Research and Advances in Education

Equity and Inclusion Correlates for Higher Education Financing in Uganda: Policies, Principles and Practices

2025-07-08T01:46:40+00:00

This study investigated the impact of educational financing on access to higher education, with focus on equity and inclusion, by examining the available student financing opportunities available for students, evaluating the role of the available financing opportunities in promoting equity and inclusiveness, as well as analyzing the role higher education financing programs play in increasing access to higher education, with a case study of Soroti University. Results were obtained through semi-structured interviews with university students and key staff members. Findings indicated that students have access to various financing options, with scholarships and student loans being the primary forms of financial support concerning equity and inclusion. Thus, financial aid was found to be highly effective in ensuring equitable access, with a high implication on the ongoing discourse on the influence of financial support on student success, and thus the obtained results suggest strategic policy measures to be employed by government, universities, and quality community training on the available financial inclusion options aimed at fostering equitable access to higher education institutions in Uganda.

Research on the Theoretical Construction and Practical Path of Cultivating Top Notch Innovative Talents from the Perspective of Mathematics

2025-07-08T01:50:03+00:00

The cultivation of top-notch innovative talents is the core task of the strategy of building a strong education country in the new era. This article takes mathematics as a carrier and combines cognitive development theory, innovation ecosystem theory, and international experience to systematically explore the core characteristics, training difficulties, and breakthrough paths of top-notch innovative talents. By using case analysis and comparative research methods, a three-dimensional training framework based on “differentiated curriculum system project-based learning mode mentorship support network” is proposed. Research has found that the logical abstraction and problem-solving orientation of mathematics can effectively stimulate innovative thinking, but paradigm innovation needs to be achieved through dynamic selection mechanisms, interdisciplinary integration, and evaluation system reforms. This study provides theoretical support and practical reference for the cultivation of top talents in mathematics and related fields.

Practices, Challenges and Coping Strategies Among Students with Physical Disability in a Higher Educational Institution: Basis for Proposed Measures on Accessibility

2025-07-24T07:44:11+00:00

This study determined the practices, challenges, and coping strategies of students with physical disabilities in a higher education institution, with the goal of promoting measures that enhance accessibility. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the researchers conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews and employed thematic analysis to identify patterns and meanings from participant narratives. Three key themes emerged regarding institutional practices: the presence of physical accessibility features, responsive faculty and staff support, and an inclusive social environment supported by peers. Despite these positive aspects, participants identified ongoing barriers, including unsafe and inaccessible infrastructure, lack of comprehensive communication support, and insufficient disability awareness and sensitivity training among staff and faculty. In response to these challenges, students demonstrated resilience through three main coping strategies: drawing strength from others, adapting with initiative, and reframing disability. These findings reflect the dual reality of support and struggle experienced by students with disabilities, highlighting both advancements and gaps in inclusive education. The study recommends improving physical infrastructure, ensuring communication accessibility, training faculty and staff in disability awareness, and institutionalizing inclusive policies and peer support systems. It also emphasizes that legal provisions — such as Republic Act No. 7277, RA 11650, and Batas Pambansa Blg. 344 — remain inadequately implemented. Accessibility is framed not as a charitable act, but as a basic right that enables students with physical disabilities to fully participate, thrive academically, and feel a genuine sense of belonging within the academic community.

The Strategic Role of Intercultural Education in Advancing the Internationalization of U.S. Higher Education

2025-07-25T00:56:54+00:00

Amidst the pervasive influence of globalization, the internationalization of higher education in the United States is imperative for maintaining its global educational preeminence. This study meticulously explores the pivotal role of intercultural education in catalyzing the internationalization of U.S. higher education. By integrating theoretical frameworks, empirical investigations, and case studies, an innovative intercultural education program is proposed, complemented by actionable policy recommendations.

The study commences with a comprehensive review of intercultural education theories and the internationalization of higher education, constructing a robust theoretical framework that amalgamates intercultural psychology with educational principles. Subsequently, through the implementation of an intercultural education program at a U.S. university, the educational outcomes are systematically evaluated via questionnaires, student feedback, and teaching evaluations. The results unequivocally demonstrate that the intercultural education program markedly enhances students’ intercultural capabilities and the internationalization level of higher education, thereby providing substantial support for its advancement.

Through case analysis, the study further substantiates the program’s effectiveness in practical applications and proposes policy recommendations to optimize intercultural education strategies in U.S. universities. The theoretical contribution lies in the introduction of an innovative intercultural education program, offering a novel perspective for intercultural education theory. In practical terms, the study provides empirical evidence of the program’s impact on enhancing the internationalization level of higher education, offering pragmatic solutions for U.S. universities.

