This article reviews the evidence base for a range of contemporary, student-centred curriculum design methodologies, including inquiry-based learning (IBL), problem-based learning (PBL), project-based learning (PjBL), challenge-based learning (CBL), place-based learning and competency-based education (CBE), and considers their applicability to the design of a contemporary undergraduate criminology degree. Drawing on systematic reviews, meta-analyses and recent empirical literature, the article evaluates the theoretical underpinnings, andragogical benefits and structural limitations of each approach. It situates these findings within the requirements of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education Subject Benchmark Statement for Criminology (QAA, 2022), which explicitly positions research and critical enquiry as foundational to the discipline and calls for curriculum designs that embed equality, diversity and inclusion, education for sustainable development, and professional partnership. The article argues that no single methodology is sufficient on its own and that a principled hybrid model, drawing selectively on the strengths of each approach, offers the most coherent and evidence-informed basis for criminology curriculum design. Implications for degree revalidation, staff development, assessment design and partnership are discussed.
This article examines the process of developing the diagnostic and consultative competence of speech and language therapists. The issue is particularly relevant at the present stage of special education development in Ukraine, where competency-based approaches have become central to the professional preparation of future specialists. The study establishes that diagnostic and consultative competence begins to develop during pre-service professional training at higher education institutions and continues to evolve throughout a specialist's professional career. Furthermore, each type of professional activity is accompanied by corresponding emotional responses, which are considered important indicators of successful professional development. The study employed the following research methods: theoretical analysis and synthesis, a sociological survey (questionnaire), and mathematical methods for data processing. The concepts of phase, period, and stage are theoretically distinguished. Four stages in the development of a specialist's diagnostic and consultative competence are identified. Stage I marks the initial development of this competence during professional training. Stage II involves the foundational development of diagnostic and consultative competence in novice practitioners. Stage III is characterized by the formation of an individual professional style of diagnostic and consultative practice. Stage IV represents mastery in both speech and language therapy practice and diagnostic and consultative competence. The article describes the principal characteristics of professional activity and the corresponding changes in specialists' emotional responses throughout each period of every developmental stage. A sociological survey of speech and language therapists with varying lengths of professional experience was conducted to clarify the duration of the developmental periods for diagnostic and consultative competence, as well as the characteristics of their professional activities and the associated emotional states. Physicians with different levels of professional experience also participated in the survey, as diagnostic and consultative competence is similarly essential in medical practice. A pilot study based on interviews with 18 respondents demonstrated that the development of diagnostic and consultative competence follows a sequence of stages throughout the professional careers of speech and language therapists. Each stage encompasses different forms of both cognitive and professional speech therapy activities. The study also describes changes in specialists' emotional responses—from unpleasant emotions to positive feelings of enthusiasm, satisfaction, and psychological comfort—that accompany different types of professional activity at each stage of the development of diagnostic and consultative competence.
Creativity is a core competency within Kenya’s Competency-Based Education framework, and Integrated Science offers opportunities for learners to investigate, collaborate, experiment, and apply scientific knowledge. However, limited context-specific evidence exists on how teachers combine instructional strategies to foster creativity in Junior School Integrated Science. This study assessed variations in teachers’ combined use of inquiry-based, collaborative, experiential and hands-on, and technology-enhanced strategies in public Junior Schools in Ainabkoi Sub-County, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Guided by Piaget’s Cognitive Constructivist Theory, it adopted a pragmatic worldview and convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Questionnaires were completed by 81 Integrated Science teachers, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 Lead Integrated Science Teachers. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Collaborative learning recorded the highest use (M = 4.06, SD = 0.65), followed by inquiry-based learning (M = 3.94, SD = 0.66), experiential/hands-on learning (M = 3.54, SD = 0.53), and technology-enhanced instruction (M = 2.92, SD = 0.37). HCA yielded three exploratory profiles distinguished by relative emphasis on technology, inquiry and experiential learning, and collaboration. Interviews indicated that teachers adapted strategy combinations to lesson demands, resources, time, class size, and preparation requirements. The findings show variation in teachers’ reported practices, supporting differentiated professional development and improved access to practical and digital resources. Learner creativity was not directly measured.
