Conference Agenda

Developing strong writing skills remains one of the most challenging aspects of learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Many students struggle to generate ideas, organize their thoughts coherently, and revise their texts meaningfully. In many classrooms, writing instruction is still predominantly product-oriented, where the focus is placed on the final text rather than on the stages that lead to its creation. As a result, students often perceive writing as a one-time task rather than a process of thinking, drafting, and refining ideas.

This action research explores the effectiveness of the Process Writing Approach as a means of enhancing students’ writing skills in an EFL classroom. The rationale for the study stems from the need to adopt more learner-centered and reflective teaching practices that support students throughout the writing process. The Process Writing Approach emphasizes key stages such as planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing, allowing students to develop their writing gradually and with continuous feedback.

The central research question guiding this study is: What impact does the Process Writing Approach have on students’ writing skills development? The research specifically examines improvements in content development, organization, grammatical accuracy, vocabulary use, and students’ confidence in writing.

The theoretical foundation of the study is grounded in constructivist learning theory and sociocultural perspectives on learning. From a constructivist viewpoint, writing is seen as an active process in which learners construct meaning through reflection and revision. Sociocultural theory highlights the importance of interaction, feedback, and collaboration in learning, which are key components of the Process Writing Approach through peer review and teacher guidance.

This study assumes that writing development is not linear and that students benefit from opportunities to revisit and reshape their texts. Unlike traditional approaches that prioritize correction at the final stage, the Process Writing Approach encourages formative feedback and self-regulation. By engaging students in multiple drafts and reflective practices, the approach aims to foster greater ownership of learning and a more positive attitude toward writing.

The significance of this research lies in its potential to inform classroom practice by demonstrating how structured process-oriented writing instruction can improve both the quality of students’ written work and their engagement with writing tasks. The findings are expected to be particularly relevant for EFL teachers seeking effective alternatives to traditional writing instruction in secondary school contexts.

In 2022, gastric cancer (GC) was the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, accounting for more than 660,000 deaths. In the same year, Europe recorded 135,610 new cases and 95,431 deaths attributable to GC; however, several European countries, including Portugal and Lithuania, exhibit higher incidence and mortality rates (International Agency for Research on Cancer. 2022). Although age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of GC have declined globally, population ageing is expected to substantially increase the absolute number of cases and deaths in the coming decades. (Leja et al., 2024).

Gastric cancer in the European Union has a 5-year survival of ~25% and a mortality-to-incidence ratio of 0.63.(Leja et al., 2024). Survival outcomes range from 75% for localized disease to 7% for metastatic disease (National Cancer Institute, 2023). These data highlight the importance of both primary prevention (e.g., reduced tobacco use) and secondary prevention through screening and early detection. Early detection can reduce physical and psychological suffering, enable less invasive and more effective treatments, and improve health-related quality of life. (Chung et al., 2024).

The Council of the European Union recommended the development of gastric cancer screening programmes in regions with higher incidence and mortality; however, such programmes have not yet been implemented (Leja, et al.2024). In this context, enhancing endoscopists’ upper gastrointestinal endoscopy competencies is crucial to increase GC detection rates, particularly for precancerous and early cancer lesions, according to current guidelines (Bisschops et al., 2016; Luo et al., 2023; Zhang et al., 2015). Nevertheless, studies on upper GI endoscopy curriculum development and assessment remain scarce, particularly for experienced gastroscopists in Europe. Most studies adopt a competency-based approach emphasizing conscious and unconscious competence, respectively, the stage where clinicians can perform a skill consciously and are able to explain each step, and the stage where the skill is executed automatically and fluently (Dubé & Rostom, 2016). These approaches may overlook the role of contextualized reflective competence, a metacompetence involving the ability to recognize and critically reflect on one’s own competence or incompetence, and to actively seek strategies to enhance performance using the surrounding learning or clinical context (Lane & Roberts, 2022).

Aiming to develop competencies and aptitudes of physicians on upper GI endoscopy and improve cancer detection, the “Eucanscreen course on upper GI endoscopy: How to improve your cancer detection rate” is a blended, competency-based course delivered in three editions (2025–2027), with face-to-face sessions in Portugal and Lithuania. The course prioritises active learning through case-based and reflective approaches, aiming to foster a sense of belonging to a community of practice involved in co-creating knowledge and promoting contextualised reflective competence (Alves, Pereira & Dinis-Ribeiro, 2025).

Based on data from needs and resources and first-edition training assessments, this study aims to explore physicians’ motivations and perceived barriers to learning and applying competencies in clinical practice, and examine the role of contextualized reflective competence in supporting these processes. This study is grounded in a socioconstructivist perspective, emphasizing learning as an interactive, socially mediated process (Thomas et al.,2014).

The following research questions will be addressed:

• What motivations lead physicians to participate in a continuing education course on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy?
• What are the perceived barriers to learning and applying knowledge and competencies in upper GI endoscopy?
• In what ways may contextualized reflective competence support physicians in overcoming learning barriers and applying endoscopic competencies in clinical practice?

This research will provide insights into the learning needs and resources, challenges, and reflective practices of physicians, informing the design and optimization of competency-based endoscopy training programmes.

This work was co-funded by the European Union under the grant number 101162959 (EU4H-2023-JA-2-IBA-06), within the EUCanScreen Joint Action.

