Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science

Bioethical-Communicative Judgments Across Training Years

Gulnoza Salimova — 2026-09-30

Whether bioethical-communicative judgments vary across stages of medical education remains underexplored in Central Asian contexts. This pilot cross-sectional study examined scenario-based judgments among 100 undergraduate medical students from six year groups and seven universities in Uzbekistan using a purpose-designed six-scenario Situational Judgment Test (SJT). Five Likert-format scenarios were analysed separately, with S4 and S5 reverse-coded only for directional consistency, while S6 used a forced-choice format. After Holm correction, significant year-group differences remained for patient autonomy and consent (S3: H(5) = 28.89, p < .001, ε² = .254), comprehension verification (S4: H(5) = 14.52, p = .038, ε² = .101), and emotional responsiveness (S5: H(5) = 18.72, p = .009, ε² = .146), but not for prognosis disclosure or hierarchical challenge. In Year 1 versus Years 2–6 comparisons, Year 1 students rated S2 and S3 higher, whereas Years 2–6 rated S4 and S5 higher; S1 did not differ significantly. S6 responses were divided among refusal, acceptance, and compromise. Overall, cross-year variation was domain-specific and bidirectional. Given the cross-sectional design, unequal group sizes, and exploratory instrument, the findings should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating rather than causal. They identify domains warranting further longitudinal, qualitative, and behaviourally validated investigation within Uzbek medical education settings.

Students’ Attitudes Toward Generative AI as a Mediating Pathway to Perceived Generative AI Support for Self-Regulated Learning in Higher Education

Juli Sardi — 2026-09-30

Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) is increasingly integrated into higher education, creating opportunities for flexible and personalised learning while raising questions about AI-supported learning. This study examines whether students’ attitudes toward GAI mediate the relationships between perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived usefulness (PU), and perceived Generative AI support for self-regulated learning (GAI-SRL). A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 264 undergraduate students at a public university in Indonesia. Data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). PEU and PU were positively associated with attitudes toward GAI, while attitudes were positively associated with perceived GAI support for self-regulated learning. PEU and PU also showed significant direct relationships with GAI-SRL, and their indirect relationships through attitudes were significant, indicating partial statistical mediation. These findings suggest that students’ attitudes toward GAI constitute an intermediate statistical pathway linking technology-related perceptions with perceived GAI support for self-regulated learning. The study extends technology acceptance research by positioning attitudes toward GAI within a learning-oriented framework and highlights responsible, learner-centred use of GAI while preserving students’ learning agency.

The Assessment–Feedback Literacy Nexus

Ronald M. Quileste — 2026-09-30

Assessment literacy and feedback literacy are often treated as separate competencies in teacher education, although both underpin responsible assessment practice. This two-wave, multi-cohort mixed-methods secondary analysis examined their parallel development among 250 preservice teachers at a private university in the southern Philippines. Five successive cohorts from 2020–2024 were matched from Assessment of Learning 1 (A1) to Assessment of Learning 2 (A2), typically completed in consecutive semesters. Quantitative analyses included paired course-phase comparisons, within-domain regression-based prediction, and programme comparisons. Qualitative interviews and written reflections from the ALiPP corpus were reanalysed thematically and integrated through joint displays. Standardized A2 assessment-literacy performance and feedback-literacy scores exceeded A1 scores, while A1 performance strongly predicted A2 outcomes within each domain. Programme-level patterns indicated needs for targeted support in smaller and specialized programmes. Qualitative findings showed shifts from procedural, compliance-oriented experiences toward rubric use, feedback dialogue, fairness, and professional responsibility. Because A1 and A2 assessment-literacy examinations covered sequential but partly different content and were not psychometrically equated, differences indicate standardized course-based performance rather than growth on an invariant scale. The Assessment-Feedback Literacy Nexus integrates structural and dialogic dimensions of responsible assessment practice as an explanatory framework.

Institutional Responsibility and Connectivity Efficiency in Public Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Alejandra Uscategui-Gómez — 2026-09-30

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted deep structural inequalities in educational connectivity across low- and middle-income countries. This study evaluated the relationship between socioeconomic vulnerability and internet access in 14 public schools in Tunja, Colombia, during the most critical stage of social isolation in 2020 and one year later. An institutional census design was combined with Pearson correlations, paired-samples t-tests, and clustered ordinary least squares regression to analyse school-level connectivity patterns. The mean school-level proportion of students without internet access decreased from 56.5% in 2020 to 32.5% in 2021, corresponding to a 24.0-percentage-point increase in average school-level connectivity (95% CI: 10.7–37.2; p = 0.0018). A strong inverse association between the socioeconomic index and school-level connectivity was observed in both 2020 (r = −0.804, p = 0.00053) and 2021 (r = −0.794, p = 0.00069). Despite government efforts to distribute laptops and SIM cards, some of the most vulnerable institutions, particularly rural and peri-urban schools, showed limited improvement or even deterioration in connectivity. The findings suggest that expanding connectivity is necessary but may be insufficient to achieve educational equity. Digitally inclusive policies should therefore be territorially sensitive and pedagogically grounded if they are to address structural educational inequalities.

