Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies

Communicative Language Teaching in Low-Resource Multilingual Classrooms: A Critical Integrative Review of Principles and Material Dimensions with a Focus on Tanzania

Stephen Syepwa Mwashihava — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Communicative language teaching has been adopted as the official orientation of English language curricula across much of sub-Saharan Africa, yet the conditions that the approach presupposes are frequently absent from the classrooms in which it is mandated. Tanzania presents a demanding test of the approach. English becomes the medium of instruction at the point of transition to secondary schooling, most learners arrive with limited command of it, Kiswahili functions as the national lingua franca alongside more than a hundred community languages, and classes are large while teaching materials are scarce. This review examines what can defensibly be claimed about the operation of communicative principles under these conditions, with particular attention to the material dimension of implementation, meaning textbooks, supplementary and authentic resources, and the ways in which such artefacts are used, adapted or circumvented in practice. Literature was identified through structured searching of multidisciplinary, education-specific and African scholarly sources, and evidence was appraised for design adequacy, transparency, contextual specificity and consistency with independent findings. Three findings emerge with reasonable confidence. First, the recurring account of failed implementation rests on a version of communicative language teaching that its principal theorists have long abandoned, so that documented departures from an activity template are weak evidence about communicative principles as such. Second, the material base functions less as a delivery vehicle for method than as a constraint that shapes which interactional possibilities exist at all, and locally developed language-supportive materials show promise that remains inadequately evaluated. Third, the Tanzanian evidence base is dominated by small qualitative and self-report studies concentrated in accessible regions, with almost no learning-outcome data and no replication. Priorities for research are identified accordingly, together with the design features that would allow the field to move beyond documenting non-implementation.

Digital Learning and the Reconfiguration of Teachers’ Professional Roles: A Critical Narrative Review of Pedagogy, Competence, Agency and Artificial Intelligence

Debasish Bora, Kate Dandesh Kumar — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Digital learning has moved from a supplementary mode of educational delivery to a structural feature of contemporary schooling and higher education. This transition has renewed a recurrent question: whether digital technologies diminish the importance of teachers or redistribute and intensify professional expertise. This critical narrative review examines evidence published from 1 January 2000 to 19 June 2026, while retaining earlier foundational work where necessary, to analyse how teachers’ roles are being reconfigured across technology-enhanced, blended, online and artificial intelligence-mediated learning. Literature was identified through ERIC, OpenAlex, OpenAIRE, CORE, DOAJ and Semantic Scholar, supplemented by citation searching and authoritative institutional sources. The synthesis focuses on five interrelated changes: the movement from content delivery towards pedagogical mediation; the expansion of teacher knowledge from tool proficiency to integrated digital and artificial intelligence competence; the growing importance of learning design, facilitation and classroom orchestration; the emergence of data interpretation, artificial intelligence oversight and ethical stewardship as professional responsibilities; and the interaction of these changes with teacher identity, agency, workload and organisational conditions. Evidence is strongest in showing that educational benefits from technology depend on pedagogy, teacher preparation, purposeful interaction and contextual support rather than on the technology itself. Research on online teaching similarly indicates that teacher presence, communication, assessment and design remain central, although the balance among these functions changes. By contrast, claims that artificial intelligence will substitute for teachers are weakly supported: current evidence is dominated by conceptual work, early-stage adoption studies, competency instruments and short-term interventions. Digitalisation can augment professional judgement when teachers retain decision authority and receive time, training and institutional support, but it can also intensify work, narrow judgement through datafication and reproduce inequalities. The review argues that contemporary teacher professionalism is best understood as technologically mediated human judgement rather than technological replacement. Research priorities include performance-based competence measures, longitudinal studies of role change, causal evaluations of professional learning, cross-cultural evidence and governance models that preserve pedagogical agency while enabling responsible human–artificial intelligence collaboration.

Enhancing Secondary School Students’ Performance in Electronics through PhET Simulation-based Instruction: Evidence from Kigoma Region, Tanzania

Jonathan Paskali — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Electronics is an important component of secondary school physics, yet many students experience difficulty understanding its abstract concepts, particularly when instruction relies mainly on lectures, static diagrams, and limited practical activities. PhET interactive simulations provide visual and interactive learning experiences that may support students’ understanding of electronic concepts, especially in schools with limited laboratory facilities. However, evidence regarding their effectiveness in Tanzanian secondary schools remains limited.

Aim: The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of PhET simulation-based instruction in enhancing the performance of Form Four students in electronics.

Study Design: The study used a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest non-equivalent control group design.

Place and Duration of Study: Data collection took place in four public secondary schools in Kigoma Region, Tanzania, between March and June 2026.