This study examines the role of academic staff competence in fostering students’ civic engagement in higher education, focusing on students' perceptions within Latvian universities. Civic engagement has increasingly been emphasised as a core outcome of higher education, closely linked to the development of democratic values, social responsibility, and active participation in societal and community processes. Recent research highlights that higher education environments and academic staff's professional practices play an important role in shaping students’ civic attitudes, skills, and engagement (Perrin & Gillis, 2019; Alscher et al., 2022).

The research question guiding the study is: How do students perceive the role of academic staff competence in fostering their civic engagement in higher education? The study explores which aspects of academic staff competence - particularly teaching practices, professional attitudes, and institutional conditions - are perceived by students as most supportive of fostering civic engagement.

The primary aim is to examine students’ perceptions of academic staff competencies that contribute to students’ civic engagement. Additionally, the study aims to identify teaching practices and pedagogical approaches that students associate with fostering critical thinking, social responsibility, and engagement in civic and local community initiatives. In addition, the research seeks to provide evidence-based recommendations to strengthen academic staff competencies for fostering student civic engagement, with relevance to professional development practice.

The study's theoretical framework draws on established research on civic engagement (Chang et al., 2023; van den Wijngaard et al., 2024) and academic staff competence (Dervenis et al., 2022; Malechwanzi & Lu, 2016). Civic engagement is understood as a multidimensional construct encompassing civic attitudes, skills, and participation (Doolittle & Faul, 2013; Moely et al., 2002). Empirical studies indicate that higher education experiences, including the quality of teaching and interaction with academic staff, have a long-term impact on students’ civic outcomes (Bowman et al., 2022). From a social constructivist perspective (Erciyes, 2020), students’ civic engagement develops through interaction with academic staff, where competences are experienced and interpreted within specific educational and institutional contexts. Furthermore, students increasingly expect academic staff to demonstrate social responsibility, foster critical thinking, and create authentic learning environments that connect academic content with real-world societal issues (Hubert, 2020). From the theoretical perspective of Boyer’s Scholarship of Engagement (1996), academic staff competence extends beyond teaching and research to include meaningful engagement with societal issues and communities, positioning civic engagement as an integral component of academic work (Boyer, 1996).

Academic staff competence is conceptualised as an integrated combination of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values, expressed through teaching practices and engagement with students. Research also suggests that civic engagement is valued beyond the academic context, with employers recognising civic engagement as an important competence in the labour market (Finley, 2021).

This study addresses a gap in the Latvian higher education context, where empirical evidence on how academic staff competence is perceived in relation to civic engagement remains limited. The findings are expected to contribute to both theoretical discussions and practical initiatives aimed at strengthening the civic mission of higher education by developing academic staff competence. Although grounded in the Latvian higher education context, the study addresses issues relevant to higher education systems across Europe, making its findings applicable to broader discussions of academic staff competence and civic engagement in Europe.

The alignment between school textbooks and national curriculum standards is essential for effective teaching and learning, ensuring that students receive structured, relevant, and appropriate instructional material. However, in Romania, textbook evaluation has historically lacked systematic research-based validation, leading to inconsistencies in thematic coverage and readability levels. Such discrepancies result in information overload (Sweller, 1988; Spencer et al., 2019), comprehension difficulties, or instructional gaps that hinder effective classroom learning. Previous studies have identified issues such as excessive content density, inadequate thematic representation, and linguistic complexity that surpasses students’ cognitive abilities (Chitez, 2024; Oates, 2014; Valverde et al., 2002).

The primary research question guiding this study is: To what extent do Romanian school textbooks align with national curriculum standards? Our study seeks to uncover systematic discrepancies between the Romanian curriculum and correspondent textbooks based on automated linguistic analyses, thus providing a data-driven approach to textbook evaluation. Specifically, the study assesses thematic coverage using automated concept mapping, evaluates readability through computational linguistic tools, and compares textbook content with curriculum requirements via LLM-based analysis. By employing thematic mapping analysis, the study investigates whether textbooks adequately reflect the prescribed curricular priorities, ensuring that content is neither insufficient nor excessively detailed. Readability assessment provides insights into whether linguistic complexity aligns with students’ developmental stages, identifying cases where excessive syntactic density or advanced vocabulary might hinder comprehension (Mikk, 2000; McNamara et al., 2011).

The conceptual framework of this study is grounded in theories of curriculum coherence and cognitive load theory. Curriculum coherence suggests that educational materials must systematically align with national learning objectives to facilitate structured learning (Schmidt, Wang, & McKnight, 2005). Cognitive load theory (Sweller, 1988) posits that the complexity of instructional materials should match students' cognitive capacities to optimize learning. When texts contain excessive information density or advanced linguistic complexity beyond students' developmental levels, cognitive overload occurs, reducing comprehension and retention. The integration of AI-driven approaches within this framework supports an evidence-based methodology for assessing and improving textbook alignment with curriculum standards.