Harnessing Intelligence: A Framework for AI Teaching Assistants in the Study of East Asian Buddhist Art, History, and Culture

2025-07-25T00:59:07+00:00

Though AI is reliant on data rather than on interpretive and conceptual thinking, AI presents new opportunities and contingencies to scholars of humanities as well as those in the natural sciences to leverage new visual modes of information and interpretation. As AI starts to invade education, one needs to be critical of its uses in areas that really need depth of cultural issues and philosophy. This article draws from literature in AI in Education (AIEd), art history pedagogy and East Asian Buddhist studies to fashion a theoretical framework through which to approach these issues. The author contends that the implementation of AI has potential (and significant) benefits, but it also comes with risks — algorithmic bias, an oversimplification of complex philosophies, and the possibility that students’ critical thinking skills will be sidelined when they become so reliant on AI for instant information. In response to some of these challenges, we suggest guidelines for developing and integrating AI-teaching assistants (AI-TAs) that respect cultural diversity, promote hermeneutic justice, and are based on human-centered design. The paper argues that the necessity of the human educator is not diminished; rather it is accentuated in the AI-managed learning environment, evolving into content curation, guiding critical conversations, and teaching AI literacy. This study offers a precedent for selective use of AI in other culturally rich, specialized humanities disciplines.

Research on the Application of BIM Technology in Architectural Education and the Development of an Informatized Teaching Model

2025-07-25T01:03:11+00:00

This study investigates the application of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology in architectural education and explores its transformative impact on traditional teaching models. Through a comprehensive review of the literature and analysis of case studies, this research delves into how BIM technology, with its characteristics of visualization, parametric design, and collaboration, enhances the interactivity and practicality of architectural education. It provides students with a more intuitive and dynamic learning environment. The study proposes a framework for an informatized teaching model in architectural education based on BIM technology, detailing the construction approach, implementation strategies, and practical application effects. It also addresses potential challenges such as technical barriers, teacher training, and cost investment, offering corresponding solutions. The results indicate that the application of BIM technology significantly improves the quality and efficiency of architectural education, providing new ideas and methods for the informatization of architectural education with important theoretical and practical significance.

Evaluating 6 Examples of Empirical Research in Teachers’ Language Awareness

2025-07-25T01:05:09+00:00

This paper critically evaluates six empirical studies on Teacher Language Awareness (TLA), with a focus on the beliefs, cognition, and pedagogical practices of language teachers across various contexts. The review identifies key debates in the field, including the influence of teachers’ identities, prior learning experiences, and external factors such as curriculum design. The studies reveal that while TLA is difficult to alter in the short term, it can be nurtured through sustained reflective practice, explicit instruction, and well-designed training programs. The paper further highlights methodological trends, noting a preference for qualitative or mixed-method approaches that prioritize teachers’ perspectives. Despite growing scholarly attention, the field remains under-researched, particularly regarding the long-term impacts of TLA development and the dynamic interplay between beliefs and classroom practices. The paper concludes by proposing future research directions, emphasizing the need for longitudinal, ethnographic, and context-sensitive studies that bridge theoretical insights with practical classroom realities.

Innovative Approaches Fostering Self-Regulated Learning Technology as a Learning Environment in Higher Education Institutions in Uganda

2025-07-25T01:06:49+00:00

The harmonization of technology into education has the aptitude to redefine the learning process as Zimmerman (2002) proposes, self-regulated learning and performance involve the processes whereby learners personally activate and sustain cognitions, affects, and behaviours that are systematically oriented towards the attainment of personal goals. Where the learner sets personal goals and creates self-oriented feedback through which they can monitor their effectiveness and values in this world through the use of self-regulated learning (SRL). The results of this study will establish strategies on how to utilize SRL using technology to enhance their learning environment as a competence. To know whether university students use digital technologies to plan, organize and facilitate their learning, the interviewing methodology was used. The results indicated that university students, even when they are frequent users of digital technology, tend not to use these technologies to regulate their learning process. To sum up, the findings of the study indicated that integrating self-regulated approaches into technology can improve students’ self-efficacy as well as their strategies for planning and using time and hence they can learn effectively and have better learning achievements.

Syntactic Complexity in RA Writing of Chinese EFL Learners: A Corpus-Based Study of RA Abstracts

2025-07-25T01:33:43+00:00

As a reliable measurement of language development, second language (L2) proficiency and writing quality, syntactic complexity has received considerable attention in research about L2 acquisition and English academic writing. However, few comparative studies have been conducted on the RAs (research articles) of Chinese EFL learners at undergraduate, graduate and PhD level using fine-grained indicators. Therefore, this study aims to examine the differences in syntactic complexity of academic output of Chinese across-proficiency L2 learners, as well as indicators with great predictive power towards English academic writing quality. Based on a self-constructed corpus, this study analyzed the abstract sections of 90 theses of Chinese EFL learners at undergraduate, graduate and PhD level in the field of Applied Linguistics. Using TAASSC, these samples were analyzed using 14 holistic metrics and 163 fine-grained metrics covering multiple dimensions of syntactic complexity. Significant differences in syntactic complexity among these cross-proficiency Chinese EFL learners in three groups were found. At the global level, syntactic complexity differs in the length of production units, the use of complex nouns and verb phrases per T-unit. At the fine-grained clausal level, syntactic complexity differences are reflected in the undefined subordination and auxiliary verbs per clause. At the fine-grained phrase level, syntactic complexity features differ in the subordinate components and six specific phrase subordination types. In addition, metrics that can effectively distinguish English L2 academic writing quality are revealed, namely, dependent clauses per clause, dependents per nominal subject (standard deviation) and adjectival modifiers per direct object (no pronouns). Results of this study can not only enrich the current study in terms of research subjects and indicators, but can also provide pedagogical implications for English for Research Publication Purposes (ERPP) teaching in China.