Methodology: The participants were 164 Form Four students. Two schools (n = 75) received PhET simulation-based instruction, and two schools (n = 89) received lecture-based instruction. Data were collected using a 20-item electronics achievement test (Cronbach’s α = .83) administered before and after the intervention. Independent- and paired-samples t tests and effect sizes were used in the analysis.

Results: There was no significant difference between the groups at pretest (p > .05; ES = 0.04). The PhET group had higher scores than the lecture group at posttest (p < .001; effect size = 0.83). The PhET group also demonstrated a statistically significant gain from pretest to posttest (p < .001; effect size = 1.33), whereas the lecture group did not reach statistical significance (p > .05; effect size = 0.26).

Conclusion: The results showed that guided PhET simulation-based instruction positively affected students’ performance in electronics and could be used alongside conventional teaching methods, especially where laboratory facilities are limited.

Examining the Role of Digital Literacy Skills in Addressing the Digital Divide among Undergraduate Students

Menon Deepa Lohithaksha, A. Selvan, N. Sasikumar — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Aims: To assess the digital literacy skills of undergraduate students and examine how digital access and technology usage factors influence their digital literacy.

Study Design: A descriptive-correlational research design.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted among undergraduate students enrolled in higher education institutions in Kerala, India, during the academic year 2025–2026.

Methodology: A structured questionnaire was administered to 152 undergraduate students to collect data on digital literacy skills, digital access, and technology usage. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis.

Results: Undergraduate students demonstrated a moderate to high level of digital literacy (overall mean = 3.47). They performed well in online safety, information searching, and basic cybersecurity practices but reported comparatively lower competence in professional digital communication and webinar participation. Independent-samples t-tests and ANOVA revealed no statistically significant differences in digital literacy based on gender, place of residence, year of study, or institution type (P > .05). Multiple regression analysis indicated that digital access and technology usage factors significantly predicted digital literacy skills (R = .409, R² = .167, F(6, 145) = 4.844, P < .001). Access to appropriate learning devices (β = .172, P = .027) and reliable internet connectivity at home (β = .299, P = .001) were the strongest positive predictors.

Conclusion: Meaningful access to digital resources contributes more to digital literacy development than the frequency of technology use alone. Strengthening access to digital devices, stable internet connectivity, and opportunities to develop professional digital communication skills can help reduce digital inequalities and enhance technology-enabled learning in higher education.

Reconstruction of Chemistry Knowledge Based on Local Culinary: Understanding Acid-Base Concepts through the Betawi Asinan Project

Leony Sanga Lamsari Purba — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Project-Based Learning (PjBL) integrated with Betawi Asinan local wisdom in improving students' cognitive learning outcomes regarding acid-base concepts.

Methods: This study employed a quantitative approach with a pre-experimental design utilising a One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design. The research involved 36 grade XI MIPA students at State Senior High School 71 Jakarta, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a 10-item multiple-choice cognitive test (C1, C4, C5, C6) and analysed using descriptive statistics, normality tests (Kolmogorov-Smirnov), homogeneity tests (Levene's Test), Normalized Gain (N-Gain), and a Paired Sample t-Test via SPSS 26.

Results: The findings showed an increase in the class average score from 47.22 on the pretest to 86.94 on the posttest, with an average increase of 39.72 points. The Paired Sample t-Test indicated a statistically significant difference (t = 24.65, p < 0.05), rejecting the null hypothesis. Furthermore, 50.00% of the students were in the high improvement category (g ≥ 76%), 44.44% were in the moderate category, and 5.56% were in the low category.

Impact: The integration of cultural context into PjBL provided a connection between abstract scientific theories and tangible daily experiences. The findings suggest that this pedagogical approach may support contextual science education while also engaging students with regional culinary heritage.

Digital Creativity in Special Education: A Phenomenological Study of SPED Teachers' Use of Canva

Janet P. Villar — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Special Education (SPED) teachers using Canva as a digital creativity tool for designing instructional materials and supporting inclusive education for learners with disabilities. The study was conducted at Queens Row Elementary School, Bacoor City, Cavite, Philippines, during the 2025-2026 school year, with data collection beginning on February 12, 2026. Five public elementary SPED teachers were purposively selected based on their current SPED teaching assignment, at least one year of teaching experience, actual use of Canva in preparing instructional materials, and willingness to participate. Data were generated using a phenomenological interview guide through a focus group discussion and individual semi-structured interviews. Audio- and video-recorded data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using Colaizzi's seven-step phenomenological method; member checking and reflexive documentation were used to support credibility and interpretive discipline. Participants perceived Canva as a practical and learner-centred design tool that helped them prepare clearer, more adaptable, and visually accessible materials while supporting differentiated instruction, collaboration, preparation efficiency, and professional confidence. Four cross-participant themes emerged: Accessible Canva Design, Multimodal Learner Engagement, Teacher Creative Empowerment, and Learner-Centered Restraint. The findings indicate how these five teachers understood and used Canva in their local SPED context; they do not establish causal effects on learner outcomes. The study recommends continued teacher training and technical support, careful attention to accessible and non-overwhelming design, and further multisite research incorporating classroom observation and direct learner-level evidence.