This study aims to analyze the integration of social reconstruction and technological models in the development of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) curriculum as an effort to balance the intellectual tradition of Islam with the demands of social change and technological development. This study employs a qualitative method with a library research approach. Data were obtained from relevant scholarly literature, including journal articles, books, and academic documents addressing curriculum development, social reconstruction models, technological models, and Islamic education. The data were analyzed descriptively and analytically by comparing the characteristics, orientations, strengths, and limitations of both models to formulate an appropriate integration framework for PAI curriculum development. The findings indicate that the social reconstruction model provides a foundation for the PAI curriculum to respond to social issues, develop critical awareness, and promote social transformation, while the technological model strengthens instructional systems through competency-oriented learning, technology utilization, and measurable evaluation. Integrating the two models produces a PAI curriculum framework that remains rooted in Islamic intellectual traditions while being adaptive to social change, technological developments, and students’ needs. Thus, their integration can serve as a strategic alternative for developing a relevant, contextual, and socially transformative PAI curriculum.
Critical thinking is one of the competencies learners are expected to develop under the Competency-Based Education in Kenya. This shift demands a paradigm shift from conventional assessment practices to inquiry-based Competency-Based Assessment practices. This study aimed to assess critical thinking assessment practices in Integrated Science instruction in public junior schools in Nairobi County. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study used proportionate, convenience, and systematic sampling to select 382 respondents from a target population of 8,259. Structured questionnaires were used to collect information on critical thinking assessment practices in Integrated Science instruction from both teachers and learners. The reliability of the instruments was established through piloting in a neighboring county, Kajiado County. A Cronbach's alpha of 0.784 was obtained, thus making the tools suitable for data collection. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the study findings were presented using frequencies and percentage differences. The study findings show that teachers face challenges in assessing critical thinking in Integrated Science instruction, especially in interpreting the curriculum to incorporate inquiry, reflection, evidence-based reasoning, and application of knowledge in real-life situations. The gap was confirmed by learner responses, which consistently reported gaps in classroom practices that promote critical thinking. There is a gap in teachers’ perception of competence in critical thinking assessment practices in Integrated Science instruction in comparison to learner perceptions. The findings inform education stakeholders of the need to invest in equipping teachers with pedagogical skills for Competency-Based Assessment, especially in assessing critical thinking.
تفکر انتقادی یکی از شایستگیهایی است که انتظار میرود فراگیران در چارچوب آموزش مبتنی بر شایستگی در کنیا کسب کنند. این تغییر مستلزم یک تغییر پارادایم از رویههای ارزیابی سنتی به رویههای ارزیابی مبتنی بر پرسشگری و شایستگی است. هدف این پژوهش، ارزیابی رویههای ارزیابی تفکر انتقادی در تدریس علوم تلفیقی در مدارس دولتی متوسطه شهرستان نایروبی بود. این پژوهش از طرح پژوهش پیمایشی توصیفی استفاده کرد. نمونهگیری متناسب، در دسترس و نظاممند برای انتخاب ۳۸۲ نفر از جامعه هدف ۸٬۲۵۹ نفری به کار گرفته شد. پرسشنامههای ساختاریافته برای گردآوری اطلاعات درباره رویههای ارزیابی تفکر انتقادی در تدریس علوم تلفیقی از هر دو گروه معلمان و فراگیران استفاده شد. پایایی ابزارها از طریق اجرای آزمایشی در شهرستان همجوار، Kajiado County، تعیین شد. ضریب آلفای کرونباخ برابر با ۰٫۷۸۴ به دست آمد که ابزارها را برای گردآوری دادهها مناسب ساخت. دادهها با استفاده از آمار توصیفی تحلیل شدند و یافتههای پژوهش با استفاده از فراوانیها و تفاوتهای درصدی ارائه گردید. یافتههای پژوهش نشان میدهد که معلمان در ارزیابی تفکر انتقادی در تدریس علوم تلفیقی، به ویژه در تفسیر برنامه درسی برای ادغام پرسشگری، تأمل، استدلال مبتنی بر شواهد و کاربرد دانش در موقعیتهای واقعی، با چالشهایی مواجه هستند. این شکاف با پاسخهای فراگیران تأیید شد که به طور مکرر به وجود شکافهایی در رویههای کلاسی که تفکر انتقادی را تقویت میکنند، اشاره کردند. درک معلمان از شایستگی خود در رویههای ارزیابی تفکر انتقادی در تدریس علوم تلفیقی نسبت به درک فراگیران دارای فاصله است. یافتهها به ذینفعان آموزشی لزوم سرمایهگذاری در تجهیز معلمان به مهارتهای آموزشی برای ارزیابی مبتنی بر شایستگی، به ویژه در ارزیابی تفکر انتقادی را یادآور میشود.