Understanding LMS Acceptance in Vocational Secondary Education

Lifa Farida Panduwinata — 2026-09-30

This study examines vocational secondary school students’ acceptance of Learning Management Systems (LMS) by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with external factors, including computer self-efficacy (CSE), subjective norm (SN), perceived enjoyment (PE), perceived accessibility (PA), and perceived playfulness (PP). A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 252 students at one vocational secondary school in Surabaya, Indonesia, and the data were analyzed using SEM-GSCA. The findings showed that PA was the only external factor significantly associated with PEOU, whereas the other external variables showed no significant associations with PU or PEOU. Within the TAM framework, PEOU was significantly associated with PU and ATU, whereas PU emerged as the strongest predictor of both ATU and BI. BI also significantly predicted actual LMS use. In this sample, LMS acceptance was more strongly associated with accessibility and functional utility than with motivational or hedonic factors. The study extends the application of TAM to vocational secondary education and suggests that schools and LMS developers should prioritize accessibility, usability, and pedagogical relevance to support sustainable LMS adoption.

From Knowledge to Instruction

Ebenezer Kwesi Lotey — 2026-09-30

Teacher education programmes invest in ethnomathematics knowledge, but its value depends on whether it is translated into instructional practice. This study examined whether ethnomathematics usefulness (EU) and teaching self-efficacy (ETSE) mediated relationships of ethnomathematics content knowledge (ECK) and pedagogical knowledge (EPK) with willingness to teach ethnomathematics (WTE) among Ghanaian postgraduate students. Guided by a pragmatic paradigm, data were collected from 159 participants through an online questionnaire and telephone interviews with eight purposively selected participants. Quantitative data were analysed using covariance-based structural equation modelling in AMOS 31 and qualitative data through reflexive thematic analysis. ECK and EPK were positively associated with EU and ETSE. WTE was positively predicted by EPK, EU, and ETSE, while ECK showed a small negative direct association but a positive total effect. EU and ETSE showed significant indirect effects in both the ECK–WTE and EPK–WTE relationships. Interviewees expressed strong willingness to use cultural artefacts in teaching while identifying curricular and assessment constraints. The findings suggest that ethnomathematics knowledge is more likely to translate into teaching willingness when accompanied by perceived usefulness and confidence, while institutional conditions may influence the feasibility of culturally inclusive mathematics teaching.

Beyond A-Level Points

Desmond Mwembe — 2026-09-30

In Zimbabwe, admission to university programmes is largely based on the number of points obtained at Advanced Level (A-Level). Because applicants come from schools with unequal access to educational resources, heavy reliance on examination scores may raise concerns about equity. This study examined structural associations among A-Level points, gender, faculty, and final degree classification using records from 1,512 graduates of five Zimbabwean public universities. A log-linear model was used to analyse these associations. The collapsed model [FA, FD] provided an adequate fit, indicating associations between faculty and A-Level points and between faculty and degree class, but no evidence of a direct association between A-Level points and degree class after accounting for faculty. In the four-variable model, gender was associated with faculty but not with A-Level points or degree class. Overall, the findings question the use of A-Level points as a general indicator of subsequent degree classification and suggest that any discipline-specific use of entry scores in admissions should be supported by further evidence.

Assessment Practices and Challenges of Social Studies

Czar Justine Navalta — 2026-09-30

Heat-index-related class suspensions can disrupt instructional delivery and classroom assessment. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, this study examined assessment practices and operational challenges among 129 Junior High School Social Studies teachers in Nueva Vizcaya during Alternative Delivery Mode transitions. Quantitative data from an adapted 32-item survey were analysed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, Tukey post hoc comparisons, and repeated-measures ANOVA. Qualitative data from semi-structured questionnaires and follow-up interviews were analysed thematically. Written Works Assessment (M = 3.40, SD = 0.41) and Performance Tasks Assessment (M = 3.49, SD = 0.47) were practised to a great extent, while Reflective and Compassionate Assessment was practised to a very great extent (M = 3.56, SD = 0.38). Written Works scores differed significantly across age and years-in-service groups, while Reflective and Compassionate Assessment differed across years-in-service groups. Repeated-measures ANOVA indicated overall differences among the three assessment domains. Qualitative findings identified submission delays, hardcopy retrieval barriers, concerns about output authenticity, and logistical burdens related to remedial work. The findings support context-sensitive professional development and assessment-continuity planning for heat-related school disruptions.