This research looks at how the diagnosis and systematic development of Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) through cross-curricular instruction might foster critical thinking in lower secondary school. The study arose from a common pedagogical concern identified through collaborative teaching: seventh-grade students consistently struggled to produce academically appropriate oral and written responses across subjects, instead relying on colloquial language and descriptive or minimal responses, even when higher-order reasoning was required. This issue was noticeable in English, Russian, History, and Biology lessons, especially in assignments that required explanation, comparison, analysis, and evaluation.
The research question that guides the study is:
How does cross-curricular instruction aimed at developing Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) affect students' critical thinking and capacity to create academically suitable oral and written replies across subjects?
This topic is investigated using the following sub-questions:
1. How does focused cross-curricular instruction affect students' use of academic language in both oral and writing tasks?
2. How does the development of CALP affect changes in students' critical thinking performance across subjects?
3.How do students use academic language and reasoning skills across English, Russian, History, and Biology?
The theoretical framework brings together three research lines that complement one another. First, the research is based on Cummins' (2000, 2008) difference between Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP), which views academic language as cognitively demanding, decontextualized, and necessary for disciplinary learning. This concept offers a perspective on why children who look linguistically competent may struggle with academically demanding activities, especially in content topics.
Second, the research is based on sociocultural theory, which regards language as the major mediational instrument for cognitive development (Vygotsky, 1978; Mercer, 2000). Critical thinking, according to this viewpoint, is formed through socially mediated academic discourse rather than as an internal capacity.
Third, the study draws on knowledge on critical thinking and language throughout the curriculum. Critical thinking is defined as a collection of transferable behaviors such as analysis, assessment, synthesis, and evidence-based reasoning (Facione, 1990; Kuhn, 1999). Research has repeatedly revealed that these practices are heavily reliant on language and cannot be properly developed without careful attention to academic discourse.

The project uses a lesson study method, collaborating with instructors of English, Russian, History, and Biology to develop, execute, monitor, and revise classes that emphasize academic language and critical thinking. The same sample of students was watched across topics, allowing for detailed examination of how academic language usage and critical thinking evolved over time and transitioned across disciplinary settings. This design is consistent with European and worldwide goals, highlighting teacher cooperation, reflective practice, and classroom-based research.

Abstract:

OrKa is a national quality-oriented assessment feedback tool designed to support improvement in Slovenian primary and secondary education (Cankar et al., 2022). It enables schools to access and review student achievement results from national assessments in Grades 3, 6, and 9, as well as from upper-secondary vocational and general Matura examinations. It is primarily intended for teachers and school staff involved in pedagogical and organisational decision-making. Selected analytical outputs are also accessible to external experts. OrKa aims to strengthen schools’ capacity to interpret and use results from large-scale assessments and examinations in a development-oriented manner.

The tool provides schools with systematic access to student achievement data and enables comparison with national reference distributions. It supports analyses at multiple levels, including the school, class, subject, and individual assessment item level, allowing for fine-grained, content-focused examinations of performance patterns across classes and assessment questions. Among the analytical features is value-added analysis (e.g. McPherson, 1993), which provides a school-level estimate of how much students at a given school have progressed compared to students nationwide with similar prior achievement. In addition, OrKa includes advanced, user-oriented visualisations, such as ordinal dominance graphs, which facilitate distribution-sensitive comparisons and interpretation by non-technical users.

The contribution draws on three complementary sources to present OrKa and its use in practice. First, the tool and its key analytical functionalities are illustrated through selected visual examples from the OrKa user interface. Where relevant, the contribution also describes how the use of OrKa is linked to student achievement on national assessments, without this being the primary focus of the poster. Second, available system-level usage information is used to provide insights into how the tool is used across schools. Third, annual survey data collected from school principals offer insights into user experiences, satisfaction with the tool, and reported uses of assessment feedback in school-level decision-making.

OrKa is presented as a national assessment feedback tool and discussed in terms of its relevance for school practice in Slovenia. At a system level, the contribution highlights how structured feedback from national assessments can provide schools with meaningful insights into their own performance and support the planning of pedagogical and organisational improvements. It also points to the broader potential for school leaders and teachers to make more systematic use of such feedback to inform school development processes (e.g. Schildkamp et al., 2019).

Research Question: How does the application of the DEAL, RACSR, and "Symptom" strategies enhance students' abilities to analyze cause-and-effect relationships of social issues and develop logical reasoning through literary texts?

Objective: The study aims to systematically develop students' text-processing skills and high-order cognitive abilities (analysis, synthesis, and interpretation) by analyzing character actions. Furthermore, it seeks to guide students in forming analytical conclusions by linking cause-and-effect relationships in literary texts with broader socio-public issues.

Theoretical Framework: This research is grounded in Bloom’s Taxonomy and the concept of metacognitive instruction. These paradigms prioritize the learner's ability to critically analyze, synthesize, and reflect on their cognitive processes rather than passively consuming information. The study aligns with the PISA framework's core component: Reading Literacy, where text interaction is defined as critical thinking and interpretation.

Methodology / Methods: The study describes a practical lesson model focused on developing analytical and synthesis skills. Using A. Faizollauly's short story "The Fire" as the research material, the dynamics of cognitive information processing and the transfer of learning to real-life situations were examined through the application of DEAL, Symptom, and RACSR strategies.

In the era of globalization, the density of information requires students to go beyond mere reading and summarization toward deep perception and Critical Literacy. This research is necessitated by the urgent need to enhance functional literacy and establish cognitive information-processing skills in the modern educational paradigm.

In the world, including Europe, the armed conflicts are increasing in the 21^st century. According to the information provided by the organization “Armed Conflict Location and Event Data,” it is predicted that the number of conflicts will increase by 20% in 2025 compared to 2024 (Ķezberis, 2025).