As workplaces become increasingly complicated, a new type of teaching and learning needs to emerge that can effectively combine theory with skill development in HE. Many attention has been paid to the way in which game-based learning has developed in the context of digital simulation, and yet the vast majority of existing research focuses on that medium while not actually addressing board games from a conceptual and empirical perspective. The purpose of this study is to define how board games can be understood as experiential microsimulations that can provide a formally structured method for developing structured skills in project management education. This study is based on experiential learning theory and frameworks for competency-based education, and we will conduct an empirical study to test a conceptual model that explains the relationship between board game-based learning, cognitive activation, strategic decision-making, collaborative behaviors, and risk-based reasoning, and, ultimately, how these activities improve project management skills. The research will use a mixed-methods approach, which will consist of conducting quantitative research in the context of a fourth-year industrial engineering project management course, and gathering qualitative data through students' written reflections. The findings of this research indicate that the use of board games has proven to be an effective way of creating structured experiential ecosystems for engaging students cognitively and in cooperative processes, and that these two processes will in turn significantly predict the acquisition of competencies. Additionally, the results of the research will provide evidence of the mediation effects of active engagement mechanisms with respect to the creation of professional skill development through the experiential learning process. Through theory, this study extends and builds upon simulation theories (micro-level) and their use in non-digital gaming environments (micro-level) by providing a theoretically grounded model of game-based (non-digital) experiential learning, as well as providing action-oriented information for curriculum design that incorporates structured experiential micro-simulations into management education. Additionally, the results of this study generate future areas for longitudinal and cross-contextual research regarding competency-based innovation in higher education.
با پیچیدهتر شدن محیطهای کاری، نوع جدیدی از آموزش و یادگیری باید پدید آید که بتواند بهطور مؤثری نظریه را با توسعه مهارت در آموزش عالی ترکیب کند. توجه زیادی به نحوه توسعه یادگیری مبتنی بر بازی در زمینه شبیهسازی دیجیتال معطوف شده است، اما اکثریت قریب به اتفاق پژوهشها بر این رسانه تمرکز دارند و در واقع به بازیهای رومیزی از منظر مفهومی و تجربی نمیپردازند. هدف این مطالعه تعریف این است که چگونه میتوان بازیهای رومیزی را بهعنوان ریزشبیهسازیهای تجربی درک کرد که میتوانند روشی ساختاریافته برای توسعه مهارتهای ساختاریافته در آموزش مدیریت پروژه فراهم آورند. این مطالعه مبتنی بر نظریه یادگیری تجربی و چارچوبهای آموزش مبتنی بر شایستگی است و یک مطالعه تجربی برای آزمون یک مدل مفهومی که رابطه بین یادگیری مبتنی بر بازی رومیزی، فعالسازی شناختی، تصمیمگیری راهبردی، رفتارهای تعاملی و استدلال مبتنی بر ریسک و در نهایت، چگونگی بهبود مهارتهای مدیریت پروژه از طریق این فعالیتها را تبیین میکند، انجام خواهد شد. این پژوهش از رویکرد روشهای ترکیبی استفاده خواهد کرد که شامل انجام پژوهش کمی در زمینه یک درس مدیریت پروژه مهندسی صنایع در سال چهارم و گردآوری دادههای کیفی از طریق بازتابهای مکتوب دانشجویان است. یافتههای این پژوهش نشان میدهد که استفاده از بازیهای رومیزی روشی مؤثر برای ایجاد اکوسیستمهای تجربی ساختاریافته جهت درگیر کردن شناختی و فرایندهای تعاملی دانشجویان بوده است و این دو فرایند بهطور معناداری اکتساب شایستگیها را پیشبینی میکنند. افزون بر این، نتایج پژوهش شواهدی از اثرات میانجیگری سازوکارهای مشارکت فعال در ارتباط با ایجاد توسعه مهارتهای حرفهای از طریق فرایند یادگیری تجربی ارائه میدهد. این مطالعه از منظر نظری، نظریههای شبیهسازی (در سطح خرد) و کاربرد آنها در محیطهای بازی غیر دیجیتال (در سطح خرد) را با ارائه یک مدل نظری مبتنی بر یادگیری تجربی مبتنی بر بازی (غیر دیجیتال) گسترش میدهد و همچنین اطلاعات عملی برای طراحی برنامه درسی که ریزشبیهسازیهای تجربی ساختاریافته را در آموزش مدیریت وارد میکند، فراهم میآورد. افزون بر این، نتایج این مطالعه زمینههای آیندهای برای پژوهشهای طولی و بینزمینهای در خصوص نوآوری مبتنی بر شایستگی در آموزش عالی ایجاد میکند.
