Advanced Journal of STEM Education

Understanding the Nature of Science for Elementary School Students in Rural, Suburban, and Urban Areas

2025-01-04T11:11:23+07:00

Understanding science is an important component of scientific literacy, which is the main goal of science learning. This understanding can improve students’ scientific literacy and enable them to achieve quality science learning outcomes. This research examines elementary school students’ understandings of the nature of science in three areas: rural, suburban, and urban. This research aims to analyze and describe elementary school students’ understanding of the nature of science in three different areas, which have an impact on students’ understanding of science processing, and using it in everyday life. The data were collected using quantitative methods with a type of survey research, where data were obtained using a questionnaire distributed to students in the form of Google Forms and analyzed using descriptive analysis. The participants in this research were 5th-grade elementary school students in rural, suburban, and urban areas, totaling 78 students with 26 students in each region. The results of data analysis show that students’ understanding of the nature of science in rural, suburban, and urban areas achieved satisfactory results. Students responded quite well to each statement in the questionnaire. Based on these results, it can be concluded that students in these three areas are good at processing knowledge and using it in everyday life. This research occurred in various geographic environments, namely rural, suburban, and urban. This research has a wider scope compared to previous research, which only focused on one area. The sample size in this research is limited, which affects the representativeness of the findings. In addition, the accuracy of a questionnaire depends on the wording, clarity, and reliability of the questions. Measurement errors can affect the quality of the data.

Student Responses to Personal Digital Inquiry (PDI) Learning Integrated with Citizen Science Project (CSP) on Biodiversity Materials in a Senior High School

2025-01-04T11:25:34+07:00

The research was motivated by the fact that biodiversity is declining; therefore, the involvement of all parties, including students, is needed to help save biodiversity. One way to do this is to implement meaningful learning by utilizing the closeness of students and gadgets through the application of personal digital inquiry-integrated citizen science projects in the classroom, which involve experts in carrying out biodiversity conservation projects in the form of a "digital herbarium" uploaded on Instagram. Students’ responses are important as a reference to the extent to which PDI learning integrated with CSP has succeeded. This study aims to analyze students’ responses to Personal Digital Inquiry (PDI) learning integrated with the Citizen Science Project (CSP) on biodiversity material in grade X high school students. This research is a descriptive study using a survey method. Questionnaires were used to collect research data. A total of 42 respondents participated in this study. The questionnaire contains statements about the implementation of learning using six indicators, which were compiled into 34 statements using a Likert scale. The results show a score of 79.73, which is considered good. Students feel enthusiastic and happy to participate in learning, get new experiences interacting with scientists and the surrounding community, increase closeness with teachers and colleagues, and increase awareness to maintain biodiversity by utilizing social media.

Teachers’ Awareness in Artificial Intelligence and Digital Competence in the Workplace

2025-05-06T08:36:21+07:00

This study explores how artificial intelligence (AI) influences education, particularly in teaching, learning, and assessment. While AI offers benefits such as personalized learning, automation, and data-driven feedback, it also brings challenges such as data privacy, teacher adaptation, and equity concerns. This research examines the link between teachers’ awareness of AI and their digital competence in the workplace. Using a descriptive correlational design, data were collected via an online survey from 144 public basic education teachers in Laguna, Philippines. The study employed validated tools: the AI Awareness Scale and the Digital Competence Questionnaire. Results showed that only one factor—attendance at AI or ICT-related training—significantly influenced AI awareness (p = .044). Thus, the hypothesis was partially accepted, as the other demographic attributes showed no significant differences. However, a notable finding is the rejection of the hypothesis that no significant relationship exists between AI awareness and digital competence, suggesting a meaningful connection between the two. This research provides new insights into a relatively unexplored area: how teachers’ understanding of AI correlates with their ability to effectively use digital tools. Although AI’s role in fields such as health care and technology is well studied, its educational impact, particularly on teachers’ preparedness, remains underrepresented.

A Systematic Literature Review on the Use of Gamification in English Language Teaching for Young Learners

2025-05-22T16:53:53+07:00

Gamification has become a popular strategy in education for increasing student motivation and engagement. In English Language Teaching (ELT) for young learners aged 5 to 12, gamification is especially important because children in this age group learn better through play, interaction, and fun activities than through memorization. However, there is still limited understanding of how gamification specifically supports young learners’ English learning. This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) on the use of gamification in ELT for young learners. This study focuses on the intersection between two key variables—gamification and English instruction for children—and explains why their combination is meaningful. Gamification can address common learning challenges such as short attention spans and low motivation by creating interactive, engaging, and developmentally appropriate learning environments. This review followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and used the Scopus database to collect articles published between 2016 and 2025. Of the 75 identified articles, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Results showed that gamification enhances student motivation, improves grammar acquisition through tools like Kahoot! and Quizizz, and supports engagement in hybrid learning settings. A key limitation of this review is its narrow focus on grammar, as most studies did not explore other essential language skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Future research should examine how gamification can support a broader range of skills. This review offers practical insights for educators and researchers by highlighting how gamification can be applied thoughtfully to enhance English learning for young learners.