Researchers from Austria, Israel and Ukraine, where active hostilities are currently taking place, as well as Poland and Latvia, where there is a possibility of armed conflict due to the geopolitical situation, are looking for solutions for the continuity of the educational process in crisis conditions, modernizing the education system and creating the prerequisites for quality education within the framework of the Erasmus+ project “Disaster Resilience in Higher Education Systems via a Cloud University Model” (Andrushchenko, 2023).

The project is being implemented from October 2024 to September 2026 with an aim to develop an evidence-based concept, providing support in overcoming challenges, and offering a Cloud University Model as a solution for higher education institutions in order to ensure the continuity of the learning process in times of crisis, especially during armed conflicts.

During Stage I of the study the good practices of the institutions represented by the project partners have been summarized; in Stage II the conceptualization of the Cloud University Model has been carried out, and in Stage III it is planned to develop methodological support materials for the implementation of the model in the practice of higher education institutions in case of a necessity, which can be used in a crisis situation.

The publication analyses the results of Stage II of the Erasmus+ project “Disaster Resilience in Higher Education Systems via a Cloud University Model,” focusing on aspects of academic achievement assessment in the context of Covid – the deepest crisis of the 21^st century and the greatest challenge for educational institutions in the world and Latvia.

During the crisis universities replaced in-person assessment with online exam administration. A Systematic Review has concluded that online assessment has been one of the most significant challenges and that continuous assessment, which is not exam-based but takes place in a more qualitative way, is the best solution for students' learning achievement assessment remotely (Montenegro-Rueda et al., 2021).

Each crisis reveals the fragility of traditional systems, but it also opens up space for innovations (Beskorsa, 2025) - living in war conditions creates internal imbalance, whereas it also becomes a path of development, accompanied by learning processes that manifest themselves in different perspectives and a diversity of constructs, because teaching and learning in the existing reality expand the learners’ autonomy, providing an opportunity to deconstruct this reality and develop perspectives that will create new relationships and attitudes ((Facer, 2019; Morska et al., 2024).

In this context, the need for flexibility and relationship building in higher education practice is emphasized (Beskorsa, 2025), which is manifested in the support and provision of academic communication culture, so that every member of the academic community would feel included, protected and belonging to it, despite the challenges and losses of the crisis (Spivakovsky et al., 2025).

Aim of the research: analyse the experience of learning achievement assessment in crisis situations in higher education institutions in Latvia for the development of a Cloud University Model and application in the event of armed conflicts.

The research questions are:

• What are the best practices and in the application of online assessment forms in higher education institutions?
• What online assessment forms introduced during the Covid-19 crisis can be used during the armed conflict?
• How to ensure academic integrity in times of crisis?
• What are the most important aspects of educational quality assurance systems in the assessment context during crisis?

The ERGUES-STP Project – Education and Educational Governance Reform in São Tomé and Príncipe - is coordinated by the Instituto Marquês de Valle Flôr (IMVF) and funded by Camões - Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua. The project is currently under development for the period 2024 - 2026. It builds on the experience of the PAISE-STP project - Integrated Support Programme for the Education Sector in São Tomé and Príncipe - and addresses key challenges related to quality, equity and inclusion in the Santomean educational system. The project is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (inclusive, equitable and quality education) and with the Portuguese Cooperation Strategy 2030 (ECP2030).

In this sense, the ERGUES project integrates local priorities with international educational standards through the adoption of a systemic approach, focusing on technical and vocational education, the revision and the development of (digital) educational resources, teacher professional development, and the strengthening of institutional capacity within both the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sciences of São Tomé and Príncipe (MECCSTP) and the University of São Tomé and Príncipe (USTP).

As such, ERGUES is situated within international development cooperation processes and seeks to respond to persistent structural challenges, including weaknesses in teaching and learning processes, the scarcity and obsolescence of teaching and learning materials, the presence of teachers with qualifications resulting from fragile initial training pathways, and limitations in institutional capacity for educational research, planning, monitoring and evaluation (Costa et al., 2017; Fernandes et al., 2019).

Based on this framework and grounded in a systemic perspective, the ERGUES project is organised around four interdependent axes of intervention. The first axis focuses on strengthening dual certification technical and vocational education through the revision and creation of legal frameworks and the design of training pathways aligned with territorial characteristics and youth employability opportunities, particularly in more disadvantaged areas. This axis aims to contribute to the reduction of school dropout and to the promotion of more qualified educational pathways and transitions between school and the labour market.

The second axis focuses on the revision, updating and production of (digital) teaching and learning materials for basic and secondary education, including resources specifically designed for special education contexts. The emphasis on digitalisation seeks to address both the unequal access to printed textbooks and the need to modernise pedagogical practices, promoting more inclusive, interactive learning environments aligned with contextual and contemporary challenges.

The third axis centres on the development of teachers’ pedagogical-didactic and digital competences through the strengthening of USTP’s institutional capacity. This axis includes the consolidation of research structures in education and the implementation of initial and continuous teacher education initiatives, fostering greater coherence, sustainability and local ownership of professional development processes.

Finally, the fourth axis aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Education, with a particular focus on planning, statistics, monitoring and evaluation of the education system. The development of digital platforms to support educational management and regulation, alongside the training of technical staff, is intended to support more informed and transparent decision-making processes.