Critical thinking is widely recognized as a foundational skill for effective participation in the workforce and responsible citizenship. It involves analyzing, evaluating, and interpreting information to draw well-reasoned, defensible conclusions. The introduction of the Competency-Based Curriculum in Kenya, under the Competency-Based Education holistic approach, has included critical thinking as one of its core competencies. The study sought to determine how teachers are scaffolding critical thinking during the preparation and presentation of Integrated Science instruction in public junior schools in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study adopted a mixed-methods descriptive research design. The target population was 8,259 respondents: 7,598 learners, 643 teachers, and 18 Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs). The sample consisted of 382 respondents: 46 teachers, 328 learners, and 8 CSOs. Representative samples were selected through proportionate and systematic sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, Version 30.0), while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings indicated that although teachers adopted learner-centered approaches, they faced significant challenges in planning and implementing critical-thinking strategies, mainly conceptual links, inquiry, evidence-based reasoning, reflection, and real-world application of scientific concepts. The study also identified curriculum interpretation as a barrier to implementing critical-thinking instruction, resulting in a gap between teachers' perceived skills and actual classroom practices. The findings inform educators on the status of implementing critical thinking under Competency-Based Education and highlight challenges experienced by teachers. The study concludes that teachers encounter difficulties in developing Integrated Science instruction that scaffolds critical thinking and recommends the development of a structured instructional design model to help them design such instruction.
تفکر انتقادی به طور گستردهای به عنوان مهارتی بنیادی برای مشارکت مؤثر در نیروی کار و شهروندی مسئولانه شناخته میشود. این مهارت شامل تحلیل، ارزیابی و تفسیر اطلاعات به منظور دستیابی به نتایج مستدل و قابل دفاع است. ورود برنامهٔ درسی مبتنی بر شایستگی در کنیا، تحت رویکرد کلنگر آموزش مبتنی بر شایستگی، تفکر انتقادی را به عنوان یکی از شایستگیهای اصلی خود گنجانده است. این پژوهش با هدف تعیین نحوهٔ پشتیبانی معلمان از تفکر انتقادی در جریان آمادهسازی و ارائهٔ آموزش علوم تلفیقی در مدارس متوسطهٔ دولتی شهرستان نایروبی، کنیا انجام شد. این مطالعه از طرح پژوهش توصیفی با روشهای ترکیبی بهره برد. جامعهٔ هدف شامل ۸٬۲۵۹ نفر بود: ۷٬۵۹۸ دانشآموز، ۶۴۳ معلم و ۱۸ افسر پشتیبانی برنامهٔ درسی (CSOs). نمونه شامل ۳۸۲ نفر بود: ۴۶ معلم، ۳۲۸ دانشآموز و ۸ افسر پشتیبانی برنامهٔ درسی. نمونههای نماینده از طریق نمونهگیری نسبتی و نظاممند انتخاب شدند. دادهها با استفاده از پرسشنامه و مصاحبه گردآوری شد. دادههای کمی به صورت توصیفی با استفاده از نرمافزار بستهٔ آماری علوم اجتماعی (SPSS، نسخهٔ ۳۰.۰) تحلیل شد و دادههای کیفی به صورت موضوعی مورد تحلیل قرار گرفت. یافتهها نشان داد که اگرچه معلمان رویکردهای یادگیرندهمحور را اتخاذ کردند، اما در برنامهریزی و اجرای راهبردهای تفکر انتقادی، به ویژه در پیوندهای مفهومی، پرسشگری، استدلال مبتنی بر شواهد، تأمل و کاربرد مفاهیم علمی در دنیای واقعی با چالشهای قابل توجهی مواجه بودند. همچنین تفسیر برنامهٔ درسی به عنوان مانعی برای اجرای آموزش تفکر انتقادی شناسایی شد که منجر به شکاف میان مهارتهای ادراکشدهٔ معلمان و عملکرد واقعی آنها در کلاس درس گردید. یافتهها وضعیت اجرای تفکر انتقادی در چارچوب آموزش مبتنی بر شایستگی را برای دستاندرکاران آموزشی روشن ساخته و چالشهای پیش روی معلمان را برجسته میسازد. نتیجهگیری پژوهش آن است که معلمان در توسعهٔ آموزش علوم تلفیقی که از تفکر انتقادی پشتیبانی کند با دشواریهایی روبهرو هستند و توسعهٔ یک مدل طراحی آموزشی ساختاریافته برای یاریرسانی به آنها در طراحی چنین آموزشی توصیه میشود.