AI-Supported Oral Language Programmes: A Function-Allocation Framework for Understanding Instructional Authority and Intercultural Competence Outcomes

Guanzheng Chen, Bin Cao — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Artificial intelligence (AI)-supported language learning systems are increasingly used in educational contexts, yet the allocation of instructional authority between automated systems and teachers remains insufficiently understood. This study examined eight institutional implementations of AI-supported oral language programmes across the United States, Japan, and China, involving 7,350 students. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used to classify implementations through a two-dimensional function-allocation framework encompassing inferential depth and curricular integration. Intercultural communicative competence outcomes were assessed using the Intercultural Development Inventory in six institutions and alternative validated instruments in two institutions, with pre-to-post change standardised as Cohen’s d. The qualitative component drew on programme documentation and interviews with programme directors. Across cases, effect sizes ranged from 0.18 to 0.43. Programmes with Embedded curricular integration showed larger median gains (d = 0.41) than Supplementary programmes (d = 0.21), while Integrated programmes showed intermediate gains (d = 0.32). Inferential depth did not display a comparable monotonic pattern. Qualitative findings indicated that the instructional value of AI-supported practice depended on curricular embedding, assessment alignment, validation practices, and continued human oversight, particularly for consequential judgements. These findings support a function-allocation perspective in which instructional outcomes are associated not simply with AI capability but with how automated functions are integrated into the curriculum and governed alongside teacher authority.

Peer Support, Confidence, Perceived Stressors, and Academic Performance among Bachelor of Science in Nursing Students

Henry See, Edzen Espina, Nenita I. Prado — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Academic performance among nursing students is associated with various psychosocial factors that shape their learning experiences and educational outcomes. Hence, this study examined the relationships of peer support, confidence, and perceived stressors with the academic performance of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students in selected higher education institutions in Davao del Sur. Using a descriptive-regression research design, data were collected from 317 BSN students through proportionate stratified random sampling. Results revealed that students reported a high level of peer support, with interaction obtaining the highest rating and inclusivity the lowest. They also demonstrated a high level of confidence across self-assurance, belief, resilience, and competence. Perceived stressors were likewise rated high, with workload identified as the most prominent stressor. Students demonstrated very satisfactory academic performance. Pearson correlation analysis showed weak but statistically significant negative relationships between academic performance and overall peer support, collaboration, inclusivity, and workload. Multiple regression analysis further revealed that the model significantly predicted academic performance. Among the predictors, competence was a significant positive predictor, whereas encouragement was a significant negative predictor. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening students’ competence and further examining the unexpected negative association between peer encouragement and academic performance among BSN students.

A Comparative Analysis of Pedagogical Alignment and Learner Academic Performance in Grant-aided and Public Secondary Schools in Eastern Province, Zambia

Brainley Malambo, Alex Kambulu, Davy Mainde — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study examined pedagogical alignment and its association with learner academic performance in selected grant-aided and public secondary schools in Eastern Province, Zambia. Guided by Constructive Alignment Theory and Systems Theory, the study employed a convergent mixed-methods design involving 315 participants comprising 285 teachers, 22 head teachers and 8 Education Standards Officers. Quantitative data were collected through teacher questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics, an independent-samples t-test and Pearson’s correlation, while qualitative data from interviews, classroom observations and document analysis were analysed thematically. Findings indicated that stakeholders understood pedagogical alignment as coordination among curriculum objectives, instructional practices, learning activities and assessment. Grant-aided schools reported significantly higher alignment than public schools (reported t = -3.409, p < .001; d = 0.539). However, the reported correlations between the pedagogical strategies score and learner academic performance were weak and non-significant in grant-aided schools (r = .05, p = .594) and public schools (r = -.09, p = .483). A significant association was observed between misalignment strategies and learner academic performance in grant-aided schools (r = .28, p = .005). The study therefore concludes that pedagogical alignment should be understood as an enabling component of instructional quality rather than, on the evidence available in this study, an independent determinant of learner achievement. Strengthening instructional leadership, teacher professional development, assessment practices and school-level support systems is recommended.