In this sense, the ERGUES project constitutes an example of an integrated intervention aimed at the systemic strengthening of education in insular and resource-constrained contexts, offering opportunities for the development of educational policies and international cooperation practices. Accordingly, this poster aims to present the ERGUES project as an approach to educational reform, highlighting its guiding principles, axes of intervention and methodological options, while discussing emerging learnings relevant to improving quality, equity and inclusion in education systems with limited resources.

Working with historical sources has long been recognized as a core practice of historical scholarship. In contemporary history education, this practice is increasingly viewed as essential for developing students’ historical thinking and critical reasoning skills. Educational programmes aligned with international standards, including the Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS) curriculum and Cambridge International approaches, emphasize source-based learning as a means of fostering analytical, evaluative, and interpretative competencies. However, despite this curricular emphasis, classroom practice and assessment outcomes do not always reflect the intended development of these skills.

Analysis of Grade 10 students’ performance in External Summative Assessment (ESA) in history revealed persistent difficulties in analyzing, evaluating, and interpreting historical sources. Students tend to focus on surface-level factual extraction rather than engaging critically with the origin, purpose, context, and reliability of sources. This gap between curriculum expectations and students’ demonstrated skills indicates a need for more systematic and methodologically grounded approaches to source-based instruction in history lessons.

How does the systematic organization of work with multiple historical sources in history lessons influence the development of Grade 10 students’ critical thinking skills and the quality of their learning outcomes?

The main aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of systematic work with historical sources in developing students’ critical thinking skills in history education.

To achieve this aim:

• to design and implement history lessons based on structured and consistent work with multiple historical sources;

• to align source-based tasks with the requirements of External Summative Assessment in Grade 10 history;

• to examine changes in students’ abilities to contextualize, compare, and evaluate historical sources;

• to analyze how evidence-based reasoning and historical interpretation develop through multi-source analysis;

• to reflect on the impact of source-based teaching on teachers’ professional practice and instructional decision-making.

The study is grounded in theories of historical thinking and source-based learning. A key theoretical foundation is provided by the work of Sam Wineburg, who conceptualizes historical thinking as a set of disciplinary heuristics rather than intuitive reasoning. Wineburg identifies three core heuristics - sourcing, contextualization, and corroboration - which enable learners to critically evaluate historical evidence and construct reasoned interpretations. These heuristics form an essential framework for designing classroom tasks that move students beyond factual recall toward analytical and evaluative thinking.

The study also draws on the work of Peter Seixas and Tom Morton, particularly their model of the Big Six Historical Thinking Concepts. This framework emphasizes key disciplinary concepts such as historical significance, cause and consequence, continuity and change, evidence, historical perspectives, and the ethical dimension of history. Within this study, these concepts provide a structured lens through which students’ critical thinking development is examined.

Together, these theoretical perspectives form a coherent conceptual framework that positions systematic work with historical sources as the foundation for developing critical thinking in history education.

Conceptually, the study views critical thinking in history as a multidimensional skill set encompassing contextual understanding, comparison of evidence, evaluative judgment, and reasoned interpretation. Methodologically, the research adopts an Action Research approach, enabling iterative cycles of planning, action, observation, and reflection within authentic classroom contexts. This approach supports both the improvement of teaching practice and the generation of practice-based knowledge.

By examining how structured, multi-source-based instruction influences students’ critical thinking skills, this study contributes to ongoing discussions on effective history pedagogy.

This article examines the development of 9th-grade students’ analytical skills while performing qualitative identification tasks in chemistry classes based on the five components of the Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) strategy: Orientation, Conceptualise, Investigation, Conclusion, and Discussion.

In the Orientation component, the question-and-answer method was applied; in Conceptualise, questions prompting hypotheses for identifying unknown substances were used; the Investigation component applied the guided inquiry method; and in the Discussion component, the Plus/Minus/Intriguing method was used. These approaches aimed to develop students’ ability to design experimental plans to identify unknown substances in practical work, select the necessary reagents from tables, and correctly analyze the composition of identified substances.

Research Objective:
The study investigates the impact of the five IBL components on students’ development of skills to make observations, design and implement experimental plans in practice, and perform accurate analyses of substance composition through evidence-based reasoning in chemical experiments.

Relevance:
Due to students’ low proficiency in making correct observations, drawing conclusions, and analyzing the composition of identified substances in their own experiments, there is a need to develop their skills in monitoring experiments and analyzing practical work. This research is aimed at fostering and improving higher-order thinking skills such as predicting, analyzing, and concluding, thereby making a significant contribution to the international scientific-pedagogical discourse on developing these skills.

Research Questions:

1. How do the five components of the IBL strategy influence students’ development of analytical skills while performing qualitative identification tasks?
2. Which methods can be used to measure the development of students’ analytical skills in performing qualitative identification tasks?

Literature Review

During the literature review for this study, analysis and comparison methods were applied.

Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) is a teaching approach that emphasizes not only applying acquired knowledge to solve given problems and conducting investigations but also analyzing the situation to make appropriate decisions (Lee, 2014).

A question-based teaching model is one of the instructional approaches encompassing thinking processes and actions (Kidman & Casinader, 2017). Question-based teaching allows students to engage more in independent inquiry (Chu et al., 2017). This teaching method, grounded in constructivism, prioritizes student activity in seeking and discovering knowledge during learning. Teachers guide students toward scientific questions or problems that arise during lessons, thereby inviting students to explore, connect their existing knowledge and ideas, formulate scientific explanations, and apply, use, and evaluate learned concepts (Simamora et al., 2020).