Bridging The Gap in School Leadership: Developing Management Competence and Supervisory Strategies for Improved Teacher Effectiveness

2025-05-14T23:52:48+07:00

Inadequate leadership can impede teachers' effectiveness and diminish the quality of education. This study delves into the influence of management competence and supervisory strategies on teachers' performance to unlock their potential for delivering quality education. Using a descriptive-correlational research design and a questionnaire checklist, we investigated the relationship between these variables across fourteen public schools in Dipolog City. Our findings revealed that while most administrators were highly competent, factors such as age, experience, and educational qualifications influenced performance in specific areas. Surprisingly, the number of training sessions attended did not significantly impact competence. Administrators frequently utilized classroom visitation and demonstration strategies, revealing a strong positive correlation between their level of competence and the implementation of these supervisory approaches. However, no significant relationship was found between administrators' competence and teacher performance, indicating the need for further investigation into factors affecting teachers' effectiveness.

A Framework for Ethical AI in Grade 4 Lesson Planning

2025-06-15T08:31:02+07:00

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education is rapidly transforming teaching practices, particularly in lesson planning. In the Philippines, Grade 4 teachers are beginning to explore AI tools to enhance instructional design, personalize learning experiences, and improve student engagement. However, this technological shift raises critical ethical concerns, including data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the adequacy of teacher preparation. These issues are especially pressing in diverse educational contexts where disparities in access and cultural relevance must be addressed. This study aims to develop a framework for the ethical use of AI in lesson planning for Grade 4 educators. It investigates teachers’ perceptions of AI, identifies perceived benefits and challenges, and explores how ethical principles can be embedded in AI-supported teaching practices. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative data from interviews and focus group discussions with quantitative survey analysis. Triangulation ensures a comprehensive understanding of the ethical dimensions of AI integration. Key findings reveal that while teachers are optimistic about AI’s potential to support personalized and efficient instruction, they express concerns about the risks of bias, loss of human connection, and insufficient training. Teachers in urban and rural settings emphasize the need for culturally responsive AI tools that reflect Filipino learners' developmental needs and identities. The study also highlights a strong demand for professional development focused on AI ethics and responsible implementation. The resulting framework offers practical guidance for educators, policymakers, and developers. It promotes inclusive, transparent, and accountable AI use in education, ensuring that technological innovation aligns with human-centered values. By foregrounding teacher agency and ethical governance, this study contributes to the creation of a future-ready educational system that leverages AI responsibly while safeguarding equity and integrity in learning environments.

Design of a Decision Support System for Assessing Student Indiscipline Using the Web-Based Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) Method

2025-05-26T20:19:21+07:00

Student discipline is crucial for a conducive learning environment, yet many schools still assess indiscipline manually, leading to inefficiency. This research develops a web-based decision support system using the Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) method to objectively assess and rank student violations. The system helps educators manage offense data, assign weights to different violation criteria, and issue appropriate sanctions. Built with the Laravel framework for security and scalability, the system was tested with 50 teachers and administrators. Evaluation focused on usability, satisfaction, and the system’s accuracy in ranking student indiscipline. Results showed that 85% of top-ranked students had frequent violations, while 90% of lowest-ranked students had few. The system enables teachers to review data, generate accurate reports, and issue warnings efficiently, reducing the time spent on manual assessments. However, it is currently limited to web platforms and lacks integration with mobile notifications like WhatsApp. Despite these limitations, the system significantly enhances discipline management and provides an objective, technology-driven solution for educational institutions

Application of Machine Learning in Ethnomusicology Education under the Belt and Road Initiative

2025-06-05T13:06:55+07:00

The integration of machine learning has transformed the landscape of music education. To address the challenges of assessment accuracy and personalized instruction in ethnic music education along the "Belt and Road Initiative" regions, a sophisticated teaching recommendation system was developed, combining collaborative filtering with advanced clustering techniques. This framework demonstrates adaptability across diverse cultural contexts while ensuring pedagogical effectiveness in varied learning settings. The system's recommendation engine synthesizes explicit user feedback with implicit behavioral metrics to generate a holistic profile of student preferences across cultural boundaries. By integrating Canopy and K-Means clustering algorithms through an optimized fusion approach, the system achieves precise modeling of musical learning preferences. This two-tiered clustering strategy optimizes computational efficiency while maintaining recommendation quality, particularly beneficial in settings with limited technological resources. The platform continuously calibrates feature importance based on cultural relevance and educational goals, ensuring culturally sensitive and pedagogically effective recommendations. Empirical testing demonstrates the enhanced algorithm's superior performance in precision, recall, and scope compared to conventional approaches. The system achieves a parallel processing efficiency ratio of 3.326 across four nodes, showing robust scalability for extensive educational applications. This innovation facilitates personalized learning experiences in ethnic music education throughout the Belt and Road nations while fostering cultural preservation and exchange. The system successfully bridges traditional musical heritage with contemporary educational techniques, supporting both conservation and advancement in ethnic music pedagogy.