process of the Sa Kaeo Provincial Development Plan (2023–2027). The study encompassed a two-day workshop with 117 government officials and stakeholders (n = 117). Pracademics served as facilitators employing AI-driven tools (Mentimeter and Gemini) to democratize engagement and process qualitative data. Data was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis of workshop outputs, field notes, and AI-generated word clouds.ResultsThe analysis reveals three principal themes. The Hardware versus Heartware Disconnect first arose as participants emphasized technical infrastructure while voicing desires for “happiness” and “safety”; this was followed by the Silo Effect, where “lack of integration” was identified as a systemic obstacle across all working groups; ultimately, the Budgetary Scapegoat emerged, as financial limitations were frequently referenced to obscure more profound structural rigidities. Anonymous AI tools proficiently exposed sensitive “undiscussable” matters, such as corruption and gray capital.DiscussionPracademics can function as “boundary spanners” by employing technology to reconcile the conflict between emotional local narratives and stringent bureaucratic logic, particularly within the policy workshop. As a result, by establishing a neutral digital platform for discourse, pracademics can convert hierarchical planning meetings into more inclusive, evidence-based policy discussions.
DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2026.17132242026-04-01
MacKenzie J. Gray, Dara Shifrer, De’Sha S. Wolf, Olivia M. Ainsworth, Rosemary A. Fama, Roberto P. Anitori, Ernest Blackwell, Tracey K. Burke, Carlos J. Crespo, Derek Helsham, Travis Kibota, Alissa Leavitt, Beylul Solomon, Thomas E. Keller
IntroductionIn 2014, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) invested in the Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) initiative to enhance diversity in the biomedical research workforce. As one of ten grantees nationwide, the BUILD EXITO project at Portland State University established an institutionally and geographically diverse consortium including local community colleges, a research-intensive medical institution, and universities and community colleges around the Pacific Rim. The goal of this collaboration was to support comprehensive research training for undergraduates from backgrounds historically underrepresented in the biomedical workforce. This manuscript aims to provide insights into creating and sustaining a large-scale multi-institutional consortium.MethodsUsing a collaborative and reflective approach, this study presents a collective account of developing and sustaining a decade-long equity-focused partnership. The authors, all deeply involved in the partnership, participated in a series of semi-structured conversations designed to elicit strategies and lessons learned for building and sustaining multi-institutional collaborations.ResultsThree main themes arose from the reflections on core strategies for creating and maintaining the partnership: 1) having a robust framework for diverse, equitable, and inclusive partnership, 2) equitable, flexible opportunities for goal setting and program implementation, and 3) planning for sustainability from the beginning. Obstacles faced throughout the decade-long partnership include the retention of all partners and the tension between institutional buy-in and the pursuit of external funding. Finally, the Partners defined two lessons learned from the EXITO experience: 1) the importance of a critical mass of stakeholders, and 2) the need to expand institutional leadership teams for partner sustainability.DiscussionWhile working across institutional boundaries may present challenges, multi-institutional partnerships allow for a broader reach to diverse student populations and create meaningful access to opportunities that may not otherwise exist. The EXITO infrastructure serves as a model for developing and sustaining partnerships for equity-focused student programs.
DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2026.17501592026-03-31
Abdellah Kaaouas, Nadia Kaaouas, Ikram Alami, Salma Afifi
IntroductionHigher education has a lengthy history in Morocco, which is also undergoing ongoing reforms for sustainable growth. This study aimed to identify and prioritize the main educational challenges in Morocco’s higher education system, focusing on obstacles that impact education quality and resource availability.MethodsRelying on the Educational Challenges Theory, as well as models such as the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Systems Theory, the study employs the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution method to evaluate criteria such as overcrowded classrooms, obsolete equipment, under-equipped libraries, and insufficient digital infrastructure.ResultsThe results reveal that overcrowded classrooms and obsolete equipment are the most critical challenges, highlighting the need for urgent infrastructure and digital resources reforms. The practical implications of this study suggest immediate interventions to modernize educational infrastructure. This research makes a significant contribution by using a quantitative approach to prioritize reforms, providing valuable recommendations for policymakers and institutional leaders seeking to improve the quality of higher education. Equally, the results of this study are an effective communication tool for the public and stakeholders to raise awareness of the importance of infrastructure for education. However, more research is needed in this field due to current technological advancements.
DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2026.17521862026-03-30
Hung Do
Reflection used as one of the learning activities can significantly benefit learners, both academically and affectively. However, empirical practices are still in deficit worldwide, especially in the field of English as a foreign language (EFL) education. The present study applied a three-thematic-prompt model for learner reflection to EFL students from a university. These three themes are (i) current motivation for English learning, (ii) personal learning experiences, and (iii) improvement plans. Participants in the present study were provided the model to write personal reflections on their English learning over the first year at college. Although it was an optional homework assignment, nearly 100% of the participants completed and submitted their learner reflection papers afterwards. Exploratory results from the submitted papers’ content analysis are insightfully manifold. Students anchored seven subthemes for theme one, another seven subthemes for theme two, and ten subthemes for theme three. It proves that the applied model is constructively usable for attaining the robust power of learner reflection because it came out with not just learned values to students but also practically pedagogical insights for teachers.
DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2026.17389602026-03-30
Agoes Ganesha Rahyuda, Putu Laksmita Dewi Rahmayanti, Diah Pradnya Dewi T., I. Gusti Ayu Tara Laksemiyasa Ditha, Wayan Satya Pariana Buditama
Building academic performance in higher education is strategically aided by perceived strength of performance management process (PSPMP). Aside from management, other important but seldom researched characteristics include academic passion and psychological empowerment. From the standpoints of empowerment, passion, and performance management, this study looks at ways to raise lecturers’ academic performance. Three hundred and seventy Indonesian university lecturers who had been teaching for more than a year made up the study’s sample. Surveys were used to gather data, and SmartPLS 4.0 was used to evaluate the results using a structural equation model. According to the study’s findings, lecturers’ performance is significantly impacted by their organizational commitment, psychological empowerment, academic passion, and job satisfaction. Nevertheless, the findings also demonstrate that psychological empowerment has no discernible impact on job satisfaction and that PSPMP cannot significantly affect lecturer performance. This study backs up the social exchange theory (SET), which contends that there is a reciprocal link between universities and their teachers and that performance would increase when university administration can make academics happy and highly dedicated. Along with SET, this study supports the self-determination theory, which holds that lecturers with strong academic passions are also more likely to be content with their jobs and to be highly committed to the organization.
DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2026.17269602026-03-30
Yerbol Sarmurzin, Yerzhan Amirbekuly, Berik Matayev, Almagul Assainova, Bauyrzhan Yessengeldin, Aray Amanova
IntroductionTeacher preparation for gifted education in Kazakhstan relies predominantly on infusion models, yet evidence of their effectiveness in non-Western stratified systems remains limited. This study measured attitudinal readiness and self-efficacy of pre-service primary teachers towards gifted education and examined how structural curriculum limitations shape these perceptions.MethodsAn explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was applied. A survey was administered to 589 pre-service primary teachers (3rd- and 4th-year undergraduates) across six universities, followed by semi-structured interviews (n = 29). Quantitative data were analysed using independent samples t-tests; qualitative data were coded thematically and triangulated with documentary curriculum review.ResultsNo statistically significant differences were found between 3rd- and 4th-year teachers across all attitudinal and self-efficacy measures, with trivial effect sizes. Qualitative themes revealed fear of elitism, methodological helplessness, and absence of targeted gifted education coursework.DiscussionThe absence of growth across academic years, termed the Plateau Effect reflects the structural failure of the infusion model. Teacher readiness is characterised as a holding pattern of ignorance, sustained by the systemic absence of stand-alone gifted education modules in pre-service curricula.
DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2026.1801251