Implementing question-based teaching in the classroom requires preparation in two main areas: defining learning objectives and identifying scientific questions or problems to be addressed in learning (Arends, 2012). Additionally, before starting question-based teaching, teachers must consider students’ prior knowledge levels (Odegaard et al., 2015).

The main four elements of question-based teaching are:

1. Questioning
2. Inquiry
3. Assessment
4. Analysis (Ai et al., 2008)

There are many interpretations of questioning in teaching and learning, and different levels of questions may exist in these contexts. In their article The Many Levels of Inquiry, Heather Banchi and Randy Bell (2008) clearly identify four levels of questions. Banchi and Bell explain that teachers should start with lower-level questions and gradually move to open questions to effectively develop students’ inquiry skills. Open-question inquiry is successful only when students are motivated by their intrinsic interests and have the skills to conduct their own scientific investigations.

According to Simanullang and colleagues (2021, pp. 1–2), a Learning Management System (LMS) is a type of software commonly used to support digital learning. In simple terms, an LMS helps move many educational processes from manual to digital. According to Alshammari and colleagues (2018, pp. 455–456), an LMS serves as the core platform that organizes and manages educational content while also tracking and overseeing both academic and administrative learning activities.

Pimenko (2025) notes that Moodle continues to refine its features and improve overall stability, especially in versions 4.1 and 4.5. The platform also has several upcoming enhancements in the pipeline, such as deeper AI integration and a more streamlined, modern interface. Together, these developments highlight Moodle’s ongoing commitment to evolving its platform to meet the expectations of today’s digital learning environment.

This study provides essential guidance for HEIs on how to systematically understand stakeholder needs, categorize system features as core, advanced, and functional, and implement these features within a practical LMS model, specifically for this study the SCROLLE model.

The SCROLLE LMS offers 28 AI-assisted innovative features categorized as core, advanced, and functional. The KAT-Soft model facilitates the systematic categorization and phased modular implementation of these features, ensuring that stakeholders initially receive essential functionalities and progressively gain access to additional modules in alignment with implementation phases and their growing familiarity with the LMS.

The aim of this research is to develop and validate the KAT-Soft framework—an integration of the Kano model, TAM, and AI-enhanced TPACK—to systematically categorize and prioritize the functional requirements of the SCROLLE (Scalable Collaborative Role-based Outcome-focused Localized Learning Ecosystem) LMS for HEIs in Latvia, ensuring the platform meets specific stakeholder needs and localized digital requirements.

This article reports the findings and analysis of the author’s final doctoral research, conducted using the Kano method.

Gorbāns and Bierne (2013, p. 57) highlight a clear disconnect between what Moodle could offer as a modern learning tool and how it’s actually used in Latvian higher education. They call for broader, system‑level changes to unlock its full potential. Dzelme (2024, pp. 555–556) highlights a gap in Latvia’s education system and recommends making “Modern Educational Technologies” a mandatory subject that blends STEM with humanities, including AI ethics. It also calls for national AI guidelines to ensure fairness, reduce bias, and maintain human oversight, while using Latvia’s strong IT sector to test and refine AI tools for real classroom needs.

Tuchler (2021, pp. 323–325) highlights the importance of using technology in ways that genuinely improve interaction, clarity, and support for students. Purina‑Bieza and Sarva (2022, pp. 213–215) add that many educators in Latvia still prefer digital tools available in Latvian, even though Russian and English platforms are common. While foreign‑language tools may spark initial curiosity, they are often used less over time, suggesting that the shortage of Latvian‑language options limits the adoption of more advanced or interactive learning technologies.

Ansone (2024, pp. 179–180) points out that Latvian HEIs still face several overlooked barriers when adopting digital technologies, including skill gaps, limited IT training for faculty, and students arriving with very different levels of digital literacy. Purina‑Bieza and Sarva (2022, pp. 222–223) add that these challenges make localized solutions essential, emphasizing the need for a high‑quality LMS in Latvian to better support digital learning across institutions.

Considering the significant investments from both the EU and Latvia’s national budget in digital education and skills development, the environment is highly supportive for start‑ups looking to develop LMS solutions designed specifically for the needs of Latvian higher education.

In the modern world, where science and technology are rapidly developing, the ability to research, analyze, and integrate knowledge from different fields is becoming a key skill of the 21st century. To be prepared for the future, people need to learn to think and act more holistically, taking into account the connections and interdependencies between conflicting or incompatible ideas, logics, and positions in both the short and long term (OECD, 2018)

Numerous studies in the field of education emphasize the need to develop in students the ability to analyze and evaluate information, the ability to highlight the main points, identify cause-and-effect relationships, model processes and create a finished product(Akhmetova S.A. et al,2025; Jarylkapova S et al,2024; Valeeva E.B. , 2020 ). At the same time, there are various methods of developing research skills that are used in schools (Rogelio Angel Varías-Palacios et al,2025; Honey M., 2014)

However, it's worth noting that during observation, reflection, and analysis of student work, not all students demonstrate a high level of completion on tasks related to research skills.

Research Question:

How can we improve students' research skills in Grade 11?

In modern psychological and pedagogical practice, the scientific works of A.I. Savenkov, A.P. Gladkova , V.I. Andreev, P.M. Skvortsov, D.V. Kosheleva and others are devoted to the development of students’ research skills.

Savenkov (2016) identifies the following skills as general research skills: recognizing problems, hypotheses designing; asking questions, defining concepts; classifying; conducting experiments; observing; making inferences and conclusions; structuring material; prepare texts of their own reports; explain, prove and defend their ideas.

Gladkova(2012)identifies 4 groups of research skills: organizational and practical, search, information, and evaluative.

The classification proposed by Andreev (1981) includes such skills as operational, technical, communicative and organizational.

Skvortsov (2010) identifies the elements of educational research skills: the ability to work with scientific and research literature; the ability to carry out observations; the ability to set up an experiment.

Kosheleva (2011) believes that involving students in research activities will allow them to learn to invent, understand and master new things, express their own thoughts, be able to make decisions, form interests and recognize opportunities.

Based on the analysis of literary sources, the following skills were selected and assessed in our study: analysis of scientific literature, logical presentation of an idea, argumentation, creation of a model and development of an experimental methodology, analysis of the obtained experimental data, drawing conclusions and reflecting on one's own activities.

The summer school offers a unique opportunity for in-depth immersion in research, allowing for systematic work and the completion of interdisciplinary projects.

In this case, in our opinion, the optimal solution is to use STEAM projects that provide students with the opportunity to develop research competencies, systems and critical thinking, as well as the ability to work in an interdisciplinary environment (Valiyeva A.K. et al,2025;Muraveva S.A. et al,2022; Azizah F.et al,2025 ).

This proposal presents a collaborative action research study examining how structured formative checklists can enhance students’ problem-solving skills across computer science education, art, and the history of Kazakhstan in secondary education. Problem-solving is widely recognised as a key transversal competence supporting academic achievement and lifelong learning. However, many students experience difficulties in structuring their thinking, monitoring their learning processes, and reflecting on outcomes, particularly when transferring skills across different subject areas. This study explores a cross-curricular formative assessment approach designed to address these challenges through the use of a shared pedagogical tool.

Although formative assessment has been shown to positively influence learning, its implementation in school practice is often fragmented and limited to individual subjects. As a result, students may perceive formative strategies as subject-specific rather than transferable learning tools. Existing research on formative assessment has predominantly focused on single-subject contexts, while cross-curricular and collaborative teacher practices remain relatively underexplored. This study responds to this gap by investigating how structured formative checklists, collaboratively designed and implemented by teachers from different subjects, can support the development of students’ problem-solving skills as a shared educational goal.

The selection of computer science education, art, and the history of Kazakhstan reflects the diversity of disciplinary problem-solving demands. In computer science education, students engage in algorithmic thinking, programming, and debugging. In art, they address creative and design-oriented challenges that require intentional decision-making and reflection. In the history of Kazakhstan, students analyse historical sources, identify cause-and-effect relationships, and construct evidence-based interpretations. Examining these subjects together allows for the exploration of both discipline-specific practices and transferable cognitive processes related to problem-solving.

The study is guided by the main research question of how the use of structured formative checklists enhances students’ problem-solving skills across the three subjects within a collaborative action research context. Supporting questions focus on how students use checklists during problem-solving tasks, changes in planning, execution, and reflection processes, students’ perceptions of the usefulness of checklists, similarities and differences across subjects, and teachers’ experiences of collaborative formative assessment practice.

The study is grounded in formative assessment theory, which conceptualises assessment as an integral part of learning aimed at supporting improvement rather than merely measuring achievement. Structured formative checklists are understood as tools that make learning goals, success criteria, and stages of problem-solving explicit, thereby supporting students’ understanding of expectations and learning processes. The research also draws on theories of self-regulated learning, emphasising the importance of planning, monitoring, and reflection in effective problem-solving. From this perspective, checklists function as scaffolding tools that guide learners through these stages while fostering increasing independence. In addition, sociocultural perspectives on learning inform the study by highlighting the role of collaboration, dialogue, and shared meaning-making in both student learning and teacher professional development.

A collaborative action research approach is employed, involving three secondary school teachers working within the same school context. The research is conducted through iterative cycles of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. A shared checklist framework is collaboratively developed and adapted to subject-specific tasks while maintaining a common focus on problem-solving stages. This study is significant in demonstrating how formative assessment can be implemented as a cross-curricular and collaborative practice. It offers practical insights for teachers and school leaders seeking to support transferable problem-solving skills and contributes to educational research on formative assessment, action research, and interdisciplinary collaboration in secondary education.

Developing speaking skills remains a core objective of modern language education because oral communication plays a crucial role in learners’ academic success and social engagement. Speaking allows students to articulate ideas, justify viewpoints, and participate meaningfully in classroom interaction. Nevertheless, classroom observations reveal that many learners encounter persistent difficulties during speaking tasks. These difficulties often include unclear expression of ideas, weak logical organization, limited use of arguments, and insufficient evidence to support opinions.

In many language classrooms, students tend to rely on memorized expressions and produce brief or fragmented responses. They experience challenges in forming independent viewpoints and connecting ideas coherently. Furthermore, emotional responses frequently outweigh rational reasoning, resulting in interruptions, inadequate listening skills, and limited respect for alternative perspectives. Such patterns indicate an underdeveloped speaking culture and insufficient communicative competence [1].

Traditional teaching practices often prioritize grammatical accuracy and written exercises, while structured opportunities for oral interaction remain limited. As a consequence, students may acquire theoretical language knowledge but fail to apply it effectively in authentic communicative situations. This disconnect highlights the need for interactive, learner-centered approaches that encourage active participation and meaningful speaking practice [2]. Internationally, communicative language teaching experts argue that tasks fostering real interaction—such as debates—are essential for engagement and skill transfer. Harmer’s influential work highlights the value of communicative, interactive tasks in developing learner autonomy and meaningful use of language [3].

One pedagogical strategy that addresses these challenges is the debate method. Debate represents a structured speaking activity that requires learners to analyze information, construct arguments, and defend positions through logical reasoning and evidence. Unlike informal discussion, debate operates within clearly defined roles and rules, enabling students to organize ideas systematically and communicate more effectively. Research evidence suggests that debate instruction can significantly improve both critical thinking and speaking skills in EFL contexts, leading to richer language use and stronger oral performance outcomes [4].

Despite its educational potential, debate is frequently misunderstood by students as an emotional confrontation rather than an academic practice. Without explicit instruction and clear structure, debate activities may become ineffective and fail to meet learning objectives. Therefore, debates must be implemented purposefully, with direct guidance on argument construction, respectful communication, and evidence-based reasoning [5].

This action research explores how the consistent and structured application of the debate method can enhance students’ speaking skills and speaking culture. The study examines changes in students’ ability to express ideas clearly, support opinions with arguments, and engage respectfully in oral interaction. By focusing on classroom-based practice, this research seeks to contribute to more effective speaking instruction and the development of functional communicative competence [6].

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of integrated teaching methods on high school students’ ability to evaluate physical experiments, with a particular emphasis on metacognitive awareness and scientific reasoning. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach, the action research explores how combining inquiry-based learning, collaborative problem-solving, and reflective assessment strategies enhances students’ capacity to critically analyse experimental design, data interpretation, and procedural validity. The study addresses three core questions: (1) How do integrated teaching methods influence students’ ability to evaluate physical experiments? (2) Which components of integrated teaching are most effective? (3) What changes occur in students’ metacognitive awareness and scientific reasoning?

Preliminary findings suggest that students exposed to integrated instruction demonstrate improved analytical precision, greater self-regulation, and deeper conceptual understanding. These results underscore the value of holistic pedagogical frameworks in cultivating scientific literacy and evaluative competence among secondary learners.

Introduction

In contemporary science education, the ability to critically evaluate physical experiments is a cornerstone of scientific literacy. High school students often engage in laboratory activities that require not only procedural execution but also thoughtful analysis of experimental design, data reliability, and conceptual validity.

Integrated teaching methods—such as inquiry-based learning, collaborative problem-solving, and reflective assessment—offer a promising framework for addressing this gap. By blending conceptual instruction with hands-on experimentation and metacognitive reflection, these approaches aim to deepen students’ understanding of scientific processes and foster higher-order thinking. Such integration encourages learners to question assumptions, identify sources of error, and articulate the reasoning behind their conclusions.

This study explores how integrated teaching methods influence students’ ability to evaluate physical experiments, with particular attention to the development of metacognitive awareness and scientific reasoning. It seeks to identify which components of integration are most effective and how they contribute to meaningful shifts in students’ analytical and reflective capacities. The findings aim to inform curriculum design and pedagogical practice in physics education, ultimately supporting the cultivation of independent, critically minded learners.

Research objectives

• To improve students’ ability to critically evaluate physical experiments.
• To assess the impact of integrated teaching methods (inquiry-based learning, cooperative learning, and metacognitive reflection).
• To develop a replicable framework for physics educators.

Literature review

Evaluating physical experiments is a core skill in science education, encompassing hypothesis formulation, data analysis, error estimation, and critical reflection. However, many students struggle with these tasks due to fragmented instruction and limited opportunities for inquiry-based learning.

Traditional physics teaching often emphasizes procedural knowledge over conceptual understanding. Studies show that students frequently follow lab instructions mechanically without grasping the underlying principles or evaluating the reliability of their results (Pols & Dekkers, 2024). This leads to poor development of science process skills (SPS), including observation, inference, and interpretation (Tan, Yangco, & Que, 2020; Yildiz & Kaya, 2023).

Integrated teaching methods—such as STEM integration, guided inquiry, and simulation-based learning—have shown promise in enhancing students’ experimental reasoning and evaluation skills. Ningtyas et al. (2024) conducted a systematic review showing that integrated STEM approaches improve students’ analytical thinking, problem-solving, and experimental design capabilities. Chengere et al. (2025) demonstrated that inquiry-based lab activities significantly enhance students’ SPS, particularly in hypothesis testing and data interpretation. Banda & Nzabahimana (2021) reviewed 31 studies on PhET simulations and found that digital tools improve conceptual understanding and help students visualize abstract phenomena, which supports better evaluation of experimental outcomes.

Several educational theories underpin integrated teaching methods. Constructivism emphasizes active learning where students build knowledge through experience and reflection (Taber, 2024; McLeod, 2025). Bloom’s Taxonomy encourages higher-order thinking skills such as analysis and evaluation, which are essential for experiment assessment (Bloom, 1956; Ruhl, 2025). Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle highlights the importance of reflective observation and abstract conceptualization in learning from experiments (Kolb, 1984; McLeod, 2025).